Beta-Reader: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)

Chapter 3: Natsumi's Nerve, Mahiru's Musing

Hope's Peak Academy

Reserve Course Building

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Lunch Break

Natsumi Kuzuryu couldn't stand the Reserve Course students. All of them were just so… simplistic. None of them had any desire to be more than what they were now. It didn't matter what part of Hope's Peak that they were part of as long as it was Hope's Peak name that they could put on their transcripts. Didn't they know what this school was all about? It was about the talented people, the really important people, not them, the plain and boring people. Were they idiots or did they lack ambition? Probably both, she'd wager. These normal kids had absolutely nothing she wanted from them. They could all just bite her for all she cared.

She hated the Reserve Course. It was a mere shadow in the face of the Main Course. Those kids were the real deal. They were what she wanted to be a part of. That was where she belonged.

And yet she was here.

For the first few days of being in the Reserve Course, she talked to nobody, and no one talked to her, just how she wanted it to be. She was formulating a way to get into the Main Course. She didn't have time to waste on the worthless. All that being said, she still hadn't come up with a plan that sounded reasonable or possible. She had considered so many avenues, none of them very promising due to how violent they could get. Violence alone didn't bother her, but she wasn't stupid. She could get expelled if she did something like that here.

If she wanted to get into the Main Course, she would have to play by Hope's Peak Academy's rules, as annoying as that was.

Natsumi furrowed her brow and blew out a breath from her mouth. A few students looked her way, and she glared daggers at them, something that made all eyes look somewhere else, anywhere other than her. She knew that her reputation among the Reserve Course students was at the very least awkward if not outright terrible. Everyone knew the name Kuzuryu and anyone who valued their life would stay out of her hair.

Scheming aside, she wished that she could be with him right now. The two of them could blabber on and on about something interesting. With Fuyuhiko, she could always count on her boredom going away; whether one of them or both of them did something or some external force did something, there was never a dull moment when he was around.

She scanned the room which she was in.

That's when she spotted another boy dressed immaculately in his Reserve Course uniform. There wasn't anything remarkable about him nor was there anything undesirable about him. Just like most of the other students here, he was average-looking, and that meant he was likely average internally too, but it wasn't his looks or what she thought was inside that caught her attention.

Instead of socializing with the others in the class or trying to interact, he sat alone at the back of the class, staring at the Main Course building.

Natsumi had done more than her fair share of staring at the building where the Main Course students studied, and she most definitely knew that look. It was a look of longing and admiration. So close, but so far.

She made up her mind. She got off the wall she was leaning on and walked towards the brown-haired boy.

"Hey, you." She tried to get his attention, but he didn't even notice her as he stared out the window.

Okay, maybe his staring was more intense than hers.

"Hey, fuckwit." She bonked him over the head.

"Ow." He grunted, though he didn't sound too hurt. "What the hell?"

"If you keep staring at the main building, you're gonna burn a hole in it." Natsumi crossed her arms. "So, what's your deal?"

He glowered at her like she had insulted him. She took note of that.

"And why do you care?" He challenged her back. "The way you introduced yourself to the class seemed to give off the impression that you wanted nothing to do with any of us."

"I'm bored honestly." Natsumi shrugged. "You don't look like you've got friends either. That makes two of us. So, you got a name?"

"It's Hajime Hinata." He stated.

"Man, that's a boring name. I bet I could find ten people with that exact name too." Natsumi wrinkled her nose. "Seriously, that's your name?"

"Yeah, that's my name, and thanks for reminding me about how painfully average I am." Hajime growled at her words.

He called his name painfully average, as if he wasn't proud of being average. Did that mean he wanted to be a part of the Main Course too? Of course he did she surmised.

"Well, at least you've got enough sense to steer clear of these losers." Natumi could only gesture to the rest of their class. "A waste of space if you ask me."

"You've got high standards." Hajime remarked, chewing on his sandwich. "Not everyone does."

"They're not worthy of my attention." Natsumi declared haughtily. "I am a member of the Kuzuryu Yakuza Clan. So is my brother; we're better than anyone here by a longshot."

"Wait, the Kuzuryu Clan?" He reeled back. "You're one of them?"

"Oh, yeah." She smirked proudly. "My bro's the Super High School Level Yakuza."

"... that's a talent?"

"School said so, so hell yeah."

