Welcome to chapter twenty-five, AKA the next part of the forest confrontation! I like this chapter. I really like this chapter. Even though it has some ridiculously cheesy moments (you'll know what I mean when they happen) I'm still a big fan of how this whole part of the story played out. But anyways, thanks a bunch if you left a review on the last chapter! I'm glad that everyone is excited to see what happens next!
And to one of my lovely guests: oh, there'll be an epilogue no matter who wins (and per your inquiry, my adorable little kitten is a grey tabby. As a matter of fact, once again, she was curled up on my chest while I edited this!)
Chapter 25: Forest of Secrets
Kira stood at the foot of the great oak, staring up past the branches into the night sky. The moon was barely visible in the sky, a thin outline that could only be located if one were looking for it. It was just enough light to seep into the clearing, illuminating it minutely, but still enough to see. The Shinigami King had called the night of the new moon the time in which the veil between the shinigami realm and the human world was the most weakened. As long as Kira carried out his ritual on a new moon, the Shinigami King should have no problem appearing to grant his approval and bestow upon him the powers of a god of death.
There was the soft sound of rope sliding against flesh, then Beyond was by his side like a shadow. He stood so close that the heat of his body seeped from his form to Kira's, his breath ghosting across the soon-to-be god's neck.
"It is done," the monster murmured, inky black hair hanging around his scarlet eyes, the contrast making them shine in the dull light.
Kira turned his head to look around the clearing. Beyond had securely tied the successors and the task force to the trunks of the trees, positioning them so they were facing the great oak in a rough imitation of a semicircle. None had regained consciousness yet. Kira snorted disdainfully. How pathetic. "Thank you, Beyond," he murmured in response.
"So what now?" Beyond asked, weaving his arms around Kira's chest and drawing him close in a cruel mockery of affection. "You're going to wait for them to wake up?"
The scarlet-haired demon smirked, regarding Beyond with something akin to amusement. "Something like that, yes. You know how imposing my dramatic flare is; I don't plan on carrying out my plan until I have an audience."
Beyond offered him a sinister grin, but Kira's eyes were fixated on Rem, who had turned away abruptly at his words. She didn't attempt to hide her look of disgust. Hmm… Kira pondered for the millionth time if Rem would dare to betray him. Surely she wouldn't, not with Misa's life on the line… After all, if Kira was taken down, then Misa would be taken in immediately for being Kira, no matter what L said (or so Kira had convinced Rem). Naturally Rem would help Kira, if only to protect Misa. And even if Kira's threats weren't enough, it was already too late for Rem to go against the plan—the Shinigami King had explicitly ordered her to obey Kira's every word, fulfill his every desire. It seemed perfect. But there was always an outlier, something that Kira couldn't possibly have thought of. Naomi Misora had been such an outlier. And now Kira was afraid that L Lawliet would be another variable that he was incapable of plugging into any equation. The simple fact was, he hadn't devised any kind of solution as to what he would do if L wasn't here for Kira's ascendance to godhood. He had never even considered the possibility that L would be stuck at headquarters while his successors fought his battle for him. He had, the same as Near, based his plan on the sheer power of the assumption that L would be too prideful to skip out on the final battle. He had assumed, and he had been wrong.
Of course, had Near not locked L up, then he would have been right—L's pride wouldn't have allowed him to stay away. But the fact was, Near had locked L away, and now Kira was afraid. He was afraid that L would do something crazy, something unpredictable that would throw a wrench in his plan. He could feel it, the tiny needle of fear nibbling delicately at his heart. But he choked it down, convincing himself that it was just some of Light's weakness leaking through. After this night, Kira knew that he would never have to deal with that sniveling excuse for a genius ever again. Light would be dead, completely eradicated from his mind. Game over. All hail Kira.
Kira felt a sudden pinch of pain behind his eyes, and he raised a hand to rub at the bridge of his nose. "Now, now, Light," he murmured softly. "None of that." He felt a weak flutter of resistance in response, but the next heartbeat it was gone.
"They're waking up," Beyond murmured in a muffled tone, stirring Kira from his trance.
"So it seems," he replied. He realized with a start that Beyond's lips were sealed to his neck, and he wondered dimly why he hadn't realized. He rolled his shoulders, allowing the tenseness to drain from his body and shaking Beyond off in the process.
The murderer drew back with a grumble, muttering, "Touchy, touchy."
Kira shook his head, displacing his carefully brushed hair, and allowed Beyond's comment to roll off him. Next, he allowed just the right amount of smug contentment and scorn to flood into his scarlet eyes. He placed a self-satisfied smile on his face.
Beyond shook his head, an amused expression overtaking him. "Is it showtime, then?" he asked.
Kira didn't dignify that little statement with a response. Instead, he turned, and saw Near's bleary eyes locked on him. He could hear Matt and Mello's slight stirrings as they woke, and Soichiro, Mogi, and Matsuda were also coming around, one after another. It seemed that Beyond's assessment had been correct—all the successors and the members of the task force were awakening. Well, then…it appeared that it was time. Running a hand through his hair, ruffling it further, Kira prepared himself for the end. And then, satisfied with his continued composure, he turned to face his prisoners, twisting his features into a nasty grin.
"Welcome back," he purred. "Or should I say, welcome to the end."
†††
L sped through the streets at break-neck speed, breaking every traffic and safety law known to man in his haste to reach Light. He jammed his foot against the gas pedal until it hit the floor, and he didn't let up on it once all the way from the headquarters to the forest. The fireworks and flashing lights of a celebrating city blurred outside his windows as he drove. L wondered briefly how they did it… how the world kept spinning, the people kept celebrating, the time kept ticking down to midnight. How could people continue to live when Light was in danger?
A car honked furiously as L skirted around it, clipping one of its side mirrors as he went. He supposed it would be proper protocol to stop and exchange insurance information over the light scrape, but that was the absolute last thing on L's mind.
