An Alternate Note


I apologize, these first few chapters will seem slow, I don't want to just skip to my non-canon stuff, but hopefully this is just different enough to keep you all hanging on. Reviews are appreciated. Let me know where I can improve.


Light took off her shoes, still feeling the adrenaline burn through her veins as she prepared to go up to her room. The events of this day were definitely what she'd asked for, perhaps she should have been a little more careful when asking for excitement.

"Light! You're home late!" Her mother exclaimed, coming to meet the slightly ruffled looking teen at the door.

Light looked up at her mother, "Well, yes, I'm sorry but you see..." She paused as she noticed her mothers outstretched hands. Oh, the results of the exam. I should have known. She dug in her bag and handed her mother the neatly folded papers.

It was almost like her mother didn't even see her standing there, stalkings ripped at the right knee, hair ruffled, pink tinge to her cheeks. Am I nothing more than test results? Oh well, it's not like she could mention to anyone what had just transpired.

"Top scores, yet again! I'm so proud of you! What would you like me to make you for dinner?" Her mother spoke excitedly, not noticing the distaste lighting her daughters eyes as she handed the young woman the papers back.

"Nothing special mom, I'm going to my room to study some more until dinner." Light used her best, bright, happy voice.

"Oh ok, you're such a good daughter!" Mrs. Yagami shuffled away even as Light gave her a fake smile and turned to the stairs.

Light locked her bedroom door behind her again, not turning on any of the lights and leaned her back against the door, head bowed. She grimaced in anger, eyes hidden by her bangs, hand clenched in a fist. Dammit all... dammit all to Hell. She whipped out the Death Note and stared at it with hard, unyielding eyes.

A sadistic smile broke out on her face as she looked at it, "Alright... let's put this thing to some use."


A few hours later Light stretched out on her bed and cracked her knuckles. She'd filled a whole page of her new notebook with names. Names of every rapist and child molester she could get information on. She didn't bother to get all the details on their specific infractions, knowing they'd even been accused was enough. A self-satisfied smirk graced her lips as she heard her younger sister call her down for dinner. Her family would be watching the news tonight, perhaps she'd hear something about her victims.

It'd been about a week now that Light Yagami had owned the Death Note. The news had been abuzz with the unprecedented number of deaths, at first seemingly unrelated, of rapists and more recently murderers. Now, there was general unease, and surprisingly a vast amount of supporters for whomever it was that was getting rid of the low-life criminals. The murderous vigilante was given the name "Kira" by the general online public.

Light smiled, despite disliking the name she was given, it was still satisfying to know she was actually making a difference. A dark shadow fell over Light and she turned slowly in her chair. A strangled cry came from her throat as she fell from it onto her butt. "Shi-shinigami!"

Ryuk looked down at her with his wide eyes, a kind of chuckle escaped his throat. "It seems you've taken quite a liking to the notebook. And you've figured out what it is. I am Ryuk, previous owner of that Death Note."

Light righted herself and stood to face the large, ungainly death god. "So, are you here to kill me?" she asked calmly.

"Huh? Kill you? Where do humans get ideas like that?" Ryuk asked with a bemused look on his strange, over-sized face.

Light blinked. "So, you aren't going to kill me? For using the Death Note?"

Ryuk laughed, "Not at all. Once that Note fell here it became part of the human world. You're that books new owner. I couldn't care less who you kill with it. I am surprised though, that you've killed so many. Most people hesitate when using the Death Note. You must have written hundreds of names by now."

"Hm," Light sat and leaned back in her chair, "it's not like it's difficult to write a name. Besides, all those people deserved to die. There's no reason to hesitate."

"Heh, humans are so interesting."

"Why are you here anyway, if this Death Note now belongs to the human world?" Light asked, almost uncaring that there was a Shinigami sitting in her room, and turned on the TV. Something she did often these days to check the news for any new criminals she thought deserved to die.

"That Death Note ties me, Ryuk, to you, Light Yagami until either you die or the Note is destroyed."

"Well then, Ryuk, check this out. It seems the world has noticed me. I've been named Kira, the 'saviour of mankind'. This Death Note couldn't have fallen into better hands." Light smiled.

"We apologize for the interruption but we have a live worldwide broadcast from Interpol." The TV broadcaster's voice interrupted Light's train of thought.

