Wishes
Fandom: The World Ends With You (TWEWY)
Pairing: Neku/Joshua
Setting: Post-game, takes place after "Purification"
Summary: Joshua knew he would regret making that promise with the almighty daiyoukai, but he wasn't counting on the complications that followed it.
Stage 18 - The End (Option 1)
"Stop! I'll… I'll talk to him…"
Neku remained silent in response to the words, and Joshua heaved a heavy sigh once the words had been formed. Honestly, he hadn't really known what choice he'd make the second he opened his mouth, but he was glad to hear what he had just said.
Option 2… had that ever been a valid option?
He knew that he didn't have the strength or skills to surpass Neku—or Kurasa, whichever—so trying to stop him… was laughable. And besides, even if, by some miracle, he was able to win, the Kitsune had two older brothers who were much stronger than him, and one of them would be more than happy to take on the mission to deliver the Higher-ups Sanae's head, he knew…
Talking to Sanae… that was really the only "safe" option he had…
"…I'll talk to him…" Joshua repeated, refusing to look up to Neku. "I'll… he'll listen to me… I know he will…"
"…Good."
At that single word, Joshua blinked and looked up in surprise. In the few moments he hadn't been looking, the ice of Neku's eyes had melted, he had one leg slung over the other and his arms were crossed over his chest.
"…good?"
"I really wasn't looking forward to getting in a fight," the redhead said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Fun as an occasional squabble can be, there's a little too much resting on the outcome of the fight for my tastes." As he finished, he raised his arms and put his hands behind his head. "I'd much rather have this pass over quietly."
Joshua blinked a few times in confusion, before he sighed heavily in relief. "I… I see… th… thank you…"
"Hey, if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be me," Neku pointed out as he stood up, and Joshua looked up as he did. "If you'd picked option 2 I would've…"
Joshua blinked when Neku stopped talking suddenly and his expression turned… it wasn't what you'd call "sad", but it certainly wasn't a thrilled expression, either. It reminded Joshua of how he had looked on that night when Sakuraba Meiko died… like…
Like he was… lost…
"…Neku?"
The Kyuubi jumped, as though startled awake, before he shook his head. "Never mind… never mind, it's nothing."
Joshua knew it was a lie, and Neku was probably well aware that he did, but he chose not to say anything about it. Even if he questioned it, the fox wouldn't answer, anyway.
"…sigh… if you say so, dear."
"Don't call me 'dear'!"
"Hihi."
Joshua didn't know what effect his decision would have… but he trusted Neku. They were Partners, after all, and you were to trust your partner with your life.
But more importantly… they were friends…
"Hey, Jin, whatever happened to that girl you were with?" the redhead asked as he sipped a cup of coffee.
"…she's around," Jin replied without looking up as he worked quickly and efficiently on the reports in front of him, occasionally changing something in them. Given the ease and speed with which he worked, it was almost impossible to believe that the brunette had never actually worked on anything like this prior to becoming the Conductor. Not that anyone really knew of that, of course.
Ichi hummed softly, sipping the bitter liquid every now and again. He was sure that Jin was well aware he wasn't his Master, and yet the Conductor seemed to not see the need to say anything about it. He supposed it made little difference, but how could not help but think that Jin was difficult to get a good read on.
Ichi.
The redhead blinked once, his left ear (as human as it was) giving a small twitch, the action hidden by his hair. 'Yes, Master?'
Is he still there?
Ichi sipped his drink and looked to the side, toward the counter. '…Yes, Master. He is still here. He is reading the paper and drinking coffee, possibly waiting for customers.'
Good. Did you see the summons?
'It has been left on the counter, Master. Unopened and unnoticed.'
Take it and meet with the Composer outside. Pass it to him and then come to me.
'As you wish, Master.'
Ichi had no reason to question his Master's orders, and so he rose to his feet after finishing his drink and walked to the counter. He set the cup on the counter along with some money and turned to Hanekoma. "Hey, Mr. H, I gotta go. Beat said he had something important to show us," he said casually, his hand barely lingering on the counter after swiping the envelope.
"Heh. A'ight, Phones. I'll tell J ya stopped by when he comes back," the man said, not even noticing or caring about the missing envelope.
"Thanks, Mr. H. Ja ne."
With those words, Ichi turned and headed out silently, though he did glance to Jin before he went, but the Conductor had not even bothered to glance up. Satisfied, he stepped out into the streets and briefly shivered as the cold assaulted him. After adjusting his jacket better, he started walking, knowing blindly where to go… and stopped right in front of the Composer as he came around the corner.
"…Ichi?" Joshua asked in slight surprise, but Ichi didn't respond to the question and instead only reached into his pocket and held out the envelope to the ashen-haired Composer.
"This is the final summons…" he said solemnly as Joshua slowly took it. "Do with it what you must…" The Doll seemed to consider his words for a moment, before he bowed his head solemnly. "Farewell, Composer. We might not meet again," he said then and, without giving Joshua the chance to respond, he dashed past him.
And by the time that Joshua looked back, all he would see was a red fox darting across the streets, unseen by people, before it disappeared into an alleyway.
'…they were only foxes…?'
Joshua frowned in confusion, before he shook his head and turned ahead… to WildKat.
After a moment more of just standing there, he sighed and walked forward. Silently, he opened the door and stepped inside.
"Hm? Oh, hey Boss. 'Sup?"
Jin only briefly looked up to nod politely, and then he went back to his work. Joshua resisted the urge to sigh and turned to Hanekoma.
"Hey, Sanae… can we talk?"
"Hai! Irrashai—Kurasa! Well I'll be damned, how're you doing?" Ken laughed as the redhead entered the almost abandoned shop.
"Good to see you as well, Kunkai-san," the fox said as he took a seat at the counter. "So, how is business?"
"Haha! You should know," the shop owner laughed out. "You and that boy were the ones who helped me rekindle interest amongst people for the old fashioned ramen. Have to say, though, I almost didn't recognize you back then."
"I'm well aware. In fact, that was the point of my 'disguise'."
"Heh. Of course it was… So! Almost done with your latest mission, huh?"
"Yes. I will likely be leaving Shibuya for good today."
"That so, huh? That's a little depressing. You and your friends were my best customers, after all."
"I am sure you'll manage. I mean, you were able to survive this long in modern Japan, right? Not many of your kind would ever be able to stand the human race for so long."
"Hahah! Suppose you got a point there, kiddo. So, one last bowl before saying goodbye, huh?"
"If you don't mind…"
"Course not! So, what would you like?"
"Hmm… you know what? Surprise me!" the redhead said with a small smile. "I feel like this mission went off smoothly, and I need something fresh."
"Hah! Typical. Will do, kiddo."
As the shop owner got to work, the door opened barely a crack, allowing something to zip inside before it fell shut, and then the small creature hopped up onto one of the stools. Neku smirked as the fox sat there, before he asked casually with a nod: "I assume you've done as I asked?"
The fox merely yipped a few times with a small nod of its own.
"Good boy," the Kitsune said as he brought down his hand and let the fox walk up his arm to his shoulders, where the vulpine creature seemed to disappear.
"Finished with the last part of your mission, huh?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid… I still have one more thing to do."
"That so, hm?" the old man asked, before he walked over and handed the redhead a steaming bowl of ramen. "Here ya go, kid!"
"Arigato," the Kyuubi said with a small nod before he brought his hands together and murmured: "Itadakimasu," and then picked up his chopsticks without another word.
Ken waited a few moments for the redhead to eat before asking: "So, what do you think?"
Neku had to wait about five seconds before he was able to answer without a mouthful of noodles. "Mm! This is really good, Kunkai-san! Really good!" he said at last with a firm nod and a smile on his face. "Those people who walk by don't know what they're missing!"
"Wahahaha! Good to hear, kid!" the man laughed out, obviously proud of his work. "And of course these 'modern' folk wouldn't know; not everyone on this world lives for several dozen centuries, yanno?"
"Like us, you mean," the redhead chuckled, before he went back to his meal.
Getting Sanae to listen to reason was considerably harder than Joshua had anticipated. Sure, getting him to admit he had not gone to see the Higher-ups was easy — all he really had to do was question him about the letter that Ichi had given him earlier — but getting him to actually go was proving itself to be rather difficult.
"Sanae… don't you think you need to at least see them once?" Joshua asked with a small sigh. It wasn't that he was getting annoyed; it was more like worry about what Neku would do if Joshua failed to talk Sanae into going. Though he could not understand what reason Sanae had to not go…
He kept talking about that he had a valid reason, but when questioned about it, the Angel clamped up. It was most aggravating.
