A/N: I know, I know. I'm so late with the update, and I'm really sorry. Things haven't been all fine and dandy, so I hope you all forgive me. Writers block and family issues have been nugging the hell out of me lately lol But things should be somewhat ohkay. Thank you to all those who reviewed!
This chapter is dedicated to snooze2010 and GhostGirlMD for helping me with this idea and offering advice, as well as encouraging me to continue.
And to those who haven't given up on my crossover since I hadn't updated in forever: Thank you! Please enjoy:
Kagome crossed her arms and huffed, floating above a busy intersection. She looked up and scowled at the graying sky, completely unaffected by the light drizzle falling to earth. Below her, pedestrians scrambled into buildings or rushed home to beat the upcoming storm. Several children jumped in puddles, which earned several frowns from the adults, and one little 6-year-old boy noticed Kagome, pointing into the sky in her direction while pulling on his mother's blouse. The mother hushed the boy and tugged him along, unable to see what he wanted her to see. The miko let a small smile come about at the boys innocence and waved, which he copied with a two-front-teeth-missing grin.
"Kagome," called Ayame, emerald eyes meeting sapphire. "Ryuk's off-grid."
The priestess closed her eyes, the smile falling from her lips. "I know."
"This is getting ridiculous. We lost two Death Notes, two shinigami, two Death Note users, and we have a healing hanyou. This case isn't closing fast enough and Sesshoumaru is getting pissy," the okami yokai growled.
"Two shinigami..." Kagome mumbled, a frown etched into her features. "Whatever happened to the second one?"
"Kouga said it flew away."
"Flew away?" Kagome shook her head, opening her eyes. "Why would it just fly away?"
Ayame shrugged. "No idea."
Imprisonment: Day 49
Kouga watched the screen uninterested from his place on the ceiling. L was ignoring him, and nothing seemed to faze the stubborn detective. "Yo Sherlock. I wanna ask ya something," Kouga said, slowly settling himself on the floor beside the seat L occupied. The okami yokai laid out, stretching on his back. "When did ya meet Kags?"
L glanced up at Kouga unemotionally before returning his gaze to the screen. The Task Force was going to be there soon, so why risk the chance of getting caught?
"Oi L, you can't ignore me for long." A long silence. "Have it your way," Kouga grumbled under his breath, annoyed.
L stifled a sigh and looked down at the annoying irkiyo with a slight of his brow, which Kouga almost missed because of how well the detective kept his face mostly impassive. "I met her formally over a hotel room table," L answered. "Informally in a 24-hour convenience store and in the park. She was battling a Nure-Onna before she fainted from exhaustion and I caught her before she hit the ground. Is there a reason why you'd wish to know this?"
"Nah, just wonderin'," Kouga replied, a sly grin suddenly breaking out.
L unconsciously leaned away, suddenly aware of how dangerous and creepy Kouga looked like wearing such an expression on his face. Couple that with the fact he wore furs and a metal chest plate, looking ready to take on a feudal war; it was unsettling. "You are... grinning at me. I don't understand why my response is so amusing to you."
"She's pretty isn't she?" Kouga asked, icy blue eyes staring up into coal ones.
L paused for a moment, narrowing his gaze at the male on the floor. "She is attractive, yes."
"Ok," Kouga said simply, closing his eyes.
"Care to explain why you had asked me such a question?"
"No, I don't think so. You can figure it out, you're the detective after all!"
Before L could demand once again for answers, he heard the door open and in walked one of the Task Force members. "Morning Ryuzaki!" Matsuda greeted happily.
"Good morning Matsui."
Matsuda froze at the door way for a few moments, eying the floor beside L. The image of a man wearing armor and furs vanished half a second later, leaving the young police man to shake his head.
Imprisonment: Day 50
L leaned forward, pressing on the microphone button that would allow him to speak to Soichiro and spoke softly. "Yagami-san? Are you ok? You know, there is no reason for you to continue doing this."
"It's been more than a month since criminals began being killed by Kira again. Now all that remains, Ryuzaki, is for you to realize this too. When I leave here, it will be with my son," Soichiro said strongly despite his rumpled appearance.
"The chief is so stubborn..." Matsuda murmured, glancing back at a nodding Aizawa.
L leaned forward to activate Light's microphone and said, "Light-kun, are you ok?"
Light laid on his side, nodding slowly. He looked drained, pale and weak. Wearily, he replied, "I'm ok... but Ryuzaki... ever since my imprisonment, criminals have stopped dying... There's a good chance that Kira or someone knows about my current predicament... It might be worth investigating alo-"
"No," L interrupted, his face devoid of emotion. "The reason they stopped dying is because you are Kira."
