TWEWY: A Fall Into Honor:

This story is about how Joshua became the Composer. The story is from Joshua's point of view, and others if the story needs to. This is a prequel of the game The World Ends With You. TWEWY is made by Square Enix. And I own the OCs. This is a FAN FICTION and not the real prequel. Enjoy =3

Wow... I can't believe it! It's been almost a whole year since I started this story! So heads up for May the 13th everyone, the day that the idea for this story randomly popped into my head =3

Week 1, day 6:

Chapter 28: Concede Or Else:

"Joshua!" screamed Rei behind him but he ignored her and ran faster, "We need to hurry and catch Ayumu and Izo before it's too late!"

He didn't know why but he felt dread inside him building up at a fast rate, nothing seemed to matter in his mind but one person.

Ayumu.

Why was his anger for Ayumu gone? Replaced by dread… And if he did have anger, it was for Izo.

By now he was past the 104 building and running to the Scramble Crossing, he could barely keep running, his sides hurt and his vision was starting to grow blurry from dizziness. Despite this, his newborn terror for his brother's life hurt more and pushed harder than his body's pleas for rest.

As he neared the Scramble Crossing he tripped over his own feet, ungainly from exhaustion, and fell ungracefully on his face. His cheek scraped against the cold cement as pain throbbed all over it; His legs felt too numb to move anymore.

"Ayumu!" He wailed his brother's name and slammed his fist into the ground. This wasn't fair. He couldn't stop now.

He pushed against the pavement and tried to get up, but his legs felt like jelly and refused to move. Setting his jaw, he propped himself up by his arms and began to crawl forward while dragging his legs behind him.

Someone barged into his path; it was Rei.

"You can't save your half bro when you're stuck on the ground, crawling like a worm," spat Rei as she towered over him. Her arms were crossed holding her clipboard in one hand and her crimson pen in the other.

Joshua spat out dirt before he screeched, "I don't care! I can't let Ayumu get erased! I cannot forgive myself if that ever happens!"

Rei's expression softened. "You care about Ayumu again? So, you're truly back to normal! Oh, thank goodness!"

"I'm getting there no matter what!" retorted Joshua as he began to drag himself forward again. "You can't stop me!"

He had to get to the Station Underpass as quickly as he could. Even if he had to drag himself the whole way there, he had to at least try.

Suddenly he felt something slip under his belly and the next second he was in Rei's arms.

He began to thrash in her hold. "Let go of me Rei!"

"Whether that's a demand or a request, I can't do that Aleck!" said Rei with a blaze in her bright brown eyes. For a moment there was silence then Rei added slyly with a smirk, "Because I'll carry you there. If we wait for you to regain your energy, it would take forever! Hold on tight, we'll be there as quick as I can!"

She began to run, carrying Joshua like he was a newly wed bride.

Joshua stopped thrashing, but his mind still refused to quiet down as flashbacks from the day he died began to replay. Seeing Ayumu's dead body, realizing on that very day that he failed to protect his only living kin; the agony tore at his heart with a renewed vicious tenacity. But he couldn't bear a second failure. Even if he somehow made it out of the Game alone after this, he would be forever haunted by the guilt of not protecting Ayumu when he needed it most.

In a way, he remembered his old arrogant and naïve young half brother. A cheerful boy who was kind as well. His ignorance stolen when that person killed him as well as Joshua himself. It didn't matter right at the moment who killed them.

And it wouldn't matter. None of it mattered if he failed to save Ayumu today.

His eyes hardened when he shouted, "Rei, go faster! I can't let Ayumu get erased. If he is… I've failed him and myself."

"On it!" cried Rei as she nearly crashed into Reaper R.

Reaper R gave them an odd look as Rei scrambled a hasty side step around him and ran past with Joshua in her arms; Reaper R shook his head as his eyes darkened. "Players are morons… Feh."

After a few seconds of running, Rei stopped, almost dropping Joshua.

Joshua lifted his head and tried to spot Izo or Ayumu, his heart sank when neither became immediately apparent. He gulped in air as he choked out quietly, "No… Don't tell me that Izo's going to…?"

Rei shook her head quickly and spat, "No doubt about it! I know for a fact that Izo's the kind of person to not care about anyone but himself! Selfish jerk!" After letting out a hiss she stomped her foot. "Grr… I told him to guard Ayumu, and now look at what's happening! He'll definitely trade Ayumu for his survival!"

