Danganronpa: New Students of Hope and the Camp Trip of Despair

by monodoof

Danganronpa AU. 16 teenagers with remarkable talents have been chosen to attend the most prestigious school of the world. However, not everything goes as planned. Now, these students have been forced to participate in a very dangerous game that will put their lives at risk. Just what is going? Eventual Hijack warning.

25. 2 - Chapter 2 - Class Trial

Chapter 2 - Living to the Fullest - Class Trial

---

Once more, here we are. The big one II. No seriously, this is a big one! At 18k words, this is the longest chapter I've ever written!

As usual, writing Trial and Murder chapters is a big stress source for me, and also a source of enjoyment. I have to make these easy to follow and clear for everyone. However, since this is a rather long trial, I've decided to add something to it that wasn't on the previous ones. Those familiar to the Danganronpa games will recognize it. As such, I hope from the bottom of my heart that you guys enjoy this long read and! Without further ado, dig in!

The curtain rises on another Class Trial!

---

Hiccup's POV

As soon as the doors opened, the courtroom came into view, as expected. What I didn't expect, however, was the fact that Monobear had redecorated the place; the courtroom had been transformed into a more dungeon-like place, the walls made out of concrete and windows with iron bars scattered along them sporadically. Blue velvet curtains hung from the ceiling and a concrete floor with red stains spread below us.

...Ugh, what a terrible taste...

Of course, our group immediately noticed the change and commented on it.

"Hey, what gives with the courtroom?!", asked Snotlout.

"I got bored of the previous arrangement, so I changed it! Doesn't it look nice?", declared Monobear, looking prideful as he stuck out his chest.

"...It looks rather drab.", muttered Elsa

"I like it.", commented Tuffnut, to which Ruff agreed. Aside from that, pretty much all of us agreed with that, much to the Headmaster's annoyance.

"Hmph, whatever. Just take your places and let's get this show on the road, already, you tasteless plebeians who wouldn't recognize art if it peed in your faces!"

"Ew.", was all Anna said as we took our place in our designated booths, which still had the same cruddy drawings. This time, however, we were joined by more sign posts...

In addition to Sandy's and Astrid's sign post was occupying her place, her picture crossed over with two red axes forming a cross... and North's sign post replacing him on his booth as well.

...

I... will find out who the killer is...! I promise this to you, Astrid... Sandy... North.

As soon as Monobear saw us all set in place, he began his speech with gusto:

"Ahora... empezemos con una simple explicacion del Juicio Estudiantil! Durante el Juicio Estudiantil, ustedes debatiran y discutiran para descubrir la verdadera identidad el Enegrecido! Si ustedes logran descubrir quien fue el culpable y votan por esa persona correctamente... solo el Enegrecido sera castigado! Pero si votan por la persona equivocaaaada... el Enegrecido sera libre de escapar y los demas seran ejecutados!"

...

...

No one spoke at all after the Headmaster finished his speech.

"Uh... what the hell was that?", asked Flynn, looking annoyed

"I have to spice things up if I want to keep this thing interesting, right?", said Monobear as if his explanation was perfectly acceptable.

"There's no need to make a horrible event like this even more interesting!", yelled Tooth, looking actually angry.

"Yeah, and besides, how is a french-talking bear interesting!", said Tuffnut.

"Um, I'm pretty sure that was Spanish, Tuffnut...", said Rapunzel with a nervous smile.

"Ugh, whatever! Let's get started already, OK? Forget the fucking bear!", shouted Snotlout, and I had to say I regretted the fact that I was agreeing with him a lot lately.

"Alright, but where do we even start?", asked Merida, looking a bit lost.

"How about we start with the vote, eh?", suddenly said Flynn. "After all, we already know who the killer is this time." And as he finished saying that, he looked over to Toothless with a suspicious glance.

"Aye, I agree with Flynn, let's do this.", said Aster, much to my disbelief.

"W-well, if all of you agree...", mumbled Fishlegs, much to my dismay.

"Oh?! Ballot Time so soon?!", said Monobear, looking giddy with anticipation.

Oh no...

"W-wait! Hold on! We haven't even debated anything!", I managed to blurt out far louder than I had intended.

"But, Hiccup! It is just as Aster said!", suddenly interjected Tooth, looking at me with a scathing glare. "The only possible killer is Toothless! It's... It's his fault North is dead!"

"That's not true, Tooth!", argued Jack, and I thanked him for backing me up.

"I do believe it defeats the whole purpose of the Class Trial if we don't even hold a debate.", said Peter in his soothing, silky voice.

"We are, after all, putting our lives on the line here." explained Elsa. "We need to be absolutely sure the dragon's guilt is absolute before we make a decision."

"Yeah!", yelled Snotlout, again to my surprise. "I ain't doing no voting unless we're fucking certain of Toothless' guilt!"

"I'm not votin' either!"

"Me neither!"

I seriously had to resist the urge of hugging both Merida and Rapunzel and everyone who had stood up for Toothless' sake. Flynn's face lost all fire when he saw how almost all students had rallied up against their claim. "Fine, whatever. I guess we can debate a little before we do anything.", and with that he crossed his arms and looked at us expectantly.

"We're just wasting our time...", mumbled Tooth with a venom in her voice that honestly hurt me a little. Why...? Why was Tooth so bitter? Was she... close to North?

"So... we're debatin'?", asked Aster, looking annoyed. "Fine, but what will we debate, then?"

Right. We had to start somewhere...

"Actually, I'd like to hear an overview of the incident first.", said Peter as he spoke to all of us. "Since we weren't the first on the scene, we're not entirely sure what happened."

"Oh yeah... We're kinda in the dark in that regard, no, sis?", said Anna as she looked at Elsa with an embarrassed smile.

"Alright.", I spoke while I nodded, "I will, uh, do the overview, if that's OK..."

No one objected. I cleared my throat and after exhaling to psyche myself, I began speaking:

Well, everything started when Jack and I heard a loud noise. It instantly woke us up and since we were obviously curious about it, we went to investigate. When we got to the lobby, we found out that we weren't the only ones that had heard the noise. Fishlegs, Aster, the Twins, Flynn, Tooth, Merida and Rapunzel were also there.

"Who was the first one to get to the scene?", asked Peter suddenly.

"Hmm... when I got to the scene... Aster was the first one.", said Flynn as he closed his eyes in concentration. The Ultimate Survivalist nodded in response.

After that, we all noticed we had missed Monobear's Lesson. We were, of course, curious about that noise, but given the threat the Headmaster had given us, we made going to the Great Hall our first priority. And... well, that's when we discovered North's body; as soon as we opened the doors, we found the... scene and then that announcement thing rang. After that, you guys arrived and that's... pretty much what happened before the investigation started.

With that, I finished outlining the case. Even though I had just explained things, this whole case didn't seem any clearer to us; confused expressions reigned the courtroom.

But I had something in my mind...

I turned to face the Headmaster, who was eating a fish despite the fact that he was a plush toy.

"U-uh... Monobear. I have a question..."

"Well, shoot! H-Hiccy I... I-I don't think we're ready to take our relationship to that level...!", said Monobear as he spouted even more ridiculous nonsense. I sidestepped his bait and went straight to the core of the matter.

"I've been wondering... what is that thing that always rings whenever we find a body? H-how does it even work?"

"Hmm... I guess I never DID tell you...", started the Headmaster as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation. "OK, allow me to explain! That announcement is just one of my teacher duties in this Camp Trip of Mutual Killing; The Body Discovery Announcement!"

"It would suck if you guys didn't ever found out a killing had occurred, no? Which is why I devised this system! Whenever three or more different people find a corpse, a Body Discovery Announcement will be made and will be played through all the camp for everyone to hear!"

After he said that, the Headmaster did a silly little bow in his seat, looking extremely pleased with himself. "No need to thank your Headmaster! I'm a very modest and pretty much all-around amazing bear!"

"Ugh, no one would've want to thank ya', ya stupid plush toy...", said Merida with a groan.

"Seriously. Keep your fucking comments to yourself...", added Snotlout with a frown.

"But still, this is useful information...", started Elsa. "Now we know more about the rules this boorish doll is following."

Yeah, I had the feeling... this was important information. I'd better not forget this.

"O-Ok... so are we all up to speed in what happened before the body was discovered?", asked Fishlegs. Everyone either nodded or murmured a "yeah".

"Alright. So can we start debating the actual killing?", asked Flynn as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"But, uh... where do we start?", asked Ruff, while her brother shrugged his shoulders in answer, which earned him a punch from the blonde girl.

"How about the cause of death?", suggested Jack, much to everyone's surprise.

"What, so a dragon attack isn't a good enough cause of death for you?", jeered Flynn.

"Flynn Rider, keep your mouth shut, please!", shouted Rapunzel suddenly with an authority I had never heard from her, and to my surprise, Flynn actually complied. Since when did Rapunzel had such leverage on Flynn?

"So... you're saying the cause of death ain't the dragon attack wounds?", said Merida with her head tilted, her confused face somewhat obscured by locks of red hair.

"That is correct." answers Pitch, "It is especially puzzling because the Monobear File makes no mention of it."

"So what?", shouted Tuff.

"Yeah I mean... the cause of death is kinda obvious, no?", continued Ruff.

"Really?", asked Elsa with a slightly arched eyebrow, "Then what was it? Because there's a lot of wounds on North's body; I'd be surprised if you two, of all people, were able to figure out which one was the one who did North in."

"So... all we have to do is figure out which one was the real cause of death?", said Fish to the Ultimate Figure Skater.

"That's right.", I answered in her place.

"But there's a lot of wounds on 'tis here body, ankle-biter.", commented Aster. "Is it even possible to figure out what the real fatal wound was?"

"Well... we can just start discussing all the wounds and drop the ones that we find to be unlikely, until we find the correct one!", said Jack as he pounded his fist on his open palm as his face brightened with the sudden realization.

"Hmm, that's actually a rather... bright idea for someone like you, you faker.", said Peter, much to the whitette's chagrin. Normally, I would be upset too... but somehow, that article kept popping up in my head and that... made me feel somewhat suspicious of Jack.

No... I cannot let those thoughts distract me from the trial. And... I felt very nasty whenever I started to suspect him... He was my friend all this time, and that file shouldn't change my feelings about him. I was still curious though... but for now...

"Let's do what Jack says.", I said as I nodded to the Ultimate Mystery, who beamed a silly smile at me. "It's a place to start."

"And I guess you are going to argue that the claw marks on his body are not the true wounds that killed North and that's why we're not going to discuss those yet?", said Tooth, looking extremely angry.

But I couldn't back down. I... mustered enough courage to glare back at her and nod in answer. The Ultimate Dentist, thankfully, backed off with just a scoff.

"So... if the wounds done by Toothless didn't do North in...", started Flynn. "Then which wound did?"

I wonder... there were a lot of wounds in the Ultimate Sculptor's corpse. Obviously, I wasn't going to even consider the wounds done by Toothless... and that only left the knife cut and the wounds on his chest. Well, taking in account the Monobear File, the only logical and possible cause of death was-

"I got it!" shouted Snotlout suddenly, looking extremely confident. "It was the the knife cut! That totally did him in!"

"And why do you think that, Snotlout?", asked Anna.

"Duh!", exclaimed Snotlout, "Because I, Snotlout, found the murder weapon that actually killed North!"

...OK... And to think things were going to go smoothly...

"What? Really?!" Rapunzel's face was one of awe as she saw the Ultimate Heavy Lifter sticking his chest out with pride.

