Eternal Light: Triumph of Kira's Kingdom

Summery: The expanded version of Chapter 1 of Eternal Light

Disclamer: I don't own Death Note, despite agreeing with Light on the state of the world. (I however would just remove humans completely, intelligent life is a universal mistake)

In the dimly lit warehouse, Near wearing a mask sculpted to resemble L's face, stood across from Light and the remainder of the Japanese Police force investigating Kira. The half hour has past and Near is about to reveal his true face. Matsuda in his normal manner had pushed Near to remove his mask and was now yelling about the delay. Near pointed to the door and quickly explained that the fourth Kira would join them very soon. Near proceeded to explain that he would have Kira attempt to kill him, and prove his guilt through it. That he would give Kira a chance at absolute victory.

Just as Near predicted the heavy door swung open a crack, and a single mad eye gazed out. A brief scratching sound came out in the heavy silence. Near calmly said, "It's alright, We won't die, Just stay there…. It's all right. Even if your name is written, you won't die. But with this we'll know who's Kira. We got our hands on the note and replaced the pages. Now, The one outside, judging for Kira, was writing one page per day exactly. I replaced the page for today so that we won't die. Now, the person writing our names in the note will peek in to check if we have died. At the time, which is good for catching him, We'll confiscate the note. The person not written there is Kira."

Light after a moment spoke softly. "The person out there you've finished writing the names? From behind the door came a voice "Yes, the names have been written. "

Near spoke the confidence of before a mere sliver of that which surged through his voice " Why did he answer you?" Light replied, "Maybe he's a honest guy…or maybe he doesn't care?" Near his voice filled with confidence "Mikami Teru, Will you come in if you don't mind?"

"Mikami Teru? Don't hide anymore come in." as Light spoke he began to smile. A man dressed in black with a mad gleam in his eyes entered. "God, I am at your service" Light calm as ever asked "After you wrote the first name how many seconds have passed?" Mikami counted off 35-36-37-38-39. As the numbers fell off of Mikami's lips, Light smiled, no more the stoic angel, but the crazed demon. "Near, victory is mine." 40 the number hung in the air as one by one the members of the SPK and Japanese police forces fell. Left standing were Light and Mikami, Near still crouched on the floor. Near rigid and unmoving stammered out…"I thought…I had the true notebook.. I could see the Shinigami behind you. How?... Why am I still alive? Light, face alight with a demonic gleam spoke " You won't be for long, but you do have a while to sit paralyzed, a minor stroke, not noticed in your shock. And do you really think a God would fall for that trick? You stole the notebook from the safe, the second false book, but one with a few real pages bound in, all used. So you could see the Shingami, but not have the true book. I had Ryuk here give Mikami a sheet of paper, that told him what to write on your page. Care to see it?"

"You bastard!!" Shouted Near, he couldn't do anything else, Light had spoken truly, he was paralyzed below the neck.

"I'll take that as a yes, but I think I'll read it, you'd probably bite me. Nate River Death by Cardiac Arrest, on January 28th at 16:32, At 13:33:43 suffers a minor stroke from shock, causing paralysis below the neck, does not notice due to deaths of comrades. At 16:32 dies as heart gives out. If you noticed that's a good three hours away, you made a semi-worthy opponent, would you care for company as you died?"

"I…don't want to die alone"

"Very well, I did enjoy this last scuffle, Mikami did you bring it?"

"Yes, God" Mikami handed Light a small package. Light unfolded the wrapping with a crinkle. Removing a thick folder, he pulled out a Death Note from behind his back. Opening the folder he turned to a new page in the Death Note. "Near, L always wanted to see Kira kill before his eyes. I guess you'll live out that dream."

"Do you really think you'll get away with this? People will wonder why Yagami Light was the only one to survive this day! There…"

"But Light will die here, and those who knew of this meeting will die in a little bit. In three hours only two people will know that this meeting even took place, Kira and his first disciple Mikami Teru. In four hours only the body of Near will still be in this room, the others will be a pile of ashes. Speaking of which, Mikami, will you deal with the corpses?"

"Yes, God" As Mikami began to pile the corpses, Near swore "You are insane, a murderer who kills murderers, you'll never win! Someone will come after me.. You'll die a pathetic death begging for your life. You'll die reviled by your family."

"No. No one will follow you; they'll serve Kira out of fear or love, your public death will see to that. As for being reviled by my family, in two hours only Sayu will remain, and she'll die with out ever recovering from her shock. Every person connected to one of the people who died here will die within three hours. As I said Victory is Mine."

