Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.
The Shinigami's Sister
Chapter Four
The Eyes
"Well, little sister," the thing said, his voice sounding familiar despite being that of a...She didn't even know what it is. "It's me. Ryuk. I'm back." Akira couldn't say anything. She couldn't say anything at all.
"Akira?" asked Ryuk, worried that Akira was in shock or something. All his nervousness was turning to dread. She didn't recognise him. She didn't think he was Ryuk. Or maybe she didn't love him now that he was a monster. Or maybe... "It's me. It's Ryuk." Ryuk was begging, now. Begging Akira to recognise him. Begging her to know it was him, that he was there for her, that he would always be there for her. He was begging her to say it was okay that he was...different now. "Please, Akira, it's me. It's your big brother. I know I look different, but that's because I'm a Shinigami, now. But I'm still your brother. I'm still me. I'm just...Me. Akira? Akira, please say something. Akira, please."
She was still looking at him with that expression of complete shock on her face.
She didn't love him any more. It was obvious.
"Never mind. I can see that you don't...Never mind," Ryuk told her, what was left of his heart sinking into what was left of his chest. He had thought that he had left disappointment behind with life, but he felt it strongly now as he turned around and began flying away from Akira, who was clearly not interested now that he was totally different to what she remembered him as. Ryuk couldn't really blame her. Akira remembered Ryuk as a human, not as a... As a monster.
Akira was frozen as the thing who said it was Ryuk began flying off. She recognised that air of dejectment. And she recognised that, if she let him go now, he would never come back. Still unable to speak, Akira ran after the thing -no, not the thing. She ran after Ryuk, her brother. At the sound of her footsteps Ryuk looked back. He just had enough time to turn around before Akira threw herself at him, arms tightly around him.
"Don't you dare go!" she ordered, the words muffled slightly, as Ryuk tried to find his balance. He had forgotten how strong Akira was. "Don't you dare leave me, Ryuk. Not again." Ryuk put his arms aound his little sister, feeling grateful that she recognised him and still loved him, relieved that he wasn't to slink back empty-handed to Light, happy to be re-united with Akira and, most of all, at peace.
Finally.
*****
"...So what exactly does this Light want to do with the notebook which kills people?" Akira asked her brother. They had gone for a walk together, talking about everything that had happened in their lives. Or, in Ryuk's case, his death. Akira was glad that her parents would be out until the early hours of the morning, due to some sort of party for work. It meant she could stay out as long as she wanted with Ryuk. They had made their way to a small park and now she lay on the grass, Ryuk next to her, as they watched the sky and spoke.
"He wants to create a new world, I think. I know it's sure to be entertaining," Ryuk told her enthusiastically.
"Yeah. And L is trying to stop him, but he doesn't know for sure that Light is Kira?" asked his sister. Akira knew about the Kira phenomenon -everyone did. But she, unlike everyone else, didn't find it interesting. She put it in the same categories as UFO sightings. Interesting for about a second, then boring again. She thought Kira's selection of people to kill -criminals- was a good one, though. Better than killing off all the doctors.
"Pretty much. They keep trying to out-smart each other."
"And, since L can't see you, you get to stay on the sidelines and watch it all?" asked Akira with a note of envy as she blew a strand of blue hair out of her face. "You are so lucky. It sounds much more fun than my life."
"Why? What's your life like?" Ryuk inquired.
"School, a few classes at the To-Oh university -they let me in because I aced the tests they set me, even though I'm younger than everyone else there- home, back to school again. It's not like I regret being adopted by Mum and Dad. Wammy's house was never really for me. Everyone knows you're being trained to be the next L, and that's not the life I want. I prefer being on the sidelines. No, it's just...Well, everything so...same-same now."
"What do you mean?" asked a confused Ryuk.
"It wasn't so bad at first. New classes, I even got to go to university. But it's like a new toy. You get over it. Most of the stuff they tried to teach me I already had learnt back at Wammy's. It was boring," finished Akira with a shrug.
"It sounds like you need a little entertainment," Ryuk suggested absent-mindedly, wondering why Akira had begun fidgeting, as if she was anxious.
"Yeah!" agreed Akira excitedly. "I could help Light!" Ryuk looked at her shining face, lit up with excitement.
"You really want to help him?" he asked doubtfully, feeling a pang of jealousy for the human boy.