"I'm guessing that people skills aren't your forte." Hajime deadpanned. "I can barely get through this conversation. Everyone else would probably just stop listening at this point. You really ought to tone it down."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not taking your advice." Natsumi sneered and rolled her eyes. "Why would I want to talk to anyone who's not at my level?"

Yes, this Hajime kid was different from the others. Somehow, he was unafraid of her

"Well, your attitude is one-of-a-kind, I'll give you that." The brown-haired boy observed. "But do you even have a plan to get into the Main Course?"

"It's really simple." The blonde-haired girl scoffed. "All I have to do is prove that I'm worthy, and what better way than to get one of the Ultimates out of the picture?"

Natsumi was fully aware that not all Ultimates were created equally. Some had more useful talents than others. She had heard there was a thing called the Super High School Level Lucky Student, a high-school selected by a lottery. That wasn't a talent no matter how it was sliced. On the other hand, her brother's status meant something. People feared the Kuzuryu family, and with good reason. Why not used the family name to inspire a sliver of fear into some hearts?

"You clearly haven't thought this through." Hajime critiqued her without any hesitation. "Hope's Peak won't tolerate students bashing skulls in."

"Well, it's a lot more than what you've got." She wouldn't stand for this affront, even knowing the futility of what she proposed. "All you've got is a gloomy face. That's pathetic."

"You're wrong." He looked at his desk longingly. "I've got… friends in the Main Course."

"You?" That was hard for her to believe. "Yeah, and flying pigs exist along with the tooth fairy."

He shrugged. "Believe it or not if you want, but it's true."

"Hmph." She scowled.

The two teenagers had a bit of a staredown. It had been some time since Natsumi had experienced anything like this. Most people were wary of her at the very least and scared at the very worst. Hajime had at least some balls. Not many people did.

"How about actually making some friends in the Main Course rather than taking them down?" Hajime suggested, albeit warily. "You'd be better off."

"Unlike some people, I'm not a goody two-shoes who believes in peace and happiness all the damn time." Natsumi just looked away from him in disgust.

"...why do you care so much about getting into the Main Course?"

That was a question that she expected him to ask much earlier in their conversation. It was a somewhat unoriginal question, but it was an important one all the same, and for once, she wasn't inclined to turn away.

"I think you know perfectly well." Natsumi's edge began to ebb. "Talented people hang with each other. That's just how the world works. My brother is the Ultimate Yakuza. I need to be in the Main Course to be able to stand beside him. If you don't have anything special, you get left behind, that's the bottom line."

Her hands gripped the edge of the desk she was sitting on. She wanted to hit something really hard. She had called herself weak, and the Yakuza didn't do that, lest they wish to die young and in pain. It was worse that she bared one of her insecurities to a stranger that she hardly knew. Maybe the fact that he was average and forgettable made it okay.

"...I get it." Hajime sounded more than sympathetic. "The feeling of a greater destiny, the feeling that you're better than what you've got. I look at the Main Course and I wonder why I can't be one of them. I know that I can be better than normal."

Natsumi inclined her head towards Hajime, and she noted his stiff posture as he sat, his restrained frustration behind his eyes, his clenched fists. There on his features was a face that spoke of a desire which mirrored her own.

It was the desire to rise and become a someone.

"Mahiru!" An overly familiar voice sounded. Sato

"Sato." Another familiar voice. Mahiru. "I'm still here. Nothing's changed."

Natsumi felt ire rise up. That worthless photographer and her lovestruck lapdog were always an unwelcome sight. If those two didn't get the hell out of her sight and out of her range of hearing-

"Everything okay?"

Natsumi remembered that she was talking to Hajime, and in act that could only be called uncharacteristic, she felt her resentment leave.

"...it's nothing."

It wasn't worth her energy.

Hope - - -Despair

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Early Afternoon

Mahiru Koizumi looked through her photos on her camera. So far today, she had managed to get a few dozen pics or so, most of it nothing more than simple school life at Hope's Peak Academy. She chuckled at the word "normal." That was not an apt term to describe her life right now.

Fifteen students, including herself. Everyone had a very distinct personality, which made for some very engaging relationships and events. Even since Miss Yukizome had gotten them all together, there were no more sluggish days.

On the one hand, that was good for the Super High School Level Photographer. She now had access to plenty of good photo opportunities. There were also the new friends that she had made. She had found many connections with several of the girls.

