Hello. Haven't posted here in a while.
This is the last fic I'll be posting under the premise that Joshua was erased and Joshua gave Neku memories of them being together. There's a new Composer called "Emiya" in this fic and he's Joshua's successor. Joshua and Neku sort of lived together at the WildKat Cafe that Hanekoma left for him. Shibuya sometimes physically manifests itself as a little girl although she can probably take other forms as well. Odd things have been happening for quite a while now.
This is set a little bit before and during the second part of "Favors and Promises." But it would be best if that one was read first. I have a livejournal Fic Blog where I'll be posting them in order under the title "Cadenza".
Joshua the cat doesn't belong to me. He belongs to Luciana Costa. :)
TWEWY doesn't belong to me.
Please be warned this is a JoshuaNeku fic. Thank you very much.
"Innocence"
Chapter One
The scent of a familiar cologne drifted into the room and Neku smiled at that soft but bitter-sweet scent. He heard footsteps and the sound of someone settling into the chair across from where he sat. Another scent mingled with the cologne. The scent of newly brewed coffee wafted into his living room and made him smile.
He really knows how to make great coffee… Neku thought cheerfully as he took a deep breath.
His own cup of coffee sat on his table, half-cold and half-forgotten. But he didn't mind. It was a fine morning, just perfect for painting and sketching which was what he was currently doing. He settled into a comfortable silence, content just to spend the day like this with the scent of coffee and cologne and the cool breeze around the room.
It really was a fine, fine day.
If one day, we should ever be anything else other than ourselves, what would you like to be?
The question, so curiously asked, took him off guard and he looked up from his sketches and turned to the empty chair in front of him with a small smile on his lips then back to his sketchbook with studies for his next piece. It was almost perfect. Almost, because it seemed to be missing something else.
"You know… I've never really thought about it…" Neku replied, erasing a line there. "Why'd you ask?"
That earned him a chuckle and a shrug. Neku rolled his eyes but still smiled.
Just curious… After all, reincarnation is a possibility… With enough Imagination, of course.
Neku thought for a moment while the wall clock moved its hands and went tick-tock with each passing second. But Neku wasn't in a hurry. He decided to close the WildKat Café for the day so he could finish some sketches. He needed some time to paint for the exhibit in a few months after all. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he placed half-assed pieces. He preferred to put everything he had in a piece.
That way, the message he wanted to convey would get across and maybe spark more Imagination in people and keep Shibuya happy.
"I'd prefer to be human, I suppose…" Neku replied with a smile. A curved line here…. Ah! Perfect! He grinned at the sketch with a smile. His next piece. "And you?"
A cat. Came the simple reply.
Neku chuckled. "Suits you." He remarked. "Although, honestly, I half-expected you to say something incredible like a river or the moon or maybe something mundane as to be normal or something."
It earned him another amused chuckle.
Neku, I was normal before. Who's to say I'm not normal now? I'm not a river because you can't hold the river unless you contain it. I hate being contained unless I want to be. I can't be the moon because it only reflects the light of the sun. And I don't think Shibuya will allow me to become the moon, so far away from her…
Neku laughed. "You're too arrogant to be the moon anyways." He remarked, cheerfully. "But you'd make a fine cat."
Another chuckle was heard and a warm touch on his hand. Neku smiled and entertained that thought. A fine, fine cat, indeed.
But the comfortable silence in the room was disrupted with the sound of insistent doorbell that startled him. The warm touch on his hand disappeared yet the scent of cologne and coffee lingered in the room. It'll disappear too but he hoped it would stay long enough to keep him company. Another cup of coffee sat on the table in a different white mug than the one he broke sometime ago…
The annoying doorbell echoed across the house. Neku sighed and stood up. He knew who it was without even asking. After all, he felt that one there.
He opened the door and in came the Composer, (Emiya. He kept reminding himself because he kept thinking of someone else's name.) looking like what the cat dragged in. Haggard and a little annoyed. Although, it was funny to see him with his hair standing up like that. His impending laughter died though when he saw the wounds on the Composer's arm and the blood on his shirt.
"Composer!" He exclaimed. "What happened?"
The Composer plopped down the sofa and sighed, tiredly.
"Noise." He replied, simply then turned to Neku. "One of the Noise surprised me. It stole something from the Room of Reckoning…" He paused. "I'm not sure what but it put up quite a fight." He frowned. "Fucking thing nearly blew off most of the Mural." Then he turned to Neku. "You can fix the Mural, right?"
