Frequency

Author: Cold Silence

 

E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com

 

Pairings: Joshua x Neku, Neku + Shiki, Joshua + Rhyme

 

Warnings: There shall be homosexual sexual liaisons, and very sweet heterosexual proclivities.  Very slight crossover with Kingdom Hearts.

 

Special Note: This will be a very long, multi-chaptered fic.  I hate when I get sucked into these!  Also, I have been straying from my original outline as I have been inspired.  Therefore I have added a new slight crossover warning.

 

Archive:  Someday, I’ll get around to updating my website.  So for now, you’ll only find this fic here!

 

Disclaimer: All characters from The World Ends With You belong to Square-Enix and Jupiter.  All characters from Kingdom Hearts belong to Tetsuya Nomura and Square-Enix. No profits are made from this fic.

 

 

 

 

Frequency

-Chapter Four-

 

 

    Things were more complex than Mitsuki originally thought.  When Sho revealed that he knew who the Composer was, she was sure that a checkmate against the demigod of Shibuya was right around the corner.  Unfortunately, she was wrong.  Every time Sho attempted to write, describe, or even draw anything related to the Composer, the pictures and words always depicted same thing: A pig Noise wearing a crown.

 

    The Composer had shrewdly concentrated his power on preventing the revelation of his identity.  Even though Sho was now free, he could not inspire others to try to take the Composer’s place by disclosing what he knew.  Mitsuki smiled bitterly.  She had to hand it to the leader of the Underground; even in dire circumstances his stratagem was impeccable.

 

    No matter, there was more than one way to approach the situation.  First, they reviewed the facts: The Composer’s base vibe is significantly lowered.  That much could be surmised by Mitsuki’s ability to open Sho’s cage using only her power.  Something must have happened to cause this weakness in the Composer, and whatever that event was; it resulted in a destabilization of his Soul that dragged down his base vibe.  In order for the demigod of Shibuya to recover, he will have to reestablish the stability of his Soul so that his energy can be focused on recovery.

 

    This left two paths open.  One option was to discover what caused the Composer such harm.  Whatever it was, it would make a fine weapon against him.  The second option was to destroy the Composer now before his base vibe, and consequently, his power increased.  That meant that they would have to find the demi-god of Shibuya quickly and annihilate him without hesitation.

 

    The first possibility was currently out of their reach, but the second was promising.  Every Reaper knew that the best way to stabilize one’s Soul is through a pact.  It is the reason why the Reaper’s Game is played in pairs.  Logically, the Composer would form a pact in order to restore himself in the quickest way possible.  There was just one issue: As the Composer’s base vibe recovers, he will eventually surpass that of his partner, thereby causing the other person a great deal of physical and psychological stress.

 

    Mitsuki smiled to herself.  It was to their advantage that no partner could stand the Composer for long.  There wasn’t a single being in the Realground or Underground that could match that kind of power.  A pact would only take the Composer so far before his regeneration is forced to plateau.  Eventually, he will have to attempt healing his base vibe on his own, and that was going to be a slow and tedious process. 

 

    With this knowledge, Mitsuki and Sho devised a plan.  To find their target, they had to locate the person who forged a pact with the Composer.  Since no Reapers Games were being held at the moment, they didn’t have to worry about searching the Players; only Reapers would be capable of forming the bond.  All they had to do was flood Shibuya with Taboo Noise which naturally targeted anyone with a pact.  Then it was a matter of seeing who survived the onslaught; the strongest Reaper would be allied to the Composer.

 

    Mitsuki believed that their plan was flawless.  Even if the Composer decided to make a pact with a living being, the Taboo Noise would still attack them, not that such a thing was possible.  The Angels frowned heavily upon that kind of direct meddling between Realground and Underground affairs.  Surely the Composer wouldn’t dream of going that far to save himself. 

 

    Already, their plan was underway.  An Emergency Call was issued in the Underground as a result, but that wasn’t going to save them.  The Reapers would be annihilated one after another until the Composer revealed himself.  Then, Shibuya would fall into their hands.  Mitsuki could hardly wait for that day.

 

 

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    Neku had to leave Shiki’s house before her parents woke up, but he planned to return at the first opportunity.  There was no telling if Joshua’s new appearance was going to affect how the Family Time pin worked, so Neku wanted to be there just in case.  As soon as he got home, he bathed and dressed properly in his uniform, and then rushed out of the house after a quick bite of breakfast.  He returned to the Misaki property with a determined look on his face.

 

    Neku rang the doorbell.  Moments later, a very large, well built man with a severe face answered the door.  The boy was caught off guard by this person’s appearance, and he stared up at the large, scary stranger with a dear in the headlights type of look.

 

    “We’re not buying cookies,” said the man gruffly to Neku.

 

    “Er, I’m not here to sell cookies,” said Neku a touch nervously.  “I’m here to see Shiki.”

 

    The man narrowed his eyes dangerously at Neku when he mentioned Shiki’s name.  “Why are you here to see Shiki?”

 

    “We go to the same school,” explained Neku.  He wondered who this guy was and why he was giving him the third degree.  “I just wanted to walk with her.”

 

    The man’s face twisted into a look so thunderous that Neku backed up a step.  He thought of just turning around and quickly walking away, but a voice from inside the house stalled him.

 

    “Dad, is that Neku?  Please let him in, he’s my classmate,” called Shiki.

 

    Dad? Thought Neku in disbelief.  This meathead is Shiki’s dad?

