"Hello, Amane," Light said, "I'm surprised you came."

"You intrigue me, halfling."


"Halfling?" Light said, amused as he looked at Amane. She glanced over at him.

"Rem told me what a zero lifespan means. You're living in the second between life and death; I thought halfing sounded fitting," Amane said. Light laughed. He tended not to think about his situation but still found it amusing that the Second Kira, of all people, had given it a name.

"What is the likelihood that you'll give up being the Second Kira?" Light said he knew it was doubtful she'd give up just because he asked, but honestly, Light could do with something going easy for him for once.

"Never in a million years. I will follow Kira until the end of the earth. He is my saviour, my god, I will never abandon him," Amane said. Light sighed, the hard way it was then.

"Your crimes are far less than Kira's. You can turn away from this; you can save yourself. You owe nothing to Kira; what possibly could he have done that's set someone like you on this path of destruction," Light said. If he'd had time, he would've extensively researched Amane, but between the dream, calling Sayu and filling Naomi in on what happened, he didn't have the opportunity to look into her life, to find something he could use to help Amane see sense. Light could only hope he knew enough about Kira from both timelines to get through to her.

"One year ago, my parents were killed in a robbery right in front of me. I wanted him to pay for what he did, but he went on trial, and the judge ruled that he'd been falsely accused. That's when Kira punished him. Kira means everything to me, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him," Amane said. Light stayed quiet for a moment; Kira killed her parents' killer; that complicated things. She got the justice she craved when Kira killed him, and that justice has been warped to turn her into a blind follower, but there's got to be more; it can't be a coincidence that a loyal follower of Kira was able to get their hands on a Death Note. "There is nothing you can say which will change my mind."

"Do you like killing innocent people?" Light said. Amane looked like he'd slapped her, but Light hoped that her parents' death might give him the leverage he needed.

"I don't kill the innocent, only the guilty!" Amane said.

"Your victims on the tapes weren't criminals. Hibima and Komaizumi, they were innocent people," Light said, Amane scoffed.

"They defied Kira; they deserved punishment," Amane argued, but Light shook his head.

"They spoke their opinion. Is this Kira's new world where people fear saying the wrong thing and being killed for it. That's not paradise; that's being controlled and manipulated out of fear. Those news anchors didn't deserve punishment; no one who hasn't committed a crime deserved being killed for something so little as offending someone's ego," Light said, "If your parents were still here and badmouthed Kira to your face, would you kill them."

"What! No!" Amane said.

"Why not? They were defying Kira, Your God, by your expectation they deserve punishment," Light said. He could tell from Amane's face that something had struck with her; if he kept going, he might be able to get through to her. "I know you are the second Kira, I could hand you over to the police, and you'd never see this paradise you believe you're building."

"Then I'll kill everyone you love!" Amane said. Bingo.

"So you will kill the innocent," Light said, keeping the smirk off his face. The rage on Amane's face faded into confusion.

"W-what?" she said.

"You can't kill me; you've tried and failed. So, to stop me from handing you over, your next best idea is to kill my family, my little sister and mother? What have they done to defy Kira? What possible reason could you have to justify killing two innocent people? What makes you different from the man who killed your parents?" Light said. Amane stayed frozen as she tried to process everything Light had said. "Misa, do you really want to kill people?"

"N-no! I… I never wanted that. I… God, what have I done," Amane said before breaking down in tears. Light watched her cry into her hands; he didn't comfort her; she needed to accept the hard truth on her own, but he pulled out a clean tissue from his pocket and handed it over. As he reached away, Light felt something brush against his hand, and before him, a Shinigami appeared. Light stared at the Shinigami, taking in its skeletal appearance, long spinal arms and bone-like skin.

"Hello, Rem," Light said. The Shinigami's singular eye stared down at him.

"Will you hand Misa over to the police, Light Yagami?" Rem said. Light stared at it, the tone of their voice being so different from Ryuk's. Whilst Ryuk saw this as entertainment, Rem seemed attached to Amane.

