To the Future:

Despair

Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or the characters used therein.

Note: This story is in honor of Kyoko Kirigiri's birthday and the first of a three-part series!

"No matter happens, don't give up on hope. I will always be by your side."

As those words left Kyoko's mouth, she realized that the time had come…and there was no turning back. She had chosen her words carefully, knowing they might be the last to pass from her lips. But she wanted him to know…she needed Makoto to know that, regardless of the outcome, whether she was able to survive or not, that she would always be by his side…

The cheerful jingle sounding from her and her companions' bracelets signaled the end of the third time limit…and the oncoming passing into the fourth. As Makoto, Asahina, and Ryota all slowly began to lose consciousness, Kyoko forced herself to stay awake, even if only for a few seconds longer.

Her lavender irises lingered on the passed out form of Makoto, a satisfied smile on her face.

From the moment she first read her forbidden action, Kyoko knew her life was going to end. She could hear the footsteps of the grim reaper slowly catching up with her as each time limit passed. And now, she could feel its presence hovering over her…waiting for her to succumb.

At the same time, regardless of how dangerous each case she investigated was, regardless of how many times she'd put her own life on the line to solve a mystery, Kyoko Kirigiri always made sure to have some kind of plan to ensure her survival. And this case was no different…

Fighting off the bracelet's effects, Kyoko reached into her pocket and retrieved a small bottle just as the sleeping toxin claimed her…

…

Kyoko's alertness came back abruptly, a noiseless gasp escaping her as she pushed herself up onto her knees. She had fallen unconscious lying on her stomach, the bottle of medicine still clutched in her hand, unopened.

At first, confusion set in, as she hadn't expected to wake up at all. That is, until she realized exactly what her forbidden action meant.

Passing the Fourth Time Limit with Makoto Naegi Alive

The Mastermind…whomever they were, had obviously created this forbidden action to tempt her. They hadn't officially passed the fourth time limit yet, meaning that she had just enough time to make a simple choice. Her life or Makoto's…only one of them was going to survive.

And now she understood one more mystery…

Ever since the first time limit, she had always woken up before the rest of her companions. It wasn't much time, but long enough for her to make single choice. And it was obvious what the Mastermind wanted from her, especially now.

Glancing over, she saw the sleeping form of Makoto nearby, exactly where she had left him. He was completely defenseless, there would be nothing stopping her from smothering him in his sleep. A weaker woman might have been tempted to do just that, and therefore secure her own survival in this game. After all, logically, having her skills as a detective would better serve them in discovering the Mastermind's identity, whereas Makoto had offered little since the game began.

Fortunately, logic wasn't a factor…at least not anymore.

Ever since becoming a detective, Kyoko had always viewed her survival as the top priority. During the School Life of Mutual Killing, she had put her own life ahead of all of her classmates…even Makoto. In her mind, it was simple. She couldn't solve the mystery if she was dead, and therefore needed to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.

…That all changed during the school's fifth trial, when she forced Makoto to be executed in her place.

To this day, the memory of watching him slide underneath the crushing weight of her own execution…brought her unbearable shame. He didn't deserve to die like that. And she shouldn't have put him in that position. She knew that, and yet…she'd allowed him to take her place as the sacrificial lamb. And if not for his incredible luck, he would have been splattered into an unrecognizable lump of bloody flesh.

That experience taught her something she never knew she needed to learn…the weight of another's life. It was a harsh lesson, but one she had taken to heart ever since escaping Hope's Peak with Makoto and the others.

And now, once more, she held Makoto Naegi's life in the palm of her hand…but this time, she had the strength to make the right choice.

"Makoto…"

A relieved smile momentarily broke out on her face before she realized her time was almost up. However, that didn't mean she would go down without a fight!

*Ding*Dung*Dung*Dung*Ding*Ding*

As that fateful jingle reverberated in her ears, Kyoko pressed the now opened medicine bottle to her lips. Gulping down the mixture, she felt something press into her left wrist. Less than an instant after she finished ingesting the medicine, unimaginable pain coursed through her left arm.

