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Frequency	By : ColdSilence Category: +S through Z > World Ends With You, The (Subarashiki Kono Sekai) > World Ends With You, The (Subarashiki Kono Sekai) Views: 1621 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The World Ends With You / Kingdom Hearts and its characters all belong to Square Enix and Jupiter. No profits are made from this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
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.
Special Note: This will be a very long, multi-chaptered fic. I hate when I get sucked into these! Inspired by doujinshi, and now slightly crossovered with Kingdom Hearts. Just a tiiiiny bit.
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.

Frequency
-Chapter One-

    It will be seven days until your life will be restored.
    Memories will need to be changed. Arrangements will have to be made to explain your absence.
    What you call life is merely a difference in vibe.
    What's wrong? You don't understand?
    Hee hee.
    That's alright.
    Just trust me.

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    It was the longest seven days that Neku had ever experienced. When he played the Reaper's Game, each day would end abruptly, and before he knew it, he was face down in the Scramble and an entire day would have gone by. That's not how it was for this one last, final week. From sunrise to sunset, he lived every last aching second from beginning to end.
    On the first day, he woke up at the Scramble Crossing with tears in his eyes and sheer anguish in his heart. Deep emotional pain ripped him in half and tore him down to his core. It took everything he had to bridge the enormous gap that he created between himself and the rest of humanity, and once he was able to cross that divide, the thing that he feared the most happened to him: He was betrayed. Used. Hurt badly without remorse.
    The pain made him ask: why did such a thing happen to him. As the days dragged by, the realization dawned that he was just the sort of person who deserved to be hurt. Three weeks ago, he nearly committed the monstrous act of murdering Shiki for the sake of self-gain. He justified it through his belief that all of humanity was horrible, and therefore he had no reason to give compassion and understanding to anyone else.
    Now, he could see that the one who had been in the wrong was himself all along. Everyone had the capacity for evil, and Neku had chosen a dark path. There wasn’t anyone to blame; he was in control of himself and that was what made it so terrible.
    The third day was the worst. He found himself on his knees in front of the maoi statue, wretched with guilt. When the seven days completed, he would be alive again. But did he deserve it? Even if he didn't, he knew that he wanted to live. He didn't want to be erased. Neku feared losing his sense of self. After meeting so many people and seeing the world through different eyes, he had changed from the inside out. The person that he was becoming was a person that he liked. Despite the fact that he had been wrong in the past, he didn't want to let go of his future self.
    By the fourth day, Neku began to feel better. Even though he had been crushed, he didn't come out of the ordeal empty handed. He made connections with other people, and they were waiting for him. The Reapers Game made his worst fears come true, and now that he faced them, he wasn't afraid of letting his walls down anymore. There were other people out there that he could meet and learn from. Even if they hurt him, he knew that he would be okay. They couldn't make him feel pain worse than he already experienced, and they couldn't rob him of the good memories that he had.
    Beat. Rhyme. Shiki. Neku thought of them often on the fifth day. He couldn't be who he was today without them. When they first met, he had been such a dark person. Neku pushed them away without a thought. Now, he couldn't wait to see their faces again. They made his heart feel lighter. They made the pain of what Joshua do to him bearable. It felt so good to be able to say, I have friends, and they're waiting for me.
    On the sixth day, Neku grudgingly admitted that he had made the deepest connection with Joshua before it was broken. They were comrades in their mutual misery towards humanity. Out of all the people he met in the Reapers Game, he was the most similar to Joshua. The both of them had changed together, but the damage had been done. Neku couldn't forgive him, but he trusted in the understanding that they had towards each other. After all, they both come to the same conclusion in the end, and it was that conclusion that Neku celebrated on the seventh day:
    It's a wonderful world.

