Chapter Thirty-Four - New Age

The crowd counts,
Shouts of joy and anticipation.
Colour and light on the panes of windows and cloud.
Clock hands join,
Pointing, ringing, announcing, bringing
The New Age.

Somehow I am roped into having dinner with my family.

Under normal circumstances I would have listened for roughly five minutes before subtly running for the door, hoping to avoid prolonged contact with anyone sharing my blood. The awkwardness of forced socializing is wholly evident through my body language and speech. The newer circumstances I've found myself in do not help with this, and if anything they've made it worse.

Yae and her family are completely in the dark, and because of this have come to their own conclusion about the mysterious matters that I've involved myself with. Unfortunately I cannot tell them a damn thing, which is why this evening is worse than usual, and why I can't leave without instigating a full on shouting match.

Evidently I am a terrible liar.

I couldn't help myself. Yae used her pleading look and said a few choice words to make me feel incredibly guilty about shutting my relatives out of my life. 'They're your family, and they're worried about you.' / 'You're all they have left of Mom's brother.' / 'You tried to kill yourself, how do you think they feel?'

She's so manipulative … she knows exactly what buttons to press with me.

Over all dinner is incredibly awkward and generally a silent affair. I hardly eat because my stomach is doing backflips. The only thing I can do to give me an excuse not to talk is drink water … lots of water.

Eventually after a good hour or so of no communication my Aunt starts crying.

I've never been good in this sort of situation – when it's me who made a person cry. I panic, try to get them to stop and then say something either morally inappropriate or just plain insensitive. I do not have much charm or charisma when I am out of my element.

Eventually I manage to choke out a quick apology, and they look at me with wide eyes. They've never heard me say 'I'm sorry'.

"I wish that I could tell you everything, I really do, but I can't … so I'm sorry."

"What's so horrible that you can't tell us what happened?" my Uncle pleads.

I look sad when I reply, "If I told you, you'd understand … or you wouldn't believe me. But don't worry, I'm safe now. All of that is over."

"Why did you … why did you try to kill yourself?" My Aunt finally asks.

"If I didn't die, someone else would."

I think they understand.

Yae decides that she'll drive me back to Kakushin's place. I've been staying with her since I got out of the asylum and patched things up, mainly because Headquarters are being transformed into a hotel like it was disguised as in the first place. I'll need to find myself an apartment.

She has something to say, it's pretty damn obvious and really freaking distracting.

"Yae, stop thinking and ask the question already."

She glances at me in the mirror with a raised eyebrow, wondering how I knew she needed to get something off her chest. People who aren't totally conscious of their surroundings tend not to notice their own body language. This includes me.

"Can you please tell me what was going on?" she asks with wide eyes, just a little bit scared. Her tone pulls at my heart strings, and I grimace.

"I can't–"

"Yeah I know big secret and all. You can trust me though; I won't tell a soul … I promise."

I laugh, shaking my head, and she looks incredibly miffed for a moment. "Even if I did tell you I don't think you'd believe me."

"Try me."

"Do you promise to keep quiet, even if you think I'm still crazy?"

"… Yes."

I chuckle before whispering, "He's going to kill me for this … Fine, alright, I trust you. Remember, not a soul."

"Not a soul," she copies like a parrot. Now she's intrigued.

"I'm Red, the detective on the Kira case."

I swear she nearly crashes the car. "You're kidding me! YOU?!"

I nod, clutching the seat tightly enough that my knuckles turn white. I'm going to have to learn to drive.

"You mean … you … and Kira … and all of that stuff. Holy mother of fuck, for some twisted reason that makes a lot of sense."

I laugh.

"For how long?" she asks with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. I almost have to remind her to keep her eyes on the road.

"It happened shortly after my Father died. I'm not going into details though, so don't ask."

"So is the case really over then?" she asks, her curiosity getting the better of her. I think I heard that some of her friends are Kira cultists or something. Crazy people.

"Kira is dead," I say, memories flashing behind my eyes like a film, "I saw it happen."

"That must have been pretty intense," she shivers, "I probably shouldn't ask, but how did he kill?"

My expression turns frigid, and she seems surprised that I can actually become threatening. "You don't want to know."

Thankfully she doesn't press. "Thank you for telling me, it means a lot."

"Thanks for being there when I needed it."

"No problem."

I think that she will be, and is, a very important person in my life.

We deemed it necessary to give our own speech to the public, and after careful consideration, we concluded that I should do it. Well, when I say careful consideration I mean L outright refused and pushed me into it. I think it has something to do with establishing myself as a high ranking detective among the international community. The sneaky bastard.

