Chapter ten: The final battle.
Brend enters a classroom wielding a knife as the teacher and other orphans turn in fear and surprise. He smirks at this sight and shuts the door behind himself. He licks part of his upper lip. "You cannot run." He raises the knife to let them know he means business. He lowers the knife when he is sure no will try to stop him only to look to the knife. "Am I good man?" He grips the knife's blade enough to let a single drop of blood fall from his hand down to the floor. "Am I a mad man." His eyes narrow in evil. "It's such fun being the mad man." He turns hearing something and quickly ducks behind a table by the door.
Near opens his eyes only to find himself outside of the classroom. He blinks in surprise then moves inside wondering what is going on as the other orphans as well as the teacher look surprised as well as confused.
"Do you really think that I would ever let you go?" A voice says.
Near stops upon hearing this.
"Do you think I'd ever set you free?" The voice continues. "If you do. I'm sad to say. It simply isn't so." The owner of the voice jumps onto the table. "You will never get away from me!"
Near flickers his eyes back already know that Brend is standing on the table with standing tall as if to show power. He turns a little slowly to face Brend and he sees the other only to notice the knife suddenly getting blood on it. His eyes widen then he looks back only to see that everyone is suddenly all slaughtered. He takes a step back shaking his head softly. "No…" He falls to a crouch as he covers his ears with his eyes closed tightly and he tries to curl into a ball. "NO!"
Everything goes to black….
Nears P.O.V.
I begin to open my eyes as I hear a dripping sound that almost seems to echo majestically. I open my eyes from slits to half way then I blink them to fully opened. I have found myself standing in a place where under my feet is red liquid that I believe is blood that ripples each time as the drip echoes though I can't feel it under my feet as I seem to be standing over it. I look around myself finding the bodies of those Brend murdered laying on the ground of this place with what looks like some kind of shadow people with no legs along with no faces looking trees seeming to be hovering over each body; they have their hands up and their long fingers spread as if to make a slight cage for each body.
Though it's not a full on cage it still looks like the bodies are trapped with no way out.
There is a black crescent moon in the tinted red sky.
It is dripping what looks to be blood from its bottom area.
That's where the dripping sound is coming from as the moon is what is making those drips.
"You just had to ruin me reliving, and slightly adding my own touch to, what happened in the classroom. Didn't you?"
I turn around to face Brend who is sitting on a shadow tree a little behind me. "Hello Brend." I greet.
"Let's make this quick." Brend, who isn't injured anymore since this isn't the real world, summons the knife he's been using to kill as it seems to have been created as something inside of the soul. "After all you are in my part of your soul. So I have the upper hand with this being my turf. Near."
I keep my determined look on my face.
Unfair fight or not I doubt I'll be able to get any weapons like Brend since this is his turf but it doesn't matter I am determined to rid the world of Brend.
One way or another.
I raise my hands that curl into fists and I move my legs apart slightly bending my knees as I get into my battle ready stance.
Brend spins the knife so the side of the blade is now facing me instead of the sharp edge.
It's his way of getting battle ready.
No one's P.O.V.
L and Watari make it to where L left the laptop he was working on.
Once the door is closed L speaks without turning to Watari.
"There is something I haven't told you yet. But I wanted it to be between us. I trust you to be more understanding of the situation."
Watari blinks as he watches L. "What is it?"
L turns enough that he can look to Watari. "It's about Brend. Turns out he's more complicated then we thought."
Watari listens to what L has to say.
L wants to bring his thumb to his bottom lip but keeps his thumb in the pocket still. "You see Brend is what has been described as an intruder in another's body."
"Who?" Watari asks.
"Near." L tells him. "And this is how I was explained it all..."
...
Brend uses the shadow tree he is sitting on to give him some extra speed by using it like something you push off of to help with the power in something. He goes to slash or stab Near.
Near quickly moves to the side dodging the attack.
Brend lands skidding a little to stop and spins around as Near took the chance to charge at Brend this time. He begins slashing at Near trying to land a hit as Near keeps walking backwards as well as swaying his body to avoid the slashing as Brend continues.
Near looks for an opening.
Not yet….
Brend growls in anger and continues to slash at Near now it's getting more vigorous.
Not yet….
Brend slashes Near's arm making him gasp.
Near jumps back to put some distance between them.
Not yet.
Brend charges at Near raising the knife.
Near's eyes slightly close in focus.
NOW!
Brend brings his arm down to stab Near but Near grabs Brend's wrist and he slams his other elbow into Brend's face making him dazed for a few seconds long enough for Near to grab the knife yanking it out of Brend's gasp.
Near moves quickly and swings the knife at Brend's face slashing his cheek.
