Temptation 2

Okay, this chapter isn't that good, so I wouldn't be surprised if you stopped reading here

If I can't find Rem's notebook, then there's no way I'll be able to kill L. Light stared blankly at his coffee cup that sat on the table in front of him. The rest of the Task Force were too busy chatting and celebrating Ryuzaki's survival to notice his silence. Light furrowed his brow with frustration. Damn…something must have happened when L was dying…but what? It makes no sense…is he immune to the death note somehow? That's impossible. No one can escape the fate once it's been written. Is it possible that L died, but then came back to life? Well…Ryuk's with Misa at the moment, so I won't be able to ask him any questions.

Wait a second…Misa! I just need Misa to write L's name in the death note again! There's no way L could escape death twice…right? "Light, are you feeling okay? You don't look so good." Soichiro put a hand on his son's shoulder.

"I'm fine dad. Don't worry…I guess I'm still a little woozy over this whole situation." Light laughed. "You have to admit, it was a little terrifying to see L so close to death. I could have sworn he wasn't going to make it…thank god he's okay."

"Yeah, I can't imagine what it'd be like for Ryuzaki to pass away." Matsuda sighed.

Meanwhile, as the task force continued to talk in the hospital waiting room, Raven glimpsed around the corner of the doorway, curiously watching the group with his sharp red eyes. Well, L sure does live up to his reputation…let me see. Light Yagami...Soichiro Yagami…Shuichi Aizawa…Kanzo Mogi…Touta Matsuda…Hideki Ide. Well…they certainly don't look like much. Their souls don't appear to be anything special. Simple souls of natural human beings…love, hope, compassion, hate, desire, envy, etcetera…

Raven narrowed his eyes at the youngest member of the Task Force, Light Yagami. Strange…his soul radiates a raw taste for power and justice…it's almost overwhelming. How odd…

"Hey guys, I think I'm going to call Misa over, if that's okay with everyone." Light said as he pulled his phone from his inside shirt pocket.

"I think it's time you stopped talking to me. People are starting to think you're crazy." Raven stated, leaning against the wall next to L's bedside.

"They can think what they like. Why should I care?" L uttered half-heartedly. "It's not like it means anything." L stared up at the sealing, letting his mind go blank. Dying had done something to him, something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Ever since he woke up, he hadn't seen much colour in anything.

Suddenly, the door was swung open, and in burst Matsuda wearing a ridiculous pointed paper party hat. "Hey, Ryuzaki, you're all better!" he exclaimed.

The group stood around L's hospital bed with looks of contentment. "Well, not quite, but it's getting there." L muttered under his breath.

"You're looking pretty good for a man who almost died." Aizawa joked.

At that moment, L shot an unexpected glare at Light, who, as usual, was playing along with the situation. "Actually, Aizawa, I didn't almost die. I did." The room went into utter silence. L could hear Raven cackling his lingering chuckle behind him.

"What do you mean, you died?" Matsuda asked, pulling the hat from his head.

"I mean, my heart stopped beating…and I stopped breathing." L put it plainly. "I saw darkness…I was simply brought back to life."

"…How is that even possible?" Soichiro asked.

L sat in silence for a moment, before he smiled and shook his head. The Task Force stared at the man in confusion.

"I guess it's just one of the world's great mysteries." Light laughed. L narrowed his eyes at the grinning man, though he said nothing of it. He wasn't in the mood to fight back…though, inside, he knew Light was playing with him. Light Yagami, don't pretend to show innocence. I know now…I saw it in your eyes…

"Everyone, Misa's here!" Matsuda exclaimed. L tilted his head as the tall perky blonde walked in through the door, a big smile on her face.

"Hi guys!" she exclaimed. Light took her by the arm and smiled.

"Misa, what took you so long?" he asked.

"Oh, just traffic and stuff." She said lackadaisically. Misa…remember what I told you? Just get his name, that's all I ask of you!

"It's been a while, Amane." L stated with a small turn up of the lips. "I haven't seen you since Higuchi's arrest."

Misa smiled and looked over at L…when something odd happened. Her face went rather blank with confusion. She seemed to lose her words. Light shot her a curious look. Ryuzaki's name…I can't see it. And…his lifespan's gone down to zero...what is this?

"Is something the matter, Amane?" L asked.

"No, no I'm alright. I'm just glad to see you're not dead." She smiled harmlessly.

L raised an eyebrow. What made her hesitate? Is there something Raven hasn't told me? L took the slightest glance at Raven who stood behind the Task Force members. He gave him a shrug as L stared in confusion.