"That's not true!" Light shouted in desperation, sitting up and staring into the camera with pleading eyes. "I am not Kira! How many times do I have to tell you this?"
Aizawa watched the scene carefully, his expression softening at Light's reaction. "Ryuzaki is pretty harsh. I can't believe he hasn't told Light-kun that criminals are being murdered."
L ignored the pair of investigators behind him and switched his focus onto Misa, who sagged in her bindings pathetically. "Amane," he called.
"Yes?" she replied softly, almost defeated.
"You don't look so good. Are you ok?"
Misa frowned, though L couldn't see it behind her blinders. "What? Are you stupid or something?" she growled meekly. "If Misa was fine after so many weeks of this, she'd be some kind of weirdo."
"I guess you're right," L responded without any humor.
"Hurry up and release me. I want to see Light... Light... Light... Light...," Misa trailed off, blissfully.
"It seems like all three of them are reaching their limits," Matsuda commented, coming closer to the monitors to have a better view of the weak looking three.
"Ryuzaki, why do you continue to detain Light-kun?" Aizawa demanded. "You should release him. That way Chief will be free as well. Despite neither Amane nor Light-kun receiving information about them, criminals continue to be killed. Doesn't this tell you enough?"
L shot a slight annoyed look to the infuriating man and said, "No. The only thing I've been able to establish is Amane's extraordinary love for Yagami Light." He used his finger to stir the extra sweet coffee and lifted his hand to his face to see his long index finger coated with white cream.
"Ryuzaki... sorry, but personally, I think you're only doing this because you don't want your 'Light-kun is Kira' theory to be wrong," Aizawa told him, crossing his arms.
"Oh, so you do think that after all..." L licked his finger clean, keeping his steel gray gaze on the monitor.
Aizawa snapped, throwing his arms down in indignation and balled his hands into fists. "It's as Light-kun said, Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and those FBI agents. If they were able to kill without the need to acquire information, they would have never been caught! 'Kira does not kill more then it's necessary to', you said so yourself!" The outraged man only became even more infuriated when L brushed off his accusation, refusing to reply.
"Oh, I see," Matsuda said, trying to calm the situation, "If they could kill people under those conditions, they could have left the FBI agents alone because they would pose no threat."
L drank the rest of his coffee, thoughtful. "Fifty days have passed," Aizawa continued, trying to get his point across. "There's no point in carrying on with this anymore. Instead, we should be focusing on capturing the real Kira."
Kouga shifted his position on the floor with a sigh. "L, you won't find a way to convict Light because he doesn't know anything. Knowing him, he'll find a way to get the Death Note back. From what Ayame told me earlier, Ryuk is off-grid and the second shinigami is no where to be found. Something smells fishy. I bet Light has something up his sleeve."
After a long moment of contemplation, L responded a general answer. "I understand," he said monotonously, then activated Soichiro's communication system. "Yagami-san."
"What is it?" Soichiro asked tiredly.
"Could I get you to return to Headquarters? I'd like everyone to hear my verdict on this matter. I'd like you, Yagami-san, as Light-kun's father, to be the first to know."
Soichiro's head snapped to the camera, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Fine."
Three Days Later
Soichiro drove a coal gray car through the streets grimly as Misa sat in the back, handcuffed, but not blindfolded. "I never imagined you would be such an old man, Stalker-san," Misa said smuggly.
"I'm not a stalker, I'm a detective," Soichiro replied shortly.
"Detective?" Misa shouted in disbelief. A look of recognition passed over her face. "I remember now! At the beginning of Misa's kidnapping, they mentioned something about 'suspicion of being Second Kira'! They were actually serious about that?" she asked incredulously. "Surely not... The police would never tie me up like a maniac. Besides, if you're releasing me, isn't it a little odd to keep my hands and feet cuffed?"
"Silence," was Soichiro's only reply as he drove into a parking garage. He pulled up beside an awaiting Aizawa and Light, and got out. The pair of investigators nodded and Soichiro allowed Misa to get out as well.
Misa's face brightened into a smile and leapt up. "Light!"
"Misa," Light said in surprise.
"Light, I wanted to see you so much!"
Light turned on his father. "Father, what's going on?"