That said, she appreciated some of the more normal moments. She spent time with Sato at least once a day. The girl was one of the last ties she had to her old life before coming to the academy. It was certainly something to be happy about for sure, but it did bring up a question.

"Did she come here for Hope's Peak Academy, or to be close to me?" Mahiru talked to herself as she ran through the possibilities. "I'll have to ask her next time."

Having just recently finished lunch break, she was now on her way back to class. No doubt Miss Yukizome had something going on, and if that wasn't the case, then Chiaki would have a plan.

She entered into the main building of the academy, once again reminding herself of where she was. She was named the Super High School Level Photographer by Hope's Peak. The best school in all of Japan scouted her and determined her worthy of the title, so she ought to feel worthy herself.

Mahiru wished she could feel proud of herself as much as her mother was proud of her.

Nevertheless, she did her best to get her energy up so that she could be the classmate that everyone deserved. She found herself releasing a breath out of relief, though she was expecting something different.

Instead of a semi-full classroom, there was only one other person in the classroom, and that was Chiaki, who was playing on her Game Girl.

"Oh hey, Mahiru." Chiaki waved one hand. "What's up?"

"Hi, Chiaki." Mahiru waved back politely. "Same old, same old, I guess. Where's everyone else? It's almost time for class."

"We've still got fifteen minutes." Chiaki's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. "Well, fourteen."

Mahiru gazed at the clock, and to her dismay, the class representative was right. How had she not noticed something like that? If she had known that she still had time, she would have stayed a bit longer with Sato.

"Strange, I thought it was almost time for class." Mahiru checked the time on her school-issued handbook. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter."

The red-haired girl moved to take her seat, and then she spotted something in the gamer girl's face.

Being a photographer had honed her ability to pick out details big and small. Without an eye for detail, her pictures wouldn't come out they way they were now; using that ability of hers, Mahiru saw something in her peer's eyes.

Chiaki was acting almost like her normal self, but instead of a sleepy or indifferent look, there was a frown that marred the girl's features. Granted, it was a small thing to see, but it did create an overall image that was different than the norm.

"Hey, Chiaki, are you feeling okay?" Mahiru decided to venture. "You look… different right now."

Chiaki concentrated harder on the game in front of her, and for a second, Mahiru thought that she had unintentionally brought up something that was a sour topic. Then the tension broke into pieces as the sound of a game ending blared. The handheld console fell flat onto the desk it was previously being held over.

"I ate lunch alone." Chiaki put her arms flat on her desk. "I didn't get to eat with Hajime."

"Hajime?" Mahiru questioned further. "Is that a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, he is." Chiaki laid her head on the desk next. "He's in the Reserve Course, so nothing like us."

"Yeah, I hear that. I've got a friend in the Reserve Course too." Mahiru felt more comfortable with the conversation. "Her name is Sato. We were in the same middle school before coming to Hope's Peak."

"That must be nice having a friend from your old school. I haven't known Hajime for nearly as long."

"How long have you known him?"

"I only met him last week."

"And that's enough for you to call him a friend?"

Not that Mahiru wanted to doubt Chiaki's judgement, but this sounded a little too fishy. A boy and a girl becoming friends so fast? In her experience, friendships took far more time to develop, wholesome ones at any rate.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I know him on a deep level, but he's cool." Chiaki's droopy face was replaced with a smile. "He plays games with me, he knows some of my favorite games, and… well I just like being around him. I'm not really sure how to put it."

Whatever Mahiru's thoughts on this relationship, it was clear where Chiaki stood, and maybe it wasn't a good idea to doubt her class representative. The gamer girl was more than capable of taking care of herself when push came to shove. The subject was probably hitting a little too close to home for comfort for the redhead. That had to be the reason why this left a bad taste in her mouth.

"If you're worried about him doing something, then don't." Chiaki seemed to read Mahiru's thoughts. "Hajime doesn't have the guts or nerves to try anything. If anything, I'm the one hold all the strings."

"Sure, if you say so." Mahiru was caught off guard by this declaration. "I was just… it sounded-"

"Convenient? Easy? Unlikely?" Chiaki listed off. "I understand, but really, there's nothing to worry about. I like his company anyway."

