Chapter Eleven: Neku VS Joshua

Challenge Three: Cantus Lupus and Cantus Draco

Neku's world fell away; all he was aware of was Joshua. "What?" He rasped.

Joshua repeated his statement. "You get to fight me. One on one."

"You're the Composer." He said incredulously.

"You're my Proxy," Joshua answered quietly, fingers forming an arch.

Shiki worriedly tugged on his collar, but Neku was too stunned to notice. Joshua looked around the room casually, utterly nonchalant.

Joshua said coolly, "Remember the Pins you won from the cities?"

Neku felt them in his pocket, and he remembered how they seemingly lacked their psyches. "Yeah." He forced himself to look Joshua in the eyes.

The boy sighed, and Neku saw his shoulders slump. Did he, or did he not, want to do this? Did he always know about this? "You can use them now," he murmured. "They'll be the key to unlocking your Noise. Did you…did you feel any pain in your back or shoulders during your stay in the Palace, Neku?"

"I did…" Dawning comprehension reached Neku's mind. "They kept me from transforming."

"Because as Proxy, your Noise will be the most dangerous. If you went out of control…well, Neku, that's why I had Rhyme give you the Pins whenever she won."

"But Blake was a Proxy, and he had a Noise."

"The Angels are particularly wary of your Noise. They modified your Pins to prevent your Noise from emerging."

"So you want me to try using them?" Are the Angels afraid of me? Neku thought, stunned.

Joshua smiled. "I doubt you have a ghost of a chance of beating me without your Noise. Go ahead. I want to see what Noise your Soul breeds."

In that huge, featureless white room where so much chaos and pain had occurred, Neku removed his Pins and stared at them. Venice, New York, Paris, Sydney and Vancouver. The Rialto Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the seaside port with the fireworks above it, and the looming mountains. Neku looked up. "No."

"No?"

"I want to see your Noise first." It was an excuse, because in truth, Neku didn't know if he wanted to see his Noise or not. He didn't want to fight his best friend. He didn't want any of this.

Joshua smirked and took several steps back. As he spoke, his tone became steadily harder until it was as sharp as a sword point at the end. "Do you know what the perfume does to a Composer? Neku, I can't get a Noise because I already have one. No, Neku, the perfume will probably make me lose control of my Noise. And I haven't used my Noise in years!"

His Proxy was flabbergasted. Joshua's voice had risen just a pitch short of a yell. "What?"

"I'm going to be…mostly, not in control of my actions. I may kill you, Neku."

"I won't—"

"No. If one of us falls here, we will not come back."

"I won't kill you, Josh." Neku said resolutely.

Joshua smiled sadly. "If you don't, Neku, I very well might kill you."

"You're stronger than that."

"Your faith means a lot." With that, Joshua's wings spread out from behind him. They were like a pair of Reaper wings surrounded in a veil of white feathers. The harsh black in the middle clashed heavily with the angelic plumes that were all around it. As Neku watched, awestruck, bramble-like bands, the color of ivory and molten gold, began to work their way around Joshua's body.

Neku continued to observe everything, even with his heart ricocheting off of his ribs in over time. The Composer's frame vanished underneath the tattoos, and something much more elongated began to take form. Though it took a little while longer than a normal transformation from a Reaper, the result was worth it. Neku finally saw what Joshua's Noise was.

It was a dragon.

It easily beat out Megumi's or the monstrosity chimera that was Romani's. Joshua's dragon Noise was long and elegant, like a serpent, with a golden underside and golden claws. The paws were yellow tribal markings, as was the tail, and his wings still existed, but in a larger glory on his back. The face was thinner than Megumi's had been, with feathers ringing the back of his head like a lion's mane. The only thing that Neku recognized in the ivory dragon was the eyes. The bright, violet eyes of Shibuya's only Composer.

Neku saw that Joshua was hovering. His paws never touched the ground, though his wings never churned the air to keep him aloft, either. The dragon smirked—Neku swore it—and Joshua spoke without actually opening his mouth.

"Happy now?"

The annoyance in his tone made Neku smile a little, but now he knew there was no more delaying. He had to win…anything for Shiki to turn back to normal, right?

