Note: I deeply and humbly apologize for having to rewrite this, but I just wasn't satisfied with what I had written before, and I knew I had to tear it down for reconstruction. On a more positive note, I've already gone ahead and drafted the first three chapters, so I will be able to post those up within a reasonable time frame. They exist already; I cannot possibly turn back now. This is my final revision. REALLY.

Bien à vous, mes amis. :)


"This Kingdom of Sin"
The Heirs Apparent

Welcome to the World,
Your one and only home.
Fear not, for you are safe,
And tomorrow surely comes.
You have all that you can want,
So want and ask no more --
For there is naught to give.

The sated World.

--x--

(Fifteen Years Ago)

The reasons for our selection, we may never know -- if they existed at all. Perhaps there were none.

There were eight of us. We stood side-by-side, single file, on the shore opposite the old man. I held my unlit taper in one hand, the fingers of my only friend in the other. My friend and I, we were nobodies before having been chosen. Just insignificant children observing the solemn proceedings of adults and participating when called upon, without complaint or understanding. They offered us a life, and we accepted; that was all we knew at the time.

The old man spoke from behind an altar, a golden structure that resembled a short pillar with a basin on top. He preached us words of encouragement, of wisdom, of purpose, etc. Most of his words were lost on me, and likely the others as well, for they were uncommonly young. Some were only toddlers.

I breathed in and looked up at the dark velvet sky. It was framed in my vision by the towering glaciers that surrounded us and the shallow lake. There were no stars tonight; the darkness bled uninhibited upon our ceremony, alleviated only faintly by the moonshine falling in intangible rays over our heads. At some point, the old man seemed to have concluded his speech. He was now pouring liquid from a jug into the basin of the altar, filling it to the very brim. When finished, he raised his arms and summoned us.

"Come, children. Your partners shall be revealed."

And so, we waded hesitantly into the water until we were standing knee-deep in the narrow channel. I looked around uncertainly, beginning to feel anxious. When a gentle pressure tightened the grip over my hand, the one without the candle, I knew she felt the same.

"Hail, to the Fourth Cardinal House!" the old man bellowed.

There was a moment in which nothing at all happened.

Then, the youngest child shrieked. The wick of her once-empty candle combusted, a dark red flame now bouncing merrily above the white wax. Whispers broke out among the other children, who pointed to another, quieter toddler, whose candle had apparently performed the same feat. Attendants from the opposite shore splashed forward, scooping up the children and carrying them to the altar.

There, the toddlers were directed to touch the tips of their flames to the liquid. To my amazement, the fires slid off their wicks and glided about on the surface of the water, circling each other repeatedly, before submerging both at once. The children were given chalices with which to drink the liquid. Afterward, they were led aside to wait with the attendants.

"Hail, to the Third Cardinal House!"

Two candles burst into vibrant, golden flames.

One of the boys splashed enthusiastically across the channel, arriving at the altar and dipping his candle before his partner had even stirred. The other, less brazen child was carried across by an attendant and instructed to repeat the ritual. They drank and stepped aside.

"Hail, to the Second Cardinal House!"

Green sparked on the tip of her candle, my friend's candle, and I knew it was time for her to go. A twin light glinted from a short distance away, where a boy with striking eyes turned and gazed at us. Without a word, the boy waded toward us and took her by the arm, leading her to the altar, where they repeated the ritual. I watched on in silence.

"Hail, to the First Cardinal House!"

The tip of my candle ignited in a pallid blue flame. There was only one other child remaining, so I waited for her candle to transform. I waited. I waited and I waited, and I waited so long that a curious murmur began to rise among the attendants. Even the old man seemed puzzled.

"...To the First Cardinal House!" he repeated.

Finally, a spark glimmered above her stick of wax. She bit her lip and started toward the opposite shore. Together, we approached the altar, touching the crown of our flames to the surface. Then, suddenly, she began to tremble and sob. I stood beside her awkwardly as the old man patted her on the head and quieted her. Meanwhile, our flames circled each other rapidly on the inner rim of the basin. Their reflections in the liquid twinkled against the navy-colored night, which seemed to accent the mild, bluish hue of mine.

But hers was just white.