Neku frowned. "That bad?" he asked.
Mr. Hanekoma's Mural in the Trail of the Judged was strong. Its strength only amplified by how long it's been there as well the collective Imaginations of Shibuya's past erased Composers, except for Joshua's though he didn't know why. He found it strange that only Joshua's Soul wasn't recycled back into Shibuya.
Even the Lady Shibuya wasn't quite sure if a piece of him survived.
Souls are recycled to become other things too.
Her words echoed in his memory.
Sometimes, they return as people too… Maybe… If by some off-chance a piece of him survived…
Neku frowned at the memory.
…Shall we play a game?
There was probably some hope for it but still, it nagged at the back of his mind. Something must've happened. Mr. Hanekoma probably knew why but whenever he asked, Mr. Hanekoma couldn't—wouldn't—answer. And he changed the subject immediately with other things.
He turned to the Composer, thankfully his wounds had started to heal already. But he looked too tired to keep his eyes open. His form flickered, signaling that he may not be able to keep tuning into the RG's frequency. Neku conjured up one of his pins to help him heal. The Composer hissed at the cool energy but didn't complain though he did wonder how Neku used his pins without a partner.
Player or no Player, everyone was sure Neku was no angel. The Angels were intrigued so they came to his café just to observe him. He just didn't know if Neku knew he was being observed. The Composer frowned. Mr. Hanekoma had mentioned to him once before that Neku had an outstanding Imagination and an extraordinary Soul. And the former Composer had once assumed that Neku would become the Composer after him.
The former Composer didn't mind after all, they played a game with a high price that Neku lost.
The Composer looked at his companion and wondered if the price was worth it or not?
"What happened to the mural?" Neku asked.
It snapped the Composer from his reverie and waved an annoyed hand at him.
"It blew some part of the Mural in the trails." The Composer finally said when he regained some of his energy. He winced when he remembered the wall graffiti that was half-destroyed. "I was half afraid Shibuya would suddenly fall apart… It seems okay for now… But I need you to fix it."
Neku stood up. "Of course." He said. "But I can only do a temporary job on it. Mr. Hanekoma is the Producer. He's the only one who can really fix the Mural." Then he turned to the door. "Stay here and heal. I'll go to Shibuya River."
The Composer reached out to grasp Neku's hand to stop him but he slipped through his fingers. The Composer clicked his tongue and leaned back against the couch, hating the scent of coffee and bitter-sweet cologne and the knowledge that came with it.
It wasn't unusual to find Noise in Shibuya River, after all, Neku fought quite a few of them. But for the Noise to get through the Death God's Pad to get to the Mural was almost impossible. Several frog Noises suddenly appeared before him and attacked.
Neku winced but before he could fight back, a bright light suddenly burst out from behind the Noise and blew them away. Neku looked around but found no one. And then a familiar voice called out to him.
Neku.
Neku looked on and saw a flickering white form just across the bridge of the murky Shibuya River. He frowned as the white figure began to take shape. Neku's eyes widened in surprise and allowed that name to tumble out of his lips.
"Joshua…?"
But he blinked and the figure was gone. He tried to trace if it really did appear before him but there was nothing. No trace. Neku sighed tiredly. Of course it couldn't be Joshua… Even his memory of him did not appear here. So why did he think he appeared there?
Neku started to walk. No sense in thinking of that. At least not right now. He had more important things to do. Walking over the black graffiti bridge, he noticed the murky Shibuya River which looked darker, cloudier than the last time he had seen it.
This was Shibuya River, he knew that. It was used as drainage, a sewer and that's what other people's eyes see. They didn't see that the murkiness of Shibuya's River was caused by their own thoughts. But then he also knew that only the top part of the water was murky and gave the illusion of being shallow. Beneath it all was a deep river.
See only what you want to see… but Neku could see everything.
Slowly he walked on and through the Death God's Pad which was surprisingly empty. None of the Reapers were there as he stepped into the door that only those with Rank or Imagination were high enough could see to the Trail of the Judged. Neku always assumed he had sufficient Imagination or he wouldn't see it in the first place. Though, he didn't quite know why.
He sighed and stepped through the large oak door to the other side.
Neku winced at the damage. About half of the Mural had been destroyed. It was a wonder how Shibuya was able to keep herself together with the amount of damage. For normal eyes it only looked like it was painted over by black and red paint. But Neku saw that the black and red was slowly eating away at the mural beneath it. The remaining part of the Mural mourned for itself.
