Burn

by xLion'sRoarx

When BB, a dangerous criminal, escapes from jail and sets his eyes on Light, the entire investigation is thrown into chaos. The Kira case flies off the metaphorical tracks, and as Light's world comes apart at the seams, his own emotions bar him at every turn, turning calculations into reckless actions and throwing into danger everything that he has fought to protect. LxLight

19. The Blazing Star

Welcome to chapter nineteen! This chapter was hell to edit. It kicked my ass, thus the reason for the late posting. Seriously—it kicked my ass. This chapter made me its bitch.

But that's beside the point. Thank you so much if you left a review on the last chapter (I feel a little bad about bitching at everyone last chapter due to review count, so I'm sorry. I started this with the mindset that I wasn't going to worry over how many reviews I got, and I totally lost sight of that along the way). And to Akai: nah, the child shinigami isn't in love with Light. Everything he's doing is for his own benefit ;)

Chapter 19: The Blazing Star

When L regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was blue. It was bright and starting in terms of colors he could have woken up to, the brilliant sheen of it filling every bit of his vision. At first he likened it to the sky, but there were no clouds, and no matter where he directed his eyes, the sun seemed to elude him. So what was it, then, just a blue wall? No, that wasn't it, L was certain that he was lying on his back, and therefore could not possibly be observing a wall. L wiggled his fingers slowly, testing them to see if they were broken. Finding no objection from his fingers, he moved his test to first his right arm, then his left, then on to his legs an the rest of his body. He shielded his eyes from the bright glare of the blue thing above him, then rubbed his eyes aggressively to make sure he was really awake.

He was.

L slowly sat up and looked around. What he saw… made no sense. He was lying in a huge patch of vividly green grass, the waves of green rolling up to a wing of buildings that seemed to be arranged in a semi-circle. Bright splotches of color stained the grass wherever a flower grew in between the blades, the size and sheen of their petals demanding attention. The flowers came in ever color… blue, purple, yellow, red… they were beautiful. And then there were trees. There were massive, towering endlessly into the sky. They cast light shadows over the grass wherever they stood, dappling the blades of green with beautiful nets of shade. L pushed himself to his feet with practiced grace, his hair ruffling slightly in the warm breeze that seemed to constantly flow through the clearing.

I'm dreaming, L thought. That's it, I'm dreaming! He took a few steps forward, then turned suddenly to see what was behind him, to see if the beautiful field ringed with buildings went on forever. Oh… he thought, realizing that what he had thought to be a semi-circle of buildings was actually a complete circle. The buildings, made with bright red bricks and white trim, surrounded the whole field. As he walked L saw that the grass was broken up in certain places by white stone paths that led to the doors of the buildings. He mindlessly stepped onto the closest path and followed it.

He looked ahead to locate the end of the path. There, several feet ahead of him, the path ended—and at the end of that path was another structure. It was a fountain, made entirely of white marble. Crystal clear water spouted from the top of the structure, trickling calmly down the sides and falling to the rather large basin below, which stretched in a circle around the fountain. The beautiful silence of the clearing was broken as L saw the water, the sound of it reaching him as if the sight alone had reawakened his hearing.

All of this was insane. L approached the fountain and dipped his fingers in it, just to see if he could wake himself up. The water was pleasantly cool, but it did nothing to awaken him. "Perhaps this is a form of lucid dreaming?" L muttered. "If that is true then I should be able to change this dream at will." He concentrated for a moment, just to see if he could change the scene to something else, or make Light appear in front of him. But nothing happened. "Not a lucid dream, then," he said. "Just a strange one." He wondered if the shinigami who attacked him had killed him, and if this was heaven. But no, he certainly wouldn't be going to heaven when he died. But this didn't look like hell…

L sighed. If he was dead, he was going to be very disappointed.

"Are you okay?"

L froze at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. He turned slowly, his back now facing the fountain, and took in the appearance of the person standing behind him.

It was a child.

A human child.

The same human child that had approached L on the streets.

But now…he looked different.

He was still young—younger than L, younger than Matt, even younger than Sayu. He looked seven or eight at the most, barely coming up to L's stomach. His hair was inky black and shaggy, reaching an inch below his shoulders. His eyes were a brilliant orange, his pale flesh covered in a light dusting of freckles. The only odd thing about him—and, in fact, the only thing that had changed—was his clothing. Instead of normal children's clothing, he was wearing a tattered looking cloak that hung strangely low on his shoulders. It covered any sign of pants and shoes, but the beginnings of a white undershirt were visible beneath the robe, and a necklace hung around his neck. The necklace, upon closer inspection, seemed to be made of bone fragments. And the circlet resting atop his head, which couldn't quite be called a crown, was also made of the same bone fragments, though it had deep brown thorns woven throughout in addition to the bone.

L gaped at the child. He was beginning to doubt his theory that this was just a dream.

"Are you okay?" the child repeated, stepping closer. L immediately retreated, the backs of his legs brushing the lip of the fountain's basin. The water seemed louder now. Or perhaps that was just the rush of blood in his ears. "You don't need to be afraid," the child said softly. "You are safe here."

"How do I know?" L rasped, his voice weak and pathetic.

The boy looked surprised, as if it were unfathomable for anyone to doubt his word. "I suppose you don't. You'll just have to trust me."

"Trust?" The thought was laughable. There was only one person L truly trusted in full, and it wasn't this child.

"Yes, trust. Trust me, L Lawliet."

L froze, throat constricting until he could barely breathe. Who… who was this boy, calling out his real name so carelessly? How could he know that name, those two awful words that had the power to kill?

"You don't have to worry, Lawliet. No one here will attempt to kill you, and your name will never leave my lips to anyone but you."

"How?" he demanded, voice weaker than it should have been. "How do you know?"

Oh, you haven't figured it out yet?" The boy stepped back, and suddenly his form flickered. Just for a heartbeat, he transformed from a small child to a massive, terrifying beast, three times taller than any shinigami L had ever seen. But then the moment had passed, and the child was back.

"You… you're a shinigami!" L choked out. "You're the one that attacked me!"

The shinigami smiled pityingly, an expression that didn't fit the face of a young child. "I did not attack you," he said. "I heard your conversation with Rem, Lawliet. I heard you ask her to put you in contact with the Shinigami King. And while she may not have the power to take a human to the shinigami realm, I do. So I brought you here."

Understanding flashed through L's mind. This boy… this shinigami in the form of a child… "No…" he whispered, completely dumbfounded. "You're…?"

"Yes," the child responded. He took a step back, squaring his shoulders to L and puffing out his chest. He suddenly looked much, much older than he really was. "I am the Shinigami King. And you are in the shinigami realm. More specifically, you are in my palace."

For just a moment, L felt stunned. This was the Shinigami King. This was the being that controlled all other shinigami, the being that ruled over all others. "I thought the shinigami realm would be more… drab," L admitted shakily, attempting to familiarize himself with the concept that he was speaking to the God of gods. "Less sunshine and flowers, more death and despair."

"There is plenty of that," the king chuckled. "But as long as you are in my palace you will see only what you want to see. You want to be at peace, so your mind pulled this place out of your subconscious. I'd imagine that this place brings you great joy."

That…was painfully true. L found his eyes raking over the landscape once more, taking it in with new meaning. So, this was the Wammy's House from his memories… He noted with biter amusement that he was standing in what would have been the west wing of the building—the farthest away he could possibly get from the clearing Beyond had assaulted him in and the room where A had been murdered. "It's like the Mirror of Erised," L figured, referencing one of the many books he'd read during his time in England. "It shows you your most deeply hidden desires." He looked down at the King. "If that's the case, then where is Light? If this is my fantasy, then where is he?"

