Here's the final chapter. Just as promised, right before I head back to school! I hope you enjoy.

I do want to mention one thing, regarding the format. When the time comes, be on the lookout for quotation marks to show which italics are someone's thoughts, and which ones are excerpts from Taro's letter.

Taro fidgeted in his seat on the plane. Luckily, X's bag of operative gear had gotten past customs, but there was still plenty of reason to be nervous. He'd had several hours in the air to think about it.

I'm about to kill someone. Again.

But this time it would be different. A-Ta Suzuki. B-Ro Tanaka. C-O Nakamura. D-Ka Yamazaki. E-Ji Ogawa. L Lawliet. Yuu Sabanto. Xavier Anderson. He had killed all of these people, or at least played a hand in their deaths. However, those deaths had not been permanent. Light Yagami's would be.

Will it be different this time? Will this sin be even greater in its permanence? Or will it be less because it will prevent even more death?

Taro shook his head. There was no point in second-guessing himself now. He had already made up his mind.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Taro looked up at the flight attendant.

"We'll be landing in Los Angeles in a few minutes. Would you like me to take your drink?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. Thank you," he replied. As she took his scotch away, he found himself wondering, will her life be better because of what I'm about to do?

Focus. Just a two-hour layover in Los Angeles, and then a hop over to Texas. Then I'll meet Kira at last.

"Where is Taro?" Sayu demanded.

"Did you take care of the proxy," L asked.

Despite the differences in tone, past experience told Matsuda to answer L first. "Sabanto is in police custody. We had to use the Death Note's influence in order to get her to give up Kira's location, but we revived her afterwards, so the law will be able to carry out proper sentencing. In complete secrecy, of course, so as to not tip off Kira that we're on to him."

"As it should be," L agreed. Sayu opened her mouth to speak, but L continued.

"It also looks like the initial reaction to both broadcasts was in our favor. As I talked with Kira, it became harder and harder for him to justify his actions. I think people will be more satisfied with an imperfect law than with a completely arbitrary law. Additionally, an explanation of Kira's ability, as well as Taro 'dying,' has taken away some of the blind trust people have in him. It will force people to face the facts in this case. We don't have overwhelming support yet, but it will make it a lot easier to ease things back to normal once Kira has been defeated."

All good news, thought Matsuda.

"Touta, tell me where Taro is," Sayu said, with a calm that contrasted with her body language. "Now."

Agh, why do I have to break the bad news to her? Matsuda thought frantically. I'm no good at this sort of thing!

"I suspect he's gone to stop Kira himself, despite what we planned," Ryuzaki said bluntly. "That would explain why X hasn't contacted me yet."

Well, Matsuda thought, at least I'm better at it than some people.

"What!?" Sayu yelled.

"He felt it was his duty to finish this himself," Matsuda said.

"But X has training in this sort of operation, doesn't he?" Sayu demanded. "Taro should have left it to him. This is more dangerous than anything he's done before."

He knows that, Matsuda thought grimly. "He wants you to read this," he said, handing her Taro's letter.

Sayu's eyes widened, and her hands jumped to her mouth. "Is this a suicide note?"

"Whoa, no! It's not like that at all!" Matsuda stammered. Oops. "I mean...not quite."

"Touta," Sayu asked, "did you read this?" Guiltily, Matsuda nodded.

She snatched the letter out of his hand. "Idiot! You should know better than that!"

"My curiosity got the better of me," he admitted. Though, after seeing what he wrote, I wish I hadn't read it, he thought, shaking.

Frightened of what she might see, Sayu unfolded the paper and began to read.

What's taking Sabanto so long? Light thought. According to her last text and the broadcast, she had taken care of that idiot with the eraser, but there had been no word from her since then. Something was wrong.

Just thinking about the whole thing gave Light a headache. L had completely crushed him at the debate, which had been no surprise since he had engineered the whole thing. His fear-mongering and trust in police authority had led those sheep around by the nose. Ryuzaki had nitpicked anything and everything that Kira detractors could latch onto, and no matter how many times Light had told them that good people had nothing to worry about, it had been no use.