 

    The man glowered at Neku for several moments longer before relenting and allowing the door to open completely.  An unfriendly stare was leveled at the boy, as if daring him to actually try and enter the house.

 

    Neku could feel sweat starting to prickle at the base of his neck.  He politely took his shoes off outside of the door and stepped inside.  A formal bow was given to Shiki’s father as he said, “I am Sakuraba, Neku.  Pleased to meet you.”

 

    In return, the man inclined his head only slightly.  “You can call me Papa,” he said with a sneer.  “You can wait in the living room.”

 

    “Yes…. Papa,” said Neku, the name feeling like soured milk in his mouth.  It was incredibly infantilizing to have to refer to a grown man in that way.  He trailed after Shiki’s father to the living room and sat stiffly on the couch.  Neku seriously hoped that Shiki would hurry up and bail him out of this situation.

 

    Shiki’s father settled onto a seat opposite of Neku and leaned forwards with both arms balanced on his knees.  He was examining the boy as if he was some disturbing piece of dirt that he found at the bottom of the toilet bowl.  “Sakuraba-kun, I find it interesting that you are on a first name basis with my daughter, but this the first time that we have met.  How long have you known my Shiki?”

 

    Neku struggled to find an answer that didn’t sound suspicious.  “Not very long.  We met over a project, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

 

    Shiki’s father looked as if he was going to question Neku more; however they were interrupted by the arrival of Shiki and Joshua.  Shiki was dressed in her school uniform, and Joshua was wearing a pair of sky blue shorts, sandals and a white shirt with matching sky blue sleeves.  Mr. Mew was secured within the circle of his arms.

 

    “Sorry for keeping you waiting Neku,” said Shiki, her voice injected with cheer in an attempt to dissolve the tense atmosphere in the living room.  She grabbed Neku’s wrist and hauled him to his feet.  “We have to run dad, we’re going to be late to school.”

 

    Shiki’s father continued to watch Neku with narrowed eyes. “I expect you to call me as soon as you arrive at the school, Shiki.”

 

    “I know I know,” she answered.  Shiki quickly pulled the boys outside and then slammed the front door shut.  “Whew,” she said in relief.  “Sorry that I took so long, but I had to alter those fabrics so they would fit Joshua right.”

 

    Neku dug his feet back into the sneakers that he had left outside of the house. “You could have warned me about your dad,” he groused.

 

    “Sorry, with everything that happened I completely forgot.  He didn’t scare you did he?” asked Shiki.

 

    “Of course not,” said Neku, even though he had been shared shitless.

 

    Joshua began to laugh childishly.  The two teenagers looked down at the Composer, who was tossing Mr. Mew up and down with delight.

 

    “On the bright side,” said Shiki, “my parents still think that he’s my little brother.”

 

    “He hasn’t said a word yet, has he,” said Neku.  He expected that Joshua would start talking now that he was a little older, but the toddler had yet to utter a single thing.  It was frustrating; Neku wanted to have a decent conversation about what was going on.

 

    “He is just a little kid, you can’t really force these things,” said Shiki.

 

    “I wonder,” murmured Neku.  Maybe it was true and Joshua really couldn’t help it.  If so, just how did the Composer feel, being trapped in that kind of body?

 

    They walked together down the sidewalk, Neku with his hands in his pockets and Joshua holding on to Shiki.  Halfway to school, they met up with Nao.  When the Composer was passed on to Shiki’s care, they had enlisted Nao’s help for babysitting.  Thankfully she was willing to do it, but her services used up their combined lunch money.  To make up for the lost meal, Shiki always prepared an extra bento box for Neku. (1)

 

    Asides from the money, Nao was glad to help fellow ex-Players of the Reaper’s Game.  She had no idea what Joshua’s true identity was and truly believed that he was Shiki’s brother.  In the same manner as Shiki’s parents, she accepted Joshua’s new form as if he had always looked that way.  She happily ushered the young Composer away, who kept looking over his shoulder at Neku and Shiki.

 

 

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    At lunchtime, Neku was sitting on a bench outside of the school with his bento box.  By habit, he always ate alone underneath the Sakura tree.  He picked at the rice balls and sushi with his chopsticks, and marveled at how Shiki’s cooking seemed to be improving.  For the first time, he wondered if he should invite her to eat with him on the bench, but he quickly squelched that thought.  She would invite Eiri, and then it wouldn’t be his private, personal place anymore.

 

    “Yo,” said a cheerful voice.

 

    Neku looked up and nearly spilled his food when he saw Kariya looming over him.  The lanky Reaper was leaning over the back of the bench and peering into the bento box with a bemused expression on his face.  “You!” said Neku in shock.

 

    Kariya popped his lollipop out of his mouth and smiled teasingly at Neku.  “Don’t tell me that you have girls bringing you bento boxes now.  Life is pretty sweet nowadays, isn’t it?”

 

    Neku flushed and closed the lid of his bento box, as if that would somehow get that idea out of Kariya’s head.  “Why are you bothering me?” he snapped at the Reaper.  “Don’t you have dead people to harass?”

 

    Kariya hopped over bench and landed on the seat with a quiet thud.  He stretched his long arms over the backrest, the left approaching dangerously close to Neku’s personal space, and turned his gaze to the sky.  “Not really,” he answered lazily.  “We haven’t had any games in weeks.  The Underground has gotten boring.  Had a little extra time on my hands, so I thought I’d pay you a visit.  Had to look in a couple high schools before I found you in this one.  Lucky me, although there’s tons of Sakurabas out there, there aren’t too many Nekus.”

