EBWY: Neku Day 2 AN/disclaimer: the following features an experimental writing style attempting to keep the manga-esque dialogue of the original game but also use descriptive paragraphs of traditional writing. It's also not affiliated in any way with Square-Enix, and this is a fan interpretation of a potential continuation of the original story.
And obviously spoilers from the original material.

—

Neku: Day 2

I awoke in a drowsy state. Everything was hazy. I rubbed my eyes and was slowly regaining consciousness.

Neku: ...

The previous day was hell. An unorganized, messy, hell. One that I was still trying desperately to wrap my mind around.

I let out a sigh.

Neku: *What do I do know?*

I strengthened up and pondered.

Neku: *I'm most certainly not in Shibuya...*
Neku: *Next step is to understand where we- CRAP!*

I had almost forgotten! I turned around to find Rikka. She was listening to her headphones on the sidewalk.

Hesitantly, I walked over, and sat next to her.

Neku: Hey...

She wasn't listening. I elbowed her. She took notice.

Rikka: Oh-! N-neku! Was it?
Neku: Yeah. Rikka, right?
Rikka: Yeah...

We were never properly introduced, after the insanity of yesterday. We were both silent for a few moments. Then our phones buzzed.

Neku: !
Rikka: ?
Neku: The mission!

I opened my phone. "Reach the park's haven, 25 minutes. Fail and face extinction."

Rikka: "park's haven?" Well that could mean a number of th-things.
Neku: ...
Rikka: But, if i'd wager a guess, it could be one of the parks?
Neku: Hmph Neku: It's a start.
Rikka: ...
Rikka: Well?
Neku: Well...?
Rikka: Go ahead, lead the way!
Neku: ...
Neku: Erm- Well...
Rikka: Yes?
Neku: To make a long story short: I'm not from here.
Rikka: O...k? Were from?
Nelu: Shibuya. As a matter of fact, my last memory before this week began was there.
Rikka: Eh? You're saying you... D-Died... In Shibuya, but woke here?
Neku: Thats exactly what I'm saying...
Rikka: Damn. Thats just... Strange.
Neku: *You're telling me.*
Rikka: So, wait... You really don't know w-where you are?
Neku: No, actually.

Rikka: Well...

Rikka pondered for a second, seemingly trying to peice something together in her head.

Rikka: I can explain. Neku: I'm all ears...

She turned and pointed to the tower.

Rikka: But f-first we head to No. 1.
Neku: *"No. 1?"*

Rikka darted off towards the skyscraper. I chased after her. Not exactly knowing what I was doing or why. After all, we had a mission, and I intended to see the week through.

After approximately five minutes of running, we reached the tower from yesterday. The tallest point in the district. Rikka outstretched her arms towards the building in a welcoming manner.

Rikka: No. 1! Neku: What exactly IS No. 1?

Rikka turned to me, frown on her face.

Rikka: Shinjuku Metropolitan building No. 1? Neku: ...

I could do very little aside from stare back. Trying to piece what the everliving hell was happening. Then it hit me...

Neku: Wait- Shinjuku?

Rikka nodded her head and turned to look at the building.

Rikka: Y-yes.

She turned back to me. This time with a cheery face, arms spread wide.

Rikka: W-welcome to Shinjuku!
Neku: ...

Her grin faltered into concern.

Rikka: one Tokyos largest shopping districts? Neku: I realize this.
Neku: What I don't understand, is how did I end up here?
Rikka: Your guess is as g-good as mine...
Neku: ...

Rikka's expression went from concerned to dumbfounded when she seemed to realize something.

Rikka: Oh crap.
Neku: What now?
Rikka: I just realized!
Rikka: Shinjuku has two major p-parks. One is behind No. 1, the other... Rikka: It's on the other side of the railroad track... Neku: What? That like, on the other side of of Shinjuku isn't it?

Rikka nodded.

Rikka: What should we d-do? Neku: *The reapers... Their known to go big or go home. So then-*
Neku: Which park is bigger? Rikka: The N-Natural Gardens of course. Neku: Then that's our next stop.

Rikka darted towards the assumed direction of the park. Meanwhile, part of me, an estranged part of me, saw Shiki. As Rikka waved to follow her before she darted. I saw her. The two are similar, to put it lightly. I was sure once I got to know her I'd see less similarities... At least, I'd hoped.
I followed Rikka towards the station.

After another quick jog through town, we finally reached the park. It was, quiet, essentially a large bunch of grass dotted with tress all around. In passing I noticed a few landmarks, creeks, and brooks.