That earned him a sad smile. "This palace cannot replicate people. It is the one thing that it cannot do. It is a palace of loneliness."

How awful… L flinched at the thought of living in his ultimate paradise without the one person he truly loved. "What do you see?"

The King shrugged. "I see my palace. I see my throne, the lanterns hanging from the walls, the black tiles on the floor. I see the windows that stretch from the floor to the ceiling. And through those windows I see the shinigami realm in all its glory." The Shinigami King's eyes glazed over. "I see the barren wasteland, the crags of rock covering the ground, the crumbling mountains… I see shinigami endlessly locked in their gambling."

"It sounds terrible."

"It is." The glazed look left the King's eyes as he looked back up at L. "But I didn't bring you here to discuss the harsh reality of the shinigami realm. I brought you here because I believe you have some questions for me."

"You were watching." It wasn't a question. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Not you specifically," the King corrected. "I have been watching the situation in your realm ever since Ryuk dropped his second notebook in the human world. I've seen everything that's happened since then."

"So you know about the rather unfortunate situation I've landed myself in."

"Yes. I know everything, Lawliet."

That name again. L shuddered. "Then you already know what I'm going to ask."

"I do."

"Then tell me the answer." L's eyes gleamed with determination. "Is there a way? Can I do it?"

The King sighed and lowered himself to sit on the edge of the fountain. L wondered briefly what the fountain looked like to him. "I want to help you, Lawliet," he whispered. "But I cannot. I cannot separate Light and Kira."

L's heart sank. So that was it, then.

"But there is another solution."

"Burning the Death Note, I know," L muttered somberly. "But it's going to be hard to get close enough to him to do that."

"Yes," the King agreed, "it will be quite hard. That is, unless you have the right connections. And luckily for you, you came into contact with me." He grinned toothily. "It's true that I can't be the one to separate Light and Kira. But you…you could do it—and I have another way."

Hope. It was strong, overpowering, and L loved it. "What is it? What else can I do?"

The Shinigami King offered him a small, knowing smile. "Tell me, Lawliet, what happens when someone gives up possession of the Death Note?"

L frowned, immediately responding, "They lose their memories." That, at least, he was certain about.

"And how do you think that happens? What about losing the Death Note makes the person's memories flee?"

L thought back, trying to remember if Light had ever said anything about the mechanics of memory loss via Death Note. But he hadn't said anything, not even a word in passing—and so he most likely didn't know. "Well…" L trailed off, deep in thought. "If I had to guess, I'd say that it has something to do with the shinigami."

"Yes, yes!" the Shinigami King exclaimed happily, sounding every bit the child he was disguised as. "That's right! The shinigami who gives their notebook to a human is the one who takes away their memories once said human relinquishes possession!"

"And what does that have to do with the solution to my problem?" L asked hesitantly.

"Well, that's simple! You see, every shinigami is different from their brethren. They're like snowflakes, you could say—no two are the same. And consequently, their powers all vary just a little bit."

L caught on immediately. "They're all different," he realized softly. "Each shinigami removes a human's memories a different way, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"Yep!" the Shinigami King chirped. "We all have a different way of doing things! Some shinigami seal their hands over the human's eyes, others channel their power through the human's chest—some just kick 'em really hard!"

The King cackled, and L found himself marveling at his behavior. He'd always assumed that if there was a Shinigami King, he would be calm and reserved, and quite frightening. But this being…he was childish. He was acting like an idiot.

"Nah, that last one isn't true," the King conceded, still chuckling. "But that's beside the point." He leaned closer suddenly, and his gaze darkened, and all signs of his joking attitude immediately vanished. "It's true that most shinigami focus on the more biological side of things, using their hands or eyes to remove a human's memories. But some, a rare few…are different."

"And let me guess—you're one of those few."

He nodded seriously. "Yes. And do you know what makes me different, Lawliet?"

"You're the King."

The corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. "Yes, but besides that." He didn't wait for L to take another guess. "You see, a few of the shinigami remove memories in a different way. Instead of using our own hands, eyes, or whatever else, they use an object. Something like a staff, or a necklace, or a article of their clothing. The instant the human gives up the Death Note, they make contact with said object, and with that contact they withdraw said human's memories."

"What difference does that make for me?" L asked, slightly confused. The Shinigami King wouldn't tell him these things without a reason, but…he couldn't' figure it out. What did the King have to gain from this?

The Shinigami King raised a hand to his head, fingers wrapping around the thorny crown he wore. The attached bone fragments dangled and swayed as he lowered the thing slowly, bringing it down. He held it for a moment, eyes raking over it. "This is it," he murmured. "This is what I use to erase the memories of humans—or at least, this is what I would use if I ever let a human gain possession of my Death Note. That has never happened, however, nor will it ever. I am quite careful, you see, to keep hold of my notebook at all times."

"That's your crown?" L echoed curiously. He stared at the tiny circlet—it was so small that he probably could have used it as a slightly large bracelet. "What, you just stick that on some human's head after they give up possession?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"And how is that supposed to help me?" L demanded irritably. "I can only assume that you're telling me this because you think it will help me—but something like that won't do any good. Light won't be able to give up possession of the Death Note, so you've told me nothing of interest."

"Haven't I?" The Shinigami King's expression twisted into one of horrifying excitement. "I've left something out, Lawliet. Something that most shinigami don't know. Do you want to know a secret?"

L took is as a rhetorical question, and didn't respond.

The King didn't seem to mind. He leaned in even closer, until he was practically whispering in L's ear. "A shinigami can remove a human's memories at any time."

L didn't understand, and he told the king so.

"Silly!" the King chastised. "I'm trying to tell you that saying the words, I relinquish possession of the Death Note, doesn't do anything. It's the shinigami that hears the request and takes away the human's memories, consequently forcing them to relinquish ownership."

Slowly, ever so slowly, L was beginning to suspect why the King was telling him this. But…would it work? Would it really work?

"I see you're beginning to appreciate the worth of me telling you this," the Shinigami King said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Yes…" L murmured, deep in thought. "But how will I exploit this little fact? You ordered Rem not to interfere, so she won't take away Light's memories—" he broke off suddenly. "Wait…" he eyed the shinigami nervously. "If you're on my side, and you really want Light to come back, then why did you order Rem to stay uninvolved? Whose side are you on?"

The Shinigami King blinked, clearly surprised. "You picked up on that, huh?"

L shuffled backwards, his heels pressing firmly against the side of the fountain. He suddenly realized that if this being was not on his side, then he most likely wouldn't be leaving this place alive. The Shinigami King had more than enough power to strike him down where he stood. "Are you evil?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly, much to his irritation.

The King's eyes clouded momentarily. "Light asked me the same thing. You're quite alike, you know."

"Light?" L burst out, wincing as a burst of longing tore through him. This shinigami…he'd spoken to Light? When? Where? "You've seen him?"

"Yes, I've both seen and spoken to him several times before this moment. In fact, I just finished up a little conversation with him not too long ago."

The impossibility of that statement sank in a moment later. "Oh…" L said, a wave of depression crashing over him. "You mean that you've spoken to Kira."

"No. I've spoken to Light."

"That's impossible. He's not in control, so no one can speak to him."

"Nothing is impossible for me, Lawliet, as I've already told you. I have spoken to Light, and while he may not be happy, he is still alive."

He didn't understand. He heard the words, but they didn't make any sense. No matter how many different ways he arranged them, no matter what context in which he observed them, they appeared hollow and fake, and utterly meaningless.

