Chief Konoe was waiting with Tatsumi in his office. The boss and his secretary stopped chatting when the door opened. They looked like they were having fun arguing.

Tatsumi gazed at the newest addition to the Shokan division with calculating eyes. L, the master detective, was twenty-five when he died. But he probably looked like an adolescent because of his strange health habits. After reviewing the file, he became convinced that Chief Konoe was correct. Having L on the team made a raise in the paychecks possible.

The trio entered casually before greeting their boss. Tsuzuki plopped down on the chair in front of the desk, L sat on another chair while Hisoka preferred to lean on the wall beside the window. The chief shinigami sighed and gestured to Tatsumi to hand the file.

"All right," Chief Konoe started to say as he took the clipboard. He scanned the contents and turned to them seriously. "We're all having a busy week, except for you two. All of our other shinigami are busy so I'm going to give you two this assignment."

Tatsumi passed a copy of the file and pictures to them. Tsuzuki smiled at his former partner before looking at the picture. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"This is our latest case. Her death halted the Kiseki," Chief Konoe explained gruffly. "The whole thing's messed up because of her. Her name is Amane Misa."

L's eyes went wide. He dropped what he was holding and a photograph fluttered to the floor along with papers. A smiling young woman with brown eyes and blonde hair looked at the camera with a sweet smile.

The name of the girl that he suspected to be the second Kira was Amane Misa.

She was going to die?

Tatsumi noticed. "Is there anything wrong, L?"

The young man shook his head. His face had returned to its blank and passive state. "No."

Chief Konoe ignored them. "She's supposed to be dead. But she's still alive in the human world. Her inability to die is a puzzle. I want you to investigate the reason and bring her soul back to the underworld."

Tsuzuki nodded and slipped the photograph in his pocket. He understood that they must bring her back with them no matter what. It wasn't always easy but they all got used to it. He only wished that his new charge would be able to handle the job better than the others. It was always hard to deal with unpleasant feelings like that.

Staring at the picture, he wondered where he saw that face before. It was a pity that she was going to die so young.

Hisoka noticed the crack under L's mask. He saw his composure slip. Who was Amane Misa? What importance did she have to L?

L didn't say anything. He stared down at the picture of the girl that he once knew. The same smile lit up her features. The same pretty face and sweet spirit that he admired fairly radiated off the picture.

Amane Misa is dead…

He pushed away the pain that washed over him. Pain was an unwanted emotion. It was not going to help them solve the case. Dead or not, he was still a detective. He was now a shinigami. He was not going to let it affect him.

So he couldn't let himself let his emotions get in the way.

Nobody was paying attention on him. He was glad for that. Nobody will have to know that he and Amane Misa once had a connection. He didn't want them to exploit that.

"Wasn't she a big pop idol before?" the black-haired man wondered aloud.

Tatsumi cleared his throat. "She was a celebrity. In fact, she was a prominent star in Japan's showbiz scene before she disappeared."

"I see," Hisoka said, nodding. "She's dead in the Kiseki but she still lives on. I wonder why."

oOoOoOo

Tsuzuki, Hisoka and L went to the human world.

The shinigami were granted the privilege to travel in between worlds for their work. They can also fly which is a popular mode of travel. Because they are in spirit form, nobody but their target can see them.

L was not used to being treated as a newcomer. He was accustomed to being addressed as a superior. He was used to knowing everything. But thrown out of his element, he had to admit that he must learn new skills to survive his new existence as a shinigami.

He was grateful to Tsuzuki for teaching him little tricks that made it easier to bear.

His initial impression of the older man was someone who was naïve, free-spirited and relaxed. He wondered how someone so casual would be ranked as second most powerful in JuOhCho. Chief Konoe had reassured him that as his mentor, Tsuzuki was competent enough to take on the responsibility.

After their breakfast, L was convinced that beneath the thin veneer of carefree charm was a shinigami who can't be underestimated.

Hisoka on the other hand confused him. The brown-haired boy was always rude and sarcastic around him. He didn't mind that. What puzzled him was the offensive stance that the other boy assumed whenever he was around. He was pretty sure that he hadn't done anything to offend him.

Chief Konoe had warned him that Hisoka was an empath. He could read minds and feelings. All of the shinigami gained a special ability or perfected a skill to increase their prowess like Tsuzuki. But Hisoka was special because he was born with his special ability which made him doubly dangerous.

So L was on his guard whenever the other boy was around.

