Story : Better from Below
Date : 5th of march 2022
Bêta : LetoLeGaosaure 3
Fandom : The world end with you - Subarashiki Kono Sekai
Disclaimer : No, I do not own TWEWY and I am not making any profit from this story.
Summary: Neku's back to life again (hopefully for good this time), and he can't help but think. Joshua said he would have helped if things went too badly, but... Rindo swore they were all Erased, and that looks "bad" enough for Neku. So what really happened in that past-that-never-was?
Or, Neku and Joshua talk. Really talk.
One day, the plot bunny hit me and I was available for once (a.k.a: not on the job) so I wrote almost all the dialogues for this OS in one go. Then I put the doc away. And I took it out two months later to add a bit of description and a story with a pin that I don't know where it came from? And tadaaaam! Why is it coming out two weeks after finishing it? Because I wrote it in English for once and damnit, translating it into French was horrible O.o The fact that I played the games in English and haven't read a good novel in French for years must not have helped...
So, surprisingly, I recommend the English version for once ! I'm afraid the French one is not as fluid. And a joke or two is missing too.
Enjoy your reading !
Better from Below
The wall was full of colors.
It was a miracle that in three years, nobody had painted over it. But then again, it maybe really was a 'miracle' since an Angel made it after all. Was there a meme on it so nobody would try to trash it? It certainly was a possibility since there was anoth-...
"Already here again, Neku?" a mocking voice sounded from above Neku's head. Letting his eyes rise, he saw, without surprise, Joshua sitting on the top of the wall. "It's barely been a week since I resurrected you... Are you in such a hurry to die once more? College isn't as exciting as you dreamed?"
"Hello Joshua," Neku greeted with a small smile and the other boy pouted. Well, boy… not anymore. Neku had no idea if he manipulated his appearance or was really growing up like a real, breathing human being but it was super weird to look at the Composer and find a classy young adult instead of a prissy kid, like Beat called him.
"You're no fun, dearest. You were so easy to rile up before!" complained the Composer, and Neku chuckled softly, weirdly happy to be able to bear his annoying behaviour. Funny how he missed even that in Shinjuku.
"Life is weird, but I'm pretty happy with it for now. I guess the novelty of living didn't bore me yet," Neku joked before raising his hand to Joshua without thinking. Before he could even second guess himself and let his hand fall down to his side, Joshua had grabbed it and pulled him along the wall as if he weighed nothing. Surprised by the sudden movement, Neku stumbled halfway and would have fallen if Joshua hadn't gripped his coat. Shamelessly using the steady hand of the other boy, Neku brought his leg up and sat himself next to Joshua with, sadly, a short breath and way more difficulties than in the Game. "You know, I was trying to help you down, not asking to go up."
"Why would I fall with you when I can raise you by my side?" Joshua rolled his eyes.
"Well, the view is better, for starters." And indeed, in lieu of meaningful drawings splashed in vibrant colours across a wall, only a sad greyish backside of a company flat lot greeted them. "It's quite boring up there, if you ask me."
Joshua suddenly laughed, and the sound struck Neku with surprise. It wasn't one of his annoying sneers but a genuine happy laugh, and he had no idea what prompted it. "It is boring indeed. That's why I hoped you could make it interesting for me." Joshua turned his head to gaze on Neku's own blue orbs. He had no idea how to call the various lively emotions which were running freely through them, but it certainly was too intense for their actual little chat.
"...are we still talking about the bad view…?" Neku asked, confused, and Joshua just sent him a smug smile. One of those ones which would have enraged his younger self. Now, though, Neku just sighed and made himself comfortable against the railing. There were never a lot of people in the alley, but they were sometimes cars passing on the road they were just sitting on. There were none now, though, and the atmosphere was impossibly calm. Now he thought about it, Neku didn't take the time to do nothing for… years, really. With his first death, the Long Game and then his return to life, his second (or third?) death, Shinjuku, the second Game and his third try at living, it really wasn't possible to stop and breathe.