"If she gives up being the Second Kira, I will do everything in my power to protect her," Light said. Amane looked up at him, her markup smudged by her tears.

"Why?" Amane asked.

"I don't think you planned on killing people when you got the Death Note; I don't believe that you're a murderer," Light said to her, "It's been something on my mind for a while, the Shinigami King told me about the Death Note, and it's thrall, but I think Kira has made it worse, corruptive and addictive."

"Explain what you mean?" Rem said.

"At some point between Kira killing your parents' killer and you sending those tapes to Sakura TV, you got the Death Note. When a human gets hold of a Death Note, they are lured into using it once, and then they make the decision to keep using it or throw it away in horror. Kira proved to the world that he could kill without being there, and if you had found the Death Note before, you wouldn't have believed in what it was capable of until you tried it. Kira takes that disbelief away, and with that mixed with the thrall, it has a stronger effect on the person. It's like taking drugs; the more you use them, your addiction grows, and you keep taking them to feel that high," Light explained. He saw the confused look on Amane's face, so he decided to explain a little further, "When you got the Death Note, you were lured into using it and by using it, it had an effect on you that you kept chasing every time you've killed someone and the more you use it, the further it's corrupted you."

"Wow, Light-o. I wish the Death Note landed in your hands now. I'd love to see what you could've done with it," Ryuk said, but Light ignored him, instead focusing on Rem and Misa.

"I-I didn't have the choice; it made me do it," Misa said. Light nodded.

"I want to save you, Misa. I don't believe you deserve to be arrested for something you had no control over, but the police won't see it like that. You killed people, so you will be convicted of your crime. Misa, the choice is yours; you either follow Kira or you save yourself," Light said.

Misa looked at Light and then at her bag; she unzipped it and pulled out the Death Note before handing it over to Light. "Please, keep it away from me."

"Thank you," Light said as he put the Death Note in his own bag. "I won't ask you to give up ownership, I know you'll lose your memories of everything relating to being Kira and the Death Note but if you want to then that is your choice."

"I won't give up ownership; I won't take the easy way out and forget everything I've done. I'll feel safer without it near me," Misa said. "What do I need to do?"

"We need to release a message stating that you have given up being Kira and announcing to the public that you were a second Kira, not the original. Then, we will use Sakura TV to play the message. I believe leaving Japan until Kira has been apprehended will be safer. You don't have to, but I believe it will be in your best interests to get as far away from Kira and the Death Note as you can," Light said. Misa nodded.

"I have property in America, and I have enough money to take a break from modelling for now. I have leftover tapes I used to make the videos if you want to come back with me. I guess the sooner I do this, the faster I can get away from this mess and start healing," Misa said. Light smiled, took her hand in his, and gave it a small squeeze.

"You are being strong for doing this," Light said.

"I don't feel it," Misa said.

"You will, one day. Not today or next week, but one day, you will know how strong you were to walk away from this, and you will be so proud of yourself," Light said.


Misa's apartment was small but cosy. They walked from Aoyama to the train station and then headed to her apartment.

"Wait here a moment," Misa said before disappearing into another room. Light sat down on the couch with two Shinigamis staring down at him. God, what had his life become when being surrounded by Gods of Death was his new norm.

"Do you truly believe you can protect Misa?" Rem said. Light looked at the Shinigami. Could he protect Misa from L and the NPA? Who knows? He has the advantage of knowing who the Second Kira is, and he's put a stop to her before Kira finds her and uses her for evil. But Light can only hope that Misa didn't leave any trace when she sent the evidence to Sakura TV.

"I can't promise anything. L doesn't follow normal procedures and protocols but I'll try my best to keep her away from the police and Kira. With them both based in Japan, getting Misa out of the country is the first step in protecting her," Light said. He's experienced enough of L's cruelty to know Misa wouldn't survive that.

"I understand. Thank you for trying," Rem said.

"You care about her, don't you," Light said. Rem nodded.

"My fellow Shinigami Gelus used to watch over her for years; he loved her. I did not understand his attachment until now," Rem said. Light frowned. Was another Shinigami watching over Misa? Why did Rem give Misa the Death Note and not Gelus?

