Shibuya Snapshots

Night

I've had this idea rattling around my brain as soon as Beat showed up in Neo, so there's that. I might repost this separately just so more people see it because I haven't seen this done, yet.

And they keep calling and calling as they run around desperately through the night.

-xXx-

Shiki wakes up one morning and does what she always does. Slips on her glasses, checks her phone for any messages and important messages she may have missed, and then hold Mr. Mew in her arms and say the important daily phrase.

Except she only makes it as far as grabbing hold of Mr. Mew as the same horrible feeling she had three years ago settles into her gut.

She stares down at the ripped mess of seams in Mr. Mew's side, right under his left arm.

Parallel to when he had ripped when Neku disappeared.

No. Nononono. This could not be happening again. It could not. Who would it be this time? Would it be Beat? Getting so lost in searching for Neku that he indulges a horrible impulse to check the one place they all had wanted to, but none had dared even attempt to reach? Maybe it'd be an accident, not paying close enough attention to the streets when he's skating and getting into an unfortunate accident? But, no, Beat wouldn't do that to them. Plus, the trauma of how he and Rhyme got into the Game in the first place still causes him to be extremely wary near roads, even after all these years. No, Beat wouldn't be that careless.

Could it possibly be Josh? No, that wouldn't make sense. He was the Composer, so he was strong and is not nearly impulsive enough to go search for their lost friend himself. And, given Beat's terrified description of the events that happened that day, along with the vague hinting and imprints that could be no one other than Joshua, he more than likely knew where Neku was already. And Joshua wasn't that desperate to just let someone else be Composer. So, Shiki could definitely cross off their most intelligent friend off the danger list.

Maybe it would be Rhyme, as horrible as a thought that is. And wouldn't that be something? But Shiki could see it. Rhyme has a special connection to the UG that never quite went away. Shiki hadn't been there at the time, but Neku and Beat had mentioned Rhyme's time as a Noise in order to keep their Soul from disappearing when they had vanished into the jaws of a shark. And if anyone could sense the UG as well as Neku without being a part of it, then that would be Rhyme. Because Rhyme is just like that. Not to mention Rhyme's recent pass time of trying to find a way to sneak into the UG. Maybe they'd figure it out and get stuck there? In that case... Rhyme would be fine. They're smart and would find a way to contact them. Plus, Rhyme is cautious and would tell them their discoveries before they did anything and have them all do it together.

Perhaps it's a warning that something bad is going to happen to Eri, god forbid. And the thought scares Shiki. Eri doesn't have anything to do with the Game or what happened to Neku three years ago. She was just friends with them and, while knowing what they all went through and how they all met, knew all the dangers to avoid. And why would anyone from the UG go after her?

She was overthinking this. A Reaper was probably not coming after any of them. Eri is smart and always stays safe. She'll一 she'll look both ways before crossing the street, she knows not to go anywhere by herself at night, she knows basic self-defense, she knows what pins do and carries a few around with her at all times because of Shiki's own insistence一.

She forces herself to take a deep breath. Eri is going to be fine. Mr. Mew picks up on UG-related things which Eri is not involved with. Shiki, your best friend is going to be fine. Relax.

But then that just left herself. Would she be one to bite the, possibly literal, bullet and play another round? She doesn't want to. But what if she found Neku? What if she got erased before she could even look? What if she made it into the Game and found Neku, but he got erased protecting her? She can't let that happen. She can't let all of Neku's fighting go to waste.