Those who are born without a soul and those who have it taken away are the only people who can see demons.

Those who have their soul taken away, also have their lifespan set to zero, which means they no longer have a set date of death. Along with this, their names are removed from shinigami eyes. This is because shinigami can't see the names of those who have died.

The only way a demon can die, is by crying.

Though, demons are known to never show their true emotions, so that would be practically impossible.

"Hello Ryuk." Raven smirked at the shinigami that sat under the apple tree behind the hospital grounds.

"Huh? Raven?"

"Did you miss me?" He chuckled, crossing his arms and walking over to where the God of Death stood.

"Why are you here? I haven't seen you ever since you stole a pair of my eyes." Ryuk groaned. "I'm still kind of mad about that by the way."

Raven laughed. "Don't worry my friend; they went to a good cause. I granted them to an orphan child."

"Well aren't you generous." Ryuk grumbled. "Why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm bound to Ryuzaki." Raven stated.

"Oh, so you're the reason why I couldn't see his name." Ryuk leant back against the bark of the tree.

"Yes, it's true. When a human makes a deal with a demon, his lifespan is set to zero and his name is scratched from shinigami eyes." Raven hummed. "I see you're attached to that 'Misa Amane'. Her soul is…rather mixed…and bitter…I don't like her."

"It's only temporary." Ryuk informed. "I should be going back to Light soon…"

"Ah, I see…so Light Yagami is involved in this as well…this is getting rather interesting."

"Hey, can I let you in on a secret?" Ryuk asked. Raven crossed his arms over his chest. "If you promise not to tell, that is."

"I won't…probably won't anyway."

"Light Yagami is Kira, the man Ryuzaki is hunting."

Raven's beady red eyes widened to excess as he grinned a bright white smile. "Is that so…how interesting."

"You'd better stick around Raven. Don't want to miss the fun, do you?"

Raven clicked his gloved fingers and smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it." He said as he walked through the wall of the hospital back to Ryuzaki's room.

Unless you were born without a soul, or have had it taken from you, then you couldn't possibly see a demon…

No one knows how or why some people are born soulless. They say it's a strange form of dysfunction. I have only known of one man who was born without a soul. I found him wondering the streets of Winchester. To this very day, I can still remember the smile he drew as I stared at the bondless human.

I grew to care for the child…which is something a demon must never do. It came to a point where I spent more time in the human world than I did my own…when he reached about the age of twelve he began asking me about Gods of Death. I told him of the eyes and how they allow you to see a man/woman's true name and lifespan. The child had asked me if I could grant him the eyes…

…which I did.

A few years before, I had stolen a set of eyes from the shinigami realm as a joke. Since I can already see a human's lifespan, I had no use for them. The child had thanked me and had promised he'd return the favour someday.

He died within an asylum…I watched as he slowly shrivelled into nothing. He'd become a murderer…a man of madness…I remember the look upon his blood-stained face as the light faded from his frozen ruby eyes…and just like that, I'd lost the child I had once loved…this is why demons cannot value human life forms…it's a simple matter of death that must forever separate our races…

…loosing that child had done something to me…it made me stronger.

…People who live without a soul are cursed with bitterness and despair. They are destined to die a sad and lonely death. They lose their true meaning…they walk without a purpose.

Even you, Lawliet, shall meet your painful fate, for once the wine runs dry you'll be left with an empty glass, with nothing but the haunting memories to comfort you.

Your soul for your life, it makes no sense, for without your soul, you practically have no life.

"You couldn't see his name?" Light questioned. Misa nodded vigorously.

"I'm sorry light!" She sobbed. "I tried, but-but, there was nothing there! I swear, I couldn't see it!" She began to cry like a little girl and Light huffed with pure frustration.

"How can this happen? How did L…is it because Ryuzaki died?" Light questioned

"Actually it's a little more complicated than that." Ryuk cackled from the corner of the room like a devil. Light turned to the God of death with a look of bitterness in his eye. "The only way a human can escape the fate of the death note, is by coming into contact with a demon." Light's eyes widened and he grit his teeth. "L sold his soul to a demon in exchange for his life back. That's the only way someone could possibly be saved from the death note. Since l has technically died once before, it means you will never be able to see his real name, unless you manage to kill the demon holding his name captive."

"And you only thought to tell me NOW?!" Light exclaimed. Damn it…with L under the protection of a 'demon', it'll be practically impossible to get his name.

This can only mean one thing…I'll have to kill the demon…somehow…

To be continued (Maybe, still deciding)