Sanctuary

It's a crashing melody.

Too fast? Too slow?

Too high? Too low?

No matter.

Even if it is the most beautiful sound in the world –

Will you hear it?

"I'm here. Sorry for being late." He was panting, his knees and head down.

"Mr. Sakuraba, I was just about to mark you down as late...but I have started the register earlier than usual so I'll let this one slide," he heard his teacher say. She then motioned towards a boy standing at the front of the class. "Please continue with your introduction."

"Right. As I was saying before being rudely interrupted... The kanji for my name is quite common. Yoshiya - as in 'birth' and 'justice', and Kiryu - as in 'paulownia'. That's a tree by the way. It's why my father's company's logo is of one. What else...Hmm, this is my first time going to a school with other people. Please take care of me."

The boy whose hair style and voice were eerily familiar bowed towards the class who gave him a standard round of applause.

"Y-you!"

He straightened himself up and looked at Neku.

Neku dropped his briefcase. Seeing his face, there was no mistaking it.

"Joshua?!"

Chapter Nine – Bravado

Both Neku and the other boy regarded each other, Neku with a glare and the latter with an amused look.

"Ah..." He turned back to address the class again. "I do understand that calling me Kiryu might sound a bit strange but if anyone does insist on calling me by my given name, it's pronounced Yo-shi-ya." He gave Neku a sideways glance. "Your pronunciation was more than a little off there."

Joshua was up to something. Despite having platinum-blond hair instead of white, being not so much taller than Neku and lacking the glowing feature, he was sure that this boy was Joshua. The same Joshua he had seen yesterday.

"Please return to your seat, Mr. Sakuraba," the teacher said. "Your seat is the one just behind him, Mr. Kiryu."

As they got to their places, the usual whispers went around the classroom.

"Did he say his father's company?"

"Yes! His family owns Kiryu, then. How cool!"

"He must be a rich kid."

"Oh, but it seems like Sakuraba knows him?"

All up until lunch, Neku's mind was racing. What is Joshua doing here? Why does he look like a normal teenager?

When lunchtime bell rang, Neku stood up, turned around and pierced Joshua with an icy gaze. "Why are you here?"

He had already taken out his lunch and it looked like one hell of an expensive bento. "Because the teacher told me to sit here, obviously."

"No, why are you at school?"

"To go to lessons. Is there any other reason to go to school?" He raised a hand to his chin, now actually making eye contact with Neku. "Well, I was home schooled up until now and my mother wanted me to mix more with people my age." He was answering Neku's questions ...but he's clearly hiding something.

"Haha, Neku, don't grill the new kid with too many questions," said Ai, walking up to them. "Unless you two know each other or something?"

Joshua replied before Neku could open his mouth. "No, I've never met this guy before." So now he's pretending not to know me, the bastard.

"Really? He was calling you Joshua just now, wasn't he? Is that a nickname?"

The boy waved a hand. "I suppose it does sound like a nickname that would suit me, but I would really prefer Yoshiya."

Ai shrugged. "If you say so. I'm Ai Urahara by the way. Oh right, I've got to go find Mina. See you two later."

Now that she had left, Neku was about to hit Joshua with another question. Only, he found himself being pushed aside by the majority of his other female classmates.

"Ehehe, we kinda overheard you guys talking just now. This is your first school, right? We're glad you came to ours."

"Can I really just call you Yoshiya?"

"Yoshiya, do you want some of my bento?"

Even when looking like a normal human, Joshua still had an angelic quality about him, so Neku wasn't too surprised that people were fawning over him. Joshua was also going along with all of it, shooting them all a glittering smile while speaking to them.

He didn't have time for this. He would deal with Joshua later. Right now, he was starving and he needed to go up to the rooftop.

They didn't do practices during lunchtime anymore, so Beat was there, but the younger Bito was missing.

"Rhyme's got a cold, yo," Beat explained. "She gots to stay at home today."

Neku nodded understandingly. "Hope she gets better soon."

"Yeah," he said. "Wanna come over after school? She'd probably be happy if you came an' visited. "

"Sure, why not?" He didn't really have anything better to do.

"Woah, you finished your bento fast, yo," Beat said not long after.

His container was already empty of food. "I didn't have any breakfast today..." He relayed back to Beat how he was almost late.

"I woulda grabbed a bite anyway, man." Typical Beat. "Late...ah crap! A teacher wanted to see me now an' I'm late." He was up in an instant. "I'll see you at the school gate later."

He flung open the door back down to school and Neku heard him crash down the stairs. "Watch it!"

