B: I was hesitant about the whole marriage thing in here, but..eh, you know. I feel ya.
Near and Anna...well, I can't quite remember, but I know they have fluff in here. I know. I don't remember where or how much, but...they will. As for Natalie and Light, well, we'll definitely get to them; I promise.

TheQueenOfFlames: I-I'm sorry for depriving you of sleep! ...Sleep's great. Real great. So's food... Yeahhh...
I...well... I'm sorry about Matt, but he won't be a third wheel; I can tell you that. He may or may not get someone, but there will be a lot of sibling-like fluff between him and Sierra. Not only that, but this story's the one that reveals his past~

Amy: They are fantastic. *nod* Ah, it would be sweet if they had a kid, wouldn't it?~

Oh goooodd I'm so sorry-I had a week off this week and lost track of time but-but here's the chapter! Two days late, but here it is!

Think.

Near sat before his array of finger puppets, fingering the puppet that represented Light Yagami. Before he could make any sort of plan, he would have to determine just what he was dealing with here.

Shinigami can't drop their own notebooks, according to Anna… so… if Light were to have switched out the notebook the task force had, they should only have one notebook. However… Mikami is judging. Light Yagami and Natalie Hilts set up his escape in order to allow him to judge… but… Light is still judging, surely. The way Kira is, he would want to… unless Natalie is…. Either way, though, there is more than one notebook. Did Ryuk drop his Death Note anyway…? If he did, then that would allow the three known Kiras to have two notebooks… though I wonder, then, why they had to bring Misa into the picture even when Mikami was judging…. Could there be a third? But then, how?

And Mello has a notebook. How did he get it? Near twirled his hair pensively. That would put it to three or even four notebooks that are in this world…. He frowned slightly, his eyes narrowing. But where are they all coming from? And… if Mello has a notebook that came from Kira, how did he get it? When he kidnapped Natalie…? No…. That would prove Natalie guilty, and Mello would no doubt rub it in my face that he had caught Kira. Then… perhaps Sierra, but would Kira really take that risk, knowing she worked with Mello? Or is it another shinigami?

Near fingered the Mello finger puppet, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were dark as he thought deeply. I suppose I'll have to contact L to see his opinion on how many Kiras there are currently…. How many Kiras there are, determined by how many kills, would better determine how many current notebooks there are, not including Mello's Death Note…. He sighed lightly. The moment I know exactly how many notebooks there are to take care of, I can act to get rid of each and every Kira. He placed his finger on the finger puppet representing Light Yagami. I'll be sure to beat you here, Kira. At this point, your loss is inevitable.

Here it was. August thirteenth, the date that the message-writer had told us to come to that old café… the one where Light and L once conversed; the one where Light first discovered that L was actually alive; the café that was once a place where Light had gone a lot just to be alone, back before the 'original' Death Note had ever been dropped.

The unknown person had said to meet him here at four pm. Light and I entered the café at four o'clock sharp. We were greeted by a waitress, and Light told the woman amiably that they were meeting someone here. She accepted this with a smile and a nod, and the two of us stepped into the coffee shop, fully anticipating the event. The moment we turned that corner, we would see who we were dealing with.

Our plan was simple. If whoever it was did not seem trustworthy or usable, we would inform him – or her – that we weren't Kira and were actually on the Kira case. From there we would apprehend him. Or her. Whatever. I even carried my gun, just in case. I was allowed to, considering I was a certified cop now. Then, once he was apprehended, taken to jail, and his capture had gone public, we would make him die of a suicide… or an accident, depending upon who we were working with.

However… if whoever we found waiting for us at that table happened to be someone we could use… someone that could actually help us… we would cautiously admit to being Kira. We would work with him. Make him tell us how he knew, and we would use him to our advantage. That's not to say we would manipulate him in a way that was disadvantageous to him; he would play his part. We would work with him… if we knew he could be trusted. And if we admitted our work as Kira and he made any kind of suspicious move, then he would be killed.

From what we had made out of the notes he had left Light, he was incredibly intelligent. That could be either an asset or a threat, so we supposed we would see how this would go once we confronted our mystery man.

We reached the corner and turned with a casual air. Nothing was different, and nothing was wrong. We were only meeting a friend.