The surface of the liquid rippled as they submerged, and the girl's sobs softened. I said nothing. We drank the liquid and were pulled aside with the others. As the old man began to speak again, I glanced at the other children, counting heads. There were eight of us. The Fifth House was never mentioned.

"Thus, the newest generation of monarchs has been ordained. May the blessings of all the Universe shine upon you, the future reign."

And so it was: the ceremony had reached its completion, and we had been the honored participants. We, the Heirs apparent.


The Beautiful World

--x--

Well, champ. Today's the big day.

The Coming of Age was tonight. Light and his peers would turn eighteen, become certified adults, and receive their assigned roles in the Community. It was all a routine procedure, the annual celebration that was held down in front of City Hall, where all the citizens gathered to watch and applaud their newest members. Last year, Misa had insisted that he come to watch her induction in the ceremony, and he had come, albeit reluctantly. It was quite a boring process.

And so was life, Light thought. Life was this ever-ongoing cycle of mechanical processes which he was obligated to perform each day. Although his execution was flawless, the actions felt hollow. Wake, eat, school. Study, eat, family. Home, eat, sleep. Frankly, the directions on his shampoo bottle were more enthralling. Even after his Coming of Age, the sequence of life would remain largely the same. The only differences would be that school and study gave way to "career" and "work" -- which, all things considered, were even more unspeakably dull.

Light peered into his mirror and finger-combed his hair to perfection. Then sighed.

--x--

"HEY, LIGHT-O!"

The door swung open.

"Sayu, I heard you the first time." His gaze shifted from the perky little sister to the taciturn bleach-blonde beside her. "Hi, Rem."

Rem, beloved neighbor to the Yagami household, nodded in acknowledgement.

"Here, I brought you your breakfast!" Sayu piped, presenting him with a saucer that featured two white pills. "You're going to the Library later, right? Can you tell Rem's sister that she's sleeping over tonight?"

Light plucked the pills from the dish and swallowed them. "Sure. Fine."

Sayu squealed. "Thanks, Light! Oh, and some of your school friends are waiting outside!"

Light smiled. "Tell them I'll be down in a moment."

Urgh. School friends.

-x-

"HEY, LIGHT-O!"

"...Good morning, Matsuda-kun."

A glare seared his face as he stepped outside. The lights beaming down from the ceiling arches of the Great Tunnel seemed particularly obnoxious today. He shielded his eyes and blinked, affronted by their audacity. But in his heart, he knew the lights were not to blame; they were always this obnoxious.

"Aw, 'Matsuda-kun'?"

"Get over it, Matsuda. He just doesn't like you that way."

"Shut up, Gevanni!"

Light walked through the pair nonchalantly, heading down the sidewalk toward the Academy. His two "school friends" followed hastily, squabbling with each other behind his back as they made their way down the silvery streets. They sauntered past the multitudes of chrome buildings and grey people. Crowds of men in starched uniforms and crowds of women in pencil skirt dresses shuffled pleasantly along. Soon enough, Light would shed his grey school outfit and morph into one of them. This reality became ever clearer as the boys walked through the center city intersection, passing City Hall, where various officials milled about in preparation for tonight's event.

"Gee, I wonder what role they'll give me... Light, what do you think?"

"Matsuda, everyone knows you're getting 'Village Idiot.' Accept it and move on."

"Gevanni!" Matsuda whined, giving the other an offended shove.

Light remained grimly silent.

-x-

"Yagami-kun, would you please narrate the rest of this passage?" the teacher prompted, adjusting his glasses.

Light stood obediently, balancing the open book in his palm and reading the text with perfect articulation. His classmates stared at him with varying degrees of interest. Gevanni and Matsuda were seated on either side of him, Matsuda apparently captivated by Light's smooth rhetoric, while Gevanni discreetly fiddled with something beneath his desk.

"...As long as the good citizens of the Great Tunnel comply with the virtues and teachings of the Community, our civilization will prosper and continue on in peaceful perpetuity."

The teacher nodded. "Excellent work, Yagami-kun. As expected. I know you will make a fine citizen."

"Thank you, Mikami-sensei."

The young teacher sighed. "If only I could say that for all of you..." Mikami cleared his throat pointedly. "Gevanni."