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7th Day
    The crowds were unbelievably thick, as usual. Neku felt his first twinge of excitement when a duo of schoolgirls rammed into him and apologized with a quick "Excuse me!" and bows of their heads. It took a moment to realize that those girls weren't reapers; they were just ordinary people going about their way.
    Neku had never been so happy to be jostled. People looked at him. People apologized for getting in his way. People glared at him for taking up space. Whatever the sentiment was, they could SEE him and that sent his heart racing with excitement. He looked at his hands even though they didn't feel any different. Alive. He was alive.
    The next thought that entered his mind was the meeting place at Hachiko. Everyone would be there. If Joshua kept his promise, then the others would be at that spot. Neku ran through the throng of bodies in the direction of the statue, his chest filling with blooming hope as he got close to the circle of tourists that surrounded the attraction. A laugh escaped his lips when he heard familiar voices.
    "Yooooooooooooooo!"
    "Over here!"
    Neko could see Beat and Rhyme among the throng, the former waving wildly and the latter smiling cheerfully. It was easily one of the best moments of his new life. He was especially excited to see Rhyme returned to her true form. Her fate had been uncertain, considering how much she had lost during the Reapers Game.
    "You're here! You're both here," exclaimed Neku as he finally reached his friends. He knelt down in front of Rhyme and took one of her hands; as if touching her was the only way he could know for sure that her existence was real. "You're not a squirrel anymore."
    Beat had a moment where he had to hold a hand over his eyes just to keep the emotions in. The fact that Rhyme was alright was like a gift from god to him; he couldn't ask for anything better. However, upon hearing Neku's words, he immediately switched to big brother mode and snatched Neku by the head. "Who you callin' a squirrel, Phones!" He fisted his knuckles against Neku's head and gave him a noogie.
    "I didn't say squirrel, I said you're a girl!" amended Neku as he suffered through the torture.
    Rhyme giggled and then commented, "You're different, Neku. You seem happier now."
    "He finally got dat stick out his ass," said Beat with a wild grin. "Now we be friends."
    "Do you have to say it like that?" said Neku with a touch of embarrassment. He was finally allowed to slip his head free from Beat arms, and now he stood awkwardly with one hand behind his head. Neku didn't want to think about the kind of person he was in the past. It still amazed him that he had everyone's forgiveness for that.
    "I like you better this way Neku," said Rhyme. "You have a pretty smile."
    "Thanks," said Neku sheepishly. Is my smile really that nice? He thought to himself. I guess I haven't done much smiling lately to notice.
    "Anyone seen Shiki yet?" asked Beat. He cupped his hands over his forehead to block the sun's rays as he scanned the crowd for a sign of the pink-haired girl.
    "She won't look the way that you remember her," explained Neku. "Her entry fee was her appearance. She said that we would be able to recognize her because she'll be carrying around that piggy."
    "True dat, I forgot," said Beat. "What if she be ugly yo? Shiki can be like, this 230 kilo (1) fat chick with nasty pimples, smelling like day old cheddar from all the flubber."
    "Beat!" chastised Rhyme. "It doesn't matter what Shiki really looks like, she's still our friend."
    "Yeah," added Neku. "Who cares what she looks like? She's still Shiki." Although if she does look like Jabba the Hut.. no, can't think that way! Shiki is Shiki and it doesn't matter.
    "Hahahaah I'm just joshing ya," said Beat with a laugh.
    However, now that Beat mentioned it, everyone was starting to wonder if Shiki did become resurrected. Neku continued to smile and banter with his friends, but in the back of his mind he was starting to get worried. What's taking her so long?
    Neku felt a tap on his shoulder at that point. He turned around and found himself looking at a rather ordinary girl with round glasses, short-cropped brown hair and a flat-chested body. Even before his eyes rested on the plush toy in her hands, somehow he knew that the person standing before him was Shiki.
    Beat peered over Neku's shoulder to see who had just arrived. "Whoa, izzat...?" he began in disbelief.
    "Shiki?" piped up Rhyme.
    Shiki nervously clutched Mr. Mew closer to her body. She wasn't ashamed of what she looked like now. In fact, she was ecstatic to be herself again. However, she still worried that the others might find her boring, or worse, that she was seen as petty and unforgivable because of her entrance fee. The truth was that she was in the area all long, but she had hidden away until she gathered the nerve to approach the others. "Hi guys..." she said quietly.
    "Why are you talking so low? I can barely hear you," said Neku. "I remember you being a lot more of a loud mouth." Despite the harshness of his words, Neku was wearing an encouraging expression on his face.
    Shiki laughed lightly, and then she smiled. There were dimples on her cheeks. "And I remember you liking it better when I was quiet," she retorted with renewed courage. She took a more relaxed stance and looked at everyone gathered, especially at Rhyme. The softness in her eyes betrayed how worried she had been for Beat's sister. "We really did it. We're alive."
    "Yeah, we back and kicking it!" crowed Beat.
    "A second chance," chimed in Rhyme excitedly. "We can make our own dreams and live them now."
    "One more time guys," said Neku. "Let's take our world by storm!"
    A chorus of "Yeah!" was shouted from all the teenagers gathered, and they moved together in a circle to slap their hands in victory.

