Whew...back from Sakuracon, and it was a blast! Beware of Shark also got runner-up for best laugh in the fanfic contest.
I'm exhausted...but here's chapter 27!
Chasing The Truth
By FlikFreak
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Just Another Tool
"Lord Meyxours…the Composer has left Shibuya."
Meyxours quirked an eyebrow. "Is that so? What is the state of things there?"
Jaxuk bowed lowly. "Far more chaotic than usual. Everything is out of control. Until things calm down there, I'm afraid we will not be able to obtain…"
"…I see. With our access blocked, we will have to hunt down the Composer as well. I wonder why Shibuya has not caved in on itself?"
"The proxy, sir. We think it may be him."
"I see…and what of the girl?"
"Awakened. She will be a nuisance if she remains that way."
Meyxours nodded. "Very well…initiate the plan, Jaxuk."
Jaxuk bowed and gave his superior a bloodthirsty smile. "With pleasure, sir. Soon, all of the actors will be in place…"
"Joshua?" Neku cried. "What are you doing here?!"
"Did you miss me?" Joshua replied. "Shibuya's been rather lonely without you, you know.
Riku gawked and spoke before Neku could come up with a retort. "You're the guy that helped us past security at the concert! I knew you knew Sora, but I had no idea you could…"
Joshua shrugged. "Like I said, I hate working up a sweat."
Neku crossed his arms. "Why do you keep showing up?" he demanded.
The composer made a little smirk and pushed his hair out of his face like he always did. "Well, I could be your little guardian angel, hehehe."
"That's not funny," Neku snarled, "And you're the last person I'd want to be my so-called guardian angel." Besides, Ventus is actually doing a pretty good job of that as of late…
Thanks, I guess.
Neku nearly jumped out of his skin. Gah! You're still there?!
Sorry. I can't exactly hop out whenever I want to. If anyone saw me I'm pretty sure it'd cause uproar.
Please tell me I'm still in control.
One hundred percent. Right now I'm just a voice in your head.
Gee, that's a relief.
It's no fun for me either.
"Would someone mind telling me who this lad is?" Jack said, intervening.
"You may call me Joshua," the platinum-blonde boy replied, grinning.
Jack quirked an eyebrow oddly. "Old friend of yours, Sora?"
"Sort of," the brunette replied.
Jack nodded. "Well, then, Joshua," he began, "You may refer to me as Captain Jack Sparrow. And if you don't mind, I don't take any free passengers on this ship, so I'll be having you work, thank you. We'll be heading off."
Neku fully expected Joshua to protest to being under someone else's leash, but he went to work with the rest of them without complaining. He began to believe that it was partially due to Joshua knowing the rules of the outside worlds, and he wasn't to reveal his identity. While the group traveled over the sea, Jack finally allowed them off their posts and they made for the cabin while he kept steering on deck.
It was then that Joshua requested Neku and Sora's attention, and naturally everyone else listened as well.
"What do you want this time?" Neku grumbled.
But Joshua didn't smirk. He didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. His face was dead serious, and his tone of voice was matched perfectly. "Shibuya began to act up not long after your little disappearance, Neku. Luckily nothing serious has happened, but it's been hard keeping the noise under control."
"Under control?" Sora echoed. "I know they missed a lot of chow time when the heartless were around, but…what's going on?"
"Shibuya's music," Joshua began, "Has been pulsing abnormally."
Neku felt an emotion akin to alarm flare in the back of his mind. No. If anyone would even dare to harm Shibuya… "What do you mean, abnormally?" He demanded, doing his best to keep his voice monotone and calm as possible, but there was still anger seeping through.
Joshua noticed, as implied from his stare, but didn't respond to it. "Immediately after you left, it seemed to rise in volume and fluctuate. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was looking for you."
"Looking for me?" Neku echoed. "Why?"
"Your home is Shibuya, right?" Sora suggested. "Maybe that had something to do with it."
"That's right," Joshua replied. "As my proxy, Neku was actually a very, very important individual in Shibuya. That means he is closely tied to it."
The feeling came again, and Neku almost took a step back. Just what was Joshua getting at…?
"As Shibuya's Composer," Joshua continued, "I naturally have authority over what happens in the city. I could erase it at the snap of a finger if I so desired it. In spite of this, the fluctuation of music is far beyond my control. It should be my responsibility to guard Shibuya, but all of my efforts to sedate these recent events have not once worked. The music only began to calm after Neku was absent for several long hours, and even then the anxiety will not leave entirely."
