Silence fell over task force headquarters as it finally sank in that they'd found Kira. The weight of months of investigating and the trauma Light had experienced slowly lifted. They knew who Kira was, and now they could start planning how they'd capture him.

"We need to lure Yamamoto out? Somewhere he won't be suspicious of but safe enough that we can make the arrest," Naomi said. Light finally tore his eyes away from the picture to look at the others.

"We can't reveal to Yamamoto we know he is Kira. We need to be careful not to alarm him; if he suspects we're the police, he won't show, and his actions will be deadly," L said.

"If Yamamoto's sanity is deteriorating fast, then how can we trust that he wouldn't react badly or be paranoid about a meeting we try to set up?" Raye said. Light moved back to his seat, drawing the others' attention to him.

"There's a way," Light said. "We give him what he wants - me. I'll contact Yamamoto and arrange to meet. He'll come to me."

"No Light, that's too risky! We can't predict what Kira will do when he gets his hands on you," Naomi said. He'd expected she wouldn't like putting him at risk, but out of everyone, he's the only person who can go up against the death note and survive.

"Yamamoto may suspect we are using you to get to him and not show. Especially if we are correct on why Teru was killed," L said. Light looked at him.

"I'm immune to the death note; he can't kill me; he wants me. I believe with the right words, he'll come," Light said.

"You contact Yamamoto. We will mobilise a SWAT team to make the arrest. When you've gotten Kira's guard down, they will move in to make the arrest," L said. Light nodded.

"When you arrest Kira, arrest me too," Light said. Everyone stared at him, "I'm going to make him believe I'm the second Kira."

Light thought he'd feel something coming face to face with Kira, anger, hurt or maybe a bit of happiness that finally, after months of searching, they'd finally found him, but as he stood alone in the empty warehouse, he'd arranged to meet Yamamoto, Light felt nothing. Finding Kira had consumed Light's life, and he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but now it was nearly all over. The plan was simple, distract Yamamoto long enough to get a confession, then SWAT would come in and arrest them both; Yamamoto would be sent to a highly secured maximum facility where he'll await trial whilst Light would be taken back to task force headquarters.

"Light, it's been a while. I was surprised when you messaged me," Yamamoto said. Kira slipped inside the warehouse, shutting the door firmly in place behind him. Light stared at him, and a feeling of calm washed over him as Kira approached.

"It's been a long time coming. I wasn't sure at first, but who else could he be," Light said. He knew Yamamoto was obsessed with him, and Light needed to play into his fantasy to gain his trust. "You're Kira."

Now it started. "I knew it! There's no one else capable of such… beauty. This world is a rotten mess; criminals are taking it over like they own this place, and then an angel comes from the sky and wipes out all that corruption from this world in the blink of an eye. I knew from the beginning that I needed to track you down and then to find out I've known you all this time."

"You've been looking for me," Yamamoto said. Light saw the switch as the facade Yamamoto had been hiding behind slipped away to show the twisted man underneath, who basked in Light's fake praise.

"Of course! Ever since I got my own Death Note, it's been my dream to find you. We can work together to create a utopia where you rule over us, enforcing order and peace to the rest of the world. With our brains combined, we will be unstoppable. L won't know what hit him," Light said, stepping closer to Yamamoto.

"You have a Death Note?" He said. Light nodded, pulling out a page he'd ripped out earlier and slipped into his wallet. Light knew he would need to bring proof that he 'was the Second Kira', so before he left headquarters, he'd removed a page from the Death Note. Should this go wrong, Light wasn't risking Kira getting his hands on a second Death Note.

"I'm… I'm the second Kira," Light said, pretending to be shy. He wrapped his arms around his chest and looked to the floor. "I wasn't sure what to call myself, I didn't want to steal your name, but I wanted the world to know I was working for you. That's why, in the videos, I killed people I knew Kira wouldn't touch because using heart attacks was your method, and I wasn't going to take that from you. All this time, I've been using accidents; they were going under the radar from everyone else whilst your purge was front-page news. The world needed to see what you were doing, and I wasn't taking that away with my kills."

"It's why I released that second video. The first was to tell you that someone else had the same power, and the second was to distract L. He would know I would never give up that easily; he would focus on finding me so they could discover what I knew, which would take the attention off you. I knew you would figure it out, and then you responded with your own video; it was perfect. Make L believe we were against each other so he wouldn't know what hit him when we finally found each other," Light said.

"That's so smart, Light. You thought of everything to keep us one step ahead of L. I may be the original Kira, but you are my equal, and together, L will never find us," Yamamoto said. Light looked up to see him striding over, his hands grabbing hold of his hips and pulling him closer. "I have one question, though?"

