Summary
Ryūk was summoned back to the Shinigami realm by their leader and had to take back his Death Note as he left. This was fine by Light, what wasn't fine by the Yagami was the consequences that thereafter followed. Cast under a curse, his body transforms into that of an four-year-old, snatching good years of growth off him. The Kira Task Force now get their hands full trying to keep it secret. (Fluff)
(Goo-goo)
(Ba-ba)
'Uhhh, Light-o?'
No response.
Of course, the genius kid couldn't start speaking to him, the pale guy eating sweets, watching them and pressing those big buttons would lock them up for life, and probably get him a death sentence. Ryūk scratched his chin. Oh, well.
'Thing is, I gotta go back, the old man's summoned us all back to the realm, me, Rem and our Notes. All my Notes, in my case.'
Light Yagami blinked slowly.
'See, thing is, he's pretty pissed off with us being down here on the Earth, breaking the rules and all - I was supposed to kill you after thirty days, but I couldn't,' he explained. Light nonchalantly turned his head to the side. 'You know? You're really entertaining and have many tasty apples.. the ones back in Shinigami realm taste real worse.'
Light leaned back on the wall, gazing at him in a tired manner.
'But I don't wanna be turned into ashes, like that other guy: Julius - Ginos (or was it Genus?), so I'll be going - Rem already left. Old boss hates tardy people,' he said. 'I'll watch you from up there though, you're fun, and maybe I'll come down sometimes when it's too boring up there. I've never really listened to the old man, after all. Kid. Our paths break apart here.'
Light closes his eyes as the creature morphed through the walls. A soft sigh escaping through his nose.
'Oh, and be careful,' Ryūk's voice echoed, "the old guy is pretty crabby these days, he might curse you just-'
Those were the last words Japan's top student heard before his world went swirling into dark.
...
'What's happening?' L murmured, to no one in particular. His hand reached forward, clicking a button.
On screen, Light Yagami's head (of considerably lengthy hair) had suddenly slacked, his eyes rolling back lifelessly like a doll's. The air around them seemed to thrum with energy, then Light began glowing faintly. It was over in a moment, though, and the task force was left blinking stupidly at the screens. On screen, Light Yagami had begun shrinking, the clothes on him seeming to grow bigger. L's jaw fell open, his dry insomniac eyes widening even further.
Impossible.
'Ryūzaki?' Aizawa grumbled out, his tone faint.
Had he taken too long without resting? Was he hallucinating? L couldn't recall ever hallucinating in his whole life, though, and the other force members were also just as shocked as he was. L leaned back into the chair and allowed his legs to slide his feet to the ground, he sat there like that for a while, not thinking - for once. But he reached a conclusion rather quickly, there was no use doing things that wouldn't change anything.
Then, he rose to his feet, pulled out his cellphone, dailed Watari while making for the prison - er, containment cells and stuffed the packet of cookies in his pocket. This was something beyond the current scientific explanations available. He had never experienced magical things, after all. Chief Yagami also had to be alerted to the fact that his prized son had turned into a sleeping toddler with drool dribbling down his chin. Perhaps he had an explanation.. you know family culture, or something, to why it happened.
Had their son invoked a spirit's anger?
...
Pale eyelids flew open, lids blinking at the light, the thick, dirt-coloured lashes seeming to weigh the lids down and slow the blinks to a sleepy stir. L, who had been hovering over the shrunken Light Yagami closest, blinked with surprise at the eye colour - it appeared to be almost a deep orange (no doubts a colour that had darkened naturally with age). Tiny brows furrowed together, two tiny hands reaching up the rub at a pair of attractive eyes. That would also explain the blonde hair, several blonde children's hair darkened as they grew older.
When Light finally woke up, he settled his mouth into a pout - a poor imitation of his older and more professional serious mask - his eyes squinting suspiciously at them, and eyebrows frowning. L was tempted to snort at the adorable site, this was just too much - no wonder everyone just loved him. The boy sat up straight, his hair - which had fell back in his laying position, falling neatly into that usual neat style of his (L added a .6 to his Kira percentage. It wasn't logical how his hair could be so mess yet neat at the same time, not logical. At all.), and crossed his arms.
