Looks like everyone seemed to enjoy that update. And the update to Vanitas's wardrobe. That's all very encouraging for me to hear. I'm always happy to know that people are enjoying this story and what I'm doing with it. Now it is time to see where Neku wandered off to…

Neku didn't go very far from the restaurant. Just far enough that his friends wouldn't see him and to get out of the path of traffic. Then he leaned against the wall and pulled out his cellphone.

It rang several times before someone finally picked up. And even then, the line was silent for a moment before anyone spoke.

"Hello, Neku. Did you miss the sound of my voice?"

Neku half-smiled to himself. The tone might be casual, arrogant, and mildly mocking, but Neku knew him. He could pick out and recognize the emotions beneath the surface. The hesitation and nervousness that would seem out of place to someone with less experience dealing with him.

"Josh," he said. "Let me guess. You didn't consider that sending a message to my phone would give me your number. Am I right, partner?"

A weak chuckle and he admitted, "I didn't expect you to call, no."

"You've been avoiding us."

"I have been busy. You Erased most of my high ranked Reapers and I have been covering the responsibilities of both Composer and Conductor. I haven't had much free time. You can't be that greedy for my attention, my dear Neku."

"And you've been avoiding us," repeated Neku. "You know that you have a standing invitation to meet up with us, right? We want you to come."

The call was quiet long enough that he started wondering if Joshua had hung up. All he could hear was the sounds of the city. And when he finally spoke again, there was a vulnerability in his voice that almost sounded foreign coming from his former partner.

"Do you truly mean that? Even after everything that happened?"

"Of course, I mean it. I told you that I don't know if I can forgive you for everything that you put me through, but I do trust you. I thought we were past that. We seemed to be all right in Traverse Town. What happened?"

"You were dreaming, Neku," he scoffed. "You weren't yourselves. Not truly."

"Joshua—"

"I barely salvaged scraps of you and your friends as our world was lost. What remained of you existed only as a dream within that slumbering world, not fully aware of the truth and following dream logic. People make decisions in dreams that they know better than to do when awake. It is simple to claim to trust me and ignore what happened when you are in a dream or you are on another plane than me. It won't last when we are face-to-face." There was a pause where Neku could easily imagine his old partner flipping his hair while pretending not to care. "I would rather skip the dramatics of an uncomfortable reunion, thanks."

Closing his eyes, he said, "Joshua, when have you ever been able to figure out what I would do? We both know what you expected me to do when you gave me that gun. What you wanted me to do. And now you're so certain of what I would do if you ever accepted the invitation to join us. Why don't you give me a chance to prove you wrong?" Smiling to himself, Neku added, "You should trust your partner."

Joshua laughed ruefully at his words. But the sound didn't come across the speaker. Neku opened his eyes to find the Composer of Shibuya leaning against the wall next to him, putting his own cellphone away. His posture was casual, as if he had been standing there the entire time. Which was probably true. Joshua must have been in the UG watching. But he wasn't looking at Neku now. He was staring straight ahead, like he was deeply invested in whatever was happening across the street rather than the current conversation.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence," said Neku dryly. "See? Was that so bad?"

Smiling in a way that Neku didn't quite believe, Joshua said, "You're enjoying this far too much."

"Remember when you dragged me all over Shibuya and invented fake missions? Think of this as my revenge."

"And what shall be your revenge for shooting you?"

"Twice," reminded Neku.

"Only the first time killed you."

"But both times hurt. A lot. We're counting both times."

"And what penance do you demand of me?"

Neku laughed and shook his head. Nothing could ever be simple and straightforward with Joshua. He always tried to avoid answering any questions and he would complicate what should be easy by refusing to talk. And now that they were talking again, Joshua continued to assume the worst despite all evidence to the contrary.