"Gelus saved me," Misa said. Light turned, watching her walk back into the room with her laptop, the tapes and a camera.

"What do you mean?" Light asked, curious.

"Light, do you know how to kill a Shinigami?" Misa asked as she put the items onto the coffee table and sat beside him.

"No," Light said. Ryuk shuffled closer.

"I was meant to die, March 12th. I was walking home, and this stalker came out of nowhere. He said he loved me, but when I turned him down, he attacked me. I would've died if Gelus hadn't written that stalker's name in his Death Note," Misa said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Gelus did something that no Shinigami should ever do. Gelus used his Death Note to save Misa. Shinigamis exist to shorten human lives. At that moment, Gelus turned into something which was neither sand nor rust and died. Only his Death Note remained. Then, Gelus's remaining life was added to Misa's lifespan," Rem said.

"So when a Shinigami has feelings for a human and kills people in order to extend the lifespan of that human, the Shinigami will die soon after," Light said. Rem nodded.

"Good luck finding a Shinigami who'd be stupid enough to volunteer," Ryuk said, and Light couldn't help but let a laugh escape his mouth.

"Yeah, it doesn't seem like you'll ever do anything of the sort, Ryuk," Light said before looking back at Misa, "So the Death Note you have, it's Gelus."

"Uh, yeah. Um. Ryuk? That's Kira's Shinigami," Misa said. Shit, Light wasn't going to tell her that he had Kira's Shinigami following him around.

"Ryuk's been following me around since before your broadcast. Don't worry; he won't say anything to Kira; he's not on Kira's side or mine. He's just observing everything, and that apparently includes me," Light said.

"But you need to touch Kira's Death Note to see his Shinigami? Have you come across Kira and didn't realise it?" Misa said. Light shook his head.

"When I died in the first timeline, the Shinigami King, as you know, brought me back, and he sent me back in time to the moment of the Lind L Tailor incident. He gave me the Shinigami Eyes, so like you, I can find Kira or a Death Note user by looking at their lifespan or lack thereof. There was a bus jacking in my first life, I never suspected anything, but now I know I came across a person who knows Kira; I'm not sure how, but he had a piece of the Death Note with him. I touched that piece and now can see Ryuk," Light said. Misa stared at him.

"First timeline? Back in time? What?" Misa said. Ah, maybe he should've said about the bus jacking and left the complicated bits out: "You know what? Now isn't the time for this. I want to know, and you will tell me what the hell you're talking about, but first, we should focus on recording this tape and finding Kira. When we're both safe, then you can tell me everything."

"That would be wise. For the tape, I would announce that you're not the first Kira, that you've had a change of heart, and that you wouldn't be following in Kira's footsteps, and maybe dissuade others from following or trying to find Kira," Light said.

"Okay, how about something like I released a message as Kira on April 18th at 6pm? However, I am not the original; the first Kira still walks among us. I once believed in Kira's new world, but I have had my eyes opened to the horror my actions have caused. The deaths were wrong, and I apologise for killing people for their opinion and not for a horrendous crime they never committed. We live in a world overrun by crime, and whilst I believe we should make this world a better place, using this power wasn't the right way to go and condemning the innocent to live their lives through fear isn't the paradise I seek. I cannot take back my actions and will spend the rest of my life wishing I did this differently. Thank you to my anonymous hero who risked their life to save others. I have learnt so much in my short time as a Second Kira, but I leave you all with a message; I want to warn people that following Kira and praising his actions is wrong, killing is wrong, and to save yourself, please keep far away from him. Your life is more important than some belief," Misa said, "What do you think?"

"It's perfect. We can record that and then send it off to Sakura TV for them to play tonight," Light said. Misa smiled before grabbing her camera and starting to record her speech. It took the next two hours to produce and edit the video to disguise Misa's voice before adding the video effect and uploading it onto the tape. Rem watched over them closely while Ryuk raided Misa's apple supply.

