Disclaimer: All Death Note's characters belong to Tsugumi Ohba.
A Letter left in the Rain
It was another rainy Sunday, like every Sundays in the past few weeks. At first it was just a more consistent humidity, indivisible shapeless drops that kept stubbornly falling in the cars' windows and in the ground. And every day it seemed like it was just a downpour until it changed into a real storm.
Light was staring through the window, covered with a humid veil. Inside his jacket laid the deathnote. Taking a glimpse at his watch, he knew the sun had risen a few minutes ago, although the skies were completely loaded with dark and dense clouds. There was a slight glow in the empty spaces between clouds – bright gaps in a tight net. The skies were his feelings' photography: minuscule wounds in an intrinsic net of lies.
Slowly, the rain started falling. The sound of a ticking clock was heard afar.
L was dead. Light was now a cop. He was still Kira, more than ever. To save the world from its consuming cancer it was strictly necessary not to be caught. L was dead. Light was a cop. Being Kira. Saving the world from the cancer. Not being caught. L was dead. Light cop. Kira. Saving the world. Not being caught. L. Dead. Light. Kira. World.
Caught.
The pouring rain echoed through the walls, like the man's heart's heavy beat echoed in his head. The damn feeling of being watched all the time was starting to get into his nerve. The game was no longer amusing - even if he was sure he would be the winner in the end. However, there was also a pawn – a miserable and insignificant pawn – that had arrived to the end of the board and that was demanding a queen… And that pawn, just like the small bright gaps, didn't fit in his plans.
***
Every time he went out, he did it without anyone noticed it. That was the reason why he preferred the early morning, when all human beings were still stuck in a sleepy mood and their sinful minds weren't fully working. Everything happening in their ways was simply ignored. He wore his long black coat and a heavy dark umbrella, aggressively put in front of his face, facing the cutting wind. Several minutes later, he got angry at the wind, which persisted in contradicting his umbrella's position. He walked all his way to the cemetery with the umbrella firmly closed. The rain was soaking his clothes but he didn't really care about that.
Walking like a normal guy was indeed a nice thing; even he couldn't lose the damn sensation of being permanently watched. At least L had a slightest notion on what privacy was…
"Hey Raito!" – An unmistakable hoarse voice behind was haunting him. No, for sure, he wasn't just watched by Ryuuk, the shinigami. He made sure no one was around and he blew a whisper to the creature flicking next to him:
"Ryuuk, could you leave me alone for a moment?"
Ryuuk twirled in the rain, showing an unhappy grim.
"That ain't fun at all…! It's been such a long time since our last game…" – The shinigami looked bored. He yawned. – "Since L died you don't do anything fun… I got bored like this…"
As the shinigami yawned again Light raise his eyes to look directly at Ryuuk. His red eyes, despite the boredom and sadness stamped in the face, showed nothing more than emptiness.
"If you let me alone now, I'll buy you some apples later."
Bribery. It always worked with Ryuuk.
"Bah… Nah Raito, I'll leave ya alone. By the way, in case ya don't remember, you cannot gimme apples in front of all that boring people… And we cannot play. I'll go see Misa-chan instead." – Ryuuk sighted, waggling his head. He touched gently the asphalt ground with his irregular shoes (a strange mass mad of dark bandages) and took off, shivering his wings with the blowing wind. Light kept looking at Ryuuk until he floated above his head. In the past few weeks Ryuuk always seemed bored, like a dog whose owner had forgotten to take it for a walk. Inside Light's dark heart, there was pity.
"Go then. I'll see you later Ryuuk."
"Ja ne Raito!" – The shinigami flew up to the dark clouds without a sound. Light followed his way.
