Chapter 18: Enemies Ever After

Emi watched her boyfriend, who was sitting on the couch staring back at her with that pathetically fake-innocent look on his face. She frowned, her gaze full of accusation, and finally asked sharply, "Drevan, how could you ask him to do that? He's just a child, and you asked him to kill a friend! It's different, killing criminals, from killing someone you know!"

Drevan gave up on the innocent look, instead saying patiently, "We were in danger. Your notebook and mine were both upstairs, and in the time it would take to have gone and gotten them out of hiding, Teil could have given away something vital!"

"I know he's a bit antisocial, but…" Emi said, "He wouldn't have really given us all away. Think about what this could do to Taro!"

Drevan stood up. "If Taro's going to be part of this, he needs to learn to be stronger than that." He walked out of the room, and Emi glanced worriedly at Shidoh. Something was up with Drevan, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Shidoh, have you noticed anything weird with Drevan lately?" she asked. Criminals were still dying, and crime rates had gone down again, just like they had seventeen years ago. But Drevan seemed to be drifting away from that purpose, as if he had something else to plan out.

Shidoh munched a bag of M&M's, looking thoughtful. "He's almost scarier than Mello, but in a different way. Mello couldn't have done anything to us, but Drevan feels like he can. Anyway," he continued, eating another handful of M&M's, "I would be more concerned about what happened to Teil's notebook, if I were you. Zellogi should have picked it up by now, and he would have told us if he was going back to the Shinigami world."

Emi blinked. Shidoh was right. What had happened to Teil's notebook?

xXx

L watched Light warily the entire way home. Something was wrong. He certainly hadn't imagined the crimson glint in Light's eyes, the all-too familiar look from a life already lived. Somehow, his personality as Kira had resurfaced now that he owned the notebook, and L was terrified that things would go as they had seventeen years ago.

He thought he understood why. Light had died as Kira, believing in his own ideal. If he had died without memory of the notebook, it would not have affected him in this way. But Kira had died, and had now been truly revived. The only question left was what L could do about it.

When they got home, Light set the notebook on the coffee table, going into the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. L glanced at the Shinigami, which hadn't said anything since Teil's death, and asked quietly, "What's your name?"

"Zellogi." the Shinigami said shortly. L looked back at the notebook as Light returned, and said quietly, "We should burn this notebook."

"Why?" Light asked. "It could be helpful to have it around."

"It's a murder notebook, Light-kun. It's better off as ashes. What could it possibly be helpful for?"

Light frowned. "The Shinigami might know something about the people in this group. How can we ask it if we can't see it? And they might come looking for it. In that case, we can catch them that way."

"I doubt the Shinigami will tell us anything. And if they were to come looking for us, how would they know whether we had burned it or not?" L said. He glanced up at Light, looking sad. "You're just trying to think of excuses not to burn it. You want it for yourself."

Light looked startled. "How could you say something like that?"

L sat down on the sofa, staring at the carpet. "Because it is the truth, Light-kun."

Seemingly confused, Light walked over and sat down next to him, reaching up to lay a hand on his shoulder. "L, I don't know why you would think that…"

"Don't touch me, Light-kun." L said softly. "I know the look in your eyes, and I know what it means."

Light withdrew his hand. "I don't understand. What do you think I am?"

L flinched. It hurt, more than Light would ever understand, to speak the name. "Kira." He watched as a betrayed look settled on Light's face, but his eyes reflected the carefully hidden anger. Such a good liar, Light was. Kira only served to enhance it.

"You think I'm Kira?" Light asked, standing back up. L nodded, and Light cried, "Just because I picked up the notebook and I think it would be useful to have a Shinigami around? The task force didn't burn it either, as far as I remember. They kept it locked in a safe, until the day I died!"

L blinked. "They also were under your direction, and Kira couldn't have them burning his notebook, could he?" he countered sadly.

"You didn't burn the notebook either! You wanted to test it to see if it worked!"

"In the name of proving the thirteen-day rule a fake. Which it was."

Light gaped at him. "Why won't you believe me? I'm not Kira, L!"

L looked up sharply, meeting Light's eyes. "The Light I know wouldn't keep piling up lies, not to me! The Light that I know wouldn't keep trying to prove his innocence with hollow arguments! And the Light that I cared about, the Light that I saved from being hit by a car because I couldn't live without him… That Light would burn the notebook, because he believed that Kira was evil, and he was ashamed of what he used to be!"

Light stared at him for a moment, then his expression shifted to a vicious glare. He grabbed the notebook off the table, storming for the door.

"Where are you going?!" L yelled, suddenly worried.

"I'm leaving!" Light shouted back, anger plainly evident. L watched with wide eyes, as the door slammed closed behind him, before sinking back against the couch with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He hid his face in his arms, whispering to himself, "Damn you, Kira…"

xXx

Taro Kagami walked slowly up the sidewalk, scanning buildings as he went.

"They went this way, didn't they, Ryuk?" he murmured quietly to the Shinigami.

