Alouette

Little skylark,

Lovely little skylark,

Little skylark,

I'll pluck your feathers off...

x x x

Mr. H appeared before him without much of a warning- a clatter of music, a shower of feathers, the usual shimmer of light -and Joshua went from kicking ass and taking names in Tin Pin to being dragged down the street by the arm. The barista looked old, but his grip was tight, and Joshua had to stumble a few steps to avoid being dragged.

"It's good to see you too," Joshua twisted himself around, trotting impatiently at the Angel's side. "A 'hello' or a 'hi' is usually how people greet those they haven't seen for awhile. Even a simple 'yo' would suffice, if it's from you." What usually passed for snarky banter between the two was nothing more than one-sided bitterness, a cold snap lying beneath the Composer's tone.

Behind him, the children from this plane were watching in confusion, some taking a few hesitant steps in his direction, uncertain what they should do. Blue looked as clueless as ever, but Pink smirked knowingly, pale hair coiled tauntingly around his finger. None of them would follow, Joshua knew, because there was already a Joshua in this world, and one was more than enough.

Finally, Joshua managed to tear his arm from Hanekoma's grip, rubbing the spot where his fingers had dug in.

"Joshua, don't make this a scene." the Angel started, his voice low. Joshua laughed.

"A little late for that, don't you think? You could have at least let me finish my game first." he huffed, arms crossed.

"Not until you finish the first game you started." Mr. H snapped, turning around. "Do you have any clue how much time has passed in our plane?" Joshua frowned, his gaze faltering. Mr. H was surprisingly tense- he hadn't seen him this stressed since his first few weeks as Producer for a homicidal teenager. Reluctant to speak, Joshua shrugged. He wasn't concerned. He hadn't really been thinking about his plane, or anything else that was happening on it.

After a few moments of awkward silence had passed, he realized Mr. H actually expected an answer. Joshua shrugged again.

"A few days?" he replied.

"A week." Mr. H said flatly. Joshua stared at him. His arms slipped back to their natural state, limp at his sides. "Neku is about to go face Megumi. You really oughta show your face, don't you think?" Again, Joshua didn't respond. Mr. H stared back, silent, waiting. At least a minute must have passed before Sanae finally sighed, his face crumpling with exhaustion and defeat. Joshua kept his face straight, struggling not to look away- Mr. H was an Angel, not a babysitter, he didn't need to make this dramatic or personal, it was business and nothing more. Joshua did not want to see him looking like that, so… so despaired.

"Joshua…"

"I didn't say anything," Josh snapped, immediately on the defense, but Sanae wouldn't let him finish.

"You don't need to J. I know you."

A thousand curses and protests screamed through Joshua's mind at that moment, as Mr. H put a hand on his shoulder. It was a warm, a parental gesture meant to be comforting, but right now it was the last thing he wanted. Sanae knew him better than any one in the multiverse, and that still wasn't enough to make him understand, to make him see why Shibuya had to go, why he had to go. If you really knew me, you would hate me too, he wanted to say, but Mr. H just kept on talking, cutting off his trains of thought.

"There's still time, Josh-"

Joshua shot past him like lightning, shoving his hand from his shoulder.

"Let's just go." He walked briskly, trying to compose himself. He didn't know where he thought he was walking, but it didn't make much of a difference. Mr. H had to be the one to take them back to Shibuya -their Shibuya- and he could just as easily do it walking as he could standing in place.

Mr. H sighed softly behind him. Joshua wouldn't have heard it if he hadn't been listening close, making sure the Angel's footsteps were following him. It took a moment before he heard the slap of sandals against the asphalt, and then Sanae's hand was on his shoulder again. This time is was tight, a tether to the universe rather than a loving gesture.

"Alright then. Hold on tight, boss." Mr. H closed his eyes, and the world unraveled rapidly. Joshua instinctively reached for his hand, not wanting to be undone while slipping between planes. Relying only on this form to win had been a mistake, at this weakened state he could easily burn away from existence. He focused on Mr. H's music, then on his own, making sure everything stayed the same as the frequencies switched.

Joshua's body felt like it was asleep, consumed by that fuzzy, numbing feeling that can only be described as static. If each plane was a radio station, then the space between was white noise, vacant lines of static that could not be discerned. When altering one's vibes, it was inevitable that they would pass through here: infinite and sparkling, easily mistaken for the vacuum of space. It was a beautiful void, but a void nonetheless. And from the abyss, monsters would always come.

