Disclaimer: The World Ends With You is the intellectual property of Square Enix and Jupiter. I am merely a loyal fan who wanted to fish out an aftermath. This was a project solely undertaken for fun.

Chapter I: The Producer's Request

Shibuya has been erased. At least I played without regrets…what happens to me now is of no consequence.

The Conductor had been defeated in his Game with the Composer, and erasure was his ultimate fate. When people in the RG die, they go to the UG, but for someone who already existed in the UG, even Megumi Kitaniji was unsure what happened next. What did it mean to be erased? As a light engulfed his eyes, it was quickly apparent that his conscience would not simply fade into oblivion, as per popular belief.

"Urrg, where am I?" Kitaniji slowly sat up, unsure of where he was or why his unconscious form had been sprawled out on the ground. His long black hair was a tangled mess, the sleek black suit that emphasized his high status had been sullied by the dirty ground, and a pair of red headphones was still snugly wrapped around the back of his neck. Blinking uncomfortably, he quickly realized that his shades were missing. Where had they fallen? Glancing around, he noticed them on the ground a few feet away from him. Cautiously, he picked them up and placed them over his eyes. Returning to the more comfortable world of shadows, he cocked his head to take in his surroundings. His heart lit up with joy when he realized what he saw.

Shibuya was still intact! Hundreds of people were shuffling past one another in the streets below him, and recognizing Jupiter of the Monkey, he realized with a start that he was on Cat Street. Glancing left and right, he noticed that more graffiti had consumed the city since he had been erased, but otherwise, it was relatively unchanged.

"Kariya, hurry the hell up!" Kitaniji jumped as he heard the frustrated scream of Harrier Reaper Uzuki Yashiro. There was a sense of urgency in her voice that her partner Koki Kariya did not share.

"Calm down, Uzuki. Let's pace ourselves. No need to rush." He placed a hand in his pocket and pulled out a fresh lollipop. Unwrapping it and sticking it in his mouth, he looked up at the sun. "Beautiful day."

"BEAUTIFUL DAY?" Yashiro exploded. "This could be the most important day of our lives and you are just commenting on the weather!"

"You've gotta loosen up," Kariya shrugged, shaking his head. "It's been a month since Mr. Kitaniji was erased. Things are just now starting to return to normal thanks to the appearance of the Producer. He's definitely had a lot on his plate, restoring order to the UG. We can afford to give him some breathing room."

"We can give him some breathing room by being on schedule!" Yashiro grabbed Kariya by the ear and started pulling him behind her.

"Ouch! Aight, aight, I get what you're sayin'. Let go of me, Uzuki!" He tenderly rubbed his ear as she released him. Yashiro stared wistfully at the café WildKat.

"Kariya, my job is very important to me…remember how scary it was during that three week run of erased Game Masters? Shibuya was changing, losing everything to it that made it the city we love. This is a new start, a new beginning for the hierarchy of Reapers. I want to make an impact and become an Officer and make work more enjoyable for all the Reapers!"

"In time," Kariya said comfortingly, placing an arm around Yashiro's neck, pretending not to notice the blush creeping over her face.

Kitaniji watched the entire scene with bewilderment. The Producer? He had almost believed it to be nothing more than a rumor amongst Reapers. Why was Shibuya even still around in the first place? He had lost his game with the Composer and sealed Shibuya's fate. Did the Composer have a change of heart? Was He perhaps defeated by His own proxy? I have to find out what has happened to both the Realground and the Underground. Noticing the Reaper duo approaching him, Kitaniji stepped in front of them. They walked past him, not noticing his presence.

"Hey!" he called out to them. They did not heed his call and entered WildKat. Frowning frustrated, Kitaniji followed them inside.

The café was virtually empty, save an oddly dressed man. He was tall and slender, with spiked black hair and a bit of stubble. He wore a dark vest over a rolled back white shirt, a pair of black slacks, and sandals. His eyes lit up behind his dark glasses as his café was once again inhabited by others.

"Welcome!" He said enthusiastically. "What can I get you?"

"YOU!" Yashiro exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at him. He stared at her pleasantly perplexed.

"Yes?"

"You were the man who interfered with my attempt to erase Sakuraba and Misaki! You're the Producer?"

"I prefer not to go by such formal titles," the man smoothly replied. "Just call me Mr. H."

"Mr. H, I'll take a cuppa joe." Yashiro stared at her partner in disbelief, but Mr. H did not even notice.

"Comin' right up, boss!" Mr. H exclaimed. "Would you like to try my house blend? I can guarantee the taste, only 680 yen!"

"Sounds like a bargain." Kariya reached into his pockets and scooped out the necessary money on the table. The two of them turned to Yashiro who was fuming.

"And what can I getcha, sister?" Mr. H asked innocently.

"I suppose a bouillabaisse sounds good," she grumbled. Mr. H exploded with laughter and began combing through his shelves to find the requested food. Yashiro turned to Kariya. "How did a meeting with the Producer turn into a dining experience?"

"He's more lax than I expected," Kariya admitted, "but that ain't necessarily a bad thing."

