SORRY,
I have not been able to upload the story recently. I have had some things to take care of and have not been able to be on the computer much, so without further ado here is chapter three. Thank you fans for understanding,
Ben Zephyr
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Day 1 Part C
Once Beat had some leverage he opened up his vibrating cell phone.
"Wanna Play A Game?" was centered on screen with an almost horrific glare. For the first time in a long time he felt the familiar drop in the pit of his stomach that symbolized everything that has been wrong in his life. Did he have any other choice?
Grabbing his little sister's hand he slowly and firmly returned the message.
"Yes"
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Joshua and Mr. H got their phones and stared at the message.
"What's the definition of Irony?" Mr. H spoke with a soft sigh. He was now busy in giving his reply.
"Where the thrown out composer is being asked to play the game he made because some people love cheap thrills and are sadistic at heart…" Joshua replied sullenly.
"Wouldn't it be more Masochistic than anything else?"
"It is however the new guy sees it" Joshua replied softly. Both of them returned the message with yes.
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The Acid Rain began. Amidst the soul feeding frenzy it began to rain a familiar toxic rain in Shibuya. Most East Asian metropolis' and city centers suffered from this kind of pollution. Tokyo was no different, and the denizens of Shibuya paid the price once it rained and the water became contaminated. This was what now covered the two fighters in the Scramble.
Eri had been erased only seconds before.
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They had reached the scramble to return to only watch a larger massacre unfold. Left and right frogs and wolves began taking any person they could touch. People who figured how to fight them began trying to.
Sadly, it was to no avail since partner-less so to speak, the noise destroyed them.
Neku instinctively grabbed Shiki's hand in hopes that either
It would reignite their pact and save them
Or
At least he knew she was safe and he was not alone against the noise.
Either way it would work fine.
Then in a chain, Shiki held Eri's hand through the scramble in hopes to at least have all three of them make it out alive.
But during their aimless run they where surrounded by a pair of the old familiar grey wolf noise.
Eri let out a yell while Shiki and Neku braced themselves. They had no where to run but back.
Eri was first to duck out but that would not be the case since when she began running more wolves came. Soon they swarmed at Eri running and before long they pounced and rushed her.
Once the other wolves smelled the torment they left Neku and Shiki alone to now rush Eri. Within seconds she was already starting to wear down and be torn apart by the circle of wolves enclosing her. Within five more seconds she was static.
Neku was now holding Shiki back. Shiki had the brilliant idea of at least trying to beat the wolves to the punch and scare them off like she was a huntress.
Only issue was that was suicide since these where noise not animals. So by his own instinct Neku grabbed her back.
After watching the event slowly, Shiki began sobbing, and soon fell back into Neku in hysterics. Neku was very much so not paying attention to his crying lover in favor to the wolves now staring at him.
They where now looking at him with a deep bloodthirsty look he so frequently encountered.
On Neku's face now was a resonating look of 'Oh Shit' and worry. The only thing that could enter his mind right now was the repetition of the word fuck. Now the only options left where
Run
Run Faster
Run Like you're an animal
Or
Run like your fucking life depended on it.
"Someone call for the Beat machine!?" an almost serene voice yelled out hoarsely from nearby.
There came Beat with his skateboard erasing the wolves one by one until they where gone. Afterwards Rhyme appeared next to him cleaning her sleeves.
"Looks like you guys needed help" Beat spoke with a loose smile as Neku took a sigh of relief.
Shiki looked over and nodded to their existence.
"Hi Beat…Rhyme…" she spoke with a few sniffles over he fallen friend.
"Hey guys…did you say yes yet?" Beat asked Neku and Shiki.
"To what?"
"The weird text…"
"No…" Shiki whispered.
Neku blinked and figured out what was happening. Quickly Neku grabbed his phone and answered yes. Shiki by example and depression did the same as to not be left alone.
Soon the area around them turned to its familiar grey hues. The Acid Rain was still falling, but it looked more warped now than anything. They where somehow back in the UG.
"Why are we back here?" Shiki asked with a soft sigh feeling the soft hand-made cloth touch her skin. Looking at her hands she noted one key difference…she was taller, did she?
"WAAH!" Shiki cried out.
Neku and Beat quickly turned to her. She had turned to Eri again.
"What's…why am I? WAAAH!" Shiki began screaming. Neku quickly went to her and held her balance. The familiar white and blue light surrounded the two of them. A new pact was made.
"Shiki there is only one man that can explain all this" Neku whispered calmly into her ear.
Shiki listened and nodded. "Where is he?"
"We are going to find out…" Neku spoke as he waved Beat and Rhyme to accompany him through his ten minute walk across town.
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During the walk Beat told them everything that happened, and they returned the favor. Soon enough the group was at their desired destination at the end of CAT street.
For the first time in sometime, the building housing WildKat was open.
"This is mr. H's Café" Neku spoke calmly to Shiki, who had started regaining her demeanor.
"Huh I was expecting smaller…"
"Nope…"
Last time Neku was ever here, it was torn to shreds by an egomaniacal reaper who could never really seem to find a way to just die.
Now the place looked like it was the second week with Joshua, brand new. Quickly they entered to the soft smell of coffee beans and pancake batter.
"Hey guys come on in" Mr. H welcomed them with a warm pleasant smile.
"Hiya, Nekky!" A familiar high, annoying voice spoke from the other side of the Café.
