Dimensional Aspiration University has rather optimistic prospects for its student body. If you can make it here, you can almost assuredly be set for life in any dimension. However, something seems amiss on the first day of orientation.
Dimensional Aspiration University or D.A.U.
Unlike other schools, this one doesn't accept applications. It searches the multi-verse for candidates that it deems the best in respective fields of study, hobby, talent, and/or description. The board promises to ensure a bright future for any student that graduates. So, when an invitation appears, it's too good an opportunity to pass up.
After all the students arrive, however, things quickly take a turn for the worst. A mono-chromatic creature has taken charge of the facilities. The only way to graduate and get out alive...
... is to kill another student without getting caught. --- Yep, it's a take on Danganronpa, that franchise created by Kazutaka Kodaka. Deaths and violence are practically required. Other properties will get involved too. Avoid if you're squeamish.
"I did it! Ha ha! Finally... I can leave this nightmare behind me."
The figure slowly walked toward the extravagant vault-like door. Three knocks were made against it.
"Hey! You're supposed to keep your promise! I did my part!"
"Have some patience, buddy. You'll get out soon enough."
They turned around at the other voice. Eyes glowed against the grayish figure's face. The irises shook.
"Wh-What are you going to do with that?"
"Well, I did say that you'd go free. But I never specified how many pieces of you would leave."
A chord was pulled. A rapidly spinning buzz growled.
"This wasn't part of the deal! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Well now, that just won't do. I said you'd get to leave, no questions asked. I believe I heard you ask a question... and you know how I feel about rule-breakers."
"No! You set me up!"
"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
--- ...
Her body felt heavy. She didn't remember falling asleep, but her muzzle was definitely resting on top of her sweater sleeves. She blinked at the blurriness that was her vision. Carefully, she moved her hoof around the platform she was atop. When she found something that felt familiar, she focused her magic at it.
After a violet glow passed, Moondancer's glasses were on her face. She could see her sleeved hooves crossed on a desk. She slowly blinked. It wasn't like her to doze off during a class. She looked around a little faster.
Several different creatures were in a classroom. Some of them were muttering to each other. The rest were quite content to sit or stand by themselves. Only two of the creatures were ponies from Equestria: a brown colt wearing a propeller hat and a faded blue mare with a gray, messy mane. Not that Moondancer really had a leg to stand on with her mane bun. Her highlights always had a few split ends sticking out.
"Ah, good. You're awake," said a suave, male voice.
Moondancer turned to look at the desk in front of her. She gasped and adjusted her glasses. The size and body shape she was seeing matched a cat. However, the feather-hat, sword belt, and footwear was more suited to a swashbuckler. Before Moondancer could say a word, the cat turned around.
"Everyone, the unicorn is up!"
The smaller chats ground to a halt. Aside from a bit of shuffling, the only discernible noises were coming from the colt's handheld game. At least, that was the case until a boy with spiky, black hair cleared his throat.
"Alright, so we agreed to do introductions as soon as everyone was awake, right? I'll start." He whipped out a box that barely fit in his hand. The outside of it had a picture of a red dragon's head. "My name is Shobu Kirafuda. I was recruited by Dimensional Aspiration University right after the last Kaijudo Showdown Tournament."
A guy with red hair stood up next. "I'm Chrono Shindou, former third-year student of Hitsue High School. Although, I guess I'm starting fresh at D.A.U." Moondancer wasn't sure if the young man more resembled red velvet or a cinnamon swirl.
"Uh... Kevin Levin." The speaker had hair down to his shoulders, a black shirt, and some slightly torn jeans. He leaned back in his seat. "Mechanic. I don't know. Is that enough?"
"Whassup, peeps?" A guy with green hair and a red jacket smirked. "I'm Jake Long. D.A.U.'s got the Am-Drag for his martial arts flow."
"Okay then." The next student looked about Jake's age, but that was where the similarities ended. "Danny Fenton from Amity Park. This university saw something in my resume about paranormal activity. I'm not sure if their definition matches mine, but I'll do my best."
"Hello, my name is Connor." This man looked older than the previous speakers. His face was frozen even while his mouth was moving. "It is nice to meet all of you."
The girl next to him leaned back a bit before clearing her throat. "I'm, uh... Nilin. I was called here to hone my skills as a hacker." Moondancer performed a double-take at the flickering gauntlet covering Nilin's right arm.
"Hmm?" A boy in a brown work suit looked back and forth. "Oh, sorry. I thought we were going clockwise." His smile was almost icy. "I'm Goro Akechi. Some people call me the Detective Prince, but I'm not sure if I can live up to such a title."
"I'm sure you're just being modest." The earth pony mare turned to face the rest of the class. "My name is Screw Loose. I hope to take what I've learned in Ponyville's therapy to the next level here."
A creature Moondancer had never seen before spoke next. "I am Silver." He lifted his hand and a couple of pencils floated above his palm. Instead of any horn, Moondancer noticed the light blue glow was coming from his eyes. "D.A.U. invited me here to showcase my powers and hone them."
Moondancer was taken aback when the next student swung around an arm that looked like a slinky. "My name is Min Min, and I'm the proud owner of a ramen shop."
"Nice, no one cares," said another slinky-armed woman. "I am the great Dr. Coyle, the best scientific A.R.M.S. mind in the world! When you're done with your worthless pursuits, perhaps I'll let you beg to be employed under my heel."
A red creature with horns, a pointy tail, and white hair muttered, "Yeesh, her ego could almost rival Blitzo*." He crossed his arms before speaking normally, "Hi, my name is Moxxie. As long as you keep your non-innocent hobbies behind closed doors, I think we'll get along just fine." Moondancer squinted in confusion.
The colt looked up and pressed pause on his game. "What's up? Name's Button Mash. I'm a... gamer. And uh, yeah." His attention went right back to his device.
The cat from earlier adjusted his hat. "Hello. My name is Puss-In-Boots. Fortunately, none of you killed my father. So, you do not have to die. Hit me up later, ladies." He turned his welcoming gaze to the unicorn mare.
"Uh-huh... well, I'm Moondancer. I was invited to D.A.U. under the title of Ultimate Archivist." She tried to look anywhere except at the cat in front of her. "I mean, if I want to study for the rest of my life, I might as well put that to use."
"Well, with that out of the way..." Kevin stood up and tackled the door with his shoulder.
"Wha-hey!" Moondancer sat upright. "What are you doing?"
Connor raised his voice. "That door has been locked since we woke up. All attempts at using force on it have been met with zero percent success."
"Well, maybe we can loosen it!" Kevin slammed against the door again. Chrono ran over and slammed against the door as well. The two of them alternated hits.
Button blew some air at the propeller on his beanie. "You'll probably just get in trouble. Wait for the teacher to come by and unlock it."
"No, by all means," insisted Dr. Coyle. "Let them get themselves expelled. The less competition is here for future endeavors, the better."
"We don't need your sass, Coyle." Min Min pretended to scratch her head.
"That's Dr. Coyle!" The other A.R.M.S. combatant slammed her springy hand on her desk.
Nilin held a finger of her gauntlet against her ear. "Edge, do you read me? Edge? Drat!"
Moxxie tapped a few buttons on a cell phone and stared with an open mouth. "No service? But IMP phones are supposed to work anywhere in the living world."
One of Danny's hands turned transparent with an outline. He pressed it against a wall and immediately recoiled. "Ow! They proofed the walls against intangibility? What kind of school is this?"
Silver curled one of his gloves in front of his mouth and looked down.
"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Jake looked over at the hedgehog.
Silver nodded. "If the constructors of this room built defenses against abilities physical, artificial, and ectoplasmic, then they've probably already taken precautions against fire, psychic, and electrical damage."
"Everybody, remain calm!" Screw Loose called out. "Lashing out won't help us understand our current predicament."
"She's right, guys." Shobu crossed his arms. "Ludicrous situations always have benign explanations once we find them."
A high-pitched ding went off four times. Everyone stopped what they were doing. A large screen flickered near the top of the front wall. After a few seconds of static, the image turned into a shadow against a red background.
"Attention all students: at this time, the doors are being unlocked on your current floor. Please report to the gymnasium within the next ten minutes. Those who refuse to come will be penalized for tardiness and insubordination. That is all."
After that, the screen turned off. The only door to the classroom slid open to one side.
Kevin's arms dropped to either side of him. "Are you kidding me?"
Button Mash slid his gaming device into a pocket-space. "Maybe this is just part of orientation. It is our first day of the school year."
Chrono blinked twice. "Is he one of those 'sweet summer children' I hear so much about?"
"That or oblivious." Nilin stood up and walked toward the opening. "Anyway, I'm not sticking around any longer."
One by one, the occupants of the classroom got up and walked out. Moondancer thought she saw Min Min and Dr. Coyle punch each other in the face, but it happened so fast. She wasn't sure if her eyes were just playing tricks on her. Just as she was getting up to leave herself, Puss-In-Boots hopped on top of her desk.
