Sol of Luna: Near and Far

Author: Gakusangi

Author's Notes and Acknowledgements:
RECAP - Naomi manages to recruit an old acquaintance of L's named, Aizawa, who apparently loathes the infamous guildsman, in their fight against the Daimyo. A little of L's shaded past is lighted upon during a conversation between him and the Emerald Sage, along with some insight on the nature of Sages. The Kagebannin is hot on the kids' trail, first finding a lead in Kanetoshi from a blind and bitter innkeeper. They following along until they reach an abandoned harbor, that is overrun with undead creatures. Thanks to the efforts of the High Summoner, they are able to escape. L and the Emerald Sage converse a little more, only to be interrupted by the sudden arrival of the children. Now the game is on, and the Labyrinth awaits…

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 19: The Labyrinth, Part I

"Come on, Near, keep up!" Misa said as she drug her stumbling little brother behind her.

Near was bundled up tight to keep out the cold…also to hide is rather bizarre features, such as his pure white hair, which was tucked under a little cap at the moment. His scarf trailed behind him, and his legs and arms were stiff from the thick clothing he was wearing. Furthermore, he felt awkward in shoes Misa had painfully crammed onto his feet, and it was difficult to keep himself from tripping. But his stepsister never broke pace. In fact, she sped up at random intervals, increasing the likelihood of his falling over. He wasn't sure of their destination, and he was certain that they didn't have permission to be out. It was in the middle of the night, and they had no escort. Misa had burst into his room, and decided that 'they' were going out for the evening.

Misa looked back at her little half-brother and smiled brightly.

"Wait 'till Near sees." She said, using that third person perspective in the speech again. "It's going to be so much fun."

Near didn't reply. He knew well enough that anything he said would matter to Misa. She was set on whatever it was they were doing, and nothing was going to change that any time soon. Misa rounded a corner, he shoes tapping lightly on the cobblestones, echoing in Near's ears with rapid tempo. Misa gloved hand tightened affectionately and protectively over his pale one, helping to block out the cold that was beginning to set in on it. He could never understand why, but he always felt safer whenever she was around, no matter what trouble she was about to land the both of them in.

Misa stopped suddenly, Near bouncing off of her back, but because she was still holding his hand, he didn't stumble. They were both panting, and Misa still had a big smile on her face. She pointed to a small, rundown building on the corner.

"Look." She said excitedly. "There it is."

Near could faintly hear the sound a piano playing inside, and heard voices singing along with the tune, but could tell what they were singing. Then he was being pulled forward again as Misa broke into another mad dash. They more-or-less came crashing into the building, pushing through its swinging doors, but somehow managed not to attract any attention to themselves. It was a tavern, and an old one, in disrepair. The patrons were too busy being rowdy and having a good old time to notice the two as they came in. Misa charged the counter, and popped up into one of the stools, her feet dangling at least a foot or so of the ground.

"Two please." Misa chirped at the man behind the counter.

She dropped a few coins on the counter. The bartender, without so much as giving them a sideways glance, poured two drinks, and snatched away the coins, tucking them into his shirt. Misa took a big gulp of the contents of her mug, and then looked down at Near, who was standing silently beside her. She grabbed his mug and handed it to him.

"Go ahead." Misa urged. "They don't care how old you are here."

Near looked down at the liquid and wrinkled his nose. It was thicker than water, and orange-ish in color, with a strong, unpleasant odor. He looked at Misa again.

"Go on." She said with an encouraging smile.

Near looked down at the mug again. The he pulled down his scarf and closed his eyes. He tipped the mug, spinning the contents into his mouth. Misa placed a hand on the bottom of his mug and continued to tip it, until he had consumed it all in one gulp. Then she took it from him and set the empty mug back on the counter. Near's mouth, nose and eyes all burned horribly. There was fire in his stomach, and he couldn't move for a moment. The taste was bitter in his mouth, and he knew that it would linger for hours. He let out a hot breath and then wandered off, leaving Misa to finish her drink.