From here we could begin to see who was waiting for us. Black hair, dark attire…. We approached the table to better see a man in his twenties, his black hair cut relatively short and layered so it stuck up in some places. He was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt and black baggy jeans. He was looking up at his with narrow eyes that were a sharp grey. A smile curved his lips as he stood.

"I knew you'd come," he spoke in a voice that was smooth, but not soft. His smile twisted into a wider expression. "Come and sit, Mr. Yagami. Miss Hester." He bowed to each of us in turn, and gestured to the booth opposite him.

We looked at the booth, then, eyeing him cautiously, slid in. The man sat down after us. He leaned his elbow on the table, his head tilted to the side and his hand to his cheek. He continued looking at us with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Ah, but you would like to know who I am, right?"

Light frowned. "Of course I'd like to know who has been leaving me notes at my doorstep," he returned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet the two of you at last," he smiled wider. "I am Beyond Birthday."

There was an immediate sense of confusion. B had died; he'd killed himself at the end of the Sinful Murder Cases, hadn't he? L had been upset over it and everything; we could tell just by looking at Sam. Was this guy serious? I mean, he looked the part. He had some resemblances to L in his haircut, his face, and his build, but…. Unfortunately, I couldn't confirm his claim by sight because of the fact I no longer had the Shinigami Eyes. And without that, there was no way of immediately telling if it was BB or not…. Although… there was the point that that, well, what was the point in pretending to be BB? What gain was there to be had there?

"I understand your confusion," he said without inflection, gazing at us with this odd lack of something in his eyes. "I am dead, aren't I? I committed suicide on the twenty-seventh of June, thus ending the Sinful Murder Cases. I burned myself alive. I died. But here I am. My explanation: I didn't kill myself. I didn't die… not in that instance." He tilted his head slightly without expression. "Now you just have to believe that part."

There was a short silence. "In the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, BB tried to kill himself at the end in order to defeat L," said Light. "To create an unsolvable case. Isn't that what he was trying to do in the Sinful Murder Cases?"

"Yes, that was exactly my intent," the man claiming to be BB confirmed. "However, I wanted to ensure my success, and I wanted to live on." He looked directly at Light, his empty eyes boring into him. Light gazed back, impassive. Something seemed to flicker in the man's eyes as he spoke again. "I had a new task to complete. A new goal to live for."

"…Alright," I said, accepting the idea.

"Assuming you are Beyond Birthday, what is this new goal, then?" asked Light.

Beyond gave us a cruel smile, eyes calm and cool. "I want to be alive to see Near beaten or killed."

Both of us stared at him, our gazes unwavering. BB's smile faded. The lack of expression returned.

A waitress came to our table and gave each of us a cup of coffee. Light thanked her quietly, never removing his gaze from Beyond.

Once she was gone, Beyond leaned forward, his arms on the table. "I came here for a deal. I wrote this to you bluntly. This deal I will explain to you once all else is explained. Know that I am at the advantage here. I know all about you… including that both of you are Kira. At the very least, I know you have a notebook: neither of you have lifespans. And also…" – his mouth twisted into an imitation of a smile – "you didn't even know I was alive." The smile was wiped from his face again.

Light glared at him.

"You don't know where I hide; you don't know what I'm planning; you don't know my preparations for if you say no or deny the fact that you are Kira. To be honest, I didn't think you'd come right out and accept, and were probably planning on arresting your secret messenger the moment you discovered they were of no use to you. Perhaps you'd have even killed them off. However…."

He stopped there. His finger was tapping at the table. His eyes closed for a moment, and his finger stopped tapping. Another pause. We waited. "…However," he said, "I am not that foolish human you may have imagined. I am a human reaper in my own right; I am made to bring death upon others." He looked at us. "I want to join Kira and work with him. With you."

Both of us gave a start of surprise. "Beyond," Light returned immediately, "if that's really who you are, then that means that you're the one who killed Misa. Do you really think Kira would work with someone who killed her, one of their own in the original case?" He straightened. "And do you think that Kira would ever work with a serial killer? That's who he works to kill." His voice was firm as he spoke, a hint of anger coloring his words. He did not speak in a way that would prove we were Kira, though… not yet. He implied he had preparations for if we went against him. What if he was recording this very conversation?