Sanae sighed as well and shrugged with one shoulder as he held up a hand. "Sorry, J. I just can't. Not yet, anyway. There's still some things that I need to make sure of before I can even consider going."
And there it was again… his so-called "reason" of needing to make sure of something. Joshua was beginning to have a feeling like that reason was going to be what kept this entire conversation where it was. He had to take out that reason to get Sanae to leave, but how was he supposed to do that if he had no idea what the reason was?
"You keep saying that… but really, what's the worst that could happen?" Joshua asked casually.
"Don't invoke Murphy's law, J," Sanae warned. "Before ya know it, ya might just have everything going off at once."
"… so what?"
Joshua and Sanae both blinked and turned to face the speaker at the same time, just as Jin capped his pen and flipped the folder shut. Only once he had tucked it back in his bag did he bother to look up to the duo.
"…whatever happens, happens," he stated simply as he stood up, picking up his cup as he did. "And fine, maybe you staying here is preventing it from happening, but that only means that the moment you do leave, everything will be coming all at once." As he set the cup on the counter, he said: "It's like building a dam. The longer you keep it there, the more water gets collected, and the moment you remove it…"
The brunette did not even bother to finish his words. Both Composer and Producer knew what he meant.
After a moment of silence, Jin finally turned to them and stated: "While I know I'm probably intruding on this conversation, I have to say this; just get up there, tell your story, and then get back. The quicker you deal with it, the better it will be in the long run."
Joshua was sure this was one of the few moments where Jin actually spoke more than a few words to anyone at once. And he had to admit, he was both impressed by his words and grateful for his "intrusion". He could already tell that Sanae was now seriously considering actually going.
"Sanae," he said finally, and he allowed a smile. "Really, it'll be fine. I don't know what it is you're expecting to happen, but I'm sure myself and Jin can handle things at least for a little while. And you know well enough what my new Conductor's capable of, hm?"
"…Heh. you got me there, J," Sanae said with a small chuckle. "A'ight, fine, you win. I'll head on up there and tell 'em what's what in 'bout an hour."
If Joshua had had any less self-control, he might've either jumped for joy or hugged Jin in thanks for the assist, but as it was, he merely smirked and said cheekily: "You better. If you're not there by then, I'll make sure they send someone to pick you up. Capish?"
"Hahah. Yeah, I got it, Boss," Sanae chuckled, before he headed into the back of the room.
Once he was gone, though…
"…Hey, Jin?"
"Yes sir?"
"Thanks," Joshua said sincerely to his Conductor. "I was almost afraid he wouldn't…" At this point, the Composer paused in thought, before he sighed. "Never mind. Just… thank you."
"…" Jin did not respond to the Composer's words right away, and he seemed to have been caught slightly off guard by the sudden display of gratitude. After a few moments, though, he nodded once and said: "You're welcome, sir."
"The power's yet unknown…
The power's yet unknown…"
Blinking, the nine tailed fox reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, flipping it open and putting it to his ear after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "Let's hear it, Kyuu; what's the sitch?"
"…he has just sent a message to above, sir. He claims he will arrive before the end of the day."
Neku chuckled lightly as he murmured: "Looks like he pulled it off…" before saying louder: "Alright, keep an eye on him for the time being. I'll be there in 10 minutes."
"Understood, sir."
And with that, the redhead flipped his phone shut again.
"Heh, almost done with your work, huh?" Ken asked good-naturedly.
"Yep. Shouldn't be much longer for things to settle down again," Neku quipped with a small smile on his face.
"Haha. Good for you, kid. I'm betting Kamui's gonna be thrilled, too."
"Nurgh… don't get me started on Kamui, please… I'm still angry with him for what he pulled last time…"
"Hm? Did he do something stupid again?"
"Like you wouldn't believe…" the redhead mumbled, before he picked up his bowl and quickly guzzled down the broth. "Whew! Well, I better get going… how much is it?"
"Ah, forget it, kid! Just get going."
"Huh? Um… you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Now git."
Neku seemed to hesitate, but finally he just smiled and said: "Thanks, Kunkai-san!" before hurrying out the door.
Udagawa was not a place where a lot of people passed by, even in broad daylight, and the few people that passed by rarely stayed for long. Most of the bikes parked there were either abandoned by their owners or dumped there by bicycle thieves. But despite its rather grim apparel, it housed some of CAT's most impressive pieces yet.
Which was exactly why said artist was there right then.
"There you are!" a familiar voice called out, and Sanae smiled as he turned to face Joshua and his Conductor as they approached. "I was almost afraid you ran off there, Sanae."
"Heh… wouldn't dream of it, J," the barista said with a small smirk. "I know those guys up there well enough; if I say I'm coming and I don't show, it'll be more than just my head that rolls."
Joshua chuckled a little at the quip, but Jin kept quiet. Which was expected, so Joshua did not bother saying anything about his Conductor's clear lack of interest as he asked: "If I may ask, though… why are you here?"
Sanae hummed in response as he considered how to answer, one hand on his chin, before he said: "Just making sure no one's been messing with my work, really. Would be a waste of all the time I put into it, after all."
Joshua nodded in agreement as he watched the graffiti-covered wall. While Sanae's style was much more abstract than Jin's, it was still impressive in its own right, let alone its subliminal messages of "enjoy the moment" and "gather here" had formed the backbone of Shibuya over the years. That was yet another reason why Joshua really didn't want to lose Sanae, but he supposed that he could only see the Angel off and pray that the Higher-ups would understand his reasoning.
Speaking of reasons, though…
"Sanae, I need to ask…" the Composer said, though he paused when Sanae hummed in slight question. "…why didn't you meet the Higher-ups much sooner? Surely, if you'd just gone to see them…"
The barista sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You got a point… and in hindsight, maybe staying here really was a huge mistake on my part…" he admitted. "But, really, the only reason I didn't go was 'coz I worried 'bout you, J."
"…? Me?" Joshua asked in surprise. "Why?"
It took a few moments before Sanae seemed to make up his mind and he briefly adjusted his shades. "Think it's about time you knew… You and me meeting? That wasn't coincidence, kid."
"…what…?"
"Truth is; I was requested by someone to keep an eye on you come what may. And, I admit, first few years were mostly out of that sense of obligation… but, well…" At this point, Sanae paused and chuckled. "Guy was right; 's kinda hard to not get attached to ya after a while."
'…it couldn't be… could it…?'
"…You want me to what now?" asked a voice little Joshua had never heard before then, and he peeked out through the sliding door curiously. Kura-niichan was there, and he was talking to a man little Joshua had never seen before; he had a surprised expression on his face and his black hair short and a little messed up.
"You heard me, Hanekoma," Kura-niichan said solemnly, his figure imposing as always. "Once I complete my mission, I want you to look after him for me."
"Kurasa, really now, I'm not a nanny, I've—"
"Hanekoma Sanae," the redhead snarled in a dark, almost deadly tone. "This matter is nonnegotiable, because I'm not 'asking' you. That's an order. Do you understand that?!"
The man cowered back at the cold words and for a moment, he looked ready to bolt, but, in the end, he clenched his fists and hung his head. "…I understand. Very well; I'll look after him."
Kura-niichan chuckled softly at the response and said casually: "Arigato. I suppose I owe you… oh wait… no I don't."
"…You make it sound like I ever had a choice."
"There's always a choice, Hanekoma," Kura-niichan said simply, but his voice sounded… alien to little Joshua. "They just don't all end in favorable situations."
"…Kura-niichan?" little Joshua called out as he stepped into the room, and the pair of men looked up in surprise. Kura-niichan was quick to respond to the "intrusion" with a smile that was oh so familiar to the small boy.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Yoshi. Did we wake you?"
"…uh-huh…"
Kura-niichan laughed softly and walked over to him before crouching down and kissing him to his temple. "I'm sorry, Yoshi. C'mon… let's get you back to bed, okay?"
"…kay," little Joshua said and allowed Kura-niichan to lift him up and carry him off. But as they went, little Joshua watched the stranger that Kura-niichan called "Hanekoma" one more time, before he disappeared around the corner.
"…Kurasa?" Joshua whispered softly under his breath.
The sudden utterance of the name made Sanae blink in surprise and, seemingly without thinking, he mumbled: "Eh… how do you even remember that?"
Joshua stared to Sanae for a moment, but before he could say anything…
"…Hanekoma," Jin said suddenly, which once more alerted the pair of Jin's presence (it really was hard to remember he was there when he didn't speak up). "…You may just want to look down for a moment…"
Sanae blinked with a quirked eyebrow, not too sure what the Conductor was getting at, but he did so anyway – and paled almost immediately.