'Traitor!' Joshua shook in anger as he snarled, "We need to find them!"

He was nervous about how much time they had left until… With a quick shake of his head he demanded, "Rei! Why aren't you going!?"

"Sorry! You're too heav-"

Joshua let out a yelp as Rei dropped him. He landed on the ground as pain shot through his body, so he gasped in pain, as he lay there stunned. It felt like some of his bones cracked and he could only lie there, as the only option he had was to embrace the pain.

But then again, he couldn't let his half brother be erased.

"What are you even doing, writhing in pain like that?" Rei huffed, brushing some of her ashen hair behind her ears. "You've got that new Pin that healed your shoulder, right?"

Joshua paused. 'Ah… that's true.' Not that he'd admit it to Rei, of course…

"It's still on the recharge cycle," he lied, reaching out with his mind for the new Psych. He paused a beat before adding, "Oh, hold on a sec… Now we're in business. Thank you for all the patience."

Just as he used his new Pin, crimson radiance engulfed his body. A breath of relief escaped his lips as the burning balm of the Rosetta Restore coursed over his body. It didn't erase the fatigue completely, but at least it put him in fighting shape again.

"Great, you're back to semi-normal," Rei appraised him swiftly. "Now let's MOVE IT!"

Joshua didn't waste time with a reply. Instead, he burned a bit of his newfound energy getting back on track and hurrying down the route to the station underpass, just past the Hachiko Statue.

Luckily there wasn't a Wall waiting for them. The Game Master must have wanted Ayumu there with as little interference as possible.

Joshua crinkled his nose as they approached. Whoever this Game Master was, they didn't get any points for subtlety or class. Especially considering the nature of the current mission.

Both Rei and Joshua arrived in the West Exit Bus Terminal; near the entrance to the place that he and Ayumu went to fight the Owl Noise.

But just as they reached the Reaper, who was at his or her post, Joshua heard rumbles past him or her. Joshua stopped dead in his tracks, a look of horror dawning on his face before he tried to bolt past the Reaper.

"Whoa kid," The Reaper sidestepped to be in front of him; her rough alto range giving away her previously indiscernible gender. "This isn't the place to go explorin'. 'Specially if yer mission is done, jus' relax."

'This must be the last Reaper's spare,' thought Joshua as he gave her a scowl.

Rei popped in as she whipped out her clipboard and swiped at it furiously with her crimson pen. "Hey! His younger half-bro and my fos-bro are in there! You need to let us through or you'll regret it, Missy!"

"Oh really?" replied the female Reaper as she put a hand on her hip. "The only thin' I'll regret is not doin' my job right."

"Insolent tyke!" Rei roared. "Take THIS!"

She finished whatever she was doing on her clipboard with a vicious swipe and held the pose expectantly with her clipboard facing behind her.

Joshua tilted his head at whatever it was she'd been working on. 'Wait… that's no drawing. Are those supposed to be… words?' He could barely make out the chicken scratch print.

'Get to Ayumu, I'll stall.'

'Ah,' A smirk formed on Joshua's face, 'Good old Rei. As sly as always, I see. But she seriously needs help with writing, it looks hideous.'

"…It's gonna take more than that to impress me, sugarpop," the Reaper grunted apparently not having caught on to the true significance of the gesture. "'sides, I wouldn't be pickin' fights if I was you. The kid the GM's got in there now sunk one 'o ours. Ya itchin' to get bit er sumthin'?"

Just as Rei started to insult the Reaper Joshua moseyed past them with a giggle. It was a good thing the Reaper left the entrance without a Wall, he was in before he could be noticed by anyone except Rei, who gave him a parting smirk.

The dim lighting of the Station Underpass and muted murmur of the canal nearby welcomed him, but now the rumbles and shaking in this place were new.

Nearby, he sighted dark blue hair that signaled to him to the presence of Izo. Right at this moment Joshua wanted to spike the frosty boy's head into the ground for betraying Rei and him. But looking ahead of Izo, a scene was sustained that Joshua felt would give him a heart attack.

He recognized his half brother's blond hair that was golden tipped as it swayed wildly when he was flung backwards into a wall by a current of rock pillars that gave a direct hit to his abdomen. A loud thud sounded as a fissure formed upon the wall's face and Ayumu slipped to the ground and landed on his knees. Before Ayumu could recover, a man approached and lifted him by his hair. Joshua heard the man grunt before delivering a blow that sent his already beaten half-brother flying again.

