A/N: Hey, again! I would first off like to deeply apologize that this story was pretty much set in stone when I wrote it. I tried to find a way to fit the hauntings of Near and Roger in, but couldn't find an opening due to this POV chapter. I didn't really expect that idea to be tremendously popular, to be honest.

However, I have an idea to make it up to you guys. I'm considering making a comedic one-shot in which Matt, V, and Mello haunt Roger and Near after this story is finished. If you think it's an OK idea, please tell me! I would be psyched to do that! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own DN.

Chapter 24: Observation

Five minutes before he ventured back to Japan, L sensed something happening that represented hitherto unfinished business concluding. It was as if his brain told him to return to the country where he died. To reinforce this sensation, an awful headache pounded within his skull. Watari noted when the former detective rubbed his forehead, "L, I suppose you have a headache."

"Yes, Watari. As unrealistic as I'm sure I will sound, I feel as though there is some type of...force ordering me to go to Japan."

"Perhaps some development in the case?"

"I hope so. Near has most likely solved it at last."

With not so much as a goodbye, L departed for Japan, passing V, Mello, and Matt along the way.

His sister had fully recovered from her traumatizing experience when alive, becoming even more mature in the process. She had become a young woman now with Matt as her apparently loving beau. He didn't even see that coming, and he had never found major change very exhilarating. Indeed, in this case, he thoroughly despised it. What if her childhood friend turned boyfriend hurt her in any way? If it was anybody else affected, he admittedly wouldn't care. L sighed as he commenced floating as a lone specter to his destination. He supposed he would have to resign to the fact that V, his sister that he overly protected, had someone else to protect her. Maybe he had been rather harsh with Matt, but he wanted to ensure that the redhead was trustworthy.

Even then, he doubted he would ever fully trust V's boyfriend, for that was simply the type of person he was.

Meanwhile, the mysterious force that lured him to Tokyo pulled him toward a rather eroded, poor looking building. The rays of the setting sun hit the window of it just right, so that it flashed like a beacon to L. He surprised himself when he slipped through the window with ease, refusing to accept becoming a ghost. Really, he had never believed in them or any such superstition. Then again, he never truly acknowledged the existence of shinigami either before he took on the Kira case. So, maybe, he was wrong, and everything paranormal proved real. Temporarily absentminded, he suddenly recognized that a gory body lay helplessly on a set of stairs. The ever curious L decided to obtain a closer look at the dying man, for he seemed very familiar...

And he was. Light Yagami was actually dying right before his eyes.

L had almost assumed that this day would never come, this glorious day in which Kira would finally be defeated. Interested, he stared at his rival who had wrought his demise, all the while holding his knees close to him. So, Light no longer retained the look of perfection he once possessed. His brown hair, usually impeccably tidy, was disheveled and stained with blood. A suit he seemed to have worn had tears and more of the crimson of his blood. And his eyes...once calm, now insanely afraid of what would come of his impending death.

"Nothingness," L thought, actually pleased that his death would indeed be avenged. "That was what one of the Death Note's rules stated."

Light should have considered his fate more carefully before ever touching that Death Note, wherever he may have found it. Now, he was ready to go to the scariest afterlife that had mere nothingness. His spirit would wander nowhere, trapped forever and dead along with his body—most definitely a fate worse than death. If L had utilized the Death Note on the day of his own death, he would have undergone the same thing. On the other hand, he had never really cared as to what would happen to him. He continued staring at his much loathed rival, watching the life drain away from his face. However, Light's eyes very slightly dilated in shock upon seeing this phantom look at him with this calculating yet bemused gaze.

Eventually, second by anticipated second, the brown eyes glazed over with the finality of death...

...And closed, never to open again.

It was finally over with that simple action. Kira's deterioration heralded the end of this seemingly endless case. The world could be restored to what it once was before these senseless murders. L felt genuine relief for the first time in a long while. This feeling assured him that yes, Kira would cease executing deaths like a god, which he had deemed himself. And, best of all, these deaths that had happened would all be avenged. Not just L's, but his sister's, her friends', Watari's—everyone could rest easily now that Kira was no more.

