Stripes
Chapter 8 - Gods
Warning: It gets very AU from here...
--
Raito stood, staring straight ahead, his reflection staring back at him with the same intensity. He was in a library, the rows of books obvious in his reflection.
"You're not real," he said after a few moments.
"Define real," L replied.
Raito turned around, staring at the man. L was seated on the top of one of the bookcases, watching Raito silently.
"You're dead," Raito breathed.
"So I am," L responded, tilting his head.
Raito's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
L smiled. "You're lucky you didn't kill him, Raito."
Raito snorted. "Why, you would haunt me?"
L hummed, before he suddenly jumped down. Walking into the light, Raito was surprised when the shadows lifted off of him as if he was actually there.
"No, Raito," he stated. "Because fate does not like being messed with."
--
"Dada, where are we going?" Toneless eyes looked upward, looking in awe to the man he had grown to admire.
His father was silent, his long bangs hanging in his eyes.
A frown. "Dada?"
The car pulled up and stopped in front of a large building, the front yard full of laughing and smiling children.
Nate frowned. He had never liked playing with other children. Why would his father bring him here…?
"Dada?" He asked, looking toward the man.
His father looked to him, a sad smile on his face. "Nate," he whispered. "I love you. Never forget that, okay?" Nate nodded slowly. "I'm glad…"
L reached over and messed with Nate's hair, before kissing his forehead, and opening the door.
"Near!"
Pale eyes snapped open, closing directly afterward to block out the sudden light. After a few blinks, his eyes began to focus.
He was still in the chapel, but this time it was full of people. There were cops everywhere, crime scene investigators, and paramedics.
Matt was sitting on one of the benches, Near laying with his head in his lap. When Near tried to sit up, one of the paramedics told him to stay down.
"You hit your head," she informed. "You've been unconscious nearly fifty minuets." After a pause, she added, "You're lucky to be alive."
"When you feel well enough to sit up, we need to take your statement," a cop informed, looking down at Near as if he were a dirt clump on his perfectly clean shoes.
"Negative," Matt replied. "L is classifying this as a Kira murder." The cop appeared surprised. "He has all rights over this case."
The investigators looked toward each other for a few moments, before giving up. The name of L was not something thrown around easily.
When they had all left, the body removed as well, Matt let out a sigh and glanced down at the boy lying in his lap. "Near," he whispered, curling a lock of white hair around one finger. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Near stared up at him for a few moments, before his eyes began to tear. He sat up and threw his arms around Matt's neck, and sobbed into his chest.
Matt blinked, his arms wrapping tightly around Near's waist. That certainly was the last thing he expected.
"Near?" he questioned, lifting a hand to pet the other's soft hair. "Near, sweetie…" When he didn't calm, Matt began to rock him back and forth, closing his eyes. He sat, listening to the one he loved sob, wishing there was something else he could do.
--
Mello sighed, placing a hand against his forehead. The last thing he expected was a mystery after returning to the orphanage.
"Anything?" Matt inquired, looking over the pictures of the crime scene once more.
"No," Mello admitted. "We need Near to talk, Matt."
Matt shook his head. "I've tried and tried, Mello. He's not going to say anything until he's ready."
Sighing, Mello stared at the screen in front of him. "It's impossible for Yagami Raito to have killed Jay, yet it's the same scene as all of the other Kira murders. A heart attack with no history of problems, let alone the fact that he was only seventeen when it happened."
He flipped through a few more files, the stress taking its toll. "From the evidence there we can safely say Jay attempted to attack Near. I'm positive Near was unharmed, but weather Jay stopped the attack or the heart attack stopped it for him is unknown. We also don't know how Near ended up there, weather Jay lured him or weather he was wandering."
Mello lifted up a plastic bag, a single blonde haired black-clad Lego man staring back at him with green eyes.
"What were you doing?" he whispered. "And why wont you talk?"
--
Near lifted his head only when the sound of something hitting his bed got his attention. He stared in a bit of surprise at the black notebook before him.
Glancing around a moment, he lifted the notebook and read the cover.
"De-a-tsu noo-to," he read the Japanese symbols before his eyes widened in realization. "Death note…"
"That's correct."
Near looked up, his eyes widening instantly. Before him stood a monster – it had to be.
The creature was tall, a mix between black and orange, with bright yellow eyes. It loomed over him like death itself, a grin across its long face.
"Hello," it greeted like talking to an old friend.
Near stared, not knowing what exactly to say. What did one say when faced with death?
The creature chuckled. "Such a surprised face. Well, at least you're not screaming. My name is Reil. I'm a death-god."
"Death…god…" Near continued to stare, his grip on the black notebook tightening.
Reil chuckled again. "Nate River. Such an interesting boy. Of course, you'd have to be, considering who your father was."
Near seemed to come to his senses then. "You knew my father…?"
Reil threw his head back and laughed. "Everyone knows your father."
"Forgive me for sounding confused," Near breathed. "But… what are you talking about?"
