Arrow: I originally started this chapter back in November and after a computer crash and a re-write later, here we are in February with the final chapter! You have no idea how extremely annoyed I am that I lost all of my nicely finished chapters during that crash though I know some of you have been through similar trauma. I'm really trying to get back on track with my updates but getting past the 're-writing' stage is proving difficult. Ah, I have so much I have to type up! But we shall make it through! After much hard work, I now present you with the final chapter of 'The Twisted Web We Weave.'

Now read!

'Show me how to lie
You're getting better all the time
And turning all against one
is an art that's hard to teach
Another clever word
sets off an unsuspecting herd
And as you step back into line
a mob jumps to their feet'

- You're gonna go far, kid, Offspring

Winter tugged at the air, desperate to hang on as the minutes ticked away the last breaths of the year which was intoxicated with the roars of the crowd Ryuuzaki struggled to make his way through. His cell phone was clutched tightly in his hand with Ryuks apple in the other while wrestling through the crowded square which tickled his nose with the waft of food waiting to be devoured before the end of the celebration. Light wouldn't pick up each time he called- a minor set back perhaps. But he was sure Light simply couldn't hear the ringing over the crowd from wherever he stood.

"Pick up…" he whispered, the words barely leaving his lips as they were pushed back by the volume of the surrounding people. He needed him to pick up… they only had so much time…

The spell would break…

The apple suddenly felt heavier in his hand, his fingers stressing beneath the weight of the shriveled fruit. Slowly he raised it before him, no reflection or shine visible on it's grayish skin… no memory for him to reminisce…

He could throw it away and continue on with the few remaining scraps of his life.

But…

"Why live a life without you… Light Yagami?" he breathed with the ghostly presence of a smile tainting his frozen lips. He could never be a detective without a suspect, a lover without a love, a man with little to show for his life except for the person he had sacrificed to keep alive. Though Light was a brat, he felt a connection to him which had been present within his blood since he first laid eyes on him so many years ago. A connection born of competition and similarity which would have never been present to the average bleeding eye. Only Ryuuzaki could see it…and Light had seen it too.

Kira had laughed.

"He's coming with me…We're one in the same… you're foolish to hope."

Hope.

Ryuuzaki stared at the apple, black eyes brimming with anger he had harbored away for as long as he could remember. It was hope that had gotten him this far; it was hope that had kept Kira dead and Light alive.

It was hope that had kept Ryuk on his own side and L in his favor.

"I am not foolish."

The muffled reflection of himself in the rotten skin became twisted as he brought it closer to his face, warped and stretched with the given light but served as nothing but a distraction from what he was about to do. His teeth sank into the sickening fruit before he could stop himself and the familiar cold like feeling wash over him like the dreadful chill of the flu.

His legs buckled beneath him.

"Light…" he had to find him, regardless of how much time he had left. The minutes were ticking away…

He clutched the apple and hoisted himself up, his face turning three shades of white with the effort.

Light… he needed to see… one last time…

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People had always been a mystery to Light Yagami. Being around someone such as Ryuuzaki day in and day out tended to have that affect but it was more of a matter of trust. Even with the crowd oozing around him he couldn't help but shake the feeling that he was being watched; no matter how hard he tried to enjoy himself he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering.

People… so many people…

He could be any one of them.

With a heavy thump of his heart Light silenced the accusing thoughts, Ryuuzaki's voice filtering his mind. Yes, it was possible… but it was best not to think about it.

But… but there were families… everywhere…

It could happen to them too.

Light knew that he was a rather odd site to see- a man of Japanese decent sitting at a Café' table by himself drinking Pepsi out of small beaten glass. His features were handsome and smoothed over, chocolate eyes wide and unreadable. His were different than the detectives however in the single fact that he actually showed emotion when it came to it. If something he was thinking about was troubling him it would show in the creases of his forehead and the furrow of his brow. He would become wary of those around him.

But he wasn't that out of place, hence the fact he was seated in one of London's largest tourist traps. Someone from far west was rare but not that rare. Americans were the main source of newcomers and he could spot them from miles away, their English loud and fused with slang he knew little about. Ryuuzaki only taught him slang words used in Britain, if he chose to teach him any at all. It was all so complicated…

If he could just go home he wouldn't have to stress…

'Your home is with me now Light-kun. There is nothing left for you in Japan.'