The teen shook his head at his friend's antics but stopped when he saw who climbed up the steps next. Joshua was looking around the space and whistled "It's quite lovely up here. Was that your friend earlier? That clumsy one bumped into me. Poor you, all by your lonesome now."

He walked over and leaned on the railing opposite him. "You're Neku Sakuraba, right? Ebisu's Ace is what they call you."

"I know that," he said steadily. "And you can cut the act now, Joshua. It's not like there's anyone around."

"See, that's the thing," Joshua said. "From the way you've been acting, you seem to believe that we're acquainted with each other. I don't know you, though." Yeah, and I'm supposed to believe that with that smirk on your face.

"Stop messing with me-"

"Is it angels? Is it devils? Whispering in my ears?Is it emotions? Is it illusions?I need to be with you…"

"Oh? You can answer that if you want to."I was going to anyway. And I don't need your permission.

"That boy," Shiki said upon connecting, "there's something off about him." Neku looked around but it didn't seem like Shiki's form was around again.

"Well, he is Joshua."

"Heehee. I get it" said Joshua. "You do know me." He's finally admitting it? "You're a fan." Erm, what? "You're quite smart for figuring it out. I don't show my face in my videos. No one had been able to figure it out so far. Bravo."

"The hell are you on about?"

"Although it's a pain if you tell anyone. Father would never -"

"Hey!" Neku yelled. "Listen to me! I don't know about any videos and I'm definitely not a fan of yours."

Joshua's mouth went into a tight line. "Then why do you call me by that name-"

He froze and clutched his head. "Again?" His gaze fixed on Neku. "Oh, now it makes sense – ack!" His hands slowly dropped to his sides. At the same time, the violet eyes that had been burning into Neku's turned white.

"Joshua?" Neku took a step back.

Joshua still had the figure of a teenager, but he gave off a faint white hue. "Yes, it is me now."

"Now? Are you saying it wasn't you just now?"

"Sort of. It is complicated," he said.

"Explain, then."

"Hmm. Very well," said Joshua. "I and Yoshiya Kiryu are the same entity. However, he is human and I am not."

"How does that even work?" Shiki wondered through the phone.

"It happens to unstable Souls. Every Soul has the potential to step out of the boundaries of humanity. Sometimes, like in my case, the effects can split up the personality. It depends really, how lucky you are." More like how unlucky you are.

"I thought you said that you were an angel," Neku voiced out.

"It's all about perspective. I am an angel to those who think this form would be a blessing and a demon to those who do not think so. And, of course, a Spirit to those who can't tell between me and real Spirits. I can have my own form; it is the one you are more familiar with. As my material body is here, though, this way is more than enough to communicate with.

"Yoshiya does not retain much memory of me, but he does have glimpses of what I do. He is a very calculative boy, and is more than capable of figuring out things that I see. That and I do write him notes to explain the absence of his memories, when it takes to my fancies." But I thought you are him!? "Besides, he does receive some of my gifts."

"Like what?"

"Such as -" His eyes flickered between white and violet. "My, my. Yoshiya would like his consciousness back it seems. I will concede early this time. We shall speak again soon, Neku."

The irises of Joshua's eyes slowly returned to their normal colour. The moment they had finished, Joshua staggered forward and then almost fell, only managing to save himself by holding himself up with one hand and bracing one knee on the ground. He was panting quite heavily.

"Is he all right?" said Shiki, sounding concerned.

"I understand now," he said between breaths. "You know him. And he calls himself Joshua, then? Interesting." He sighed and rose to his feet. "So? What did he say to you?"

This was difficult. His expression was hard to read. Joshua might just be pulling his leg but maybe he really couldn't remember.

"Nothing much, really," he said cautiously.

"Neku." The boy flinched at the tone in which Joshua said his name. It sounded dangerous. "I'm not going to ask again."

On one hand, Neku had the feeling he didn't want to find out what would happen to him if he refused. On the other hand, he felt a bit sorry for him; although he was acting as if he was in control, he was visibly still shaking.

"Neku, I...I think it wouldn't hurt to tell him," said Shiki, quietly.

Rubbing the back of his head and then looking at Joshua again, Neku shrugged. "Alright. Your eyes started glowing and then -" His explanation was brief but Joshua seemed satisfied.

"I see," said Joshua, his breathing calming down. "That's a lot more information than he's ever written to me. He didn't even have the manners to tell me what he was called."

"Since he's you, wouldn't his name be the same as yours?" Neku pondered. "You respond to Joshua differently than he does but it doesn't seem like you've never been called that before."

"Woah, you can tell that?" Shiki said.

"It's not that hard," whispered Neku.

