A/N: Well, here we are at the last chapter in this Gaiden entry. Let me know what you thought of it in the reviews. Enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and the Ultimate Hope Gaiden: The Ultimate Hope's Final Nightmares of Death Chapter Three: Makoto's Traumatic Nightmares of Despair

"Where…Where am I?"

Makoto rubbed the drowsiness out of his eyes as he looked around, disturbingly teal and black skies as far as the eye could see.

"Why does this place look like a Van Gogh painting? And why am I even here?"

"Makoto!"

Makoto whirled around to see his fiancée, Kyoko looking at him with an unsettlingly blank expression.

"Kyoko? What's going on?"

"…You're still alive…"

What are you talking about, Kyoko? Of course I'm still alive! The Tragedy is over, remember?

Before he could ask Kyoko what was going on, a sickeningly sweet voice reached his ears, one that he could never forget.

"Makoto…."

Makoto gasped, turning around to see the blue-haired Ultimate Pop Sensation, addressing him with a similarly blank expression.

"Sa…Sayaka?!" It's…not possible! You died…in my bedroom. I inspected your corpse myself! How…

"You're such a liar. Remember you swore to get me out alive? What happened there?"

No…this can't be happening!

As Makoto tried to wrap his head around what was going on, Kyoko interrupted "This is all your fault."

Makoto trembled in fear as Kyoko's words stung his heart.

"But…but I…"

Before he could defend himself, Kyoko was joined by Celeste, Hifumi, and Taka, while Sayaka was joined by Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, and Sakura.

"I…I don't understand…" How can this be real?

Yet again, Kyoko interrupted "Why are you still alive, Makoto?"

Sayaka continued "Yeah, right? You're the one who deserves to die!"

The words from his past and current loves broke Makoto's heart as his friends reverted to how they were found when they died.

As tears filled Makoto's eyes, his deceased classmates chanted in a sing-song tone "Makoto…it should have been you who was killed instead of us."

"No…no…" Makoto crouched into a fetal position as he cried into his knees, trying to rationalize "This isn't real. It has to be a dream! Some sick, twisted dream. I'm in my bed, at home, with the real Kyoko."

"Join us, Makoto. Join us, Makoto!"

As everyone else chanted, Makoto whimpered "You're not real…you're not real…you're not real…"

As Kyoko and Sayaka moved closer to grab him, Makoto finally screamed.

XXX

Lavender eyes snapped open as Makoto's scream pierced their owner's ears. She sat up rigidly, gasping as the only possible explanation made itself clear.

No!

She looked over to her right, seeing Makoto clutching his shoulders, the blanket having fallen from his grasp.

Without another word, she crawled over started to run her hands down his own as she soothed "Makoto? It's me, Kyoko. You're okay. Listen to me. You're Okay!"

At the combination of her touch and her voice, Makoto seemed to snap out of his post-dream trance, blinking as he started to calm down. He angled his head up to meet her eyes, and what she saw broke her heart; his normally cheerful green eyes were now red and puffy, tears actively trekking their way down his cheeks.

"Kyou…Kyoko?"

At her nod, Makoto slowly loosened his grasp and let his arms fall back to his sides. Kyoko reached up and used her thumbs to wipe the tears from his eyes. The full truth hitting him that this was the loving Kyoko who proposed to him, and not the vengeful one from his nightmares, Makoto began to sob before reaching out to her in a desperate embrace, burying his head between her breasts as he let out the fear and terror he felt from the nightmare. Kyoko stiffened in shock before returning the embrace, pulling him onto her lap before beginning to rock him back and forth.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

Kyoko stroked his head as she whispered into his ear "Shh. Makoto, it's okay. The nightmare's over now. You have nothing to be sorry for. Shh…"

The more Kyoko rocked him, the more Makoto seemed to calm down. So, she continued to rock back and forth, until at last Makoto quieted down. With her beloved calm at last, she slowed down until she stopped rocking, allowing Makoto to climb out of her lap while still remaining in her embrace.

"Are you alright now?"

Not trusting himself to speak, Makoto merely nodded his head. Though he recoiled when Kyoko asked her next question.

"I gather that you had a nightmare…"

Makoto nodded at Kyoko's deduction. Seeing Makoto shiver, Kyoko tried to soothe him.

"It's okay, Makoto. Bad dreams are nothing to be ashamed of."

Shaking his head against her, Makoto retorted, his voice muffled "Easy for you to say. You never get burdened by nightmares. You're strong enough that you never get them!"

He really…thinks I don't have bad dreams?

Astonished at how high of a pedestal Makoto held her on, Kyoko decided to tell him the truth.

"…I've had bad dreams before. They don't happen often, but they do occur."

"…Like when?"