The Shinigami King seemed to sense his disbelief. He sighed deeply. "I won't tell you much, since you're not going to believe me. Suffice it to say that for now, Light is alive, and he misses you dearly. But you've gotten yourself sidetracked. You asked me if I was evil, no?"

L immediately made to ask for more details on Light, but before he could, the King was already speaking once again.

"I do not believe I am evil. But as I told Light, evil is in the eye of the beholder. I think the better question would be, whose side am I on? Who have I allied myself with, if anyone at all? It's a rather puzzling question—if I was on Light's side, then I would have stopped Kira long before he had the chance to wrest control, and I would never have let him be taken away by Beyond—and most importantly, I would have already removed his memories, thus expelling Kira forever. If I was on Kira's side, I wouldn't have brought you here and revealed so much, and I most certainly wouldn't have saved and protected Light as many times as I have. It's a bit of a conundrum, don't you think?" He took a few steps away, turning his back on the detective he was conversing with. He began to walk with slow, small steps, around the fountain. "The truth is, I'm not on anyone's side."

L blinked, surprised. "You're a neutral party?"

"Hmm…no."

"Then you are on someone's side."

"No. Look at it this way, Lawliet—I've been given a blueprint."

Confusion. Lots and lots of confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

The shinigami had reached the other side of the fountain, his voice accented by the trickling of water. He reached out a few fingers, letting the water run over his flesh. L wondered briefly what he was seeing, and whether or not he knew what L was seeing at that moment. "I've been given a blueprint," he repeated in a murmur, flicking water from the tips of his fingers, studying the tiny flecks of liquid. "And this blueprint tells me what's supposed to happen in this world. It's my job to make sure that said blueprint is perfectly executed, and that nothing is out of place in each world's destiny."

"You…" L trailed of in order to choke back a nervous laugh. "You talk as if there's more than one world…more than one earth…"

The King shrugged. "Maybe there is. Perhaps—and this is just in theory, mind you—there are many worlds. Perhaps, each door you see etched into those red brick walls leads to a different iteration of reality, and it is my job to keep each of them in line. But that's just a theory, of course."

L narrowed his eyes. The shinigami was devious. He wondered if Light had seen through his tricks, if he knew that the King wasn't on his side. Unfortunately, there was no way to know. "So, is that why you've done the things you've done? Are you just attempting to adhere to that so-called blueprint?"

"Yes, in a way. You see, I'm just given an end result. I don't get any directions; all of my actions are my own. Everything I have done thus far has been a part of my attempt to create the final product I so desire. I have carefully planned out my route, and if all goes according to plan, then this world will become just what it needs to be. It's why, instead of taking Light's memories myself, I brought you here to discuss the removal of said memories. It's why I ordered Rem not to get involved. It's why I let Kira force Light into submission. And, of course, it's why I've been so sketchy in my movements. You couldn't figure out my motive, and with good reason. One minute I'm helping Kira, the next I'm bringing you here to speak with me. I don't exactly scream trustworthy and consistent, do I?" He laughed heartily, the sound echoing hollowly off the brick walls. "No, I think not. I feel for you, Lawliet, I really do—but something so superficial as emotions will not alter my plans. They may seem scrambled now, but I assure you, it will all make sense soon. It has already been decided."

L's mind whirred at a hundred miles per hour. If this was true, then this shinigami already knew how things were going to end. Or did he? He'd said that it was his job to make sure the world ended up a certain way…did that mean that if he messed up, or failed to perform his job, the world would be changed? Just how much control did he have over the beings he used as puppets? And more importantly… "Where did the blueprint come from?" L asked thoughtfully, gnawing on a thumb.

"Pardon?"

"The blueprint. You said that you didn't have a path to follow, only an end result. And it makes sense that if you were the one coming up with that end result, you'd also be able to plan out a path. You wouldn't just decide on a goal and then see how things went—you'd make sure that your goal was accomplishable, and you'd plan everything out meticulously."

The Shinigami King nodded, clearly impressed. "You're right. I'm not the one who decides how the world will turn out. I'm a messenger, you might say. A messenger sent to set this world on its correct path."

"Fascinating…" L closed his teeth lightly on his thumbnail, the gesture muffling his words. "Then, can I assume that even you answer to someone?"

"Everyone answers to someone, Lawliet. Humans answer to each other, shinigami answer to me, angels answer to their God—everything is controlled. Nothing is coincidental."

"Then tell me, who is so powerful that they can order the King of the Shinigami around?"

The Shinigami King shrugged evasively. "Can't tell you. All you need to know is that they gave me a mission, and I intend to carry it out. Whether that mission results in your failure remains to be seen. For all you know, my little blueprint leads to a world in which you and Light live together and Kira-free—but also for all you know, it'll lead to all of your deaths."

L felt a spark of anger in his chest. "Well, isn't that convenient for you?"

"Oh," the shinigami grinned, "it really is. I can do whatever I want, so long as the end result is the same."

The detective swallowed hard, thinking his next question through. "In that case…just what do you intend to do? You called me here to speak with me, yes? Was it just for the sake of information, or does this serve some greater purpose?"

"Questions, questions…" the King sighed deeply. "You're no fun when you're confused, you know that? But no matter, I suppose I have to tell you. It's what's supposed to happen next, after all." He was still holding his crown in one hand, and as he held it up so the light caught it, L realized with fascinated disgust that those bone fragments were polished so that the light flickered and danced across the surface. They almost looked like gemstones—white, glossy gemstones. "I told you, Lawliet, that this was my weapon. This is how I take away the memories of humans, be it with their permission or without. I'm sure you realize how crucial that information is for you—information revealing the fact that Light can give up possession of the notebook without really giving up possession at all. But as I stated, I can't do it. That's a part of the rules—I can manipulate people through other people, I can converse with the humans I need to use, but in the end, their actions must be their own. I cannot interfere as much as I'd like. If I could, then this would already be over. However, I am granted quite a large margin for interfering, and I intend to use it."

L spoke, and when he did, he felt his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach. "So you're manipulating me."

"I am indeed. But you never know, it might end up being for your benefit! You'll just have to wait and see, Lawliet."

"Get to the point," L growled. His patience was running thin. He wasn't sure how much time was passing in the human world, but he knew that by now, the successors must be quite worried. Perhaps they'd already checked the roof, and were searching for him frantically. He'd have to find a way to get out of the shinigami realm soon unless he wanted to worry his successors even further.

"Fine, fine—I suppose I can understand your impatience." He tucked one arm behind his back, then extended the opposite one, turning his palm upwards and displaying his crown for L to see.

L stared quizzically. "What are you doing?"

"Take it."

The detective could have fainted then and there. He spluttered, nearly choking on his own saliva, and managed to choke out, "Take your crown? Are you serious?"

"If I wasn't serious, I wouldn't have offered."

L just stared, dumbfounded. "That…that's not against the rules? I can seriously just take that, and…what?"

"Remove Light's memories and kill Kira."

It was too good to be true. It was impossible—but, L reminded himself, the Shinigami King had already reminded him multiple times that with him, the impossible wasn't quite that. "I'm not a shinigami," L reminded him softly. "How could I possibly use it?"

"Well, that's the other thing that I didn't tell you about shinigami who use objects to remove the memories of humans—that power is quite literally inside the object. You don't need to be a shinigami to use it. If you walk on up to Light and touch him with this, it'll be over."

"It can't possibly be that easy. What's the catch?"

