Name: Chiaroscuro

Pairing: Eventual Joshua x Neku

Rating: R - for language and blood; possible NC-17 in later chapters

Summary: AU – In a world where the RG and UG have always been one, and Reapers feed off the Soul of humans, Neku stumbles upon a supposedly safe Shibuya and the silver-haired Lord who protects it. But are things always so black and white…?

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Chapter Three

- Black -

Actually, there were plenty of next times. Even thought Neku promised to take Joshua out once a week, they found themselves doing it a little more often as time went on. It was a warm and tender friendship, one of sincerity; much unlike most of the other teenagers around Neku's age. He had made a few friends in school, a few study partners and fellow club mates, but they always seemed to have such trivial things on their mind. It wasn't that much of a surprise really, considering the majority of them were born and raised in this city, never once having experienced the horror of the Reapers outside the protective wards.

Joshua would come visit the Bito residence every now and then as well, staying for dinner and chatting calmly with his friend and almost-foster parents. They weren't a true family, not by the government's standards, but Misaki was beginning to describe Neku as her son to all her friends, and the brunet didn't seem to mind. Beat was also taking the time to help him with school projects whenever his wife couldn't, giving him tips and constantly telling him what a bright boy he was. You honestly wouldn't be able to tell they weren't his biological parents by looking at their proud, loving expressions they wore when around the fiery young teen.

As for Neku's relationship with Joshua… it was a bit of a different story. It had changed alright, but to where, neither of them were really sure. A few times they held hands, they snuggled every now and then to watch a movie, and the Lord even gave Neku a quick kiss on the cheek when his birthday rolled around. There was a little tension at times, leaving Neku to wonder if he was really expecting something more from their friendship. Joshua was a guy – and not only that, he was a very powerful and respected person among thousands of people. They were both young (well, okay, Joshua really wasn't but he sure acted like it at times) and not very comfortable around other people. They both grew up distancing themselves to those around them; perhaps it was just because they were slowly breaking each other's tough exterior that there was a warm, pleasant stomach-churning sensation every now and then. That's all it had to be.

Six months had passed, and nothing much had changed… but in the past couple of weeks, Neku would catch a remorseful look on the Lord's face. He was a little tenser than usual, becoming defensive at the drop of the hat and even arguing with Neku once in a blue moon. They teased each other and Joshua would frequently pick on his younger companion, but they had never really fought until now. There was something different, something changing with the Lord, and it was even more perplexing than he himself. And sometimes, their conversations would run in weird directions, talk about death, even bringing up Neku's deceased parents, what it was like on the outside. He would become quiet after those talks, violet eyes deep and virtually unreadable.

"Say, Neku…" Joshua spoke up beside the brunet, looking over at him with a somewhat curious look. They had gone to the library today due to one of Neku's projects, and the Lord insisted on joining him. He was actually quite helpful in most subjects and would provide excellent insight – but today, he seemed like he was off in his own little world; something that was becoming more and more frequent. "You asked me this when you first got here, but I never got to ask you…" There was a pause, as he crimped the corner of a page in a book he was reading. "How much do you know about the Reapers?"

Neku glanced up from the book he was deeply involved in, trying to find the necessary information to compile a worthwhile project. At the mention of the infamous Reapers, the hair on the back of the boy's neck stood on end. He figured he should have been used to the name by now, but he couldn't break the habit of tensing, even a fraction, at the title.

"What I know?" Neku echoed, finger holding his spot on the text. "....The people I was with for a bit after my parents died knew a lot about them. They said they kill people from the inside out--how, they didn't know exactly. They said it was more than just a physical death and that Reapers found pleasure in the strong. They said that the Reapers hadn't always been around, which I knew, but they speculated on where they came from. ...Everyone before them always said they were some sorta aliens, but the people I stayed with on the outside, for a bit, thought they came from somewhere in this world....just hidden." He shrugged. "Why?"

There was a long pause, as the Lord looked back down at the book he was barely reading. "...Just curious." He bit his lip a bit, obviously wanting to say more, but fighting it. "There are a few theories like that, you know. I've hear a lot of things over the years; I think there are even some books about it. About the hidden world Reapers came from."

Neku, who had momentarily returned to reading, peered back up at Joshua. His gaze traveled between Joshua's for a moment before he blinked. "...Books on that stuff?" h asked, almost hopefully.

