Hi! Probably wasn't expecting me to post so soon huh? Well I'll be honest… I wasn't expecting to get into the flow of things so soon either. But hey… it's just more story for you to enjoy! AN at the end like always and comment your thoughts on the latest part!

Enjoy!

DANGANRONPA: OFF THE RAILS

Chapter 2 – White is for Wishing

Part 3

Waking up early the next morning, Wally turned his head over to his nightstand… where the envelope rested. Memories of the motive dropping rested in his mind as he pulled himself up from his bed. Locking his door behind him, he turned around to find himself face to face with Chizure. "Whoa!"

Stumbling back a bit, the forger gained an apologetic look. "Sorry Wally… I just wanted to get your help with something."

The sidekick raised a brow as the forger sighed. "We want to help get Kanade back to her old self… however… we forgot one big factor."

She started to walk off as Wally followed her. Through the carts they went until they ended up in front of… the pub room. "… … Ohhhhhhhhhhh… shit."

Chizure nodded as she opened the door. The pub itself was empty… but an uneasy feeling still lingered. And right there on the stage was the piano that was played that night. Wally frowned as he stared at the piano. "…Kanade wouldn't be able to teach here."

"Exactly. While I think the piano will be fine… the room holds bad memories." Wally nodded at the forger's words before blinking and slowly turning to look at Chizure.

"…Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking… …Chizure?"

…

…

…

"Just… saying!" Wally could be seen groaning as he and Chizure slowly lifted and carried the piano into the storage cart. "This… sucks… so much."

The forger would groan as well as the two placed the piano down for a moment. "I… agree. Why… on earth… does this piano… not have wheels!?" And with that, the two fell to the ground in a groan of pain.

They would just sit there for a moment to regain their breath and strength as Wally would turn to Chizure. "Hey… Chizure? Can I ask you something?" The forger would turn her head to the sidekick as she waved her hand in a 'go on' motion. "Well… Ultimate Forger is a strange talent to hear about. So… I was curious… how did you get your talent?"

At that, the forger was silent as slowly sat up more. After a bit, she would look up with a bit of a far-off look. "…Do you have someone you look up to?"

…Wally would nod at that as he thought about Cody Crimsworth. Despite everything in their past, he still looked up to him as a role model. At that nod from the sidekick, Chizure would gain a small smile. "Well… for me… it's my older sister Minako." The sidekick blinked and turned to face the forger. "She's always been someone I looked up to. And despite there being a little distance… I truly care for her. And one day, I wanted to help lighten her stress." She shifted a bit as she continued. "I was young child when she and I moved to our grandparents house… and along the way, they had to sell a painting that Minako loved so much."

Wally started to get the picture but sat there patiently. "We didn't have the funds to buy the painting back… but I wanted to get it for her. So, that was when I went to work… I forged a copy of the painting and gave it to her under the pretense of our grandparents buying it. That… was a mistake."

Wally nodded at that and gave a small smile. "I'm guessing someone saw and expected theft?"

This caused the forger to give a small giggle and nod. "Yeah… the owners of the actual painting. They weren't too close to my grandparents so they had no idea that it could have belonged to them. Needless to say… police were shocked to find the painting not stolen and there being a replica." The forger then sighed and gained a sad smile. "…I broke after a bit with questioning… and the officers to find a way for me to use my skills for good. Though I'm now stuck with this criminal talent… but… forgery isn't all crime!"

Wally, who was silently listening, nodded. "I can see that. Honestly? That's a brave way to gain a talent."

This caused Chizure to blink and turn to the sidekick. "Really?"

Wally nodded as he smiled. "Yeah. While forgery is normally a crime… you didn't have any evil intentions. Like… have you ever done it before that moment for selfish reasons?"

Chizure blinked and looked off to the side a bit. "…O-Once. I plagiarized a story… it was caught really quickly."

Wally still kept a smile up. "See? You're not out there counterfeiting money or anything. You're using your talent for good."

The sidekick stood up and chuckled a bit as he held out a hand. "As long as you stick to your motivations that lead to your talent, that heroic and helpful instinct? Then you're golden."

The forger blinked at that… before she smiled and took the hand. "Right. …Now let's get this piano Kanade's room." The two then looked back at the piano… before groaning.

The trek following was filled with pain, sweat, curses, one hurt sidekick's foot, followed by a lot more curses, and then finally tears of joy as the two found themselves in front of the pianist's door. Knocking on it, out stepped a smiling, closed eye Kanade. "Ah! Hey! So… we can get started on piano lessons today! I ran into Takeshi and he kindly went and got the keyboard from… there… so we can-" However, she stopped as she opened her eyes. They then popped out as she saw the grand piano sitting right there. "… …I… don't think that will fit in my room."

…The sidekick and forger slowly turned to face one another… one looking annoyed and one looking sheepish… before they groaned and collapsed onto the floor. It seemed that they got the attention of others who helped move grand piano off to the back of the cart. Some laughed and some were sorry for the two… but overall, the piano made the dorm cart feel a little more welcoming.

Needless to say though, there was no piano lessons for today.