He didn't get it. Joshua didn't seem to believe that Neku…

"Joshua, you're an idiot," he said. "You're my friend. You, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme are my friends. Stop acting like you expect me to turn my back on you. I know what you did, but I'm still here. But if you insist on waiting for me to… to make you pay for what happened? Well, you've pretty much admitted that the dream town and the nightmare of Shibuya being overrun by monsters actually happened—"

"Heartless," said Joshua quietly. Quiet, reluctant, and almost scared to make the confession. "They were called Heartless. And there was nothing that even I could do to protect Shibuya from them."

"But you tried to save us," said Neku. "You brought us to Traverse Town to keep us safe. You killed me for your Game and put me through so much in those three weeks. Experiences like that I can't forget or completely forgive. But the world was ending and you decided to save me and my friends. And that means something. So, please," he said, smiling at one of the most powerful entities in the entire city, "can we call us even and have you stop avoiding us now?"

Hesitating a moment, Joshua chuckled and seemed to relax slightly. And considering that his normal posture was casual, it was hard to notice that small change. Joshua had a talent for hiding things. Including how much it had been bothering him. But Neku had gotten at least decent at reading him during their week as partners. And that small shift in his demeanor was followed by him finally looking towards him.

"Turns out Sora was right. Never should have doubted him," said Joshua quietly. "He is the expert on friendship."

"I didn't expect to see him in the Reapers' Game…"

"He tore himself apart. It was delicate work putting him back together, but we owe him a lot."

Kicking his foot lazily, Neku said, "A nice person would restore him back to life without making him jump through hoops first."

"Just because I'm the Composer doesn't mean that I can do whatever I want."

"No, I suppose that you have your own rules to obey," he said thoughtfully. "The other Angels from the Higher Plane would probably complain about someone skipping the Game entirely."

Joshua stiffened and turned to face Neku directly. Eyes wide, paler than normal, and his expression grimmer than he could ever remember seeing Joshua's face. The only way to make him seem more serious would before the two of them to be holding guns with the fate of the city on the line. Again.

"How do you know about that?" he asked quietly. "That information is meant to be secret from everyone. How did you find out?"

"Mr. H wrote a few reports about your stupid attempt to destroy Shibuya and probably yourself. He left me a copy when he disappeared." Neku shrugged slightly. "It explained a lot."

Joshua stared for a moment before finally laughing quietly. Even more of that nearly hidden tension melted away. How long had it been since someone had known who and what he was, but absolutely didn't care?

Kicking his foot again, Neku asked, "Hey, um… Look, he disappeared after the Game, but… Do you know what happened to Mr. H?"

"Unfortunately, Hanekoma is grounded for the foreseeable future. He won't be visiting with anyone in the RG or UG for a while. But if you want, I can pass along a message to him."

"I might take you up on that offer." Pausing a moment, he asked, "And will you be taking up our offer?"

"And what offer would that be, my dear Neku?"

Ignoring the flirtatious tone, he said, "The one that involves the standing invitation for you to join us. We thought that was why you texted me."

Joshua closed his eyes, but he didn't say a word. He just seemed to be listening. Maybe to the traffic that moved past them or maybe to something that only Angels could hear. After a few moments, Joshua finally seemed to come to a decision.

"Not today. And it can't be often. I still have a Game to organize and my presence can be… dangerous to around for too long."

"You do tend to rub people the wrong way," he teased.

"But perhaps sometime after Sora and Vanitas finish their Game, I could join you for lunch."

Smiling, Neku said, "I would like that. And if you try to wiggle your way out of it, I have your phone number and I will call you again."

"Then there is no reason why I should try avoiding you in the future."

"None whatsoever, Josh. Your friends aren't going to let you isolate yourself like that. We have to make sure that we can talk sense into you if you end up depressed enough to try destroying a city again." When Joshua didn't respond, Neku nudged him and said, "Plus, I really do miss hearing the sound of your obnoxious voice."