Reil grinned, plopping on the bed in front of Near. "How amusing. Your father has not even told you." He shook his head. "I wont spoil the surprise." Near frowned, resisting the urge to scoot away. "That booklet right there is rightfully yours. Feel lucky that I was honest enough to give it to you."
"Mine?" Near asked.
"The shinigami it belonged to before you was a 'friend' of mine. But she was stupid." His eyes gleamed, and he grinned wider. "She watched you closely almost all the time, especially after your father's death." He hummed, crossing his arms. "Its rather amusing, when you look at it. Your father's death came way before his time, while yours was stopped when it shouldn't have been."
"Stopped?" Near tilted his head, before looking down to the notebook in his arms.
"That same shinigami that watched you wrote down the name of the boy who was supposed to kill you, killing him and saving your life," Reil explained. "A shinigami is never allowed to save a life, and so she died. This is why her notebook now belongs to you."
Near frowned, biting his bottom lip. If that was true, then he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty.
A knock on the bedroom door brought Near's attention away from Reil, and seconds later Matt poked his head around the door.
"Why is he knocking if it's his room?" Reil asked.
"Hey," Matt greeted, stepping into the room, the door closing behind him. "Are you feeling any better?"
Near seemed to think hard for a moment. "Not really," he admitted. Matt seemed satisfied that he had actually spoken. "But… I know why I'm alive."
"Mello is telling everyone it was Kira," Matt informed.
Near shook his head, before motioning for Matt to come closer. When the redhead did, he showed him the notebook.
Matt's eyes widened. "A Death Note…?"
"A shinigami saved my life," Near explained. He handed the notebook to Matt.
"Shinigami?" Matt asked, before lifting his eyes.
"Hi," Reil chirped, face right in Matt's.
Matt screamed and jumped back, eyes wide. After a moment he looked toward Near. "You weren't kidding…"
"This isn't the one who saved me," Near explained, picking up the Death Note once more. "He told me the one who saved me died. Shinigami die if they save the life of a human."
"That is what happened to the Shinigami who killed your father," Reil told Near. "She was saving the life of a Japanese girl. The one that hangs around with the human who pretends he's god." Reil hummed. "Actually, that would be the second Shinigami who saved her life. Strange. She must be something special. And she's certainly going to live a long time."
"What do you mean?" Near asked. Matt watched him in awe. There was a monster sitting on his bed, and he was talking to it like it was a normal human? Well, that was Near for you. Surprising him was about as easy as speaking perfect Chinese after spending an hour with a Russian dictionary.
"Well, Shinigami live by taking the lives of humans," Reil explained. "When a Shinigami dies to protect a human, the life span they have from killing humans is added to the life of the human being."
Matt's eyes widened. "So the shinigami that died for Near… her life span was added on to Nears?"
Reil nodded. "Which you should feel lucky for, considering your original life span gave up on you about three hours ago."
Near placed the Death Note in front of him. "What about L?" He questioned. "You told me his life was taken way before his time."
Reil grinned. "You're not getting anything out of me, boy. I'm going to let the adventure roll out on it's own. It will be amusing, after all." He paused. "But, if you guess the right question, I guess I could tell you."
Matt blinked animatedly. "You knew L?"
"He tells me that 'everyone knows L'," Near informed.
"But everyone you'd mean all the Shinigami," Matt concluded. "But why would Shinigami know L…?"
Reil laughed. "You're amusing." He looked to Near. "You could ask him yourself."
Near stared at Reil blankly. "L is dead."
"So?" Reil asked.
"We can't speak to a dead person," Matt pointed out.
Reil laughed again. "So amusing…"
--
Raito sighed, placing a hand against his forehead. "Stop following me," he said. "You're dead, L."
"I know," L replied. He was sitting next to Raito, his legs pulled up against his chest.
Raito turned to glare at him. "Why are you here?"
L put his thumb to his lips. "It's not to make you feel guilty, I assure you."
"Then why?"
L's dark eyes stared at him, as if reading into his soul. "I wont let you kill him," he informed.
Raito's eyes narrowed. "You're dead. How do you expect to stop me?"
"Test it, if you want," L replied.
With a snort, Raito grabbed a pen. He pulled the Death Note from a drawer and placed it on his desk. Flipping it open, he pictured the boy in question and placed the pen against the paper…
His head began to pound, so hard that he was forced to drop the pen and grab hold, attempting to make the pain subside. As soon as he dropped the object, the pain stopped.
He glanced at L.
"I told you," L stated, still staring. "I wont let you kill him."
--
"Your father is currently in Japan," Reil informed, leaning back against the bedroom wall. "He's bugging that Kira boy who seems to have a high ego."
"That's impossible," Matt muttered.
"He can't be in Japan, he's dead," Near stated.
"You humans," Reil laughed, looking at Matt. "You're all so much alike. You dream big, but when the reality is before you, you ignore it."
"What is he talking about?" Matt asked, looking toward Near. He received a shake of the head in response.
There came yet another knock at the door, before Mello opened it. He paused, looking at them both.