"Well, spit it out already!", shouted Merida, impatient. With a dramatic flair, Snotlout produced a... wait... is that a combat knife...?

The Ultimate Heavy Lifter kept showing off as he spun the bladed weapon on his fingers before dropping it clumsily on the floor, much to the collective embarrassment of everyone as Snotlout hurried to pick the weapon back with a nervous smile.

"A-anyway...! Here it is! I, Snotlout, have found the murder weapon! It's this bloody combat knife!"

"Well, it does have blood on it...", commented Elsa.

"And it certainly looks stabby.", said Tuffnut with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Yeah! And plus, the Monobear File does mention the knife cut so that has to be it, right?!", added Ruffnut, sporting the same look as her twin. We... have to make sure we hide that knife later.

"Where did you find it?!", demanded Tooth, making the burly teen flinch with fright. I would've laughed but I... was actually scared too by the Ultimate Dentist's sudden outburst.

"Oh, uh... behind the hotel!", Snotlout stumbled over his words as Tooth trained her gaze on him, studying every word. "I-It was buried under all the bloodied snow and...!"

"Bloodied snow?!" shouted Anna. As expected, everyone's attention was drawn to that sentence. Snotlout apparently regretted wanting to show off as he squirmed under everyone's gaze, sweat visible on his brow.

"Y-yeah! There was a shitton of blood there where I found the knife! So that place has to be the real crime scene!", explained Snotlout, looking a bit unsure about his claim.

"So, we have the real murder weapon and the real crime scene..." Tooth's voice was quiet yet strong.

At the rate this was going... we were going to go completely off the mark. And yet... this was actually nice. Because if they started to believe that the knife was the true murder weapon... Toothless wouldn't be suspected anymore. I mean, obviously, dragons cannot hold weapons, so if we decided the knife was the real cause of death...

...Argh! What should I do?! I... don't believe the knife is the real murder weapon! But... if I point it out... The suspicion will fall back to Toothless... ! What... should I...?

Do I point that out or do I stay quiet...?

...

No... what am I thinking?! This... this isn't the correct way to do things! If I lie, I'm basically admitting that Toothless did it, and the only way he could be innocent is if I were to hide the truth. And I truly believe my bud didn't kill anyone.

...Gods, this is going to make everything harder, but... I won't conceal the facts. I'm sure the truth... will be one full of hope. I just have to be careful.

"But, wait a second...", started Rapunzel, her green eyes lighting up with relief. "If the knife is the murder weapon... then that means Toothless didn't kill North!"

Merida's face displayed a beaming smile, one rare for the red-head, as she heard Rapunzel speak. "Oi, that's true! If the knife is the real murder weapon, then that means the killer was human!"

Jack's face, full of happiness, as he looked at me to see my reaction... made this even harder than it should. But I already had decided, so with a gulp, I spoke.

"A-as... as much as I want that to be true... unfortunately, the knife can't be the murder weapon."

You could hear a pin drop in the room as everyone fell silent, either because of how outrageous my claim sounded, or because they couldn't believe I of all people had said that. Honestly, i couldn't believe I said that either.

Of course, the reaction in comparison was quite noisy.

"What?! Hic, what are you saying?!", Jack was obviously the first one to react, his expression the very definition of shock.

"Kiddo, are you hearing yourself?", said Flynn, looking beyond himself. "We just heard Snot tell us all this and it matches with the Monobear File! This knife has to be it, what killed North!"

"Or... did you find something wrong with our line of thought?", asked Peter, expectantly.

"Y-yeah...", I nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable under the scrutinous gaze of the Ultimate Fear Expert. "The issue is... with the Monobear File itself."

"What do you mean?", asked Elsa, tilting her head as she brought her hand to her chin.

"Well... see, the Monobear File quite clearly states that North had internal hemorrhaging.", I said as I pointed it out in my ElectroID. "D-don't you think that sounds more... like a possible cause of death than a simple knife cut?"

"...Oh.", Was all Snotlout could say as he realized his mistake. Looks like I hit the nail on the head.

"There's no way a knife cut could've killed North.", I continued. "I mean, the cut itself was neither deep nor big. It's impossible for this combat knife to be the true cause of death!"

"Ugh, really?", complained Tuff.

"Man, it looked so deadly and it can't even kill someone? Lame." finished Ruff as she gave the weapon a disgusted look. Snotlout hid the knife out of embarrassment. Geez... I hope he doesn't resent me for calling him out...

"But, Hiccup...", began Anna, as she twisted one of her braids nervously, "This combat knife has blood and North was indeed cut... there's no way this weapon isn't related to the crime, right?"

That... was true. If Toothless wasn't the killer (which he wasn't), then someone used this knife to injure our friend. "It has to be related to the case... even if its not the murder weapon."

"So... if the murder weapon isn't the knife..." and as I heard Tooth's voice, what I feared was gonna happen, well... happened. "Does that mean our only suspect is Toothless still?"

"I guess that's all it amounts too, yea', "said Aster as he scratched behind his ear, almost knocking out one of the feathers he wore on his hair. "Guess we all just wasted our darn time debatin' over nothing."

"See? I was right! This was all just a damn wild goose chase!", shouted Flynn as he pointed a finger at me.

"Not... exactly."

The Ultimate Thief, and myself and... well, everybody... turned to see Jack with his eyes closed, deep in thought. "You... you guys just said it... The knife has North's blood and it wounded him so... how can you guys even say that Toothless is the only suspect when he can't even wield the knife?"

I sincerely thanked Jack for his intervention. I shot the whitette an appreciative smile and seized this as my chance to turn things around.

"The knife is obviously tied to this case... and since Toothless cannot use it, then this only can mean one thing... Someone else, a person, was the culprit!"

"T-that doesn't mean Toothless didn't kill North!", shouted Tooth, looking flustered. "A-all you've proved is that the knife didn't... didn't kill him! F-for all we know...", a tear threatened to escape the rainbow-haired girl's eye. "Toothless could still have killed him and he could've... yeah, an accomplice! That person must have used the knife!"

...Oh, crud.

"She does have a valid point.", said Elsa.

"T-that's what I thought too!", exclaimed Fishlegs and I could swear I saw Jack glare at the Ultimate Encyclopedia with restrained anger. "A-an accomplice would most certainly explain the knife!"

...I-I thought we were doing well! How did we end up in this... mess?

"Incidentally, I have another question for the Headmaster...", began Peter as he directed his gaze towards the black and white bear, who was playing with the fish bone of his meal. "Are there any... special rules in case an accomplice turns up?"

"Gee, you guys do have a lot of questions today! But don't worry, Headmaster Monobear will satiate your curiosity with a spoonful of information!", said the bear as he raised his paw and the fish bone as if it were a sword. "Um, let's see here... certainly, accomplices are allowed in this Camp Trip of Mutual Killing buuut... assisting in a crime has no benefit at all!"

...Huh?

"What I mean is... the accomplice can go on a murder rampage or whatever but only the true Blackened, the mastermind behind the crime, will reap the benefits! That is to say, only the Blackened will escape even if the culprit and the accomplice manage to fool everyone at the Class Trial! Plus, if the Blackened gets discovered in the Class Trial... the accomplice will also be punished along with the Blackened!"

Peter nodded at the new information. I see...

"So... what you're basically saying is... there's no way an accomplice could ever exist, right? I mean, you gain nothing from it... so...", I began.

"So that must mean there's no accomplice in this case either, right?!", shouted Jack as he smiled at me earnestly.

"No. That is not necessarily the case...", began Elsa, "We did not know about this particular rule until today's trial; an accomplice could still exist because they had no idea of this rule."

Right, the possibility of an unwilling accomplice is strong... but I don't think we're dealing with this correctly.

...

"So, uh... where does this leave us again?", asked Snotlout, looking a bit lost.

"We've been talking about this knife, like, forever, and now I don't even know what's going on anymore.", said Tuff while he clutched his head in frustration.

Right. Whether an accomplice was involved or not is not important right now; we can come to that later. Right now, we're trying to figure out what killed North.

"Well, we just dismissed the combat knife as the murder weapon, so we need to move on and find the true murder weapon.", I began fiddling with the ElectroID as everyone nodded and did the same. "Seeing the Monobear File, the only other wound remaining is-"

"I got it!", shouted Tuffnut, and I got this sinking feeling... "See? It was right there in front of us, the cause of death is that foreign substance!"

"Are you trying to have a second moment of glory or something...?", grumbled Flynn as he shook his head.

"But foreign substance... does that mean like, imported beer?", asked Snotlout as he scratched his brown hair.

"No, you dunderhead! It means somethin' akin poison!", said Merida, seemingly fed up by Snotlout's previous blunder.

I looked back to my Monobear File. Indeed, the autopsy report did say that... but... did that kill North?

"Hmm, in some case, poison does cause internal bleedin'. Nasty business, if ya ask me...", commented Aster with a grunt.

"So, that must be it, no? This time, we're right! The poison killed North!", exclaimed Anna with a twinkle on her eyes.

"And if that poison is the murder weapon... then Toothless is innocent! There's no way a dragon could've made North drink the poison!", said Rapunzel, looking relieved again.

"What if the dragon has poison in its claws and teeth, though?!", retorted Tooth, to which Flynn nodded.

"No.", I wasn't going to let that idea fly. "Night Furies don't have poison on them. They mostly rely on hit-and-run strikes from above and their plasma breaths."

"I-it's true...", said Snotlout, looking embarrassed from some reason. "I... I've been bitten by the stupid gecko and I didn't die from poisoning or anything so that can't be it."

I had to resist the urge of joining Jack's snickering and Toothless' odd proud smile.

"Still, I find this odd.", started Fishlegs. "Where in the world did a combat knife and poison? We were trapped in that resort for days and we didn't have anything on us save our ElectroIDs..."

"Isn't it obvious? The killer sneaked them in!", asserted Ruffnut.

"No, I'm pretty sure they came from the... Final Dead Room.", I said. Yeah, that had to be it. I personally saw the Octagon and what it contained.

"Eep?! From there?!", shouted Fish, looking aghast.

"Wasn't that the creepy room with the skull on its door?! The one that Monobear said it had a Life-or-Death game or something?!", asked Anna. I nodded.

"Y-yeah... I... I personally confirmed that fact." Gods, I hate when everyone looks at me like that...! But I knew this was going to happen; I just had to bear it while I explained my reasoning. I mean, I risked my life... so we could survive, after all. "There's a room hidden inside the Final Dead Room. It's called the Octagon."

I was gesturing once again, waving my hand around as I spoke. A nervous habit. "Inside the Octagon... Monobear prepared a lot of weapons... and there was indeed a lot of knives and poison in there as well."

"But what makes you think the killer got them from there?!", shouted Tooth, her anger never subsiding as she desperately clung to the fact that Toothless had been the culprit. This was... dangerous. If I don't convince her fast enough, she could blind herself to the truth.

I took a deep breath.

"Because... there was a missing knife and, among the many poisons, there was one that looked like it was used."

"You mean this one?!", exclaimed Monobear suddenly as he threw a small bottle towards me with incredible speed. To say that I yelped in surprise was an understatement. Literally catching the bottle as if my life depended on it, I held it to my chest until I made sure I had it in a firm grasp. Slowly, I lifted it to my face, and what I was expecting to see was resting on my palm.

"Dimethylheptylpyran", I read out loud.