"You shouldn't have messed with the game, Ayumu," sneered the man. "Erasure has a place for you!"

'He must be a sadist!' thought Joshua in anger as Ayumu again was hit by a rock wave and was nearly sent into the canal.

The man that was attacking his half brother had a brown and dark grey afro with murky green eyes. He wore a dappled brown, green, and black fedora that sat lopsided on his head along with a mottled dark green sleeveless leather tunic with a dark brown overcoat that was torn and had no way of zipping it up or any buttons. His pants were dark grey and black striped, they draped over his brown and pale yellow stitched boots. In his hand he held a whip.

Joshua could only surmise this was the Gamemaster.

The 'Gamemaster' ran at Ayumu, who got only to his knees before the whip began to lash at him with long fluent swings. Ayumu did nothing to stop him. Joshua flinched when he finally saw now that golden yellow particles left his body and Ayumu was a little transparent.

Somebody had to stop this, and it certainly wasn't going to be Izo.

'Guess that leaves me,' Joshua noted grimly.

Steeling himself for the ensuing punishment, Joshua jumped in front of the man before he could land another blow on Ayumu. Joshua felt pain sting his wrist as the whip's lash latched itself around his wrist firmly.

"Move out of the way." commanded the 'Gamemaster' as he tugged at his whip, only for it to tighten its grip on Joshua's wrist.

Joshua only scowled at him and grabbed onto the leather rope of the whip by twisting his hand a bit. "I'm not letting you hurt my brother!" he declared to the man with the afro. He might have gotten a rope burn, but Joshua knew he had to keep his hold on the weapon so Ayumu wouldn't get anymore hurt than he already was.

The 'Gamemaster' must have given up on using the whip because he let go and jumped back to unleash another rock wave.

Joshua swiftly turned and hooked onto Ayumu's shoulders to launch the both of them out of the way. They landed on the ground roughly, but were at least spared from the GM's assault. Without warning Joshua pulled Ayumu up and guided him quickly back to Izo and Rei who was reprimanding her foster brother.

Rei was waving her pen and clipboard in the air angrily (although it seemed silly to Joshua) while Izo simply rolled his maroon eyes like it was nothing to be upset about.

When the 'Gamemaster' approached, he had his whip retrieved and he slapped the rope part of it on his hand before he snarled, "Give that murderer to me. Justice needs to be delivered to those who break the laws of the Reaper's Game."

"Now tell me," said Joshua as he cocked his head to the side. "When has there been anytime that we were given rules? Are we expected to just do missions?"

Izo now growled for the first time since Joshua saw him as he adjusted his small oval glasses, "Aleck conveys a decent touché," he muttered to himself, "as always." Then he looked up coldly as he went on through his normal cold tone, "I'd need to discern why you just sought to fetch 'justice' whilst we crushed the rules via bartering Partners?"

Rei and Joshua gave Izo scowls while Rei snapped, "Izo! Are you trying to get us erased as well?! Jeez!"

"It purely is the verity." scorned Izo as he flicked his dark blue bangs gracefully out of his face only for them to drop back where they were initially.

Now the 'Gamemaster' let out a growl before he demanded, "Only one life was lost, so one life is needed to be erased to fulfill the gap. Give Ayumu Ki to me or I'll erase you all!" he looked at Ayumu through what Joshua thought was the greatest of contempt. "Justice is justice, murder is murder, and erasure is erasure…"

Ayumu was starting to walk forward when Joshua caught him by the collar of his light grey, long and loose-sleeved shirt. "Oh ho, get back here buddy. I'd miss you if you were erased, Ayumu." When he brought Ayumu back to his side he grabbed his hand and held it firmly. He'd forgotten how fair skinned Ayumu was, like Joshua himself.

The younger half brother looked at Joshua but stayed quiet.

"Try to erase us!" cried Rei in a cocky tone as she raised her clipboard to fight. "Joshua stood up to you alone, and his odds just doubled. We will fight as a crew!"

Izo pursed his lips when he glanced at Rei.

Joshua felt ready to fight this guy if he had to; He couldn't let Ayumu be erased even though he still felt furious with him for erasing a Reaper without a good reason.

Just as they all were ready to charge at each other, a voice rang out, "Iwao Saiyama."