When Joshua looked down as well, he understood why; nine long, writhing shadows moved about their feet at a leisurely pace, in an almost constant motion that seemed ready to swallow them all up if anyone so much as moved wrong.
"You really take the fun out of everything… do you not, Akataiyo?" questioned a familiar voice, but it was different from before, as it carried much more authority than Joshua had ever heard from him.
Silently, he looked up and mouthed the Kyuubi's name as he gazed upon the redhead where he sat, perched upon the wall behind Sanae. "Neku…"
Dressed in the same black and silver kimono as Joshua had seen him in so many times, there were only a few minor changes between this powerful being and the one whom Joshua had familiarized himself with over the past few months. The arms and legs had made place for powerful fox limbs, each ending in a claw with a set of razor-sharp nails, his body had broadened considerably, making him appear bigger and more muscular than ever before, his face covered by the Kitsune mask that he had worn when he "returned" to Shibuya, and all 9 tails swayed around him, his ears arching back slightly but catching every sound around him.
"Ku-Kurasa…!" Sanae choked out when he, too, lay eyes upon the Kyuubi.
"Hello again, 'Kitty-cat'," Neku said solemnly as he lightly drummed his fingers along his knee, and if Joshua had to guess, his face was likely a mask of its own; one of indifference. "It has been quite a while… has it not?"
The barista gulped once, and actually took a step back from the wall, as though that would somehow save him, but the Kyuubi did not move from his perch in the slightest. "Wh… why are you here?"
"…Is it not obvious?" the fox said solemnly, his fingers continuing their slow drumming along his own knee. "Since a certain someone has been refusing to come up and say that he has made a huge blunder any earlier, the brass up above have decided to make absolutely sure you actually showed yourself." When one of the Kyuubi's tails snapped at the air a little violently, Joshua realized the redhead was really peeved. "Plus, I have my own bone to pick with you…"
When Joshua heard those words, he found himself paling. "Wa-wait! That isn't what we—"
But before Joshua could finish that, the Kyuubi had vaulted himself off the wall and was right in front of Sanae in the blink of an eye. And then…
"OMAE WA BAKA!" the Kyuubi screamed as he promptly delivered a powerful karate chop to the Angel's head, who yowled out in pain and grasped his skull in both hands with a hiss of pain.
"…ouch," Jin said dryly in response to the chop, which made Joshua look over to his Conductor in slight annoyance.
Neku, however, snarled for a few moments, before he took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. "Whew! There. I feel much better now…" he mumbled as he rubbed his hand.
"Urgh… was that necessary?" Sanae grumbled out as he straightened up again while trying to get rid of the pain in his head.
"Just be glad it's me, and not any of the others. Kamui would've had your head rolling by now, and Niisama…" At this point, the redhead paused. "…let's not go into that, actually. I'd rather not know."
Sanae wordlessly nodded his agreement as he adjusted his shades again. "Really though, was that really necessary?"
"Yes. Yes, it was," Neku responded immediately, before he glanced down to his right palm. "Now, as fun as it would be to 'catch up', Hanekoma, I'm afraid I'm running low on time, so if you don't mind."
Upon hearing that, Sanae winced. "Ouch. They actually made it official, huh?" he mumbled, before he sighed. "Alright, Kurasa. Just… give me one minute, a'ight?"
"…Thirty seconds," the Kyuubi stated coldly, to which the barista sighed.
"A'ight, a'ight…" Sanae turned to Joshua and Jin, and gave a small helpless shrug. "Guess I'll have to be brief then. You boys take care of things while I'm gone, ya hear?"
Joshua merely chuckled. "No need to worry about that. We'll be just fine. And Shibuya as well."
"…Hm."
"Hahah, I'll take your word for it, then," Sanae said with a chuckle. "Though watch yourselves, too, a'ight."
Joshua smiled a little in response and nodded. "Will do. You take care, too."
Sanae looked like he was about to say more, but the Kyuubi interrupted him. "Time's up."
"A'ight, a'ight, I get it," Sanae chuckled out, before he sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. "You really haven't changed, have ya?" the Angel quipped, even as his wings unfolded and he turned into a ball of light that zipped up and disappeared into the heavens.
"…Haven't changed, huh?" Neku mumbled with a half-hearted chuckle as he shook his head. "First time someone's told me that…"
"…It all depends on how you look at it, Sakuraba," Jin said simply, hands in his pockets.
"…Heh, maybe so," the redhead mumbled as he removed his mask and ran a hand through his spiky hair, of which the tips were now white. After a moment more, the redhead finally turned to Shibuya's Composer. "Joshua."
"Yes, dear?" Joshua quipped with a small chuckle.
"Don't call—…sigh… whatever. Anyway, thanks. That went smoothly and, hopefully, since he went on his own accord, they'll be lenient up there," the fox said as he briefly cricked his neck.
Upon hearing that, Joshua quirked a curious eyebrow. "Oh? You mean if he hadn't gone, they would've not been?"
"Of course they wouldn't…" Neku grumbled. "You really think they would've let him off the hook easy if he had to be dragged up there?"
"…Hihi. Point taken."
Jin remained silent throughout it all, but after a few more moments, he opened his mouth: "…Why are you still here, Sakuraba?"
"…Heh. Always to the point, huh, Jin?" Neku chuckled out, before he turned serious, and his expression was similar to the one Joshua had seen on him that morning. "I am still here… to finish the last part of my mission…" the fox said solemnly, as all of his tails swayed behind him.
And in the next moment, as a burst of light blinded them both briefly, the daiyoukai's form had shifted into what could only be called a Noise form; tribal markings covered his bare skin, as his kimono and hakama had gone to be replaced by blood red fur lined by the same black markings.
"Show me, Composer! Show me if your heart has healed from the injuries you inflicted!"
There was no time to question the Kyuubi as both Composer and Conductor were drawn into the Noise's zone, but this time, something was different; both of them were in the same zone, facing off against the powerful daiyoukai. Though this startled them both, they quickly shook that away and focused instead on the Kyuubi.
"Show me what you've got…" the beast growled out, before it dropped down onto all fours and snapped its tails forward like whips.
Jin immediately back flipped out of range while Joshua spun on his heel, barely avoiding being hit. After exchanging both a glance and a nod, Jin punched the palm of one hand and then dashed toward the Kyuubi while Joshua armed his phone and pressed down on the buttons rapidly. And as he pressed the final button, a vending machine materialized above the fox, who was unable to dodge in time since he'd been trying to swipe at Jin.
Sadly, the fox didn't flinch from the hit, which made Joshua wonder if the hit was even doing damage. Jin, on the other hand, did not even bother with it and aimed a spin kick to the daiyoukai's face. While the actual kick was dodged, the burst of Imagination that followed after was faster and struck the fox to the jaw, forcing him backwards – right into a flying car that threw him against the wall.
Joshua breathed out in relief as the Kyuubi shook the stars away from his vision, before he frowned in confusion. He had never seen this form of the fox before, and despite how he and Jin were holding their own, Joshua felt like this was far too easy. He hadn't forgotten the difficulty that Sanae and he had had when Neku – or Kurasa, whichever – had first appeared, and compared to that, this fight was ridiculously easy.
'Something's not right… is he going easy on us?'
No answer to Joshua's question came, and just then the fox spun around and lashed out with his tails at Jin. The Conductor immediately leaped away – only to yowl as something sliced open his arm even though he had clearly been out of range of the tails.
"Jin!" Joshua shouted out as Jin landed a few feet in front of him.
"Ch…! It's his Dolls!" Jin snarled out. "They're attacking from his tails!"
The Dolls… of course.
Somehow Joshua wasn't as confused as he possibly should've been. Maybe because somewhere in the back of his mind, he had always known.
"Well… guess we have little choice… Jin-kun, would you mind?"
"Not at all, sir."
"Good. Then… fetch."
Jin crouched down low with his hands digging into the ground, and then he growled low in his throat with his teeth bared, that gradually got a more prominent "bite" to them, as a dark purple liquid slowly dribbled down his chin from the corners of his mouth. And as he twitched his fingers briefly, familiar tribal marks now covered his arms like a pair of claws that perfectly overlapped with his limbs, while at the same time, a tribal-like snake formed from his tailbone and it hissed angrily at the Kyuubi as Jin rolled up his sleeves, revealing the black markings shaped into wolf heads upon his shoulders. And then, Jin opened his mouth and released a furious, canine howl, which unleashed a powerful burst of Imagination, just before he lunged for the Kyuubi.
