A/N: I've noticed that I've hadn't published anything in a while and I mean a while, so I decided to put out one of my many ideas in my head and here you are, reading the author's note of a new Dangan Ronpa fanfiction before getting to the actual story. Let's just hope Microsoft Word doesn't screw me over so please forgive me for any spelling and grammatical errors. I'm not doing this on purpose.

Oh, and before you do, I just want to remind you that this is only the prologue so it's written a bit different, mainly the beginning being nothing but dialogue. The actual chapter, the first one, I'm currently working on so if you want more you'll have to be a good boy/girl and wait, OR you can leave a review and maybe that will increase my processing power.

With that said, I'm going to leave you with this final piece of information before going to the disclaimer: This is an AU where the plans for the Neo World Program goes just as Makoto planned except with a bit of humor, adventure, friendship, bro-ship, girl love, romance, harem (Maybe. Depends on your support) you know; the good stuff. And as the icing on the cake in this AU, Makato and Kyoko are screwing each other.

Or maybe not?!

...

Kidding. They aren't.

Or am I?!

...

Really. They're just friends.

Or are they?!

...

No. They are.

Until Danganronpa 3 comes out and proves me wrong, this Mellow Dias among other people says they're doing R-rated stuff.

...

Dangan Island: The Ultimate Islander

Prologue: Gathering Your Belongings

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa. It's own by the guys at Spike Chunsoft. If I did, Togami would be much less of an asshole than he is now and Naegi would have his own harem. He'll be the Ultimate Lucky Student, alright;).

...

"Makoto, are you sure this is a wise decision?"

"I think so. It may be risky, but at least this way we'll be able to save them..."

"The higher-ups don't share the same views about them like you do. No doubt they'll be watching us for now on to figure out where did the Survivors of Hope Peak Academy disappeared to."

"Yeah. We'll have to work hard to keep this hidden from them. If they found out, then all of this would've been for nothing. I mean, if no one's going to help them, then who will? What was the point of themselves being in the Future Foundation?

"I suppose that's a way to think about it since you're the one who suggested the idea. But everyone has their own opinion and there's no changing that, especially in the world were in. But about this program...Didn't you say so yourself that it hasn't been tested?"

"It's still in the testing phase that part is true, but as for actual testing we haven't gotten around to that…"

"So why haven't you?"

"Well, we didn't have any candidates and everyone else was too busy to volunteer. I don't understand why they wouldn't want to test something that can save lives…"

"They're probably afraid of what might happen to them."

"...What do you mean?"

"Think about it. The program was created by the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Neurologist, and the Ultimate Therapist. It's next generation software that utilizes all the five senses and stimulates them using advanced neuroscience and technology, a feat that is only capable through the combined efforts of those three. Knowing this, if someone were to enter the virtual world and, for example, jumped 10 feet in the air, they could defy human capabilities. However, this particular program wasn't made for such things, was it?"

"I… Don't think it was made for stuff like that…"

"I thought as much. Since the program wasn't made to exceed the capabilities of the human body, a player's avatar will have the same strength and abilities they would have in the real world, considering that the program uploads an exact copy of a person based on the information received. They would always be the same person they were here and in the virtual world."

"Yes, they would. A person could run all day in the virtual world and get tired like a normal person, but their body in the real world wouldn't experience that same feeling because all transmissions from the body and the brain will be blocked and vice versa. Of course, they can always train themselves so they can get stronger, but only their avatar would receive those benefits, which can't be carried over to their real body in this world."

"In other words, they can be a different person in that world but they'll still be the same in this one. Quite an interesting program if one wishes to entertain themselves. But the world inside isn't some sort of game where you can save your avatar and its changes to play with later."

"You seem unsure about this. Is there something wrong?"

"You're the one who knows about it more than I do. You should know."

"W-What makes you say that?…"

"Did you think I wouldn't notice? You've been in here longer than anyone of us. I doubt that you've been talking to Alter Ego unless it was about the program… Weren't you?"

"T-That…!"

"If it's something you can't say, just write it on a piece of paper and show me. I doubt that he'll be upset if you talked about it, but I'm sure he can't hear us while he's in sleep mode."

"I- It's not anything like that!"

"…"

"Seriously! It's not anything like that!"

"…"

"I… I'm sorry… I want to tell you but…"

"It's fine."

"Huh...?"

"I've already expected that you wouldn't tell me so easily… Even after everything we've been through…"

"It's not like I don't want to tell you… It's just –"

"However, I've already thought of my own theories. I just thought I would confirm them."