"Light," Misa said. Light looked at her; they'd both been quiet as they worked on the finishing touches to the tape.

"Yes, Misa," Light said.

"Did you know that you weren't the first," Misa said, "The first halfling."

"What?" Light said, confused. The Shinigami King never really explained his situation, but the idea that there were more people like him felt like a cruel joke. Do Shinigami randomly bring others back to life to enjoy their suffering?

"There was one other. Rem told me this happened centuries ago, once with the old Shinigami King. He became fond of a human child like Gelus was for me, that he'd watch over him for hours before the child died. The old king, desperate to save him, captured the child's soul and brought him back to life. Still, Shinigami don't deal with life, only death, so all the king could do was bring the child back to that moment before his death, and whilst he was alive, he would never truly be living like u… well me," Misa said. Light stared at her.

"What happened?" Light said, urging her to tell him more.

"The child and king disappeared, and they were assumed to be dead; no matter how hard they tried, the Shinigamis couldn't find any trace of them," Misa said.

"The old man took the throne after the previous old coot disappeared. We're not meant to mess around with humans, but in the lifespan state of Light-o, we can shorten or do deals, but it's forbidden to bring one back. I guess the old man was desperate to break his own rule and bring you back," Ryuk said. Light looked over at the Shinigami.

"What's so special about me?" Light said.

"Probably nothing, just a case of being in the right place at the right time," Ryuk said. Rem glared at Ryuk before looking at Light.

"The Shinigami King works in mysterious ways. We do not fully understand his choices, but there must have been a good reason why he decided to break his rule to save you. When we stop Kira, maybe the truth will be told," Rem said. It didn't reassure Light, but he guessed it was something he couldn't focus on. Kira is the priority; figuring out how he feels about his situation and the Shinigami King's intentions with him must go second.

"What do we do now?" Misa said as she sealed the envelope containing her tape and placed it back on the coffee table.

"Now, I would pack anything valuable and think about leaving Japan. The longer you stay here, the less safe you are," Light said. Misa nodded, getting up and going into another room. He could hear her moving around, grabbing things before coming back out into the living room and dropping them onto the couch.

"I don't have that many valuables, and I have a full wardrobe in America, so I won't need to take much," Misa said as she pulled out a small suitcase from her bedroom and started putting her things inside.

"I would go with you to the airport, but L is looking for me, and you'd be safer if I weren't there," Light said. Misa nodded.

"No, I understand. Thank you for all you've done," Misa said before looking over at her Shinigami. "Um. Rem, I want you to stay behind and protect Light. He's going to need you more than me when he goes up against Kira."

"Misa!"Light said. He couldn't take her Shinigami off her.

"No, Light. Kira's dangerous, and you'll need all the help you can get. You saved me; let me help save you," Misa said. Light opened his mouth to reject her offer, but Rem beat him to it.

"I will protect Light Yagami, Misa," Rem said. Light sighed; he wasn't getting out of this, no matter how hard he tried.

"Thank you, Rem," Misa said, "I should call a taxi. Thank you again for taking sense into me and not handing me over to the police."

"I… I wish I could do more, but…" Light said. He wished there was a way where he wasn't making Misa flee her home to keep her safe, but there was nothing else he could do to protect her without killing everyone who came for her, and Light didn't want to kill anyone.

"You've done enough; now you should go. Good luck," Misa said, standing up and walking him to the door.

"Thank you," Light said as he grabbed his coat and bag.

"Oh, wait," Misa said, running back into the apartment before returning with a piece of paper, "Here have this. Keep in touch with me, even if it's sending a message every couple of days just so I know you are okay."

"I will, I promise. Goodbye, Misa," Light said, opening the apartment door and stepping out.

"Goodbye, Light."

Light walked out of Misa's apartment complex and disappeared into the side streets. He had messaged Naomi, who'd been staking out the apartment should anything happen to him. He'd make his way back to her apartment, knowing it'd be safer for them if Light stayed out of sight from the cameras.