 

    Neku edged away from Kariya.  During the game, they developed a truce, but he still didn’t completely trust the Reaper.  “Why were you looking for me?”

 

    “To thank you,” said Kariya.  He pushed his amber colored sunglasses further up his nose.  “Uzuki and I would have been toast without you.  It’s thanks to you that I can still enjoy this sunshine without repeating the same mantra again and again for the rest of my tediously long lifespan.”

 

    “Oh,” said Neku.  He looked down at his bento box, a bit lost as to what to say to that.  “You don’t have to thank me; it was the right thing to do.”

 

    “Was it really?  I could have erased you afterwards,” said Kariya off-handedly.  “But let’s not talk about things that were in the past.  Let’s talk about the here and now. I have a few questions for you.”

 

    “I’m not interested in answering questions,” said Neku flatly.  He figured that Kariya had come to inquire about the Composer, just as Triple Seven had.

 

    “Zing!  Burned right off the bat.  At least hear out the question before you reject it,” said Kariya with fake petulance.  “You’re still as distant as ever.”

 

    “Just tell me why you’re here,” ground out Neku.

 

    “Alright, you got me,” said Kariya.  He threw his hands up in the air.  “I’ll just have to say it point blank.  I’ve been sent to the Realground to investigate suspicious activity.  So far, I’ve only turned up one thing.”  At this point, he leveled a stare at Neku.  “I can’t scan you.”

 

    Neku stiffened.  His Player Pin was hidden underneath the sleeves of his school shirt.  Its metal suddenly seemed heavier and colder.  “Why is that important?” he said edgily.

 

    “You’re alive,” said Kariya.  “Reapers should be able to scan the living.  You’re wearing an active Player Pin, which leads me to assume one thing: You’re hiding something.  And that’s pretty suspicious.”

 

    “I just want my privacy,” said Neku.  He tried hard not to think about Joshua, in case the Player Pin somehow failed to function.  “Is that a crime?”

 

    “Depends on what you’re hiding,” answered Kariya smoothly.  He turned so that he was facing Neku and leaned close enough for the boy to smell his bean paste flavored breath.  “Neku, there’s no reason to hide your thoughts.  Any Player that passes through the game comes with a stack of information that we harriers review.  I know everything about you.  I know your real hair color, I know you’re a helpless fan boy for CAT, I know the things you dream about and the things you hate.”

 

    Neku hung his head as he endured the feeling of being completely and utterly violated.  To think that Reapers could know that information so easily, it wasn’t fair.  His fingers began to claw around the bento box he held.

 

    “I even know why you sit here,” continued Kariya.  “Ever since that accident with your friend—“

 

    “Shut up!” shouted Neku.  He got up from the bench, now shaking with fury.  “You think that reading some random facts about me makes you the expert on who I am?  Don’t make me laugh!”

 

    “I’m not saying these things to rile you up,” said Kariya.  “The game was designed to help you face the darkest parts of yourself.  As a harrier, its part of the job description to know enough about the Player to make them see what they need to see.”

 

    “If you’re not saying these things to get me angry, then why are you saying them?” fumed Neku.  “What do you want!”

 

    Kariya sighed dramatically and held his forehead.  “Give a guy a little credit here.  It’s obvious that I’m trying to gain your trust.  I really don’t want to see you as the bad guy, but the fact remains that I can’t scan you.  So unless you can give me a good reason, I have no choice but to be suspicious.”

 

    “I don’t have to tell you anything,” said Neku stubbornly.

 

    Kariya gave Neku a lazy stare, and then he stood up from the bench.  At his full height, he towered over the young boy.  “Do you know what a medium is?”

 

    Taken aback by the change of topic, Neku could only stare blankly at Kariya.

 

    This caused the Reaper to smirk knowingly.  “For beings with your level of vibe to manifest a psych, they need a medium.  But they can’t just use anything.  It has to be an object with great emotional attachment and meaning.  Your buddy Skulls had his skateboard.  Skulls Jr. had a pendant.  Your fashionable buddy from the first round had her doll.  And you….”

 

    With dawning horror, Neku realized what Kariya was getting at.

 

    “You had your ‘phones.”  Kariya’s lips twisted into a smirk.  “But you threw those away.  No ‘phones equals no psyches for you.  Now, let me make the situation clear.  There’s an Emergency Call in effect in the Underground right now.  That means we can attack Players directly.”

 

    “I’m not a Player, I’m alive,” asserted Neku.

 

    “Ah ah ah, that’s not how it works,” said Kariya with a shake of his lollipop.  “If you are wearing a working Player Pin, then you’re in, baby.  It looks like someone bent the rules for you, because your pin is definitely active.  Therefore, within the scope of the Emergency Call, I can attack you.  And you would be helpless without your medium to control your psyches.”

 

    Neku shifted his stance, ready to run at a moment’s notice.

 

    “Or,” continued Kariya smoothly.  “You can just tell me what’s on your mind.  Spill the beans on everything that you’re so desperate to hide.  Don’t worry, I can keep a secret.  I’ll take it to my grave.”

 

    Neku didn’t find the Reaper’s joke funny.  If he had known that his headphones were so important, he wouldn’t have thrown them away.  He wrecked his mind for an excuse to tell Kariya to get him off his back.  What kind of fake secret could he tell him?  What would be so ordinary and mundane that was worth using a Player Pin to block?

 

    The boy spied a couple walking in the distant background, and then he was struck by inspiration.  Neku slumped his shoulders and looked off to the side, pretending to be dejected.  “Alright, you got me.  This is really embarrassing but…. I have a girlfriend.”