"Does it matter? I don't go by that name. At least not in school," he said offhandedly. "Again, Neku, I would appreciate it if you referred to me as Yoshiya."

"I'll do it when you stop calling me Neku," he retorted.

"...Alright, call me Joshua. Sakuraba is too much of an effort to say." My name's not that hard to say.

Shiki agreed with him."Sakuraba is not that bad of a family name."

"...I've been wondering, but who exactly are you on the phone with? Whatever it is isn't human."

So this was one of the gifts that Angel-Joshua was talking about. "It's none of your business."

The moment he said it, Shiki said, "it's okay. Tell him."

"You want me to tell him?" He asked incredulously.

"I have the feeling you should...besides, he is kinda involved since the other Joshua is too." Well, it's her afterlife...

He sped through the story of what had happened since the day Neku met Joshua's other self.

At the end of the story, Joshua started giggling. "I knew you'd be an interesting person to talk to. Hee hee, that copycat seems to be having a lot of fun. I wonder what kind of plan he's making up."

"...you don't know anything about it?"

"Nope. Not a clue," said Joshua. "The only way I even knew he existed was because of dreams. After his excursions I can recall bits and pieces of them but I don't completely know what's going on."

"Oh..." Shiki sounded disappointed, again.

"Don't worry Shiki, we'll get another chance," Neku reassured her. "Since Joshua's here we'll just wait for the angel half to pop up again."

"I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news," he said, "but as much as all of this is intriguing, I think the bell just rang."

"You better go!" Shiki said with a squeak, and hung up.

Having already nearly been late once, Neku ran down the steps towards his classroom, Joshua chuckling as he followed.

xxxxx

Beat's house was not too far from Shibuya Station, though it was further away from it than Neku's house was.

"Aight. So this kid's a transfer student. And he's coming with us 'cause-?" He was referring to Joshua, who was trailing just a bit behind them, clicking away on his phone.

"He's got nothing better to do," Neku suggested.

While that was partly true, Joshua had insisted on tagging along because apparently he found it amusing how a dead girl's fate was probably dependant on him, and he wanted to be informed the moment after anything happened. He didn't say this bit, but Neku was sure Joshua would probably get a kick out of seeing their reactions to any dramatic turn of events might affect him or Shiki.

"If you say so," Beat said. He called over his shoulder, "hey, what's your name?" Joshua gave no response and Beat groaned. "Man, why is that such a hard question to answer?"

"Just call him Joshua. That's what I call him," said Neku, helpfully.

"Joshua? Is he foreign or somethin'?"

"No," Joshua finally spoke. "I just think that it be a waste to try and introduce myself to someone like you."

"An' what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You're obviously a delinquent," he replied, sparing Beat at upwards glance at his beanie before resuming his attentions on his phone.

"Sure I fight sometimes but I ain't a delinquent!"

"Mmmhmm..." Joshua had seemingly lost his interest in the conversation.

"Can I punch him?"

"No," said Neku shortly. Despite not trusting this shifty character, Neku also wanted to keep him around in case the other Joshua appeared.

"Aw, how nice of you, Neku. You are one of my fans, aren't you?"

"Just one punch."

"I said no, Beat." Joshua was starting to get on his nerves too, but this was for Shiki.

"See? Neku doesn't want a brute to bash my wondrous face." For Shiki.

"It won't be too hard. I promised Rhyme to not fight an' all so it won't hurt that bad."

"It's the face that Neku wants to wake up to every morning -"

"Beat, please punch him."

He stopped walking and raises his hand in a fist backwards and Joshua walked straight into it.

Joshua did not shout in pain nor did he complain - but he did stop talking until they reached Beat's apartment building.

It was a duplex which gave off the feel of cleanliness and order. It wasn't what Neku had expected Beat's home to look like.

"So this is where you live. It's not half bad." Joshua evidently had recovered from the hit Beat had given him.

Not half bad was an understatement, in Neku's opinion. There were some vases that looked intricately designed and quite expensive. Well, we do all live in Shibuya…

"Imma bring up some water for Rhyme," said Beat, quickly nipping into a kitchen and returning with a glass of water.

They climbed the staircase and went down the corridor. Beat was about to turn the doorknob when he paused; he knocked on the door.

"...Mum?"

Beat opened the door and the three of them walked into the room. "Nah, it's me. Mum's not home."

Rhyme was tucked into bed, but sat up at their entrance. "Beat! And Neku came too." Her eyes flitted to Joshua.

"I'm Yoshiya Kiryu,"" said Joshua noticing her puzzled look.

"Or Joshua the Priss," Beat added. Neku wanted to laugh - the name quite fit Joshua.

