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"Time for the final trial!" Crazy Hand started, "The rules will be different this time. You will have to discover who the traitor and mastermind are. If you succeed, the survivors from the previous game will join you to solve the mystery behind this game. If you lose in the end, you'll have to replay this game for all of eternity."
"What will happen if we win?" Falco asked, "Will the mastermind be executed?"
"If you guys win, you'll all get your memories back and be free to go. You guys may choose what to do with the mastermind. An execution in here will only be torture, they'll respawn after death. Now, why don't you discuss who's suspicious."
"If I understood everything correctly, the mastermind is the sixth person to have been turned into a remnant," Peach smiled, "So, I can't be the mastermind nor the traitor. Zelda said I was the first one to be turned."
"But we have no proof you're really Peach," Pichu argued, "You could be the mastermind pretending to be Peach."
"Do we know for sure the person lying about their identity is the mastermind?" Link asked, "Maybe it's the traitor which would explain how the mastermind messed up. We should try to figure out who here is the traitor."
But why would the traitor bother hiding their identity now?
"Actually, I think the traitor's dead," Duncan quacked, "If they were alive right now, they would have no reason to hide their identity anymore. Crazy Hand wouldn't be able to do anything against them."
"Duncan's right," Roy agreed, "The traitor must have also died before they regained all their memories. If they remembered everything, they would have respawned."
"In this case, the most likely candidates are all the victims and Marth," Link speculated, "It seems unlikely that the traitor would have killed in any other scenario."
"Let's start by discuss them in order of death" Peach suggested, "Nothing really points to Popo being the traitor. Same for Mr. Game & Watch, Dr. Mario and Nana. The weird circumstances behind his death could be due to him being the traitor or the mastermind could have rigged his trial. Sheik wanted to trick the mastermind. As for Marth, his motive seems to be linked to his memories."
I don't think this conversation's going to lead us anywhere…
"Hey, do you guys think the incomplete software in the USB key was used on the traitor?" Duncan asked.
"That would make sense," Link said, "It would stop them from feeling despair. If that's the case, Marth can't be the traitor."
"But would it really make sense to use it on the traitor?" Falco wondered, "The traitor already knew they shouldn't kill under any circumstance even if they were suffering, I think the USB key was used on someone else."
"The instructions never said a person wouldn't be able to feel despair," Pichu smirked, "It just said a person would have happier memories and that no one knew what would happen after it was used."
"So, it's possible, that having so much hope in a place full of despair drove them insane. You know, I think it was tested on one of the killers."
I think I see where he's getting at.
"We're looking for someone who started out full of hope and gradually lost it," Duncan quacked, "I think it's likely that the key was used on someone who was good at spreading their own hope. Doesn't that remind you of someone?"
"You're talking about Marth, right?" Roy replied, "He was giving us hope speeches and looking out for everyone. But eventually, the pain became too much for even him. During his execution, he tried opening the door with despair and then he ended it himself..."
"But why would the key be used on him?" Pichu asked.
"Because of his talent," Duncan explained, "The survivors originally put us in here for rehab. They wanted to make sure everyone was full of hope. So if the person who's talent requires an ability to spread hope is full of hope, everyone else would also be. They never expected a killing game to happen or they would have probably used it on someone they knew for sure would make it to the last trial."
"But this doesn't mean Marth can't be the traitor," Peach argued, "His motive for killing wouldn't make sense anymore."
Actually, it might still make sense…
"No, that's wrong!" Duncan quacked, "According to all the photos, we somehow ended up being close with the people we used to be close with before. It was likely the survivors that left some of our memories intact so that we'd skip the awkward phase of not knowing each other."
"I did feel pretty attached to everyone even though we barely knew each other," Pichu admitted, "It was like we had all been friends for years which turned out to be the case!"
"Couple feeling attached to someone like you've known them for years with feeling hopeless and you get a person who'll easily fall for a motive allowing both of them to survive."
"I'm still not convinced," Peach sighed, "That wouldn't stop him from being able to be the traitor."
"Actually, I think he can't be the traitor," Falco argued, "In Monokuma's house, the plans said that if the traitor got into the despair state, they'd kill no matter what. Marth never managed to kill anyone."
"Not only that," Roy added, "But after Monokuma showed us the movie, he said the mastermind knew who they were. The plans said the mastermind would regain their memories before the second trial if the traitor was dead, otherwise, they'd regain them at the same time as us."
"If they were regaining memories at the same speed as us and in the same way, they'd likely not be sure they were the mastermind."
"So the traitor has to be Popo or Mr. Game & Watch," Link theorized, "Monokuma would have made a huge deal about the traitor if they got killed while knowing they were the traitor."
"Isn't it possible for Hunter and Mewtwo to also be the traitor?" Pichu asked, "If they didn't know they were supposed to kill, they could have easily become a killer."
"So, we've narrowed it down to four candidates. But how do we figure out which one is the traitor?"
I don't think we have enough information to figure that out. But we might be able to trick the mastermind into helping us.
"I think we should come back to the traitor a bit later," Duncan suggested, "Let's try finding out who here is lying about who they are."
"Since you suggested the idea, let's start with you," Link said, "You're the one who told us someone's lying about their identity, you could be the mastermind trying to confuse us."
"But if that were the case, how would he have messed up?" Peach asked, "Duncan's acting like he always does. So, unless the mastermind's an amazing actor, I think he's not the mastermind."
"He could have messed something else up. We still don't know what the mastermind messed up."
"So, let's go with what we do know," Roy suggested, "We know thanks to some evidence that Peach, Pichu and Falco aren't the leader of the Remnants of Despair. We also know for a fact that only the first six Remnants are supposed to be alive. Since Peach was the first Remnant, I think it's safe to assume she's not lying about who she is."
"That's right!" Peach smiled, "I'd never lie!"
"This means the mastermind could be impersonating anyone excluding Peach or that the mastermind is either Link, Duncan or me."
"All right, Roy, prove to us you're who you are," Falco frowned, "We've never seen you depressed before, so you could be the mastermind making up what a depressed Roy would look like."
"Duncan saw me reading Japanese."
"Marth could read Japanese too. But I don't think he'd be able to grieve over himself without slipping up. You're definitely you, but don't think you're safe. Next is Pichu. Tell us something only an electrician could know."