"A world is a sentient entity," Riku muttered, crossing his arms and staring at the wooden floor. "Worlds have hearts just like people do. If Neku leaving caused Shibuya to act up like you're saying it is…"
"Then I need to go back," Neku said, "Don't I?"
"No," Joshua replied. "Not now, Neku. I know about your situation with the Zoners, and bringing them to Shibuya could be disastrous. Besides, I'd like to ask you something."
"One condition," Sora interjected.
Joshua was caught by surprise; a rare event. He gained his usual smirk and brushed some hair out of his eyes. "Oh? Putting strings on this? That's unlike you, Sora. Do you not trust me?"
"Well, you did kill me," Sora admitted, "But that doesn't make me not trust you. I know why you did it. I just want to know what's going on with Rhyme. I think we have a right to know."
"But I thought you already figured it out," Joshua replied. After a short silence involving Neku giving the hardest glare he could to the Composer, Joshua shrugged. "Fine. I'll tell you once we finish my end of the deal. Have you been hearing music, Neku?"
He sure gets to the point, Neku grumbled. "Yeah. Sort of."
"Shibuya's music, to be exact?"
"Yep."
"How often?"
"Only under certain circumstances."
Joshua seemed contemplative. Neku felt something prod at the back of his mind, but he ignored it. After a few moments, Joshua crossed his arms. "Care to tell me what those circumstances are?"
At this Neku hesitated. He trusted Joshua, sure, but how was he supposed to explain the keyblade? It showed up whenever it wanted to, which was usually when he was in some serious danger. He took a deep breath. "Basically, it kind of decides on its own when to show up." He was going to leave it at that when Joshua gave him an inquiring look. He sighed.
You know, you might as well tell him. He might be able to help.
That egotistical bowl of snot?
Yes, him. I mean, he is the Composer.
Good point…ugh… "Usually when I'm in danger…it'll show up on its own."
"Think you can make it happen again?" Joshua suggested.
"Probably," Neku replied, "But I'm not entirely sure how."
"Imagine the danger," Riku said suddenly. All eyes turned to him, and he stood from where he had been leaning against the wall. "That's usually the most effective way. It knows it's not being deceived, but it also knows what you want it to do."
Joshua turned back to Neku and placed his hands in his pockets, giving him a straightforward look. "I'm waiting," he said simply, crossing his arms in impatience.
Neku took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes, conjuring an image of a dragoon nobody, or maybe one of those berserkers. He felt his fingers began to tingle, and the sound of war drums entered his ears before a quiet chorus of voices began to sing.
Yo ho, all together…
The tingling grew stronger and his fingers began to spread outward. A calm flow of energy came to his heart. Some unseen force began to drag his arm upward. Though Neku didn't see it, there was a small flare of energy in his hand beginning to spark to life.
Hoist the colors high…
His arm reached outward, and the flow of energy grew stronger. The flare brightened, and its color began to waver unstably. Joshua watched, eyes narrow in thought. The song in Neku's ears…no, it was in his mind. It began to pulse with life, and grew louder. Had it been his ears, it would be deafening, but since it came from within it didn't harm him…it empowered him.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars…
The energy flared out of his hand and elongated into a familiar shape. The sensation in his hand grew strong and his senses flared to life, every sound reaching his ears. The scent of wood filled his nostrils, and he could even feel the staleness of the air and the warmth coming from the lit lanterns across the room. But this time, something was different…he could feel something else with his mind. Something he wasn't sure of.
Never shall we die…
Neku's eyes snapped open to see Music of Shibuya in his hand, clutched tightly in his fingers. Joshua had an expression close to shock on his face. Neku hardly noticed the world around him; it took a few moments to adjust to the keyblade's power and regain his mental balance. The Composer seemed to know when he was done experiencing inward vertigo and his stern expression became even more severe. "Just as I thought," he said. "Neku, do you realize what that is?"
"A keyblade, I think," Neku replied.
"That's precisely what it is," Joshua replied. "A keyblade is technically a manifestation of power, only bestowed on the worthy. It's easier to access your heart's power if your heart has been unlocked. I never told you this, but I made sure to lock yours after your final Game so that no harm would come to you. Your contact with Sora seemed to weaken that lock a little, though it looks like someone has finished it off recently."
Neku felt Ventus shifting awkwardly in the back of his mind, but heard no comment. He would have ignored it anyway, as Joshua's own words gave him quite a shock. "What do you mean…? Why did you-"
"I thought you wanted to know about Rhyme," Joshua replied, avoiding the subject. "I've asked my question and I've got my answer. Now I'll answer yours. Rhyme isn't any different now than she was before."