He knew he was getting close when the cars thinned out and the stoplights turned to stop signs that soon became few and far between. He was the only one venturing out to the forest on this particular evening. All other vehicles had turned in other directions or turned back altogether at the sight of the reckless police car, leaving L alone on the dark road to the forest.
And then there were trees. He saw them, large and intimidating, staining the skyline with their swaying forms. L blasted the car the last several hundred feet to the edge of the forest and skidded the vehicle to a halt, turning it off and throwing the door open violently. He emerged from the police car in a flurry of movement and left the door carelessly open. As he began running into the darkened forest he drew his gun and loaded it with the all-powerful bullet. It wasn't easy, of course. After just a few steps his head started to pound, an obvious repercussion of running full-bore into a forest so soon after sustaining a severe concussion. His lungs ached, his ribs burned, and every inch of his body felt uncomfortably warm and sensitive to the slightest movement. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter because he had to get to Light, no matter how much his body complained, no matter how much he just wanted to lie down and beg for another dose of morphine. He had to get to his lover. He had to save him.
One way or another, alive or dead, L swore that he would leave this forest with Light.
No matter what.
†††
The eyes of the task force and the successors were locked on Kira as he stood before them, ethereal in his moonlit beauty, his luminescence further enhanced by the contrast of the shadow standing beside him.
Kira nearly laughed as he saw the frightened gazes his victims were giving him. They'd been so unprepared…it was quite pathetic. He'd thought, with all the time he'd given them to prepare themselves for the end, that they would have found a way to win. But no, it seemed that they were just as hopeless as they'd been all those weeks ago, when he took Light from them and killed Aizawa. Had they spent two months doing nothing but sitting around? Did they think that they would just show up in the clearing, guns waving clumsily about, and shoot him in the head? Did they think that Kira would be so foolish as to make an appearance before the ones that wanted so badly to kill him? He knew their plan, he'd always known their plan—and he also knew that if he did nothing but wait for them in the clearing, then he'd be dead long before midnight. This way was better. He'd sent Rem ahead of him and lurked in the shadows with Beyond—something the older man was admittedly better at than him. Normally, of course, Rem wouldn't dare to lay a hand on a human, let alone for Kira of all people, but the Shinigami King had been quite convincing in that regard. All it took was a short conversation, a few snapped words, and it was over. The shinigami's strings were handed over to Kira, and he was swift to use them as a puppeteer would a marionette.
A soft sound drew Kira's attention back to the successors and the task force. The noise had come from Near, who was testing the ropes curled around his chest. His dark eyes were glittering, and Kira knew instinctively that he was about to open that big mouth of his and start prattling on. It would be some foolish question, perhaps, or maybe some ridiculous statement of victory, despite the fact that he had not been victorious—he was tied to a tree, after all, and help was nowhere to be found. No matter how you looked at it, Kira had won.
And then, just as Kira had predicted, Near spoke, tearing him from his thoughts.
"So, Kira," Near rasped. "What's your plan? To become a shinigami?"
Kira's head tilted to one side, a frightening grin stretching ear to ear. Oh, he sounded so mocking…L's little successor didn't believe that he could become a shinigami. He'd be thrilled to prove him wrong. "Why, yes," he purred. "But then again, you didn't believe L, so why should you believe me?"
Near immediately shifted his gaze to the ground.
Hmm… so the child was regretful. Kira tucked that knowledge away thoughtfully. "I have a masterful plan," he said after a moment's pause. "A plan that will turn me into a shinigami, as you have already been told. A plan that started with your capture."
At these words Mello fought viciously against his bindings. "Monster!" he snarled, and Kira began to wonder if his entire vocabulary consisted of one or two word insults.
While Mello thrashed, Near's hands curled at his sides, the ropes stretching as he moved. No doubt he was longing to reach up and twirl a lock of his hair between his fingers, as he was so fond of doing whenever he was deep in thought. He spoke, and it was obvious that he was struggling to retain his cool. "Are you going to explain your genius plan to us, or do we have to guess?"
Kira threw a glance back at Rem. The shinigami was watching him with a look of absolute disgust, her brow crinkled and her singular yellow eye narrowed in anger. Kira looked away swiftly to hide his smirk from her. She had no idea what he had planned. She had no idea that he had tricked her. "If I told you what my plan was," he began, "then that would take all the fun out of it!"
"How are you going to become a shinigami?" Near persisted.
"Patience," Kira instructed teasingly. "Everything will become clear with time." He turned his back on his captives and faced Rem. "Shinigami, are you prepared to do what must be done?"
Rem glared at him. "Speak the words, human, and it will be done."
Kira's smile was anything but kind. Of course… the Shinigami King had told him the exact conditions that had to be met in order for him to ascend to godhood. There were four steps, and throughout all of them there were certain words that had to be spoken. One, a shinigami had to kill themselves willingly for the human intending to take their place. Two, the dead shinigami's Death Note had to be taken into possession by the human. Three, the human would have to find another human willing to allow the future shinigami to kill them. The only stipulation for the murder was that it couldn't be carried out via writing their name in the Death Note. It had to be committed with a knife, a gun, or even bare hands. It was quite amusing, really—normally, shinigami weren't allowed to harm humans using means other than the Death Note. But in this situation, it was required. Kira hadn't bothered to ask for the logic behind the whole thing, but he very much doubted that there was any to begin with. But that was besides the point—after the sacrifice of a human and a shinigami, the last step was entirely up to the Shinigami King. The King had to enter the human realm long enough to give his approval. He would observe the human and judge them, and if he found them a favorable replacement for the dead shinigami, then he would grant them the powers of a shinigami. They would become a literal god.
It was exactly what he'd been aiming for since the very beginning, in a way.
"Very well, Rem," Kira purred, realizing that he'd been silent for several moments, and the successors were beginning to give him odd stares. "I will begin." He shot a glance at Beyond, silently telling him to prepare for his part of the ritual. He had a very special role to play, after all.