I sit on the edge of the roof of the building that used to be my home, legs dangling between the bars of the guardrail, fiddling with Light's deadly silver watch. From this spot I can hear my message playing to the world. It's being broadcast everywhere, almost all at once. Within the next few hours it will be recorded permanently in history.

"I am Red, and I'm addressing all of you because at least one of us has to say something."

I laugh to myself when I hear the synthetic voice echoing my speech through the streets. People have stopped what they were doing to look up at the jumbo screen, listening intently to what I have to say. One of the two detectives that managed to crack the Kira Case is speaking to the world. It's huge.

I wonder what the others are doing right now. Are they listening? Ryuzaki, Kakushin and Makoto may roll their eyes and think it typical of me to be sarcastic and even a little rude. The Task Force may balk and shake their heads; I can practically see Matsu's amused and exasperated grimace, or Aizawa's frown with a small sigh and a shake of his head. Maybe Yae is watching with keen interest, still shocked that her supposedly depressed younger cousin had been changing the world. Andrews is most likely laughing because whether I'm talking to a high ranking FBI agent or the entire world, I'm still exactly the same.

"It was announced that Kira, who some of you worship as a god, has been brought to justice. It really depends on your opinion of justice on whether or not you are relieved or angry, and quite frankly that's not my problem."

Oh, so many people are going to be mad at me. My fingers are cold from the lack of gloves and my hair keeps getting in my face because I really need a fucking haircut. There is no wind tonight and no clouds in the sky. The only activity is in the streets, but they've gone silent except for my words.

"I'm speaking to all of you because Kira was no god, he was a human being. I don't care if he was doing it in the name of the greater good, and I don't care if the ends justify the means. Innocent people, and maybe people who are not so innocent, are dead because of him."

He was committing genocide, something that is internationally known as terrorism. And he was spreading terror, whether he knew it or not.

"Kira was a hypocrite. In the end he became everything that he despised. As human beings we try to make our imperfect world fair and just, and while it's likely that we'll never achieve that, all we can do is try. I for one will not stand idle when a murderer tries to impose himself as a tyrant and there is something I can do about it."

I can almost feel the shock ripping through the crowd. I certainly have balls to be able to say that. I guess it helps that I have a secret identity. Interpol is going to blow up at me and probably make demands, even though they've already offered me a lot of money to continue working on cases.

I think I'll accept.

"What I ask is that you continue with your lives, trying to be as human as you can be. Kira's reign of terror is over, and we must strive for greater in this new age. And whether you've done bad or good, you're still human, which is something to be proud of. I'm not really an optimist, but I can still hope, and I want you to be able to hope too. With each new day brings new possibility. Thank you, all of you, for just being alive."

It's weird, hearing it when I'm not saying it. I'm also saying it to myself. It's a promise to who I will be, who I was, and everyone I touch. I've touched the world. I'm going to start living my life for myself and the people I love, instead of just existing and being the observing bystander. It's so much more fun that way.

I'll need to finish college and get myself a job. It's funny how it works that way. I never even seriously thought about what would happen when the case was over. I almost expected that I would die during its progression. I betted my life the moment I decided to pursue Kira. Though I did tell the Task Force that I wanted to be a Journalist, and this is true.

L will be leaving shortly. I don't know how I'll handle that. We've grown very close during the investigation, to the point that I would gladly take a bullet for him (or jump to my death). I'm sure it's the same for him. I will miss him terribly when he leaves.

I'm still not used to not hearing the clicks of his keyboard as I fall asleep (as I generally slept on the couch instead of my room). I'm not used to waking up and only having to make one cup of coffee (us the caffeine addicts). I'm not used to not hearing his comments on my thoughts when I voice them out loud (I don't like hearing an empty room in reply). Fuck I'll even miss the candy wrappers found unexpectedly in the weirdest of places and the smell of sugar that tends to seep into our clothes.

It didn't matter much when I was in the asylum, as I was very well aware of the situation. Now I've been waking up on Kakushin's couch and I vaguely wonder where the hell I am while I register my surroundings. This is going to take time to get used to.

I'm losing my best friend here.

Alas, there is little choice in the matter.

I stand up, stretching like a cat and making a content sound in the back of my throat. My head hasn't felt this clear in months. My heart is the same way. I turn my back to the skyline to address the two Shinigami behind me. They've been listening to my speech.

"I guess this is goodbye, Ryuk," I say, taking Light's Death Note from my sweater pocket.

"Yeah, though I kind of want to stay. You humans have great apples."

I laugh, the ridiculousness is mind boggling. On some level I understand Shinigami, but this one is just thick. I swear all he's interested in is apples. Though I know that's not true or he wouldn't have dropped the Death Note in my hand in the first place, the thing that instigated the whole mess.

With a shake of my head I drop it on the ground and take out a lighter.

