Summary: After Light's death, Ryuk contemplates on his Shinigami life without him.
Disclaimer: Tsugumi Ohba & Takeshi Obata own rights to Death Note and its characters, not I. Sad day!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray of Light
Death Note
[Applegiver
Life had become dull again. The skies were gray, grayer than usual. The clouds were simply mass—they weren't shaped like anything anymore. The dirt beneath his elongated feet was loose, quick to dissolve and slink between the gaps. No longer would that world satisfy him, nor let him stay long. He had things to do, now that he was of the deceased—among the people he had punished.
Ryuk perched himself on the last cliff of the Shinigami world and gazed forward at the gaping hole that began to shrivel before him. The lights of the flourishing city he once reaped began to fade away. Crevasses that once lingered in the surrounding cave-like area began to close themselves, swallowing what light may escape. It was the perfect image, Ryuk thought, of what Light was.
The entrance to the dull world had closed, meaning that boredom would soon befall him. It was a pain in the ass, really—all that had happen. But it was nonetheless enjoyable for dim-headed Ryuk.
"Damn." A small cry escaped his monstrous lips. "No more apples."
Funny. Were apples more important? The equivalent of drugs and alcohol? Ryuk mentally shook his head, but frowned inwardly at the same time. Maybe they were.
Images of Light's death reeled through his mind, and how his own clumsily large fingers danced with the pen to scribble down the boy's name. And that smile…The smile that spread across Ryuk's lips would remain all through his sequence. The way Light gasped, eyes wide and fearful, twisted with regret…
It had reminded Ryuk of the night they had met.
Still standing on the edge of the cliff, Ryuk caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye. His eyes darted to the right, and stared.
What is this?
Curiosity had veiled over his thoughtful mood as Ryuk strolled to the remaining crevasse on the wall of the Shinigami world. He placed his dark hand on the wall and inspected the beam of light that extended from the crevasse to the ground he stood on. Ryuk blinked several times, then directed his attention to his feet by following what reminded him of a scope of sunshine.
It was as if his wishful thinking had been read. Sitting before him, at his feet beneath the ray of light that glimmered from the last crevasse, was a ruby red apple that shined ever so brilliantly. The stem was tilted carefully and was a decadent brown whilst the apple itself appeared ripe, fresh as indicated by the suspicious droplets of water that were made obvious by the light.
As Ryuk bent to take the apple into his hand, he noticed something else.
His eyes widened, mouth agape. The images of Light played in his memory.
A revelation, Ryuk thought, as he picked up the apple with his right hand, and the familiar object beneath it in his left. A tingling sensation surged through his veins just looking at it. He smoothed his finger over the leather bound cover as his eyes read the familiar title: DEATH NOTE.
If anything in Ryuk's life had made sense, this was it. Of all uncertainties, and all the things he grew weary of, this was what would bring him to what compelled him most. A new flicker of excitement boiled in his blood, similar to the time when he had scribbled Light's name…
Ryuk bit into the apple and pulled away fiercely to watch its juices sparkle in the light. The taste was sweet. With the Death Note in hand, and the apple merely a core in a matter of seconds, Ryuk's wings extended from his back again, flapping violently with an echoing CLAP in the world's wake. Before him, the entrance to what was supposed to be Light's utopia had opened again, revealing the city lights and the chilly night again. He laughed like had did when Light was still there, and pushed himself away from the cliff, gliding first, then ascending into the night sky of the city beneath him.
The air was crisp and the clouds seemed to form now, as if a storm was brewing. Ryuk grinned as he began to descend to a familiar area that was hidden away by buildings. The Death Note was limp in his right hand, slipping more and more as Ryuk circled the vicinity. He spotted the school Light had once attended, and grinned dubiously.
The Death Note shivered between his fingers.
"To revelations…"
The leather felt faint in his grip.
With one last flap of his wings, the Death Note had escaped his hold and descended into a dark alleyway. Ryuk, in a fit of laughter, lifted his hand to his mouth.
"Oops!"
And with that, Ryuk ascended again towards the full moon that shimmered beautifully in the night. He couldn't hide his excitement, and didn't bother masking his large, toothy grin. For life had become sweet again.