The daiyoukai growled and dodged to the side to avoid the swipe from Jin's large claws, only for its shoulder to be caught in the jaws of the wolf's head on the right, drawing a yowl from the fox. The lupine was able to lash out at the head to force it to let him go, so instead it lashed out with its tails. This forced the Conductor to let go and allowed the daiyoukai to dart backwards while continuously lashing out with its tails again.
Joshua only smirked as he saw the motions of the fox become slightly slower, before he regarded Jin's powerful Noise form.
It shouldn't have come as a surprise, and really it hadn't (to Josh, at least), that Jin's form had taken on the shape of the very beast he had once drawn to "protect" the Rubicon; Cerberus, the dog who guards the gates to the underworld.
After taking a deep breath, Joshua shut his eyes and focused all of his power to center upon him, and found that nothing was blocking it at all, and nothing was stopping it from responding to his call. First his wings formed, then they shifted so that they ran parallel with his arms, and then they curled around his arms entirely as he spread his arms wide once more as his own Noise form materialized.
As it did, however, he suddenly realized something; this would be the first time he ever used his own complete Noise form, ever.
He breathed in once, held it, and then exhaled, before he kicked off from the ground and spiraled upward into the air as Imagination coiled around him entirely. The surge of energy that surrounded him was like a veil and engulfed until a massive bird-like creature with its eyeless and mouthless head shaped like the head of a serpent hovered in place (*) As his form solidified entirely, his beat his wings once more and then released a screech that reverberated through the air and unleashed a blast of pure light at the Kyuubi just as Jin leaped away.
There was no way the daiyoukai could jump out of the way, and he howled in pain as the blast scorched a good part of his fur.
Joshua allowed a small, unseen smirk, and he thought to himself; 'I don't know what this is about… but I'll not let you have this victory just like that!'
"Goodness me… I certainly was not expecting this," Ruka murmured softly as he watched the fight continue on from within the LG.
He was sitting upon a nearby bench in said sub-realm, nursing a cup of herbal tea as he watched the three Noise forms dart back and forth in something akin to a dance, while Shibuya's Music played the tune to guide them. Unlike his little brother, Ruka could not hear the Song of the Composer and had to strain his senses to even remotely feel any sort of melody from a city, but Shibuya's Music seemed to call even to someone as unmusical as himself. It was truly inspiring.
Ruka took another sip of his tea as his smaller brother once more jumped forward into the fray. For the other Kyuubi, it was easy to see that the redhead was adapting his power to what was thrown at him. The more power was thrown at him, the more power he would throw back. It was an easy trick of reflection that Ruka had taught him shortly after the kit had come under his care, and it was not something so easy to figure out, especially in the midst of battle. While he was sure that Shibuya's new Conductor would be able to understand, again, it would take time.
"…Ruka-niisama… sh… shouldn't we… do something?"
"…What's your hurry, Kamui?" Ruka asked without ever looking over to the other youkai, who sat on his knees beside the bench, his head down but his eyes watching the same fight from under his bangs.
"…but… K-Kurasa is…"
"Doing just fine," Ruka said firmly as he shut his eyes and took a long sip. "Face it, Kamui; little Kurasa has finally grown up."
"…"
The other Kyuubi said absolutely nothing in response.
The power that the Kyuubi was giving off was almost surreal. Joshua had already known the Kyuubi to be strong, but this was just crazy. The Ninetailed Fox was bearing the brunt of all the attacks while at the same time countering with equal or more power than was thrown at him. This definitely complicated matters quite a bit, and Joshua wasn't certain if they'd win like this.
'…! Sir! Don't move!'
'What?!'
'Don't move! Please, just trust me, sir!'
'…alright.'
All three beasts leaped away at the same time… and then all seemed to stop.
Jin merely stood, with only his tail hissing angrily as all three heads glared.
Joshua hovered in place, barely needing to beat his wings to keep afloat.
And the Kyuubi remained with his tails primed and swaying ever so slightly, but nothing else.
'…why isn't he…?'
'…mirrors… that's what this was all about…'
Joshua didn't have time to question it, however, as Neku allowed a smirk and then stood back up onto his legs. "Congratulations, Josh; you pass!"
"…?! I what…?"
Neku merely chuckled as his Noise form faded away again. Seeing this, both Composer and Conductor also released their forms and watched the redhead with a hint of caution, but also confusion.
"What do you mean… I 'passed'?" Joshua asked finally as they were brought back into the UG.
"What? You forgot already?" Neku asked as he put a hand on his hip and fiddled with his spiky bangs. "I'm supposed to make sure the city stays safe when I leave. Meaning you'd need to be able to trust your Conductor to help you keep it that way." When he finished saying that, he allowed a small smile. "And you made a good decision in picking Jin for that role."
"…well… thanks, I guess?"
"…"
Of course, Jin said nothing in response to the words.
"Kurasa."
The Kyuubi's ears perked up at the call, and after blinking once, he turned his head.
"…? Niisama? Kamui? What're you doing here?" the redhead asked in surprise, cocking his head as the other Kyuubi approached.
"Is that not obvious, otouto?" Ruka said simply. "We came to pick you up. That is, of course, if you have finished your business here."
Neku frowned a bit and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "Really guys… I didn't need… …ah whatever. Just give me like… 5 minutes, a'ight?"
"You have got to be—OOMPH!" Kamui coughed out as he quickly covered his gut after Ruka had abruptly shoved his elbow into it, which earned a few chuckles from Joshua and also a half-smirk from Jin.
"Alright, Kurasa. Five minutes, but no more."
"I get it, I get it, esh…" Neku grumbled, before he turned and walked over to the Composer and Conductor. As he did, though, Joshua's amusement faded and Jin sobered up as well. It didn't take either of them long to understand what came now. "…well…" the redhead started, and, for a moment, Joshua could almost swear that he was a tad… uncertain. "I guess… this's 'farewell', then, huh…?"
"…"
Joshua didn't respond. He knew that what he said was true, as much as he wished it wasn't so. Neku… in the short period he had known the redhead, he had become almost a daily part of Joshua's life. But he'd always known they could never be together, either as friends or anything else.
Had Neku been born human, then someday, he would've died and left Joshua alone. Whether he had died a natural death or whether he had been killed, it wouldn't have mattered. Neku wouldn't have needed to play the Game again, given how much his Soul had been polished up during those three weeks he had spent there already.
And even now, when Joshua knew that the redhead had as much of eternity as he did, there was no way for them to be together in any way, shape or form. Joshua was only a Composer, and Neku–or Kurasa, but really though, what did it matter?–was a daiyoukai with enough power to rival Angels. Their worlds were simply too far apart…
…it was impossible…
"…yeah."
Neku did not say or do anything for a little while, before he gave a sigh and held out his hand to Joshua. Though this gesture was something he had not expected, Joshua didn't say anything about that, and instead brought up his hand and slowly took hold of Neku's and shook it solemnly. He knew it would likely be the last time he'd ever see the Kyuubi, but despite that thought, he was too scared to do what he really wanted to do, as he was not sure how it would be received.
But when he was about to let go, the Proxy tightened his grip briefly and yanked, making Joshua stumble forward with a yelp–
Which was immediately cut off by Neku covering his mouth with his own, as his free hand came up and kept the Composer's head in place. Joshua blinked once, then twice, before he finally just shut his eyes and let the Kyuubi do as he pleased, not even caring about the other foxes' reactions as he was a little preoccupied with more important things. And when the fox's tongue ran over his lips, he didn't hesitate and parted them to allow the daiyoukai entry, trying to suppress a wanton moan from spilling from his throat when that slick tongue played along the inside of his mouth. He was so lost in the feeling, that he didn't even feel the seals the Kyuubi had placed on him fading away until they had parted for air.
"…I'm afraid I don't have any wings to pluck feathers from…" Neku said suddenly, as he stepped back and reached up with both hands to run them through his hair – which made the strands grow both longer and smooth until the locks were as long as Joshua had remembered them to be when he was young. The redhead didn't give Joshua the time to respond as he reached into his left sleeve and pulled out a kris; a dagger forged into a zigzag pattern. "So this'll have to do," the redhead quipped as he grabbed all the locks of hair in one hand and then brought up the dagger as he pulled the many strands taut.
"Wh-whoa hold on–"
But the words came too late as the kris cut through the strands, separating them from the remainder of his hair. Joshua could only stare as the fox's long mass of hair had been reduced to spiked strands that barely reached his shoulders. Briefly, the Kyuubi ran his hand through the strands, and as he did, the strands on the side of his head spiked up into the style he had used for almost 20 years, while the rest remained smooth and hung down in his neck.
