Chapter 18

*L*

Setting on the couch away from the screen I set next to me the old bag that Aizawa had handed me. While they sit on armchairs around me. "Alright, what we know about this bag is that supposedly it used to belong to her mother when she was growing up. So this name.. Sapphire on here must have been from her. But Kira's birth certificate and even her childhood background are obviously forged so we can't know for certain." I explain to them about the old accessory before opening it so Matsuda could take notes. I reach in and pull out one of the binders. It had B.O.S written in some sort of sparkly green gel on its black surface holding it up I look around it. "Alright with this, it's obviously almost as old as the bag but not so beat up." Tugging on the zipper I open it up. "The first page in rather messy handwriting reads, B.O.S and then under that, it says Book of Shadows... I believe I've heard that somewhere."

"Isn't that the pagan term for those who practice the craft and they place all of their supposed accomplished spells in it? I think we covered it briefly when I was still in school." Aizawa elaborates for us. Spells? Paganism? Witchcraft? "Well, I needlessly have to say that this doesn't exactly fit with the front Kira has given us." I flip through the pages and sure enough, there were rituals written within it but what I found most curious were the pages that were more like notes. "There are some pages of notes in this thing. On the first one, just ten pages in it reads. -To see without seeing, To hear without hearing, To touch without touching. All of the aspects for one's astral self to be brought from the astral world into this realm. One must reach a heightened sense of awareness. Humans cannot generally obtain this without first dying.-"

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Bringing my thumb to my bottom lip I reread it over and over again. To see without seeing, To hear without hearing, To touch without touching. It doesn't make any sense at all!

"How can someone see without seeing, hear without hearing, and touch without touching? There is no poss…" Thinking back I remember when Light first showed up here.. "Could that really be how?"

"What do you mean?" Matsuda and Aizawa ask at the same time. Setting the binder aside I leap up off the couch and go back to the screens.

"Watari, I don't care how you do it. Wake Kira up immediately."

"Right away"

The other two had followed me clearly stumped as I see Watari shaking Kira before finally resorting to raising his hand and striking her a crossed the cheek. But still, she didn't wake or even flinch. Finally, I watch as he closes off all her airways. Time ticked by reaching nearly five minutes until she finally jerked away from his hold. "Kira." I say watching her sputtering for air.

"You could have killed me!" She snaps. "Did you honestly not know that when someone goes into a deep meditation they have no realization of their physical form!"

"But you did come out of it, so no harm done."

She raises her upper lip as if she was snarling. This temper is something I've never seen from her. "Isn't Kira usually completely composed?" Aizawa questions.

"Yeah... Nothing has ever been able to get to her like this, that we know of." Matsuda agrees with him as they stay behind me just staring at the camera in awe. So, it seems she isn't as collected as she would lead us to believe.

"What is it that you wanted?" She finally pops back to her calm self.

"I wanted to ask how you knew Light was here the other day when the microphone was turned off."

"I didn't think about that?!" Matsuda comments in surprise.

"How else? I know that Light is working on the investigation with you guys. He accidentally let it slip one night and I called him out on it. He really is bad at lying. I can always tell." I see.

"So you only took a wild guess?"

"Pretty much."

"What else can you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You can tell when Light lies I was wondering what else you can do?"

"Well, I can tell by the sound of your voice that your heart is hammering in your chest as if you think you stumbled upon something. Which would only happen if you looked into my bag… Well, am I right?" Astounding.

"You are correct. How can you tell?"

"The pitch of your voice is different. Even though most probably can't tell, I can."

"So you can draw conclusions just by voice alone?"

"Don't sound so surprised." She giggles. "You know it as well don't you? It is how you read into people."

"You've found me out."

"Like-minded people are who know each other the best."

"Alright, one more question."

"If I answer it I want my coffee how I like it. Deal?" Bartering when you are incarcerated? And just for coffee?

"Deal."

"Then ask your question and I better get the coffee or I'm done answering." She is so confident. Can nothing really get to her? Wait. Something can! She's been giving hints this whole time! With how she actually got angry being brought out of her meditation and how she collapsed when I brought up Light. This will be good to know for future reference.

"The B.O.S in your backpack.."

"Which one, be more specific"

Which one? "The black zip-up binder with green glittery gel. Anyway, what does the first note that is written in it mean?"

"Oh, my mom's old B.O.S. I'm not exactly sure. I think it's a reference to astral projection. But don't get your hopes up. Practices like that don't work."

"But I hear people write a B.O.S for the things they've come up with that has worked."

"If you heard that eating 9 bags of celery in one sitting will make you sprout wings. Would you try it?" So now she is mocking me. But...

"I guess you have a point. That's all I wanted to know for now." Her words did give me a level of reassurance even if only vaguely.

"Don't forget our deal."

"I won't. I'll let Watari know to have it prepared for you right away."

"Thank you."

"Watari, can a cup of her specified coffee be made up?"

"Yes"

"Thank you."