"A pin for your thoughts?" interrupted Josh and Neku had a look at the raised closed fist with quite a lot of distrust.
"You wouldn't dare drag me in a third Game, would you?"
"Maybe later," Joshua smiled and Neku winced. As if trying to reassure him, the blond opened his hand, letting, to Neku's surprise, effectively a pin appear. It wasn't one Neku knew of, though. Neither in his first nor second Game. It was a stylized ice cream cone on an icy blue background. Considering the Game, It was either an ice or a health pin, but Neku had a feeling he knew which one. But then…
"No more candy cane?" Neku asked curiously while lifting his hand to grab it.
"Ha, ha, ha!" Joshua stopped him by closing his fist again. "It's a bargain for your thoughts, remember?"
Neku rolled his eyes. "I don't have a Player pin any more, you know, you could just pick my brain open and I wouldn't even know it… Well, if the player pin really stopped you before, which I doubt."
"Awww, Neku! You know you can say directly how impressed you are by little old me, no need to make a compliment in such a convoluted way." Neku just snorted and slapped lightly the shoulder of the other in a gesture he hadn't done in three years. Freezing at the old habit, he was relieved to see Joshua go with it and lying dramatically to the side with a hand glued to his 'injury'. It was hard to see where they stood together now. They only 'knew' each other for a week after all, and that was years ago. Neku could maybe also count the various weird dreams he had during his stay in Shinjuku, but he was still not sure if it was kind of true or just his desperate soul coming up with a wish for company. Though, if it was really just a dream, then his subconscious could have come up with a lovelier partner.
"I have nothing in mind," finally mumbled Neku when he realized the silence stretched socially too long.
"Obviously," mocked Joshua and damn, he just walked into this one, hu? "If it's too difficult for your poor brain, then another easier question: why did you call me here?"
Ignoring the barb with the grace of habit, Neku looked up with knitted eyebrows. "What do you mean ? I didn't call you. I don't even have your mail any more, you're the one who came to me."
"Details, really. Your vibe is so loud with wondering it becomes impossible to ignore, even in the mess that is Shibuya," waved Joshua before stopping with a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, to be fair, I'm a bit more attuned to you than others because of this funny deal of proxy but still, the point stands, you're distracting me. So please, out with it, I'm in a good mood too. Who knows? I could maybe even answer for once."
Hu.
There was way too much to unpack in this sentence but two things stricked more. One, an actual answer of Joshua was priceless and Neku would love to have one without a life or death situation. Two, now he brought up proxy, Neku had indeed a question about that…
"Josh… You said you would have helped if things ended up too bad," he began slowly, trying to order his speech so Joshua wouldn't take advantage of his poorly chosen words.
"Yes I did, and your point?"
"Rindo said we were all erased," Neku dropped harshly. A cold, hard truth but Joshua didn't react to it, staring at the greyish wall in front of them with a bored look.
"Hmmm…"
"He had to come back in time again to save us. So you didn't help there… or did you?"
Nothing. Just a big silence and Neku dropped his shoulders. What was he hoping for? As if Joshua would rea-…
"Oh Neku… you weren't too pleased with me."
It was as if his heart skipped a beat and his head shot up, looking at Joshua's closed face with barely hidden hope. "What did you do?"
"I saved you," Joshua stated calmly, still staring at the gray wall.
Saved. Well, that was good, so why would Neku be cross with it. Unless! "...Only me?"
"Well, you're my partner," the angel smiled and finally, finally, brought his purple eyes back to Neku's own.
Neku was speechless for a bit. Sure, he didn't quite know the others as he knew Neku but he saved them anyway after the first Game. It was legitimate to resurrect Shiki… but himself? Beat? Rhyme?! And Joshua had done it anyway. But not this time. Why? Well, Joshua did explain a bit before… "Didn't you say you couldn't interact with this game? Thin ice and all? How saving me but not the others is "not interacting" for you?"