Once we were fairly deep in the forest, Rikka turned to me, panting.

Rikka: Well... *pant* we're here... *pant*
Neku: You should- *pant* you should slow down for a second...
Rikka: ...
Neku: Listen. We may have an idea as to where we need to go, but we don't know anything specific. There's more to this, I'm sure.

Rikka starred at the ground for a minute, panting excessively. I was growing impatient.

Neku: Rikka!
Rikka: Huh? W-What?
Neku: If we could speed this up, that'd be great!
Neku: ...
Rikka: ...
Neku: And I hope you realize I don't know-
Rikka: The Gardens! It's considered a sort of haven here in the park.

I decided to not interject anymore.

We ran towards the Gardens, Rikka leading the charge.
Eventually, the forest opened up into a massive open slab kf pavement and gravel. With a thin line of trees on either side, with two plots of grass cut out among the pavement, with flowers dotting the edges and their center. As the pavement continued farther back, it got thinner, and led to an intersection.

As we stood there, in front of a ratger sizable rose bush, I checked the timer... 2 minutes...

Neku: DAMNIT!
Rikka: C-Calm down! Yelling is only going to make things worse!
Neku: Well what the hell do you SUPPOSE we do?
Rikka: I-I- well...
Neku: Yeah, thats what I thought. So shut up and let me think!
Rikka: I...

I cracked. I was going to lose. I was going to become "extinct." Scanning the area, didn't unvail any noise. Which in and of itself was an oddity.

Suddenly two figures leaped out from the trees. One male the other female.

The girl had muddy brown frilly hair, pulled up in a ponytail with large strands of hair falling down both sides of her face. Her face was sharp and seemed like it's normally very stern. But she looked overjoyed, with a disturbing smile. She whore a brown plad dress shirt, her long sleeves rolled up, and a black leather vest. As well as Short jeans.

The man seemed like a grouch. His hair was of decent length for a man, and was a dark brown. He had rectangular glasses, and some scruffy facial hair. He was dressed in a dark grey buttoned up shirt. He carried something, big in the pocket of his black dress pants.

The two skidded next to us, the girl by me, the man by Rikka.

(Girl): *scoff* THAT ALL!?
(Man): Please, don't antagonize them!

The two were getting their bearings. While Rikka and I simply starred, jaws dropped.

(Girl): Eh? Oh. Hey, Shourin?
Shourin: *Pant* yeah, Jess?
Jess: I think theses two can not only see us, but are verrry flabbergasted.
Shourin: Ah. Well-

Shourin pulled that something from his pocket. Revealing it to be a large revolver. He pointed it at us.

Shourin: Well? Introductions? Make it quick.
Neku: Er-! Um- Neku.
Rikka: R-R-Rikka-
Rikka let out a short gasp.

Rikka: We're players?

Shourin's face lit up in shock. Jess simply chuckled.

Jess: At last! More lackeys!

Needless to say, hearing Jess' fairly deep voice and her light hearted tone. She didn't set well with me.

Neku: What was chasing you?
Jess: Pfft "Was?"
Shourin: Ah-!

Shourin raised his aim towards the tress line. Suddenly an army of noise bursted out from within.

Shourin fired a flurry of shots at the noise. He erased a few. The rest simply dodged mid-air. Then things got even stranger. Jess got a devilish grin. One that was eerily familiar. Her eyes became a blood shot.
Jess kicked off the ground towards the mid-air noise. She gripped a lizard by the neck tightly. I could hear the snap from the ground. She spun and threw the disappearing corpse of the noise at a nearby frog noise at the speed of a bullet. Both noise were erased.

Jess began to fall down, but grabbed a nearby tress branch. She was still pleased with herself, and no longer blood shot.
She was REALLY not sitting well with me...

Neku: Wha- how-? The- the hell?

I was flustered, confused, and most of all, anxious.
Suddenly I saw my hand. The timer was gone.

Neku: !
Neku: Rikka the timer!
Rikka: Wha-!
Rikka: I guess... We were too s-slow today?
Neku: ...
Neku: *More like these wackjobs were faster...?*

I was certain we had no more than 2 minutes. Even by the games standards thats close. Though, I had closer calls.

Neku: So, you two know your way around the reapers game?

Shourin looked uneasy towards Jess, had some twigs and leaves caught in her hair. She crossed one of her arms, with the other fiddling with her strands of hair.

Jess: Yeah. You, *could* say that... Hehe...

Dammit she was a female Joshua! The way she grins, the disturbing, cheery tone in her voice. She was older than Joshua, even if not by much. I couldn't give an exact age...

