Hey, guys! I told you I'd write an epilogue! XD

Summary: An accident sends Neku back into the Reaper's Game, but this time it's more than accomplishing missions or even survival. Neku knows these new creatures aren't noise, and a certain keyblade-wielding teen may hold the answers for him. (Kingdom Hearts Crossover)

Playing For Keeps

By FlikFreak

Epilogue

Sora's sixteenth birthday was uneventful until he got a certain package in the mail. He had remained in contact with Cid and the others even after going home, so every now and then they'd check in with each other. Today, however, was special.

"Sora! You have a package!"

Hearing his mother's voice, Sora hopped out of bed and headed downstairs. "A package?" he asked.

"Probably a gift from your friends," she replied, gesturing to a very large package sitting on the floor. "I'll be in here fixing lunch, okay?"

"'kay, mom!" Sora replied, eagerly heading over to the package and tearing the packing tape off before opening the panels and gazing inside. Contained in the package were several objects. One was a neatly folded black jacket made in Sora's favorite short-sleeved, hooded style, lined with metallic silver fabric and decorated with the familiar player pin insignia sewn on the left flap. There was a small stack of CD's packed carefully in one corner, a skateboard (Sora felt Roxas grin in delight), a small white box taped closed, an envelope, and the framed, enlarged photo that Joshua had taken of the group when they were in Shibuya.

Sora studied it closely: he saw himself with the group standing in front of Hachiko. Sora had struck a somewhat silly and victorious pose, the keyblade lifted into the air and pointing upward (he received a few stares, but no one suspected anything serious). Hanekoma was off to the side with his hands in his pockets and his usual lopsided grin on his face. Beat had shot the camera a thumbs-up while Rhyme stood next to him, giving a shy smile. Neku and Shiki stood closely together on the other side of Sora, with Shiki holding Mr. Mew in her arms and smiling brightly while Neku, whom had pulled his headphones down, was waving and grinning.

Placing the photo down, Sora pulled out the envelope and opened it, finding a rather long sheet of paper with several notes scribbled on it. The first was in very loopy cursive writing.

Happy birthday, Sora! I hope you like the jacket I made you. I designed it after the one you wore, but I added my own personal touch if you don't mind. Have a great summer! -Shiki

Casting a stray glance at the jacket, Sora smiled, picking it up and laying it over the couch before moving on to the next note. This one was in absolute chicken scratch; it was so messy Sora could hardly make it out.

Sora, I … something you might … I hea… to skatebo… Boar near Udag…the bottom…appy birthd…

Chuckling, Sora didn't have to guess to know that Beat was the one that had written the letter. He picked up the skateboard and examined the design on the other side, which consisted of several key-shaped designs and crown insignias. Upon closer inspection, it looked hand-painted. Is Beat secretly an artist? Sora wondered before reading the next note, which was in a small, print style.

Sorry if you can't read Beat's note, Sora. He's a messy writer. I couldn't think of anything to get you, so I got you a keychain from the store. They're limited edition, and I had to run to get the last one on the shelf. I hope you like it. Happy birthday! - Rhyme

His eyes traveling to the white box, Sora picked it up and opened it. Inside was a small, elegant keychain much like the ones he owned, this one decorated with a small bell similar to the pendant he noticed Rhyme wearing. Suddenly feeling his cheeks get hot, he chuckled and placed the keychain back in the box, placing the lid at the bottom so that it would remain open. She's such a sweet kid, he thought as he read on to the next letter. This one was in print, and was thankfully neat enough to make out while still being a bit messy.

Hey Sora, doing okay? I got you some CDs of 777 and some other great bands showing up. I even made a band with all of us. We're called the Players. One of the albums is ours, I hope you like it. Happy birthday. Hope to see you soon. –Neku

"I always knew he'd be a good singer," Sora thought aloud, chuckling to himself. The next message was in very neat cursive compared to Shiki's:

How are you, Sora? I was unable to get you anything, as I have been quite preoccupied with the Game. Have a nice birthday, keyblade master. -Joshua

He sure is formal, Sora observed. The composer certainly didn't write the way he spoke. He moved on to the final note.

