Sol of Luna: Near and Far

Author: Gakusangi

Author's Notes and Acknowledgements:
RECAP - When last we left the characters...Mello and Near were still eluding their mysterious pursuers in the forests outside of the Capital. Near becomes more and more of a mystery to the young mercenary, displaying signs of fatigue during the day, and having a bizarre aversion to sunlight. His silent, but attentive nature doesn't help Mello's disposition. Meanwhile, Mello continues to dream about his troubled and shrouded past whenever he loses consciousness. Eventually, Mello and Near are attacked, but save by a pack of wolves, which Near has strange bond to. We end this chapter with the Emperor, who sends for his daughter Misa, and speaks of a strange plot with mysterious creature that only he and members of his family can see.

This is a Death Note fan fiction. Many of the characters presented here are not mine, but the legal property of writer Tsugumi Ohba, and artist Takeshi Obata.

Chapter 03: The Water Bearer

A man with long black hair, pulled back into a braided tail, and an ivory breastplate speckled with dried spots of blood, and the image of a serpent at its center, stepped out from the brush. He surveyed the scene before him. All about the area lay the torn corpses of his men, all having fallen victim to a pack of wolves that had attack them with sudden ferocity. There were no signs of their marks anywhere. The two boys had not only managed to elude their pursuit, but the wolf attack as well. The man hummed to himself thoughtfully, and glanced down at the almost empty, ivory handled revolver tucked in his belt.

An officer is camouflage stealth gear, with his hood pulled back and his mask removed, came up beside the dark haired man.

"Our trackers have picked up on their trail." The officer informed. "Shall we continue pursuit?"

"We will pursue, until we have captured them." The armored man said evenly. "Further failure is not an option."

The officer gave a quick bow and retreated back into the thicket. The armored man took another passing glance over the scene, his hand falling lightly to the ivory handle of his new acquired pistol. There was more to these children than he had originally anticipated. An amused smirk curled the edge of his lips.

--

The blonde boy gripped the other boy by his hair, punching him in repeatedly in the chest and face. The other boy whined and struggled, but could not free himself of the blonde boy's grip. The blonde boy continued to relentlessly beat on the other boy, until someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him away. He whirled and came face to face with another boy, slightly taller than he was, with coppery, red hair, and goggles resting on his head. This new boy raised up his hands, indicating that he had no intention of fighting.

"Easy there!" The redhead said urgently. "I'm not lookin' for trouble."

The blonde boy's eyes narrowed, but voice caught his attention. He turned and faced the boy he had just recently been pounding on.

"Just like a commoner," The boy snapped through cracked, bleeding lips, "Having to result to such primitive acts of violence. You'll never amount to anything. You're just, low class."

The blonde boy moved to advance, but the red haired boy jumped in front of him.

"Don't let him get to you." The red haired boy pleaded. "He couldn't take you in fair match, so what's the point in wasting your time?"

The other boy shuffled off with a group of his friends, beaten and bloody. The blonde boy stood before the redhead, his chest heaving with every fiery breath he took. The goggle headed boy threw an arm around the blonde boy's shoulders and began to lead him away from the play yard. He smiled warmly.

"Don't let it get to you so much." The redhead said. "King or popper, we all end up in the same place at the end."

"Where?" The blonde boy asked without looking at the other boy.

"In the ground." The redhead replied with a grin. "No matter what we do in this life, we all answer to the undertaker, and end up six feet under. Our only hope is to leave our mark on this world and avoid being forgotten entirely."

For some reason, Roger's words flooded into the blonde haired boy's mind.

"This is our ultimate end." Roger had said. "This is where we all desire to be."

The boy found new meaning in those words.

"My name's, Matt, by the way." The redhead said brightly. "And I've seen plenty of you lately. You've been in maybe eight fights since you got here, what…a week ago. That's more than 1 fight a day! You need to mellow out a bit. You'll give yourself a heart attack at this rate."

"Mellow out?" The blonde boy responded, turning to Matt.

"Mellow." Matt repeated slowly.

The blonde boy thought for a moment. He was sure that he liked this boy, this Matt character. He had a quality. He wasn't sure what the quality was exactly, but it was present, and he liked it.

"So, what do I call you?" Matt asked.

"Mello." The blonde boy responded.

"Mellow?" Matt repeated in confusion.

"M-E-L-L-O," The blonde boy spelled, "Mello."

Matt considered him for a moment, before smiling broadly.

"Okay then, Mello." Matt finally said. "Come on, I have something to show you. Should easy those nerves of yours."