"I have no proof I am Pichu!" Pichu yelled, "But I can fix any broken cable!"
"Definitely Pichu. Link, you're next. What would only you know?"
"Want to hear the story of my cousin Dick? Or that time Wild stole my pets? Oh, and this one time, Time and I accidentally bought-"
"All right, we get it. Duncan."
"Um… I guess I can't prove I'm- Wait! I can fly! The mastermind would have no idea how to fly. It takes quite some time to learn how to fly."
"I can also fly, but with a plane. You remember that flight simulation game, it's way too easy for me. I'm the best pilot ever after all."
Some people's defenses aren't that great… But I think if I pretend the mastermind isn't lying about who they are, we'll be able to find some contradictions.
"If no one's lying, that leaves Roy, Link and I as candidates," Duncan quacked, "We know how the mastermind got turned into a Remnant. We just need to find who matches with the story."
"Roy makes the most sense," Falco suggested, "He mentioned something about not being able to save his parents yesterday."
"He did?" Link asked, "But why would he complain about that? If he was the mastermind, he wouldn't care."
"Not necessarily, Zelda still cared about people even if it was in a sick and twisted way. Maybe that's how the mastermind messed up! Roy wanted to pin the murder on you and intended for you to die even though you were innocent. Marth was supposed to survive the fifth trial."
"That makes no sense," Roy argued, "I could have come up with something much more effective."
"You purposely did it to confuse us!"
"But doesn't the strategist role fit Roy much better?" Peach suggested, "Zelda did ask him for plans after all. Although they were in Japanese which is a bit weird."
"It was probably a draft. I must have written it during a class or in public."
"That's not all," Duncan added, "The fourth story only fits him. His mother was the Ultimate Swordswoman, that's why he wished Zelda luck in trying to kill his mother."
"Yeah, and my dad stayed in our old house because he was sick. The person walking in on the murder must have been Marth."
"So, the mastermind's Link or Duncan," Pichu concluded, "But none of the stories left specifically fit either of them."
I think I know which one is mine, but I have no way to prove it. However, if I can make the mastermind slip up, I won't have to prove that the fourth story is my story.
"Link's totally the mastermind," Duncan quacked, "He was the one who entered the code on the door!"
"What!?" Link responded in surprise, "You were the one who told me to enter it. The code just happened to be right. You probably told me to do it because you knew the password was right."
"Of course, I knew the password was right. It was the only clue we had."
"Duncan, you're acting weird," Pichu frowned, "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling great! We've found the mastermind."
"There's definitely something wrong with you," Falco glared, "You'd never act this way. You're the mastermind, right? You're pretending to be Duncan!"
"How perceptive. All those dreams I talked about were lies."
I hope this works.
"No, it can't be you!" Peach yelled, "You helped us out so much."
"I thought Duncan was always going to be here for us," Pichu cried, "You killed him in his sleep and took his place!"
"We don't have time to cry over this," Link said, "We have to accept that that's not Duncan and solve all the mysteries."
"Aren't you all accepting this too quickly?" Roy asked, "He didn't even try defending himself."
"He admitted it. He's probably bored of stalling."
"And you're going to believe him, just like that?"
"I don't see why he'd lie."
"Um… Well… You can't just believe him until he proves he's the mastermind."
"What's he supposed to do? Transform into everyone else to prove he can swap avatars?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea," Duncan quacked, "Why don't you show us how it's done, Link?"
"Wait, how should I know that?"
"Because you totally don't know that. Is my sarcasm too high leveled for you?"
"It's total crap."
There's my opening!
"Hey, Roy, don't you think Link should have replied with a sarcastic answer?"
"Should?" Roy said, "He would have replied with sarcasm if he were here."
"Wait, what are you two getting at?" Falco asked, "Are you implying Link's actually the mastermind pretending to be him."
"Yeah, now that I think of it, he's been acting all weird," Duncan quacked, "When he entered the room with the photos, he acted like it was the first time he had ever seen them, but then he told me he wanted to show them to Roy as though he had already been in there before."
"He also hasn't been doing any sarcastic jokes at all," Peach added, "The mastermind must haven taken his place during the night."
"So, what do you have to say for yourself, mastermind?"
"Ooh, you guys have done it!" Crazy Hand cheered.
The mastermind stood in place, they were quiet for a minute before bursting into psychotic laughter. With every laugh, the room got foggier and foggier until a flash of light cleared it all.
Everyone closed their eyes to avoid the blinding light, once they opened them, they realized Link looked different. He appeared to be older and was wearing a green tunic covered in bloodstains.
"You guys only got to see everyone's appearance when we were happy and in Hope's Peak," the mastermind smirked, "How about I show you what you really look like now?"
"What-" Duncan quacked before being interrupted by shock.
"You were right, there's no way I could fly," an older looking Duncan quacked, "I have no idea how you live in this body. You're better off as roasted duck."
"So, the sass only appears now, huh?" Falco frowned, "You were saving up your pitiful one-liners for this, weren't you?"
"I like totally was," an older and slightly injured Falco giggled, "I hate Zelda and everything she stands for, but her idea to make your despair disease turn you into a valley girl was like totes the best idea ever."
"Stop that, that's cruel!" Peach yelled.
"I bet the people you killed felt the same way," an older Peach wearing blood-stained damaged clothes cried, "They begged you to stop! But you didn't care! If you were so against cruelty, why didn't you try to stop me from killing my parents! Ever thought about that, you worthless Zelda worshiper?"
"We couldn't stop you back then, but now we can!" Pichu shouted.
"The world's already gone, what's the point?" a pikachu frowned, "Oh, wow. The world looks so big from here. I'm glad I'm not tiny like you."
"Stop messing around," Roy snapped.
"Oh, I'm sorry for wanting to see the world from your point of view," an older and taller Roy mockingly apologized, "I can't help it. It's fun seeing all these bodies again, although yours is in reality completely messed up. Puberty isn't the only thing that hit you like a truck."
"Stop changing bodies all the time!"
"Roy, don't you want to see what we all look like," an older Marth sobbed, "I thought you cared about me. Did you let them mess up my body because you don't care about me anymore? Why don't you join me and ditch these losers?"
"Really?" Duncan said, "That's your plan to try and turn us to your side?"
"Oh, well… It was worth a shot. Who's body do you want to see next?"