Near found himself standing at a nearby table with a man sitting at it. The man was chugging a drink, while throwing darts at a dartboard across the room. Though he wasn't looking where he was throwing, he managed to hit the bull's eye every time. Near wasn't the only one mesmerized by the man's talent, as there were several other on lookers standing about. The man throw the last dart, just before he finished his drink and slammed it triumphantly down on the table. A few men nearby groaned, but everyone else began to applaud. The man held out his hand to the groaning men, who reluctantly dropped a few coins into his palm. Then the man turned and spotted Near. He smiled down at the little boy.

"Hey." He said.

Near didn't answer, his hand found its way up to a loose strand of ivory hair, and began to curl it. Normally he would have felt nervous and insecure, maybe even a little vulnerable, around a stranger that he had never met before. But for some reason, he found himself strangely relaxed…and a little dizzy…and he was beginning to feel really hot in all his clothing. Suddenly Misa appeared next to him, her nose red as a cherry and her legs more than a little wobbly. She grinned and chuckled lightly behind her teeth. A few men approached the man, looking less than friendly.

"Hey, we don't appreciate being hustled!" One of the men barked.

The man regarded them for a moment, and then sighed.

"How about, I give you an opportunity to win your money back?" The man offered.

He looked over at Misa.

"Hey, go stand against the wall, will ya?" The man asked.

Misa saluted the man.

"Okay!" The chirped happily, and marched over to the wall.

She put her back against the wall and awaited further instructions. The man flipped her a coin, and it clattered on the ground.

"Put the coin on your forehead." The man instructed.

Misa reached down, retrieved the coin and placed it on her forehead. The man picked up a dart from the table, and began to take aim.

"If I hit the coin," The man began, "I keep the money. If I miss, you can have it back."

"What?" One of the men gawked.

But the dart had already been thrown. It passed through the air, spinning slowly with its progress. It crossed the room, and leveled itself with Misa, who stood grinning stupidly against the wall. The tip struck the coin, ringing against it, and fell harmlessly to the ground. The room was silent for moment, but then a cheer whipped through the bar like a hurricane. The man grinned and took a seat at the table. The men left, at a complete loss for words. Misa came stumbling over and offered the man back his coin.

"Keep it." The man said to her, and she happily pocketed it.

The man looked over at Near, who stared with wonder. The man smiled.

"Would you like to learn how?" The man asked.

(XXX)

Near stirred a little, and rolled over in his sleep. Mello looked down at him for a moment, but then resumed packing the ammunition he had purchased into the barrel of his flintlock. Matt was sleeping off the side, and Linda only watched as Mello worked. They were all inside the black cloth tent that they had bought in the last town. It was designed specifically for blocking out the sun, and trapping cool air, at least that was what the merchant had told them. Regardless, it was like an oven inside the tent, and with all of them crammed inside, it was very uncomfortable. If it weren't for the fact that Near suffered from daytime fatigue, and Matt could sleep anywhere, none of them would be rested for their trip across the sands.

They had crossed the border, and entered Daimyo territory early the day before. Due to harmful effects the constant sun exposure could cause, and the fact that near was only awake during the evening hours, they were forced to travel by night. None of them minded that too much, but the desert wasn't without its nighttime perils. First of all, it was almost pitch black during the night, and navigation was all but impossible. Thankfully, Near could see clearly in total darkness, and took point. Then there was the biting cold. With no clouds to hold in the intense heat of the day, the temperature dropped rapidly, and they were forced to bundle up, and huddle close together, further slowing their progress. Finally there was the wind. It whipped through the dunes, bring sand with it, cutting into their exposed flesh like shards of glass. All of this they braved, only to reach more danger where their destination lay. The labyrinth was weighing heavily in all their thoughts.

Mello finished packing the powder and slug, and cocked back the pistols hammer, looking down the length of the barrel to check the sight, and test the balance of the weapon while it was loaded. Linda sighed.

"Making sure that it's loaded the next time you put it to his head?" Linda remarked.

"Yep." Mello answered.

Linda only sighed again. Later the tension between Mello and Near had intensified along with the rise in temperature. But then again, they were all feeling a little put off by their discomfort. But Mello, he was just waiting to explode at the moment, and everyone, probably even Near, could feel it coming. If they couldn't pull it together by the time they reached the cave, Linda wasn't sure what would happen.