It felt as though she was being ripped apart from the inside, as if her arm was slowly being gutted with a jagged knife. That sensation slowly worked its way up her arm, and even though she couldn't see it, she knew it was fast approaching her upper body.

Fighting off the agony, Kyoko somehow managed to reach into her left pocket and retrieve her notebook. However, as the pain became more intense, she felt her consciousness slipping, falling backward onto the concrete floor. Losing her strength, her notebook slipped from her hand, landing next to her, the now empty bottle of medicine she'd ingested only a few inches away from her.

Kyoko had no idea if the medicine she'd taken was having any effect, especially considering she could feel the poison reaching up to her face, fogging her mind over with unbearable agony. Vision in her left eye blurred and she couldn't bear to keep either of her eyes open any longer, a single bloody tear slipping from her left eye. She found it increasingly difficult to breathe, her breathing slowing into an unrecognizable rhythm.

As she lay there, fighting with every ounce of her strength to stay conscious, her mind raced.

Even though she had already made her choice, even though she had prepared herself for this moment, and even though she had already said her farewells to Makoto…even now, despite her noble sacrifice…she knew she wasn't satisfied.

Lingering regrets plagued her mind, threatening to consume her as she fell into darkness.

She had discovered the cause of death for all of the Final Killing Game's victims, and left behind her findings in a notebook in order to help her companions survive, but she had failed to discover the truth for herself. The Mastermind's identity was still unknown; despite the evidence she'd gathered. This would be the one mystery she was unable to solve, a most disappointing outcome.

But even more than that, even more than the disappointment that came from having failed as a detective…Kyoko regretted wasting all of the valuable time she had had up until this point.

She regretted the fact that her position as a branch head meant she couldn't see her companions as often. She regretted not opening up to her friends as much as she believed she should have. She regretted never being able to properly resolve her feelings about her father. But more than anything else…she regretted not spending more time with Makoto.

"Makoto…"

If she had known this would happen, she would have told him everything sooner. She wouldn't have waited until a few minutes before the end of the third time limit to express her thoughts about him. She would have told him that…she was only able to survive this long…because he had been with her…because he had given her…hope.

As all of these regrets raced through her mind and her consciousness slowly began to fade, Kyoko Kirigiri came to a horrifying realization…

"I'm…I'm…I'm not ready to die yet!"

She didn't want to leave everyone behind. She wanted to stay with them. She wanted to be there when Makoto and the others overcame this horrific killing game, as she knew they would. She wanted to build a brighter future, together…with all of the people who had given her so much to live for.

"I want…to live!"

There was still so much for her to accomplish, so much unfinished business left to resolve! She didn't have time to die here! No…she couldn't die here! She had to survive! She had to fight through the pain! She needed to be there for Makoto! She needed to do all she could to protect him! She needed to make sure that he never gave in and would always be the symbol of hope that she knew him to be!

She needed…she needed to see Makoto's smiling face…just one more time!

That's why, even the in face of such horrifying misery, Kyoko Kirigiri did not despair. She wouldn't allow herself to give in, not even in this hellish situation. Because no matter what happened to her, she could hold onto the hope that Makoto had shown her. And she knew that he would continue on…never giving in…and he would carry her memory within him for the rest of his life.

"…no matter what…I will always…be with…him…"

With that final comforting thought…Kyoko Kirigiri succumbed to the encroaching darkness…

…

…

An odd sensation…that's what it was. An odd sensation coursed through her as her mind swam, desperately trying to resurface. Going against the current, fighting off the invading darkness, Kyoko clawed her way out. Battling overwhelming resistance and overcoming monumental opposition…she somehow managed to find her way back.

Fresh air rushed into her lungs, not much at first, but enough to take a solid breath. Short, sharp breaths echoed as she forced herself to breathe, her disoriented mind desperately working to piece so many sensations together into something that made sense.

Pain…mind-numbing pain…that was something she recognized instantly. Every inch of the left side of her body screamed in anguish. Not only that, she had virtually no strength. She couldn't even open her eyes, no matter how hard she struggled. Her body felt as though it was made of lead, and even when she tried to move, her stiff muscles refused to cooperate.