"Mm," He nodded, but for a moment he looked quite regretful. "I've seen a few. I mean, they're pretty boring..."

"...Do you know where they are?" Neku appeared to be suddenly alert and curious, youthful blue eyes wandering between the Lord and the library.

"Dunno," He shrugged indifferently, glancing over towards the brunet only for a fraction of a moment before gluing his eyes back to his book. "Not even sure this library has any."

"You said you saw a few, right? Where did you see them?" Neku pried, voice lowering in case any other people in the library were to overhear the conversation. "...Maybe I can find something in one of them to help improve my power." A grin.

The Lord bit his lower lip a bit, looking around. "I don't know... um, try asking the lady at the desk." He pointed to the front desk where an elderly woman sat, typing away on a computer.

"...She'll think I'm crazy for asking for books like that," Neku stated and lightly shook his head before getting up from the comfortable chair he had been sitting in. "Come on, let's look together," he suggested, smirking some before disappearing into the aisles of books.

Joshua sighed a bit but stood up and followed, looking around with little interest as the brunet searched. ... Huh. Apparently there are entire books dedicated to knitting sweaters for your dog. Weird.

Neku began feverishly searching for the aforementioned books, checking the most logical areas. Reference sections. Advice sections. Tutorials... "Hm..." The redhead paused at an intersection of rows, tapping his foot thoughtfully. "Where would I be if I was an awesome book like that?...."

"Probably in some lonely shut-in's home under a half-empty cup of coffee and pair of dirty underwear." Joshua smirked, tone teasing but also quite cynical.

Neku paused, glancing over his shoulder at Joshua. "...That's oddly specific," he snorted and licked his lips absently. "Hm..."

"Maybe it's not even here. I mean, these were some old books..." Joshua shrugged, pulling a book from the shelf and flipping through it. Something about werewolves. It was kind of cool, he guessed.

Neku sighed and slumped against the nearest bookshelf, arms folding to his chest. "Damn..." he sighed, a frown appearing on his face.

"...Wanna read about werewolves instead?" The silver-haired teen grinned over his shoulder, holding up the book.

"I'll pass, actually," Neku murmured and began heading down the aisle, the frown still on his face, mind racing at a hundred miles.

"Hm. Maybe vampires." The Lord seemed completely distracted, shuffling through a few more books and peering at the covers.

After a few more moments of looking around absently, ignoring Joshua's random suggestions about irrelevant topics, Neku was about to give up. Perhaps not knowing anything solid about the Reapers was for the best. He had protection against them now, to a degree, and that was all he needed, right? Still... he wanted to know everything about the heartless creatures that slaughtered his friends and family. It was almost an...obsession, buried deep down.

Nearly having gone back to his belongings at the center of the library to study, Neku paused. In the corner of the Reference section of the Old Works, a tattered book caught his eye, mainly because it was jammed between the shelf and the tops of other books. Curiously, Neku took the object from its resting spot and was about to put it back neatly when the golden script writing on the binding stopped him in his tracks.

Maybe he was lucky after all. "...Yes."

Joshua perked up at the quiet exclamation, looking over his shoulder and putting back a book that was about some sort of mythological nonsense. "Oh," He blinked, walking over to the brunet and peering down at the book. "Yeah," He reached over and gently ghosted his fingers across the worn title. "That's one of them."

Neku nodded and instantly dropped down on his knees and flipped the book open, peering down at the first page curiously. "Hm..."

The silver-haired teen stuffed his hands in his pockets for a moment, leaning back against the bookcase at first - before deciding to join Neku and sat down on the ground, peering over his shoulder curiously.

Neku quickly began skimming through the pages, stopping occasionally when he stumbled upon something interesting. "...This stuff..." he began, having rapidly read an excerpt about two powerful leaders of the Reapers. Some Conductor and Composer. Read about how they had complete control and were like puppet masters over all. How they could erase a person from existence entirely at a whim. How they could take away memories, dreams, hopes... "...is fucking scary...." His finger lingered over the end of that section.

Joshua raised an eyebrow, before leaning back against the bookcase. "It's all theoretical, you know." He assured, not nearly as frightened as the brunet. "Things like that… probably don't exist."

"I know but still," Neku reasoned, biting his bottom lip. "Shit, Josh... imagine if it was real?...That'd be...Crap, I'd definitely be dead by now."

