Sorry about the delay on this chapter.
I had to work out a timeline in order to determine when certain things will be happening in relationship to Sora and Vanitas playing the Reapers' Game. Which is complicated by a variety of factors. Such as the fact that time in the Realm of Darkness passes at a different rate and those two didn't necessarily appear in Shibuya at the start of a Game, so Joshua could have kept them waiting until the current one finished. Not to mention that we already know that time passes at different speeds on different worlds. But I do have my timeline organized for my purposes in order to ensure that events happen at the right relative time in comparison to other events. Lots of planning has gone into this story.
But I've delayed things long enough. Time to check in on another familiar face.
Dark corridors were convenient methods of travel. Dangerous, but convenient. But it required the right amount of control over the darkness within. Riku briefly lost the ability to use them around the time that he and Sora tried to confront Xemnas, which briefly trapped him and Sora at the edge of the Realm of Darkness. Several of the former Nobodies lost the ability when they were recompleted. And despite Terra gradually learning to wield his darkness, he had not mastered the skill yet.
But Riku had reclaimed that ability as he fully mastered his personal darkness. And that provided him with another useful way to search for Sora. It let him slip into the deepest corners of the Realm of Darkness. He could look places that no one else would be able to search. Sometimes in order to find the brightest light, the best way was to search in the deepest darkness.
He couldn't stay there constantly though. Riku was trying to take care of himself a little. When he wore himself down, he would use a corridor of darkness to retreat. Riku had parked the Gummi Ship out of the way and would head back to sleep somewhere safe. With the difference in the passage of time between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, it didn't take that long. He had only returned to the Gummi Ship to sleep twice so far. But he knew that it must have actually been a couple of weeks at a minimum since he last set foot of Destiny Island.
This would be his third return.
Riku stepped out of the darkness into the cockpit, trying to put together a potential plan for the morning even as part of him was more concerned with food and sleep. But neither his distraction nor the length of time that he'd spent recently marinading in darkness was enough to keep him from realizing that he wasn't alone. The scent of darkness, different from the general aroma of the Realm of Darkness, filled his Gummi Ship. It belonged to someone that Riku knew. He recognized the specific scent. His Keyblade returned to his hand as he turned.
"Your current accommodation leaves a great deal to be desired, Riku. Not nearly as well-furnished as the room that I provided you at Hollow Bastion. It is such a shape that you would settle for so much less."
Staring her down, he said, "Maleficent. I would have thought that breaking and entering my ship would be beneath you. Not quite as impressive as trying to rule over all worlds."
She took a step closer, her staff tapping on the floor. Despite her height and lack of obvious wings, Maleficent was a fairy of a darker variety. A black-horned headdress that might be actual horns, a long and tattered black robe with purple trim and maroon flare edges, and a high pointed collar. Her skin was a pale green tint with heavy violet eyeshadow and deep red lips. Observant yellow eyes studied him carefully, but without any concern for his weapon or any potential threat that he might pose. As if any danger was beneath her.
Pete stood behind her like an afterthought. They both knew that his presence didn't matter. The confrontation was between Riku and Maleficent. Though there was a way that she looked at him that almost felt like she wasn't looking for a fight.
"I suppose we have both experienced setbacks. Though unlike you, I have not let those minor problems deter me," she scoffed. "I barely recognize the driven, bold, and unyielding boy that I found back then."
Straightening slightly, Riku said, "I would like to think that I've grown since we last spoke."
"When last we spoke, I was stabbed and forcibly transformed into a dragon."
Wincing slightly at the memory, Riku lowered his Keyblade slightly. That had not been his best moment. When he opened himself up to someone offering him more power. Letting darkness fill his heart. And letting Ansem— Xehanort's Heartless— claim his body. It was his lowest point. Only afterwards could he begin the long road to dawn.
"About what happened—"
"Spare me your excuses. Do you think me a blind fool?" she interrupted, gesturing dismissively with her long-nailed hand. "I am well aware by now that you were merely a pawn that day. I am also aware that you are unlikely to swear your allegiance to me again. Such a pity." Maleficent eyed Pete briefly. "Good help can be so hard to find."
"Yeah, them little treasure-hunting fairy girls ran off the moment someone offered another deal," said Pete. "Barely did us any good."
A smile briefly twitched on Riku's face in response to Pete's obliviousness to who she truly meant. Not that he planned to tell him the truth. If he wanted to work for Maleficent, Pete knew by now what he was dealing with.