But he was wrong- there was so much left for him there. A battle was still waiting to be fought. The blood had barely begun to ooze from his scarred hands before Ryuuzaki had torn him from the tragedy that had befallen the city… that had befallen him. His family had been slaughtered by the criminal who spoke of justice and Light was left with the scattered pieces.

Ryuuzaki never gave him a chance to pick them up…

The detective was hiding him from something- he knew it. Though he had convinced himself his cautious attitude was protectiveness so Light wouldn't suffer the same fate as the others.

The memory of it… the memory alone haunted him from time to time…

It was as if he had awoken from a dream; the nightmare which consumed him during the following days was nothing compared to the bliss he had experienced in darkness. L was the only thing keeping him from sinking back into it.

"I've checked out a suite downtown we can stay in while the police investigate." L informed him, his words muffled and distant as if he were underwater. Light simply nodded in response and he cursed himself as that one simple movement of his head sent the waves of tears spilling down his already soiled cheeks, his skin cold and slick from his past episodes.

"It's better if you just let it out Light-kun," L soothed though his eyes were blank, turned away toward the road where the limo would be arriving.

Watari… Watari would have to be replaced.

… Did L even care?

The question had bothered him until the shock became even stronger with the confirmation of his family, numbing him to the point of loss of speech. The very though of it was maddening…

Not even his sister was spared.

L had tried his best with him. Light was convinced that nobody in the world could have had enough patience with his 'recovery.' Doctors would have thought him mad- a boy broken by an unexplainable tragedy, a waste of a good mind. Lights silence lasted months and not once did L urge him to speak.

L carried about his duties casually while Light was left free to observe and wander about the area , usually sticking to his room (the constant switch of hotels became a natural occurrence.) part of him had locked itself away and he spent his time trying to figure out exactly what part of him he had lost. The chocolate glow in his eyes was dimmer than before- he knew because Ryuuzaki had made note of it one day in December during dinner.

"It's still there…" he mumbled, peering over at him from across the table, thumb clenched between his teeth. "I'm eighty-six percent sure it will come back before the year is out."

Lights only response consisted of a blank stare which L challenged with his own, all the words Light wished to say present in the chocolate drenched pupils. L held him there in silence for what felt like hours before he got up from the table, picking up his things and heading to the other room.

There conversation was over.

L… Ryuuzaki did all the talking.

Even when their lips met after so long.

"… Do you remember?" was the detectives only response after they had broken apart, his pale hand gripping the others. For the first time Light noted the sadness in his eyes….. The sadness he had been trying to speak to him with…

His lips… they tingled faintly…

"…" Lights hands trailed up to the mans porcelain face, running his fingers along the black stretches beneath his eyes. Something stirred inside of him- the chains trembled around his heart.

"…why?" he choked, voice cracking after months of solitude, his body trembling as it awakened. No other word could describe what was going on inside of him; no sentence, no curse, no language could help him release the cascade of questions which had built up in what felt like a decade of time. He just needed to know…Why… why…

'Whydoesheloveme?whyishetakingcareofme?WhyamIhere?WhyamIalive? Why… why… where were they all dead? Why did this happen?'

'Where was Kira?'

And despite the tears and the shouting and the kisses and the sobbing, just having Ryuuzaki there was enough…

It was enough to break the spell Kira had cast upon Light Yagami.

And now Light was awake- and had stayed awake for two years living each day with hope. Hope that L had so willingly fed to him with each kiss and touch of his hand.

But that one question…. That simple word which had ended his silence and started this new life…

L had never given him an answer.

Even as the questions grew over time, L's refusal to answer grew more dominant and Light noticed the hardness in his eyes which he never understood. Light had a right to know: why were they traveling to different countries each passing month? Why were they solving other cases when they should be catching Kira?

"What are you running from?" Light had whispered one day beneath the covers, his figure entwined with the other, the sheet and darkness the only thing covering their naked forms. The detective had tensed and the fingers running though his hair had stopped- a pause in the role he played continuously.

When Light awoke three hours later he was gone. Only the ache in his body and the sleeping plaguing his eyes kept him from getting up and searching about. He could barely make out a loan shadow on the room balcony through the frosted windows… ebony locks sparkled with snow…

Lights eyes met his before he could hide back beneath the covers.

"Light-kun."

His voice drifted in through the open door but the glass still divided them; the snow against the window blurred and distorted the detectives image so he seemed sunken and misshapen from Lights position on the bed. The black eyes barely matched the casual tone of his voice.