"May I accompany the pretty lady to our eventual destination?" The cat briefly took off his hat and bowed slightly.
Moondancer sighed. "Look, I want to be tactful, but you're being too forward. Please stop." She levitated him over to the desk behind her. Then, she cantered through the classroom's doorway and down the hall.
--- After a brisk walk and following the directions of some signs with arrows, Moondancer found herself inside a gymnasium. Bleachers of alternating colors lined the walls on either side. Up against the back wall, a stage was set up along with a podium and a microphone. The intricate symbol for D.A.U. was engraved just above the stage. Some of the students were already standing around on the floor marked with basketball boundary lines.
"It's a bit strange that we haven't seen any teachers or administrators around." Screw Loose swiveled her hoof. "You'd think there would at least be lights on in the offices or one carriage alarm going off outside."
'Just what kind of schools would an alarm be considered a normal day?' thought Moondancer.
"I was able to phase through the bathroom doors, but not the floor or the ceiling." Danny held his chin. "Whoever made this place ghost-proof took some shortcuts."
When Jake walked over, his right hand was a set of red claws and was stuck through a combination locker door. "Eh heh... Has anybody seen a crowbar?"
Danny sighed and lightly tapped a translucent hand against Jake's shoulder. The locker door fell through his claws and clanged on the floor. The pair became opaque again. A small plume of fire changed Jake's hand back to normal.
"You're an Ecto-nurite?" asked Kevin.
"I don't know what that is," said Danny. "I'm just a half-ghost."
"Oh." Kevin shrugged. "Well, that's cool too."
Silver walked in while drinking from a bottle of water. After exhaling, he released his grip. In a teal glow, the bottle floated away from him and neatly plopped into a recycling bin. Almost everyone was there.
"Has anybody seen Button Mash?" asked Moondancer.
Chrono scratched his head. "I think he said something about not being able to hold it in anymore."
Moondancer deadpanned. "What."
Connor flicked a coin from his left thumb to between his right middle and right index fingers. "That is a figure of speech regarding a need to-"
Moondancer shook her hoof in his general direction. "I know what it means!"
Moxxie was busy muttering to himself. " 'Oh, Moxxie. It'll be a great experience for you. A school for honing the best of all kinds of talents will be sure to get your head on your shoulders.' I don't know, Millie. Prep schools tend to be worse than Hell. I might not be sane when I get back. 'Oh, don't worry, sweetie. If you ever get in over your head, I'm just a call away.' Well, now my dang service isn't working!" He blinked twice. "Dang? Why the fork did I say dang? Fork? Oh my garden! What's wrong with my fishing mouth?!"
The door squeaked open as Button dashed into the gymnasium. "Yes, made it! Five seconds to spare!"
Something clanged near the stage area. All eyes turned in that general direction. There was a ka-chunk, followed by a series of whooshes, and finally a plop. A figure rose to stand by the podium near the microphone. A soulless black eye and a glowing red eye stared at the small crowd.
"Good morning, and again, welcome to Dimensional Aspiration University. This one is here to take the role of Headmaster during your permanent stay. If you have any questions, please, hesitate to ask as this one's time is not yours to waste."
As far as Moondancer could tell, they all shared her look of confusion at what they were seeing and hearing.
Nilin pointed with her gauntlet. "Did anyone else hear a woman's voice in a robotic filter coming from that stuffed wolf?"
Moxxie tilted his head. "I would have said that was a poor imitation of Loona, but it barely sounded like it had any emotion."
Screw Loose cleared her throat. "Beg your pardon, uh... Headmaster was it? What exactly do you mean by 'permanent stay'? The invitation letter said the career program was just one full school year."
"Perhaps there is a glitch in this thing's playback function." Connor's eyes lit up blue while his pupils danced left and right.
"You did not mishear. The stay of all current students at this university is to be continued until death departs you."
Chrono's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me."
Shobu clenched his fist. "What are you saying? We didn't agree to live here forever!"
"Yeah, forget it!" Kevin turned around. "No amount of skill-focusing is worth staying here for the rest of my life. I'm leaving."
"This one regrets to inform you that leaving has been rendered impossible. All exits from this building have been sealed off. Additional precautions have been made to ensure that no application of science, magic, muscle, or intellect will allow you to leave."
Danny gasped. "The ghost-proof floors. Where did you get Fenton tech?"
"If you wish to leave so urgently, then there is only one solution: You must purposefully terminate the life of one of the other students, and successfully hide the fact that it was your handiwork."
Silence fell upon the gymnasium. The air felt uncomfortably cold. Moondancer sat her flank onto the floor. Her glasses slid a millimeter along her muzzle.
--- Starring...
Moondancer: Ultimate Archivist
Button Mash: Ultimate Gamer
Screw Loose: Ultimate Psychologist
Danny Fenton: Ultimate Paranormal Expert|Jake Long: Ultimate Martial Artist
"Before you begin your inevitable purge, there are some restrictions and other information you may wish to hear."
Kevin grabbed something near his belt. After about a second, his entire body was covered in a layer of metal. He ran up and punched the robotic wolf.
"Killers are forbidden to take more than two victims. Violators of this restriction will be severely punished."
Puss-In-Boots hopped and flipped onto the podium. He jabbed with his thin sword multiple times. In a flash, the robot wolf chomped its jaw around the cat's torso. After shaking him around, it flung him away.
"After three persons other than the culprit discover a body, a class trial will be held. There, the living must argue and ultimately determine who they believe is the killer."
Min Min and Dr. Coyle pulled out tubes of yellow energy. Crushing those containers, they proceeded to throw multiple punches from their stretchy arms. After a spinning cloud of smoke, an unharmed robot wolf stood tall.
"If you correctly guess, the culprit will be promptly taken away and executed. If the majority guesses wrong, everyone besides the murderer will be punished instead."
Button Mash dashed over and hugged Screw Loose's hooves. Meanwhile, Chrono and Shobu were holding up glowing cards. Two dragons of clashing art styles flew in and smacked the robot wolf around. But even after its parts scattered into dust, it reappeared at the podium.
"Accomplices are heavily discouraged, as only one killer will be allowed to leave in the event that the majority votes incorrectly. Should that come to pass, the winner will be decided by a virtual coin toss."
Silver lifted a hand and levitated the robot wolf. Nilin shot blasts of distorted energy from her gauntlet at the floating robot.
"If the cause of death is suicide, the killer will be unable to die a second time, so their punishment round will be skipped. Why does that make this one... sad?"
"Going ghost!/Dragon up!"
Glowing white hair and red scales marked a ghost kid and a dragon respectively. This was swiftly followed by an ice beam and a ring of fire. The clash of elements working together cracked the robot and it blew up. Yet, it still stood in perfect condition.
"There is no traitor working for an outside organization among you. This is not a virtual reality. This is not a game show made for the entertainment of thousands of viewers."
Moondancer magically lifted the robot. Moxxie pulled out a sniper rifle and fired right at the red eye. The unicorn thought she heard a second trigger pop, but there was only one hole in the robot's head before it exploded. Then, it appeared standing at the podium without any damages.
"This one simply wishes to observe an experiment: How far are all of you willing to go to survive? Will you kill for the sake of escaping, or will you allow trust to form, knowing that doing so could trap you for eternity?"
Connor flipped his coin and caught it in a clenched fist. "Analysis confirmed. Whoever owns this Headmaster has an indeterminable stockpile of them in case we overpower one."
Nilin pushed her hair out of her eyes. "You don't say."
Akechi pulled his hand out from his jacket opening. "Hmm, this is quite the predicament we're in."
"That will be all for now. Curfew is at 11PM. Your dorm rooms are through the gymnasium entrance and all the way to the right. Follow the rules and regulations to the letter... or this one will make you wish you could die. Oh, by the way, this one has implanted a hypnotic suggestion into all of your craniums similar to that of a profanity filter. This is to instill a more creative application of vocabulary. Goodbye for now."
With those words echoing faintly in the gymnasium, the robotic wolf vanished on its own. Everyone went silent where they stood. The various powered-up states fizzled out.
Moxxie's eyes twitched. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuudge!"
Kevin tilted his head. "What? Are you really that upset about losing some filler words?"
Moxxie grit his teeth. "It's the principle of the matter, filthy human! Cursing is my choice, not an on-off switch to be played with like a frosting toy!"
"If you're done throwing a tantrum, we have bigger problems," said Dr. Coyle.
"Can't believe I'm agreeing with her, but she is right." Min Min shook her head. "We need to find a way to get out of here."
Button Mash managed to stand on his own hooves. "But what about the school year? Shouldn't we still try to learn what we can?"
"Read the room, kid." Danny held out his hand beside him. "Somebody high-jacked this place and there isn't any normal staff left."