He realized that Shiki had vanished into thin air, and was a little saddened. But she was always with him…wasn't she?

Neku closed his hand around the mass of Pins and felt the pulse of their psyches, unlike any he had ever felt before. He pulled them all out at once, and let the transformation begin.

The pain on his shoulders and back had returned, and it reached a fever pitch. A pair of black, blue tinged Reaper wings climbed into the air, and Neku saw their pointy tips out of the corners of his eyes. Bands of blue and orange made their way onto his legs and face, arms and chest, constricting him painfully. They increased in number, until Neku could barely think straight through the pain.

If Joshua's metamorphosis hurt this much, no wonder he didn't do it often. It was unbearable.

When the agony no longer defeated his tired brain's thought processes, Neku realized he was completely healed. The wounds—he had forgotten them in his shock at Joshua's announcement—were gone. Now he dared to open his eyes and see what his Soul looked like.

The first thing he saw was blue. They were his own clawed paws, made out of graffiti. They wove together into a mesh of dangerous spikes and bristles. He turned and saw his shoulders were marked with the Reaper's skull insignia, a strange white and black symbol against the blue of his fur. His legs, all four of them, were composed of tattoos. His spiny turquoise and obsidian wings were still on his back and Neku could see this both by looking behind him, and by staring at the reflective ivory floor. The floor showed a canine face with a wild mane of orange, and his own sapphire eyes looked back at him.

He felt so full of energy and vigor that he could have run around the world without being tired. The draining battle against Blake seemed like a distant memory.

"A wolf Noise. Interesting." Joshua's voice was oddly strained. "Are you ready, Neku? To fight me for Shiki? One final Game?"

Neku looked up and bunched his muscles, ready to spring aside if need be. "I'm ready."

Joshua closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, they seemed to flare brighter. "This perfume was apparently made by the likes of Romani to stop…Composers…from holding back. This is the last warning, Neku."

Neku jerked his head in a nod.

Joshua swooped into the air and then plummeted down, fast as a bullet, aiming for the wolf. For Neku.

Rhyme collapsed onto the bed with a weary sigh, feeling as if she could sleep for an eternity. She opened her eyes and saw Beat standing near her, with Eri slumped against the corner, eyes half open. They looked terrible, with drawn faces and haggard eyes. The Los Angeles Players—the Reapers had gone—were clustered on the other side of the room, looking no better. Their Composer was nowhere in sight.

She couldn't take the waiting. Rhyme didn't know whether to be worried for Joshua or Neku. Her insides squirmed and her mind seemed to be working both fast and slow, clogging up her thoughts. They had no way of knowing what was going on. She'd kill to see what was occurring during the fight. Who was winning? How would Neku survive against a Composer, when he had almost been dead on his feet?

The questions were pointless, because in all actuality, there were no answers.

The morbid silence was broken as Vienna strode into the room, clutching an oval mirror in her hand. She placed it against an empty wall, and Rhyme lifted her head curiously to watch. Colors shifted across the mirror, and then it cleared to reveal a detailed image of a ginger and azure wolf battling a skydiving gold and white dragon.

Rhyme got up with a frenzied energy and knelt beside the screen with everyone else clustered around her. Vienna said in a somewhat amused tone, "I'm cheering for Neku."

Rhyme's heart didn't know who to cheer for—her best friend, or Neku. So she decided there was, once again, nothing she could do.

But watch.

Neku evaded at the last moment, twisting around with a snarl. Joshua pulled up before his muzzle hit the ground, claws outstretched, aiming to rend the Proxy's face. The wolf crouched low so that the attack missed, and then countered with his own talons, succeeding in only slicing air.

The dragon circled overhead, then unleashed a stream of white fire. Neku dodged again, bounding so fast that the world became a blur. With a jolt of surprise, he realized he could still feel the tug of the Pins, though they didn't seem to be on his person. Regardless, he pulled on the familiar psyche of the Scythe Pin. His own energy mixed with the Pin's, increasing it tenfold. Instead of a razor sharp, thin band of compressed force, a gleaming blaze of power rocketed out in reaction to his movements. It caught the Composer by surprise, leaving a diagonal mark on the dragon's face.