"Is the fishbone having a seizure?", asked Snotlout as he heard me said the poison's name.

"No, you idiot, Hiccup is obviously readin' the label on that there bottle!', retorted Merida.

"Monobear, explain yourself.", demanded Peter, as he gave the grinning mascot a scathing glare. "What did you give Haddock?"

"Why, dear Pitchy... I just gave Hiccy the poison you guys were talking about!", said the Headmaster in a dismissing tone. "What's wrong with that?"

"You dumbass!", shouted Flynn as he frantically looked at the bottle in my hand and the Headmaster. "If that thing broke, we could've had died!"

"Buh-wha?", exclaimed Monobear as he tilted his head at the brown-haired teen. "Don't be ridiculous. Dimethylheptylpyran is not lethal! Well, at least, not in the dose I prepared."

"Wait, what?', said Jack as he visibly relaxed and tore his gaze from me. W...was he worried about me ?

"Dimethylheptylpyran is a poison, yes, but it's main use is for sedative purposes! Sure, it can kill you if you apply a large dose and I guess it can get on your clothes or something because of sticky it is... but that thing was kinda hard to come by, so I could only get what was in that small bottle resting in Hiccy's hands!", explained the Headmaster as he spun on his throne with glee.

"So... this poison is not the murder weapon." I concluded. I was hoping this was it; after all, poison does sometimes cause internal bleeding and if poison was the cause of death, then there was no way Toothless was the killer, much less an accomplice. So much for that...

"Aw, c'mon! I thought that was it!", complained Tuffnut. "Of course that wasn't it, you're too dumb to crack this case.", said Ruffnut as she pushed her brother around and before we all know it, they start beating each other up. As always.

"Still... that poison has to have something to do with this case.", said Rapunzel, "I mean... it was on North's blood, right? So that means someone poisoned him..."

"... I got it!", shouted Jack as he snapped his fingers, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Hey, Snot! Give me that knife!"

"Huh? Oh... sure-"

"Wait! Don't throw it at me, you dumbass!", shouted Jack as he put his hands in front of him, just in case the Ultimate Heavy Lifter decided to actually finish the action of throwing the sharp blade at the whitette. Thankfully, Snotlout lowered his arm and instead gave the knife to his neighbor. In due time, it was passed to Jack, who upon receiving the knife, stared intently at the blade, which was still coated with blood... Now... hold on... why is it still coated in blood?

The whitette put his finger on the blood and before we could ask what he was doing, he had wiped a portion of the crimson liquid with a quick motion.

The blood stuck Jack's finger as if it were some kind of red jelly. Blood definitely didn't do that.

"I knew it...", said Jack with a bright smile. "This knife... and the Dimet-whatever were used in conjunction!"

"What do you mean?', asked Peter, looking at Jack with... less disdain than usual. If I could put it in words, I'd say he was looking at the whitette with... respect?

Jack continued his explanation, excitement clear in his face. "Well, Monobear said that Dimethyl-whatever that thing is... is sticky, no? Well, the blood in this thing is sticky as well. This means that the knife was most likely... coated in Dimethy- you know what I mean!"

"Really?!", shouted Snotlout, looking pale. I guess he got scared once he knew he was holding a poisoned weapon so carelessly.

Jack nodded. "Yeah! And I mean, it makes sense! The killer probably grabbed this knife and the poison and then assaulted North on the back of the hotel!"

"...It makes sense, too.", I continued, understanding where Jack was going with this. The whitette nodded at me, signaling me to go on, and I happily obliged. "Whoever our killer is... well, I'd think they'd have a hard time fighting North. So incapacitating him was the only choice they had. Which most definitely proves that our killer is human too; after all, only humans can wield knifes and apply poison to them!"

"Also... with this, we can discount the back of the hotel as the scene of the murder.", continued Jack. "The only thing that happened there was the scuffle and the incapacitation of North... the real scene of the murder is most definitely the Great Hall."

With that, the whitette finished, looking incredibly proud of himself. Of course, everyone looked a little... stunned. Still, I could see it in their faces... they were slowly buying into Jack's logic; even Tooth was calming down a little, her anger diminishing as she mulled over those facts we just established.

"And? so what?"

Aster's voice broke the silence as everyone stared at him, Jack's face one of confusion.

"Okay, I got ya'... you're sayin' the beast didn't kill 'im because he couldn't have poisoned North with that knife... but so what? As everyone has told you, the knife ain't the murder weapon, ya dingus! That still means the dragon could've killed North after the accomplice cut North!"

"...Oh.", was all Jack could say in his defense.

"Also... there's the fact about North's body. How did it end up on the Great Hall?", he asked, his green eyes zeroing on Jack's nervous face as the whitette's eyes darted here and there as he tried to come up with an explanation. "I'd say the dragon took North's body, and flew to the Great Hall. There, the deed was done."

The Ultimate Survivalist smiled smugly. "There, we now have proof the bloody beast did the poor bloke in. Happy now, ya snowflake?"

Jack grunted, looking a little beyond himself.

But no... Aster was wrong... I couldn't let him turn the tide on us.

"That is impossible, Aster.", I began, which made the silver-haired teen look at me. "Toothless can't fly. His tail fin being damaged prevents him from doing so."

"But it had to be the dragon!", interjected Fishlegs. "I-I mean... Toothless is probably the only one among us who could've carried North with ease! So... he had to be the only one capable of moving North's body."

...

I... I guess that IS true. I doubt any of us gathered here could've had moved North's gargantuan corpse. And yet...

"Don't you find that a bit odd, though?", began Elsa. "Mr. Ingerman, there were no drag marks nor footprints on the scene signaling the fact that a body had been moved. And since Toothless cannot fly, the only way to carry a body would have been to walk to the Great Hall."

"But... that sounds like somethin' impossible!", said Merida as she scratched her head through her tangled red hair.

"I mean, the body did end up in the Great Hall despite the fact that North was incapacitated behind the Hotel... so it must be possible, right?", asked Anna, trying to make sense of things.

...I guess I can't keep hiding this anymore. Not when I know the answer to this mystery... I think. I'll handle everyone else's reactions later, for now I have to press onward.

"It is possible.", I began, and as suspected, everyone instantly turned to look at me. "I-I mean, I also verified this personally. You... you could move the body without leaving any tracks or flying if you... do something."

"And what is that, Mr. Haddock?", queried Elsa, her cold gaze trained on me.

"If... if you win at the Final Dead Room... You get a special privilege aside from access to weapons. You get... unlimited access to a series of secret passages."

"L-like in a spy movie?", asked Fish, looking strangely excited over this revelation. I nodded at the Ultimate Encyclopedia before continuing.

"I found it odd, you know... the secret passages lead to various places in the resort. Specifically, the secret passages connect the Great Hall, the Hotel Lobby, the MiM Library, and... the forest behind the Hotel."

"C'mon, ankle-biter... don't lie. A secret passage, really? Ya must have hit your head or somethin' because things like that don't exist." said Aster, shaking his head at me with a look of disappointment on his face.

"He is not lying.", interjected Peter. "After all, both Jack and I bore witness to that... isn't that right, phony?"

Jack ignored the obvious jab, instead putting on a look on concentration until he looked like he had realized something, his eyebrows shooting up. "Ah! Yeah! Hiccup did appear suddenly from within a wall in the Great Hall despite the fact that he had left for the Final Dead Room!"

"W-wait... the Final Dead Room?", asked Anna as she looked at me worriedly. "Are you saying Hiccup went there and..."

"Oh? Y-yeah, I-I... I had to investigate there so I went into the Final Dead Room and... uh, challenged it. Yeah, and...", I said rather awkwardly as the brunette trained her eyes on me, feeling rather conscious of my appearance.

"I see... so that is why you know so much about this room. You defeated the Final Dead Room.", mumbled Elsa as she saw her sister looking at me with a... happy expression that only intensified as Elsa kept talking about my victory over the room. Is it me, or does Elsa get rather moody whenever Anna interacts with me? What is her problem?

"Y-yeah, I did... and apparently, I wasn't the only one who went through that.", I answered as I looked at the Headmaster, ignoring everyone's questioning glance. "Isn't that right, Monobear?"

"Sheesh! Will you guys keep asking me questions! What am I, some sort of Super Hint giver or something?! If this were a videogame, I'd deplete your Health Bar for pestering the judge... you know, like in that famous game series, Ace Att-"

"Ugh, just shut up and tell us what Hiccup is talking about!", Monobear's tirade was thankfully interrupted by Flynn. Looking a bit dejected, the Headmaster continued on, his tone of voice carrying a melancholic one.

"Uuu... Fine. Yes, Hiccy wasn't the only one who went through the Final Dead Room. There was someone else that came before him and won access to my marvelous Octagon and all it's wondrous benefits."

"So, what you're sayin' is", began Merida, "Hiccup! Are ya sayin' one of us went through that awful room before you and that is how they pulled off this crime?!"

"Yeah.", was all I could say. "It's the only way it makes sense."

"Hic must be right." Jack said as he crossed his arms, deep in thought. "The knife, the poison, the moving of the body... those things could only have been done or obtained if someone went to the Final Dead Room."

"Why would someone go through all that trouble and danger...?", asked Tooth, who looked less angry but still distraught.

"My guess is... they were aiming for the Ultimate Weapon that laid inside the Final Dead Room.", I said to the Ultimate Dentist. "I mean, the only reason someone would have to go through all that danger is... well, obviously, th-they were planning on murdering someone."

"Which is why... Toothless can't be the killer. None of these convoluted steps would have been possible for him. Only... a person would have the need to procure a weapon and an incapacitator and a way to move around undetected."

"Yeah, animals are stupid, after all. They can't plan that far along.", added Tuffnut after I finished speaking.

"Not like you're any better." followed Ruffnut with a snide snicker.

"S-so... what you're saying is that... Toothless was just being... framed...?", asked Tooth, her voice breaking a bit as her eyes got a bit watery.

Inside of me, I sighed with relief. It seems, we finally managed to break through her. Maybe with this... we'll have more breathing space. With this, surely there is none in this courtroom who still thinks Toothless is the kill-

"Hold it there, ankle-biter."

Aaaaand I knew there was going to be something. There always is. Aster was the one who spoke up.

"That the bloody beast... isn't completely innocent! I mean... he had to have moved the body! And did ya forget?! Toothless did inflict wounds on North's body!"

...Unfortunately, he was right. Some way or another, Toothless got involved in this crime. I couldn't deny that. Not if I wanted to find out the truth. With that resolve in my heart, I face Aster with the bravest face I could.

Why could I face him like that? Because I believed in Toothless' innocence. In my friend. And because... I knew. I knew the Night Fury had been involved in this crime unwillingly.

"You're right, Toothless did participate in the crime... but that doesn't mean he's the killer.", I began.

Yeah. It made sense now. What we discussed at the beginning of the trial... the possibility of an accomplice.

"You see, Toothless did participate in the crime... but he wasn't a willing accomplice. And I have proof."

"Back in the Final Dead Room, I discovered something very unusual; garden beds full of plants."

"Well, that IS very strange.", commented Rapunzel. "I didn't take the Headmaster for a botanist."

"Heh, maybe he's just a pansy in the inside.", said Flynn.

"Hey! You don't see me commenting on your lame-ass goatee, so I'd keep your mouth shout, Flynny!", retorted Monobear, waving his arms around as if he were annoyed.

"I-in any case...", I continued, a bit off-put by the... um, peanut gallery. "What I found in those garden beds was very peculiar. For you see, in that garden bed... I found plants endemic to Berk."

