"Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?"
Life is Beautiful By Six A.M.
((I edited this chapter so if you read it please re-read it 3/27))
Near followed Dr. Smith down the steps to a large, white, open room that held the group of people ranging from ages two to who knew how old in long, white, unisex, sleeping gowns. Though what made them unique was the fact that all of them wings on their backs! But not just normal wings, it was as if all the meat and feathers had been stripped from them and all that was left was their skeletal remains.
Near looked at these people with only pure shock in his eyes, which was quite unusual for him, and they looked at him with either uninterested glances, or in interest. When Dr. Smith spoke again he said, "So you see them?"
Near nodded and said, "I see that there're winged people." He had calmed down to his normal state of mind.
Dr. Smith laughed and said, "Not the winged people, do you see the Shinigami?"
Near looked at him and said, "No I don't."
Dr. Smith smiled, "Well then I guess I'll show you to Anya then." Dr. Smith began to walk passed the group and to another door, with Near following.
That door led to what looked like a dorm area that was also white. Near wondered who Anya was but when he saw a girl cured asleep on a bed he guessed that was her. Anya looked to be about a thirteen year old girl who had long snow white hair that spiked out a bit around her scull, and pale skin, like his own. Her eyes were hidden from his view, but the eyes didn't matter. And what shocked him was that he saw Ryuk floating over the girl and that she also had wings of bone.
Dr. Smith walked over to the girl and asked the air above her, "Could I wake her up?"
Ryuk nodded his head and looked at Near. Dr. Smith said, "N, this is Anya."
The younger girl smiled and said, "Nice to meet you… wait you name isn't N. Why do you keep your name hidden? According to your status you're not guilty of anything."
Near looked at her and asked, "Anya do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
She smiled and said, "Go ahead."
Near nodded and asked, "How do you know my real name and what do you mean about my status?"
She smiled and laughed looking above her saying, "Ryuk should I tell him." Ryuk laughed.
Anya laughed again and turned her attention to Dr. Smith and asked, "Could you step out for a bit? If N didn't tell you his real name I don't think he'd want you to hear it."
Dr. Smith looked at the girl uneasily and the nodded and headed out the door. When Anya turned her attention back to Near he had calmed down and she said, "Nate Rivers. That's a nice name. Why don't you tell people it?"
Near shook his head and replied, "It's because of a case I had so many years ago that made me hide my name. You've heard of the Kira killings correct?"
Anya's eyes lit up and she said amazed, "You're a detective? That's so cool!" She laughed and said, "And you're the one who led to the end of Light-sama?"
Near's widened his eyes again and asked, "How did you know…"
She laughed again and said, "Well I really should tell you how I knew your name before I answer the other two questions. I have shinigami eyes." She smiled.
Near's eyes enlarged and before he could say anything she said, "Before you ask no I don't have a Death Note, and even if I did I wouldn't use it. Now which do you prefer, to see Ryuk then the rest of the shinigami or just see him with the rest of the shinigami?"
Near opened his mouth and then closed it again. How was she going to let him see a shinigami without a Death Note? But then he calmed himself down, which he had, had to do way too much today, and replied; "I can already see Ryuk because of the Kira case so I guess let me see the others when you wish."
She smiled and sat up on her bed and said, "Well then he can tell you the story of my eyes," she looked above her and said, "Won't you?" then back to Near and said, "Look into my eyes."
He did and was a bit shocked to see her eyes were red. How could he not have noticed that before? He just was just off today. But when he did it was like a switch was turned on in his head and nothing happened. Anya smiled and said, "Now you be able to see the rest of the shinigmai."
Near nodded though he didn't know how he'd react to seeing more shinigami than just Ryuk. He would probably scream.
Ryuk laughed as he hovered above Anya and said, "Nice to see you agian, Near. Though you were the one who ended my fun all those years ago. I guess I have to explain about Anya now don't I?" He picked Anya up from the bed and then sat down on her bed with her in his lap, which didn't seem to faze her what-so-ever.
Ryuk cleared his throat and said, "Before I get to Anya I'm going to have to tell you about the winged humans. Well way back when, when the shinigami needed to check up the world, when the world didn't have so many people, we used to come to Earth and some of them decided to fall in love with the humans. They would use magic to make themselves to look like humans, woe that human, and out popped the winged humans.
"Well the females who bore their children never made it out alive so the shinigami just stopped. Though some idiots still do it every couple of years, it's mostly not accepted." Ryuk started to play with Anya's hair and she was smiling away, "Well most of the winged children were healthy but they always had shinigami eyes, though despite their wings they couldn't fly; and ever since way back when the human's government or religion always tried to hide these humans.
"On the night that L died this little girl was born and she was a very special case." Ryuk stopped and repositioned Anya so she could be more comfortable and started playing with her hair again, "I was told to be put in charge of her but I was still seeing how much more fun Light could be to me so I ignored it. Though I didn't know how much she had tied into Light until I killed him."
Near looked at this little girl so at ease with a shinigami and thought, "What could possibly tie her with Light?" but that was answered soon by Ryuk.
"This little girl has the nickname in the shinigami world as 'Kira and L's will'." Ryuk said and laughed at Near's shocked expression.
Anya smiled and said, "When I was born Light was the one who was supposed to die but fate had something different planned for L. Oh I'm sorry Ryuk, I interrupted."
Ryuk laughed and said, "It is okay. So Near? So you follow me so far?" Near nodded and Ryuk did the same and continued, "Well instead of seeing a person's name and how many days they have left, this precious little girl can let other people see any shinigami if she wants, and she can see a person's name and if that person is guilty or not."
Near asked, "Guilty of what exactly?" he was getting this but at the same time he was confused.
Ryuk looked to Anya and asked, "Well whoever fits the description of what L and Light thought a criminal was they are guilty, and if they don't fit said description then they aren't guilty."
Anya smiled, "And as I said earlier, you're not guilty, and even though you were Kira's enemy you aren't a criminal."
Near nodded and said, "So I'm guessing the guilty and not guilty status has something important besides being an asset to the police."
Ryuk laughed and Anya said, "When I die all those who are ever labeled guilty will all die with the letters K and L scratched across their chests, and even after I die they will die if they're guilty."
Near took a step back from shock and asked Ryuk, "Is this true?"
Ryuk laughed and said, "It's all true, though she left something out; the guilty will die a few seconds before they even commit the crime." He laughed again, "soon you'll have to find a new job."
Near nodded and, yet again, recomposed himself and said, "Well that was unexpected."
Ryuk laughed again, and Anya said, "And that's why the nurses and doctors try to stay away from me unless they have to. They don't want to know if they're going to die or not even though none of them are. They try to keep me alive as long as possible even though it seems impossible."
"Are you sick?" , Near asked.
Anya nodded and said, "I have an unknown disease that doesn't seem to want me to stay alive. And I can see why it wants me gone. Though I'd feel sorry for the winged people."
Near looked at her strange and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Oh Ryuk we left something out," Anya laughed and so did Ryuk.
"Well when she dies all the winged people will die and no more will ever be able to be born." Ryuk said.
Near nodded though in his head he thought, "What did I get myself into?"
A/N: Hey to those who read this story! I have a story called that is pretty good so far and I think you should all check it out. It's a Death Note fic with Near and a bit of Mello but it's about an OC! It's called Sherlock: A Tale Of Two Detectives and can be found in my favorites. It's really good.