*AN Sorry for these, but I want to let you, dear reader, know what you are getting yourself into. I am a huge Kira fan and I hate the way Death Note ends. This is my twist on a continuation of the series, using the images in Director's Cut as a jumping off point. If you haven't seen it, worry not tho. It doesn't really do much, and I just stole an idea from it. If you are an L person, you will be disappointed to know he will only be referenced here. I hope you might stick around regardless tho. The majority of this story takes place five years after the death of Light. It's going to be long and therefor, I will need you to bear with me during the exposition. I will try and make it worth your while. Also, one of the main characters here will be an OC. As someone who normally hates them myself, I hope I didn't lose you right there. I thought about it long and hard, and making someone new was the only way I saw this working. I hope she is not annoying and manages to seem to belong. This first chapter is short (Sorry. I write until the chapter is done, not to a certain length) others will most likely be longer. Please review if you like it. It is most appreciated.

I obviously don't own Death Note...I wouldn't be writing FANfiction if I did. I wouldn't mind borrowing Kira for a little while tho... X}

The Last Ray of Light

He woke to the painful feeling of his heart unwillingly relearning how to beat. If he hadn't already been dead, he was sure that first beat would have killed him.

One…two…three…

He counted the beats, not daring to move. He understood on some level beyond reason that he had this choice: He could lay here and count the beats until they slowed and finally, for the second and last time, stopped altogether; or he could take the breath that would tether him back into his body.

He couldn't feel anything other than the struggling pulse. What happened to all the bullet holes that should be seeping away what was left of his cold blood? Where were the last rays of light seeping in across his eyes? In fact, where was the uneven pressure from the stairwell that he had last remembered feeling against his back? What the hell is happening to me?

He could feel his heart slowing now, winding down from its final Hail Mary chance at keeping him alive, if that's what it was doing. It was now or never. One chance: Please make your selection now sir.

I always have been too curious for my own good, he thought, deciding in the last second what he would do.

Light took a breath.

Immediately, he felt the deepest cold he had ever known seep into every part of him. It felt like he was inhaling goddamned ice straight into his bones. He wrenched his eyes open, glimpsing just a flash of barren grey scenery before he was rolling onto his side, gagging on the fowl, frigid air he had just allowed into himself. Coughing seemed to help. Or maybe he was just getting used to it.

But that didn't seem to be the right phrase. Every breath he choked down was spreading the cold further, and the further it spread the less it seemed a foreign invader. He wasn't 'getting used to' the cold. It was becoming part of him.

He heard someone walking up in front of him. With a surge of his customary arrogance he thought, I will not allow anyone to see me like this. Summoning every scrap of strength that he could find, Light forced his uncooperative muscles to raise his head to meet his unknown visitor. It was a Shinigami. One he had never seen.

"Ah, yeh must be the new arrival then. I heard yeh caused one hell of a lot of trouble for the humans. That's why ye'r here yeh know. Impressed the boss yeh did, and that's no small feat let me tell yeh. Gonna be a hell of a lot harder to get made Shinigami for the next bunch with Notes, thanks to yeh." The Shinigami seemed to sense the struggle Light was having and stooped down to have a closer look.

Light did his best to glare defiantly at the tall, imposing figure, but it was getting ridiculously hard to stay conscious, never-mind mustering the effort to put this guy (girl? it was too damn hard to tell with Shinigami) in its place.

Looking like it was having the time of its life, the Shinigami extended one gnarled finger and arrogantly exerted the slightest pressure on Light's shoulder. As weak as he was, it was enough to cause him to tumble to the ground and knock the air out of him all at once. As it watched him struggle feebly to regain his breath, the unknown Shinigami let out a harsh cackle.

"Trouble yeh may have caused a'plenty, but I don't mind telling yeh, yeh don't look like much now! Ah, but don't worry much. We all started out like this. Ye'll get used to ye'r Shinigami body soon. I just wanted to be the first to introduce yeh to ye'r new 'life'. Welcome to the Shinigami Realm kid, yeh better get comfy, ye'll be here a while!" Letting out another cackle for good measure, the Shinigami reached its hand out, placing it over Light's eyes, and for the second time that day the fading light was the last thing he knew.