"Aaand? How is that even important? Like, why should we care about plants that only grow in your boring Viking village?", asked Ruffnut.

"The, uh, important part is... the fact that plants native to Berk have an effect on reptiles, including dragons." Seriously! Stop interrupting me!

"I-I'll cut the chase. In that garden bed, I found a plant called Dragonsbane, which has the particular effect of making dragons submissive and willing to follow orders."

Peter's face brightened up a little as he heard me. "I see... so what you are suggesting is..."

"Yeah...", I continued. "I'm most certain that... someone used these plants to force Toothless to cooperate in their plan!"

Aster looked aghast. But he recovered quickly. "But, mate... there's no way the killer could've known about that! Only you could've known about it!"

I shook my head. "No, that's wrong. In the Final Dead Room, there were signs in front of the garden beds which dictated the effects of all plants. With that, anyone could've know what those plants did!"

Once again, the Ultimate Survivalist was at a loss for words.

"B-But, Hiccup!", Fishlegs interjected. "Even if that is true... that doesn't mean Toothless didn't kill anyone! I mean... couldn't this person force your dragon to kill using these plants! I'm 80% sure that's why North had those wounds in him... because Toothless k-killed him...!"

"No, that doesn't make sense.", answered Jack, making the Ultimate Encyclopedia gulp. "I mean... Why would someone do all of this? Like... Only the person that kills gets to leave... so... if they truly wanted to escape... why make Toothless do the killing blow? If they did that, the one with the right to leave would be Toothless, not the one who ordered the Night Fury to finish the job off."

"So you're saying that the animal attack-like wounds... were inflicted post-mortem?", asked Elsa, looking impressed by Jack's deductions.

"It would make sense...", said Tooth, brightening even more. Her lab coat billowed a bit as she raised her arm. "Hiccup is correct; if someone controlled the dragon, then they did so to move the body and create a fake cause of murder! Otherwise, if they let Toothless fin-finish North off, all they would have done would be for nothing!"

"Plus, since the real killer knew about the plants, got the knife and the weapon, attacked North with them, and had the secret tunnels accessible to them... Yeah, all of those actions sounds like something only a person could do!", summarized Rapunzel.

"They probably also ordered Toothless to move the body through the tunnels... God, that's one slimy bastard, ya hear? That's a devious plan if I ever heard one...", added Rapunzel.

"So that means... Toothless is definitely not the killer!", finished Jack with a grin.

No one said anything, not even Flynn, Fishlegs or Aster. Or it was more like... They couldn't. In light of this evidence and reasoning, they couldn't find any fault or way to refute anything.

Which was good. We finally managed to clear Toothless of all innocence. But that still left us with two very big questions.

What was the true cause of death?

and...

Who is the true killer?

I... I had my suspicions already. Because... Because that person... has been behaving strangely. But I shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet... Because now... now I'm sure.

We're slowly making our way... to the truth.

---

-Intermission-

---

Monobear Theater

---

"Life is full of what-ifs. [This is totally not a recycled line, puhuhuhu!]"

"You know... like... what would have happened if I had ordered vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate?"

"Would that have made me score with that pretty girl? Would I have fallen madly in love with her? Would I have asked her hand in marriage after getting really close? What if we got married and then we had three wonderful children? What if we led happy, fulfilling lives without any worries? What if we died peacefully and still as madly in love as when we first met?"

"As I wondered this, the chocolate ice cream cone in my hand melted."

"*Sigh*... What if I hadn't started to wonder about what-ifs? Would I still have my ice cream intact?"

---

Jack's POV

After one of Monobear's... weirdly imposed breaks, we started our debating again.

I was relieved, honestly. After all of that, Toothless was finally cleared of all doubts. I had to hand it to Hic; he really was handling this Class Trial extremely well. Thanks to his bravery, he got a lot of information from the Final Dead Room, and it was definitely showing. Because of that, we can finally move on to the actual crux of the matter; who actually killed Nick.

...I can see it on his face too. He looks more at ease now than at the beginning of the trial. But we can't relax yet. We have to give this everything we got... our lives depend on that.

"So, uh... what are going to discuss now?", asked Tuff, as usual.

"I think it's high time we started discussing the true cause of death.", said Elsa, giving the male Ultimate Demolition student a harsh look.

Hic nodded. "Yeah, since we discredited all the other wounds, then the only one left is..."

"The three holes in North's chest.", I said as I looked over the Monobear File.

"I know! The killer probably stabbed someone with a really big fork!", declared Snot.

"I... don't think I even have to point out how wrong you are.", groaned Flynn.

"Then... maybe a trident?" suggested Tooth. "Was there something like that in the Final Dead Room, Hiccup?!"

The little Viking shook his head, much to Tooth's disappointment. "Actually...", began Hic, "I think I know how the Blackened... killed North." And as he said that, Hic took out the shoddy looking controller once again.

"What is that utterly decrepit looking contraption...?", asked Pitch as he gave the remote in Hic's eye a harsh glare.

"This...", said the Ultimate Lucky Student as he showed the controller to us all, "is the true murder weapon and the cause of death... The Final Dead's Room prize; the Ultimate Weapon."

"You mentioned that before...", said Flynn as he rubbed his chin and looked at the contraption in Hic's hand. "But is that piece of crap actually able to kill someone?! I don't think you can even use it to bash someone with it!"

Hic looked at the controller with that same knowing gaze he had during the entire Class Trial. And then... I remembered that scene back at the Great Hall.

How... he looked between the controller and... at the space above North's body... where only the chandelier was...

"This remote control...", began Hic. "Is actually what activates the real Ultimate Weapon."

...

No way...

"Hic...", I said, interrupting the little Viking as I rubbed my forehead, "A-are you saying what really killed North is... the chandelier in the Great Hall?!"

Hic looked genuinely surprised at my sentence, but he nodded at me slowly before speaking. "Y-yeah... That's... right..."

So... then... but... that's crazy!

And yet...

"Wait, hold on, a chandelier killin' someone?! What does that have to do with the controller in Hiccup's hands?!", asked Merida as she looked between us, clearly lost.

"Does that chandelier turn into a robot or something?!", squealed Fish as he looked at the poorly-constructed remote with renewed interest.

Hic awoke from his shock at that comment. "W-what? No! U-uh... as I was saying... this remote control probably activates a mechanism inside the chandelier. When you press the button on it... it probably put the chandelier into a free-fall..."

A free-fall... wait... if a chandelier that big were to fall... and...

I could feel my mind working at a speed that I wasn't used to. Was this because I had gotten used to these Class Trials...?

"And what is your basis for that claim, Mr. Haddock?", asked Elsa.

All of a sudden, it clicked in my mind.

If something that big falls...

"The loud noise we heard in the morning!", I shouted far louder than I had intended. But I didn't care. That had to be it! "That's what we heard this morning!"

"W-what?!", shouted Fish, looking shocked.

"So that's what it was. No wonder we heard it. That thing was pretty big; of course it would make a ruckus if it fell!", said Flynn as he scratched his facepalmed.

Hiccup nodded and smiled as everyone started to see his point.

"OK, mates, that's a lotta imagination!", interjected Bunny. "A chandelier fell and killed North? And because of that controller thingamajig? There's no proof of that!"

"And yet, it makes sense...", began Pitch. "Taking into account the position of North's body... You'll definitely see that it was right under the chandelier."

"Oh yeah! I saw that!", shouted Snot excitedly. "I remembered because that's where those fucking wall were, the ones Monobear was hiding behind when giving those lessons!"

Hic nodded at Snotlout. "You guys will recall... that those wall were destroyed when we found the body. Walls that even resisted a Night Fury's attack. It would take something extremely powerful or heavy to destroy them... and the chandelier fits the bill."

"The reason why North's body was found under the chandelier... was probably because that's where he was killed. He had to be under it for the Ultimate Weapon to work.", added Elsa.

"Dude, if someone were to be under that thing if it fell... they would totally die!", exclaimed Ruff.

"And that chandelier definitely had some spiky ends... it probably... punctured North's chest when it fell on him...", said Anna.

I understand now... "The Blackened was really devious... He probably used Toothless to put North's body on top of the walls; they weren't very tall to begin with."

"Frostbite, that ain't possible!", interrupted Aster. "I mean, how could the killer know where Toothless was?"

"And now that you ask that, where was he at the time of the crime?", asked Elsa.

"He... was in... Jack's room.", said Hic, whose cheeks suddenly turned a bit red, "W-with me."

Everyone, thankfully, didn't comment on that, even though I swear I saw Mer and Punzie grin like idiots and Flynn chuckle.

"See?! The killer couldn't have known that! 'sides, if you two were there, you would've noticed if the dragon was gone, right?"

I gulped. "A-actually... Hic and I were asleep for who knows how long... so anybody could've come and used the Dragonsbane without us noticing."

"They could've done so easily too.", Added Tooth. "Since the doors of our hotel rooms don't have locks." And as she said that, I saw a blush creep on her cheeks. Somehow, I had an idea about how she learned about that fact. But this wasn't the time for that.

"See, Bunny?", I said, with a rather smug grin might I add, to the stunned Ultimate Survivalist,"There's no issue then. It is possible for someone to control Toothless. After doing so, they just had to order the Night Fury to move North's corpse and..."

"Was press the button and the deed would've be done. They didn't even need to be close to the crime scene. As long as they were in range they could've used the remote with ease.", continued Hic as he nodded at me with a grin.

"This theory even... matches with the Monobear File!", I said as I pointed out the autopsy report. "See? Internal hemorrhaging? If something that big fell on you, I'm sure you'd be bleeding inside badly." I said, feeling proud of myself for being able to remember the meaning of that term. "After that, all they had to do was order Toothless to attack the corpse to throw off the real cause of death."

Hic smiled after I finished talking. "And... that's the real cause of death: A falling chandelier aptly named the Ultimate Weapon."

...

The silence that followed was one of consent. Even the rebellious ones, Flynn, Fishlegs and Aster stayed silent. This had to be it. I did a mental fist-pump motion in my head; Yes! Mystery solved!

And now all that is left...

"Ugh... if you amantes are done with that gross display...", spoke Monobear as he looked at us with a sad expression, "I'd say it's about darn time you started discussing the Blackened's identity! I mean, sure, hearing you identify the true murder weapon and cause of death was enlightening but come on! No one cares about that stuff!", said Monobear as he angrily looked at us. "What the audience wants is, aside from me, the identity of the one whodunit!"

Monobear was, sadly, right. If we can't figure out who the killer is, then all of this will be for nothing. So we need to do that now...

But were do we start?

"That's fucking easy for you to say.", complained Snot, "You already know who the culprit is..."

"Well, there's nothing to it.", shrugged Flynn. "So, if the obvious one, Toothless isn't the culprit... then that leaves us with...?"

"Is it even possible to identify the culprit?", began Fishlegs. "I mean... any of us could've gone to the Final Dead Room!"

"That is indeed true...", began Pitch as devious grin spread on his face. "But that's precisely how we will discover who the culprit is."

"What do you mean?", asked Punzie.

"What I mean is... the culprit has to be the one that went to the Final Dead Room while we all were asleep. In other words... the one that didn't have an alibi at the time is most likely our culprit."

"But...", I began. "At the very least, nine of us have alibis."

"And why is that?", asked Pitch, looking confrontational again.

"Because... nine of us discovered the body. At the very least, I'm sure that the ones we met at hotel lobby are innocent."