The Shinigami King grinned. "Clever boy. I suppose there is a bit of a catch." He was back in front of L now, having moved back around the fountain in but a few steps. "Once again, I've left a bit out. You see, I can't very well have you walking around with my crown—it's a blatant advertisement to other shinigami that I've lost hold of it, and that a frail, killable human has taken possession. That, of course, and the fact that getting close enough to slap a crown on Kira's head is completely ridiculous—you'd look like an idiot, and it would be way harder than burning the Death Note. So I think I'll make things a bit easier for you." Without waiting for L's response, the Shinigami King reached his other hand out and held it over the crown. For a long moment, nothing happened.

But then, slowly…something did.

L found himself unable to look away as the crown began to change. The bone fragments twisted, the thorns writhed, growing smaller, melding together. It looked unreal, as if he were staring at special effects in a low budget movie. It took but a few moments for the crown to melt down to a size so small that the King could close his hand over it. And that was just what he did—in a single moment the crown disappeared from sight, and a moment later the shinigami held his hand out, ready to drop something into L's hand the instant he offered it.

L eyed the King suspiciously. Was it really okay to just take the crown form him? "You never told me the catch," he vocalized nervously. "I won't make a deal with the devil until I know the price."

His words sent a twisted smile stretching across the Shinigami King's face. "Oh, Lawliet, surely you know that for a deal with the devil, the price is your soul!"

L's heart leapt into his throat. "My…my soul?"

The King laughed, one hand clutching at his stomach as he observed the stricken look on the detective's face. "Oh, my dear detective, don't look so serious! You're not really making a deal with the devil, and I have no interest in your soul. What I'm asking is much more simple. When the last bell rings, when you've done all you can, when this ends—if you still draw breath, then I want you to collect all the Death Notes in the human world and burn them."

L's eyes widened. Funny…I was going to do that anyway. I wonder why he wants them destroyed. "Burn them? Really? But why?"

The king looked away. "That is something that I wish to keep to myself. Just make sure that you burn the notebooks."

"Very well, then. If that is all, then I will do as you ask." It shouldn't be too hard…if I can erase Light's memories first, then I shouldn't have an issue with burning the notebook—after all, by that point, Beyond will presumably be captured, and Light will have no desire to stop me from destroying the object that ruined his life.

That earned him a smile. "Thank you," the King said. His hand was still extended, ready to drop whatever he held into L's hand. "Please, extend your hand. I will give you your salvation."

Shuddering at the choice of wording, L reached out his hand and held it palm up under the shinigami's. A moment later those tiny fingers curled apart, and L felt something small, cool, and metallic plop into his palm. L immediately closed his fingers over it, feeling the shape, the size, the weight. He slowly raised his closed fist to eye level and stared harshly, as if trying to see straight through his hand to the object within.

"Go on," the King urged. "Take a look."

L looked up at him uneasily. But he had no other choice—and so, choking down the butterflies attacking the lining of his stomach, L uncurled his fingers one by one, and finally laid eyes on what had once been the Shinigami King's crown.

It…it was…

A bullet? The shinigami's crown…had turned into a bullet? L pinched the thing between two fingers, holding it up to the light. It was an average sized bullet for an ordinary handgun, he noted curiously. But there was something strange about it. It was black in color, and the strange sheen made it look as if rainbows were dancing across its surface when it reflected the light in just the right way. It was clearly unearthly. "It's…" he trailed off, hardly believing what he was seeing. "It's a bullet."

The smug expression on the Shinigami King's face made L want to punch him. "Confused?"

L didn't dignify that with a response.

"I just altered the shape of my crown. I thought it would be easier for you this way. Now you won't have to get in close to use it!"

"Are you completely insane?" L asked stupidly, too stunned to care that he was insulting who was quite possibly the most powerful being on the entire planet. "Do you really expect me to believe—?"

"You will believe me," the King said confidently.

"And why is that?" L demanded.

"Because you have no other choice."

L glared. "Not true! I can burn the Death Note!"

"L Lawliet, I will tell you this once and only once. The instant you locate the Death Note, and the instant you get close enough to burn it, the successors are going to kill Kira and Beyond."

"W-what?" L spluttered. No…it wasn't true! The successors were on his side, weren't they? They'd promised to help him save Light! But…L wasn't an idiot. He'd felt that inexplicable doubt, had even snuck out of HQ in an effort to hide his plans from them… Was it possible that his doubt stemmed from his denial that the successors could have betrayed him? He had to admit, it wasn't entirely impossible.

"It is true, and you know it. You can deny it all you want, but deep in your heat, you're suspicious. You're suspicious that the successors are plotting against you, suspicious that they are planning to kill your lover. And let me tell you, Lawliet, you're right. I have been overseeing these events since the beginning, and that includes all the plans your little successors have been coming up with. Therefore, I know that they are planning to betray you. You cannot trust them."

And the scary thing was, L barely had the energy to deny it. The instant he heard those words from the Shinigami King, he realized just how suspicious he really was, and just how willing he was to believe that the successors were going to betray him. "So then," he rasped, "you're telling me that my only chance is to gamble on the assumption that you're telling the truth, and that this…this bullet will act as the thing that erases Light's memories?"

"Well, yes, in as many words. I could go into more detail, but you seem to be in a hurry, and said details aren't necessary."

"That's it, then? There's no catch, other than your request that I burn the notebooks?"

"Well…one more thing."

Of course. It could never be that easy.

"Well, you see, my crown was meant to take away the memories of a human. The instant I place it on their head, their memories vanish completely, and consequently, their possession of the notebook is relinquished. The key word there is head—the crown is placed on the head. And while the crown may have changed shape, it is still, in nature, a crown. And therefore, it functions the same. You'll need to make contact with his head in order for it to work."

L's blood ran cold as he realized what the Shinigami King was asking him to do. "You're asking me to shoot him in the head."

"I am."

"He'll die!"

The Shinigami King rolled his eyes. "Have you heard nothing I've said? The bullet isn't a bullet. It'll make him bleed, but it won't kill him. After you've shot him, I'll take the bullet back and change it back into a crown so I don't lose it permanently. But, of course, that means that you'll only have one shot."

This just keeps getting better and better…

"If you miss that shot, you won't be given another."

L groaned. "And let me guess…this all fits perfectly into your little blueprint?"

That earned him a smirk. "Yep. I know exactly what's going to happen, and how you're going to spend that shot of yours."

L slowly slipped the bullet into his pocket. He wasn't sure how he should feel about all of this—it was both too good to be true and too horrible to be good. He was half convinced that he'd gone insane, and was just hallucinating within the confines of a padded cell.

The Shinigami King was eyeing him carefully. "Oh no, Lawliet—you're not just shoving my crown into your pocket!"

L blinked. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked, confused.

The King rummaged around in his clothing for a moment, his hand emerging holding a strange amulet. He popped open the back of the amulet, which was a very simple silver oval. He held out his hand, and L handed him the bullet without hesitation. The thing was inserted into the back of the necklace, then closed as a form of concealment. "Here," he said, holding it out to L, a grin on his face.

"You're making me wear a necklace?" L asked, dumbfounded.

"Yep!"

L hesitated. But then, slowly, he reached out and took the offered amulet, slipping it over his neck. It hung just below his collarbone, and looked rather girly for him to be wearing. But still, if it would help him save Light, he would wear just about anything.

His attention was drawn to the shinigami as he stifled a laugh.

"What is it?" he demanded irritably.

"Oh…" the King chuckled. "It just looks good on you, that's all. Would you like me to get you a dress to go with it?"

