Sol of Luna: Near and Far

Author: Gakusangi

Author's Notes and Acknowledgements:
RECAP - We opened the last installment with Light Yagami meeting the Emperor's daughter, Princess Misa. After a brief conversation with the Princess, Light concludes that she's an idiot, and tries to avoid any further encounters. However, Halle Lidner, a friend of the royal family and a member of Near's personal guard, and a former member of Misa's, has started monitoring Light, in order to keep him from betraying them. Light later recalls his meeting with a mysterious figure named Ryuzaki, who was a member of the Akabannin, and one of Light's chief strategists during the Clan Wars. However, Misa catches him repeating Ryuzaki's name in his sleep. Meanwhile, Mello and Near recuperate and finally resume their journey back to the Guild. When they finally arrive, Mello informs Nancy, an elderly guildswoman, that Roger is dead. She immediately sends for L, who is apparently at the border defending the Empire against Daimyo attack.

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 08: The Guild

Hiyama watched as Commander Coil poured over the maps and reports scattered across the table. Though Hiyama had served with Coil for some time now, he still found the sight of the man to be very…distracting. Maybe it was the dark crescents under the man's eyes from sleep deprivation. Maybe it was because he bit the tip of his thumb while he was in deep thought. Maybe it was the way he sat, squat with his feet on the seat of his chair, and his knees against his chest, as he hunched over the documents before him. It could have been any one of, or all of these reasons. But what still stood, was the fact that Coil was easily the most brilliant man Hiyama had ever met. His victories over the Daimyo forces that attempted to gain a foothold on Imperial territory were awe-inspiring. They were flawless. Perfection was a message, it said much and carried weight. And so this bizarre man, Coil, had earned Hiyama's respect and admiration.

Commander Coil took a sip of his tea, which was little more than a paste inside his cup. Sugar dampened with tea. That was another thing about Coil, his unhealthy eating habits. Hiyama had once asked how Coil maintained his gauntness when he ate noting but sugary foods. Coil had explained that all of the energy garnered from the sweets he consumed, were used to fuel his mind. Since Coil was constantly thinking, and thinking quite rapidly, there was never any excess to grow on his body. Thus he remained thin, despite his consumption. Hiyama, though he didn't fully understand the reasoning behind it, had simply accepted this answer. How could he have disproved it?

"Captain Hiyama." Coil called without looking up at the man, his voice calm and even.

"Yes, Commander?" Hiyama responded.

"Have the reports from Haisuno come in?" Coil asked.

"They're on top of the third stack, sir." Hiyama replied.

Coil took up the reports. Each report was over ten pages in length. To Hiyama's amazement, Coil read them within a few short seconds. He seemed disappointed by something, leaning back in his seat and placing a finger on his bottom lip, pulling it away from his gums. It seemed like something a child might have done, but there was nothing childish about Coil, at least where appearances were concerned.

"The pincer strike wasn't as effective as I had hoped it would be." Coil remarked, tone having not changed in the slightest. "We still managed to push them back, but I'll have to note Ohba's resolve."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Hiyama turned to the door, and then looked back at Coil. Coil gave a nod. Hiyama cautiously opened the door. A messenger came rushing in, a small, white envelope held tightly in one hand. He came before the desk, but stopped for a moment when his eyes fell on Coil. Hiyama wasn't surprised. The same kind of thing had happened to him when he first laid eyes on Coil.

"Commander Coil?" The messenger asked disbelievingly.

"Yes?" Coil replied.

The messenger held out the envelope. Coil took his gingerly in one hand, holding it with his index finger and thumb. The messenger gave a quick bow, and then rushed back out of the room. Hiyama closed the door. When he turned back around, Coil had already opened the envelope and his eyes were scanning the paper tucked inside. Though Hiyama couldn't see it, he knew that whatever was printed on the paper wasn't good news. Coil's large eyes lit up for a moment, and worry seemed to cross his features. But it was all gone in an instant, and he was unreadable once again.

To anyone else, the message was incomprehensible, but to the man that had invented the code it was printed in, it might as well have been written in English. Coil stood up, tossing the message into the fireplace, and letting the flames eat away at it, reducing it to ash. Though he was tall, Coil's posture was slouched, making him seem shorter than Hiyama. Coil tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Captain Hiyama." Coil said.

"Sir?" Hiyama replied, snapping to attention.

"I'm placing you in charge of the battalions." Coil said casually.

Hiyama nearly fell over in surprise.

"What?" Hiyama breathed.

"You're going to act as Temporary Commander, until I return." Coil explained.

"Sir, I can't just take over." Hiyama pleaded.

"Hiyama, you're the most highly experienced soldier serving in this company." Coil said. "I'm leaving my responsibilities to you, in my absence."

"But sir-" Hiyama began.