Beyond hesitated for a moment, a concerned look on his face, then crossed the several feet between them swiftly. He straightened his back and reached up, taking the scarlet-haired teen's face in his hands and kissing him harshly. Kira blinked, surprised at Beyond's sudden kiss, but leaned into it nonetheless, reveling in the gasp he heard from Soichiro.
Then it was over, just as soon as it had begun, and Beyond was shooting him an intense glare across the few inches that separated them. "Be careful," he growled, and if it had been spoken in any other tone, it might have sounded loving. "It would be an inconvenience for me if you were to die."
Kira tugged thoughtlessly at his shaggy black hair before responding, "And I expect you to be careful as well. I'm trusting you with a major part of my plan. Possibly the most important part. So don't mess it up, you got that?"
A smirk played across those pale lips, and Beyond nodded. The next moment he was gone, melting silently into the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
"Now," Kira said. "Now I will begin." He snuck a glance at Soichiro once more just to see his anguished expression. Then he closed his scarlet eyes and rolled his shoulders, forcing himself to relax. He heard Rem shifting around, heard the flutter of paper as she opened her Death Note in preparation.
"I beg the attention of the Shinigami King," Kira started, recalling the words the King had ordered him to speak. "I ask that the King look upon me on this night, the night of a new moon, the time in which the barrier between worlds is lowered. Watch what happens here and pass judgment."
Kira's eyes flitted open momentarily to make sure Rem was at the ready. Her pen hovered over the Death Note. No doubt she had done the necessary research beforehand.
The soon-to-be god went on. "For a human to ascend to godhood, a god must first be killed. For this purpose I offer you Rem, a shinigami in your service. She has deemed me worthy of replacing her, and will thus end her life to provide me the power I have earned."
Rem's yellow eye narrowed even further. She was clearly displeased, but Kira had made it very simple—either help him, or Misa would be caught and convicted. For of course, Kira's intelligence was the only thing that covered for Misa whenever she made mistakes. If her only source of protection was killed by L or the successors… then Misa would go down faster than a plane with the wings torn off mid-flight. And if that wasn't enough, then she had the King's orders to go off of. This was her only choice, and she knew it. Rem would sacrifice herself for Kira, and then he, in turn, would protect Misa as a shinigami. No one would ever be able to get the better of her, not after Kira killed the task force and the successors.
Rem stared down at her Death Note. Then she spoke, her voice low and bitter. "I, a shinigami in your employment, have looked upon this human and found him worthy of replacing me as a god of death. In order for this action to be complete, I willingly forfeit both my life and my Death Note. For these purposes I have chosen a human whose death will effect the lifespan of the human I have chosen." Rem pressed pen to paper and began the slow process of ending her own life. Kira remained ever curious as to whom she had chosen to kill. His only stipulation was that it could not be L. He wanted to kill the world famous detective himself.
Rem's pen was still moving. Then, after what seemed like forever, the utensil stopped. The shinigami closed her Death Note and dropped it. It struck the ground with a sense of finality, the wind blowing the book back open and ruffling the pages. Kira moved forward curiously to look at the name. Had she killed a successor? A member of the task force? A member of Light's family? Kira's eyes met the paper, and he frowned.
…He didn't know the name. He looked up at Rem questioningly, only to be met with the shadow of a smirk. He returned the smirk with one of his own, chuckling, "Still trying to get the better of me, even to the end." Rem was obviously still hoping that Kira would lose. That must have been why she had chosen to kill someone on the outside who somehow affected Kira's lifespan rather than a more obvious person like one of the successors. She was still hoping that L could pull out a win. And to do that, he would need all his successors and all the members of the task force to stay alive. "I applaud your ingenuity, Rem."
The shinigami nodded in acknowledgment. "I do what I can, human."
"I won't be a human for long," Kira threw back. His eyes darted down to his watch. "Ten seconds." Ten seconds until that poor human whose name was written in the Death Note died of a heart attack.
"I expect you to keep your promise," Rem spat out as her last few seconds ticked away. "Protect Misa with your life."
"Do you really think that I'd die for her?"
No response. Rem just shook her head sadly, lowering her eyes. "I honestly do not know what you will do after this, Kira. I only hope that Misa will survive the massacre you are about to instate."
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One.
The end.
Rem's single showing eye widened as a tremor shook her form. Kira leaned forward, fascinated to see what the death of a shinigami looked like.
It was almost beautiful, in a morbid way.
Small particles began flaking away from Rem and falling to the ground all around her. What was it? It looked almost like rust, or perhaps reddened sand…? Whatever it was, it was beginning to flake off of the shinigami at an alarming rate. Small holes appeared in her skin that swiftly expanded, pouring more and more sand onto the forest floor. A breeze began to flow through the clearing, swirling the particles up into the air and scattering them to the wind. Kira sneezed as a few particles found their way into his nose. He nearly gagged at the concept of a shinigami's weird sand being inhaled.
Rem was nearly dissipated. And all the while, even as the shinigami sank lower and lower, closer and closer to the ground, her feet, legs, waist, torso dissolving grain my grain, her yellow eye was locked on Kira. And as bits of that yellow iris began to flake away, Kira had the unnerving feeling that even though Rem had lost her life, she had won. Something in the way she smiled with that half-degraded mouth, the way her eye shimmered. She looked almost triumphant.
And then, again—
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One.
And she was gone.
All that remained of the shinigami was a pile of the sand-like substance, and even that was swiftly being whisked away by the wind, dissipating and scattering across the forest floor, shooting up into the sky. The Death Note lay where it had fallen, the notebook open to the most recently used page. Kira approached it slowly and picked it up. He felt it. The sudden shift that signified ownership being passed to him. He glanced at his watch. It was 11:24.
"You killed her!"
Kira's eyes shot up to meet Matt's. The successor was staring wide-eyed at the pile of sand. "Yes," Kira confirmed. "And now the first step is complete."
"So what's next?" spat Near. "Are you going to murder us now?
"Hmm… I wasn't planning on it. I was planning on becoming a shinigami so I can savor your failure." Kira looked out to the edge of the clearing. He couldn't spend much time prattling on with the successors if he wanted to complete his little ritual. "We're wasting moonlight. It's time for the second step. Beyond!"