The accused froze and slowly folded his hands on top of the desk, his face the picture of innocence.

-x-

The dismissal bell had sounded, and students now stampeded eagerly down the front steps of the school. Light trailed behind the excited cavalcade, observing a small group of City Hall officials standing with the principal down by the school gates. All eighteen-year-olds were called aside, and when a considerable amount of students had gathered, the principal spoke.

"Good day, students. As we all know, the Coming of Age ceremony will be taking place tonight at City Hall, and you are to be the honored participants. This event promises to be the single most pivotal moment in your young lives."

Someone yawned.

Admirably unfazed, Principal Namikawa continued. "Now, these officials are here to explain the procedures. Demegawa-san is the head official in charge of the ceremony. Aizawa-san will be going over expected conduct and regulations. Takada-san will be handing out your certificates tonight. Please see her after the assembly in order to confirm the spellings and pronunciations of your names. Ukita-san here will be organizing the seating arrangements..."

Light found his focus rapidly dispersing. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, staring up at the high ceiling of the Great Tunnel. The city was nested beneath grand chrome arches, which, as the name implied, formed a massive tunnel over the Community.

Massive, but not endless. If one were to walk outward from within the city, going in only one direction along the tunnel walls, that person would eventually come across various construction zones, where architects and engineers labored to further extend the reaches of the Great Tunnel. If one walked further still, the pristine chrome would gradually give way to raw, untamed walls of rock and earth. And if one were to walk further still...

"Oh, Light-o, I think she's calling you!" Matsuda whispered urgently.

"Yeah. You might wanna tell her your name's not Tsuki-chan," Gevanni added.

-x-

And so, his day passed in a daze. He fulfilled the rest of his mechanical routine by going home, interacting with the family, and eating. His mother prattled on about how proud she was of her son, that he was soon to be a proper man, and his father grunted with much the same sentiment. Daily obligations fulfilled, Light excused himself from the house, on the pretense that he would be practicing for his Coming of Age.

Which was a lie, because, really, the only difficult aspect of the entire convention was finding the willpower to show up. He couldn't possibly miss it, but it was terribly boring, and in the last moments of his adolescence, Light sought some small reprieve from the humdrum sequence of his life.

He took a side route that bypassed City Hall, taking the long way around so he wouldn't have to deal with all those abominable decorations, and festivities, and people. Meanwhile, the lights of the Great Tunnel began to die down to a nighttime, purplish hue. It was never truly dark in the city, only somewhat dimmer in the late hours of the evening.

Eventually, Light wandered into a clearing within the city jungle and approached the sanctuary he longed for. It was a shabby, diminutive building. It distinguished itself boldly from the looming, chrome skyscrapers, though the amber and gold design of the structure was itself faded and worn. It was set on a slightly raised foundation, with stairs leading up to the entrance and archaic lamp posts lining the sides of the steps. Out in front, there was a neglected water fountain, where the water neither sprayed nor cascaded, merely rippling lazily in the circular base around a lifelike, white marble replica of some extinct vestige in history. A tree.

Light ascended the steps, his shadow shifting in the misty, golden haze of the lamp posts. Although the building was far from dazzling, he found there was a certain serenity here -- a breath of peace. Something familiar.

Upon entering, he was greeted by a warm and spacious foyer. The sole librarian, old man Wammy, sat behind a semicircular desk near the entrance. Glancing up from his paperwork, Wammy acknowledged the boy with a friendly nod.

No sooner had he returned the greeting than he heard the dull thumps of footfalls against carpeted ground. A spiral staircase beside Wammy's desk led up and through the ceiling to the second floor, where the older texts were kept. Down this spiral bounded an eager blonde blur, grey dress aflutter as she launched herself from the bottom-most step into Light's arms.

Misa.

-x-

"Your sister's sleeping over at my house," Light commented offhandedly, helping her replace books in the higher racks of the shelves. "Sayu insisted."

"Oh, okay, that's fine! And tell Sayu to come over my house sometime. We'll throw a slumber party! Just us girls..."

Like her sister, Misa was a beloved neighbor to the Yagami household. As children, Light and Misa had been inseparable. Their favorite play area was, incidentally, the Library, where they had spent their days displacing countless tomes and acting out the fairytales of old scripts. Back then, they had shared the synergy of two little dreamers.