Vanitas pretended not to pay attention as the former Players discussed how to affect fashion trends among the people in the RG by using specific pins or wearing specific clothing brands, which was apparently a common mission type. Especially to get past barriers to other parts of the city. He knew better than to completely ignore the information. Ignorance could be dangerous, even if the topic seemed trivial. But Sora was listening more closely and attentively to the discussion. He was actually interested in talking with his forgotten friends. Vanitas was content to let him focus on the more specific details. He listened to the basic information while watching their surroundings carefully.

There were so many people in the city. And unlike out on the street, he was visible to them. Most of them wouldn't stand a chance against him. They weren't Keyblade wielders or anything else dangerous. But Vanitas couldn't let his guard down in case there was a hidden threat. Like a more malevolent version of whatever Joshua might be, lurking among the crowds until they were ready to strike. And he still didn't know where Neku might have gone, but he preferred to know where the teenager was. Sora was the one that trusted blindly. Vanitas would rather keep potential threats in sight.

Everyone was a potential threat or a useless weakling that he could tear his way through. Except for Sora.

Vanitas ground his teeth silently. He needed to stop thinking like that. It was how Master Xehanort would want him to see everything. He refused to give the shriveled old man the satisfaction. Vanitas was going to claim his own collection of friends, a home, and everything that he'd been denied. And he would gain it all out of sheer spite of that dead Keyblade master. He would just need to force himself to be less suspicious of everyone if he wanted to accomplish any of it.

Trust did not come naturally to him. And everything about the situation left him on edge. He felt exposed.

Maybe it was the new clothes. He'd never worn anything else before. When Vanitas first came into existence, the darkness torn from Ventus taking a physical shape, he was "born" in the tight and thick material wrapped around him. It took time to learn what his own face might look like or if he even had a face beneath his helmet. The softer material of the torn jeans and the short-sleeved jacket felt foreign on his skin. And seeing his bare hands was a strange experience. But at least the rest of the people in the restaurant were no longer staring at him. He felt at least a little less exposed that way, being ignored by them.

His eyes twitched back towards the door as Neku stepped back inside. Vanitas wasn't an expert, but Neku seemed to be in a better mood.

Taking his seat, Neku said, "Well, I managed to find an old friend that's been avoiding us. He won't be coming in, but I think that I convinced him to meet us some time after this week." He paused a moment before adding, "And if he doesn't show up, I'll chase him down and drag him out."

"An old friend?" asked Kariya, raising an eyebrow. "Anyone that I would know?"

"He's been around Shibuya enough that it would be more surprising for you to have not seen him. I know that Reapers see pretty much everything that happens here."

And maybe the others missed it, but Vanitas certainly noticed that the former Player had neatly avoided revealing anything about the person. Not a lie, but a clear omission.

Turning his attention toward Sora and Vanitas, he continued, "Let's see what kind of pins that you two are starting with."

Sora was quick to take it off and slide the pin across the table. Vanitas rolled his eyes at his eagerness. Instead, he held his pin up to show it to Neku. But he did not let go of it. Just because Vanitas didn't see much use in the things didn't mean that he would hand over a weapon to someone. He knew better than to arm a potential enemy that he might need to fight.

Studying them carefully, Neku said, "Looks like someone expects you to play defensively."

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

Neku held up the pin. A yellow circle with a few faint crisscrossing lines and some small splatters of pink and blue, but most of the focus was on the black lines of a smiley face. The design was as bright and friendly as the boy who wore it.

"This is one of the Tigre Punks brand pins," he described. "It's called 'Peace Full' and when you active the Cure Drink psyche, you get some healing from the materializing drink it provides."

"Like an instant potion," he said.

Returning the pin, Neku turned his attention back towards Vanitas. His pin was less vivid and colorful. The design showed a coffin with a bat symbol decorating the lid, open just enough to expose a pair of yellow eyes and a sharp-toothed smile. It vaguely resembled some type of Heartless.