 

    Kariya narrowed his eyes at Neku.  “Seriously?”

 

    “You want to make fun of me now?” said Neku, barely able to hide his desperation. 

 

    “You’re not the type to date,” said Kariya flatly.

 

    “I’ve changed,” murmured Neku.  He rubbed his arm self-consciously.  Did the Reapers consider him so awful that he couldn’t even stand to have a girlfriend?  “I wanted to try, just once.”

 

    Kariya continued to give Neku a long stare, and then he chuckled darkly.  “Call me a skeptic, but I just can’t see you as a ladies man.  But tell you what.  I’m going to keep my eye on you.  If you give your girlfriend a kiss in the next six hours, then I’ll believe you.”

 

    “Why you…” hissed Neku.

 

    “There won’t be any fancy timers,” interrupted Kariya in an airy voice.  “Only a Game Master can do that.  This is just a little wager between you and myself.  Show me this girlfriend, and I’ll stop hassling you.  Simple.”  The Reaper returned his lollipop to his mouth and began to walk away. “I hope she’s hot, ‘Phones.”

 

    Neku watched Kariya stalk off with anger in his eyes.  How could he ask him to do such a thing!  Never mind the fact that he didn’t even have a girl to do it with.  Even worse than that, he needed his headphones back to face the Noise in battle.  How in the world was he going to get them from Kariya?

 

 

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    Shiki was waiting by the gate of school with her notebook bag in hand.  Classes were over, and it was around this time that she met up with Neku and Eiri.  Her girlfriend was the first to arrive, and she gave Eiri a welcoming smile.

 

    As always, Eiri looked amazing.  She drew a lot of stares from the male population of the school as she made her way to the front gate. There was this inspired look on her face, as if she had just thought of the most amazing thing.  “Shiki,” she said to her friend as soon as she was within earshot, “I want to ask you something, from one girl to another.”

 

    “Sure, what’s up?” said Shiki.

 

    “Are you going out with Neku?” asked Eiri bluntly.

 

    Shiki widened her eyes in shock at the question and quickly looked away.  Her cheeks were coloring pink.  “Of course not, I’d tell you if I had a boyfriend.”

 

    “Do you want him to be your boyfriend?” pressed Eiri.

 

    The notebook bag in Shiki’s hands was clutched tighter.  She wished that she was holding on to Mr. Mew right now.  “Honestly, I never thought of it.”

 

    “Tell me honestly, Shiki.  Because if you don’t want him for yourself, then I’m going to ask him out,” declared Eiri.

 

    Surprisingly, Shiki’s gut reaction wasn’t shock or upset, it was to laugh.  There was no way in the world that Neku would ever go out with Eiri.  Sure she was pretty, but those were the kind of girls that Neku hated the most.  Shiki knew that from first hand experience.  “If you want to, go ahead,” she said, struggling to keep her face looking neutral.

 

    “Are you sure Shiki?” asked Eiri earnestly.  “I mean, if you really want him then that’s okay.  But if not, I want to try.  He’s really cool!  So quiet and mysterious, like he’s got some hidden secret.”

 

    “Yeah, that’s Neku alright, full of secrets,” said Shiki dryly.  “Good luck, Eiri.”  She was definitely going to need it.  Neku wasn’t exactly good at letting people down easy.

 

    Speaking of which, Neku was just then making his way towards the front gates of the school.  He was still fuming over his earlier encounter, and he kept looking at his cell phone to calculate how much time was left for his ridiculous mission.  When he reached the girls, he barely looked up to acknowledge them.

 

    “Hey Neku,” said Eiri cheerfully.  “Want to go to a movie tonight?”

 

    “Can’t, I’ve got something else I need to do,” he grumbled back to her.  “You and Shiki can go without me.”

 

    “Actually,” said Eiri.  “I was hoping that just you and me could go.”

 

    “No, I really can’t. I got to –“ before Neku could finish that sentence, it dawned on him what exactly it was that Eiri was trying to say.  He stopped looking at his phone and shot the girl a bewildered look.  “Wait a minute, you mean…”

 

    “A date,” Eiri clarified for Neku.  “I asked Shiki, and she said that it was alright.”

 

    “Shiki,” said Neku slowly.  He couldn’t believe that such a thing was alright with her.  He shot his ex-Partner a heated look.  How could you say yes to a thing like that!

 

    “Don’t look at me like that,” said Shiki.  She pushed up her glasses from her nose.  “If you guys want to date, you don’t need permission from me.”

 

    “So what’s it going to be?” asked Eiri hopefully.

 

    Neku didn’t know what to say.  He still couldn’t get over the fact that Shiki actually let Eiri ask him out on a date.  Just what was she thinking?  His first impulse was to tell Eiri a flat out no; he wasn’t interested in her.  However, Kariya’s promise to kick his ass to next week if he didn’t prove that he had a girlfriend hung over his head.  Neku hated this with every fiber of his being, but when it came between choosing his life and a kiss, he was taking his life.  “When does the movie start?”

 

    “In half an hour,” said Eiri.

 

    “Alright, let’s go,” said Neku.

 

    “Yay!” said Eiri excitedly.  She grabbed one of Neku’s arms and immediately began dragging him the movie theatre.  “This is so exciting!  I’ll tell you how it went later, Shiki!”

 

    Shiki looked stunned.  She couldn’t believe that Neku actually said yes.  It took a few moments to compose herself, and even then, all she could utter was a “See you,” and watch two of her closest friends walk away from her.

