Hey there peoples! Before we begin, we, Shannon and Jennifer, would just like to warn you lot that we're both kind of new to this site and this is our first fanfiction...ever, so please don't flame! We know it's a little fast paced in the beginning, but we're to lazy to fix it , sorry. Hopefully everyone is sort of in character, but sorry if they're a little OC...eheheh...

Disclaimer: Neither of us own Death Note or any of the characters associated with it...

Chapter 1: Rebirth

Watching contentedly from nearby, Ryuk looked on as the 'first Kira' suffered a heart attack. "Heheh, thanks for providing me some entertainment, Light, it was most amusing."

"Damn…it…" Light Yagami uttered. 'Am I really gonna die?' he thought to himself as he felt a gradual warmth encasing his body. 'Is this what it's like to die?' As blackness surrounded the young genius, the last thing he saw was the shinigami, Ryuk, laughing. Then, his eyes went blank and lost the lively glint they once held, as he slipped into oblivion.

Suddenly, Light became acutely aware of his senses. At first, he had judged that he was lying down, but upon further concentration, Light deduced that he seemed to be floating…floating? 'Huh?' he asked himself.

As he cracked an eye open, a searing white light greeted him and his reflexes closed the eyelid. Waiting a few moments, he tried again. This time, slowly letting his eyes adjust. Blinking, Light evaluated his surroundings.

Everything was white. But there was no 'everything', there was only nothing. As far as the Yagami could see, it was just endless light, and nothingness. Floating in an endless space was a totally out of body experience, and even Light was having trouble quelling the panic that was beginning rise. "What is this?" he asked, and then flinched a second later, surprised he could hear his own voice.

"This is the place where those that have truly done wrong go after they die," a voice answered back.

Eyes widening, Light turned around in circles, frantically trying find the source of the voice. This strange world was scary enough, but to know that there was some greater being out there wasn't doing much to help keep his composure. "Where are you? Who are you?" he shouted.

"Relax," a figure ordered, as it appeared out of nowhere, first showing up as a fuzzy shadow that had no real outline, "relax, young spirit."

'I'm a…spirit?' the former Kira gasped. "Who are you," he called out again.

The figure came into view and revealed it to be a girl. She was a head shorter than him, and slim, with a gorgeous mane of flowing waist-length hair the color of the darkest night.

"My greatest apologies, but it's been so long, I don't seem to be able to recall my own name," she sighed. "A pity, really. You may call me whatever you want, I suppose."

Light frowned, "What do mean 'it's been so long'?"

The girl laughed, "Don't worry, I'll answer all your questions in due time." Still smiling, the spirit began to explain. "As I have said before, this is the land that the ones who have truly done wrong go after they die. It is neither Heaven nor Hell…I seem to have forgotten it's name as well…too bad, you'll have to forgive me."

"Mu," Light interjected.

"Huh?"

"This place," he gestured around him, "It's called Mu, right?"

"…Mu…Mu…that name certainly does ring a bell. I can't be certain about that, but I can tell you this, once you enter this world, it is nearly impossible to leave."

"Meaning, you stay here for all eternity," Light clarified.

"Correct," the girl confirmed. "At first glance, one would assume that this isn't such a bad situation, ne?" when Light nodded, she continued. "But that's the entire reason for which this system was created. This whole place is a torture chamber that tests one's endurance and patience. There is nothing to do here, and that is the real punishment; a lifetime, no, a forever, of boredom."

"I…see," Light blinked, "so, why are you here? What did you do wrong?"

The girl was still smiling, abate, it didn't reach her eyes. "I don't quite remember the details, but I believe…" she said as she tapped her chin. "That I had accidentally acquired a Death Note…yes, that was it, I had used a Death Note and the shinigami that it originally belonged to…Rik, Ru…ah, Ryuk, that was his name, and that Ryuk wrote my name in his. …But wait, he claimed that the one I had was his, so that would mean, he had two Death Notes."

Light scowled, "You too, huh?"