Matt led Mello back into the guildhalls, and down a long hallway, with elegant stain glass windows flanking them on either side. They stepped out into the empty courtyard, hedges, benches, fountains and the occasional statue pock marking the area. It was actually quite beautiful, and very peaceful. Matt reached into his sleeveless jacket, and with drew a small sheet of paper, and tobacco filled box. He rolled a cigarette, placed it in his mouth, and lit it with a match. Mello looked on in wonder.

"You smoke?" Mello asked.

"Only when Roger's not around." Matt replied.

Matt approached one of the statues, one that resembled a child with wings. He grinned at Mello, and then pulled something from his pocket and placed it under the stone figure. It was a small, white tube, with a long fuse sticking out of one end. Matt lit the fuse with his cigarette, and then dashed back to Mello's side, grinning all the while.

"What is that?" Mello asked, indicating the hissing tube.

"About half a black powder stick." Matt replied around his cigarette, pulling his goggles over his eyes.

Mello looked back at the statue.

"Shouldn't we be further back?" Mello asked.

"I think we're okay." Matt replied.

The thunderous kaboom that filled the courtyard was deafening, filling both boys' ears with a loud ringing noise. They were both knocked down forcefully in the blast, the air pushed from their lungs on impact. The statue was gone, stone debris littering the whole area. Matt sat up, his cigarette bent between his lips. He spit it out, and looked on in shocked wonder.

"Well, I guess we could have gone a little further back." Matt admitted.

He rolled over and helped Mello to his feet. The stunned blonde looked into the goggle covered eyes of the other boy.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked.

Then Mello's fist collided with Matt's jaw, and the goggled eyed boy dropped back to the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mello snapped, rubbing his hand.

Matt rose to his feet, caressing his jaw.

"That's a hell of a right hook you got there." Matt remarked.

A voice called down to them from one of the windows overlooking the courtyard. It belonged to a woman with glasses.

"Hey, what's going on down there?" She demanded.

Matt and Mello both looked at each other. Then they took off running.

--

Mello awoke, his eyes squinting as the sunlight flooded into them. Near lay asleep close by, Mello's jacket shielding the boy from the sun's rays. Mello rose to his feet and dusted himself off. His dream, though he couldn't quite remember what it had been about, had left him in a relatively good mood. All things considered. He pulled another piece of chocolate from his pocket and shoved it into his mouth. He let it melt on his tongue, the sensation soothing him, calming him further. When he was finished, he approached the sleeping boy and tapped him gently with his booted foot. Near's eyes opened slowly and looked up at him.

"We have to move." Mello told the white haired boy.

--

Teru Mikami was one of the most feared and respected men in all the Empire. He was commander of the Kagebannin, the sole surviving order after the Clan Wars. There was something to be said about the man who led the Emperor's secret, elite military unit. He stood before the throne, dark hair cascading over broad shoulders, and eyes meeting the pale eyes of the Emperor unwavering. Yes, Mikami was a man to respect, and take with an air of caution, even among the royal family.

"I can say with absolute certainty, that the Prince is no longer in the Capital, my Emperor." Mikami reported without being first prompted by the Emperor. "Though it had been well covered up, we found signs of a scuffle near the plaza. I do not think that these past few events are a mere coincidence."

"You're as keen as ever, Mikami." The Emperor remarked in his emotionless tone, pushing long silvery-white bangs out of his eyes. "Can your men pick up a trail from the skirmish?"

"It has led into the woods." Mikami replied. "I have sent a group out to follow it."

"I want you to handle this personally, Mikami." The Emperor said. "My son must be retrieved."

Mikami gave a short bow, and then left the room, his footsteps echoing in the open chamber. The creature that only the Emperor new was there laughed behind his back.

"That guy's a real piece of work." The creature chuckled.

"Yes." The Emperor responded lifelessly. "And if he fails, you will be the only fallback we have."

"Not really." The creature replied, coming up beside the Emperor and towering over him.

"You mean, Takada." The Emperor said.

The creature only laughed again.

--

Mello and Near were forced to move at a snail's pace, since Mello had to constantly snap at the white haired boy to keep him awake as they moved. How much could someone possibly have to sleep? And he was young! Shouldn't he be full of youthful exuberance, or something? Mello huffed all the while, Near remaining silent in the background, trying to remain conscious.

The day went on, dryer and hotter than the previous days. The canopy provided shade, but it couldn't block out the oppressive heat. In fact it only seemed to make it linger. Mello's mind kept wandering back to the night before. The wolves had attack so violently. Yet they had been tame before his traveling companion, his high-ranking charge. Who was this kid? Roger had called him the 'Prince'. Was he really the son of the Emperor? If so, why would he need a bunch of mercenaries to protect him? Sure, the Guild was well known, and respected, even by the royal family. But was the royal guard protection enough?