It amused him somewhat that Hisoka thought that they were of the same age. Hisoka was sixteen when he died while he was twenty-five. While he looked very young for his age, he can certainly count on his seniority over the other boy.

They arrived in town before noon. It was where Amane Misa was last seen, according to the file. Tsuzuki, hungry as always, suggested that they eat first before booking a hotel. The detective wondered how they can pull that off when they were invisible.

Shinigami, L learned, can solidify their forms to pretend to be human. It took a lot of effort for him because his spiritual powers were still low level compared to Tsuzuki and Hisoka. The other men merely chuckled at his feeble attempts in the dark alley before he succeeded.

L took a deep breath. He savored the air rushing to his lungs, feeling the very fiber of his socks and the sight of the blue sky. It was wonderful to be alive. He didn't believe that he'd miss the hustle and bustle of the city until he died. The sounds, sights and sensations overwhelmed him.

He thought about how he'd taken it for granted. His life seemed dull when he thought about it. To live to solve cases seemed like a good idea. He was doing his bit for humanity by reducing crime rates while lounging in dark rooms and eating sweets in front of wide screen televisions. The adrenalin rush he got when he solved a case made it worth it before it faded away.

The realization that he'd never taken the time to enjoy his life saddened him. He never went to see the sights, eat good food and listen to music. Life was about work, work and more work.

For the first time, L felt regret.

Tsuzuki stared at his charge, smiling sadly. It was hard to see a new shinigami regretting his life. To know that Death had put an end to an endless range of possibilities were staggering. It usually ushered in feelings that were precisely what bound them to the human world. The attachments made them cling harder to this pale imitation of life.

But they were shinigami. They were alive, in a sense, and they can live on for eternity. But it was an empty life if one never learned to make the most of it.

Hisoka walked without a backward glance to the hotel that they were going to stay in. He didn't want to waste time coddling L. So he chose to settle the living arrangements with the receptionist until the other two entered.

They went upstairs to the second floor where they got a room with a view of the street below. It was a drab and dull room with off-white walls and yellow accents. The room had twin beds and a couch.

Hisoka immediately staked ownership on one of the beds. He laid his suitcase and backpack on it before pulling out his laptop. It was a gift from the Gushoushin- librarians of the Underworld- who delighted in his scholarly interests. He wanted to get the work done before dark.

Tsuzuki looked at L uneasily. "Do you want the bed?"

L shook his head. "No, thank you. I don't sleep."

The black-haired man laughed in spite of himself. "That's really funny. If you change your mind…"

"I'll tell you," the detective said coolly. He hopped on the couch and sat down. The hotel room summoned memories of his childhood and most of his adulthood when Watari served sweets while he thought of ways to solve a case. It was too painful but he didn't want to let it get the better of him.

Tsuzuki pushed back the curtains to look at the street. He sighed. "I wonder how we'll find her."

"She's a predictable character," L said quietly. "She likes attention too much. It won't be a problem to search for her."

Hisoka looked up from his laptop. "You're right. I read here that she was a staunch supporter of Kira."

L nodded. He decided that it was time to share some of his knowledge to them. A case was still a case. Never mind if it meant involving her in his plans again. "She was. It's not public knowledge but she totally supported him."

"Really, interesting," Tsuzuki said as he turned around to lean back on the opened window. Sounds of the busy street wafted from it. A cool breeze played with his hair and he closed his eyes to enjoy it. "If you know anything, tell us. It might help."

The black-haired detective bit his thumb. He had formulated a plan on the way here. If it meant getting the job done, he could share some of it. Most of the time, his plans were perfect. They worked flawlessly until an unidentified factor or unexpected twist popped up to mess it up. Thinking his way out always excited him.

"It's better if we try searching for an interest group," he said casually. "Amane Misa seems like the type who'd set up a fan club for Kira. I do believe that we'll find clues to lead us to it here."

Hisoka and Tsuzuki looked at him, thoughtful. "But that would mean bad publicity for her," the brown-haired boy argued "and she won't expose it to the public, if she had one. And what makes you believe that she'd set one up?"

"Try searching for it in the Internet," L suggested. His black eyes were serious. "You'd be surprised."

The green-eyed boy tried it. His mouth dropped open in shock. Turning to the detective, he said "You're right. There is a Kira cult. It's found right in this city."

Tsuzuki stared at him, impressed. "How'd you know that?"