A slight tinge in the pink-haired girl could be seen. Her expression was also far brighter compared to when they'd first started this conversation. The girl seemed really into this Hajime guy. He must be decent enough.

"Well, I hope… that it works out."

"I hope it does too. So what about you and your friend, Sato was it?"

"Oh, we've been friends since middle school. We were in the photography club and we just hit it off almost immediately. I remember the day like it happened yesterday. She noticed that I knew my stuff, so she asked me for my help. Ever since then, it's been smooth sailing."

"Does she have any other friends besides you?" Chiaki inquired, interest evident in her voice.

"Actually, she gets along pretty well with Mikan, Hiyoko, and Ibuki." Mahiru conveyed automatically. "It's probably a good thing she's got them too. I don't know what she was thinking following me to Hope's Peak."

"Hmm." Chiaki looked to be contemplating. "She must really value your friendship."

"I just hope she's not too reliant on me." Mahiru chuckled somewhat uneasily. "I mean, besides me and the girls in our class, she's got no one else, not even in the Reserve Course, or so my knowledge says."

Now that she'd said that out loud, Mahiru took a step back and began to quickly analyze her entire friendship with Sato. They cared about each other very much, that wasn't in doubt for a moment, but there was something that was enough to halt the train of thought, and the fact that it hadn't come to her sooner made her hit her head against a metaphorical wall.

Sato had followed her from their previous school. That fact alone spoke enough volume about how much her friend valued what they had. No normal person would go out of their way to move to another school just to be with someone, even if that person was a good friend. There were things to think about like parents, living conditions, commitments, and other things. Life shouldn't be dedicated to following one person.

Unless there was a reason.

…

Wait, does that mean… no, that's not it. Mahiru's mind came to a conclusion. Does Sato… like me more than a friend?

"Are you okay?" Chiaki's soft voice queried. "You're spacing out."

"W-what?" Mahiru quickly composed herself. "Yeah, just thought of something."

"Anything you want to share?"

"... I don't think it'll make sense to you. It doesn't make sense to me."

Despair - - - Hope

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Afternoon

"Hey, sis." Fuyuhiko nodded to his sister as he stood by the gate to the Reserve Course building. "Long time no see."

"Hey, bro." Natsumi answered back casually. "What's up?"

"... you feelin' okay?" Fuyuhiko stepped up and looked her up and down.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Natsumi's bite came back. "You want me to be in a bad mood?"

"Quit it with the attitude, alright?" He didn't want to deal with her moods. "I just wanted to see what's goin' on with you."

"Really? See what's goin' on?" She flipped her hair back. "In other words, you're here to make sure I don't fuck something up."

"That's not it."

"That's exactly it."

"Will you just listen to me?"

"No."

"C'mon, just listen, goddammit."

Natsumi seethed through clenched teeth, then turned her head away from him. Fuyuhiko knew this to be her stubborn side. Of course, when it came to family, she lessened her attitude; that didn't make her any less dangerous. She might not be the Super High School Level Yakuza, but she was still a member of the feared Kuzuryu Clan, a very feared member. He needed to approach this subject very carefully, otherwise he would be wasting both their time.

"I need you to be straight with me." Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "What's your angle? You've gotta hate the Reserve Course."

"You said it yourself already." Natsumi replied, though she didn't face him. "I want into the Main Course."

"Please don't tell me you're going to off someone. That's gonna cause more trouble than we need."

"..."

He sighed. "So you do wanna kill someone, or you've thought about it."

"So what? A little blood's nothing. It's our way of life."

"Hope's Peak doesn't have to take us in." Fuyuhiko attempted to rationalize to her. "If we do something here, we're gonna get kicked out."

"Then I'll do it discreetly." Natsumi countered hotly.

"Do you even know how to do discrete?"

"God, why are you on my ass about this? It's not your business!"

"It kinda is. You're my sister, a member of the Kuzuryu Clan." Fuyuhiko felt his slipping patience. "We've gotta look out for each other."

"I don't need your help!" Natsumi shouted back. "I don't want your help!"

The male gangster bawled his fists and fought against his need to hit her. It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to come to blows when a conversation didn't go smoothly. They were merely following the example set by their parents. It might not be a healthy thing, but it was the way they chose to vent all of their anger.

No, he had to exercise control. They weren't in the safety of their home or isolated from prying eyes, where everything was fair game. They had to keep it down.