"Oh, really?" The Lord sighed, giving Neku one of those 'I know you too well' looks. "You're too stubborn to be killed, Neku. Besides, what makes you think it'd be any different?"

Neku shrugged. "One ruler of all those heartless bastards? Yeah, I'd be dead. They seemed hell-bent on murdering everyone around me...so if they had a ruler, he'd probably want my head as well to put on his mantel to complete his morbid collection."

Joshua sighed loudly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "The Reapers kill for food, dear. I hardly think they're after you and your family in particular."

Neku snarled under his breath some, snapping the book shut. "Really?" he stated sarcastically. "The same bastard killed my parents... my friends.... most of the people I met out there...." He trailed off, wincing a bit. "They kill for pleasure, damnit."

"Like hell they do." The silver-haired teen snapped, a look of utter disgust appearing across his usual tranquil features. "Just because something tragic has happened to you doesn't mean they're evil. Really, I thought you were better than that, to sink so low and think so highly of yourself."

Neku visibly tensed, bristled, and then glared. "Of course they're fucking evil. If they weren't, why would you be protecting this entire city?" he spat and narrowed his eyes. "I'm a nobody, I know that, don't have to rub it in, Lord," he hissed.

Joshua tensed visibly at the sarcastic tone dripping from the utter of his title. Violet eyes flashed a dull white in pure anger, glaring daggers at the young boy before he stood up at once, fists clenched at his sides. "You have no idea, Neku." He muttered with a strained grin on his face, voice much darker than he's ever used before, his very aura leaving the air around them heavy and cold.

And with that, he stormed off, leaving the brunet alone in the library with no thought of returning.

Usually arguments with Joshua never were too intense, and they were never about the Reapers...but for some reason, this argument, this time, was just bad. Neku had returned back home after waiting around in the library for an hour before he dully realized that Joshua wasn't coming back. A bit hurt, and confused as to why Joshua was so upset that he was insulting the Reapers, he went home, distant and almost sick. He finished his project in haste when he returned, bid Beat and Misaki a quick goodnight after supper, and quickly got into bed. He wanted the day to be over.

But the next day wasn't any better. When he arrived at school, his stomach was in knots and bags laced the skin under his eyes. They always made up...and the dark, menacing way Joshua had left scared him. Neku had tried to shrug it off, focusing on conversations with friends at school, but just couldn't quite shake the feeling of internal disaster.

It wasn't until noon where things began going south in real-life, not just in his mind and heart. A freaky rainstorm had plundered the school building, quickly morphing into hail, which was even more abnormal. Temperatures, as far as Neku knew, never got that cold to form ice like that. And that wasn't all. The wind was horrible and he could faintly hear that Noise in his ears, even in class, over the plundering of the freakish hail. He couldn't forget that Noise. Reapers...but, they were so far away, why could he hear them?...

When school did let out, and he began his slow trek home in the rain and hail, hoodie pulled tight over his head to protect himself, he realized why he could hear the blood-curdling Noise so well. It only took a few screams, a few incoherent hollers, and one person running for it to click.

His safe haven was going to Hell.

Blood splattered across the pavement of the streets, cars screeching to a halt and more and more cries of the innocent, wounded and dying filled the air so quickly it was as if a tidal wave had consumed the entire city, chaos and fear engulfing every sense. A flash of black, dark, horribly sadistic laughter filling the air and soon the painful truth became all too clear. Reapers. They were in the city.

Another cry for help was quickly extinguished with the sickening sound of breaking bones and tearing flesh, otherworldly light flashing from every corner - the vibrant light, the familiar light... the light of Souls. Reapers broke through the barriers, and it had become an all-out feeding frenzy.

The instinctive urge to run once again surged through the damaged teen. Not damaged like the people he passed, but internally damaged from countless years of seeing the same old sights. He wanted to stop and help them, wanted to explain to them what was happening, but couldn't. He needed to get to somewhere safe to figure out what was going on before he could lend a hand and use everything that--

Joshua.

Neku turned on his heel, the sound of Reapers flooding his ears. He didn't hear the blaring, familiar sound of the one that had slaughtered his parents, but the eerie noises of other Reapers were enough to cause him to run to the temple, despite the bickering the day prior. As quickly as he could, Neku tripped up the stairs, the guards having abandoned the steps hours before when the chaos began, starting with the freak hail.