It took L a moment to realize that he was being mocked. And when he did realize, first he felt a spike of anger—but then he just ended up feeling ridiculous as realized just how childish he was being. Instead of focusing on his anger, he turned his mind on other things—and that just landed him right back on the subject of his successors, all of who were no doubt waiting for him in headquarters. Betrayers they may have been, but he didn't want to make them worry. He'd have to figure out how he was going to act around them, he realized. Perhaps he'd keep his cover and pretend he didn't know that they were lying…or perhaps he'd lie and say that he'd come to his senses, and that he wanted to kill Kira. That, at least, would give him an opportunity to use the bullet. But that was a thought for another time—right now, he had to get back before the successors became too worried. It was with that in mind that L announced, "I should really be going now. My friends will be wondering where I've gone off to."

The shinigami king raised a hand, eyes flashing darkly. "Wait. There is more."

L's paused wordlessly.

"You need to know one more thing." The king leaned towards L, dark eyes smoldering dangerously. "You are not the first human to come here in the past few days."

L's chest constricted. Breath refused to come to him, the implications of that simple sentence blasting into his mind painfully. "What?" It was a choked sound, a desperate syllable.

"I'm telling you that you do not have the advantage. What I have done by giving you that bullet is merely giving you a fighting chance."

"And what do you mean by that?" His voice was strangled and weak.

"Kira came to me for advice."

"He…he asked your advice? And you allowed him to come here?"

The King's brow furrowed. "I did, yes. I've told you, everything I do is in adherence to the end goal I am attempting to achieve—so I had no reason to turn him away."

L swallowed thickly. "What did he want from you?"

The King held L's gaze steadily. "He asked me how he could become a shinigami."

Silence.

L couldn't understand. Wouldn't understand. Kira… was trying to become a god of death? No… that wasn't possible! It was strictly forbidden and impossible for humans to become gods of death. And yet Kira had been here before L, asking the King to make him a god. "What did you tell him?"

The King's expression was sad, crushingly so. Pitying. "I told him how to achieve his goal."

It was possible, then. It was possible to become a god of death. L didn't know how to handle it. "How?"

"Using a method that only I know," the king responded softly. "A ritual of sorts. The person wishing to ascend to godhood must offer me two sacrifices. One, a current shinigami must be killed, one who will willingly give up their life for the mortal. And two, a human must willingly sacrifice their life for the person achieving godhood. And thirdly, there are words that must be spoken. Very specific words, which Kira now knows. If those conditions are met, and I approve of the person asking to enter our ranks, then I grant them the powers of a shinigami."

A chill ran up L's spine. He knew better than anyone that those conditions were easily met. Beyond would gladly sacrifice himself for Kira, if the teen just did a bit of manipulating. As for the shinigami… if Kira had Misa order Rem to sacrifice herself… she would do it. That would be it. Light—no, Kira would become a god. It was so simple…

"And, Lawliet, you must take heed, for once Kira becomes a shinigami, that bullet will no longer work on him—for a shinigami cannot erase another shinigami's memories."

It was so much worse than L had imagined. "And… let me guess. Once Kira becomes a shinigami, burning the Death Note won't matter."

"No. Once he becomes a shinigami, burning his Death Note will kill him—at least, it'll kill him after his lifespan runs out, and he isn't able to kill any more humans to add to it." The king bowed his head mournfully. "And there's more. Shinigami are not human, as you well know. And as is such, we cannot become sick, we cannot die of illness, we cannot contract any sort of medical issue that humans must deal with. And as is such, shinigami cannot have multiple personalities. In other words, Kira and Light will no longer be able to exist in the same body—one will consume the other, and once Kira becomes a shinigami, it will not be reversible. If Kira isn't overthrown by the time the ritual is complete, then Light will never be able to come back."

L couldn't bring himself to fully mull over the implications of that statement. "Is there anything else you're neglecting to tell me?"

"Only one more thing."

L groaned. He didn't know how many more surprises he could handle.

"I have instructed Kira to carry out his little ritual on the night of the new moon. He will have to wait to act until then, which means that you have time to locate him and use the bullet before that happens. One week, to be exact. One week in which you must find a way to save him, or in which you lose him forever."

L flinched. The nearest new moon, exactly seven days away, fell directly on the New Year. How symbolic. "I can do it." L's voice was cold and determined. "I must."

"You know where he is thanks to Rem," the King pointed out. "He will not move from that place until the day of the ritual, when he will move to the site in which he will become a god and kill Light for good."

"Do you know where the site will be?" L asked.

"I do not."

L rose and turned his back on the king. "Then you have told me all that you can. I must leave now."

The king rose as well. "I know that I haven't been as helpful to you as you hoped, but still—while you are still here, allow me to wish you good luck."

L growled, "Let me guess, you said the same thing to Kira when he was here."

"I did."

"I have nothing more to say to you. Send me home." Anger was bubbling in L's throat. This bastard may have doomed his Light by helping Kira!

"Very well, L Lawliet. But consider one thing as you make the journey back." He approached L calmly, laying a hand on his forehead. L felt the tugging sensation begin behind his neck almost immediately, felt his eyes and mouth glue themselves shut. He felt his arms and legs go boneless. "You have just been told how to achieve immortality," the King whispered in his ear, his childish form forcing him to stand on his toes to reach L's height. "You can easily take advantage of the ritual to become a god yourself. Think about it… the great L, immortal and all-powerful, traveling around the world and catching criminals. Or… you can stay on your current path, the path where you attempt to save the boy, and you will meet your end. I can see your lifespan, Lawliet. I can see it all, and you don't have much longer. Unless something changes, you will not live to see the fruits of your labor." His hand was gone from L's forehead, his lips no longer hovering by his ear. "Think about it."

Then he felt the sensation of being yanked through the air, the sensation of weightlessness, falling, then nothing.

†††

L's eyes snapped open, his entire body jolting upwards with a gasp. He took a moment to catch his breath, chest heaving despite his best efforts to calm himself. He was sweating as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.

A nightmare…

L frowned, one hand reaching shakily to his neck. His fingertips brushed cool metal, and he knew it had not been a dream. He had really spoken with the Shinigami King. He really had a way to end it all before Light was lost forever. A way to separate Light and Kira and keep them separated, without any bloodshed. It was too good to be true. L's fingers left the amulet and slipped to the pocket of his jeans. He felt the coarse texture of the page of the Death Note Rem had given him, and he withdrew it immediately. It was folded small already, but L folded it two more times and popped open the back of the silver amulet so he could store it with the bullet. He should burn it, he knew, because he knew he would never use it. He would never use that page of the Death Note because he had promised Light. Even if it became clear that Kira had beaten Light to the point of no return, he would not use Kira's greatest weapon against him. He loved Light too much for that.

L toyed with the amulet. As good as this was, it left him in an awkward position. He had so many options, and none of them were truly good… He could tell the task force and the successors about the bullet. But they most likely wouldn't believe him. After all, they thought he was mentally unstable due to the loss of Light. He could tell them Light's location and accompany them under the pretense of agreeing to kill him, then swoop in at the last moment and administer the cure to Light's alternate personality. But that would leave Light wide open to the successors' gunfire. He could help the successors locate Light under the pretense of finding and destroying the notebook, then swiftly shoot him before the successors realized what was happening. But once again, that plan left Light wide open to being shot—and not in the way L wanted. Perhaps, L thought, he should go to the Teito Hotel alone, gun in hand, and use Rem to his advantage so that he could easily shoot Kira. But no, if anything went wrong, the successors and the task force wouldn't be able to find him and offer their help. For all he knew Beyond had already returned and was hiding so that no one on the outside would know he was back. He could be waiting to ambush L when he attempted to get Light back.

He had one chance. He couldn't mess it up.

"L! Hey, L!"