"What is it?" Light said.

"How did you get your death note?" Yamamoto said. Light broke eye contact and looked down. A hand cupped his cheek, gently lifting Light's face to look back at Yamamoto. "You can tell me anything, I won't judge."

"I had this stalker. I didn't notice at first, not until the bus jacking I was involved in and then suddenly, he was everywhere I looked. One night, I was walking home from cram school, and he cornered me in an alleyway and chased me down until I hit a dead end. I thought I was going to die. He kept going on about being in love with me and how he came from another country to be with me. I turned him down; I can't love someone I've never met. He snapped, tried to kill me," Light said. He hid his face in Yamamoto's chest, pretending to be overwhelmed when recounting what happened to him. Light had messaged Misa before coming to the warehouse, ensuring that she was happy for Light to use what had happened to her for himself. "Then he clutched his chest in pain before dropping to the floor dead. I stood there, I don't know how long it had lasted, frozen in shock, and then this book hit the ground beside me. I grabbed it, and this monster appeared before me - a shinigami. Rem explained I had a Shinigami admirer; they sacrificed their life to save mine, and now this death note belonged to me."

"Is that why your lifespan is at zero?" Yamamoto asked, tightening his grip on Light's hips.

"You have the Shinigami eyes?" Light said. Yamamoto nodded. Light swore internally that he hadn't accounted for Kira taking the Shinigami eye deal. Misa had explained that it cost half your remaining lifespan, and he'd believed Kira would've wanted to rule over his world for a long time. "My natural lifespan has ended, for people with the Shinigami eyes, they can only see the zero lifespan."

"The only good thing a Shinigami has ever done is protecting you. Mine is a waste of space; he only wants entertainment and apples. He refuses to help me bring in a better world. Even now, he gave me the Shinigami eyes and disappeared," Yamamoto said. Ryuk's disappeared? That doesn't line up with what Light has seen of the Shinigami. He might not be on anyone's side, but Light knew how bored he was and couldn't see him disappearing this close to the end. "That no longer matters. We are together now; no Shinigami or L can get in our way. I love you, Light. I have for a long time, and I promise to protect and love you as we reign over our new world."

"I…" Light was cut off by the warehouse door being kicked off its hinges, and SWAT poured in. They quickly surrounded the pair, their guns aimed at the captain shouting orders. Yamamoto pushed Light behind him as if that would protect him from the police. Light looked over at Rem, who'd been silently observing from the sidelines, ready to jump in and protect Light should Yamamoto try anything to harm him.

"L says they have everything they need for a conviction. The Task Force searched Yamamoto's house and located his Death Note," Rem said. Light discreetly nodded as the pair were quickly separated, both being handcuffed and blindfolds placed over their eyes. Light was led out first, ignoring all the shouting from Yamamoto as he fought back against those arresting him.

Light heard a car door open before the handcuffs and blindfold were removed. Watari stood beside him, motioning him into the car. Light slid in and sank into his seat as Watari climbed into the driver's seat and started the car.

The following few days were hectic in task force headquarters, with Kira's arrest making the news before the day was over. The public reaction was mixed with some happy Kira's reign of terror was over and others believing Kira was righteous and should be freed to continue saving the world. News outlets were demanding interviews with L and those in the task force, which they've all been denying. Kira may be in police custody, but that doesn't mean that Kira's case is over. Naomi and Raye had returned to America to smooth everything over with the FBI after Raye's disappearance; they'd promised to return for Light once it was all sorted.

Misa-Misa:

Is it true? The news announced Kira's been arrested?

Light:

It's true, Misa. You're free.

Misa-Misa:

I can't believe it! I was scared that I would be spending years in hiding.

Light:

I know. We had a massive breakthrough, and Kira confessed.

Misa-Misa:

He confessed? I wouldn't have thought he'd give everything up so easily.

Light:

I made him believe I was the second Kira. That's why I asked for permission to use how you got the death note for myself. Kira already knew about Raye, maybe not his name, but he tried to kill him. I combined that with what happened to you for how I got the Death Note.

I knew Kira. All this time, I thought it could've been some random stranger, but I knew them. I used that to my advantage. I made them believe I was the second Kira, and the videos we released had a different objective. They fell for it, and once we had the confession, SWAT arrested us both. Kira was sent to a maximum facility, while Watari brought me back to headquarters.

Misa-Misa:

Omg, Light, are you okay? He was someone you knew that's terrible.