"Can I rely on you, Hiyama?" Coil asked. "Can I rely on you as a soldier?"

Hiyama thought for a moment. This was a matter duty, the soldier's code. Something that no one, especially Hiyama, took lightly.

"Yes." Hiyama replied with a nod. "You can count on me, sir."

"Good man." Coil replied. "Now if you'll please send for my carriage, I must depart immediately."

(XXX)

"So this, Ryuzaki, was one of the first men to join up with you." Misa said.

She and Light were sitting alone in his tent. Misa was dressed in a short, black nightgown, and Light sat shirtless on his bedroll.

"He was at one of my rallies." Light explained. "He wasn't hard to notice. I didn't think much of him at first. In fact, I thought he was more of a liability. That is, until I had a lengthy conversation with him one day."

"What happened?" Misa asked, though she only seemed half interested.

"I discovered that he was a genius." Light replied. "He had an intelligence that rivaled my own. I let him in on my command team, and he started handing our operations. Pretty soon it was just Ryuzaki and I running the clan. I was the heart, and he was brain. While we were together, no one stood a chance against us."

"Then…how were you defeated?" Misa asked.

Anyone who paid enough attention to current events seven years ago would be able to piece this together! Then again, she never seemed to have much brains.

"Just before the final campaign," Light began, "I was apprehended by Kagebannin soldiers, who ambushed me in my sleep. I later came to realize that Ryuzaki had set me up."

"That's too bad." Misa said sympathetically.

Too bad? That's an understatement!

"So what happened to, Ryuzaki?" Misa asked.

I hope he died!

"I can't say for sure." Light admitted. "I never saw him afterwards, so he could have slipped out during the fight…or he might have been killed."

"Misa hopes so." Misa suddenly piped in.

Which one?

"It was wrong for him to have betrayed you!" Misa went on, a bit too passionately to seem genuine. "He deserved to be punished!"

"Yeah." Light agreed bitterly.

I only wish I could watch him die. It would be worth the seven years I lost because of him. Just to watch what life remained in those dark eyes vanish from existence.

"You should head back to your tent, Princess." Light said.

Misa was surprised at first, but then she looked hurt.

"You don't want Misa around?" She asked all glassy eyed.

"It's not that I don't enjoy your company, Princess." Light lied. "It's just that it's inappropriate for me to be seen with you. Besides, if anyone else, like Takada or Mikami, catches us, they'll throw a fit."

After they kill me.

"Misa understands." Misa said with a mischievous grin. "We have to keep our relationship a secret. Otherwise it'll be some big scandal."

Relationship? Scandal? I still can't believe her sometimes.

"Right." Light replied. "And that's the last thing we want. Right, Princess."

"Please, call Misa, Misa." Misa pleaded. "Princess sets us apart. Misa wants this relationship to be on even terms. No status. Just love."

Love? Is she serious?

"Sure…Misa." Light said, finishing with a gentle, but entirely fake, smile.

Misa returned his smile with a genuine one, and then left quietly out of the tent. Light breathed a sigh of relief after she was gone.

"It looks like she could be a problem" Ryuk remarked. "It could be dangerous keeping her around like this."

I agree, but eventually I'll need her eyes, so I can't afford to drive her away right now. No. I'll play boyfriend for the time being, until my opportunity arrives.

Light rolled over and closed his eyes. He would need all the rest he could get.

(XXX)

Mello sat in the pool, the warm water soothing his aching muscles, and allowing his mind to relax. He was in the Guild's bathhouse. Having just finished washing, he had decided to soak for a while. He had to leave sooner or later, and face everyone else. He wondered how Matt and Linda had taken the news of Roger's death. Not well, that much Mello knew. He could recall the time Matt had recounted his sad story, his and Linda's arrival at the Guild, the death of their younger brother, at the hands of the one person that should have protected them. It was maybe the first time Mello had ever cried for someone else's loss. Mello pushed the memory aside, and sank down into the pool, until only his eyes broke the surface of the water.

He remained there for a time, contemplating whether he should get up, whether he should allow himself to breath again, or just let the warm water fill his lungs and drown. That wouldn't help anything. He stood up, grabbed the ledge and pulled himself out of the pool. He wrapped himself in a white rode, and began to dry his hair. Just then someone entered the bathhouse. Mello looked on in shocked silence. Amber hair usually set in two, small pigtails, now draped about her shoulders. Her large eyes a deep emerald green, thoughtful and soft. Like him, she was dressed only in a white robe, having just finished showering down. Linda gave a warm smile.

"I heard you got back." Linda said gently.

"Yeah." Mello admitted. "I was tired, so I got some sleep."

Linda nodded. Mello could see the hurt behind her deep-green eyes.

"Linda-" Mello began.

"Matt wanted to see you." Linda interrupted quickly. "He's in the courtyard. Says he has something to show you."