 

 

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    It occurred to Neku that he had never been on a date before, so he didn’t know what to do or say.  Eiri paid for their tickets and food, which made the boy feel like a heel for being completely broke.  Nevertheless, Eiri was excited and completely oblivious to the dread building up in the pit of her date’s stomach.

 

    Since it was early on a weekday, the theatre was practically empty.  Neku kept looking at every shadow with paranoia; Kariya had to be watching them from the Underground.  The movie that they had come to see was a cheesy romantic film, the kind that Neku fiercely hated.  As the boring plot unfolded, the boy found himself stuffing his face full of popcorn just to deal with the agony of the situation.

 

    Why.  Why did Shiki say yes? He thought to himself.  What about her feelings?  I thought she liked—

 

    “Neku.”

 

    Neku’s silent tirade was interrupted by Eiri’s quiet voice.  He looked over and found that she was leaning over the armrest between their seats.  The fact that her face was suddenly so close sent Neku’s heart rate skyrocketing.

 

    “You’re not watching the movie,” said Eiri.  “Do you think it’s boring?”

 

    Neku ducked his head.  At first, he thought of just outright lying to Eiri, but then he didn’t see the point of that.  “I don’t like these kinds of movies,” he admitted.

 

    “Heh, you’re always so straight forwards, Neku.  That’s why I like you,” said Eiri.  “So I’m going to be straight forwards too.  Can we kiss?”

 

    “K-kiss?” stammered Neku.  A part of him wondered why this was so easy.  He needed to get a kiss before his time was up, and now a kiss was suddenly being offered to him on a golden platter.  He never had this kind of luck with girls in his entire life.

 

    Eiri waited with her lips slightly parted and an expectant look on her face.  In the muted lights of the theatre, she looked stunningly beautiful.  She could have been a fashion model from one of those high class magazines.  There were probably very few men in Japan who would reject a kiss with Shiki.

 

    However, Neku hesitated.  The more he looked at her, the less desire that he felt.  He wanted to see brown hair instead of strawberry, and a pair of plain black glasses instead of a perfectly blemish-free face.  He took a deep breath before saying, “Sorry, but I can’t.”  He looked away and self-consciously rubbed his shoulder.  He was probably making a big mistake, but he couldn’t betray himself, and he couldn’t betray Shiki.

 

    Eiri blinked a couple times and looked at Neku in wonderment.  “Really?  You’re saying no?  Wow.”  She leaned away from the boy and turned her gaze to the ceiling.  “This is the first time that’s ever happened.  Am I getting ugly?”

 

    “You look fine,” said Neku miserably.  Probably every guy on the planet was laughing at him right now.  Especially Kariya.

 

    “I look fine?  Then, that means there’s someone else.”  Shiki smiled knowingly.  “Whoever it is, they’re really lucky to have a guy like you.”

 

    But I’m not really with anyone, Neku thought to himself.  Being in a relationship was one of those things that never concerned him.  Truth be told, he didn’t want to be with anyone right now.  Yet, when he thought of kissing someone, it wasn’t Eiri’s face that he saw as his ideal.  It made him feel very confused and uncertain.

 

    “Anyway, why don’t we both ditch this movie and just get out of here?” suggested Eiri.

 

    Neku was fine with that idea.  He was more than happy to abandon the mushy movie and step out into the late afternoon air.  Once outside, Eiri announced that she was going home, but before she left she stole a kiss from Neku’s cheek.  Apparently she was determined not to leave completely empty handed from this experience.  Neku gave her a bland look as she walked away, and rubbed at his cheek once she wasn’t looking.

 

    Now alone, he took out his cell phone to check the time.  There was only ten minutes left before Kariya’s patience wore thin.  His ass was grass for sure, but there was still one option: Joshua’s cell phone.  At the very least, he would be able to put up a good fight if he used it.  Right now it was in Shiki’s possession, and he cursed himself for not thinking of this sooner and asking for the phone in the first place.  Eiri had been too huge of a distraction.

 

    He broke into a sprint.  At this time of day, Shiki always took Joshua to the local park after picking him up from Nao.  As he ran, he was not only sped on by the urgency of the situation, but the fact that he wanted to see Shiki.  The closer he got, the bigger the feeling was.  Neku wanted to see her face just to see it.  He wanted to know why it was her that he wanted to kiss instead of Eiri.

 

    There was no time to make a phone call; the park was some distance away.  People stared at Neku as he ran past them at top speed.  He didn’t slow down until he reached the grassy knoll of the park, and he cast his gaze to and fro in an attempt to locate his friend.  He finally found Shiki sitting in the sandbox with Joshua, where they were passing the time by making sand castles.  “Shiki!” he called at the top of his lungs.  He closed the distance between them, and then doubled over to catch his breath.

 

    Shiki turned when she heard her name, and looked surprised to see Neku approaching them.  “Neku?  Why are you here?” she questioned in disbelief.  “I thought you were at the movies with Eiri.”

 

    Joshua looked at Neku with his lidded eyes.  Even though he was distracted by the conversation between the older teens, he was still helping Mr. Mew to pack some sand into a bucket.

 

    “I need… I need… “ said Neku between pants.  He wanted to ask her for Joshua’s phone, but as he looked up at her face, his mind went blank.  For a moment, he forgot all about Kariya and was seized with this urge to tell Shiki about what he experienced in the movie theatre.  That it was her face that he liked, and not Eiri’s.

 

    Shiki looked at Neku expectantly.  “Neku?” she questioned him again.

