Wherever You Will Go, a 999: 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors fanfic

Wherever You Will Go
by Cyberchao X

A/N: No, I haven't played VLR yet. I know that, canonically, Junpei and Akane never see each other again, though, so that's enough for me to write this fic, having completed the True Ending of 999.

So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face

"You've been quiet. You feeling okay, Akane?"

"Yeah, of course. Haven't felt this great in years. I'm finally free."

"…You know full well that that's not what I mean."

"…" Akane didn't want to talk about it. Only now was she realizing how pointless the last nine years had been. Yes, the four men who had caused so much suffering had been brought to justice. And Jumpy had saved her, just as she knew he would. He'd always be there for her. But…she had only been in danger in the first place because she was in love with him and went back for the doll that he'd given her. She had known that throughout the 9-year period that she'd planned this out, of course, but she hadn't foreseen anything that happened after the Nonary Game ended. She'd always assumed that when Junpei saved her…they'd get their happy ending. Instead, she was on the run, and couldn't see Junpei—in person, or through the morphogenetic field. For all she knew, all six of the people she'd left behind in Building Q mere hours ago could've died in a car crash somewhere in the deserts of Nevada by now.

If a great wave shall fall
It'd fall upon us all
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?

"You knew this was what had to be done," Aoi said.

"No, I didn't. Why are we fugitives? We didn't actually kill anyone…Ace, I mean Hongou, was the one who killed the rest of the Cradle executives."

"We're hardly blameless. At best, we might be able to claim innocence in the death of Musashidou—we gave Hongou an honest chance to repent, but instead, he killed our "witness". And even then, we drugged him up and left a murder weapon in easy reach. Kubota and Nijisaki, though, died via the bracelet system…the system we set up. And we still kidnapped seven people."

"Only one of whom would testify against us, and given the fact that the other five survivors are going to be testifying against him and I've allegedly been dead for nine years, I doubt they'll take him at his word."

"…" Aoi couldn't argue with his sister's logic. Everyone else in that SUV had reason to take the Kurashikis' side against Hongou. However, she had also provided fuel for his counterargument. "Which is exactly the point. You're allegedly dead."

"But who, exactly, was alleging that, other than those who now know better? Remember, Seven didn't even know of our existence when he came to rescue us nine years ago, because unlike the other 16 children, we had never been reported missing."

"You knew this would happen. You chose revenge over happiness."

"…I didn't choose this."

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

"Hm?"

"I didn't choose this. Remember, everything had to go exactly as I foresaw it. The deaths of Kubota, Nijisaki, and Musashidou…they were all necessary to guide Jumpy to the incinerator, and the proper path through."

"…It's ironic, isn't it? That the path where you got to spend more time with him was the "wrong" one, even though he did eventually find his way to the incinerator room."

"Hm?"

"You told me about the 'bad endings'. One of them lost a few companions, but it didn't sound like you were actually one of them."

"Wouldn't have worked. Dead Clover means the numbers wouldn't add up to anything that we could pass off as a 9."

"…Okay, I've got to admit, that was a stroke of genius."

"I saw a door with a 9 on it. I didn't see who went through it, or anything else after Jumpy solved the last puzzle. It was the only place where we had any leverage over the fate that Hongou dealt to us."

And maybe, I'll find out
The way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days

"…Hey. You want to get something to eat?" Aoi tried to change the subject. "We haven't really gotten a chance to eat for a long time, and we pulled an all-nighter, too. You must be starving."

"…Yeah."

"You wanna drive afterwards?"

Akane smiled. Aoi knew full well that she'd never learned how to drive, and she told him as much. "…Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"Is it working?"

"Not in the slightest."

"That's too bad. It was nice seeing the old Akane, even if it was only for a few hours and it was only a front."

Akane's smile fell. "What do you mean?"

"'June' reminded me quite a bit of the Akane Kurashiki who died in that incinerator 9 years ago. Did you do that for Junpei's benefit, or for the benefit of your younger self?"

"…I didn't even realize I was doing that. Hmm…maybe you've got it backwards, though. Maybe this cynical girl is actually June, and cheerful Akane has been trapped in the tiny body of a yarn doll for the last nine years." Aoi raised an eyebrow, though it wasn't a terribly effective method of conveying confusion as he had to keep his eyes on the road. Akane explained anyway. "Oh, right…June was the name of the doll Junpei gave me at the end of summer. The one I went back to retrieve."

"Is that why you offered to give your real name, and in doing so, allowed him to create your codename instead?"

Akane nodded. "I was so happy that he remembered. Just like he promised…he never forgot me…" She pulled out the doll—June. When he gave it to her, Junpei said he'd always be with her, as long as she kept it. A cold consolation…but that was the price of being Zero. She was a cold girl.

