AN: Hey, this is my first story on my new account here at FFNet. Not much, really, it's just a tiny little one-shot that I thought of on the way to first block one day. Hope you like it!
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"Did you know," Ryuk said, his grinning face leaning closer to Light's back, "that there is only one apple tree in the Shinigami Realm?"
The boy waved his hand towards the god of death, quickly returning to scribbling names down. Ryuk continued, unfazed.
"It's very old and very withered, too. Like it's been there for eons."
Yagami sighed and turned towards Ryuk, an annoyed look playing across his features.
"Ryuk, do you have a point to this?" There was an edge of venom in his voice.
Probably worried about that L character, the god thought, taking a seat on the human's bed.
"No point, per say. Just making small talk." The boy huffed and turned back to the Death Note, making the black figure chuckle softly. "All the trees there are old, but the apple tree doubly so."
He pulled a little black book from the feathers around his shoulders, flipping to the front.
"I'd like to imagine that it was beautiful, once, with the most tempting apples anyone could ever hope to see."
"You're awfully talkative today, Ryuk." Light muttered, glaring daggers at the god.
"I finally have something to talk about. Maybe you should listen." Ryuk creased his eyebrows together, glaring back at the boy.
Their little battle continued for a few moments. Ryuk saw the point where Light broke, probably figuring out that it was better to listen to the Shinigami for ten minutes than have the god annoying him all day.
Yagami grunted and snapped the notebook shut, turning his chair around to face Ryuk.
"What?"
What a drama queen, Ryuk thought, returning to his little book.
"I think it all was beautiful at one time, with birds and flowers, and maybe even a little stream in it. But something went wrong a long time age." Ryuk said, turning the delicate little pages. "Maybe the gardener left. Maybe."
"Ryuk, is there any possible way you can save this for lat-." Light cut himself off, finally paying attention to the book in the god of death's hands. "Ryuk, is that…is that a Bible?"
The Shinigami chuckled.
"Such amusing little stories you humans come up with. Talking snakes, fallen angels, big invisible men in the sky. Got me to thinking, though, on how much might be based on truth."
He could almost hear the wheels and cogs in the human's head spinning faster.
"Ryuk, are you implying that the Shinigami Realm was once the Garden of Eden?"
Ryuk burst out laughing, loud, metallic peals that would only reach Yagami's ears.
"Took you long enough!" he said after a while, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I kept dropping hints, and they kept hitting the floor!"
He hyuked a few more times while the boy thought it over.
"It is a valid theory," Light mumbled, laying his cheek on his knuckles, "but why would you tell it to me?"
Ryuk continued to laugh softly, replacing the Bible back into his collar and pulling out a bright red apple.
"Just an idea," the Shinigami said, "from a death god to a false one."
Crunch.