L jumped slightly as he heard the voice, and immediately he realized that he had no idea where he was. It was pitch black all around him, so he didn't know if he was still on the street, back in Misa's apartment, or somewhere else entirely. Frowning, L ran his fingers along whatever he was lying on, and was surprised to find that the material was soft and springy. When he touched the area beneath his head, he found a soft, squishy object propping him up. Ah…L thought. It seems that the Shinigami King has put me back where I belong. How considerate of him.

"L!" that voice called again. "L, come on, answer me!"

Hmm…perhaps he should answer. "I'm here!" L called out.

There was an excited gasp. Then there was the sound of footsteps rushing towards him. And then the bedroom door opened, and Matt charged into the room. His goggles were crooked, hair sticking up, clothing askew. He looked, in a word, ruffled. As light flooded the room L looked around to confirm his suspicious—and just as he'd suspected, he was lying in his bed in the room he shared with the successors. He was alone, other than Matt. "Matt," he greeted. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I know you're trying to rest and all, but this is important! Kira has sent us a request to open communications between us!"

L raised a brow. Did…did the successors not know that he'd been gone? Had they no idea that he'd vanished from that rooftop however many hours ago? "Matt…" L said slowly. "Can you tell me what I did last night?"

"Last night?" he echoed, clearly irritated that the detective hadn't immediately launched out of bed to speak to Kira. "You know perfectly well what you did—you spent some time up on the roof, then meandered back here and fell asleep! We were going to wake you up a few hours ago when the sun rose, but you hadn't been sleeping well, and so—"

"Amazing…" L murmured. It seemed that not only had the Shinigami King returned him to his room, but he'd made the successors think that he'd just walked down from the roof and settled in. They had no idea he'd been gone.

"What's amazing? No—you know what, save that for later. Kira's calling us, L, don't you understand that? Get up and go down to the investigation room!"

So Kira was attempting to contact them, eh? "Oh, really? What does he want?"

"We don't know, he just contacted us randomly! Come on, hurry up! Everyone's waiting for you!"

L rose from the bed shakily, legs trembling as if he hadn't used them in weeks. He supposed that it must have been a side effect of traveling through realms, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought of Kira falling out of bed directly after his conversation with the King. It was quite amusing. "Very well. I will speak with Kira."

Matt stared at him, wide-eyed. No doubt he was noticing the sudden change in L. The dark-haired detective had done nothing for weeks but mope around and work on the case halfheartedly. He hadn't been sleeping, and had developed a startling case of depression—even if he did shove it down by working all hours of the day. The successors had practically put him on suicide watch, thus L's lack of a gun and his shared room with the successors. But now L was smiling up at Matt as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he hadn't flinched at the sound of Kira's name. He seemed better. Not okay, but better. Seeming to realize this, Matt smiled in return, though it was delayed.

"Come on," L said, brushing past Matt as he left the bedroom. "Let's go talk to Kira."

†††

The instant L entered the investigation room, everyone looked up in awe. The detective had been working from his room more and more over the past week, and it was quite rare that he appeared more than once every other day. And what was more, the vibe coming off him wasn't the same dark, depressing tone he'd been teeming with for the past month. He seemed almost like his old self, and they appeared to be marveling at the change. L didn't blame them—he felt lighter somehow, even though he knew his situation was really no better than it had been before his conversation with the King. He supposed it was just because he knew where Light was, and that he was safe. And more importantly, he had a way to save him. And even though the odds were still stacked against him, he felt like he had a fighting chance. A light at the end of the tunnel. L chuckled lightly at his own pun, earning him several confused stares.

"Um… L?" Matsuda spoke up hesitantly, no doubt fearing the detective's mood swings. "Are you okay?"

L blinked up at the man. "Actually, I'm feeling quite well today, Matsuda. I believe we've been contacted by Kira, yes?"

"…Yeah," Matsuda said, brow furrowed.

Near eyed L suspiciously, no doubt sensing something was different. "Kira has requested to speak with L specifically," he said slowly. "Therefore we have set up the adjacent room with all the necessary equipment. It is equipped with a voice scrambler, a laptop, and a video camera, though you will obviously not be needing it."

L nodded. "Thank you. I shouldn't keep the god of the new world waiting."

Mello shot him an odd glance. "What's wrong with you? Just yesterday you wouldn't get out of bed."

"I have seen the light, Mello, no pun intended. I have come to terms with the fact that Light has been temporarily removed from my presence, and though it will take much work and time, I am confident that if I treat this as just another case, I will be able to bring him back. Therefore I am going to approach this case from a more optimistic angle in an attempt to work more efficiently."

Six pairs of eyes stared blankly. Then Matt spoke up. "Well, I think it's great that you're out of bed and feeling more optimistic."

L smiled, though it almost hurt after frowning for so long. "I will speak with Kira now." He turned his back on the other people in the room and headed for the door leading to the adjacent room. As he moved he felt his mood fall slightly—he was happier, yes, now that he had a fighting chance. But he did not want to see Kira using Light's body to deliver some message of evil intent. For that was certainly what he would be doing. L shuddered slightly as he reached the door and tugged it open.

†††

L entered the room slowly, hearing the door slide shut behind him automatically. He actually flinched as he heard the lock slide into place. Slowly, one foot after the other, he moved towards the chair, which was covering the screen. He knew what would be on that screen… he knew…

"L…" drawled a venomous voice.

A pang of dulled pain shot through L as he heard that voice, almost managing to overwhelm the slight happiness he'd managed to acquire. It was the voice of love and happiness, of laughter and gentle intelligence. It was the voice he had grown so accustomed to for the short time he was able to hear it. But then, it was also the voice of pain. The voice that begged for mercy against an oppressive mental opponent that taunted L from the shadows.

The voice of Kira, and the voice of Light.

"L," the voice called again, rolling the short name over his lips, savoring the flavor. "I know you can hear me…" The voice practically sang as it called out to the detective.

L felt a slight lump appearing in his throat as he finally reached the chair and looked beyond it. And on the other side of that chair was the one person that he hated, and the one person that he loved, staring out at him from a video camera.

"You… dyed your hair." Despite his decision to be strong when facing Kira, and his newfound motivation, he found that his voice was tight. Although, he thought, there was some level of amusement in imagining Kira sitting in a beauty salon.

The voice purred, "It suits me, don't you think?" And the man behind that voice leaned forward, one leg crossed over the other, and leaned on one hand. His eyes were slightly lidded, a lazy smirk playing across his features. For a heartbeat L could almost imagine that this being was his Light. But then his eyes fell upon the scarlet gleam behind the lids, and the most startling change—the candy-red dye in his lover's hair. A shocking, electrifying scarlet. "After all," Kira murmured, "It is my body now—I can do what I want with it. Isn't that right, L?"

L gritted his teeth, turning off his voice filter and connecting to Kira via camera. "I want to see Light, you monster."

His words were met with the widening of Kira's smirk, then a small laugh as the camera began broadcasting L's image to him directly. There would be no masks here. "I'm sure you do. But unfortunately that isn't in the cards for you. Light Yagami is gone, and the sooner you accept that the sooner you can go back to being my rival without constantly worrying about your lost love. It would be a shame if I defeated you due to your obsession over a dead man."

Pain. Pain over the life L had unintentionally ended. "I will get him back, Kira." His voice was level, unemotional. Even in such terrible agony, he was still L. And L did not show pain.

Except… around Light. And recently, around the task force as well.

"Oh, no you won't. Not when I have such a great advantage."

L allowed himself a moment of smugness at those words. He longed to raise his hand to touch the necklace holding the bullet, the only thing other than burning the notebook that could save Light. Kira didn't know. He didn't know that he had a way to save Light.

