Author's Note: We made it. We have finally reached the end of this story. It's been fun, guys. Thank you so, so, so much for sticking with me. Your reviews and just the knowledge that somebody is interested in something I wrote mean a great deal to me. This is the shortest chapter yet, but I think it needed to be. There is also a POV switch that I believed to be necessary. Please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of the characters used in this story. I also do not own the Nintendo DS.
It's funny how people like to relate the birth of opportunities to the opening and closing of doors. Doors are interesting things, both symbolically and literally, they---
"Mello!" Matt's voice called from beyond the door where the blonde-haired man sat writing at a desk. "What're you doing in there?"
"Writing," Mello called back.
"Again? That's all you've been doing for the past three days!"
"Yeah, so? I wanna get my thoughts out."
"Do it later! You've got a phonecall!"
Mello put down his pen and stepped out into the living room of the Japanese apartment where Matt stood holding a telephone.
"It's some lady. Probably that one who's working with Near. I bet she has more info for you."
The two men sat down on opposite chairs as Mello grabbed the phone.
The conversation was long and difficult to follow for Matt, who could only hear one end of it, so he flipped on his DS and waited for it to end.
When it finally did, he barely even realized it.
Mello had fallen into silence and hung his head over his knees rather than yelling excitedly as he usually did after talking to Near's accomplice. Matt peeked at Mello over the screen of his game, trying to decide if he should let his friend know that he noticed his odd behavior.
"Is e--"
"I'll be in my room."
Matt blinked from behind his goggles, but said nothing as his friend drifted away to his previous location.
Mello reseated himself at his desk and looked down at the filled sheets of papers before him, flinching when a tearstain suddenly appeared on the closest one. He raised two fingers to his eye and examined the ocular moisture he had created, knowing that this ink-smearing rain probably wouldn't cease for the duration of his writing session.
It's over.
I have made my final decision.
There is no flowery language or metaphor that I can put here. I'm dying tomorrow.
Simple as that.
Near has some kind of plan, but he needs more information.
Halle knows there's no way for him to obtain it.
So, I'll get it for him.
I will trade my life for a snippet of cold fact.
Stupid Near will be left to wonder why. He'll never be able to process the idea of me sacrificing myself for his gain. It won't make sense. It will drive him mad.
It will be a mystery he can never solve.
And logic will finally bow before passion.
I win, Near. If I could choke back my tears long enough, I'd sing it from the rooftop. I. Fucking. Win.
Poor Matt.
He'll be alone again, and this time there will be no chance of a reunion.
If you find these papers, Matt, know that I'm sorry. You always knew I was a selfish asshole out to prove an obscure cause to the world.
Well, I did it.
Please be happy to know that I have found my final victory, and try to carry on.
You're strong, Matt. Much stronger than me. You'll make it. You've got to.
You're the only one I trust to carry on my memory. And probably the only person who would want to.
Remember those late-night conversations we would have as kids? Talking about life and death? The future and the past? Well, I'm gonna find out the answers tomorrow. Although I think the questions were a lot more fun.
Pray for me, Matt.
And whatever you do… please do not put these papers in a suitcase.
Mello marked the period of his last sentence and wiped his eyes. The only thing left to do was tell Matt of the kidnapping plan brewing in his mind. Of course he wouldn't expose the sacrificial details.
Stuffing the papers into a drawer, he went to the bathroom sink and washed his face.
And a few hours later, on January 26, 2010, weeping for his friend's unexpected death in a stolen truck, Mihael Keehl died of a mysterious heart attack.
Author's Note: Thank you all again. Just for clarification: I did not intend the relationship between Mello and Matt to be romantic in any way (although I guess one could take it that way). I see them as extremely close friends, practically brothers. That is all. I must now finish eating my bittersweet celebratory chocolate bar that I bought just for this occasion ('cause I'm a loser like that) and try to figure out what to do with my spare time now that this is over. I would like to write more fanfics, and I do have some half-baked ideas in the oven. I've just gotta develop them more. Once again, I cannot say thank you enough. Farewell for now!
