Gonta 1: Traveling by the Moon

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Arita; September 16th, 1994

Gonta woke up around ten that evening, stretching and taking a drink from his canteen. The moon shone down on him brightly and he smiled a bit. Even though the view was pleasant, he knew he had to hurry and get moving again, for they had discovered him and were after him.

He knew that because he had a dream last night and Chihiro had told him. Dreams were awfully funny things at times, weren't they? Chihiro couldn't talk at all because he was deaf-mute, yes he was! That's why he wrote down everything and Gonta couldn't read it. In this dream, though, Chihiro had been dressed like one of those farmer-types Gonta saw on TV sometimes; worn jeans and rugged boots and a purple checkered shirt with that gold chain he got when they first met. And he had been talking.

Chihiro had said: "If I were ya, I'd be hittin' that road a lot faster now. They know 'bout ya, but that ain't your fault. You did everything right. It's just a stroke of bad luck, all it is. You gotta keep movin' north, but stay off the road. Be careful, alright?"

Gonta had nodded in understanding, but also asked how he was supposed to keep track of the location so he didn't accidentally wander around in circles all night.

"Over there," Chihiro pointed straight ahead. "There's a bridge. You'll know it when ya see it. Big and stuff. Once ya see it..." His voice had trailed off then and he played with his necklace.

Gonta quickly got back onto his bicycle and pedaled off, quickly heading in the direction of the bridge. Even by four that morning when it was nearing time to rest, the bridge still seemed several miles off in the distance. What did he do when he finally reached it tomorrow?

He shook his head and prepared himself for sleep. Chihiro would be able to tell him. Sweet, reliable Chihiro. He always knew everything and would help him out again.

Gonta slept curled up.

Junko stood out on her balcony, wearing a dark red ensemble that featured fishnets, torn jeans, and a see-through blouse to expose her bra. She anxiously tapped her long nails against the railing of her balcony. The breeze blew nicely against her recently-curled hair. There was a lot of wide open space on the island now, perfect for someone to get lost in. That didn't bother her though.

She had a strong feeling, desire, to catch Gonta and make him pay. Why though? She was the strongest person in Japan, never mind the world. Even if he managed to get back to his community, all he would tell them would just sink them further and further into despair. Tales about how strong and powerful she was, how her people obeyed her every whim...!

So why was she so keen on having Gonta captured?

Maybe because you clearly deserve it. You get everything you deserve.

Then there was the issue of Hajime. He was buddy-buddy with practically everyone in the city, and that was no good. He was starting to know things, learn about things he shouldn't, like the Red List. She should boil Shinguji alive for that...!

If I had just known about it-

"Shut up!" She screamed, hurling her glass down below. "Shut up!"

But why hadn't she told him? He was her right-hand man, she could always trust him, right? Whatever decision she came up with sounded good at the time, it must've, otherwise she wouldn't have done it. Yet she couldn't remember what it actually was.

She slammed her hands down on the railing. Makeup. Nail polish. New shoes. Shopping spree! Those things always helped cheer her up when she was upset. Soon she'd be thinking clearly again.

"They're coming for you,"

Junko whirled around at the sudden sound of a voice, finding Mukuro standing there in a virginal white puffy gown with long lacy sleeves and a high neck. A matching bow was tied in her hair and she wore blue and white makeup to wash her face out. She looked like a ghost, especially as she stepped delicately on her cream stockinged feet.

"They're coming for you, they are. The spirits told me so. Big Brother Makoto Naegi, Big Brother Leon Kuwata, Big Brother Kaito Momota, Big Brother Yasuhiro Hagakure. They're coming, and they'll gut you like a piece of sashimi," She hugged herself and shivered.

"They ain't here though, are they? No! They're still at Hope's Peak, cowering and praying over the spirit of their dead blind cunt," Junko snapped. Her older sister's voice had taken on a familiar tone she decided she hated.

"No. They're halfway here...and then they'll kill you...I think. They'll kill you and cut your head off like a paper flower," She stared straight ahead. "They'll be here soon."

"Go back downstairs, Big Sister!" Junko ordered.

