Fanfic: Let's All Be Friends Together (Prologue)
Prologue
Stand here, face the East, and... the closest large tree. That must be it!
Misa was anxious as she knelt down, took out a small trowel, and dug at the foot of the tree. She hoped it was the right place, that she hadn't messed up things again. Rem had outlined the basics of the situation during that chat in the Yotsuba bathroom, but there was so much still unknown... there simply hadn't been any time for Rem to do a detailed telling of the events Misa couldn't remember.
It was difficult to deal with that lack of memory. After that chat, Misa had guessed that continuing to chase Higuchi was probably the right thing to do, and then, much later, Light had quite obviously regained his memory, but he had only been able to whisper a few instructions in her ear, soft enough to not be caught by the microphones, before she was sent away. There hadn't been time or space for anything else, not with all those surveillance cameras in the headquarters building.
Everything was hanging by a thread. Things could so easily go badly at any moment. She was tired and hungry from circling the city for hours to throw off any followers that Ryuzaki might have set on her trail, but she dared not to touch the apple in her purse.
The trowel hit. There was something! She tossed the trowel aside, hoping not to harm the object, and dug with her bare hands.
The cold November soil was chilly and hard, abrasive. Plastic gradually came into view and then a boxy outline... a box wrapped in layers of plastic and all sealed up with tape. Gently, she tugged at it with her fingernails, easing the tape off.
I will help Light. This time, he'll be saved and he'll know I'm valuable. I'll do whatever it takes.
Her entire focus was on the object, peeling back layers, and at last slipping the cover off the box and seeing the slim black notebook with simple white words printed across the cover. She reached, touching, and it hit her all at once as she gripped the notebook tightly, memories flowing. It was just a little jolt as her mind re-adjusted itself, and then all the parts of herself were in the proper order again, her memories full and complete, ready to be of service. She smiled as she paged through it, remembering it all.
An envelope fluttered down from between the pages, and she opened it.
The letter inside it read:
Misa, if you are reading this letter, then I believe that you have regained all of your memories.
Do you remember my friend that you once met when you visited me at To-Oh University, the one who introduced himself as Hideki Ryuga but whose name you saw was different with your eyes?
I would like you to write his real name on this death note and get rid of him for me. But if you do so straight after you find this letter, then it would probably happen right after you and I get released. I will give you a cue when to do it, so wait for my direction.
I want you to burn this letter as soon as you finish reading it. As for this death note, remove a few pages that you will be able to hide and dispose of at any time, and bury the note itself for the time being. Also, I'd like you to touch me with a piece the next time you see me. If you do for me what I've asked you to do, then I, Light Yagami, will love you, Misa Amane, until death parts us.
She set the letter down on the ground, upset that she hadn't brought a lighter to burn it immediately, thinking intensely as its message sank in.
It's clear from this that Ryuzaki... Hideki Ryuga... is L. That person who speaks through the computer to us as L, that must be somebody else. I knew Ryuzaki worked for the real L, but I didn't think... I never thought... it's actually him! He's L! Wow!
And then there was the other troubling thought. To kill L, to kill Ryuzaki.
Had Light really meant to go so far? It had been fun to plan the death of L when he was an abstract person, a stranger. But now, after months of living in the same building with him, spending lots of time with him, facing dangers and risking death together, working as a team, declaring friendship between the three of them...
A sudden vivid memory flashed, of the feeling of Ryuzaki's warm cheek under her lips, and the way he'd put his hand up to touch the spot as she drew back from the kiss, as if he didn't quite believe it had happened. And then, what he'd said: 'I could fall for you.'
Misa's heart constricted. This wasn't like killing strangers. She felt the weight of the decision pressing down on her.
Light's letter says that it won't be right away. In case we have to do it, I should remember his name.