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

    The Underground was the Composer's world. There wasn't anything within it that was out-of-place or unpredictable. Every action and reaction was designed to coax those with free will into shaping their Souls into something inspiring and worthy, and Joshua was the one powerful enough to make that happen.
    Now, the foundations of that order were shaking. Things were changing, and it was still too early to determine if this was a good or bad thing. Not too long ago, Joshua was ready to eliminate the Underground because it was ineffective in improving humanity. With its destruction, all the remaining hope and imagination in the Realground would have dried up, and the people of Shibuya would eventually destroy their own city through greed, violence and antipathy as a result. That was his original plan.
    Now, the plan had changed. It was different, because Joshua's own feelings were evolving. This caused an uncertainty within him that he had not experienced for a long time. He knew that he had to settle his emotions, but they were the one thing that was not obeying him now. His entire being felt off-kilter, and he didn't know how long that was going to last.
    "You know. This mess is going to have repercussions upstairs," said Sanae. He was perched on the 104 Building with Joshua, and together they were gazing down at the scene at Hachiko. The angel was feeling very pleased with the way that recent events had unfolded.
    Joshua didn't share that sentiment. Although a lot of good had come to Neku and his world, as well as the world of the Underground, something was missing. His Soul was reeling, and he could feel his control slipping with it.
    "But hey. At least things are back to normal, right?" continued Sanae. He looked up at the Composer, who had been eerily silent since the moment that they arrived at the 104 Building's rooftop. Most beings wouldn't have the capacity to comprehend or perceive Joshua in his true form, but Sanae could see right through the static and glow of the Composer's powerful vibe. There was no mistaking that somewhere past those walls, the Soul before him was tremoring. "What? You seem down."
    There was still no answer from Joshua. He hadn't done much talking since it was revealed that Sanae had been the one to sabotage the game. The Composer understood his Producer's intentions, and he even forgave him. However, it was a reminder of how alone he was as lord of the Underground. A few weeks ago, the fact that he walked a solitary path was something he accepted. Even when he was alive as a human, the lack of friendships and connections was a fact of life.
    Then he met Neku, and his eyes were opened to see that the clashing of ideas and values didn't always lead to tragedy. That sometimes, it could give rise to a beautiful thing, like a friendship that changes you forever.
    Sanae scratched his head as the Composer continued to brood. He supposed that he deserved the silent treatment for breaking Joshua's trust. "Hey. It's their world. They get to decide what to do with it," he reminded Joshua. Sanae knew that his companion was upset over his betrayal, but hurting Joshua had been as necessary as hurting Neku. The Composer had forgotten that he was the caretaker of this realm, and that for better or worse, he could only guide instead of outright destroy, no matter how dire the situation got. That was how Sanae saw it anyway. Some of his comrades in the Upper Plane disagreed with him.
    The fact that the Composer himself had taken such an emotional blow was unexpected. Neku's influence had really gotten to Joshua. He could see that the lord of the Underground was barely holding it together as he struggled to return to his usual routine. The dangerous taste of companionship, camaraderie and caring were forbidden fruit to someone who had been deprived of it for nearly their entire existence. Joshua managed respect and understanding with others, but those deeper feelings were a sweet honey that he only had a chance to taste for the briefest moment; just long enough to get him hooked, but not enough to sate him.
    Sanae could understand it. He watched over humans all the time, and he often developed a fondness for the ones that showed great promise and inspiration. However, it was his duty to observe, not interact. Joshua had the heavier mantle of being a guide, but it was not his place to become a part of their lives. The angels were already up in arms over the fact that the Composer had taken his proxy's life and formed a pact with him. As a result of this digression, Joshua was forbidden from ever manifesting in the Realground ever again.
    Sanae thought it was the perfect punishment for someone who was clearly poisoned by the lure of relationships outside of his realm of existence. Joshua should be establishing connections with his reapers and game masters, not humans from the Realground. The Composer would not be effective in his work and eventually lose his seat if he went down that road.
    "We just--" began Sanae.
    Joshua couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand the situation and he couldn't stand being around Sanae right now. In a burst of light, he flew into the stratosphere and left the Producer to make his anecdotes to himself.
    "Hah hah hah," chuckled Sanae. "Some folks just don't take no for an answer." He could see that Joshua wasn't going to take his punishment easily. His Soul must have been more unstable than he thought. If Joshua was allowed to run free, then it was inevitable that he would make a grave mistake.
    Sanae's duty was to observe but not interfere. However, he had already gotten his hands dirty, what was one more sin to add to the list? Besides, he liked the changes that he was seeing in Joshua. With the correct guidance, it could lead to a beautiful thing. There was also the fact that he owed him for his betrayal.
    Some things couldn't be helped. Sanae resigned himself to the fact that he was always going to be a bleeding heart for those unstable Souls that showed a lot of promise. He up-tuned his vibe, and his body responded by first unfurling a pair of white wings, and then diminishing into a tight ball of energy. Sanae shot away in the same direction that Joshua had gone to.
    The Composer had a head start, but his vibe was no match for Sanae's. By matching frequencies, Sanae would be able to follow Joshua into any parallel world. He only needed to keep Joshua within line of sight to follow him. At the moment, the light of the Composer was a tiny spec in the distance that Sanae could just barely perceive.
    Joshua! Sanae called telepathically. Let's talk this over. I know you're upset.
    The speck of light in the distance suddenly turned gold, and then winked out. Sanae elevated his vibe and his own light responded by changing into a whirl of blue and red. Joshua had just broken into a parallel world, so he was going to do the same. As soon as he passed the invisible membrane, Joshua was within line of sight again.
    What are you up to Joshua? asked Sanae. Do you think hiding is going to make things better? You know more than anyone that you have to face your feelings.
    Joshua's light turned gold again and vanished. Sanae repeated the process of following Joshua through another barrier. This went on for some time, and eventually Sanae realized that the reason they were bursting through so many worlds was because Joshua was steadily up-tuning his vibe, higher and higher until it was at its maximum limit.
    You can't be serious, said Sanae in alarm. You better not be planning what I think you are.
    Joshua's light intensified until it became a small super nova of energy. His vibe was at its peak, all for the purpose of breaching one last membrane; one that led to a world that no Composer had ever set foot. The moment that he slammed into that wall, space visibly rippled outwards from the point of contact and crackled with thunder.
    NO JOSHUA! shouted Sanae from within his mind. You can not ascend to the Upper Plane! You are no angel!
    As if to add credence to Sanae's thoughts, Joshua's ball of light transformed to his true figure. He could no longer control the form he took due to the amount of concentration he needed in his attempt to breach the Upper Plane. His body was now that of a young man washed out by a fierce white glow and etched with furious static. Joshua bore a pushing stance against the barrier, as if he wanted to tear down the walls of heaven with his own two hands.
    Sanae quickly changed his own shape. Now that the Composer had a corporeal form, he could be physically pried away from the wall. The angel became a silhouette of his human appearance with a wing span that was three times the length of his body. He rapidly closed the distance between himself and Joshua and reached out with both translucent arms.
    The angel got within a foot of the Composer, but it was already too late. Ripples that were radiating outwards from where Joshua was pushing against the wall reversed direction. They converged into a point directly in front of the intruder and burst outwards in a powerful beam of energy. Joshua's body took the full impact of the blast and was sent hurtling backwards.
    Sanae was also in the beam's path, but once he caught Joshua in his arms he pulled his massive wings closed around them in protection. He managed to escape damage, but he could feel Joshua's base vibe plummeting rapidly. Without the correct frequency, the Composer could not exist in the current world they were in. As a result, he began phasing out of their current reality.
   The angel wasn't going to lose track of Joshua if he could help it. He dropped his frequency in tandem with the Composer, and together they came crashing through the parallel worlds. It was a wild ride as they blinked quickly in and out of realities; the scenery around them changing as rapidly as someone flicking the channel button on a television. Each world rejected Joshua's sinking vibe, which nearly went to a complete flat line before it finally stabilized.
    Sanae heaved a sigh of relief when they were finally able to stop. They were back on the rooftops of the Realground, which was the very last world that accepted such a low base vibe. To adjust to this low frequency, the Producer returned to the form of a dark-haired man with angel's wings on his back.
    "Now you've done it," said Sanae out loud. "If you dropped your vibe any lower, you would have turned into Noise. Now it's time that we have a serious conversation about this."
    The Producer whipped his wings away from Joshua's body so that he could look him in the face. What he saw made his jaw drop.