The shadows shifted, and Beyond reappeared. Only he wasn't alone. The shadows beside him were rippling, darting away from the person standing close to Beyond, as if the darkness itself feared the being. The shadows fled further and further as the person moved, and then suddenly the moonlight was striking cream-colored skin and bright red lipstick, dancing around dark makeup and bouncing pigtails. Blonde hair shone in the darkness, lighting up delicate features and a perversely revealing outfit. Kira recognized the person, of course—how could he not?
It was Misa Amane. The second Kira.
"Misa!" Matsuda exclaimed, some glimmer of hope in his eyes. Perhaps he thought that the model would help him and the others. "What are you doing here?"
She tilted her head to one side with a bubbly grin, one hand waving a Death Note in the air teasingly. "Hi, Matsu! I'm so glad to see you!" She didn't answer his question.
Beyond gave Misa a little push, sending her towards Kira.
"Misa," Kira greeted, allowing his lips to curl upwards in an imitation of an appreciative smirk. "Have you regained your memories?"
Her eyes shone brightly. "Oh, yes!" she gushed. "Oh, Light, I was so happy when Beyond gave me the notebook! I remembered everything!" She threw her arms around her supposed boyfriend a moment later, constricting him as a boa would its prey.
Kira gave Beyond a small nod of thanks over Misa's shoulder. He'd given the murderer his own notebook to hold, then requested that he give up possession of the one he was currently using. That way he would be able to give his old notebook to Misa and hold Kira's so he wouldn't lose his memories. This way, Misa had regained her memories exactly as planned, and no one had to lose their memories. Though, Kira thought, it wouldn't be long before Misa, at least, lost her memories for good.
"Misa," Kira purred, pulling the blonde model close, gazing down into her crystalline eyes. "Has Beyond explained everything to you?"
"He has!" came the response. "He told me all about your ritual!"
"Yes," Kira murmured. "My ritual requires the services of someone who loves me more than anyone else… someone who would do anything for me. Would you do anything for me, Misa?"
"Of course I would!" Misa cried. "I would do anything if it made you happy!"
"This will make me very happy. In fact, if you do this for me, then I will love you for the rest of my life."
"Really? You really mean it?" Misa squealed happily. "Oh, yay! What do you need me to do?"
Kira bit his lip in a false show of nervousness. He already knew that Misa would perform her part. He just needed to say the right thing. "Misa… this may frighten you, but please hear me out. You know that I am going to become a god. I've already completed the first part of the ritual, but the second requires someone very special to help me. I need someone who loves me more than anyone else to sacrifice their life for me. I need someone to speak the right words and let me kill them. But once I become a god, I can bring that person back from the dead, and they can be with me forever." Bullshit. Complete bullshit, and Kira knew it. He wouldn't have the power to resurrect anyone. But all Misa needed to do was believe him long enough for her pathetic little heart to cease its struggle. Kira almost laughed. After all, he was breaking his promise to Rem mere minutes after her death. He fully intended to kill Misa Amane—he had since the beginning.
Misa looked stunned. "Wow…" she whispered. "I have to… let you kill me?" She sounded shell-shocked, completely unprepared for the gravity of what she was being told. "But you can bring me back? And once you do we can be together forever?"
"Forever," Kira assured her.
"Well…" She sounded almost hesitant, which surprised Kira. He'd thought that she would be throwing herself onto his knife at this point.
He needed to say something, and fast. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Beyond is completely willing to give his life for me if you don't want to. Of course, then he will be the one that spends forever with me, but that's a small matter in the grand scheme of things. I'll still have time to see you every once and a while…"
"No!" Misa screeched. "I mean… I said from the very beginning that you were free to kill me. And if it means that I get to spend forever with you, then I gladly offer my life!"
She had obviously regained her composure. Kira checked his watch again. 11:31.
"Good, Misa." Kira took the Death Note from her hands and tossed it to the ground. His fingers skirted the leather of his belt until he found the kitchen knife he had stored there especially for this night. A gun would be cleaner, he knew, but if he was going to kill Misa, he was going to enjoy it. He was going to watch the blood spill from her pretty throat. He supposed that Beyond had rubbed off on him in more ways than one.
He gently tugged on one of Misa's shoulders, turning her around so she couldn't see what was happening. He leaned forward and whispered instructions in her ear. He told her exactly what she needed to say and when she needed to say it. Then he opened his mouth to begin the required words, and—
Something rustled in the bushes behind him. Kira whirled around, expecting to see Beyond watching him apologetically, having bumped the bushes slightly. But Beyond was on the opposite end of the clearing, and his scarlet eyes were locked on the bushes as well. One hand clutched a knife, waiting to see who would emerge from the undergrowth.
A head of dark hair poked out from the leaves. A white shirt followed, then a pair of baggy blue jeans and a pair of shoe-less feet.
"Oh my god—" Beyond started furiously, teeth baring in the beginnings of a snarl.
Kira felt a scream building in his throat, a scream caused by the realization that this wasn't over, as he stared at that head of dark hair, those wide, obsidian eyes that had just emerged from the bushes.
"L," Kira growled, and he found himself thinking again that this wasn't over yet.
Not even close.
†††
L crashed through the forest desperately, the faint traces of moonlight just barely illuminating the path enough for him to see. He could tell by the thick undergrowth that no one ventured into this forest often—what he called a "path" was actually just a slightly flattened trail of footprints that led deep into the trees. But it didn't matter how overgrown this forest was. He would have traversed the most dangerous terrain on earth if it meant reaching Light.
Leaves crackled underfoot, branches clawed at his exposed face and hands, his eyes began to ache with the effort of seeing where he was placing his feet. But he kept fighting forward. And at some point during his battle to progress, he became aware of the almost crushing silence surrounding him. The only noises coming from the forest originated from his ceaseless crashing. All the wildlife had gone completely still, even the smallest sounds of the tiniest insects nonexistent. It was unsettling. Had the situation been any less severe, he would have stopped to marvel at the eeriness of it all.