Near stared in shock as the boy, no.. the demon that called itself Kira, wrote names into the Death Note, a faint smile on his pale lips. With each name written, the demon stated the name and relation to a member of the former groups. When he got to those connected to Yagami Light, the smile grew more noticeable. The demon was actually enjoying killing his own family! However, the next group of names was far worse. Near closed his eyes unable to look at the demon who had somehow gotten the names of the inhabitants of Wammy's House. No one who had known L, none of the children who'd been left there, none of those who had left the orphanage, none of the administrators would survive. He would die here, he could accept that as long as L, Mello, Matt and he, were avenged, but with each name written the chances for a successor, an avenger, dimmed. Kira was right, no one would follow him. With each name Kira's claim of victory grew. And to Near the worst was that Kira would not be held responsible for those deaths, after all few knew that Kira could kill in other ways, and all of them would die or had died. Still to kill children by fire, to cause that much pain just to hide some minor traces of wrong-doing, He had been right to refer to Light, to Kira as a demon and he had failed completely. He'd been told the total number of graduates, staff and children including L and Watari. All but three names had been spoken by his count, after removing Mello, Matt and himself. The demon stopped for a moment. Three names left! Three chances for vengeance! Near opened his eyes, to a smirking demon in a young man's body.

Kira, eyes glowing from the reflected firelight, raised his pen and pointed off to the left side. Near followed the pen with his eyes and the few neck movements he could still make. Even with his calm nearly emotionless logical state intact, he let out a small gasp, just within his range of vision was a huge blaze, a few dark shapes and the now noticed scent of burning meat, revealed it to be a funeral pyre. His attention shifted back to the now chuckling demon in human form.

"Near, I believe that you had hoped that I had no more names, no more comrades of yours to go up in smoke, I think you noticed that I had only three more names before everyone was wiped out. Unfortunately for you, I have those last two names, since one died before this meeting."

Near felt tears running down his cheeks, he hadn't cried since he came to Wammy's House, but everyone was dead. The last two names were small children, three and four years old respectively, he'd known them since they came to the orphanage. He had lost every hope, he had truly given Kira his absolute victory. Yagami Light, would die here. With his skills he could craft a new identity easily. He looked straight into the eyes of the demon, and saw the reflected fire not only of the pyre to the left, but the fire that would burn over a hundred children. He glanced down to the demon's feet where the dog called Mikami lounged. A small clock told him that he had less than three minutes of life left. Wanting to die not silent and afraid, Near, Nate River, shouted his last challenge.

"You demon, you would kill children to save yourself. You're worse than those you kill. You're no god, you're a devil preying on criminals and innocent alike! You are…" Near's last tirade, his last insult, his last challenge, was silenced not by his death, but by a fist belonging to Mikami Teru.

"You will respect God. You are the demon, the sinner who defies His will. Face your judgment like a man rather than a child. Those who die are all guilty of defiance against God. Nothing more is needed."

A single gasp was all that marked Near's death. A single gasp in an empty room, a pile of ashes to his left and a folder marked Nate River: Near: Identification.

H

Jan. 28th Over 50 people die by Kira's hand, every single one connected to someone working on the Kira case.

Jan 29th The body of Nate River also known as Near is found in an old warehouse, a pile of ashes next to him. Judging from the dead from the previous day, the ashes are the remains of the people still working on the Kira case with L and Near, as well as L's.

--- From Collected Writings on the Kira Case: Police in the Early Years Compiled and Edited by the Fifth Disciple

In retrospect, the sinners that went by the names Near, Mello and L, may have acted out of a false sense of Justice, much like that still found in cults that refuse to follow God. Still ignorance is not an excuse from such horrible crimes.

--- From Understanding the Un-Righteous: A look at the minds of heretics Written by Jonas Long, Professor of Criminal History

Note: This is the first chapter of Eternal Light expanded to where my notes for that chapter ended. I stopped since I liked ending on the "As I said Victory is Mine." quote.

Note 2: Yes, I did portray Light as evil, and Mikami as rather insane. Mikami is a zealot, he's not going to listen to Near. Kira is God, God is always right, only evil people would even think of defying God, evil people deserve death. Light is convinced that he's right, and that the ends justify the means. If he has to kill children to make the world a better place he will. I also feel he doesn't really care about anyone more than say a pet dog. (Which is one of the problems I have with most LxLight stuff. L cares more for Watari than Light cares for anyone, how would Light fall in love with L if he doesn't really care about anyone other than himself? Mikami on the other hand is happy just being thought of as a pet or tool.)