"We were all together at the time, so I don't think any of the guys in our group did North off.", explained Merida.

"So that leaves the ones that weren't present as the only suspects...", said Tooth.

"But is that really fair?", whined Anna. "I mean... the only reason you guys even have an alibi is because of that loud noise. Elsa, Snotlout, Peter, and I didn't hear it."

"You know, I've been wondering... you guys keep talking about hearing this really loud noise but... I didn't even hear a thing!", said Snoutlout as he tilted his head, trying to think.

"That's... weird. We definitely heard a noise, though...", I said, as everyone else who were with us at the time nodded. "So why the discrepancy...?"

After some hard thinking, the little Viking spoke up. "Wait a second... I see! So that's what it was...!"

"Guys... it's because of our rooms!", exclaimed Hic.

"Oh... I see now.", said Peter with a chuckle. "Of course... that explains why I did not hear anything. I forgot the Super Deluxe and Deluxe Rooms are soundproof."

"So no matter if that chandelier fell, we wouldn't have heard it because of we were staying in our rooms? Lame.", said Snotlout, looking disgruntled.

"Well, I'm glad that got resolved.", said Anna, looking pleased. "At least that also provides us with an alibi; We didn't come out of the rooms because we couldn't hear the noise at all."

"But if that is true...", said Punzie with a shaking voice..."Then everyone has a solid alibi, right?"

...

...

Wait...

...Everyone...?

Hic, Bunny, Tooth, Flynn, Mer, Punzie, the Twins, Fish and I...

We came out of our rooms because we heard that loud noise.

Pitch, Elsa, Anna and Snout...

They didn't come out of their rooms because they couldn't heard the noise.

All of this... seems to be true. Under those conditions, everyone indeed has a solid alibi.. And yet... under those conditions... something seems off... something... or someone doesn't fulfill the conditions established above...

That person... there's a person in those two groups that doesn't belong... yeah! That person's alibi is not valid...

I turned to face the person whose alibi stunk, and after taking a deep breath, I spoke.

"Bunny."

The Ultimate Survivalist looked at me with an unamused gaze. 'What do ya want, frostbite?"

"You... you said you came out of your room because you heard that loud noise, right?"

The Ultimate Survivalist looked at me before nodding. "Yeah. I mean, it's only natural, no?"

...I knew it.

I shook my head. "No. That is impossible."

I didn't know why... I didn't know what this meant... but I had to go through with this.

"And why is that?", challenged Bunny, glaring at me, "A loud noise rings through the place and ya tellin' me its impossible to hear it?"

I nod, much to the silver-haired teen's surprise. "Yes. It should have been impossible for you to hear. Because... you were staying at a Super Deluxe Room, a soundproof room. So... tell me, Bunny... how did you hear that noise?!"

To say that Bunny was stunned would be an understatement. The Ultimate Survivalist actually started to struggle to say something, a thing that I never saw him do.

Hic's eyes suddenly started to burn with subdued rage as he saw Bunny stutter. "You... You heard that noise because you weren't in your room, didn't you...? Aster... did you...?!"

"No way...!", shouted Flynn as soon as he caught up with my line of reasoning, "I can't believe..."

"...Wait... if Aster heard the noise despite the fact that he was in a soundproof room... then, does that mean he was... somewhere else?", asked Anna, looking at the silver-haired boy with growing distrust.

"And... come to think of it... Aster was indeed the first one on the lobby, wasn't he? So... if he was there before any of us... then that means... his alibi falls apart!", shouted Tooth, her voice trembling as she spoke.

"...You did it... didn't you, Aster...?", asked Hic in a quiet voice. "U-unless you can explain what you were doing... then you're the only one who is suspicious."

The silver-haired boy's face remained stoic as the distrust in him grew, his sweat on his brow the only tell-tale sign that he was nervous.

A shaky laugh escaped his lips as he covered his eyes with his hand, a laugh that escalated in volume, his voice filling the courtroom with an unnerving mood. Finally, Aster lowered his hand as his laughter subsided, a look of incredulity across his face.

"Seriously, mate? You suspect me just because I was able to hear the chandelier fallin'?", he said as he laughed in a rather confident face at Hic's serious expression. "Just because I heard it, it doesn't mean I killed North! I was just in the lobby at the time, ankle-biter! It was just a coincidence, honest!"

"...Is that really true?", asked Pitch, looking unconvinced. To be fair, I wasn't convinced either. Bunn-... Aster simply laughed, before smiling again.

"Of course it's the truth!", he said as he looked at all of us. "C'mon, mates! Why are you still suspectin' me?! I mean, the only one that we know for sure went to the crime scene is that bloody beast! I never set foot on the crime scene and there ain't no proof about it!"

"Is that true? There weren't any clues on the crime scenes that pointed toward the culprit?!", asked Fishlegs as he looked at me and Hic desperately.

"No, there... wasn't.", said Hic, looking extremely pained as he admitted this. "A-at least... not in the Great Hall..."

" If there were, I would have found something. There wasn't anything but blood in the scene behind the hotel.", added Snotlout.

"Ya see?", said Aster with a smirk. "You guys almost jumped the gun! Seriously...", he said as he shook his head. "Weren't you blokes sayin' that we needed to dispel all doubts before votin'? And here you were jumpin' on me without havin' any damn evidence."

...But... was that actually the truth?

I mean... I did find something on the crime scene behind the hotel... but was this piece of evidence even useful? Even though it was so small and insignificant?

...Should I go with through with this? I don't know where this will end... but I can't back down.

Aster has been acting strange during this Class Trial... and now, he lacks an alibi... He... he must be the Blackened.

So even if I'm totally wrong... so even if this piece of evidence is useless...

I... I must shoot through this contradiction, no matter how small! Because... that's how we'll find out the truth.

"Actually...", I began as I went to grab something from inside my pocket. "There was a piece of evidence that Snotlout didn't find..." and as I said that, everyone's eyes on me as I spoke, I began to second guess myself, "And that is... this!"

...

"What the fuck is that?"

As expected, it didn't take long before someone reacted to my piece of evidence. Snot eloquently said what everyone was thinking as they stared at the thing I was holding in my hand.

"This... is the thing that will point us to the killer.", I bluffed, "The... final piece of evidence."

"Jack, what the hell is that?", asked Mer as she squinted at the thing in my hand.

"This... is a... uh...", I began to stumble upon my words. "a piece of white... something. It's extremely small and, uh... it has some sort of weird coloring on one side. It's... also very hard, yeah..."

Flynn scoffed. "And this will point us to the killer how?"

...Yeah... I got nothing. I was... actually hoping I would come up with something in the interim between my bluff and everyone's reaction.

...And I didn't.

Aster smirked, though his face looked oddly stiff. "Hahaha, frostbite! Way to bluff! That thing ain't evidence, that's a piece of trash!"

"Wait a second."

Hic's voice resounded clear as he looked at the fragment in my hand.

"I... I recognize that."

---

Hiccup's POV

Jack's latest piece of evidence.

That small fragment.

I had seen it somewhere before.

But... when I saw it before... that small white fragment... was part of something bigger.

"J-Jack...", I began, fully conscious of the fact that my voice was shaking. My mind gears were already working as theories spun inside my brain. "D-did you find that in the scene behind the hotel?"

The whitette, aptly confused, simply nodded in answer.

Something clicked inside my mind. This... this was it! With this... I could prove who the real killer was...!

"Jack's evidence... is actually what will decide the trial..." I began, much to everyone's astonishment. "Because that small fragment... actually points out to the culprit."

"You must be jokin'!", shouted Aster, looking a bit nervous through his smirk. "Will ya blokes stop bluffin'?! There's no way that trash has anything to do with the killer."

"But it does.", I insisted. "That small fragment was actually not always like that... before that... this fragment was part of something bigger, something whole... something the killer carried around always".

"What is it?!", shouted Tuffnut as he pushed his sister aside. "Out with it, what was it?!"

I drew a deep breath.

"This fragment is actually... a painted eggshell. And before that... it was obviously a whole painted egg!"

"Egg?!", exclaimed Fishlegs, reacting far more impressed than he should've.

"Wait a second... a painted egg?", began Flynn as he stared dumbfounded at the fragment in Jack's with renewed interest. "Yeah... yeah, I can see it...!"

"But... if that is the case... then... only one person in this room could have possessed a painted egg...", said Elsa as she processed the information.

"Wasn't that... Aster?", said Rapunzel, and I nodded at her.

Aster audibly grunted as he stared at me with a hint of fear. "Wha-... no! Y-you... you have it all wrong! That isn't...!"

"Since this was found in the crime scene where North was attacked... this proves you were there. Most likely, one of the eggs you always carry broke when North retaliated. The reason there wasn't any footprints in that crime scene was because you erased them as you looked for the broken eggshells... but of course, you ended up missing this one." I continued. I... I wasn't going to let him squirm his way out of this.

"Oi, ankle-biter... ya better stop that!", said Aster, his composure slipping. "I didn't... that thing ain't proof!", the Ultimate Survivalist tugged at one of the feathers clipped on his hair as he spoke. "Someone... could've planted that to frame me! That... that's still ain't proof enough to say I'm the killer!"

"Unfortunately, he does have a point.", commented Peter, who looked utterly bored. "So long as the possibility exist... no matter how pathetic the display, we can't say for sure he's the true killer."

"But is there even a way to prove without a shadow of a doubt that Aster is the killer?", asked Elsa.

"There has to be one.", said Jack as he kept staring at the nervous wreck that was the Ultimate Survivalist, "It's obvious he did it!"

Aster's shaky laugh filled the courtroom as he heard Jack's claim. "Well, ain't that rich, frostbite?! If you're so sure, then tell me...! How in tarnation are you goin' to prove I am the killer without a shadow of a doubt?! It's impossible! There ain't any more evidence!"

So long as Aster resists... we won't be able to finish this. I... despite how difficult it was for me to see someone I once admired like this... I had to do it.

Focusing more than I had ever done before in my life. I ran all the events in the previous days in my mind, looking for a hint; a clue; a solution. A way to prove that... that Aster... had killed North.

...

Flashes.

Memories.

Incidents.

Words.

Countless scenes, completely unrelated to each other quickly flashed by in my brain, containing information, feelings, happenings. Like a web of memories resonating in my synapses. And then... in a moment of lucidity...

---

"Hmm... I guess I never DID tell you...", started the Headmaster as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes in contemplation. "OK, allow me to explain! That announcement is just one of my teacher duties in this Camp Trip of Mutual Killing; The Body Discovery Announcement!"

"It would suck if you guys didn't ever found out a killing had occurred, no? Which is why I devised this system! Whenever three or more different people find a corpse for the first time, a Body Discovery Announcement will be made and will be played through all the camp for everyone to hear!"

---

As I processed the gruesome scene in front of me, a single question left my lips.

Why? Why was... North dead? How can he be dead?

"What the hell?!"

"Oi, mate... you can't be serious..."

Jack's and Aster's voice snapped me out from my dazed state of mind as they walked to stand next to me, their faces displaying horror and disgust.

Soon after, Tooth's terrified scream followed as she witnessed the corpse of our departed friend. However, even that scream was drowned out by a bell and the odious voice of our Headmaster, whose cheerful tone completely ignored the grim scene that was occurring in front of us.

*Ding dong ding dong*

"A body has been discovered in the Great Hall! Following a short period of investigation, the Class Trial will begin!"

---

...