"Just get out of here, Ryuk," Vile says with a teasing voice, something I've learned to identify in the year I've known him.

"Yeah, yeah, don't press me. I'm going to go steal apples before I go, so don't wait up for me." He doesn't have another Death Note to spare, so by burning this one he won't be coming back any time soon. When he's done talking about his apples he spreads his feathery wings, gives us a small wave and takes off into the sky. I watch, still laughing as he disappears into the city.

"Creepy bastard," Vile comments, which just sends me into fits of hysteria.

When I calm down again I am in a very good mood and still grinning. Vile is observing me as I lean over and ignite the notebook. Just like Misa's notebook the flames turn blue and the wailing is terrible. I'm prepared for it this time, so it doesn't affect me nearly as much.

"So, Vile, what are you going to do next?" I ask him, and he regards me with narrowed eyes.

"What am I going to do next? What about you?"

"Do you want to find out?"

He's silent for a moment, and his talons twitch, "… Yes."

"Thought so," I'm terribly smug when I'm successful in reading him. "How about you and I become partners?"

"Partners?" he bristles, but his tone is curious.

I give him my best all-knowing smirk, "That's why I'm not dead yet, after all."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

We both laugh ourselves silly.

The knock at my door is expected. "Come in, the door's unlocked," I call, a sense of deja-vu oddly making me pause. I ignore it as Ryuzaki lets himself in, glancing around my mostly empty apartment. It's small, just large enough for one person. It didn't take me long to find a suitable place to live, though it feels empty without someone else there with me.

I put the mug that I'd been placing inside a cupboard down before going to lean on the doorframe, watching as he inspects the immediate surroundings. He tends to do that a lot, always taking in new information. He can't help himself.

"How are you doing?" he asks, finally making eye contact. He's unusually reserved today, and I know why. Tomorrow he'll be leaving the country to do who knows what who knows where. I don't even know if I'll see him again. We can stay in contact, but it has to be sparse and irregular, or we could risk both our lives.

"Just fine," I snort in amusement, "But it's a little weird so far. I don't think I'll ever be used to domestic ever again."

He chuckles, and we both ease back into the relaxed companionship we're used to. I make us some coffee (with heart-attack inducing amounts of sugar) and we just talk.

He's a little annoyed that I let slip to my cousin of my position, but agrees that it's my decision. I tell him that I'm keeping my Death Note and why (and he says he doesn't want to meet Vile). He tells me that he'll send me any cases that he thinks will interest me. We both have a good laugh at the reactions of people to my speech.

"You could come with us," he says abruptly, and I nearly shoot coffee out my nose. People need to stop talking when I drink coffee.

I study him with a slight frown, and he holds my gaze unflinchingly. I then give a sigh and a sad smile. "You know I can't."

"Why not?"

"There are people here who need me, I can't abandon them. We need to pick up the pieces of our lives."

The rain outside washes the light grey, but instead of dreary and clingy, it's refreshing. I have a window open (rain isn't coming in though) and the smell of ozone is oddly comforting. I've always liked the rain.

I walk around the counter to stand in front of L before I lean forward to envelop him in a hug. He doesn't move for a moment, but then he hugs me back, letting his chin rest on the top of my head. I can hear his heartbeat.

"If you ever need my help just give me a call, tell me where and when, and I'll be there, okay?" I say quietly.

I can almost feel his eyes widening. His long fingers are spread across my back, and he gives an almost unnoticeable nod. "Thank you," he breathes.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you," I chuckle.

No matter what this new world, this new age, brings us, we're ready for it. Together we'll face what's heading our way. That's what friends are for.

"You're such a panda, Lawliet," I laugh and he protests indignantly.

It's what friends are for.

I feel more alive than I ever have before.

The End

A/N: So, once again, RED has come to a close. I dunno when CRIMSON will be back up, because I have to go over it a bunch and well ... my muse is not in Death Note at the moment. Maybe later, but not now. I have half a dozen projects open at the moment ... um ... well, six, maybe seven, with three of them on hiatus and another that's only for my own amusement and will rot on my computer, never seeing the light of the internet. I have to get CHB up and running again, I'm doing another for fun and another will be posted on dA because it's an original (and for fun).

So I'm forcing myself out of my writing-hiatus. I feel a lot better.

So, I'll probably post a quick AN as Chapter 35 when the time comes (eventually) to restart CRIMSON.

Also, I've been planning on starting another story in this universe that I'll call MAROON, which is based when Kurai is a child and her parents are still alive. It will focus on Vile and his relationship with her parents, as I've said before, there's more to that story than meets the eye. It'll be short and quick, and hopefully done by the end of summer, so September, MAYBE.

Thanks for reading, see you all later.

- DW