Even Sabanto's broadcast had done plenty of damage. The limited audience had made no difference: all of Kira's secrets were now all over the internet, and if people weren't satisfied with Kira's public mission statement, the final revelations of how he did things behind the scenes had made them even more discontent. The public opinion had pulled nearly a complete 180 overnight. Not to mention that the timing of when Sabanto had killed the bastard had (unintentionally, of course) made him look like some kind of martyr. No matter how he looked at it, the whole incident had been a mess from beginning to end.

"Tollon!" he snapped at his scribe.

The man jumped at the sound of his name. "Y-yes?"

"Take a break," Light ordered. "Go get a drink or something. I need to be alone for a few minutes."

"O-of course," Tollon said. He scurried out of the room.

Light chuckled. It was amusing how quickly someone as rich and influential as Carl Tollon had completely folded at Light's word. The man was completely devoted to Kira. Once Light had given him his real identity, it was clear Tollon would do anything, even give up half of his lifespan. Of course, a man so weak-willed couldn't be trusted to use his own judgment out of Light's sight, so he stayed here to officially possess the notebook, just in case anyone thought to use the shinigami eyes to check for ownership of the Death Note. Even the weak people have their uses, I guess.

"Justin," Light ordered.

"Yes?" The shinigami emerged from the closet. Light hadn't felt the need to explain Justin's existence to Tollon. The poor man probably wouldn't be able to take it.

"Is there any way for you to find Sabanto and see what she's up to? She hasn't checked in."

Justin grunted, sounding annoyed. "I could check her home, but if she's not there, I wouldn't know where to look. And if she is there it doesn't make sense that she wouldn't have contacted you."

"True," Light admitted. "Still, I-"

At that instant, the door flung open, and Tollon reappeared. "Lord Kira, have I displeased you? I-" His eyes widened and his mouth closed as he saw Justin. Then he screamed. "What is that thing!?"

"I suspect it's a shinigami," said someone standing behind Tollon.

Light's eyes narrowed. I know that voice.

Tollon fainted, revealing Light's brother-in-law.

Taro gulped. Light Yagami. After all these years. Now that he knew the man was Kira, he could tell there was something different about him. His gaze, perhaps.

"How did you get in here?" Light demanded.

Taro remained silent for a moment, his fingers gripping X's bag tightly. He was still thinking about the letter he had written to Sayu. He could see the words replaying in his mind.

"Dear Sayu,

By the time you read this, I will be dead..."

Then he spoke up. "I told him I was the new scribe Kira had hired. Judging from his reaction, I'm guessing he's your current one. As soon as I told him Kira himself had summoned me, he believed every word I said."

Light gritted his teeth. "Yes. He's not the brightest of followers. But that aside, how are you alive? I wrote your name in the Death Note."

Taro smiled, setting down the briefcase. "You should know that, in this day and age, it's not safe to give out your real name. I've used an alias ever since I graduated from high school."

"The short time that we've been together has been one of the happiest times of my life. I want you to know I realize that now. I also want you to know how ashamed I am that I never took the time to enjoy it properly..."

"Of course," Light said, nodding his understanding. All things considered, he didn't seem too shaken up upon meeting Taro. Maybe that's because he didn't know-

"So I take it you're the one who has the eraser," Light said, bluntly.

Immediately, Taro remembered the others' warnings about how smart Light was. "Always five moves ahead of everyone else," Ryuk had said. He would have to be careful.

"You have been a more caring wife than I could possibly deserve, which is why I must now tell you the whole truth. There may be no heaven or hell, but my soul, such as it is, will never be at peace unless I bare all of my sins to you at last..."

"I'll take that as a yes," Light said. "And did Ryuk give it to you?"

"Yes," Taro replied. No harm in a little conversation. "When I was 13, he gave me both the eraser and the Death Note."

"And you gave up ownership of the notebook?" Light asked. "How come?"

"It was too difficult to live with," Taro said, grimacing. "If I had kept it, I would have become tempted to do horrible things, like you have." Then he paused, recalling again that he had done some awful things.

"The truth is, the only thing that mattered to me for a long time was to see Kira defeated. To hide, to blend in, and to wait until I had the chance to right this wrong. And part of hiding was creating an illusion of normality, and what could be more normal than creating a family..."