…Wait, perhaps it wasn't completely silent. There was an odd sound ringing through the forest, a strange, metallic tolling that almost sounded otherworldly. L paused for only a moment to tilt his head curiously to one side. He recalled suddenly how the Shinigami King had warned him of his impending demise, and how Rem had gazed so sadly at the numbers ticking down above his head. What had they seen? What had made them look at him with such pity?
L harshly tore a flimsy branch out of his way. His mind was screaming to him that their pity most likely meant that his lifespan was dwindling, but he refused to listen to himself. He wouldn't accept the reality of his imminent demise.
He yelped softly as a branch lashed him across the shoulder. He had removed the sling so his hands would be free, but the barely-healed dislocated limb was still paining him to no end. That, of course, in addition to the sharpening ache in his ribs that was making it harder and harder to progress. But the thought of Light, his Light, cowering in terror in the back of his own mind propelled him onwards.
And then he heard something.
Voices, though they were still muted through the trees. They weren't far away. Instinctively L paused to listen. He thought he could pick out Kira's voice, though it was hard to discern. He slowly began picking his way through the undergrowth, attempting cautiously to conceal his location. He hoped dearly that no one had heard his clumsy approach, for he wanted very badly to sneak up on Kira and shoot him before he was spotted. That would be the best outcome. No blood, no fight, no death. No mistakes.
L saw a patch of faint moonlight through the trees a few feet in front of him. A clearing stood before him, with one great oak tree in the center. As he neared, the silhouettes of three people became more and more pronounced. He caught a flash of red hair. Scarlet eyes.
Kira and Beyond were in that clearing. And it seemed that Misa was with them as well. L frowned. Why would Misa be there? What would she be useful to Kira in this situation? As each step carried him closer to the group, L suddenly realized that the three of them weren't the only ones in that clearing.
"No!" L hissed through clenched teeth, then immediately clasped a hand over his mouth in horror. But it seemed that his voice was too soft, or the faint sounds of fireworks were too loud, for his voice to be heard. He squinted to make sure, but he was completely certain that the task force and the successors were bound to trees in a rough semicircle around Kira. He had already taken them down.
He heard a soft laugh, and his eyes shot to Kira. The scarlet-haired teen was holding something in one hand. The Death Note. And at his feet…
L frowned. It looked like there was a pile of ashes at his feet. For a long moment his mind refused to put two and two together, but then he remembered—the Shinigami King had told him what seemed like ages ago that the first step to becoming a shinigami was to kill one off. Once killed, said shinigami would dissolve into a pile of something that looked like sand, but wasn't. This could only mean one thing—that Kira had just killed Rem, and was moving on to the second step.
"Here to watch the show?" rasped a strange voice.
L jumped, whipping around, only to see Ryuk floating a few feet off the ground behind him. He'd never seen this particular shinigami before, but Light had described him in detail. "Shinigami Ryuk," L panted softly, his heart racing from his sudden scare. "I was wondering when you would show yourself."
The shinigami shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head and grinning. "I've been hanging around here while Kira executes his little plan. It's been so interesting…"
"And are you going to tell him that I'm here?" L asked.
Ryuk shrugged again. "Nah, I don't think so. At least, not if you make things more interesting."
L shuddered at the expression on the monster's face. He obviously didn't care what happened at all, not as long as it entertained him. It was sickening. If he would just help L, this fight could already be won. But instead he was just going to stand here, watching people die.
Sickening.
L turned away from Ryuk without another word and began to fight his way through the bushes forming a barrier around the clearing. He almost gasped as a thorn pierced his skin. He tugged the fabric of his shirt loose as it snagged on small branches. He was rustling the undergrowth, but still no one noticed. Kira was standing behind Misa now, whispering something in her ear.
Then L felt something collide harshly with his back, and this time there was no containing a loud gasp as he tripped and fell forward through the bushes.
The figures in the clearing froze. Beyond's knife was in his hand in a heartbeat, eyes locked on the bushes where L was already becoming visible. L glared behind him, furiously trying to locate what had hit him, and came face to face with Ryuk's nasty leer. The bastard had pushed him!
"Sorry," Ryuk cackled. "It's no fun if you just sneak in and shoot him! You at least have to put on a show!"
L growled low in his throat. Then, seeing no other choice, he tugged himself loose of the clinging thorns and stepped out into the dull light illuminating the clearing.
"Oh my god!" Beyond snarled furiously.
"L!" Kira roared.
L immediately composed himself. His mind raced. He knew that if he could get one clear shot at Kira, he would take it. But just as before, he only had one shot. He would have to be sure that he would make contact before he shot. There would be no second chance. He made sure there was a cool, easygoing expression on his face before he spoke. He made the slump of his shoulders seem completely natural. "Kira," he greeted. "Is your plan going well?"
Kira just stared at him in disbelief. "Misa, say the words. I'll take care of him."
"But, Light!" Misa protested.
L flinched. Misa still believed that Kira was Light? She still thought they were the same person?
"Please, Misa," Kira murmured. "Do this for me, and I promise all will be well."
The model's eyes flitted back and forth between Kira and L, clearly uncertain. "Well…" she trailed off.
"Misa," Kira murmured. "There isn't much time."
She blinked up at him. Then she smiled. "Okay, Light! I'll do it!"
"That's better." Kira kissed her on the cheek, then turned back to L with a loathing expression on his face. Behind him, Misa began to speak.
"I stand here on this night as a testament to this human's worthiness, as a sacrifice to bestow upon him the ultimate gift of godhood…" she prattled on.
Those words had meaning, L realized. Those were the words the Shinigami King had referred to, the words that meant the ceremony was taking place. And that meant that Misa was going to be the human sacrifice rather than Beyond. L frowned. He had assumed that Beyond would be the one dying for Kira. But then again, if it were a choice between killing Misa, who had little to no value save for her eyes, and killing Beyond, who not only had the eyes, but was just as intelligent as Kira, then it was obvious which one would be chosen. Misa was just devoted enough for it to work.