Chrono glanced back at the stage. "All that's left is that dumb-looking robot and whoever is controlling it."
Nilin tapped her gauntlet in a few spots. "It's not running any software I've ever seen. I could only hack one of them at a time and that was for split-second bursts."
Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "So, we need to find a way out of here. But the catch is that the place has been reinforced with magic-proof and power-proof floors and walls."
Shobu hummed to himself. "Maybe if I change the number of different civilizations in my deck, a way will open up."
Chrono blinked twice. "Uh... mixing card clans is illegal."
Shobu chuckled. "Not in my world, it isn't."
Akechi crossed his arms. "Truly? None of you are even entertaining the idea of what the Headmaster told us?"
Screw Loose tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
Akechi held out an open palm. "Just a moment ago, all of you attacked its copies without hesitation. How can we know for sure you won't decide it's worth the risk to kill another student?"
Silver furrowed his brow. "You can't be serious."
Akechi feigned surprise. "You're accusing me of joking? But you don't even know me. As a matter of fact, none of us really know each other. We only met today. For all I know, one of you is planning their method of attack as we speak."
Moondancer stared at the young man. "There is something wrong with you."
Connor walked closer. "Being a stranger does not necessitate being an enemy. It can allow partnerships to start from scratch and build a foundation from the ground."
"Coming from an android, those words mean nothing." Akechi smiled coldly. "Perhaps you're in league with your fellow robot that's holding us captive."
The humanoid stopped walking. He put his hand behind his back and pulled out a pistol. The other students gasped. Then, he flipped it around in his hand. He reached out and grabbed Akechi's arm, shoving the pistol into the leather glove.
"If you're certain that I cannot be trusted, then go ahead and prove it." Connor positioned the boy's arm. The pistol was now aiming at its original owner's forehead. "If you want your words to carry weight, you should be willing to take the action yourself."
"Are you crazy?!" Kevin stepped forward.
"Please stay back, Mr. Levin." Connor's expression did not change. "I would prefer you not get hurt."
Shobu's eyes were wide open. "I'm pretty sure he's not the one in danger right this second!"
Akechi stared dumbfounded at his 'hostage'. He had suggested aloud that he suspected the android of duplicity. Yet, here that same android had practically put its life in his hands. He didn't get it. He... really could not understand it at all. So, he laughed.
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha! My, my, you are hilarious, Officer." Akechi lifted his hand away. He shoved the gun back into Connor's possession. "Perhaps this will be an interesting semester after all." He turned around and walked.
"Wait, where are you going?" asked Moondancer.
"Well, in all the excitement, I've grown a bit peckish." Akechi smiled. "So, I'll be stopping by the food court before retiring to my dorm room. Good day, everyone."
As soon as the doors swung behind Akechi's departure, the students' eyes turned to the center of the gymnasium.
"Was that really necessary?" Moxxie's tail swished once.
Connor holstered his pistol. "He attempted to put all of us on the spot. I predicted that he would dislike having the reverse hold true. My choice had an eighty-seven percent chance of de-escalating the situation. I acted based on that probability."
Moxxie sighed. "Look, dude, I'm normally fine with killing. It's part of my job. But when somebody that seems innocent puts themselves on the chopping block, that's not okay. Don't pull that stunt again."
"Seriously." Chrono exhaled. "I couldn't breathe in that atmosphere."
Connor slowly blinked. "Thank you for your concern. I will keep that in mind for future reference."
There was a collective sigh as the tension in the gym was released.
"Maybe it's time to call it a day." Shobu clasped his hands together. "How about we break off for now? Go get some food, wash up, take a nap... whatever you need to do, let's find ways to relax."
"Sounds great," said Jake.
The rest were either non-combative or silently in agreement. Slowly, they departed from the gymnasium and went about the rest of their day.
"Fascinating." Dr. Coyle rubbed her chin. "I wonder if there's something inside that android I could use in my next lab project."
---
Moondancer secured a filled paper bag from one of the multiple restaurants inside the food court. She looked around at the seats and the other students that were present. She briefly considered finding the two other ponies for some sense of familiarity. She stopped and looked up into empty space.
'When Twilight was first making friends, she didn't start with some pony that was most comfortable for her. Maybe, I should take a dive into this new school environment.' She trotted over to the girl who was currently tinkering away on her gauntlet. "Is anyone sitting here?"
Nilin paused, shrugged her shoulder, then resumed her idle task. "Go ahead."
Moondancer sat down and pulled out a sandwich and a canned drink. On the can, there was an image of a lemon semi-fused with a green pineapple grenade. She took one sip of the drink and started coughing.
Nilin glanced over. "Er, you alright?"
It took Moondancer a moment and a quick nibble of her sandwich to calm down. "Y-Yes. I just wasn't expecting that soda to be so sour. It felt like it was turning my mouth into a house on fire."
"Really? Hmm... may I see?"
"Sure, just be careful."
Nilin grabbed the can and chugged it down. After about five seconds, she pulled the can away and crushed it. She tossed the can behind herself and it rattled against the floor. Puss-In-Boots dashed by, stabbed the can with his sword, and ran it over to the garbage can.
Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "I guess you liked the sour flavor?"
"Had a bit of a craving today." Nilin shoved a different bottle along the table. "Here, you can have this. I haven't even opened it yet."
"Uh, thank you."
Nilin returned to fiddling with some parts on her gauntlet. Moondancer continued to eat her meal in silence. Her ears flicked every time Nilin muttered something about edges, memories, and a missing booster. The rambling about code almost started to make sense to the unicorn.
---
A high-pitched pattern of ringing marked the end of the day. Moondancer trotted up to a room at the end of the hall. An image of her face had been plastered onto the door. She tried to open the door and go inside, but the handle was stuck in place.
"How do they expect us to go to bed if they lock us out?" she asked.
She heard a low growl behind her. Her spine tingled before she forced herself to turn around. The robotic wolf was staring at her. She couldn't find her voice. The metallic mouth opened and dropped a small item at Moondancer's hooves. The wolf then vanished into the floor.
Moondancer tapped her head a couple times. After remembering how to blink and breathe, she levitated the item up to eye-level. It was a key. She turned back to the door and fit the key into a space on the handle. It clicked and she was able to open the door easily.
She trotted inside the room, closed the door behind her, and sighed. "Why didn't it just give me the key earlier?"
A screen in a top corner of her room flickered on. "Consider that karmic payback for destroying a vital testing dog while this one was explaining the rules."
"Yaaah!" Moondancer yelped. "Y-You heard me say that?"
The robotic wolf in the picture leaned in close. "This one hears everything." Then, the screen switched off.
'I guess privacy is a foreign concept to this Headmaster.' Moondancer shook her head and plopped onto the one bed in the room. 'Tomorrow, we'll try to find a way out of this place.'
--- *Knock knock knock*
"Hello? It's Screw Loose. Some of the guys want us all to meet in the food court this morning. Whenever you're ready is fine."
Moondancer heard a set of hoof steps getting quieter. She pulled herself out of bed and trotted around. After rinsing her face in the bathroom, she put on her glasses and headed out. If the meeting was meant for everyone in that school, then it might be a good idea to stop by.
As she trotted along the hallway, she saw she wasn't alone. Button Mash was scooting along the floor while juggling his video game between his front hooves. The lit screen and tiny noises indicated that it was on. Moondancer rolled her eyes and levitated the Joy-Boy a few inches ahead of the colt.
"No, come back." Button stood up and walked on all fours.
"If you scooted all the way to the food court, you'd scrape your tail off," said Moondancer as she trotted beside him. "Wouldn't it be better to have a seat where you didn't have to multi-task?"
"Hmph, fine." Button pouted as he mumbled something unintelligible.
Upon entering the food court, Moondancer looked around. Most of the other students were gathered around a cluster of tables. The exceptions were Akechi sitting off by himself, Dr. Coyle taking up three tables with one arm, and Button Mash who grabbed his game and plopped himself on a side chair. Moondancer chuckled before grabbing a seat with the larger group.
"Good morning, Moondancer," said Screw Loose.
"Morning." She nodded.
" 'Sup, unicorn?" Jake Long reached a couple fingers behind her ear.
Moondancer raised her brow. "Uh, what are you do- oh!"
Her irises shrunk as a gentle scratching overcame her nerves. She fell into a state of pleasure as her surroundings faded away. Her eyes felt heavy. She couldn't stop herself from smiling, pressing her head deeper into this new sense of touch.
"That's just precious." Puss-In-Boots' voice broke through the euphoria.
Moondancer blinked twice. "W-What?"
"You just pet another sentient being... and she enjoyed it." Kevin Levin looked perplexed.
"Yeah, I've encountered unicorns a few times now." Jake clasped his hands behind his head. "Picked up a few tricks to calm them down, earn their trust." He glanced at her. "Is that alright?"
"I suppose." Moondancer cleared her throat. "But remember to ask before you ever do that again."