Sora, I hope this package reaches you safe and sound. Shiki stopped by and asked when your birthday was, so I had Cid fill me in. Shiki and Neku came back to hear when it was, then Shiki ran off to the fabric store while Neku made for AMX. Later on I saw Beat raiding the Wild Boar and the art supply store, and Rhyme was looking through the 104 tower. They all still talk about you and your adventure with Neku. Every now and then, I catch Neku looking off into the distance. Joshua says his Imagination has grown a lot stronger since you've been here; maybe someday he will wield a keyblade. Only time will tell, I guess. Be sure to visit sometime; I'm sure everyone will want to see you again.

The signature was a graffiti-esque cat's face rather than a name, but Sora knew who it was from. Stuffing all of the contents carefully back into the box, Sora picked it up and began to head upstairs. "Mom, I'm ganna write them back. Call me down when lunch is ready!"

"Okay, dear."

With a grin, Sora raced up the steps, placing the box on his bed before whipping out a pen. Roxas appeared leaning against the wall and smirked. "You sure have a lot of friends there," he said.

"You do too," Sora pointed out as he clicked his pen open. "What should I write to them…"

"A thank-you is kinda necessary," Roxas suggested. "Or maybe you could tell the what you've been up to lately."

The keyblade master chewed on the end of his pen for a moment before finally resting it on the paper and writing.

"Nice job you guys!" Neku said, grinning as he set the microphone back onto its stand. "If we keep going at this rate, our concert will be a huge hit!"

"I told you I'm good with drums, yo!" Beat replied.

Nearby, Shiki pulled the guitar off of her shoulder and placed it on its stand. "Eri's making us some outfits for the big day," she said. "I've gatta go over and help her after dinner so they'll be done on time. How about you guys?"

"I'm ganna go home with Beat," Rhyme said, turning off her bass guitar and placing it carefully in its case. "I still need to practice a few chords and stuff."

"Are you kidding?" Neku exclaimed. "You were great, Rhyme!"

The little girl blushed. "Thanks."

A familiar set of footsteps made their way into the small garage where the setup had been placed. "How goes the practice, Players?" Hanekoma called.

Neku grinned. "We're doing great, Mr. H! Thanks for helping sponsor us."

"No prob," the graffiti artist replied, waving casually. "Joshua did a bit of imprinting in the UG to help spread the word about your band just yesterday, so I had a bit of help."

"Is imprinting really the best way to do advertising?" Shiki questioned.

Hanekoma shrugged. "Only thing he did was point two or three people to some advertisements. He's pretty busy with the Reaper's Game lately, so that's all he had time for, but word traveled around really fast and now Makoto's boss wants to help sponsor you, too."

"That's great!" Rhyme exclaimed.

Beat threw a triumphant fist into the air. "We'll be on the charts in no time!"

Neku grinned, placing his hand in his pocket. As much as he still disliked Joshua, he had to thank him for something like that, however small it was. The fact that Makoto's boss was sponsoring him was huge; they must be better than they thought.

"Oh, by the way…" Hanekoma fished a small folded slip of paper out of his pocket. "I got this from Cid just an hour ago. It's addressed to you guys."

"Cid?" Neku echoed, running forward and taking the letter from Mr. H and unfolding the paper. He read the first line, and a bright smile appeared on his face. "Guys, it's from Sora!"

Rhyme rushed over before the others could even move. "Read it! Read it!"

"Okay, okay," Neku said, chuckling as he began to read. The letter was in messy print, but it was quite readable compared to Beat's so-called handwriting.

Hey guys, how are you? I can hardly believe it's been months since I've been to Shibuya. I tried playing Tin Pin Slammer with Riku a while after I got back, and he kicked my butt. He kicks my butt at everything. I got your package just today, you guys are the best! How's your band? I bet you guys never knew Neku could sing. There haven't been any problems with heartless or nobodies since I got back, so most everything is peaceful. It's really quiet here on the islands, and there's no music in the background, so I'm usually playing my CD player in my room. I'm planning on paying Shibuya a visit soon, and when I do I'll see if I can bring Riku and Kairi along with me. See you guys soon! –Sora

"Sounds like he's doing great," Shiki noted.

"Hang on a sec," Rhyme interrupted. "There's another note."

"There is?" Neku asked, looking back and noting another letter underneath Sora's this one written in neater handwriting. "Well, what do you know…?"

Sora went to go play with his gifts because he was so excited. Now he's exhausted, so he went to bed and left me with the pen and paper. He's so bad at writing letters, so I think I'll add this in for him and fill in a few blanks.

Beat: Sora adores the skateboard you got him, and he had a great time riding it around the skate park. He gave me a turn on it, too…well, sort of…and it rides really well. He thought the design on the bottom was a professional one when he saw it. Are you an artist?