"What's your new years resolution?"

The question was random- only the presence of fireworks in the clouded sky saved Light from showing him the confusion in his chocolate eyes. The cold air was starting to creep against his skin and he pulled the covers tighter against his body. His resolution…

"… to live happily with you." he whispered, upon feeling the other sink back into the covers next to him a few minutes later. The distant echo of the fireworks shook the interior of the hotel but Light allowed the booming to lull him into a restful sleeping. Ryuuzaki's frigid hand wrapped in his and he held it until morning, taking it as a sign that he had heard him even over the muffled ruckus.

Light had chosen to keep his questions to himself from then on; hopefully he would receive his answer in time. But as days turned to weeks and seasons stretched into months, the happiness and love he had for Ryuuzaki remained firm. He should be happy you have someone caring for him when he had no one left… someone devoted to him…

Everything was perfect.

But Kira…

… Kira was still out there.

And Light still wanted to know why.

"Light!"

The crowd around him was coming to a standstill as people found their spots amidst the square, eager for a good view before the sky lit up in a spectacle of wonder. Several passerby's eyed the table Light sat at with envy, noticing the extra chairs but Light shot them a look and they continued on without a word. The voice in the distance barely reached his frozen ears.

"Light!"

A flurry of black hair blocked his vision as he turned around and felt a sense of relief upon seeing the return of his lover- his thoughts faded into the background yet the feeling they left him with made the reunion feel rather sour. Light squeezed his hand shakily.

"What took you so long?" he asked in Japanese, not wanting anyone around to buzz in on their conversation. Ryuuzaki frowned at him in a scolding manner but let it slide, the apple clasped in his hands, juice running in between his pale fingers. The snow and the cold air hid his weak condition from the teens judging eyes and for once the detective was thankful for such torturous weather.

"I wanted… to get something to eat." he forced with a smile, the lie bleeding from his lips. He held the apple up to him as one would a gem from a showcase, eyes eager for the other to make a purchase. The beating of his heart quickened with what strength it could muster. "I saved the rest for you."

Light noticed nothing odd; how could he when his mind was so full of questions? Millions and millions of unanswered questions….

He took the apple without even looking at him.

Did he dare bring it up?

The crowd around them began to grow louder as the clock ticked away the seconds toward the new year. Light stared down at the apple, watching his distorted reflection sway too and fro as he twirled the fruit in his hand carelessly. The intense stare Ryuuzaki had fixed him with was going unnoticed as he pondered to himself over his options. He had to bring up the subject… three years of silence was enough, Ryuuzaki had no choice but to tell him. What was the worst that could happen when they loved each other so much?

"… not hungry?"

"Huh?" Light blinked up at him, the intensity in the others black eyes catching him off guard. Frowning, Light brought the apple up to his lips and took a small bite, feeling a shudder rush through him at the sourness of the fruits core. He tore his eyes away and stared down at the missing chunk, juice leaking over his numb fingers.

Five minutes remained.

The relief the detective felt was overwhelming.

"So what's your resolution this year Light-kun?" he found himself asking, a smile melting his ashen face. Everyone was getting into place now- London was waiting for the passing of yet another year, the clock seeming to shudder with the pressure. The coldness of the air nipped at the two with playful bites which added to Lights growing irritability as he stared down at the weeping fruit. Ryuuzaki's black locks tickled his neck as he leaned his head against him with a sigh.

The anger in him swelled.

"My resolution…" he began, looking up at the clock with cold eyes. The hand would tick past twelve and life would still continue as it was- unchanged, unaffected by the celebration of it's inhabitants. Nothing would change unless he acted upon it. Not unless he did something…

The detective shifted away from his shoulder, confused by Lights rigidness- he blinked at him quietly.

"My resolution Ryuuzaki," he began again, turning to stare into his lost black eyes. "Is to catch Kira and avenge the death of my family and those on the investigation team."

A loud holler echoed out from over the crowd and the voices hollered back with greater volume, followed by a chorus of laughter and whistling. The excitement stung the air deeply, unaffected by the increase of snow as the clouds grew heavier up above. However, not even the noise and the snowfall could prevent Light from seeing the look of horror as it crossed Ryuuzaki's eyes as his words cut through him like nails through clay. He tried to hide it as quickly as possible but Light was quicker, taking his face into his hands so he couldn't look away, the ashen skin frigid and rosy against his fingers.

