Basic Overview: An alternate universe where Mello is given the chance to live and chase down Light for himself. This results in new Death Notes, unfair dealings, destruction of Gods and strange alliances. It also brings about an awakening deep within our Anti-Christ of a protagonist. Rated for dark themes and language, which shall appear later.

I accidently deleted the first publication of this, which is highly vexing. Please review again, it means a lot.

A/N: I know the quote at the beginning is rather long, but I feel that it perfectly encompasses the theme of this story. I've had this brewing in my mind for a while now; it's probably been done before a million times, but here's my shot at it. It's also my first AU which is always exciting. I know vaguely what I'm going to do, but if I gave that all away, it would spoil the surprise. Eventual MelloXSayu.

Manipulated Living

Chapter One: Assumption

'I saw that [he] was a genius of suffering and that in the meaning of many sayings of Nietzsche he had created within himself, with positive genius, a boundless and frightening capacity for pain. I saw at the same time that the root of his pessimism was not world-contempt but self-contempt; for however mercilessly he might annihilate institutions and persons in his talk, he never spared himself. It was always at himself first and foremost that he aimed the shaft, himself first and foremost whom he hated and despised.'

- Herman Hesse, 'Steppenwolf'

;~;~;

This story actually began one hundred and fifty years before the Death Note fell into the human realm and Light Yagami happened to pick it up. These particular events came into motion the moment Vitae, the Shinigami, fell in love with Adolphus Keehl, the human. He was an aristocrat, the adviser of Kaiser Franz Joseph the first, and a ruthlessly intelligent man. His beauty stole the immortal's heart. But that is a tale for another time.

;~;~;

"Armonia Justin Beyondormason?"

The dignified and ever elegant Shinigami lifted his head at the mention of his name. "Yes?" Is voice was languid and as wispy as the smoke which rose from his finely-rolled opium cigarette. He sat slouched on his throne of a thousand skulls, the jewels encrusted about his throat, all over his body and face shimmered softly in the perpetual twilight of the Shinigami realm. He knew the rules well, and the Old Man placed great trust in him. He was the only one who could help her.

She knelt in supplication before his feet; after all, she was a lowly creature, and he was a dignified and wise entity.

"I have a question about one of the rules. A purely hypothetical question."

"Which one?" He said with an arched eyebrow and an irritated inflection to his voice. He would much rather be sleeping, or smoking himself into a comfortable haze. He did not particularly want to help the little wretch stooping at his feet, but he was proud of his reputation as the wise adviser of their world, and it was this hubris that forced him to oblige her request. He took a long drag from his cigarette, held it, and then let the blue smoke slowly wisp out from half parted lips.

A small, black tongue poked out and attempted to moisten her cracked lips. She swallowed. "It had had something to do with the human world, but it is just hypothetical."

He nodded impatiently and waved his hand in a 'get-on-with-it' sort of way. "So you have said before. Please, I am an exceptionally busy man."

She cleared her throat nervously and began to recite: "The original Shinigami owners of Death Notes don't, in principle, do anything to help or prevent the deaths brought about by the notes." She paused and glanced up at him; he stared steadily back, his jewelled eyes were unable to show emotion, but his raised brows did. Her voice faltered slightly. "I was just wondering how 'in principle' was to be defined."

There was a horrible moment of silence as the two Shinigami simply looked at each other. A cool breeze whipped about them, disturbing the sand and enunciating the quiet.

"That is all you wanted to ask me?" It was uttered with disdain.

"We-well, you see, the more I thought about it, the more complicated it became in my head." She stuttered terribly, eyes averted shamefully to the ground. "I mean, 'principle' itself has several different meanings – in this case for example, principle can be defined as a basic law, truth or assumption." She chanced a glance up at the Advisor. "My question is: which one is it?"

Armonia Justin pressed a luxuriously gold hand to his gilded brow, putting his cigarette to his lips as he did so. When he exhaled, the greater part of the cloud flew into her face, stinging her eyes; she guessed this was a deliberate move. "My dear girl, what could you possibly mean?"

Her throat began to tighten in the first throws of desperation. "Well, is the fact that we don't intervene with humans using the Death Note to kill others a fact or an assumption?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"It's just hypothetical."

"Is it really?" A horrible, grimacing smile spread across his gaunt and skeletal face.

She paused, before giving a firm answer. "Yes. I was just wondering which it was."

He chuckled, his whole body convulsing with his mirth. "You are strange, Vitae." He chuckled again, like it was the funniest thing in the world. "I do not know which one best defines the word 'principle' in regards to the rule. I do not think it matters anyway, seeing that it is hypothetical."

The dejected Vitae rose to her feet, feeling disappointed; seeking the great Advisor, apple of the King's eye, had done nothing to alleviate the feeling to unease growing in the pit of her belly, twisting and squirming like a fat serpent. Perhaps a more direct rout was needed. "But, say, if I were to kill a human to stop them writing a name, would I die? Hypothetically."

Armonia Justin Beyondormason recommenced his deep, throaty laughter. "I don't know. Perhaps you should try it? Hypothetically of course."

Vitae left him then, embarrassed and still consumed by her apprehension.

;~;~;

Mello was not sleeping; but that was to be expected. He had always had trouble sleeping, and perhaps his insomnia had been intensified by what he thought the day would bring. It would, after all, be considered a suicide mission.

Watching him made Vitae melancholy, but calm – the incessant serpent in her belly was quietened, for a moment. She had been observing him since the day he was born; she had experienced all his highs and all his lows, she had been by his side when he felt he was truly alone. And her heart bled for him, and it bled for herself; she had been set on this path a long time ago, and it was too late to turn back now.

Vitae was bound by sentiment and fondness to Mihael Keehl, and she knew it.

But would she be willing to die for him?

Looking down on him now, the melancholy ache in her immortal chest piqued. She did not have the answers she craved, and her desperation was quickly rising. She had been watching the drama in the human realm unfold with a mix of wonder and horror. She knew full well what this 'Kira' was capable of; she she knew Mello's plan.

Kidnapping Kiyomi Takada would not end well.

;~;~;

The sun set slowly above the high-rise buildings of Tokyo; the sky was painted red, like the fresh blood of a human sacrifice offered up in worship to a false God. An omen? He thought bitterly, smiling a wry smile that was more of a sneer than anything else.

He nudged Matt awake with his sharp elbow.

January the twenty-sixth. Seven pm.

It was time to move.

;~;~;

A/N: I know, I know, it's a short chapter. But I promise you a longer on next time if I get reviews. And I'm not just saying that to be an attention whore, lack of interest in a fic makes that story obsolete. Also, all the action starts in the next chapter. Also, I have refrained from describing Vitae, so that when Mello meets her, the reader sees her for the first time as well. So, please review!