Joshua paused his assault, quickly searching for the newcomer. If it was someone who had come to backup the GM, things could get complicated.

His eyes finally caught sight of the speaker, a tall, broad man emerging from further down the underpass.

He had long sleek fawn hair that went down to his shoulders and had midnight blue eyes. He wore a white 3 piece suit: the jacket had a peaked lapel with a golden rose on the right one, a beige waistcoat under it, and a white dress shirt underneath with a bright gold tie that was tucked under the waistcoat. Also he had on golden brown trousers with black socks and dress shoes. In his left hand he held a traditional ivory cane that had a pale orange and black striped feather that was tied to the top of it where a hole seemed to be drilled.

Instantly Joshua knew he was an imperative individual.

As the nicely dressed man walked up to Iwao in a promenade, Iwao spun around and nearly whipped him. But the man simply raised his cane and caught his adversary's weapon with it. "I see you are fomenting turmoil, Mr. Saiyama. Attacking Players?"

Iwao let out a mumble before he tried to tug his whip back.

The nicely dressed man blinked before he slammed his cane gently down on the leather rope. "I see…"

Rei and everyone else relaxed a bit for the moment as they watched the dispute. Rei blinked her bright brown eyes when she tilted her head to the side. "Who's this guy?"

Izo was the only one who was being wary still as his fingers twirled his transparent strings. "Who cares? Stay vigilant, tyke!"

Joshua focused back on the two.

Iwao let out a roar before he gave the man a glare. "Kazumasa! I should have known you'd try to stop me. I try to deliver justice when you show up-"

"'Justice' can wait for tomorrow, Mr. Saiyama," said Kazumasa as he blinked, when he tapped his cane he continued, "Have you forgotten that the Composer has decreed that Mr. Ki isn't to be erased?"

For now, Iwao went silent.

"I hope you see your fault." Just as he said that, a squad of Reapers came from the same direction Kazumasa had come from. They all restrained Iwao and took him away slowly because of how much he was writhing and shrieking in their hold. The only Reaper Joshua could only recognize from the others was Megumi who gave him a smile and a nod.

Suddenly Megumi's cherry red headphones fell off because of how Iwao kept struggling and making the rest of the Reapers jerk to try and keep him within their grasps. Megumi let go of Iwao immediately and left the others to fend for themselves as they passed slowly into the shadows of the underpass. Once he got over to the place where the cherry headphones lay undamaged, he looked up at Joshua and mused, "Some who have little purpose are thrown away."

"What do you mean, Megumi?" asked Joshua, confused, while cocking his head to the side. He ignored his half-brother's intermittent weak pulls as he tried to focus on the Reaper.

Ayumu was muttering over and over in the same hollow voice, "Go, now… Now, leave…"

Megumi's jade eyes only gleamed. "Oh, it means you need to figure out the ones who hold the most value and cling to them. The ones who are not, however… need little concern from you, a clever boy who clearly knows how to persist more than most."

"How dare you insult us, Red?!" roared Rei who shook her fist at him difiantly.

Izo gave her a disdainful look. "Red. Really Rei? You're dubbing him, Red?"

Rei bashed him with her clipboard. "He has red headphones, Izo! Red. Headphones!"

Megumi now had his headphones secure around his neck and nodded to Kazumasa before leaving.

Kazumasa turned to them, looking callous for a moment, before strolling over until he was standing in front of them wearing a polite smile. "Genuine apologies, Mr. Ki. I hope you didn't mind much of what Iwao was trying to attain; being the Gamemaster has made him believe he has the power of authority over everyone."

Ayumu blinked at him with his pale silvery grey eyes before he spoke hollowly, "'Kay, nix feel."

Kazumasa gave him a confused look before he looked at Joshua. "Try to not get separated in the future, Mr. Ki and you…" he looked at Rei and Izo who kept bickering. "And Ms. Shuuito and Mr. Shuuito as well. All of you cannot defend yourselves unless you are together in the same battle."

Joshua nodded before he replied with a smirk, "Well, at the time I really didn't care. But why did it work before then?"

"Today was a special case," sighed the fawn haired man. "Mr. Saiyama misused his power to bend the restrictions so he could lure your half brother here while you were far enough away to not be able to defend him."

'He must have the power to look at the Players' files. Especially if he knows Ayumu is my half brother.' Joshua blinked before released his hand from Ayumu's for the moment and offered it to Kazumasa for a handshake. "You must already know who I am then… Thank you for stopping Iwao."