"Your true body."
"My body doesn't work here," a fake Mr. Game & Watch giggled, "Actually, I don't feel so good. Being 2D sucks."
"T-the mastermind's completely insane," Peach stuttered, "They've lost all reason. Even Zelda seemed saner!"
"Of course, you'd think that," an older and injured Sheik glared, "Zelda was everything to you after you turned. Disgusting. To think such a worthless person could be loved."
"I think I've gotten the hang of their personality," Falco chuckled, "They act all insane to mask their true personality but they have a tendency of snapping and showing their true colors. Maybe it's this snapping that caused them to kill their parents."
"Don't bring them into this!" an injured Bowser roared, "They don't have anything to do with this shit!"
"Seeing as killing them drove you insane, I think they do."
"Oh, how cute," an injured Ganondorf laughed, "You think that's the part that broke me? You really are birdbrained."
"We know you were driven insane because no one stopped you," Roy frowned, "Learning we were all there destroyed you… I guess we're to blame for all that happened..."
"It's all that stupid bitch's fault!" an older Nana covered in bloodstains screamed, "She ruined everything! Our lives were perfect and she ruined it! She ruined all of us!"
"Oh, someone's got their knickers in a twist," Crazy Hand mocked.
"Shut up, you piece of shit!" an older and injured Popo yelled.
"Calm down," Duncan insisted, "You're acting like a brat. Aren't you supposed to be the scary mastermind?"
"God, you're stupid," a fake Mewtwo laughed, "You think anyone in my position could be calm? I couldn't care less about being the mastermind. Why do you think I messed up this game?"
"So, you intended to mess up since you regained your memories?"
"Eh, it was more of a last-second decision," a fake Dr. Mario wearing a bloodied coat explained, "An opportunity appeared, so I took it."
"Last second, huh?"
"Yep," the mastermind smirked as they switched back to Link's body, "So, have you guys chosen which body you want to see me in? It would be really cool if you guys just happened to chose my actual one."
Wait… Something's wrong.
"You never showed us Hunter's body," Duncan quacked.
"H-huh? W-well, I… I kinda forgot he was here. You know, we never talked much."
"But aren't you the leader?" Pichu asked, "You would have had to have talked to him at least once."
"So, is Hunter the mastermind?" Peach wondered.
"No, the mastermind seemed weirded out by having to see the world as big," Duncan frowned, "I think I know what Hunter's role in all of this was. He was the traitor, right? Monomi wanted to tell me the traitor was something but all she managed to say was fi. I think she meant to tell me the traitor was the first killer."
"Oh, wow, do you want a trophy?" the unimpressed mastermind replied, "You know, he was the one who convinced the survivors to help us get back to normal. As you can all see, that didn't turn out so well. Isn't it ironic how he was the first killer and he killed in the name of hope? He was the only one who escaped despair in the real world yet he was the first one to succumb to it here."
"Don't talk about him like that!"
"Why? Is it going to make you cry? You keep mentioning my parents and how insane I am? Do you ever stop to think of how that makes me feel? No! You guys are just as selfish as me."
"Um, do you need to take a second to calm down or something?" Roy asked, "It'll do you some good."
"If only someone had told you that when you murdered a bunch of innocent people for someone who wasn't even in any danger."
"Ooh, sick burn!" Crazy Hand commentated, "What will-"
"Shut up, you disgusting piece of shit! I'll kill you off just like I killed off Monokuma!"
I didn't think I'd be thanking the mastermind out of all the people I could thank.
"Assuming the mastermind switched places with Link after Sheik's trial," Duncan started, "This means only two people could be the mastermind. I think I know who the mastermind is."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, I just need to confirm a few things first. How did your parents die?"
"Why would I tell you that?"
"Wait, what is all of this about?" Falco asked, "For all we know, the mastermind was controlling everything behind the scenes."
"Yeah, listen to birdbrain for once."
"No, Marth, I won't do that," Duncan quacked, "You've slipped up quite a few times. You clearly have no idea what we remember. If you did, you would have mentioned that you and Roy's bodies were completely messed up in the real world."
"Of course!" Falco gasped, "One of the dreams has two people a few hits away from death."
"And your motive for killing Sheik makes more sense now. You hate Zelda and the killing game, you liked the idea of messing everything up. You had Monokuma kill Ganondorf to ruin the killing game and get Monokuma executed. You manipulated the motives so that you'd get the one that would allow you to leave with Roy."
"Let's say all of this is true, how would I have manipulated everything if I have no access to the code?" the mastermind asked.
"Outside help. You had someone on your side on the outside and they manipulated everything for you."
"Isn't this a bit far fetched? I didn't even want this game to happen, Zelda chose all the roles. How would I have gotten outside help if I didn't even know this game was going to happen."
"Sadly, the mastermind's right," Roy sighed, "You're stretching a bit here. Don't you have some more concrete evidence?"
More concrete, huh? I'm not sure if this will do but it's worth a shot.
"All of Marth's last words make more sense if he's the mastermind," Duncan quacked, "He probably thought the entire game would end after his execution. That's why he told us we had already beaten the mastermind."
"He could have said that to give us hope," Pichu theorized, "He was way too nice to be the mastermind."
"Pichu has a point," Peach agreed, "He also genuinely seemed scared of dying. If he was a mastermind, he wouldn't be scared since he'd know he'd just respawn."
"It looks like we have some disagreements here," Crazy Hand cheered, "Time for a-"
"Yeah, we get it," the mastermind complained, "People who think I'm Marth, to the right, everyone else to the left."
Duncan, Roy and Falco went to the right while the mastermind who had transformed into Marth, Peach and Pichu went to the left.
"It's the MVPs versus the Mastermind and two Ps!" Crazy Hand laughed, "Pichu, you're up!"
"The mastermind hasn't acted like Marth at all!" Pichu argued, "They'd at least have some similarities even if Marth had faked his entire personality!"
"Because Marth switching to his actual body and asking Roy to join him isn't what he'd do?" Falco responded, "He could have tried that same trick on anyone, but he chose the one person he cared more about. Pretty suspicious, don't you think?"
"He didn't want to die, you saw how he was crying!" Peach argued, "He said so himself."
"Yet he was the one who ended his own life," Roy replied, "Literally dying wasn't what he was scared of. He was scared of remembering everything and becoming a remnant again. In a sense, it would be as though he died."
