"Joshua...JOSHUA!"

Neku shook the Composer hard, but nothing happened. Not one spark of will showed itself. The purple eyes didn't sparkle. They didn't even open. The only signs of life at all was the steady rising and falling of the skinny chest. It was as if Neku was looking at a coma patient, but ten times worse.

"Joshua…" He hung his head "No...I don't understand...I just don't get it...you were improving!"

He gripped the skinny, cold hand, heart sinking even deeper as he felt the lifelessness of it. A coma patient? No. What was in that bed right now...was a corpse.

"What the hell happened to you?"

The Proxy looked around the room, seeking some clue...something to lead him to an answer. He searched the entire area, his desperation in full-throttle and his rage steadily climbing. He didn't know why, but it felt like a betrayal. Unless Apollo had snuck in during the night, there were only three people besides Joshua in the house last night. Mister H, Rhyme, and himself. Shiki had gone home earlier, and Apollo hadn't been seen since the 'vacation' started.

He knelt next to the bedside and looked once again at the body, his hands shaking as he brought them to rest on his head. "Why? WHY! Mister H!"

There was no response. The barista would not be helping him today it seemed. Not that the ginger blamed him. Shibuya was throwing a fit these days, and Joshua's fixes were slowly unraveling. The Producer had to mend the damages as quickly as possible, or risk an accidental inversion.

Neku shook in silent panic, his eyes glued to the figure on the bed, the figure of his friend...his partner, breathing but barely alive. No….not alive. What he saw on that mattress wasn't a living soul, but a lifeless husk. There was no trace of his friend there anymore. It was worse than an erasure.

The teen fingered the weight in his pocket, then just as quickly yanked it away. Not yet. Please...not yet. He could still come back...

"What...the hell? Why….why can't I do it?"

"Because Sakuraba...this is fate."

Neku pointed the gun at the newcomer, who laughed and raised his hands in surrender

"What are you doing here, Bastard?" Neku growled, keeping the firearm aimed at Apollo.

The Higher Being laughed, gesturing to the prone figure on the bed "I am simply observing young Shiki's handiwork. She made those cuts excellently, did she not? Fine work, don't you think, Neku Sakuraba?"

Neku felt his stomach flip, and hot rage doubled his fists "Shiki….You lie, you sick, twisted BASTARD!"

"I never lie, Sakuraba. The young lady came to me, in tears no less, asking me to pardon you if she granted me what I want. What I want is my Yoshiya. Broken...will less...and utterly shattered. I simply told the young lady how to best prepare him to be so, and she performed admirably!"

Neku gripped the gun, his hands shaking. He clicked the hammer back and took aim "You...you...MONSTER! What did you have her do to him?!"

Apollo just laughed, teleporting away, "You will see. Hanekoma will tell you...and show you. I will wait for my time. You are free, Neku Sakuraba."

Neku raised the gun to shoot, but his hand was enveloped in someone's strong grip "No Phones….don't waste a bullet on him. Put it down…." He gripped the weapon and slid it out of the shaking hands, tossing it on a chair nearby "Let it go."

The boy fell to his knees, pent up emotion finally giving way to weakness and trembling, a tear ran down his face as he pointed weakly at the body on the couch.

"Is it true? Did Shiki….do this to Josh? Why?! What purpose would this serve? What the HELL did she do?!"

Sanae frowned and lifted the sheets away from the lithe body on the bed, his eyes widening in horror as he took in what only his eyes could see. He was floored for a whole minute, his breath catching in his throat, his face going pale as he just stared at the back of his son. His hand went to his mouth, and a sob escaped his throat. Tears pooled in his eyes as he reached a shaking hand to something Neku couldn't see. "No…." came a croak at last "Yoshiya….no! They didn't…."

He fell to one knee, his heart aching for his little boy "They couldn't...no please…"

"Mister H?" Neku cocked his head "What is it? Is he…..?"

"I wish he were, Phones. I really honestly wish he were." The rasp was barely audible, as the Angel waved a hand over the area above Joshua's back. What it revealed nearly caused Neku to pass out in utter horror.

There, torn, tattered, and clipped almost too close to the bone...were the remains of what were once Joshua's gorgeous, white wings.

"She...clipped...his wings?! But I thought…" The boy heaved up bile for a minute "I thought that would kill him...for good I mean."

"It basically did just that, Phones. Just like Reapers, Composers store some of their soul in their wings. That's why they keep them hidden most of the time, and why the wings are super sensitive and, if grabbed, will render them totally helpless. To clip a Composer's wings...is to clip their very soul."

"But that would-!"

"Yes." Sanae hung his head "It sent him so deep into his own mind that not even the Music can reach his true heart. He's an empty shell, destined to teeter between erasure, true death, and life. He might as well be dead to us."

Neku clenched his fists He took a step back and punched the wall, leeaving a dent. "Shiki…" he snarled "She did this to him! She stole his soul...and I'm going to find out why. This is BULLSHIT!"

As Neku stormed out, no doubt to contact the one responsible, Sanae once again took point next to the still form on the bed.

He gathered the teen in his arms...and wept over him. His tears flowed like a waterfall, down his face and onto his shirt, soaking his front in heavy rain. A sob tore from his lips, and he gently clutched the boy he raised to his chest, begging silently to hear his giggle...to see his eyes sparkle in mischief...to feel the tension as he lightly threatened a potential rival...something! Anything!

But not a shred of life entered the closed eyelids. Not a sound passed through the gasping lips. Not a spark was in the body that usually could not stay still even at rest. Nothing. Not one thing.

He was gone.

"Forgive me, Yoshiya Kiryu. I failed you. I'm sorry...my Son."