"Misa, stop this!" L attempted, stepping forward. He heard soft gasps coming from the watching task force and successors. He thought he heard a faint plea coming from Near, but he ignored it in favor of staring down Kira.
Misa ignored him, the words still spilling from her lips. Beyond passed his knife to Kira, taking from him a gleaming kitchen knife in return, and L knew that the moment she was done talking, that knife would inter itself deep in her throat. All of the years she would have had would be transferred to Kira. "Misa!" he tried again, but she still remained wholly focused on reciting the words Kira had given her.
"It won't work," Kira snarled, eyes glinting with satisfaction. "You know, L, I almost hoped that you would show yourself here, but now that you're right in front of me… I can't help but feel disappointed that this is all you had in store for me."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he laughed. "I expected a grand fireworks show, and all I got was a few easily-extinguished firecrackers! Oh, L, you should have seen it! Those tiny firecrackers, the gleaming lights of the task force and your precious successors…I took them down so easily!"
"But you weren't the one who took them down, am I right?" L's eyes darted to the pile of ash, which was swiftly being blown away by the breeze that was steadily increasing in strength. A particularly harsh current forced him to raise a hand, sweeping black locks from his eyes. Across the clearing, Kira was delicately picking scarlet strands from where they were waving about over his face.
"Perhaps I wasn't the one who physically restrained them," Kira said, "but I was the one who thought up this whole scheme and set it into action."
L's baggy shirt flapped violently in the wind. The trees rattled and swayed in protest, leaves tearing themselves from the branches. "You cheated."
"I'm evil, L," Kira chastised. "You should know better than to expect valor from the likes of me."
"Perhaps I expected valor from Light." As he spoke, L slowly inched closer. He drew his gun in one swift motion, not bothering to hide it. After all, Kira already knew his plan.
Misa's shrill voice grew louder as he came closer. "…willing to give the remaining years of my lifespan to the human ascending to godhood, so that said human can survive the transformation…"
Kira's laugh was almost completely lost to the wind. "You can expect nothing from that pitiful boy!" he spat. "No, that's not true—you can expect him to roll over and submit to me! He will not come back just because you call to him!"
"I am more than aware of the situation." Two more steps. If he could just get close enough…
"Stop!"
L froze.
Kira slowly stepped back, leaving Beyond to guard Misa. He steadily retreated to the tree directly behind him, where Near was tied in the center of the semicircle. The blade of Kira's knife immediately went to the successor's throat. "Don't take a step closer, L. Not unless you want him to die."
L's eyes met Near's. Those crystalline gray eyes were shimmering with barely concealed tears—the boy was scared, and guilty. L jerked his gaze to Kira. The teen was standing in such a way that hitting him would be impossible. Especially in this wind.
Kira pressed his knife harshly into Near's pale skin, and a line of red appeared.
"Stop that!" L spat. "I'm not moving!" He waved his free hand down at his feet, which were firmly planted near the pile of ash.
Misa's eyes suddenly snapped open. "I did it!" she announced. "I said everything!"
Kira nodded approvingly, not moving from his spot beside Near. "Excellent, Misa. Please come here."
Misa nodded excitedly. She bounced across the few feet separating her from her supposed boyfriend, then stopped, staring up at him adoringly. The poor girl was so thoroughly brainwashed… it was terrifying.
"Thank you for doing this, Misa," Kira purred. "I promise you, after this is all over, we will be together again."
The model nodded loyally. There was no doubt in her expression, no reservation in her actions. It was sickening. But it was more sickening, L thought, that Kira had made such a promise to Misa with no intention of keeping it.
Kira looked back to L. "If you even look like you're about to attempt to stop me, Near dies. And then you die. Understood?"
L nodded, calculating his odds. Beyond still stood between him and Kira, and Near was going nowhere. Kira had shut and locked every available door. There seemed to be no chance of stopping him without making a sacrifice. But before he had a chance to follow that train of thought to its conclusion, Kira was speaking.
"I, a human seeking the immortality and powers of a god of death, recognize the sacrifices that have been made in order for me to reach my noble goal."
L's mind raced. He had a choice. What would he do? Sacrifice Near for just the chance of getting to Kira? Or stand here indefinitely while Kira became a shinigami and then proceeded to kill them?
…Well, when it was put that way, the answer was obvious.
"As proof my dedication to the shinigami way of life, I offer a sacrifice to the Shinigami King and his people."
L's best chance to act would be when he was in the act of killing Misa. When his knife wasn't pressed into Near's neck. Unfortunately, that meant that Misa would die. A chill swept through L at the realization that he didn't care what happened to the model. As long as he saved Light, Misa's death was insignificant. He thought briefly that he should be disturbed by his utter lack of compassion for her life. But Kira's continued speech drew his attention.
"I have studied and internalized the rules and procedures that must be adhered to as a god of death, and I fully submit to the laws instituted by the Shinigami King. But before taking the place of the shinigami that gave its life for me, I must break one of the primary rules of the shinigami. I must kill a human with my own hands to prove that I am worthy of promotion to godhood."
So he had to kill a human to prove that he could handle being a shinigami. How morbid.
"This human has willingly provided me her life so that I may achieve my wish. I take her life with gratitude, and hereby swear that this will be the only time I ever take a human life by any means other than the Death Note. " Kira's knife left Near's throat and moved to Misa's.
L recalled the Shinigami King's words. After Misa was killed, the King had to appear in order to bestow the powers upon Kira. That meant that time was running out. And as the knife pressed firmly to the flesh of Misa's throat, L knew that the time to act was now.
I'm sorry, Near.
L suddenly threw himself forward, sprinting across the clearing just as the knife began tearing through Misa's flesh. Beyond started, clearly surprised. But it took only a moment before he was moving to intercept L. His knife was still in Kira's hand, his kitchen knife thrown aside, but his fists were just as deadly as the metal implement. Beyond brought up his fists and slammed one of them into L's chest, knocking him back. The murderer then prepared for L's second attempt at getting past him, but gasped in surprise as L rose with startling speed and whirled around him rather than attacking him dead on. L aimed a jab into Beyond's back, sending the man careening to the ground. There was a soft thud as he hit the leafy forest floor.
