AN: Half-day...half-day, oh how I love a half-day...my free time is a lot more now. Also...GORE ALERT! GORE ALERT! GORE ALERT! Not really THAT bad but GORE ALERT! GORE ALERT! GORE ALERT!
Wmsm5ever: OMG YOU SCARED ME. *puts gun away.* No jk. Thanks for the review! I'm really glad to hear your speculation. In fact, any speculation at all makes me happy, lol. And you don't have to worry. While there may be a few influences in story events, all of them are thought up and executed 100% by me. Also, you read my first story? :o Thanks for the review! P.S. YOU MUST TELL ME. IS ACE ATTORNEY: DUAL DESTINIES GOOD? I might have asked that before BUT STILL.
Ode 30: It is a bit nerve-wracking. Who knows who they really are...and I would like to make this story as murder-free as possible. But unfortunately, this is Danganronpa after all! Thanks for the review! Hope you recover from your shock :o
Reven228: Thanks for the review! Glad you noticed the SDR2 reference! While pretty obvious, I actually that the "robot reveal" was one of the most irrevent and hilarious moments of the game. Yeah, my mind is messed up.
MizunashiFuyuko: Following tradition, huh? :( In SDR2, it was Mr. Gangsta and da Coach, and now here it's "Rai-kun" and Hikaru. We'll see what happens to Hikaru later in the road...if anything at all. Thanks for the review, and thanks for wishing me luck! :3 Don't worry about not being able to review. Everyone has busy days! :D
TheRoseShadow21: It's too cliché man! I mean they did it with Ni_/_/_/ before! Did you see how I concealed that spoiler? :3 Thanks for the review!
FateOblivion: Ooh..! You got that didn't ya? :3 It's fine! Don't worry about not regularly reviewing! Thanks for the review!
Unify: I sure hope Hikaru will be alright :O You never know in Danganronpa tho. Thanks for the review!
Gingericus: Thanks for the mass reviews you put up. Even if you don't read this chapter by the time it goes up, I appreciate it, and I'm very happy to know that you like this story, seeing as yours is so good :P
Also, in the end, the story may get a bit confusing, so if you are unsure of what exactly happens, feel free to PM me so I can summarize it for you.
Location: ? | Time: ? | Chapter Negative One | 0 DAYS LEFT
Soundtrack: Shousa ni wa Houbi O, Haisha ni wa Bachi O
"I told you...How many times did I have to tell you this?"
I looked at up at the shadowy figure in front of me. It was a shadow of a woman...a woman I knew.
"Manners are everything! You always mess up everything, don't you?!"
Please stop it...I'm just a little kid. I don't need this treatment at all.
"...Hurng...Oh honey..! You should be a bit more polite to our...*hiccup...* our third daughter...hic, who know what could happen to her..?"
The voice was from a man. The words were slurred together, and the shadow came tumbling in, stuttering from side to side, holding a large bottle of beer in his hand. He took a large swig of it before tossing the glass bottle at me. But it was just a shadow, and it seemed to just pass right through me.
"Stupid...bitch, all my dreams because of you..!"
"Wasn't it just you who said to be more polite?!" the woman screamed. "I suppose we should count our blessings though. We have much more capable children in the making, don't we?"
What am I to you..? Am I nothing..?
I opened my mouth to speak. I...I knew these two people. I couldn't place a name. I couldn't place even one noun. But I knew these people; I wanted to talk to these people. I wanted to know these people. I always wanted to know. I opened my mouth as far as I could, and I tried to scream. Nothing came out. There was no sound, only the two shadowed figures staring in front of me.
"Mommy!" screamed the voice of a little girl. "What are you doing to nee-san?"
"Your sister has been a bad girl!" the woman screamed. "She's been a bad, stupid, idiot again! I'm sorry you have to have a sister like that."