Taking a deep breath as she remembered the emotional turmoil associated with the incident, Kyoko revealed "It was the night you were nearly executed. When I went to bed, I was so wracked with guilt over the part I played in your near-death, I had a nightmare mixed in with a memory of our past school life."

Makoto's eyes widened, shocked that Kyoko, by her own admission, was more normal and vulnerable than the image he had created of her.

"…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…doubted you like that."

A smile gracing her face, Kyoko assured him "Don't worry about it. Now, what was your dream about?" Seeing Makoto's reluctance to speak, she clutched him tighter and said "Makoto, I can't help you to heal if you don't talk to me about what you saw. Take it from someone with experience; Keeping everything bottled inside to protect yourself and those you hold dear always backfires in the end. I promise, I won't judge you. I promised I'd share the rest of my life with you. That includes the nightmares and embarrassments as well as my pride and joys. So please, Makoto; talk to me."

She looked down at her fiancé, relieved to see that he was looking her in the eye once more. He let go of her embrace, moving so that he was sitting next to her. Feeling her grasp his hand and stroke his knuckles with her thumb, he took a deep breath and began recounting his dream.

"I…I was dreaming…about what I saw. In that…Despair Video."

Kyoko clenched her other fist in anger at the demented Junko Enoshima for causing her beloved Makoto to suffer unimaginable terror even after her death.

Of course; what else could it have been. Hajime warned us about the possibility that he could suffer Post Traumatic Stress Night Terrors. Refocusing her attentions, Kyoko inquired "And…what did you see in that video?"

"I was…in some weird place, when I heard you call out to me. You started to say something about me still being alive. Then…" He gripped her hand tighter before continuing "Then I heard…Sayaka…"

Sayaka? Of course; she was the first to die back at Hope's Peak, not to mention Makoto's middle-school crush. I wouldn't be surprised if he still carried some residual guilt about it…

Her theory was only proven when Makoto continued "She started to call me a liar for not getting her out alive. Then…you told me that this was all my fault."

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at Makoto's revelation, hypothesizing that this part of his nightmare stemmed from her near-death from Junko's poison.

I had no idea…that he would feel so responsible…why didn't I think to reassure him sooner?

Her monologue was interrupted as Makoto continued "Then…all of our dead classmates appeared as well. You asked me why I was still alive, then Sayaka said that I was the one who deserved to die…and everyone else agreed. You all started chanting…for me to join you all…"

Kyoko gasped in shock as she realized just how deep Makoto's guilt over the past several years had festered.

This has gone far enough!

She let go of his hand before using her own to pull his head into the crook of her neck, stroking his hair as his eyes widened in shock.

"Kyou…Kyoko."

"Listen to me very carefully, Makoto Naegi. What happened to our classmates, and my brush with death, none of it was your fault. The blame rests with Junko Enoshima. She made our classmates kill each other. And it was her game that forced me in the position to choose your life over mine."

She pulled his head back before using both of her hands to cradle his face in her hands.

"You have survivors' guilt, exacerbated by your Post Traumatic Stress. And us springing this new job on you certainly didn't help at all. But you're going to get better. I promise to hold your hand through this every step of the way, as your friend, as your comrade, and most importantly, as your wife!"

Makoto gasped, blushing as red as a tomato, before adopting a teary-eyed smile, overcome with how much Kyoko loved him. He wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug, nestling his head on her shoulder. Kyoko smiled, gently returning the embrace, stroking his hair as she kissed his cheek. Makoto opened his mouth to apologize for waking her up but thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. For her part, Kyoko slowly pulled them down until they were lying on the bed once more. As she continued to stroke his hair, Kyoko started to sing.

"Come, stop your crying, it will be alright. Just take my hand, hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry…"

Nearly asleep, Makoto nuzzled against her shoulder and murmured "Kyoko?"

"Hmm?"

Yawning, he finished "Thanks for protecting me. I love you…"

After she finally heard the snoring that was music to her ears, she kissed his head and replied "I love you too, Makoto" before closing her eyes as well, slumber finally taking her and Makoto to a world of happy dreams.

XXX

"…You know, I'm kind of surprised you still wanted this job. I figured your nightmares would have spooked you away from ever touching this place again…"

Makoto scratched his cheek and answered "Well, they almost did. But…it occurred to me that I can really do a lot of good as Headmaster. Plus, maybe if I get used to running this place as a school of hope that honors its past, then maybe I can finally bury my guilt from the past and move on."

"In that case, you'd better get a move on. They're waiting, Headmaster."

Makoto looked over his fiancée; dressed in a reddish-purple suit, with a new pair of lavender gloves to wear as part of her new uniform as Vice-Headmaster. He smiled at her, grasping her hand in his own as they walked out to greet the first class of Neo-Hope's Peak Academy.