Author note
Hey people : D! Wow I actually got this chap out reasonably : P Well this would have been longer but I didn't want to repeat chap 11 haha so I split it in two so chap 13 should be up by Monday max BUT I am moving so no guarantees.
Hope you all like the chapter you've all been waiting for! Drum Roll please! So what will happen who knows but hope its worth the wait : )
I do not own Death Note, just Serenity, Richard, and the other random people that pop up.
Enjoy!
L clutched Watari's hand with a viselike grip. He was young and afraid, afraid of the unknown. He pressed a stubby thumb to his lips in thought. He had no idea what so ever on how to interact with other children. The bells of Wammy's house rang into the still silence of the winter blanketed countryside. L flinched and shuffled closer to the older man as the massive iron gates began to creak open.
"Don't be nervous Lawliet, I'm sure the other children will love you." Watari assured his young companion with a smile.
"But I'm… different, what if they don't like me?" L looked up with his big grey eyes, his wool cap covering most of his unruly black hair.
"L, the difference between you and other children your age isn't a bad thing, it makes you who you are. You are destined for great things Lawliet, great things."
"But what if they don't like me?" L asked innocently. His youth blinding him to the meaning of his new caretakers words.
L sighed as he snapped himself out of his memories, reminiscing about the past wouldn't stop the bells ringing in his ears. L got out of his chair with purpose, abandoning the computer screen he had been staring at for who knew how long. He needed to clear his head. It was around one in the morning and the rest of the team had headed to their rooms a couple of hours ago leaving L to his work. The great detective stepped into the elevator, punching in the code to take him to his destination floor. L shuffled through the cool grey hallway until he reached the right door. He punched in another security code and heard the click of the lock. Head bowed he opened the door and stepped inside. Watari turned in his chair at the sound of the lock and gave L a look of surprise and concern.
"Ryuzaki what's wrong?" L rarely came to Watari looking like this, defeated and uncertain. It was unsettling to say the least. The only times the older man could remember clearly when was when L first left Wammy's, when he had to work on the case involving Beyond Birthday, and when Serenity had disappeared. Watari waited for L to speak, he knew this couldn't be good.
"Can't you hear them? They've been ringing nonstop all day." L murmured, head still bowed.
"Ryuzaki what are you talking about?"
"The bells."
"Ryuzaki…" Watari said in a sad, worried tone.
"I'm afraid." L looked up, his eyes displaying his emotion. Watari's heart tightened in his chest, L was like a son to him, no L was a son to him and seeing him like this was painful.
"Ryuzaki, nothing will happen, the bells mean nothing. Why don't you take a walk to clear your head huh? You're tired, you haven't slept in a week, you've been working to much. Take a break, you need it." Watari tried to sound as encouraging as he could, he was sure that L just needed a rest from all of the confusing work of the case.
"Alright, I'll try." L moved to leave but stopped at the door. He turned his head back to face his caretaker. "Thank you Watari, for everything." He said and left the room. Not knowing that that would be the last time that he saw his old caretaker and the closest thing to a father that he ever had.
Serenity knew that today was the day, but she was ready. She slipped away from the other Task Force members and headed to where she sensed the shinigami. She stepped into the supply closet quietly and closed the door behind her.
"I know what you plan to do." She said calmly into the darkness.
"You cannot stop me." Rem replied with a guarded tone as she stepped into the soft florescent lighting of the small room.
"I can try." Serenity paused as her collected gaze locked with the shinigami's serpentine eyes. "You don't need to do this Rem, there are other ways."
"No! If I don't do this Misa will be killed by L, I will not let that happen."
"Rem, L will not kill her, and even if he came to that conclusion I would step in and spare her that fate. I would protect her."
"I doubt that." Rem replied coldly.
"You would doubt the word of an angel?" The shinigami's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the woman before her.
"I don't believe you." The angel in question sighed.
"Can you see my lifespan?"
"No."
"Can you see my name?"
"No… You're wasting my time." Rem hissed. She was growing tired of this woman's pestering. The angel sighed and rolled her shoulders, allowing her wings to sprout out of her back.
"Believe me know?" She tested as she noted Rem's surprised expression with satisfaction.