Mello stood for a moment, debating whether or not he should finish what he had intended to say. Finally he nodded, and went to move past her. She already knew what he was going to say anyway. Linda stopped him just as he was beside her, and laughed lightly.

"What?" Mello asked confused.

Linda reached down and took Mello hand, holding it between them so he could see. The black nail polish glistened in the light of the bathhouse. Mello blushed a little.

"I never would have peg you as nostalgic." Linda mused.

"I think it gives me character." Mello snorted, pulling his hand out of her grasp.

He left then, slightly embarrassed but happy, happier than he'd been for several days now. He stepped into a small room off to the side where his clothes sat waiting for him. A black, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black jeans with tattered hem, that was all. They were his favorite clothes. He had worn pretty much the same thing since he had become a Guild Cadet. He slipped them on. Matt was waiting for him in the courtyard, and it was rude to keep one's friends waiting.

(XXX)

There he sat, in all his glory, a skinny boy, taller than Mello, with coppery red hair, and emerald green eyes. He was wearing a hooded jacket, with its sleeves removed, and a long-sleeved shirt with black and white, horizontal stripes. That had been another nickname of his among some of the cadets, Stripes. It had been one among many. His goggles rest atop his head, as he takes a long drag from his freshly rolled cigarette. His jeans are so faded and tattered that Mello can hardly believe that anyone still allowed him to wear them. But that was Matt for you, the most laidback, but often, spacey boy at the Guild. And he was Mello's dearest friend, since the moment they had first met. He had a quality. No one was quite sure what it was, but everyone seemed to like him for it.

Matt seemed to notice that someone was watching him and turned his head in Mello's direction. A big smile crossed Matt's face. Mello returned it with a much weaker smile and approached the bench where Matt sat. He took a seat next to his friend. They were silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's presence. But Matt had to speak up.

"I noticed your nails are still painted." Matt remarked teasingly. "People will start to wonder."

"I hate to disappoint you, Matt," Mello shot back, "But I'm not interested."

"You are so cruel to me." Matt said with mock hurt.

Mello laughed with him for a moment. Mello still felt tense however. Matt was easygoing. Neither of them had friends enough that they could afford to lose any. As long as Mello could remember, it had been him, Matt, and Linda. The three were closer than anyone else at the Guild, and the star Guild Cadets. Mello's mood suddenly shifted. It was something that had to be said.

"Matt, I'm sorry-" Mello started.

"I bet he went down fighting." Matt suddenly interjected. "Do you think he went fighting, Mello?"

Mello was silent for a moment, but eventually nodded his head.

"Yeah, I thought so." Matt said, not looking at his friend. "It was in his character to go out like that."

"Matt, I'm so sorry." Mello finally said, his voice shaking slightly.

"For what?" Matt asked, looking at the blonde boy. "For following orders? For saving a life? For making sure you came back?"

Mello was silent. Matt threw an arm about Mello's shoulders and pulled him closer.

"Thanks for making it back." Matt said, and Mello could hear the sincerity in his voice. "Thanks for not leaving me and Linda more alone than we already are."

Mello locked his blue eyes with Matt's green ones. There was something shared there, a hurt, a relief, maybe a brotherly bond. It was likely to be all three. They were like family, the orphans of the Guild. Matt gave a laugh, breaking the mood and replacing it with a much more pleasant one. Mello shared the laugh.

"Linda said that you had something to show me." Mello said.

Matt smiled and rose from the bench, Mello following. Matt turned and looked to the side, Mello followed his gaze. There stood a statue, resembling a small child with wings. Mello snorted. He hated that statue. No matter how many times he and Matt had gotten rid of it, they had simply replaced it with another, identical one.

"Looks like they finally got a new one." Mello remarked.

Mello didn't notice Matt pulling the goggles over his eyes. Otherwise he might have expected what happened next. A thunderous explosion shot through the courtyard, and both boys were instantly knocked to the ground. When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in their ears had finally stopped, Mello looked up and saw that the statue was, once again, no more. Matt sat up next to him, spitting out his bent cigarette and grinning like a maniac.

"Good on fuse length." Matt stated. "Bad on the mix."

"You never were one to exercise much restraint, Matt." Mello replied, rising to his feet.

He helped Matt up.

"What's going on?" Nancy's voice called from behind them.

The elderly woman rushed forward pushing past the two grinning boys. She looked at the bits of stone littering the courtyard.

"Oh no!" Nancy gasped. "I just got the new one put up. What's wrong with you two?"

Mello and Matt both shrugged.

"And you smell like cigarettes!" Nancy snapped at Matt.

Matt held up his hands and shook his head, feigning innocents. Nancy only snorted.

"Get inside, both of you!" Nancy barked. "Oh, I'm going to have to order another one!"

