STORY SUMMARY: Being reborn into a Japanese story was bad enough. Being reborn as the twin sister to a certain notorious mass murderer, was another thing entirely. Told in a series of drabbles. Warning: Mild incest themes.
Rating: T (Subject to change)
GENERAL DISCLAIMER: It's not my sandbox. I'm just playing in it.
DESTROY SHE SAID
Chapter Twenty-Three : Gone
I wasn't proud to admit it but before any of this—before shinigamis and notebooks and homicidal brothers—the fantastic opportunities that came along with being dumped in another life were somewhat lost on me. Not many people got second chances, even fewer a restart button. I used to think my reincarnation was some sort of cosmic joke; but now I was worried it had been a disguised blessing all along. Worried because I knew I'd squandered it. I'd spent so much time faking the part of Minori Yagami, so paranoid that somebody would eventually catch on to my deceit, that I never fully embraced the role. And now what? I discovered that my place in this world was predestined to be that of a spectator.
A feeling had been growing in the pit of my stomach. I wouldn't call it dread, per se. Maybe disappointment was more on the nose. It felt like my life here in Japan had gone from a second chance at everything, to an ordained role in a play with an ending only I knew. I felt boxed in. I felt stifled.
Just another reason to throw away the script.
oooo
I'd locked my door because I knew what was on the other side of it. But of course such human mechanisms were no deterrent for something like Ryuk. I hadn't expected him to follow me. He'd never done that before. Our relationship, if you could call it that, was one in which I stubbornly ignored his existence, while he made a point to stare a little too long and smile a little too wide.
"I know you can see me, girly."
I felt my whole body jerk. Shinigami tended to float slightly suspended over the ground, not making contact unless they wanted to. So hearing one approach was basically impossible. Thankfully, my back was turned and I had a moment to compose myself before rotating slowly in my chair. I knew this was bound to happen eventually—but that didn't mean I was prepared.
"Hi, flying monkey."
"You know my name, I know you do. A lil' rude not to use it, don'tcha think?"
"Maybe. But I like what I said better."
The shinigami snorted, or something resembling a snort. It was tricky finding human words to describe his mannerisms when he was so clearly anything but.
"You can see me." He repeated, his unblinking orbs never leaving mine. "Which can only mean...you've touched the death note."
Drawing my bottom lip between my teeth, my mind ran it's usual circles exploring the countless directions this conversation could take and attempting to predict how to best sway it towards the more favorable ones.
What I had to work with wasn't much. I knew Ryuk had no allegiances to Light. At least assuming this timeline had anything left in common with the one I was familiar with. Probably more accurate to say he considered himself a voluntary bystander to the havoc Light unleashed via the death note. I was very much hoping my mere existence hadn't changed all of that. Anyway, no point denying it.
"I did."
The shinigami's crooked frame towered over me, drawing slightly nearer. I told myself the icy feeling at the back of my spine was from a draft.
"But Light hid it so well. You must be very clever." Black lips pulled further back, displaying rotten gums. "...or a cheater of death."
Lightning crashed, making me jump. I hadn't even noticed it'd begun to rain.
He knew. What else could that possibly mean? But my gut told me to tread carefully. This felt far more serious than just getting caught having touched the death note.
"I've heard of mortals like you before. The first day I saw you I knew something was off. I could smell it"
That tripped me up. Mortals...as in plural?
"There are others like me?" I asked, barely above a whisper. "This has happened to somebody else?"
Another snort, this time accompanied by a flash of sharp, triangular teeth. "You and Light are exactly the same, you know that? Both you think yer so special. Of course there've been others. What you do you think, yer the first person to try escaping death? HA!"
"You ask a lot of rhetorical questions." My hands were shaking. I sat on them to mask my nervousness. It must've been convincing because Ryuk rolled his eyes all the way up so that all that was left were the sour milk whites.
"Hm, I wouldn't act so laid back if I were you. Especially considering what I'm gonna hafta do next."
My heart skipped a beat as Ryuk reached down to retrieve his notebook. Wait. What?
I jumped to my feet so fast nearly toppled over.
"What are you—!" I was moving before I could think, aiming to snatch the wretched thing out of his grip. Unfortunately, he was an eight feet tall God of Death and not afraid of teenage girls.
"Sorry, Light's sister, but there are rules even I don't break."
"Rules? W-who's rules?! You're just going to kill me?" When had that pen appeared? Panic over took my senses, making it hard to think much less put two words together.
The rustle of flipping pages barely registered.
So this was it then? It was all over for me...again. Before I'd made any real impact, or lasting improvements. Light was going to die. Maybe not today, or tomorrow; but before his time definitely. He was going to lose his mind. And then he was going to die. I could feel tears welling. I choked them down.
"I could scream. Light would come"
Ryuk glanced up, crimson eyes glinting in stark contrast with the dark pits and grooves of his grotesque face. "You can call Light if you wish. It wouldn't make any difference to me. He'd be too late. And even if he wasn't, it's not like he could stop me."
I knew it was true. But—
'I don't want to die.' It was a small voice that said it. So small, I almost didn't recognize it as my own. But it gave me the courage I needed to meet him head on.
My shoulders straightened, and my head fell back. "Tell me why. Give me a reason. Is it because I discovered the death note? Or because I used to be someone else? Tell me! I deserve to kno—"
Bu-bump
And I was gone.
AN: *wanders cautiously out from the hiatus cave* *waves*