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    The four teenagers were smiling and laughing together. Neku's face was starting to hurt, and it made him realize that he had never smiled so much in his life. All the joy that he was feeling in this moment, and knowing that his future was going to be filled with other moments like this, made the pain of everything he suffered in the past worth it.
    "So in the end, that guy Joshua was the Composer right?" asked Shiki. "And he's the one that brought us all back to life."
    "I don't remember anything past beating Bubble Breath," said Beat, using his newest nickname for Kitanaji's dragon form. "You was the only one that could still move, right Phones? So you settled things with the Composer."
    Neku suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. The others didn't know about his final standoff with Joshua; that the reason the four of them were here now was because of his moment of weakness. He couldn't pull the trigger to save his friends or the world. At the end, all he could do was cry at the fact that he couldn't betray himself. At that moment, his empty cup had been filled with so many new feelings, both good and bad, that the only thing left for him was to drown.
    He didn't want to ruin the moment with his guilt, so he gave the others a thumbs up and said, "Yeah, just leave it to me! I wasn't going to come back to life without you guys." At least, those words had the ring of truth in them. If his friends were not resurrected, then he wasn't sure if he wanted to be alive as well. It was a sobering thought.
    "So now that we're all here, what's the first thing that we should do?" asked Shiki with excitement.
    "I know! Follow me, aight, I got dis," said Beat with a big grin. He tucked his skateboard beneath his arm and began leading the way down the street.
    "Oh no, we're not going to THAT place are we?" asked Rhyme. She let out a little sigh as she trudged after her brother.
    "What place?" asked Shiki curiously as she trailed after the others.
    Neku was the last to join the group. He looked back at Hachiko, and then turned his gaze skywards. The boy resigned himself to the fact that Joshua wasn't going to join them. There were still a lot of things that Neku would have liked to tell the Composer to his face. That he still resented him, but at the same time, he was grateful for his second chance.
   His fingers worked to unhook his headset from the USB unit that hung from the lanyard around his neck. When he removed his purple headphones, the voices of all the people milling about in Shibuya became loud and clear in his ears. The cacophony of noise that was once anathema to him, now felt like sweet music. It was the sound of life.
    I don't forgive you. But I'll always treasure what you gave me. Neku tossed his headphones to the ground and looked up at the blue skies beyond the towering buildings. Life is too short, Joshua. I'm going to enjoy every moment.
    He smiled, and then he broke into a run to catch up with his friends. Neku's headphones were left behind on the cement.

