Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or Death Note Another Note.
Warning: If you're expecting a warm, fuzzy feeling…this is not the story for you. This is not a happy little one shot.
The Secret of Lake Saiko
The skies are blue, though tiny snowflakes begin to fall straight to the ground. The woods are covered in a white blanket, silent and peaceful. A single person walks into the woods, causing tracks to appear in the thin blanket.
The snow crunches beneath Naomi's footfalls. A light snow falls down around her, and she follows a heavily wooded path. The birds in the trees cry out at the intrusion, as if awaken from a slumber. She reaches a blockage in the path, a tree that has fallen over. She carefully begins to step over it, reaching out…
Sunlight filters through the trees, as Raye grabs a hold of Naomi's hand and helps her over a fallen tree. The birds sing happily in the trees, and the leaves crunch under their feet. "Raye, why did you insist we come here?" Naomi asks.
"That's a surprise," Raye says. The couple walks along the overgrown path, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and the light breeze that flows through the leaves.
The wind begins to pick up, and the snowflakes zigzag though the air. The call of the birds becomes louder, as if they are trying to gain the attention of the woman trespassing in their woods. The tracks she was making are filling as the snow rains down at a faster pace. Naomi reaches the edge of the woods and stares out at the lake…
"Wow," Raye says, awestruck. "I know you described this place to me, but it's beautiful.
Naomi gazes out at the calm water. "Yes, it is." She looks around. "I think I forgot just how beautiful."
"When was the last time you were here?" Raye asks, as both of them walk out of the woods.
"The summer before I left for America," Naomi says, walking beside him. The sunlight baths them in a warm glow and the birds sing from the trees. The light breeze carries the fragrance of flowers, which bloom in various colors all around.
The wind begins to wail, combining with the cries from the birds. The snow surrounds her, blowing around and creating a weak wall that she easily breaks through. She reaches the edge of the lake, and stops.
Naomi stares across the water. She bends down, sitting in a crouched position and looks at the ground around her. Her hands reach out and begin to pick up the rocks lying around…
Naomi stands up and throws a rock across the water. It skips three times before sinking below the surface.
"Raye, what are we doing here?" she asks.
Raye stands beside her, his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Do you remember the story you once told me? The one about the summer your parents and you camped here at Lake Saiko, and the boy you met?"
Naomi, who bent down to find another skipping stone, stands up and looks at Raye. "You mean, Taro," she says. She thinks back and remembers the boy, barely 12, and how the two of them would run and play in the woods. "I remember." Naomi tosses the rock across the water, succeeding in skipping it five times.
Raye says. "I remember how you told me the story, and how you had so much feeling in your words. Taro and you did everything together, and had this plan on his last day to have your first kiss."
Naomi stands with her hands in her pockets. She looks at Raye, before bending over and picking up another rock. She tosses it across the lake, waiting for Raye to continue.
"His family left early, and you didn't know. You waited at the place you had agreed, and when the sun started to set, you left. Your mother explained to you how Taro had stopped by, and wanted to say goodbye."
Naomi stands with a rock in her hand, she turns to Raye, placing her hands in her pockets and says, "Raye, I don't' understand. Why did you bring me here?"
Raye looks out over the lake. "You once told me this lake was your favorite place in the world. I can see why; it's breathtaking. However, you also said that it lost something after that summer. Taro never came back, and when your family would come for vacation, you would look for him. I think this lake has waited long enough."
"I don't understand," Naomi says confusion on her face that the breeze attempts to sooth away.
Raye turns to face her, and bends down on one knee. He removes his hands from his pockets, and opens the box in his hand. "I asked you to marry me once before," he says, "and you said yes. After the case you worked on with L, you gave me this ring back."
Naomi stares at Raye, as he continues. "I understood. I took the ring back. Three years later, I asked you out, and you said yes. Now, another year has passed, and I still want to be with you. I will love you for the rest of my life and I want to be with you for all of it." Raye gazes into Naomi's eyes. "Naomi Misora, will you marry me?"
Naomi stands at the water's edge, her hands hanging at her side, and the pockets of her coat bulging. The birds are calling out from the trees in the surrounding woods; their voices carried on the wind that causes her hair to fly around her head. The wind gusts stronger, blowing over the water and buffering her from the front.
She stares out over the water and takes a step. Her black boot sinks down into the water, and the wind howls in protest. Innocent, white snowflakes cascade down from the heavens, whipping around in the wind, melting on her face and accumulating in her hair. A smile lights up her face as she says…
"Raye." Naomi stares at the ring, the same ring she once returned to him. The brilliance of the diamond almost blinds her, as tears begin to well in her eyes. She reaches out tentatively and gently takes the ring from Raye's outstretched hand.
Raye waits patiently, still on bended knee. He gazes up at Naomi, forgetting to breath, as he waits for her answer.
Naomi raises her head from gazing at the ring, and locks eyes with Raye. "Yes," she says, a smile blossoming on her face. She throws her arms around his neck, as he stands up and picks her up off her feet. She laughs as he twirls her around in the sunlight, and the sunlight reflects off the lake, basking them in a golden glow.
"You've made me the happiest man in the world," Raye proclaims, setting Naomi down on her feet again.
She gazes up into his eyes, and her heart leaps at the sight of love reflected in them. She feels his hand gently lift her chin as he leans in. "I love you," he whispers bringing his lips to meet her's.
Naomi returns the kiss, and feels Raye's arms embracing her. She feels as if she is floating on air, and Raye's arms are her anchor to the world. She relaxes into his arms, and succumbs to the feeling of falling…
The last few flakes of snow fall from the blue sky perfectly reflected in the mirror surface of the lake. The birds, who once called out in warning voices, have left and the wind no longer howls through the trees. The few tracks made by Naomi as she approached the lake's edge have been erased by the new fallen snow, and a blanket of silence covers the land.
A/N I apologize if I made anyone sad.