Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. For what feels like the hundredth time. I don't own Youtube either.
A/N: Thank you ShinigamiKittens for reviewing!! :) Also thanks a lot to Moonshine 369 for reviewing!! –happy dance-
A New Light
Chapter 20: Kotov Syndrome
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She is cold.
Unfeeling.
Back to being the statue everyone considers her to be. An icy, white-faced marble angel like the kind seen in lonely graveyards.
She sits at her desk, unmoving, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. Tear tracks, like dried-up rivers, stain her face, but she doesn't notice nor care.
I'm weak, she thinks. I'm pathetic. My faith is being tested; I have the destiny of the world quivering on my shoulders, and I can barely bring myself to eliminate a few evil people.
And they are evil. So why am I having a problem?
She clasps her hands together and prays for Kira's guidance, for His help; for some small comfort.
But for the first time, it doesn't make her feel better. It feels empty, as if she is some forsaken angel left behind by her God.
She bows her head, trying to make sense of the lack of comfort prayer has just given her.
And tells herself to feel elated when she comes to the conclusion that Kira thinks she is strong enough to do this on her own.
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"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Michael mumbles, still half-asleep despite Kay's yelling in his ear.
"Don't push me, boy," she snaps warningly. "Why are you in bed?! When there is work to be done!"
"Kay," he says calmly, "you obviously don't get it. Unlike Shinigami, humans need sleep. I've been getting next to none of it lately, and it's started contributing to a severe mental breakdown. Minds are like computers. This is my way of 'rebooting'." He closes his eyes again.
"The one who obviously doesn't get it," she says in a low, deadly tone, "is you, Ma-"
His eyes fly wide open and he bolts upright in bed. "Don't you use that name," he hisses, wide awake now.
She smirks. "Why not? You think Kira is hiding somewhere in the room?"
"Of course not," he mutters grumpily. "Just…Between my uncle and my mother, you could say I've gotten a little paranoid. Nobody ever knew my uncle for who he really was-in terms of his name, at least-and nobody ever calls my mother by her real name, because she's never told anyone outside the family. My name is mine. I don't want it being spoken by you, Shinigami."
Such arrogance. She rolls her eyes, ignoring the outburst, knowing that doing so infuriates him. "As I was saying, you are evidently missing the point. I am the reason you were given a head start on this 'case'; without me and the knowledge that came from your ownership of my Death Note, you would never be able to solve it. I also gave you a slight nudge toward someone who may have a connection to Kira..but then again," she adds with a snicker, "I may have just been screwing with you. And then let's not forget that I can kill you at any time."
"Can you?" Michael counters with a small grin. "I have your Death Note, and it's against the rules for you to take it from me."
..True. Too true. But she still has the upper hand, in many different ways.
In this case, she can make good use of a bluff.
"Is it?" she asks in a voice as smooth and silky as black ink.
She leans down so that she can speak directly into his ear.
"I am Kinddara Guivelostain," she says softly, with predatory grace. "I am a God of Death."
Her tone drops to a whisper.
"Do you really think I am required to play by the rules?"
He shivers a bit. She backs up and relishes the goosebumps that have suddenly spread all over the boy's body.
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6:35, Anata thinks, checking his watch as he approaches the TV station. I've got time.
He enters the building and hunts down the set. A tall, skinny, white-faced man is speaking to a lighting technician. The tall man pauses when he sees Anata wandering around.
The boy seizes the initiative, striding over and inquiring, "Are you Makani Airo, the host of Kira's Kingdom?"
The man nods nervously. "Yes I a-am. A-are you here to give your views on Kira-sama, young man? You're a-a little late, but I think we can probably fit you in."
Perfect. "Yeah, I ran all the way over when I saw a commercial on TV. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give the world my view on Kira." He grins.
Airo nods. Anata notices that he's sweating. Jeez, what a nervous guy.
"That's wonderful. Go a-ahead a-and join the others," Airo says, gesturing to a few rows of bleacher-style benches positioned in front of the cameras. About ten other people are already seated. Anata winces. Ten people. That's about ten too many.
Airo gives him a card to pin to his shirt, with the number 11 on it. Anata puts it on and hurries to the second row of benches. His watch reads 6:40. Twenty minutes left.
He feels nervous; jittery and odd, like he wants to throw up. Did I decide on this too soon? he wonders. Was this a bad move?
But…Kira just killed six people in one day. That's a whole different dimension from one a day, which is bad enough. He's murdering more and more, and I can't just wait and watch it happen! No, I've gotta do something that'll really reach these people.
I don't really have a choice.
Still trying to calm himself down, he checks his watch again.
6:45…fifteen minutes to go…
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"…I'm bored. Do something."
Do I look, he wants to groan, like your toy? But he's long since given up the faint notion that lines like those might shut this incredibly irritating Death God up. Ignoring her is so much more effective. He keeps his eyes closed.
Kay sighs grumpily, and Michael hears the television switch on. The fuzzy sounds change abruptly as she switches channels in search of something entertaining.
She pauses at one station, and after a few seconds lets out a harsh bark of laughter.
Well, if Kay is amused by it, it can't possibly be good. Michael sits up apprehensively. Kay has stopped at the Sakura TV station, where the infamous old Kira's Kingdom show has been revived. Fortunately, Michael thinks with a smirk, nobody has taken STV even remotely seriously since the original Kira's disappearance.
As the host begins to speak, Michael takes a closer look at the small group of people sitting in the bleachers in front of the camera.
And proceeds to almost choke.
He sees, with a sinking, sickening feeling in his stomach, what Kay was laughing about.
"Well, boy?" she chortles. "Now this is interesting!"
Kuroyami Anata is on television.
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Anata wonders, somewhere in the back of his mind, if ABF is watching this program.
