AN: Finally updating! Sorry for the wait! Thanks for all your support! I'm too lazy to name all 'a ya.

I do not own TWEWY. (I keep forgetting disclaimers! Is it even mandatory to do this?)

Chapter 5: Secrets and Lies

"Why?!"

"Ilixo…"

"Why!? Why?! WHY?!"

"Ilixo, please…"

"It was sad! It was in pain! It wanted to stay! I wanted it to stay! I was going to talk to it! I was… I just wanted to… To calm it down! Why?"

"Ilixo… Listen to me…"

"How could you… How could you? How could you do such a thing so easily…?"

I looked away, back at the place the bear had once stood. An uneasy silence fell on the area. I could feel Joshua's gaze fixed on me. Then it left and he sighed. I heard footsteps and looked around, but refused to meet his gaze. He was walking over to me. I was prepared for a snide comment about not being careful, but then he did the least expected thing: he bent down next to me, looking serious, and offered me his hand.

"Can you stand?" he asked, "Are you okay?"

My eyes widened and I spared him a glance. I was trembling. He smirked.

"What? Did the big scary monster scare you dumb?"

I narrowed my eyes and looked away and I knew he had stood up once more. Another sigh came.

"Well, sorry for offering my help…" Then he muttered something I almost didn't quite catch. I thought my ears were lying since I only barely heard it.

"What was that you just said?" I asked, turning my head around and not believing what I had just heard from him. I tried my best to stop trembling.

"Finally found your voice?" Josh replied, ignoring the context of my question, "Now, let's see if you can get up…" Without my permission, he pulled me up. The contact made me flinch, but I accepted the help. After getting up, my nerves finally and completely went away and I jerked away from the ash-blonde kid, suddenly realizing that I was shorter than him. Another silence fell.

"… Where's the thank you? I helped you up. Hee…" Joshua suddenly asked, smirking.

"No, you touched me without my permission; I was perfectly able to get up by myself," I rebuked stubbornly, refusing to admit that I needed his help. I folded my arms and let the silence fall once more. I looked at where the bear had been and frowned. "Where'd the bear go…?" I wondered aloud. Then I looked at Joshua. "Where's the bear? How… how could you see it and how did you stop it from attacking me?" I suddenly inquired, realizing that somehow, Joshua had stopped the monster from killing me. I might have been grateful if it weren't for the bear's disappearance.

"Humph," Joshua smirked at me some more, "I erased it." He seemed to be awaiting a reaction from me. And boy, did he get one.

At first, I was stunned. Shocked, you should say. How could he have said that so calmly? He erased it? It was a being with a life, a soul of its own. How could anyone who could hear its voice, who could see its agony just erase it and shrug it off? I narrowed my eyes, anger flaring. That soul was in pain and I had confidence I could help it, talk to it, cure it.

"Why!?"

"Because it was a threat."

"How can you just shrug it off so easily?!" I stalked up to Joshua, glaring at him, and grabbed his collar. "It was a life, a soul! Why did you have to erase its existence? Why can you just say that so easily?"

"Serena…" Joshua's eyes were cold, "It wasn't something that is meant to exist."

"So what?! If it was there, that means it existed! Anything that exists is meant to exist! Even if it were a threat, how could you not feel its pain, its agony, listen to its sorrow?!" I wanted him to see my side of the story. These creatures were just lonely and lost. But they… they had Souls, too. They had feelings. They shouldn't be belittled like that, viewed as nothing more than a threat that needed to be erased. They should be given a chance to find their sanity, their Soul. I knew I must have looked crazy. I knew I was beginning to cry, but that was only because I was the only one who could hear them. Hear their inner Music, their thoughts, their feelings. Share their pain, their sorrow, their memories and lives.

"Serena, calm down," Joshua ordered.

"If you are like me… If you could see them, know that they exist… How could you just shrug it off like that!? That… that's heartless! I wanted them to know, to see that they didn't have to stay as they were. That they could become human. That they could think for themselves and would be rescued one day!"

"Ilixo! Calm down!"

I became silent. I let go and took a step back. Joshua looked shocked at himself. "Ilixo…" I muttered. The name felt familiar yet alien on my tongue. "Urg…" My head suddenly burst into pain and I collapsed, my hands on my temples. Ouch. It hurt. I couldn't think clearly. My vision was blurry. I could faintly hear someone calling a name – my name? I wasn't sure.

Once the pain vanished and my head cleared, I realized that some time had passed and I was being carried. The faintest feeling of a warm body next to mine woke me up completely and I stared into Joshua's face. My first instinct told me to scream as loud as possible, but Joshua spoke before I could do anything.