"B-but, I love nee-san!" the little girl said. The little girl ran towards me, her hair in a bow. Except this time, it wasn't a shadow. It was a human girl. She wore a pink kimono, and and she was holding a doll of a rabbit in her right hand. She reached out to me, holding the doll in her hands, but I turned it away. It was her favorite doll after all. I wasn't just going to take it from her.
"Get away from her!" the woman screamed. "She's a failure! She's a failure at everything, and she should be punished! Punished for all she's worth!"
"Which isn't really much, is it..?!" the man slurred. "You betcha get yur ass on up...and head to the market and fetch me some more beers..." The man burped loudly, and I covered my ears. He was disgusting.
…
"Just leave our sight now!" the woman screamed. "You have no manners at all! I trained you to be strict and punctual, but instead, you turn out like this! Leave, leave now!"
But...
"Nee-san!" the girl yelled out. "Don't go! Please!
I...
"Get the fuck out already..!" the man chuffed. "I'...I'm going to smack the white outta ya if you don't fuckin' leave already..."
Love...
"Get out already!"
You...
"Nee-san!"
All...
(AN: I know it was obvious but it was meant to be. Let's put it that way.)
Music halts
Location: Keiko's Room | Time: 7:00 AM | Chapter Three | 24 DAYS LEFT
*Ding, dong! Ding, dong!*
"Good morning, you bastards! It is now 7:00 AM! Rise and shiiine! Let's make today the best day it can be!"
…
Did I have a nightmare..?
…
...It's seven o' clock already..?
"I...I have to..."
"What did you say?"
"...Huh..?"
"Oh, you're awake! I was so worried."
"...Oh, thanks..."
…
"Y-you..!"
"Hi!"
"NOT AGAIN!"
*SMACK!*
"Ow..! Master..!"
Soundtrack: Soul Eater – In His Mind
"Master..!" Mirai whined with puffed cheeks. "Why would you hit me like that? And again? You're so mean to me all the time!"
"You always forget about our little talk, don't you?!" I yelled. I sighed, and prepared to take the covers off of me, except I noticed that something was up. I lifted the covers slightly, away from Mirai's line of vision, and bare skin was all I could see, drafted by the darkness from inside. I was apalled; no, mortified, at what this had to mean. My nude body in this bed, even when I was definitely clothed before I left the second dome, had to mean one thing. I jumped off of the bed, covers wrapped around me, and kicked Mirai square in the head.
"Did you undress me, you pervert?!"
"Bwahh..!"
Mirai's head did a complete 180, and he tumbled back onto the floor. My face had turned unbearably red. Mirai rubbed his head, his eyes squinted.
"B-but, you fainted again..! You always faint, and you had a really bad fever! So I thought maybe you'd be colder when your naked!"
"You think like a child!" I yelled. "There are boundaries, you know! Personal space! That's a good life lesson for you to know!"
"Hmph!" Mirai fumed, puffing his cheeks again and crossing his arms. "I was only trying to help..."
I forced Mirai out of my room, and slammed the door in his face, slumping down to the bottom of the door. There was no time for any of this nonsense...doesn't Mirai have the common decency not to touch a woman's body like that? I felt so incredibly violated, I had to just take a moment there to cool myself down. After all that, I dressed up, and headed outside, where Mirai was sitting down on the ground, glaring.
"Look," I said, walking out of the door. "I know you mean well. But there are limits, you know..? I can't have you undressing me like that! I'm a woman with treasures to protect too!"
"...A-alright, fine," Mirai said, visibly upset. "I'm sorry then."
"W-whatever, it's fine," I sighed. Maybe I should give him a break. He did struggle with peeling a banana.
"A-anyways, I'm just worried," Mirai said. "You're fainting all the time, and your body was ferociously hot yesterday. Are you healthy, Master?"
"I'm sure I am," I sighed. "Hikaru's death mixed in with that fire wasn't exactly pleasant."
"I guess so," Mirai said. "...Do you think Hikaru will be alright?"