"Huh? Father?" Misa whirled on Soichiro, her eyes wide with realization. "Oh no! Misa called Light's dad a stalker and lots of other rude things! Pleased to meet you! I'm Amane Misa. I'm going out with Li-"
"Take them away Chief," Aizawa told his superior, unable to take Misa's high-pitched voice any longer.
Soichiro opened the back car doors and allowed both Misa and Light to get in. "Hurry up and get in," he told them coldly.
As the car spurred to life and drove out of the parking garage, Light let out a breath of relief. "I guess that means we're no longer under suspicion and finally free."
"No," Soichiro said firmly. Misa and Light glanced at each other worriedly and returned their gazes to the back of Soichiro's head. "I volunteered to escort you to a top-secret execution chamber in an underground facility."
"Execution chamber?" Misa cried out. "What?"
Light's voice edge hysteria. "What are you saying? Father?"
"You're joking right?"
"L had concluded that Yagami Light is Kira and Amane Misa is Second Kira, and if we dispose of both of you, the 'Kira killings' will end," Light's father stated placidly.
"The Kira killings should have stopped all ready..." Light whispered.
"No, they are still taking place."
Light's gaze turned furious. "Still taking place? That's not what L told me-!"
"It was most likely an investigation technique L was using in order to get you to confess. But that's not the point... L's proposal of killing both of you, thereby stopping 'Kira killings', was quickly accepted by all the heads of the United Nations and the Government. Kira will be executed in secret, away from the public eye," Soichiro explained briskly.
"T-That's stupid Father! I am not Kira!" Light yelled.
"That's right! What are you thinking? He's your own son!" Misa cried, trying to get Soichiro to see her reason.
"It wasn't my decision," Soichiro responded, gritting his teeth. "It was L's. He's solved all sorts of impossible problems in the past, and he's yet to be proved wrong."
"Father... you're believing L over me?"
"L has even said that if the murders don't stop, he will take full responsibility for it, and pay with his life."
"It's true that given all the evidence up till now, the conclusion seems inevitable... but there's been a mistake! How could he come to this conclusion? There's something wrong here... This isn't like L at all. Up until now, he's always been able to offer solid proof when he solved a case... is he going to end it all just like this?" Light asked frantically.
"We've arrived," Soichiro simply said as he took a dirt road and skid to a stop beneath a bridge. The two passengers jolted at the sudden stop before protesting their positions.
Once Soichiro parked, Kagome slid into the car in her irkiyo form, unseen, and supervised the set up. She watched silently as L's plan played out, curiously wondering if it'd work. Honestly, she didn't think this was necessary. They already lost their memory, she told L herself, but he only replied that perhaps he could trigger Light's or Misa's mind-set for the Death Note and bring it forth.
"Where are we?" Light asked though clenched teeth. "What are you planning to do, bringing us to such a remote area?"
"Is it possible that you're planning to release us?" Misa wondered hopefully.
Soichiro waited a moment before speaking again. "No matter what we do here, no one will see it. I deliberately brought both of you here instead of the execution chamber. Light..." The investigator turned in his seat to meet Light's frightened eyes. "I'm going to kill you here, and then myself."
"What are you saying Father? Don't be stupid!" Light ordered, horrified. His voice rose in pitch and
Misa was hyperventilating at Soichiro's proclamation. "Stop it! You're crazy!" she shrieked, eyes wide. She started shaking her head as if to deny her Light's fate. "You're going to kill your own child and then yourself? If you want to die, then die by yourself! If you go through with this, then you're no better than Kira!" Misa screamed, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
Kagome looked for any signs of false reactions, but so far, everything seemed real. Light hadn't even acknowledged her when she entered the car, which meant he could no longer see her essence.
"No, I'm different from Kira," Soichiro murmured. "I have responsibilities, both as a parent and also as the Chief of Police."
"Father, it's exactly as Misa says! Even if we die here, they still won't know the truth! If that's the case, it's better to run!" Light shouted, trying to persuade his father.
Kagome watched as Soichiro pulled the gun out from his jacket and raised a brow. He truly was convincing; Almost as if he were serious. "It's too late, Light. Whatever path you choose, you will be executed, and if that's the case..." Soichiro's paused in his speech momentarily to point the gun at Light'd forehead, "at least it will be by my hand."
"Stop it Father! I'm not Kira! If I die here, it'll be exactly what Kira wants!" Light exclaimed, struggling in his cuffs. "Don't you see that?"
Soichiro spared a glance at the cowering Misa and said, "Amane, my son and I will die here, but I have no reason to kill you. The police will probably find this car soon, and then you can be executed at the formal execution chamber." Light's father cocked his gun and stared at Light with an icy look in his eyes. "Light... We're both murderers," he said with dry amusement. "See you in Hell!"