After L and Watari's death, Light and the crew asked for them to be buried near the place where they had their last triumph, although not fully achieved. Due to the pressure from Watari's orphanages, the old man's grave was now near London. L's, however, was near the building, in the local cemetery. The greatest detective in the world, with no face and especially with no name, was buried in a simple and discreet ceremony, with few people. No one cried nor mourn his death but Light. His visit to his biggest enemy was a subtle escape from the avalanche of problems. An avalanche started by a small guy with a kid's voice – Near.
Nevertheless, the idea that his morning walk would be a proof that Light was somehow connected to Kira was simply ridiculous. He had also family there so there would be no problem with that moment of weakness… He was a man after all.
When he arrived to the cemetery, his coat was totally wet. He could see right away L's bright grave, in a quiet corner. Light walked slowly, ignoring the other graves. The grave had its letters perfectly legible. There was no incense or flowers, like in any common grave – it had just a few leafs that had fallen from the trees. Mechanically, Light swept the leafs with his right hand.
He didn't bring any flower nor though he would stay there for much more time. He just wanted…
Light smiled. His hand was touching the name engraved in the stone.
… To say hi.
His cold hand took a letter out of his right pocket, already wet and with his letters distorted by the rain. It was nothing more than a piece of paper, carefully folded. Taking advantage of the empty vase, Light let the paper slipped into the jar, while staring at the bright letters.
L. LAWLIET
REST IN PEACE
It was pathetic, actually. His greatest enemy ended up like any other human. Dead. Buried in a place he never liked.
"Lawliet." – Read Light, again. Was it his real name? Who cared about that now? The only ones who could answer to that question were already dead.
The water dripped from his hair to his neck. Just like in that fatidic afternoon… Right before he took the king and ended the game. Everything surround him seemed fading in water, even the stones, like a watercolor picture. Inside the vase, the paper was getting worn out and self destroying. For a moment, Light wanted to light a match and to throw it inside the vase. But he couldn't show his weak personality. Not now, in front of him…
He heard steps at the cemetery's entrance and he got up, walking slowly again to the gate. The young man greeted a old lady, who carried a enormous flowers' bouquet, and didn't look back. No matter how hard he tried, no game was amusing when we lose our best opponent.
In the pouring rain, he could clearly hear the bells now…
***
Ryuzaki:
Your last words weren't heroic. No even slightest intelligent. You just slipped into my arms, cold as ice, and opened your mouth. Ready to declare your last sentence.
Did you actually feel sorry for me?
You saw in my eyes the morbid desire I had to put an end to your life and the cruel pleasure I enjoyed while watching it drain. And yet you smiled. "I was right. I won. It was you the whole time. I found you Kira." You smiled like all this was just a game. Like we were just kids and, after the game, we could lie in the grass and eat sweets. Like you weren't dead.
And while all of us yelled and you rested peacefully against my arms – a dark hair pale pieta – something inside me roared. You know what it is like when you sting yourself in a rose and then you manage to take the thorn out? The sensation of taking the thorn out is, simultaneously, a choc of relief and pain. That's what I felted. Relieved – you are dead. In pain – because you are dead. A damned bliss, refrained by the tears I cried inside. The afternoon fell over the garden and the kids had to go home.
Your skin was still wet from the rain that had fallen upon us. You dried my hair with a towel, in a subtle clemency demand. You wanted the game to carry on, just a little longer. Why take the king in the next move when I can still take the other pieces? I took the towel from you and rubbed your dark hair. You stood still between my hands and sighted.
"Sabishi desu ne..."
I never had seen your eyes so bright as in the second you were killed. The screens' deadly glimpse was spread in your iris, stared at me. The only second you were actually human was the second your heart stopped beating. I would like to know what images crossed your mind in those moments. I would really like to know if my gaze was the last thing your eyes saw.
Do you know what I have enjoyed the most in your death?
It was being finally able to have you in my arms. Defeated.
See you in hell my love.
H.S.: Hey there! This is my first attempt to write in english so I'm sorry for all the mistake this fanfic may have. I hope you liked it anyway and I would be truly greatful if you gave me your opinion about it. Thanks! ^^