Going back over to her bag I can't help but feel like she brushed off my question. Answering it but then not answering it at the same time. Crouching down on the couch I close the binder before reaching into her bag again and pulling out another one. This one was a black binder with red trimming and the letters B.O.S in what looked like something red that had been melted onto it. Setting it aside I pull out a black and silver metal box that needs a key to open. Setting that on the coffee table for later I pull out a black and pink pencil bag. Opening it. It seems to be filled to the point of nearly not closing of pens, pencils, coloring pencils, and markers. Except for the excessive amount in it. It seems like an everyday pencil bag. Setting it aside, I pull out a little black leather case. Opening it I remove the flat-screen device. Finding the power button I turn it on as if it were just a tiny computer. Turning it over I see the word Ihome written in silver as if from a silver permanent marker. "A thought has occurred to me... She has more money than the average family, doesn't she?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, she made it here to Japan, bought a house, keeps up with bills, she has expensive computer equipment in her home as well and when she goes shopping. She spends money like it's not a problem. She even paid the full amount of her college tuition upon entering."

"Yeah, does sound like she's a spoiled rich girl."

"I wouldn't say spoiled. If you recall, she believes her parents don't love her or even care about where she is or what she's doing."

"So they are trying to make up for that with money?"

"It's possible." After flipping through the touch screen I power it off and put it back into its case. It held nothing of value to the case. Reaching in again I find two cell phones. The pink one she was using to call Misa Amane with and a black one that looked as if it was touch screen as well like with that Ihome. Hitting the button I find I can wake the screen then I touched the lock button and slide it to the right but the next screen that came up was a number lock. With knowing as little as we do, trying to figure out that lock code would just be a waste of time. Looking in the bag I realize something. "You did a thorough search of her house correct?"

"Yes, we went through every room and made sure there was no crevice unchecked why?"

"For someone with as much money as she does, you would think there should be something in here to carry it. Like a billfold. But there isn't."

"Really? that's strange." Matsuda comments as he continues cataloging everything we find in her bag and what isn't there that we should have found. Finding a zipper on the inside wall of the bag I open it only to reveal a hairbrush and a bag of hair ties. Pulling them out my eyes widen spotting something else in it.

"What is it Ryuzaki?" Aizawa asks as I set the hairbrush and hair ties aside before reaching into the pocket and pulling out what I found. Looking at them I see the two ribbons she had kept from her birthday. In particular, the gold one that had been around my gift to her. "What are those?"

"They are ribbons. Basically, on her birthday these two ribbons were around two particular gifts."

"And she felt the gifts important enough to save the ribbons?" Matsuda asks causing both Aizawa and myself to look at him. He smiles and rubs the back of his head. "Well, if a girl thinks gifts are really important and mean a lot to them it isn't uncommon for them to save something from the box itself like a ribbon if it was tied around it." He gives a nervous laugh before composing himself. "Who were the gifts from? If we know that we'd have some insight to who is important."

To who is important? But she didn't even know me at the time... "The gifts were from Light and myself."

"Light's a no-brainer since she's completely in love with him. But you? She didn't even know you at the time right?" Aizawa states and asks.

"No, it was during the time of the surveillances on their households before I had even introduced myself to her or Light."

"Maybe she just liked the ribbon then"

"Possibly."

*Kira*

After having drained my cup of coffee I set back on my bed with my back against the wall in Indian style. Resting my hands on my knees I close my eyes. Listening to the silence around me. I wanted to get back to meditating. The fire searing my body was enough to drive me mad and I knew from the pain there was no way I would be able to sleep. The coffee helped soothe it a little bit but not much. Pushing away my thoughts I feel myself falling into myself again until I found myself sitting on the shaggy dark green carpet in the same position I had been sitting on the bed. Standing I look at the plaques lining the walls. The first one on the wall closest to me nearly had a complete image on it now. But I still couldn't make out what the image was. It seems the more I come here and push to figure out more about what I'm capable of, the more it shows. L's question startled me. Anyway, what does the first note that is written in my mom's B.O.S mean? of course, I knew both of those B.O.S's by heart. So I knew what note he was referring to. "To see without seeing, To hear without hearing, To touch without touching. All of the aspects for one's astral self to be brought from the astral world into this realm. One must reach a heightened sense of awareness. Humans cannot generally obtain this without first dying." I quote from it. I used to spend nights trying to figure out what that meant but I think I'm starting to figure it out from being here.

"Of course, it would confuse him." I look over to see the old leather book floating my way and I smile at it. "He is only a naïve human after all."

"He's not really all that naïve. He just hasn't had any experience in this sort of stuff."

"True but that would also make him closed-minded."

"Yes, that does explain him more."

"What have you figured out so far with its meaning?"

"You shouldn't even have to ask."

"But I am."