Light had apparently caught on as well. "You mean, like sitting and doing nothing? You simply stood by and let it all happen."

"I was a kid!" Taro said, through gritted teeth.

"I'm only 3 years older than you," Light pointed out. "In this rotten world, using the Death Note was the only thing to do. When you have the power to defend true justice, the kind of justice that the rule of law can't enforce, then the only moral choice is to use that power. It was those who did nothing, like you, who made the world the diseased place that it used to be."

"But in doing so, I have committed a terrible wrong as well. I have used you. You were part of my illusion, just as you were part of Light's. I have treated you no better than your brother..."

"That's the difference between you and me," Light grinned. "I'm the god of a perfect world, free of crime, and you are still just a scared kid, chasing a kid's dream."

Taro's life flashed before his eyes. Everything he had done since that week in junior high: he saw everything, with near-perfect clarity.

"'A world with no crime,'" he repeated almost inaudibly, the words crushing him. "That's not a childish dream? A world without fear, without pain, without evil? You think that's what you've achieved?

"Look around you! This world is in worse shape than ever, because people live in fear of being killed every minute of every day. Instead of just criminals, now they have to watch out for the seemingly omnipotent man who's willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. They're so afraid of dying that they aren't really living!"

"I have robbed you of a chance to have a real husband, who could give you the real marriage and love that I could not..."

"You did this! You..."

"You've done nothing to deserve the tragedies that have befallen you. You lost your entire family to Kira, and instead of helping you out of this suffering, I have dragged you even deeper into it..."

"...we...did this..."

"I have made this even worse. Now you have learned that your husband is nothing but a liar. Only now have I truly realized the depth of this betrayal..."

"...I did this. I gave Ryuk the Death Note, and he gave it to you. If I had kept it, and not used it, none of this would have happened."

"Nothing I can do will atone for this. I deserve no pity. I expect no forgiveness..."

Light simply stared as Taro's words began to turn on himself. He had to admit, he was somewhat disappointed with this guy. Upon discovering the existence of the eraser and the Death Note's former owner, he had been looking forward to matching wits with his predecessor, so to speak. But this guy was so weak-willed, even by Light's expectations, it had taken practically no time to break him down. No fun at all. At least now, Light had no trouble believing that this joker had fearfully thrown away the Death Note.

Once Taro seemed to be finished, Light asked, "Now, how did you find me?"

"Yuu Sabanto told us everything," Taro muttered. "Your precious assistant is in jail as we speak."

Not for long, Light thought. If she hasn't actually spilled all the beans yet, she soon won't get a chance to.

"I suppose I don't need to ask what you're trying to do," Light said, folding his arms impassively. "But I really think you should think about it. You're a close family friend, so I'd rather not kill you if I don't have to. You may not like me, and that's fine, but even you must realize that what you're doing isn't the answer. You think that my way is worse. Let me tell you something."

I just have to get him to let his guard down, Light thought, remembering the backup paper in his watch. Then he's as good as dead.

"When I was a teenager, I kept up with the news all the time. I figured it was good practice, since I was planning on joining the police. But the more I heard, the more depressing it was. You were younger, so you probably didn't realize how rampant crime was in those days. It seemed like there was a brutal murder, rape, or kidnapping every day, sometimes right in broad daylight. Even if these necessary measures are a bit drastic, it's much better than the alternative."

Taro looked unconvinced, but said nothing.

"And do you think L has any better plans for the future?" Light asked. "He's just so afraid of change that he wants to keep the world right where it was, with no hope of things ever getting better. And he has no qualms about letting people die to get his way. Remember when he first appeared? If you're so concerned with the way I run things, you should see that he's even worse, especially since he sent you into danger instead of coming here himself."

"Actually," Taro said, finally, "it was my choice."

Doubtful, Light thought. Still, it might be possible that he's been putting on an act. I have to be careful.

"Trying to stop me won't make things any better," Light insisted. "You and I both know that. While I was dead, things just reverted back to the way they were. I heard all about it. You have to see it. The Death Note is the only way to save humanity."