It was strange. It withstood even that time Kitaniji transformed so he was surprised it was destroyed so easily. It must've been a very powerful noise. Or the Mural was weakened somehow. He closed his eyes and listened to Shibuya to check if anything was wrong. Nothing seemed to be out of place except for a small humming somewhere he didn't quite know where it was coming from.
He ignored it for now and turned to the red paint that looked suspiciously like blood… Even the Black paint looked like dried blood… Slowly he reached out to touch the red paint but before he could touch it, a hand suddenly grabbed and jerked it away from the red-blood paint. Neku turned in surprise, ready to strike if needed.
"Hey, Phones…"
"Mr. Hanekoma?!"
Hanekoma laughed, nervously, his hand still in his.
"Sorry to startle you, Phones. Emiya called and told me you'd be here to fix it up." He said with a lazy smile.
Neku smiled. "Thanks, sir. Sorry about that…" he said. "I haven't even started yet but it's a good thing you're here." Then turned to the red paint. "Emiya was wounded trying to fight the Noise that got in…" Then he turned seriously to Hanekoma. "Sir, as far as I know Noise doesn't get in here… Your Mural should've prevented it."
Hanekoma turned to the half-destroyed mural with a frown on his face. The red and black paint troubled him.
"All debts must be paid…" Hanekoma murmured.
"Sir?"
Hanekoma laughed, let his hand go and ruffled his hair causing Neku to frown.
"Ah! I'm not a kid, you know!"
Hanekoma only laughed louder. "Doesn't matter, kid." He said. "Now, go on home."
"B-but—!"
"Don't sweat it, Phones."
Neku knew something was wrong. But didn't push it. Hanekoma would tell him when the time came. At least he always assumed that. One day, he'd tell him. He nodded and glanced back at the Mural before turning away. Hanekoma watched him go with a small, worried look.
Then he turned to the mural.
"What the devil are you planning to do?" He murmured, angrily as he watched the red paint ooze down.
Hanekoma cursed and punched the wall. It'll be out of his hands…
What horrible irony… Hanekoma thought.
Sickly-sweet laughter echoed across the Trail of the Judged as the red paint continued to crawl over Shibuya's Mural.
Neku stopped to listen to that strange mewling sound that caught his attention. But it was slowly being drowned by croaking. Curious, he walked toward the sound and saw a white Cat Noise with Reaper black wings on its back, angrily hissing at several frog Noises. It was stranger still because as far as he knew Noise didn't attack each other. And the frog Noise weren't Taboo either.
The Cat Noise hissed again. Neku knew he might regret this but still… Taking out one of his pins he slashed through the frog Noise and erased them. The Cat Noise turned to him, fangs bared and ready to strike. Neku frowned.
Yup. I knew I was going to regret it…
But the Cat Noise didn't attack. It was wary, sure but it stood there and relaxed and just looked at him. Neku sighed in relief. At least it he was the one who saved it from being Noise food.
"So, I guess, that means you're not going to attack me, yeah?" Neku remarked.
The Cat Noise looked at him, interestedly. Neku suddenly felt a little nervous under its intense but mischievous purple-blue gaze.
A cat. He was told this morning. Neku remembered the words as reply to the question asked. Well, the cat Noise wasn't attacking him so he supposed it should be a good sign. In fact, it sat on its hunches, licking its graffiti-like paws. Its tail, swishing lazily about.
A cat.
Neku shook his head because he can't hope for too much. But it was there… Neku smiled at the Cat Noise.
"See you, cat."
Neku turned and left the Cat Noise, watching his disappearing form before sauntering off to a small hole in wall.
The night was still when he stepped through the door and the Composer was gone when he returned home. There was a note on the table from the Composer written in red ink. For a moment, Neku thought it was his blood but he was healing when he left so it couldn't have been.
Neku sat and leaned back, tiredly. There was no sound of footsteps in the house no scent of familiar cologne. Neku figured his companion must've gone out again.
"Joshua…?" He called out again.
There was still no answer and no memory to conjure up. Neku rested his arm on his eyes to cover the florescent light that seemed too bright for his eyes.
"Who am I kidding…?" Neku murmured with a bitter smile on his lips. "You'll never return…right?" he asked to no one in particular.
Purple-blue eyes watched.
To Be Continued...
While normally, I usually have most of the fic written, for this one, I had a hard time. So I'm still in the process of writing this whole thing... But I have the almost ending in my head already. Hopefully, it'll turn out alright...
Thank you very much.