In the end, all she was able to do was lie there, contemplating her situation.

"…Is this…death? I never imagined…it would be so…exhausting…"

Unwilling to give in, however, Kyoko once again tried to force herself to move. Her muscles strained as she squirmed, continually fighting the pain as she worked to regain control of her body. Eventually, she decided to put all her efforts into opening her eyes, wanting to see again more than anything else.

Grunting and groaning, the detective gradually felt her eyes opening…or at least one of them.

Her right eye managed to squint open, with blurry, unrecognizable images flooding her vision. Concentrating harder, she was able to fully open her right eye, blinking several times to try and clear her muddled vision. Slowly but surely, her eyesight returned, and she found herself staring up at the ceiling.

She wasn't surprised that her left eye refused to cooperate, considering how much damage the poison must have done to it. However, something felt…off. Like there was something obstructing the vision in her left eye. Nevertheless, she was grateful that even a portion of her vision had returned, for it proved something invaluable…

"…I'm…alive…at least…I think…I am…"

Although she was hesitant, relief soon flooded Kyoko as she lay there, thankful that her struggled hadn't been for nothing. Her will to live had won out in the end, or so she told herself.

Did this mean the medicine had been effective? At the very least, it was slowing the progression of the poison. Unfortunately, there was no way to be sure if she was going to recover at all. She was conscious, and that was a start, but it didn't guarantee survival. For all she knew, the medicine wasn't able to neutralize the poison entirely, and she would eventually succumb to its effects.

But if that was the case, how was it that she was awake right now…?

Still disoriented and confused, Kyoko decided to take her situation slow, as she wasn't sure what her current condition actually was. Therefore, she immediately set about trying to find the answer.

Despite the partial return of her vision, she was still immobile, due to how heavy her body felt. Her left arm ached terribly and she didn't have the strength to lift it. Her right arm twitched as she worked to move it, which was something at least. Each tiny movement was accompanied by a jolt of pain, but somehow she managed to endure it, despite how exhausting it was.

Just as she was about to rest her right eye, a soft voice called out to her…

"Um, excuse me…can you hear me?" a familiar and yet distant voice reverberated in Kyoko's ears, putting her on guard.

She couldn't see who was speaking, as they were outside of her peripheral vision, but she could tell they were somewhere close. It was a feminine voice, more than likely belonging to a young woman. Presumably, the speaker was situated somewhere to her left, since Kyoko couldn't see at all in the direction.

After only a few moments of silence, the soft voice called out again, "Just blink if you don't have the strength to speak."

For some reason, Kyoko almost felt that request was a bit of a challenge, and she didn't want to be outdone.

"…I…can…hear you…" she choked out, her voice hoarse and strained.

"Oh thank goodness!" the soft voice replied almost tearfully. "I saw you stirring and hoped that you were awake! But I couldn't be sure because corpses often twitch long after death—".

"…I'm…not…a…corpse…yet…" Kyoko struggled to say, unintentionally cutting off the voice.

"Oh, you're right! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply that!" the soft voice apologetically answered. "But…I won't ask you to forgive me. Not anymore…"

As those token words were spoken, horrific shock overtook Kyoko as she finally placed the voice speaking to her. Putting all of her strength into tilting her head, the detective managed to angle her working eye over to look to her left side. Sitting there, with a small bag presumably filled with medical equipment, sat the Former Ultimate Nurse and Remnant of Despair – Mikan Tsumiki.

Panic arose in Kyoko as memories of the nurse's crimes flooded her mind. All of her instincts told her to flee, but her body was still too weak. She didn't even have a means of defending herself. She was completely at the mercy of one of the deadliest members of the Remnants of Despair.

Just then, something strange clicked her mind. How could Mikan, who was supposed to be in a coma on Jabberwock Island, be here in the underwater facility beneath the Future Foundation Headquarters? Hadn't Munakata sent a fleet to Jabberwock in order to have the Remnants killed? Even if they survived somehow, how would they be able to get here? And for what purpose?