Kira wasn't paying attention to him. He was too focused on Misa, and the knife sticking from her throat. His eyes were locked on the dying model's bloodied flesh. Kira's fingers traced almost lovingly over the hilt of Beyond's knife. Then he gripped it firmly, and in one, swift motion, he finished tearing it through Misa's neck.
Blood spattered the ground, spilled down Misa's front, stained Kira's clothing and face. Her eyes widened, a gasp leaving those delicate lips. Her hands came up briefly to feel the clean line in her skin. When she drew her fingers away, they were so red that it was impossible to locate even a trace of her pale flesh. Kira stepped back and allowed the blonde to crash to the ground, blood pooling around her and expanding outwards, tracing the outline of her body as it spread. The puddles of scarlet clouded around her arms and ran in rivets away from her, making it look as if she had bloody wings.
Kira looked up just as L crashed into him. The murderer was pinned almost immediately, and L's gun snapped up towards his head. Kira reacted with a soft gasp, tearing himself from L's grasp and rolling out of the way of the gun's muzzle. He knew, after all, that if that bullet struck his head, it was over. Kira grabbed L's wrist, angling the gun away from him and up into the sky. L's free hand immediately shot down and delivered a harsh blow to Kira's cheek. The flesh split, and dark blood began to drip down his face, perfectly matching his scarlet hair. Behind him, L heard Beyond scrambling to right himself on the slippery, leafy ground.
Kira slashed upwards with the knife still clutched in his free hand. L dodged the blow swiftly, seizing Kira's wrist between his pale fingers. The two were in a deadlock, both hands held immobile by the other's. L felt Kira struggling to kick him off, and immediately tightened his grip on the teen's hips with his legs.
Their desperate scramble halted as both geniuses realized that they had come to a stalemate. Kira shook his head slightly to displace the hair covering his face, smirking up at L. Then he turned his gaze to the side, away from the dark-haired detective looming over him. For a moment L wondered where the teen was looking—but then he noticed Misa. Her eyes were still open, the blood still pooled from her wound…but she was obviously dead. Her chest had ceased to move, and her eyes were glazed. A pang shot through L's chest as he thought about the model's meaningless demise—and his complete lack of empathy for her.
"Shinigami King, I have fulfilled all the requirements set in place by you, and as is such I request a place working beside you to shorten the lives of humans." Kira's perfect lips moved swiftly, eyes locked onto L's.
For a moment L was confused. Then his eyes widened, and he began fighting Kira's grip furiously. He couldn't allow the teen to speak those words! He couldn't let him finish the ritual! If he managed to finish the required words… then it would be out of his hands. The Shinigami King would grant him godhood, and it would be over. The teen was still speaking, weaving the words that would mean Light's death.
L had to act swiftly. He rolled to one side, pinning Kira's hand with the blade beneath him. He felt the sharp metal slice lightly into his back, but he ignored it in favor of using his now free hand to reach up and seal his fingers around Kira's throat. The teen gasped pathetically as his breath was forcefully halted. L's fingers tightened furiously, his vision turning white with fury. Kira's breaths grew shallower and shallower, his eyes widening, mouth held open as he fought against L's grasp. The teen's fingers slackened around the detective's wrist, the wrist that connected to the hand holding the all-important gun and bullet. L shook off Kira's loose grip with one sharp movement and swung the pistol downwards.
"No!"
L suddenly felt something crash into his side, throwing him off Kira and pinning him to the forest floor. Then the next heartbeat the weight was gone, leaving the detective struggling to regain the breath that had been knocked out of his lungs. His vision blurred, and he felt the pistol wrench itself from his fingers, felt someone kick him harshly in the shoulder.
"Bastard!" the same voice spat, and L realized suddenly that it was Beyond standing over him, the gun clutched between his fingers. The murderer left L with a huff, darting to Kira's side. The teen was on his stomach, propped up on one elbow as he hacked and coughed. Beyond skittered to a halt beside him, the gun falling from his grasp and coming to rest beside Kira.
"Kira," Beyond hissed, one hand falling to his lover's back and rubbing in soothing circles. "Kira, are you okay?"
Kira rubbed furiously at his throat, on which bruises were already beginning to blossom. He rolled shakily onto his back, drawing in sharp, painful breaths. "I-I'm f-fine," he rasped, cutting himself off with a fit of coughing. He began struggling to right himself, hands and feet slipping across the leafy forest floor. Beyond threaded an arm around Kira's shoulders and carefully helped him stand. The soon-to-be god seemed to have no reservations about Beyond's support, leaning into the dark-haired murderer heavily. Kira raised a hand and dabbed at the bleeding cut across his cheek. "W-with all your conditions met, I-I…" he trailed off, chest heaving. He was clearly still recovering from L's harsh grip. "I call upon the Shinigami K-King to pass judgment upon me!"
L shot to his feet immediately. His vision cleared as he regained his footing, and he saw very clearly that it was almost too late. Maybe it already was too late. It doesn't matter. I still have to try! L darted across the clearing towards Kira and the gun. Beyond left Kira in response and met L with a harsh punch to the chest, which L shakily dodged. He gripped Beyond's still-extended arm and jerked his knee up towards it, reveling in the screech the murderer released as the bone snapped. Beyond drew his broken arm to his chest, drawing in jagged breaths as he faced L.
"It's too late!" Beyond snarled, lunging forward with his knife extended towards L's throat. "The King is coming!"