The dragon—Neku had trouble thinking of it has Joshua, his best friend—spiraled in a dizzying pattern through the sky. Corkscrewing still, more flames erupted from his mouth until he was a typhoon of embers. The tornado caught Neku and threw him into the air, scorching his fur and tattoos. Reaching into the cold fire and kicking Joshua's scaly form, he sent him back down to the ground. The Proxy landed lightly, tail thrashing, but the Composer came to a gentle halt only an inch off the floor. Those familiar purple eyes locked with his.

"Is that all?"

Neku bared his teeth and raced forward, calling another Pin. He didn't remember bringing a lightning Pin, and yet he summoned a bolt of the electricity down from the heavens. It stuck in the ground at a comical angle before releasing a huge shockwave.

Joshua glided through it and descended again, mauling Neku's back and tearing through the fur to release blood. Neku whipped around and caught the dragon's tail before it went out of range. Biting down savagely, he spun in a circle and then bit through the tattoo bands all together. With a chunk of his tail missing, Joshua spun wildly through the air before kicking off the far wall and firing a ball of ivory energy.

Neku batted it back with a paw. It was an instinctive thing; he hadn't expected it to work. Joshua returned it, and the sphere went back and forth more times than Neku cared to remember. It was almost like the ultimate tennis match.

Charging it with his own signature power—the icy cold that let him access the Music—Neku shot it back once more. This time Joshua performed a totally unnecessary aerial loop to dodge it, sliding to a stop in midair. Neku performed the same leap Uzuki used to tug Nikki out of the sky, and he pressed the dragon underneath him. He tried to bite Joshua's neck, but he hesitated a moment before his teeth met. A moment was all Joshua needed, and he battered at Neku's stomach with his hind claws until the wolf pulled away.

Damn it, Neku thought wearily. He hadn't wanted to kill his friend, the mere thought made him sick to his stomach. Shaking his furry head, he concentrated on raining down meteoric rocks and dangerous icicles that Joshua weaved through easily. He gave a tremendous psychic push, and the power forced Joshua to the earth. The dragon struggled, and the telekinetic energy began to lift. Neku sank his teeth into Joshua's wings and pulled, ripping away a good portion of the protective white feathers. They left an odd taste in his mouth, like blood and sugar, but he didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it before Joshua whirled around and used his tail to trip him.

"If that's how you want to play."

The dragon bit Neku's own wings, and the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt, a deep agony. His power was in his wings, after all. The wolf surged up and pulled away, quickly lacerating one of Joshua's paws. The tattoos broke, and then weaved themselves into an inelegant knot in an effort to repair themselves. Joshua and Neku stared at each other levelly for a few heartbeats as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Josh…please…I don't want to fight you."

"I don't have a choice in this matter, Neku."

"What? What will the Angels do if you don't?"

"I agreed to follow their rules, as part of the Tournament. And in this Challenge, I have to fight you."

"If you don't?" Neku repeated stubbornly.

The dragon's lips pulled back in a fanged smirk. There was little more disturbing to Neku than the sight of the Noise giggling. "Why, I get Erased."

Neku barely leaped back in time as Joshua brought his claws crashing down on the spot he had stood a few moments before. There was an insane edge to Joshua's laughter now.

This is barely Joshua—it isn't Joshua. Even he can't fight an Angel's influence, Neku thought frantically. He backpedalled, claws scraping the ground, before turning tail to escape a wave of ivory fire.

He sprinted as fast as he possibly could, running circles around the dragon, and he thought something good could come from Joshua's (hopefully) temporary madness.

Normally, Neku knew he couldn't beat Joshua. He was too experienced and cunning. But maybe with his normal state of mind altered so drastically, he had a hope of defeating him. He ran into the dragon's thin chest unexpectedly, charging him into the wall. Neku sank his teeth and claws into Joshua's frame, ignoring the cascade of blows that came down across his shoulders and back. He heaved, using a Pin to increase the distance he tossed his foe.