After witnessing the closing of Light Yagami's eyes, L proceeded to float through the window whence he came and back to the afterlife. He would announce the news to the first person he saw. In fact, once he returned, he noticed that V and two of his former successors conversed breezily amongst each other. He thought that he might as well divulge the fantastic news.

"Kira is dead," he stated solemnly, though secretly felt the rich sense of victory. "Now, the world can be as safe as possible again."

"Thank God," V breathed, her relief affecting her friends as well.

"Well, at least he's gone," Mello said gruffly, though seemed to possess the same sentiments.

Matt just grinned in response to hearing all these reactions regarding Kira's death, though contributed, "Finally! That guy was the reason Mello made me sit and watch people."

"We were only doing that for a good reason!" the blond scolded, pointing at his friend with his chocolate bar.

"It's true, Matt. Besides, we wouldn't have gotten fooled by a 'food delivery man'," V lightly taunted, her laughter seeming to fill up the entire realm.

"One time!" Matt attempted to vouch for himself. "One time that happened!"

L glanced at the redhead, lopsidedly shrugged, and set off to tell Watari of his discovery.

He grudged the fact that his third successor did make his sister happy. And he hoped it would stay that way—it better stay that way. Once he announced to his aide that Kira had indeed passed on to nothingness, Watari smiled wanly.

"So, even though you have died, you won despite that."

L smirked grimly, knowing that that wasn't the case. Sometimes, Watari could be too loyal and biased. He appreciated that, but he knew better.

"In all fairness, I'm afraid it's more on the lines of a draw, Watari. I just happened to die first. Maybe...it was my cause that won—the cause that justice would prevail no matter what, as I declared two years ago. Kira's cause, though purely intended, turned out awry and resulted in far too many deaths. And he also didn't think people would stand against it."

Watari nodded in understanding, though L doubted that he wanted to concede that. The detective himself barely wanted to admit it, but felt assured that what he stood for won in the end. And, he confessed, that meant a greater deal than just one person coming out triumphant. If anything, the credit had to go to Near, who cleverly accomplished what he couldn't—though, of course, the world's greatest detective had definitely done most of the hard work for the white haired boy. V then interrupted his thoughts when she arrived to talk to him.

"So, justice won in the end, right?" she asked for confirmation, her smile hinting at that day long ago when L left Wammy's to enforce justice.

"I would say so," he replied, smiling slightly back. "It's over."

She gave him a congratulatory embrace, which brought back a more recent memory, one of which that he would ensure to remind her, the hypocrite.

"You considered hugging incest, did you not?"

V laughed as she too recalled what she had said. "It was only a mere tasteless joke. Family members do hug each other, after all."

"Yes, but not self-respecting people like the Lawliets."

"Don't give me that!" she yelled jokingly, pushing him lightly.

"I am afraid that Matt has had a poor influence on you."

Sticking her tongue out at her brother childishly, V wandered on her way, most likely to meet up with her friend and boyfriend. She had certainly changed. If L was right in thinking this, he assumed that she acted like a teenage girl instead of someone twenty years her senior. At least before she died, her youth had been restored. For her, that quality would stay with her forever. She was as lucky as he figured she would have been if she led a normal life that consisted of having many friends and going to college. But then, L realized that lifestyle didn't matter. V had found luck on her own after his death, though it probably had taken a while. Now, she joked and smiled and laughed—things that she never would have thought of doing two years ago.

"Well, changes do occur every day," L muttered to himself, unsure of how accurate he was.

A/N: Ding-dong, the wicked Light is dead! XD I have always wanted to write something in which L sees Light die and the former's thoughts regarding it. So, victory for Team L!...even though most of them are dead. Again, I'm sorry I couldn't include the hauntings, but I'm willing to devote a one-shot to them, if any of you agree.

And, oh, what's this? V hugged L, despite her joking comment about incest way back in the story? Oh the irony! Also, I think just moving on to nothingness (which, basically, is not moving on at all) is way worse than dying. So, Light got what was coming to him.

Review please! There's just an epilogue left, and DEALTHY is done! Though, I admit, I was sad to finish it, for I would have liked to make a sequel. But, since pretty much everyone cool is dead, I really can't do that. Sorry.