If a great wave shall fall
It'd fall upon us all
Well I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you

"If something...bad... Then hold and pray. I go...wherever you are. So here...take..." That's what he'd said. But that…that was apparently destined not to be. She started to cry silently. Actually getting to see Jumpy again…even getting to be close to him…it had brought back emotions she hadn't felt in years. She had been joking when she suggested that the Akane Kurashiki her brother had known had been locked away nine years ago, it wasn't that farfetched, and Aoi's words suggested it as well. "The Akane Kurashiki who died in that incinerator 9 years ago." It wasn't exactly false. In a way, that was a small form of solace to her. When Junpei had been told that Akane Kurashiki died…it wasn't a lie. Junpei's actions saved her physical body, but she wasn't the same person. A part of her had died. In a way, that made things easier during the Nonary Game. It was easier to pretend that she didn't recognize Snake, or Seven, or even her own brother…she was happy to see Snake and Seven, too, and to finally get to properly meet Clover, the girl who had unknowingly served as inspiration to the A Group when they started to fall apart, though not nearly as happy as she was to reunite with Jumpy.

But there was one competitor who it was very hard to pretend she didn't recognize. "Ace"…Gentarou Hongou. The face of that madman, pressed up against the window of the incinerator, still haunted her dreams; letting events play out in the hospital room, having to show concern for "Ace" in order to stay in character and allowing his deceit to go unpunished, was the toughest part of her second Nonary Game. Deep down, she knew that death was too good for Hongou, but…a part of her wanted to see him die in his own deathtrap. The one where she spent more time with Junpei, and Ace died in the incinerator…she almost would've considered it a happy end, if not for Light and Clover dying. "I wish I could see it."

"What?"

"Hongou, put to justice. I wish I could see it with my own eyes. Though I doubt it could compare to the sight of him screaming out to the heavens that he 'DOESN'T DESERVE THIS' and cursing the name of Zero as he dies in his own incinerator. Too many innocents died for it to be a good future, not to mention Junpei would've taken too long and I disappeared in a time paradox, but I…still take a perverse joy in that aborted timeline. Is that bad of me?"

"The paradox is that if you hadn't fallen ill with 'temporalitis', Junpei probably could've solved the puzzle in time. You said Seven had taken Musashidou's bracelet from Clover's corpse in that timeline, right? 5+6+7+8+0=26. All it would've taken would've been me doing exactly what I did back there once Snake took Ace to the grave with him, and the four of you could've escaped with the 0 bracelet."

"They already knew it was a 6. I would've been revealed."

"Not if we hadn't been forced to use it at the first 9 door."

"Aoi, what digital root do you get with 3+6+2+7+5—or 9+0+2+7+5, as the case may be?"

Aoi's face fell. "…5. So Junpei would've been the one to get left behind in the chapel."

"Temporal paradox. Don't question my mastery of the timestream."

"Why shouldn't I? You are." Aoi immediately wished he could take this back. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"…Yeah. I could see everything Junpei would do during the second Nonary Game…but I couldn't even see that even though I was there for the majority of it, I wouldn't get a chance to return to him after making my sadly necessary disappearance."

"Why was it necessary, anyway?"

"You mean besides preventing a time paradox because things didn't work out exactly as planned? We needed to get the number of people in the incinerator down to five so that everyone would be able to get out, and we needed Jumpy to think I'd actually died 9 years ago and suddenly ceased to exist in the present in order to motivate him to the level of epiphany and danger needed."

"The fact that I'd apparently flipped out on them and locked them in the incinerator wasn't dangerous enough?"

"By that point, our motives had been revealed. Getting me back had to be his primary motivation."

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

"And look at where that got him. I managed to confirm to him, through the morphic field, that I was still alive in the past…but that was, to him, chronologically the last he spoke to me. He's spoken to the 12-year-old me more recently than he's spoken to the 21-year-old me!" Akane started to pout.

"That's…" Aoi had nothing to say. He knew that being together with her brother didn't compare to being with the love of her life. And while he personally didn't think Junpei was worth that level of devotion, and was perhaps a little pissed that her stupid doll had caused this whole 9-year time loop mess, he couldn't deny that Junpei was the love of Akane's life. The strength of their morphic resonance was evidence of that.

No…It wasn't Junpei's fault. It was always Hongou's; Hongou and his stupid prosopagnosia, putting Akane on the Gigantic when she should've been in Building Q. The nine of them had all escaped safely, after all, despite the lack of interference from Seven that Group A benefitted from, hadn't they? If she'd been in Building Q where she belonged, she would've been safe…she never would've had to become this monster…

A monster with a human heart. One that could still feel, and cry…and love…without losing the ability to be a cold-hearted killer if the need arose.

