Alive in Death
It had taken a bit of searching, but Light had finally found a complete map of the building on L's computer. He located the control room quickly and took off, practically running in his haste. Ryuk followed behind, laughing maniacally and munching yet another apple stolen from one of the building's numerous kitchens.
Watari was not looking at him when the door opened, and Light took a brief second to wonder why the elderly man hadn't gone to bed yet. His train of thought was cut off as, without turning around, Watari inquired, "Yes, Ryuuzaki? Are you feeling better?" Light figured it was safe to assume that L was the only one who ever came up here. He took a step into the room, and Watari turned around. "Yagami-kun? How did you get here?" Light said nothing for a moment, and Watari asked, "Yagami-kun, what's the matter?"
"L isn't sick." Light said quietly. When Watari only stared at him, he continued, "His soul has been taken by a Shinigami. He won't wake up, now."
Watari, to his credit, remained perfectly calm. "How do you know, Yagami-kun?"
Light moved past him to the computer. He had left one camera running that night, just recording without showing on any of the monitors. He had wanted a record of his 'victory', for some time in the future. But now, it could be proof. He set the video to play, and stepped away from the computer.
There was complete silence as the tape played all the way through. Watari, like the rest of the task force, could see Rem, having touched the notebook. The playback turned itself off as it reached the end of the recording, and Light waited for the bomb to drop. Watari was going to be furious. Watari might kill him, alone in this soundproofed control room. He knew that the elderly man always had some sort of handgun with him, and he could simply claim that his life had been in danger and give the tape to the taskforce as proof of Light's identity as Kira.
"Yagami-kun..." Watari said quietly. "I want you to explain everything to me, from the moment that you picked up the Death Note. Leave nothing out."
Light was astonished at the lack of anger that Watari was showing, but he began to talk immediately. It took the better part of an hour, but he related even the smallest details, determined not to upset the older man even more than he likely already had.
When he was finished, Watari paused for a moment, thinking everything over, and then said with barely concealed anger, "What were you thinking, Yagami?" Uncertain, Light said nothing, and Watari continued, "I can understand your contempt for murderers, rapists, criminals... But where you and L differ is your methods. What do you think happened to people who were wrongfully convicted? You killed them anyway. What about the FBI, Naomi Misora...? Lind L. Tailor?"
"Tailor was a criminal." Light said defensively. "He was on Death Row."
"But you didn't know that at the time! You thought you were killing L!" Watari nearly shouted. Light, to his great chagrin, actually shrank back some in the face of the unexpected outburst. Watari glared at him with such hate, he was almost afraid. "You lost your image of justice the moment that you killed Tailor, believing him to be L. You killed people merely for being after you, not for any crime that they had committed. And L, whose life's work was taking criminals off the streets... You've worse than killed him."
"I..." Light didn't know if he was going to apologize or defend himself, but Watari interrupted first.
"L was not my son by blood. But I've raised him since he was eight years old, and he is my child. I want to know why I should not go directly to your father, and give him this tape as proof of your guilt."
"Because I'm going to try to save him!" Light cried. He told Watari everything that Ryuk had said, about the Labyrinth, and the chance that going in might enable him to get L's soul back. "You can't have me arrested now, or I might lose my only chance to bring L back!"
Watari stared at him, appraising. He finally smiled grimly. "I knew that L had fallen for you, and I did not approve in the least. But the Shinigami was right. You have fallen in love with L as well. I will not go to the task force, at least not until you return, and then it will be L's call. If you return without him, I will go to them immediately, with this tape."
"Thank you!" Light gasped. He couldn't believe that he had escaped without some kind of retribution. "I... I don't know how anything works, from here on out. I need to go find Ryuk."
"Good luck." Watari said quietly. Light nodded quickly, turning and running back out of the room. Watari watched him go, wondering if he had done the right thing by leaving L's fate in the hands of one who had wished for nothing but his death for so long. But at this point, trusting Kira was his only choice.
xXx
"Ryuk!" Light tore back into the bedroom, finding the Shinigami lounging in mid-air above the bed, munching on a third apple. He flipped upright as soon as he saw Light, grinning twistedly.
"The old man didn't lock you up. I thought he would." he observed.
Light ignored him. "Ryuk, what do I have to do to get into the Labyrinth?" He didn't know what he was going to do when he got there, but if it was the only way to save L, he was willing to do whatever it took.
Ryuk chuckled. "You're really going to do this, aren't you? Alright then..." He drifted down so it looked like he was sitting cross-legged on Light's side of the bed. "Human's can't enter the Shinigami Realm, but I can take your soul with me, as if you were dead. That will grant you entrance to the Trial." He pulled out a black stone on a long cord, holding it out for Light to take. "This is your way out. You and one person you're holding on to will be brought out of the Trial, back to your living bodies. Get L and bring him back with you, because you can only go once. Trying to take your soul twice would more than likely kill you."
Light reached out and took the stone, nodding. "I understand, Ryuk." The Shinigami moved, and he climbed up to sit on the bed next to L. "Do what you have to."
"Okay!" Ryuk drifted closer, grinning. Light remembered pain, unimaginable pain, Ryuk's laughter, falling backwards, and then nothing.
xXx
"...stay here too long."
Light sat up, rubbing at his forehead uncertainly. The black stone was on its cord around his neck, and he touched it hesitantly before looking around. "What?"