"Liar," Neku grumbled under his breath, disgruntled at both being cut off and by the vague answer.
Joshua laughed. "I heard that. But I guess I owe an explanation anyway. When Sora allowed her contact with the keyblade, he allowed her to come in contact with his heart and, subsequently, something that was once her entry fee."
"Rhyme doesn't have a heart?!" Riku blurted. "What the hell?!"
"She has a heart all right," Joshua corrected, "And a powerful one at that. Her entry fee for the Reaper's Game was lost forever after she was erased: ambition, dreams, call it what you want. The keyblade may have done something to her in the process, and that combined with the shock of the first contact sent her into that coma. She's fine now, although I'd wager that the people in Radiant Garden are noticing a few…differences right about now."
"That's not funny," Sora growled. "She's not hurt, is she?"
Joshua shook his head. "No, not hurt. Maybe feeling a bit ill if anything. Or should I say…sensitive?"
Sora stared blankly. "What…?"
Sensitive…he's got to be kidding.
Got any ideas?
Hopefully I'll be right…the only alternative is way too dangerous.
"We'd better get back up on deck," Joshua said, changing the subject suddenly. "I doubt our Captain can dock this thing by himself." And with that he walked out the door.
Riku stared at the door before rolling his eyes. "Is he always like that?"
"He tends to be a lot worse," Neku replied in distaste. "If Shibuya's been acting up, I can understand why he's uptight, but there's obviously something else bothering him."
"You think?" Axel said. "He's been giving you a weird look ever since he walked…well, jumped on the boat."
Neku blinked. He hadn't even noticed; he was so intent on listening to what Joshua was explaining for once. "What…kind of look?"
"Hell if I know," the redhead replied, making for the door. "I can't tell if he was suspicious, mad, or worried. Kinda seems like a little of all three." With that, he went outside, Riku following closely behind.
Sora stared blankly. "Odd. Not every day Axel says stuff like that." He then blinked and shook his head a few times.
"Why's that?" Neku asked, knowing that it wasn't Sora that had spoken but leaving the issue for later.
There was an instant of silence before Sora shrugged. "Roxas says Axel is only like that when he's dead serious…and that's not very often. Come on; we'd better go help Jack." He exited.
Neku sighed, starting forward when he heard something shuffle behind him. He turned, expecting to see Bolt heading out to follow, but the dog was instead staring wide-eyed at a deep blue light in the air. Neku's own expression changed. "What the…"
The light shifted, changing into the vague image of a girl roughly Shiki's age. He couldn't make her out very clearly – her image flickered very unstably – but he knew she was no enemy. "There you are," she said, sounding out of breath. "And he's safe. Good."
There was a wash of warm light and Neku stumbled back as Ventus appeared in front of him. "What are you doing here?!" The ghostly figure demanded, struggling to keep his voice quiet. "You're supposed to be-"
"Rhyme is out of control," the girl replied. "She'll hold off anyone that tries to attack her for a few minutes, but it won't be long before it gets dangerous for everyone. I'm using what time I have to warn you."
"What?!" Neku cried. "What's wrong with Rhyme? What do you mean she's out of control?!"
The girl ignored him. "Ven, have you found Naxeyv yet?"
"He ran," Ventus replied, "But we know where he is."
"Then finish up and haul your butt back to Radiant Garden," the girl said frantically. "There are Nobodies all over the place. If we don't do something soon then something's going to destabilize entirely: Rhyme, Shibuya, or everything."
Shibuya? Neku echoed mentally. What does Shibuya have to do with all this? Why isn't anyone giving me any answers?!
"I'll do what I can," Ventus said. "Make sure Rhyme doesn't turn-"
"She already has, Ven. There's no time to lose. Destroy Naxeyv and get Neku over here." With that, she vanished.
Neku made a connection very, very fast. He stared at Ventus in disbelief. "It can't be…"
"What?" Ventus said.
He couldn't bring himself to say it. He turned around, fists clenched. Rhyme was in trouble, that much he knew. So was Radiant Garden. But for those two to talk about him like that…it was far too familiar. He had been through something very much like this before.
"Neku-"
"Leave me alone," Neku replied darkly, shooting a glare at Ventus. "I'm not a baby. I can get to the gardens on my own without your help." And with that he walked outside, ignoring Ventus's protest.