"Yeah. But we couldn't see what building they went in." Ryuk said, laughing. He had thought it was hilarious when Taro decided to tail the two. This kid was so funny to be around. It was cool to have a kid for once. Light had been way too serious about everything, even if it was entertaining to watch him get himself out of trouble.

Taro sighed. "That doesn't help, Ryuk!" he hissed, not wanting anyone else to think he was talking to himself. He glanced around one last time, resigning himself to going home, when he spotted Light, the original Kira, coming out of a building. "Ryuk, look!" He started to hurry forward, then stopped, frowning. Changing his mind, he hurried into the building, asking a nearby person, "Do you know which apartment Light and L live in?"

"Oh." the man said. "They live down the hall from me. Seventeenth floor, room 1705."

Taro managed a hurried thank-you, racing to the elevator and punching the button for the seventeenth floor. When the elevator opened, he scanned the doors until he found the one he was looking for.

xXx

L was still curled up on the couch, the only change being a cup of coffee clutched in both hands. He had sunk into his own thoughts, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that the real Kira was loose on the world again. A knock sounded through the room, but L ignored it. Someone was at the door. If it was Light, he had a key, and L didn't want to talk to anyone else at the moment. He had to figure out what to do from here.

"Heh… You might want to answer the door, you know."

L dropped the coffee mug, which was thankfully empty. It thudded to the carpet as he whirled to see Ryuk hovering in the air near the door. He frowned, growling, "Shinigami… What do you want?"

Ryuk laughed. "It's not what I want. I'm just following my notebook, after all."

L's eyes widened in realization, and he practically leaped over the back of the couch to run to the door. Taking a deep breath, he undid the lock and pulled the door open. Taro Kagami stared back at him with scared eyes, and L blinked, confused.

"I have to talk to you!" Taro said. "Please!" The white notebook was clutched in his arms. L hesitantly stepped aside, allowing the child into the apartment.

When both were seated, L said slowly, "Why did you come here?" He wasn't sure what to expect from Taro's answer, but when the boy did speak, it was a shock.

"I want to give this to you." Taro said, holding out the white notebook. L stared at him, unable to say anything. Taro glanced around nervously, adding in a rush, "I can't do this anymore! I don't want it! I figured out where you lived because I saw Light leaving…"

"Why didn't you give it to him, then?" L asked bitterly.

Taro frowned, looking down at the notebook. "I don't know. I got the same feeling from him I do from Drevan. A bad feeling. I would rather you had it."

L took the notebook, looking at it for a second before setting it on the table. "Drevan? Who is Drevan?"

"There were six of us." Taro said. "Me, Teil, two girls named Mizuki and Himeko, Emi, and Emi's boyfriend, Drevan. Drevan's kinda like… our leader, I guess you could say." At this Ryuk laughed, but both ignored him. "I was there in Towa Records this morning. I saw you catch Teil, and I called Drevan to ask him what to do… He told me to kill Teil, to protect us… and I did." His expression seemed to crumple, and he continued, "I can't do this anymore. No more killing. I would rather you keep it. It has all the rules in it and everything…"

L felt bad for him. He was only a kid, probably motivated in the beginning by revenge and manipulated by this Drevan person later. And if it meant the number of notebooks that he faced was down to only five…

"It's okay, Taro." he said. "I'll take the notebook, if you want to forget."

"I don't really want to forget, but if it's the only way to stop this, I will." Taro said. Ryuk laughed again, louder, and both L and Taro finally looked at him. "What?"

"You forget, I'm a Shinigami." Ryuk chuckled. "I can let him keep his memory, no problem. This kid's more sensitive to Shinigami and Death Notes than most. He knew the others without being told. With his memories, he'll keep his Sight, too; the ability to see the Shinigami whose notebooks he's touched."

"You can do that?" Taro asked.

"Sure, kid. It'll be entertaining, certainly."

Taro looked over at L, who picked up the notebook. He grinned, saying, "Then I give up ownership of this notebook, Ryuk."

Ryuk laughed, and L stared at the white notebook. It was his, now. He had never actually had ownership of a notebook before. It didn't feel like much, but that was how it started, wasn't it? The Death Note in human hands was a weapon, plain and simple.

"Thank you, Taro." he said quietly. He set the notebook back on the table, and stood up. Taro stood as well, heading for the door.

"Thanks for taking it from me. Drevan will leave me alone, because he thinks I don't remember." Taro said. "You can stop him. I know you can." He left, saying a quick goodbye to Ryuk. L watched him until he got in the elevator at the end of the hall. He was glad Taro had so much faith in him, but he hoped it wasn't misplaced. Even with a notebook on his side now, things had just gotten a lot more difficult.

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Okay, so I have had NO time for the past three weeks. It was my brother's b-day, then I went back to the beach, and this past week has been HELL. No one had any time to drive me to the library at all! You guys think you get frustrated waiting for the next chapter... I get frustrated waiting to WRITE the next chapter!

Anyway, ranting aside... All-day band camp starts next week, so all of my writing time dies. I'll do my best to get another chapter up as soon as possible. Getting my laptop back is the only good thing about school starting...

Love and hugs!
Li