Chapter six:

Near cried until he was choking on dry sobs for a little bit. He is sitting on the throne chair that his adopted father Beyond would usually sit in.

Matt comes in carrying a glass of water. He brings it over to Near and goes to his knees beside the throne. He offers it to Near who robotic like took it from him only to sip at it then drinks more to hydrate himself.

Near looks so depressed.

And Matt looks worried about it.

Near finishes half the water then stops drinking only to look depressed at the water.

"Are you alright?" Matt asks.

"How can I be?" Near's voice is scratchy from crying. "Mello is gone." He sounds so broken and depressed as he stares at the water very depressed.

Matt puts a hand on Near's back and rubs gently as if trying to comfort him. "Don't worry about anything." He says. "You can grieve. I will take care of everything."

Near doesn't respond or even shows that he heard Matt.

Matt gets to his feet and leaves Near alone as he leaves the room.

Once he's out of the room a twisted smirk plays on his lips for a few seconds then he stops making his face worried and sad only to turn to the guards standing guard at the outside of the door on either side of it.

"Make sure no one disturbs Near." Matt says. "He needs time to mourn. I will take over until Near is well enough to once again take over or A and BB return."

The guards nod in understanding.

Matt turns and leaves at that.

Near raises his head and he finally notices he is alone in the room. He puts the glass down to the opposite side from where Matt used to be then gets up going over to the window to look out of it staring at the sky as he lets his memories with Mello run through his mind.

….

Matt smirks widely. "Everything is going along just as we hoped." He whispers under his breath. "Then soon we will have the power and riches that Near holds. Soon it will be all ours! The people will give us love and glory!" He keeps walking. "I hope you said the words you wanted to in your final goodbye Mello." He stops to turn to the window as he stares out of it smirking. "Because you won't be able to say another word to him soon until you are dead." He puts on a calm mask then turns back to where he is going and continues.

…..

For the rest of the day Matt took care of everything and anything that came up while out in town then he returns when it's a little bit before the sun will start to set.

He heads to find Near looking around for him. "Near?"

Near isn't in his room as Matt thought he would be.

So Matt heads to the throne room seeing the door closed and the guards standing there.

He approaches. "Is he still in there?"

"Yes. We closed the door as he needed peace." One guard says.

"Ok." Matt turns hearing footsteps.

A servant is coming with a glass of water on a silver tray. "I just thought he might be thirsty." She says stopping as the guards give a look of warning to her.

Matt turns to fully face her. "Allow me to take the water in." He says. "He needs some space from others but I might be able to help him. However in order for it to work I need to be alone with him so he can tell me anything he's comfortable with."

The servant nods in understanding and let's Matt take the glass. "Please help him."

Matt nods. "I will do my best." He turns and opens the door heading inside. He closes the door behind himself. He pauses with a glance to Near who doesn't seem to have noticed that he has entered. He smirks and takes a small bag out of pocket opening it one handed only to gently dump a little of the powder into the glass before putting the bag back after pulling the string to close it. He swishes the water and the powder quickly dissolves. He puts on a worried face then turns and heads over to Near who is sitting on the throne sitting sideways so the bottom of his chin is on the left arm rest while his legs are curled up pretty much to his chest. "Near."

Near doesn't look to Matt.

Matt kneels down at the front of the throne. "I brought you some fresh water." He says.

Still nothing.

Matt sighs then puts the water beside the other glass that is still as full as when Matt saw Near stop drinking. He turns back to Near who is just staring depressed off into the distance.

Near truly looks broken and depressed.

Matt knows that Always and Beyond should be back by tomorrow. He reaches over and tucks some hair behind Near's ear.

Near's eyes finally flicker over to him.

"Hey." Matt says gently. "How do you feel?"

Near's eyes flicker away. "Empty." He responds in a dead voice.

Matt closes his eyes for a moment. "I don't blame you for that." He says. "But you need to remember that the people need you." He looks to the glasses and reaches over to take the glass with the powder in it. He turns back to Near. "You should drink a little more water." He offers the glass to Near.

Near closes his eyes. "I don't want it." He mummers.

Matt sighs then puts the glass back only to grab the other glass. "Well you should take a drink before you go to sleep." He then stands up. "The people need you and we can't have you dehydrated from crying." He turns. "I will be back soon. It's obvious you still need space." He leaves with that.

Near barely notices Matt has left with the main indicator being the door closing behind Matt.

….

Matt hands the glass to the servant who had been waiting worriedly making sure to not get too close to the door. "He still needs a little time." He says. "But don't worry. I will continue to do as much as I can for him."

The servant nods then walks away with the glass.

Matt heads away from the throne room. He goes to the nearest phone then glances around only to look back to the phone and pick it up dialing a number. He awaits an answer.

Then an answer comes through.

"Please tell L and Light that they should come for a visit tomorrow afternoon. Tell them this message is from Mail." Matt then hangs up. He continues on his way as if nothing happened.

….