Light:

I haven't fully processed everything yet and don't think I will until the case has ended, but for now, I'm coping fine. Rem is still watching over me, and I know she'll alert the others should anything happen to me.

Misa-Misa:

I'm glad. Remember, you can still reach out to me whenever you need to. I'm only a call or text message away.

Light:

Thank you, Misa. I appreciate it.

Light slid his phone into his pocket as L sat beside him; he wasn't in his weird squat but sat normally.

"Was that the second Kira?" L said. Light nodded. He was still protective of Misa, and he'd rather go down as the Second Kira for her than drag her back after finally escaping this mess. L handed Light a folder. "I want your opinion on this."

Light frowned but opened it. Inside contained an assessment of Yamamoto, which concluded in diagnosing him with Dissociative Identity Disorder. "What's this?"

"I suspect the Second Kira never existed. Yamamoto is both Kira and the Second Kira," L said. Light stared at him, shocked. L was clearing Misa completely of her crimes and placing the blame on the people who died solely on Yamamoto.

"Why?" Light asked. There had to be a catch or some other reason for L to do this.

"It might be hard to believe, but I understand what it's like to do things you never thought you'd do to protect the people you care for," L said. "I have a brother who last year killed three people. When the Kira case began, and I saw how dangerous Kira was, I removed every trace of my brother from the internet, including his name and image. Everything got deleted so I could protect him."

"L, thank you."

Light had hoped that these dreams would end with Kira's arrest, but one second, he was in the task force headquarters talking to L, and the next, he was beside the other L. They stood in a small room looking through a one-way glass to a sight Light was familiar with, but for once, it wasn't him in the chair—it was Yamamoto. A sense of surprise washed over Light that they tracked down Yamamoto, too.

"Yamamoto Haruto. You have been sentenced to death for your crimes of Kira. We have your confession, and we have the weapon you used to kill. Do you have any final words?" L said.

"This isn't the end of Kira! I will live on, and I will get my revenge," Yamamoto said. The nurse inserted the needle into Yamamoto's skin, pushing the plunger down and releasing the needle contents into Yamamoto's system. Yamamoto stared defiantly at the one-way mirror, trying to hold eye contact with anyone behind it as he died. Again, Light expected to feel something, seeing as Yamamoto was the reason Light died, but as he stared at the dead body, Light felt nothing. Maybe deep down, Light knew that it didn't matter that Kira was brought to justice in this timeline; Light had already made the ultimate sacrifice and lost his life before people realised the mistake they made.

Light turned away from Yamamoto to find L staring at him. Light looked behind him to see who he was looking at, only to see no one else in the room. Light turned back to L. L can see him? How? Only Sayu had ever seen him, and that's because she was close to death. L wasn't dying, or at least didn't look like he was about to die.

"You… you can see me?" Light said.

"Yes. I would be shocked that a ghost is standing before me, but this case has been filled with the impossible, and my brain is accepting this as a new normal," L said. For once, Light took his appearance in; he was transparent that he probably did look like a ghost.

"How did you find him?" Light said. Deep down, he never expected this timeline to track down Kira. From the parts he'd seen, it seemed the world was on its knees, and Kira's reign of terror would never end.

"He made a mistake. He attended your execution under the false name Takada. We could link it back to a Takada Kiyomi; you briefly went to college with her. She is a spokeswoman for NHN television station, which started broadcasting Kira's messages to the world. We started focusing our investigation around her and found Yamamoto, Takada's fiance. We bugged their house and recorded Takada and Yamamoto devising plans for who they were going to kill with the Death Note next. We also located the Second Kira, Misa Amane, who, after a month of confinement, agreed to assist us with our investigation for a lesser sentence," L said.

"I'm glad she was able to help you. I know the Death Note can manipulate people into using it, and with Kira's effect on the world, that lure was stronger," Light said. What's happening to Takada?"

"We can't confirm she ever used the Death Note as it's all in Yamamoto's handwriting. So, she's been sentenced to life in prison for assisting Kira with his crimes," L said. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Light said, looking over at the detective, surprised.

"You died because of my investigation. I don't understand how everything pointed to you when you weren't Kira but had I not made a mistake, then you would still be alive today," L said. Light shook his head, reaching out his hand to grab L's. It was strange holding L's hand, feeling the warmth emitting from his palm.