"Well, Light-o," Ryuk started, "Hanging around with you has been extremely entertaining. I can't wait to see Kira's reaction to the new tape. Don't worry, I'll be back soon; I don't want to miss any of this."

Light watched as Ryuk took off and flew away.

"Do you trust him?" Rem asked. Light looked up at the Shinigami.

"I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, but I do believe that he won't say anything to Kira about myself or Misa. It's all one big source of entertainment for him, and Ryuk wouldn't want to spoil any of it," Light said. After the second Kira dealt with, Light finally felt like things were going his way.


Light doesn't remember closing his eyes. One second, he's working away on the couch with Naomi, with Rem hovering behind him, and then he's standing in his living room. His childhood home looked worse. The dirty plates and cups were stacked higher, beer cans covered every surface, and mould seemed to be growing on the wall. His father lay in the middle of this chaos, staring blankly at the TV, and his mother was nowhere to be seen.

His father grumbled, suffering over to grab one of the many open beer cans on the coffee table and tipped the contents into his mouth, only for a small drip to trickle out.

"Woman, more beer!" his father shouted, his words slurred, but Light's mother didn't come running into the front room like she had last time. Instead, Light heard movement in the hallway. He walked over to see his mother sliding a coat too big for her frame over her shoulders with a suitcase at the front door.

"We don't have any more beer, Soichiro; you drank it all!" his mother shouted back. Fury filled her eyes, an emotion Light had never seen his mother express.

"Then buy me more, you useless hag!" his father bellowed.

"No! I am done living in this shithole with an abusive husband. You killed Light, you killed Sayu, and you can kill yourself for all I care. I'm done!" his mother shouted. Light watched as his father struggled to his feet, tripping over the cans of beer and falling face-first into them. He then pushed himself up and crawled towards the door.

"You won't leave me; you're nothing without me!" his father said.

"I am better without you, and I hate that it cost the lives of my beautiful children to see it. Light was innocent; you sent an innocent boy to his death on a whim that he might have been Kira. Sayu took her own life because you forced her to be something she wasn't, then abused her when she didn't meet your expectations. You killed Light, Soichiro Yagami, you did, and I won't stand for this abuse anymore. I'm leaving you to rot in this hellhole where you belong!" his mother said before grabbing her suitcase and hurrying through the door, slamming it shut behind her.

His father screamed, rage filling his voice as he threw himself at the door.

"You'll come crawling back!" his father screamed at the door.

Light stepped through the front door only to appear at a graveyard; his mother knelt down in front of two graves, a fresh bouquet of flowers placed before either tombstone. Light approached his mother, taking in her appearance; she looked better. Her skin was bright, her cheeks full, and she no longer looked like malnourished; she looked good.

"Hello Light, Sayu. I'm sorry I haven't visited you recently, but I've been so busy. I hope you can forgive me. Last time I was here, I told you about Kohei. Well, last month, we finally got married. We went on a beautiful honeymoon to Australia, and we only got back last week. We wanted something special and didn't mind taking a long honeymoon to enjoy our time," his mother said as she ran her hand over his tombstone and then his sisters.

"I have something important to tell you; a couple of days ago, I found out I'm pregnant. Kohei and I weren't planning on having a child, but we're happy nonetheless. I can only hope that I do better with this child than I did with you; I know I failed you because of your father, but I promise, Light, Sayu, that I won't fail your little brother or sister; I'll make sure that they know everything about you and that they love you as dearly as I know you'll love them," his mother said. Light knelt down beside her.

"I love you, Mom," Light whispered. His mother looked so happy, something he'd never seen her be in her relationship with his father.

"Remember, I love you both so much," his mother said. And I hope you can watch down on us and look out for your little siblings when they are born. That will mean the world to me. I'll make sure to bring Kohei next time so you can officially meet him. I'm sure he'll love to meet you too. Goodbye, Light, Sayu. I'll be back soon."

Light opened his eyes to find a worried Naomi hovering above him.

"Light, are you alright? You just collapsed," she said. Light stared at her, shocked. If he hadn't fallen asleep, then why was he having these dreams?