 

    Neku opened his mouth, but to say what, he didn’t know. There were two things that he really needed, and his heart couldn’t choose between them.

 

    In the end, he never had the chance to make the choice.  “Time’s up, ‘Phones.”

 

    Shiki gasped and pointed beyond Neku.  Kariya was standing on the grass with a smug look on his face.  Neku wheeled around and gave the Reaper a foul look.  As if frightened by the stranger’s presence, Joshua grabbed Mr. Mew and hid behind Shiki.

 

    “I have a confession to make,” said Kariya with false apology.  “I didn’t believe that you really had a girlfriend.  You looked so desperate after our little deal that I decided to help you out.  But I guess redheads aren’t your type.”

 

    Neku’s eyes widened, and then narrowed in realization.  “You slime ball, you imprinted Eiri!”

 

    “Something like that,” said Kariya airily.  “I had your kiss all lined up, but you refused it.  You really are a funny guy.  Now.”  He held out his arms, fingers clawed as he began to call up his power.  “Let’s step away from the women and children so you can take your beat down like a man.”

 

    “No!” shouted Shiki.  She stood up from the sand and thrust her arm out in front of Neku to shield him.  “I don’t know what’s going on, but you’re not laying a finger on Neku!”

 

    “Shiki don’t, you can’t fight,” said Neku desperately. He held on to her wrist to force her arm away. 

 

    “Neither can you!  I saw how hurt you got from the last time,” she said to Neku.  “I’m not going to let that happen to you again!”

 

    “You’ve really changed, Shiki Misaki,” said Kariya in a croon.  “You’ve gone from jealous bitch to nerd girl that always finishes last.  You really want to risk your life for the guy who’d rather lock lips with your best friend?”

 

    “Neku can kiss whoever he wants!” she said bravely.  “I’m still his friend!”

 

    “Prove it,” said Kariya.  He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Shiki vanished in a shaft of light, leaving a bewildered Neku and Joshua behind.  With a grin, Kariya also vanished from existence.

 

    “No,” said Neku with horror.  He looked at the spot where Shiki once stood.  Was she really going to battle Kariya on her own, with no partner and no power?  No way.  This was all his fault.

 

    “Shikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” Neku shouted at the top of his lungs.

 

    Joshua’s lips curled into a smile, and then he also vanished in a plume of energy, taking Mr. Mew with him.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

    The silence of the alternate dimension alerted Shiki to what was happening.  One minute she was standing with Neku and Joshua, the next she was alone in the sandbox.  She desperately looked around for her friend even though she knew that there was no way she’d find him here.  They didn’t have a pact anymore, and even if they did, he’d be in the other zone.

 

    “So.  What are you going to do now?” crooned Kariya.  He was standing several feet away from Shiki with his lollipop in hand.  “You were going to take care of business, weren’t you?”

 

    Shiki automatically moved into a fighting stance, even though it was a worthless effort.  She had said such big words before, but in reality she had no way of fighting Kariya at all.  “You leave Neku alone!”

 

    “Or what?” goaded Kariya.  “You going to lay the smack down on me?  I’m shaking in my boots.”

 

    Suddenly, a glittering pillar of energy erupted between them.  When it dissipated, Mr. Mew was left sitting innocently on the ground.  Immediately, Shiki felt the Groove Pawn pin that was tucked under her shirt sleeve grow warm.  This is…

 

    In the next instant, she felt her energy connect.  That was the only way to explain what it felt to share a life force with a partner. When she synced up with Neku, it had been rough in the beginning, but not intolerable.  It was a long and hard seven days, but by the end of their journey they were like two halves of a whole.  It became a natural thing to share her power with him.

 

    This was completely different.  It felt as if there was an incredible interference between herself and her new partner.  The culprit could only be Joshua, and she was horrified to find that her body and Soul were simply not strong enough vessels to take on the massive amount of energy that was flowing through her.

 

    Joshua, you’re so strong, thought Shiki.  Her entire body was locked in a painful spasm from head to toes.  Her knees buckled and she sank halfway to the sand from the pain.  It hurts!

 

    “You don’t look like you can handle this,” said Kariya lazily.  His black wings flapped as he levitated off the ground, his hands glowing with power.  “How about you give up already.”

 

    “No!” grunted Shiki.  She straightened herself up, fighting the tremendous ache in her body.  “I’m going to…. Protect Neku!”  Her body became engulfed in a red glow.  The sand at her feet blew away as a strong wind burst upwards and lifted her skirt and short hair.  She pointed one shaking finger at Kariya.  “Get him, Mr. Mew!!”

 

    The black doll rose up from the ground and stood on its two legs.  Its button eyes became aglow with an unholy crimson, and its stitched mouth ripped over to reveal jagged teeth.  Mr. Mew made a growling sound that would have been adequate if it came from a mountain lion.

 

    “You can still move that thing,” said Kariya in surprise.  “Who the hell did you make a pact with?”

 

     “It doesn’t matter, because I’m going to kill you!” threatened Shiki.  “You ready to die?”

 

    “Lay it on me baby, let’s see what you got,” said Kariya with a wild grin.

 

    “Gladly!”  shouted Shiki.  Mr. Mew reacted by duplicating itself into three separate plushies.  The doppelgangers shot into the air with Superman poses and attempted to pummel Kariya in a storm of punches.  The Reaper laughed as he flapped his black wings and nimbly dodged the possessed dolls that were flying at him from all angles.

 

    “What are you aiming at?” taunted Kariya.  “And to think you actually won the game once.”