Mello glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Near was still following behind him. There he was, in all his whiteness, save for Mello's crimson jacket, looking like he was ready to keel over at any moment. They had been traveling for hours now, so Mello was comfortable with the idea of taking a break. Besides, it would give Near a chance to catch a quick nap, and him a moment to think. They stopped, and Near settled on the ground, drifting off almost as soon as his head touched the soft earth. Mello settled down, and slipped another piece of chocolate into his mouth.

"Fling your banners to the sky, set swords around them gleaming." Mello recited the hymn again, finding comfort in the words. "Your tyrant foes can scarce deny, what's asked by saber's beaming."

Near stirred a little in his sleep. Mello wondered what he was dreaming about. Then he decided that he really didn't care, and bit into another piece of chocolate to distract his mind. There was a rustling sound from some nearby brush. Mello leapt to his feet, his sword out and ready. Near sat up, and looked about, his eyes still heavy with sleep. A man emerged from the bushes, a commoner by the looks of him. He caught a glimpse of Mello and froze, his eyes nervously set on the sword.

"I-I haven't any m-money." The man stammered, mistaking Mello for a bandit.

Mello paused for moment, before realizing what the man was thinking. He sheathed his weapon.

"I'm not going to rob you." Mello said flatly.

Near lay back down on the ground, and passed out again.

"Do you live nearby?" Mello asked.

"I'm from a small village at the forest's edge." The man replied. "I'm gathering wild berries for jam."

"Can you take us to the village?" Mello asked hopefully.

The man considered the two boys for a moment. He showed a particular interest in Near, likely, just as Mello, having not seen anyone else like him before. He looked back to Mello.

"Yes." The man said with a nod. "Follow me."

He turned and started back the way he had come. Mello stepped over to Near and nudged him with the toe of his boot until the white haired boy opened his eyes again.

"We're going now!" Mello snapped.

--

The village was only a short distance from where they had stopped to rest. It was a small farming community, with rice fields extending far into the distance. The man, whose name was Bero, told them about recent events, though neither of the boys was paying any close attention to his words.

"Since the rains are late, our harvest it at risk." Bero sighed sorrowfully. "We might not be able to make quota."

"Is the rice all you pull profit from?" Mello asked.

"We have livestock, but it's a necessity out here." Bero replied. "We need it almost as much as we need the rice and money."

Mello only sighed. He wasn't a farmer, and had no idea how to help these people, even if he had intended to help them…Which he didn't. He had his own problems at the moment. Bero led them through the village, both boys attracting a number of stares from the people the milled about. They were a bizarre sight. A young swordsman, clad in dark leathers and a black, quilted fencing vest, and a boy who resembled a ghost, and moved about like zombie.

Mello shrugged it all off. The sun began to set on the horizon, beautiful shades of warm colors melding into the clear, blue sky above. Bero led them to his home, and invited them inside. His wife was sitting at the small, wooden table, and his daughter was sitting at her feet, playing with a doll that appeared to be made of wicker. Bero smiled and embraced his wife, kissing her lightly on the cheek. When the broke apart, she eyed Mello and Near suspiciously, and looked questioningly to her husband.

"I found them in the woods." Bero explained. "They're on their way to Akkiya."

"You wouldn't happen to know the fastest route from here, would you?" Mello cut in.

"Oh, yeah." Bero replied. "There are actually two ways you could go. There's a trade route, in Dagger Hills. And then there's an old caravan road."

"Which do you recommend?" Mello asked.

Near looked like he was about to fall over. He leaned against a nearby shelf, and closed his eyes. Soon he was breathing deeply with sleep. Mello ignored this.

"Well," Bero thought for a moment, "There's a rumor that the trade route is being plagued by a Vile. But the caravan road is a bandit spot. So I really couldn't recommend either."

Mello thought for a moment. Taking on half a dozen bandits at once wasn't anything he couldn't do, but typical raiding party was maybe four or five times that number. He couldn't win against those odds. Besides, they'd be prime targets. A prettied up royal, and boy with an exquisitely crafted sword would be high on a bandit priority list. But the other route wasn't much better. This was a daemon they were talking about. That wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"Is it just one Vile?" Mello asked.

"As far as I know." Bero replied.

"Then tomorrow, lead us to the trade route." Mello said.

Bero thought for a moment, then his eyes fell on the slumbering boy propped up against the shelf.

"I'll take you in the morning." Bero stated. "It's safer during the day anyway. And it looks like you two could use some rest."