"Fine, then I won't ask." Fuyuhiko retreated for now, putting his arms back at his sides. "So… how are you holding up?"

"Where did that come from?" Natsumi glimpsed at him from the corner of her eyes. "First you wanna rail on me, then you wanna be all buddy-buddy?"

"It's a simple question, okay?" He was running out of ways to talk to her. "It is really such a weird question to wanna know how my sister's doing?"

"...no, it's not." Natsumi relented after a few seconds of silence. "I guess… I guess I should say hi. Haven't even done that since coming here."

"I was surprised that you wanted to come here. Why'd you do it?"

"Why not? You're here, so I might as well be."

He wasn't going to buy what she told him. Because he was here, one way or another, she felt the need to be here too. She had calmed down, but if she wasn't going to talk even when in a calm state, then he would have better luck trying to get Peko to stop calling him young master.

Guess small talk's all I've got. Fuyuhiko deduced. Things could be worse.

"Look, I know better than to think that you're here just because I'm here. I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I hope you're doing this for yourself, not for me."

"Why else does anyone come to Hope's Peak? Everyone's in it for themselves."

"That's not always the case." He disagreed with her.

"Speaking of which, what's up with you and Peko?" She sounded more invested in their chitchat. "Is she still shadowing you?"

"I told her not to." Fuyuhiko grumbled lowly. "So far, she's done what I said."

"You sound like you're expecting her to disobey you."

"Well, we talked a bit today about you. She offered to get to the bottom of your business. I put a stop to that idea."

"Typical her."

"Yep."

Fuyuhiko felt himself relax. It felt good to be talking to his little sister. He could be far more open with her than with his classmates. Even he and Peko had kept their interactions to a bare minimum, and though it was for her own good as well as his, his days could get awfully lonely without someone he could talk to freely. He had nothing against his fellow Ultimates, but he just couldn't connect.

Knowing this about himself, he could only guess that Natsumi felt as lonely as him. She was even more aggressive than he was. That left her with few people to call friends aside from Peko. Additionally, her ego knew no bounds, and that applied to virtually everyone in the world. If her combative demeanor didn't make people turn the other, then her arrogance would certainly do that.

Still, she wanted company too, just like he did.

"You got anyone to talk to besides me?" Fuyuhiko dared to wonder. "I'll talk when I can, but Reserve Course kids can't go onto the main campus."

"...there's one guy." Natsumi admitted, albeit reluctantly to his ears. "Out of all of the dumbasses there, he's the least boring."

That was one of the nicest things that a person outside of the family could ever hear from Natsumi Kuzuryu. As far as Fuyuhiko knew, the number of people Natsumi considered to be tolerable could be counted on one hand.

"A guy?" Fuyuhiko didn't want to jump to conclusion. "You got a name?"

"Yeah, real easy name." Natsumi half-laughed, half snorted. "Hajime Hinata. That's as plain a name as you can get. On the surface, nothing special. Average looks, average height, might as well give him a prize for most average person in the world."

"Sounds like a decent enough person, even if boring." He commented. "But isn't that the kind of person that you avoid?"

"Normally, I would, but he's kinda hardcore about the Main Course too. I could see it in his eyes."

"So in other words, another nutjob like you." Fuyuhiko summed up. "Wonderful."

"First of all, I'm not crazy." Natsumi retorted hotly. "And I don't associate with crazy people. It's not good for my health. If anything, Hajime sounds like you when he lectures, only more polite."

"Well, glad to know your friend preference is at least sound."

"Shut up."

He chuckled at her childish attitude. He was used to far more harsh treatment from her, and he still called her sister despite all of the shit she'd put him through during their lives. He was under no illusion; she would revert back to her old self soon, but at least he could appreciate a somewhat normal conversation with her.

"So how's mom and dad?" Natsumi switched topics. "Have they killed each other yet?"

"Not yet." Fuyuhiko groaned at the thought of their parents. "They came so damn close a few months ago, or that's what the message from home said. I didn't get too many details on the showdown."

"Son of a bitch." She rubbed her eyes. "And I love watching their fights. It's one of the few things that's so entertaining."

"Speak for yourself." He shoved his hands down his pocket. "I wish they'd fuckin' get over it. The first hundred times was more than enough."

"You're such a softie, you know that?" She punched him in the shoulder. "Or has the academy made you go soft?"