"Amane Misa-san is a predictable character. If you take away her hero, she would search for a way to fill the void. The chances that she'll found a fan club with like-minded individuals are very high. She's stubborn enough to believe that in doing so she will win his attention." L's voice was thoughtful. "Who would ever make a cult about Kira? Only his number one fan would."

Hisoka gazed at his new comrade critically. There was no fault in his logic. Maybe L deserved his title after all. He looked at the screen again. "There's even a forum here. I think there's a gathering two days from now at twilight. The nearest beach is the location of their meeting."

"It's not that easy," said the black-haired detective "There's no way that it will be that easy. I think it's better to search for her before she goes there."

"Why?" Tsuzuki asked who was all for the impulsive walk-in approach. "She's certainly going to be there if she's the founder."

L shook his head. He relied on logic and intuition to solve a case. Right now, his intuition was telling him that going there without searching for her was a bad idea. "No, I think Tsuzuki-san and Hisoka-san would have better luck in looking for her before the meeting. I would stay here and give instructions."

"Why should we listen to you?" Hisoka snapped. His green eyes flashed ferociously. "Just because you're L the detective doesn't mean you're the boss. We know what we're doing."

The black-haired young man blinked. He didn't expect that. With a hint of a smirk, he answered. "Because I know Amane Misa and you don't."

oOoOoOo

Hisoka hated this. He always got stuck with undercover work. His age was an advantage that his partner exploited. Cursing L to the fiery pits of Hell, he entered the largest local high school.

Dressed in another high school uniform, he walked through the open gates as though he did it everyday. Slipping through the admissions and faking documents were easy- they'd done it a thousand times. Girls of all ages threw interested glances at him which he ignored. That's what he really hated about undercover work. No matter how many times he wanted to conceal his identity, he always ended up attracting attention.

L theorized that Amane Misa had returned to her hometown to escape Tokyo. The recent death of Yagami Light must have depressed her so much; she quit her day job as Japan's next number one woman. It was also plausible that to make up for the loss that she'd set up the cult.

Finding the clues that will lead them to the cult's meeting can be found on the high school, L said. High school students were the ones who were easily swayed by Kira. Because of their underdeveloped understanding of the situation, they believed his lies. It was very possible that most of his supporters would be high school students.

And they would all be in favor of putting up a fan club to keep his memory alive.

Hisoka frowned as he searched for his new classroom. The teens were very silly, in his opinion. Setting up thousands of fan sites dedicated to Kira was a waste of time. It wasn't as though Kira was the true savior of humanity. Kira was just a bored high school student who went mad.

Death Notes and humans were never meant to mix. The shinigami who gave the Death Note to that mass murderer was stupid. Their existence, pride and dignity as gods of death were threatened. It was still a wonder that the King of the Dead hadn't punished him.

That brought Hisoka to the next piece of the puzzle. If L knew Amane Misa, how much did he know about Kira? L confirmed that he died while working on the case. L also admitted that he knew about Amane Misa. That meant he knew more than he was letting on.

They weren't the shinigami who were assigned on the Kira case all those years ago. But they'd heard the rumors. They've been updated on the news.

When various killings and unexpected deaths started, the Kiseki went crazy. All of them had to think of what could be causing so many dead criminals. How could dozens of people around the world die with heart attacks? Hisoka himself wondered on how it happened. Chief Konoe was angry for weeks on end. Until gossip about a certain killer called Kira and a hovering shinigami circulated around the office, no one had an explanation.

Suddenly it made perfect sense.

Hakushaku admitted that the Castle of Candles don't kill by freak accidents or murders or anything of the sort. Heart attacks were more preferred over the other more gruesome methods. Deaths like that can only be done by Hakushaku himself and a Death Note.

The mass murders could only be explained by a Death Note in the wrong hands.

Now that they knew why and who, it was easier to wait for things to settle down. They weren't allowed to interfere anyway. As long as they knew why the underworld was suddenly overcrowded by souls headed to Hell before their time, it was easier to sort it out.

What could they do to Kira… scare him to death?

He wasn't dead… yet, anyway. The King of the Dead had remained mum about the topic. The shinigami department of JuOhCho was merely told to stay put and quiet to let fate run its course. Kira would die, as he was supposed to, in the hands of the shinigami he'd trusted.

When news of Kira's very recent death broke out, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The underworld was back to normal. It should be over.

Hisoka smirked as he sat down on an empty desk. Setting up a cult and shrine for a criminal was the weirdest he'd seen yet. There was no way that they could get him back. Amane Misa was fooling herself.