"I want to watch what he comes up with. I don't really care about the whole 'rid the world of criminals' part. I mean, it's good, I suppose, to get rid of everyone who makes the world a worse place, but I'm more interested with all the plans. I wouldn't mind helping him as an excuse to see some of those plans fall into place.
"And I'm definately not going to be separated from you again," she said this last part with an undercurrent of steel that made it clear what exactly would happen to anyone who tried to separate them. Her fidgeting grew more frantic and she was gently ripping up tufts of grass. Ryuk put one on his hands over hers, stopping the movement.
"Relax, we're not going to be separated again," he reassured her.
"I know," she told him brightly.
"Then why are you so jumpy?"
"Oh! That's the withdrawal." Seeing his confusion, she added, "I smoke."
"You do?" asked Ryuk in complete surprise. How had he missed this?
"Yeah. And these damn nicotine patches don't work," she said frustratedly, peeling up her sleeve to reveal a good ten patches.
"Well, smoking's bad for you, anyway," Ryuk said vaguely. "You want to live for a long time don't you?"
Akira looked up at him in complete surprise, her pretty golden eyes reminding him of his when he was human. "No!"
"No?" he repeated in confusion. "You don't want to live a long life?"
"Um, no," she reprimanded, as if he was a little dim-witted. "I want to become a Shinigami as soon as possible. Duh."
"You do?" Ryuk asked for the second time in the conversation. "Why?"
Akira gave him an 'isn't it obvious' look. "Because you're one. Seriously, Ryuk, did you, like, hit your head or something? Is that why you're kind of slow? I mean, I remember you were as smart as me before..."
"Wait, can we backtrack a little," frowned Ryuk. "You want to become a Shinigami?"
"Duh! I want to be like you! That way no-one will separate us," triumphantly announced Akira.
"Us both Shinigamis..." Ryuk mulled this over. When he looked at Akira she was looking a little anxious, and this time he could tell it was more than nicotine withdrawal.
"That's okay, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yeah!" rejoiced Ryuk as he got used to the idea. "Us united against boredom, looking for entertainment! And apples of course! I can imagine it now!"
"Sounds like paradise! But how do I become a Shinigami?" she frowned.
"I'm not allowed to say," Ryuk told her regretfully.
"Oh. Well, that's a shame. But you said something on the way here. You said you can see people's names and life spans."
"Yes, but I can't tell you your life span-"
"I don't want to know that," assured his sister. "You said that there was only one way a human could get the eyes of a Shinigami?"
"Yes, if they make the deal. Half the human's life span for the eyes..." he trailed off at the oppurtunistic glint in Akira's eyes.
"I want to make the deal," she said simply. "Is there anything I have to do? Do I have to sign something? Or, I don't know, give my fingerprint in blood?"
Despite being about to say something, Ryuk was distracted by this. "You fingerprint in blood? Where did you get that idea?"
"I read a lot in class."
"You mean , reading books about bloody fingerprints as opposed to doing the work you're meant to?"
"You bet. So, can we make the deal?"
Ryuk was suddenly unsure. "It's not like I can tell you you can't. But...Akira, are you sure you want to do this? It's half your life span."
Akira sat up and folded her arms. "I know. But this life is the only thing stopping me from becoming a Shingami, like you. I'm not going to go jump in front of a bus or anything, but it's not like I'm holding onto it."
Beside her Ryuk sat up. "Well, if you're sure..."
"I am."
Ryuk gave her the eyes. She waited a moment. "Well?" he asked.
"Is everything supposed to be red-tinted?" she asked, blinking. Ryuk grinned.
"Yup. You now have the eyes of a Shinigami," Ryuk said proudly.
Akira grinned as she hurled herself at Ryuk, hugging him ferociously as she dragged him up and into an impromptu victory dance, laughing happily.
"Gah!" Ryuk exclaimed. "Geeze you're strong! You're awfully happy at the loss of half your life!"
His little sister paused, grinning, "soon I'll be just like you! Of course I'm happy! I can't wait until tomorrow!"
"Why? What's happening tomorrow?" he asked, confused as Akira let him go. He wondered if Shingami could get broken ribs. If Akira continued being that exuberant, that was what was going to happen.
"Tomorrow I'm telling Light that I know he's Kira."
Author's Note: I've tried to make Ryuk more than an apple-loving side-character here. Tell me how you think I've done!
-XOX, Pangie