Neku turned his head to look at the silver haired boy. In Neku's mind were the simple ideas to go and attack Joshua without a flinch or motive. He was able to hold himself back though.
Simply by remembering that he is the Composer; as composer he has about the same power as a demigod and could by that measure destroy him without blinking.
He did in fact kill him without any other reason then to be his proxy.
Neku instead only let out a muffled growl from the pit of his stomach.
"Oh come on Neku…no hard feelings for your old partner now? I only needed to do what I needed to do. Now we are in the same boat you and me…I am now nothing more than a player and no longer composer."
Neku stared at him for a second. Why did he always beat him to the punch?
/So he isn't at fault…then who is? This doesn't seem right…/
"How di-" Beat asked before Joshua interjected.
"It's too long a story" Joshua shrugged before returning to the doughnut he was eating earlier.
Mr. H shrugged as well.
"The story can wait…you guys are going to need a lot of explaining…and now it is too late so just drink some coffee…for 580 yen like I've offered before…because tomorrow the mission will probably be harder than reply to a text saying 'yes'.
Each of them felt a sharp pain in the pit of their collective stomachs. Mission? Where they playing /AGAIN/?
Mr. H then showed him his older style flip phone. On the screen was flashing
"MISSION COMPLETED!"
They where playing again. How come though? Why Wasn't Joshua composer anymore?
Neku hated the entire selection of questions he had now. Like they said though, the question could wait.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Joshua finally broke in.
"You guys are pretty lucky…I don't think you guys would be safer anywhere but this café…and personally I want a little nap…I don't want to find out the new Composer's rulebook tired…"
The group stared up. The UG seemed eerily beautiful at night. They had never seen it until now but the view of the sky was nearly breathtaking. The rain had stopped as well.
There the group blacked out. Mr. H against the counter, Joshua at the table, the rest on the floor.
Rhyme was snuggled up comfortably against Beat's jacket, not speaking a word all night, maybe over the missed concert at A-East. Or over the fact her brother explained everything about the UG and what has happened to her within a few minutes in the scramble. The following which has due to the short time-span left her very confused.
Shiki was lying next to Neku like their last day together, very close and not wanting subconsciously to leave his side. The feeling was now bittersweet as Eri. This was something she needed an answer for too.
Why was she Eri again?
She got back her entry fee, but now in the UG she was Eri. And personally didn't want to be. This could not be a new entry fee? Or could it? Or did the new composer even place down the idea of an entry fee?
That was how Neku explained it. The Composer decides every single little detail of each game. All this was now doing was leaving her with every single doubt in her mind as she slept.
Beat was snoring loudly. Dreamless he thought about how quickly he was shoved back in this game and found himself with his sister again as his partner. Nothing more or nothing less was there.
Neku though thought about why Mr. H was playing and why everyone they saw was being attacked. Was this a new rule in the game? Everyone is fair game?
They weren't attacked when they made a pact so that can't be it. So why? Joshua had better be good at explaining those kinds of things.
Like hell player or not would he forgive him still for letting this stuff happen. Getting killed by him was already slowly slipping his mind.
This was all starting to sound just like some horrible dream. That he will wake up from it soon. That wasn't the case last time though.
So what makes this any different?
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Soon, the noise disappeared for the night of devouring souls and the harriers began clean-up. That included moving players to whatever the next mission was.
"So we are stuck moving stuff now!?" Uzuki screamed out in anger.
Kariya sighed half-heartedly. "Think about it like this…we finally see the night in the UG…it's beautiful"
Uzuki began screaming again. "I Don't GIVE A RATS ASS! This is so degrading and humiliating…"
Kariya then laughed a little… "So quick to hate…tell you what…lets play a little game…"
"Oh no…"
"The person who moves the most players before sun-up wins…and the loser like always has to treat the winner to a bowl of ramen like always."
Uzuki sighed, without anything better to do, she simply agreed.
Kariya laughed a little. "Fine game on…I'm going to look over by CAT street and you can…look around 104…I miss those old missions so…"
Uzuki leaving to his memories jumped to 104. Kariya smiled as he took out a new red lollipop and began his enjoyment of it. He floated by Jupiter of the Monkey not caring for the shopkeeper.
The UG at night was so amazing to even care. Especially since he could float with his wings and feel the night breeze. The new Composer even added rain and that felt as well amazing on his wings. Sometimes the smallest things gave so much pleasure in life.
He began floating again when he saw a familiar bunch of faces. The group was in a café, and all crowded together in their sleep. There was that three-time player with his friends.
Now this would get interesting, he didn't want to disturb them. So he held on to the little secret he just obtained, and went on his merry way. That was now his little secret…at least until he told Uzuki over the ramen and sake she would most likely make him get.
Even though he was only letting her win and just this once.
Mostly since he suspected her to be running out of money for all the player games they've done and the ramen she's bought him. Even the bad guys have their softer sides.
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Sho went to the new Composer's feet.
"Go my Conductor and see this game through…I have the city still waiting for you to take it after you prove yourself…"
"Thank you sir…" Sho said bowing in an odd manner for him. He had to play nice to be the Composer of the new city opened up according to the Composer. The man who saved him and gave him meaning again.
He felt like he owed him and plus, he wanted to be at least Composer somewhere. And if that means being GM while being conductor so be it. He would make sure he won his ticket to power. It was the only divisible solution.
End of Day 1 Part C
End of Day 1