"No problem, Dancer." He grinned.
Shobu Kirafuda stood up and lifted a cup of water. "I suppose you're all wondering why we called for this meeting."
"Well, it's obviously to spitball ideas to survive and escape this place." Moxxie rolled his eyes.
Shobu's hand faltered for a second.
"Yeah, it isn't exactly rocket science," added Danny Fenton.
"Come on, guys. Let me have this one." Shobu's head drooped.
"Yesterday, I scanned the perimeter of the space we are in." Connor spun his coin atop his left index finger. "There are no doors or windows on this floor of the university. Furthermore, there is no elevator. While I did find a staircase, it is blocked off by a physical gate coated in sphinx hair, ecto-thermite, several locks made with bullet-proof alloys, holy water residue, and some unidentifiable materials."
"So, our captor has made it practically impossible to leave this floor of the building." Nilin leaned back. "That's annoying."
"Who would go to all this trouble?" Chrono Shindou scratched his head.
"And why even say that we're part of some killing game?" Silver psychically folded some napkins into paper swans. "If their aim was to end our lives, they would have done so right away, not leave us in a facility with plenty of food and shelter."
"Then what is their goal?" asked Min Min.
As if summoning the demon to a ritual, the robotic wolf appeared near the tables. Immediately, those closest leaned back. Weapons and powers of the students were readied, but not activated.
"This one has noticed that one day has finished without any bloodshed. A system left untampered with will not change. Comprehension confirmed. This test sample is lazy."
"Get this through your thick circuits, wolf." Kevin sneered. "We have no intention of killing each other, especially not for your amusement."
"An interesting hypothesis, Mr. Ultimate Mechanic." The robot turned around. "Let us test it with your first of many motives."
Moondancer tilted her head. 'Motives? What is it talking about?'
"Please follow this one. Disobedience will not be tolerated."
---
After a few turns in the hallway, Headmaster led the group to a computer lab. Multiple monitors were plugged and running. Everyone was told to stand in front of one monitor each. Then, individual DVDs were passed out, labeled with the intended recipients' names.
"How old is this school to still be using DVDs?" wondered Dr. Coyle.
"Yeah, you'd think everyone would switch to Netflix and Chill by now," said Moxxie.
"What the-? I thought you lost your ability to swear." Danny looked at the imp.
Moxxie grinned. "The individual words aren't anything inappropriate." He blinked twice. "Oh, gosh. I'm turning into my boss."
Akechi looked over at the robot wolf standing in front of the door. "Am I to understand this correctly? You believe the contents of these discs will push one of us over the edge?"
"Three pieces of catnip says these are just hour-long versions of dead memes." Puss-In-Boots chuckled.
"Eugh, you can keep your stinky plants." Button shook his head.
"Please put on your ear pieces and watch your motive video in silence."
Moondancer took a deep breath. 'Okay, this is no big deal. I've been tricked into watching horror movies by my friends. There's no way that some bad footage will convince me to kill someone here. Lock myself in my room for two days? Most likely.'
As she braced herself for the worst thing she could imagine, she followed the instructions. Her monitor showed an old-style countdown prior to a movie starting.
5... 4... 3... 2... START
--- The day Moondancer received her invitation to Dimensional Aspiration University was the most important day of her life. It was a time to celebrate, a time to prepare, and a time to say farewells. Among these farewells were from many friendships that had been rekindled in Canterlot. Not least of these was Princess Twilight Sparkle.
The picture froze on the smiling faces of several different unicorns. Also in the shot was a slightly taller pony, an alicorn, in full regalia and levitating a handkerchief.
'Twould be a shame if something happened to those friends shortly after Moondancer left to pursue her dreams.
There was a sudden shift in the picture to a dark sky. A broken crown and four hoof braces littered the dry grass. Several distinct screams played one after the other. Building debris toppled down. Blood splattered on the camera.
The end.
The screen cut to black.
---
Her ear piece clattered onto the desk in front of the monitor. Moondancer involuntarily took two steps back. Her throat felt dry. Words escaped her. She couldn't even blink.
"Noooooooo!" Button yelled.
"Bu...Bu...Bu...Wha..." Screw Loose struggled to say more than syllables.
"This is a trick, right?" Kevin's eyes were stuck open.
"That can't be..." Danny hyperventilated.
"Mom... Dad... Hailey..." Jake sputtered.
Dr. Coyle, Silver, Goro Akechi, and Connor were completely silent.
Puss-In-Boots nibbled on something wrapped in paper. Despite that, his legs continued to shake.
Moxxie slammed a clawed fist through his monitor. "Who would...? Why her?!"
"This isn't real." Min Min shook her head violently.
"No, no, no..." Shobu clenched his jaw.
"Somebody wake me up." Chrono bit down on his thumbnail.
Nilin blinked twice and looked around. "Hold on, what did everyone else get? This video just looked like rubbish."
Akechi turned his glare toward the robot wolf. "How very disgusting of you, Headmaster. What you've presented is unforgivable."
"This one will leave you to prepare."
Headmaster vanished.
Moondancer's face felt like it was burning up. Her vision was going red. She had to get out. She needed to get out. She needed to-
"Miss Dancer, please get a hold of yourself!"
The unicorn recovered her ability to blink. Her eyes recovered some other colors on the spectrum. She breathed heavily. She felt a pair of lukewarm hands. She looked and followed the arms until they reached the long-sleeved uniform of the police android.
"Connor?" she managed to ask.
Connor nodded. "That's it. Just keep breathing. Remember that your feet are on the ground. Focus on a steady heart rate."
"But... in the..." She pointed a hoof at the monitor.
"I understand." Connor held up one hand over the pony's hoof. "I think we were all shown something that feels like a personal sleight against something we care about deeply. But losing ourselves to our anger cannot help solve whatever crises may or may not have happened."
Moondancer magically lifted her glasses to rub her eyes with her hoof. "May or may not have?"
Silver psychically floated over. "He has a point. There's no way to know for sure how much of these videos have been edited. For all we know, Headmaster staged pictures to look like that."
Dr. Coyle huffed. "Of course. We cut out the failures from our scientific progress videos all the time. Manipulating footage is as simple as altering the numbers."
Min Min pointed an accusatory finger at Coyle. "I knew it!"
Moxxie pulled back his hand and chuckled nervously. "Uh, yeah... it was obviously fake."
Kevin patted his face a couple times. "Right, heh heh. Where did they get their special effects? From a D-movie?"
Danny shook his head. "Wha... huh?"
"Could have been a bit of mind magic mixed in too." Jake crossed his arms.
Akechi covered his mouth. "How quickly people attribute 'lie' to what they do not like."
Puss-In-Boots sighed and pinched the space between his eyes. "I need a milk... maybe two."
Button sniffed while tears dripped from his eyes. "So... it didn't actually happen? Oh, thank Celestia."
Nilin looked around. "Seriously, what did you all see? My screen just had a bunch of gibberish."
Screw Loose cleared her throat. "If I had to guess, each of us saw the implication that one or more loved ones were in danger the longer we stayed at D.A.U."
"Oh." Nilin looked at the palm of her gauntlet. "That explains why it had nothing on me. My family and friends are already dead to me."
Chrono gasped. "I'm sorry to hear that. I've lost parents too."
"Don't be sorry." Nilin shook her head. "It was my choice to let them go."
Shobu blinked twice. "Well... shoot."
After a sobering moment, the students decided to leave and break for the time being. They still hadn't exhausted every nook and cranny this school had to offer. Moondancer couldn't quite shake the image from her video out of her head. However, she could at least think straight instead of blinding herself. One source wasn't enough to deny or confirm how much she saw was true.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything today. With that, she galloped to the food court. She could tackle this weird situation one problem at a time.
--- Moondancer ate from her tray so quickly that she didn't even remember what it was. She was more interested in getting her mind on anything else. That was why her magic was flipping open a book. Studying was comfort for her, something she could fall back on when she needed it.
This particular book was about a world shared by magical creatures and humans. Several nations had a specific dragon to act as the keeper of balance in the magical side of the world. These guardian dragons were tested by a dragon council to discern if their masters were the right fit for their training.
"Yep, that's my home turf."
Moondancer yelped and looked around wildly. "Oh, shoot. Was I reading out loud again?"
"Like a movie narrator." Jake chuckled and took a seat next to her. "So, whatcha think?"
Moondancer tapped under her muzzle. "When you introduced yourself yesterday, you said you were an... Am-Drag? And when we were trying to take out that Headmaster, you actually shape-shifted into a dragon."
"Aw, you sound a lot less surprised than I was expecting." Jake looked at her in disappointment.
"I'm a unicorn from a world that's filled with creatures that some of our classmates think are either extinct or nonexistent." Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "Dragons with changeling powers aren't exactly mind-blowing."
"Heh." He perked back up. "When you put it like that, it all sounds mundane."
