Il Mattatoio di Musicista
(Musician's Abattoir)

Light was on the train the instant that the doors opened, fear for Ryuuzaki driving his impatience. The note was too close to his nightmare not to frighten him. You led me to him…He sat down, resisting the urge to pace up and down the car, and stiffly gripped the edge of the seat. When the train started moving, he waited urgently for his stop to be reached. Why hadn't they gotten an apartment in Shibuya, again?

"Light."

Light looked up, seeing the unnerving figure of Ryuk hovering in front of him, grinning toothily. He had an apple in one hand, munching away happily.

"Ryuk! What are you doing here?" He spoke in a low voice, to not attract attention from the people at the other end of the car.

"I found out some more about Gelus. Gelus died because he saved a human. He crumbled into sand and rust and was gone." Ryuk said. He watched Light fidget for a moment, and said, "What's wrong with you? Where are you in such a hurry to get to?"

"I have to get home; I think Ryuuzaki's in danger."

Ryuk laughed. "Well, I'll come with you. I lost track of where that guy I'm supposed to be watching is, so I've got nothing better to do."

Light tapped his foot nervously. "I just have a bad feeling. If only this train would go faster!" He looked anxiously out the window, hoping for the first time that he was wrong.

xXx

Ryuuzaki stared at his captor, wondering what had possessed Genesis to do something like this. The young man was only a year or two younger than he and Light were, yet he seemed completely nonchalant with the idea that he was going to kill someone.

"What are you trying to do?" he asked, trying to move. But the paralysis still hadn't worn off.

Genesis looked up from where he was lounged in the chair. He sat up, grinning. "I really only want to explain once, and I'm certain that Light will ask me the same question when he arrives. So let's wait for him, yes?" He cast a critical eye at Ryuuzaki's seated form, and said dismissively, "Your paralysis will last that long."

"I don't understand." Ryuuzaki murmured. "You would risk Light showing up and overpowering you, rather than just killing me… I don't understand what you're after."

Genesis frowned. "Don't even talk to me about what I'm doing. You think I haven't read books, watched movies? I know that villains really should kill their captives right away. But I figure I can let that slide. You don't see me gloating, or telling you my whole plan, or laughing maniacally, do you?" He kicked back, returning to his lounging pose. "Besides, I can just paralyze Light when he comes in, too."

Ryuuzaki cringed. So apparently, despite everything, Genesis really had thought this out. The sight of his love trapped immobile would freeze Light, and give Genesis enough time to play the paralyzing note. Ryuuzaki hoped fervently that Light was smart enough not to charge in blindly and get caught as well.

When Light stopped at the front door of the apartment he shared with Ryuuzaki, Ryuk hovering behind him eagerly, he hesitated. He was terrified, he realized, of what he would find when he opened the door. Because if he found anything other than L, alive and waiting for him, he wasn't sure he could deal with it.

He pulled his key from his pocket, unlocking the door and stepping slowly into the small hallway. He didn't speak, not trusting his own voice, and re-pocketed the key before walking into the main area of the apartment. He stopped dead in the doorway, taking in the sight of Ryuuzaki seated on the couch and the flutist sprawled in the other chair. Genesis wasn't facing his direction, and Light crept forward a few steps. Why hadn't Ryuuzaki run yet?

Ryuuzaki squirmed against the paralysis on him, and Light's eyes widened in understanding. He was trapped. He was about to try to sneak up behind Genesis, but the young musician twirled his flute lazily between his fingers, and without looking behind him, said, "So nice of you to join us, Light."

Both Light and Ryuuzaki froze. Genesis sat up, turning to smile at Light. "I was just telling L that you would be here soon! How lucky!" The smile on his face faded as Ryuk drifted into view behind Light. "What the hell is that?"

"You can see him?" Ryuuzaki asked. Genesis glanced at him, and Ryuuzaki read his intention on his face. He flicked his gaze to Light, calling desperately, "Light, don't make eye contact with him! He can read music through your eyes!" It didn't make sense to him either, but it was the best way he could explain it.

"Light is here now, so I have no reason to allow you to talk anymore." Genesis raised the flute, playing part of Ryuuzaki's song and watching the violinist's eyes glaze over. He turned back to Light, asking sharply, "That thing, what is it?"

"It's a Shinigami." Light said, equally sharp, not looking at the other. He was hoping that the shock would throw the murderer off, but he didn't seem to be having much luck there. Taking a single step forward, he asked, "What the hell were you thinking, Genesis? Killing all of those people… Why would you do such a thing?!"

Genesis smiled. "It's a good thing L can still hear in the state he's in…" He looked up at the ceiling, as if to collect his thoughts. "This stupid world takes everything good for granted. I wanted to show them that it's almost painfully easy to take the good things away from them. If they start losing things, they'll be more appreciative of them in the future. Linwé was almost right, wasn't she?" He laughed.

"Killing people isn't the answer!" Light said. "I don't even understand how you can pull this off… Music that controls people…"

"Every soul has a song, and if you can find that song, make it play and resonate in the heart, then that person will be your puppet, yours to command." Genesis said. "I don't know why I can do it; I've just always been able to."

Ryuk laughed. "Hahaha! I can explain that one. It's because he's Gelus."

Both Light and Genesis looked up at the bluish Shinigami, equal expressions of confusion on both of their faces. Ryuk laughed again, explaining, "Gelus died almost twenty years ago, saving a model who worked for some agency. But the King liked Gelus, because unlike the rest of us, Gelus actually worked and killed some people once in a while. So the sand that Gelus had become was collected, and the King resurrected him as a human. This kid. This is the one I've been following, just out of sight. I guess his ability and his Sight stayed with him afterwards."