"You had a Death Note?" the spirit gasped.

The Yagami nodded, "I knew Ryuk as well."

"…"

"Look, I don't mean to sound hasty or anything, but you said it was 'nearly' impossible to leave. But, from what I've heard, it is impossible. You must obviously know something that the shinigami do not. Does that mean there is a slight chance, that one could escape?"

The girl seemed to consider the matter for a moment. "Yes, there is a way…in theory."

"And what's that?" Light didn't mind the girl's company, but he didn't want to spend the rest of his spirit's consciousness fighting himself in order to keep from going insane.

"I want you to close your eyes for a second."

Light obeyed. After all, he couldn't find a reason not to trust her, but when he felt someone kiss his forehead lightly, his eyes immediately flew open on their own accord. "What th-!" Slowly, as he watched, the girl started fading away right in front of him.

"I have given you my soul, Light Yagami," she whispered, "use it well."

Light was speechless to say the least, "W-wait! What do you mean? Without a soul, you-!"

She laughed again, "That is the key to leaving this place; the possession of a soul is not yours."

"But that would mean…you…" Light's head ached; even his spirit had its limits. This was too much, especially after his death in the human world.

"Don't worry about me," the girl reassured him. But when he still didn't look comfortable, she elaborated. "What if I put it like this? You get to return to the world of the living and I get relieved of my boredom. It's a win-win for both of us."

"I suppose. Then…" Light paused, "what happens when I return to the real world?"

"You'll have to excuse my incompetence in that matter, but I do not know. I can see the history of your life flashing before my eyes at this very moment. I will," she informed him, "pick a time for you to return to. The rest is up to fate; I do not know what will happen after that. I'm sorry."

"That's alright," Light managed a smile as he looked into his companion's eyes, "you've done enough already. Thank you so much, I don't think that I deserve this."

Outwardly, he might look like an innocent soul, but inwardly, his mind was already beginning to come up with a plan.

"Oh you do," the spirit said confidently. "I can feel that you are still full of life…and love. Your future looks wonderful from my point of view. It's a shame you had to have gotten involved with the Death Note and Ryuk."

'…Love…?' That took Light by surprise. He had never loved anyone, with an exception to his family, but…what did they have to do with any of thi-

A second later, the spirit with no name disappeared and Light's body thrummed with the most painful sensation of his young life. The pain, it was unbearable! It was as if his body was being turned inside out. No matter how hard he tried, Light couldn't rid himself of the feeling. The pain didn't cease, it just got worse. Worse to the point where he thought his body would just rip apart and explode.

Finally, after what seemed like a millennia, the pain went away and left Light feeling cold and stripped of his old sense of self. It was as if the feeling had cleansed him of his past sins. The weight of all the guilt that had built up inside of him was gone and his conscience was already lighter. Exhausted, he closed his eyes as the world once again turned black.

Then, as if some unseen force was put into play, Light could hear a voice. Unable to do otherwise, the Yagami surrendered to the calling and let himself go.

"-ight! Light!" a voice repeated.

Snapping back to reality, Light became aware of someone saying his name…a very annoying and insistent someone. "…mph…"

"Light, please wake up," the voice continued.

"W-what?" he mumbled. Rolling over, Light peeked his eyes open and was greeted by a not so welcome sight. He was facing bars, lying on a cot, and was listening to…that voice…L! 'This is…when I gave up both Death Notes and turned myself over for surveillance in order to prove my innocence!' Light was shocked, 'So, this is the time that she chose for me…well, it couldn't have worked out better.'

"Are you feeling alright?" L asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Light replied, rubbing away the last remnants of a splitting headache. "Why?"

Back in the control room, Ryuzaki took another bite of his strawberry cake. "Well, you were just tossing and turning for a few hours. I thought I should wake you up so you wouldn't have to come to on the ground."

"Oh…thanks, I guess," Light smiled slightly, looking out into the hallway. When he realized he was drifting, he sat up and stared at the floor. The recently resurrected Yagami was still a bit dazed, but the situation became clearer every second.