Ryuk sighed. "I said, you might not want to stay here too long. Rem could be around, and she will be less than pleased to see you."
"Oh..." Light stared out at the barren grey landscape. Odd arches and spires of stone dotted the flat ground, and there was the occasional round, hollow formation that seemed to have some sort of portal or window in it. "Is this the Shinigami Realm?"
"Yeah. I don't know how to get to the Labyrinth from the Human World. Other than killing you, but that's no good." Ryuk chuckled. He pointed towards the largest of the arches. "The gate is there. Once you go in, you have to complete the Trial if you want your detective back. You can bail with the stone partway through, but you don't get a second chance."
"How does it know that L's soul is what I'm after?" Light asked. "How do I know it won't send me to Mu or Hell or back here?"
"The Labyrinth knows." Ryuk said. "It knows you're not dead, so it knows what you've come for. The same way it will know what challenges to give you. But the first one is always the same. Come on." He spread his wings, flying in the direction of the gate, and Light hurried to keep up. When they stopped, Light saw that the gate was an actual gate, made of what looked like wrought-iron, topped with spikes. "This is the entrance from the Shinigami Realm." Ryuk said. "Just remember two things. Anyone that you meet during the challenges is an illusion of that person, and the first challenge is always the Sorrow's River."
"What's the Sorrow's River?" Light was feeling frustrated by how little he actually knew about the challenge he was about to undertake. But he called to mind the idea of L, lifelessly sleeping back at home, and took a step forward.
"I don't know." Ryuk replied. "No one will ever answer. But I'm sure you can do it. Come back with L, okay, Light?"
Light turned back to stare at the Shinigami. "You're being unusually nice to me, Ryuk." he said, smiling.
Ryuk rolled his eyes. "You're the most interesting human I've met in forever. It would suck if you died in the Labyrinth."
Light turned back to the gate. "Thanks, Ryuk." He stood there for a second more, then took a deep breath, pushed the gate open, and stepped through. Ryuk watched him go, for once not laughing, and said quietly, "I hope you know what you're getting into, kid."
xXx
All Light could see was grey, a sort of shapeless grey fog that roiled in front of his eyes like water. He realized he was lying on his stomach in the dirt, and pushed himself to his feet. The fog was only a foot or two deep, and flowed steadily in one direction, like a river. This must be what Ryuk had meant. But should he follow the fog, or walk the other way, towards the source?
He took a few steps out into the fog, and finally saw other people. But these people seemed dull, lifeless, somehow drained of color. There were people of every age and ethnicity. American, European, Japanese... Light hurried into the middle of the crowd, and anxiously pushed through, looking for someone he recognized.
"Does anyone know what's going on here?" he called, but no one answered. He grabbed a man who was walking by, shaking him, but when the man looked up Light recoiled in shock.
It was Takuo Shibuimaru, the motorcyclist that Light had killed second with the Death Note. Takuo looked at him blankly, and walked on. As Light began to look around, really look, he began to notice other faces. Criminals who he had killed without batting an eye. That was why this was the Sorrow's River. The dead walked here.
Light looked around for any sort of person who looked the least little bit friendly, and spotted Raye Penber from a distance. He raced towards him, grabbing his arm and asking urgently, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Will you help me?"
"Why should I help you, Yagami Light? Kira?" Penber spat. He shook off Light's hold on his arm, and walked on. Light glanced around frantically.
"Why won't anyone talk to me? Not everyone can hate me!" he cried.
"You don't get it? Hehn hehn hehn..." an unfamiliar voice said. Light whirled to face the speaker, and gasped. White shirt, baggy jeans, tousled hair hanging over his eyes...
"L?!" Light gasped. The doppelganger looked up, and red eyes gleamed dangerously.
"L? L?! You managed to kill L? No, I don't think you did, Little Kira. I would have seen him by now."
Light took a step back, unnerved. This odd copy wasn't L. He remembered what Ryuk had said, about illusions. Maybe this was one. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" the copy giggled. "It would be nice of you to remember me, but I can't expect too much. After all, look at all the people you killed! Asking you to remember just one is too much, I suppose." He swept his arm wide, to indicate all of the people around them.
"I... These are all people that I... killed?" Light asked shakily.
The doppelganger giggled again. "Of course! Every last one! You did a lot with that cursed notebook. Of course, it was unfair to kill Naomi Misora before me. And in such a way! The only person to best me, and you killed her like it was nothing. Such a pity."
"Misora-san is here?" Light asked.
"Of course!" With a wide, creepy grin, the copy stepped forward. "My name is Beyond Birthday, convicted murderer. No one has touched you yet, because you have no purpose. But our purpose, once you decide on your course, is to stop you from getting to the door."
Light remembered the name, now, because he had thought it so unusual when writing it down. But he hadn't met L until May, and had forgotten the face. How similar they looked! But if there was one thing Light knew, staring that the eerie smile of the red-eyed killer...
This was going to be harder than he thought.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
We couldn't have a river full of dead people without my most favorite dead criminal of them all! BB-kun is awesome, all the time. I'm going to Anime Mid-Atlantic this Saturday dressed up as him, so if any of you are going to be there, come find me!
And so Light's trial begins! XD This is going to be so much fun. Feel the pain, Light-o. Mwahahahaha!
Luv for all of you!
Li