"She's not calming down by much," Aerith said, attempting to hold Rhyme steady. The girl was sitting on the bed, shivering as though she had been stuck in a freezer. "The resonance that caused her coma may be related to this."
Shiki bit her lip. "Can't we do anything?"
"No," Aerith replied, standing. "There's absolutely nothing I can do."
Shantotto, whom had swapped places with Yuffie, crossed her arms. "I never thought I'd say this, heaven forbid, but her condition looks to be even beyond Yen Sid."
Freya gave Shantotto a stern yet frightened glance. Shantotto was an extremely powerful magician herself, but even she could never hope to compare to Yen Sid. If Rhyme's condition was so severe…would there be any hope at all?
Beat was unusually quiet. He placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Rhyme…" he said quietly. "You gonna be okay. I swear."
Bur Rhyme's eyes were blank, staring at the floor. Her lips were muttering something, but it wasn't entirely audible. Finally, she picked up her knees and buried her head behind them. "I'm scared…"
"There's nothing to be frightened of," Freya said, though she knew there was little comfort to be had. "Nothing can enter here without our knowing."
"Can't you feel it?" Rhyme insisted. "It…it's making my head hurt…" She seemed to sink lower. "It's like I'm drowning…I can hardly breathe…"
Freya immediately knew what was happening to Rhyme. She stood. "Shantotto, Aerith, you need to leave immediately. Replace Leon and Kairi."
Aerith nodded quietly and stood, though she looked rather flustered. Shantotto, however, didn't take well to being given orders. "May I remind you that I am ambassador, and you've no right to give me commands, whatever for?"
The dragoon gave the small woman a look that would have peeled paint. "Lady Shantotto, I think I may know what's causing this. If you and Aerith leave, or at least distance yourselves from her for now, it may help relieve Rhyme's condition."
Shantotto paused, a realization coming over her face, and nodded. "Very well." And she left.
Sure enough, a few moments after they left, Rhyme calmed slightly. Freya uncrossed her arms and stared in concern. "I was right," she muttered. "But how? She's only a human…"
But something was different. Something was very, very different.
How's Rhyme?
She's fine, at least for now. There's an aftershock, but I think that dragoon caught on to what was making it worse. A bit of my power managed to help, thankfully.
That's good…
Why the long face?
Neku doesn't trust me anymore. I know it was an emergency back when you contacted me, but now he thinks we're…
I'm sorry, Ven.
It's going to take a lot to win back his trust. I told you I don't like doing this.
I don't either, but it's better than being stuck here, and you know what will happen if those Zoners…
Yeah. I know. But still…I feel bad.
There's nothing we can do. Go keep an eye on him, but if you're that nervous don't let him see you.
Yeah…
And Ven?
Hm?
…Good luck.
Thanks.
He couldn't stay out of Shibuya for very long, but he also knew that his presence was needed here. Joshua stared out at the open sea while he pondered this. Without a Composer, Shibuya would surely perish, but when the music had gone beyond his control, he had a feeling he knew what was behind it. That power that his proxy had finally found within himself…he had sensed it when they first met at Udagawa, and it had grown tremendously. Neku Sakuraba…he's special, alright.
The cabin door slammed closed and a familiar boy stomped out, his usual glare locked on the ground. Joshua sensed that the music around the boy had gone in disarray; something had severely upset him.
Joshua gave Neku his usual grin and approached. "We can't do anything to speed up the ship, I'm afraid. You'll just have to sit tight before you can have your fun with Naxeyv."
"I'm tired of being used," Neku replied blandly.
Oh. So that's what this was about. Joshua leaned over the rail next to his former proxy. "If anyone else had been my proxy for the game, Neku, Shibuya probably would have-"
Neku shook his head. "I'm not talking about the stupid game. This whole mess with the Zoners, the nobodies…I thought Ventus was trying to help me. But he's not."
Ventus…that was a familiar name. So that's what he was doing nowadays. Perhaps Neku could use a bit of persuasion. After all, Joshua knew of all people that Shibuya depended on it. He glanced at Neku briefly. "Tell me why the Zoners were after you, Neku."
"Pfft. You should already know that."
As predicted. Joshua remained silent. Finally, Neku rolled his eyes. "Fine. They were using me as a power source to revive Organization XIII for some reason I'm probably better off not knowing. Now that they know I'm not going to help them, and I'm probably not capable, they're going to kill me."
"And if you don't kill them first?" Joshua said. He knew Neku had very different ideas of death, but he didn't particularly care.