Turning his attention back towards Maleficent, he asked, "Why are you here? It's not because you wanted to talk about old times."
"I will admit that I have a certain… fondness for you." If there was a softening in her expression, it only lasted a moment before she looked away dismissively. "Do not be mistaken. I will destroy you should you get in my way, Riku."
"You're welcome to try," he said, raising his Keyblade again.
Chuckling quietly, Maleficent said, "Keep that confidence. You will need that to face what is coming."
"And what is coming?"
"While you waste time searching for that lost boy of yours," she said sharply, "a new group lurks just out of sight with their own plans and goals. A group called the Foretellers. You already know one of them from Organization XIII. The one with the eyepatch."
Frowning, Riku asked, "Xigbar?"
"Perhaps that is his name. It matters little to me. But he and the others possess a black box that contains something that I doubt you would wish to see opened. Nor would you wish to see their plans come to fruition."
"What do they want?"
"Why Riku," she said tauntingly, "do you expect me to give you all the answers? I merely thought you might not want to retrieve your friend only to bring him back to the destruction of everything that he fought so hard to protect."
One hand curled into a fist by his side. Then he let go and his weapon lowered slightly. As much as Riku needed to find Sora, she was right. Sora wouldn't want him to let everything fall apart while they searched. He would want them to keep the worlds safe. If there really was a new threat, Riku had to stop them.
At the very least, he couldn't ignore the warning. He had to investigate how much of what she was saying was true. And see what kind of threat these people might be.
After a moment, Riku asked, "Why are you telling me about these 'Foretellers'? Why come here to warn me?"
"My reasons are my own. Heed my words or ignore them; that matters not to me. Do with it what you will."
Nodding thoughtfully, he said, "Then I only have one more question. Where should I look if I want to find the Foretellers?"
"I still don't get it," said Pete. "Why did you tell Riku about the black box and everything?"
"If we send our enemies against each other, then they can waste their energy destroying each other. It will be far easier for us to retrieve the box from whoever is left alive afterwards." Maleficent's staff tapped with each step as they traveled through the darkness, though it barely made a sound. "And should the guardians be the victors in the confrontation, they are not the type to seek power for themselves. They will have little interest in using whatever might be inside and certainly will not think to turn it against us. There is no risk in letting our enemies fight and weaken each other. Only potential rewards."
And she would never admit it. Especially to the foolish Pete, no matter how loyal he might be in his ignorance and continued failures. But Maleficent had not truly lied to Riku.
She was still fond of the boy that she once found and guided. She had seen potential to be molded and shaped. Part of her might even miss him to an extent. Ruling worlds alone might be possible for someone such as herself, but it would be simpler with minions to obey her. Or perhaps even allies, though she knew the dangers of trust. Once, Riku had potential for such a role.
Maleficent would indeed destroy him if Riku ever got in her way, but she didn't want to see him fall before a lesser foe merely due to ignorance of the danger. It cost her nothing to warn the boy of the threat.
When it was over, she hoped that Riku might be among the survivors. And that she would not need to destroy him in her pursuit of power to rule all.
Despite having the ability to meet up anywhere in Shibuya, they would generally meet up near Hachiko Statue. It was a common meeting place for a lot of people. It was a good location and fairly well-known. But that wasn't it. They always met there because it was tradition. Ever since they won back their lives, it felt like that was their spot. Even crowded with other people, both alive and the unseen Players, it always seemed like it was only the four of them there. Everyone else just seemed to fade into the background a bit.
Neku wasn't surprised that Beat and Rhyme were already there. He leaned against the statue with his skateboard tucked under his arm while she sat there in her oversized sweater, fidgeting with her bell pendant. It was hard to believe that Neku hadn't realized that the two of them were related when he first saw them. With the same hair color and similar black hats with skulls, the resemblance was there when someone bothered to look. Rhyme hadn't gone through her growth spurt yet; she remained a short kid. But if she took after her brother, she would someday be surprisingly tall. Possibly taller than Neku. He didn't get to know her very well during the Reapers' Game, but she was smart and thoughtful in a nice balance to Beat's impulsiveness and determination.
And despite dying and then spending two and a half weeks as a squirrel-like Noise after being Erased, Rhyme was remarkably upbeat and well-adjusted.
When he glanced in his direction, Beat perked up and nudged his younger sister. She beamed brightly when she spotted Neku as well.
"Mornin', Phones," called Beat, waving briefly.