"I hope so," I replied. I outstretched my arms, and rubbed my eyes wearily. Lately, I haven't been able to get such great sleep. I'd either have a nightmare like tonight or feel groggy as hell the next morning. "Anyways, let's head to the cafeteria."
"...You think the others are alright too?" Mirai asked.
"I don't really know if they are," I admitted. "But we need to ask Unmei about some things. About why she was there, after all."
"...Guess so," Mirai said, shrugging. "'Kay, let's go then."
I nodded, and Mirai led the way to the cafeteria, marching me there. I found it a little bit astounding on how easy it was to forgive this guy. He's just way to over the top sometimes. I wonder what...he's really like? Beyond this mischevious and naïve boy, is probably someone deep. That's what I want to believe; the fact that he couldn't peel a banana well supported my theory well.
Eventually, we reached the cafeteria, and Mirai opened the doors with a little more force than what was necessary. We headed inside, and found everyone already sitting down.
"A-are you two alright?" Noah asked. "I heard screams coming from your room..."
"We're fine," Mirai replied.
Easy for you to say.
"Anyways, is Unmei here?" I asked.
"...Right here," said a muffled voice. "Right over here..."
Soundtrack: Re Welcome to Despair Academy
Unmei sat at the far end of the cafeteria. She looked like a wreck. Her hair looked like she just got out of bed, and there were huge bags under her eyes. Looks like she didn't get any sleep, though that's understandable. I walked towards Unmei and she shifted her gaze away from me. The others didn't come. Instead, they just watched as I tried to get some answers out of her.
"Look, we're not angry at you," I said. "We just want some sort of answer."
"Answer for what?" Unmei sighed.
"You don't know?"
Unmei shook her head.
"Okay, then, here's my question," I started. "Why did you go over to the second dome in the first place? There really was no reason, right?"
"No reason..?" Unmei asked. "I think there was plenty of reason."
"Which are..?"
"...I guess I thought my problem solving could get that textbook. But it looks like there's a lot more to it than that, right?"
"Was that really it..? Just for the textbook..?"
Unmei nodded. "L-look. I gave you a straight answer, and I feel bad enough as it is already..could we please drop the subject."
I looked at her in disbelief. If this really was just over the textbook, did that mean that she didn't trust us like I thought we all did? If she didn't trust us to pull through this "gameshow," then her story would make a good deal of sense.
Unmei just didn't look at me. She turned away, and let out a heavy sigh. "I just wanted it to be over..."
Soundtrack: Monokuma Sensei's Lesson
"Why would you want that?" Monokuma asked, popping in from nowhere. Like usual. "I'm your old pal, right? Pals stick together, even until the very end!"
Unmei didn't react at all. She only sighed and turned away.
"Aw...She's shunning me," Monokuma said, with a dispirited tone. "That makes me a sad bear...Oh well, it's understandable. I mean, she did cause the death of one of your very beloved friends!"
"Did you not say you could rescue him?" Noah asked.
"Give us back our prisoner, you thief!" Takayashi yelled. "...Oho..! Takayashi-chan, you used some verbal irony there, didn't you..?"
"Um, as much as I'd like to give Hikaru back, and by much, I mean not at all," Monokuma started, "unfortunately, we're a little low on tools. So we don't have the necessary equipment to work with Hikaru's body yet."
"H-he's already dead though," Kirei said nervously. "Can you really bring him back to life..?"
"Well, he's defied logic more than once before," Yoshinori pointed out. "But look here, Monokuma! If you do anything funny to Hikaru, I'll bitch-slap you so hard, every stitch on your face will pop out!"
"I thought you'd be a little better with insults, seeing as you're a brutally honest person," Monokuma sighed. "Or not, that wasn't really an insult. More of a threat, and a stupid one at that. I'm not really afraid of you."
"If you haven't noticed," Monokuma continued, "I do have more than one copy of myself."
"I could have guessed that," Kaito said. "Anyways, did you just come here to laugh in Unmei's face? Or are you here for some more important reason than that?"