Neku hesitated, looking flustered. In spite of how cute the expression was, Joshua didn't bother showing his amusement. This was far more serious than the Game had been, especially considering that Shibuya's fate wasn't his to decide at the moment. Finally, the boy spoke, one hand coming up to rest on his headphones. "They'll either kill me," he began quietly, "Torture me into helping them, or they'll find another power source…and I have a feeling the one they're thinking of isn't one they have a right to use."
Joshua grinned. Now they were getting somewhere. "How much do you know about Sora's own adventure?"
The ex-player glanced at Sora, whom was busy climbing up one of the rope ladders. Bolt was barking at him playfully, and the brunette stopped to tease the dog a few times before abandoning his previous task and descending to play with the canine. Neku shrugged. "He said that the heartless destroyed his home world two years ago, right when the keyblade chose him. He ended up with two of the king's servants, whom told him he'd be able to find his friends, but they were more concerned with finding the king. After he took down the leader of the heartless, he ended up being manipulated via memory in a place called Castle Oblivion, and after that Organization XIII used him to gather hearts."
"And how do you condense that into less than ten words?" Joshua said.
Neku paused, staring at the sea. "He was being used."
"And?"
"…and apparently it didn't bother him," Neku added after a moment. He began to smile. "I can kind of see why. All these different places and people…it is pretty amazing. Scary, but amazing. Plus, he wanted to find his friends. And there was that promise to Kairi, too." He looked upward at the stars. "He said his home world came back, but he didn't go back there until Organization XIII was gone. I guess he thought he had a responsibility."
There we go. On the right track again. "That's right," Joshua said, pushing his hair out of his way like he usually did. "And if he hadn't done what he did, many worlds would probably not exist right now, including Shibuya."
"Wha…?"
"Sora has a very heavy responsibility," He continued. "The keyblade master, if I'm not wrong, is directly tied to Kingdom Hearts itself. Sora has been within its depths once, though he might not have been thinking clearly enough to comprehend it at the time, and Riku himself has been inside it twice: once alone, the second time alongside his friend. As the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts holds a great amount of power and knowledge, more than every composer combined. Every world is tied to it, even Shibuya. Sora alone is charged with protecting Kingdom Hearts, and even knowing that he was being used, he never once failed in two long years."
"How does he stay so cheerful?" Neku asked no one in particular. "A promise alone can't keep that up…"
Joshua shrugged. "He's generally an optimistic person," was his reply. "But he did meet his own moments of depression, I'm sure."
Neku sighed. "Look, Joshua. I don't know if I'm up for this. I don't want anyone getting hurt, sure, but I don't like being anyone's tool either way. And even then, I might not be strong enough."
At that, Joshua nearly spat with disgust. After all this time, Neku was still pulling that on him? "Dear, dear Neku…you do realize why I chose you as my proxy, correct?"
The boy tensed considerably. "What's that got to do with this?"
"You have an incredibly powerful Imagination, Neku," he continued, smirking at Neku's confused expression. In spite of its importance, this was rather amusing. "In the game, you were able to use any pin you found with no difficulty whatsoever. You took down nearly every Reaper thrown at you and erased a good number of them. You were even able to defeat Kitaniji when he had absorbed not only my power, but that of your friends as well. And, probably the most important of all of it, you have the ability to summon Noise without being a reaper."
Neku stared at Joshua like he grew five heads. It was highly amusing. "Wha…summon noise? When did I do that?"
"We're here!" Sora shouted. "The Isla De Muerta!"
Ah, perfect timing as always. Joshua stood up and headed across the deck. "You might want to get ready to land, Neku. I hope you're ready."
Neku already was. His gaze was stern, and his fists were clenched. His music had set itself to a determined, high-speed pace. Joshua grinned. There we go. All better. "By the way…you should take this." He tossed a small round object at Neku.
The proxy caught the object with relative ease. "…a pin?" he said. "But…I don't recognize this one. It looks kind of like Rhyme's noise pin, but...it's different."
Joshua smirked. "It's a special pin I had made in the case of an emergency," he replied, "Besides, I would have given you a player pin, but you don't need one to scan."
"…say what?"
"We'd better get going, Neku. Can't keep Naxeyv waiting, can we?"
Neku glared at Joshua like there was no next Tuesday, but the Composer didn't mind. No explanation would be needed; he was confident Neku would figure this all out.
After all…he is my proxy.
Zoners:
The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI)
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII)