'Where am I? And who are you people?' he demanded.
L scuttled back to survey the somehow-de-aged-Light-kun. Impressive, L had almost thought he would begin speaking baby Japanese, or act like a regular kid and do something childish. Like cry. His tough act only had one flaw - his voice was weak with fright. This was, obviously, a predictable reaction for any child who would wake up in the presence of grown up strangers, but... L would have narrowed his eyes. But. 'Light-kun.' There was a possibility it was all an act.
He hummed, not looking up, reluctant to be polite to the stranger.
'Don't you know who I am?'
The kid looked up at the question and squinted at him a bit - the lights were too bright, apparently. 'No. But I am warning you, my dad is a policeman, he'll come get me from you soon,' he said in a matter-of-fact-edly way, glaring at him. 'You shall regret having ever kidnapped me, Foreign Sir.'
Aizawa snorted and touched his chin. 'This brings back memories,' he commented. 'Kid was obsessed with the Chief.'
Light's head snapped up at the voice, he lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the white lights and blinked. 'Uncle Aizawa?' he gaped.
The man preened. 'In the flesh, Rai-chan,' he said, quite pleased he wasn't forgotten.
L blinked, Rai-chan? But he soon looked down when something stepped on his (unfortunately) bare toes, the kid had scrambled off the chair to attach himself to Aizawa's pant leg. 'Light-kun, do you know what happened?' L asked. 'Any clues? This is important.'
'I do not know,' he scowled, glaring fiercely at the detective. 'I want to go home.'
'That will not be possible, Light-kun,' L stated, making the boy growl at him.
Behind Matsuda, Chief Yagami slowly stepped forward, his head shaking disbelievingly. 'I must be stuck in some dream. This is impossible. Raito as Rai-chan?'
Light's eyes widened for a second before he scampered forward, the oversized shirt's sleeves obstructing his hands. Which he clenched exitedly at his sides and began exclaiming. 'Father! You're here! There's this weird man standing there,' he informed his father. Adding, with a cautious whisper, 'Is he a bad guy? He sure looks like one to me. And he is unhealthy! He looks like as if he doesn't sleep - I am quite certain he doesn't. And he has huge monkey toes. He doesn't comb his hair, too, I bet his mother scolds his all the time! Mama would, if he were my brother.'
The Chief chuckled uneasily, watching Ryūzaki with a wary eye. He was about to reprimand Light, but when he glanced down at his son, all flushed cheeks, ruffled hair, merry laugh lines (18-year-old Light didn't have even the slightest of healthy laugh lines, something that worried his wife a lot), and big adoring eyes, the Yagami reached down and patted his light hair with a fond smile. 'He isn't a bad guy, Rai-chan, in fact he is the greatest good-guy in the world. He's the world's greatest detective.'
The boy's eyes gleamed. 'Detective?' he repeated. 'Like Encyclopedia Brown? Cam? Inspector Gadget?' he breathed, his eyes scanning the room more interestedly.
L watched curiously as the short three? year old walked up to him and bowed, bright eyes overflowing with questions.
'Hello. My name is Yagami Raito. I just turned four years old,' he declared proudly. L raised a brow, four? with such a height? 'And I'll become a policeman like my father.'
L, not knowing what to do, shrugged down at him dismissively, making Watari shatk his head with exasperation. Everyone waited for Light to continue. Which he wasn't doing, instead, he was frowning. Suddenly he looked up and pouted. 'I'm hungry,' he whined.
'Raito usually became quite fussy whenever he was hungry at this age,' Soichiro said, brows lifting panickedly.
As the chief stepped forward they were all thinking one thing: I still haven't completely grasped the reality of the situation.
Expect the next Chapter on Saturday. I'll do better, hopefully.