Before she could ask any of those questions, Mikan shifted, presumable to get more comfortable, and said, "I-It was lucky that I noticed the door was open, or else I might never have found you. If I had been just a few minutes later…I'm not sure I would have been able to resuscitate you."

Kyoko remained silent as the Remnant of Despair spoke to her, skeptical of her words but at the same time, desperately trying to gather as much information as possible. The detective cursed her luck, having miraculously survived being poison only to be found by one of the most disturbed members of the Remnants of Despair. Even if it was true, and Mikan had revived her, she was certain her intentions were less than noble.

"A-Actually, I don't think we were ever formally introduced," the former Ultimate Nurse nervously told her. "My name is—".

"I know…who you…are…" Kyoko sternly interjected, a fearsome glare accompanying her words. Even knowing that it probably wasn't wise to be so abrasive in her current situation, Kyoko refused to show weakness.

Surprisingly, a shameful expression covered Mikan's face, slightly hanging her head. "Oh…yes, I suppose that makes sense…" she said carefully, keeping her voice low. "W-Well then, let me at least explain your current condition."

Mikan disappeared from Kyoko's field of vision, worrying the already perturbed detective. She heard a bit of shuffling, like someone sifting through a bag. A moment later, Mikan came back into view, holding a small mirror. She slowly held it out over Kyoko's face, finally allowing the detective to see her own condition.

To her shock, her appearance wasn't as grotesque as she'd initially feared. The left side of her face was only slightly darkened due to the poison, and it even seemed to be receding. Not only that, a white medical eyepatch was slung over her left eye, which explained why, even though she was certain she'd opened her left eye, only darkness came into view.

"A-As you can see, the poison is beginning to regress. Your left eye was damaged, and will be sensitive to light for a while, so I recommend not removing that eyepatch for at least 24 to 48 hours. If your vision does not return in some capacity by then, you should seek medical treatment for it."

Mikan explained Kyoko's condition slowly and carefully, as if giving a medical examination. And regardless of her suspicions, it seemed that the nurse was indeed telling the truth about her condition, with the news about her left eye leaving her feeling slightly distressed.

A moment later, Mikan held up the empty bottle of medicine Kyoko had ingested.

"It seems that you managed to take Seiko Kimura's cure just in time. A-And while it wasn't enough to neutralize the poison, it slowed it down enough for your body to begin building a resistance to it. O-oh, and I should mention that I treated the puncture wounds on your arm, where the bracelet used to be."

A wave of surprise hit Kyoko at being told that. She didn't have the strength to lift her arm, so she wouldn't have noticed the bracelet had been removed. Did that mean the game was already over? If so…who had managed to survive?

"There's little point in asking her…" the detective pointedly thought. "But now I'm even more concerned…"

Before she had more time to contemplate, Mikan took away the mirror and pocketed the empty medicine bottle. Once again disappearing from view, the nurse returned an instant later with what appeared to be a bottle of water.

"Your body is dehydrated," she explained, twisting off the cap and preparing to help her drink. "You'll need to drink lots of fluids if you want to recover—".

"I refuse…" Kyoko weakly proclaimed, her only visible eye still glaring at the nurse. "…I know…what you're…capable…of…I saw it…for myself…"

There was no doubt in Kyoko's mind that whatever Mikan wanted her to drink was going to harm her. It appeared innocent enough, seeming to be a plain bottle of water. However, given everything she knew about Mikan, both before and during the New World Program, the detective knew she couldn't trust anything the Remnant of Despair tried to give her.

Mikan flinched at hearing Kyoko's words, squeezing her eyes shut as she hesitated, almost as if fighting back tears. She opened her mouth, and almost appeared to be on the verge of apologizing. However, she stopped herself, clamping her mouth shut before slowly opening her eyes.

To Kyoko's horror, the former Ultimate Nurse's visage hardened, and she turned her determined gaze down to recovering detective. Without warning, Mikan slipped one arm behind Kyoko's shoulders and lifted her upper body from the floor, cradling her head in the crook of her elbow. The sudden movement caused the detective's injuries to ache and before she could react, she felt something wet pressed to her lips. She tried to clamp her mouth shut but it was too late.

