"Ryuk? Are there Gods of life?"

Ryuk froze on the plush bed; his chains ceased from clinking against each other. He looked up cautiously at the young man at the desk. Ryuk had never come across such a question… which was strange, considering that the last owner of the Death Note thought through everything.

"Now," the shinigami asked, "why do you ask that all of the sudden?"

The man at the desk turned around in his chair. He was young and looked to be about seventeen. His hair was jet black and spiked. The feature that stood out the most was his foreign-looking vivid blue eyes.

"I have a plan." He said calmly, "And it can only work if there are Gods of life, so are there?"

Ryuk smiled with his shark-like teeth.

Something interesting is about to happen, he thought.

After Light died, Ryuk's wick of boredom had been relit. There was no more excitement in his dark shinigami life. Satisfied with the effect of Light's little game, Ryuk had decided to drop his Death Note in the human world again.

However, he was disappointed at the person who had come to pick it up. The new owner of the Death Note had done nothing.

He had not killed anyone.

He had not read it.

Hell, Ryuk thought, He hasn't even opened the damn book.

In fact, it was the new owner's stagnant behavior with the book that drove Ryuk to confront him… and he did so quite angrily.

The young man was walking home alone when Ryuk appeared inches from his face.

"If you're not going to use the Death Note then tell me! I'll erase your memories of it!" he yelled directly into the man's skin.

The teen recoiled and fell to the sidewalk below him. Ryuk grimaced and flew closer.

"Well?!? What'll it be?" he growled.

The young man cleared his throat, exhaled his sigh, and looked the shinigami in the eyes. The strange color of the human's iris made Ryuk grow uneasy.

"Is it true?" the human asked.

Ryuk backed off a little; confused.

"Is this what Kira used to kill the criminals?"

Ryuk answered instantly.

" Of course it is. Do you want to be the keeper of the Death Note or not?"

The teenager smiled and smartly replied, "Of course I do."

The only reason Ryuk went along with it was because he had seen deja vu . The teenager's smile had mirrored the exact maniacal grin that Light revealed the day that Ryuk had met him.

But… it had been fruitless to him.

Not literally, though, as Ryuk explained to the young man that apples were delicious.

But all the human ever did was return from school, sit down at his desk, and stare at the black book until finally he would retire for a night of thoughtful rest. It made Ryuk feel more bored than before.

But this, Ryuk smirked, This may get interesting.

"There are Gods of life but their business is none of my concern." He said.

The young man smiled; his blue eyes bright with ideas.

"That's great!" he exclaimed.

Ryuk grew excited and resumed bouncing on the bed.

"How so, Akio?" he asked the human.

"Well…" he started.

Akio got off his chair and sat next to Ryuk on the bed.

"The world needs Kira. It needs a human God to perform judgment on it. And not just any Kira. The original."

Ryuk's lips curled.

"That's just your opinion, isn't it?"

Akio closed his eyes and sighed.

"A lot of people think so, Ryuk. Since Kira was announced dead, crime has reclaimed itself… we need Kira."

The shinigami shifted on the black bed. He hadn't realized how close Akio was until now.

"If that's true, why not do it your self? You have the Death Note after all."

Akio's eyes widened and a pink tint appeared on his cheeks.

He laughed.

"Ha ha! Stop it."

Ryuk stared blankly at the man.

"I'm not kidding. Do it yourself."

He sighed again.

"I just can't, Ryuk. I'm simply not worthy. I can't carry on Kira's work. I'm just a follower….. our names….. shouldn't even be in the same sentence."

He looked down.

Ryuk cocked his head to the side.

"I wouldn't be so sure. You remind me of him."

Akio's blush deepened.

"Ryuk! Don't flatter… wait.", Akio froze, "What?"

Ryuk slowly turned.

"What what? You remind me of Light."

Akio's pupils got bigger.

"… Light. His name is… you knew him?"

Ryuk chuckled.

"Of course. You're no special case. I came to him as I did to you… only he had several names in my book."

Akio slipped his hand underneath his pillow and extracted the black Death Note. He examined it with respect and held awe.

Kira… Light used this with no fear.

Ryuk watched Akio hungrily and licked his pointy teeth. He tasted the leftover flavor of apple juice.

"Go ahead, open it. I won't tell."

Akio pursed his lips.

Obviously, he's dead.

With his right hand he brushed his fingers over the white letters and felt a certain warmth that he must have missed. His left hand traveled down the thin spine of the book.

Ryuk noted that it was the strangest way he had seen a human hold the book. Almost seductive, in a way. Even stranger than L, who held it by the very tip. He stayed silent as he watched this weird fondling continue.

Akio inhaled deeply and opened Kira's divine tool.