Run away with my heart
Run away with my hope
Run away with my love

"I think this is even worse."

"What is?"

"You. While I'd rather you be fully Akane once more…it's perhaps even more painful to see Akane's kind heart and Zero's cold, calculating mind together in the same body than it was when you were wholly consumed by Zero. I mean, don't get me wrong; I'm glad to see some of the old Akane returning… But it's just sad, you know?"

"Yeah… I know. It's painful for me, too. Being reunited with Jumpy, I've felt emotions I haven't felt in years. Trust me…you should be happy that I didn't end up taking more doors with him." She smiled.

"Because of how much it would've pained you?"

"Nope." Akane was smiling now. "Because your big brother instinct would've killed me off via time paradox, due to Jumpy not surviving the Nonary Game."

"What did he do to you?" Aoi was cold and demanding.

"Not much. I, on the other hand…well, you remember the conversation in the freezer, right? That's nothing compared to what happened in front of the Saturn elevator when you and Lotus went to investigate the Earth door. I may have made a couple of suggestive comments to him in the bedroom of Room 93, too."

"I certainly hope this wasn't part of your 'foresight'."

"Room 93 was. So was the first conversation in the freezer regarding the frozen chicken, although I didn't expect him to push it that much. The elevator, though…that was just him misunderstanding, and due to the fact that I'd foreseen him understanding, me not realizing it and saying a bunch of things that made it worse."

"I was going to say, you made it harder on yourself, flirting with him like that."

"'It's…really hard, huh?'" Akane giggled. "Don't worry, I didn't get too flirty. I mean, my 12-year-old self was watching…was seeing everything through Junpei's eyes, through his mind. Knowing this, wouldn't flirting with him be kind of like flirting with my past self, too?"

"…Through his mind, huh? So, then, did he think perverted thoughts about you?"

"Some. I'm pretty sure that I'm glad the scene in front of the elevator wasn't in my foresight; I'd hate to expose my younger self to what was probably going through his mind at the time…I didn't even realize until after it was over just what I'd done. But, um, yeah, he definitely formed a mental image when I jokingly suggested we shower together back in Room 93."

"…Akane, you're such a troll."

"Aren't I?"

I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time

"…Well, I'm glad to see that you've cheered up."

"Who says I've cheered up? Just because I'm smiling doesn't mean I'm not miserable right now."

"Aaand Zero's back. Well, I suppose being angst-ridden with a cheerful smile is a step up from plotting a crime spree with a cheerful smile."

"I'd hardly call what we've done a 'crime spree'…"

"Three murders that we're responsible for, 9 kidnappings, insider trading—"

"Using psychic powers to see the future does not count as 'insider trading'!" Akane protested.

Aoi smirked. "Only because there's no precedent for it even being possible. I'm sure that if manipulation of morphogenetic fields becomes commonplace in the future, they'll pass laws against it."

"Even so, those laws don't exist today, so we're in the clear for that one."

"…Keep looking on the bright side, Akane."

If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

"…I shouldn't have let her out of my sight."

"You still going on about that, Junpei?" Clover asked.

"She was right there. It's obvious now that she had never died in the first place; that it had all just been misinformation that we had been fed."

"It wasn't part of the plan. Zero's plan—her plan—was for the five of us to escape through the q door," Lotus told him. "The Sudoku puzzle said so."

"The coffin emblem puzzle as well," Clover added.

"Well, screw her plan!"

"You can't mean that," Snake said. "If things hadn't gone according to her plan, she'd have been dead nine years ago. You saved her."

"She saved herself. I was just her tool."

"So, then…you're not still hung up over losing her, because she never loved you in the first place?" Clover asked, perhaps ever so slightly hopefully.

"That's…that's not true…she always…we always…"

"You wouldn't have been able to connect with her otherwise," Snake said. "Yeah…it's a shame that the connection broke as soon as the Nonary Game ended."

"We can still catch them," Lotus suggested, and Clover grinned at the idea of being given permission to rev the car up even more.

"No we can't. Now that we're back on the roads, there are no tracks. I'll just have to wait for her to transmit something to me… maybe… someday…"

If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will goI'll go wherever you will go

CCX: Well, that was fun! In a completely depressing way. I've been utterly obsessed with this game since I started playing it, and now that I'm finally done, well…as soon as I saw Junpei's line in the flashback during the epilogue, I immediately thought of this song. It really is a perfect fit—second-most perfect fit of song with topic I've ever found. Ja ne!