"Straight to the point as usual," Monokuma sighed. "You all really are no fun. Usually I'd be able to make a few wise-cracks or two. Guess not this year."
"Well? Spill it out already, dammit," Ryoko demanded.
"Alright, alright," Monokuma said, raising his arms. "Upupu, I just wanted to let you bastards know, that the first episode of the gameshow happens to be today!"
"Episode..?" I asked. "It's more than one day..?"
"Of course it is!" Monokuma snapped. "You think I put in the sweat and tears that I did, and by 'I,' I mean 'Meowykins,' just for a lame one day event? Hell no! Hikaru died after all! So we need to make sure that this event is robust and exciting!"
"Can you quit pointin' out the fact that Hikaru died?" Furo said sadly. "Anyways, I just want to get this over with. So? When does it start."
"Hmm, that's the other thing," Monokuma said, raising his paw to his mouth. "It actually starts right now, I think."
"You think..?"
"Don't pressure the system, baby!" Monokuma said, pointing his fingers at me. "Anyways, it's time I skedaddle, so when you finish breakfast, just head on over to the drama room for our fantastic game show! Upupupu, I can hardly contain my excitement!"
Monokuma vanished in thin air after that, and everyone simultaneously belted out large groans. We seriously had to do his twisted gameshow now?
"Well, I'm ready," Mirai said, holding a backpack. "Let's see...I brought my video camera so I could record the whole thing with you guys."
"Why would you bring that to his gameshow?" Ryoko asked. "And where the hell did you find a video camera?!"
"...Aw, it's out of batteries," Mirai said sullenly. "Oh well. I'm heading off."
Mirai got up from the cafeteria, and headed towards the large cafeteria doors. We all followed in pursuit. I looked back at the breakfast I just left behind, but to be honest, I don't really think any of us had that big of an appetite.
Music halts
Location: The Drama Room | Time: 7:32 AM | Chapter Three | 24 DAYS LEFT
It was dark and silent in the drama room when we first entered. There was no sign of anything at all. Until...
"Upupupupu!" squeaked Monokuma from somewhere in the darkness. "Here comes your contestants folks! The truly special, one and only, Hope's Peak Class!"
[Cue applause!]
Soundtrack: Evila: Attack of the Perfect Reporter
"Welcome, everyone! Thank you for coming out on this lovely evening, to Monokuma's Absolutely Swinging Fabulous Despair Gameshow! We are proud to bring you our first few contestants, so please give a round of applause for these wonderful eleven students in front of us right now!"
The room suddenly filled with bright flashing lights. Spotlights were hung up on the ceiling, Monokuma dolls were lined up against cardboard bleachers, and a huge set piece was in the center of the room. I know Monokuma claimed he worked hard on this thing...but I didn't know it was so grandiose.
"Anyways, for the first day for our gameshows, we're going to be testing the very bonds known as friendship! Will these friends be able to withstand pain for one another? Or will these so called friends betray each other in an act of selfishness? Don't worry! Professional medical workers are posted all around, so the chance for a death is slightly slimmer than usual!"
Medical workers..? Why would we need that..?
"Um, I'm not sure I like the sound of pain," Yoshinori said. "H-hold on! Is this one of those gameshows? Like Wipeout and stuff?!"
"Much worse," Meowykins sighed from behind her.
"Anyways, please welcome to the stage the first two contestants! We'd like to welcome..."
"KIREI AND TAKAYASHI! COME ON TO THE STAGE YOU TWO!"
"H-hyaaaa?!" Kirei screamed. "Me?!"
"I've always wanted to be on a gameshow!" Takayashi said energetically. "Come on, Kirei! This might be fun!"
"I-it won't be fun at all..!" Kirei whined.
ROUND ONE: KIREI VS. TAKAYASHI
"Oh! So this is a competition?" Takayashi asked.
"In a way," Monokuma confirmed.
