Miko: So I'm finding this very slow writing. I literally sat at my computer for about three hours yesterday just looking at this story and I only managed to write a few words. I spent another four or five today looking at it, adding like one sentence at a time. Thanks to Serria, I fixed the part discussion Light's diagnosis in the first chapter so hopefully it makes more sense now. Reviews are loved. And hopefully this will start to pick up the pace soon.

Puzzles

That night while I sat at the computer screen, my thoughts turned to Light. I couldn't get the image of him, lying at my feet in tears, out of my head. There was no reason it should affect me as it had. I shouldn't have any emotional attachment to the boy. I had a sense of obligation to care for him, as it had been my rash actions that led to his current state. He also reminded me that even the most powerful can fall. In his height, he had almost been my equal. Now, without true explanation, he had fallen.

I bit my thumb as I considered that proposition. I was so interested in Light because he was a puzzle. I didn't enjoy physical puzzles, as one of my successors did. I enjoyed the logical ones and Light was probably the greatest puzzle I would ever encounter. And the best part, every time I thought I had broken the code and reached a conclusion, something would happen to convince me I was wrong.

I had been so certain that Light was Kira, though the surveillance had shown nothing to indicate he was anything more than an ordinary teen. His dedication to proving me wrong was a delightful challenge. Then, just when I was sure that he really was Kira, he lost his memory of it and I began to doubt myself. No other suspect could make me doubt myself. I was L – the World's greatest detective! He was just the son of a mediocre detective.

Then there was the biggest shock of all – his confession. After weeks of working side by side to capture Higuchi and clear up the question of who Kira was once and for all, Light messed up his chance at success. Of course, afterward I realized it had been the destruction of the Death Note that had broken something in Light-Kira's mind. Still, the result was fascinating and horrifying at the same time. I wouldn't give up until he figured out the inner workings of the boy's mind.

I replayed Light's drastic personality change over and over in my mind. There was no doubt now that Light and Kira were separate personalities. Unless, of course, Kira and Light were one, and had used that ruse to lead my speculations down the wrong path. It was possible, but past evidence refuted that idea. Innocent Light did not deceive. He was far too altruistic and committed to justice to murder. Light as Kira, however, was the personification of Machiavelli's Prince. The end justifies the means. I gripped the chair edge in frustration.

Despite my best attempts, Light had become my friend. At least, he was as close to a friend as anyone had ever been to me. I did not trust him, but I did not even trust Whammy more than I absolutely had to. But that rested in my own psychological issues and until they caused a problem, I had no desire to delve into my own problems.

"Friend." I said the word out loud. "Light-kun." His name rolled off my tongue easily. "Light-kun. Friend." I wanted to laugh at my own stupidity. The Light I had known had probably never existed. Until I knew that for certain, I had to solve the puzzle he presented. Having decided on a course of action, I set aside that problem to focus on the list of cases Whammy had brought me.

I flipped through each case without interest. After the Kira case…I stopped my thoughts, knowing where that path would lead. I had not taken a case since returning to England over a month previous. Hundreds had build up during the time I had spent in Japan, but none worthy of my notice. Many of them were missing children, the majority obviously the result of a divorce when one parent took a child without telling the other, some were small burglaries.

Finally I came upon one that was worthy of my attention. I saw the bookmark Whammy had placed on it. Normally I left the decision of cases to him, but the process was relaxing, and sometimes he missed what could turn out to be important. This one was strange, by all matters. A 10-year-old boy had been found a few miles from his house, lying dead in the middle of a forest. According to his parents, he often went there to play with several friends from the neighborhood. The parents both had airtight alibi's.

The boy, who had been strangled, was found by his friends the day after he was reported missing. All of them had been interviewed, and none had seen the boy the day of his disappearance. I reviewed the images of the dead child. There were a few seemingly random cuts on him, caused by some kind of knife. None of them were located anywhere that could be deadly, and none were deep enough to lose enough blood to kill even a child.

The murder had taken place four years ago, and only last week another child had been found dead. This murder did not appear to be related. The cause of death was obvious in the picture – a huge gash across the throat. The child was a girl, this time. She had been one of the children interviewed about the boy's death. She was older than the other children, whose ages ranged from 8 to 13. She had just turned 15. The only other person her age was a girl named Susanna. Susanna looked like the rest of the children. She had a bright smile, and a good family. Nevertheless, I placed her at the top of my list of suspects. Now I had to prove her guilty.

To my surprise, Whammy walked in then with a slice of cake and a cup of tea. I thanked him quietly and devoured the cake quickly. To the tea, I added the large stack of sugar cubes he had brought on a separate plate and waited for it to cool. I never drank my tea hot, even in the middle of winter. By the time my breakfast was gone, I decided to visit Light.

It was only nine am, so I was fairly certain he would be conscious. There were very few people out at that time. Most were in work, and those who weren't were still asleep. I tried to enjoy the morning, but my thoughts kept going back to the murdered child. If my suspicions were correct, the suspect was only 11 when she had first murdered. My thoughts were still on the case when I followed the nurse down the hall.

"How is he today?" I broke the silence for the first time. The nurse almost didn't answer, and when he did it was with a frown.

"He has not been sedated. That's all I know. But it is rather early." I mumbled something, but neither of us said anything until we reached the door. He didn't bother with a warning today.

"Hello, Light." I looked at the boy who was sitting in the corner. His eyes were dull, despite the nurse assuring me he had not been sedated. "How are you today?" I said a few feet away from him. His honey eyes flickered to meet mine.

"Hello, L." He mumbled. "I've felt better. My arms feel rather strange after so long in this position." As if to prove his point, he flexed against the suit.

"Do you know why the suit is necessary, Light?" I refused to acknowledge how surprised I was. I didn't want to risk bringing Kira back to the front of Light's mind. Light, sighed and looked past me as he answered.

"Because I killed so many people. I just…I can't figure out why. Or how I did it without realizing. I mean, so much of the past year is…blank. But I know I'm…" His sentence drifted off into silence and I held my breath. I was almost afraid to look at the teen, as though he would break if I moved wrong.

"Are you okay, Light-kun?" I put emphasis on the last word, and the aubern haired male smiled at me.

"I'm fine, L." He said. "But I think you should go now. I'm feeling rather…strange. I think I would like the sedation." Even though he tried to keep his tone even, I sensed the urgency behind his words. I resisted the urge to reach out a hand to the boy.

"Very well. I will see you again tomorrow, Light-kun. I believe I have a case I need your help on."

"That would be wonderful, Ryuzaki." He said, his attention obviously focused elsewhere. I stood from my awkward sitting position and knocked on the door to indicate I wanted out. The nurse, who had been watching from the balcony, had the sedation in hand. I nodded and he went in and injected the quiet Light, who rested his head against the wall and appeared to fall asleep.

"He isn't stupid, that one." The nurse observed. "Maybe now that he knows he's two different people he'll be able to control it." I said nothing, but considered the nurses words. Perhaps they were true. Light was intelligent. But so was Kira. Eventually, Kira would find a way to break down whatever defense Light created. Because in the end, Kira and Light were the same person.