Genesis's eyes widened. "I was a Shinigami?" he asked. "That's… amazing." A wide grin split his face. "Now I know for sure, this power is something I was meant to have. I'm meant to pass along this message to the world, using my ability."

Light blinked, staring at him for a long moment before lunging and trying to grab the flute the other musician held. Genesis stepped just out of reach, and quickly played the high-pitched note that made Light's muscles seize up.

"As if that would really work…" Genesis muttered. "Now, since I've pressed my luck already, I guess I should get around to killing you both now." He glanced over at Ryuuzaki, whose eyes were still glazed, his mind still held in sway even though the music had stopped. "What could I make him do? This is the most powerful hypnosis in the world. Shinigami hypnosis…" He smiled wickedly. "I'm rather fond of knives. Vera and Alexei were my favorites to kill, with their little blade-dancing show…" He played a brief bar of music, and said calmly, "To the kitchen, L."

Ryuuzaki turned and left the room, coming back with one of the knives from the knife-block on the counter. He held it loosely between two fingers, stopping and waiting for his next instruction.

"Ryuu!" Light cried through clenched teeth. Genesis laughed.

"All right, L. Let's show Light what sort of tricks you can do with a knife." He lifted the flute again, playing another sequence of notes, and Ryuuzaki tossed the knife up in the air, watching it spin before catching it by the hilt in his right hand. Light took a deep breath, realizing that somewhere along the way he had stopped breathing properly. Genesis continued to play, and Ryuuzaki twirled the knife delicately between his fingers, mindless of the danger. He flipped it a final time, catching the hilt and pressing the edge against his left wrist.

"NO!" Light howled. He fought the paralysis with all of his might. If only he could move!

One final set of notes, and Ryuuzaki gripped the knife and clumsily opened his left wrist. Blood welled over immediately, running down his skin in crimson trails.

There was this funny shrieking noise, and it took Light a second to realize that it was him. One long shriek of rage and pain spilled from his throat, and for a split second, every fiber of his genius piano-prodigy mind was focused on breaking his paralysis and reaching his lover. This child, this Shinigami-turned-human, was trying to take Ryuuzaki away from him. He wasn't going to stand for it. He wasn't losing L now, not at the end of everything. Suddenly he could move once again, and he grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on and stormed towards the murderer.

Caught off-guard, not expecting Light to be able to free himself, Genesis was unable to block the metal table lamp that was swung violently at his head. It caught him in the side of the head, and he dropped to the floor like a stone, unconscious. Light stumbled to Ryuuzaki's side, as the violinist dropped to the floor.

"Ryuu, Ryuu!" Light cried. It was just like his nightmare, his love crumpled and bleeding, dying, and there was little he could do. He looked around frantically, and sprinted to the kitchen, returning with a towel. He tore off a strip, folding the rest and pressing it to Ryuuzaki's wrist to try to stop the bleeding. The strip he tied tight around the other's upper arm, making a rough tourniquet. "Lawliet!"

Ryuuzaki opened his eyes, which were slightly unfocused but no longer glazed, and he smiled faintly. "What happened?"

"He… he made you… I knocked him out, but… Oh, god, Lawli…"

Ryuuzaki tried to lift his arm to get a better view of his wrist, but Light pinned it down. The towel was soaking through, but Light couldn't let up the pressure to get another. "Ryuk!"

The Shinigami drifted over from where he'd been staring at Genesis. "Yeah?"

"Go get me another towel, please! Please!"

Ryuk blinked. He had talked to quiet a few humans over the years, more than one might think, and never had one begged him for anything with quite so much raw emotion. He tilted his head, confused, but drifted into the kitchen and came back with the other towel. "Here, Light."

Light folded it as well, pressing it overtop of the first one. "Thank you, Ryuk!" Ryuuzaki had passed out in the few frantic moments, probably from blood-loss, and Light pulled out his phone and called the police.

"I need the police, and an ambulance…! Yes! Of course it's an emergency! …Our address is…" Light rattled off the information as quickly as he could. "Listen to me! The Pied Piper is unconscious on my floor, I don't know when he'll wake up, and my boyfriend is bleeding to death. Hurry up!" He closed the phone, and reached out to run his fingers through L's hair nervously. "Gods, Ryuu, you can't die. You can't die on me…" He glanced up at Ryuk, who was staring at Ryuuzaki with an amused look on his face. "What? Why are you looking at him like that?"

Ryuk chuckled. "Shinigami can see the names and lifespans of human beings with their eyes."

"Lifespans…?" Light said. Suddenly his face lit up with comprehension, and he breathed, "Oh…" With a frantic look, he turned pleading eyes on Ryuk. "You know how long his life is! You can tell me… if he's going to make it or not…!"

"That's against the rules, Light. I'm sorry." Ryuk said. Light looked away, going back to gently stroking Ryuuzaki's hair, disappointed and worried about the raven-headed musician. His fingers lingered, and a small, silent sob escaped him.

You're stronger than this, Ryuuzaki. Don't you dare die!

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

I apologize for the two-week wait, and for leaving you all with yet ANOTHER cliffhanger. DX It was my birthday last weekend, and I was busy. (17!!!!!)

SO. Just because I feel like going on about my own cleverness... The clue that you were supposed to get from reading God Eye was the fact that Light as a Shinigami was ressurected into a human. And Genesis's name should have given some hints. "Gabriel", associated with god, and "Genesis", assoicated with renewal or rebirth. So he's a "god reborn". XD

Lamp. :)

Does anyone know why it looks like every story I try to read is perpetually centered? It's very annoying. O.o

The update will be quicker this time, I promise!
Li