"Father!" Light squeezed his eyes closed.
"Stop!" Misa screamed at Soichiro.
Kagome jumped at the sound of Soichiro's gun going off. Even if she knew it was all a set up to get Kira and Second Kira to confess, she couldn't keep herself from cringing at the loud, frightening bang.
Misa turned to Light, her eyes glittering with fat tears, a look of disbelief placed on her face.
Light opened his eyes, his own vision clouded with his own tears. "A... blank?" he asked, his voice wavering.
Soichiro fell into his seat in relief, eyes closed. "Thank God..."
"What... are you doing, Father?" Light asked breathlessly.
Soichiro turned towards them, eyes guilty. "Both of you, please forgive me," he pleaded. "This was the sole method of freeing you. But believe me, I only did this because I truly believe that you are not Kira. Were you watching that Ryuzaki? I did exactly as you asked, and as you can see, I'm still alive."
L's voice filled the car. "Yes. It was a very realistic performance. If Amane was truly Second Kira and could kill purely by looking at someone, I'm sure we can assume she would have killed Yagami-san before he shot Light-kun. And if Light-kun was Kira, the way I have imagined Kira to be, they would kill even a parent if necessary. However, in Light-kun's case, I can't dismiss the possibility that he may have figured it out that it was an act at some point. But, as promised, I'll end their imprisonment. And also as promised..." L sounded a little reluctant at this point. "Amane Misa, although you may insist that those tapes are occult videos, due to your confession that you sent them, and other points of evidence, you will remain under surveillance until Kira is caught and everything is resolved."
"What's up with that?" Misa asked defiantly, wiping her tears away. "Are you still suspicious of me?"
"Well, you can return to every day life. Isn't that enough?" Soichiro offered. "As long as you're innocent, all surveillance means, is that you'll be protected by the police."
"Oh really? Well, since Misa isn't Second Kira, she just has to think of it as a body guard!" she said cheerily, a huge transition from her frightened demeanor before.
"Also Light-kun, as promised, I'm prepared to make a pact with you; that is, you'll be with me 24/7 assisting me with this investigation," L continued.
"I understand, Ryuzaki. Together, we'll catch Kira," Light announced confidently.
L watched Light through the camera with narrowed eyes. "Yes, I'll be counting on you."
Kagome's own eyes narrowed on Light, displeased with the way it turned out. She knew she shouldn't be disappointed, since she knew this would be the outcome anyhow. But she couldn't help but feel a slight spark of hope to finally catch the little smug bastard. "I surely hope you know what you're doing L," she whispered, even though he couldn't hear her.
Two Days Later
Kagome laid out on the couch, having the fullest intent to just sleep there. L, on the other side of the cushioned furniture, watched her lids grow heavy and finally drift close. Secretly, the famous detective was glad she had finally fallen asleep. She's been up since two mornings ago, and she nearly made it to her third. Light had also drifted asleep on the recliner off to the side, the silver chain connecting both of their wrists laying limply on the floor between them.
L heard the investigation room's door being opened, and his head turned to see Matsuda stumbling in. Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she yawned, seeing Matsuda's entrance. "Matsuda? What are you doing here so early? It's 4 in the morning, shouldn't you be sleeping?"
The young Task Force member slumped into a beige love seat after closing the door and sighed. "I tried. But I keep waking up after some weird dreams. I couldn't sleep anymore, so I came here."
Kagome sat up, much to L's displeasure, looking concerned. "What kind of dreams?"
"They don't make sense," Matsuda admitted sheepishly.
"Tell me anyways."
After a moment of contemplation, Matsuda proceeded to tell the two about the dreams he had been having since he was a young child. "When I dream, all I see are things in weird angles. Upside down, side ways, right ways, every way! Lately I've been getting dreams of staring out my apartment window, which is on the 4th floor, and slowly, the ground gets closer and closer. It's as if my head is moving towards the ground, but I'm not falling."
L felt Kagome stiffen beside him, and he turned to see an ashen Kagome, her eyes open and void of the need for sleep. She was wide awake now. "Oh really?" she murmured, "Anything else?"
"Well, it always seems like... Like I'm searching for something. But I stop myself from finding it. I don't know why I stop myself or what I'm looking for. I just know I am," Matsuda said.
"Matsuda... Do you ever wake up with neck pain?"
The young man blinked owlishly a few times before nodding slowly. "How'd you know?"