"Good morning, Neku," she said. "Did he really text you?"
Shrugging, he said, "He didn't exactly sign his name, but I know it was Josh."
"It might be nice to see him. I didn't get to know him like the rest of you did," said Rhyme. "We only met in that strange shared dream."
Shaking his head, Beat said, "I wouldn't be dat excited to meet Prissy Kid. He's not dat friendly. He's worse than Phones used to be."
"Joshua… is not good with people," admitted Neku. "But he did improve. And don't worry, Rhyme. You're not alone. Shiki didn't get to know him during the Game either. Josh and I weren't partners until the second week that I was there."
"Neku!"
He turned around, already smiling at her voice. Some part of Neku still expected to see red hair, a bare midriff, a short skirt, and long boots. He still expected to see the face that she wore during the Game and then in the shared dream. But that face belonged to Eri, her friend. Shiki earned back her own appearance and that was the face that he saw approaching through the crowd.
Her clothes were more modest clothing. Black leggings, a knee-length beige dress with leaf patterns, and a green cardigan. She kept her dark hair cut short, barely reaching her jawline. She wore large round glasses that she'd never seemed to need in the Game. And of course she carried her black stuffed animal, Mr. Mew. The one that she insisted was a cat, but he still believed looked more like a pig.
She had been Neku's first partner, helping during the week when he could barely remember anything beyond his name because of his entrance fee. Shiki helped start his shift towards being a better person. The rest of his friends and the people that he met along the way helped him change and grow, but she was the original catalyst.
"I'm not late, am I?" she asked, adjusting the brown bag slung over her shoulder.
Smiling, he said, "Well, since Joshua isn't here yet, I would say you're just in time."
"Yo, where is he? Didn't you say dat the message tol' you to be here already?" asked Beat.
Neku craned his neck, his eyes scanning the crowd. Men, women, teenagers, adults, the elderly. A wide range of people from all walks of life. But there was one face missing from the crowd that should be there. The pale blond with a smug grin. There was no Joshua waiting around to tease him. At least, not visible to the RG. Was he trying to make a dramatic entrance? Or was he just trying to annoy them on purpose by making them wait?
A chirp from his cellphone had Neku digging it out again. Another message.
Bring the clothing to the Sunshine Station burger shop. You have fifteen minutes. No consequences for failure.
-Unknown Sender
"Joshua, what are you doing?" he muttered under his breath. "We are not going to play tag all over Shibuya."
"Neku?" asked Rhyme. "What is it?"
Holding his phone up, he said, "I guess Josh wants us to get something to eat."
"Great." Beat grinned brightly. "Never too early for a Double Burger."
Just as Kariya expected, Vanitas got a few odd looks once they were in the restaurant and visible to the other customers. But his rather unnerving glare kept anyone from actually commenting on his appearance. Kariya just encouraged the two boys to grab a table while he bought them the one free meal that the Players were getting out of him.
Vanitas stared at the burger in front of him suspiciously, but Sora dug right in. Not hesitating and acting like he hadn't eaten in a month. And when Sora didn't immediately keel over dead (or deader), the other boy slowly reached for his own food.
"It isn't poisoned," said Kariya teasingly. "I wouldn't ruin a decent burger like that."
That earned him a sharp look, but he ignored it to focus on his minestrone instead. It wasn't his preferred location for a meal and neither of them were Uzuki, but he could still enjoy himself. Kariya relaxed in his seat as he people-watched. The constant stream of people walking by the window as the door chimed with the arrival and departure of customers was almost soothing. There was nothing like a delicious soup and a great view to make his day.
Kariya figured that a couple of burgers, french fries, and cola would satisfy them more than some soup. Especially if they were going to be fighting Noise after their early lunch. Though he did vaguely wonder if they would have preferred chicken nuggets instead. Kariya had yet to meet anyone who didn't like the place's chicken nuggets.
As Vanitas took a bit of his burger and Sora grabbed a fry, the door chimed and a larger group of people entered. And something about them caught his eye enough to look twice. Which left him blinking in surprise and straightening slightly. The day was just full of surprises. He knew that group of former Players still liked hanging around Shibuya, but he didn't expect to encounter them today. Especially somewhere that he wouldn't be able to disappear into the UG in order to keep his distance. As fond as he might be towards them, Kariya had fully intended to give them a chance to forget the Game and move on. They deserved that much.