"Yes, I will. With you. With everyone," She stepped closer and smiled a cold smile, so different from the lust-filled ones she usually had around her. "You'll go down too, down with me. Born together, die together."

"If you don't stop-!"

"Let's all go down together, let's all go down together, oh my, we'll all go down together!~" She sung in a horribly off-key way, spinning around and smiling. Her dress twirled around her waist.

"They're in Hope's Peak, you ugly, stupid wench!" Junko cried.

"Almost here."

"Get back downstairs! I'll call your husband to personally carry you there if you don't stop!"

"Everything you've made is falling apart. Makes sense. Despair needs to be fueled, while hope always blossoms. Hope will always win out over despair in the end, always. It was obvious from the start. You let a simple-minded boy; a child really, escape from your supposed great clutches. Your weapons expert has gone crazy and people are worried whatever he brings back from the military bases will be for them and not those in the east. People are leaving, Junko-chan, did you know that?" She tilted her head. "They're leaving because they don't believe in despair anymore,"

"No they're not. You're just lying," Junko's voice was barely above a whisper. "I'd know it if it was true,"

"They leave at night. They abandon their posts. They laugh at you because you cannot see them all of the time. They think hope will win in this fight, and you'll lose. And the few that do remain here won't help you during your inevitable fall-"

"You are a filthy fucking liar!" Junko suddenly screamed, feeling something in her snap. She charged at Mukuro and grabbed her wrists, pinning her arms hard down by her sides. She leaned over the railing slightly and pushed Mukuro down, giving her a hard shove. She saw the relieved smile and the life return back to her eyes as she fell; everything happening slowly. Triumph appeared on her face then, and Junko suddenly realized she had been tricked into doing it, Mukuro intentionally angered her so that she'd be freed from everything-

And she was still carrying her niece.

Horrified at what she had done, Junko leaned forward and tried to grab at Mukuro's skirt hem, only to rip the thin fabric off and stared at it in her hand. Like a dreamy cloud; almost, the stuff one walks on in dreams. All she could do was stand there with her mouth open, leaning forward as she watched Mukuro silently plummeting down to the ground. She didn't scream. Ironically, she almost looked like a bird there, spreading out her white wings and taking flight in the sky.

Then she heard the hard thud her body made on the pavement below and started to scream herself.

It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore!

A group of people all came running to the body to try and figure out what happened, making Junko laugh and cry at the same time. They were like stupid little ants, braindead and running around, while she stood above them all; a giant, their queen.

She continued to laugh.

I killed my sister. I killed my sister. I killed my sister.

And laugh and laugh and laugh.

Gonta woke up that night around eight, feeling good again. It was still too bright out to move, so he waited in the shade. Chihiro had appeared in his dream again, riding bikes with him in the countryside and laughing and talking. It felt good to talk to Chihiro.

He watched the stars beginning to rise and thought about how much he missed vanilla ice cream. Maybe there'd be some for him at Hope's Peak, cold and creamy and fresh, hard enough to break a spoon in. He could gorge himself on all that once he returned, and bask in the love of his friends. Because that's what was missing in New Nagasaki, he realized then. Everyone there was nice enough, but they didn't love each other. They were all too afraid to love. And nothing could grow right in the dark.

"Gonta loves everyone, he does!" He whispered to himself. "Chihiro-kun and Sayaka-san and Makoto-san and Kaede-san and Seiko-san. Gonta also loves Leon-san and Kaito-kun and Yasuhiro-san. And Himiko-chan too!" It was strange how easily their names all came to him then when he oftentimes had trouble remembering even Makoto's or Kaito's whenever they came to visit. His thoughts then turned to the bugs he knew liked to stay in his terrariums, lured by food and allowed to come and go freely. Was someone there still taking care of them? He felt as though when he returned, he'd still enjoy watching bugs, but somehow wanting to keep them forever didn't sound so appealing anymore.

Once it was fully dark, Gonta got back onto his bicycle once more and silently set off, glancing behind him to see a group of moving lights in the distance. They were looking for him now, he definitely knew that. He would be safe though.

He pedaled all through the night, clearing close to forty miles after it was time to rest again. He was finally past the bridge and was about to arrive at another island. He made a pillow for himself using his jacket.