"W-What are you trying to say?…"

"You already said so earlier. To be more precise, you've explained part of it."

"I did?!"

"Mentioning a detail – no matter how small it is – can draw inferences, and eventually lead to the conclusion. It's something I've learned during my line of work. Even after leaving Hope's Peak Academy, you're still foolishly open as ever."

"…"

"Anyway, I'll begin explaining my theory about the program. Although any transmissions from and to the brain are blocked, a player's avatar can fell the same stimulations in the virtual world as they would in this one. Am I right?"

"That's not it. The human body depends on the nervous system to perform actions that other systems can't. If something was done to it that prevents the body from sending signals to the brain, then that person would be paralyzed. This only happens when someone's conscience in this world is being uploaded into the program. As for where they'll be able to feel anything while they're inside, I don't know. Like I said earlier, the program hasn't been tested yet and I'm no neurologist, much less the Ultimate Neurologist."

"That's fine. I wasn't expecting you to give me a concrete answer. It would've been quite surprising if you actually knew anything about that field of study."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"

"For now, let's just assume that a player's avatar doesn't feel anything. It would make the most sense, considering that it's virtual reality. However, just because the world inside isn't real doesn't mean it applies to everything else."

"… Huh?"

"Close your eyes."

"W-Why?"

"So I can perform an experiment."

"Wouldn't it be better if you show me instead of having my eyes closed?"

"…"

"If it's about privacy, I can turn my head or leave the room if you want. Just tell me how much time you'll need and I'll come back later."

"…"

"…"

"Don't you trust me?"

"W-What?… Of course I trust you. Why would you think I wouldn't?"

"Friends should trust each other… Those were your own words back at Hope's Peak Academy, correct?"

"Yes, I'd say that but it's… It's nothing like that… I do trust you but…"

"Are you worried that I would do something inappropriate?"

"What?! N-No! It's not that, it's just –"

"So it was?"

"Yes! I-I mean– No! I just don't want to be in the way if you needed to be alone!"

"Calm down. If I wanted to, I could've tried something. I had plently of opportunities to do so earlier."

"What?!"

"Tricked you. You really are easily fooled, Mr. Open Book."

"..."

"Aren't you going to close your eyes?"

"Oh… Right."

"Now then, I want you to imagine a person standing in front of you."

"Okay. Now what?"

"Now, imagine that person holding a knife."

"What!? Why?!"

"Trust me. You'll understand what I'm trying to do in a moment."

"Fine…"

"That person holding the knife points it at you with the intent to kill. What is your reaction?"

"I would be scared… Scared that my life is in danger and that person wants to kill me without explaining their reason…"

"Good. That's a normal reaction for human being whose life is in danger."

"U-Um…"

"Sorry. Let's continue. Now, that person has stabbed you in the abdomen with that knife. How do you feel?"

"I… Don't feel anything…"

"Try imagining the blade piercing your skin and entering your stomach."

"O-Okay…"

"How do you feel?"

"I feel… Fine. I don't want doubt your intuition, but are you sure you're doing this right?"

"Hmm..."

"Is there something wrong?"

"It's not the experiment that's wrong, but rather the constant."

"… Eh?"

"We'll need a stronger – no… A better constant if we want this experiment to work. We might need to change other parts as well."

"Okay, but how are we supposed to do that?"

"…"

"H-Hey, wait! Where are you taking me?!"

"We'lI need to go somewhere else for a while and I also need to gather a few things. You'll need to be lying down in order for this to work."

…

"Did you keep your eyes closed the entire time I was gone?..."

"You… Never told me to open them…"

"I was gone for more than five minutes. Did it ever occurred to you that your eyes would need a break?"

"I-I did! I just want to see if I could continue the experiment on my own while you are gone…"

"…"

"So, um… Can I open my eyes now? I don't know if I can do this for another five minutes…"

"Don't worry. This won't take long. It's better if you didn't see the things that I've brought with me. You'll understand better that way."

"Understand what better? …And what stuff do you bring with you?"

"… Things that will help with the experiment."

"…"

"Anyways, let's start over from the beginning to avoid any confusion. But before we do, there's something I need to do first. Hold still."

"Huh? Okay, but – H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Calm down. I'm doing this as a precaution to make sure you don't see anything."

"I know, but do you really have to blindfold me and... are theses handcuffs?! If it's about my eyes, I can keep them closed for as long as I can."