"...little sisters grow up so fast? Sayu's as tall as me, and Rem's even taller! You know, they'll probably..."

Though, as the years passed, they gradually stopped playing pretend. Misa reached puberty, chased after boys, gossiped with girls, and tried ridiculous hairstyles. All the while, Light continued to frequent the Library, reading and rereading the old scripts and countless tomes.

"...excited! I remember when it was me and my classmates, and, well, I wonder how they are, now? You know, this'll be the last time you guys are all together in one place. I mean, sometimes I see people around and stuff, but..."

Then, last year, Misa had been assigned the role of library aide. She had been ecstatic, declaring that she and Light could now spend precious more time together, perhaps to reclaim the idle days of their childhood. Indeed, the two were reunited under the shabby roof of the Library. Light came by nearly every day, and Misa was delighted to see him, always. They would chat for hours into the night.

But in the time that they had grown apart, something was lost between them.

"Liiiiight? Light-o?? Are you listening?"

A dainty hand waved briefly in front of his face.

"Misa," Light said suddenly. "Let's run away. You and me."

The books slid from her arms in surprise. Misa stared at him with her mouth agape. Her eyes searched his for a moment, and then, coming to an understanding, she laughed. "Oh, yes, take me with you, Prince Yagami!" She giggled, collecting the books that had fallen. "You know I'd follow you anywhere! Let's get married, buy a palace, have eighteen children -- live happily ever after!"

He smiled, if only to humor her.

Then again, he wouldn't know where to run if she'd accepted.

When the blonde had calmed down again, the two of them resumed their tasks in mutually agreed silence. In the absence of conversation, Light wondered what time it was. He checked his watch, knowing he'd soon have to take the dreaded journey to City Hall. And as he allowed these thoughts to take precedence over his mind, Misa spoke up again, softly, perhaps more to herself than her unheeding companion.

"But, you know... Light... I really love this world."


Where Angels Lose Their Way

--x--

"Congratulations to this young and eager generation! May peace and prosperity shine upon you, our newest citizens!"

Demegawa gesticulated flamboyantly, bellowing his ceremonial speech from behind a chrome podium and facing the grand audience that had gathered at City Hall. The eighteen-year-olds occupied three rows of seats behind Demegawa, whispering among themselves.

Light ran his fingers over the fancy, embossed lettering on his certificate of citizenship. As usual, he sat wedged between his two "school friends," who were currently occupied with the pleasure of mocking Demegawa's weighty form. He ignored the half-stifled guffaws of Matsuda and Gevanni, who were in the midst of discussing the way Demegawa's flesh jiggled when he waved his arm, or something equally inane. Light didn't care.

Eventually, the speech was concluded. One of the officials, Mogi-san, passed plastic cups of water down the rows, preparing for the last segment of the ceremony, before the assignment of roles. Light received his cup and stared impassively at his glossy reflection in the liquid.

"And now," Demegawa shouted, raising a melodramatic fist in the air, "let us toast to the health of these young adults!"

Everyone sipped their cups, bored.

--x--

Light fell forward from his chair and proceeded to spat violently.

A wholly unfamiliar, electrical sensation shot up the insides of his mouth, causing Light to grind his teeth and bite back a howl. Meanwhile, the entire assembly fell silent, all eyes watching as he writhed and clutched at his face. At some point, Gevanni had dropped to his knees and grasped his shoulders, shaking him lightly and demanding to know what was wrong. Matsuda looked about helplessly, pleading for aid. The officials exchanged glances with one another and made no move to help the boy -- with the exception of Takada-san, who excused herself to find some paper towels.

"Mikami-sensei!" Matsuda exclaimed, hailing the teacher who now ran calmly to the side of his student.

"Yagami-kun," the teacher prompted, attempting to garner his attention. "Perhaps you should step outside for a moment and get some fresh air." He nodded to the door through which Takada had disappeared.

"Pllff... ack... I..." Light sputtered some more, "I... all right," more hacks and coughs, "I'll be right back... I'm sorry about all this."