"With what I know about energies and energy exercises I can only think it is talking about Astral projection but only a form of which that isn't as likely to be practiced." Biting my bottom lip I begin to think about it. Energies. Everything thing has an energy insignia rocks, plants, animals, the earth, etc. energy is life itself. Astral projection is out-of-body experiences that assume the existence of an astral form that is separate from the physical body and capable of traveling the astral plane. The astral plane is more known as the plane where our astral selves or souls pass in order to reach the physical plane to be born and after death. It is filled with Angels, spirits, and beings of the past. Pretty much the whole cycle of creation jammed into one. I guess thinking about it the shinigami realm could be a part of that plane as well.

"Yes, so knowing that what can you figure?"

"I would figure it is talking about bringing the astral form to the physical plane somehow to be able to roam around and view the world separately from your physical form. It takes energy to flow into your astral form and it takes time to be able to become accustomed to the steady flow of energy to be able to keep yourself there for a set of time. But to bring it to the physical plane it would take a lot keener use of energy. Such a feat that only humans who have temporarily died can manage. That would be where they get the out-of-body experiences about seeing their own body in the hospital. But in that form, they wouldn't be able to add in the sense of touch. To achieve that would require a highly refined energy that is usually found within higher-level supernatural beings. The ones that are accustomed to the lengths and distances of their energy. It is how, let's say, someone would create a fireball out of thin air in their hands." Then again that would require someone to take their own energy and compress it into one specific area like their hand and openly let it react with the energies around them sort of like friction. A feat that is extremely difficult to do and takes more energy than mere humans can muster. Then again. The taking of another's blood in itself can also be said taking in their energy as well and converting it to your own giving yourself a boost of strength or for a body that requires it like mine, it replenishes what my body already uses.

"If you could astral into the physical plane and be able to touch something it would make it all the more easier to protect Light."

"True, and with myself being able to travel within myself like this for as long as I do it shouldn't be too difficult to push my astral form into the physical plane I'd just have to work on getting my energy just right to be able to touch and interact with things."

"Yes."

"I wonder if Rem did what I told him to do."

"You said it was for Misa's sake so there is little doubt that he did."

"It isn't against the rules to have the shinigami kill people on top of the names of those already incarcerated so there shouldn't be a hitch."

"No, you took the time to carefully plan out every action. In the anime, the police get their hands on the notebook."

"I just have to get my hands on it first."

"Yes, you already know everything there is that you need to know. Your plans never fail."

"Yes, Let's get to work."

*Light*

"Light it has been fifteen days and any temporary suspicion you had on you has been resolved. Ryuzaki says if you can keep your composure and you are sure you won't do anything unnecessary you can leave the room now if you wish." Sitting up on the bed as I hear Matsui's voice I smile.

"What about Kira?"

"He's going to keep her in confinement until he is absolutely sure of her innocence. It should only be just a little while longer."

"So she has been locked up for 18 days now?" I ask as I go over to the door and open it looking at him.

"Yes."

"Has she had another collapse, has she been eating regularly?"

"No for both. It seems she's been mainly meditating. She's only come up out of it twice in an entire week to eat and drink."

"I see. She is probably just trying to pass the time."

"Probably, she's used to having her technology so she can watch anime right?"

"Yes."

"Besides we wanted to ask you a question anyway."

"Oh?" I ask following him out of the doorway and into the main sitting area of the hotel room. I see a black and metal box on the coffee table next to Kira's backpack. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Ryuzaki felt the need to dig into her bag. It's only standard procedure."

"Light, nice of you to join us." Ryuzaki says looking at me from the couch next to the coffee table.

"Uh yeah... Matsui says you wanted to ask me a question"

"Do you know what Kira keeps in this box?"

"Sorry I don't." I tell him walking over to the coffee table and picking it up. Turning it around in my hands I look at the clasp. "Have you tried picking the lock to open it?"

"Yes, in fact, we even sent it into the NPA forensics lab to have them open it. But strangely enough, they couldn't even cut it open."

"Really?" I ask as I look at the condition of the box. "There's not even a nick or scratch on it."

"That's what's so puzzling. It's normal metal from what any of us can tell so even a third of the least extreme of what they did should have cracked it open or at the very least scratched it."

"I see." Could she have done something to it? She did come to this world from another maybe she can do more than what she has shown me. Really, all she's shown me is that she drinks blood but nothing else. "Well, I couldn't tell you. I don't really pry into her personal space. I've seen the contents of her bag before but I've always thought when she's ready to tell me about them she would."

"That's very considerate of you Light."

"I guess, sometimes it feels like if I were to pry too much I would end up chasing her away. Or break her fragile defenses. I'd rather see her smile."

"Well, you can go back to having your normal life but I would still like you to stay here at night and Mogi will be with you wherever you go."

"I understand. And I suppose you wouldn't let me visit Kira either."

"Nope, that is still out of the question, but I may let you just talk to her over the microphone like last time, every now and then. She seems to have shut herself off from us."

"I see, so you'd like her to just talk to me to make her a little bit more comfortable."

"Like always Light you are spot on."

"I'm not sure I like that idea but talking to her does sound good right about now."

"Light.."

"Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"You should sit down and eat. You haven't really touched much of anything since you got here."

"I guess I haven't had much of an appetite."