...T-that's it! That's how I'll prove Aster was the killer!

...I can hardly believe I was even able to remember all that.

"There is a way to find out who the real killer is.", I began, once again earning a look of fear from the Ultimate Survivalist. "And this time, it will be definite proof."

"Perfect.", said Peter as he nodded at me. "Let us hear it."

"We'll figure it out... using the Body Discovery Announcement!", I said. Yeah... I'm confident now. This will definitely do it!

"And how will that help us figure out who the killer is?", asked Anna, tilting her head.

"It's actually rather simple." I began. "If you guys remember correctly... the Body Discovery Announcement only plays whenever three different people first discover a body, right?", everyone nodded at my question. "So... that naturally means that Monobear probably doesn't count the killer whenever they find the body."

"Oh, that's right... technically speaking, the killer has already discovered the body before any of us, since they had to have seen it when they killed their victim...!", said Rapunzel as she clapped her hands with excitement.

"Right.", I consented, "So now, I have to ask... who were the first ones to discover North's body?"

"Hmm, that would have been...", began Jack as he put a finger to his temple, concentrating, "Hic was the first... I was the second... the third one was Aster... and the fourth one was Tooth. After she screamed, the rest of our group ran into the scene."

Yeah, I remember that as well. "Correct. And now... for the final question... the one that will decide all... When did the Body Discovery Announcement play?"

"That would have been after I discovered the body... Ah!", said Tooth as her face clearly expressed shock.

I smiled. Yeah... she's getting it...!

"Wait, it happened after Tooth saw the body?", asked Fish.

"I have trouble counting but even I know that is clearly wrong!", said Ruff, "Tooth was the fourth one to discover the body. The Body Discovery Announcement should've played before she saw the body!"

"Then... does that mean the Announcement didn't count someone?", asked Anna.

"Yes." This was it.

"The Announcement skipped one person... the true killer in this case... and that person is... Aster. The Body Discovery Announcement should have played back when you saw the body... but it didn't. Want to know why? Because you had already seen the body, back when you committed the crime!", I finished as I pointed my finger at the Ultimate Survivalist.

"Guh!". A strained grunt left the silver-haired teen's lips, heavy perspiration hinting at his true state of mind. "No... no, that... you...!"

"It's over, Aster.", I said, a strange surge of confidence rising in my chest. "Once I go over your crime and make everything clear... even you will not be able to deny this!"

---

Everything falls into place...

---

"This case actually started way before we found North's body."

"The culprit had been to the Final Dead Room and he used the secret behind the Octagon to plan his crime. First, the killer did something simple; lure out a victim. He was targeting someone in particular this time around. The culprit simply asked North to come talk to him in a certain place. That would be the backyard of Virtue's Last Reward. North fell for the trap completely, as he was willing to trust anyone in this situation."

"However, that wasn't everything the killer did."

"Using the Final Dead Room's spoils, he set his plan in motion. First, the killer took a combat knife in order to incapacitate North. The culprit knew going against the Ultimate Sculptor unarmed was suicide, which is why he took further precautions even with the knife in hand. Coating the blade with Dimethylheptylpyran, an incapacitating agent, he was set to confront the Ultimate Sculptor."

"But his plan didn't end there."

"Using the fact that the locks from our doors in the motel couldn't be locked, the culprit probably paid a visit to my room. He had planned on controlling Toothless with the Dragonsbane he had gotten from the Final Dead Room, but he didn't count on the fact that I was on Jack's room. This made a setback on his plan, which would come to haunt him later on. Regardless, the killer did manage to find his target in Jack's room much later. I don't know what he planned to do in case me and Jack were awake the moment he stepped in the room, but I kinda don't want to know."

"In any case, the culprit managed to take Toothless under his command. He needed to do this in order to complete his trap; he didn't actually kill North using the Night Fury. Because of the Mutual Killing rules, the culprit had to do the deed itself in order to be able to leave. But with Toothless' unwilling cooperation, the killer was able to throw us off his trail."

"Next, the killer waited for North to appear on the appointed place. The culprit traveled there from the hotel's lobby using the Final Dead Room's hidden bonus: the trap door. Using this, the killer was able to move freely without leaving any tracks or footprints. When North appeared on the appointed place, the blackened took his chance and cut North on the wrist with the poisoned knife. It didn't take long for the mountain of man to be put out of commission. North, however, didn't go out without a fight; probably using his last moments of strength, the Ultimate Sculptor took a swing at his attacker. The culprit likely didn't expect a counterattack, which ultimately made him lose something incriminating in the scuffle; because of North's attack, a certain something he always carries with him got broken; a painted egg. The culprit, of course, cleaned up all the eggshells he could find, but he missed a small fragment. This would later help us pinpoint his identity."

"The killer, satisfied on his cover-up job, ordered Toothless to carry North's body using the Final Dead Room's trapdoor. This trapdoor also lead to the true scene of the crime; the Great Hall. Ordering the Night Fury to carry the Ultimate Sculptor's body to the top of the glass walls that surrounded Monobear on his previous cooking lessons, the culprit took out his trump card: The Final Dead Room's Ultimate Weapon. Contrary to its shady looks, the controller activated a mechanism in the Great Hall, the three-pronged chandelier that rested on top of the plastic walls where North's body rested. Once he was sure North was in the correct position, the killer... pressed the button on the controller, activating the chandelier's free-fall function and... ending North's life as the prongs on the base of the chandelier punctured his chest and smashed him to the floor."

"As soon as he was sure the Ultimate Sculptor was no more, he pressed the button again to return the chandelier to its original position and took the last step in his convoluted plan; he ordered Toothless to... deface North's body in order to hide the true cause of death. With his deed done, he cleaned up the Night Fury in order to hide the fact that Toothless had ever been on the Great Hall from me and Jack and ordered the dragon to return to our room through the tunnels. Due to the Dragonsbane's effects, Toothless didn't remember anything."

"However, the culprit had lost a lot of time on his initial search for the dragon and on his cleaning up act back at the backside of the hotel, and thus, when he arrived at the hotel, he found himself unable to return to his room because people were coming down to the lobby due to the chandelier's fall, which caused everyone staying on the rooms without soundproof walls to wake up and go to the lobby to investigate it. Because of this, the culprit was forced to lie and say that he had heard the sound in order to divert attention from himself, even though this was impossible."

"If we take all of this in consideration, and we add the fact that the Body Discovery Announcement didn't play despite him being the third person seeing the body... we can only conclude that there's only one person in this room that could be the culprit..."

"...Isn't that right, Aster E. Bunnymund?"

---

The face that Aster wore as I went over his crime was taut, a defeated expression clear. No one spoke as I finished my explanation. This... silence...

Though I was sure we had unmasked the killer... though I'm sure we've won...

It doesn't feel like a victory at all...!

It's a hollow triumph. One that will be won by spilling even more blood. I couldn't help but to ask the silver-haired boy in front of me... because no matter how much I thought about it... I couldn't understand... I couldn't even possibly begin to understand...

"Why?"

My voice didn't sound like my own, all my previous confidence gone as it was swallowed by this feeling of confusion and despair.

"Why did you do it, Aster?"

"Heh...",an unexpected laugh came from the Ultimate Survivalist. "Heheheh...", he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, a fake smirk playing on his face, trying to hide away the fear he was feeling now. "It appears... that I have lost this bet..."

"Bet? What do you mean...?", asked Rapunzel.

"Hey, um...", interrupted Monobear, who had been oddly quiet compared to the past Class Trial. "I know you guys just finished debating and all and you want to rest or whatever, but since you guys reached a conclusion, let's get the Voting Time out of the way, shall we?"

"Now then... what will it be? Will you guys make the right choice? Or will you bastards pick the dreadfully wrooooong one? I can't wait! I caaaaan't wait! Let's make this a memorable Voting Time!"

A small start up noise indicated that my booth was ready to accept inputs. Slowly, but surely, my finger slid across the touch screen interface and before I knew it, a selection was made.

As expected, the giant slot machine from before rose from the floor, the reels in the mechanism going too fast for the human eye to follow. It didn't take long for the machine to stop on a mugshot of Aster, the celebratory cheers and claps and cheery music completely at odds with our current mood.

As the confetti fell on us, Monobear began talking again, clapping and laughing excitedly as the slot machine continued its cacophony of mock congratulations.

"Yahoo! Two on a row! You guys are on a roll! That's right! The one that killed that cheap bara knock-off and a giant pain in the ass was, without a doubt, Aster E. Bunnymund!", the Headmaster's expression changed to one of annoyance all of a sudden. "Though I don't know how to feel about the fact that you guys used my Body Discovery Announcement to find out who the Blackened was... Grrr..."

...

I ignored the bear's ramblings. I... I wasn't in the mood. I didn't want to hear him at all! No... what I want to hear is why... why did Aster do this?!

I... I thought he was cool! He was always looking after us, and he acted like a big brother to me and Jack... so why?! Why did he... kill North?! And why is he still trying to act cool, even though his crime has been exposed and even though we... we just sent him to his death...!

"Aster!", came Tooth's sudden, angry voice. "So it was you?! You killed North?!", I had never seen Tooth so angry before, but it was understandable. I, too, wanted to make sense of this.

"You even went as far as to blame everything on Toothless...", said Jack as he gave the Ultimate Survivalist a demolishing glare, his blue, icy eyes dulled with anger and hurt. "You... almost killed us all and put us through a lot... and I-I want to know why! You better have a good enough reason for all the crap you pulled!"

The silver-haired teen listened with a focused expression to the outbursts of the other two, before calmly speaking up.

"Isn't it obvious? I did it to survive."

...What?

The Ultimate Survivalist continued speaking as if what he was saying was the most obvious and sensible thing in the world.

"I did it... to escape Monobear's trap. To get out of that hellhole of hunger and sure death. That's all. That was my motivation."

"Y-you have to be kidding me...", was all I said in response. I couldn't... understand what he was saying at all!

"I assure you, ankle-biter, I am bein' serious-"

"Don't call me that!", I shouted as I shut my eyes, trying to forget the memories of him ruffling my hair. "That... you killed North... and you pinned the blame on Toothless... just so you and only you could live?! How selfish can you get?! D-did you even care about us?!"

Aster's face flashed with hurt before it gave away to one showing anger. "Oi, you callin' me selfish... ain't that a precious piece of hypocrisy. It's because of your... attitude towards life that I had to do this... there was no other way!"

"Don't give me that!", shouted Merida, positively boiling with anger as she glared at the Ultimate Survivalist. "North... he was doin' his darn best in order to get us out of there without killin' anyone! And we would have found it if ya hadn't been so stupidly selfish ! We would have all survived this, ya prick!"

Aster flinched, but regained his composure, slowly shaking his head. "No... we wouldn't. Because... because of your collective attitudes.", he suddenly pointed at me. "There was no way you guys would survive once you began thinkin' like 'im."

"What... do you mean?", asked Anna.

Aster's face as he retold a scene was one brimming with disapproval:

---

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, THEN?!", shouts Snotlout as he closes his eyes tight and clenches his fists. "DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE HERE?! TO JUST... SIT HERE AND STARVE?!"

I understand how he feels. I understand how scary and utterly hopeless our situation looks. But even so, I...

"I'd... rather have that happen to us."

Everyone looks at me with wide eyes as they hear my mumbling. Feeling more resolute than ever, I face the Ultimate Heavy Lifter's shocked face with a firm expression.

"I'd rather... die here trusting everyone, than survive by distrusting any of you."