Well, they were already there and he couldn't do anything about it. They would have to be the ones to decide what to do if they spotted him: ignore him or approach.
"Lollipop?"
Kariya grinned faintly over his bowl of minestrone. Apparently Beat had made the decision for them the moment that he caught sight of the familiar face. His sister frowned in confusion at the outburst and the other girl looked similarly uncertain what was going on, but Neku certainly recognized the nickname. He scanned the restaurant until his eyes locked onto Kariya, who nodded in acknowledgement.
Then Neku's gaze moved to the newest Players. And his eyes widened in shocked recognition.
"Sora?"
And suddenly the table was a lot more crowded. A fact that seemed to confuse Sora and make Vanitas uncomfortable. But the former Players were all smiling. Like they'd run into some unexpected friends.
More information that Kariya carefully tucked away.
"It's good to see you again," said Neku. "I can't believe you're actually here."
"Yo, watchu doin' hanging with Lollipop?" asked Beat.
Looking around, Rhyme asked, "And where's Riku? Is he here?"
"Who's this?" asked Shiki, looking towards Vanitas. Noticing Sora's confusion while missing his doppelganger's agitation, she clarified, "Oh, right. I look different from when we met. I'm Shiki."
"And we never got to meet face-to-face. Only the weird holo-graphite project thing," said Beat.
"The holographic projections were better than nothing," said Rhyme.
Nodding, he said, "Anyway, it's good to see you fo' real." When Sora didn't immediately respond, he continued, "You do remember me, right? Beat? All of us were in that weird dream town wit' you?"
"Sorry," apologized Sora. "I remember the slumbering Traverse Town, but…" He shook his head slowly. "I can't remember any of you."
Of course it was Neku that figured it out first. Kariya saw the look in his eyes. Though Rhyme seemed to be almost as quick as him at making the connection.
"Entrance fee?" asked Neku. He grabbed Sora's hand and turned it over to look at the numbers on his palm. "You're in the Reapers' Game."
"An easy version of it." Kariya shrugged briefly. "I'm even giving them a tutorial today because someone important doesn't want them Erased. Guess he's got friends high up, even if he doesn't remember right now."
"Sora forgot his friends and I'm just stuck with him until the end of the week," grumbled Vanitas.
Reaching out a hand, Rhyme said, "If you can't remember us, then that's all right. This is just a chance to meet each other again. My name's Rhyme. My older brother, Beat, already introduced himself. And so did Shiki."
"I'm Sora," he said, taking her hand. "Nice to meet all of you. Even if it is the second time."
"I'm Neku. And you must be the reason why I was contacted first thing in the morning to bring some clothes," he said, looking over the skin-tight outfit already on Vanitas. "But you're in luck. Shiki and Eri design and make clothes." Chuckling briefly, he said, "Don't worry. We won't let her get as forceful about making you change clothes as she was with me about my clothes."
"You'll never let me live that down," she said.
"It was a loose button. It could have waited until we weren't standing in the middle of traffic."
"But what if the button fell off and you lost it?"
"That's still no excuse, Shiki." Shaking his head, Neku said, "Look, I don't know your name yet—"
"Vanitas," supplied Sora.
"—but how about you go try on some new clothes and the rest of us get some food? Then we can at least help explain what we know about the Game. I mean, Kariya is fairly trustworthy and just doing his job as a Reaper. But I'm sure he won't mind our help."
Kariya gave a small nod. He was supposed to make certain that they knew how to play the Reapers' Game and knew everything that was supposed to already be explained to them. There was nothing that said he couldn't get some assistance with the job. And he suspected it would be interesting to see what they shared.
The table was crowded now, extra chairs pulled over to fit everyone. The cashier briefly seemed to consider saying something about it, but Neku greeted her by name and she apparently decided that their large group wouldn't cause any trouble. Vanitas hadn't returned since Shiki handed over the bag and practically shoved him towards the restroom to change clothes, but that still left six of them squashed together around a table meant for maybe four people. There was barely enough space for all the food that they bought. A salad for Shiki, a Double Burger for Beat, chicken nuggets for both Neku and Rhyme, and a mixture of OJ and cola for everyone to drink. And that wasn't including the food that Kariya already bought them. But despite the cramped conditions around their table, none of them seemed to mind.
Sora wished that he could properly enjoy the friendly atmosphere as they asked Kariya about what had happened since they left the Game and about someone named Uzuki. But he couldn't ignore how wrong it felt, knowing that these people were apparently his friends and yet he didn't remember them. There was no connection there either. Sora had severed all connections to his heart. And it felt wrong.
