The days of peace passed by way too quickly. However, within four days, the Composer was able to at least acknowledge the settings around himself, as well as the people. His voice was still dormant, his mind still unable to express what his mouth wanted to say. All that came out was feeble attempts and squeaks.

"His voice has been stolen." Rhyme told Shiki as the two were tending to their respective patients. "He's trying so hard, yet he can't even say two words. His eyes...just look at his eyes. They're clouded...dull. Not dead exactly...not any more, but…"

"Relax, Rhyme. He's the Composer. I'm more worried about Neku. He's still mortal, and he's being stubborn!" The other girl said, wiping blood off her lover's face for the fourteenth time "He's almost as skinny as Joshua. At the rate he's going, they'll be twins by two days!"

"At least Neku has reassurance." Rhyme pointed out as she handed Shiki a bowl of Shoyu. "Joshua...he could be erased at any time. Apollo made sure Neku can't die."

Shiki sighed and played with the orange locks that stood straight up on the once-emo's scalp, "You don't hear me complaining about that. I mean...it's kind of cool. No matter what, Neku'll live."

"Yeah...no matter what" Rhyme said softly, her eyes betraying her worry and pity. She doesn't know what pain Neku goes through...how much he suffers. I have to remind myself that she isn't being cruel...but that higher being is…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden headache, and Joshua lurched forward, sitting straight up, eyes bright with fever and not at all aware of his surroundings. His form leaked Imagination, and a snarl sat on his lips. As if in a dream, in a trance, his arm slowly rose, finger pointed upwards.

Suddenly, the girl was shoved aside, and Joshua was tackled "MOVE, Little Skulls!"

Rhyme curled up as a bright light filled the room, and where the girl had been sitting was suddenly attacked by light beams from the ceiling, turning the spot to ash. Shiki shreaked and dragged Neku out of harms way as another beam hit the couch, setting it on blue fire that quickly turned to smolders and seconds later, more ash.

"Easy J…" the Producer soothed, hating every sercond of having to implant one of his own psyches on his boy. "Sleep now, ok? You're much too wound up right now kiddo."

As the Composer went limp under the sleep psych, Rhyme was infinitely curious. "Mister H...I thought the Council took his powers. How did he just use that much energy?"

Sanae shrugged "Well, they did only take half. He must have drawn from his stockpile, thinking he was needing to use that excess power to defend himself. He also raised his vibe, as I'm sure your head let you know."

The girl rubbed her temples "Yeah...it was brief though. But...is this good? Is him fighting instinctively...is he showing us he hasn't quit?"

Sanae frowned "Don't know. He definitely had fight in him. But wether it was instinctual...or just his Composer persona asserting itself again...or just a fluke...I couldn't say."

"His...Composer Persona?"

The Barista nodded "J isn't completely what you would call..stable. You've seen his RG self, you've even seen his true form. You may have even caught glimpses of his etheral personality. But I'm guessing he never showed you...his Composer persona. Not his true, unfiltered one anyway. It's something he isn't proud of having, so not many get to witness it. Those that do...don't survive to regret it. Think of it like a beastial form...a last resort to fall back on when there is absolutely nowhere he can run. His soul becomes numb to everything around him, including Shibuya herself. His heart closes, and he opens his mind to the Higher Plane, letting the powers that be guide his actions instead of dictating his own course."

"That...doesn't sound like something he'd do." Rhyme said doubtfully.

"It shouldn't." Sanae said forebodingly "We call it Half Ascention, and he hates using it because it strips him of everything, including his personality, in exchange for a major power boost. He becomes the Composer they want him to be...detatched, cold, powerful. I saw a bit of that in him just now, but I'm hoping to all hope that it was just a power flux."

"If he had this trump card, why doesn't he use it to get rid of Apollo?" Shiki asked.

"I told you already. He hates using it. Especially now that he's been punished. No way is he opening his mind to the HP now, not after what they put him through. However...the few times he has used his Composer Persona...only a quarter of them were his doing."

"You mean he randomly went all cold and powery?"

"That's the gist" Hanekoma fingered his glasses. "The persona is his base Composer instincts. When all else fails...they could spring up. Sometimes he isn't completely empty. Sometimes he literally becomes one with the district itself and lashes out with the fury of Shibuya guiding his actions and his very Soul. In fact...if he hadn't joined with that melody...he would have been erased by his predecessor."

The girls pondrred this, and Rhyme in particular stored this information under Ask The Composer Later.

For she knew now that there was going to be a later for her Composer.