The weak redhead hurried into the temple, barely able to clamor down the halls. "Josh?!"

Down the hall, breaking through the doors to the center room, not once did he get a response. It was silent, and the air was heavy.... much, much heavier than even the times he had been around during Purification ceremonies. Back then it was only a dull alarm in the back of his head, probably accompanying the ever dangerous lingering air of death, but this... this was somehow even worse.

Amongst this mayhem of death and terror, Joshua... was simply standing in the center of the room, his traditional robes tossed aside, wearing only a pair of casual slacks and a grey collared shirt. It was nothing new to see him in such attire, but... whenever he was in the temple, he always had his robes on. So why...?

"Ah..." The Lord spoke quietly, turning to face the brunet, a look of complete indifference spread across his features, his violet eyes somehow darker than usual. "Neku, I didn't expect you here so early."

Neku nearly tripped into Joshua, sweat and water mingling on his face and body, dripping off his form and onto the clean temple floor. "R-reapers... in the city...you...I...gotta do...something," he panted weakly, head throbbing. "People are dying and...and so many and oh god," he slurred, trying to catch his breath.

At first there was silence, no reply from the Lord, no words of encouragement. But after a few moments passed, he reached a steady hand out, gently pushing back one of the many stray locks of orange hair behind the younger boy's ear. His hand stayed there, lingering at the side of Neku's face.

"I will do nothing." Was the cold, simple reply.

Neku blinked in surprise, jaw slacking and eyes filling with confusion and inevitable, hot tears. "W-why?!... M-Misaki and Beat are at work and they're in danger...please...." Tears instantly began slowly leaking despite his struggles. "W-why?..."

Emotion was completely devoid in Joshua's expression, before the faintest hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "This city... has prospered for so long. So many people find refuge here, fleeing from the outside world...but..."

The grin suddenly widened. "The Reapers.... need to eat too, don't they?"

Neku faltered, the tears falling from his face rapidly and landing on the floor in tempo with his heartbeat. "W-what?... B-b-but...." he stammered, heart wrenching and confusion filling him as he flinched away from Joshua, the look on the Lord's face terrifying the usually courageous boy. "W-w-what if they h-had got me?..."

Violet eyes lidded, gaze following the boy evenly, even as he sunk to the ground. "Oh, Neku dear..." The twisted smile became even more prominent, a possessive tone never once heard overflowing in the teen's voice. "Is it that hard? You'd die. Your soul would be devoured, your flesh torn apart and bones crushed under immense power..." A cocky, condescending chuckle. "I mean, that's what they do, right? The evil Reapers..."

"W-what the hell is wrong with you?!" Neku demanded, choking on almost each and every word as he stumbled backwards again, eyes wide. "Y-y-you don't c-care at all, do you?" he slurred, hands balling into fists as he kept backing up, the sound of his own heart drowning out the music of the Reapers outside the temple. "F-fine," he continued, nearly hollering and sobbing all at once. "I don't need you."

With that, the redhead bolted out of the main room, determined to find Misaki and Beat and somehow end this. Somehow...This couldn't happen again to him....

However, despite his good intentions, the boy tripped a few feet outside of the main room, unable to stand due to his own nerves and trepidation, tears freely leaking from his eyes, fear gushing from his heart.

Even though the pain echoed from Neku's heart, down the halls of the temple, his plight fell on deaf ears. Joshua simply turned and closed his eyes, making no move to help the fallen and horribly distraught boy, tears actually running down his cheeks - he'd never seen Neku cry before. He was always so strong, so brave....

But he supposed it didn't matter anymore. After all, Shibuya's days were numbered.

…and so were Neku's.

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After the horror Shibuya endured, after nearly forty people were killed under the claws of only a small handful of bloodthirsty Reapers, the barriers once again pulsed back to life, forcing the predators out of the so-called protected city once more. It was such a short time... mere minutes, actually, that the Reapers were inside the walls - but that's all it took for terror to spread into the hearts of every human.

There were plenty of people gathering around the temple later that day, demanding to see the Lord, crying and screaming and pleading for Joshua to save them. Was the impossible really happening? Was the Lord sick? Was something wrong? But most important of all.... will this happen again?