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    Beat led his friends on a wild goose chase around the city. First they stopped at Ramen Don to grab a bite to eat. It was both weird and familiar to see the proprietor of the restaurant, Ken Doi, behind the counter. This was the first time that they were actually seeing him as fellow members of the living instead of lowly souls that vanished as soon as they walked through the door. Neku wished that he could have thanked the restaurant owner for giving them a sense of normalcy while they were in the midst of chaos, but he had to settle with simply ordering a meal and complimenting his latest masterpiece of culinary art.
    Next, they stopped at A-East to see what live acts were playing for free that day. The entire time, Rhyme was lamenting about going to "that place," but Beat assured everyone that Rhyme was just exaggerating things.
    It wasn't until very late at night that Beat finally revealed what "that place" was. The group of teenagers found themselves nervously standing in line at Club Harlem, a hip hop nightclub with a lot of street cred for having some of the best DJs and music for the genre of hip hop. They were sure to have an awesome time inside, but there was one little problem.
    "Beat," said Shiki slowly, "Aren't we, you know. A little too young to be in a place like this? Rhyme is barely even 13 years old."
    "Don't worry," said Beat assuredly. "My road dogs be in here, they'll take care of us."
    "Road dogs?" repeated Neku incredulously. Come to think of it, he never gave a thought as to what kind of people Beat hung around with before the Reapers Game. He couldn't help but feel trepidation as he imagined the kind of crowd that Beat probably hung out with. As the line moved along, his nervousness turned to dread, because Neku was certain that the bouncers were going to turn them down at the door and royally embarrass them. There was no way that they were going to pass as regular club-goers. They weren't dressed to party and they were way younger and shorter than the other people waiting in the same line.
    "I hate going to this place," lamented Rhyme.
    "Are they even going to let us in?" asked Neku out loud.
    Beat shushed the naysayers because they had finally reached the front of the line. Two bouncers dressed in colorful suits and sunglasses - worn at night! - suddenly broke into grins upon seeing Beat. They walked over and exchanged pounds with the young teen.
    "Beat and Skulls Junior," drawled one of the bouncers. "We haven't seen you in weeks man, where you been."
    "Ah," muttered Beat. He rubbed the back of his beanie sheepishly. "Long story, I got busy." Beat suddenly brightened up and gestured towards Shiki and Neku. "These my friends yo! Let 'em in."
    Shiki automatically hid behind Neku when Beat gestured in their direction. While she cowered, Neku tried to look casual and cool despite the fact that the situation was seriously making his skin crawl. Those guys look like Yakuza, he thought to himself with a note of panic.
    One of the bouncers detached themselves from the entryway of the club and circled Shiki and Neku to ogle them from all angles. "Seriously Beat? These guys?" asked the bouncer with a sardonic grin.
    Neku raised a fist into the air. "Yeah, and what's wrong with us?" he challenged.
    "They cool yo, they won't cause no trouble. You gonna let 'em in or what?" asked Beat.
    "Hmmmmmm," considered the bouncer. He tilted his head to the side and rubbed his chin. The beginnings of an intricate tattoo revealed itself at the base of his neck, visible only because of the position of his head. "Alright, since they're your buddies. And because we haven't seen you in a long time."
    "That's what's up!" crowed Beat. "Come on!" He excitedly gestured towards the club and led the way inside. Rhyme sighed as she trudged after her brother.
    Shiki clung to Neku's arm as the both of them made their way into the building. The bouncers leered at them as they walked past. "I wish he told us that it was a place like this, I could have dressed up," she moaned.
    "That would require him rubbing two brain cells together to think," said Neku sarcastically. As they passed the entranceway of Club Harlem, he eyed the graffiti that decorated the walls. One marking in particular caught his attention.
    "Hey, do you see that?" he asked Shiki.
    Unfortunately, she didn't hear him. They were hit by a wall of pure bass that was pounding from the club's speakers. People were shouting their approval of the DJ, who was masterfully orchestrating a fabulous party. The adults all around them were dancing and drinking the night away, all of them wearing ecstatic expressions of euphoric pleasure.
    They stayed close to Beat, who moved among the throng of people with familiarity. He stopped directly in the middle of the club, and much to his friends' horror, he hopped on top of one of the tables, cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted:
    "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
    The music stopped with an abrupt record scratch. Every head in the club turned to look at the crazy kid on the table.
    "I jus' want alla you to know! These two girls are off limits!" shouted Beat. He pointed to a mortified Shiki and a dejected Rhyme. "Anyone that tries to dance or touch them answers to me, you feel me?"
    Oh for the love of god, thought Neku. No wonder Rhyme was ashamed to be here.
    "And if anyone wants to give my homeboy here his phone number, das aight," added Beat, who was now drawing attention to Neku.
    Neku tried his best to hide his face underneath his turtleneck. Must. Not. Kill. Beat.
    "Das it, ya'll can dance!" said Beat. He hopped off the table, and then the music resumed among chuckles from the crowd.
    "He does this every time," bemoaned Rhyme. She raised her voice so that she could be heard over the thundering music.
    "Well, at least it's over right?" Shiki shouted back. She petted the top of Rhyme's head in hopes of assuaging her embarrassment. "Better than a brother who doesn't care right?"
    Poor Rhyme, thought Neku. He didn't know how she could stand having a brother like Beat. "What I want to know is, why does Beat have connections like this. We should have been kicked out on the spot," he said.
    "It's because he knows the club owner," answered Rhyme. "I don't like that guy either. He gives me a bad feeling."
    Neku thought that a lot of the club employees gave him a bad feeling. They honestly did look like Yakuza. However, since this was their first night alive, he tried to relax. Beat wanted them to have a good time, after all. "Well whatever. Let's just hang out," he said.
    "The DJ is pretty hot," commented Shiki. She was bouncing a bit on her feet as the rhythmic music began taking her over.
    "Come on ya'll, bust a move!" encouraged Beat. Already, he was throwing his hands up into the air and bouncing his body to the hip hop.
    Neku had to admit, the music was banging. He listened to all kinds of tunes on a regular basis, from trance, techno, rock, visual kei, hip hop, grunge, reggae - name it and he most likely listened to it. A smile curved his lips upwards as he said, "When in Rome..."
    And so, they danced. It was an incredible night to remember. The joy of being alive and taking in all the things that life had to offer was intoxicating. They danced together and matched the energy level of the adults around them. Their voices shouted until they were hoarse, and when their throats hurt they ordered virgin daiquiris from the bar. The long, difficult journey of the Reaper's Game seemed far and away behind them.
    Thanks to Beat, the only dance partners that they had were each other. Any men who didn't bear witness to Beat's earlier spectacle were chased away with a glare and knuckle-crunching from the blonde teen. Some women giggled at the obviously young Neku trying to blend in with the crowd, but they weren't so desperate as to try to hit on someone who was clearly in high school. It was alright though; the teens were happy to just hold each other's hands and enjoy the night. As Shiki smiled up at him, Neku couldn't help but give her palm a squeeze and think of how he was going to make up every last bad thing that he had ever done to her.
    The night wore on, and they eventually retreated to a booth to rest from dancing. Beat excused himself, saying that he had someone that he had to talk to. Rhyme was so tired that she was leaning against Shiki's shoulder with her eyes half-closed. Shiki accommodated Rhyme's weight while she sipped from a bottle of water and watched the other dancers. Neku's eyes were lidded with contentment as he continued to bob his head to the music.
    One of his favorite songs came on, and he suddenly smiled and got up from the booth. Shiki grinned as he watched Neku return to the dance floor. The DJ was spinning an old but classic song by Rhymeister, and every now and then, he cut out the vocals so that the crowd could chant the rest of the lyrics. Neku raised one of his arms as he belted out the words to the song along with everyone else:
    "I'm not surrendering to this aesthetic flattering no one! I improve myself and only the wonderful, useless people get it - and roar, at the edge of the bass!" shouted Neku. (2)
    "You got good taste, Orangey Locks!" a familiar voice shouted in his ear.
    Neku spun around and found himself facing none other than Triple Seven. At that moment, he remembered: there was a modulator decal hidden among the graffiti at the entranceway. That meant that reapers would be able to enter this section of the Realground and be seen. His eyes automatically raked over the reaper's back in search of his wings; half expecting that everyone around them would notice them and realize that he wasn't a part of this world. They're not there, he thought to himself. He looks just like everyone else.
    "Hey don't look so scared," said Triple Seven to Neku. "Come on, lemme buy you a drink."
    "I'm too young to drink," said Neku automatically.
    "Water then. Come on kid, we all owe you one," insisted Triple Seven.
    Neku was reluctant, but he decided to follow. After all, he was no longer in the game, so he had nothing to worry about from a reaper. Besides, he was feeling curious as to the state of the Underground after Joshua decided to let it continue to exist. "I thought you were erased," said Neku.
    "Heh, I think I was," answered Triple Seven easily. They stopped at the bar and he graciously ordered bottled water for Neku, and some saki for himself.
    "Then the Composer brought you back?" asked Neku. He wondered if that was a result of Joshua's generosity as well.
    "Word is, brass even higher than the Composer brought us all back," said Triple Seven. "The last three weeks are null and void cuz of all the crap that happened. We're lucky as shit that they came to that decision; otherwise we'd all be just wandering Noise. We got you to thank for that, kid. If you didn't win the game, we'd all be fucked."
    Neku froze at those words, because they were completely untrue. He didn't win the last game; in fact it was the opposite. Joshua was the one who had won. "I really... don't deserve that much credit," he said uneasily.
    "You're modest, I like that," said Triple Seven. He took a shot of his saki and narrowed his eyes at Neku. "Say, you got to see the Composer in the end, didn't you? What did he look like?"
    "That's a weird question," said Neku. "Don't you already know what he looks like?"
    "Hell, no one but the Conductor knows his face," said Triple Seven with a wave of his hand. "Some of us wonder if he even does any work. It's Kitanaji-sama that issues all the orders."
   "Kitanaji--" said Neku in disbelief. "Are you saying he's still alive?"
    "Hey, don't forget that no one is alive in the way that you think in the Underground," said Triple Seven. "But it's like I said. The entire last three weeks don't count. Everyone was brought back to their prior existence. Reapers stayed reapers, and human souls were all given their second chances, on the house. All that hard work," and here, he gave a snap of his fingers. "Completely gone."
    "Wow," breathed Neku. He couldn't believe that even their enemies had been returned. It was kind of a scary thought. "What's the Underground like now?"
    "It's at a standstill. No new orders have come from above. Reapers are getting edgy. No one knows what the Composer is up to," said Triple Seven solemnly. Then he brightened up. "Not that I mind. Leaves more time for Def March." The reaper refilled his glass of saki as if in toast to the rock band that he had in Shibuya. After downing another shot, his eyes slid sideways to peer at Neku. "So. Did you or did you not see the Composer?"
    Neku narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Everyone that he met in the Underground wanted to shank Joshua in the back just to take his seat as Composer. Now that things were in disarray, and not to mention the fact that EVERYONE was resurrected, he could only imagine that the frenzy for the most coveted seat in the Underground was probably ten times worse. "...No. I blanked out," he lied.
    "Awww you pussy," lamented Triple Seven. "You had a chance to lay your eyes on a god-like being and you passed out? Tch."
    "Oh well," deadpanned Neku as he sipped his water. He found himself worrying for Joshua, but then he squashed that feeling. What am I thinking. This is probably fun for him. He's probably having the time of his life, that weirdo.
    "Either way, if you ever want to see us live, just come by to A-East and drop your name. Front row seats are always open to heroes," said Triple Seven. He gave Neku a wink, and then he slipped away from the bar.
    Neku watched the reaper disappear into the crowd with a tight expression. He really stands out in a place like this, he thought to himself. Triple Seven's punk-rock haircut and belly-shirt set him miles apart from the other club-goers, whose personal style consisted of bandannas, baseball hats and long shirts worn over baggy pants. Of course, Neku couldn't talk - he stood out a sore thumb too.
    Even so, the boy wondered if Triple Seven really was a regular at Club Harlem, or if he came looking for him on purpose.