Taro shook his head. It's almost time.

"If the Death Note is the only way to save us, then we're not worth saving," he proclaimed.

Now it was Light's turn to stand in shock. Seeing that he had his enemy's attention, Taro went on.

"Thinking that I could bring back those you had killed was a childish dream, you were right about that. And it was a dangerous one: if not for that desire, you would have stayed dead for good. But it was dangerous for another reason: just like the notebook, the eraser holds too much power for anyone to have. I too thought I could play god, just in a different way than you did. Neither of these things belong in our world. What does that say about us if we can't survive without them? The human race has lasted a good many years without the help of the Death Note, and we will continue to do so. And if we can't go on, if we can't fix our world without the shinigami's interference, then we deserve to become extinct."

Then Taro reached inside his jacket. Light's eyes widened, suddenly suspicious. "Now, Justin!" he screamed.

Taro jumped at the sudden shout. Then he felt strong hands seize both of his wrists at his side. Tollon? He looked down at his arms, but didn't see anything there. Oh no! I forgot about the shinigami! he realized. Five moves ahead. Taro was starting to get worried.

"Check him," Light ordered. Taro felt his body being patted down by the invisible creature. How could the shinigami have slipped his mind? He just had to delay Light for a few more minutes, but this could throw a wrench in the whole thing. Especially if-

The shinigami reached into Taro's left jacket pocket and pulled out its contents for Light's inspection.

A pistol.

Light smiled. "You sneaky bastard. You thought you could just waltz in here and kill me? Nice try, but it was hopeless from the beginning. And now that you've just tried to attempt murder, it's time for you to be judged." He opened his watch, and reached for a pen, very leisurely. It wasn't like there was any hurry.

Taro quietly let out the breath he was holding, which Light was fortunately too relaxed to notice now. His message to Sayu continued to echo in his head.

"But it is too late for me. That is the other truth that I kept from you.."

"Neither of us belong here," Taro said. "Two men who dared to be god, and set the world out of balance."

"The day that Ryuzaki died in the river, Matsuda saw Light's lifespan. He saw that Light and I have the exact same amount of time left. We will both die on October 22nd, 2013. One way or another, our destinies are intertwined..."

Ignoring Taro's rambling, Light called out for Tollon, who had finally come to his senses and was hiding behind Taro. "What's his real name?"

"T-taro K-kagam-mi," Tollon stuttered.

"I am the one who will kill Light. Or else he will kill me. But we will both die. That is the way it was always meant to be..."

T...a...r...o...

"I wish we both could have lived normal lives, Light," Taro went on. "But that thing has ruined us. This has to end."

What is that idiot babbling about? thought Light. K...a...g...

Wait. Something's wrong.

"I wish I didn't have to cause you more grief. I have already caused enough of that. But I will not lie to you anymore. This is who I am, and what I have done to you..."

"Tollon!" Light barked, displaying a confidence he did not feel. "Check his bag!"

Taro smiled peacefully.

"I know it is too much to ask to be remembered with fondness that I have not earned..."

"I don't know the future, Light, " Taro assured him. "But whatever it is, it will be a fate of humanity's own choosing."

"The only gift I can give you now is that perhaps, once Kira and I are gone, your life will be free of our influence forever. If that can in some way contribute to happiness in your future, then some part of my huge debt may be repaid..."

"Lord Kira, there's...I mean, it's..." Tollon gasped, shaking uncontrollably.

"Spit it out!" Light ordered.

"It looks like a bomb!"

"I wish you the best life you can have. You deserve nothing less..."

"Where's the detonator!?" Light screamed. "Never mind!" he yelled, as Tollon continued to panic. "Throw it out the window! Quickly!"

Too late, Taro thought. It's on a timer, not a detonator. And time's up.

"With all the love I have left to give..."

"Goodbye, Sayu," Taro whispered. "I'm sorry."

"...Taro"

Then a blinding light filled the room, swallowing up everything.

Sayu looked up from the paper, with tears in her eyes. She was shocked by its brutal honesty: she could certainly understand his reluctance to open up to her about this. And yet...