'Why would she send me back here?' he asked himself. '…especially here? And…I have memories of the future! Everything is working in my favor. Now, I can use this information to correct the mistakes I made last time. Also, since Ryuk isn't present, or at least I can't see him, that must mean that I have already relinquished my ownership of the Death Notes…no matter, all according to plan. But…now that I know the outcome of it, should I still proceed? Yes…now that I know the outcome, I can revise my tactics and outwit Near-'

"Light," L's voice sounded through the speaker, disrupting his train of thought.

"Yeah, what is it?" he inquired.

"How are you feeling?" L asked, sounding genuinely worried.

"I'm alright," Light answered, after a second of hesitation. 'If I continue with the plan, would I kill L…Lawliet…again? …could I kill him again?' Light doubted he could. Even after getting Rem to do it the first time, he had lost many hours of sleep just mulling the matter over in his head. 'No,' Light realized, 'I won't be able to kill Ryuzaki a second time, once was enough."

'Is that why she sent me to this time? Did she expect me to change the course of what will happen?' Light questioned himself. 'To learn from my mistakes, to take back what I did? Then…what would I have been planning everything for?!'

"Light," L continued, "It's been forty-nine days since you've requested to be confined here, and no new criminals have died. Do you have anything to say about it?"

'Ryuzaki, you lying bastard!' Light mentally swore. 'The criminals never stopped dying, you're not telling me the truth! Tch, maybe I could kill you again. But, on the other hand, you're only doing you're job aren't you…you're only doing what you have to do to get me to confess…'

Light opened his mouth to spit back a retort, but closed it again at the last second. "I have nothing to say about it, Ryuzaki."

L licked his spoon, "Very well then, you may rest, Light Yagami." After shutting off the microphone, the sugar-loving genius began talking to himself. With his voice loud enough for Matsuda and Aizawa to hear, they couldn't help but eavesdrop a bit. "I don't understand, none of this is making any sense…Watari, bring me another cake, please. Perhaps that will help me concentrate."

Matsuda looked at Aizawa, "If even Ryuzaki is confused…"

"Don't," the other admonished. "L has tackled every case and succeeded in cracking every single one flawlessly. Why would this be any different?"

"Because," Ryuzaki interrupted, "there are so many variables that we don't know about in the situation. We still can't figure out how the Kiras kill. We still don't know who the Kiras are. And we definitely don't know how to catch them. There are too many risks involved with just approaching this matter like it's any other case. No, this occurs under entirely different circumstances. The hard part of this isn't trying to solve the mystery, it's how to work around all the obstacles with as bloodshed as possible. After we do that, it will be much simpler."

"…right," Matsuda laughed nervously.

Aizawa sighed, "So, what do you think so far?"

Ryuzaki actually put down his favorite food, "To be entirely honest with you, I don't know what to think."

Back in the cell, the younger Yagami sat on the edge of the cot, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes. He could feel the guilt creeping into his chest again.

'Was what I did really wrong?' Light remembered everything, and along with that, the questions just kept coming. 'Last time, after I was let out, I asked Ryuzaki…if he thought that I was capable of…killing all those people…and he…said yes…he'd always believed I'd been able to.'

'L…you knew it was me all along…the person you declared your first friend…you knew I was Kira the whole time…' Light frowned. 'And yet…why? Why would you do that. Why would you still consider me a friend?'

Lying back down, he faced away from the camera. 'How hard must that have been on you, Lawliet.' Light chuckled faintly, 'No wonder you said you were depressed. I do suppose that it was a legitimate reason, knowing that I was Kira, but being unable to prove it no matter how hard you tried because I never messed up. But to die, knowing that your friend had lied and betrayed you without thinking twice about it…how hard must that have been on you?' Hot tears made their way down his cheeks, soaking into the pillow.

Light felt sick, to put it mildly. 'What happed to my resolve? What happened to my ultimate goal?'