(XXX)

Night fell over the desert at a snails pace. The sun turned blood read as it sank behind the farthest dunes on the edge of the horizon, the heat seeming to reach its peak in that one instant, just before the final flash of golden light was consumed by the desert floor, and the darkness of early evening filled the sky. Never before had the children seen so many stars as on those evening treks across the endless sands of the Barrens. The moon hung skull-like above, a constant reminder that death hovered over them at all times while they braved this harsh landscape. But still, they pressed on, set with cold determination.

Near lead the way, as he was the only one who could see clearly enough to navigate during the evening. Mello followed close behind, with Linda and Matt bringing up the rear. The cold settled over the sand, dropping upon them heavily, forcing them to pull their clothing tight against their flesh to block it out. A biting wind cut through, forcing them to stop for a moment until it passed. With the wind came the call of the desert, an eerie, unnatural sound that resembled an anguished moan. To Matt, is reminded him of buzzing, crawling insects. To Linda, it was like a dying animal, crying out in the final moments of its life. To Mello…he was brought back to the night of the fire.

Suddenly, Near stopped. Mello didn't notice until a pale hand pressed lightly against his chest and halted his progress. He looked down at Near questioningly. Near knelt down and began feeling around the desert floor. Mello followed suit, curious at what the white haired boy had discovered. The sand met the blonde boy's fingers, somehow comforting in its texture. But then it happened. And emptiness, nothing their to touch. At that very moment, they all heard the hollow sound of wind passing over the edge, a drop-off, the rim of some chasm, possibly hundreds of feet in depth. Mello felt a chill run down his spine. If Near hadn't noticed it…

"I almost missed it." Near murmured beside Mello. "The dark out here…it's not like back in the cave. It's not like anything I've ever seen before."

Mello stood up, sighing with frustration as he did so.

"We'll have to find our way around, and-" Mello began, but he was quickly interrupted.

"We're here." Near said flatly.

"What?" Mello asked in confusion.

Near leaned in closer to the blonde boy.

"It's the river bed." Near explained. "We're at the Serpent's Nest."

Mello looked back, squinting into the darkness to try and bring things into better focus. It was slow, but the image did fade in clearer. It was a snaking canyon, once a might river, now dried out, and dead. Near was right, they had arrived. Mello looked over his shoulder. Matt and Linda stood silently a short distance away, eagerly awaiting any news the other two had to offer.

"Matt," Mello called, "Get the climbing gear!"

(XXX)

"Near, don't go down so fast!" Linda called from maybe a little over five yards above the white haired boy. "Make sure you've got good handholds and footholds before you start down!"

"He's got it, Linda!" Mello snapped, before looking down at Near.

Matt suddenly leapt from his spot, crossing a section of the chasm and clinging onto another nearby rock face with considerable ease.

"Matt, quit showing off!" Linda snapped.

She got a chuckle from the redhead.

"How much further?" Mello asked Near.

Near looked down into the darkness, squinting so he could see clearer. He leaned to get a better look. At that moment, the stone he'd been gripping popped out of place, and he lost his balance. Without a sound, Near began to fall into the blackness below.

"Near!" Mello and Matt both yelled in unison.

The safety line caught, and the rope dug painfully into his side, and he winced, as the air was pushed from his lungs. But since the piton wasn't hammered in properly, Near having done it himself, it slipped out of the stone and Near's plummet resumed. Linda acted fast. She cut her stabilizing line, leaving only the safety line, and leapt. She straightened, her arms out in front of her, as though she were diving into water. She arrowed through the blackness, making for the white form of Near just ahead. She prayed that the safety line was long enough.

She reached out. Near was silent, his expression blank, and his eyes calm and dark. She put her arms around the small boy, surprised at first as he slid his own arms around her. They were embraced in their descent for a moment, Near was warm against her, something that for some reason, she hadn't expected. Linda's safety line went taught, jarring them. They swung from center, and to one of the far walls. Linda put out her legs to brace them for the collision. Her feet met, and she immediately drove a kunai into the rock face, and hung on for dear life.

