Contrary to public belief, I'm not dead... or critically injured by rapid L fangirls, who really are out to get me after the last chapter -ahem- anyway, I apologize with the lack of updating... I really do, I've just been having difficulties getting the chapters to turn out the way I want them. I recently read over the ones that I published on another site and I just wasn't too happy with them so after days of editing and then re-editing again and again... this is my final product... sorry if it doesn't reach its full potential of what it could be. Anyway, that aside, thank you everyone for all of the reviews, I really appreciate the feedback and hope to hear from you again after this chapter. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas! (or Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer).

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or anything affiliated with it.

Several hours had passed since the death of L and Watari. A private funeral had already been arranged and the set date would be within the next few days. No one outside of the task force was to know of L's passing and to keep it that way; the cemetery overseers were to be paid to keep quiet. All members of the task force sat in silence soon after the incident, some were upset, most didn't want to believe it. Hikari was one of them. Soon after the incident, she went directly to her room, not saying a word to the others. It wasn't hard to see that she was hurt, considering how fond she had become of the young detective over the past months, but staying behind locked doors kept her emotions unknown to the others, or at least that's what she wanted to believe.

She had a mixture of emotions bottled up inside her, too many to name; and an unbearable pain swelled within her, pain which was also bringing forth hate, a hate for Light Yagami. It wasn't just the fact that he had caused L's death, but that he had the nerve to act as if he cared afterwards. Anger boiled up inside her every time she heard the bastard mention avenging L's death. The boy she had grown up with, became friends with, and even looked up to. The one who was there for her after her mother's death, gave her the assurance that someone was there when she needed them; he was completely gone. He had become a monster, destroying the world with his sick, twisted sense of justice. He wasn't the Light she remembered, not anymore... not after all of this. He was a heartless monster, more cruel and demented than even a God of Death.

Silence swept through her room as she sat on her bed, her teary orchid gaze staring emotionless out of the rain streaked window. A trail of tears lined her reddening cheeks. Placed close to her hand was her Death Note, something she had managed to sneak in (mostly with Kaito's help). Held in her opposite hand was a black inked pen.

She slowly turned from the window, looking to the black notebook, her mind contemplating her next actions. Arriving at her final decision, she opened the book. Kaito noticed and walked to her side, "Hikari? What are you going to do?" he asked, not sure if she would actually answer him.

As he thought, she didn't respond. Tears continued to fall, landing onto the paper as she placed the tip of the pen against it. She closed her eyes tightly, trying hard to stop the heavy flow of tears. Opening them again, she gave herself one last time to change her mind. 'I'm going to do this... I'm going to kill Light... and then myself... that is the only way to atone for the stupid decisions I have made... I'm sorry, L... I should have told you the truth... I'm so sorry...' she thought then began writing the names.

As she finished Light's first name her hand shook with fear. This was the first time she had used the cursed thing since learning of its deadly powers. She kept going, determined to finish this. Knowing there was nothing he could do to change her mind, Kaito remained silent.

As she reached the second letter of Light's last name, she suddenly stopped. "I . . . I can't do it," she said as the pen fell from her grasp. She lied down on the bed, crying into the pillow, "Dammit! . . . I couldn't bring myself to do it . . . I-I just can't do it," she said softly as the tears continuously poured. Kaito sat beside her.

"It's because you're a good person, Hikari . . . Knowing of the notebook's power, I really don't believe you would ever be able to go through with killing another, innocent or not . . . especially after seeing all of this play out . . . besides, I'd doubt that L would want you to kill Light with a sense of revenge, anyway. In fact, killing him now wouldn't prove anything that L was fighting to achieve. He'd want him proven without any reasonable doubt to be Kira. If you kill him now, what do you think would happen?" Kaito asked. He felt a bit awkward by trying to cheer a human up, but even though he was a god of death, he couldn't deny the fact that Hikari had grown on him. No, he didn't love her as Rem did Misa, but he did consider her a friend of sorts and in that way he did actually care.

Hikari lifted her head from the pillow, taking in Kaito's words, really thinking through them as she began to calm down. She nodded in agreement, "His death would be perceived as another one of Kira's deaths. In a sense . . . if I did that, I'd be no different than Light," she replied. She wiped the remaining stream of tears from her eyes before speaking again, "You're right . . . Kaito." After a few quiet moments, she sat up and turned to the shinigami, "Kaito, I have a question."

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, back to his old careless seeming self.

"I know that because of your world's laws that you can't reveal everything to me, but . . . I really need to know . . . is there a way? A way to bring L back?" she asked. Kaito looked at her, seeing the determination in her eyes. He turned away and sighed as he walked to the window.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Hikari. Yes, there is a way . . . the Death Eraser," Kaito answered, turning toward her.

"The Death Eraser?"

"Yes, a secret tool that enables the owner to erase the names of the people written in the note. I have to say that this is the first time I've ever come across someone who is dedicated to use it. Hell, I'm not even entirely sure if the damn thing even works since we shinigami has absolutely no need for it, but I will warn you, Hikari. With this tool comes a hefty price, a price that most are unwilling to give up," he told her.

She looked him in the eyes, "Name your price, Kaito."

"The price for obtaining the Death Note is half your life span, but that isn't the end. Granted, it is an unlimited tool that can be used by you until your death; however, there is a price you pay each time you remove a name from a Death Note. That price is one year of life per letter erased. In other words, if you obtained the Death Eraser; however, your lifespan was shorter than the amount of life you spent then the eraser would not work, but you would die." (1)

Hikari thought over what Kaito had just told her, going over every detail in her mind. Coming to a decision she looked to Kaito.

"Kaito, I've reached my decision . . ." He looked to her, wondering just what her answer would be.

A/N: Well, it sure seemed longer on microsoft word... sorry for the shortness, I'll make up for that I assure you. Hmm, as I said, I'm a bit disappointed in this chapter. I'm not sure why it just seems to be missing something (maybe it's just me being paranoid... again). Let me know of any mistakes please and thank you! Anyway! Hmm, what is Hikari's decision, I wonder. Read and find out

-1. The reason this was marked was mainly to explain. Yes, the Death Eraser does exist (read Pilot manga to understand); however, there were no rules, other than the body can't be burned or destroyed or whatever. I found this a bit light. You give up half your remaining lifespan for shinigami eyes to see someone's name and lifespan, yet you give nothing to bring back a soul??? So yeah, I added rules to it. It made it more realistic (to me anyway).

-Reaper