"That's not to say it's boring." She shook her head. "It means there's far more varieties to culture and history just switching from one world to another."
"Heard that!" He pumped a fist. "And all the different ways to kick tail are fine and slick!"
She smiled. "I don't even know what that means, but I can't help agreeing." ---
"A body has been discovered. After a set amount have time has passed, a class trial will be held. Please utilize this time to investigate thoroughly, or you will receive a failing grade on your record... followed by death. Goodbye."
"What?!/What?!"
Moondancer and Jake Long ran into the hallway and around a corner. Some of the other students were gathered outside the bathroom door. The duo pushed their way inside to see Button Mash hyperventilating, Kevin stupefied, and Danny rubbing his head. Moondancer followed their gaze and her jaw dropped.
"No..."
It was inside the open stall. Amidst a tangle of toilet paper, a lone pistol, and a slowly growing puddle of viscous magenta... was the body of Screw Loose.
...
"Darn you, Wolf-Roboto!" Danny shook his fist. "You did this, didn't you?"
"While this one can take credit for many deaths, this is not one of them. The one who ended the life of the Ultimate Psychologist was one of the other Ultimates. As a prior announcement has established, you must figure out who did it, or the remainder of you will soon join her in that giant test chamber in the sky."
"What can you do to me?" Moxxie's voice could be heard in the hall. "None of your earthly methods can kill me!"
"Hmm... if a punishment is required for the imp, this one will subject him to an eternity of bullets to the mouth."
"Oh." His bravado left his tone. "Shack. That would be effective."
"That is all for now. Begin your investigation." The screen flicked off.
A space in the floor opened up. It spat out a rectangular object at Moondancer's face. She caught it just in time with her magic. The tablet had the phrase "Headmaster Referral".
The victim of this case is Screw Loose: The Ultimate Psychologist. Estimated time of death: 10:30AM. Estimated time of discovery: 11AM. Cause of death: lethal wounds through the skull, less than 7mm diameter entry points made by a weapon. No other injuries found. No traces of poison or other dangerous chemical intakes.
"Interesting that Headmaster gave all of that information freely, but not the name of the culprit."
Moondancer nearly jumped at the new voice. "Akechi? When did you get here?"
The child detective(?) shook his head. "Shortly after the announcement. It seems one of us has begun the game. Shall we start playing?"
"Kid, this isn't funny." Kevin pointed his open hand to the stall. "Somebody's really dead!"
"And wasting time stating the obvious isn't going to allow any of us to win, Mr. Levin." Akechi waggled his finger. "Let us draw our opening hands." He lowered his arm and gaze. "Actually, you should gather the evidence."
Moondancer did a double-take. "Me? Why? Isn't this more of a job for a detective like you?"
"Normally, I'd agree." Akechi closed his eyes and smiled. "But it wouldn't be much fun if I were the only one who had all of the details. Besides, you should draw your own conclusions. After all, can you say with one hundred percent confidence that you've eliminated me from your pool of suspects?"
Jake squinted at him. "Is that a confession?"
"Just sewing some healthy skepticism." Akechi met the kid-dragon's gaze. "Unless you remove all of the falsehoods, you can't assume anything to be true."
'What is wrong with this guy?' Moondancer shook her head to think. 'Never mind. I can't waste time trying to figure out his psyche.' She took a deep breath and exhaled. 'Screw Loose, I didn't know you that well, but you're from Equestria too. So, this still feels like a personal attack. We're going to find out who did this to you and make them answer for it.'
Investigation Time!
As she examined the victim's body, her attention was drawn to a few points. Magenta liquid was rolling down from three different holes. These tiny holes were pretty close on the top right side of the head. The injuries matched up with the Headmaster's Referral. But as she backed away, Moondancer noticed something else. Some clumps of weird fibers were stuck in between the victim's teeth.
'What is this? Hair? String? It's too dark to be dental floss. Minuette made sure to drill that information into me before I left home.'
When she was done looking at the body, she tried to find evidence in the rest of the stall.
'There's an awful lot of toilet paper pulled out. Did the killer try to clean up their mess before leaving? No, that can't be it. It's nowhere near the blood.' She blinked. 'Huh. That's a strange pattern of darker spots. If this is supposed to be aesthetic, then the rhythm of where they're positioned is completely off.'
The next thing she looked at was the pistol against the opposite side of the stall.
'This weapon... it kind of looks like the one Connor pulled out during his confrontation with Akechi yesterday.' She lifted her brow. 'And yet, there are a few differences. There's an attachment protruding from where a bullet would normally exit when fired. What did that book on human espionage call it? A... silencer?' After a bit of magical fiddling, she managed to take out something near the handle. 'And this is supposed to be a clip to fit into the magazine... or is it the other way around? Either way, the small barrel is only meant to release 9mm projectiles. Anything else, and it risks getting jammed.'
Something from the exposed clip glinted at her eye. 'Hang on... this isn't completely full. Did somebody use this recently?'
---
*soft pew*
A gloved hand was shoved into the owner's jacket and back out again.
---
'Could it be...? Her gaze turned over the Ultimate Detective. He seemed to be having an argument with the other boys. 'But if he played any part in this, why wouldn't he jump at the chance to investigate? He could have gotten rid of this evidence. None of us would have been the wiser.'
Moondancer put the clip back in and set the silenced pistol back down where it was. She tried looking around the bathroom for anything else distinguishing. None of the other stalls were out of place. The sinks and mirrors were as clean as new installments. There was a vent for an airway that looked crooked.
'Crooked airway?' She trotted over. 'Two of the screws are completely out. Now, the vent opens and closes outward.' She frowned. 'But is this really significant? It's too small for anybody here to enter or exit. Not even Button Mash could fit in this thing.'
"It looks like that's all I'm going to find in here for now." Moondancer rubbed her head. "But is this really going to be enough evidence to find the killer?"
"Hold that thought." Akechi left his other peers. "Are you sure there isn't anything else you can do while you're here?"
"Well, there's not much else in this restroom that seems out of place," said Moondancer. "Unless, you mean-" She looked up. "Questioning the people that discovered the body?"
"It's a novice-level start, but I do hope you'll bring something interesting to the class trial." He turned and waved a hand behind himself. "I have my own leads I want to address."
'Helpful one second, dodgy the next. I can't understand him.' Moondancer shook her head. "May I ask you guys a few questions?"
"I guess so." Kevin looked down.
"You three found Screw Loose already like this, right?" Moondancer glanced toward the stall and back again. "What were you doing before that?"
Danny crossed his arms. "We asked Connor to show us the gate that was covered in all of that extra stuff and that was blocking the stairway."
"Aside from Connor, Danny and me, there were Silver, Moxxie, Chrono, and Shobu." Kevin counted people on his fingers. "I couldn't absorb the gate's material because it had an electric fence right in front of that. The rest of that group tried their powers but didn't get any further."
Danny nodded. "We heard Button scream from the restroom, so we ran ahead to check it out. By the time we got here, Screw Loose was already dead." He frowned. "Aside from the fact that somebody attacked her, I thought it was strange that my ghost sense didn't go off."
"Ghost sense?" Moondancer tilted her head.
"You know, ghosts are spirits departed after their living bodies perish." He shifted to his phantom form. "Well, one of my powers is being able to sense when another ghost is nearby. But if she's really dead, why didn't it go off?"
Kevin shrugged. "Maybe going to the afterlife works differently in this world?"
"So, now I can't even trust my own powers to work all the time?" Danny sighed and changed back to human. "This school sucks."
Moondancer looked around. "Button Mash, do you have anything to add?"
Button was still shaking. "Um... uh... I...I just came here because I really needed to use the bathroom. But now, I'm too scared to go."
"I see." Moondancer looked down before returning her attention to the colt. "Do you remember what you were doing before you came here?"
"I was just closed up in my room." He sniffed. "I was playing on my JoyBoy... to forget about that awful computer lab movie... but then I really felt the need to go." He held his hat. "I ran as fast as I could, but when I opened the first unlocked stall, I... oh, Celestia..."
"Wait..." Kevin raised his brow. "Why didn't you just use the bathroom that's inside your dorm room?"
"I...I can't think straight... when my...when my bladder's full." He cried some more. "I want my mom!"
Moondancer took a deep breath and exhaled. "I know we're all a bit stressed right now, but... can I ask you guys to look after Button? I have to keep investigating."
"I'm not the greatest with kids," admitted Danny. "But I think I'd feel more at ease if somebody other than that Goro guy was on this case. Something about him rubs me the wrong way."
"Yeah, no worries." Kevin nodded. "You go on, ma'am. We'll handle things here like only guys can."
"Thank you." Moondancer turned and left the bathroom.
---
"Yo, Moondancer!"
The unicorn turned toward the voice. "Jake?"