Misa closed her eyes and placed her hands in her lap, remembering well the day she'd first met "Hideki Ryuga" as one of Light's college friends. His face was clear in the memory. She'd only glanced at his name and lifespan long enough to realize that "Hideki Ryuga" wasn't his real name, and she'd been about to say something to Light when Light had shaken her shoulders and forcibly changed the subject.
Back then, "Ryuga" had seemed like a random person of no consequence. He had been kind of strange and cute, quirky, especially with him fawning the way he did over her, with that intense stare and his flat voice. She'd thought at the time that all the emotion had been shocked out of his voice at actually meeting Misa-Misa the model. No, it was actually just his usual near-monotone as Misa found out later, but she had truly thought she was meeting a flabbergasted fan. She hadn't paid much attention to him in all the chaos.
The name is... the name is...
She couldn't quite see it in her memory. It hadn't been "Ryuzaki", of that she was sure. It hadn't even been written in kanji. It was in Roman letters, and she hadn't studied them very much. Fiercely, she tried to remember.
If only I'd realized he was important at the time, I would have committed that name to memory. I would have used those three days before Rem erased my memory to memorize it so well, there wouldn't be any problem now. Light should have told me that his friend 'Hideki Ryuga' was L during one of our meetings, so I would have been prepared.
Misa exerted more effort, trying to recall every last detail of meeting Ryuzaki, and it all came clear, all except the name. She could even remember the exact feeling of that hand on her butt, the hand that was probably a touch from Ryuzaki, thinking back on it.
No, no, it's no good. I'm sorry, Light! I don't... I can't... remember the name. I was seeing dozens, no, hundreds of names and lifespans every single day. Even though I got my memory back, I won't be able to remember all of those names.
I should have known to memorize the real name of a person who was going by a fake name. Light thought I could manage that much; he thought that I would be at least that intelligent! What can I do? I can't help Light. If Ryuzaki's name ends up being a life or death matter, Light will hate me! If I just remember the name, he'll love me until death!
The memory of that day was so bright in her mind, the memory of everything except the name and lifespan. She supposed that she'd only paid the name as much attention as she would have to advertising signs on a street corner where an important memory occurred. Advertising signs in some English gibberish, rather than any commonly-used English words. Foreign names were the worst to remember.
She shouted, "Ahhh! It's not coming back to me at all! Misa, you are so stupid!"
She could feel tears prickling at her eyes, and she clenched her hands into fists in her lap. The ground's chill was beginning to seep heavily upward, through her thick winter tights and into her legs.
Maybe it's better this way, if I don't know Ryuzaki's real name. Light wrote this letter almost half a year ago, and so much has happened since then. Perhaps Light doesn't really want to kill Ryuzaki any more than I do.
But, Light did tell me to come here, and he has his memories, so he would remember this letter was still here so... if we get close to being caught, we need that name to be sure we can win. Maybe Ryuzaki will just give up if we prove that we know his name and we won't need to kill him.
Buried underneath that fear of Light dying, it was a relief deep inside to think that Ryuzaki wouldn't die. There was a warmth in her heart about Ryuzaki, the funny little man who always said such odd things, and had all those tremendously cute little mannerisms and... Light, Light obviously loved him too. Light looked at Ryuzaki, at L, in a way that Light looked at nobody else - highly interested, eyes almost sparkling.
The two geniuses had conversations that seemed more interesting and convoluted than any Misa had heard before, things she could barely even hope to follow, but the two men simply understood each other in every way, their minds fitting together perfectly. They were always explaining what each other was thinking to the rest of the investigation team, their thoughts moving in unison. It was hard to think of Light continuing alone, without Ryuzaki.
Ryuzaki was a friend. Killing a friend, wasn't that wrong? That was the sort of thing criminals did, criminals who deserved to die.
If we have to kill L to live, I will cry for Ryuzaki, my friend. So soon after losing Mom and Dad... this isn't fair.