And there it was, Light finally realized, 'I'd gotten so caught up as Kira and I was so excited about the challenge of outwitting L, that I…became selfish and started using the Death Note out of my own personal interest…'

"Damn," he shuddered, "I'm so stupid…"

"Hmmm?" Ryuzaki paused, a spoonful of cake halfway to his mouth. "What's this?" He studied Light for a moment and then called for his assistant. "Watari, please rewind the tape back 30 seconds."

"Of course," Watari quickly brought over the remote and arrived at the appropriate time.

"Thank you," the detective dismissed. "Aizawa, Matsuda, come take a look at this with me."

As the two police officers walked over, Ryuzaki started the tape. "I want you to see if you notice anything."

They watched the tape. After it was done, Ryuzaki relaxed, he hadn't been wrong after all. But Aizawa and Matsuda, well, they were having a little more trouble.

"I-is it because Light is actually purposely sleeping facing away from the camera?" Matsuda inquired, scratching his head.

Ryuzaki started, "Interesting, you have it right…for once, even if it is just part of the matter."

The bachelor froze, "W-what?! …I…I'm right here, you know…"

"I didn't see anything suspicious," admitted Aizawa.

Ryuzaki turned his attention back to the screen, "It's not something suspicious. I'll play the video again. Now, this time, pay close attention to Light's shoulders."

Rewinding and playing again, they studied the footage. "Riiiight…THERE!" The detective paused the tape. "Did you catch that?"

"…not really…" Matsuda laughed sheepishly, "sorry."

L sighed, "That's alright. We'll watch it again."

After reviewing it a third time, Aizawa caught it. "It's not really noticeable, but at 19:23:06 you can see his shoulder shaking a little."

"Very good, Aizawa!" Ryuzaki exclaimed. "I agree with you completely. The action is barely perceptible, but nonetheless, the fact that you saw it means that it is really there. Now," he deduced, "if I were to guess, my assumption would be that he was crying."

'But, why would he be doing that? Unless…the confinement is finally getting to him…no…there's something off here. When I asked him about the killings, he said he had nothing to say, but for the past few weeks, whenever I've even mentioned them, he would automatically protest and yell that he wasn't Kira. Again…I don't understand what is going on here…"

"If that's the case," Matsuda stated, trying his very best to sound professional, "Then the question is, why would he be crying?"

"Exactly, I was just wondering the same thing," Ryuzaki nodded. "Let us hope that Light will tell us directly when we release him tomorrow, but first," Ryuzaki pressed the button for cell three. "Mr. Yagami, would you care to come out and have a little talk with me?"

The elder refused to back down, "As I have said before, Ryuzaki, I will only leave if it is with my so-"

"I am planning on releasing your son tomorrow, Mr. Yagami, but I have some conditions I must go over with you first." Ryuzaki informed him, "So, I would greatly appreciate it if you would come down to headquarters."

"…" Soichiro wasn't sure what to say.

Ryuzaki sighed, "I just want to talk some issues over with you, if you are unhappy with my conditions, you are free to go back to your cell, it won't be going anywhere. And, if you want my personal opinion, I think it would be best if you took a break."

After a moment's consideration, the man gave in. "Very well, Ryuzaki, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Wonderful, Mr. Yagami," Ryuzaki clapped his hands, "I will have Matsuda escort you back."

Clicking the microphone off, the super genius acknowledged the police officer. "Well, Mr. Touta, you heard me. Why don't you go and fetch Mr. Yagami?"

"U-uh, yes sir!" Matsuda saluted his employer, only succeeding in earning a few sighs.

Finally able to calm himself down, Light started to drift off into a slight doze, but his brain was still on overdrive.

'Ugh, is killing every single bad person in the world such a crime? Wait…if my goal is to kill everybody who has ever committed a felony, then, how many people would that be? …and also, technically, that would mean I would have to kill myself. NO! Don't even go there! This world is rotten, and those who have made it rotten deserve to die!' Light's mental battle raged on as he slept fitfully. 'I don't know what to do! What's the difference between right and wrong? What separates dreams from hopeless wishes? All I want is for this world to be a better place…right?'