They were his friends. He met them in the slumbering Traverse Town. But he didn't know them. Just like he didn't recognize Joshua before. Just like the names "Ventus" and now "Riku" meant nothing to him. The only person that he knew was Vanitas because they weren't friend when Sora shattered his heart.
It felt wrong. He felt empty. Alone. Disconnected.
Weak and useless. Worthless.
Sora, you don't believe that. I know you don't.
The words echoed through him. Not the voice that spoke them. Not the face that produced them. Not even when exactly the words were spoken. But they still seemed to echo in his heart. Comforting and reassuring. Whoever spoke them, Sora knew that he could trust them.
"So you an' Vanitas aren't related?" Beat sounded skeptical. "You ain't a couple of independent twins?"
"I think you mean 'identical twins,'" said Rhyme.
"Da's what I said, innit?"
"We're not related," confirmed Sora. "I technically don't have any siblings."
"Technically?" asked Kariya, pulling his spoon away from his mouth.
He shrugged awkwardly. Sora knew that he had a Nobody and that there was a replica based on his memories. But he couldn't remember what their names were or what they looked like. Though they probably looked similar to Sora. They were at least somewhat close to siblings because of their origins, right?
"Fine. Don't explain," he said. "None of my business anyway."
"Vanitas is… complicated," said Sora carefully. "There was a person. A man named Xehanort split that person into his light and dark halves, trying to create a weapon. Both halves became their own people. Vanitas was the darkness."
"You can't split people in half like that," said Shiki. "…Can you?"
Pushing his sunglasses slightly, Kariya said, "All of you came back from the dead after playing a game, I have wings on another plane of reality, and Rhyme spent a couple of weeks as a small furball. Trust me. I've been around long enough to know its best to keep an open mind."
"It happens more often that you would think. At least, it does for us," said Sora.
"So if Vanitas is someone's darkness, do we need to be worried?" asked Shiki.
"While darkness can be dangerous, it isn't always the same thing as evil. Vanitas did fight us in the past, but now he's helping me. I think he just needed a chance to get away from Xehanort and figure out who he wanted to be."
Sora fully believed that. The change to Vanitas's eyes was proof enough that he was no longer in Xehanort's shadow. As was the fact that he wasn't trying to attack all of them or send Unversed after the people in Shibuya.
Movement caught his eye across the burger shop. Sora saw Vanitas step back into sight, tugging at his new clothing awkwardly. Clearly not comfortable without his usual skin-tight outfit on his body. Though Sora didn't know where he might have put his old clothes because Shiki's bag tucked under his arm was clearly empty. Maybe he managed to make them disappear with magic.
In many ways, the new clothes were fairly similar to what Sora or even Beat wore. Especially his shirt. Black short-sleeved with red lining, a zipper, rolled up sleeves, and two breast pockets with buckles. There was no plaid however. Vanitas also wore black skinny jeans with torn knees. There was a skirt flap on his left side that was slightly reminiscent of the material attached to his skin-tight outfit. At his waist was a long grey belt with the excess length dangling on both the left and right, but there was also some kind of pouch. A compact hip pack that rested right above the skirt flap. And on his feet were a set of ankle boots with zippers. The main zipper in the front was pulled by a silver ring and there was a bit of red on the tongue of the boot, but there were also a pair of extra zippers on each side that were clearly meant for decoration.
"You and Eri have outdone yourselves," said Neku.
Smiling as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, Shiki said, "That would mean more if I didn't know what a fashion disaster you are."
"It'll suffice," muttered Vanitas grudgingly, sitting back down next to Sora. "So what else do we need to know to get through this Game?"
"Well, have you run into any Noise yet?" asked Neku.
"The frog monsters? Yeah, we fought a few of them," said Sora.
Kariya nodded briefly his own confirmation. He was halfway through his bowl of soup, but he kept twisting the spoon between his fingers rather than eating.
"There's other types too." Beat took another bite of his burger. "Noise that looks like wolves or birds or bats or…" He trailed off briefly, his expression darkening. "Or a shark."
Rhyme reached over to pat his arm reassuringly, earning a small smile. There was some kind of history there. Something bad that had to do with the shark-like Noise. Sora just didn't have the information about what might have happened. Though he did notice that Kariya also looked away for a moment or two before talking to them.