Mello stares up at the ceiling. He never expected any of this and still can't figure out why this would happen.

Near watches the sun set for a bit then looks to the glass of water. He reaches over picking it up. "Mihael." He wonders if he drinks it maybe he will end up somehow drowning on it so he can see Mello again. He starts drinking as though he knows that just a glass of water will not drown him as he hopes it would.

Once done he puts it back where he got it from.

"That had an interesting taste." He says to himself. He turns back for the sunset.

A guard opens the door. "Near would you like to go to your room?" He asks.

Near lowers his head. "I wish to be alone." He says in a dead voice.

The guard feels a lot of worry for him. "Yes of course but please remember we are all here for you." He then leaves closing the door giving Near time to call him back.

Near doesn't.

Two other guards come to switch with the two guards so as to not make them too tired or over worked.

The guards are switched and quickly filled in using general words.

Near still in the room doesn't notice the time go by. He blinks when he realizes it's early night. He gets up and starts to head to leave the room. He stops as he begins to feel dizzy. He falls to his knees panting as he starts to feel warm. "What the?" His vision has darkness swimming around it. "Me... Mello..." He croaks out weakly then he falls to his side as the darkness swarms his vision until all he sees is black.

.…...

The next day.

Always and Beyond have begun their journey home.

Always is in the lead and hopes that Near is alright.

Finally the town is within view.

They keep going only to slow their horses to a trot when they reach the outskirts of the town by late morning. They trot into town and look around themselves.

Everything seems to still be normal which is good.

Always turns back to where they are going.

They continue until they make it home.

There they dismount and let the servants take the horses back to the stable.

They head inside and greeted.

Always head to look for Near with Beyond not far behind.

...

Matt enters the throne room and smirks seeing Near collapsed on the floor. He walks past, grabs the now empty glass only to walk out. "I think he's asleep in a light sleep." He says the guards as he closes the door. "It's good he's sleeping. We can't risk waking him up so let him rest in the throne chair."

The guards nod.

Matt walks away and hands the glass to a servant. He barely managed to hold back a smirk.

...

Near isn't at the stables or in his room so Always heads to the throne room.

He finds the door is closed and guards standing guard.

"Sir." One of the guards speak. "A little bit earlier Matt went in and said he believes Near was in a light sleep on the throne chair." He reports.

"Thank you." Always says. "But I will check on him myself." He walks in opening the door and the guards let him just go right on in.

Beyond was close by trying to figure out where Near could be when suddenly he hears his loved give out a scream. He rushes towards it heading into the throne room with the guards.

Always is on his knees head down hanging over Nears body as he sobs.

Beyond rushes forward. "Always! What happened?" He kneels next to Always and glances to Near.

Matt appears in the doorway. "I heard a scream. Is everything ok?" He asks.

"He's dead." Always sobs. "He's dead!"

Beyonds eyes widen and he quickly wraps his arms around Always pulling him close.

Matt rushes forward. "No." He falls to his knees.

Always and Beyond are on the side of Nears body that is slightly slanted so it's kind of like they are between the body and the throne chair with Matt on the other side.

Matt puts two fingers on Nears neck.

No pulse.

He removes his fingers with a look of horror. "No..." He falls to his hands and knees head down. "No!" He says sadly. He smirks when no one can see.

The group stays there as Beyond and especially Always cry and Matt just staring down in what looks like sadness.

"Why?!" Always sobs out as he is being held to Beyonds chest. "Who would do this!?"

"I fear Near may have killed himself." Matt says. "I wanted to protect him by not telling him but I couldn't let him continue with false hopes." He says.

Beyond turns to glare at Matt. "What did you do?!"

Matt knows he has to word his words carefully since the two can easily kill him as if it was nothing. "I didn't want to date take the risk on letting him continue with false hopes till he learned the truth. So I told him it... Mello is dead. I was told that yesterday." He says.

Always turns to look back at Matt instead of Beyonds chest and sniffles as tears continue to fall. "Mello's dead?"

Matt looks up. "Yes I was told that." He responds.

Always turns back to Beyonds chest sobbing. "No! We can't lose them both!" He sobs.

Matt gets to his feet. "I feel I should let you grieve." He wanders out and just before he leaves he calls over his shoulder. "If you need me I will be in my own living space doing my own mourning."

...

Mello lowers his head to his knees which are bent up to his chest and arms around his knees.

Suddenly there is some footsteps.

He looks up and sees a cloaked figure that seemed to have come out of no where.

The figure looks human, a well built male, but his face is covered by darkness as the hood is up and his body is mostly hidden in the cloak. He has a cane that has a mini version of a vultures skull on the top part that he grips with the rest of it being black. "Mihael Keehl." He speaks in a deep rough voice. He leans forward a little since he's a little taller than Mello if the other was standing and as he leans forward a silver necklace falls out from under the cloak and the charm is a pentagram. "I have come with an offer." He says.

Mello has a feeling he is looking at Satan himself.