Take that, he thinks with grim satisfaction. You said I couldn't get on TV; you probably thought I was an idiot. Well how do you like these apples, then? Ha!
One of Airo's assistants is passing around copies of a slim sheet of paper while the host himself talks. Anata examines his copy with a twitching eye. The top of the sheet reads 'Kira Survey'.
Oh, I am going to have some fun with that later.
"…so let's hear the opinions of some of our guests on Lord Kira!!"
Yikes. Here we go…
"How about you, ma'am? Number 3?" Airo offers the microphone to a teary-eyed, beaming blonde woman in the front.
"My name is Keisha Morgan," she says eagerly. "I am so, so thankful for Lord Kira's return…I can't even put my feelings into words. Thank you, our God, for returning to us."
She smiles and relinquishes her hold on the mike. The reverence in her words still hang in the air, making Anata feel sick. How? he wonders. How can they put all their hope, all their faith, into a being they can't even see? How can they trust him when all he does is kill? Would they trust a murderer if he said he was killing for their good? Because that's basically what Kira does…
Airo is looking for another volunteer to speak to the country. Anata straightens up and tries valiantly to look eager and hopeful.
Evidently it works, because Airo smiles and says, "Would you like to speak, young man? Number 11?" Anata nods, forcing a grin even though he feels very sick.
An assistant passes him the microphone. Anata realizes he's shaking. This is it. I have to say something.
To the whole country.
Oh my God-Oh my God..I can't-
Yes I can. I can do this. I have to.
I have to!
Everyone is looking at him expectantly.
He smirks in true troublemaker fashion, and starts talking-very loud, and fast.
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"No!!" Michael yells, grabbing the television and shaking it violently. "Anata, don't! You're going to get yourself killed! For your own sake, please, stop talking!!"
But his words can't possibly reach the other boy. All Michael can do is sit by while Kay snickers, agonized, able only to watch as his sole ally against Kira delivers what could very well be his last speech.
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Lina's father flips through channels, bored, hunting for the weather station.
He pauses at Kira's Kingdom.
"My heavens," he murmurs in quiet shock. "Yura..Yura, come look at this.."
Lina's mother enters the room, frowning. "What is it, Masoi? You know I don't really approve of you watching so much televi-" She stops short, seeing what is going on.
She doesn't see her daughter's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. And something else.
Recognition.
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Hoo…well, this is slightly harder than I thought…oh well. What'd I expect?
Anata is being forced into multitasking mastery. He's speaking into the mike, giving his well-prepared anti-Kira speech; speaking loudly and fast enough to get it over with before getting caught, but not too fast to understand. He's also dancing around the benches, darting around to escape the clutches of the assistants and technicians chasing him, trying to grab the mike out of his hands.
The speech is finally finished. He turns in Airo's direction (aforementioned host is gaping like a fish) and yells into the mike, "I said I was giving my views on Kira, you murderer-loving lowlife. I didn't say those views were good!"
He throws the mike up into the air to briefly distract his pursuers and makes a run for it.
"Stop him!" Airo shouts, sounding like someone out of a movie. But Anata keeps running, until he thinks his lungs will burst, and finally reaches home, having outrun anyone who may or may not have been chasing him.
Breathing hard, he retreats to his room and takes a glance at the survey he was handed.
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Kira Survey:
1-What is your name?
2-How old are you?
3-What is your occupation?
4-What do you think of Kira?
5-Are you a member of the Church of Kira?
6-Do you believe Kira is righteous?
7-What do you think of Kira's Kingdom on Sakura TV?
8-How long have you watched Sakura TV's programs?
9-What are your hopes for the future concerning Kira?
10-Were you alive during the first reign of Kira?
11-What did you think of Kira then?
12-Has your opinion changed since?
13-How?
Thank you for taking the time to fill out our survey!! May Kira bless you!!
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He smirks and mentally fills out his answers.
One: Like hell I'm gonna tell you.
Two: Read the answer above.
Three: Student, and full-time die-hard trying to get rid of Kira..person. We're working on the name.
Four: I'm not going to waste my energy answering that. Just look up 'Kira's Kingdom premiere' on Youtube; I'm sure you'll get the gist.
Five: What are you, stupid?
Six: You obviously haven't been listening here…
Seven: Think it's a great way to get some easy publicity. Idiots..
Eight: Tonight-when I watch the replays of my five minutes of fame-will be my first time.
Nine: I'm opting for a future where he's not in it. Get my drift?
Ten: Man, you're nosy…
Eleven: You do realize this question is pointless if I wasn't alive then, right?
Twelve: Then again, maybe I'm giving your intelligence too much credit.
Thirteen: …Yep. Definitely giving you too much credit.
Boneheads. If I want that kind of blessing, I can pick a jail and ask an inmate. Go jump off a cliff, will you?
Feeling immensely satisfied, he turns on his computer to check his chatroom and Youtube. While waiting for it to boot up, he looks at the survey again and thinks of something.
Well…it's not exactly gonna turn them against Kira, but it can't hurt to see what people are thinking, right?
Though, at this rate, I'm going to spend all my spare cash on photocopy fees…
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That night, three people have the disastrous opening episode of Kira's Kingdom on their minds.
One looks back on the memory with extreme satisfaction.
One looks back on it with horror, and a worried clenching of the stomach.
And a third looks back on it with deep inner turmoil.
I don't want to kill him!
But….if this does enough damage, if he keeps it up, then I won't have any other options.
An interesting night, indeed.
To be continued
-Rule XXI of the Church of Kira:
We must all make difficult decisions.
But with Kira's Godly Help and Guidance, we can overcome any obstacle.
Never lose faith in His ability to help when He is needed the most.-
A/N: Today is January 26th.
Rest in peace, Mihael Keehl and Mail Jeevas.