"Vanitas has one of the Sheep Heavenly pins, the 'Creepy Weepy Barrier.' It creates a Dark Barrier around you. You can still move around with it, so it makes a great defense. If the Noise runs into it, the barrier will hurt it and heal you a little."

Smirking slightly, he said, "Maybe it isn't completely pointless then."

He would probably still focus more on using his Keyblade, magic, and the Unversed. They were reliable and familiar. He'd always managed with his own strength. But that didn't mean that he would ignore another potential weapon in his arsenal.

"I'm certain that they will do fantastic," said Rhyme cheerfully.

Pushing his bowl aside, Kariya said, "We'll find out soon enough. If you're done eating and passing around tips, you might want to get moving. You still have that Noise to Erase. The biggest one around the Hachiko statue."

Vanitas shoved what was left of his burger in his mouth and grabbed a napkin. It was about time that they got to the point. The sooner that they got through all of this nonsense and won the Reapers' Game, the sooner he would finally be free.

Sora stared at the floating sigil. There were a few around the area, like stylized skulls of various animals. But from what they'd told him, the larger symbols would either have more Noise or more powerful ones. And this was the largest of them that he could see. It was the most likely place for the largest Noise that they were supposed to fight.

Neku and the others had wished them luck, but they couldn't come along. Or rather, they could come. But they wouldn't be able to see Sora or Vanitas once they left the restaurant. It was simpler to part ways. Only the two of them had returned to the dog statue.

Actually, it was the two of them and the Reaper.

"Remember what I told you about how to handle the Noise?" asked Kariya. "They won't come out like before since you've got a partner. You'll have to go after them. They're tucked between the RG and UG just enough that any damage that you do to the place won't affect the surroundings out here. No one to get hurt in the crossfire and nothing can get damaged. So don't worry about holding back."

Vanitas summoned his Keyblade in a flash of darkness. Sora couldn't help once again being impressed by the new design. It was less bulky now. Maybe he preferred larger Keyblades, but Vanitas seemed happy enough about the change. Or perhaps the cocky grin had more to do with looking forward towards the fight.

Sora's fingers curled around the Player's Pin. Vanitas grabbed his shoulder as Sora reached for the sigil. There was a flash that seemed to swallow them.

Most of their surroundings seemed to stay the same as before. But none of the washed-out crowds of people were there. Nor was Kariya, unless he found some place to hide. Everyone was gone except for Sora and Vanitas.

And a large blue-gray grizzly Noise with bright orange arms like living paint, the claws long and sharp.

Several years ago, the sight would have been intimidating enough to give him pause. He would have froze for at least a moment when he saw the tall and powerful creature with fangs and claws ready to tear through them. But Sora had faced far scarier threats since he first left the island. And even if he wasn't fully recovered from tearing his heart apart and putting himself back together again, he knew that he was strong enough to handle it if he paid attention.

Besides, he wasn't alone.

Vanitas charged forward without hesitation with a manic grin on his face. Straight towards the towering creature. The Noise slashed down towards the boy. But the bright claws went straight through the afterimage. Seconds later, Vanitas materialized above and came crashing down on it. A blow that made the Noise stagger slightly.

But the grizzly-like creature recovered faster than expected. Another brutal swipe of the claws found their target this time, catching Vanitas in the stomach and sending him flying back.

Sora hissed sharply as pain bloomed through his body. As if he was the one that was hit instead.

A side effect of the Pact that no one mentioned. It wasn't a great discovery, but he could adapt. Like he did with all the different challenges of the Underworld Tournaments.

As Vanitas leapt back to his feet with a snarl, Sora ran towards the Noise himself. He at least knew what to kind of attacks to keep watch for now.

"Freeze!" he shouted.

Ice raced across the ground before practically exploding in the face of the grizzly-like Noise. As it stumbled back a step, Vanitas sent a pillar of ice bursting up from underneath the creature. Knocking the Noise down and leaving it open to an aggressive combo from Sora. And maybe he was mistaken, but he thought he saw a brief light dash between him and his partner as the combo ended.