"Noise exists between the Underground and Realground planes of Shibuya. That's why you mostly see the symbol more often than them materializing like they did earlier. Normally, you and your partner will have to go after them instead of the other way around. But because they straddle the border between the two planes, they are able to influence both. They can have a physical presence in the UG, while influencing people's thought in the RG. Typically causing or intensifying negative emotions," described Kariya. "They're also drawn towards people suffering from negative emotions, causing a bit of a feedback loop if no one disrupts it." Twisting his spoon around briefly, he said, "There's some variations and special types, but here's the simple version. Noise is essentially a manifestation of negative emotions, driven by an unconscious need to grow stronger and multiply by feeding off people. Either attacking helpless Players or attaching to people in the RG."
Frowning thoughtfully, Sora said, "Negative emotions? Like Unversed?"
"What?" asked Neku.
Sora glanced towards Vanitas. Giving all of them an annoyed look, he bit another french fry in half before pushing his chair back from the table. A dark shape peeled off his chest before landing in his lap as a small dark blue, red-eyed, and twitchy figure. Everyone else shouted in surprise and shoved themselves away. Not even the unflappable Reaper was prepared for the small Flood. He did recover first though, glancing around the restaurant at the alarmed customers and cashier trying to figure out what the disturbance was about.
"Put that away," said Kariya firmly. "Your pet Noise is in the RG. You'll cause a panic."
Vanitas smirked in clear amusement before setting his hand on the Flood's head. It melted back into him just as easily as it was created. Then he reached for another french fry.
"That was freaky," said Beat, slowly relaxing out of his panicked pose, " but kinda cool."
"All right. I guess you know how to handle Noise," said Neku carefully. "Do you know about Light Pucks?"
His smirk transforming into a scowl, Vanitas said, "Me and light? Not really my style."
Hugging her stuffed animal close, Shiki said, "It's a way to build and share power between partners. You pass it back and forth as you finish combo attacks, setting up a good rhythm with your attacks so that you hopefully pass that energy when your partner is in the best position to land the next blow. But you have to be in sync with your partner to pull it off."
"And if you can manage to get in sync with each other well enough, you can also unleash a particularly powerful fusion attack together. But it is like Shiki mentioned," said Neku. He smiled at Shiki and then Beat fondly. "You have to trust your partner."
Sora didn't need to look over to see Vanitas scowl and roll his eyes to know how he felt about that piece of advice. Even when he wasn't purposefully antagonizing and attacking people, he had a prickly and abrasive personality. But he was listening and hadn't stormed off alone. That was more than Sora would have once expected from him. Vanitas had changed a lot from what Sora knew about him before. The Vanitas that he knew from the Keyblade Graveyard would react more viciously to the idea instead of merely being annoyed.
"We'll work on it," said Sora. When Vanitas gave him a disbelieving look, he said, "It could be useful."
Practically sneering the words, he snapped, "So you think that you can trust me?"
"Yes," he said simply. When Vanitas blinked in surprise, Sora said, "You brought me here. You helped save me, even if you say that you're doing it because you don't like owing people. I don't believe that you would betray me now."
Sora didn't say it, but they might even be friends someday. Vanitas had changed beyond losing the golden color of his eyes. He'd changed enough to not be an enemy. And despite no longer remembering them, Sora knew that there had been others that he'd once fought against who were his friends afterwards. But he had the feeling that telling Vanitas directly would only make him resist out of spite.
Grabbing a final chicken nugget as he stood up, Neku said, "I'll be right back. Tell them about… Reaper Review or something. Don't leave without me. Once Sora and Vanitas step outside, we won't be able to see them anymore."
Neku headed out the door, everyone watching him go until he stepped out of view of the window. Then Vanitas eyed them suspiciously before turning his attention towards Kariya.
"What is Reaper Review?" he asked slowly.
"Like a bolt from the blue," said Beat, Rhyme, and Shiki is unison, their voices clearly mimicking someone that they all knew, "it's time for the Reaper Review!"
Vanitas's new clothes are based off of future Gatto Nero line that Eri and Shiki make in "Neo: The World Ends With You." He's wearing the Zippered Shirt, the Asymmetrical Jeans, the Ankle Boots, and the Hip Pack. Basically, he gets to try them out before they are an official piece of merchandise for the girls to start selling. The Zipper Shirt does absolutely look like something that Sora would wear and the Ankle Boots have so many useless zippers.
And yes, I definitely had to point out the similarities between the Noise and the Unversed.