"Wh… why did you just…?" Joshua began to say, but his words died in his throat as the strands the Kyuubi still held ignited when Neku opened his hand.
The flames danced around for a few breathless moments, and then turned pure white and began to diminish again. Neku said nothing at all as he curled his hand shut again, fisted it for a moment, and then opened it again… revealing a silver pendant shaped like the emblem that Joshua recalled seeing on the Kyuubi's back, a silver chain linked through the small loop.
"Know it's not much… but 's the best I could do in five minutes…" Neku admitted as he scratched the back of his head, before he held out his hand with the pendant to Joshua.
Joshua blinked in surprise a few times, before he looked down to the pendant… and then he realized its significance…
"So… you're like… what? Pinky from some other world or what not?" the redhead asked with a furrowed brow as he fiddled with his bangs.
"Hihi… 'Pinky'? Really now , Neku, is that the best you can come up with?" Joshua chuckled out.
They had separated from the others a little while ago, and while Joshua was well aware he should not be wandering around aimlessly at this point, he couldn't help but be curious about this world's Neku. For some reason, this world's version of the redhead was hardly as "emo" as the one of his own and, in fact, seemed to enjoy hanging out with the "box of crayons", and Joshua couldn't be say why he was like that here and not in Joshua's own world.
"Oh screw you…" Neku grumbled out, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Joshua chuckled, before he sobered up. "Anyway, Neku, yes, that's one way of putting it. Does that bother you?"
"Nah, not really," Neku mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess… in a way it makes sense… I mean, everyone's always asking themselves like 'what if I'd done that?' or 'what if I'd said this?'. So if every choice was like a different world, I guess the number would be endless, right?"
"Hihi. Right you are." Joshua was impressed; Neku was a surprisingly deep thinker, and given how he spoke about it, he had possibly thought about this a lot even before he had met Joshua.
As they walked, though, Joshua noticed that the teen's expression suddenly became distant, as though he was recalling something he actually did not want to think about. And Joshua, being the curious person he is, just couldn't resist and reached out to Scan the redhead's thoughts. Which was much easier here, since he wasn't blocking people out.
Is there a world… where he lived…?
'…"he"?' Joshua frowned a little in confusion, and looked closely to Neku's expression. It was distant and empty, but not enough for him to jump into his memories. That wouldn't be a wise idea, anyway.
So, Joshua took a small detour.
"Hm… say, Neku? What do you think happens after death?" he asked, as though in passing, but the question caused Neku to freeze and then turn to him in alarm.
"…wh… why do you ask…?" the redhead asked, but Joshua kept a careful watch on his thoughts. Why is asking me about…? Ah hell… don't tell me he knows… shit!
"Oh, just curious. Everyone's got their own thoughts on the matter, and I was curious about yours."
"…don't really have one," Neku said curtly, his hands buried in his pockets. "What does it matter? Once you're dead, it's over, isn't it?"
It's not like he'll just suddenly come back from the dead somehow… and why would he anyway? To see me… his murderer?
Joshua did a very good job at keeping the surprise/shock off his face when he picked up the last part. He had always known he knew very little about Neku—both this version and his own—but he had been certain he had been well aware of the most important pieces.
This, naturally, was classified as "important"… and yet he had never even heard of it.
And he had to know… had to.
It was against the rules, and he'd be in SO much trouble if Sanae ever found out, but he was going to take that risk.
Joshua blinked his eyes once and then reached out again… but this time he went deeper…
Ooooy! You okay there?!
…shut up… talk about noise…
Oh! So you do talk! Almost thought you were mute there! Hehe!
…what do you want?
Well… you looked like something was troubling you, so I thought maybe I could help ya.
…wha…? Time out; you don't even know me and you want to 'help' me?
Well yeah. That's what friends are for, right?
…Now we're friends? Ch… stop bothering me…
Oy! Wait up!
Neku! Wait up already!
Not my fault you're too slow…
Hey!
…heh…
…oy…
Hm? 'Sup, Neku?
Could… could we meet me in Udagawa later? I… I've got something to tell you…
Wow! You're asking me to go somewhere?! Everyone run for cover! It's the end of the world!
S-shut up already! I'm serious!
Hehe. I know, I'm just joking. Sure! I'll be there. What time?
Around… 8:30?
You got it!
…Neku, honey, it wasn't your fault… Honey, talk to me…
…
Neku… say something!
…
Neku…
Joshua blinked once and his expression became solemn. The memory had been fuzzy around the edge, but that boy that Neku had hung out with… he seemed like the type of guy that could grow on you without ever trying hard. Brown, tousled hair and eyes the color of the clearest sky, which also happened to be his namesake, and a big grin on his face made it difficult to not smile around him. (**)
'So that's why…'
Neku had called him out that day… and in his hurry to get to Neku, the boy had gotten involved in an accident. One that he didn't survive…
Of course, it wasn't Neku's fault, but Neku's conscious thought otherwise. In Neku's eye; no matter which way you looked at it, it would always be his fault… and he would always be a murderer in his own eyes.
Joshua twirled a strand of hair around his finger in thought. How was he supposed to clear that up?
After a while, he realized there wasn't a way… but there was something else he could do.
"Neku."
"Huh…? What do you want n–"
The redhead didn't even have the chance to finish, since just as he turned to face Joshua, the silverette was right in front of his face and both his hands went around the other teen's neck, almost as though he was planning to pull him in for a kiss. This was enough for Neku to freeze up entirely, startled and a tad unsure, and Joshua could see his eyes darting across the Composer's face, possibly to try and figure out just what the hell he was doing. The Composer resisted the urge to smile cheekily, since he felt the boy's pulse pick up as his wrists touched the redhead's neck briefly.
It wasn't hard to figure out from the glimpse he had had of Neku's memories that that boy had been important. There had also been something in the back of his mind… something he had been trying to forget…
A quiet, unheard desire for more…
Click
"There," the Composer quipped as he stepped back again with a small smirk.
Neku blinked twice in response to the quip, before he became aware of a light weight upon his chest, making him look down. "Huh…? What's this for?" he questioned as he took hold of the shining white feather hanging from a chain around his neck.
Joshua giggled again, before he said: "You can consider that as a 'prize' for beating me earlier. Or, if you so wish, consider it a symbol of friendship. Take your pick which you want it to be."
The redhead regarded Joshua with a questionable look, and the silverette had a feeling he was itching to ask about that again (as he had the last three times they had spoken), but instead, he looked down to the feather and turned it a few times between his fingers.
And then he opened his mouth and said…
"'I'll consider it both, then'," Joshua said with a smile as he took the pendant from the Kyuubi's hand and blindly secured the chain around his neck. The weight that fell upon his chest was something he was certain he would not be able to forget anytime soon.
Neku merely smirked with a chuckle. "'If you say so, dear'."
Joshua chortled softly as he smiled at the Kyuubi. But before he could say anything else…
"Time's up, Kurasa," Ruka called out.
"Already? Aw come on!" Neku complained, but he only grumbled and spun around to walk back to his brothers.
And Joshua merely stood and watched, his amused expression fading away as Neku continued getting further and further away from him…
"…Sir." Joshua blinked and turned toward Jin when he spoke. The Conductor wasn't looking at him, though, and instead kept his gaze on the three Kyuubi. "…this could be your last chance. Whatever you want to do… it is best you do so now."
Though Joshua blinked in question upon Jin's statement, he quickly turned back to the Kyuubi to see that Neku had almost reached the others' side. Joshua blinked once, he could've sworn he blinked once, and then suddenly his body was moving before he had given it permission to do so, same with his mouth as it opened and he shouted out: "Neku!"
The redhead turned around at the shout in surprise, blinking, but before he could say anything, he choked in surprise when Joshua suddenly caught the Kitsune in a hug. The daiyoukai had completely frozen in place, and he barely seemed to be breathing, but, really, Joshua couldn't be bothered with that right then. He had shut his eyes as he held on fast, his head pressed against the redhead's chest with his ear placed right over his heart to listen to its powerful beat.
…do-kun… do-kun… do-kun…
'The last time…' he realized quietly, finally understanding Jin's words. 'This… is the last time…'
"…thank you," Joshua whispered softly. "…thank you… for coming to me… thank you…"
Neku tried to speak a few times, before he briefly turned his head to the other two Kyuubi. Kamui, of course, looked like he was about to lunge, but Ruka's presence prevented him from doing so. And Ruka… he was just letting it happen silently and didn't seem the least bit surprised. Though after a moment, he did tilt his head and cocked one eyebrow as though to ask: "What are you looking at us for?"
