A/N: Greetings fellow fans of "The World Ends with You." If you are reading this then you care about what I have to say. If not, then maybe this will get your attention;read this it is important. Okay now that I have your undivided attention I would like to give you some ground rules about this story before you proceed to read it.
There will be OCs in this story. New characters add more drama into anything.
There will be a lot of swearing just like in the game.
There may also be a few gorey parts that may not be suitable for some people.
This is a continuation of the game, so if you have not played the game I do not know what to tell you. The first chapter starts as the ending that occurs seven days after the completion of the game.
This story will contain some parts that are POV.
This story will also contain time and location stamps because…well you will see.
Please enjoy this! I have worked very hard on it and I want it be worthy of representing a great game like TWEWY.
Okay, that is all I have to say so read on.
Disclaimer: I do not own The World Ends with You, nor do I own its characters, or any of the music that will be featured throughout the story. However, I do own this story and the OCs that will be introduced in it.
Chapter 1: Seven Days Past and Many More to Go
Neku's POV-
Udagawa Staircase. Udagawa, Shibuya-July 29, 2008, 12:00 P.M. (July 28, 2008, 10:00 P.M. EST). Seven Days post Reaper Game.
'Same streets…same crowds too,' I thought as I stared at CAT's famous mural. 'Yeah, Shibuya hasn't changed a bit. But still, I don't think I can forgive you yet. No, not yet Josh.' I had been staring at the mural for about half an hour now, just thinking about the events that had occurred in my life over the past four weeks. I turned around and proceeded down the Udagawa Staircase. It was time to head over to the meeting place. 'Josh, you probably don't see it, but…those few weeks were very hard for me. Learning to trust people; having that trust broken,' I thought as I headed to the Hachiko statue. 'Finding out the town I pegged as small, and stifling, and empty…wasn't any of those things.'
My thoughts drifted to each of the partners that I had over the course of those three weeks in the Game. Shiki, she was the one who opened up my eyes and showed me how selfish I was being. She knew all about me because she was going through the same thing I was; a strong desire to be someone else. I only realized that I was doing that when I saw how much envy had changed her, going so far as to change her appearance. I'm grateful to Shiki for believing that I could change myself.
Joshua, or at least that's what he told me his name was anyway, showed me a mirror image of myself. He thought the same way that I did; Shibuya was too noisy. People were scattered, going off in different directions and thinking different things; there was too much going on at once for mine and his tastes. He was the one person in the world who I thought could have been my best friend; the only thing was that our views ended up changing on the subject of Shibuya. I've grown to embrace the noise because I realized that it can broaden my horizon of the world, but Josh…I don't really know about. Where is he now, I wonder?
Beat, he was similar to me in more ways than one. We both lost someone we cared about in a tragic accident; the only difference is that Beat lost so much more. He was a disgrace to his parents just like me; he was a person who went through life without a care in the world just like me. Sure, at first I thought he was an idiot. I mean, take one look at the guy and anyone would assume that, but he is a good guy. He went through so much to save Rhyme…to save all of us. If he was given the opportunity I'm sure he would have been a great Composer. However, if you ask me no one should have that kind of power. 'I'm glad I met you guys. You made me…pick up on things; I probably would've just gone on ignoring,' I thought.
'You played a game, a sick and twisted game with my life and theirs' Josh; and that is why I cannot forgive you. Not yet at least,' I thought. 'But maybe someday I can understand why you did the things you did. You and Mr. H.' I chuckled to myself a little, 'I was hoping he wasn't the Composer the whole time after I had found out that he was CAT. I wished so much that it was someone else so I wouldn't have to kill my idol, but I didn't want it to be you either.'
I stopped walking down the sidewalk and stared up at the blue sky. 'Even though he wasn't the Composer he was involved with you somehow wasn't he, Josh?' I asked to no one. 'Because sure enough on the day that I got back to the RG I raced down to Cat Street; everything was normal except for the café. It was gone, like it never even existed. Then there's you Josh; I looked up the name Yoshiya Kiryu and found no results for it. It's like you never existed either; but the two of you can't hide from me, I know you were real. Although what you were…what you are, I still have no idea.'
I looked back ahead of me and kept walking. 'Josh, Mr. H told me to trust my partner…and I do. Josh, I can't forgive you, but I trust you. You took care of things, right? Otherwise, Shibuya would be gone and my world with it,' I thought. Then I smiled, 'Hey did I mention? I've got friends now. We're having our first meeting since the Game a week ago. Josh, will I see you there?' I asked myself.
Hachiko Square, Shibuya-July 29, 2008, 12:28 P.M. (July 28, 2008, 10:28 P.M. EST). Seven Days post Reaper Game.
After about twenty minutes I had made it to the Hachiko statue, the proposed meeting place for Shiki, Beat, Rhyme, and I. Beat was leaning up against the side of the statue and he looked kind of impatient; although that might just have been his outfit. Beat's skater-dude look kind of gave off that impression. Rhyme was standing next to her brother and was rocking back and forth on her heels in order to decrease her boredom. Rhyme was also wearing the same outfit that I had met her in. I guess the siblings wanted to make finding each other easier for Shiki and I, although I didn't really get Rhyme's outfit; her cheerful attitude didn't match her emo-looking clothes. The only thing in her outfit that did match her personality was that bell pendant that she always wore.