"You thought I put that all behind me didn't you?" he snapped, eyes narrowing with suppressed rage. "I've been asking you all this time why we haven't been chasing him and you never answered me, not once!"

"Leave it alone Light-kun." was his only response, the detectives voice low and mechanical. "I have it taken care of-"

"How!? How do you have it taken care of, did you catch him?" he asked, releasing his face and standing over him, snow falling from his shoulders. "Did you catch him and not tell me?"

"Light-kun, quiet down-"

"Answer me!"

The joy Ryuuzaki had been feeling had all but vanished as he stared up into the boiling eyes of his lovers, the yes which had once held the very demon which had ruined him and left Ryuuzaki with the chore of reviving Light to his old self. He thought he had done a good job; the two of them were happy and never once had Light told him otherwise. He had asked him about Kira in the beginning… but Ryuuzaki…

… he had never answered. For he had no reasonable answer to give him.

And what could he say to him as he stood here, seconds ticking away and possibly moments away from his death? That he was protecting him? That he had sacrificed his own life to bring him back and give him another chance? The fairytale Kira had weaved around them was only a tale to Lights eyes- Ryuuzaki had defeated the villain and only Ryuuzaki could see the demon which visited him every year looking for payment. The less Light new the safer he was from all of this… this…

"Do you love me?"

The words left his mouth before he could stop them, the detectives first slip up since he took on the Kira Case so many years ago. Deep inside Ryuuzaki had hoped his words would spark some sort of sympathy in the young mans heart, soften the hardness in his eyes. At the mention of love they had widened but the coldness remained frigid and clear…

"How can I love a liar?" Light snapped, his words harsher then he intended. "You don't know what real love is Ryuuzaki, you think just because you make everything comfortable for me that I'll love you but it's more than that. My whole family was killed Ryuuzaki, you can't let a man run around free after committing such a crime!"

"I'm not letting him run around free!" he shot back, body shaking uncontrollably. "I'm a detective Light, I know my duty!"

"Then do it! Stop trying to protect me and help me find him!" he laced his fingers around the mans arms, shaking them like a child. "I need to find him Ryuuzaki, I need to… you have to help me before he disappears forever!"

"Light…"

"Please Ryuuzaki!"

His stomach churned sickeningly… the taste in his mouth…

"Light… Light I can't…"

It burned his tongue.

"Why!?"

"I…" the detectives stomach clenched and he doubled over, retching into the snow a thick black fluid which stuck to his gums and tortured his throat as he struggled to release it from his body. In Lights rage he failed to noticed the unusual color and forced his eyes to look up into his, selfish and desperate.

"Tell me why!"

"Light-kun…" Ryuuzaki blinked, a cascade of black streaming down his cheeks, dripping onto Lights shirt. "Light-kun… Kira… I can't tell…" the pain in his stomach was making him delirious. He was going blind from the ink bleeding from his sockets and tainting his stomach…

The clock struck twelve midnight.

"Ryuuzaki…?" the anger let up as he noticed his condition, running the pad of his thumb over the thick black line, smearing it. The crowd let out a deafening roar as the sky lit up in celebration. "Ryuuzaki w-what?"

"Light." the detectives fingers curled in the mans jacket as his body went slack, relying on the other to support his weight. Ink streamed from his nose, eyes dripping the substance onto the fresh snow, wide with pain and desperation. "I'm sorry…"

"Ryuu-"

"Please!" his voice dropped as his strength seeped from him. He couldn't leave him like this- with no explanation, with no answer… "Please forgive me for not telling you… but if only you knew…" Ryuuzaki stared up at him, eyes lost and empty. "The things I sacrificed to protect you… I just wanted to give you a second chance…"

"What are you talk about- Ryuuzaki, we need to get you help! I don't know-" he was lost…. He was even more lost than when he had started. If only he had kept his mouth shut, perhaps…

A cold hand graced his cheek.

"This isn't your fault." Ryuuzaki whispered, offering a sad smile. "You look just like you did the day you woke up… lost and confused to what it was you once were."

"What I…" Light knew what he was talking about, the images were burned clearly into his mind. His grip on his cold body tightened. "Ryuuzaki, your not making any sense."

"You will never find Kira Light." he whispered, caressing his cheek until he could feel a spark of warmth against the pad of his thumb. Snow stuck to his body as it melted against the drying ink, his body sparkling in the light of the fireworks. "I made sure of it the moment you opened your eyes that day and I won't have you spend the rest of your life searching for someone already dead."