As the creature surged back up with a roar, Vanitas blocked the claws with his Keyblade. He grinned viciously at the Noise as his free hand went to the pin on his jacket. A violet barrier swirled around Vanitas defensively. But the Noise roared in pain where it touched the Dark Barrier. Just like Neku described. Before it could react further, Sora's Keyblade was already pointed at the creature.

"Fire!"

Flames struck it hard enough to finally reduce the Noise to static. Seconds later, their surroundings seemed to buzz and blur with more static. Like they were in a cloud of it. But then it faded and everything was fairly normal again. The pedestrians were back, even if they still looked faded out. And Kariya was leaning casually against the statue.

"Nicely done," he complimented, pointing the sucker at them. "Looks like you've completed your first mission without getting Erased."

Sora glanced down at this palm. The countdown was gone. Further proof of their success.

"Remember to pick up the pins left behind," continued Kariya. "From here, you're on your own. As long as you don't do anything stupid, you two should be fine. Good luck with the Game. I look forward to seeing you make it to the end of the week."

Then he returned his candy to his mouth with a smirk. His black wings flexed briefly as he turned around. And before Sora could say anything or even thank the Reaper, Kariya disappeared into the crowds.

He always did love people watching. But it was much more pleasant when it wasn't a solo activity. Which was why Kariya smiled to himself when he caught sight of a familiar and welcome face on the roof of the building.

With her new responsibilities, there was less time to hang out with her than he would like. But it made her happy.

"What do you think of our new Players?" asked Uzuki, taking a seat on the ledge.

Reluctantly pulling the candy from his mouth, Kariya said, "They're interesting. Definitely plenty of combat experience, even if this is their first Game."

"Yeah, that's what they told me. No sense of direction, but the Noise barely slows them down."

Kariya stared down at the city as he twisted the sucker between his fingers. The Players were already knocked out, their first day complete. There were still plenty of people down there though. Perhaps if he looked closely enough, he might even spot Neku and his friends still wandering around.

"Don't know why they look alike, but they say they aren't twins," he continued. "They were apparently enemies at some point. Didn't get a lot of details on that. You told me that the Conductor didn't tell you the entrance fees for them, but the blue-eyed kid's entrance fee was his friends. Which was interesting since apparently he knows Neku."

That caught her attention. Uzuki leaned forward and stared at him with a questioning look.

"As in that Neku?"

"Same one. Saw him and his friends practically swarm our new Players when we stopped for lunch."

"Of course you took a lunch break with them."

"Well, it wasn't like you were available. Next time, Uzuki." Spinning the sucker between his fingers, Kariya said, "Still, it makes you wonder what the Composer is up to with this Game."

"Whatever it is, the Conductor claims that he doesn't know."

Kariya could mention his own suspicions about the connection between this particular Game, Neku, the Conductor who was a former partner to him, and the mysterious Composer who was returning a favor to these mysterious new Players. But it wouldn't really help them any. And it would just get Uzuki stressed out when she was already juggling a lot of work. He knew when to hold his tongue. He just needed to die before he fully mastered that skill.

"I know that you're supposed to be running an easy Game for them," he said finally, "but I suspect it will at least be a memorable one." Smiling at her, he said, "Care to make a wager?"

"What kind?"

"I'll bet that these two will cause almost as much chaos in one week as Neku did in three weeks."

Scoffing, she said, "Not a chance."

"Loser buys the winner dinner after the Game?"

"And the winner decides where?"

"Naturally."

Smiling like she did during nearly all of their side wagers, Uzuki said, "I'm in."

And so ends the first day of the Reapers' Game. I do like Kariya and Uzuki's friendship, so I absolutely had to give them a scene together. Even if it is a small one. I've got a large cast to juggle. We also got to have a nice reunion with Neku and Joshua. And finally, Sora and Vanitas got to finally Erase that Noise and complete their first mission. Now they just have to get through the rest of the week.