DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. I DON'T OWN DEATH NOTE


Phantasmagorical

1. having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.

2. having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern.

3. changing or shifting, as a scene made up of many elements.


Light stared at the small form of Near. Nate River; such a small boy. A few years ago, maybe Light would have felt sad that this child had to grow up so quickly. But, Light wasn't who he had been all those years ago. This was all Ryuk's and his own fault. This was on them. He didn't care.

(Could he care? Was that still possible?)

He laughed and it was something cold and bitter and utterly demented. Phantasmagorical, perhaps; twisting and all it appeared and nothing at all. Or, maybe that was just Light. Or everything. Or nothing. Or something.

(Someone?)

Insane and demented and completely aware that this was the end. He was sure Ryuk knew this too.

If Near was put off at all by Kira's laughter he didn't show it. He didn't have to either and the other inhabitants of the warehouse made up for it. Light didn't care either way.

Ryuk laughed, too. There was nothing in it though.

"So, are you going to kill me? Send me in for a trial?" Light asked, smile splitting his face.

"We will send you in for a trial, but your death is ensured either way." Near's voice was monotone. Near was monotone. This was monotone.

(Light made it monotone.)

Light's grin softened into something that may have been genuine. "That's all I needed to hear. Your move, Ryuk. Show's over."

"Really? Well, it was fun all the same." More glass laughter.

"What are you—" Near started. Always monotone. Never shifting. Light liked phantasmagorical.

"Relax. He's setting the future in stone, but for now…" Light's voice was far too calm for this situation.

Light reached for the bit of Death Note in his watch, not really intending to use it on the child but knowing it had to be done.

(Game, set, and match... I'm sorry, who's winning again?)

Matsuda shot. The bullets hit. Light laughed. Glass laughter.

He didn't want to die. He wanted to disappear. He didn't want to die...

If dying was the only way to disappear, though, he wanted to put on a show.

To anyone who knew him, this probably seemed the farthest thing from his usual behavior. It was. And, yet, it wasn't.

(Phantasmagorical.)

He didn't know exactly when it came about, but he was bored. He was bored. And he hated that, and he remembered.

(How was it he ever forgot?)

He remembered why this started. Because he was bored. Ryuk was bored. He was so delusional.

(Or was he insane?)

He didn't do this for justice, not really. He was bored. He did this for the sake of relieving boredom. And, if he was bored now, then all this was worthless. He was worthless. The world was worthless. All worthless.

(But what about...)

Pointless. Hypocritical. Disgusting. Boring. Life.

And he laughed that beautiful, empty, glass laughter.

Light laughed as the bullets hit him. Laughed as Ryuk wrote his name in the Death Note. Laughed as everything he was crashed down around him.

And, for the first— or was it the second?— time, Light knew he had found something he would never get bored of.

You only get to die once, after all.

(Or was it twice...?)


I had this stuck in my head for over two months and only now got around to writing it. Shame it turned out so short. I like contradictions.

Feel free to make assumptions. Most have something to do with instinct.

Probably OOC and terrible. Eh.