"I died because of Kira, not you. I would've been proven innocent had Kira not stopped killing, so I don't blame you for what happened. Many things could've happened differently, which would've drastically changed the outcome. Had Yamamoto not found the death note, Kira might've never existed? Had Yamamoto not been obsessed with me, he wouldn't have noticed Raye Penber following me, the bus jacking wouldn't have happened, and Teru wouldn't have retrieved Raye's identity. The FBI agents wouldn't have died, and you wouldn't have looked into the families Raye was investigating." Light said, giving L's hand a squeeze. "This whole case has been filled with 'what if', but we can't always change what has happened. We can only accept it and move. I finally understand what led to my death, and I have no resentment. I can move on in peace."

The weight connecting Light to this dreaded timeline snapped, and for the first time since the Shinigami King sent him back, Light felt lighter than ever.

"Goodbye, L Lawliet."

"Goodbye, Light Yagami."

Light awoke, his head resting on L's shoulder as the detective typed away on his laptop.

"Did you sleep well?" L said when he noticed Light was awake. Light lifted his head and slowly sat up. He felt different; the suffocating weight of the other timeline was gone. Every string connecting him to the timeline had been cut; he'd never have to worry about falling asleep to see the horrors his loved ones went through. He can now forge meaningful connections with his family, tell his mother and sister why he's been so distant, and help his family heal. Light will support his mother through the much-needed divorce from his father, and he can help his sister with all the schoolwork she needs help with. Light can finally start living his life. He's free.

"I'm finally free. From the other timeline, from Kira, from this nightmare I've been living in and never seemed to truly wake up from. There's so much I can do, so much I want to do now I can. I don't want to go to university. I've always wanted to do freelance detective work, but I've never wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. I wanted to forge my own path in life, follow my dreams and break away from being Soirichio Yagami's genius son. I want people to know me for who I am and not who they believe I should be, and if being a detective doesn't work out, I want to pursue my art. I can finally be me. I'm not special, I'm just Light Yagami," Light said. It felt so good to finally get everything off his chest. L smiled at him.

"We will stand by your side through everything, Light. It's time we all live for ourselves," L said. A small smile spread across Light's face.

"Really."

"Yes. We will stand united in everything life throws at us. I need to return to England; briefly, I help fund an orphanage for intelligent children, and I want to see my brother Beyond. I will come back, and when I do, I want to take you out for dinner, just the two of us," L said. Did… did L just ask him out on a date?

"I would love that L," Light said.

"I'm glad." Light's smile couldn't get any wider as L cupped his face, leaned in, and kissed him. The kiss didn't last long; there was a small peck on his lips before the detective broke away, but it didn't matter because it meant everything to Light.

"When do you leave?" Light said. L looked down at his laptop.

"In two hours. The earlier I go, the sooner I can come back. Watari is overseeing everything, and I won't be gone long enough before the conviction comes through and the execution date is set," L said. Light nodded, pulling away from L and standing up.

"Then, if it's alright with you, I might go home and explain what I can to my mother and sister. They deserve to know some of what has happened and why I disappeared," Light said. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain everything, but if he was going to live with them again, they'd start to notice everything that was different with him.

"I understand. Enjoy your time with your family. If Chief Yagami gives you any trouble, please let Watari know, and he will handle it. I will see you soon," L said. Light smiled, leaning down, and pressed another peck on L's lips before walking away.

Striding towards the exit, Light was excited to see what his life would hold. The Kira Case was practically over; his future was an exciting mystery waiting to be found, and now there's something that Light's excited to live for - L, Misa, Naomi and Raye. People he didn't initially know who have made such an impact in his life for the better. His life has never seemed so bright that no matter what the world throws at him, Light's prepared for anything, anything at all. Light's legs give out from underneath him, his hands barely covering his face as he crashes to the floor. L's shout is a distant noise in his head as Light feels his heart stop beating, and everything goes black.

Author's Note: Hey guys, this is officially the end of Take Two, the first story in this book! Thank you for your support on this story, especially those who have stuck around with how inconsistent I've been with updating. I always planned to finish this story, and I'm so glad to finally be at that point. As you can guess, there will be a sequel with its own plot and development, with the end here setting up what's to come. So, if you're interested, keep an eye out because I'm hoping to publish the first chapter soon.

Book 2 - The Shinigami's Curse

Two years ago, Kira died, and his reign of terror ended, but at what cost? Light Yagami, who came back in time to clear his name, was dead, and it seemed he'd died for nothing. Innocent people were dying of heart attacks, the killer brandishing Light's name in his victims' blood. L and the task force reunite, aiming to bring the killer to justice, but all is not as it seems, as humans are not the only target for this killer, and everything the task force has tried to hide may come crashing down around them.

So, if this intrigues you, then please stick around. This story will go into more detail about halflings than I did in this story. Again, Thank you for all your support and comments. They've meant the world to me, and I hope to see you in the next story/chapter!