With Shinigami-sama as your father, you couldn't help but be a little nervous about a birthday present. His expertise tended toward the other end of the spectrum, after all.

Death the Kid stepped into the Death Room cautiously. "Is there something you wanted, Father?" He inquired politely.

Shinigami-sama bounced over to Kid is in usual exuberant manner. "Why, hello there, Kid!" He exclaimed. "Those Sanzu Lines of yours are as cute as always!"

Kid's eyelid twitched.

"Sorry. I guess I should let you be happy on your birthday of all days, son. Speaking of that, the reason I called you in was because I have a very special present for you. It is a special birthday, after all – 10 years old! Double digits and all that . . ."

Without further ado, Shinigami held out one of his hands. A small sphere of swirling energy formed in his palm, then dropped to the floor, where it shifted and settled into the shape of-

"It's a skateboard." Kid said in clear astonishment.

"Of course! I thought you could have a lot of fun riding it! It'll make getting around a lot easier than walking!" Shinigami surveyed the small item happily. "Of course, Kid, since you're not like an ordinary human, this isn't an ordinary skateboard. Look! It can roll by itself, so you don't have to propel it! Best of all, it can fly! You can go anywhere in the world when you're a little older!"

He watched anxiously as Kid walked hesitantly over to the skateboard and picked it up. He surveyed the top a few moments before turning the board over – and viewing the perfectly symmetrical skull design on the bottom.

Shinigami-sama was rewarded by a sight few others in the world had seen – a huge grin of simple happiness spreading across Death the Kid's normally solemn face.

"Father, it's perfect! So . . . symmetrical! It's almost like a companion! Can I try it?"

"Of course you can, son, and you make it fly by-" Shinigami's assent was interruptd by Kid's riding out of the room, a meter above the floor. Tilting his head to one side, Shinigami inwardly hoped his son would be careful while listening to Kid's parting shout.

"I'll call it Beelzebub!"