"When has Marth ever said anything that would make you suspect him excluding that last trial?" the mastermind asked, "It could just be the nerves of dying making him say weird things."
"Oh, you're in for a long list," Duncan quacked, "Everything makes sense in hindsight."
"Huh?"
"At some point, you mentioned you had had the weirdest dream ever and that you didn't want to remember it. This was likely you getting your first memory back. You also just happened to know the location of the game despite having never seen it before. Your truth from that game was that you acted the way you did to manipulate people and make them feel despair. Your talent was being a prince, this would have included leadership abilities allowing you to spread hope or despair.
You also told me that you felt like you, Roy and Link had been friends for years. Your despair state specifically made you target only Roy because he was going to survive the game no matter what.
You told us you thought the movie Monokuma showed us was fake. Somehow you knew that for it to be real, we would have had to have been three years older. You were also trying to act as though that movie was of no importance what so ever.
You tried dissuading Link and I from entering a password on Monokuma's computer and later in that trial, you got upset at Monokuma for suggesting your true self was mean.
Around that time, you were also getting more irritated than normal. It was as though the effects of despair were getting to you once again. You had told me you'd save your tears for after the game only to find yourself crying after the fourth trial.
You never seemed happy talking about your father. You'd always change the subject. While you likely didn't have a great relationship with your father, I think the regret of killing your parents made you avoid the subject.
And let's not even get started on your 'last' words. You had completely accepted your defeat and thought the killing game would be over, so you didn't pay much attention to what you were saying. You just couldn't resist the urge to tell Roy you'd meet again, could you? You also wanted your last memories of us as your true self to be a happy one because you knew getting all your memories back would be painful. You even dared to steal Crazy Hand's favorite line. You never let me finish my question, I think you assumed I asked you if you were the mastermind. I just wanted to know if you were really fine going through this.
But I think your execution seals the deal. You thought the despair door would be a way out, didn't you? You probably had all your memories rush back to you during the execution. This is just speculation, but I think your execution was based on how you killed your parents. You likely stabbed them before electrocuting them to death. That would explain why Crazy Hand mentioned you being scared of being electrocuted and why you killed yourself before he could do the same to you."
Duncan took a deep breath before finishing his monologue.
"So, Marth Lowell, care to point out all of my mistakes?"
"I-I totally misinterpreted that question you were talking about," Marth blushed, "I thought you asked if I was in… Um… Had a… Like… Um… Suicidal or something. Yeah, that was it."
"You're stumbling all over your words," Falco pointed out, "Are you nervous?"
"W-what? Nervous? About what? Why would I be nervous?"
"You don't know what will happen once the trial ends," Peach answered, "For all you know, the survivors might want to see your head on a platter."
"That would go against what they wanted!" Pichu argued, "They're probably just going to put is in jail or something!"
"Marth, how bad are our bodies' condition?" Roy asked, "We're not fatally injured or anything?"
"We can barely walk... My right hand is broken because of some annoying punk who's now dead. You barely survived a deep stab wound..."
"We've found the traitor and the mastermind," Duncan told Crazy Hand, "What happens now?"
"Time for part two! After the ad break, the survivors need some time to log on."
"What do you mean ad break?" Marth snapped, "No one was supposed to see this shitty ass game!"
"Yeah, about that. The whole world knows you're the leader of the Remnants now. I bet many people are going to come to Jabberwock Island to get a shot at you and the other Remnants. You've all recovered a bit since you first got here, you guys might stand a chance. But having your best fighters out of commission is a blow."
"Is this some kind of sick joke!" Falco yelled, "You can't seriously mean we're on TV? You're telling us we're never going to be able to live normal lives?"
"Well, you were going to get all your memories back once you left anyways. You guys never stood a chance. You were Zelda's puppets all along! Soon you'll all have your memories back! Aren't you guys excited? Marth won't be the only insane one here anymore!"
"He's lying! He has to be lying!" Pichu yelled, "It's not true!"
"We should have known," Duncan admitted, "The reason the TV stats were so high was because we were being watched. All this time..."
"What are we supposed to do now?" Roy asked, "If we log off, we'll become Remnants again, if we stay here, we'll go insane if we're not killed first."
"T-the survivors m-must have known, right?" Peach stuttered, "They're going to protect us, right?"
"Who knows?" Crazy Hand giggled, "Maybe their failure will make them want to abandon you."
"So, I'll just log us all off," Marth glared, "I'd rather go back to being a Remnant than have to deal with any of Zelda's bullshit ever again. Fuck despair and fuck hope."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You won't be able to get out with that broken hand of yours."
"Because out of all the shit I've been through, getting stuck is what scares me the most. Go to Hell."
"If you're really into being a bloodthirsty Remnant again, go ahead. Oh, wait, all your mastermind rights got removed after your first death. Only the survivors can get you out now. But you guys are all murderers."
"That's not true!" Duncan quacked, "Hunter's innocent! I don't think they'd accept sacrificing someone innocent to make sure fifteen murderers were stopped."
"Why don't you ask them, they'll be here soon. Speaking of them, I should change to a more appropriate form, don't you think?"
A flash of light shined across the room and in under a second, the hand transformed into the Ultimate Despair. Duncan couldn't believe how despair she radiated. She was just a computer program, why did he feel so scared of her? He felt as though disobeying her would cost him his life. From the look of it, the others felt the same way.
"Now, why don't you guys take a quick nap before they arrive?" Zelda laughed as she snapped her fingers.
The last thing Duncan saw was a grin full of insanity and despair. So much despair. It felt familiar. He had felt it before. Despair… True despair… True… His true self…
Yes, his true self was a Remnant of Despair.
Deleted scene:
Marth: Why don't you join me and ditch these losers?
Roy: Only if you stay as my older self.
Marth: What!? Why?
Roy: Because I'm really hot. I think I understand people who want to marry themselves now.
Marth: I never signed up for this shit.
Roy: None of us did.
Marth: Touché.
Roy: You're totally the mastermind, right?
Marth: Yeah, how'd you know?
Roy: Last chapter's title kinda spoiled it.
Marth: Yeah, guess it did.
Falco: Why the fuck are you two having such a casual conversation? It's the fucking last trial?