Kazumasa accepted the offer by clasping Joshua's hand firmly and shaking it. "No need for thanks." When he let go he mused, "I should at least give you something to apologize for this biased event." Right away he put his hand in his pocket then brought out a white Pin. "For your troubles. Our Producer tends to do the honor of handing these out to Players he finds potential in, but I already know that you know him personally. He told me to give this to you if I had the time."

When the Pin was dropped into his still extended hand Joshua noted this Pin had no emblem at all, very different from the Pins he had.

"To use this, you need to unlock the bonds of the Pact to unleash the power within..." said the fawn haired man. "That is what the Producer told me to tell you."

Then Kazumasa gave a bow with his right hand crossed over his chest before he ambled back to the place he came from. Clacks from his cane sounded and echoed slowly, growing quiet until Joshua couldn't hear it or see Kazumasa anymore.

"Well, wasn't he charming," exclaimed Rei as her eyes sparkled from excitement; she turned to face her dark blue haired partner. "Izo, you should be more like him!"

Izo plainly gave her a scowl as he held the rim of his glasses. "Why?"

"That Kazumasa guy is a gentleman!" piped Rei as she grinned, pointing her pen to where they formerly saw the fawn haired man. "And you are just a jerk!" At that time Rei had bashed her clipboard on Izo's head and he immediately clutched it while grimacing.

"What was that for!?" snarled Izo with a cold look in his maroon eyes backing away quickly.

Now Rei was running up to him again with a war cry. "You almost let Ayumu get erased! Now hold still and get your punishment, Izo Shuuito!"

"If I was dumb and wanted to get injured I would!" yelped Izo in panic as he ran away from his foster sister. "Gah! Save me! I'm going to have a concussion."

Joshua giggled as he watched as Rei kept swinging her clipboard like a weapon while chasing Izo, who was squealing like a scared animal. The scraggly haired teen's lavender eyes gleamed in amusement as he hoped Rei would give Izo the punishment he deserved. Joshua called out to him as he just was hit by Rei again, "I might have the inclination to help you Izo, but I simply can't because of what you done. You better have good stamina, fella!"

Izo gave him a pitiful look and kept on running for his dear life.

The older half brother turned to the younger one who was staring off in the direction the Reapers and Kazumasa came. "Hey, Ayumu…" Ayumu said nothing and only glanced at him for a second. "Thank goodness you're safe." Joshua hugged Ayumu, who did nothing of the sort to stop him. "I… I was wrong. I'm sorry about before, I had no right in spurning you even after you erased that Reaper. I was a jerk." Joshua felt his own icy tears sting his cheeks as he swallowed a sob. "Please… forgive me."

Ayumu just stood there silent as Joshua embraced him while feeling pain slam into himself from his sadness. Joshua cried both in sadness and happiness letting his tears stain their clothes and the ground. He kept crying for awhile, feeling stupid for once.

Then suddenly a hand rose up slowly and rested on his cheek. Ayumu seemed to let his hand stay even as Joshua's tears rolled down around his hand or onto it, almost as if he wanted to know what tears felt like. Joshua only assumed that. So Joshua let go and stood there sobbing.

At once Ayumu pulled his hand back from Joshua's cheek, he studied his hand as he moved it a little back and forth, rolling the teardrops. After he put his hand over his other, Ayumu looked up at him before he spoke quietly, "Cold. Sadness is you, Josh. Nix good."

This baffled Joshua as he watched Ayumu stare into his lavender eyes with his pale pewter ones. "Nix feel, me. You, aye. Josh, sorry is…" he trailed off for a moment and stared at the ground before he reached out slowly and held onto Joshua's hand. "Sorry is… for… forgi… forgive…" After a long pause he looked up again with his blind eyes. "Forgiven."

'He… Ayumu must be having a hard time using that word because he can't feel,' thought Joshua sadly before he smiled warmly at his half brother. For a moment longer, they just stood there holding hands. Ayumu didn't hold his hand for a long time on his own before. He used to do it a lot when he was still alive but now…

So again he embraced his brother and stayed there. He was happy that Ayumu still existed. He was sad that he nearly lost another family member. And, he felt the rest of his anger for his half brother… no longer dwelling.

The only thing left was surviving tomorrow and getting his half brother's entry fee back along with his own.

To be continued…

Hope you enjoyed the chapter =3