In his dream, him and Chihiro were walking along a peaceful beach, Chihiro dressed in a sheer white sundress and matching hat. He gasped and ran ahead, picking up a large purple shell.

"Gonta knows about those! You can hear ocean with one!" Gonta announced happily, making Chihiro laugh. He did indeed put it up to his ear.

"I can hear it! I can hear the ocean! Or is it just 'cuz I'm standin' close by it?" He laughed again. The warm breeze ruffled his dress and hair. The necklace was still being worn.

"Gonta love Chihiro-kun's company! Gonta can't wait to go back home and see him again!" He grinned; though he frowned in the real world.

Chihiro froze. The waves washed their footprints away. Hard tears formed in his eyes, and he turned away from Gonta without another word.

It was almost ironic, in a way. Here he was, wandering the southern part of the island, soaked from the heavy rains and relentless humidity. His clothes weren't helping; dressing in black leather with that silver chain slowly swinging at his neck from side to side, his nails painted bright red and sharply manicured in a weird imitation of Junko's own; no mitten to cover it anymore. He threw away the necklace though, it was made for someone far more worthy than him. He was just lowly trash by that point.

He found friends, at long last, after everything he had to endure; Hajime and Souda and even Teruteru. He was forced to leave them all behind, and why? Because everything had been royally messed-up.

Nagito couldn't even really recall what had happened during his last visit to the landing strip. Maybe that disease of his was finally taking toll on his brain and eating it alive. He just remembered everyone being proud and amazed as they examined through his latest findings, and even he was starting to feel proud over them as well. Someone started to mock him though, and laugh, and he felt his features darken and he dashed off, wiring the helicopters and trucks nearby with dynamite on their insides. They'd explode the moment they sense motion; hooked-up to a motion detector. One of his old friends back at the special school taught him about that one.

The first explosion was beautiful in its own way, and he knew the helicopters would be too if they ever got the chance to fly them. They deserved it too, for not taking advantage of the talents and hope given to them.

After the high of the explosion died down, though, Nagito cringed inwardly.

What was he doing?! Destroying the Empress' property like that, ruining her chances of crushing despair for good, what was he doing? And what for? And why? And what if the Empress herself learned of it?

So he fled and drove his Go-Kart out into the wilderness, seeing green lands stretch out as far as the eye could see. He waited; originally Nagito had just planned to light himself on fire and kill himself right then and there, but found himself unable to go through with it.

One day, upon awakening, one word finally dawned in his mind; redemption. Was such a thing possible? If not redemption, then atonement?

If he wished for redemption, he had to please the Empress, and to please the Empress would be to bring back something big, something huge, something far more destructive than just a few sticks of dynamite.

Japan didn't have much in the way of military or defense, but the Americans still planted military bases down everywhere and in those bases...there could be something. No atomic bombs or anything of that sort there, but that hardly mattered. There could still be some of the Despair Disease left over at Code Green, but plague was one of those funny killers that destroyed everyone in its path without a care. Junko didn't want something like that.

Being drawn to a nearby location, somehow exactly knowing what he needed, Nagito pumped the speed to his tiny little Go-Kart as fast as it could physically go, speeding down the empty roads.

After another day, he reached his location and got out.

Normally the place would be guarded at least lightly, perhaps with a fence around it. This one, though, had no fence, and all of the possible guards had died months ago. Nagito stepped closer, still feeling a sense of hesitance.

He stepped inside and took a look around, his eyes widening in shock and delight when he saw the parking area.

Nestled by the aide of an armored barracks were several green tanks, all heavily-armed.

"Perfect," Nagito whispered to himself, running over to one. "This must be...it.." He gasped a bit and started coughing heavily, falling to his knees. He grabbed at his throat before the sensation finally passed and he was left panting.

He had to bring the tank back soon, before his disease finally killed him.

Hajime was standing in his room, back to the door, wearing a black mourning suit as he poured lemon juice into a glass full of orange juice. He had hair long enough to tie back back into a ponytail; which he had at that moment, and took a sip of his homemade drink. He glanced over at the door upon hearing footsteps, seeing it was Fuyuhiko and a 'servant' of his named Peko Pekoyama.