"Matt, why are you on the floor?" He asked. "Or do I not want to know?"
"Another human," Reil commented. "I hope he's as amusing as you two. I'm going to die of laughter if I keep hanging around with you!"
Matt looked to Near, who nodded. "Mello," he then said, addressing his best friend. "Jay wasn't killed by Kira."
"I know that," Mello commented, raising an eyebrow.
"He was killed by a shinigami," Matt explained, watching Mello's other eyebrow raise in surprise. "Well… I think Near can explain it better."
Near showed Mello the Death Note. "According to the shinigami, when a shinigami saves the life of a human, they die. Their life span is then added to the human's life span."
"Shinigami?" Mello asked. "L said something about a shinigami."
Near motioned for Mello to get closer and touched him with the Death Note. Mello turned to look at Reil and stared a bit before turning back to Near. "If the Shinigami that saved you is dead, why is this one here?"
"You amuse me," Reil informed.
"Why can I only see you after touching this Death Note?" Mello questioned. "If it belonged to the other one."
"I was the last Shinigami to touch it," Reil informed. "If any other Shinigami had possessed it, you probably would be able to see it as well."
Mello hummed, sitting down in a chair. "Do these things get passed around like drugs where you come from?" He asked. As an afterthought he added, "Matt, get off the floor."
"Right, boss," Matt mumbled, getting up. He sad on the bed beside Near.
Reil laughed. "You're amusing too! I like you kids."
"Mello," Near addressed, catching the blonde's attention. "Reil informed us that L was killed before his time. The Shinigami that killed him is dead now. But then he informed us that L is in Japan, with Yagami Raito."
Mello glanced to Reil, who nodded. "L is dead, yet L is in Japan?" he questioned. Reil nodded once more. Mello hummed, thinking for a moment. "Does Yagami know he's there?"
Reil grinned. "He's bugging him to death, I'd imagine."
"He can see L?" Matt questioned.
Mello did a bit more thinking. "Reil," he addressed. "Are there only Shinigami, or are there other gods?"
"You ask a lot of questions, its amusing," Reil chucked softly to himself. "There are more gods then just Shinigami, but they are rare."
"Is L a god?" Mello questioned.
Matt and Near stared at him in a bit of surprise. Reil threw his head back and had a god, long laugh.
"I find it interesting that out of the three of you, the blonde had the right answer," he alleged.
"L… is a god…?" Matt stared at Reil in complete shock. After a moment he turned to look at Near, who was looking at his hands like they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen.
"There are two other types of gods, aside from Shinigami," Reil began to explain. "Fuujin, and Raijin. Wind, and thunder gods. When I say they are rare, I mean that they are reborn as humans. When they die, they walk the earth until they find a suitable new body, and then they possess them.
"Fuujin and Raijin, according to the Chinese style of Buddhism, were evil gods who apposed Buddha. Although this is only partially true. They are not, in fact, evil. Then again, no gods are truly evil. Its merely our duty to put fate on a suitable course.
"When a Fuujin is born, they know from the moment they are to the moment they die what they are. Raijin, however, have no memories of their previous lives. Fuujin and Raijin, according to the law of Chaos and Order, are not allowed to love." He glanced toward Near. "Nor, are they allowed to mate." He continued with his story, then.
"L is a Fuujin, a wind God. He doesn't necessarily have mythical powers over wind, but he is by no means human.
"Fuujin and Raijin take the form of humans in order to get a first-hand look at how the human world is running. They are naturally smarter than any humans, armed with knowledge and the ability to learn quickly. This is why they aren't allowed to have children. Plus, it wouldn't do us much good to have half gods running around."
He looked toward Near. "Fuujin are the Order, Raijin are the Chaos. Neither are good, or evil. However both do not like to co-exist." Near stared, watching him. Reil stared back for a moment. "You, according to law, should not exist. That is why your life was ended so shortly. Your father was expected to live twice as long as the life span of even a shinigami. But because he is dead, the existence of you is now known. You will have countless assassins on you, creatures of Chaos and Order both after your life."
"Chaos and Order?" Matt whispered. "It sounds so black and white."
"There is no in-between," Reil informed.
"People after my life?" Near questioned. "Because I am L's son?"
"Your father can protect you much better now that he is released from his human body and back in Fuujin form," Reil informed. "From his position in Japan, he is watching over that human boy, Yagami Light. He has been making sure he does not use his Death Note to kill you."
"Why?" Near questioned, making Matt gape at him. "If he knows my life is against the rules, why does he not follow them?"
"Love?" Reil breathed, saying the word like he didn't think it existed. "Your father has lived many years. I'm sure he's come to feel that there should be an in-between. Not to say he got a human pregnant just to break the barriers between Chaos and Order, but he certainly did so by brining you to this place."
"What?" Mello asked.
Reil grinned widely. "We'll learn how well Chaos and Order co-exists in due time. But, for now, enjoy your young lives."
Mello frowned, glancing to Matt. The redhead shook his head and looked to the Death Note, laying on the ground.
This was all way too strange.
--