"Joshua," Neku said sadly as the dragon actually hit the ground and skidded on his stomach with a hiss of fury. "Why do we always end up as enemies?"

Joshua's eyes opened, and Neku recognized the silvery pink mark of Romani in his pupils. The purple was almost entirely eclipsed.

That Angel...she must still be alive!

"You're stronger than this! Fight it, Josh!" Neku urged. He watched the dragon heave himself to his paws, shake his head, and only replied with an ear shattering roar.

Has he really been defeated?

Neku had thought Joshua was...invincible. It was how he acted, and how the boy had grudgingly seen the Composer. He missed his friend. Regardless, he forced himself to fight. Hooking his claws between Joshua's front paws, he pulled back, using the Scythe Pin to increase his damage. The bands broke with a resounding crack, but in return Neku was rewarded with a blast of fire to the face. He stumbled away, trying to stop the flames from spreading, and Joshua tackled him to the ground.

It was me.

Neku scratched, swore, gnashed his teeth and struggled.

All of it.

He kicked Joshua off of him, but by the time he stood up, the dragon had dive bombed and he was on his stomach as exploding agony fried his mind.

I'm Shibuya's Composer.

Neku flipped onto his back, pressing the wriggling dragon under him, then turned around and started shredding the feathery membrane of Joshua's white Reaper wings.

Hey, did I mention?

Joshua cried out, but Neku was too into the fight to care. The dragon and the wolf wrestled savagely, eye to eye, aiming for the sensitive wings.

I've got friends now!

Neku summoned his own fire to deal with Joshua's, and he jumped clear through the white and orange flames to deliver a blow to the dragon's head, leaving a five pronged gash that bled profusely.

We're getting together for the first time in a week!

Joshua's long tail—it was almost the length of his body!—snaked up and wrapped around Neku's neck. The wolf solved the problem by setting fire to his own fur, and when the dragon let go, the Proxy changed that fire to ice and sent the shards into his enemy's body. Joshua melted them off and grabbed Neku by his shoulders, lifting him into the air, as if he weighed nothing.

…See you there?

Neku twisted and tried to reach him, but Joshua was at the wrong angle. The dragon burned his head and back before hurtling towards the ground at a terrifying speed.

But Neku, I thought you couldn't afford to lose.

Despite how fast they hit the floor, Neku got up quickly. He bit Joshua's tail, what was left of it, and dragged the dragon around the room. He was careful to turn sharply, so that the Composer's head hit the wall every time.

Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world.

Joshua tried to stop, setting his claws down. That only succeeded in creating glittering sparks that hung in the white room like fiery stars before fading. Neku suddenly whipped around and brutally placed his paw on the dragon's head, bashing the skull to the floor.

But still…

Joshua was dazed only for a moment, and then he retaliated by causing the feathers that crowned his head to form a divine barrier. Neku was startled and retreated as the ivory plumes protected the Composer, and the dragon staggered to his feet, smoke curling from his nose, pink and silver eyes shining. He opened his jaws and let out some more white fire, and Neku had no choice but to scamper frantically around the room to dodge it.

I don't think I can forgive you yet.

The instant the shield faded, Neku sprang, claws outstretched, to land on Joshua's back. He then finally succeeded in removing the feathers on the dragon's right wing, and he bit down hard, jerking his head back and removing one of the spines.

Joshua thrashed, snarling in a voice that had no trace of humanity in it. Had he really lost himself that much?

Let's have one last Game—

Neku almost completely removed the wing from its socket, instead tearing off more and more chunks. The dragon bucked him off and in one swoop, sliced off half of Neku's left wing. The wolf almost went unconscious; instead he howled his pain, which echoed in the room like the lament of the dead.

-to determine who will be Composer of Shibuya.

They clashed again, and Joshua slashed and bit off Neku's left wing until it was only a bluish black stump. In a matter of heartbeats, the Composer's own right wing was in the same state.

You win; you decide what will happen to Shibuya.

Their struggles were becoming weaker and weaker, their blows only about one twentieth of the strength experienced before.

I win, I decide.

Neku rolled onto his side and became still, and Joshua wasn't even twitching, only two feet away.