"I am aware that I killed Misa Amane, but… can you really blame me for that? She was meant to die, and that was that. I killed her because no matter what happened, she would be dead." He looked at both of us meaningfully; that sharp nothing boring into us as we gazed back with our own intensity. "If you're looking for an apology, fine. I can apologize if I have to, but I'm not sorry for taking a life that was meant to be extinguished."

Light forced a tight laugh. "Do you really think that will change anything? You seem to forget, we're only human. She was our friend, and you killed her. Humans tend to hold grudges." He smiled, cocking an eyebrow as he lifted his coffee. "I hope you're not asking for forgiveness." And he took a sip.

"No. Just cooperation," Beyond answered shortly. "My point here is that I have something to offer both of you, as Kira. You can't kill me, and you know this." Light eyed him carefully, and I frowned. "You also can't kill Near… or L… or Mello. Not even Mello's accomplice, Mail. All of your enemies cannot die. Also, if ever someone stands against you once you reach the utopia you're undoubtedly trying to reach, it will get people thinking about the opposing side. You'll want some people; any rebels against Kira… you may want them dead if they're dangerous enough. But the notebook that kills cannot cover everyone, and your enemies would know the moment you make them disappear that it was you who caused it.

"What I am offering is to be your assassin." He paused, looking at us as if judging our reaction. "You have your prophet, that's true, but can three people alone be enough to secure the ruling of the world? I know that's what you're attempting. I offer only to be your assassin, your killer in the dark. The one that makes people disappear so you don't have to. I can be the killer of the enemies you cannot kill; I can be the silencer of the ones who know too much, or the ones who stand against you. I can be Kira's elite underground army." There he stopped. "That is my offer," he said.

"What's in it for you, though?" I came in.

"What would you get in return for all of this?" asked Light. "This is a deal, you said. Not an offering. To do all that, you're going to want a price. What is it?"

Beyond's mouth twitched at the corner, and he chuckled; a low and dark thing. Henh, henh, henh…. That twisted version of a smile reappeared on his features. "That's just it," he said, leaning back as he looked at us. There seemed to be something in his eyes now. "All I want is Near's defeat or death. I want him put down, whether it be to regret and the pressing knowledge of failure… or death. You want his defeat too. We want the same thing. It's a win-win situation, here…. Isn't it great?" He laughed airily; it wasn't quite that dark chuckle of his, but it didn't sound quite fake, either.

It would be a lie to say we weren't considering it by this point. This was a large deal, and it had its benefits…. Imagine; we would be able to get rid of Mello and Near once we were ready… even L if we really had to…. We didn't want to kill people like those who were in the SPK… or the Task Force, either. But this… this was a major opportunity. If B was speaking the truth, and that really was his goal… then there was no reason for him to betray us unless Near had been at last defeated. And that wouldn't happen for a little while yet. BB was right… it was great. He would watch Near fall, and we, as Kira, would rise. What would happen after we beat Near was questionable, but… that could be dealt with once that time came. So then…. Would we accept his offer? It was beneficial; there were no major drawbacks….

"Now…," said BB. His face was expressionless once more; his eyes were again filled with nothing. "…What is your answer? Will you accept my deal, or deny me?" He held out his hand. "What'll it be, Kira?"

I merely leaned back in my seat. This would be Light's movement, not my own. I took a sip of my coffee as Light gazed at B's hand. B gazed expectantly at him.

Light took his hand and shook it.

The deal was made.

Beyond flashed a smile. "It's a deal," said Light. "No working behind our backs. We'll be keeping an eye on you."

"Of course; of course," Beyond responded.

"Know we're in charge, not you," Light added, and B nodded.

"Of course. I thought that was a given." He tilted his head, and his neck cracked. "Shall we meet here again next week? Same day of the week, same time of day?"

Light gave a short nod of confirmation, and both of us stood. "Agreed," we said together. "We'll see you then," said Light, and we left. Beyond watched us go, his eyes not leaving us even as he grabbed a packet of sugar for his coffee.