"I figured I'd ask some of the other peeps what they were up to before coming to see the body." Jake crossed his arms while making both of his hands into peace signs. "Check it: Min Min and Coyle were in the gym, trading punches with those funky-stretchy arms of theirs. Meanwhile, Nilin was in her room looking over her tech when that talking cat up and peeked in on her from her air vent!"
"What the...? If that's true, ew! He's a pervert!" Moondancer shook her whole body due to shivers.
"For real!" Jake shook his head. "Anyway, I saw that Akechi guy go back to the computer lab. I tried asking him what was up, but he wasn't spilling the deets."
"Yeah, he has been acting dodgy all day." Moondancer sighed. "Guess I'd better try talking to him again. Every so often, he has pointed me in the right direction."
"Tch. Broken clock twice a day, huh?"
"Maybe three's a charm." She adjusted her glasses. "Thanks, Jake. Knowing where everyone else was should help."
---
Moondancer cantered over to the computer lab. It was mostly in the same condition as when she had entered that morning. The only big difference was that one monitor had a hole it in from Moxxie's outburst. That, and Akechi was eyeing one of the DVDs.
"Akechi! What are you doing in here?" Moondancer stood just inside the room from the doorway.
"Oh? Isn't it obvious what I'm doing?" Akechi smiled. "I was going to look over the other students' motives, see if there was any connection to a desire to end a pony's life." He flipped over the DVD in his grasp. "Strangely, all of the video discs were removed from the computers... all except for the victim's."
"Well, did you see anything in her video that could help?" She trotted closer.
"Hmm, do you really want to know?"
Before Moondancer could reply, Akechi was tossing the disc like a boomerang. Without thinking, Moondancer ran forward and magically grabbed hold of the disc before it could hit a wall. The last she saw of Akechi was the heel of one of his shoes as he ran out the door. She tilted her head.
"What is his problem?" She sighed and floated the disc into the appropriate slot. "Maybe later, I can confront him. For now, I should find out what Screw Loose's motive was." The picture on the monitor was already counting down as she put in an ear piece.
--- Screw Loose wasn't a bad girl. She was merely a patient at the insane asylum for a few years. During those years, she was unable to identify herself as anything other than a barking dog. Sometimes, she would get loose and chase down other patients that the hospital's security guards were after.
The image showed Screw Loose with jaws open wide. Her teeth were crooked, her eyes looked off in either direction, and her mane was a complete mess. She was wearing the dangling remains of a strait jacket.
Eventually, Screw Loose's conscious mind surfaced and overrode the barker. Even when an actual dog barked, she reacted like any ordinary mare would. Though, her caretaker showed doubts.
The picture on screen changed to Screw Loose standing at a house's front door. A nurse pony was looking questionably at her. Further away, a collie dog was running wild with a leash attached to some other pets.
Soon after her bill of health was clean, Screw Loose took up a career in psychology, hoping to help others overcome their mental shortcomings. Just like she did, woof.
--- ...
'Wait, is that it?' Moondancer wondered. 'Where's the part that vaguely hinted that some pony close to her was in danger or hurt? Going by the reactions of everybody, Nilin was the only one without a proper motive. Yet, Screw Loose was the one that brought up the similarity between the rest of us. Did I miss it somewhere?'
Something cracked to the unicorn's right. The monitor was completely dark. She turned to look... straight into the uncaring eyes of Headmaster.
"Oops, it seems this one missed a spot."
The robot wolf was holding Screw Loose's motive DVD. But unlike Akechi, who was tossing it around carelessly, this robot had cracked the disc into two halves. It then proceeded to chew up the halves and imitate a swallowing motion.
Moondancer's eye twitched. "What the-? Why did you do that?!"
"This one apologizes. This one should have eliminated all copies of the DVD motives before the investigation time began. How unprofessional of this one. Rest assured, this kind of oversight will not happen again."
"That's not the problem! Hey, come back!"
But the robot wolf had already disappeared. The unicorn groaned. Why did Headmaster destroy a piece of evidence like that? Now the only ones who knew what were on that disc were Moondancer and the victim. Well, there was also Akechi. But she still wasn't sure how far she could throw her trust in him.
--- *Four low dings reversed...*
"The time allotted for investigation has expired. All students must report to the gymnasium. There, this one will lead you all to the place prepared for the class trial. If you do not show up, you will be promptly executed. So for your own safety, please do not keep this one waiting."
'Gah! I still can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something. But what is it?' She shook her head. 'Can't risk being late. Everybody is going to need the all of the information and evidence we found in order to find Screw Loose's killer. If we don't, none of us will be alive tomorrow.' ---
Moondancer galloped toward the gymnasium. Luckily, everyone else was gathering there too. Expressions ranged from annoyance to reluctance. As soon as everyone was inside the gym, a new noise broke the silence.
Part of the basketball court separated and slid away. In the empty space, a new square of floor rose up. It had a chess board pattern of dark and light squares. The four sides of the platform were surrounded by metal fencing. The side closest to the gym's entrance bent open.
"Okay, students. Please step onto the lift. It will take you directly to the location of our first class trial. This one will meet you there."
"Looks kind of like something in one of those prison movie settings." Danny pinched his arm.
"Pfft. Looks pretty luxurious compared to the prison elevators I've ever seen." Kevin smirked.
"You have seen more than one?" Min Min looked at him in disbelief.
Moondancer took a breath and trotted over. One by one, the other students followed suit. The gate swung shut. Puss-In-Boots turned his tail between his paws at the sudden crash. The lift slowly descended. Fluorescent lights marked the walls on either side of the shaft every ten feet or so.
After what felt like a long ride, the lift came to a stop and its gate opened up. Upon exiting, the group found themselves at a circle of brown, wooden desks. Each of them was marked with a name for the respective student to stand behind.
"This one shall give a brief explanation for how the class trial works. Your goal is to argue until you are either blue in the face or have a theory that guides you to your suspect. Once the allotted time has elapsed, you will cast your vote for who you think committed the kill. If the majority is correct, the culprit shall be punished and the rest shall be spared. If the majority fails, then the culprit shall graduate and leave while the rest get punished in his/her/its place. Are there any questions?"
Dr. Coyle glanced over at one particular desk. "What is the meaning behind that ghastly image?"
The image in question was a sepia-toned picture of Screw Loose's face. A magenta pair of bones was drawn in an "X" over the picture.
"Departure from this life does not excuse students from participating in class trials. They are not, however, required to speak. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But they also say words are meaningless. Changing context is fun."
"Alright, we should probably get started then." Shobu crossed his arms. "How do we find the killer?"
"Hold on a moment." Silver lifted a finger. "We should probably get everyone up to speed on what happened."
"So... how did this murder take place?" Nilin looked around. ---
Start Debate!
"The place Screw Loose was killed was in the public restroom," said Moxxie.
"It hardly takes a genius to know that." Dr. Coyle rolled her eyes.
"What we're looking for is a cause of death." Chrono Shindou held a hand under his chin.
"They'd have to get creative if they were going to try and kill any of us." Jake Long waved his hand around. "Have you seen how tough most of us can be?"
"Brute force wouldn't have been enough." Connor stared straight ahead of himself.
Min Min hummed to herself. "Could they have laced something she ate with poison?"
Counter
Wait a second!
---
Moondancer levitated out the tablet. "Screw Loose couldn't have died from a poison. The Headmaster's Referral specifically outlined that no poisons or other chemicals were in Screw Loose's system when she died. She died because something pierced her head."
"Oh, I am sorry." Min Min bowed her head. "I merely skimmed that referral before the trial started."
"Shortcuts like that make me wonder if you should be running your restaurant." Dr. Coyle smirked. "Much less entering ARMS tournaments."
Min Min looked indignant. "That is neither here nor there!"
"So, the cause of death was something piercing her head?" Puss-In-Boots folded his paws in front of his mouth. "I would much rather pierce the mare's heart metaphorically than whatever this killer was thinking."
'Ew...' Moondancer deadpanned.
Button whined. "Would whoever killed her just admit it already? This isn't funny!"
Moondancer blinked twice. "Um... no one here thinks it's funny, Button Mash."
Argue
"This is my justice!"
"Keh heh heh..." Despite his chortle, Akechi's eyes were fierce. "Can you really speak for everybody so confidently?"
"Huh?" Moondancer tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
"I've said it before and I'll say it again." Akechi brushed a gloved hand through his hair. "You can't assume anything to be true before first taking apart the lies."
---
Rebuttal Showdown
"You're all stuck on the simplest of the stages!"
*Shing* *Shing* *Shing*
"You think no one finds this funny?"
*Clang* *Clang* *Whoosh*
"Well, that means you have no understanding on the differences between you and I!"
/Stalemate Detected\
*Ting-ting-ting-ting-ting-ting-ting*
Success!
Advance!
"You're amused by something regarding this case? There's nothing funny about a life that has been lost!"
"Oh, I'm most confident that I can laugh without fear."