---

"...With that sort of defeatist attittude... without that obvious desire to survive... to fight against death...", Aster said as his face started to show a frustrated expression. "There was... no way I was going to bet on North's proposal. There was no way I would accept your flaky way of doin' things!

"Because life is all about survivin'! Sacrificin' others to move on. To stop fightin'... to just give up because of dumb sentimentalism... that is a very affront to life itself!", shouted Aster looking more passionate than I had ever seen him.

"And I just... couldn't let that slide. I wasn't going to let us all die... There was no way I...", the Ultimate Survivalist's face grew sullen. "There was no way I was goin' to let all your lives to go down the drain because of somethin' like this... That's why I did this."

"Are you trying to justify your crime like this...", said Tooth, shaking with anger. "You think we're going to believe that you did all of this to save us?! You still tried to deceive us! You tried to hide your crime! If... if you really wanted to save us, you would've come clean!"

Aster chuckled at the Ultimate Dentists' words. "Come clean? You misunderstand.", he said, "I simply made a bet with myself."

"What are you even talking about?", said Flynn, looking extremely perturbed.

"Don't ya get it? I'm the Ultimate Survivalist for a reason.", continued Aster, "I wasn't just goin' to give up my life; I fully intended to escape both from this place and Monobear's trap. I... knew the risks. I knew that in the end, it was goin' to be either you or me. That... was the bet I made with myself; a bet in which your lives and mine were at stake."

"A bet... I lost."

Aster's smile was a wistful one as he looked at all of us. I looked away once his gaze reached me, distinctly feeling it linger on me.

I didn't know what to make of Aster's words. I didn't know... whether what he was saying was how he really felt... or if he was being intentionally aloof to make us hate him.

I didn't know. And I doubt I'll ever do.

"I will not ask for forgiveness.", he said, his voice sounding oddly at peace. " I did end up deceivin' you all. That is a fact that cannot be disputed. But let this be a lesson to you all; No matter what happens, no matter what despair comes to you, never give up on life."

"Now, come, step all over my life and move on. Use me and live on. Let me... become your hope."

Unknowingly, I had started crying. I didn't understand why. He... Aster... was a killer! He betrayed us! He fully intended to sacrifice us and escape! He deserved this!

And yet...

Aster was also a friend. That's why... despite all he did... maybe that's why... I was crying like this.

"Ugh... e-even in the end, you're a pain in the ass... saying stuff I don't understand...", said Jack as he ran his sleeve over his nose, trying to hide his tears from all of us.

The mood in the courtroom was charged, billowing with anger and sadness. A maelstrom of our feelings was making this place uncomfortable.

Naturally, the Headmaster jumped on this opportunity.

"Ugh! As expected of the Ultimate Hope, you just had to go and give this totally cool speech in order to make this less-despair inducing...", said the Headmaster with a disgruntled expression. "We'll see how much you can keep your facade once I give you your deserved punishment!"

Aster chuckled. "I've lived my life always on the verge of death; I am not scared of whatever punishment you have for me."

"Ooooh! so cooool!", swooned Monobear, faking a blush and a fainting motion. "Whatevs, guys like you always despair in the end! I'm not gonna let this ruin my fun! After all... this is the first time I get to do two executions in one Class Trial!"

...

...

"What?", I said out loud, not understanding.

"What the hell are you blabberin' about...?", asked Aster, also confused.

"Yeah, I don't get it.", said Tuffnut. "Why the hell is he getting executed twice?"

Monobear's red eye flared up, an ugly laugh escaping his plush-like snout. "Puhuhuhu... don't be silly! I'm going to execute two different people! After all... there were two criminals in this Class Trial! Or did you forget?"

A titanic sense of dread fell on my stomach, feeling like a ball of lead.

"What are you even saying?!", shouted Fishlegs. "There was only one Blackened, and that was Aster!"

"Nuh-uh!", said Monobear as he wagged his finger. "You're forgetting! True, there was only one Blackened in this case, but that doesn't mean I'll only punish him! After all... There's no way I'm going to let the accomplice of the hook!"

No...

No...!

"W-wait, accomplice?!", asked Anna.

"You don't mean... Toothless?!", exclaimed Rapunzel, bringing her hands to her mouth.

The Night Fury instantly tensed as he caught on what was going on.

"Yes indeed!", shouted Monobear jovially. "Oh man... I've been looking so forward to this! It was driving me nuts, you know? Having this lizard around was turning out to be a serious thorn on my side, so I was just waiting for an excuse to make him into boots! Who would've thunk someone would do me that favor?! Puhuhuhuhu!"

"H-hold on...!", I said, my voice cracking with anxiety. "No...! Toothless... wasn't a willing accomplice...!"

"So what?", said Monobear in a flat voice. "Eating unwillingly is still eating. Breathing unwillingly is still breathing. Unwilling murder is still murdering. And... unwillingly assisting in a crime is still assisting. Just because you didn't want to do the things that you did... that doesn't absolve you of anything! One must take responsibility of their actions!"

The moment I saw the red button rise in front of Monobear, my panic reached critical levels.

"Hold on there, buster!", shouted Aster, his previous cool exterior gone. "Th-this... this isn't what I...!"

"Hee hee, I have to thank you, Aster.", giggled the Headmaster as he twirled his hammer in his paw. "Thanks to your selfish actions, I get to off this mascot character that was stealing my spotlight!"

Before I knew what I was doing, I had left my booth and I started to run towards Toothless', whose expression was one of utter fear.

I could see on the corner of my eye the hammer rising.

"Now then, I've prepared beary special punishments for Aster E. Bunnymund, the selfish brat who didn't think thoroughly, and Toothless, that freeloading lizard that wasn't even a student!"

I saw the hammer hit the button.

"Let's give it everything we got! Iiiiiit's punishment time!"

I was almost there...!

And just like that. Right in front of my eyes... Toothless' scared, green eyes... were gone, forcibly taken away by the same chain and claw that had taken Astrid.

My arms... closed around the empty space where once my bud had been. And all I could do was see how my friend... was carried away from me through the roof, not being able to escape no matter how much he struggled.

"... I'm sorry, ankle-biter..."

Aster's voice... That was the last I heard too from him, as he was also taken away to the same place Toothless had vanished to.

...

---

GAME OVER

ASTER HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. COMMENCING PUNISHMENT.

---

Just like in the previous case, a large monitor descended from the roof, and once it lit up, we were forced to watch everything. All of it. The entire execution.

Punishment: An Egg-citing Battering to Remember!

A large, forest-like area can be seen, the tree's so tall and thick they obscure all sunlight, giving it a dark and gloomy atmosphere. In one of the clearings, Aster can be seen, looking around carefully, his senses on high alert. A noise behind him makes the Survivalist jump back from where he was standing and just a second later, a Monobear pounces where he was, moving impossibly fast and with claws outstretched.

Aster has barely any time to breath when another noise forces him to move,evading successfully another attack from another Monobear.

The action repeats itself continuously, with the Ultimate Survivalist gracefully evading all attacks, jumping away from the deadly claws of the apparently-infinite number of Monobears which keep appearing and attacking with speed and intent to kill.

Still, the mechanical bears can't seem to touch the silver-haired teen as he dances his way through steel and death, a confident smirk appearing on his face as he seems to be fully in his medium; as if he were already used to this. For a second there, it seems like he'll be able to escape unscathed.

And then, as he jumped back away from a Monobear that came too close for comfort, he stepped on a nearby bush. In an instant, a metallic noise resounds, and a rabbit snare that was lying concealed in the bush springs to life, wrapping itself around Aster's ankle. Before he can even react, the Ultimate Survivalist is dragged away from all the Monobears, desperately clawing at the ground as he is mercilessly pulled into the depths of the forest.

The camera cuts briefly and the scene changes. We're still seeing the forest but now the setting is different. In the middle of the clearing, Aster can be seen, his face showing actual anxiousness as he finds himself tied to a pole. At his feet is a lit fire, burning his boots slowly but surely painfully. Around him is a circle of Monobears armed with baskets full of eggs and other things like rocks, and around those is another circle of Monobear playing drums ominously and chanting while others dance around with precise movements.

It all happens in an instant.

At the same time, the Monobears start to pelt Aster with the eggs with such a force the pole he's tied to visibly creaks, the wince on the Ultimate Survivalist telling. Slowly, the pace picks up, with more and more eggs being thrown at the same time until a veritable deluge of punishment rains on the Ultimate Survivalist. Soon enough, the eggs are replaced by stones. The sickening sound of rocks hitting Aster are barely concealed by the music being played by the Monobears, which also grew in intensity, and kept increasing in volume until...

Until Aster, who had been uselessly squirming in order to escape, ceased moving. The last thing we saw was a scene of the camera zooming out from the clearing, the image of a body covered in egg yolk and blood clear in our mind.

---

I... I was sick beyond belief. I still could see Aster's terror-stricken face as he realized what was going to happen to him. Even as I closed my eyes and covered my ears, I could still hear every impact, every crunch, every thud.

But that wasn't the end.

The monitor once again came to life, and though I knew what was going to happen, I found myself unable to look away as the dreaded words appeared on screen.

---

GAME OVER

TOOTHLESS HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. COMMENCING PUNISHMENT

---

Punishment: Toothless' Test Dive

---

The scene that was being showed to us was an imposing cliff by the sea. Impossibly tall and daunting, the sound of powerful crashing waves could be heard. And on the edge of that cliff, was my bud. But there was something different about him.

Around his torso, a large chain was clasped, and at the end of it was a very big and heavy looking iron ball, almost as big as Toothless himself and on his snout, one very big leather belt forcing his mouth shut could be seen. The dragon was looking around, furiously striking the metallic object, but not leaving any dents or scratches on it. Uselessly, the Night Fury tried to fly away, only to pathetically flop back to the ground, both because of the chain and his damaged tail fin. After trying two more times without success, Toothless made to walk away from the edge of the cliff, obviously struggling to drag the iron ball with him.

But he didn't go far.

From the sky, a rather large contraption fell, blocking the way away from Toothless. It was a sturdy looking machine, sporting a variety of weapons, including saws, flamethrowers, and mechanical moving swords. The machine was adorned with a cheap-looking dragon cutout and riding on top of it was a gleeful looking Monobear.

The machine started to move forward slowly, but threatening to hurt Toothless with its weaponry and every step.

The Night Fury had no choice but to retreat. He couldn't jump over the tall, foreboding machine. He couldn't blast it to pieces with his plasma breath. He couldn't get too close because of the weaponry. He couldn't do anything but walk away from the machine...

...and closer to the edge of the cliff.

It was slow and painful to watch. I couldn't bear to see Toothless trying to look for a way out as the accursed bear and his contraption slowly advanced on him, each passing moment giving Toothless less moving space.

...

It was inevitable. It only took a few seconds for Toothless to run out of standing ground as he walked closer and closer to the edge. The last thing I saw of my bud was... was his terrified-looking face as the iron ball he was dragging fell off the edge, dragging him and sending him into a free fall, directly into the savage and rough waves, never to be seen again... disappearing under the dark waters.

---

Just like that... they were gone.

Two lives... extinguished right in front of, one after another. Forcing us to watch this without being able to do anything about it...

He's gone...

My bud... my best friend... I-I'll never... I-I'll never be able to hug him anymore. He'll... no longer wake me up in the mornings! Never again I'll be bathed in his spit whenever he got affectionate...!