Friday the thirteenth, it was; a day of bad luck. And for L, Near, and Mello, it would be. August thirteenth… the day Beyond Birthday made an alliance with Kira.

It was long after his meeting with Kira that B at last reached his current residence: an underground hideout that was once a bomb shelter for those who worked at the old warehouse that was taken down and leveled years ago. Now it only seemed like a bare field, barred from civilians by an old wire fence that had too many holes to keep people out anymore anyhow. It wasn't like anyone would actually come out here anyway. There wasn't anything interesting… except maybe the bomb shelter that Beyond currently called his home.

But underground wasn't where he was headed quite yet. Instead he headed to the relatively large stone that was placed nearby the hideout's entrance. A gentle August breeze passed; the grass rolled smoothly. B gazed down at the dirty stone without expression, then knelt down and brushed at it to get rid of some of the dirt. "It's alright, Sophia…," he murmured. "I made the deal with Kira; I've joined their side…. I know we weren't before, and we still don't like them… sorry… I still don't like them…. Not we anymore, right? But… I'm going to get Near for you, okay? Once I feel like you're avenged…" he found his mouth forming some sort of smile, "…then I can join you." He could feel the Fog settling as he spoke.

He stood, then, and only gazed at the blank stone for awhile longer before leaving Sophia's grave and heading down below to his hideout. He would not do much; only be idle in his work as time waited for the Fog to lift.

It was funny. Now that I thought about it, wouldn't it have been me that would get overly excited to meet Beyond Birthday? Me who would have begun spouting things hyperactively to confuse him? 'Oh, hi BB! How's your obsession with fire going? You have any strawberry jam you can share?'

But now… now it was a hard silence I gave him upon his introduction. Funny. Funny, funny, funny how a character can change so… and it had only been a few months. So funny.

These were my thoughts as I gazed up at the ceiling of my home. Anna was talking to me, but I, of course, had zoned out. Well, that's a trait that hasn't changed, I thought drily, and tuned back in to my niece's words.

"…So I'm hoping that Mello's caught, since there was a sighting and all, you know? I just want him caught so I can see Sierra again. I miss her. Mello's a meanie poop for kidnapping her. Again." She paused. "Aunt Natalie, do you think things'll ever be back to normal?"

I blinked and looked at her more directly. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sick of the Kira case, and I'm sick of everyone being so far apart. Sam's with L, Sierra's with Mello, and you and I are the only ones that ever really see each other anymore…. I'm sick of people suspecting you because I know you wouldn't kill people, I don't think, and I'm sick of everyone being against one another. We were all friends, weren't we? We were, weren't we?" She looked at me.

"Of course, Anna… and we still are," I told her.

"Then tell me honestly, Aunt Natalie…. Do you think things will ever be back to normal? Where all of us will be together again and we can all act like friends like we used to? And we can eat potato chips together and hang out together and just talk together…. And…." She looked down and stopped there.

I gazed at her with vague sympathy. "Well, Anna…," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully. "…There are some things that have changed that we can't switch back. Things like the Bond, for example."

"The four people who are mind synced to us could become a part of the group, then, right?" asked Anna hopefully. "Light and L and Mello and Near can join in, if that's how it has to be… but we'll be together and there won't be hate or hidden things I can't get…."

I held up my hand to stop her. "Allow me to finish, Anna…. There have also been things that have happened that have changed who we are, too. Time has passed, and a lot has happened. That's not to say we can't come together as friends and family again… but it won't be exactly the same. We can't make the clock reverse…. Do you know what I mean?"

She frowned and looked down. "Yeah…."

I smiled. "Don't look down about it. Sometimes change is good. Maybe your sister will find real happiness, or maybe Sam will smile a little more, or maybe you'll have some more privileges, eh?" Or maybe your aunt will be in jail. It all depends.

She smiled, though it seemed not quite happy. "Yeah. Okay, Aunt Natalie…."

I smiled again, then tilted my head back to look back at my ceiling. I miss that crack in the ceiling I befriended back in the basement of Mello's hideout, I thought, then rethought this. …Come to think of it, I don't miss it that much, I decided, and chuckled to myself.

Fun Fact: I started It Is Done back in August 2011. Good times.

Review? For alliances...?