*Clang* *Clang* *Shing*
"Because unlike the killer..."
*Shing* *Clang* *Shing*
"... I don't have anything personally that connects me to the crime scene."
Cut!
"I'll bookmark your words!"
---
Moondancer glared. "Actually, Goro, there was something at the crime scene that connects to you."
"Oh?" Akechi scoffed. "And what might that be?"
She tapped her desk twice. "There was a small handgun equipped with a silencer, lying there in the stall."
"That's the connection?" Akechi shook his head. "At least two other students here carry guns with them at all times. Why not suspect one of them?"
Connor pulled out his pistol and rested it sideways on his desk. "Our police department doesn't use silencers. We are to use our weapons primarily as warnings, firing lethally only as a last resort."
Moxxie shrugged and shuffled through his pockets. In a matter of seconds, his desk was covered in a sniper rifle, a serrated dagger, a belt of grenades, and a crossbow. "The Immediate Murder Professionals make a statement with loud weapons. Revenge against the living is not to be served quietly in the night. Get that weak silencer stuff out of here."
Jake leaned away. "Uh... isn't that a bit overkill?"
Danny scratched the back of his head. "I mean... it isn't quite as excessive as Skulker's arsenal, but that's still kind of unnerving to look at."
Shobu and Chrono stared at the assortment of weapons with wide eyes and trembling mouths.
Nilin crossed her arms. "Well, Detective? Care to show us that you still have your weapon? Or did you lose it when you went to the bathroom?"
Akechi went silent.
"Dude, what's the matter?" Kevin looked over. "Fencing cat got your tongue?"
"Feh! Leave me out of your metaphors!" Puss-In-Boots remarked.
"Goro, you've been acting dodgy since the investigation started." Moondancer leaned forward. "If you don't refute suspicion that falls on you, we might draw conclusions that you won't like."
"Tch." Akechi looked away. "Seems like I was careless. Sometime between the mandatory computer lab and the time of the murder, someone swiped my silenced pistol."
"Wait, you were robbed?" asked Silver.
"Why wait until now to report that?" Dr. Coyle motioned with her wrist. "You could've deflected a little suspicion if the others knew that piece of information."
"I haven't known any of you long enough to trust you." Akechi adjusted his gloves. "For all I knew, the first person I asked could simply lie to me, while hiding my weapon somewhere else."
Chrono put his hands in his pockets. "I guess since he doesn't have anything else to defend himself with, it'd make sense to be afraid. The thief could turn the pistol against him."
"But is he even being honest with us now?" Puss-In-Boots tapped the brim of his hat.
"Huh?" Shobu looked over. "What do you mean?"
"He just admitted to not trusting the rest of us." Puss-In-Boots pointed with his tail. "How can we know for sure that someone really did steal the pistol from inside his coat pocket?"
'Hmm?' Moondancer did a double-take. 'Hang on. What did he say?'
Button rubbed his head with both of his front hooves. "But if he was always lying, that would mean he actually does trust us. If he trusts us, he'd tell us the truth, and... ugh... My brain hurts."
"Perhaps the path to take is simpler than we think." Silver gestured with his hand. "Let's take the premise of his pistol being missing and discuss from there. If something comes up that contradicts that line of thinking, we'll know we need to backtrack."
Min Min nodded. "Sometimes a little trial and error helps to find the best flavors, both in ramen and in ARMS."
Nilin shrugged. "Fine, so we say that somebody else took Akechi's pistol. Then what happened?" ---
Nonstop Debate
Connor looked out. "There is a chance that whoever robbed Akechi... also killed Screw Loose."
"But why wouldn't the killer trust their own abilities to do the job?" asked Shobu.
"Rather than lacking trust," said Moxxie, "maybe they wanted to divert attention onto the human owner."
Akechi closed his eyes. "It would be a rather swift and boring killing game if the culprit got away with it right now."
"Speaking from experience, are you?" asked Puss-In-Boots. "That gun has to belong to the killer."
"Either way, it must have been scary final moments," said Danny, "getting killed without putting up a fight."
Counter
"Wait a second!"
---
"I don't think Screw Loose went down without a fight." Moondancer adjusted her glasses. "There's a clear sign of a struggle, right inside her mouth."
"Like... dental plaque?" Danny grimaced.
"See those clumps of hair caught in her teeth?" Moondancer magically lifted the picture. "They didn't match her mane or hide color. Her killer must have gotten close enough for her to grab onto them at least once."
"Oh, wow. Good eye, unicorn!" Kevin chuckled. "I didn't even see that hair the first time."
Puss-In-Boots stuttered. "B-But you can't seriously decide there was a struggle based on a little hair, can you?"
"Well, Moondancer?" Akechi rolled his wrist. "Do you have something else that can support your thoughts?"
'As a matter of fact, I do have something.'
Got it!
"How about this?"
"Normally, I'd dismiss toilet paper being out of place in a restroom." Moondancer pulled up the picture of the toilet paper at the scene. "But scattered over the stall like that and with irregular scuff marks?"
Connor nodded. "Multiple coincidences overlapping does reduce the probability of the events merely being happenstance."
Puss-In-Boots lowered his hat over his eyes and quietly growled. "Your Honor, I wish to retract my previous question."
"This one is afraid that is not possible. This class trial shall be recorded for future study in its entirety. No retractions shall be made, no edits will be cut, and no meme-generator quotes will be added to images of it."
"Oh, we'll see about that last one," muttered Nilin.
"So the killer and Screw Loose got into a struggle in the restroom stall." Jake crossed his arms. "She managed to bite them in desperation, before they managed to deliver the finishing strike."
"May I get something clarified, Headmaster?" Akechi turned to the robot wolf, sitting atop a chair built above their heads. "That body discovery announcement you do... it goes off when three people other than the killer find the corpse, correct?"
"Affirmative."
Moondancer looked up. "Danny, when did you hear that announcement?"
"It blared over the school's broadcast as soon as Kevin and I entered the bathroom," said Danny.
"Yeah, I can vouch for that too." Kevin nodded.
"And aside from Button and Screw Loose, was anybody else in the bathroom?"
Button shook his head. "Uh-uh."
"So, that knocks our suspect list down from fifteen to twelve?" Moxxie held out his claws before he realized he didn't have enough to count everything.
"I think we can do better than that." Moondancer levitated the tablet and scrolled through some things. "Based on the accounts given by Kevin and Jake, we can get an idea of who wasn't at the restroom when the crime took place.
"Connor, Danny, Kevin, Silver, Moxxie, Chrono, and Shobu were at the gated stairway. Min Min and Dr. Coyle were at the gymnasium. Jake and I were at the food court. Nilin and Button were in their respective dorm rooms. Nilin, when did Puss-In-Boots start... spying... on you from the vent?"
Nilin groaned. "Maybe like ten minutes before the discovery announcement?"
Puss-In-Boots chuckled. "She gave me quite the verbal lashing before prying open the vent to let me out."
"All that leaves is Goro's whereabouts." Moondancer looked at him. "If you want to clear yourself, now would be the time."
Silver held out a hand. "Just where were you at 10:30?"
Akechi shrugged. "I suppose it's time to settle the matter anyway. This class trial has gotten rather droll." He cleared his throat. "I was checking lockers before that time. I thought perhaps some clue might be hidden, either to escape this school or to find out what was going on outside. But before half an hour passed 10AM... something brushed by my chest. I would've thought it was a trick of the air conditioning, had I not felt that my silenced pistol was missing.
"Then, I saw something most peculiar. A certain pony ran by, not a gallop, but a feral run. Her teeth were bared in full. At the time, I didn't know enough about her to bother giving pursuit. So, I continued my locker search. I found nothing, but at least I was right. For a time, my weapon made this game a bit more interesting."
"Say what?" asked Shobu.
"What kind of sentient pony runs and bares its jaw like a wild animal?" Chrono tilted his head.
"Come now. Elimination is a simple process." Akechi smiled coldly.
Select One
"The index points to you!"
Moondancer slowly looked at the crossed out picture. "It was Screw Loose that ran past you."
"Hmph, you're right." Akechi tapped his head. "You're still a novice, but you are at least competent."
Argue
"You're full of craft!"
"Button? What's wrong?" Moondancer blinked twice.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?!" Button slammed on his desk. "You have the nerve to ask that now? You should both apologize to Screw Loose for talking about her when she's not even here to defend herself!"
'I don't enjoy calling her in bad light.' Moondancer lowered her head. 'But if I'm right, ignoring a part of her will only make what we have to do worse.'
---
Rebuttal Showdown
"Ms. Screw Loose isn't some dumb animal!"
*Clang* *Shing* *Clang*
"Shame on you and that meanie detective!"
*Shing* *Shing* *Clang*
"How would you like it if somebody threw insults and names after you lost everything?"
*Clang* *Clang* *Whoosh* *Clang*
Advance!