A shuffling of feet indicated that their gracious host had returned with their orders. "Here ya go! One pipin' hot house blend coffee and one bowl of bouillabaisse!"

"Thanks!" Kariya said and pulling the lollipop out of his mouth, he poured the still-steaming coffee down his throat. Yashiro shook her head and started poking at her meal with her spoon.

"So Mr. H…" she began, but he cut her off with a raised hand.

"Please, enjoy your meal and allow me to tell you both why you were called here today."

His serious tone caught the duo's attention and they watched him attentively. "As you both know, the RG and UG both experienced a bit of turmoil during the previous Games. Details were kept confidential at the time, but there was a Game between the Conductor and Composer that would determine the fate of Shibuya. The elimination of the Composer's proxy, Neku Sakuraba, would almost certainly result in Megumi's win. Neku prevailed, however, and Megumi was erased. The Composer sequentially challenged Neku to a final Game that was meant to determine the fate of Shibuya. Neku was shot and the fate of Shibuya was in the Composer's hands."

"Then why is Shibuya still intact?" Yashiro cut in.

"I can't give you the full details, but the Composer was watchin' over Neku's progress the entire time. Seeing the positive change that came over Neku was enough to convince the Composer to spare Shibuya. Perhaps the real objective of the game was for Neku NOT to shoot his former...acquaintance."

"His former acquaintance?" Kariya asked with a raised eyebrow, but Mr. H brushed his inquiry off.

"Whatever the reason, the Composer brought Neku, his friends, and all of the players who had been Neku's entry fee for the third game back to life."

"Who woulda thought that twerp was so important?" Yashiro muttered.

Kariya scratched his head perplexed. "As far as I know, Neku Sakuraba is the only Player in the history of the Game to have played three times through, not to mention goin' up against both the Conductor and the Composer and escaping with his life. How does he do it?"

"He's a very unusual boy," Mr. H agreed. "The Composer's intentions at this point are a mystery, but although it is certain that he is alive, his whereabouts are currently unknown. Without the presence of a Composer, Conductor, and Game Master, the Game cannot be run, and as more people die in the Realground, the Underground grows in danger of an excess of souls waiting for a chance to come back to life. Furthermore, without the chance to rack up points, Reapers low on points are runnin' out of days to live. This is why I have a mission for the two of you: I need ya to track down the Composer and bring him back so that we can resume the Game."

"How are we supposed to track down the Composer?" Yashiro asked surprised. Mr. H offered the duo a pair of cell phones.

"I spent several days installing a tracking application into his phone, as per his request. He used it to track Megumi's Imagination during their game. What I did not tell him is that he can also be tracked now by anyone who is seeking him out. These phones could track his Imagination to the ends of the earth if that is what it takes."

"It sounds like a lot of work…" Kariya complained, which spurred Yashiro's growing enthusiasm.

"We'll do it!" She snatched the pair of phones out of Mr. H's hands and handed one to Kariya who was scowling.

"Wonderful!" Mr. H said. "You are two of the more reliable Harrier Reapers we have, and I look forward to good results. Succeed, and I can offer my recommendation for an Officer position, should you wish it."

"Thank you, sir!" Yashiro saluted him.

"You changed your tune about Mr. H pretty quickly," Kariya slyly muttered in her ear.

"Fuck off," she whispered back.

Mr. H watched them amused. "I hate to rush out my precious customers, but you now have your mission and I'm expectin' someone. Good luck on your mission and please keep me updated. The more I know about the current situation, the quicker we can resolve this mess. My number is in your phones."

"Will do," Kariya had finished downing his coffee and had returned his favorite candy to his mouth. "Let's get steppin' Uzuki." Yashiro bowed to Mr. H and followed Kariya out. The duo stepped straight through Kitaniji who so shell-shocked from all that had happened in a month that he almost failed to notice. Mr. H stood still for a moment, listening to the silence with a strange look on his face.

"Welcome, Megumi. I've been expectin' you."

Author's Note: I have finally gotten around to editing and improving this fanfiction! I was 19 chapters in when I decided to take a break and improve my story. Some of the chapters only see a few improvements, as I judged that adding too many details would ruin the story, whereas other chapters have been changed heavily, though the overall story has not changed. For anyone just now getting into this fanfiction, Megumi Kitaniji is the primary protagonist, though there are many more important characters as well.

Reviewer Shout-outs:

Amulet Misty: You've been with me on all of my TWEWY fanfictions from the very beginning and words aren't enough to describe how happy your reviews make me. Thank you so much for the support.

Chronic Guardian: You gave me a lot of good advice and critiques, not all of which I agree with, but all of them were valid observations that prompted me to try to improve the dialogue with my characters and use more descriptive verbs. Many of the changes I have made can be credited to your reviews. Godbless!

Alex Penedo: You are probably correct with your review on the 17th chapter, but let's face it…it wouldn't be as sad or interesting if characters simply disappeared without having the chance to fight for their lives a bit.

P. T. Piranha: I've gotten several reviews from you; thanks for the love!

And to all my reviewers, fans, followers, inspirations, and people I did not thank by name, know that your support and interest is invaluable to me.

Crow