A/N. Wows! What a lot of reviews!! I love this crowd! It's my first work in this Fandom(?)- do you know how long it took me to get this popular in Pokemon? Scratch that, on Fanfiction! Dang. You spoil me... I love you all!

ANNNNGGGGGSSSSSTTTTTT!!

-

-

-

-

Chapter Two

-

-

The Splash

-

-

Many people say that their heart has broken. Often, their heart has merely cracked, giving you pain and sadness for a time but with no lasting effects. Sometimes, your heart does break, leaving you in agony and never quite the same. But sometimes, your heart just shatters; food has no taste, happiness is but a word, and your mind shuts off all emotion for the sake of saving your sanity- for a time. Only for a time.

In that simple little food place, had a Player been scanning, Noise would have suddenly swarmed around the two teenagers in the back, drawn by the sudden flash of agony and shock that left a numb deadness in it's place.

Neku was frozen, it seemed, for what felt like an eternity. At last he managed to reply. "W-what did you say, Shiki? "

I MUST have misheard her... this can't be happening...

Shiki fished out her cell phone, flipping it open to display her new background photo of herself and another man with short brown hair and golden eyes. This male had dared to wrap his arms around her neck, thinking himself worthy to breathe the same air she breathed that now choked Neku. "This is my boyfriend, Satoshi. He just asked me out a couple days ago. "

The teenage boy leaned back in his chair, titling his head forward and hiding his eyes behind the spiked merciful curtain of orange hair, closing his eyes tightly as he fought for his composure. "I-I'm glad you're happy, Shiki. I have to go- other things to do, remember? "

Before she could say anything more, Neku had stood up, nodded a quick goodbye, and was swallowed up by the Shibuya crowds in moments.

...00000000000...

Shiki watched him go with shocked brown eyes. Was it something I said? ...it couldn't be about my boyfriend, could it have been?

No. Neku doesn't like me like that. At least... not anymore.

About three months after the Game's end, she had gotten up the courage to ask Neku out. On a date. With her.

'Shiki shifted her weight from foot to foot as Neku froze, his expression unreadable.

"I...I can't, Shiki. Not tonight. I'm sorry. " His voice was soft and low, his eyes not meeting hers. For how much it hurt her, though, he may as well have back-handed her across the face.

"Some other time then? "

Neku nodded before continuing on his way home without a second glance at her. '

The 16 year old hugged Mr. Mew tighter as the river of painful memories grew deeper and broader. His rejection had hurt her so badly, but she resolved to ask him later. But, he had vanished. Dropped of the face of the planet for two whole weeks- didn't answer his cell phone or anything. She though he had gotten killed again, and that Joshua was busy tormenting him in the Game. But, when he finally returned...

'Rhyme was sipping on her soda when her eyes suddenly grew wide. She gasped, inhaling a huge gulp of soda and pointing at the crosswalk even as she fell to the ground gasping for air.

Beat quickly was tending to his dear little sis, but Shiki's eyes were only for the small tuft of pumpkin-colored spikes that was just visible in the mass of people.

"NEKU'S BACK!! "

Shiki actually leaped over the fence that surrounded the tables outside the cafe, running as if she had wings on her feet, desperate not to loose the friend she had missed for so long.

Just as he was stepping onto the sidewalk, she half-tackled him in a huge hug, so thankful so see him again alive. Oh, how she had missed those smoky blue eyes, that air of indifference that she knew concealed a heart of gold- she had even missed those headphones that he never took off!

"Where were you, Neku? We were all so worried about- "

He pushed her away suddenly, blue eyes blazing with emotion. "Worried? Right. Why should any of you care about me?! " He snapped suddenly, Shiki taking an involuntary step back.

"You're our friend, Neku. What we went through in the Reaper's Game- "

"-Doesn't matter, " he finished, his tone raw and icy. "People change, Shiki. You should know that by now. "

She grabbed his shoulder as he tried to walk off. "I know they do, Neku. And you changed back. What happened to you? " Her voice half broke at the end as he tore roughly out of her grasp and vanished into the crowd. '

A couple day later, he called her and tried to apologize, but she had just told him to forget it. They barely talked for almost a month, at last Rhyme and Beat forcing them to patch things up again.

Sure, they were friends again. But it would just never be the same.

Shiki ran her thin fingers through her hair and sighed. Neku was in the past now- she needed to concentrate on the future. Her future with Satoshi.

...00000000000...

Just hang on until home, hang on until home, hang on until home... Neku repeated the phrase in his mind to the rhythm of his focused but unsteady strides and the music that poured out of his headphones. His breath was ragged, seeming to scrape his that and leave his insides feeling raw.

Fog seeped through his mind, blurring his vision and lessening his grip on reality. Twice he almost ran into people, dodging at the last moment, eyes to the ground but unseeing as thoughts of Shiki looped endlessly in his head.

Key moments of their relationship replaying over and over. One ending only for another to take it's place: Their first fateful meeting, first battle... everything right up to what happened just a few minutes ago. And he couldn't stop it.

He wondered detachedly whether this was some form of mental punishment. Strange how you think of the perfect way to fix a bad situation moments after it was too late. If only he could rewind time-! If only he hadn't taken out his rage and fear out on her when she had so warmly welcomed him back from the nightmare he had been stuck in for two terrible weeks.

If only, if only, he thought grimly, kicking up his music volume a notch. My whole fucking life is filled with 'if only's.

The music couldn't drown out his pain, but it certainly drowned out the street noise. A car skidded to a stop as Neku walked obliviously right out in front of it.

The driver rolled down the window to shout at the teenager. "You got a death wish, kid?!" he snapped before roaring off again.

Neku didn't reply, just shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and continued on his way. Death wish? In a way, he had. He had lost his will to live. And her name was Shiki.

...00000000000...

ANNNNGGGGGSSSSSTTTTTT!!