Mikan pushed the tip of the water bottle just past her teeth, keeping her from closing her mouth as the cold liquid was poured down her throat. Kyoko sputtered and fought to keep the liquid from going down, but knew it was useless. If she didn't drink, she'd choke, and that would be the end of her regardless. Not to mention that she didn't have much strength to begin with, which made trying to fight off the nurse's 'treatment' all the more difficult.

In the end, she begrudgingly began to swallow the cold liquid. Surprisingly, as she drank, she gradually became more and more refreshed. In fact, with each gulp, she felt strength returning to her body.

Once the bottle was nearly depleted, Mikan pulled it away and set it down behind her. Kyoko sputtered and coughed, her body feeling refreshed but still weak at the same time. Taking in as deep of breaths as she could manage, the detective glanced up at the nurse.

"What are you…?" she tried to ask before choking on some lingering water in her throat, coughing fervently.

Then, to her shock, she found herself able to lift her right hand up to cover her mouth as she hacked. Her visible eye widened, surprised that she had the strength to do such a thing. Before she had more time to contemplate, Mikan carefully began to move her, inching her up into a seated position.

"Slowly now…slowly…" she said gently, allowing Kyoko to use her own hands to steady herself.

Kyoko marveled at how much strength she had recovered, and in only a short time. A few minutes ago, she could barely open her eyes. Now, she was sitting up on the floor, albeit with someone helping to keep her upright. At the same time, this newfound strength worried her, as she knew it had to do with whatever she'd just drank. Even her wounds didn't ache as much as before…how was that possible?

"What did…you make me drink?" she asked directly, sending a weak glare toward the nurse.

Registering the glare, Mikan hesitated for a moment before answering, "I-It's nothing special. Just water with a few natural energy supplements mixed in—".

"I don't believe you," Kyoko outright refuted, still taking labored breaths from the sudden exertion. "Only a few moments ago, I was almost completely immobile. But now I'm able to sit up without much effort. What other explanation could there be—?"

"T-That's because of Kimura's medicine!" Mikan abruptly proclaimed, closing her eyes as she continued. "Miss Kimura's medicines are quite potent, far more than I originally expected. I never imagined she'd be able to synthesis an antidote to the bracelet's poisoning in such a short time. A-And now that you're awake, your body is working to fight off the poison. It'll take time, but eventually, you should make a full recovery!"

Despite that well thought-out answer, Kyoko was still skeptical. She knew that Mikan was a skilled manipulator, both with medicine and words. She had led a number of her own classmates to their deaths, and had showed little remorse while doing it. It wouldn't surprise Kyoko if she suddenly felt her insides beginning to melt away. Thankfully, such a sensation didn't occur, which only confused the stoic detective even more. In either case, she was certain that, any moment now, Mikan would spring whatever trap she had been laying—

Just then, a startled scream echoed from out in the hallway. Both of them turned toward the door, with a horrified expression encasing Mikan's features.

"T-That was—!"

Immediately, Mikan sprang to her feet, forcing Kyoko to catch herself as her support suddenly vanished. Fortunately, the detective had regained enough strength to hold herself up, keeping herself in a seated position on the floor. Lifting her gaze, her visible eye widened when she saw Mikan pick up a gargantuan-sized injection needle.

Instantly on guard once more, Kyoko prepared herself as she knew that medical item was the nurse's favored torture tool. Surprisingly, as soon as Mikan retrieved the giant needle, she quickly headed for the door, not even sparing the detective a second glance. Shocked by this turn of events, Kyoko couldn't stop herself from calling out to her.

"Wait…!"

Mikan came to a halt just in front of the door, glancing over her shoulder with a confused expression. She appeared to be in a rush, but even so, she took a little bit of time to say, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now! I can't—"

"What are you planning to do?" the detective demanded, her expression hard and accusatory.

Her harsh tone made the nurse freeze, the implication obviously affecting her. However, much to Kyoko's shock, determination settled into Mikan's eyes, the likes of which the detective never imagined possible. And then, the former Ultimate Nurse smiled. It was a nervous smile, but one that not even Kyoko could deny was genuine.