The wind in the clearing was growing more and more unforgiving, flattening the grass and stirring up the slickened leaves. The pile of ash that had once been a shinigami was completely gone now, stirred up and flying around the clearing at random. L made a move to attack Beyond, but was stopped as a tree branch tore from its place far, far above his head, and careened to the ground directly in front of him. The smaller branches clipped his chest and face as it fell, and L felt the skin split painfully. Scarlet liquid began to drip down his face and stain the white fabric of his torn shirt. Beyond seemed to be in no better condition, the murderer flailing and falling backwards as the branch struck him in the side with dangerous force. The faint, almost nonexistent moonlight began to flicker like a failing light bulb, and L found himself looking up to locate what was blotting out the light.
A large shadow had fallen across the sky over the clearing, flitting in and out of existence with every breath L took. In the shaky light L managed to catch a glimpse of Beyond, sprawled across the ground on the other side of the fallen branch, and Kira, who stood staring up at the sky eagerly. It appeared that the Shinigami King was about to enter the human world.
L yelped as another branch thudded to the ground just to his right. His voice was swept away by the wind, ripped from his lungs by the howling wind. He heard a few faint screams over the storm, and his eyes darted up to locate the task force and the successors. They were still firmly tied to the trees, their gazes directed upwards save for one—Near. The white-haired boy stared directly at him in the failing light, expression one of terrible guilt. His lips moved, and though his message was swept away in the storm, L could read his lips clear as day.
"I'm sorry, L! I'm sorry!"
L's teeth closed on his bottom lip painfully. He couldn't focus on Near right now. He had to do everything he could to save Light while there was still time. The detective took a step forward, the wind battling him at every turn. The gun was miraculously holding its place beside Kira; the muzzle must be caught on something. L began to move forward as swiftly as he could, the wind resistance harsh on his aching body. As he neared the gun, the wind only grew more and more insistent, pushing him away with all its strength, and the faint light was flickering faster and faster.
And then, just as L was reaching out his hand to grasp the gun, it all went dark.
The light went out, and it didn't come back. The wind had stopped as well. Just like that, all was still. The entire clearing had gone completely silent. Even the faintest rustling of leaves had vanished. L felt as if he had been tossed into the void, left alone to go insane in the endless darkness. The sudden change in atmosphere startled L so much, in fact, that he completely halted his advance towards the gun. He knew, logically, that it was mere feet from him, and all it would take was a few more steps and he could grab it. But his senses were being harshly assaulted by the perpetual nothingness, and he found himself stunned into complete stillness.
Then he heard a soft whistle, as if the wind was returning, but not in that vengeful manner it had taken up previously. He saw nothing, but he heard the breeze softly flow around him, ruffling his hair and flowing soothingly against L's split skin.
Next he saw the appearance of stars. L's face turned skywards, eyes seeking out the tiny pinpricks of light that were appearing one by one in the sky. The stars had returned, but their light wasn't quite reaching the ground. Around him, still, there was darkness.
There was a sudden moment of eerie stillness.
And then, light.
A massive, terrible burst of light filled the clearing, expelling the darkness and replacing it with a blinding mass that shot beneath L's eyelids and jabbed at his eyes. The beautifully painful light engulfed everything in the clearing, filling its space with a dull hum that completely shut out the soft whistle of the breeze. L fought his eyes open despite the iridescence, seeking out the dark outline of the gun, but all he could see was yellowish brightness.
And then, just as swiftly as it had begun, the light died down to a single area right in front of the oak tree. The light shimmered and rolled, shifting with what could only be described as life. L's eyes widened. He was drawn to the light, called towards it despite his mind screaming that he had to get to the gun before the Shinigami King ended the ritual and granted Kira the powers of a shinigami. He shut his eyes forcefully.
"I am the Shinigami King." A voice bled from the illuminated area, and L realized that for the first time he was seeing the King's true form, not the form of that weak child he possessed. "I have seen the offerings of this individual, and I have been called to the human realm to pass judgment."
No! L knew those words! The Shinigami King was completing the ritual, and he only had a few more lines to speak! L turned on heel and scooped up the gun. His eyes darted around the clearing. He spotted the task force and the successors, still safely tied to the trees and watching the Shinigami King with identical expressions of awe. He saw Beyond, pulling himself to his feet shakily and leaning on one of the fallen branches. The murderer coughed weakly, and L knew that he wasn't going to have the strength to stop him should he attack again. And then there was Kira. The teen was standing before the Shinigami King, and he was glowing. Kira was quite literally emitting a soft, beautiful, scarlet glow. The glow swirled around him like a cloud, clinging to his form and making him look like a god. Which, L thought, was completely unfunny.
"Having watched your actions and accepted your sacrifices, I have determined that your heart is—"
"Stop!" L screamed, making Kira jump. "Shinigami, you can't do this! You can't stand here and tell me that you think Kira's heart is pure enough to become a shinigami!"
"Pure has nothing to do with it!" Kira spat back. "Shinigami are corrupt, terrible beings! They're completely worthless, and no one cares what kind of heart I have! This is all just a formality!"
The Shinigami King hadn't even paused. "I have determined that your heart is entirely worthy of ascension to godhood. Therefore, with this touch I grant you the powers of a god of death. Use them well, human." The King leaned forward, hand extended to seal it to Kira's forehead.
"Shinigami King, please!" L cried, lurching across the clearing in his direction, wheezing as his lungs expanded to press against his fractured ribs. He thought he saw the King shoot him a mournful glance, but it could have been his imagination.
I'm not going to make it! L realized. It's too late! But still he sprinted, sprinted until the shinigami king's hand was inches from turning Kira into a shinigami. Then he stopped, planted his feet firmly in the loose soil, and raised the gun so it was level with Kira's head.
I'm sorry, Light!
L pulled the trigger.
And this time, the gun fired.
Tell me, my lovely readers...do you really think it'll be that easy? Or do you think that I still have one, final trick up my sleeve? A card that I've left unplayed? I'm curious...now, before the final part of story's climax...what do you think will happen? What do you want to happen? I'm eager to hear your predictions, and even more eager to see if what you want correlates with the story's ending. So go ahead, let me know what you think!
As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as well as the little cliffhanger I left just for you. If you did, and if you're excited to read the last few chapters, then be sure to leave me a review!