Thoroughly humiliated, Light picked himself off the ground, hand over spittle-covered mouth, and darted out the door. Gevanni tried to follow him, but Mikami stopped him mid-stride and asked that he please sit down. Matsuda placed a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder, and Gevanni sat with reluctance.

--x--

Outside, Light leaned against the City Hall building and breathed heavily. The sensation, that terrible sensation, continued to linger in his mouth, but it had cleared just enough to leave him sensible. Sensible of the mortifying scene he had caused, that is.

"Light."

Startled, the boy glanced up.

"Oh... Rem." He laughed a little, nervously. "Hey, did you come here with Sayu?"

She nodded, her golden irises seeming to glow in the dim nighttime. "Your sister is inside with the rest of your family." She stood a little ways off, waiting for him to regain his composure. After a few moments, when it seemed he had repossessed it, she said, "I was sent to give you this."

From the pocket of her school uniform, she produced a plastic bag containing a white, round object.

"Father says it will help relieve the pain in your mouth." The object was dropped into Light's hand, fitting snugly in the palm. "Eat it."

"Is it... medicine?"

"I think so."

Light looked between her and the object, perplexed.

"Bite it with your teeth," she instructed patiently.

Rem was a daughter of the Community Head, who by now must have heard about his little episode in City Hall, and so Light did not doubt her knowledge. He held the object awkwardly to his mouth and sank his teeth into it, pulling off a slightly moist chunk. It did not dispel the terrible feeling, but rather replaced it with a new sensation that was not so unpleasant.

"We should see Misa."

"Mm?" Light mumbled, mouth half-full. "What for?"

"She should still be at the Library." Rem turned and began to walk. "I think my sister and I can explain your condition."

"My condition?"

The girl nodded. Light discarded the half-eaten object in a trash receptacle and fell into step beside Rem. The pair walked in silence around City Hall and down a path that Light knew well. The chrome streets were empty now, the citizens either tucked away into their homes or attending the ceremony. Ugh, that ceremony. He would never forget this night.

"They made you drink vinegar," Rem stated suddenly. "You had quite a violent reaction. However, all of your classmates drank the same thing, and no others were affected." She glanced at him. "Why do you suppose that is?"

Light blinked.

"I... don't know," he admitted.

"Then, I'll tell you what I think." She stared thoughtfully at the streets stretched before them. "I once read about a certain phenomenon, in a book from the restricted library of City Hall. I had found it on Father's desk one day, and my sister may be able to find it again. ...Perhaps." She sighed. "Essentially, the passage described a lineage of humans who had unusual physical attributes. An extra sense."

Light shot her a skeptical look.

"You mean ESP?"

"I mean taste."

He gazed at her quizzically.

"It was said that those humans had a strong sensitivity to chemicals. It is a very rare condition."

"And you think I have it?"

Rem shrugged and said no more. Light watched her expectantly, but when she remained silent, he figured he'd gotten as much information from her as she could provide. They were now approaching the fountain in front of the Library, and the water rippled gently as they passed. Rem was the first to stop, then Light. They looked upon the building, whose windows were darkened and whose stairway lamps seemed to have been put out for the night.

"No one's in there. Where's Misa?"

Rem sighed.

"...We did not come to see Misa."

A hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Know this, Light. You are a descendant. You are an Heir." Rem shifted silently aside. "I, on the other hand, am an Arbiter... and I am going to send you to another world."

She shoved him, hard, into the fountain.

Light had only time enough to send her one, stunned look before hitting the surface of the water. The fountain was small; only half of his body could have possibly fit into the base at once, and yet his entire being was swallowed. A great surge of water seemed to pull him in, down beyond the refraction of Rem's image on the surface, down beyond the concrete limitations of the fountain, down beyond the faintest reaches of light and sound and sensation -- into a darkness that Light had never experienced, and was certain he would drown in.

Then nothingness.


You have all that you can have. And it's never enough.


From the Author: In order to avoid confusion, allow me to point out that the narrator of the introduction up there is not Light. Those eight children are... well, you'll find out in due time. As you can see, I have a certain fascination for mixing a whole mess of unrelated Death Note characters together -- so, really, they could be anyone. Who knows?

(WELL, I mean, I know... :D -is shot-)

Any thoughts on the first chapter? Feedback is always appreciated.