"In any case, your brother's room is neater than yours, Beat." Brother? Both Neku and Beat exchanged a look. "Yes, I looked into your room when we passed it earlier."

"Joshua...I'm actually Beat's sister," she said politely.

Haha, try to smirk your way out of that one. Unbelievably the boy did smirk. "I'm sorry. It's the clothes she's wearing...well…" Rhyme was wearing orange pyjamas and was for once without a hat and Joshua's line of sight was directed at her upper half.

"Jus' cause she's not wearing a skirt don't mean she's a guy," said Beat

Beat completely missed Joshua's point and no one bothered telling him that it didn't matter if she was wearing a skirt since she had a blanket on. Neku nudged Joshua roughly while Rhyme drew up her blanket up to her neck.

"Don't worry about it Rhyme. Just keep drinking milk and I'm sure that -"

"I'm a guy too but have some delicacy," Neku said harshly, hitting the back of Joshua's head. "Are you like this with all girls?"

"Only the interesting ones," he said, with a smug smile. "Although I suppose middle school students should be cleared from my target range."

"...I'm in the year below Beat," Rhyme corrected, though it was muffled behind the blanket now up to her nose.

"Oh dear, then you certainly do need to have more dairy in your diet to-"

"Beat, I know you don't understand, but for Rhyme's sake hit this guy again."

Complying, Beat punched Joshua's shoulder and again, he did not cry out but he twitched as he rubbed his it.

Neku shook his head. He wasn't sure if he should be more disgusted at Joshua for where he was first looking at or that he did that while thinking Rhyme was in middle school.

"I was only joking," said Joshua lightly. "People often confuse my gender too. I suppose my looks transcend those of ordinary men."

Rhyme cautiously lowered down her cover. "I can see where they're coming from."

He sighed and twirled his hair. "Sometimes I think I should give up learning and just become a model. The world needs looks like mine."

She laughed quietly. Huh, he managed to save his ass.

Like the good big brother he was, Beat went over to Rhyme and checked her temperature with the thermometer that was lying on her wooden bedside table. "Thirty seven degrees. Seems good to me."

"Yep, I told Mum and Dad that the fever only lasted for a bit," she said, "but staying in bed might have been a good idea because I felt tired all day."

Joshua suddenly rushed over to the bedside too, looking down at her with alarmed eyes.

"What is - ahhhh!" Rhyme started screaming and clutched at her chest. "It's – it's - burning. Beat - !"

Beat jumped from the shock of her scream. "Burning? What's burning? Rhyme!?"

Neku too ran over to the bedside. Rhyme's face was contorted into an expression of pain.

"Open the window," ordered Joshua as he gazed down on Rhyme intensely. Neku didn't hesitate and slid it open. "Move away."

"Bastard! What do you mean, move? That's my sisters who is -"

"I know that," he cut him off calmly. "Now move."

He then shifted his eyes to meet Neku's and he suddenly understood. "Beat, we have to move."

"Why?"

"Just watch." To be honest he didn't know what they were supposed to watch for. Something, or someone, more like, was telling him to let Joshua be.

The boy stretched on his arm so that his palm was facing towards where Rhyme was holding onto. He closed his eyes and Neku watched as wind surged into the room. The pressure increased, focused especially under Joshua's palm.

Suddenly, Neku could see a substance floating around Rhyme...it looked like...particles of black sand.

Joshua's hand began to shake and he held it steady with his other. After a tense few minutes, the sand seeped back into Rhyme and Joshua retracted his arms, falling to the floor on his knees.

"I've looked unsightly twice today," he muttered, letting out uneven breaths.

Wasting no time, Beat went back to Rhyme's side. Her face was picture of peace and a content smile graced her sleeping face. Beat breathed a sigh of relief.

Neku kneeled down next to Joshua and put a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Of course I am," he replied with much bravado. "What do you take me for?"

Ignoring that last part, Neku asked, "How did you know she was going to…do that?"

"…" Joshua looked down and then back at Rhyme and Beat. "I can see Souls."

"See souls?" Neku repeated, eyes widening.

"I've always been able to. I didn't know for sure if they were what I was seeing, but after my conversation with you at lunch I was certain."

"What do they look like?"

"Just small fuzzy balls of light. Everyone has a different colour. Usually people only have one colour for their Soul and it reflects who they are but...sometimes you get ones that have another colour wrapped around them. They're usual and I don't often seem them. I suppose they're the unstable Souls." He lifted a hand and held it against his own chest. "They're always right where someone's hearts would be. Rhyme's was fluctuating."

It then occurred to Neku that it must have been Rhyme's Soul that Joshua was staring at earlier on. So he can actually be a decent guy…

"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you today," he said, standing up and walking towards the door. "If you'll excuse me."