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"Time for the final trial!" Crazy Hand started, "The rules will be different this time. You will have to discover who the traitor and mastermind are. If you succeed, the survivors from the previous game will join you to solve the mystery behind this game. If you lose in the end, you'll have to replay this game for all of eternity."
"What will happen if we win?" Falco asked, "Will the mastermind be executed?"
"If you guys win, you'll all get your memories back and be free to go. You guys may choose what to do with the mastermind. An execution in here will only be torture, they'll respawn after death. Now, why don't you discuss who's suspicious."
"If I understood everything correctly, the mastermind is the sixth person to have been turned into a remnant," Peach smiled, "So, I can't be the mastermind nor the traitor. Zelda said I was the first one to be turned."
"But we have no proof you're really Peach," Pichu argued, "You could be the mastermind pretending to be Peach."
"Do we know for sure the person lying about their identity is the mastermind?" Link asked, "Maybe it's the traitor which would explain how the mastermind messed up. We should try to figure out who here is the traitor."
But why would the traitor bother hiding their identity now?
"Actually, I think the traitor's dead," Duncan quacked, "If they were alive right now, they would have no reason to hide their identity anymore. Crazy Hand wouldn't be able to do anything against them."
"Duncan's right," Roy agreed, "The traitor must have also died before they regained all their memories. If they remembered everything, they would have respawned."
"In this case, the most likely candidates are all the victims and Marth," Link speculated, "It seems unlikely that the traitor would have killed in any other scenario."
"Let's start by discuss them in order of death" Peach suggested, "Nothing really points to Popo being the traitor. Same for Mr. Game & Watch, Dr. Mario and Nana. The weird circumstances behind his death could be due to him being the traitor or the mastermind could have rigged his trial. Sheik wanted to trick the mastermind. As for Marth, his motive seems to be linked to his memories."
I don't think this conversation's going to lead us anywhere…
"Hey, do you guys think the incomplete software in the USB key was used on the traitor?" Duncan asked.
"That would make sense," Link said, "It would stop them from feeling despair. If that's the case, Marth can't be the traitor."
"But would it really make sense to use it on the traitor?" Falco wondered, "The traitor already knew they shouldn't kill under any circumstance even if they were suffering, I think the USB key was used on someone else."
"The instructions never said a person wouldn't be able to feel despair," Pichu smirked, "It just said a person would have happier memories and that no one knew what would happen after it was used."
"So, it's possible, that having so much hope in a place full of despair drove them insane. You know, I think it was tested on one of the killers."
I think I see where he's getting at.
"We're looking for someone who started out full of hope and gradually lost it," Duncan quacked, "I think it's likely that the key was used on someone who was good at spreading their own hope. Doesn't that remind you of someone?"
"You're talking about Marth, right?" Roy replied, "He was giving us hope speeches and looking out for everyone. But eventually, the pain became too much for even him. During his execution, he tried opening the door with despair and then he ended it himself..."
"But why would the key be used on him?" Pichu asked.
"Because of his talent," Duncan explained, "The survivors originally put us in here for rehab. They wanted to make sure everyone was full of hope. So if the person who's talent requires an ability to spread hope is full of hope, everyone else would also be. They never expected a killing game to happen or they would have probably used it on someone they knew for sure would make it to the last trial."
"But this doesn't mean Marth can't be the traitor," Peach argued, "His motive for killing wouldn't make sense anymore."
Actually, it might still make sense…
"No, that's wrong!" Duncan quacked, "According to all the photos, we somehow ended up being close with the people we used to be close with before. It was likely the survivors that left some of our memories intact so that we'd skip the awkward phase of not knowing each other."
"I did feel pretty attached to everyone even though we barely knew each other," Pichu admitted, "It was like we had all been friends for years which turned out to be the case!"
"Couple feeling attached to someone like you've known them for years with feeling hopeless and you get a person who'll easily fall for a motive allowing both of them to survive."
"I'm still not convinced," Peach sighed, "That wouldn't stop him from being able to be the traitor."
"Actually, I think he can't be the traitor," Falco argued, "In Monokuma's house, the plans said that if the traitor got into the despair state, they'd kill no matter what. Marth never managed to kill anyone."
"Not only that," Roy added, "But after Monokuma showed us the movie, he said the mastermind knew who they were. The plans said the mastermind would regain their memories before the second trial if the traitor was dead, otherwise, they'd regain them at the same time as us."
"If they were regaining memories at the same speed as us and in the same way, they'd likely not be sure they were the mastermind."
"So the traitor has to be Popo or Mr. Game & Watch," Link theorized, "Monokuma would have made a huge deal about the traitor if they got killed while knowing they were the traitor."
"Isn't it possible for Hunter and Mewtwo to also be the traitor?" Pichu asked, "If they didn't know they were supposed to kill, they could have easily become a killer."
"So, we've narrowed it down to four candidates. But how do we figure out which one is the traitor?"
I don't think we have enough information to figure that out. But we might be able to trick the mastermind into helping us.
"I think we should come back to the traitor a bit later," Duncan suggested, "Let's try finding out who here is lying about who they are."
"Since you suggested the idea, let's start with you," Link said, "You're the one who told us someone's lying about their identity, you could be the mastermind trying to confuse us."
"But if that were the case, how would he have messed up?" Peach asked, "Duncan's acting like he always does. So, unless the mastermind's an amazing actor, I think he's not the mastermind."
"He could have messed something else up. We still don't know what the mastermind messed up."
"So, let's go with what we do know," Roy suggested, "We know thanks to some evidence that Peach, Pichu and Falco aren't the leader of the Remnants of Despair. We also know for a fact that only the first six Remnants are supposed to be alive. Since Peach was the first Remnant, I think it's safe to assume she's not lying about who she is."
"That's right!" Peach smiled, "I'd never lie!"
"This means the mastermind could be impersonating anyone excluding Peach or that the mastermind is either Link, Duncan or me."
"All right, Roy, prove to us you're who you are," Falco frowned, "We've never seen you depressed before, so you could be the mastermind making up what a depressed Roy would look like."
"Duncan saw me reading Japanese."
"Marth could read Japanese too. But I don't think he'd be able to grieve over himself without slipping up. You're definitely you, but don't think you're safe. Next is Pichu. Tell us something only an electrician could know."