Joshua ignored them all, telling the baffled and equally concerned guards to permit no one into the temple. There was no little white lie of the barrier simply faltering, nor did he speak of his true intentions. He couldn't bring himself to lie... and yet, he couldn't bring himself to utter a word of the truth. The suffering he caused the city this day was intentional; and it certainly was not over.

Neku wasn't really right the rest of the day, or that night. He had learned of the deaths, and the actual time span of the barrier break on the news. It felt like hours. It felt like days. The look on Joshua's face, even, the harshness of his words, felt like they lasted for years. It shook him.

When Beat and Misaki had returned home, unscathed and a bit shaken up as well, it took everything Neku had not to cry, because crying once that day was all his will would allow, if that. He had feverishly explained what happened, and every single, minute detail regarding Joshua's condition...his feelings regarding the Reapers...and everything. Everything excluding the pins and magic, because even though he was convinced Joshua had gone insane, a promise was a promise.

Eventually, Neku got to sleep, but not much of it. Even though the city was safe, he still heard the sound of the Reapers pulsating in his ears. His heart thudded through the night, and he awoke countless times, tossing and turning in fear. All those deaths...all those injured... Joshua not caring. It all added up to one horrible nightmare.

When morning came, and Neku had finally given himself enough time to think it all over, to process everything that happened, and to read the note both Bito's had left for him wishing him a good day, Neku decided he'd skip school. He needed to sort things out and decide if he was staying or not. He wasn't going to stick around if this was going to continue to happen. He'd try and convince Beat and Misaki to go with him, but if they didn't...he'd go alone. If worst came to worst. He was used to running.

And there he stood, after hours of calming himself and debating, before the temple, hands shaking. Apparently the crowds had been ushered away hours before....and all was quiet for the time being. Figuring it was safe just to… slip in undetected, Neku crept up the stairs, heart already beginning to thud. He wouldn't cry this time, wouldn't yell right off the bat. He needed to be an adult for once.

Or at least, that's what he told himself as he slipped into the temple discreetly, headed to see his so called 'friend'.

As quiet as the brunet tried to be, it was all really in vain - even the guards were nowhere near the temple; now just where they were, it wasn't certain. Perhaps the people of this paradise city were finally beginning to doubt the Lord... perhaps they were all just frightened and staying in the comfort of their homes.

Or perhaps it was the air.... oh god, the air in the temple was still just as heavy, just as dark and foreboding... almost dangerous. Every breath took an extra heartbeat; every step made the limbs shake as every alarm in the young teen's head went off, telling him to run. This wasn't a place for him to be... it felt like, for a moment… that if he stayed here any longer this very temple would become his death bed.

Neku's head, clogged down with inner fears and the heavy atmosphere, lingered in the hallway that connected to the main temple room. He sucked in a few deep breaths, pushing back the urge to run and cough. Something was wrong. Something always had been wrong, and this time, he was going to face it and not run. For now, anyway.

"Joshua...?" Neku more so stated than asked, walking slowly down the hall that would lead him to the room his fears had been realized the day prior.

There was no response - just eerie silence and a foreboding chill that crept up his spine. Even if the Lord hadn't uttered a word, there was something in the air that screamed at Neku he was there, he was... and he had to run. Run far away, don't look back, and cling to every thread of life he had.

Regardless, Neku continued on, nails digging into the soft flesh of his palm. "Josh?" he asked again, lingering in the threshold, eyes firmly shut. He knew he had to open his eyes, knew he had to actually enter the room, but all of this seemed easier in his head.

This time, there was a response to his calls; but there were no words. As if someone whispered in the back of his mind, 'I am here', with a predatory smile. 'Open the door,'.

Neku's fingers lingered on the door, eyes still clamped shut. He inhaled deeply, controlling his nerves until he was semi-normal, and with a gulp, shoved the door open, eyes fluttering open. "Josh?" he questioned, entering the room, looking to the center, as he normally did. But Joshua wasn't in the center with his robes like normal. Then again, why was he expecting normal?

"Another visit so soon?" Joshua asked casually, violet eyes gazing at the brunet from across the room. He leaned against the door to the garden, sitting with one leg propped up and arm draped over it, almost in a relaxed position. Once again, his robes were nowhere to be seen... even the jewels and flowers that once decorated the room were all gone. All that was there was Joshua, in plain street clothes... and candles, ever burning. "And here I was worrying you'd be at school when it happens."