Unseen by everyone in the courtyard, Linda stood in one of the windows above, and laughed hysterically, her eyes glistening with tears. It seemed that they were going to be alright after all.

(XXX)

Near sat in the playroom, with the other children running about, laughing and enjoying what little time they had left before they had to go to bed. A few sat off to the side and watched silently as he stacked blocks. By now his fort was almost finished, the red blocks walling him off from everyone else in the playroom. A little girl came close to the left side wall, her eyes drawn to his ivory colored hair.

"Wow." She breathed with awe. "Is that your normal hair?"

Near simply stopped stacking and curled a lock of his hair with his finger.

"Can I touch it?" The girl asked.

Near didn't answer, but he did lean slightly closer to the left wall. The girl hesitantly, with a shaky hand, reached over the lip of the wall, and ran her fingers gently through Near's hair, felling its softness. She quickly retracted her hand.

"Cool." She breathed.

Near resumed his stacking. The girl scampered off, to talk excitedly to her friends. Near suddenly stopped in this construction. There was only one piece left to place. But there was one problem. The block was nowhere to be found. Near stood up, lifting himself above the walls. He scanned the playroom, his eyes eventually falling the small red block lying on the floor not far from his fort. Near stepped carefully over his walls and walked quietly across the room. He knelt down the retrieve the block, when suddenly another hand fell on it. Near looked up into the eyes of a boy that was maybe three or four years old at most. The little child began nibbling the corner of block, his large eyes staring right into Near's.

(XXX)

Nancy was walking down the corridor, rubbing the pain out of her temples, and milling over the events that had taken place in the last few days. Roger was gone. The Guild was without its master. The children were going insane. She was going to have to replace a statue, the same statue, for the hundredth time. This wasn't a good time to be a Guildswoman with seniority over everyone else. There had been a time when something like this wouldn't have tripped her up. But that was a long time ago. Back then it had been her, Quillish and Roger, the original dream-team. But now she was alone, for the first time in thirty-four years. Alone, with all the responsibilities of the Guild thrown upon her aging shoulders.

Nancy stepped into the playroom, intending to announce bedtime. But when she eyes met something peculiar, her words were stolen from her. Near sat beside a piled of blocks, laid in no particular pattern. Set in the white haired boy's lap was one of the smaller children. Near handed the little boy one of the blocks, and the boy would set it on the pile. Nancy watched them do this for a while, a smile crossing her weathered face. Near handed the boy a block, which he set anywhere that caught his attention. Nancy approached the two of them wordlessly. Near looked up at her, his dark eyes unreadable.

"Hey." Nancy said gently. "I see you've met, Voss."

Near didn't say anything, he just looked down at the boy sitting in his lap.

"Would you like to help me put him to bed?" Nancy asked.

Near looked up at her. Without a word he rose, bringing the small boy up with him in his arms. Nancy led him out of the room.

"Bedtime!" Nancy called over her shoulder.

"Aw!" Went a chorus of small voices from the playroom.

(XXX)

Near silently watched Voss as he slept. He watched as the little boy's chest rose and fell soundlessly with his steady breathing. Saw how his large eyes moved behind their lids with small, warm dreams. Near found a measure of peace in this. Nancy had left him not long ago, to tend to the other children. She had seemed strangely happy. Near reached silently in and ran his fingers through the boy's hair, soft but different from his own. Near removed his hand. The boy hadn't stirred under his touch. He found that he liked that for some reason.

"Hey." A voice called quietly from the door behind him.

Near knew, without seeing, who the voice belonged to. He turned slowly and saw Mello standing in the doorway. Mello crossed his arms over his chest, looking very annoyed.

"I've been looking everywhere for you." Mello quietly scolded. "We need to talk. Come on."

Mello disappeared from the doorway then. Near stood silently for a moment. He looked over his shoulder at the still slumbering Voss. Then he walked quietly out of the boy's room, to meet Mello.

(XXX)

Outside, a carriage pulled up beside the large, wooden doors of the Guild. The carriage opened, and man stepped out. He was tall, but his slouching posture gave the impression that he was much shorter. His long, raven hair swooped back and slightly to the side, set just over a pair of dark, bulging eyes, with shadowed crescents beneath them. His skin was pale, and he was clad only in the white, long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of faded jeans. The man silently walked before the doors of the Guild, and knocked upon them. Soon the doors opened a crack, and Nancy poked her head out from behind them. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth fell open in shocked surprise.

"L!" She gasped.

"Hello, Nancy." L replied in calm voice.

To Be Continued…

Author's Comments

Wow! Some back story, and a few touching moments. Matt makes his second appearance, Linda makes her first. Don't worry. They're both sticking around for a while. Nancy, inspired by a few fan fictions I've read, and I like her character already. L is back! Stay tuned for the next episode!