Still, that didn't explain why she couldn't go to the underworld as she was supposed to. That was the true goal of the investigation. Find out why, file it and take her back to Meifu. End of story.

A case was a case, Hisoka thought. It's time to get to work.

But that didn't mean he couldn't hate Tsuzuki and L for ganging up on him and throwing him into undercover work. He swore under his breath as classes started. Repeating high school for all eternity was his vision of hell. He wondered if his job was a good idea again.

The teacher made him introduce himself in front. It was very easy to pretend that he was a transferee student with interests in kendo and judo. While talking about mundane things about himself, he sifted through the minds of his classmates to search for clues.

It was very easy to tap into other people's minds although they had the tendency to draw him inwards and deeper into their consciousness. He focused on searching for people who liked or supported Kira.

He wasn't disappointed. A girl at the back of his current seat was daydreaming about Kira. She was imagining the beach at twilight with the wind whipping her white hood back and making the candle flicker…

A small smile crept up to his lips. He just needed to befriend her for information, maybe even join the cult and then he was in. The case was easier than expected.

oOoOoOo

L was alone.

For the first time in years, he was alone in another nondescript hotel room for a case. Before he'd have access to his targets by using CCTV cameras, webcams and recorders but now he didn't. Technology was slowly revolutionizing the shinigami world but it was still slow.

He missed Watari and his efficiency in procuring only the best technology that money could buy. Missing the endless supply of sweets, the fatherly concern and the sincerity on the old man's eyes, he wished that the old man was still with him. But he couldn't blame Watari for choosing to rest in Paradise.

The detective was connected to Tsuzuki and Hisoka through their cell-phones. But it wasn't enough. If he could monitor Hisoka's movements, he could formulate the plan as they went along. If he could keep a tab on Tsuzuki, he could test his hypothesis. There were so many ifs.

But the Gushoushin- the short birds with big brains who managed the library- had promised to do their best to get what he needed. Tsuzuki had seen to that.

He was slightly glad that the other two had agreed to his plans. Upon hearing his previous connection to Amane Misa, they were convinced of his skills. Unfortunately, Tsuzuki had pestered him until he left to share his whole history.

Now L was a private person. He wasn't used to giving away information that might be used against him. Though Tsuzuki had what we can call friendly curiosity, it was still hard for him to open up, not that he didn't trust his seniors. It was just that talking about his death and all the incidents that led to it was still pretty hard on him.

Tsuzuki was kind enough to inform him that Kira was dead just a few months ago. He could hardly believe his ears. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted off his back.

Yagami Light was dead too.

That made three of them.

L rocked slowly to calm himself. (He wasn't scared that he was going to tip forward or backward; he'd practiced that for years.) Yagami Light was killed by Near, the Special Provision for Kira (SPK) and finally his shinigami. It was, he supposed, a fitting end.

He sucked in a breath, deliberately forcing himself to remember air. Closed his eyes and reminded him that though he was dead, he had a chance to pretend to be alive. Light was dead. Kira was dead. They were one and the same.

The knowledge that his murderer was also dead made him feel cold inside. The fact that he proved that Light was Kira exacted a high price- his life. It was expected of him, of course, to be correct. L was always right. Light killed him because he knew. They've been playing a dangerous cat and mouse game all along that meant that both were aware of how much power one held over the other.

He rocked faster now and breathed deeply to ease the cold. Though Light had killed him, he didn't hate him for it. Instead, he felt sad.

Before he could dwell on it, Hisoka's laptop beeped. Curious, the black-haired detective pulled it towards him and clicked the window. Then he pulled on the headstet to hear well. One of the Gushoushin twins greeted him with a bow.

"Hajimemashite," L said softly as he adjusted the headset. "I am L. Tsuzuki and Hisoka are not here right now."

"L-san," Gushoushin said urgently "I have news. It's very important that you should know this. The Kira case has been reopened."

L's eyes widened slightly but his face remained blank. He nodded to show that he was listening.

oOoOoOo

Author's Notes:

Yami no Matsuei was created by Matsushita Yoko. You can search for it. It's pretty easy on the eyes with lovely boys and dark plots. I certainly imagined L joining them in a crossover so here it is.

Thanks to ActionFry, x-LlOVe and HaleyJo for the reviews. I'm glad you like it too. I hope you'll stay tuned!

Please leave a review before you leave.