"You've made your point angel but it doesn't change the fact that I don't believe that you would help me. Angels and shinigami have never been on compromising terms." Serenity huffed and her wings disappeared into her back.
"Don't be foolish. We both want the same thing in this situation, we want the humans we care about to be safe. Now please no one has to die." Her voice was sincere, but it didn't change the fact that Rem had no choice but to kill to save Misa because she had no idea what Light would do to Misa if she didn't follow his orders. She would do it. Anticipating a move by the shinigami the angel pressed the button on her belt twice, setting off her emergency signal. She was right on time. Serenity looked on in horror as the shinigami began to write something in her death note with a desperate determination. Wait that name is to long to be L's, who else would she… Serenity's eyes widened. Watari!
"NO!" She screamed, lunging at the shingami. It was useless, she passed through the death god and stumbled to a stop behind Rem. She whirled around, tears of furry in her blue eyes. She looked in surprised fascination at the shinigami, she was disintegrating into a silvery dust. As she watched Rem fade something more important caught her eye, Rem was writing another name as she was dieing, a name short enough to be L's. Serenity made her way for the door unsure. What if it kills L? What if the touch didn't work? She thought as she touched the handle. And then she felt it. A searing pain went through her chest as if it were being crushed. She tried to gasp, to scream, to do anything, but the pain was to great and she collapsed in a heap against the door. At least it worked, L will be safe. I did it. Her vision blurred with agony as she convulsed from the excruciating pain in her heart, she saw Rem fade into a pile of dust on the floor and she saw the door open swiftly. Her vision was to hazed to see who it was but she could hear her name being called by a familiar voice. She wanted to desperately reach out to L, to tell him it would be okay as she felt his arms wrap around her. But she couldn't fight it as the last part of her forty seconds drew to a close. But I'm already dead, I can't die again. I… it … how .. L. Serenity's eyes closed slowly as she faded into the familiar darkness of death.
L stared at the screen as it flashed "Data Deleted".
"Watari?" He asked quietly, confused at what happened to his old caretaker. Suddenly the puzzle pieces clicked together. The shingami not being present, Watari deleting the data, Serenity not being seen for a while when she was always with a Task Force member, it all came into place. L's panda eyes widened in terrible realization.
"Everyone the shinigami is behind this!" L yelled. An odd feeling came over him as the words left his mouth, the bells stopped. The eerie music that had filled his head since he started the Kira case was silent, the ominous tune no longer filled his head. Serenity! The gears in his mind were turning at a break-neck pace and his heart began to race in fear. He leapt out of his chair and sprinted from the room.
"Ryuzaki where are you going? What's going on?" Matsuda shouted after him, but L was already running down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. It couldn't be a coincidence that Serenity and the shinigami were missing, and the fact that Serenity had activated her emergency beacon on her belt only furthered L's suspicions. He had never been so worried in his life, he couldn't even think about something happening to her, it was painful to even consider it. He knew where he was going, the homing device on Serenity's belt would lead him right to her. He dashed passed a confused Aizawa and Mogi and yanked the storage closet door open. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Serenity collapsed on the floor in front of him, unmoving and not breathing.
"No," He breathed as he dropped to his knees. He held her shoulders delicately and flipped her limp form over and cradled her. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, he stared at them, his vision blurring from the rare tears forming in them. L was to focused on his dieing friend to notice the pile of silver dust on the floor, nothing else mattered now but her.
"Serenity?" He asked gently shaking her shoulders lightly. "Serenity? No Serenity please don't go, don't you dare give up!" He yelled in desperation as he began to cry. "Come on, please don't go. I need you, I.." L placed a hand on Serenity's cold cheek, silently begging that this was just a nightmare and that none of this was happening. He looked at her blank blue eyes as they slowly started to close. "No Serenity! NO! Don't you dare!" But it was no use and her eyes shut. He was in shock, this couldn't be happening but it was, he was numb from pain as he gazed at her lifeless face. "Damn you Rem. Damn you Kira!" L's heart ached with a pain unknown to him as he watched his friend die in his arms, heartbreak. He began to sob as he held Serenity's limp body closer. L had no idea that losing her would hurt this much. She was his best friend, she meant so much to him, and now she was gone. Aizawa and Mogi rushed in.
"Ryuzaki what's going on? Everyo…" Aizawa stopped when he saw that L was on the floor, cradling Serenity.