Something hicupped. The dial was turned too fast, or too slow. Joshua couldn't tell if they had overshot their destination, or missed it completely- he thought he heard Shibuya, notes as familiar as a mother's voice calling out to him, but when he opened his eyes it disappeared.

Harsh, violent light enveloped him, a blood curdling shriek piercing through his head. His brain throbbed against his skull, everything inside of him trying to evacuate, desperate to escape the pain. The song he knew, the chords he'd written himself, everything was a gross parody of itself, out of key and off kilter. It was as if the city had not recognized him- it was rejecting him, refusing him entrance.

"Joshua!" Sanae's voice trickled through the screams of static, and Joshua gripped it like a lifeline. He could feel Mr. H's hand crushing his own, holding tight enough to break his fingers, trying very hard not to let go. His arm felt like it was in another dimension though. He couldn't see anything- just black and white, a blank station on a TV set. It hurt. It hurt so bad and he wanted to let go, use his hands to tear himself apart so he could make it stop, but he had to hold on, Mr. H would never forgive him if he didn't hold on.

His stomach flew up his throat as he plummeted, suddenly, his hand ripping away from Sanae's grip. He tried to shout but all he got was more screaming, a frantic bubble rising from his open mouth. His vibes were slowing rapidly, growing cold, like he was sinking to the bottom of the sea. Mr. H was right there, he could feel his light, but his music was so far away, he would never be able to reach it. He didn't understand. Why hadn't his city let him in? It could have unwritten him at any point during the Game, so why now?

As everything rippled around him, alternating between light and dark at a nauseating pace, he thought he heard Mr. H calling his name. He couldn't be sure though. Everything sounded just like static now…

x x x

Neku's feet hit the ground hard, and he skidded back a few paces, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He didn't know why he tried so hard to keep breathing- he was dead. it wasn't like he needed the oxygen. Beat staggered backwards nearby, his wings barely more than a shadow. His whole body was faint, translucent, like a ghost. Still shaking, Neku swallowed, looking back to the Game Master of the week.

Her wings, long and elegant iron gates, had shattered, falling to the ground in pieces. She screamed, hatred and disdain boiling in her eyes. She was collapsing in on herself, crumpling into a heap of static and shadows. A small pin sailed away from the carnage, skittering across the ground toward Beat. He wasted no time in picking it up, cradling it in his hands like a precious jewel.

"Rhyme!" he choked, staring at the small pink squirrel in a state of awe. "Rhyme, Rhyme… I'm so sorry…" Beat's throat hitched, the smallest of sobs bubbling up, and he clutched the pin close to his face, slumping over with relieved. "I'm never gonna let'chu go again, you hear me?" he voice strained as he grinned down at his sister, tears of happiness streaming down his face. "I'ma get you that second chance, I promise, just you wait!" Neku watched him for a moment, before tugging at his collar, a half-assed attempt at hiding the smile on his face.

The Iron Maiden giggled, suddenly, and Neku's breath caught in his throat. He tensed, grabbing the last pin he'd used and looking back to Konishi. Even as she was fading from existence, she still managed to hold herself above them, an smirk worthy of the Ice Queen still etched into her face.

"What a touching reunion..." she muttered softly, eyes glowing with the last sparks of life. "But I wonder… would your sister do the same for you?" Something in the air changed, an iciness settling in his bones. Konishi had Beat's attention now, though he still held the pin tight. "We took your sister's love for you… as your entry fee."

There it was. Neku watched as Beat froze up, shock overtaking his body.

"What?!" he shouted the word like it was a curse. He was hardly in better shape than Konishi, but he still looked ready to throttle her.

"Her memories were your entry fee. Hers was something else." she chuckled, eyes closing slightly. The light in them was dying, but there was still a cat-like glint in there. With a wicked grin, she added one last piece: "You must not have been very dear to her…"

At that, Beat looked like he'd just been slapped. He recoiled, gripping his arm- closing himself off without even thinking about it. Neku turned back to the witch, shaking hard. He would have punched her himself, if she had had anything of a solid form left. She was a silhouette now, dwindling back into the background. Her giggle was just a whisper.

"That look on your face… it's just as I… predicted…" The voice lasted a moment beyond the body, trailing off into silence. They had defeated her, but the look on her face in her last moments was that of the victor.

Somehow, the sewer got even colder, as Konishi finally disappeared. They had defeated her, but the look on her face in her last moments was that of a victor.

Carefully, Neku looked at Beat. Big tears still rolled down his cheeks, but Neku couldn't tell if they were from sorrow or joy at this point. He sniffled loudly, bringing an arm to his face to wipe them away.