"Linda, Near!" Matt shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls of the canyon.

"We're fine!" Linda called up.

There was a relieved murmur from up above them. She glanced down, and saw a slight glimmer in the sands below, the small bits of glass formed from the intense heat.

"I can see the bottom!" Linda told the other two. "It's about twenty feet below us!"

She looked down at Near. He looked up at her, his black eyes almost invisible in the darkness. And yet there was something there, something she couldn't place.

"You alright?" Linda asked, it was really because she felt uncomfortable in the silence.

Near only nodded and looked away.

(XXX)

They were all silent as they progressed through the snaking canyon known as the Serpent's Nest. Everyone kept their eyes up, watching the edges of the cliff walls, as if expecting something to rain down on them at any moment. Near didn't look up though. He kept his eyes forward, leading them into whatever lay ahead. There was something about this place that made them all uneasy. It was stillness, an unnatural lack of things, like sound, and light. It was empty.

"I don't like this." Linda murmured. "There's something wrong here."

"You're just being paranoid." Matt scoffed.

Linda didn't miss how the redhead's glance passed nervously along the rim of the canyon. She smiled to herself, and let her gaze fall.

"What is that?" Linda asked in astonishment.

Matt glanced ahead to see what she was talking about, and found himself at a complete loss for words. Set right into the wall ahead of them, carved out of the stone, was colossal head. The more-or-less featureless face stared out at them, its mouth gaping open in, almost angrily. Inside, there was only darkness. As they approached, they were shocked by the sheer size of this monument. They were, comparatively, insects next to its scale. A cold breeze rushed out of the mouth, washing over all of them, drenching them in fear. They stood silent peering into the blackness.

"Well, you think that this is the cave he was talking about?" Matt suddenly piped from the back.

(XXX)

The old man tilted his head, as if to hear something.

"They're here." The old sage said solemnly.

He picked up the stack of cards on the table, and began shuffling them with practiced ease in one gloved hand. L's expression darkened. When the old man was finished, he handed the stack to L, who began dealing them out.

"The game is on then." The old sage said. "May the fates smile upon them."

"On us all." L responded.

Once he had finished dealing all the cards, he drew four cards from the top of his stack and set them aside, face down. The old man raised an eyebrow at this.

"You're taking you gambits at the beginning of the game?" The sage asked.

"I just want them ready." L replied.

The old man chuckled. They both drew their hands and looked at them.

"Since I'm defender," The old man said, "I'll go first."

"Fine." L replied.

The old man threw a card into the middle of the table. The image of a humanoid creature, grey in color, stared up at L.

"The Golem card." The old man announced.

L tossed a card on top of the old man's. It was illustrated with a picture of a flame.

"The Essence of Fire." L said.

The old man leaned back looking confused.

"Fire and stone are complimentary elements." The old man said. "I don't see how this will help them."

L grinned.

"That's because you've forgotten how to play." L replied, and the old man raised an eyebrow again. "You don't know them at all. This is just their style. Taking what should be an advantage, and turning into weakness."

The old man's mustache curled into a smile.

"This is going to be interesting." The old sage remarked.

(XXX)

The first chamber the children entered was a massive, open room, with several pillars and torches dimly lighting it. They moved along the pillars slowly, keeping them to their backs to avoid any kind of sneak attack. From the torches, it was obvious that someone, or something, resided here, and they weren't taking any risks. Mello was leading now, since they didn't need Near's night sight to guide them. They crossed the expanse of the room and found a large passage at the other side. Its walls were rough and unworked, not like the walls of the chamber. And there were fewer torches, giving way to long spans of darkness in between.

The passage was gigantic, a few wagons could have passed through side by side, and the ceiling was so high up that it was hard to gage just how far it was from the ground. Then there was a sound that caught their attention. It was the sound of stones grinding together. All eyes fell forward, and they watched in horror as the walls gave and the stones began to roll into the center of the passage. At first they thought that maybe the passage was collapsing, but then the stones began to rise and take shape. It had a human-like appearance, in that it had arms and legs connect to a body, but that was the only resemblance. It turned to them, its massive form casting a long shadow over the children. It let loose a sound that was like a landslide, and then rumbled towards them.