But Ryuzaki was L, and L was a criminal, wasn't he? Kira's rule was the law, the law of Light's new world that he was creating, and so chasing Kira was a criminal act in itself, a sin against the god of the new world.
It was wrong of L to try to catch Kira, but it was also his job; it was expected of him by the others on the investigation team, and by all of society.
Well, I tried to catch Kira, too, and so did Light. All of us were trying to catch Kira together. It's an understandable mistake that each one of us has made. Before Rem told me that Light was the real Kira and I was the second Kira, it seemed right to try to catch Kira.
Ryuzaki is ignorant because he's used to the old world. If he'd been born into Kira's perfect world, he would understand that Kira is justice. Ryuzaki isn't evil; he's only misinformed.
Misa did want to punish Ryuzaki for chasing Kira and for convincing everyone to do so too; she wanted to pin him down and forcibly mess up his hair while yelling at him about what a wrong thing it was.
But she didn't want to kill him.
Maybe Ryuzaki is only pretending to catch Kira now, but he wouldn't really turn us in because he's our friend. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
A little smile spread across her face. It was a pleasant thought, but perhaps a little naive, and if it wasn't true, then Light could die.
I can't assume we'll be safe just because Ryuzaki said he's our friend. Being L is his job, just as being Kira is Light's job. In a perfect world, they wouldn't be any danger to each other, but Light hasn't made the world perfect yet.
Images flashed in Misa's mind, memories of her part in the investigation, of all that she'd done to catch Higuchi, and all that Ryuzaki had done to protect her. It was clear, just as it had always been, that Ryuzaki had shown care, in his own gruff and awkward way. The facts of his actions were irrefutable.
I know Ryuzaki rushed the investigation of Higuchi just to save me.
If we'd been able to listen to Higuchi's conversations with Rem for a few days, then he might have let slip big secrets that would cause trouble for Light, like the demonstration killing I'd done, or the fact that memories can be erased, or something to throw doubt on the thirteen-day rule, or the fact that Rem showed up just after Light's arrest and told Higuchi to kill in place of the real Kira.
But it was only a couple of hours that the task force could listen to Higuchi, and they didn't get any of those clues.
The memories of everything L had done and said in those times was still so fresh in Misa's memory, undeniable. L had discarded many clues, many possible advantages, by rushing in to nab Higuchi so quickly. Those were lost advantages that had certainly tipped the scales in favor of Kira, placing L in a dangerous position where he could lose his life.
There's no doubt about why he did it, from his own words. Ryuzaki said that we had to catch Higuchi right away, or the next time Higuchi talked to me he'd ask for proof that I was the second Kira and then kill me when I didn't show him any proof.
Ryuzaki didn't know that I'd already shown Higuchi the proof, and he didn't know Rem was ready to save me if Higuchi tried anything, so it wasn't really very dangerous for me.
That doesn't matter, though. Ryuzaki was still working to save my life.
A couple of tears fell onto her bare hands, quickly chilling in the November air.
Ryuzaki does care whether I live or die, and he's willing to give up clues to do it. Does he care for me in particular, or is the friendship he declared just a lie? Is this only because of the way L has dedicated his life to justice?
Misa had to admit to herself that L had shown her no special consideration, beyond his reaction to that one kiss and that declaration of friendship.
It's true that I'm not the only one rescued at the cost of clues. Ryuzaki did save Matsuda's life too, and maybe if Ryuzaki had left him there to die instead, the investigation would have found the clues they needed to figure out how Kira kills.
Somehow, it didn't seem quite so special if it were just a side effect of L's dedication to justice, instead of an expression of friendship and closeness.
In any case, it is true that L put his own life at some risk in order to save mine, even despite him saying there's no doubt I'm the second Kira. It would be a horrible tragedy to kill him now; a betrayal of what Kira stands for. But, I might have to. If L moves against Kira, we need to find some way to stop L. I can't lose Light.