"I have no proof I am Pichu!" Pichu yelled, "But I can fix any broken cable!"
"Definitely Pichu. Link, you're next. What would only you know?"
"Want to hear the story of my cousin Dick? Or that time Wild stole my pets? Oh, and this one time, Time and I accidentally bought-"
"All right, we get it. Duncan."
"Um… I guess I can't prove I'm- Wait! I can fly! The mastermind would have no idea how to fly. It takes quite some time to learn how to fly."
"I can also fly, but with a plane. You remember that flight simulation game, it's way too easy for me. I'm the best pilot ever after all."
Some people's defenses aren't that great… But I think if I pretend the mastermind isn't lying about who they are, we'll be able to find some contradictions.
"If no one's lying, that leaves Roy, Link and I as candidates," Duncan quacked, "We know how the mastermind got turned into a Remnant. We just need to find who matches with the story."
"Roy makes the most sense," Falco suggested, "He mentioned something about not being able to save his parents yesterday."
"He did?" Link asked, "But why would he complain about that? If he was the mastermind, he wouldn't care."
"Not necessarily, Zelda still cared about people even if it was in a sick and twisted way. Maybe that's how the mastermind messed up! Roy wanted to pin the murder on you and intended for you to die even though you were innocent. Marth was supposed to survive the fifth trial."
"That makes no sense," Roy argued, "I could have come up with something much more effective."
"You purposely did it to confuse us!"
"But doesn't the strategist role fit Roy much better?" Peach suggested, "Zelda did ask him for plans after all. Although they were in Japanese which is a bit weird."
"It was probably a draft. I must have written it during a class or in public."
"That's not all," Duncan added, "The fourth story only fits him. His mother was the Ultimate Swordswoman, that's why he wished Zelda luck in trying to kill his mother."
"Yeah, and my dad stayed in our old house because he was sick. The person walking in on the murder must have been Marth."
"So, the mastermind's Link or Duncan," Pichu concluded, "But none of the stories left specifically fit either of them."
I think I know which one is mine, but I have no way to prove it. However, if I can make the mastermind slip up, I won't have to prove that the fourth story is my story.
"Link's totally the mastermind," Duncan quacked, "He was the one who entered the code on the door!"
"What!?" Link responded in surprise, "You were the one who told me to enter it. The code just happened to be right. You probably told me to do it because you knew the password was right."
"Of course, I knew the password was right. It was the only clue we had."
"Duncan, you're acting weird," Pichu frowned, "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling great! We've found the mastermind."
"There's definitely something wrong with you," Falco glared, "You'd never act this way. You're the mastermind, right? You're pretending to be Duncan!"
"How perceptive. All those dreams I talked about were lies."
I hope this works.
"No, it can't be you!" Peach yelled, "You helped us out so much."
"I thought Duncan was always going to be here for us," Pichu cried, "You killed him in his sleep and took his place!"
"We don't have time to cry over this," Link said, "We have to accept that that's not Duncan and solve all the mysteries."
"Aren't you all accepting this too quickly?" Roy asked, "He didn't even try defending himself."
"He admitted it. He's probably bored of stalling."
"And you're going to believe him, just like that?"
"I don't see why he'd lie."
"Um… Well… You can't just believe him until he proves he's the mastermind."
"What's he supposed to do? Transform into everyone else to prove he can swap avatars?"
"Yeah, that's a great idea," Duncan quacked, "Why don't you show us how it's done, Link?"
"Wait, how should I know that?"
"Because you totally don't know that. Is my sarcasm too high leveled for you?"
"It's total crap."
There's my opening!
"Hey, Roy, don't you think Link should have replied with a sarcastic answer?"
"Should?" Roy said, "He would have replied with sarcasm if he were here."
"Wait, what are you two getting at?" Falco asked, "Are you implying Link's actually the mastermind pretending to be him."
"Yeah, now that I think of it, he's been acting all weird," Duncan quacked, "When he entered the room with the photos, he acted like it was the first time he had ever seen them, but then he told me he wanted to show them to Roy as though he had already been in there before."
"He also hasn't been doing any sarcastic jokes at all," Peach added, "The mastermind must haven taken his place during the night."
"So, what do you have to say for yourself, mastermind?"
"Ooh, you guys have done it!" Crazy Hand cheered.
The mastermind stood in place, they were quiet for a minute before bursting into psychotic laughter. With every laugh, the room got foggier and foggier until a flash of light cleared it all.
Everyone closed their eyes to avoid the blinding light, once they opened them, they realized Link looked different. He appeared to be older and was wearing a green tunic covered in bloodstains.
"You guys only got to see everyone's appearance when we were happy and in Hope's Peak," the mastermind smirked, "How about I show you what you really look like now?"
"What-" Duncan quacked before being interrupted by shock.
"You were right, there's no way I could fly," an older looking Duncan quacked, "I have no idea how you live in this body. You're better off as roasted duck."
"So, the sass only appears now, huh?" Falco frowned, "You were saving up your pitiful one-liners for this, weren't you?"
"I like totally was," an older and slightly injured Falco giggled, "I hate Zelda and everything she stands for, but her idea to make your despair disease turn you into a valley girl was like totes the best idea ever."
"Stop that, that's cruel!" Peach yelled.
"I bet the people you killed felt the same way," an older Peach wearing blood-stained damaged clothes cried, "They begged you to stop! But you didn't care! If you were so against cruelty, why didn't you try to stop me from killing my parents! Ever thought about that, you worthless Zelda worshiper?"
"We couldn't stop you back then, but now we can!" Pichu shouted.
"The world's already gone, what's the point?" a pikachu frowned, "Oh, wow. The world looks so big from here. I'm glad I'm not tiny like you."
"Stop messing around," Roy snapped.
"Oh, I'm sorry for wanting to see the world from your point of view," an older and taller Roy mockingly apologized, "I can't help it. It's fun seeing all these bodies again, although yours is in reality completely messed up. Puberty isn't the only thing that hit you like a truck."
"Stop changing bodies all the time!"
"Roy, don't you want to see what we all look like," an older Marth sobbed, "I thought you cared about me. Did you let them mess up my body because you don't care about me anymore? Why don't you join me and ditch these losers?"
"Really?" Duncan said, "That's your plan to try and turn us to your side?"
