Author's Notes: Hi all.

The very first part of this fanfic has been copied directly from Vol. 7, and then I novelized it so you guys don't have to look through the entire series to figure out what's going on.

Disclaimer: Is disclaimed. I own nothing and am taking no credit for the characters or dialogue whatsoever... I guess even with a disclaimer that's not technically legal, but whatever. I did it anyway.

Also, if anyone is confused as to what is going on, just keep reading. The whole thing will be explained. Eventually.

Remember: R and R!

-This fic is also in the (very slow) process of being editted. Please be patient as some of the chapters vary greatly in quality.-

November 5, 2004
7:59 PM

(Eight days after the death of Kyosuke Higuchi)

Crash.

"What's wrong, Watari?" L got no response. "Watari?"

The computer let out a long tone, and words appeared on the screen:

All data deleted

"Deleted data?" Light gasped. "What's going on?" The entire investigation team was crowded around them, horrified and perhaps in shock. None of them knew what was happening…

But L did. His eyes narrowed. "I told Watari that if something ever happened to him, he should erase all the data he can. And to set his system to erase automatically after a certain amount of time."

"If something happened to him…?" Aizawa began.

"You mean," Matsuda stammered, "like death…?"

L thought it through. His eyes were still narrowed. His brain was working at 87% of its capacity. "Where's the shinigami?"

Sochiro whirled around. "Oh yeah, where did…"

If he said any more, L didn't hear it. His brain was working at 93% capacity now. If Watari is dead… Amane hasn't even seen Watari's face… Did Light Yagami do something when he stepped outside earlier…? But nobody knows Watari's name… At 98%, he realized, But a shinigami could…

That had to be it! The shinigami! "Everyone," he began, "the shiniga—"

He was abruptly cut off as a terrible pain attacked his chest. If he'd had the energy. he would have screamed. His reasoning abilities dropped nearly 50% in a split second, and then... the realization hit him.

He was having a heart attack.

He dully remembered Sochiro saying, "Huh? What's wrong, Ryuzaki?" L couldn't answer.

And then he was falling.

Down another 24%...

In his last moments, he remembered being on the floor. Light was supporting his upper body and yelling, "Ryuzaki?" L wanted to say something, anything, to the only friend he'd ever had… but then Light's expression began to change.

Light Yagami…

Pure triumph radiated from Light's face. If it had been possible, L's eyes would have widened. He knew what it meant, of course. Even with his brain working at 10% of it's capacity and falling, he was certain of what was happening.

And only he knew the truth.

I knew it…

I wasn't wrong…

But…

I…

L closed his eyes and died.

January 31, 2011
4:02 AM

(Three days after the anniversary of Light's death)

Doctor Takeshi Mido had never intended to actually do it. His first intent was to study the subject, then to diagnose the cause, and hopefully find a treatment or stop this whole thing along the way. But it had never been his goal to go this far.

He rubbed his eyes. It was no wonder he was tired; it was four o'clock in the morning there in Japan, and even though he had done this schedule for years, staying up so late always drained him of energy. He stifled a yawn, and he mentally scolded himself for being so sleepy. Hell, what was probably the most important moment of his entire career was about to happen, yet here he was almost asleep standing up.

He was startled when his assistant gently knocked on the door frame. "Awake, sir?" he asked politely.

Mido didn't look up. "Yes, I'm as full of energy as... eh, a battery."

His assistant raised an eyebrow. "A battery... running on empty?"

Mido had to suppress a smile. "Exactly."

"We can wait until tomorrow, you know."

The doctor turned and looked at his aide. In seven years, Mido had come a long way. Perhaps he didn't always like where he had come in his career, but there was no turning back now. He had known there was no going back from day one.

"No," he firmly replied, "we do it now, before I can change my mind."

His assistant nodded. "Honestly put." He left a packet of IV fluid on a counter top and left the room.

Mido took a moment to think it all over. Lying next to him, in a hospital bed, was a patient. A dead patient. Mido was still amazed and surprised at the decision that had been made for this man several years ago. With long black hair and huge eyes, the body was perfectly preserved. Thank God for freezers, Mido thought sourly to himself.

He decided it was time to stop reminiscing. This project had been going on for, what, seven years now? In the grand scheme of life, that wasn't so long, but he was a doctor, and the goal of being a doctor was to help people through sickness and injuries. He hadn't helped anyone in that sense for years.

But he was going to help someone tonight.

...Hopefully.

He walked over and picked up the IV packet his aide had left. He went over to a stand next to the hospital bed, hooked it up, and took a deep breath. He observed the tubes and wires that were already inserted into the patient. After deciding that he was ready, he took another deep breath.

Slowly, Mido inserted the final IV into the arm of the body.

After extensive surgeries, one percent of his brain was working.

Just one percent.

No, not even that much. Half of a percent was working, maybe. Probably less. A tenth of a percent. A twentieth, perhaps?

In theory, the number had to reach ten percent before he could regain consciousness. But also in theory, he shouldn't even have a working brain at all.

Technically, he was dead.

But medicine had worked miracles on the world in modern times. Some diseases that had been incurable were unheard of now. Broken bones healed faster than ever before. People didn't die from sickness like they used to. Of course, Kira had sort of made a mess out of this, but otherwise, science was pressing forward in ways that were never known before.

It was taking a giant leap in Doctor Mido's underground hospital.

Slowly, as the medicine in the IV spread through his veins, conscious thoughts began to appear. Thoughts that, at first, had gaps in them. There was something he had to remember... Something important...

Light...

I...

You...

One percent. Something beeped on a monitor next to the hospital bed, but he didn't hear it-his ears weren't working just yet.

Watari...

Dead...

How...?

Two percent.

Shinigami...

Then...

I... was right...

Four percent.

Thirteen days... that rule...

It must be... fake...

Six and a half.

So he... but that means... that Kira...

Kira.

That name definitely sparked a memory.

Nine and a half.

Almost there.

Kira...

Is...

Light.

Light Yagami is Kira.

L's eyes snapped open.