The two of them nervously approached the two podiums at the center of the stage set. Above their heads was a sign surrounded by bright lightbulbs. The sign read exactly what you'd expect it to: the name of the gameshow. It seemed like Monokuma couldn't fit the whole name on one sign though, since some of the letters went out of bounds.
I looked nervously at the two of them as they shuffled around in their seats at the podium.
Music halts
"Okay ladies," Monokuma said. "Are you ready?"
"Huh? Where's the red button?" Takayashi asked.
"Oh, no, the trivia isn't until after!" Monokuma said. "I hope you know that this game is a game of elimination! Almost half of you will be gone from this competition today, and that depends on whether or not you are willing to do what's presented in front of you!"
"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Kirei asked. "By elimination, I mean..."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Meowykins said from the distance. "Elimination ain't the same as punishment, so y'all don't really need to worry about death."
"O-oh. Okay."
"Here is your first scenario!" Monokuma announced.
From there, it all went downhill. But that was only to be expected, wasn't it?
Soundtrack: A Dead End to the Ocean's Aroma
Kirei and Takayashi were soon shackled into their seats by Meowykins. He wrapped metal chains all around their bodies, and trapped them in their seats. I could tell that they were visibly frightened and shocked, unsure of what to make out of what was happening.
"W-what's going on?!" Kirei shouted nervously. "S-stop this!"
"This is sexual abuse!" Takayashi screamed. "I want my lawyer!"
Meowykins hopped back onto the stage with a huge device. He pushed it onto the stage, heavy breaths exerting from his mouth. It looked like it was a vice of some sort, the kind of tool you use to squeeze an object. Except there was one thing that was off from other vices I've seen before. This one was huge.
"W-what is that thing..?" Kirei asked. "Take that away from me, please..!"
"So! Kirei!" Monokuma asked. "We're going to play a nice game of, Would you Rather."
"Would you Rather..?" Takayashi asked. "What kind of game is that?"
"I-it's a terrible game, under these circumstances!" Kirei shuddered. "Are we going to use that thing?!"
Everyone looked at the huge metal vice at the center of the set. It was...a huge metal vice. I would not want to go near one of those things, yet, it seemed like Kirei would have to.
"W-what are you going to make us do?"
"Kirei! Round one!" Monokuma said. "Let's truly test the bonds of your friendship!"
Meowykins pulled out Takayashi's chair from behind the podium, and threw it gently onto the vice so that her legs aligned perfectly with the metal plates surrounding her. Soon later, Meowykins injected her with some sort of liquid through a syrine, and Takayashi went limp. It was frightening.
(AN: I want to make it clear on what type of vice I'm talking about here. If you have seen a vice before, it is a machine, usually used to compress things such as metal. Google Image search it if you have to, because this vice is HUGE, large enough to compress a human, if you know what I mean.)
"H-hold on a minute," Takayashi stammered. "What's going on?!"
"Kirei!" Monokuma yelled once more. "Would you rather, free Takayashi, in the process of breaking one of your arms! Or would you rather save yourself, and leave Takayashi with paralyzed legs for the forseeable future?"
"W-what?!" Takayashi screamed.
"To save your friend, you must push her legs out of the vice! Don't worry, even one slight nudge will free her, as we managed to make it this way! It is our gameshow, after all! But doing so would unfortunately result in the breaking of one of your arms! You realize that, don't you?"
Kirei's eyes grew wider and wider as Monokuma talked longer and longer. I didn't blame her.
"Oh, and keep in mind," Monokuma said. "All these injuries you have will have healed completely by the end of our gameshow, whether it be by natural healing or by medical attention from me!" Monokuma proudly pointed at himself, and turned back to Kirei.
Music halts
"You have seven seconds to make your decision. If you do not choose to free Takayashi, then her legs will be crushed, and you will be eliminated. But if you save Takayashi from this terrible fate, then Takayashi in turn will be eliminated, and you will advance to the next round!"