"Rhyme's memories was my entry fee?" he muttered, bewildered. "Then… then what was hers, yo?" Beat raised his eyes to meet Neku's. He looked exhausted. Neku didn't blame him. After everything that had happened, everything they'd gone through to get Rhyme back… this was what he got? A slap in the heart?

Beat stared at the pin, and Neku stared at him. He was pale, still fading.

"... screw it. I don't got time to think about this kinda stuff!" Beat shouted, stuffing the pin into his pocket. He looked at Neku, grim and determined. "We's gotta keep pushing forward!" Neku blinked, taken aback, but he nodded in response.

"You got it." he smiled slightly. He was right. Now wasn't the time to waver- they had to steel their resolve, or they would never make it out of here. "Let's get moving." He had only taken one step when a small ding came from his pocket. Neku froze, looking down. "... Mail?"

Hesitantly, he pulled his phone from his pocket, flipping it open. The GM was dead, so who the hell would be texting him now?

"Wha'sit say?" Beat looked over his shoulder, and Neku squinted at it, but it didn't make the message any clearer. A garbled text of random numbers, letters, and symbols. The screen was glitching out in places, making it impossible to tell what order they were supposed to be in. He shook it a few times, opened and closed it, but it remained the same. "The hell? Is the Iron Bitch textin us from the afterlife?"

"This is the afterlife…" Neku frowned, putting the phone away. "It's probably some sort of glitch. Maybe the O-Pins are causing a disruption in the frequency." It was a wild guess, it but was a better excuse than nothing.

"Whatever man. We don't got time for this, let's bounce. Beat began charging forward, glancing back at Neku with a renewed spark burning in his eyes. "You comin phones?" he called, bouncing in place. Neku nodded firmly, jogging after him.

They were so close. A tall, dark passage way stretched out before them. Neku couldn't tell where the walls stopped, upwards or forwards. They were infinite. Something heavy in his stomach told him that this was the last stretch- once they went in, there was no turning back. If these three weeks were Hell, then this was the deepest circle, the last horror they would face. A part of him knew he wasn't ready, and the other part knew he never would be. They had no choice though. Shiki, Rhyme, Joshua… this was about more than just him now. It was about more than all of them- this city, their home, the lives of everyone here were at stake, and they were the only ones with a chance of saving it.

"The Composer's gotta be up ahead." Beat said, gazing into the abyss. Neku wondered if it was gazing back, and Beat would even notice if it had. "This is it man. The ultimate showdown." he turned, offering a shaky grin, and in that moment Neku knew that he was just as uncertain as him. "You ready?" he asked. Neku smiled.

"As I'll ever be."

And so, without another word, they waded into the darkness before them.

x x x

"Yo, phones… is there s'posed to be fog in sewers?"

Neku had no idea how long they had been walking. It could have been hours, or it could have been a few seconds. His phone wasn't working anymore. Whatever glitch that text had sent him had consumed his screen. There was no way to tell the time.

"I don't think so… but this isn't really the sewer anymore." Neku muttered, making sure to keep Beat's figure in his line of sight.

The fog had started small, a cloud crawling low over the ground, but the farther they walked, the larger it grew. It billowed up and around them now, too thick to see much of anything. Beat kept reaching out, every few minutes, grabbing his arm or shoulder. At first Neku had grouched at him for being so clumsy, but by now he'd realized Beat was just trying to make sure he hadn't disappeared.

"This is weird man. Somethin's off." Beat mumbled.

"No shit." Neku sighed, looking at his hand. No timer, at least… Hesitantly, he scanned for Noise, letting his mind sync with the other plane, but he didn't see anything. They had already taken care of the Taboo, but there wasn't any normal Noise either. The space between the two grounds was vacant. The longer he gazed into it, the emptier it became, a gaping chasm in the center of the world…

Beat's hand grabbing at his jolted him back to the UG, and he looked at him wildly. It had only been a moment, but it had been enough to make him forget he wasn't alone. Beat wore his heart on his sleeves, and even the fog wasn't enough to conceal the worry in his eyes. Somehow Neku could tell that he knew, that the Noise Plane was empty. Its silence stretched into their world, filling the hall all around.

"The only thing we can do is keep going. it's a straight path, it's gotta go somewhere." Neku said firmly. He began walking, speeding up the pace.

"Yeah. You's right." Beat agreed loudly, breaking into a jog. "Gotta keep on keepin on."

"Yeah." Neku jogged along with him.

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH!"

"YEAH!" They echoed each other, voices bouncing back and forth, empowering them with each step. They were not alone. They were not alone.