The children turned and ran for the lives. The passage was demolished in the creature's wake, as it was almost too large to be allowed in such a narrow space. The children could feel the smaller stones that flew from the thing's body crashing at their heels. It was close, and it was gaining. They burst out into the first chamber, the creature flying out behind them. They all scattered. The creature tumbled over the pillars, pursuing them as they fled. The first idea was to evacuate the cave entirely, but for some reason, none of them could find the entrance as they scurried along the walls.

One of the pillars toppled over, and Matt leapt aside, narrowly avoiding it as it crashed. Dust settled over the redhead, and he popped onto his feet and ran off blindly in a random direction. Linda came around one of the pillars, and face to face with the creature. It rushed at her, and she went to retreat, only find herself faced with a wall. She turned, it was almost upon her, and she had no place to run. Suddenly, a white blur shot by, grabbing Linda and pulling her out of the creature's path. It smashed into the wall with a resounding sound that filled the chamber like thunder. Linda was on the ground, someone lying over the top of her, shielding her from the debris. She looked up into Near's blank eyes. He rose, pulling her up with him, and together they ran.

Mello rushed out of the dust and debris, lost and almost blind. He saw to his horror that he had managed to run right into the creature as it was recovering from its charge. It turned its massive head and glared at him, even though it had no eyes to glare with. Mello's blade flashed out and connected with the stone thing. It was no use. The blade did not penetrate, and even if it had, there were no vital organs to penetrate to. The creature swung wildly, and Mello was just barely caught by its strike. The force was still enough to send him soaring through the air, and skidding across the ground. The creature rose to its feet again, and turned to face the blonde boy.

It rushed again, but this time it stumbled into the pillars, knocking them down and crashing to the ground. The others suddenly appeared at Mello's sides. Matt helped his friend up to his feet, and they all looked on in horror as the creature began to rise again.

"We can't hurt this thing." Mello breathed. "We need like…a canon or something."

Matt suddenly straightened, a grin crossing his face. Matt reached into his pack, and pulled out what appeared to be a small, wooden barrel. Mello looked at his friend questioningly.

"What is that?" Linda asked.

"I was saving this for a rainy day." Matt replied.

He bowled the barrel towards the creature. It struck the creature lightly just as it was back on its stony legs. Without warning, Matt snatched the pistol from Mello's belt and took aim. The creature let loose another roar of fury, just as Matt squeezed the trigger. The bullet fired, crossed the room, and struck the barrel. It ignited the black powder, and suddenly the chamber was filled with massive explosion, that rumbled the entire cave network.

(XXX)

A rumble passed through the room. Dust fell from the shelves, and the table shook. The old man looked around with surprise.

"What was that?" The old sage breathed.

L grinned.

"That was the sound of my victory." L remarked, taking the two cards from the center of the table and setting them aside. "Round one goes to me."

The old man smiled again, nodding in admiration.

"They are quite resourceful." The old man stated. "But I have another play."

He set a card on the table. This one had a picture of a canyon, similar in appearance to the Serpent's Nest.

"The Quake." The old man said, and then he slammed his fist down on the card.

(XXX)

As the dust settled, the children rose to their feet, their ears still ringing painfully. They looked fearfully ahead, only to discover that their monstrous opponent had been thoroughly blown to smithereens. They all let out a silent sigh of relief…but it was not to last. As soon as the old man's hand struck the card, the chamber began to shake. The stone split, the remaining pillars toppled, and the floor began to open. Everyone fell into the darkness below, it all happened too fast for any of them to react.

(XXX)

L leaned forward, looking fearfully upon the card in the center of the table. The old man chuckled.

"Together, they are very strong." The old man said. "But now we see how well they fair apart."

To Be Continued…

Author's Comments

I apologize to anyone who read the first submission of this chapter. I was playing "beat-the-clock" as the library's closing time was drawing nearer, and I rushed the writing, and skipped the proofread stage...and I paid dearly for it. This is an edited version of the latest chapter...it's still not perfect, but it's better and I think it reads easier.

Again, I'm sorry.

The Labyrinth, Part II is on the way...