"…Why didn't you just tell me?" Light whispered, entranced by the site of him. "Instead of acting like it was some big secret?"

"Because it's my secret Light-kun." his heart throbbed, feeling it split with the agony of his lies mixed with the truth he was forbidden to speak with his dieing breath. "And I have so many more I can never tell. About Kira… about you…" he hitched a breath, forcing his lungs to work faster as he shattered in his arms, ink streaming from his eyes. "And I'm sorry! I'm sorry I can't tell you… I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I'm sorry after all I've done for you, you can never be happy!"

"I'm happy… with you Ryuuzaki." Light choked, tears brimming in his eyes from the site of him. Never in his life had he seen Ryuuzaki in such a state of loss. Pleading…dieing…

… leaving him…

"Wait…" the terrible truth awakened in his eyes and Light clutched to the other desperately, squeezing his hand. "Your not… you'll be fine, I just have to get you some h-help, just hold… hold on…"

The black orbs began to flicker, staring up at him broken and shattered. The tears from Lights eyes dripped onto his face, washing away the ink. "I don't care about the truth anymore, I just want you!" he screamed, shaking him frantically. "Don't leave me here with nowhere to go L!"

The hand against his cheek slowly began to slip away and the fireworks boomed in the air, the show coming to a close as the first five minutes of the new year passed away. L's eyes were empty and unfocused, staring at Light as if he were looking through him.

"Kira…" Ryuuzaki whispered.

Light stared at him in horror.

"He's not yours… he struggled, hand falling and clutching onto the collar of his shirt. "… you can never have him back…" the eyes sparked, awakening from his spell before lighting up one last time. With his remaining strength he pulled Lights face toward his and captured his lips against his own, the shock and confusion still frozen in his eyes.

No… he couldn't mean…

His body grew heavy in his hold.

"Ryuuzaki?"

He couldn't… no…

"Ryuuzaki!"

Kira… Light…. Kira… him…

His eyes emptied and his chest grew still.

"RYUUZAKI!!"

Applause irrupted from around him as the fireworks came to an end, the people cheering and shouting in joy before the crowd began to move, slowly gliding past the two still forms without a single glance in their direction as they filtered out of the square. Everyone was eager to get home, satisfied by the nights entertainment, desperate to put their whiny kids to bed.

Light sobbed against the others limp form- he never once heard a sound leave his mouth as the crowd deafened his cries. Many thought the two were simply drunk, past out from too much liquor. The absence of blood made the scene look all the more believable.

No human ever bled ink.

The stench of it burned Lights nostrils.

BANG!

When Light finally looked up, the square was all but deserted, the lights put out and shop windows empty and vacant. Only the light from the clock helped direct his puffy eyes to the black book lying several feet away from him in the footprint matted snow.

Light Yagami was at his breaking point- he was left alone in a foreign land, lost and confused with the secrets Ryuuzaki had taken with him to his grave. All Light was left with was an assumption… an assumption which was destined to drive him to madness… alone and unloved, drowning in guilt. Was it he who had driven his lover to his death?

Absently he ran his fingers over the mysterious notebook, picking it up while holding the detectives body tightly against his, shielding him from any more harm. His unhinged mind processed the words scrawled across the beaten cover and he felt the door which had shut so long ago give a little shake beneath the scraped layers of his memory.

His memory… Kira… a dark memory…

Ryuuzaki… what had Ryuuzaki done to deserve this? The twisted web he had so tightly wove had choked the life from him and now Light was left trapped within the tattered remains, limbs flailing helplessly in it's hold, beginning to panic.

The spider creped up behind him in the darkness, fangs bared in a smile.

"Hey kid."

Light jumped, clutching the body to his chest, eyes wide and crazed.

The creature chuckled under it's breath, unfolding it's wings in welcome.

"How would you like to make a deal?"

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Arrow: Yes, cliffhanger but it is up to YOU to decide what happens next. I will not be writing anymore to this.

This is actually one of my most treasured pieces because it's pretty much free of smut and I wrote it because I thought it was a good idea, not for the sake of reviews or popular demand( which I see a lot of these days.) So I really hope you enjoyed it and thank you so much for sticking with me, I promise things will be a lot smoother now concerning updates because of my computer fix!

Send lots of pretty reviews and stayed tuned for a Broken English update in the future!