"For this to work, I need to be absolutely sure that you can't see anything that I'm doing. You also need to be restrained so that's why I'm handcuffing you. I would've used the rope but that could've hurted your wrists and ankles. You can open your eyes if you want, but I doubt you'll be able to see anything."

"Y-Yeah…"

"Before we begin, there something I want to ask you and I need you to be completely honest with your answer: Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I want to do this. Why'd you ask?"

"Because the next part in this experiment… Is going to be harder on you. Do you still want to take that risk?"

"I don't know what you're trying to tell me by doing this… But I know it's something I need to know if we want to be able to save them. If we want to move forward, danger can't be avoided. Isn't that what you told me back at Hope's Peak Academy?"

"…"

"…"

"So that's your answer, is it? I see… Very well. If you know the risk, then there's no point in trying to deter you any further. Now then, I want you to imagine that person holding the knife again."

"Okay. Should I imagine the person stabbing me again?"

"No, not just yet. This is where we apply another change to this experiment. Remember what I said earlier about the last one?"

"Yeah… Wasn't it about the control?"

"Correct. While we did had the sense of danger right, the person holding the knife didn't quite portray that feeling. In order to do that, we'll need to change the control entirely. That way, they'll have more of a significant impact on the person imagining them."

"So who should I imagine?"

"I'll tell you in a moment, I just wanted to set everything up before we continue."

"…"

"…"

"Are you still imagining that person pointing the knife at you?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"Because this time... I want you to imagine that person... as Sayaka Maizono."

"...!"

"It's the only way we can know for certain that this experiment will work."

"Why?... I don't understand. Why would you tell me to think about her... of all people."

"Keep your eyes closed. Don't change that image, not matter how much you want that person to be someone else."

"But why?..."

"The real Sayako Maizono is dead. The one in your mind is real as you want her to be."

"..."

"i know that I'm forcing you to remember something painful, but this isn't just for you. This is for the people who weren't brave enough to test the program. This is for the survivors of Hope's Peak Academy that you want to save. That is why you need to do this."

"..."

"Because just like after the first class trial, I still believe- even now- that you're a people who can overcome."

"..."

"..."

"...Fine...I get it. You believe in me just like I believed in you. If that's the case, then there's no way I can turn away from this...Right?"

"Yes... That's precisely the reason."

"I think I understand why you wanted me to do this. Because if I don't, then I won't know what you're trying to show me and I won't be able to help them. Sorry that I've been holding up your experiment. I just... needed to get my thoughts together. So let's continue on with it."

"Good. As I was saying before, Sayaka Maizono is pointing the knife at you. How do you feel?"

"I feel... scared and... betrayed. My friend is pointing a weapon at me and I don't know why. Does she really want to kill me? I have no way of knowing. I..I want to know why she would do such a thing so I can talk her out of it... but she... she..."

"Now, Sayaka stabs you with the knife. It plunges deep into your stomach. How does it feel?"

"It feels like... something is jabbed into my stomach and... it hurts... like fire in the pit of my stomach... I can hear the sound of something spilling on the floor... What is that...?

"It's the sound of your blood."

"...!"

"Don't move, Naegi."

"But I'm-!"

"Calm down. What you're feeling isn't real. The Sayaka Maizono in your mind isn't real. It only feels that way because you think she is."

"..."

"Now, Sayaka Maizono plunges the knife deeper into your stomach. How does it feel?"

"It... It hurts... It hurts! Sayaka! Why are you doing this?! S-Stop! You're killing me!"

"What you're feeling isn't real, Naegi. Sayaka Maizono isn't hurting you."

"But she is! She's killing me... and I can feel it...! I can feel the knife moving inside my stomach! Guh... Why does it hurt so much?"

"It shouldn't hurt at all. There isn't a knife inside your stomach and you're perfectly fine. Sayaka isn't hurting you and can't do so because she is no longer alive."

"But she is! How else did she get inside headquarters!? How else is she standing front of me!? How else is she killing me!?"

"..."

"P-Please! Explain this to me!"

"Sayaka twists the knife inside your stomach as she plunges it deeper."

"Gyaaaaah! S-S-Sayaka! W-Why are you doing this?! I thought we were friends! I was going to protect you... Were you using me, even after I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to you...?"

"..."

"Say something, Sayaka!"

"She can't hear you. The Sayaka Maizono killing you isn't real. She's only real as as you think she is."

