A/N: This is my first stab at a Danganronpa fiction. It's mainly going to focus on the interactions between Makoto and Kyoko during the first game. There will be one chapter per game chapter, so I anticipate there will be about 8 chapters of this fiction. I'm not going to promise any update schedule; whenever it gets updated, it gets updated. Enjoy!

Hope's Peak: The Ultimate Detective and the Ultimate Hope

Prologue

What? Where...where am I?

A boy with messy brown hair drowsily raised his head off of the wooden desk, trying to get a sense of where he was.

I remember walking into Hope's Peak, then nothing…

He looked around and observed that he was in a classroom with a blackboard at the front, yellow and orange spotted walls, surveillance cameras, and metal plates covering the windows. He felt a shiver of dread tingle down his spine as he thought about the cameras and the metal plates. Still bewildered, he looked at the clock in front of him, and blanched at the time.

"Agh! It's 8:00 already? I'd better get to the main hall!"

He rushed out the door, finding himself in a purple hallway.

"Hello?!"

All he could hear though was his own echo reverberate through the corridor. Perplexed, he decided to walk through the halls, trying every door he could access. To his dismay, every door was locked tight.

"Ok, this is strange. Why would a school have its classrooms locked?"

Eventually he came across an open doorway with a green stick figure above the entrance. He beamed at a possible lead.

Could this be the main hall? One way to find out…

Gathering his courage, he stepped into the doorway. On the other side, he saw a circular metal door with a group of students centered around it. After being greeted by one of the other students, he shyly spoke to everyone "Um...hi. My name's Makoto Naegi."

After some fuss from some of the others about how it wasn't the time for introductions, everyone started to introduce themselves to Makoto. They all seemed friendly and odd in their own way, but one student in particular stuck out to him. Makoto slowly walked up to a stoic girl with lavender hair and piercing purple eyes. He held out his hand and started "Um...hi."

The girl however remained silent, as though unwilling to acknowledge Makoto. He decided to try again.

"Um...can I ask you your name?"

After a brief pause, without even turning to face Makoto, the girl quietly answered "My name is Kyoko Kirigiri."

Since she refused to shake his hand, Makoto let it drop and tried to make small talk.

"Um...so what are you doing at this school?"

At this, Kyoko turned her head just enough to glare in his direction, retorting "What's that supposed to mean?"

At this Makoto, stepped back and waved his hands frantically, trying to do damage control since he had inadvertently offended the stoic student.

"Oh no no, I didn't mean anything by it, honest! I just meant...getting invited here means you're some kind of ultimate something, right? So what ultimate something are you?"

Finding his attempts at making small talk amusing, she smirked and retorted "Why should I tell you?"

Um...because I want to get ot know my classmates…

"Well, I guess you don't have to tell me..."

Kyoko smirked again and replied "No, I don't have to tell you. So I'm not going to."

Wow, talk about Fort Knox…

Makoto watched as she walked away, finding himself both frustrated and intrigued by Kyoko Kirigiri.

Why on earth is that girl so secretive?

Makoto huffed and went back to making small talk with the other students with varied success. Just as they began discussing the mystery of how they all ended up unconscious without any of their possessions, a childish voice rang through the halls.

"To all incoming students, I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at...right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience."

Makoto felt a chill of dread envelop him during the announcement. He didn't know who wa son the other end of that speaker, but he could tell that it was someone he should be very afraid of. It was a sentiment everyone else seemed to share. While a handful of students had left, most were still paralyzed with indecision until Kyoko spoke up.

"Just staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on around here?"

The Ultimate Martial Artist Sakura concurred, and everyone else mumbled their agreement.

I guess she's right. But I'm still kinda...no, I'm really nervous.

Trying to overcome his nerves, Makoto asked "They said to go to the gym, right?"