Of course, I've already decided.

Wearily, Neku accessed the Music. He could feel the overwhelming dissonance notes from Joshua's Song, and finally possessing the time to heal it, he did exactly that, throwing the last of his energy into the process.

Learning to trust people…having that trust broken.

Neku's eyes closed.

Only by allowing strangers in, can we find new ways to be ourselves.

Joshua's opened.

It had been difficult, to say the least. It had been very difficult, hiding the truth from Rhyme—and she was an observant girl—and the others. The perfume had often messed up his normal thoughts, but now it was clear.

Gone. Even he couldn't clear his own discord notes, but someone had. Neku.

Joshua had never been in more pain, ever, in his entire afterlife. Dying had been better than this. He opened his eyes, his mind feeling better than it had in a week, and he saw Neku laying a couple of feet away. The psyche controlling wolf's eyes were shut tight, tongue lolling almost comically from his mouth, covered in gashes and wounds. He was nearly dead.

Hell, Joshua himself was almost dead. He struggled to his paws—when was the last time he used his Noise form?—and limped heavily toward his Proxy. He settled beside him, pressing his own scales to Neku's fur. He placed his head down, so close that his head feathers brushed the wolf's ears, and he closed his eyes again.

Close contact made accessing Neku's Song much easier, and the chaotic but melodic jumble of notes were almost completely gone. Shiki's small mix existed only as seven single, pure symbols in his mind. They were both nearly out. Joshua sighed, dragging his remaining reserves of strength and passing it to his Proxy.

Neku's Song got a jump start, and in reaction, so did Shiki's. He stirred and opened his eyes, obviously surprised to see Joshua so near him that they were touching.

"What…?"

Joshua made no effort to move, and neither did Neku. "You cleared away Romani's influence, Neku. Even I couldn't clean it. How?"

It seemed a simple question, how, but it really wasn't. He could tell by his expression, Neku didn't know.

"Did I win? Or lose?"

"Neither. We're both still alive. One of us has to lose."

"I forfeit!" Neku rasped, his lupine face twitching in agitation. "I don't want to fight you, Josh."

"I don't really feel like challenging you, either."

"Would it be so bad if Vienna had won?" He complained, forcing himself into a sitting position and resting on his haunches.

Joshua still continued to lie flat on his stomach. "Vienna? I don't know. She's not exactly an enemy of mine, but nor is she a friend."

"Like me?" Neku's tone was bitter. "Is that why you can fight me so easily? Shoot and kill me? Twice?"

The dragon closed his eyes again. He wouldn't understand, but in order to placate his Proxy, Joshua said quietly, "No, Neku. You're a friend."

Silence.

Joshua spoke without bothering to lift his eyelids. "Go ahead and strike me now, Neku. I couldn't fight, even if I wanted to."

"No."

"Don't be stubborn. It's the only way to bring Shiki back."

"No." Neku's voice sounded a little shaken though.

Heaving a sigh, the dragon spoke as if it killed him to say the next words. "I know Shiki is the most important to you out of your friends. You want her back safe?"

The wolf wordlessly nodded.

"I can't untangle her from your Music and Soul, only you, yourself, can. Neku, the only way you do that is if you win."

"How? Shouldn't you be Archangel?"

Joshua's head lifted, but the simple motion made his muscles scream in protest. "It's complicated, Neku. You'll understand if you just finish it." He opened his violet eyes and locked with his Proxy's—and friend's—distressed sapphire pair.

The wolf stood slowly, raising his formidable claws, and Joshua placed his head back down.

Smirking inwardly.

Neku aimed for Joshua's neck, and after a moment of hesitation, descended.

Neku brought his claws to a stop a millimeter above the scaly ivory neck of his friend. He…couldn't. There had to be another way! Why did he have to choose between his two dearest friends? Shiki, the girl he might…like-like…or Joshua, the boy that he couldn't even properly explain, but he felt strangely bonded to?

"I can't," he breathed setting down his claws. "I can't."

A harmony of voices, both male and female, suddenly spoke all at once. "And that is why you pass."