The skateboarder looked away when everyone glanced at him, and Neku kept reading.

Joshua: You sound pretty busy, but don't worry about not getting Sora anything. He says you've given him plenty already, and you've given a lot to me, too. Thanks.

Hanekoma grinned. "I'll pass on the message," he said, even knowing Sora wasn't there to hear him.

Shiki: You seriously are going to be Shibuya's number one fashion designer one day. Sora's expression when he saw the jacket was priceless. Knowing him, he'll probably wear it everywhere for the next week or so. He likes it that much. His mom asked him what store you got it from, and she was blown away when he told her it was hand-sewn.

The seamstress smiled warmly.

Rhyme: The keychain is beautiful. Sora has a small collection of keychains on his wall from his other adventures – he's collected them even before then, too – and he was about to place it in a special case of his when he found out that the keyblade accepted it. I'll have to coax a picture out of him, but he blushes whenever I mention it. Right now he has your keychain looped on his fingers. Every now and then his fingers will twitch and the bell rings. It's really pretty.

Rhyme giggled shyly, her cheeks turning red. Neku had seen her the other day rushing into the 104 tower with wide eyes and a pale face; she must have been in a huge hurry. Now he knew what she had bought him.

Neku: Sora really likes the albums you got him. We were both listening to yours, though, and it just blew our minds. You're totally destined to be a top-notch band. Let us know when your concert is and we'll see if we can make it over. Cid'll probably be stingy about letting us use the Gummi Ship for something like that, but he knows how important Shibuya is to us now, and we can always get Yuffie to worm it out of him.

Neku couldn't help but laugh at the comment. Yuffie didn't come off as that kind of person, but he could tell that the ninja had a very good knack for getting under people's skin and using it to their advantage.

Mr. H: I really agree with you, and I personally don't think that day is too far off. Sora wonders what'll happen when that day finally comes, but he never thinks about it too much. After all, we'll never know for sure until the time comes.

"…what?" Neku echoed as he finished the letter. "What's he talking about?"

"Something important between him and me, I'd imagine," Hanekoma said vaguely.

To everyone: Take care in Shibuya. I know it gets chaotic, but you can do it. Good luck with your dreams! –Roxas

Immediately upon hearing the sender's name, Beat jumped back and whimpered. "The ghost wrote us a letter?!"

Neku rolled his eyes. "I explained this already," he said. "Roxas isn't a ghost."

"Do you think he'll really come back?" Rhyme asked.

"Of course he will," Hanekoma assured them. "Sora's not the kind of kid that'll go back on his word."

Of course not, Neku remembered. He keeps his promises. Right up until the bitter end, I'd bet…

After sorting out a few more contest details with Hanekoma, the group began to pack up and head home. Neku thought he caught Rhyme staring out at the sky for a moment and walked over to her. "Something wrong?"

"No," the girl said simply. "I was just looking at the sky. I don't think it's ever looked like that before."

When Neku looked up, he saw what she was referring to. While it looked the same to his eyes – the nighttime Shibuya sky was the same as it always was – but he viewed it differently in his mind. Before, he thought nothing of it, but now the sky seemed so much more important to him, now that he knew that countless other worlds were out there, and at any given moment, Sora could be on any one of them, just like he had appeared in Shibuya one moment and vanished the next. "You're right…" Neku muttered. "It is different."

"Rhyme! Come on! You don't wanna be late for dinner, yo!"

"Patience is a virtue, Beat," Rhyme called, turning to Neku. "I gatta go. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Got it," Neku replied, waving as the girl jogged off to walk home with her big brother. Once everyone was finally out of sight, he sighed and headed inside, going up to his room and flopping onto his bed. He had settled for an instant microwave dinner before rehersal, so he could head straight to bed without being pestered by his parents to eat. He stared at the many posters on his wall: some were of CAT's work, others were of various bands he favored, and there was also a small box of familiar pins on top of his dresser, on top of which were two pins in particular: one with a skull-and-crossbones mark and the other with no decoration whatsoever. Standing next to the box of pins was a photograph of him, Shiki, Hanekoma, Beat, Rhyme, and a certain keyblade-wielding boy, all standing in front of the statue of Hachiko.

Smiling, Neku pulled off his headphones and placed them on his bedside table before turning off his lamp and nodding off to sleep.

The End.