When he knew neither of the two had anything to say about it, Neku turned back to the Composer still clinging to him and brought his arms up, enveloping Joshua in them and silently resting his cheek on top of Joshua's head. And this made Joshua want to cry.
This was just… too familiar…
"Kura-niichan! Don't go!"
"Joshua… let go."
"No!"
"Joshua…"
"Don't go! Don't leave me alone! Please!"
"…"
"Don't… don't go… don't you leave me, too… please no… please…"
Little Joshua was crying and clinging to Kura-niichan's leg, because he didn't want to go. He wanted to stay with Kura-niichan, not go back home with his grandma and grandpa. He didn't want to…
Kura-niichan sighed softly as he moved little Joshua aside and then crouched down, after which he enveloped the small boy in a hug. The boy sniffled as he clung now to Kura-niichan's kimono, burying his face in his chest and wishing fervently for the redhead to not leave him.
"I'm sorry, Yoshiya… I really am…" Kura-niichan whispered, running a hand through his hair. "But you have to go home… and so do I…"
"But I dun want you to go!" little Joshua wailed as he clung on tighter.
"I know… I know…" the redhead murmured. "I don't want to either… but… I… I have people at home who are waiting to see me again… and I know you do, too…" Kura-niichan paused speaking then, before he whispered: "Yoshiya… if you… if you really like someone… then you have to learn to think about what is best for them first…"
"…but… but you dun wanna go… I dun want you to go…" Sniffle. "So why… why can't you stay? I want you to stay!"
"…but you don't need me, Yoshiya…"
"…? Huh…?"
"There's a difference between 'want' and 'need'… wishes… and needs…" Kura-niichan sounded really sad then… "You… don't need me…"
"Kura-niichan!" little Joshua began, but before he could finish, Kura-niichan kissed him to his temple.
"I love you, Yoshiya… that's why…" the redhead whispered, as a single tear rolled down his cheek, "that's why… why we have to say goodbye…"
Little Joshua blinked, his own tears rolling endlessly, before he sniffled and put his hands on Kura-niichan's shoulder and pulled himself up so that he could kiss the taller man's cheek. "I… I love you too… but… I dun wanna…"
"I know…" Kura-niichan whispered as he held the small boy to him tightly, as though he wanted to bury him in his own chest. "Goddess, I know… I know… but… not all wishes can come true…"
He didn't want to let go…
He didn't want him to leave…
…but he had to…
After taking a deep breath, Joshua slowly pulled away – but not before giving the Kitsune a small kiss on the lips.
Though, this (obviously) startled the Kyuubi, he didn't say anything of it, and instead stepped back to his brothers.
Once he had done so, Ruka nodded and turned around, walking off silently. Kamui looked like he was about to say something, but he thought better of it in the end, and instead only walked after.
Neku began to follow, but he paused momentarily and cast a look over his shoulder to Shibuya's Composer one more time. Neither of them said anything, but, finally, Neku turned around and followed after his two brothers, disappearing from sight within only a few moments.
Joshua remained rooted to his spot, staring at the spot where the redhead had been. When he blinked, a single tear rolled down his cheek, but if he had noticed, he chose to ignore it.
'…I do need you now… but… you're right… if you like someone… you have to think of them first…'
After taking a deep breath, he turned to Jin, who said nothing about the tears now rolling down his cheeks (thank god), and said: "Well… let's go home, Jin."
"Yes sir."
The silverette merely nodded, and began to walk, hands shoved in his pockets and head low.
'I wish you could stay with me… but… not all wishes can come true…'
"…you're touching it again, sir."
Joshua jumped when Jin's voice called out so suddenly and immediately lowered his hand from where it was touching the pendant around his neck. "Ah, sorry, Jin-kun. What were we discussing again?"
The look in Jin's eyes could almost be called "amusement", if Joshua hadn't known that Jin never showed that particular emotion. "About the replacement Producer the Higher-ups will be sending us today, sir," he said instead.
"Ah, right…" Joshua murmured softly.
They had received a notice from the Higher-ups about Sanae, almost a week after the events in Udagawa, and while they clearly stated that he would not be erased for his actions, he was dismissed from his position as Shibuya's Producer, as well as banished from the city itself, for an indefinite amount of time. Hence, they had declared that they would send a replacement within two days.
Which was today.
While Joshua knew it was useless to think about it, he couldn't help but worry slightly. Sanae had been like a guardian to him and, regardless of his reasons why, the man had become very important to the Composer. It just didn't feel right to have someone else take the role of the person who had helped shape Shibuya into what it was today.
Regardless of that, the pair was waiting in the WildKat cafe, with Jin absently working on tidying the place up, given that Sanae had been away for so long, and Joshua was sitting in one of the booths, his back to the door. There had not been any customers as of late, though that was mostly due to the weather; it had been raining for several days on end already, and while there had been a few pauses in between, it tended to start raining again within the hour.
"…you're doing it again, sir."
"Gah! Dammit!" Joshua hissed as he let go of the pendant again. "Why do I keep doing that?"
"…perhaps you should worry about it later, sir," Jin said solemnly. "It seems he's here already."
"Hm? What do you–"
But before he could finish his question, the door gave a click to signal it was unlocked, and then it swung open inward with a merry jingle from the bell installed above it.
"Damn this weather! Seriously! Who needs this much rain already?!"
The moment Joshua heard that voice, he froze up in shock, before he abruptly turned around to face the doorway.
Standing in the doorway was a man wearing dark purple and blue clothes that should've allowed for plenty of mobility, but the rain had made the material cling to the person's limbs, and even the jacket (with its hood drawn over the person's face) was drenched throughout.
"…you done complaining, Sakuraba?" Jin asked solemnly as Joshua nearly jumped to his feet.
"Ah sod off, Akataiyo!" the man said as he reached for the hood and flipped it back, revealing deep red hair and dark blue eyes. "Not all of us like getting our fur wet like that, thank you very much!" the redhead grumbled as he tousled the red mass of hair until he had shook it reasonably dry, which made the sections at the side of his head spike backwards slightly.
Jin merely snorted in response and said nothing else, even as the redhead leaned sideways against one of the booths to remove his sopping wet shoes, all while grumbling under his breath. And as he did, Joshua could only watch the redhead do so, unable to utter ever a sound, until he looked up towards the silverette.
"…Neku…"
"…Yo," the redhead said as he held up his hand in greeting. "Been a while, huh?"
"…" Joshua wanted to speak, wanted to say something, anything… but nothing would come out. Hell, he could barely move, since his body seemed to have been frozen in place.
Jin glanced over to the Composer from the corner of his eyes, before he sighed softly and looked back to the new arrival. "Oy, Sakuraba, I need to get some things done in the back. Can I leave the front of the store to you?"
Neku blinked a few times, before he smirked. "Sure thing. I got this."
The brunette only nodded as he turned and walked away, eventually disappearing into the back of the store. Once he had, Neku's expression sobered up and he turned around to face Joshua.
"…oy… um, Josh…?" he started after a moment when the Composer still refused to speak or move, nervously fiddling with his spiky bangs. "…um… well… uh I'm um…" he tried again, but he trailed off shortly after again. "…w-would you say something already?! What're you trying to do?! Freak me out or what!?"
"…"
Joshua blinked once, but as he did, a tear slowly slipped out and rolled down his cheek. He blinked again, and two more followed the first, and only then was he able to move again. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out for the longest time, before a strangled sob wrenched itself loose from his throat as the entire situation came crashing down…
"You… you came back…" he choked out.
"…well… yeah…" Neku mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Joshua wasn't sure what kind of sound he made then; he wanted to laugh, but he also wanted to cry, he wanted to scream yet he also wanted to talk. But whatever sound he made, he neither knew nor cared, as he immediately closed the distance between himself and the redhead and caught him in a hug that would've surely crushed a lesser man's spine. Neku, of course, only yelped lightly in surprise, before he allowed a small smile and wrapped his own arms around Joshua, holding him close and running a hand through his silvery locks. Joshua's hands were entangled in the fabric of the redhead's soaked JotM jacket, and his face was buried in the Proxy's chest, where he sobbed quietly as he held on for dear life, whispering over and over again; "You came back… you came back…"
Neku said nothing in response, though he did make soft shushing noises as he gently rocked the Composer like a mother comforting her child, and neither of them cared if the raindrops that had clung to Neku soaked the Composer as well. It just wasn't important…
It took several long moments, before Joshua was able to breathe out: "Why are you back? I… I thought you said…"
"I didn't get much choice there…" Neku murmured with a soft chuckle. "Grams said I either had to go or stay up there for a few more centuries…"
Joshua smiled weakly, though he refused to move. "She was going to ground you?"