Brend gasps and stumbles back moving away from Near as a blood drips down his cheek. "You fucker!" He snarls then holds a hand out in Near's direction as if to summon something.
The knife disappears from Near's grasp as it becomes black smoke that vanishes in mid-air.
Then the black smoke reappears in Brend's area of grasping only for it to become a knife once again.
Brend grabs the knife. "You hold no power here." He charges again.
Near tenses raising his fists to attack Brend.
Brend brings the knife down and Near tries to throw a punch at Brend.
But…..
Near stops only to almost cry out in pain and Brend kicks him in the stomach sending him flying back. He crashes on the ground laying there. He has a really bad slash on his side making him lose a lot of blood.
Brend stands tall as some shadow trees start to move as if to trap his body. "You had no chance of winning here." He turns and begins walking away. "The battle was already won when you came here."
….
L had finished telling Watari what is happening and as expected Watari was very understanding about it all.
Now L is heading to go to check on how it is coming along.
He opens the door and finds Mello and Near on the bed. He sees Near appears to be sleeping and as the door opens Mello, who is sitting beside Near, looks up to see L. He walks into the room shutting the door behind himself. "How is it going?"
Mello looks back to Near. "The fight is taking place inside." He informs the other. "Anything could happen now."
L looks to Near. "Let us hope that it turns out for the best." He responds.
Mello nods in agreement.
The two stay there silent for a few moments.
"Well I will take my leave." L says and heads out but stops in the doorway. He glances back. "I'm sure that Near is not alone. He has you right beside him." He leaves with that making sure to close the door behind himself.
That comment makes Mello smile.
Near's P.O.V.
No… No. It can't end like this!
I can only see darkness…. No… Is…. Is this really it…?
Is it really over….?
Brend wins… I really had no chance….
Don't tell me that's what you're actually thinking.
My eyes snap open as I hear Mello's voice in my head. I am looking up seeing the shadow trees start to move over me.
Mello….
A ball of light blue that is glowing softly comes to float above me.
Is this….?
I blink letting my eyes open to half way and I smile.
Yes… Yes it is…
I find new strength coursing through me and I raise a hand reaching towards it letting the tips of my fingers brushing against it's gentle warm surface.
Yes….. It's Mello's soul…
I am not alone….. He's right here with me….. I smile a little more and the soul glows brighter destroying the shadow trees forming around me as the light doesn't blind my eyes and feels like it is keeping me safe and warm. I feel as if the light from Mello's soul is holding me and protecting me. I raise my other hand to try to hold the soul as I can still see his soul even through the light.
It comes closer to me and I hold it gently.
I bring it to my chest as I close my eyes with a very warm fuzzy feeling of love inside of me. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
No one's P.O.V.
"WHAT!?" Brend spins around when he senses something happening. He brings a hand turning his head slightly as unlike Near the light is too bright for him.
The light dies down and Brend lowers his hand only to look still in shock.
Near is standing there completely fine and he looks to Brend with fierce determination as well as completely renewed energy and then some.
"How!?" Brend gasps. "You were dead! Defeated!" He snaps pointing the knife at Near.
Near smiles. "I almost was." He tells Brend. "But there is something you missed." Near softly closes his eyes. "I am not alone." He opens his eyes half way still fiercely determined. "I never was alone in this fight." He tells Brend.
Brend's eyes narrow and he growls. "What are you talking about!?"
"Mello's been here with me even before we started our fight." Near responds. "He gave me strength. He saved me. In here and out in the real world." He tells Brend. "Mello saved me from dying in here and he saved me from giving up in the real world." He makes his own knife appear but instead of appearing through black smoke it appears through light. "If it wasn't for him we wouldn't be here! I wouldn't be here to destroy you once and for all!"
Brend snarls. "You have no power here! I will just take you down once again!" He charges.
Near stands there with his arms at his sides as he watches Brend charge. "It is you who has no power here." He says. "Not anymore."
Brend goes to stab Near but Near moves to the side at the last second avoiding being hit.
Near turns and stabs Brend's shoulder.
Brend gasps then quickly moves back as Near pulls his knife out. He glares at Near. "You underestimate my power." He waves a hand in front of him in a diagonal way.
A shadow tree looking shadow comes speeding towards Near but this time the shadow's arms and hand are in the shape of swords.
Near jumps into the air.
The shadow's arm speed up as they head for him. It strikes Near in the side and on the shoulder.
Near gasps then makes the knife glow a tinted yellow color and slashes the shadow.
The shadow screeches and pulls away from Near letting him drop to the ground as the knife stops glowing while the shadow is destroyed.
Near is injured but he is still ready to continue fighting.