"As I said, you're my partner," said nonchalantly, Joshua while crossing his legs. He looked awfully like a stuck up snob like that, and Neku wondered if he was doing it on purpose.
"Joshua…" sighed the ex-player with a frown. Didn't he imply a fair answer this time?
As if hearing his irritated thought, the blond did continue. "But even more than that, you are my Proxy."
This didn't help Neku at all because…"I was! I wasn't for this Game, didn't you pick Rindo?"
"Aww, don't be jealous dearest, you're still my favourite," mocked Joshua, petting Neku's head while at it. Well, trying, the ex-player shot his hand down as soon as possible, treating it like a poisonous snake trying to choke him. Josh didn't seem to take offence and put his hand on his chin without missing a beat. "Hmmm, how to explain… Rindo is more of a… hmmm, I don't have the right word… puppet? Could work… Shiba, Haz, the Executor, myself… we all used him like a pawn for our own agenda." Before Neku could point that, wasn't it exactly the same for himself? the composer continued. "But you, Neku, are truly my proxy. How do you think you were able to survive in Shinjuku at first? It's only because of our pact and your status as my eyes and legs that you were left alone."
"Left alone!? Noise and ghosts were everywhere and not too pleased with me!" Excuse him for feeling a bit insulted at that. He could still remember the first days, feeling helpless, scared, weak…
Alone.
He certainly hadn't felt this protection Josh had talked about. Yeah, he was still able to fight without a partner, his three pacts pounding in his chest, which had spooked him to no end at first but… well, he wasn't used to fighting alone and had got beaten up quite a bit before he could guess how.
"Those are small fries that I had all the confidence you could destroy, even without me. Angels though…" Joshua let the words fly up there, and Neku had to admit it to be true. It was hard but manageable. But he wouldn't have succeeded in taking on a Conductor, let alone a Composer or an Angel.
"So what you're saying is that you could save me because I was your proxy?"
"Well, it's a bit sketchy, but the logic worked with the Higher Plane once for Shinjuku and it worked again this time too," Joshua admitted. "As you are an extension of my will, I had all rights to take care of 'myself'."
"I'm not you, Joshua," whispered Neku and the other sent him an annoyed but strangely fond look.
"You certainly are not, you lack some style to pull it off. But please keep this to yourself, third time's the charm and this loophole could be useful again."
Well, true but… "I certainly hope we will never need this again."
"Hmmm…" hummed Joshua and Neku didn't felt that safe suddenly.
But leaving that aside for a future existential crisis, something bothered him with the past-that-never-will-be. "Rindo said he was there for a week without us… If I was alive, where was I? With Shiki and Rhyme? Why wouldn't I have contacted Rindo? With all his friends dead, I'm sure he wasn't in a good place."
"Well, don't you remember Neku? You weren't quite alive. Not for three years, anyway. The girls couldn't have seen you. As for Rindo… Hazuki moved him up a few planes to protect him when he destroyed the Executor. But he left him there, so you couldn't have reached him until he moved down." said Joshua, but this didn't ring quite right. Sure, he may have been dead, but Joshua could have resurrected him or lower Rindo's vibe. And if it wasn't possible then Rhyme was able to contact Beat with her phone, he was sure he would have tried. And if it didn't work too, Neku learned quite a few useful ghost tricks in his time in Shinjuku, he could have gone full poltergeist on them.
"So where was I? I doubt I took Beat's and the other's deaths quite well either," Neku firmly asked, and Joshua sighted before dramatically raising his hands.
"Oh, that's an understatement! You wouldn't stop screaming at me at first and then trying to make me revive them."
"Wait… I was with you?" Neku asked with big eyes. Don't blame him, Joshua seemed keen on avoiding him most of the time, despite his various invitations. And no, he wasn't bitter about that, just surprised the other would take him in.