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

    Beat stopped in front of the entrance to the VIP room. A tall, muscular bodyguard was blocking the way in, but upon seeing who it was; he reached over and pulled the door open for the teen.
    The VIP room had a long, one-way mirror that allowed them to oversee the club activities from the second floor. Music blasting from the dance area was dampened by the thick, well insulated walls. Only the bass managed to work its way in, and it was pounding away like a heart encased in its rib cage. The decor of the room was very masculine with square, black leather couches and modern glass tables. A well-dressed man who was lounging with a glass of Hypnotic in one hand and a burapen babe in the other occupied the lounge. (3)
    "Well well, if it isn't the prodigal son," said the man to Beat. "Where have you been? It’s been weeks."
    "Sorry Yamata-sama," said Beat. He pulled off his beanie from his head and held it in his hands nervously. His blonde hair flopped all over his crown in choppy layers. "I been wantin' to talk to you."
    "You'll accept my offer?" asked Yamata.
    "'Bout that," said Beat quietly. "I don't want to do it. I decided dat I need t' get back to school and make somethin' of myself."
    Yamata raised an eyebrow at Beat. "I thought you weren't smart enough for school."
    "Yeah, ah know but, my little sister. She's all I got, yo. My parents, they're messing up big time. They too busy fighting and when they splint, we ain't gonna have no money. I gotta be there for her t' make sure all her dreams come true," said Beat.
    "You would have plenty of money selling my product, like we discussed," said Yamata. "You'd make more in a week than you ever will struggling at a menial job for months."
    "I know, but I want t' set an example. If my parents won't, then I gotta," said Beat. "So what I'm sayin' is, I want out. I don't want t' be a part of the business no more."
    "Just like that," said Yamata. "You want out." He closed his eyes momentarily, and then he grinned. "Alright Beat. You're still young. The thought of you making something of yourself is inspiring. I approve."
    "Y-you mean it?" said Beat, immediately perking up.
    "I mean it," said Yamata. "You take good care of your sister. Protect her from the big, bad world."
    "Thank you Yamata-sama," said Beat. He pulled his beanie back over his head and smiled. "Thanks for everything!" He strode towards the exit with a bounce in his step, obviously relieved.
    "You are very generous, Yamata-chan," cooed the barapen woman that was hanging from Yamata's arm.
    The man grunted as he dug a blunt out of his suit and lit the end. "That kid isn't going far," he informed the woman. "He'll be back, just like the rest of them."