'Maybe I shouldn't be thinking about that now. Yes, focus on something else. What do I do when Ryuzaki starts questioning me? It's already been forty-nine days and I was released on the fiftieth…' Light buried his face in the pillow. 'Why does this have to be so damn difficult? It seems like just a while ago, I was dead in a world where nothing existed. Should I just act like I did befor-'

"Light?" L's voice sounded over the speaker again. "Are you awake?"

"…mph…" Groggily rolling onto his back, Light sat up, choosing not to look directly at the camera. "I am now…Ryuzaki. What do you want?"

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" the detective pressed.

'Why does he keep asking me that? It's not as if he cares or anything. No, it's not 'what does he care about', it's 'what does he get out of it'?' Light lifted his head, "Yes, I think I just need some sleep, that's all."

Ryuzaki persisted, "You do seem a bit tired. Are you positive you're be alright?"

"Yes, Ryuzaki," Light stressed, "I'll be perfectly fine in the morning." Not wanting to be pestered any further, the former Kira lay down, once again, facing away from the camera.

'What the hell? He just asked me how I was…three times, no four times in the span of just one conversation.' Light scrunched his eyebrows, 'He's never been so insistent before…am I acting suspicious. Shit, maybe he's seen through my act and it's been what? An hour?! What am I going to do tomorrow, since I know he's going to release me. Oh gods…dad…Misa…the execution…how am I gonna pull that one off?'

"Damn it," he cursed softly, "Why does this have to be so complicated?"

There was a knock at the door, and the detective looked up. "Come in."

As the two guests entered, he turned around in his chair. "Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr. Yagami."

"Hm…" the deputy director nodded.

"I assume you are well?" L inquired.

The elder scowled, "Get to the point, Ryuzaki."

"Very well then. I'll cut to the chase." the detective obeyed, as he reached for a sweet. "How much do you believe in Light Yagami's innocence?"

The officer frowned, "I am absolutely positive that my son is inno-"

"Matsuda, please leave. Thank you," the other interrupted.

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, Matsuda stuttered, "O-oh, right, s-sorry…"

After the door closed, the younger resumed their conversation. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Before you come to a conclusion, I want you to take a look at this situation from my point of view."

Soichiro blinked, "Your…point of view?"

"Yes," L nodded. "I want you to evaluate this as a police officer attempting to solve a case, not as a father trying to protect his son."

"I don't see how there's a difference!" the Yagami exploded. "No matter how I look at it, whether from a professional or personal angle, Light, my son, will still be innocent!"

"Here we go," Ryuzaki sighed. "Mr. Yagami, first of all, please calm down, as you are disrupting my ability to think straight. Second, even if you deny it, your decision is hindered by your emotions. I understand that you are a father and just doing as one would, but when you are in this room, the Kira case is a strictly business-related topic, understood?"

"…a…u…very well, Ryuzaki," he relented.

"Good," L said, as he poured himself a cup of coffee, "It's nice to see that we're finally on the same page."

The elder snorted, "We will never be on the same page."

"…I see," L muttered. "Nevertheless, let me explain my points of argument to you."

"Go on," Soichiro mumbled.

Ryuzaki bit at his thumb, "Alright, here is my theory. Light Yagami, conscious or not of the fact, was Kira. There is no doubt about that. Now, somehow, he doesn't have any recollection of his past memories, but Kira is still killing people. Therefore, I suspect that Kira's power passes between people. If that is the case, then the culprit will be nearly impossible to catch. But the question still remains. If Light was Kira, was it his choice to pass on his powers, only to have them returned to him at a later date after he was cleared of all charges, or was it the will of some third party, watching over us all?"

The Yagami took a moment to process the information. "I understand the point you are trying to make here, but I'm afraid that I can't keep up with you. It would be best just to ask Light yourself…"

"Interesting," the younger commented in monotone. "Because, I was just thinking the exact same thing."