In the air, a dozen figures floated. They wore robes of various shades, starting from white on the right, and black on the left. They had a more benevolent air than any Angel Neku had been in the presence in thus far, and they looked down kindly on the two nearly dead friends.

"Yoshiya, you have proven yourself to be cunning and powerful before…but you also have the wisdom to choose a friend that cannot bring himself to slaughter you, no matter what you do. You can guide and lead a team, you have earned the trust and affection of those working with you, and when it comes to picking a Proxy…you are unrivaled. Your Games have generated some of the best results we have had the pleasure of viewing." Like one entity, they all waved their hands. Neku and Joshua lifted into the air, about halfway to the ceiling, to the Angels' height. A cooling energy suffused their beings, and suddenly they felt invigorated, as if they had rested for months. Neku and Joshua both left their Noise forms, and the city Pins clattered from Neku's hands and onto the floor below.

Turning, Neku looked into Joshua's eyes, and the Composer smiled without a trace of his usual smirk. It was a welcome change, even if it wasn't permanent. "Well played, Neku. You did exactly what I thought you would."

Unable to form a coherent sentence regarding that, Neku asked instead, "What about Shiki?"

The Angels inclined their heads. "When you are given Composer rank, O Cantus Lupus, you will be able to restore her without any difficulty."

"You don't understand. I don't want to be Composer. I just want to live a normal life."

The reply was genuinely apologetic. "It is not your choice to make. Yoshiya has appointed you his Proxy."

"Josh?" Neku turned. "Can't you…why not…" He couldn't properly phrase his question.

Shibuya's only Composer sighed. "Neku, I know you didn't want this. And I apologize. So I have a way out of you being Composer."

"Really?" He was skeptical this time, even floating in the air, in the presence of a dozen ethereal beings. "Does it involve me being the Conductor, Game Master, or any other class of Reaper?"

Joshua shook his head.

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Joshua smirked a little, and then addressed the Angels. "I have a suggestion. Can I make another Archangel, in my stead?"

The reply was surprisingly swift. "If you feel another is worthy to ascend, then it is your right, as Champion of the Tournament, to pick another."

Neku swore they almost sounded relieved.

"I choose Sanae Hanekoma."

Neku gasped as a murmur of "the Fallen Angel" flowed from the lips of the Angels. The hooded beings respectfully bowed. "If you wish it, then so shall it be. But surely you know what happens now?"

"Certainly." Joshua formed an arch with his fingers. "Neku, you are the new Producer of Shibuya."

The stunned boy could barely process the sentence. "Wait, what? What?"

"As 'CAT' as shown, it is possible to lead a life in the RG while one is Producer. You will only have to write reports on Shibuya's current state occasionally, and perform minor checks into the UG. Besides that, you have little else to do."

Neku's mouth worked briefly before he closed it and cleared his throat, trying again. "I can still fix Shiki, right?" It was almost like his brain had shut down. However, he was still determined to bring Shiki back, no matter what happened to him. It was his fault she was a cat, or so he told himself.

"Indeed, O Cantus Lupus."

"Why do you call me that?" Relief was surging through him. It was over. Shiki would be coming back, and being Producer wasn't nearly as bad as being Composer…Even if he still didn't want to be it. He wasn't sure how to get out of it, though, but he'd find someone else willing to be Producer. Somehow.

"You are the Singing Wolf." The reply was simple. The Angels added, "We will call the one known as Sanae Hanekoma. We offer you our congratulations."

The Angels vanished, and they landed lightly on the floor. Neku never wanted to see the Angel Palace again. The events of the morning—the battle with Cantus Tranquillus and the Los Angeles Players—seemed like a lifetime ago.

"What now, Josh?" He asked at last, turning to his friend.

Joshua began walking out of the hall, with Neku behind. "Now? I don't know about you…but I'm going to see Rhyme."

Very special thanks to James Firebrand for Beta-ing, as always, and to RawkstarVienna for her reminders that there is indeed a story here that needs updating.

All unexplained events will be covered in the upcoming epilogue, but I hope this battle was to your liking!

Reviews for this chapter in particular is greatly appreciated!