"There's only one thing that concerns me," Kira drawled. "You see, I had surveillance cameras installed in Misa's apartment just in case something happened. Unfortunately I wasn't able to set up any wire taps, but surveillance cameras were enough in this case—enough to let me know that you went to Rem and had a little chat. And what's more, it was enough to inform me that have a page of the Death Note, and enough to tell me that Rem has most certainly betrayed me."

For just a moment, fear jolted through L—but then he registered the fact that Kira didn't have wiretaps set up. He hadn't heard L's conversation with Rem, and therefore didn't know that he'd been told his location. And more importantly, he didn't know that he'd been to speak with the Shinigami King. This was still salvageable, if L could play it right. Kira absolutely could not know that he had means of defeating him. "It is absolutely not true that Rem has given me a page of the Death Note. And even if she had, I would certainly not stoop so low as to kill you. That would be using Kira's way of thinking, and we both know I have fought against that way since day one of our battle."

Kira's eyes narrowed. If you looked beyond the fury and bloodlust, they were really quite beautiful. "Don't lie to me, L. I know that Rem has given you a page of the notebook because I saw her do it. And now, as unfortunate as it is, you have the means to kill both Beyond and me. But luckily for me, you won't deign to use the notebook simply because of a promise you made to dearest Light. Isn't that right?"

So he knew about the promise. It wasn't really a surprise, but L was still disgusted, as if some sacred vow had been defiled by this monster knowing the words that constituted it. "If you wish to stay alive then I wouldn't suggest questioning my reasoning, Kira."

The red-haired boy laughed, throwing his head back. "Leave it to you to cut through all the bullshit to get to the point! I like that about you, L, I really do! But…" His gaze hardened. "But that one quality isn't enough to redeem you."

L's patience was running thin. "What do you want?" he snapped. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to fight me," Kira hissed, a sudden fury in his eyes. "I want you to fight as hard as you can, and in the end watch the world fall apart at the seams because you refused to kill a teenager. I want you to have no idea what to do, or what my intentions are, and still attempt to battle me. I want to see you suffer as you wonder eternally whether or not your boyfriend is still alive. And most of all, I want to watch you realize, as your world burns around you, that all of your fighting is futile."

"I would have fought you no matter what!" L spat. And I already know your intentions, he thought. "So why did you call me, then? To make sure I would fight you?"

He fixed his face with a look of false surprise. "Why, L!" he gasped. "I just wanted to speak to you to give you a little motivation!"

"…Motivation?"

Kira leered at him. "Make no mistake, L, you are going to lose, and I am going to derive incredible pleasure from watching you fall. But it's no fun if you don't put up a fight first… so I took the liberty of doing some work behind the scenes to make sure your fight is completely whole-hearted."

L's eyes slipped closed for a heartbeat. So this was it. Kira planned to tell him what Beyond had done while he was in England. He thought he already knew, but to hear it for certain…

Kira reached off camera for a heartbeat. When he pulled his hand back, it was holding a printed out picture of a page of the Death Note. With a malicious smile on his face, he held up the picture to the camera. Names were scrawled down the notebook in the picture. "Do you recognize these names?"

L's eyes skimmed the list. "Should I?" he asked, though his voice was weaker than he would have liked it to be. I knew, he reminded himself. I knew that this was going to happen. I knew that my children were dead before I even started this conversation.

Kira's eyes narrowed. "Really, L?" he chuckled. "You don't recognize the names of the children you grew up with?"

The breath was immediately gone from L's lungs.

Kira reached off camera again, returning with a newspaper clipping in his hand. "Let's see…" he drawled. "Ah, here it is. An orphanage in England faced a sudden and unforgiving bout of illness that is still unidentified, even though it took the lives of every child living in the establishment… dozens were killed, and authorities quarantined the zone, but strangely, the virus hasn't spread to one other person than the dozens originally diagnosed…" he glanced up, red eyes flashing with sadistic pleasure. "Shall I read more?"

L's entire world slowed. I knew, he repeated. I already knew. And somehow that didn't ease his guilt.

"Beyond's eyes," Kira murmured, almost to himself, "are very useful at times."

So that was it. Kira had killed them, all of them, even if he had acted indirectly through Beyond. Tears were pricking at his eyes again, and L bit back a cry as he reminded himself that he had been allowing himself to cry far too often lately. "You…" And there was the anger, barging past the pain as he realized that the man he was staring at was the man who had murdered nearly everyone he cared about. "You bastard!" His voice raised in volume as his vision washed with red.

And Kira, that monster—he smirked at L, tightening his grip the notebook that belonged to the man who had condemned the children at Wammy's House. "So, L?" he murmured. "Are you motivated?"

L's hands shook as he remembered the pen in his hand, the Death Note on the table. "I…" he rasped. "I can kill you!"

"Can you?"

Of course he could. L had the capability. He could pull out the page of the Death Note and write the monster's name. But he wouldn't. He would never break his promise, and Kira knew this. But he didn't know about the bullet, and that was something that L would use to kill Kira. And then, before he could stop himself, he was blurting something out, something drawn from his lips by the pure frustration of seeing Kira mock the deaths of the orphans.

"I know that you have been to the shinigami realm," he said.

Kira froze. His eyes, bright red and dangerous, fixed themselves on the detective. "…What did you say?" he asked softly. All hints of humor were gone now, to be replaced by a scowl.

"I know that you went to speak with the Shinigami King. And I know what you are trying to do. I know that you are trying to turn yourself into a shinigami." L raised a finger as if he were a small child reciting something for a teacher. "In order to become a shinigami one must first have a shinigami willing to die for them commit suicide, followed by the willing sacrifice of another human, all on the night of a new moon, which happens to be one week away on the night of the New Year."

L thought that he had never seen anyone look quite so shocked. He was almost amused, until he remembered that he had just carelessly given away almost everything he knew.

"How do you know that?" Kira leaned towards the camera menacingly, and for a moment L was struck with the absurd fear that he was going to reach straight through the computer screen and kill him.

"I had a conversation with Rem!" L blurted, aware that he was no longer able to just play it off as if he didn't know anything. "You saw me talking to her, and that's what we were talking about."

"Bullshit!" Kira snapped. "That information came from the King himself, and he was the only one that knew it until I came to see him! The only way you could know that is if you went to see the King yourself!" His eyes were wild and crazy as he literally grabbed the camera and shook it.

L stared, at a loss for words. What could he say to cover up his mistake?

Kira's expression suddenly flooded with understanding, and he sat back, calm as ever. "Of course," he whispered. "You did speak with the King, didn't you? After all, he himself told me that he was all making this world the way it's meant to be. He's made it quite clear that he's not on either one of our sides—so it makes sense that he's helped both you and me. I don't know why I didn't see it coming… But now we're on equal footing, aren't we? You know my plan, and I know that you have that piece of the Death Note."

L let out a breath subtly, relieved. Kira wasn't going to figure out that he had another means of killing him and saving Light. L was aware that he didn't have the advantage—far from it, in fact. Not only did he have little information on Kira or Beyond, but he had no Death Note, a useless task force, an unstable mind, and three geniuses who would rather kill Light than save him. Giving L the bullet had given him the boost he needed to at least begin to fight Kira and Beyond.

"Yes," L lied finally, turning his focus back on the red-haired teen. "We are on equal footing, Kira. So you will have no excuse when I defeat you."

He cackled. "And how will you do that? Kill me? Will you really have the nerve to end my life, L?"

"I will do what is necessary." And what was necessary was shooting Kira with that bullet. Not that Kira had to know that.

Kira looked fascinated. Then he leaned back, shrugging. "Then things are about to get interesting, aren't then, L? You have one week to find me and stop me before I become a shinigami and Light is destroyed. One week. Actually, six days, eighteen hours, thirty two minutes, seven seconds… six…five…four…" he smirked. "Need I go on?"