"When what happens?" Neku inquired, walking further into the room, refusing to look away from Joshua now that he had spotted him. He bit back the urge to throw out accusations and whatnot, and instead focused on the present and what Joshua was saying.

"When the barriers collapse, of course." The Lord looked up, smiling cheerfully, as if it was the most normal thing to ever pass his lips.

Neku's eyes narrowed, and he stared at the ashen-haired male for a long while. "You're willing to throw everything away just to prove a point to me that I already know?"

"And what point is that, dear?" A pale hand rose up to gently twirl a silver lock with a finger.

Neku rolled his eyes, temporarily averting his gaze. "The bas--...the Reapers 'need to eat'. So I take it you're playing God and feeding them," he mumbled, struggling to keep up. "Why?" he demanded, risking eye-contact again.

"Oh Neku," Joshua chuckled, as casually as he always has. He no longer wore that dark, dangerous look in his eyes.... but somehow, it was much, much more frightening because of that. "You still think this is all about you? How cute."

Neku opened his mouth, accusations ready to fly out about how different Joshua was acting, but something in his gut stopped him and made him blink a few times. "Then it's not about me. What is it about? Why do you want to help them?"

"This is something that I've been planning for a while, dear." The Lord closed his eyes momentarily. "The balance is tipping too far in favor of the humans. Their population is severely over that of the Reapers...." He looked back up at Neku with a slightly amused look, obviously not disturbed in the slightest while speaking such horrors. "So I'm breaking down the barriers again, to even out the score."

"You're going to let them all die?" Neku whispered, surprised at how well he was holding it together despite the dropping of his gut every two seconds. "Every last person in this city?"

"Mm... perhaps not every last." Joshua tilted his head a bit, resting it back against the door with an inquisitive look strewn about his features. "Maybe I'll let a small handful live this time. It took much too long to re-grow the population back then..."

"...I take it you've done this before," Neku concluded, biting the inside of his bottom lip. He shifted awkwardly on his feet. "...I'm leaving Shibuya, then, if you're just going to destroy it."

"Oh, it's not going to be destroyed." He giggled softly. "I'll keep it here... pretend it was all an accident, recover the faith in those still alive.... and start Shibuya anew once more."

"...I won't be around to see that happen," Neku decided and shook his head. "I won't watch people I've grown to know die again. I'm leaving before that happens." He looked away, heart thudding loudly. Something clicked. "...You're....one of them, aren't you?"

There was a small silence, the air hitting the brunet harsh once more, every fiber of his being suddenly frozen for one small instant. A sadistic grin crept up on Joshua's lips, and he laughed.... all too amused by the simple, heart-stopping statement. "One of them? The Reapers?"

In a flash, he disappeared - gone, out of sight... until a pair of familiar, pale arms slid over Neku's shoulders from behind, the foreboding sound of Joshua's playful giggle right beside his ear. "Oh Neku, Neku, Neku....." He cooed, fingers trailing along his collarbone from atop the fabric of his shirt. "Now how one earth could you think so low of me? After all, I am not one of them..."

"I control them."

At once, Neku's vision blurred, and his strongly built defense crumbled. The nerves and courage he had managed to keep together so far broke under the mere declaration of such power. His heart dropped, his gut dropped, and if it wasn't for the close proximity, he would have dropped as well.

"So this entire time...this entire time you've been lying to me," he whispered, voice broken but not sobbing or stammering like before, but instead emotionless. "I thought I...had finally found someone that understood me...understood what I went through, but you lied to me. You're not one of them...but you're worse. You make them do this..."

"Oh, I hardly make them do this. It's already hardwired in their very being to hunt and devour humans." Joshua smiled, almost resting his chin on the brunet's shoulder as his fingers steadily moved south, just above Neku's chest. "It is, of course, in mine too... but I suppose one of the luxuries I have is being able to pace myself, hm? After all, I am handed convicted criminals every now and then.... but of course, when those are scarce I always just leave the city for a little snack to hold me over."

There was another eerily amused giggle, as the Lord's lips moved mere inches away from Neku's ear. "You were lucky, dear... I saw you outside, running towards the city all those months ago. If I hadn't already been preoccupied with prey, I may have devoured your soul as well..."

In favor of living, Neku squashed the urge to run. Joshua was too powerful, he realized. Running would spell his doom--spell Shibuya's doom. Spell everyone's doom, it seemed. All he had left was to humor his once thought friend.