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

    It was around three in the morning when the teenagers filed out of the club. Their hearing was dulled from the music and their bodies were feeling tired. Rhyme could barely stay on her feet anymore, and she leaned against her brother as she drifted in and out of sleep.
    "Maybe we overdid it tonight," said Neku lamely.
    "Poor Rhyme," said Shiki in sympathy.
    "It's aight," said Beat. "I'll take her home."
    Beat's words made their group grow quiet. Home. None of them had returned to their houses yet. Who knew what was waiting for them there. An awkward silence stretched between them until Shiki's phone began to ring.
    Shiki scrambled to get her phone out of her pocket. She gasped when she saw who the incoming call was from, and she hurriedly pressed it to her ear to listen. "Hello?" she said nervously.
    The others watched as Shiki spoke to whoever was on the line. After a few moments, she turned her back to them and took off her glasses. Shiki rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes, the gesture making it clear that she was crying softly.
    "No it's okay; it's my fault for misunderstanding. I missed you so much, Eiri," Shiki said brokenly.
    That just made things even more awkward. Beat rubbed the back of his head as he murmured, "I guess we better go home n’ face the 'rents."
    "Yeah," said Neku. He could feel a knot forming in his throat. His mom and dad... would they react differently if they saw him? No, of course they wouldn't. They wouldn't remember that he was ever gone. Joshua said that he would alter people's memories of the past couple of weeks.
    "Hey, let's meet again at Hachiko," said Beat brightly. "In the afternoon, in case we got school, yo."
    "I'm too tired to go to school," said Rhyme sleepily.
    Neku chuckled at the sleepy girl and said with a smile, "Yeah, we'll meet again. And if not, call me."
    "Aight. You and Shiki gonna be okay?" asked Beat.
    "We'll be okay. I'll walk her home," answered Neku.
    "Peace out then," said Beat. He flashed Neku a two-fingered peace sign, and then he began walking down the street with Rhyme in tow.
    Neku smiled at the image that Beat and Rhyme made together. In his old life, if he had met Beat on the street, he would have pegged him as a thug for sure. However, now he knew that beneath that outer shell, Beat really was a softy.
    Left alone, Neku began to wonder if he should call home. Knowing his mom, she would be beyond furious if he contacted her this early in the morning. He decided that it was probably a better idea to just sneak inside the house.
    Shiki finished her telephone call and dried her face as best as she could. She turned back to Neku and said quietly, "Sorry, that was Eiri. She said that she felt like calling me all of a sudden. She apologized for what she said, and she wants to be friends again."
    "That's good right?" said Neku. "Doesn't that make you happy?"
    "It does," said Shiki, even as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm so happy Neku, I can't stop crying."
    Shiki unexpectedly buried herself against Neku's chest. Neku was caught off guard, but after an awkward pause, he placed his arms around Shiki and patted her back. No one had ever wanted comfort from him like this before. It was new, and it surprised him that his natural reaction was to provide what his friend needed. Just like when I was in the game. When Beat honestly asked me for help, I wanted to do something. They bring out sides of me I never knew were there.
    "Sorry," murmured Shiki into Neku's clothes. "I'm just like every other stupid girl, crying all the time."
    "I don't mind you crying," said Neku. He pushed Shiki's hair from her eyes and lightly touched her shoulder. "I'll walk you home."
    Shiki nodded, and together they made their way through the neon-lit streets of Shibuya. They must have looked like a couple, given the time of night and the way that Neku kept one arm over Shiki's shoulders. Neku was amazed at the amount of caring and empathy that he had for her. Even though they could never scan each other as players of the Reaper's Game, he had come to read Shiki like an open book. She was still very different from him, but her story was wonderful.
    With Shiki's directions, they eventually made it to her home in the residential district. Shiki thanked Neku for being her shoulder to cry on, and she gave him one last hug. Then she walked up the steps to her porch and used a spare key to sneak inside of the house. The door closed behind her, leaving her to deal with all the things that were waiting for her beyond the threshold.
    Neku stood by the sidewalk a few moments longer and watched the quiet house. He wanted to tell Shiki that she shouldn't feel so bad; lately, he had been crying too. Slowly, he began the trek back to his home, alone.
    In the seven days that he was allowed to roam freely while his life was restored, he never once came to his house. He was afraid of what he would find waiting for him there. Neku never connected with his parents. They were like beings from outer space to him. His mom was overbearing, and his dad was one of those boring office nerds that he detested.
    Now he realized how much he took their normalcy for granted. No matter what kind of people they were, they loved him. His guilt over pushing them away increased the closer that he got to his house. When he arrived, he used a spare key hidden under a flower pot to quietly open the front door. The lights were off, and not a sound indicated that anyone was there. His throat tightened at the thought of the house being completely empty. He had spent four weeks with the whole world ignoring his existence; irrationally, he wondered if that would be the case in his own home. That his parents would ignore that he was there and treat him as if he was some unwanted ghost. Maybe the silence meant that he didn't even have a family to return to.
    Just as he entered the living room, a light came on. He shielded his eyes from it, and after a few moments, looked past his fingers to see what was going on. His saw that his mother was sitting on the couch in her bathrobe.
    There was a cross look on her face as she said, "Do you what time it is, young man? I waited for you, for hours. When you said that you were going out, you said that you would be back by 5pm. Do you know what it's like for a mother to wait until the dead of night, worried that something horrible has happened to her son?"
    Neku's eyes watered as his mother scolded him. She was pissed, but in that moment, he was so happy to have her anger. In the past, he would have resented this. He would have said that she was intruding on his personal life and trying to control him. But now that he was listening with his heart, he could hear that beneath the ice cold words, there was love and concern for him.
    "And on top of that, why do you smell like cigarettes?" she said, voice rising. "Why aren't you saying anything, Sakuraba Neku?"
    Neku's mother was shocked when, instead of answering, her son launched himself at her and threw his arms around her middle. Neku buried his face into her bathrobe and began to cry hard. He had been through so much, but he couldn't tell her any of it. There was no way to convey to her his feelings or how he had changed. All he could do was cling to his mother and feel that overwhelming relief of being honestly and truly home.
    "Neku?" said his mother quietly. She was alarmed at her son's behavior. The woman rested her hands on top of Neku's head and leaned down, unconsciously taking a protective posture. "Neku, my baby, what happened to you?"
    "I'm so sorry mom," sobbed Neku. "I'm so sorry."
    They were the only words he could manage to say.