"Are you alright now?" he merely asked, his face devoid of emotion. We got a few stares from those walking in the streets around us, but I, who had never been one to care about what other people thought unless it hurt them, could only get angry at Joshua. I slowly felt myself caring though and a wave of embarrassment washed over me. It only got worse when I swallowed my anger enough to realize I was being carried bridal style.

I tried to ignore the staring but ended up burying my face into Joshua's chest, giving him the silent treatment. My fingers grasped his shirt tightly and I felt my cheeks going red. God I hated this. When would he put me down? A giggle sounded from above.

"No need to be so embarrassed… I never knew you were so sensitive… I thought you didn't give a damn about things like this…"

I didn't. But, for some reason, when it came to Joshua, I couldn't help but care."Put me down…" I mumbled into his shirt after a while of silence.

"Pardon me? I didn't hear quite clearly, but I think you're lacking a thank you for carrying you while you were unconscious and saving you from a certain mad bear that you seem to care about more than you care about other beings."

I didn't quite understand the last part, but I knew that he wanted to hear me say the words 'thank you' and I knew that was never going to happen. I also knew I was only recovering and probably not strong enough to struggle free. But I still struggled. I struggled weakly, but felt a wave of nausea wash over me the moment I made any violent movements. So… I gave up. I was tired anyways and I could almost see Joshua giving me a triumphant smirk as I decided to take a rest and fall asleep.

The next time I woke up, I realized that my weak feeling had almost completely left me as had my pain. I also realised that I was lying in a bed and not in Joshua's arms, to my relief. I rolled onto my side, blinking to clear my vision. Then, I proceeded to take a look at my surroundings.

I was lying in a warm, comfy bed, white quilt pulled up to my shoulders. My head sunk into a soft pillow and I was surrounded by boring, white walls. There really wasn't much to see in the room. It was pretty much bare apart from the bed. Hoping that I was well enough to get up, I sat up slowly and, to my pleasance, I felt perfectly fine. So I swung my legs round and hopped off the bed, wondering where I was. Where'd Josh take me to now? I carefully and silently opened the door and was greeted by stairs.

Ah, my worst enemy, so we meet again. At least I didn't have to climb up them. I guessed that I was on the second floor and began climbing down, taking my time so that I wouldn't suddenly realize I still wasn't well and fall down the stairs.

Then, halfway through my epic journey of having to face a long staircase, I heard voices. Curious, I couldn't help but eavesdrop. I inched down the stairs, making a silent landing at the bottom, and stood there, listening. I could hear Joshua talking to someone who sounded older.

"… Can see into the game, huh? Sounds an awful lot like you, J," I heard the older sounding man say.

"Yes, but she can also draw out the humane sides of Noise. Her Music is very powerful and influential." Joshua now spoke and I realized they were talking about me. "The only other Soul I know who can do this is… Is a childhood friend…" His voice was sorrowful.

"A childhood friend?"

"Yes… The point is that this isn't natural." I felt odd. I wasn't natural? "Her imagination must be very powerful and dangerous for it to have reached such bounds."

"Are you suggesting she's a threat, Josh?"

"Not exactly… But if she's what I think she is…" he suddenly stopped. I froze as I heard the screech of a chair and footsteps. The footsteps stopped before they got too close. "Why are you eavesdropping?" Joshua voice came from around the corner. It was filled with frigidness. I stayed silent for a second. This wasn't like him at all. He then walked into view. "I asked you why you were eavesdropping."

"Um… Well, because you were talking about me behind my back…" I managed, giving the teen a barely mustered glare. Joshua smirked, his eyes filled with playfulness.

"Good kids don't eavesdrop…"

"You're just a kid, too, you know?" I frowned at the arrogant kid. A flash of uncertainty graced Joshua's face, but it was gone as quick as it had come. He narrowed his eyes, looking serious.

"Tell me: who are you?"

"Pfft… I already did. I'm Serena, in case you've already forgotten."

"… Ilixo." The name made me flinch, but no pain came to me. "You recognize that name, don't you?" Joshua took a step closer and I pressed myself against the wall. "Are you Ilixo?" The candid question caught me by surprise. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again without speaking. All of a sudden, a wave of dizziness hit me. It didn't hurt, but something was trying to invade my mind. As if it wanted me to remember, but, at the same time, my mind defended itself. I didn't want to remember.

"Ow…" I pushed Joshua aside and ran for it. I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do. I just knew I had to escape before it took over and changed me. I pushed open the door of whatever building I was in, mildly aware of bells ringing and someone else watching me leave.

I felt something unlock itself inside my heart and I did everything I could to push it back, to lock it away. Whoever Ilixo was, whatever connection Joshua and I had, I didn't want to remember. I… am afraid that if I know, I'll never be 'me' again.

Ever.

AN:*sighs* I didn't really like this chapter... It's odd and confusing in my eyes. Josh is a little OoC... Thanks to everyone who is supporting and following!