Kyoko nodded and walked off. Makoto soon followed, not wanting to be left alone. The shy, nervous boy closely tailed Kyoko as they walked through the purple hallway to the gymnasium. She noticed Makoto following her like an obedient puppy, but said nothing. For Makoto's part, despite how her stoic nature was socially off putting, in the face of such uncertainty and potential danger, her iron mask gave Makoto a sense of security.

It wasn't until they reached the yellow room between the hallway and the gym that she turned on her heel and faced Makoto. He gulped in nervousness and fear. Kyoko took pity on him and rested her hand on his shoulder, causing Makoto to look up in surprise. Her purple eyes glowed with a hint of warmth as she spoke to him.

"Relax, Makoto. Take a deep breath. I know how you feel, but...all we can do now is check it out, right?"

Makoto's fears were by no means alleviated, but he could feel the pressure lessening with her words. He nodded and breathed in before walking in the gymnasium, Kyoko following behind him.

As soon as everybody was standing in the gymnasium, the doors slammed shut, making Makoto jump. Before he could shout, a black and white teddy bear with half of a terrifying grin jumped onto the podium, startling Makoto.

A teddy bear?

Then, as if by magic, the teddy bear came to life, speaking with a voice that left Makoto quaking.

"I know what you're all thinking and no, I'm not a high-tech Build-a-Bear reject. I...am...Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster. Nice to meet ya!"

My god; it's the voice from the announcement!

Makoto quietly shuffled into Kyoko's shadow, trying to use her stoic aura as a shield against Monokuma's fear inducing voice. Kyoko huffed at Kyoko's cowardice and rolled her eyes but otherwise said nothing. Monokuma then went into a short speech about how all the students would live at Hope's Peak for the rest of their lives. Everyone was baffled and except for Makoto and Kyoko, complained. Makoto for his part shook with fear.

Forever? But then...Mom...Dad...Komaru...I'd never see them again?

Makoto felt like crying; to be permanently separated from his family, it was the worst torture he could possibly imagine. Before tears could flow however, he perked up at Monokuma's revelation that there was one way to be able to leave.

"You must kill someone if you want to leave."

Makoto blanched at the revelation. He suddenly wished he hadn't gotten his hopes up.

To kill? To...murder? What kind of madman puts that in a handbook?

Makoto felt like crying again. Mondo on the other hand had a different approach. He charged at Monokuma and grabbed him around the neck, shouting about how he'd rip him apart. Monokuma ranted back about how violence against him was a violation of school rules, but then went silent, a rhythmic beeping replacing his childlike voice.

While everyone else was confused as to what was going on, Kyoko's purple eyes widened in realization as she shouted to Mondo "Watch out! Get rid of it! Hurry up and throw it!"

Stunned at her authoritative presence, Mondo quickly threw Monokuma up in the air, just in time for it to explode a safe distance away. Makoto quaked in fear and instinctively wrapped his arms around the nearest person he could find for safety. In this case; Kyoko. Kyoko huffed again but didn't force him off of her.

With all that's been happening, I can't exactly blame the boy for acting scared…

Makoto started to hyperventilate from the panic rising in him.

At least...at least now Monokuma is destroyed…

Alas, his relief was short-lived, for another Monokuma immediately jumped out, filling Makoto with fear and causing him to tighten his grip on Kyoko. Monokuma then went on to explain with glee about how future rule violations would be dealt with much more violently. With a lot of fanfare, the robotic bear then disappeared, leaving everyone with their thoughts and their new handbooks.

Makoto whimpered in fear and distress at everything that had been revealed. For Kyoko on the other hand, her patience had run out with Makoto's clinging. She finally forced Makoto off of her and exclaimed "Everyone, we need to just calm down."

Makoto winced as he hit the ground, getting the sense that despite her saying everyone, the remark was mostly aimed towards him.

Kyoko paced and continued "First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma said, we essentially have two choices. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a communal life together until we die. And the other choice is..."

Makoto didn't need everyone's exclamations to feel the dread from the obvious answer. He looked around at everyone, dread and despair flowing through his body.

This...this is real, isn't it? Am...am I going to die here?