He indicated the white haired boy. Mello glanced over his shoulder at Near.

"Yeah," Mello said, his tone seeming thoroughly annoyed, "You might have something there."

--

Roger and Mello walked together down one of the many passages. A year had passed since the boy's arrival at the Guild, and already he seemed like a different person. It wasn't entirely for the better. Mello's temper had only gotten worse, flaring at the slightest thing. Matt mischievous influence had landed him in trouble on more than one occasion, but at least the boy now had a loyal friend to confide in. He had taken to the class with stellar performance, much as Roger had anticipated. They were so alike those two. Mello was finally going to meet the legend. But what effect would it have. And what did L want with the boy. He had only observed Mello a hand full of times, and only for a brief few moments. Yet his interest, like Roger's, had been peeked.

"I expect you to be polite." Roger warned. "He isn't a man to take lightly, no matter how he might seem."

Mello looked up at the old man with an expression of curiosity.

"What's he like?" Mello asked.

Roger thought for a moment, trying to find the correct words. Really there weren't any. L was unlike any person Roger had ever encountered. He was…unique. Yeah, that seemed like the right word.

"There's L," Roger began, "And then there's everyone else."

Mello only looked on with mingled wonder, and puzzlement. Roger came before a pair of large, oak, double-doors. He knocked three times. Without waiting for a reply, he opened one of the doors slowly. Mello felt his heart skip a beat, and held his breath. This was L. L was for 'Legend'. At least that's what everyone said. He was the backbone of the Guild. He was the sword and shield. He was justice. Mello crept passed the old man and stepped into the room. His breath was instantly caught in his throat at the sight before him. Roger silently closed the door behind the young, blonde boy. Mello stared in the dimness of the room, at the man who resided in it.

"It's you!" Mello breathed. "From the fire!"

--

Mello awoke with start. What had he been dreaming about? He settled back down onto the bed, and waited for his breath and heart to steady. He was drenched in sweat. Once he had regained himself, he rolled over on his side to face Near's bed. But the bed was empty, the sheets and covers thrown aside. Fear gripped Mello like a living thing holding him down to the bed. But he fought through it and rushed down the stairs, quickly grabbing his sword from the nightstand as he did so.

Bero and his family were sitting at the table when Mello came rushing down the stairs. Bero looked at the blonde boy with alarm.

"Where's Near?" Mello demanded urgently.

Bero blinked for moment. Then he shook his head and answered.

"He stepped outside a minute ago." Bero said.

Mello pushed through the door and into the chill of night air. The moon hung pale overhead, shedding her silvery light down on the village, and the stars glimmered in the darkness above. But Mello paid no mind to the beauty of the scene before him. All of his attention was drawn to the little, white boy standing before the rice fields, curling a lock of ivory hair around one finger.

"Near!" Mello breathed angrily.

How could he just go out for a breath of fresh air with assassins on their trail? Had he no sense whatsoever? Near turned and faced Mello, his expression blank and unreadable. But something in it kept Mello from stalking forward and thrashing the smaller boy. Near turned away. His head slowly tilted upward, until is dark, dead, gaze fell upon the moon. His lifted his arms to the sky slowly, his palms turned up, and his fingers spread. Mello watched in confusion. Something was happening. He didn't know how he knew this, but he could feel it, like a presence standing beside the two boys.

Then Mello heard the low rumbled of thunder, and his eyes too drew themselves to the heavens. Swirling clouds began to form the center of the sky, dark and heavy. Mello's breath was stolen from him. There hadn't been a cloud in the sky a moment ago. There was another clap of the thunder, and soon the gathering clouds blotted out the sky. The rain began then. It was just a few drops at first, light and refreshing. Then it became a downpour, coming in heavy sheets, drenching the two boys. Bero and his wife appeared in the doorway. They looked on in wonder as the rains fell, Near standing, almost glowing by the rice fields.

Near lowered his arms and his gaze then. He turned around slowly until he was facing Mello again. Mello looked to the boy in shocked silence, his mind racing. Then the words fell out of his mouth.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mello breathed.

To Be Continued…

Author's Comments

Once again, the hymn is just part of a poem called, The Sword Alone. I don't know who wrote it.

Well we've certainly had some developments here. Lots of characters introduced, including: Mikami, and Takada. More of the Emperor and his mysterious plot, and the Daimyo soldiers who are pursuing our lead characters. More and more of Mello's past comes into light.

YAY MATT!!! I love writing about that guy.

If you want me to keep writing, just send me a comment saying so. Otherwise, I'll assume you lost interest, or were never interested in the first place.