As sad as she was about his plan, and as frustrated as she was that he had kept that from her until the very end, she couldn't stay angry with him now. He had confessed himself completely to her (and Matsuda, unintentionally, she remembered), and that itself was one of the human connections that he claimed to have not made. Despite his undeniable flaws, he had sold himself too short: he underestimated the impact he had made on the world. On her. And she would miss him.

She saw that Matsuda was almost fuming. The letter had had a very different effect on him, as he had not had any inkling of Taro's secret until reading it (while Sayu had already begun to cope with the fact that her husband was not all he appeared to be), and was outraged on her behalf. But she merely held up her hand, and said, "It's alright. Let's not begrudge him this in his death. He's been through a lot."

"So have you," Matsuda reminded her. "So has everyone."

"But that doesn't give us the right to judge him," Sayu murmured. "His suffering has been of a very different kind than ours. And just because everyone else has been affected by this tragedy, it doesn't lessen the plight of any one individual. Just because we have been hurt doesn't mean he has been hurt any less."

Matsuda sighed, and lowered his gaze. "Well, if you're not angry with him, there's no reason for me to be, I suppose."

Sayu nodded. "He may not have loved me the way I wanted him to, even though I think we could have made it work, in the end. But if he feels that doing this will give him purpose, then I can still be happy for him."

Matsuda was impressed. "You really are a very forgiving person, Sayu."

"You all are."

Both of them looked at Ryuzaki, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, staring at his feet. "That's what separates you two and Taro from myself and Light. You all see the best in humanity, its good nature, its potential to grow, change, and thrive. Light and I have remained fixed on the bad: he spent his life thinking humanity could never overcome its flaws on its own. And over all my years of chasing criminals, and seeking cases involving more...unique perpetrators, I have a more jaded view of the world. I can see men's greed, their lust, their desire to take and plunder. The goodness is there, but every day it becomes foggier." He then stood up straight and looked each of them in the eye. "People like you are the ones who can inspire real change, instead of just cleaning up the same mess day after day, whether by manhunts or vigilantism."

Matsuda and Sayu looked at each other, unsure what to make of Ryuzaki's statement. "Um...thanks," Matsuda said finally.

"Well," Ryuzaki said, "I wish you good luck." Then he turned towards the door of the apartment and began walking.

"Wait!" Sayu called out. "Where are you going?"

"Retirement. It's time for me to leave the forefront. If there is one lesson I've failed to grasp over the years, it's that superior intellect breeds superior competition. Where there is a Holmes, a Moriarity will eventually rise up. We beat him this time, but that is the end of my role. If there is one thing I cannot do, it is inspire people to do good by my example. My heart is not so pure. So I leave it in your capable hands."

Sayu and Matsuda stood in stunned silence.

"Besides, I suspect I'm not long for this world," Ryuzaki said. Matsuda averted his gaze, a little too conspicuously. "I've been living on borrowed time since Taro brought me back to life, and while I am grateful for the chance to help once again, I believe it will soon be time for me to join the two of them. And if I retire, X is free to live a life of his own choosing, rather than keep L alive.

"L is dead."

Then the great detective passed through the door, and left their sight. And in the silence that followed, with neither the widow nor the cop ready to speak, they both clearly heard the screech of tires and metal from downstairs. But neither of them went to the window to see. There was no need.

"L is dead," Matsuda finally said, a tear in his eye. Then he turned to look at Sayu. "What now?"

"For now, I want to go to my family's house in the country," Sayu replied quietly. "I have some mourning to do for my parents, my husband, and my brother, and I want to be alone."

"I understand," Matsuda nodded. "Just know that Kei and I will always be here if you need us."

"Thank you. I have no doubt I will need you both." Then she traced Ryuzaki's path out the door.

Leaving Matsuda alone, with nothing but the charge Ryuzaki had given him.

"I'm just one man," he said to himself. "I don't have a Death Note or lots of smarts, or any kind of special power. What can I do to change the world?"

Then he asked himself.

"What would the Chief do?"

He thought about his old friend Chief Yagami, who had never backed down in the face of impossible odds, had never wavered an inch in the midst of evil beyond his knowledge, and had never shied away from even the most horrible notion that his son was a murderer, when so many men would have lost sight of their hope or their ideals.

