Author's Note: No updates since June! Time certainly got away from me. I moved, went to Europe, then headed off to college- not that all of that's an excuse, because I could have made time for this story, but didn't. I hope to have the conclusion to it up within a couple of weeks. I can't promise my usual quick updating, but I will try to get up at least one chapter per day. Thanks for sticking with me everyone!
February 8th, 2004
Light Yagami felt stupid.
Light rarely felt stupid, and when he did, he usually had a very good reason- but right now, he felt stupid. How had he let this happen?
He buried his hands in his hair. A few seats away, his father tensely patted his wife's hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. They were in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting on Sayu.
Sayu, who had been poisoned.
Sayu, who had been poisoned because she ate food that was meant for Light.
Sayu, who had been poisoned because of Light.
Light couldn't imagine who would be trying to poison him—surely none of the information about the Kira case had been released? No. No, surely not. L would have told him if he was in danger, no matter how angry he was with Light. Right?
Besides, no one who killed people professionally would have done something so sloppy. They would have known that Light didn't like sweets, they wouldn't have taken the chance that someone other than Light would consume the poison.
"Light."
Light jerked from his thoughts to face his father. He looked very weary, and his hair looked more gray than Light had ever seen it before. When had that happened?
"This is not your fault."
Light nodded absently at his father. "I know," he lied. He withdrew his diary from his coat pocket and began scribbling in it furiously.
Across town, Misa Amane hiccuped a little, wiping tears away as she stared up at the night sky. The day had been a complete disaster.
First Misa had found out that Light didn't like her. Then Light's sister had had a fit, or something, and had to be carried away to the hospital. Light wouldn't even let Misa come with him to the hospital. He had even shouted at her.
"Stop it, Misa!" He had said, shoving Misa's arm off of him. "I can't deal with you right now!" Then he had climbed into the ambulance and gone away.
Misa had been so depressed that she had decided to walk back to her apartment so that she could clear her head. She was regretting that decision now, though. It was cold, and dark, and rather creepy. She couldn't shake the horrible feeling that she was being followed. In fact, she could almost hear footsteps behind her...
She stopped, tense.
That wasn't her imagination.
She turned, slowly, to face a shadowed figure. "H-hello? Who's there?"
The figure took a step forward. "Misa... Misa, it's me... Keichi..."
"Kei... I don't know anyone called Keichi," Misa said, uncomprehending. She backed up a step.
"Don't pretend, Misa, darling. I love you, and you love me. We love each other."
"I don't know you!" Misa said, panicking now. She backed up another step. Into a wall. Oh no.
"That's why I can forgive you," the man said, stepping into a street light. The illumination lit up his wide smile, his glazed eyes, and his shining knife. "I can forgive you for being with that other boy. But I can't forgive him. He had to be eliminated."
"Other boy... Light?" Misa asked, looking around frantically for an exit. She didn't know if she could outrun him, and she had no desire to get a closer look. Keep him talking... keep him talking... "What about him? What did you do?"
The man's smile widened. "I poisoned him."
"Poisoned..." But Light was fine. Misa froze. Oh no. "No, you didn't!" Misa shouted, tears of panic and anger spilling down her face. "You poisoned his sister! He'll blame Misa, and it's all your fault! It's all your fault! I hate you! I hate you!"
The man froze. Shuddered. "Misa... hates me?" He sounded out the words like they were foreign. "Misa hates me..."
"That's right! I hate you! I hate you!"
"If I... can't have Misa, then..." the man took a rattling breath, raising the knife. "No one will!"
He ran towards her. Misa screamed, raising her arms. There was nothing for it. She was going to die, and she would never tell Light that she loved him. Light would never love her. She was going to die!
The footsteps stopped.
Misa peeked above her arms, whimpering. The man's face was contorted in pain. He dropped to his knees, then, as if in slow motion, fell to the ground, dead.
In the world of the Shinigami, Gelus turned to dust.
The Yagami family jumped as Light's phone let off a small beep. Light blinked, drawing it out slowly, and opened the e-mail from Mei Mochizuki.
Call me. It's about your sister.
Light frowned, but called Mei anyway. She picked up on the first ring.
"Light?"
"Mochizuki."
"Oh my gosh, Light," she sounded completely panicked. "I'm so sorry."
"What information do you have?"
"I'm so, so sorry. I should have realized—there was no name, or anything..."
Light gritted his teeth and snapped, "What do you want?"
"Right, right, I'm sorry, Light. We found out who did it, just now."
Light's breath caught. "Who? How? Why?"
"The man was named Keichi Narita. He was stalking Misa Amane for a long time, apparently. He saw the pictures of you two together and deemed you a threat. He tried to poison you, and he followed Misa home tonight. He finally made a move on her, but Misa snapped, told him that she hated him for what she had done, and he went crazy. He pulled a knife on her, and it looked like he was going to kill her, but..." Mei trailed off.
"But what?"
Mei let out a long breath. "But he died. Just like that, right in front of her. The, uh. The paramedics say it was a heart attack."
Light froze, then his hands began to shake. "Did he-" He coughed, shook his head, then tried again. "Did he have a criminal record?"
"I don't know. They think it's a coincidence. I mean... Kira's gone. He has to be gone." Mei said, not quite sure if she believed it, herself. "It's coincidence."
Light hummed noncommittally, mind whirring. While Mikami was in prison, the Death Note still existed. Still, Light had enough trust in L to know that no one else had the Death Note. But... if someone else had a Death Note... It could still be possible.
Light set that train of thought to the side, coming back to the present. The man responsible for trying to poison him was dead, and Sayu...
Sayu might end up dead.
"Is that Light?" There was a shuffling noise on the phone, then a hiccup, and a sob.
"I'm so sorry, Light!" Misa's voice. Light was glad that she had forgone talking in the third person. "Your sister is in the hospital, and it's all my fault, and I hate him, and I'm so sorryyyyy!" She sobbed heavily, and Light held the phone slightly away from his ear.
"It's alright, Misa," Light said dully. He was too numb to fake emotion right now. "It's not your fault."
"But he was stalking me!"
Light shuddered. He felt unclean again. It was a feeling he had hoped to never feel again, not after... "It's not your fault, Misa," he said, more firmly. "His actions are not your responsibility. No matter what he said, his actions were his own. It's not your fault." Just like Kira's actions were not my fault.
Misa sniffed. "Are you sure? I wouldn't blame you, if you blamed me."
Light paused, trying to decide whether or not to tell her. "I don't blame you, Misa. I... have been in a similar situation."
There was a long silence on the phone, then Misa rasped, "Li-...you had a s..." She swallowed loudly. "A stalker, too?" A whisper.
"...Yes," Light responded, just as quietly. "Please do not tell anyone."
"I won't. I..." Misa seemed to lose her trail of thought. "How's Sayu?"
Light sighed, looking at the closed double doors. "Still in critical condition. They have to figure out what she was given, then clear it from her system. We should know in a few hours, if..."
"Right... Light, could I..." Misa swallowed again. "Could I come?"
Light considered it. "Take care of yourself first. You've had quite a shock. If you still feel up to it after, feel free to come."
"Thanks, Light. I'll... see you later, then."
"Right. See you." Light closed his phone.
Misa closed Mei's, and cried.