"I'm not trying to insult Screw Loose. Knowing where she was is crucial to finding out who killed her."
"Shut up! If you're really taking Pancake-Face's side..."
*Shing* *Clang* *Shing*
"Then you're just as awful as he is!"
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
"For Luna's sake, Moondancer! His weapon is what killed her!"
Cut!
"I'll bookmark your words!"
---
Moondancer slowly shook her head. "The wounds that Screw Loose suffered aren't possible with the silenced pistol."
"Then you're not looking hard enough!" yelled Button.
"No, see this part of the Headmaster's Referral?" Moondancer held up the tablet. "She was killed by something that was less than seven millimeters wide stabbing multiple times. Goro's weapon uses ammunition that's nine millimeters. And it's only missing one bullet. It doesn't match up."
Button broke down in tears. He ended up crying face-first into his desk.
"Uh, 'scuse me? Head-wolf-honcho?" Danny looked over. "Can you let the kid go find some tissues? This is way too overwhelming for somebody so young."
"Negative. The longer you postpone your vote, the longer you will have to stand in the trial chamber. No exceptions for any student, regardless of the reason."
"Oh, come on!" Moxxie threw his hands up in exasperation. "At least pretend to have a heart. Drowning in his own tears and mucous is no way to go."
"This one shall consider your request. Please pretend to take a number and pretend to wait for a pretend assistant to pretend to help you."
"Okay, that is it!" Jake burst into flames and turned into his dragon form. "Let the kid have a break right now or I'll start breaking your wolf toys again!"
"I second his motion!" Silver's hands glowed teal.
A net flew out of nowhere and entangled the dragon. He was dragged down to his desk and changed back to human. At the same time, a pair of chains and cuffs latched onto the hedgehog's arms. They pulled him down, leaving him unable to psychically push anything except his own feet. The resulting force flipped him over and hit his head against the floor.
"This class trial will be concluded or none of you will be allowed to leave. That is final."
Jake grunted in pain. "Guh! This net is sphinx hair... aw, man..."
"Ow..." Silver groaned.
Danny clenched his fist. "We need to wrap this up, right now!"
"Well, if you insist." Akechi brushed some dust off his desk. "Moondancer, why don't you tell everyone why Screw Loose acted the way she did?"
"How about this?"
"Goro and I both watched Screw Loose's motive video." Moondancer sighed. "She was previously diagnosed with insanity. Her strain made her act like a dog. There were some trigger words that had a delayed reactivation of her insane, mental state."
--- "Bu... Bu... Bu... Wha..." ---
"Hmph." Akechi nodded. "Over the stress in the computer lab, we thought we just heard her acting hysterical like the rest of us. But in actuality..."
"She was muttering the words that triggered her in the video: Three "Barks" and one "Woof"." Moondancer grimaced. "So, she likely chased the killer into the restroom, trapped them, and that's where they dropped the pistol. Then, they used their own weapon to stab her. In their rush, they messed up the toilet paper."
Min Min shook her head. "But where would the killer have gone?"
"Here!" Moondancer pointed to a small vent opened in the restroom. "And based on his whereabouts, there's only one student here that could have used this escape route."
The upright cat stared, transfixed at the unicorn accusing him.
---
Panic Fever!
"En garde!"
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
"Allez!"
*Tempo up* *Clap, clap, clap*
"Mademoiselle...?"
*Negative*
"Parry!"
*Clap* *Clap* *Shatter*
*Ba-thump* *Ba-thump*
"How can you say that I am the killer? I had no motive!"
CatVSDog
"Your book is overdue!"
---
Moondancer briefly moved her glasses to rub her eyes. "You couldn't completely stop your cat instincts. As soon as someone who sounded and acted like a dog gave chase to you, you went into survival mode. Desperation drove you to act. Your fencing talent did the rest."
Puss-In-Boots took off his hat and set it on the desk in front of him. "If you need to put me in a coffin, at least have the courtesy to put the nails in tightly."
---
"From cover to cover, here's how it all unfolded!"
"During the Headmaster's mandatory computer lab, Screw Loose watched and heard key words that triggered her past condition as an insane asylum patient. Specifically, she thought herself to be a dog.
"While the rest of us were either finding ways to unwind or open the stairway, Screw Loose was giving chase to the killer. The killer was able to run faster, but he knew he couldn't run forever. So, he fought to make a plan in tandem with his instincts.
"First, the killer swiped Goro's silenced pistol. Next, the killer ran to the bathroom to isolate what he perceived to be a mad dog. Screw Loose closed in on the killer and they got into a struggle. In the chaos, the killer dropped the pistol and slid his feet against the toilet paper. In a last ditch effort, the killer pulled out their own weapon: a fencing sabre. The stab wounds proved to be enough, relaxing Screw Loose's jaw and freeing the killer.
"To form an alibi that would give more attention to something else about him rather than his recent act of murder, the killer used the restroom's air vent to escape. None of the other students could fit in there. But the killer had flexibility of his own body that no one else here had. After crawling through the vent, the killer found himself in Nilin's bedroom. She was so convinced that he was a pervert that the rest of us would ignore where else he might have been."
The creepy and gray silhouette gave way to a cat fencer, looking upward with adorable eyes.
"The one who ended Screw Loose's life was you: Puss-In-Boots the Ultimate Fencer!"
Complete!
---
Button Mash managed to wipe off some of the saline mess from his face. "Y...You? But why? You were like that one guy, Fire-Zen Da Existe from that Hidden Brother-Bond game." He slowly shook his head. "Why did it have to be you?"
Puss-In-Boots smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I could not live up to the dream, young man. I still had a kitten within my soul after all this time."
Akechi folded his hands. "All is well that ends well. I managed to take the first win against a threat to the group."
"You didn't do jack-squat!" Kevin called over. He was using a pair of wire-cutters to pry through the sphinx hair net covering Jake. It was slow-going, but it was working.
Moxxie picked up his crossbow and shot cleanly through Silver's bindings.
"You sat back and let the unicorn do all the work." Dr. Coyle glared at Akechi.
"And you call yourself the Detective Prince?" Shobu shook his head.
Chrono sighed. "Guys, I think that's enough. We don't have much time before we have to vote, right?"
"Mr. Shindou is correct. The time has arrived where every student must cast their votes for who they think the culprit is. Pull the lever under your desk to make your selection. Will you make the right choice or the wrong choice?"
--- *Drumroll*
Majority Vote: Puss-In-Boots
Guilty!
--- Headmaster snapped its jaw three times. "Congratulations. You voted correctly. Puss-In-Boots is the culprit of this case. As promised, he alone will face execution at this time."
Puss-In-Boots has been found guilty. It is time for him to face his punishment.
A box with a red button rose from the floor to match the height of the judge's seat. Headmaster pressed the weight of a front paw against the button. In a rush, a chain and clamp snagged Puss-In-Boots by the tail and dragged him through a long hallway.
For a while, darkness surrounded the cat. Any onlookers wouldn't be able to see. However, his green eyes pierced the darkness. They widened at what they beheld before several spotlights turned on. He was in the middle of a makeshift arena. Lining the walls of the large pit was a collection of dogs foaming at the mouth.
In the stands above, several copies of Headmaster's wolf robots waved and cheered. One of them pressed a button, letting loose the hounds and an inappropriately timed song.
Puss-In-Boots hopped over one rabid dog's head, only for two others to bite down on his feet. He tried slashing at either of them with his claws. But that revealed what was underneath the dog's fur. They were more robot wolves. His claws couldn't pierce the metal. More robot wolves leapt onto the pile, biting and crushing the cat underneath.
Magenta fluid spilled from all of his paws, his ears, and his back. His tail was ripped off and thrown to one of the robot wolf fans. Immediately after that, his fencing sabre was javelin tossed. The blade pinned the tail into the seat.
--- Back in the trial room, there was stunned silence.
...
"What...What the hay was that?!" Moondancer's tail went rigid.
"That was not standard protocol for a death row inmate's execution," said Connor.
"Oh, gosh..." Shobu held a hand up to his mouth. "I think I'm going to puke."
Button's eyes were practically pinpricks. "I don't need the bathroom anymore."
Min Min was barely holding herself up with the desk.
Whatever breath Jake had recovered after leaving the sphinx hair net, it had left him and he was back to gasping.
"Why like that?" Chrono's skin crawled.
Kevin closed his eyes and looked away.
Silver held a clenched fist down to either side.
Nilin looked down at the floor.
"Disgusting..." Akechi muttered.
"Seriously, what the heck was that?" Danny shook his head and rubbed his temples.
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Moxxie stashed his weapons back under his clothes.
"All of those robots could have been used for guerilla warfare." Dr. Coyle sighed. "Instead, they are being used for something as trivial as an execution."
Headmaster hopped off its chair. "The lift will return you to the first floor when all of you are ready. This one looks forward to seeing you all again." With that, the robot wolf vanished. ---