I'll... I'll never able to tell him how much he helped me through all of this...!

He's... gone.

And as he left, he took away all sense of warmth from my heart, leaving it empty and hollow... only an immense feeling of despair and hurt remaining. I feel like my chest about the burst as it rocks viciously of the unrestrained sobs that escape me.

And above all else...

A laugh. A painful laugh in my ears, ringing around the courtroom, the laugh of Monobear fills every nook and cranny as he hoots and hollers like a madman.
"Wahooo! Extremeeeeeeeeeeeee! Man, what a rush! I feel like I died twice! I should definitely do more executions in this way! I've never felt more alive, hee hee!"

"Shut the fuck up!", shouted Snotlout, looking angry. "Stop messing with us already! Let us go! We didn't do anything to you! Just leave us alone!"

"Oh? But I can't do that!", said Monobear, looking undaunted. "I'm still not through with you bastards. I will not stop until I have thoroughly infected you all with irreversible despair! Until I prove to everyone that hope is infinitely inferior to despair, I will not stop! So..."

A whimsical spin.

"I'll see you guys later! Please do look forward to the next death... Puhuhu... Puhuhuhuhu... Aaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!"

And with a maniacal laugh that could only be provided with someone who didn't feel remorse at spreading misfortune, a laugh that only found joy in our pain, the Headmaster vanished from the Courtroom, leaving us all struck with a sense of impotence. We were still like puppets under his rule, unable to change our future.

The sound of approaching footsteps and a sudden hug caught me by surprise. I could hear restrained sobs in the voice that tried to soothe me. "I... I am so sorry, Hiccup..."

Tooth.

"Please... P-please forgive me... for being such an insensitive idiot. I... I shouldn't have said what I did to Toothless... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry..."

The way she said that, the heartfelt feeling behind her worries, the sincerity on her tears... made me choke up hard.

"It... It's alright", I reassured. I don't know how I could say that. Because I knew I wasn't alright. I felt half-dead. Drained emotionally. I just wanted to sleep and never awake. A word without Toothless felt meaningless to me.

And yet... I could say that.

"I-I... I forgive you, i-it will be alright."

I could say that... because this wasn't Tooth's fault. In the end, it wasn't Aster's fault either. The one at fault here was the cause of all this anguish. The one that forced us to go through this for his twisted plans.

Our true enemy was Monobear.

And knowing this, seeing the people I cared the most slipping away from my fingers...

Through all of my pain, an ever bigger sense of anger burned in my chest. I... I didn't want to lose anyone anymore. I didn't ever want to feel like this again...

So... like, Aster said... I'll fight. I'll keep on living... living on with this pain, this emptiness. I'll do so and... defeat the Headmaster... and get out of here with everyone. Alive.

---

It was with that feeling in my heart that we left the courtroom, the whole ride back to the camp grounds as quiet as when we arrived, that feeling of loss heavy above us and in our hearts.

I was close to breaking down when my cottage came into view. Because I... was going to sleep alone tonight.

A firm grip on my hand makes me turn around.

I see Jack's concerned face focused on mine as he grabs my hand, his expression fully saying that he won't let go. That he'll stick around. Without a word, the whitette pulls me away from my cottage and directly towards his, and I comply. I don't know what he's planning until I see him open the door and he tries to pull me inside.

I resist, which makes him look a bit hurt.

"W-wait, Jack... what are you doing?', I say, suddenly painful aware that my attraction for this boy is still alive and well, in fact being bolstered by my previous resolution of not wanting to lose anyone.

"I-I..." begins the whitette, "W-well, I just thought you looked so... lonely and sad... and I thought...", he stutters out with a blush creeping on his pale cheeks. "I thought y-you would rather not sleep alone tonight... so you can stay the night here, if you'd like. With me."

Oh.

I'm also suddenly very conscious of the fact that my cheeks are heating up.

And yet, I'm tempted by his proposal... I-I would really like to... wait, no, Haddock! Be sensible.

"B-but Jack... err, the School Trip Rules... say we..."

"We can only sleep in the cottages. Yeah...", he says as he rubs his white locks, "But it doesn't say we have to sleep in our assigned cottages.", he finishes with a slight smirk.

Oh.

He has a point.

"I-I mean... you don't have to if you don't want to...! It's just... you know... a suggestion!", says the Ultimate Mystery as he flusteredly rubs the back of his head, his blush intensifying. "I just thought... it would be nice! I'd... I'd rather like it too if you... I MEAN... Forget it, Hic!"

"I... don't mind."

Before I know what I am saying, I speak.

But its the truth. That's how I really feel.

The dumbfounded expression Jack's face is priceless as I speak. "I... well, if you're OK with it... then I'm OK with it too. I'd, uh... love to stay the night. Yeah."

The whitette's face breaks into a full smile, a sincere one full of disbelief as he wipes away a strand of hair from his forehead. "O-of course I'm OK with it Hic! Please... come on in!"

The way Jack prances around, looking excited as he sees me walk in kind off eases off my mind from all the stress we went through today.

However, my nerves are on high alert by the time we both get into Jack's bed. We're both a few inches apart from each other.

Being in the same bed as your crush... is not good for your health, I've decided. Sure, I don't feel lonely anymore but my heart is beating far too fast for my own good. It doesn't help it that Jack is wearing a ridiculously adorable pajama, blue in color and with white sheep plastered all over it. Jack seems incredibly antsy as well, not really making eye contact.

A few minutes in this atmosphere pass before the whitette speaks up.

"So... uh, Hic... you feel any better?"

This question... is hard to answer. I feel somewhat... resolute. I'm tired. Tired of living in fear, tired of losing people. Tired of all this confusion around us. And I'm determined to not let any of this happen again.

And yet...

Jack actually turns his head to look at me, his stare full of worry. I gulp before answering, turning my whole body to face him.

"I... I do feel a little better. But... I guess, I still am afraid? Yeah...", I nod to myself. "Yeah... I'm afraid of... of losing anyone anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore... I hate this feeling of loss..."

Jack seems to rummage this answer as he hums to himself, closing his eyes in the process. And then before I know what is happening, the whitette opens his eyes with a determined look and grabs me in a clumsy embrace.

"W-wha-? Jack?! W-what are you...?!", I squirm at the sudden contact, not fully expecting this to happen.

"D-don't move around, nerd. You're making this harder than it should be.", says Jack as he mumbles his cryptic answer, burying his face on my hair.

"W-why are you hugging me?!", I stutter, fully aware of the feelings this kind of contact is stirring in my mind.

"You'll never be alone, Hic."

Jack's answer is so sudden, and so confident, I completely stop moving.

"I... This is my way of showing you that.", he continues, sounding embarrassed, "I-if you ever feel alone, like you have no one with you, I-I'll... I'll always be right next to you. Close to you... so, don't worry... I'll never let you go... is what I wanted to say."

...

A tear slides down my cheek. I can hear it Jack's voice; he truly means that. And I... I appreciate it. From the bottom of my heart.

Much to the whitette's surprise, I return the hug. He stiffens at my sudden action, but instantly relaxes when I say this:

"Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much."

I...I don't care what the article says anymore. I'm conscious of the heat between our bodies, of the beating of his heart. Of his arms hugging me tightly, of his steady breathing. I don't care if the article says that "Jack died" because... the "Jack" right here... is very much alive. And the one I've come to known and love.

What awaited us in the future was uncertain. I still... couldn't get over the fact that Toothless was gone. He... who never abandoned me. He, who was always at my side... and now, I was lying next to someone who claimed that he would do the same.

Daring to believe in his promise, I hugged Jack even tighter. I would do anything in my power to also not lose him.

And thus, feeling a lot more calmer and happier, but still hurting from the loss, I let my tears fall down as I laid there next to Jack, letting sleep claim me.

---

null POV

Monobear couldn't help but to groan in disgust as he saw the scene playing out in Jack's room. He was watching the two boys sleep from his room, eyes trained in monitor, whose light gave the room that same eerie look.

"Seriously, it's a like a cheap high school romance drama!", complained Monobear as he made the chair he was sitting on spin. "I still can't believe they found a loophole in my school rules! Unbearlievable!"

That person was, once again, in the same room as Monobear. Curiously, that person asked what the Headmaster was going to do.

"Hmm, nah... I'll do nothing!", said the Headmaster as he tore his eyes away from the scene in the monitor. "Honestly, it's not im-por-tant at all! I'd love to mess with them but I'll just let that slide... after all, the more close they get... Puhuhuhuhu... the more despair I'll get from them when they're inevitably torn apart!"

That person calmly watched the bear giggle over something he quite couldn't understand. Suddenly, the Headmaster stopped laughing, and instead faced that person with a serious expression.

"Changing topics... you... my little traitor... have you found what I ordered you to find?"

That person, regretfully, informed Monobear that Sandy's Notebook hadn't been found yet. At hearing this, the bear huffed angrily, spinning his chair to face the monitors once more.

"Hmmhmmhmm... this is troubling! If that notebook reaches their hands before I destroy it... it could hamper my plans. You better redouble triple fourthify your efforts, OK?!", demanded the Headmaster in a tone of voice that person only could describe as slightly panicky.

That person earnestly promised to find the notebook before the others did. Hearing that the Headmaster hummed, apparently satisfied with that person's answer.

"Good! This time around, even though I used two of my best motives, that stupid Asty had to go and give hope to these guys by making that lame speech. I wasted two perfectly good motives! If he hadn't decided to be all cool, these guys would've been drowning in despair!"

Monobear pointed at the monitor that showed the two boy sleeping, a content smile in their faces.

"Well, not all plans are perfect... even I make mistakes sometimes. But not anymooooore...", with a sing song voice, the Headmaster turned his chair in order to see another monitor. That person recognized the scene being displayed in the screen; it was the Meeting Spot, still housing that weird clock-like mechanism, the LED Display still counting down ominously. 17 days remained.

"Yeah... I'm still on schedule." commented Monobear nonchalantly. "I'll just have to up the ante! Come out full guns blazing! I'm sure my next motive will totally floor them! Puhuhuhuhu..."

Should that person still spy them, he asked to the Headmaster.

"Huh? Of course you should! I need you there so you can keep giving me your reports! It is indispensable that you tell me how much their despair has progressed!", declared the Headmaster. "So go back and keep watching! That's all you're good for anyway!"

That person bowed and left the room, leaving Monobear to his machinations alone.

The Headmaster once again turned to watch the clock-like mechanism in the Meeting Spot, his red eye glinting maliciously in the darkness of the room.

"Soon... Soon the Despair Restoration Program will be complete... Upupupupuhuhuhuhu!"

---

DAYS LEFT: 17 DAYS

STUDENTS STILL ALIVE: 12

---

CHAPTER 2: LIVING TO THE FULLEST - END

---

And with that... the second arc is gone and the curtain falls, ready to rise on the next arc. More questions were brought up and hardly any answers came but don't worry, we'll get them eventually.

So, what did you think? What do you think of the "going over the crime" part I added? Do you think it helps making the case clearer, or do you think its just a big hindrance?

Please, any comments, suggestions, criticizing... and praise, if you have some... please tell me that in your reviews!

Anywho... next arc will be the middlegame! The ante will rise, the mysteries will probably become even more mysterious and perhaps... perhaps we will have some actual answers? and maybe actual honest to god hijack? Who KNOWS.

Lastly, keep your eyes peeled out for a special surprise sometime soon...

Hopefully I'll be able to kickstart the next arc. But for now... Monodoof is out, peace!