I could trade for the shinigami eyes again. Then, I would only need to see L's face once more, even just a photo. Light is capable of getting that for me, I'm sure. It would make up for my mistake in forgetting L's real name and then I wouldn't have to worry that Light would hate me for being such a stupid burden.
It was tempting to just do it, so very tempting, to help Light, to be ready to strike at any moment if needed, to prove she wasn't useless, wasn't in the way.
I got Light caught. It was my fault L had us both arrested, and so then Light had to try this plan of distracting L with Higuchi.
Danger was circling, stalking, coming closer day by day to her precious Light.
He could be exposed as Kira. It doesn't matter of I die to save Light, but-
There was a swooshing noise overhead and Misa looked up just in time to see Ryuk land on a branch and crouch there.
She shouted, "Ryuk!"
Ryuk simply replied, "I've returned to the human world," and jumped from the branch to the ground, his wings retracting and shrinking as his hulking, gangly form lurked above her.
Misa said, "Haven't seen you in ages! How've you been, Ryuk?"
Misa launched herself upward and was just able to wrap her arms around his neck at the very height of her leap. Her body dangled, feet off the ground, but it was so good to see a familiar face, even a demonic-clown face, of someone who wasn't chasing Kira. Ryuk wasn't exactly an ally, but he was useful and friendly and he had no objections whatsoever, and that felt great when enemies were all around.
Ryuk shivered under the hug and didn't answer. He just kind of shuffled his feet, a blush moving across his bluish-white face, and then, quite suddenly, he said, "Sorry," and wasn't tangible any more.
Misa fell, her arms slipping right through his ghost-like form, and landed hard on her butt on the forest floor.
Ryuk said, "Believe it or not, I'm a male. It's just kind of awkward."
What a silly monster!
Misa laughed and got the apple from her purse, holding it up just to see Ryuk's expression and the way he started drooling all over his chin.
"Oh, yeah," she said, "Light told me to bring this."
"Oh, ho!" Ryuk said and snatched it, devouring the apple with noisy crunches. Misa tried not to think about the decisions hanging over her, and merely smiled at his funny antics.
She asked, "Is it really that tasty?"
"Yeah! Apples from the human world are so juicy!"
Ryuk looked thoughtful for a moment as he licked the last traces off his lips, and then his long, lanky arm reached over his shoulder, his hand rummaging somewhere deep within the big feathery shoulder-poufs that his wings had become.
He pulled out a strange fruit and said, "Here's the apple I was eating a minute ago in the shinigami realm. You wanna try?"
Ryuk held it out, the apple resting on the claw-tips of his gloved, gigantic hand.
It looked more like a pepper than an apple; a very withered, old, strangely-shaped pepper. As she reached out and took it, even its skin felt dry as old paper.
It didn't smell bad, though, so Misa took a bite, and the insides almost crumbled into her mouth, gritty and dry as dust.
She spit out her mouthful and dropped the apple, yelling, "Ewww! Sandy!"
"See what I mean?" Ryuk said, "They are ever so dry."
Misa sighed and started telling Ryuk everything that had happened since she'd last seen him. While she talked she removed pages from the death note, just as Light had requested, and then carefully buried everything else again. She ended her summary with her dilemma about the name, and about L.
When she'd finished, Ryuk said, "It's not your fault. Even Light wouldn't be able to remember every name he wrote just because he got his memories of the note back. Actually... well... in his case, he might."
"See, Ryuk? It is me. I'm just not good enough at this, at being the second Kira. I should have guessed what Light wanted. Light told me that L had approached him in person. I should have memorized the names of anyone I saw near Light, no matter the circumstances, especially anyone going by a fake name."
The tears were squeezing out again, and she just wanted to make it better.
"Ryuk, if I did trade for the eyes again, I'd get my lifespan halved a second time, right?"
Ryuk's eyes started glowing in excitement. He said, "Yeah, that's exactly what would happen. If you agree, it's fine by me."