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

    Neku was grounded, but he didn't mind. Staying home after such a long, unwanted vacation felt good. His mom also didn't let him go to school. Although he couldn't explain where he had been and why, his mother understood that Neku had gone through something traumatic. So for his health, he was to spend one day away from school and perform his studies from home.
    He spent much of his time looking over his things. There were several posters of CAT on the walls of his room, and every time he looked at them he couldn't help but think of Hanekoma. He wondered if he would ever see him again. There was so much that Neku wanted to talk to him about. Maybe if he went to the cafe on Cat Street, he would be able to find him.
    I saw you at the end, with Joshua, thought Neku to himself. I wonder if I was just a pawn to you too.
    Eventually, Neku's mother left to do errands. That was his chance to leave the room and stretch. He opened the front door to his house and walked out on the porch. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and he could feel the warmth of it pouring over his skin. Neku tilted his head up and closed his eyes, and simply let himself warm in the light.
    "Hey boss," said a familiar voice.
    Neku opened his eyes and jerked his head down to the entrance of his home. His heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was. "Mister H!" he said in disbelief. Neku hopped down the stairs to his house and rushed to the gateway where the man was standing.
    "Long time no see," said Sanae gruffly. "You look good among the living. Kind of scruffy though," he teased.
    Neku looked down at the capri sweatpants that he was wearing and baggy black tank. His hair was completely unkempt and spiked everywhere. He obviously hadn't bothered to put himself together that morning. "I was grounded," he tried to explain. "But why are you here?"
    "I don't have a lot of time," said Sanae, "so I'll make this brief. I need your help."
    "I'm not playing the game again," answered Neku quickly. Anything but that.
    "Eh? Oh no, hahaha! Nothing like that, I promise," said Sanae. He held up his hands in surrender. "Actually, I guess I should be more specific. Joshua needs your help."
    Neku narrowed his eyes at that. "Why in the world would he need me?"
    "Weeeeeeeell," drawled Sanae. One of his eyebrows was twitching. "To make a long story short. He's banned from coming to the Realground by the upper brass. So he pitched a fit and tried to go to the Upper Plane. Let's just say, it didn't end well."
    "Is he hurt?" asked Neku in concern.
    "In a matter of speaking, his base vibe lowered to the point that he could no longer exist in the Underground," explained Sanae. "He's stuck in the Realground until he can elevate his vibe again. Thing is, because he's been banned from the Realground, if he's caught here then a lot of bad things can happen."
    "What kind of bad things?" asked Neku guardedly.
    "Erasure," said Sanae bluntly. "But that's just half the problem. Without a Composer, the Underground will be in a state of chaos. I wouldn't put it past any of those reapers to try to make a bid for the Composer's position while he is weakened."
    "Well tough shit for him," bit out Neku. "He did it to himself, he should reap his own rewards."
    "Aw come on Neku, don't be like that," said Sanae with a frown. "I thought you were friends."
    Neku looked away and self-consciously rubbed his shoulder. "He hurt me," he murmured.
    "You're right. He did hurt you," said Sanae seriously. "But I think that this is a chance to rebuild your friendship with him again, Neku. The fact that you are hurting over what happened says how much he means to you."
    "This isn't fair," said Neku angrily. "Why does it have to be me? Why not you? You're closer to him, you have more power. Why don't you take care of him?"
    "It's not that simple," said Sanae. "I can't interfere, remember? And on top of that, I've been called back to the Higher Plane. I don't know when I can return. Joshua can't exist in the Underground in his current state, so it has to be someone from the Realground. You were the closest one to him, and he trusts you."
    Neku ground out a frustrated sound from the back of his throat. "Why doesn't he ask me himself then? Where is he anyway?"
    "That," muttered Sanae. He rubbed his head, and then he said lamely, "I guess you just have to see it to understand."
    "See what?" asked Neku.
    In answer, Sanae reached behind the gate to pick up something from the ground. Neku's eyes narrowed as Sanae presented what appeared to be a bright blue bassinet. "I'm afraid that because his base vibe is so low, this is the only form he can take."
    Warily, Neku took a few steps forwards and peered into the bassinet. What he saw made him gasp in complete disbelief.
    Nestled among soft blankets was an infant. There were wisps of ash blonde hair on his head with little curls that framed a cherubic face. The baby peered up at Neku with violet eyes and babbled happily.
    "Joshua?" exclaimed Neku incredulously.



TO BE CONTINUED.

(1) 230 Kilos = 507.063 lbs
(2) B-Boyism by Rymester - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqHq9BHPWUc)
(3) Burapen at Urban Dictionary - http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=burapan
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