"Hold it," said Beat, turning around to face Joshua. "Where are you going?"

"Home?"

"Yo, I didn't even get to thank you yet." Beat was now standing in front of Joshua with his hand in front of him, waiting for Joshua to shake it.

"Thank me…?" Joshua looked away. "You should be afraid of me."

"Afraid of you?"

"Of course. You saw what I did. It's not normal." He clenched his fists. "The normal reaction is to be afraid."

The normal reaction…I get it. Joshua must have tried to do what he just did to Rhyme before this and they must have shunned him for it. People tended to do that when they didn't understand things. I should know…

"To hell with normal!" Beat shouted and both Joshua and Neku were taken aback. "I don't know what's up with this crazy wind, aight? And I didn't get what you were goin' on about when you were talking 'bout souls. All I know is that Rhyme's okay now." He grabbed Joshua's hand and shook it.

"…You're an odd person," said Joshua. Nevertheless he smiled his smug smile and shook Beat's hand.

"Now that we're good and all," said Neku as they went back downstairs. "Why don't we order in some ramen? Beat, you were saying how Ramen Don has delivery, weren't you?"

"Hell yeah! Now we're talking."

"Ah, I'll have a bowl Shio ramen then, Neku."

"What? I'm ordering? Fine, in that case you're paying."

"Yeah. Joshua, ain't ya folks rich an' all?"

"Yes, but that doesn't prevent you from paying for your own ramen."

The three of them, to Neku's surprise managed to maintain a pretty good conversation right through them eating ramen. It mostly consisted of Beat talking, then Neku replying to him and finally Joshua making some snide comment. After eating, Joshua was picked up by his limo (of course he has a limo) and Neku being dropped off at his house by said limo (might as well, right?).

As Neku headed back towards his building, Joshua called out to him. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Neku looked back and gaped at Joshua holding his phone out of the car window. Neku ran back and snatched it out of his hands.

"Dammit, this was in my pocket!"

"Hee hee, yes it was." The bastard! "Beat and I exchanged numbers and we figured you were too stubborn to ask so I had the pleasure of putting both our numbers into it."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Neku checked his phone to make sure Joshua hadn't messed with any of his contacts.

"By the way, I was just looking at your history; you do seem to like calling Miss Shiki quite a bit. More often than you initially agreed, it seems." He raised his eyebrows. "Wonder what you talk about." He was giggling the whole time he drove away.

He did mess with his contacts.

The name for Shiki's number had been replaced in the Roman alphabet that spelt out something in English.

"My di-ya-ru?" Neku read out loud.

No clue what that meant. Probably something weird.

At least it gave Neku an incentive to change it to 'Shiki' now. It had still been 'Stalker' for all this time.

Neku studied his contact list. Shiki. Beat. Rhyme. Joshua. It's like a list of my friends…

There was also one more number that was on the list…his mysterious guardian. He almost forgot about him. Hopefully it didn't go the same way round for him, or Neku's pockets would be empty of money next month.

Wonder what he's like…

AN: Tadaa! …and this was the start…of very beautiful bromances. I enjoy writing Yoshiya but I don't know if I got him right or not. Hmm.

Since I last updated it's been said by Nomura that he would like to do a sequel in an interview somewhere. Do it Nomura. Do it. (Although I'm not desperate for one at the moment because Kingdom effin Hearts three is officially being developed). I've only got one more exam to go and then I'm freee.

Thanks for putting this on your favourites: Servant of the Underworld, ImagineBreaker13, eolhcsullivan452

Thanks for reviewing: ElementLegend, B.A.G-GOMEZ, Alex Penedo, Kaiser Spartan, ToTheSkye, Chronic Guardian, Xerzo LotCN, Shinra-ex-SOLDIER, GRX3m0m

Sadeyo: Thank you for your amazing review! I'm really glad you enjoy this fic and I'm honoured you think it'd be good enough for a visual novel. I do enjoy visual novels~ Hope the Joshua in this chapter was up to your standards too.

Thanks for reading!

- 16/6/2013

Content Notes:

My di-ya-ru: Proper Romanisation is 'my dear'. (lol)

Pseudo-poem in chapter 2: If you reread it again it will correspond with this chapter.

Chapter Ten - Conscious

Well, today was really amusing.

"Your Soul is just leaking out that energy."

I didn't think school would turn out to be so interesting.

"So Rhyme can fly now?"

I think I'll really have fun here.

"Don't start treating me like I'm some kind of tragedy."

I'll join you for lunch tomorrow. Hee hee.