I had noticed the Bito siblings first but they had not noticed me; the person who noticed me first was the girl standing next to them. "Neku!" the girl shouted, which made me turn my attention to her.
I cast a curious look at her; 'Why is that girl shouting at me?' I asked myself. I scanned her features to see if I recognized her. The girl had short brown hair and brown eyes that were hidden behind a pair of glasses; and she wore a dull green jacket over a black shirt, and a pale purple knee-length skirt. The girl was smiling at me but I had no idea who she was. Then I noticed that the girl carried a black stuffed pig…no a cat I guess.
Suddenly, realization hit me like a brick and I remembered something that Shiki had said to me back in the Game. '"I know, when we meet up in the RG I'll bring Mr. Mew, and then you'll know who I am. But Neku, once you see the real me…will we still be friends?"' I remember Shiki asked me that when I found out that her appearance in the UG wasn't her true self.
My eyes went wide, "Shiki?" I said aloud.
Then Beat and Rhyme noticed me too. "Yo, Phones it took ya long enough!" Beat shouted at me, "Do ya know how damn borin' it is waitin' on somebody to show up?!"
I smiled at the three people that I had come to know as my friends over the past three weeks and then I ran over to the Hachiko statue to talk to them. Rhyme was the first one to greet me; "Hi Neku, it's been a while hasn't it?" she asked.
I nodded, "Yeah, it's good to see you again Rhyme. Hey did Beat ever tell you all that happened while you were in that Pin?"
She giggled and nodded in reply; "Mostly everything, but I do think that he's leaving out some things." Rhyme looked up at her brother, "Am I right Beat?"
Beat looked away from his little sister and then he rubbed the back of his head. "Um…well ya know… like I said I kinda went through 'a rough patch after ya left," Beat replied.
I shook my head, "Yeah, one thing was clear as day Rhyme, your brother really loves you. He even went so far as to become a Reaper to get you back to normal."
Rhyme's eyes widened when I said that, "What?!"
Beat made his classic panicked expression and then he glared at me. "Phones, I hadn't gotten around to tellin' her 'dat yet!" he yelled at me.
I laughed nervously, "Oops, sorry but at least it's out in the open now right?" I began to rub the back of my head as well.
Rhyme looked back at Beat. "Is that true?" she asked.
"Um…well…ya…see…I uh," Beat began to stutter incessantly until Rhyme shut him up when she drew him into a hug.
Rhyme smiled as she held onto her brother. "You went so far as to become one of them in order to save me. I finally got my brother back, and to think that all it took for us to be close again was for us to die," she said.
Beat smiled and he hugged his sister back. "I promise 'dat I won't ever leave ya alone again Rhyme."
I smiled at the siblings; finally after all this time they had been reunited for good. Then I looked to my left and saw that the unfamiliar girl was also smiling at them. "Shiki, is that you?" I asked.
The girl turned her attention to me and then she nodded. "Yeah, this is the real me. I told you I looked a lot different in the RG. I don't look pretty like Eri at all, but I'm happy to be back in my own body anyway." Then Shiki looked at the ground and swayed her arms from side to side like she was thinking about something. "So, um…Neku," she said as she fiddled with her glasses, "How do you think I look?" she asked as she stared at me with her brown eyes.
Something about her eyes just made me feel uncomfortable so I fell silent for a second. I really didn't know how to respond to her question so I took a deep breath and then bluntly said, "Idiot, haven't you learned anything from the UG?"
Shiki was confused, "Huh?"
"It doesn't matter what I think about how you look, and it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks either." I motioned to all of her, "This is the real Shiki and you should be proud of that." Then I sighed and rubbed the back of my head again, "But…if you want my honest opinion I think that this Shiki is much prettier than Eri-Shiki." I don't know why I said that I thought she was pretty but I didn't necessarily lie about that; she was kind of…cute.
When I said that comment about her being pretty Shiki's eyes seemed grow three sizes and then she looked back down at the ground. "Um…thank…you…N-Neku," she stuttered.
I looked at Shiki with slight confusion. 'Oh God, please don't let that be something I'm going to regret later on,' I thought.
Then I heard giggling and I looked back at the Hachiko statue, and saw that Rhyme was the one giggling. She suddenly stopped and started singing, "Neku and Shiki sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," then she started giggling again. I looked back at Shiki and saw that she was still looking at the ground, but now she seemed to be fidgeting; she definitely heard Rhyme's little song. It was starting to make me feel uncomfortable as well.
Rhyme was still giggling until finally she was shut up by Beat. "Aight Rhyme, that's enough," Beat said, "Phones' cheeks can only get so red," he said as he smiled at me.
I didn't know what he meant when he said that but then I felt my face burning. My cheeks were red. How could that be? Rhyme's song was embarrassing but not that embarrassing. After a minute or so, when the awkwardness had died down a little I desperately tried to change the subject. "Hey guys, have you had lunch yet? If not, why don't we head over to Dogenzaka and get some ramen," I said.