 

    “Shut up!” shouted Shiki.  She was sure that she could have done better if she didn’t feel as if she was dying.  The girl felt crushed from the weight of the pact.  Joshua, do something!

 

    Kariya stopped dodging when the dolls flocked back to Shiki to regroup.  Instead of looking triumphant, there was a frown on his face.  Whenever he fought alone, he always manifested his shadow in the second zone, which also shared part of his life.  If anything happened to him in battle, he would always have the life force left over in his shadow to survive.

 

    Something was wrong though.  He could feel a massive loss of energy.  Shiki had not landed a single hit, but his shadow in the second zone was taking on a lot of damage.  Someone’s there, he thought to himself.  That meant that Shiki had a pact, but that was impossible.  The only way that a living being could make a pact was through someone from the Underground.

 

    Kariya levitated high off the ground, black wings flapping as he coolly addressed Shiki, “Looks like you weren’t all alone after all.”

 

    Shiki widened her eyes in realization.  Oh no, she thought to herself.  Does he know about Joshua?

 

    “Why don’t I pay your partner a visit?” said Kariya.  With a smirk, he traded places with his shadow.  Shiki was left facing the dark version of himself, and he re-appeared in the second zone.

 

    There was no one in sight.  Kariya looked all around in hopes of spying who was aiding Shiki in her battle.  “Come out come out wherever you are,” called Kariya.  “Don’t be shy.”

 

    “Hee hee.”

 

    The sound of laughter from above made Kariya look up, but it was too little, too late. A beam of light shot towards him before he even had a chance to blink.

 

 

------------------------

 

 

    Neku was a nervous wreck as he waited for the outcome of the battle.  First Shiki, then Joshua vanished after Kariya’s challenge.  He paced back and forth, fists clenching and unclenching as every agonizing second passed.  When he saw light, he was immediately attentive.  Shiki’s silhouette re-appeared, as did Joshua’s.  Once they were done being transported between dimensions, Shiki collapsed to the ground.

 

    “Shiki!” shouted Neku.  He barely made it in time to catch her head before it banged against the grass. She was cradled in his arms as he tried to shake her back to consciousness.  “That bastard, I can’t believe he did this to you!”

 

    Shiki flinched, and then she opened her brown eyes.  Her glasses had been knocked askew and her short hair was a mess, but there were no other signs that she had been hurt.  She uttered weakly, “It… wasn’t… Kariya….”

 

    “What?” said Neku in disbelief.  Come to think of it, where was Kariya?

 

    “Joshua saved us,” she continued softly.  “He’s so strong.  Too strong for me.  I could barely sync.  It really hurts.”

 

    Neku’s mouth dropped open.  He looked over at Joshua, who was merely standing there with Mr. Mew in his arms.  His lilac eyes were narrowed at Neku.

 

    “What do you mean it hurts?” said Neku slowly.  “It’s not that hard to sync with him.”

 

    “For you, it probably isn’t,” said Shiki.  She smiled despite how much pain she was in.  “You’re the psych genius, after all.”

 

 

---------------------------------------

 

 

    Shiki was able to walk again after an hour of rest.  It was obvious that it was going to take a while for her to completely recover.  Since the burden of carrying a pact with Joshua was so great, they decided that the best person for the Composer to stay with was Neku.

 

    Neku wasn’t sure if his parents would accept Joshua even though he looked older now.  He tensely reintroduced him, and to his relief, the Family Time pin came through and Joshua was once again accepted into the fold.  The guest room was assumed to have been Joshua’s room all along, although it made Neku’s parents grumble about how lazy they had been not to decorate it appropriately.

 

    Shiki felt bad about passing on the responsibility of taking care of the Composer to Neku.  She confessed that it made her feel relieved, and she felt horrible for that.  Neku reassured her that it was alright to feel that way, what was important is that she tried.

 

    Now, Neku was back to playing Joshua’s older brother.  It was a lot easier now that the Composer was older and potty trained.  He didn’t have to carry an embarrassing diaper bag or a baby backpack anymore.  Nowadays, all he had to do was hold on to Joshua’s hand and walk with him whenever they left the house.

 

    Neku often wondered what happened to Kariya.  Did Joshua erase him?  The thought of it was frightening.  He knew how coldhearted the Composer could get.  It was so hard to reconcile the demigod from the game with the child that was with him now.  He did such ordinary things, like watch TV, eat cookies, color books or play with blocks.  There were times when Neku forgot himself and truly thought of Joshua as his little brother, and there were times when he thought of the past and was dismayed that Joshua was unable to process it with him. 

 

    At the very least, he was glad to see the days going by without incident.  It had been so long since he lived an ordinary, peaceful life.  Things got even better when Shiki recovered and was back to her old self again.  She gave him a feeling of comfort, and while he was wrapped up in it, he fell into complacency.

 

 

------------------------------------

 

 

    “You’ve been stalking that kid for weeks, what’s your deal Koki-san?” demanded Uzuki.

 

    Kariya was leaning against the fence of one of the houses in the residential district.  Across the street was Neku’s one-story home.  “Don’t tell me you’re getting jealous,” Kariya cooed to Uzuki.”

 

    “Please, as if anyone would get jealous over a slacker like you,” she deadpanned.  “But asides from that, you haven’t been the same since you got into that fight with that nerd girl.  I’ve been good and watched that meathead and ugly girl for you, but asides from them going to school and eating at Ramen Don every second they can get, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about them.”