"Don't knock or anything," Hajime rolled his eyes.

"Your door was open, I assumed that meant anyone could just freely walk in," Fuyuhiko snapped back, stepping in further. He was dressed like a stereotypical mobster with a black eyepatch over one eye. He only ever told Hajime that the price for losing Kizakura was his sister's life and his own eye, both claimed by Junko. "Fuck are you even doin'?"

"I got thirsty and bored and wanted to see which of these combinations tasted good," He said.

"Is she here?" Fuyuhiko asked instead, his voice steady.

"Nope, she's out again. Don't think she'll be back for a while either," He poured in some lime juice. "Besides, aren't you out trying to find Gokuhara-san?"

"I'm about to head out," Fuyuhiko finally shut the bedroom door and walked over, motioning to the red sun. "Don't know why she's so fuckin' adamant over it. No matter how hard we search, we can't find shit. He might manage to completely evade us at this rate,"

"I say let him go, I don't think he's got anything useful to say about us anyway," He offered Fuyuhiko some tea and he sipped at it. Hajime then glanced over at Peko, eyeing him sharply from the door. He always hated the dead look in her eyes; it was creepier than Mukuro's somehow. Mukuro's was of a light that burned out. Peko's was of a light never lit. Her silver hair was worn in a messy side ponytail and she wore a sloppy silver-white suit with a sword at her side and a green dragon imprinted on the back of her jacket like a mock yakuza tattoo. Ryouhei always wanted to get one of those, he suddenly remembered.

"I think she's starting to lose it." Hajime continued after a while. "First Kirigiri evades her, then Gokuhara. Then her own sister falls from the balcony. Somehow I bet that wasn't in her plan," He sipped some tea as well.

"I don't think you should speak so lightly of crap like that. Wasn't she your wife?" Fuyuhiko scolded.

"Not by choice," Hajime grumbled. "Don't even get me started on Servant. Trying to blow up half this damn place! Everything was going so perfectly for her, yet everything fell apart when that little girl died at Hope's Peak,"

Fuyuhiko glanced over at Peko again and sighed heavily. "Look, I'm gonna just come right out and say this. I'm telling you because before all this crap happened, you tried to make it with my family. I respect that," He lowered his voice to a whisper. "A few of us aren't feeling so hot about this place anymore and we're thinking about leaving. Me and Peko obviously, Nidai, Oowari, probably Koizumi too...I'm telling you this because...would you like to come with us?"

"Where are you guys going?" Hajime turned to face him entirely.

"Don't know," He shrugged. "Australia I guess, that seems far enough. Some others are thinking of heading to China, or South Korea, or Russia. But I think Australia is good enough for me,"

"I wish you luck, then. And as an old favour, I'm not going to tell her your plans," Hajime put a hand on his shoulder.

"You ain't comin'?!" He asked in surprise.

"No. I've been with her since the start. She saved me from a bad situation, and I literally owe my life to her, as much as I hate to admit that," He winced. "Still, Koizumi-san? She was one of the first...I can't believe she's actually thinking about it,"

"I did say maybe," Fuyuhiko started to turn and head towards the door. "Well, let me know if ya ever change your mind. You could be my second-in-command,"

Hajime nodded. "I'm sure everything will work out for the both of us,"

Peko suddenly ran over to him, her white heels clicking loudly on the tile. She bowed deeply to him and gave him a pleased expression, the first emotion he had ever seen on her face.

"Thank you. Thank you for doing this for us," She said before she followed Fuyuhiko out.

Somehow, Hajime felt a pleasant smile come to his face afterwards.

Gonta made his camp early in the morning on the border of where Kyushu turns into Honshu. That particular morning was chilly enough for him to see his breath and shiver slightly. Despite that, though, he felt strangely energized, and thought about the previous night when he had to try and sneak through another camp.

Three men were all sitting around a campfire, all holding guns. The campfire was a small sputter by then, but it was still light enough to easily see by. He somehow knew immediately they were looking for him, why else would people just randomly camp out in the middle of nowhere with weapons?