"Dammit, I'm not soft." He denied furiously. "I'm just not as violent."

"Doesn't matter how ya say it." Her eyes rolled. "It still means the same thing to me."

Now that they had at least temporarily moved past the ugly business, they discussed small topics, anything from their childhood memories to the present day. Even as sun began to fall, they went on, just two sibling gangsters being siblings.

Fuyuhiko wouldn't voice his worries then, but he suspected that Natsumi was still trying to get into the Main Course. Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept anything but the very best position within the academy. That was her right and her decision to make, though he wished she'd just find a different path, something else other than just following the example of the Kuzuryu clan.

It was the only life that both of them knew well, but it would fall to him to head the clan once his parents either died or abdicated. His little sister shouldn't have to do what she was doing. She should have the freedom to do what she wanted.

But what if being an Ultimate was what she wanted?

And what about her new friend? Hajime Hinata.

He needed a face to put to that name.

Hope - - - Despair

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Early Evening

"Have you made a decision yet, sport?" The man on the other end questioned eagerly. "The deadline's coming up pretty quickly."

"Sadly, no." Hajime informed his father. "I've been… asking a lot of people for help. I'm getting conflicted answers. I feel so confused. What should I do, I keep asking myself."

"Well, I hate to be of no help, but it's not my decision." The elder man's voice carried out with sadness. "It's your future, Hajime. It's up to you. Personally, I'd take it, but it's a little late for me."

"So you want me to take it?" Hajime questioned.

"As your parents, we want the best for you." The reply came swiftly. "Sometimes, that means wanting you to do things that you don't want to do yourself. It's not for no reason however. It's just a fact of life; you've got to be prepared to put aside what you want to do for what you need to do. Better that we ease you into that frame of mind rather than the world dropping it into your lap."

"I don't think that this is the right comparison, dad." Hajime said as he adjusted the grip on his phone. "But I get your meaning."

"Well, like I said, son, it's not our decision, but your mom and I fully support you going to Hope's Peak, be it Main Course of Reserve Course."

"Even if it's costing so much?"

"For you, that cost is less important than your future and your happiness."

"I'm sorry for being so wishy-washy." Hajime played with his hair. "I just… this isn't something I can rush."

"... you said you've talked to some people about this, right?" The father recalled. "Weren't you supposed to keep this entire thing a secret?"

"I haven't actually talked about my involvement in the project." The brown-haired boy looked left and right as he crossed the street. "I have some… friends who are part of the Main Course, and I thought I'd get their opinions via general questions about how the view talent and all of that."

"Then keep digging." His dad persisted. "If you're friends with Ultimates, get to know them even more. Surely they know something that everyone else doesn't know, otherwise the school wouldn't scout them."

Hajime wanted to be more frustrated at his father. He wouldn't say it out loud, but at this moment, he didn't find the information useful. Then again, what was he suppose to expect from his parents? They certainly weren't miracle workers, and it was tough enough for them to keep him at the academy.

"You have to persist." Hajime heard some more words. "That's the only thing you can do. Try everything until something works. Take the time you need to think, but sooner or later, you'll need to take action."

Try everything until something works.

Take action.

Right…easier said than done.

Danganronpa V3 is coming out soon. How many of you have already pre-ordered it? I got it on Steam, but I don't think I'll be able to actually get to play it until much later. Ah well, the anticipation will make it all the more worthwhile. Here's to waiting.

So I took a step back from Hajime and Chisa and let others take a bit of spotlight. Multiple perspectives, I hope, gives my readers the ability to come up with an idea of what will happen down the road. I believe I have an idea of what I'm leading up to, but once that main goal is fulfilled, I'll have to see where to go from there.

In other news, I've contemplated a new story for Danganronpa, but due to time constraints, it's been put on hold. It's the same premise as the games while also combining aspects from the first and second game. However, most importantly, I want to include new motivations, things that haven't been seen in any of the games. For more details on that, see my story description on my profile page. The story name is called "A Song of Hope and Despair." You'll have to navigate through my long list of other story ideas to get to it. If anyone's got question about it, feel free to PM me about it.

If you guys and gals want to see more love for this story, then don't forget to review, favorite, and follow. Remember, the more you guys support this story, the more it becomes a priority story in my books.

I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter.

"Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?"

Harold Pinter