After the pain that was "Grand Theft Piano", Wally wanted to relax a bit. So after passing out from exhaustion, the sidekick soon found himself awake later in the day and hungry. Exiting his room, he gave a light glare at the grand piano, feeling a phantom pain in his foot, before leaving towards the dining cart.

Entering the cart, he saw Ember and Kana standing around the stove as Ember spoke to her. "So… then you add in the radishes and red cabbage… and along with the remaining toppings… and done!" The lip-speaker smiled and looked at the bowls in front of them. "There we go. Two vegan poke bowls."

Kana looked at the bowl with a little intrigue before she scoffed and looked away, rubbing her arm. "That's cool and all… but why exactly did you drag me here? You've done this yesterday as well… why do you keep dragging me along? I'm curs-"

However, the lip-speaker cut her off with a small smile. "Well I'm going to start taking care of the meals. It'll help bring morale up if we all eat together." She then started to clean off the knives as she continued. "It just so happens that you're a vegan and I want to make sure that I have a variety of meals for you. Plus… there's nothing wrong with spending time with a friend."

This caused the survivor to frown and take her bowl. "…You shouldn't call me a friend." The lip-speaker blinked and tried to speak, but she was cut off by the survivor. "Shunso tried to get close, and he died. The last time I had a best friend, she died from a car crash while I barely survived the same one. I said it before, and I'll say it again… I'm cursed."

And with that, the survivor pushed past the sidekick and left as the lip-speaker sighed. She then noticed the sidekick and gave a wave and smile. "Hello Wally. Sorry you had to see that."

The sidekick shook his head. "It's fine. I'm guessing you're trying to get her to open up more?"

Ember nodded at that as she turned to her own bowl. "That's correct. But I expected this. These things take time."

Wally nodded at that as he started to work on his own meal. "Fair enough. Still… it's nice of you to try."

The lip-speaker shook her head and smiled. "It is nice… but I guess it's slightly in my nature." This caused Wally to raise a brow at that as Ember continued. "I volunteer a lot. From using ASL to simply helping others. I also helped fellow students with accidents and over all assisting others." As she continued to speak, the two slowly moved out to the cafeteria as she continued. "Of course, I'm also one to speak my mind. No matter if they find it unpleasant, I refuse to not speak the truth. At my private school before Hope's Peak, I wasn't one to back down and conform to 'societal standard'. And I knew that I had my friends to back up "

Wally listened to that and nodded as he smiled. "You and your friends from school must be close. Can you tell me about them?"

Ember smiled at that and nodded. "Sure thing. Chikahide sent me to a new school after Mama and I moved with them. At the school with my friends, there's Romy, Leanna, Makenna, Cadence, and Josie. We all came from different backgrounds yet found ourselves becoming a close-knit group of friends." She then found herself smiling fondly. "I guess… that's why I'm trying so hard with Kana. To show her how helpful it is to have someone to have your back."

Wally looked at the lip-speaker with respect as he nodded. "Well… If you want someone else, I'm willing to help out."

Ember however shook her head. "No. You shouldn't force yourself to tackle everything. However, if you feel like joining us for cooking, feel free. …Now… do you want some coffee?"

Wally just laughed at that with a shake of his head. "No thanks. Never liked the bitter taste."

And just like that, the two entered a quiet lull as they chatted about minute things. It wasn't filled with intense discussions or anything… just a pleasant and calm chat as the two continued to eat their meals.

After leaving the dining cart, Wally started to wander around a little aimlessly as he approached the carnival cart. Looking around, he soon saw Ai standing there with a bit of a worried look. So, thinking he could help, Wally approached the astrologer. "Hey Ai? Everything alright?"

The astrologer turned to the sidekick nervous before breathing out a breath. "Oh… it's just you Wally. I thought my star sign pointed to trouble."

The astrologer was silent for a moment… before grabbing Wally's hand and bringing him through the carnival towards the big top tent in the middle. "Wha-" However, before he could continue speaking, the astrologer raised a hand as she moved towards a wall that had a six-digit combination lock with also a secondary combination lock on top, only it held names. Looking around himself, he would notice symbols above the different sections. "…Those are… what are they?"

Ai would turn to Wally for a moment before looking back at the wall. "The ecliptic constellations. Also known as the constellations of the zodiac. See? The bow represents Sagittarius… the goat is Capricornus… the scales Libra… the urn of water being Aquarius… the two fish being Pisces… and then there's the last one." She pointed to a scratched-out section where a symbol once rested. "I already figured out that each section is the number of main stars. So two for Sagittarius and so on. The code so far is two, three, two, two, one… and the last one escapes me. I don't know how to solve this lock nor what it hold, but I will figure it out! For I am the Seamstress of the Stars!"

Wally nodded along with this before something clicked in his head. "Wait… you said the ecliptic?" Ai turned around and nodded as Wally looked confused. "So is there twelve or thirteen? Cause I heard talk about a forgotten one or something."

Ai went to move before she stopped and blinked… before grinning widely. "OPHIUCHUS!"