"Oh, well… It was worth a shot. Who's body do you want to see next?"
"Your true body."
"My body doesn't work here," a fake Mr. Game & Watch giggled, "Actually, I don't feel so good. Being 2D sucks."
"T-the mastermind's completely insane," Peach stuttered, "They've lost all reason. Even Zelda seemed saner!"
"Of course, you'd think that," an older and injured Sheik glared, "Zelda was everything to you after you turned. Disgusting. To think such a worthless person could be loved."
"I think I've gotten the hang of their personality," Falco chuckled, "They act all insane to mask their true personality but they have a tendency of snapping and showing their true colors. Maybe it's this snapping that caused them to kill their parents."
"Don't bring them into this!" an injured Bowser roared, "They don't have anything to do with this shit!"
"Seeing as killing them drove you insane, I think they do."
"Oh, how cute," an injured Ganondorf laughed, "You think that's the part that broke me? You really are birdbrained."
"We know you were driven insane because no one stopped you," Roy frowned, "Learning we were all there destroyed you… I guess we're to blame for all that happened..."
"It's all that stupid bitch's fault!" an older Nana covered in bloodstains screamed, "She ruined everything! Our lives were perfect and she ruined it! She ruined all of us!"
"Oh, someone's got their knickers in a twist," Crazy Hand mocked.
"Shut up, you piece of shit!" an older and injured Popo yelled.
"Calm down," Duncan insisted, "You're acting like a brat. Aren't you supposed to be the scary mastermind?"
"God, you're stupid," a fake Mewtwo laughed, "You think anyone in my position could be calm? I couldn't care less about being the mastermind. Why do you think I messed up this game?"
"So, you intended to mess up since you regained your memories?"
"Eh, it was more of a last-second decision," a fake Dr. Mario wearing a bloodied coat explained, "An opportunity appeared, so I took it."
"Last second, huh?"
"Yep," the mastermind smirked as they switched back to Link's body, "So, have you guys chosen which body you want to see me in? It would be really cool if you guys just happened to chose my actual one."
Wait… Something's wrong.
"You never showed us Hunter's body," Duncan quacked.
"H-huh? W-well, I… I kinda forgot he was here. You know, we never talked much."
"But aren't you the leader?" Pichu asked, "You would have had to have talked to him at least once."
"So, is Hunter the mastermind?" Peach wondered.
"No, the mastermind seemed weirded out by having to see the world as big," Duncan frowned, "I think I know what Hunter's role in all of this was. He was the traitor, right? Monomi wanted to tell me the traitor was something but all she managed to say was fi. I think she meant to tell me the traitor was the first killer."
"Oh, wow, do you want a trophy?" the unimpressed mastermind replied, "You know, he was the one who convinced the survivors to help us get back to normal. As you can all see, that didn't turn out so well. Isn't it ironic how he was the first killer and he killed in the name of hope? He was the only one who escaped despair in the real world yet he was the first one to succumb to it here."
"Don't talk about him like that!"
"Why? Is it going to make you cry? You keep mentioning my parents and how insane I am? Do you ever stop to think of how that makes me feel? No! You guys are just as selfish as me."
"Um, do you need to take a second to calm down or something?" Roy asked, "It'll do you some good."
"If only someone had told you that when you murdered a bunch of innocent people for someone who wasn't even in any danger."
"Ooh, sick burn!" Crazy Hand commentated, "What will-"
"Shut up, you disgusting piece of shit! I'll kill you off just like I killed off Monokuma!"
I didn't think I'd be thanking the mastermind out of all the people I could thank.
"Assuming the mastermind switched places with Link after Sheik's trial," Duncan started, "This means only two people could be the mastermind. I think I know who the mastermind is."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, I just need to confirm a few things first. How did your parents die?"
"Why would I tell you that?"
"Wait, what is all of this about?" Falco asked, "For all we know, the mastermind was controlling everything behind the scenes."
"Yeah, listen to birdbrain for once."
"No, Marth, I won't do that," Duncan quacked, "You've slipped up quite a few times. You clearly have no idea what we remember. If you did, you would have mentioned that you and Roy's bodies were completely messed up in the real world."
"Of course!" Falco gasped, "One of the dreams has two people a few hits away from death."
"And your motive for killing Sheik makes more sense now. You hate Zelda and the killing game, you liked the idea of messing everything up. You had Monokuma kill Ganondorf to ruin the killing game and get Monokuma executed. You manipulated the motives so that you'd get the one that would allow you to leave with Roy."
"Let's say all of this is true, how would I have manipulated everything if I have no access to the code?" the mastermind asked.
"Outside help. You had someone on your side on the outside and they manipulated everything for you."
"Isn't this a bit far fetched? I didn't even want this game to happen, Zelda chose all the roles. How would I have gotten outside help if I didn't even know this game was going to happen."
"Sadly, the mastermind's right," Roy sighed, "You're stretching a bit here. Don't you have some more concrete evidence?"
More concrete, huh? I'm not sure if this will do but it's worth a shot.
"All of Marth's last words make more sense if he's the mastermind," Duncan quacked, "He probably thought the entire game would end after his execution. That's why he told us we had already beaten the mastermind."
"He could have said that to give us hope," Pichu theorized, "He was way too nice to be the mastermind."
"Pichu has a point," Peach agreed, "He also genuinely seemed scared of dying. If he was a mastermind, he wouldn't be scared since he'd know he'd just respawn."
"It looks like we have some disagreements here," Crazy Hand cheered, "Time for a-"
"Yeah, we get it," the mastermind complained, "People who think I'm Marth, to the right, everyone else to the left."
Duncan, Roy and Falco went to the right while the mastermind who had transformed into Marth, Peach and Pichu went to the left.
"It's the MVPs versus the Mastermind and two Ps!" Crazy Hand laughed, "Pichu, you're up!"
"The mastermind hasn't acted like Marth at all!" Pichu argued, "They'd at least have some similarities even if Marth had faked his entire personality!"
"Because Marth switching to his actual body and asking Roy to join him isn't what he'd do?" Falco responded, "He could have tried that same trick on anyone, but he chose the one person he cared more about. Pretty suspicious, don't you think?"
"He didn't want to die, you saw how he was crying!" Peach argued, "He said so himself."