Trying to sneak past them, Gonta kept his steps light and quick, suddenly thankful the moon was hidden behind the clouds. He was a few feet behind the camp and knew if the moon came out his cover would be blown. He continued to tiptoe around, accidentally skidding on some looser grass and falling down the hill, taking some rocks with him. He rolled down and hit the bottom hard.

"What was that?" One of the men asked, and the other two quickly got their guns at the ready, glancing around. Gonta froze, halfway through getting up. He silently pleaded with the moon to remain covered, as he hadn't fallen that far and would still be spotted. He closed his eyes as he felt warm urine dripping down his pants and dribbling into the grass.

"I think it was just some kind of animal. A fox or something. They've been running around this place loose, like crazy," The second man grumbled, setting his gun down.

"I think maybe we should still investigate," The third said nervously, blinking.

"It's probably gone by now," The first shrugged, and that was the end of that. Gonta managed to stand up slowly and continued to quietly sneak around, hoping they wouldn't change their minds. He hadn't fallen anywhere offtrack, so there was that at least. Soon their campfire was just a tiny speck in the distance before completely vanishing in the next hour, and Gonta allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief.

He wasn't entirely out of danger yet, even he knew that, yet it didn't feel as urgent as it had prior. Once the sun had started to come up, he began making camp.

"Starting to get cold out here, even for Gonta...want some blankets.." He said to himself before sleep easily came and completely overtook him like it always did.

He dreamed of Chihiro again; wearing that fancy kimono he liked to wear to official town meetings. Chihiro was twirling around in a park, not taking notice of him.

"Chhiro-kun?" He tried calling out, making Chihiro look over at him and laugh.

"You've been doin' a real bang-up job, kid. Doin' everything I've said,"

"Of course Gonta help you! Gonta love helping others!" Gonta explained, making him laugh again. The dream started to fade away, the colours overly-bright.

"There's one last thing ya gotta do. I can't tell ya yet, but it's real important," Chihiro whispered before walking off, standing next to a swingset.

By the swingset was a woman with long brown hair and a nice red kimono, pushing a little girl with pierced ears. The little girl cheered happily while the woman giggled, Chihiro looking on the scene proudly.

Gonta stood there for a moment, wondering why the scene felt strange, before he caught sight of the little girl's hazel eyes.

He woke up in the evening with a great sense of longing he wasn't sure he fully understood.

That next night, Chihiro didn't come to his dreams at all.

Having isolated herself in the wilderness on the evening of the seventeenth, Junko began to think and think. Take in her surroundings. She knew every time she used her super amazing wonderful analytical physic power, it took a lot out of her, but she found she didn't particularly care that night. Dressed in a simple white and green peasant gown with a low-cut blouse and charm necklace, she began to think as she closed her eyes.

Soon, she felt as though the very ground she sat on had changed from a marshy grassland to a simple asphalt road. She shivered despite herself from the sudden chill. She leaned her head forward slightly and 'saw' them, four figures asleep next to a burnt-out campfire. So they were indeed coming. For once, her dumb bitch of an older sister told her truth. They even had a dog with them, how adorable.

Having seen everything she needed to see, she opened her eyes and held her head unsteadily as a sudden wave of vertigo washed over her. Junko fell down on the ground, gasping. She then rolled over onto her back.

She figured it was the little girl who told them to come. How pathetic, they were like her slaves. If she was laying there dying in her bed and she told them to kill themselves, would they still do it? She bet they would.

She laughed as she sat up. What fools they were, what glorious fools! Marching right into the center of her land, probably thinking they could kill her! All in the name of hope!

All she had to do was just chop their heads off and hang them up on spikes right in front of her hotel. She'd gather her whole group of followers up and make them look upon those four heads, making sure they knew that was what happened when one threw their life and sense away to chase after something as trivial as hope. She'd even take pictures and send them out.

No, wait, five heads. She'd stick the dog's head up there too.

Junko started to laugh for the first time since Mukuro goaded her into pushing her off the balcony.

In the morning, she called up all of the patrol teams and informed them to double up their security. Instead of looking for a man going east, they were instead looking for four men and a dog going west. If they were found, they were to be taken alive at all costs. Absolutely all costs.

Junko smiled to herself. She needed to get a new dress made for the occasion.