"Where would you be otherwise?" Joshua scoffed. "The UG was a complete mess and you couldn't go to the RG either. I tried to find a solution. But you almost punched my nose out when I offered you to be my Conductor. And you had some choice words when I suggested removing annoying memories too. So I put you in stasis to-..."
"Stasis? And wait, what do you mean about memo-...!" interrupted Neku but Joshua only raised his voice and continued.
"Yes, stasis, like between days in the game, if you want. Then I taunted Hazuki. Making him curious enough to talk with Rindo wasn't so difficult, he already burned to, but was not too sure how to act human and then… you know what happened."
Ho.
"So, I guess… you did act when it was too bad," whispered Neku with a bright relief. What would have happened if Hazuki hadn't listened to Joshua? If Rindo hadn't convinced him? Would Neku have stayed in stasis forever, like some kind of useless holiday souvenir, in Joshua's obnoxious throne room? A warning for future Players and Reapers, unaware of the life he left behind? Or would he have been hidden somewhere away from all sight? Or resurrected after all? Or would Joshua have woken him up again and forced him in the conductor role, messing with his memories, for him to be compliant? Well, maybe he did already and Neku had no means to know it. But… life was quite good recently, all his precious persons were right around him, Shibuya was still standing, Joshua was talking to him, really talking, he had a better relationship with his parents, he made new friends, began art college and it was incredible. He even began modeling for Shiki and took a side job as an urban guide and made funny tours around Shibuya for tourists!
He loved this life.
And quite a bit of it was caused by the murderous, awkward young adult right next to him.
"You worked so hard to save Shibuya, it would have been a shame to let it disappear when you didn't even have time to enjoy it yet," Josh replied, and Neku never heard him being this clumsy before. Looking at his delicate face, he found himself not wanting to punch it, for once. Instead, he leaned on the side and knocked lightly his shoulder with Joshua's own, trying to pass all his happiness and gratitude with this gesture and next words:
"Thanks… partner."
Joshua looked at him and made a little smile, just a quirk of his mouth, an unconscious thing. He leaned toward him too, letting their arms repose against one another, and put the ice cream Pin in Neku's hand. He had totally forgotten about it. Passing his thumb on it, he blinked when he felt a strange warmness from the Pin. Suddenly, a memory half forgotten of ice cream shared while walking around Shibuya came to his mind, and Neku smiled softly. He missed this part of the Game, just being with his friends. And while he got most of them back, one eluded him most of the time. Putting the pin in his chest pocket, Neku wondered if Joshua would stay now. Would they be able to share ice cream once again?
"Of course, partner."
Neku pushed Joshua from the wall.
"You're so full of shit, I knew you could read my mind all along!" the ex-player complained, while Joshua looked at him from underneath with an innocent expression.
"Why Neku, I have no idea what you're talking about. Although, I admit you were right, the view is much better from below," the composer smirked and Neku just had to jump after him to punch his pretty teeth out.
Omake:
"Now I want ice cream," Neku stated once they calmed down again. "It's all because of your Pin, you owe me one."
"How so? I bought the last batch," complained Joshua, but Neku sent him an unimpressed look.
"Three years ago doesn't count. Also, you shot me two times since then, so you know… " Neku denied and Joshua sighed dramatically but complied and ended up actually buying them ice cream.
They were too occupied to nag at each other to eat, though.
I hope you liked it :D This little piece of Joshua's Dialogue made me jump. Because well, okay Shibuya was more or less saved but… EVERYBODY IS DEAD! So, well, here's what I got out of it X')
Don't hesitate to take a look at WINGS or my series on potatoes in cooperation with LétoLeGaosore, my other TWEWY fics!
Also, I have a KOF One-shot KOF in the works but the plan has 34 points and I wrote only three and two seem to add up every time I open the doc. I'm not sure I'll ever get to the end… (EDIT2023: Good news! I did! It's now a frightening 50 chapters monster called Mind the Gap)
Think about letting a review on your way out and see yah !