"Do you mind if you show me your neck?" Kagome asked, ignoring his question. Matsuda revealed his pale neck and allowed the miko to look over it. There were several silver stretch marks extending over the flesh of his neck and Kagome bit her lip in worry.
To confirm her beliefs, Kagome allowed her reiki brush along Matsuda's soul. She felt it flare in response, which was not unusual in any way. What was unusual was the fact there was a dark bruise settled on his clear blue soul. A shadow of yoki.
L pressed his thumb to his lower lip, confused by Kagome's reaction. It was obvious she has reached a conclusion, but he didn't. "What is it Rin?" Matsuda wondered. "Is it bad?"
"Matsuda, I'm going to tell you something important, and whether or not you believe me is up to you," Kagome said in a hushed tone, glancing at Light to be sure he was still asleep. Luckily he had not awoken to their quiet conversation. "I am the Shikon no Tama's miko and I am skilled at handling things that which are not of the human world."
Matsuda's eyes widened, sleep leaving his eyes just as Kagome's did. "W-What?"
"Matsuda, I'm afraid you have Rokurokubi blood running through your very veins. Rokurokubi is a yokai that is able to stretch their necks to unbelievable lengths during the night. Your ancestors must have married a Rokurokubi in the past and passed its blood along in your family tree. It's quite common that Rokurokubi's enjoy being human instead of a yokai, although sometimes during the night, they subconsciously stretch their necks to find a human to devour. Since you have so little yokai in your blood stream, you're able to control it much better," Kagome explained. "But Matsuda, those strange images you were seeing were not dreams. They were memories of your adventure the night before."
Matsuda remained silent before clenching his fists. "Ryuzaki, do you believe this?"
"Yes, I do," L responded with no hesitation. Truly, he had no idea what to believe anymore. All he knew was that when it comes to this, he'd trust Kagome.
"I saw a man wearing armor lying on the floor beside Ryuzaki's seat the day of Light-kun's and Misa-Misa's release. Who was that?"
Kagome stood, wobbled a moment, but made her way to the distraught Task Force member and kneeled in front of him. "Matsuda, that was my friend Kouga. There are others like me working on this case. Though I'm a miko, they're yokai."
The young investigator widened his eyes. "Does that mean... Amaya is..."
"Yes," Kagome smiled gently. "Amaya is actually Ayame. I'm really Kagome, not Rin. The man you saw, Kouga, is actually a wolf demon, along with Ayame. The other man working on this case is half inu yokai. His name is Inuyasha." She took a deep breath, and continued. "But you must call Ayame and I by our false names, do you understand?"
Matsuda slowly nodded, and Kagome moved to stand, but he grabbed her wrist with a pleading look crossing his features. "Is there anything... Is there anything I can do? To remove the yokai blood?"
"No," she said softly, sapphire eyes softening. "But you can control it. Are you willing to receive some training to grasp your yokai nature?"
"Anything that can help," the young police force member nearly begged. "Just please... I want to make sure I can keep this whole thing under my control. I don't want to hurt anyone, I'm not a monster."
"Of course you're not."
Matsuda looked past her to see Light stir slightly but remained asleep, and lowered his voice. "Will you be training me?"
"No," Kagome replied. "I'm far too busy with the Kira case. But I know someone better at training newly found yokai than I am." The police force member looked worried, biting his lip when he thought of what would happen in the near future. "Please don't worry Matsuda. I deal with these kinds of things all the time. I'll contact my superior and explain, and then everything will be all fine and dandy."
"Fine and dandy," Matsuda echoed, a bit of doubt still marring his features. He looked at Kagome skeptically, but had no choice then to listen to her. Besides, what other explanation was there?
A/N: I hope you all liked. Sorry if it isn't the best. I've been trying to get through writers block and forced myself to write after not having been for months now. Please excuse OOCness or spelling/grammatical mistakes, it's been a while since I've written, so I hope it's ohkay.
Also, I've been busy with Districts (Dec. 10th) for acting. I performed two seperate scenes. One was a duet and the other was an ensemble. I receieved "Good"s from both of them. Not exactly an "Excellent" or a "Superior" but it was pretty good for my first time competing; There's always next year!
Check out GhostGirlMD's youtube channel (GhostGirlMD) and you'll see videos of the competition. As some of you may know, my name's actually Serena, so when you hear someone call my name and see a half Asian, half white girl respond, yep that's me. Lol Check it out if you want.
Be sure to review. Reviews helps me through writers block :D Ja ne
-KiriKatana