 

    “The girl had a pact, I’m sure of it,” said Kariya.  “If this mission wasn’t top secret, I’d have asked one of the support Reapers to verify.  I almost got smoked when I traveled to the other zone, I was lucky to escape.”

 

    “Maybe you were having an off day,” suggested Uzuki.

 

    “It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’re having when facing a high level spell like that,” said Kariya.  “I’d expect a thing like that from ‘Phones, but he’s not part of the Underground anymore and he doesn’t have his medium.  There’s no way he could form a pact or have a power like that.”

 

    “Then why are you watching this dump instead of the Misaki girl?” asked Uzuki.

 

    “There was a third person with them.  A little kid, barely taller than my knees,” said Kariya.  “He seems to be related to ‘Phones.  They call him Joshua.”

 

    “What?  Like that kid we met back then?” said Uzuki in disbelief.

 

    “Precisely,” said Kariya.  “Everyone who played the last couple of games was reincarnated, so of course that guy would be around too.  But if that’s really him, then why does he look like a squirt.”

 

    “He was completely vaporized by Minamimoto-san, maybe his base vibe took a hit.  Or maybe the Composer was punishing him for breaking the rules,” suggested Uzuki.

 

    “Those are possibilities,” said Kariya.  He took a moment to suck on his lollipop thoughtfully.  “Have you noticed?  Every house on this block has at least a little bit of negativity floating around, but that one is completely pristine.”

 

    “Hmm,” murmured Uzuki.  She took a good look around at the other homes and found that Kariya had made a correct observation.  Neku’s home was the only one that didn’t have a few stray Noise drifting around.  “So they have a happy family, why does it matter?”

 

    “If Neku had happy family all along, do you think he would have developed the type of personality that landed him in the game?” asked Kariya with a knowing smirk.  “Things change, but they can’t change that fast.  Relationships don’t evolve without a little friction.  Something drastic must have happened to clear the negativity from that house.”

 

    “Like what?”

 

    “That’s what I’m trying to find out,” said Kariya.  “Anyway, make a report to the boss will you?”

 

    “Ugh, why do I always have to make the phone calls?” said Uzuki with annoyance.  She took out her cell phone so that she could call Megumi.  “I hardly ever see you take things so seriously.  It’s weird.”

 

    “Reapers are getting erased left and right by Taboo Noise,” said Kariya somberly.  “Anyone would get serious for that.  Especially since it was almost us that got blasted last time.”

 

    “It won’t happen again,” snipped Uzuki.  “And I suggest that you take a break, at least for tonight.  There’s going to be a monsoon.”

 

    “Heh.  The guys upstairs must be getting impatient.  Storms that touch both the Realground and Underground happen more often when the games are stopped for too long,” said Kariya darkly.

 

    Uzuki looked troubled by that.  At that point, Megumi picked up on his end of the line, and she began reporting to him what they had discovered thus far.

 

 

--------------------------------------

 

 

    Thunder reverberated through the empty streets of Shibuya.  People took refuge in their homes and inside businesses to escape the inundation of the monsoon.  The rain pounded against windowpanes and flashes of lightening lit the world in brilliant flares of white.  According to the weatherman, the storm would last throughout the night and taper off by morning.

 

    Well used to this kind of weather, Neku had no problems sleeping through it.  When he woke up in the middle of the night, it was only because he sensed that someone was in the room.  At first, he quietly listened to see if he could detect who it was, but the only sound that he heard was falling rain.  Neku sat up and tried to look around his room, but his eyelids were so heavy with grogginess that everything was a blur.

 

    The presence was coming from the foot of his bed.  Neku pushed the blankets aside and swung his bare feet to the cool floor.  He quietly walked over so that he could see who was in the room with him.  A flash of lightning threw his room into sharp relief, and in that moment he spied a figure huddled against the bottom of his bed.  He could make out Joshua’s lithe form curled in on itself as if to protect against the storm.

 

    Neku moved automatically.  He was in that dream-like state between sleeping and waking, when one did things solely out of instinct.  The boy walked to the stereo system that was shelved in his room and picked out one of the CDs that were stacked beside it.  There was no need to check its title because he knew the location of all his music by heart.  The disc was slipped out of its casing and fed into the stereo’s tray.

 

    Music began to play soon afterwards.  It was one of Yoko Kanno’s composed tracks that bore an imaginary language superimposed over a haunting melody full of magic and emotion.  It thrummed underneath the pouring rain and pulled the bass of the thunder into its song. (2)

 

    Neku knelt down and gathered Joshua into his arms.  The child was carried astride to the mattress, whereupon he was gently placed.  He then reached to the neck of his pajama top and removed the Player Pin from where it was clipped.  It was placed on the nightstand, and Neku climbed onto bed.  He tucked one arm underneath his pillow, and the crook of his elbow became the place for Joshua’s head to rest.

 

    The blankets were pulled up around them, and Neku left his free hand to drape over the other’s body.  He was asleep within moments, already lost to his dreams.  Joshua hardly moved from his place beneath Neku’s chin, but eventually he reached his small hands up and curled them into the fabric of the other’s pajamas.  As the music played on, the child melted into the warmth and protective comfort of Neku’s embrace, and sighed in utter rapture.

 

 

 

To Be Continued.

 

 

(1) Bento Box: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento

 

(2) The song is Yoko Kanno’s “Aqua,” found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omw8CoUCJKs   And if you really want to hear it over the sound of rain, play it at the same time as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxWuia7e3to&feature=related  Works best if you make Yoko’s music louder than the rain.