They were not alone.

Their jog slowed suddenly, the fog too dense to even see each other. The last echoes of their shouting had faded, swallowed by the mist. All they heard was each others breathing. Neku walked slowly, cautious. That thought had slipped into his head so easily, it was almost natural, and yet there was something very wrong with that statement: they were not alone. With the reverberating shouts, it felt like they were back in the crowds of Scramble again, but that wasn't the feeling he had now. Now, it was silent. Just like the Noise Plane. Somehow that silence seemed to have its own presence, a near tangible form that was lingering just out of sight...

"Phones… I don't think we's alone." Beat said quietly. Neku nodded grimly, a little surprised. If Beat had noticed it too… it couldn't just be his imagination. "Y'think it's…?" his voice trailed off, but there was only one thing it could be. Neku nodded again, fists clenched at his sides.

"Yeah." he stared into the coiling fog, into a face he knew but could not see. "We're almost there."

After awhile, their steps fell into sync, impossible to distinguish from one another. Neku wondered if it was possible to walk forever. Could an endless hallway exist in the UG? Maybe it was somehow looped, transporting them back to the start once they reached a certain point. That would explain the fog- made it impossible to tell just where they were.

Not really thinking about it, he reached a hand out, making sure Beat was still there. His hand brushed through the air at his side, and he fumbled some more, trying to make contact. He stopped walking, and the quiet sound of shoes on concrete stopped too. Neku's stomach twisted. Shit.

"Beat?" he called, taking a few careful steps forward, hands outstretched. His arms disappeared into the clouds, hacked off at the elbows. He fumbled for the wall, trying to reorient himself, but no matter which direction he walked, he just kept going. So much for a straight line- they weren't even in a hall anymore! For all he knew, they'd been walking in circles… Swearing, he shouted for Beat again. And again.

"Beat! Where are you? Can you hear me?!" He was trying not to panic. No matter which way he went, he was blind- his chances of finding the wall were as good as his chances of falling off some ledge, so he just picked a random direction and started walking, calling for Beat all the while. His mind was racing, memories of what to do when you get lost playing over and over. He was supposed to stay where he was and wait, but that really didn't apply right now. What if Beat didn't come back this way? What if Beat was waiting for him?

What if Beat faded away and you just didn't notice?

"Beat!" Neku shouted until his lungs ached. He had to be here somewhere. If he had faded then Neku would have faded by now too. They were Partners, Neku would have felt it, orsomething. Beat was fine, he had to be- Neku had to find him though, because he was probably making himself sick worrying about what had happened. Everything was going to be okay- they had each other. They weren't alone.

Neku's walk had gradually become a jog, and now, he realized, he was barreling through the fog. His heart was beating rapidly, the pounding in his head reminiscent of footsteps. He couldn't tell if there were ahead of him, or behind him, but they were overwhelming, louder and louder every second.

"I know you're there Mr. H!" he screamed, pressing his headphones down over his ears. He couldn't breathe. It didn't matter if he needed to or not, he couldn't. His music wouldn't play, he couldn't block this out. "Just come out, show yourself! There's no point in hiding!" He whirled blindly through the fog, so thick he felt like he was swimming. There was nothing there, nothing he could see, nothing he could hear. An endless silence, so heavy he could almost touch it…

Neku let out a loud, angry growl, pushing farther. Each step was a labor, the fog a wall pressing in from all sides. Why was this happening? Why?

He ran into something, and with a wild cry he leapt back, pins at the ready, but what he found was not the figure he had been expecting. He wasn't even sure if it could be considered a figure. The fog swirled slowly around it, distorting the silhouette as it hung there, motionless. This was it, the silence in a physical form. It glowed softly, and it was all Neku could do not to collapse in front of it. Every horrible thought he had ever had, ever moment of loneliness, or sorrow, of hatred- it all came flooding back, crashing on him like a tidal wave and dragging him down. The strange wisp embodied it, emanated it. Neku let out a sob.

It moved. His body went rigid, eyes wide, as it turned, fixing an eyeless face upon him. It spoke. Neku did not hear anything, and yet somehow he knew- it was talking. He had never experienced such a loud silence, a horrible buzz drilling into him, the vibrations of his body fizzling and struggling just to keep him alive. He was crying. He was so angry, so scared, and everything was falling apart right in front of him. He wasn't going to find Beat. He wouldn't save Shiki. He'd never see Joshua again. His friends were gone, and he was to blame.

The silence embraced Neku, and he did not stop it.