L ignored him. "If you're going to pressure me about time, you can hardly keep me here and waste that time. You said that you contacted me to motivate me to find you, but I was already fully motivated. I can't help but wonder if you had some other goal to fulfill by calling me."

Kira tilted his head slightly to one side mischievously. "Is that so? I guess we'll just have to find out when we next meet. Hopefully, in one week's time so that I can kill you before Light's eyes. Perhaps I'll let him out for a moment just before your death so that he can watch the light leave your eyes." There was a nasty sneer on his face. "Or I could kill you using the Death Note. I know your name, Lawliet."

L's blood ran cold. Once again, he had known this. He had known that Kira knew his name. But hearing it from the murderer himself… it brought everything into perspective. "I am aware that you can kill me," he said. "Perhaps this was your ulterior motive for contacting me—so you could threaten me without really having any intention of killing me at the current moment in time."

Kira snarled furiously. "I will kill you, L Lawliet!"

"So it seems. But until then I intend to continue working against you. Goodbye, Kira. I have nothing more to say to you."

L barely caught the expression of infuriated surprise on Kira's face before he reached out and ended the call. The detective felt a spike of satisfaction at that surprise, at the fact that he had managed to make Kira mad.

As screen flickered to black, L sat back against his chair, the tension melting out of him. So this was it. The curtains were drawing away from the stage, the actors at their marks. And it appeared that L's cue was at hand. His was the next move to make. So, what would he do?

L spun his chair in endless circles, eyes locked on the ceiling. L and Kira had both laid their cards out on the table, other than the small fact that L knew Kira's location and had a way to save Light. L could not tell the successors about the bullet or the page of the Death Note, for they would surely not believe him. They were people with logical minds, and they would never believe that a bullet could pierce the skull without killing Light as well as Kira. They had no proof, so they would not believe. It was more likely that they would get L to tell them Kira's location and go after him, killing him on the spot. On the other hand, there was the task force. They were equally useless. They were unintelligent, and they, like the successors, would almost certainly not believe him. They thought his mind was weak, shaken by grief. So that left L with one option.

Go after Kira by himself.

It wasn't an ideal plan. It wasn't even a good plan. But by L's reasoning, it could work. He had Rem's support, and Beyond and Ryuk were away (unless, he thought, they weren't away and were simply waiting to ambush L when he made a move). Kira was all on his own, and L had both the bullet and the shinigami on his side. And what was better, Kira would not kill him with the Death Note just yet. He wanted to defeat L, rub his face in his own mistakes, and then, presumably, kill him. But he wouldn't kill L with the notebook until he made sure that he knew he was defeated. Therefore, if Kira happened to catch on to L's plan, the detective would be safe until their fight was through. Yes… L would take the gun and the page of the Death Note, and keep them concealed. And then he would go to the Teito Hotel and shoot Kira before he ever had a chance to attempt godhood.

L's plan ran through his mind endlessly as he stood and reentered the investigation room. He made sure to school his features into the perfect expression of hopeful pain, maintaining the optimism he'd shown before the conversation while still displaying the pain of speaking with the one who had taken his lover away.

"Well?" Soichiro demanded. "What did he say to you? What did my son want?"

"He is not your son," L reminded him harshly. "He is the monster that has possessed your son. And he said everything I already know. I think he was only wishing to aggravate me. You see, as you know, both Kira and Beyond want nothing more than to thoroughly humiliate and defeat me. I am almost certain that this call was an attempt at making sure I intended to fight them wholeheartedly. After all, if I don't fight with my whole strength, how could they find satisfaction in defeating me? However… Kira has revealed something to me."

Now came L's plan.

"What did he say?" Matsuda asked, leaning forward eagerly. L wasn't surprised to see his enthusiasm. The task force had been working two days shy of three weeks on finding Kira, and they'd had no breakthroughs.

L ran through his speech one more time in his mind to make sure it was correct. Then he said carefully, "Kira told me that in order for his plan, whatever it may be, to take place, he must be in the Yellow Box Warehouse on the night of the New Year." A lie. A complete lie. It was true that Kira had to perform the ritual at the new moon, which just happened to be the New Year. But the Yellow Box Warehouse was a distraction from Kira's real location. If L was going to make a move on Kira, then he couldn't have the successors or the task force figuring out where he was prematurely. If the investigators had both a time and a place, then when L disappeared they would have no suspicion that he had gone to confront Kira, for the given time (the New Year) dictated that it wasn't possible. In other words, since it wasn't the New Year, L should have no way of knowing where Kira was since he wouldn't be at the warehouse. But the investigators didn't know that L had lied. And with the real information, it was entirely possible that L could confront Kira ahead of time.

Near's eyes narrowed, and for a moment L thought that he had caught on to the deception. But then he said, "It appears that we have a breakthrough in the case. The New Year is slightly less than seven days away, so we have plenty of time to prepare. The plan stays the same. We get to Kira and burn the notebook, no matter the cost."

L bit back a furious snarl. He wasn't fooled—not anymore. He knew full well that the successors planned to kill Kira the instant he was in sight.

"Yes," Soichiro agreed. "And if the notebook is not readily available, we will capture Kira and track it down."

Near was still watching L, eyes dancing with thinly veiled suspicion. "It appears that that is the case…" he murmured. "We should attempt to track Kira down before he has a chance to enact this final plan. But until then I believe we can be fairly certain that we won't be killed."

"Excellent," L said, keeping his tone light. "Things are indeed looking up. If we can manage to locate Kira before the night of the New Year, then conditions will be ideal. And if we can't manage it, then we can certainly catch him in the warehouse."

"Yeah!" Matsuda agreed, a stupid grin on his face. "And now that things are looking up, you can work with us in the investigation room again, L! You won't have to hide away in your room all the time!"

"I suppose I won't," L said. He glanced at the ground, his face portraying an expression of practiced sheepishness. "That is, if you'll have me back." That's it, play the pity card. If they pity me, they won't suspect that I'm planning anything.

Soichiro nodded gruffly, not meeting L's eyes. He was still upset with him for "seducing" his son. "We don't have the authority to stop you if you want to come back."

Matsuda glared at the chief. "What are you saying, chief? Of course we want him to come back! L, you're more than welcome!"

L turned his remorseful gaze on Mogi, who shifted uncomfortably. He nodded shortly, returning to his work. It seemed that he had the approval of both his successors and the task force.

"If you're really willing to work with me after all this…" L smiled. "…Then I suppose I'll come back and join you here."

There was a general nod of the head. Everyone seemed pleased to have L back in the investigation room after several days spent cooped up in his bedroom. L made his way over to his computer, brushed the dust off the screen, and sat down. He'd have to work fast, he knew, in order to formulate a way to sneak out and confront Kira. He'd need a gun, a bulletproof vest, a few doses of sedative…there was much to be done.

And with that in mind, he settled in and turned on his computer, lowering his fingers to the keys and beginning to type.

There were six days until the New Year.

Thus ends part four of six, the longest, most dense part of the story. There's going to be some action in chapter twenty-one, and I'm super excited for it! Quite honestly, all my other writing projects are action/adventure, so I've had some experience writing fight scenes and other such action—thus my excitement! I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I do!

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was so much work to edit! Whenever the characters have huge conversations like this, it's difficult to get everything right. And of course, if something doesn't make sense to you, then message me and I'll gladly explain. Not everything that goes through my head ends up in the story, and so there are bound to be some holes here and there. And if you did enjoy this chapter, and you've put up with my bending of the rules and BS until now, then please leave me a review!