Anything Light was about to say was paused as she stared at the TV screen, somewhat startled. Are you kidding me? Who the hell is this guy? She continued listening to this 'Lind L Tailor' with growing distaste. "...I will find you."

"That guy seems certain he'll catch you." Ryuk said laughingly.

"...what you're doing is evil." The man on the screen continued.

"Me? Evil? I don't think so L. I'm only getting rid of filth! I guess I'll just have to get rid of you, too. I have no intention of being arrested." Light, jumped up from her chair and quickly scribbled down the name "Lind L Tailor" in the Death Note and started giggling to herself. Now, we wait... 4...3...2...1.

Lind L Tailor grasped at his chest while gasping in pain and soon fell over, head hitting the desk in front of him with a heavy thud.

Light sighed, crossing her arms over ger chest. "It's too bad, if he'd been smarter maybe this could have been a little more fun. Oh well I'll j-"

"I-I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't just seen it with my own eyes, but I just had to test it out. Kira, it seems you can kill people without being there in person." The scrambled, electronic voice had Light shaking in disbelief.

"This can't be... he..." her fists clenched at her sides, she watched the plain black "L" on the screen as the unidentified man continued to speak directly to her.

"That was not me. It was an inmate scheduled for execution later today. It seems you cannot kill people that the police have arrested in secrecy. I assure you though, that I, L, am real. So go ahead, kill me. Do it!"

Light, shaking with rage was actually beginning to feel the first tendrils of uncertainty. "Damn him..!"

"So it seems there are people you can't kill, Kira. You've given me a very good clue, so I'll tell you something good in return. This was only broadcast in the Kanto region of Japan, it was not a worldwide broadcast. I deduced that you may be in Japan because the very first victim who died of heart attack was only broadcast in the country. He was different than your usual victims though, so the police easily overlooked him. He was your guinea pig, a test. I never thought this broadcast would go quite so well. I will have you captured and sentenced to death. I am curious how you've managed to kill all your victims though. No matter, I'll find out when I catch you, and I will catch you soon."

The broadcast cut out to nothing but static.

Light laughed, "All right then, L, I accept your challenge. I will find you, and I will kill you. If only to prove to the world that Kira is not so easily thwarted."

"Nee-san! Dad's home!" Sayu's voice was loud enout to carry upstairs to Light's room.

"Hm, well you're pretty confident for someone who's being hunted down." Ryuk said following Light to the door.

Light looked up at the Shinigami with a smirk. "That's because I have a trump card if the police start to suspect me."

"What do you mean?"

"My father's a police chief, it should make it easy enough to get secret information. Besides, I've helped solve various cases in the past, no one will suspect that it's strange if I have an interest in the Kira case." Light whispered until she reached the bottom of the stairs.


The next afternoon found Light sitting in an abandoned building, several bottles of different chemicals around her as she rigged a fail-safe for the Death Note. Seeing as the police were now seriously going after Kira there was no way she could risk the Death Note falling into anyone else's hands.

"What are we doing in this run-down hole anyway? I'm bored."

"I'm protecting my interests Ryuk, now stop whining. Once this is set I can leave the Death Note safely at home. If anyone were to catch me with this now, I'd be convicted for sure. Besides, I'm planning on making things more interesting here soon. You won't be bored for long." She poured a final liquid in her concoction and it went up in flames. She smiled. This would be perfect.


Once back home, she explained to Ryuk the finer points of her fail-safe and the shinigami laughed. "You know, of all the people who have found a Death Note you're probably the first one to ever think through it's hiding place this far."

"Hm, right. Well, it's time to find out what the police are working on. If I play my cards right I can get the police suspicious of L and vice-versa. IF they start investigating each other, the police will do all the work of finding L for me."

An hour or so later Light got up, stretching her arms over her head. "Alright! I've got it!"

Ryuk, who was busy chomping down on apples paused too ask, "Got what?"

"Well, it looks like they're suspecting that Kira may be a student due to the times of death of the victims. They'll be in for quite a surprise tomorrow." she grabbed a towel and her pajamas, throwing them over her shoulder. "I'm going to take a shower, don't follow me." She threw another apple at Ryuk and left her room.