Misa tried to think the way that Light would think, to interpret his wishes. The letter was old. The plan on it, to get L's real name and then to wait a long time to throw off suspicion before killing him, that wouldn't work now. Rem was stuck following Light and everyone would have to notice this before too long.
Thinking of killing L made her stomach feel sick. It was wrong and mean and exactly what real criminals would do.
L's real name is useful, though, even if we don't kill him. Light might be able to use it in a plan where we threaten L into never arresting us again.
"This plan in the letter is really old," Misa said, "and so many things have happened. I'm sure Light wants to do something at least slightly different now, because this plan won't work. It would be stupid of me to just throw away half my life based on stuff Light wrote that isn't the plan any more, don't you think? Besides, if we do end up needing Ryuzaki's real name, maybe I'll just happen to remember it in a day or two, and then I'd feel just awful if I'd already done the deal."
"I suppose so," Ryuk said.
What would Light do? I'll try to whisper in his ear again, if the task force will let me visit with him on the stairway outside the building, but how much can we talk that way until everyone gets suspicious? Can Light really tell me his new plan right under their noses?
But I can't get him to leave and go somewhere private, or everyone will notice Rem is following him.
Well, they are pretty stupid except for L, and everyone else is against L's ideas now. Maybe Light and me can have long, complicated talks that way.
A sudden idea popped into Misa's mind and she said, "Ryuk, does a human really need to have ownership of a death note to do the eye deal? Like, if someone who never owned one wanted to do the eye deal with you, would they be able to get the eyes?"
Ryuk froze for a moment and then said, "Well, I feel a little bit sorry for you, so I'll tell you the truth. Most of the rules have loopholes, ways of getting around them. Some of the loopholes are a lot of work, but this one isn't so difficult. I'll let you know how to do it, if you'll buy me more apples than I can eat today."
"Yeah! I'll buy them!"
This is great! I'll tell Light another secret that I found first, and he'll be so proud. Any time we need to know a name, we can get a dedicated Kira supporter to see it for us. That way, we'll be able to live happily together for the longest time!
But there was still the matter of not killing Ryuzaki. Misa was sure of it now; she was going to insist on his survival being part of the plan. But she had faith in Light. Light was always able to create the best plans. He'd be able to think of something that would work perfectly and would still leave Ryuzaki alive. Light was such a genius that it wouldn't be any problem at all.
Once Light can see and hear Ryuk again, I can even lurk nearby and send Ryuk into the headquarters building with all sorts of secret messages for Light, if they stop us from meeting each other or if it seems too suspicious for our whispering in each other's ears to go on for too long.
Misa put her purse over her shoulder and jumped up.
"Come on, Ryuk," she said, as she ran between the trees, heading back towards the path, "let's get those apples for you. I know everything is going to work out perfectly!"
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A/N (Author's Note):
After this prologue, there will be no more scenes or partial scenes lifted from canon. Everything is fully divergent from the start of chapter 1.
Also, the prologue is the only part of this fic that is from Misa's viewpoint. Everything else will be from L's viewpoint, partly because I think L has a particularly interesting viewpoint, partly because Misa and Light are going to be doing a lot of things unseen by L (and so showing their viewpoints would both reduce the suspense and GREATLY add to the length if I had written it that way).
This fanfic was started and partially written a long time ago, but none of it was ever uploaded at that time. I once again picked up the process of writing it in order to enter it into a Big Bang, which is a type of writing community where writers commit to a minimum length and a deadline, and get paired with artists who commit to create art for the fanfic.
It's a way of self-motivation and also something to add some excitement to the process by going through it along with other people. The specific Big Bang I chose is kink_bigbang on Livejournal. Most Big Bangs seem to be fandom-specific, and since Death Note doesn't have a Big Bang specifically for it, and there are only a handful of multi-fandom ones, I had a limited selection to choose from if I wanted to have my fic revealed without a really long wait.
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Go forward to Chapter 1