That's it, he vowed. The Chief and Aizawa are gone, so I'll become the head of the department, and I'll set the example from there. I know the system has flaws, but I'll be able to change them from the inside. I'll be just like the Chief: just as brave as he was. And even if it does no good, I won't stop trying to make my corner of the world a better place. Not until the day I die.

Taro opened his eyes.

Is this death? No, it was too bright. Besides, he knew what death was. Nothingness.

He tried to move, and excruciating pain immediately splintered across his body. He tried to scream, but even the wisps of air hurt in his throat. He couldn't look down at the damage, but all things considered, it was probably better that way.

So I'm not dead yet, he thought. I just have to lie in agony for my last moments. What a world.

"You've looked better, Taro," said a voice from above. An unearthly face peered down into his own.

"Ryuk..." he wheezed.

"That's right," said the shinigami. "Looks like you've taken care of things here."

Taro just stared. It was really all he could do.

"Everything is wrapped up," Ryuk said. "All of the Death Note materials were completely destroyed in the explosion, just like you planned."

"Light..."

"In worse shape than you," Ryuk replied. "He's still alive, but he won't be for long. Tollon was killed instantly. And Justin-that's the other shinigami, by the way-has gone back to our realm. It's all over."

Ended at last. Taro sighed. For the first time in many years, he felt a huge weight life off of his shoulders. "What...about...you?" he asked the shinigami.

Ryuk looked up at the sky wistfully. "The human world has been fun. Both you and Light have made things very interesting. I'd say I've gotten a look at both sides of human nature through the two of you. He was magnificent in life, but you faced death with much more courage than he ever did. Both of you are...somewhat inspiring, in your own way.

"Someday, maybe in a few centuries, I'll be back for more adventures. But now it's time for me to go. I need to use the Death Note myself; my lifespan is getting a bit short." He laughed.

Taro guessed there was no point in trying to persuade him not to kill: that's just who he was.

Then Ryuk paused. He looked back down at Taro, and Taro swore that something seemed different about him. He looked...a little sad.

"I guess this is it," he said. He pulled out his own Death Note. "This book is a bridge between our two worlds. It's the only way that a shinigami can really meet a human. So when two people like us meet, a very special bond is formed. Part of that bond is that, when it's time for you to die, I'm the one who will write your name in my Death Note."

Taro smiled.

"Something to...remember me...by," he murmured.

"Exactly," said Ryuk, grinning his wide grin. "Then, in a few hundred years, I'll be able to look down at your name and remember all of this. It wouldn't have been possible without you."

The bad or the good, Taro thought.

Ryuk scribbled in the Death Note. "There. You'll have a painless death in 40 seconds. It's the least I can do."

Suddenly, Taro could breath. He could still tell that his life was slipping away, but he no longer felt broken. He was a new man.

"You know, Ryuk," he said. "I've misjudged you. As a kid, I always thought of you as some evil mastermind who just wanted to rain death upon the world. But you're not such a bad guy after all. You just have a different point of view than I do."

Ryuk nodded. "I guess we've both learned a lot from each other." He spread his wings. "You take care now. Not like there's anything left to worry about," he laughed as he departed.

Taro closed his eyes and whispered. Even though there was no one still there to hear him.

"I have no more regrets."

And that's all, folks. Thanks to everyone who stayed with this story through all of its ups and downs and ridiculously long breaks. Special thanks to X59, who never backed down from from giving helpful reviews. I hope you enjoyed it, man.

As of this moment, I'm stepping down from my fanfiction writing, at least for a while. I'll still check this site from time to time and I may be back with more stories someday, but I've moved on to a different phase of my writing career now. It's been a fun two years, and all of you have been great.

If you're interesting in reading some of my other works that are not on this site, check out my account at FictionPress (same name). I've got two plays published there, and I'll be in a Creative Writing this semester, so you can probably expect to see more material appear there. Be sure to give me lots of feedback.

Thanks again to all you for making my first venture into internet writing worthwhile!

This is Marcus Absent, signing off.