Brend growls in frustration. "Don't you dare think you will win!" He charges again.
Near stands there calmly as Brend continues to charge.
Brend lets out a cry of anger and a battle like cry as he jumps into the air coming down to attack Near hoping to end this battle there and then.
Near gets ready and brings the hand holding the knife back.
Time almost seems to slow down as the two begin to move at the same time to attack the other.
A hit is landed and one gasps in pain with his eyes widening.
….
"It is prepared." Watari says as L arrives back to where they are working.
"That's good." L says bringing a hand up to bite on his thumb nail.
"How's it going with Near?" Watari asks worried.
"The fight is taking place inside of Near." L responds. "We just have to wait for either Near or Brend to win full control over his body."
Watari nods still looking worried.
Both of them are worried.
…
Brend kind of flops over letting go of the knife that only scratched Near's cheek letting it drop to the ground.
Once the knife hits the ground and disappears into black smoke that now forever vanishes.
Near keeps his own knife stabbed into the middle of Brend's chest.
Brend lets out a final exhale as his body goes limp with his eyes closing in time with the exhale.
Near lets his knife vanish and Brend's body is lifted backwards.
Brend's body begins to disappear starting from his feet up as his body seems to become dark orangish yellow sparkles that seem to fly off only to just vanish into the air.
Near closes his eyes softly. "This fight is over." His body lets out a flash of light destroying the shadow trees as well as making the liquid on the ground turn to crystal clean water with a blue sky.
There even is a sun now in the sky that has one or two clouds making it look like a famous art piece.
Near opens his eyes half way and watches as all the bodies seems to be picked up by an invisible force.
They look up giving Near an appreciative look before their bodies disappear only leaving their souls that shoot up to the sky disappearing from view.
It truly is a sight to behold.
As the final soul disappears into the sky Near looks down to the ground under where Brend's body disappeared.
There lays a voodoo looking doll of Brend.
Near takes about two or three steps forward and crouches picking it up. He stands back up holding the doll in one hand looking at it. He raises the other hand and makes a pin with a red ball end appear held between two of his fingers.
The pin is of course made from light that fades to make a normal looking pin being held in Near's hand.
"You lose." Near says as he pushes the pin into the middle of the little pinkish red heart that is shown on the outside of the doll where a person's heart would be.
The doll flashes a slightly bright light, though Near finds he doesn't have to shield his eyes, then when the light fades he finds he is holding nothing.
Near closes his eyes softly as he feels at peace with himself now. He even smiles a joyous smile.
…
Near groans as if awakening.
Mello perks up and he watches Near is anticipation to see who won the fight.
The tense air is almost unbearable as Mello worries that Near lost.
Near's eyes blink open to half way making Mello sigh in relief upon seeing Near's familiar stormy grey eyes. He blinks his eyes fully open.
Mello smiles. "You did it. You won."
Near smiles at Mello. "Only because you were there with me all the way through to the end."
Mello smiles a little more then dips his head down placing a gentle kiss on Near's lips. "I love you."
"I love you too." Near responds kissing back.
They pull apart to look lovingly in each other's eyes.
….
L and Watari are packing up getting ready to leave.
The door opens making them pause and turn to it.
Mello and Near come in.
L and Watari look relieved upon seeing Near's stormy grey eyes.
"Brend is no more." Near says.
L smiles. "That's good." He says in a glad voice. "We will make it seem as if he is still out there by making a wanted poster based off of what we know about him but we will keep it as if we never knew about him intruding in your body."
Near nods with a smile. "That sounds good."
Mello links his hand with Near's which makes L and Watari smile happily upon seeing this.
"So what will you do now?" Watari asks.
"Well I think we'll get rid of the knife, burn the cloak and start planning on getting away from this place. Hopefully that will help Near to move on from all of this." Mello responds.
L smiles proudly. "That sounds like a very fine idea." He says in agreement.
And so Mello and Near did just that.
Together they ended up making it on their own and Near was able to move on from what happened with Brend.
Mello, now a very old man, looks to a picture of Near of when he was younger with one of him older on the wall behind Mello.
Near died a few days ago of old age in a hospital but they both knew that both of them could die any day now so though it was sad to lose his beloved Mello knows that he will soon be joining Near.
Mello ended up dying in his sleep only a week later.
Reuniting with Near in heaven since Near wasn't the one guilty of the murders Brend committed.
They happily remained together forever happy with each other in heaven.
The end.
AN:
This chapter was meant to be possibly the longest chapter out of this entire story.
You cannot rush the ending.
I hope you have enjoyed this story.
Reviews are awesome and flamers will be used to make fudge!
Mello.