"Is she gone?" Mogi asked softly from his spot next to Aizawa. L hung his head.
"Yes, she's gone." L replied bitterly, the two other men could hear the pain in their leaders voice. Aizawa looked down at L with pity, he couldn't even imagine what L was going through. He saw the way the two young detectives looked at each other, how they talked and joked as friends and possibly more. He cringed at thought of losing his wife and what it would do him and felt the hostility he held for the other man transform into compassion.
"Ryuzaki, why don't you head back to the others. We'll clean up here." Aizawa said, motioning to the pile of Rem Dust on the floor. L only nodded slightly and stood up, Serenity's body still in his arms.
"Ryuzaki if you want, I can carry her." Mogi offered kindly, looking at the smaller man.
"If you wouldn't mind I think I will." L replied quietly and stepped slowly through the door. He walked slowly and silently down the grey halls, making his way to the main surveillance room. Serenity, I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you. He thought sadly as he cradled his dead friend gently.
Serenity opened her eyes to a familiar view. The mist swirled around her, obscuring her vision of her surroundings. She sat up with a grunt as she glared at her white environment.
"I thought I couldn't die again." She shot into the mist. She stood up and snapped her wings out, giving them a quick flap. The mist dispersed to reveal a smirking Richard seated at a small crystal table with a chess set in front of him.
"I'm impressed, you preformed the touch perfectly. Please take a seat, we have much to discuss." The other angel replied, gesturing to the seat at the opposite end of the table.
"What am I doing here Richard?" She snapped. Her companion went unfazed and placed his crystal white pawn on the second space from its starting position. Angered by his lack of a response she rolled her eyes, staring at her halo in annoyance and sat down in the provided seat grudgingly. "Now answer my question, why am I here?"
"I wanted to have at least one discussion with you face to face." He paused and looked up into her eyes. "I'm proud of you."
"Huh?" He sighed.
"Why did you do all of this?" He asked, changing the subject abruptly.
"What?"
"Why did you decide to become the guardian of L?"
"I don't know." Though her statement sounded more like a hesitant question.
"You will be able to get back much faster if you answer the question Serenity."
"I don't know, I guess it's because I… I…." Suddenly Serenity realized the reason for all of her actions, all of her sacrifices. The reason she was willing to do just about anything to protect the worlds greatest detective. She loved L. She always had, with all her heart she loved him and it took her until now to realize it. She smiled and tears of joy and acceptance stained her eyes. "Because I love him." Richard nodded with a smile of his own dancing on his lips.
"Yes, you see I loved someone myself and when I died all I wanted to do was protect them. I didn't love her like you love L but still I didn't want anything to happen to her. But when it came to guiding her away from danger and interfering completely, I couldn't go all they way. And when I saw the way she was supposed to die and couldn't bring myself to do anything… I still haven't forgiven myself for being so week." Richard turned his head away in shame as he finished. She would never forgive me, how could she? I let her die one of the most painful deaths, though I must admit that she has grown from this. Serenity placed her hand over his. "I'm proud of you because you did what I could not."
"Richard," She said comfortingly. "I'm sure she understands. Who was she?" She asked, searching his face.
"My sister."
"Hmm." Serenity sat back in her chair and moved her knight out onto the board.
"You know I think I've finally figure out why you use you're knight so much." Confused by the seemingly random question Serenity gave her friend an odd look.
"They can only move in an L shape." He smirked. Serenity laughed, he was probably right. Richard stood abruptly. "I should probably send you back."
"Yes, they all probably think that I'm really dead this time by now." She chuckled lightly. "We'll still be able to talk to each other right?" She asked.
"Yes." Richard nodded.
"Good, you're not to bad at conversations when you get to the point." She joked halfheartedly.
"You're not to bad yourself." They both smiled as Richard extended his wings, preparing to send Serenity back to Earth. She stepped back, prepared to make the journey back to the world of the living.
"And Richard,"
"Yes."
"Thank you, for everything." He nodded. "I'll miss you Richard, and please don't beat yourself up anymore. I forgave you the second I figured out who you were. Good bye brother."
"Until we meet again my dear little sister." With that Richard flapped his wings once and Serenity felt herself being brutally sucked away from Heaven and whirling almost painfully back to life.