With his realization in mind. I stepped back.

Neku: Rikka... Lets go.
Shourin: Whoa there...

Shourin raised his gun towards us. Feeling heroic and stupid, I got in front of Rikka.

Neku: Hey!
Shourin: Listen kid. You two have yet to properly explain yourselves.
Jess: SHOURIN! You jackass. They're players! They obviously figured out today's clue!

Shourin and I stood off for a moment. He lowered his gun.

Shourin: I guess...
Jess: Damn straight!

She turned to us.

Jess: So sorry about my imbecile for a partner.
Rikka: I won't lie. I cant really blame him. I still not sure about everyone here...
Jess: Well you both better get over it. If you want to survive let alone win, you're going to have to trust people.
Rikka: True but-
Jess: But nothing! Being skeptical is one thing- it's another to write off other players entirely, thats what'll get you killed here...
Rikka: I g-guess...

There was a brief awkward pause.

Neku: Well- if I can point out the elephant in the room: how did you fight the noise.
Rikka: Oh that's r-right! They didn't disappear!
Neku: Yeah, into their separate planes. I know those rules haven't changed at least.
Jess: ?
Shourin: ?
Jess: It's how we've been fighting them. What, Is there some other way of fighting them?

Silence filled the air, the wind not quite as breezy as the day before.

Shourin: Well, regardless I think its about time we-
?: HEY!

All of us turned towards the masculine speaker. Another reaper, hooded like the other one, this time in a sort of flame pattern.

Neku: *What? Is there some kind of dress code now?*
?: You know what, I won't beat about the bush. You're all dead. Rule breaking requires harsh punishment.

The man summoned noise, and fell back into the trees . All of us braced. With a blinding flash, I was alone, again.

I was cornered with small black leech like creatures, dozens of them. They were almost shaped like, notes? They had large yellow eyes; if you could call them that.
The small fry seemed to be guarding a few larger noise. I couldn't see then very well through the shroud of small fry. But they were bigger than the average noise I'd seen.

The large noise emerged. They were like the small fry, but obviously larger. They were skinny and had arms and legs. As well as razor sharp claws. They had blood red eyes, and they were starring right at me.

Charming.

I was petrified. But stuttering, and with great anxiety. I reached for my cards.

I pulled the lightning card. I still hadn't figured out how to use it. I thought for a second. I used the slash card as if it were a sort of blade. I threw the other card like they were bullets. Then I had to focus for the spring loaded razor blade, bomb, thing...

So I held the card in front of me, put on my headphones, and tried to focus. Nothing. The two noise were moving towards me. While the small fry were beginning to swarm around my feet. I had to do something. Fast.

In a mixture of anger and confusion. I threw the card. With great force. I seemed to grow heavy as I was throwing it.

With great effort, it slipped from my hands. Suddenly a great flash of lightning surged across the brick road. It struck through one of the noise, and caught some of the smaller noise.

The card flew back into my hand. As light as it was before.

With the other noise charging towards me. I swapped for by blade-card. I proceeded to slash the noise a multitude of times. The rest of the small fry were caught in the attack. But the big one was still standing.
I hopped back as the noise slashed its claws at me. He had caught me a little. But the pain shot through my chest. I felt like it'd reopened a wound.
Suddenly I saw Rikka. But, not entirely. It was a blurry image of her fighting the same noise. How could I see into the other world? We locked eyes. We looked at out respective noise a locked eyes again. I gestured towards my noise and nodded at hers. We nodded. We both proceeded to attack each-others noise. As i had hoped, it worked. Both noise wailed in pain and were erased instantly. I was catching my breath, and then was blinded once more.

I opened my eyes and we were back in front of the rose bush. Shourin and Jess were waiting.

Jess: Hey there.
Shourin: Interesting. So you really do handle noise differently.

I scratched my head. Realizing I still had my headphones on, I pulled them down.

Neku: So. What now?
Rikka: Who cares-! HOW DID I SEE YOU?!

Rikka had become notably flustered. Rightly so. I was equally confused. Then it hit me.

Neku: Ah! Our sync rate!
Rikka: Our what?
Neku: Our sync rate! When our attacks sync together our planes might've been brought closer. I think...
Jess: Well. That was, almost, sound logic.
Neku: Shut it.
Jess: Ooh, feisty!

The chick was pissing me off. Saying that smart-ass remark all with a grin. I was about to retort myself, but things became hazy.

All at once. We collapsed to the ground.

Day 2: Where to go.