"Glad you didn't...probably would have sucked," he whispered. "My Soul's been through a lot--it probably sucks," he repeated, as if trying to convince both himself and Joshua of that.

"Mm, quite the contrary." Joshua purred, his hands lingering atop the fabric of Neku's shirt - before all at once shoving at his chest, forcing his back to hit the wall behind him none too gently; and it was only then was it clear that the Lord had appeared in front of him. "Your Soul is such a rarity.... such courage, such purity.... it's a delicacy." Violet eyes lidded, watching Neku like a cat that was just about finished playing with his mouse. "To be quite honest, I'm intoxicated with it. I've only had a few tastes, and I can hardly restrain myself from taking it all."

"You're...You were...my friend....all this time...because you wanted my...Soul?" Neku's question came out in a jumbled mess, wincing slightly from the pain that the wall had administered. His eyes weakly met Joshua's, "You're going to kill me?..."

"What, and let all my hard work these past six months go down the drain?" The silver-haired teen smirked, raising an eyebrow. "I'll keep you alive, dear Neku..." He raised a hand, trailing a single finger down the center of the brunet's chest, igniting a familiar pain to spark deep within his body. Ever so slowly, a soft blue light trailed up along a pale finger, its ethereal glow warm and lively.

"At least...." He raised his finger, bringing it to his lips and drinking the tiny wisp with lidded eyes. "Until I truly get hungry."

"Isn't there....another way?" Neku whispered, fear evident in his weakening voice from having his Soul, even just part, a fraction, so far. But really, what was he thinking? Of course there wasn't any other way. Joshua controlled the Reapers. Joshua was just using him. "...You....used me..." he gasped in pain, both mental and physical from the sparks.

"Mm, of course I did." The Lord replied simply, grinning at how frozen the teen before him had become. "I am the Composer.... if you thought Reapers were truly evil, you've hardly even tasted pure terror and pain."

"L-lemme go," Neku gasped, wanting to run before his emotions betrayed him and allowed himself to cry before the silver-haired Composer a second time. "I...I won't...stick around to see....Shibuya die..." he gasped, trying to push away in vain.

Joshua chuckled, grasping harshly at Neku's arms, leaning in to whisper to the brunet with a deadly, sadistic tone dripping from each and every word. "You want to run? Fine." Cold fingers trailed slowly down to his wrists. "I do love a good chase.... but I must warn you, dear.... if I catch you, I will suck your Soul dry. I'll tear open your flesh and crush your bones.... whittle you away until there's nothing left. So run, Neku.... run."

"Or I'll kill you."

And with that, the Composer released the brunet, taking only a few steps back, a look of pure amusement written across his face.

Neku sucked in a deep breath, wrists stinging from where Joshua had held him. He quickly lifted his arm to rub at his eyes, refusing to cry, before lowering it, willing his cloudy hues open. "Josh..." he managed, a renegade tear leaking from his eye before he looked away harshly and stumbled away from the Composer, chest heaving and feet, heart, and mind heavy.

"...Bye.." he forced out in a weak voice before darting out of the room, almost ashamed at how he let his emotions manage such a less than angry departing statement.

And he ran, knowing he was betraying everyone and everything. But that was all he was ever good for, right? Running. So he did. He ran.

Joshua's muscles tensed as the brunet stormed out the door, grinning as he listened to the echoing footsteps, until they disappeared out the door and into the courtyard.

In that moment, the Composer's smile fell, the intimidating and terrifying air around the temple dulling down until it was barely a whisper, mere water droplets against a coursing waterfall of regret and pain. The wind outside shuddered, the barriers weakening and the Reapers outside just waiting for their chance to feast once more upon the Souls of his city.

"......Goodbye," Joshua whispered back, even though he knew it fell upon no ear. His eyes slowly closed, fists clenching at his sides and he turned away, towards a forming black figure near the back of the room. His lips quivered, and for a split second, a tear rolled down his cheek, too proud to have fallen while the familiar boy was watching.

....The city of Shibuya was going to fall. All its citizens were going to die.....

...Because that's the way it's always been.

---------------

Mm, I could be evil and just end the entire fic there. But I won't. 'Cause I'm that gorram selfless.

… And 'cause this is just way too fun. C: