Chapter 13
Reasons
A/N: Hey everybody! Just wanna apologize for the wait and let you know that Demegowa's attack on the SPK will be cut from this story. You know, the part with the raining money? Yeah that. Well, hope you enjoy it!
April 1980; Mercy Hospital, Nursery Wing
Cold and white, most people would think heaven was a warm place. But this wasn't heaven…it was a type of hell. It was where people were born, only to be released into the unrelenting arena that is life.
It was also where people were sent to die once they were through with the fighting.
It was a Shinigami haven on earth.
The screeching cries of children echoed and it was deafening, most of them screamed just because, but one was silent.
The Shinigami was female, white all over like the room she was in with a sad look upon her face. White, braid like, pieces of hair hung loosely from her head and the baby in the crib followed their swaying with her dark eyes.
"You can see me, can't you little one?" her voice was like a hollow whisper. The baby gurgled and reached for her.
"I took something from you I can't give back." she stretched her skeletal hand over the baby, "But I can give you this. Maybe someday you'll have use for it."
As she pulled away, the small baby girl started to cry, her eyes burned her and they faded as she fought the change; all of her pain went unnoticed. Outside a couple conversed with a doctor, "That one, the girl with the bright eyes."
The doctor smiled, "I'll arrange that for you. What would you like her name to be? We can finish the birth certificate."
The man smiled down at his wife and she smiled back, "Illiana. Illiana Blackwell."
November 27, 2010; SPK Headquarters, Noon
"All of you look so nervous."
Halle sighed as she looked at the other female, "He's been in there all morning and hasn't said a word." She stood and started to pace, "What if he can't find the fake rule?"
Llana gently squeezed the stuffed panda in her hands before placing it in her lap and laying her hands over it. She looked up at Halle, "Would you rather him find it quickly and be wrong? Cuz then we would all be screwed, or at least more then we already are now."
Rester moved uncomfortably in his seat, "What do rules have to do with this anyway?"
Giovanni crossed his legs and slouched farther into his seat, "Hell if I know."
Llana started to stroke the soft animal; "It could possibly expose a liar and bring us closer to the end of this ridiculous case." She sighed, "But who am I to say? Near doesn't even want my help anymore."
The other adults in the room looked at each other before looking back to the violet-eyed woman. Llana smiled and didn't say a word, instead she hugged the panda close and left the room.
Halle bit her lip, "Does anyone else feel like she's hiding something?"
Giovanni nodded, "Yeah. But I don't think it's anything bad."
"You keep thinking that."
The man ran a hand through his wispy hair, "Maybe I will. Halle you act like you never knew her… I trust her, is that wrong?"
The blond shook her head, "No. But it's obvious that she's falling apart. And Near will have you killed if he finds out that it's not just trust."
"And who says it's more?"
Rester stood between the two as they had now risen from their chairs, "Cut it out. You're acting like children."
"All of you may enter now. I'm ready to discuss my findings." Near's voice floated through the speakers and filled the small room.
When the other SPK member's arrived in their usual computer ridden room, Llana was already in her seat, thumbing through a thin book. Near looked up at them, "Hello. Finding the rule was simpler than I thought."
Halle crossed her legs as she fell into her seat, "Which one was fake?"
Near slightly ignored her question to make sound effects for his robots then rest them on the floor, "If not writing in the book for thirteen day's could kill you…Kira would have been dead."
Illiana turned to her computer and sighed deeply. "Should I be connecting you to L. I feel like you need to rub it in his face."
The young genius smiled like the child he was, simply thrilled with the idea, "Of course."
November 27, 2010; Task Force; 1:30 p.m.
Light discreetly clenched his fists and glared at the computer that seemed to be laughing in his face. He was disgusted when he realized that it was. Near's chuckle wafted into the room, "So L, are you going to answer my question? Which rule do you think is fake."
The 'second L' sighed heavily, "By process of elimination the obvious choice would be the one stating that the user will die if they don't write a name in thirteen days."
"I thought you might say so. I reached the same conclusion."
Light retreated to his thoughts, 'I? He's didn't say we, seems like Ideal isn't being much of a help anymore. Anyway… I can't let him get away with this; I know where he's trying to catch me. I won't let it happen.'
The young man moved his eyes over his shoulder to Ryuk, mentally glad that now everyone could see him and knew about him, "Shinigami, you know the most about the notebook and it's rules. Are any of them false?"
Ryuk was laughing on the inside but managed to keep a straight face, "No, they are all real."
"…I see. You have a Shinigami there with you?"
"Yes." Light answered simply. Everything went quirt and all he could hear was the breathing of the men and single woman in the room with him. It stayed that way until Near spoke again.
"I see. I've come to a conclusion. Kira is in the room and he's making the Shinigami lie on his behalf."
Light managed to keep his body and breathe still though Near's comment came as a shock. How was it that the child was keeping up with his like this, 'Damn you Near.' He thought, 'I need you dead!'
Yuki narrowed her eyes at Light's back, "So Light, that means your confinement was meaningless?"
She said it as a question but Light knew it was a statement. He looked at her over his shoulder quickly and said nothing. Matsuda moved to sit on the edge of the couch, "But wait! That doesn't mean he's guilty… he simply could have been innocent then the thirteen days wouldn't matter! Besides, the deputy director confirmed it himself."
"If there's a problem I suggest we verify the rule."
"How."
"I write down Mello's real name in the notebook, he dies and is out of the way. If I die thirteen days later, then the rule is true…and Kira wins. Testing the rule will only aid this investigation."
Light looked off the side in thought, 'I can't let him do that. Mello will die and he won't and I'll look even more suspicious.' He growled in his own mind, 'And if I tell him no on my own, it'll have the same effect.' Damn you Near.'
The young man turned to the older men in the room, "Ok, what are your thoughts? I would go ahead and speak but…I'm the one under suspicion."
Matsuda sunk lower in his seat, "It's a tough call. Mello killed the deputy director." He looked at his feet, 'But then again, he's close to Llana, Near to. It would…kill her.' He thought.
Ide shook his head, "I'm against it, I say no."
Aizawa nodded his head in agreement, "I agree. We can't take that kind of risk."
Yuki sighed and folded her arms, "I guess I disagree too."
Mogi simply folded his arms and nodded also. Light turned back to the computer and pressed the button for the mic, "We talked it over Near, we can't allow you to use the notebook like that."
"No matter. But I do have a proposition for the members of the Japanese task force. I am about to give you a number that will connect you directly to me. Feel free to call it and tell me anything you like. No matter the time, I will answer. The choice is up to you. Have a good evening gentlemen."
Still November 27, SPK
"I wonder who will call."
Llana removed her earpiece and sat back in her chair, putting her hand thought her hair, "Aizawa."
Near had profiles printed of everyone on the task force, he had been looking at the profile of Yuki, only having just finished Matsuda's even though he has his memorized. He picked up Aizawa's, "He doesn't seem the type to betray so easily."
"Betray? Aizawa doesn't know what to believe, he watched his best friend die, I'd be a little lost too." Llana said, picking up the habit of not looking at whom she was talking too.
The snow child tugged a curl. Llana knew too well, she was lost, she watched L die, she understood.
She pushed back from her area of desk and stood. She absently stroked one of Near's curls and walked out of the room, "I'm turning in." she said as she left.
Near motioned for Giovanni to help him stand. He moved without a word to the elevator where he dismissed the man and continued on his own. He had almost expected to hear the piano, but instead he heard the moving of drawers and slamming of the closet doors.
"Ideal?"
She didn't even look at him, she only continued to throw clothes in her bags, "I can't stay here."
The boy took into account how she was acting. Llana was a neat person, she didn't just throw clothes and things around, she only did so when she was upset. She dropped something and cursed lightly as she picked it up.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to Japan. I'll stay at Matsuda's apartment and go back to teaching at To-Oh." She sighed and stopped packing, placing her hands flat on the bed, "I've always been there, standing in the background and trying to do the impossible. I can't keep doing this after I lost so much." She shook her head, "No human can keep working when they're so broken." She started packing again, "I just can't do it."
Near nodded, "I understand."
"I'm sorry. I know you don't need me, otherwise I wouldn't be leaving."
The boy played with his hair, "If this is what you want I won't stop you. I can only hope this makes everything better."
Llana looked over her shoulder at him, biting her lip at the shades of gray that blanketed her 'brother' and everything else. "I hope so too."