With fearsome determination, Mikan boldly proclaimed, "I'm going to save my friend!"

As that proclamation rang out, the former Ultimate Nurse sped out into the hallway, leaving a thoroughly confused Kyoko alone in the room…

…

…

…

She had survived….

Somehow, Kyoko Kirigiri had survived not only being poisoned due to her forbidden action, but also an encounter with one of the deadliest members of the Remnants of Despair. And while this realization should have filled her with relief, all she could feel was confusion.

"Most of the Remnants of Despair were in comas on Jabberwock Island…including Mikan Tsumiki. So then, how is it possible that she found herself here?" Kyoko asked herself aloud, trying to organize her thoughts.

So much had occurred in such a short span of time that she was having difficulty contemplating everything. It could all be a ruse, trying to get her to lower her guard and bring about more despair in the end. However, as she reached her right hand up and touched the white eyepatch protecting her damaged eye, something told her that wasn't the case.

"Why would she bother to resuscitate me and then just leave? If her plan was to torture me, I doubt she would have left me alone like this. This may be part of a larger scheme but it seems too intricate for her. Not to mention that her behavior is more in line with how she was back at the Academy...before she had been tainted by…despair…"

As she tried to wrap her brain around the issue, there was only one conclusion she could come to.

"Could it be that…the New World Program…actually succeeded in rehabilitating them?"

Despite how unbelievable it was, that was the only conclusion that explained what had just happened to her. And while it didn't answer some of her other questions; such as how the nurse had been able to find her or how she'd gotten into the underwater facility, it certainly helped Kyoko grasp how she'd managed to survive.

Not only that, Mikan's actions had inadvertently proven that at least some of the other Remnants of Despair were in the facility with them, considering the nurse had rushed off to help a 'friend'. Did that mean that Izuru Kamakura was here as well? And if so, what side was he on? Had he truly reverted back to Hajime Hinata?

Unfortunately, when they had left the 'survivors' of the simulation back on Jabberwock Island, it was still unclear so to whether or not Hajime had truly regained his original personality.

But if it was true, and he and the other 'survivors' had somehow successfully rehabilitated at least some of the 77th Class, then it meant the experiment was a success! Which also meant that, despite being convicted as a traitor, Makoto had been right all along—

"Makoto…!"

All at once, overwhelming desperation took over as she realized that she was completely in the dark on what was going on outside. Her bracelet, which was lying split in half on the floor nearby, confirmed that the game truly was over. However, considering Mikan's desperation at hearing her friend in trouble, it seemed that the danger had yet to pass.

Not only that, even in her current situation, Kyoko's mind was consumed with worry.

"I need…to go…" she told herself, shifting around and shakily getting to her feet. "I need to find…"

Her legs wobbled and she stumbled, toppling back to the floor with a painful thud. She grunted, her body still weak, despite her initial recovery. Even so, she refused to give up. Again, she carefully picked herself up, this time using a nearby cabinet for balance as she stood on shaky legs.

With a firm shove, she pushed away from the cabinet, wearily standing up with her own strength. Taking it slowly, one small step at a time, Kyoko forced herself to move forward. With each step she took, she felt renewed determination, letting her feet carry her toward the door, in search of the one person she desperately needed to see….

"…Makoto…"

Continued in…To the Future: Luck

…

Greetings, my beautiful readers! After finishing all of Danganronpa 3, I was consumed with many feels. Most of them pleasant, but some not. This story was born out of wanting a little more from Kyoko during her time 'away' from everyone else during the final episodes of the Future Arc.

As you read, this story is not completed yet. There will be two more parts coming soon! The next part will be the dramatic reunion between Makoto and Kyoko, so I hope you look forward to it!

If you like this story, please leave a comment/review to tell me what you think of it! Anything at all, I want to hear your opinions about this idea and if you have any questions for me, be sure to ask away! I'll do my best to respond to each and every review/comment!

As always, thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day, my beautiful readers!