"Yet he was the one who ended his own life," Roy replied, "Literally dying wasn't what he was scared of. He was scared of remembering everything and becoming a remnant again. In a sense, it would be as though he died."
"When has Marth ever said anything that would make you suspect him excluding that last trial?" the mastermind asked, "It could just be the nerves of dying making him say weird things."
"Oh, you're in for a long list," Duncan quacked, "Everything makes sense in hindsight."
"Huh?"
"At some point, you mentioned you had had the weirdest dream ever and that you didn't want to remember it. This was likely you getting your first memory back. You also just happened to know the location of the game despite having never seen it before. Your truth from that game was that you acted the way you did to manipulate people and make them feel despair. Your talent was being a prince, this would have included leadership abilities allowing you to spread hope or despair.
You also told me that you felt like you, Roy and Link had been friends for years. Your despair state specifically made you target only Roy because he was going to survive the game no matter what.
You told us you thought the movie Monokuma showed us was fake. Somehow you knew that for it to be real, we would have had to have been three years older. You were also trying to act as though that movie was of no importance what so ever.
You tried dissuading Link and I from entering a password on Monokuma's computer and later in that trial, you got upset at Monokuma for suggesting your true self was mean.
Around that time, you were also getting more irritated than normal. It was as though the effects of despair were getting to you once again. You had told me you'd save your tears for after the game only to find yourself crying after the fourth trial.
You never seemed happy talking about your father. You'd always change the subject. While you likely didn't have a great relationship with your father, I think the regret of killing your parents made you avoid the subject.
And let's not even get started on your 'last' words. You had completely accepted your defeat and thought the killing game would be over, so you didn't pay much attention to what you were saying. You just couldn't resist the urge to tell Roy you'd meet again, could you? You also wanted your last memories of us as your true self to be a happy one because you knew getting all your memories back would be painful. You even dared to steal Crazy Hand's favorite line. You never let me finish my question, I think you assumed I asked you if you were the mastermind. I just wanted to know if you were really fine going through this.
But I think your execution seals the deal. You thought the despair door would be a way out, didn't you? You probably had all your memories rush back to you during the execution. This is just speculation, but I think your execution was based on how you killed your parents. You likely stabbed them before electrocuting them to death. That would explain why Crazy Hand mentioned you being scared of being electrocuted and why you killed yourself before he could do the same to you."
Duncan took a deep breath before finishing his monologue.
"So, Marth Lowell, care to point out all of my mistakes?"
"I-I totally misinterpreted that question you were talking about," Marth blushed, "I thought you asked if I was in… Um… Had a… Like… Um… Suicidal or something. Yeah, that was it."
"You're stumbling all over your words," Falco pointed out, "Are you nervous?"
"W-what? Nervous? About what? Why would I be nervous?"
"You don't know what will happen once the trial ends," Peach answered, "For all you know, the survivors might want to see your head on a platter."
"That would go against what they wanted!" Pichu argued, "They're probably just going to put is in jail or something!"
"Marth, how bad are our bodies' condition?" Roy asked, "We're not fatally injured or anything?"
"We can barely walk... My right hand is broken because of some annoying punk who's now dead. You barely survived a deep stab wound..."
"We've found the traitor and the mastermind," Duncan told Crazy Hand, "What happens now?"
"Time for part two! After the ad break, the survivors need some time to log on."
"What do you mean ad break?" Marth snapped, "No one was supposed to see this shitty ass game!"
"Yeah, about that. The whole world knows you're the leader of the Remnants now. I bet many people are going to come to Jabberwock Island to get a shot at you and the other Remnants. You've all recovered a bit since you first got here, you guys might stand a chance. But having your best fighters out of commission is a blow."
"Is this some kind of sick joke!" Falco yelled, "You can't seriously mean we're on TV? You're telling us we're never going to be able to live normal lives?"
"Well, you were going to get all your memories back once you left anyways. You guys never stood a chance. You were Zelda's puppets all along! Soon you'll all have your memories back! Aren't you guys excited? Marth won't be the only insane one here anymore!"
"He's lying! He has to be lying!" Pichu yelled, "It's not true!"
"We should have known," Duncan admitted, "The reason the TV stats were so high was because we were being watched. All this time..."
"What are we supposed to do now?" Roy asked, "If we log off, we'll become Remnants again, if we stay here, we'll go insane if we're not killed first."
"T-the survivors m-must have known, right?" Peach stuttered, "They're going to protect us, right?"
"Who knows?" Crazy Hand giggled, "Maybe their failure will make them want to abandon you."
"So, I'll just log us all off," Marth glared, "I'd rather go back to being a Remnant than have to deal with any of Zelda's bullshit ever again. Fuck despair and fuck hope."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You won't be able to get out with that broken hand of yours."
"Because out of all the shit I've been through, getting stuck is what scares me the most. Go to Hell."
"If you're really into being a bloodthirsty Remnant again, go ahead. Oh, wait, all your mastermind rights got removed after your first death. Only the survivors can get you out now. But you guys are all murderers."
"That's not true!" Duncan quacked, "Hunter's innocent! I don't think they'd accept sacrificing someone innocent to make sure fifteen murderers were stopped."
"Why don't you ask them, they'll be here soon. Speaking of them, I should change to a more appropriate form, don't you think?"
A flash of light shined across the room and in under a second, the hand transformed into the Ultimate Despair. Duncan couldn't believe how despair she radiated. She was just a computer program, why did he feel so scared of her? He felt as though disobeying her would cost him his life. From the look of it, the others felt the same way.
"Now, why don't you guys take a quick nap before they arrive?" Zelda laughed as she snapped her fingers.
The last thing Duncan saw was a grin full of insanity and despair. So much despair. It felt familiar. He had felt it before. Despair… True despair… True… His true self…
Yes, his true self was a Remnant of Despair.
Deleted scene:
Marth: Why don't you join me and ditch these losers?
Roy: Only if you stay as my older self.
Marth: What!? Why?
Roy: Because I'm really hot. I think I understand people who want to marry themselves now.
Marth: I never signed up for this shit.
Roy: None of us did.
Marth: Touché.
Roy: You're totally the mastermind, right?
Marth: Yeah, how'd you know?
Roy: Last chapter's title kinda spoiled it.
Marth: Yeah, guess it did.
Falco: Why the fuck are you two having such a casual conversation? It's the fucking last trial?