Wally flinched at the random outburst as he raised a finger. "Uhhh… gesundheit?"

The astrologer just shook her head and gripped the sidekick's shoulders with reignited vigor. "No! The thirteenth zodiac constellation! Ophiuchus or otherwise known as the Snake Bearer! It lies between many constellations and thus is almost a mystery… to the point where it is not classified with the other twelve!" She then turned the wall with a grin. "The number of main stars within Ophiuchus is one! So…" She punched in the final code as a click could be heard… and the wall opened up to reveal a small remote with a single button.

This however, caused the astrologer to fumble a bit. "A remote? …What? Does it turn the TV in the hangout area on? All this time and effort for a single remote!?" She then sighed as she turned to Wally. "Can you help me figure this out?"

The sidekick looked at the exhausted astrologer… and nodded with a smile. "Of course!"

However, that appeared to be an even greater challenge. Even with his help, the two looked at the remote with confusion. All that they could go off of a symbol and a small inscription on the remote. The symbol looked like a branch and the inscription stated, "Once one finds the sign of the elders within the rubble, then the knowledge you seek shall appear."

This just brought more headaches to the two as they tried to figure out what that meant. They attempted to use it in all the new carts, but to no avail as nothing seemed to work. So currently the two were sitting in the bachelor pad cart trying to use the remote on the TV. Wally chuckled weakly as he spoke. "…Maybe the knowledge is the news channel?"

Ai just sighed. "If that was the case… then I would be very disappointed."

Wally frowned at this he turned to her. "Why are you so persistent on this? I mean… yes… it seems to be something big… but we don't need to rush right?"

This caused the astrologer to stand up and turn to him with a determined look. "That is where you are wrong. This is a chance to show the use of my talent…" She then sighed as she gained a bit of a sad look. "…There are many people who see astrology as just junk. I know it's a pseudoscience but… there is so much work I put into my talent. All for it to be disregarded due to not being a 'real' science."

Ai then smiled as she looked at the remote. "But that carnival? It gave me a chance to show my knowledge. To show the research and time I've spent with the constellations. And the reward for that… is just another puzzle that I'm lost on."

Wally looked at the astrologer with a small smile. "Well… I think you've done incredibly so far."

"…Incredibly with what?" The two then blinked and turned to the doorway where they saw Emiko standing there… peaking in. "…What are you two doing?"

The astrologer and sidekick looked at one another… and nodded as they turned to Emiko. Welcoming her in and slowly explaining the puzzle so far, the ballet dancer nodded and pondered about it herself. "…Would it work like the constellations?" This caused the duo to stop and look at Emiko confused as she continued. "Well… the constellations are made from connecting stars, right? Like choreography with a ballet dance, it connects together to create one large piece."

This caused Ai to look at the remote confused. "So… connecting the rubble? Like what rubble? Rocks? …" However, at that, the three stopped as their eyes widened… and they stood up to sprint to the work out/exercise room nearby.

Entering, they turned towards the different rock walls before Wally noticed one. "There!" Pointing to the one wall and holding up the remote, they could see the symbol if one were to connect lines. An array of rocks in a way that displayed a hidden symbol… one that you wouldn't look for without the clues needed.

Ai slowly lifted the remote up… and pressed the button… as they three heard the door close and lock behind them. Suddenly, the rock wall slowly began to shake and move upwards, revealing an open doorway. Turning to look at one another, the three nodded and gained motivation as they entered forward… to find a large lab room. The room held a large computer that appeared to be password protected, bookshelves of different files and finally… what appeared to be a desk with an open file on top of it.

Walking towards the desk, Wally looked at the file and blinked… as he pulled out the small note from before. "…It's the same writing." The same writing from before was in this file. Walking up to him, Wally turned to the ballet dancer and astrologer before starting to read the file.

"It seems that the Conductor is intrigued with the one member of the riders… for they are acting as an observer. Of course, they don't know it… but we have them set up to be a bit of a secondary camera. It wouldn't work with anyone except them.

Still, it is interesting to see a robot so unrecognizable. No one would even be able to tell who it is. Hell, even THEY don't know that they're a robot. One of many robot-clones that somehow gained their own personality.

It makes one wonder how they act. The laws of robotics… the nature of humans… it is all interesting. I'll have to keep data on them.

Hopefully the Conductor knows what they are doing… And hopefully Ragnarok won't rain down on us.

-Right Hand

…Silence. Silence is what filled the room as Wally, Emiko and Ai turned to face one another. If what this "Right Hand" was saying was true… then…

"…One of the riders is a robot?"

-TO BE CONTINUED-

14/16 REMAINING

Hello everyone! Void here!

WELP! Someone is gonna know something is up. Wonder how they'll react. But then again, I'm finding this all the more interesting~

But yeah! This part came quickly and who knows when the next one will be. I have the plan/murderer & victim for this chapter planned. But I'm not saying anything at the moment.

Still… I'm curious to hear peoples thoughts on this chapter for a little curveball was thrown at the end!

But… that's all for now! Until next time! See you all later!

VoidRebirth signing out!