Beat nodded, "Me and Rhyme haven't chowed down yet so 'dat sounds good to me, Yo," he said.
Rhyme also nodded, "I'm hungry," she agreed with Beat.
I looked back at Shiki, "Shiki, you want to go get some ramen?"
Shiki didn't look directly at me but she shifted her gaze from the ground; and then she barely whispered, "I could eat."
I smiled, "Okay then, follow me."
I led the four of us to the Scramble Crossing and then Beat and Rhyme took off ahead of me. Beat looked back at me and shouted, "Yo, Phones we haven't had ourselves a race since Week 1. First one to Ramen Don don't have to pay. On your mark, get set, go!" Beat raced out of the crossing and ran all the way to 104.
Rhyme struggled to keep up behind her brother. "Wait up Beat!" she frantically called out as she tried to keep up with the hyperactive idiot.
I just stood there in the Crossing watching the two siblings run out ahead of me. Shiki was the last one behind us, and upon entering the Crossing she just ran up to me. "Beat wants to race again?" she asked me.
I nodded, "But I still didn't agree to race." Then I smiled at her, "Hey you want to make them wait for us again and go check out 104?"
Shiki smiled back at me and then she put her fingers up to her cheek to emphasize that she was contemplating the idea. "Hmm, sounds tempting…but no!" she shouted, catching me off-guard. "This time we are so going to win. Now come on!" she shouted as she grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me to 104.
I yelped, "Hey, wait dammit!" I shouted while she dragged me. Then, by the time the two of us got to 104 I matched Shiki's speed and managed to get out of her grip on my arm. She frowned a little when she no longer had control of my speed. I sighed, and then I grabbed onto her hand. Shiki gasped at the sudden contact, but then she smiled…and then blushed a little. Then she laced her fingers together with mine to establish a firm connection that would not break. I felt a little uneasy but also a little happy.
At that point I knew it was true. All the things that the four of us had experienced in those three weeks were just distant memories now. The nightmare was over and the true dream was about begin. I didn't know how it would end…but I was excited to experience every new thing involved in the future. Just like CAT taught me.
Joshua's POV-
Hachiko Square, Shibuya-July 29, 2008, 12:30 P.M. (July 28, 2008, 10:30 P.M. EST). Seven Days post Reaper Game.
'Neku…well done. I wish I could tell you that in person, but I just can't. The Council won't allow me to have any more contact with Shibuya, much less the person I made my proxy,' I thought as I stood on the ledge of a nearby rooftop. I was looking down to Hachiko Square, where I saw Neku and all his other friends. Sanae sat on the ledge next to me, and he was also looking down at the four kids in the Square. I continued to look at Neku and I imagined that the words that I was thinking of in my head would somehow be conveyed to him. 'Neku, I'm sorry. I know this wasn't fair, looking back this whole month was nothing but a mistake.'
I took my eyes off of Neku for a second and looked around to the rest of Shibuya. The crowded streets and thousands of people walking around and having different ideas on their mind; that was Shibuya. 'Now I think I can finally see what Megumi meant when he said there was hope for Shibuya. However, his idea of achieving uniformity was flawed. Unity isn't something that can be obtained through the process of a simple Hive Mind. No, unity must be obtained over a long process of connections between other people. Megumi was a simple Reaper so he could not see that,' I thought. Then I shifted my gaze back to Neku and his friends.
'Neku…I chose you as my proxy. I chose you to defeat Megumi and prove that Shibuya could not be saved. It could have been anyone, but I chose you. It wasn't just because you saw my fight with Minamimoto; it was because I sensed something in you. You were just like me, content with knowing only your thoughts and no one else's,' I thought. Then I frowned, 'But you evolved; now you care about other worlds and not just your own.' I grunted.
'That's why I let you play the Duel with me, and you won. You wouldn't shoot me. Maybe there is some hope for Shibuya, but Neku you should be ready. Once I'm gone I have no idea what will happen to Shibuya, but one thing is clear, since you beat me at the Duel I'm no longer the Composer; and since Sanae helped you he is no longer the Producer. I'm afraid that you are now on your own,' I thought.
"You know, this mess is going to have repercussions Upstairs. But hey, at least things are back to normal right?" Sanae asked.
I frowned at his comment and made no reply.
Sanae chuckled, "What, you seem a little down?" He saw me looking down at Neku and his friends. "Hey it's their world, they get to decide what to do with it," he said. I wasn't in the mood to talk; I was scared, scared of what would happen to Shibuya in my absence. Would it become something vile in the hands of Mortals or would the next Composer make it that way. Only time would tell. Sanae looked at me, "Hey, just…" he started but then I cut him off by turning into my iridescent form and flew into the sky. I heard Sanae chuckle again and then he sprouted his white wings and flew after me. I heard him say, "Some people just don't know when to take no for an answer."
'Good luck Neku, good luck.'
A/N: Okay, I had most of the ending in there and I added my own bits and pieces. I hope this gets you guys pumped for the next chapter when the real story begins. See ya later.