"But... she is real... Because if the Sayaka Maizono I know isn't real... then why is she holding a knife?! Why is she stabbing me with it!? Why do I feel it inside my stomach!? Why do I feel myself losing blood!? Why did I... feel... so... tired...?"

"Tired...? Makoto, open your eyes! What you're feeling isn't real! Sayaka isn't killing you! It's just an illusion! The pain you're feeling is all in your mind! Makoto...?! Makoto! Makoto!"

...

Makoto Naegi felt like his eyelids weighed like a ton of bricks as he struggled to open them, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness that shone above him. Perhap it was the light of the sun. Additionally, he felt that his arms were heavier than his eyelids as he tried to rub the cobwebs out of his eyes. A warm – almost embracing – presence was wrapped around his body, the soft comfortness covering him from head to toe. Despite the unknown warmth and heaviness, Makoto couldn't find an answer to the question that lingered in his mind since he awoke: why? Searching through the foggy parts of his mind, he tried to recall the events from before he lost consciousness.

That's right. Kirigiri and I were talking about the Neo World Program. We were doing some experiment and Sayaka…

Makoto's mind came to a screeching halt.

Sayaka Maizono. His classmate from middle school and the first person to recognize him during the High School Life of Mutual Killing. She pointed a knife at him… She stabbed him… Looked at him and did nothing as he pleaded with her. No matter how much he asked for her reasoning and begged her to stop; she said nothing as she was killing him, intensifying the pain – of her betrayal and his death, as his life pooled at his feet. All of it and she did nothing as she watched him die with those eyes, those blue eyes – those cold, blue eyes staring at him like something that was supposed to be dead. Dead… Dead… Dead… Dead…

Dead.

I'm supposed to be dead, aren't I? Sayaka killed me, I know for certain. So where am I?...

His vision returned to a somewhat clear degree, Makoto focus his attention on the light above him. It was bright, like the sun on a sunny day (when was the last time he'd seen one of those, he wondered). It's light made it difficult for him to decipher the source of its radiance, and it didn't relent. Perhaps it was supposed to guide the deceased to the afterlife. Makoto recalled it from those romantic dramas and novels he enjoyed before he realized the world was in shambles– before he realized The Tragedy was at fault. He still had time to indulge in those things, despite the workload of the Future Foundation, but he never could find the opportunity to do so in the company of his friends, including Togami. Especially Togami. Makoto shuddered at the thought.

He stared at the light. For something that was supposed to guide him, it didn't look he was getting any closer to it. Similarily, it looked like it was doing the same. It just hung in the air, like a ball attached to a string. Was he perhaps trapped between two worlds? Like that boy who fell in love with a youkai in that book he read? Probably. Maybe he'll ask Sayaka or one of his other friends about it once he gets the other side. That is, if the first option didn't get him killed a second time.

If only if his body wasn't so heavy…

Makoto sighed. Maybe being stuck between two worlds was, in some small sense of resignment, for the better. He wouldn't – no, couldn't face Sayaka after what she had done. Even after he'd resolved to keep moving forward and never forget the past after her death, she didn't feel the same about his commitment. She must've felt that those words were hollow, empty like the promise that he couldn't fulfill when she depended on him, when she feared for the lives of her friends outside of Hope's Peak Academy and couldn't do anything about it, feared that she would be killed at any second by one of her classmates, feared that she could be trapped inside that school forever and she was powerless to do anything about it...

But in the end, it was all a lie. She wanted to use him to disguise her crime, and make him take the blame.

However, like a bad case of karma, it all backfired.

That must be the reason she came back. If her plan had succeeded back then, maybe she would've been alive and had reunited with her friends. God must've thought the same if He allowed Sayaka to return to the world of the living to kill him and deny him entrance to the afterlife, instead leaving him to drift between life and death for...who knows how long. Eternity? That would've been a suitable punishment, considering what Sayaka had gone through. Maybe that's why he felt so… willing to be stuck in this world, to have that light hover over him that wouldn't get any closer, to have this light breeze caress his face…

Wait a minute.

Light breeze…?

Makoto's eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. Dead people weren't supposed to feel anything, weren't they? That article he read a week ago was informative and up to date on the recent activity in the world – before society went to hell, that is. Heck, it was even written by a healthcare professional who taught at one the best universities in Japan (Kirigiri mentioned something about the author being from a psychological Institute). Despite the thoughts of "Do not read!", it seemed trustworthy enough so he figured, "Let's give this a shot," until he found a bookstore or library that remained unaffected by looters (or rather preverts looking for dirty magazines). "Preserving knowledge" or something similar he would say whenever he returned from a mission with the book in hand – and as many books his suit would conceal.