L shuffled through the halls of the Task Force headquarters in a daze. He couldn't believe this was happening. Serenity was dead. Watari was dead. It was a living nightmare. He looked at the cold and pale corpse in his arms, her words wringing in his ears. "If Kira kills anyone else on this Task Force its going to be me." She knew. He thought weakly. She knew all along that she would be the next to die instead of me. But what did she do to get killed first? Kira wants me dead the most but that damn shinigami killed her for a reason. He took a quick glance of Serenity's lifeless face. I'll do everything in my power to make Kira pay for this. I'll bring him to justice if it's the last thing I do, you will be avenged. L reached the main surveillance room silently, alerting none of the other detectives to his presence. He waited at the door way patiently for them to notice him, he didn't trust his own voice to speak right now.
"What the Hell is going on?" Light demanded with frustration. If Watari died then why didn't L? I don't understand, I made it so Rem would feel forced to kill Watari and L so how did he just jump up and run off?
"Calm down Light, maybe Ryuzaki was on to something." Matsuda suggested.
"Well then why didn't he tell us? He just ran off!" Light retorted.
"Uh.."
"Both of you knock it off! If Ryuzaki went off like that it must have been something urgent. Now lets all just calm down and…Ryuzaki is that you?" Soichiro stopped hid peach when he saw the great detectives silhouette in the hallway. L stepped into the light of the brightly illuminated room.
"Wait is that…SAGA! Matsuda yelped and ran to L.
"Ryuzaki what happened?" Soichiro asked urgently as he and Light also rushed to meet him.
"Is she… dead?" Light asked in the most innocent voice he could muster, secretly hoping that the answer was yes.
"I wasn't fast enough, the shinigami killed her." L kneeled as he said this, laying Serenity's body on the ground and pushing some lose strands of her long brown hair off of her pale face.
"Oh my God, this can't be happening." Matsuda let his face fall into his hands in grief for his dead friend.
"Ryuzaki, I'm so sorry." Soichiro said sadly. He had liked the young woman who had dedicated herself to bringing evil to justice and now she was dead, cut down in her prime. Well this takes care of one of my problems. Light thought smugly as he looked at his now dead threat.
"Light,"
"Yes Ryuzaki." Light asked timidly.
"I'm going to go after Kira with everything I have now, I'm going to make him pay. If I die will you take over here?" L asked, the strong emotion in his voice and eyes unsettled Kira. Light felt a shiver run down his spine, L was hard enough to deal with when he wasn't bent on revenge but know, he was scary.
"Of course, but Ryuzaki nothings going to happen to you." Light replied faking sincerity again.
"That's what I thought about S but…" He stopped unable to go on.
"Damn it, this is all Kira's fault! How are we supposed to beat him now!"
"Matsuda calm down, we can't give up hope, not now." Soichiro interjected.
"This isn't over." L said in a deadly tone. He was right of course, Serenity's second death was only the beginning.
DUN DUN DUN! Well I left you with a cliff hanger sorry muahaha! Wow that was a really depressing chap but oh well : P! Hope you all liked it! And I know the little conversation between Richard and Serenity was wiered but seriously, how could it not be? Their both dead, she didn't know he was her brother, and he watched her die and couldn't do anything…. They're bound to have at least one awkward conversation. Please don't hate me for it!
And man I hate hurting L but at least this is better then him dieing right.
Rem: No.
Me STFU I thought we killed you.
Rem: "in a creepy voice" I never die.
Me: 0.0 AAHHH "runs to L" SAVE ME!
L: You killed my Watari… prepare to die.
Me: 0.0 Oh Frick AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! "runs for my life"
Matsuda: Well um while SS is… occupied with not being killed yet again I'll…. "gets shoved out of the way be Serenity"
Serenity: Sorry man but this is my job. SS says she hopes you all enjoyed this chapter… you sick people. Anyway stay tuned for the next chapter!
Me: "runs by" Oh and I'm working on a picture of S, thought it would be nice for you all to know what she looked like ; ) Haha anyway thank you so much for you're reviews and stuff! Love you all! "sees Rem and L running at me" AAHHHH "grabs Higuchi and throws him in the way before running" You'll never catch me alive! NEVER!
Serenity: Freaks, all of you.