"…" the elder was taken aback.

"Well then, that is settled. I shall visit Light as soon as I get a chance." Ryuzaki said, reaching for the sugar cubes. "Now, onto the terms of his release."

"Terms?" the Yagami raised a brow.

"Yes, the terms." *plop* L dropped a cube into his drink, "I am willing to go to great lengths to investigate Light. No matter what the extreme, will you corroporate with me?"

"Yes," Soichiro consented, rubbing his forehead. "Anything to get my son out."

"Of course," the other countered, "There is always the possibility that he will not agree to my conditions. But that can be discussed at a later date, for now, why don't you go and get some rest."

"Understood," the deputy stood up. "I'll have Matsuda escort me back."

Ryuzaki took a sip of his now sweetened coffee, "If you insist."

Resuming his now routine staring, the detective glared at the security monitor. "What are you hiding, Light Yagami? What do you plan on doing?"

Sighing, he got up and padded his way to the door. Glancing back once more, L decided against his original plan. Swiftly walking back to the screen, he turned if off. "Even if I wanted to review the footage later, I probably wouldn't find anything worth looking into anyway," he mumbled as he shuffled towards the holding cell.

Quietly opening the door and stuffing the key into his pocket, Ryuzaki observed Light as he slept. 'Beats watching from a camera,' he smiled. "Light?"

Honey colored eyes snapped open at the sound of another person's voice. Awkwardly maneuvering himself so that he was facing the intruder, he sputtered, "R-ryuzaki! What are you doing here?"

Reaching over, the elder undid the leg and arm bindings, allowing Light to move freely again. "I was worried about you, Light," he admitted.

The Yagami was confused, why the heck would…freaking goddamn L be worried about…him?! "You…were?"

"Yes, I was," he repeated. "But I also came down here for another reason. I am going to let you out tomorrow."

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Now he's gonna propose that stupid car stunt that I actually fell for last time. What am I gonna do? Okay, stay calm, maybe there's still a chance that I can avoid that scenario.' "R-really?" Light asked stupidly.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" L deadpanned.

"Ahhhhh," Light answered, "no."

"There you go, you just answered your own question. Someone give the boy a prize!" L threw his arms into the air comically, but sobered up just as quick. "Alright Light, I came here because I wanted to ask you something."

"And what is that?" the younger wondered aloud.

"I know you are adamant about not being Kira, but just listen to my theory and tell me what you think," L reasoned. "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Now, he has no memory of ever being or dealing with Kira. Somehow, Light's powers were passed on to someone else, who then assumed the role of Kira. My question for you is, would it have been your will for the power to be passed on, or was it someone else's?"

"From the evidence you present me with," Light confessed after a moment's pause, "It probably would have been my will."

Smiling, the detective replied, "Wonderful, thank you for that. I can tell you that I feel ninety-nine percent better. Well, I'll leave you untied for now, but please, don't try to escape…or kill anyone."

"Tch, as if," he snorted.

"Good night, Light," Ryuzaki said. "Your father and I have already discussed some terms of your release, so you will be let out tomorrow. But we will go over them later, you need your rest. Sorry for keeping you up."

"No problem," mumbled Light. "I'll sleep well tonight. Thanks for leaving me untied."

Nodding once, Ryuzaki left the cell and the other in peace.

TBC...maybe...

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Shannon: GAH! you totally messed up the ending!

Jennifer: GOMENASAI!!!! I'M SORRY!!!!! but i'm tired and mentally braindead, cut me some slack okay? i already wrote this three times for you!

Shannon: I suppose, but do better next time!

Jennifer: fine fine, whatever, have it your way...i'm going to bed -_-zzzzzz

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So? How was it? Hopefully not too bad... ^.^;

Constructive criticism is always welcome, for we are aware that we could use a lot of advice, but please review and tell us what you think. In case you're wondering, the next update will probably be within two weeks to a month, sorry we're slow writers, but, what can we do? But remember to review and give us your feedback!