"That's one way to put it, yeah…" the redhead chuckled out softly. "Grams is surprisingly stern, really…"
The silverette smiled softly, before his expression fell as he realized something. "…so… if she hadn't… you wouldn't have come…?"
"Probably not… not with permission, anyway," Neku said, and the comment actually earned him a surprised look, which was answered by a cheeky smirk. "What? You really thought I was just going to up and leave like that?"
Joshua blinked a few times more, before he chuckled. "Heh… and you say I'm the—mmph!"
Whatever he had been about to say was abruptly cut off when Neku pushed the Composer's head forward and crushed their mouths together. For a moment, Joshua tried to shove Neku away, but after only a few seconds, he groaned and gave in, shutting his eyes and leaning into the Kitsune's chest.
When Neku finally let up, Joshua moaned as the redhead's leg pushed up against his groin. "Nrgh… N-Nek-uuuuu! N-not here…! J-Jin is—"
"You really think he'll give a damn?" Neku purred out as he nipped along the silverette's throat. "You really think he left just to get something from the back?"
"B-but..! A-aaahh!"
Neku merely chuckled as he briefly flicked his finger at the air – which locked up the door and shut the blinds at the same time. "I am through waiting…" he breathed out as he hitched up Joshua's shirt with one sharpened nail. "Have you forgotten already?" he hissed as his finger ran up Joshua's side, making the ashen-haired boy whine. "Until I say otherwise… your body belongs to me."
"Ah hah… y-yes… N-Ne… ku-s-sa…maaaaah!" Joshua wailed out as Neku pinched his nipple. "J-just… please… n-not… not here… please…"
The redhead only smirked as his pupils slitted down the center of his iris and he forced Joshua back until he landed back first upon one of the tables in the nearest booth. "I don't think you understand what I said, sweetheart." The silverette whimpered as he felt his entire body responding to the endearment. "I told you; I'm through waiting…"
That was the last thing Neku said before he dove in and claimed Joshua's mouth again, and the Composer could only whine wantonly as his body arched up in response. He couldn't refuse; it had been barely a week, yet he had found himself wishing feverishly for the redhead's touch, and now that he finally had it, he didn't want to let it go…
But there was something he had to say first… something important.
He didn't want to do it, but he whined and turned his head to the side to break the kiss and choked out: "W…wait… I… N-Neku, I…!"
The Kyuubi seemed to detect the slight desperation in his voice, which was probably why he stopped, cocking an eyebrow as he tilted his head sideways slightly. This allowed Joshua to catch his breath for a moment, before he was able to speak again.
"I… I think I understand now…"
"…understand what?"
"The difference… between 'want'… and 'need'…" Joshua choked out, his heart refusing to beat any slower than it already was (which was still too fast), leaving him a little short of breath. "Want… is like a wish… you want it… but you don't need it to… to keep living…"
The redhead didn't reply to those words, so Joshua quietly continued.
"But… need… things you need… are things you… cannot possibly live without…" Finished with those words, Joshua looked right into Neku's eyes and said softly; "I… I need you… I need everything of you… everything…" Slowly, carefully, he reached up and placed his hands on each side of Neku's face. "I… I need you… need you like any living thing needs the air to breathe… water to drink… or food to eat… I… I need you to survive…" He blinked once, and a single tear rolled down as he breathed: "I… I thi-think… I think I'm… I'm in love with you… So don't… please… don't ever leave me again… please…"
Neku did not respond to the soft plea… not with words, anyway.
Rather than say anything, he placed his hand on Joshua's right hand and turned his head to place a chaste kiss on the silverette's palm. He didn't say anything else and instead moved in to place another kiss upon Joshua's forehead…
"Ne, Kura-niichan?"
"Hmhmm?"
"…Why do you always kiss me on my forehead?"
"Hahah… don't worry so much, Yoshi. That's just my way of saying 'I love you'."
"Oh… really?"
"Hmhmm."
"…Why don't you just say it?"
"Saa… I find that actions are more effective than words when it comes to conveying what I feel."
"Oh… 'kay."
The memory was swift, and unexpected, but it helped get the point across, and Joshua smiled quietly to himself. Helped him to understand that, while Neku would likely never say the same words back at him, his feelings were likely just as powerful as his own.
And when Neku's fingers swiftly discarded his clothes, he didn't even complain and only moaned out his name appreciatively as the Kyuubi's hands played along every sensitive spot, inside and out. He didn't even look up when Neku lifted on leg and only made his whole body relax when he felt the Kyuubi's cock press up against his entrance.
And then he slammed in and Joshua gasped sharply as a wave of pain shot up his spine, only to be almost entirely overwritten by pleasure as the redhead moved out and slammed back in only a second after. The Composer wailed in a combination of pain and pleasure, moaning out the Kyuubi's name over and over again, having ceased to care about who could possibly hear him, and he almost screamed when Neku's hand began to pump his neglected erection in time to his own thrusts.
The seal was no longer there, he knew, and yet he found himself holding back his release, because he was not to come without permission. His hands were clawing and grasping at the edge of the table with the knuckles turning white from his tight grip, his eyes were screwed shut and he was gritting his teeth together in his attempt to hold back. It wasn't working so well…
"N-Ne… Nek-uuu…! I… I can't… oh god…! Please… I… I need…!"
The redhead only smirked as he watched Joshua's head lolling back and forth in his attempts to stall his own release. He knew exactly what the silverette wanted to say, but that didn't mean he was going to let him have it just like that. Where was the fun in that?
"'Need'? Heh… You need… what?" he murmured with a chuckle as he adjusted his position and at the same time stopped moving altogether. As expected, this made Joshua whine pathetically, before he tried to get Neku to move again, only for the redhead to grab hold of his hip and pin it to the table. "Tell me, Yoshiya…"
"N… Ne… kuuuu…."
"Tell me," Neku purred, as he ran the pad of his finger along Joshua's cock, drawing a wanton moan from the boy. "Tell me what you need, Yo~shi~ya…"
Joshua tried to pout unhappily, but the expression was soon lost when Neku squeezed his balls, drawing a wail from the Composer.
"N-no… please I…"
"Tell me!"
The ashen-haired boy threw his head back when Neku squeezed and ran his nails along the skin simultaneously, and he barely heard the table creak with how tightly he was gripping it then. His entire body was begging by that point and he wailed in a last ditch effort to get the redhead to move, but the Kyuubi wasn't having it…
He had no choice…
"M… Mas…ter… please… please I… I beg you… f… fuck me… oh god… please… fu… fuck me h-hard a-and f-fast… I… I… please… please…!"
Though Neku had not expected that first word to come from Joshua's throat without some form of Imprinting, he wasn't about to question it. Nor was he about to deny the silverette after that.
"Good pet," he purred, and then he moved again, angling just right to have Joshua screaming in pleasure. And he only laughed breathlessly as the boy tried to clutch helplessly at any part of the Kyuubi's body he could reach, his amethyst eyes glazed over and a small trail of saliva trickling down his chin. "Hahah… tell me, pet; who do you belong to!?"
"Y-you…! O-only you, M-Master…!"
"Again!"
"I… I belong t-to… o-only y-you, Mas-Master!"
"Louder!"
"I-I… I be-belong t-to—"
"LOUDER!"
Joshua wailed as the Kyuubi squeezed again, and he whimpered before he shouted out: "I BELONG TO YOU, MASTER!"
Neku only laughed at the shout, before he moved in and murmured in the Composer's ear. "Good boy… now… come for me, Yoshiya."
There was no way Joshua could (or would) refuse, and he screamed as his release hit him, hard. And as he felt the redhead's hot release filling up his body, a small smile played on his lips before he shut his eyes and just lay there, gasping for breath.
There was a brief touch upon his temple, and then he dozed off slowly. But just before his consciousness left him, he heard something that made his heart race;
"I love you, too…"
Epilogue
Time passes quickly, like time tends to do when you have all of eternity. Within a couple of blinks, ten years have come and gone, and Joshua finds himself passing the time in WildKat, sipping on a cup of herbal tea.
There weren't any customers yet; it was still too early for that (only 5 in the morning, and the shop opens at 6:30 sharp), but Joshua wasn't expecting too many people to pass by that day.
"What's got you so broody, Josh?" came a familiar voice from behind him and Joshua allowed a small smirk as he turned his head toward the voice's owner.
"Oh, nothing, dear," he said, blatantly ignoring the "Don't call me that!" quip that followed. "Just thinking about how fast time flies."