Soundtrack: Deadman Wonderland OST - Track 5. DW28A
"So! What will it be?" Monokuma asked with giddy. "Will you choose to save your friend, in turn for your own pain and suffering, or will you take the selfish way out and save yourself from such distress? May I point out, this is a metal vice. Your arm won't simply break! The bones inside it will crack, and some may just be crushed! Your entire arm will be unusuable for the duration of the gameshow, and I'm sure it won't be very painless either!"
The metal shacklers wrapped around Kirei came loose, and literally jumped away from her. Kirei began to cry, and scream in her chair, wrapping her arms around her head. Her entire body was shaking, as Takayashi began to scream from the vice.
"I-it's okay, Kirei!" Takayashi yelled. "You don't have to break your arm for me!"
"W-wait a minute," Noah stuttered. "What's the point of advancing to the next round anyways, if it's just going to be like this?!"
"Hmm, that's true, isn't it?" Monokuma asked. "I suppose I'll just have to add in a consolation prize at the end, won't I?"
Kirei looked at Takayashi, her eyes wide with fear. I began to tear up a bit. Would Kirei be a friend to Takayashi and save her from pain? I would understand completely if Kirei didn't, but this was it. A true test of our bonds.
This is what I grieved for so long. Can we truly trust each other?
"What will it be, Kirei?" Monokuma asked. "I'm starting the timer now!"
Monokuma pressed a large switch in front of him, and the vice slowly began to close.
"Just push her out of the way! With one arm, too! It doesn't even have to be both! And you'll save your friend and advance to the next round!"
7 seconds left.
"B-but..!" Kirei whimpered.
6 seconds left.
"I-It's okay!" Takayashi yelled.
5 seconds left.
"I-I mean, I play soccer, so yeah, I sorta need my legs!"
4 seconds left.
"But it's only temporary! So you don't have to go through with this!
3 seconds left.
"I'll be fine!"
2 seconds left.
"R-really, Kirei! I'll be f-"
...Time!
I looked in horror as Kirei ran towards Takayashi, and I saw Kirei reach in with her arm.
Music halts
"N-no way," Takayashi said. Takayashi turned behind her and looked in horror. Blood was stained everywhere from the vice. Bones cracked from underneath Kirei's skin. It was even worse that Kirei's screams pierced through all of us. We all had to look in horror as Kirei pushed Yoshinori's legs out of the vice, and inserted her own arm inside. Kirei screamed in pain, and tears rushed down her face faster and faster. Takayashi was speechless. Her eyes widened at the sight of her friend sacrificing herself. "I...I said it was fine..!"
Kirei didn't respond. She was in too much pain.
"Meowykins! Take our patient to the infirmary and get that arm patched up! But don't completely heal it, you got it?" Monokuma yelled through Kirei's yelps, as Meowykins picked Kirei up, and ran her out of the room.
"Upupupu," Monokuma said. "I suppose some of you are stronger than you look. That wimpy maid managed to put aside her selfishness for Takayashi..! Unfortunately, it looks like Takayashi is eliminated from the competition! Sorry honey! You can continue to watch from the bleachers though!"
Takayashi was shuddering; her whole body vibrating the room. She walked slowly towards the bleachers, only able to do what others told her to do, and sat down. No one knew how to react. It all happened so suddenly. And it had to happen four more times.
Music halts
"Now..." Monokuma laughed. "Who's next?!"
We all looked at each other. What kind of question was that? Who's next?! Why would we ever want to do that?
"No one's volunteering?" Monokuma asked. "Aw...poo. I was hoping that we'd be able to get some volunteers down here!"
I thought that no one would speak. I thought no one would want to go through any of that. So what came next, came to as a bit of a surprise.
"I-I'll go!" Unmei announced. "I'll go next!"
AN: Oh, Monokuma. You sadistic bear, you. And aww. Apparently Unmei is living up for something.
I'll try to wrap up the gameshow in the next chapter or two, since it seems like the everyday life parts are taking pretty long.