Nevertheless, it didn't take his mind off the strange breeze. It's source must be coming from that light above him – the entrance to heaven where a beautiful paradise awaited him, one that he could never reach. As if to see that paradise, Makoto squinted his eyes to see what was beyond the light. It was bright, and his eyes stung despite being open for… How long? – Five minutes, he guessed – but he persevered and glanced ahead. He couldn't exactly see what was beyond that glow, per se, but Makoto saw something throughout the brightness…

Blades.

Four blades, spinning together like a giant saw blade at a wood factory.

They hung over him. Their speed, too fast for the human eye to track, but not fast enough to make it impossible, made them look like a blur.

Makoto's heart sank into his chest. Why were there blades above him spinning? Had He sent him to the fiery depths of hell? Of course, it wasn't. He had thought that he was stuck between two worlds a moment ago. There weren't any pillars of fire or demon with horns holding a pitchfork, either. However, that thought didn't explain this strange breeze that kept hitting him. Focusing his vision, he peered at the hovering blades that practically spelled "death".

Wait… Those aren't blades. Are those… Pieces of wood? But why would they…

Makoto blinked; once, twice, as many times as he could until his vision was clear. Finally, his eyes were working the way he wanted. His vision clear, Makoto stared at the true identity of the blades...

A ceiling fan.

I must be in a room. But whose room is this, and how did I get here?

No use lying down if the answers weren't going to come to him, Makoto thought. He tried to rise up, but what little strength he had gathered left him and his body landed flat on his back. He expected to hit the floor but his back had landed on something soft. He must've been in a bed, cover in a blanket nonetheless. Figures. Why else would his "journey" to the afterlife be so comfortable? Still, it didn't explain why his body felt so heavy (maybe the gigantic blanket was heavy than it loooked)… And warm. Furthermore, his nostrils caught the strong, scent of lavender, almost intoxicating. It was as if the source of that smell was close… Really close… Like it was right next to him and –

Oh no…

Makoto's eyes slowly shifted to the left.

No… It couldn't be…

His body froze. Makoto didn't know the reason, but something in the back of his cerebral cortex told him not to look, no matter how much the feeling of curiosity pegs at his brain. Something was latched onto his left arm and it felt… Warm, like…

A living thing.

A living thing with a heartbeat.

He could feel it's pulse against his left arm, the heaviest part of his body. One. Two. Three. Four...

Makoto didn't need to be a scientist to connect the dots. Whatever was holding on him was alive and he didn't even know what it was. For all he knew, it could be some bloodthirsty animal waiting to tear at his flesh at any moment – even while he's contemplating this. Or perhaps some deranged killer holding him down with one hand while holding the knife in the other, all the while enjoying watching him squirm, waiting for the moment he did something; a movement, a mistake – anything before ending it all.

He wanted to ignore it and consider this all a dream – one realistic dream he hoped to wake up from, but that would be fooolish thinking. Tiredness, curiosity, fear, and a sense of danger melded into one, a feeling that could be the death of him if his judgment was wrong. He would be delaying the inevitable if he lied still, but that would mean giving into despair – something he couldn't bring himself to do.

Probably doing the stupidest thing in his life, he took a deep breath and turned his head.

…

What Makoto Naegi saw would forever be engraved in his mind.

He didn't see a bloodthirsty animal, nor a killer holding a knife…

But what he saw beside him...

Made him think that his title as the Ultimate Lucky Student...

Was a curse.

...

Hajime Hinata jolted out of bed, beads of sweat streaming down his forehead.

"...What the hell was that?"

...

A/N: So did you like the prologue? I tried my best to keep it professional but I also wanted to make it funny, even in situations like whether you're stuck in limbo, the situation that one of our protagonists of the story was in.

If you guys are confused about that or thought you missed something, well; Makato basically thought that he was wandering between life and death but was really in a room the entire time and was tired from sleep. As for the last part about who was beside him, I'll leave that to you to think about until I get the next chapter out, where I will reveal the identity of the mystery person.

As for that last bit about Hajime: He'll be in the story. He's the main character and he was listed as one in the description. Remember, this is only the prologue so you'll be seeing more of him next chapter.

Please leave a review and/or critism. It is welcomed since this Mellow Dias was too busy to write anything.

Until next chapter, everyone.