"Yeah, it does that. Move over."
Joshua obediently moved back so that Neku could clean up some of the stains from last night with a wet cloth. As he did, the Composer took a small moment to take in the redhead's appearance, as he had done ever since Neku had first come there.
He was wearing the same barista outfit as Sanae had always worn, and although he sometimes complained about the fabric being "too restraining", he never went into the shop without it. His hair hadn't changed much, just that now only the locks on the side of his head spiked back, and the rest hung down his back in a long ponytail that was white at the end like the tail of a fox. He also smelled of coffee, which was a scent that Joshua had previously only associated with Hanekoma. Yet there was also something there that was distinctly him.
"…Oh yeah, it's Sakura's birthday today, isn't it?"
"Hm? Is it already?" Joshua murmured thoughtfully as he quickly checked the calendar. "Oh you're right. Guess we'll be seeing them later today then, hm?"
"Obviously," Neku said without looking up from scrubbing at one particularly big stain.
Sakura was Shiki and Eri's adopted son (***). They had adopted him as a babe when they had gone to the Netherlands to get hitched, but as they both admitted, this act had been purely accidental. Though, of course, neither of the two would've wished for anything else now.
Just then, the door clicked open and in walked Shibuya's Conductor, who gave a small hiss as he wiped some sweat out from under his bangs.
"Heh, maybe you should wear some lighter clothes that are more suitable for the weather, Akataiyo," Neku called out as he finally got the stain to go away.
"Shove off, Sakuraba," Jin growled out, much to Joshua's amusement.
It wasn't easy for him to get a real response out of Jin (as he tended to be "all business" around the Composer), but Neku had no problems with it. This, at first, had actually caused a few "green-eyed monster" moments, as Neku liked to call them, but the redhead had soon pointed out that he had no interest in the Conductor. And at the same time he hinted at that Jin already had someone else he liked.
That last part seemed a little unlikely, but he supposed it was possible.
Jin adjusted his shoulder bag briefly and then walked over to where Joshua was sitting, and the Composer nodded as the brunette took a seat across from him. When he had, though, he seemed to consider some things, before he asked: "…Rough night again, sir?"
"Oh shush," Joshua mumbled, taking a quick sip to avoid looking at the Conductor. He wasn't sure how Jin had even figured it out, but Neku kept saying that Jin was sharp and that he had probably known long before he became Conductor. "Anyway, we have some more important matters to discuss," the silverette said shortly after with a wave of his hand. "Have you been able to gather up any potential Players, Jin-kun?"
"…Yes, sir," Jin said, as he flipped open the manila folder he had brought with him. "I was able to gather several Souls with potential… but there were quite a lot who lacked the Imagination to believe."
"Hmhmm.. so, how many were left?"
"Roughly 36%."
"Ooh… that isn't overly much, is it?"
"I wasn't able to make more of it, I'm afraid."
"… sigh… Well, nothing to do about it. Decided on the Game Master, yet?"
"Not yet, sir. I'm still hesitating between two Officers."
"Hmm… Your ex-Partner being one of them, I assume?"
"…is that a problem, sir?"
"Hihi. Not at all. Alright. I'll leave the main preparations to you, then. Objections?"
"None, sir."
"Good. Well then… let's check their files, then, shall we?"
While it was true that WildKat opened at 6:30, the first real customers mostly arrived after 7:15 at its earliest. The majority of those people included businesspeople on their way to work and in need of a quick pick-me-up. As the day progressed, several other clients would peek in and maybe step in for a quick drink, but overall, things were never overly busy there. In all honesty, the shop's best customers were the Players of the Reaper's Game.
That day, however, the door gave a merry jingle at 8:45 that was followed by a cheery voice that Joshua would recognize anywhere.
"Uncle Yoshi! Uncle Neku!"
Neku immediately spun around from where he was collecting some cups, obviously a little startled, before he broke out into a smile and set the tray he had been carrying on the table just in time to catch the bundle of energy that had run straight at him. "Hey there little rascal!" he laughed out as he picked him up easily and set the boy on his hip. "What brings you here so early, huh?"
"'s My birthdays todays!" the toddler chirped happily with a big smile on his face.
"Oh is it?" Neku asked, and he made a good impression of being surprised, which made Joshua chuckle softly. "Well, fiddlesticks. So how old are you now?"
"Six!"
"Six already, huh? Man, where does the time always escape to?"
Just then, the door jingles again and a frazzled looking young lady stumbles into the shop. "Oh for… Sakura!" Eri cried out as she breathed out and hurried over to Neku's side. "I told you not to wander off like that, didn't I?"
"But I didn't wander…" Sakura pouted. "I went to see Uncle Neku and Uncle Yoshi…"
Joshua laughed as he stood up and joined the others. "Relax, Eri, you know this little one will likely come here if you lose him around this area, don't you?"
"I know, I know…" Eri sighed out. "But really now… I already told you we'd come here later, Sakura. Now come on, you still have school today!"
"But I dun wanna!" Sakura whined. "I dun wanna go to school on my birthday!"
"Ugh! Sakura!" Eri growled. Obviously, she'd had this discussion with him before, and she was clearly losing her patience about it.
Joshua wouldn't blame her; Sakura was a nice kid, but he was so stubborn in always wanting to do things his own way, and he'd throw tantrums if he couldn't have his way. This made raising him a little difficult.
Though only a little, because… well…
"Sakura-kun," Neku said seriously, and the small boy looked up curiously. "Do you know what happens to kids who don't go to school?"
"…? No… what?"
"Well… if you don't go to school, then the policemen come find you and take you to prison. And you know what they do there to kids who don't go to school?"
"N-no…"
"You remember that really icky stuff Mum made you take when you were sick?"
"Uh-huh…"
"Well, that's all you'll get to eat, and that icky drink you tried here last time? That's all you'll get to drink. And you still have to go to school there. But you get no recess, no time-outs, no lunch break… just learn learn learn work work work… and they won't let you see Mum or any of us ever again."
"I'll go to school I'll go!" the little boy immediately cried out and he struggled to get down from Neku's hold. The redhead merely smirked as he set the boy down. "I dun wanna go to prison!"
"Good," Neku said as he crouched down and ruffled the small boy's hair. "Coz we don't want you going to prison either. So just do as your Mums say and stay outta trouble, a'ight?"
"Kay!"
Eri sighed in relief at Neku's safe, and she smiled as the boy hurried to her side, grabbed her hand and started tugging and urging her to go. She cast a thankful look to Neku as she waved at them.
Joshua chuckled as the duo disappeared out the door, and turned back to the redhead. "I've said it once and I'll say it again; you really are good with kids, Neku."
The redhead allowed a small, sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… it's not that hard, really…"
So he said every time, but Joshua was sure that not everyone could turn such stubborn brats into obedient children. Neku spoke to kids in a way they could understand, without the use of big words and curbing all his curses without second thought, and the kids loved him as much as the fox loved them.
"Heh… You really like kids, don't you?" Joshua murmured softly.
"We covered that already, didn't we?" Neku said calmly as he went back to bringing the empty cups to behind the counter. "Besides, kinda hard not to, right?"
"Hihi. True," Joshua said with a nod as Neku began washing the dirty cups. As he did, the Composer went back to what he had been doing earlier; sitting at a booth and simply watching Neku work.
And as Neku continued working, Joshua let his thoughts wander. There had been something running through his head that he had been considering for a while already, but had never been too sure on about how to approach it. The more time passed, though, the stronger those thoughts became, and he knew it wasn't a healthy thing to do, but he couldn't help himself.
'…Tonight,' Joshua decided as Neku set the cups back in their spot. 'I'll ask him tonight… after Sakura's party.'
Even as he made that mental promise to himself, though, Joshua wasn't really expecting "no" for an answer…
(*) Has anyone ever played Final Fantasy 8? If you have, think the GF Quezacotl.
(**) How many of you can guess who this is?
(***) Before you start, yes, Sakura can also be a boy's name.
Okay, I know the majority of you picked option 2, but there's also been a request to do both (which had been the plan from the start, anyway) so here's option 1. Next (and final stage) is option 2.
Also, sorry 'bout the long wait everyone; life caught up to me, plus I've been helping out an old friend of mine with beta-reading a book he wants to publish sometime this year. So I'll likely be sidetracked until he's done with it.
Speaking of, he's actually looking for illustrators for his book, so if any of you feel confident enough in your drawing skills (or if you know someone who may be interested), you can drop by his DA site (alnewbrink deviantart com) for the exact details on his project.