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His heels made a clicking noise as they collided with the marble floor of the church. The noise echoed throughout the building - and for the unobservant man it would be the only sound to be heard - but L was no such man. He heard the quiet murmuring. He had yet to come close to the source, but he suspected that it might be of a priest or a lonely soul not unlike himself.
L Lawliet wasn't much a man of faith – but because of recent events however he had felt the need for comfort, that maybe whatever god if he existed will be by his side in these troubling times.
He had quickly walked through the beautiful halls and reached the front. Who he found was quite a surprise, it was someone he was familiar with. It wasn’t a pleasant surprise however. The man had taken off his white wig, so you could see his short golden-brown hair, he was as well dressed as always - perfect carvat and buttons, he looked elegant and beautiful.
He wasn’t praying, he was observing the beauty of the church, – all of its’ statues and paintings. He was looking deep in thought, playing with a red apple in his hands, looking as if ascending to another realm.
For L it was astounding seeing Light like this, god only knows what Light did behind closed doors. He knew, for he had watched him, for he had been right beside him. Beside him in court, while he mercilessly destroyed his opponents. He had seen him, with the likes of the most unholy – the silly bankers, the aristocrats and the manipulators which has seen no likes. Light was initiated into them, the freemasons, he dined together with the classes who would sell their soul to damnation for money and fame.
L was a man of science, he didn’t believe in the notion of magic the masons claimed to study. He believed in man and his own ability. If there was such a thing as gods and magic, he thought they made a damn good job of being unseen and unused. They simply used academic and religious study as an excuse to meet up, the richest of society, to plot and be degenerates. The Light he knew thought the same, before all this nonsense. Before the fateful day Lights smiles turned into smirks, when he stopped being bored and started using people as a maestro uses his orchestra.
Mikami Teru was a wealthy lawyer, much like himself and Light, was one of Lights very devoted instruments. They met as freemasons, a few of the ones from Light’s lodge that is still alive. The corruption that reeks from the so-called intellectuals of the masons, was something he had always despised. So did Light, and L was convinced he still did. As the corrupt bankers, the violent aristocrats who took what and whoever they wanted – started dropping dead. Not long after men started dropping dead, at a rate that was unseen since the days of the plague. But it wasn’t just the poor and unfed dying, the upper classes seemed to suffer the same.
The worried society, looking for a cure, never worried Light and his orchestra.
Lady Takada, an upper-class lady, deluded in the idea of intellectual superiority and deemed herself worthier than the hardworking men of the farm and the men of the upper class as well. But the ladies of the night seemed to spark her sneer more than anything, a shame to her gender she called them, believing that women who kneeled and surrendered themselves to the power of men – could never achieve liberation. The irony being that she herself had surrendered herself, her liberty, into the hand of a man.
But there was one more instrument in the orchestra, who was the cause of all the troubles and excitement L felt at the moment. Misa Amane, who was well known by her elegant parties and dresses. She was deemed one of the most beautiful women in the world, and not without reason. She had the hearts of many suitors in her hand, one of them being Higuichi – a rich noble man.
He had come to her domain with the purpose of marriage, and come out as a corpse. The story goes that being denied his loved one he went crazy and stabbed himself to death right in front of her, as there was little suspicion that anything else went on nothing more came out of it. But L felt something was wrong, very wrong. He couldn’t shake the feeling after seeing Light on Higuchis funeral, he didn’t shed one tear, and L knew Light as well as his back hand – he saw the way Lights eyes shone with pure satisfaction. And how soon enough an engagement between Misa and Light came afterwards.
In investigating L could not close his eyes to the obvious fact – Misa Amane killed Higuchi, but why she did it was a mystery at first. He saw no reason for her to do it, maybe in self defense if he turned violent – but then why lie?
Higuchi’s house was massive, he liked to decorate his rooms with foreign paintings and furniture, but his office was a simple one with a few bookshelves and a desk. Hidden in the masses of documents lied something that shook L. It was clear evidence of fraud and tax evasion by none other than Light himself.
It wasn’t Hard to figure out the rest, Higuchi threatened to take Light to court. But he did this without knowing that Misa Amane in her devoted love would do anything for Light – murder included. Her reward for the action was as she saw it eternal love.
At one of Misa’s lavish parties, he wasn’t having a great time as expected. Light was just as bored as him, but as the great actor he was he put on a show catching the eye of all the audience. He was engaging in meaningless conversations, L had to shake the bitterness out of his heart, him and Light never had meaningless conversations.
Misa, in her drunkenness, demanded that everyone would stand up and dance to celebrate her engagement. Taking his chance L snuck into Misa’s room, unnoticed, and was not surprised to find – he was expecting, hoping, really, the girl had a diary. And within it lied the evidence to confirm his suspicion, he saw no other choice but to take them to court.
He left the party without bidding goodbye and had a concealed diary.
Once he could not imagine living in a world without Light, for it would be very dark, but there was no looking back now. L shook the memories out of his head. And looked at Light, his morning star, once again.
''It's a surprise to see you here, Light.'' L said, hiding his intent of the comment with a friendly tone.
Light was of course no fool, he rose from the bench, leaving the apple there, but did not turn his head around to look at the other man. His eyes were set on the beautiful painting depicting the lord and his angels.
''It shouldn't be, really,'' Light turned around and gave him his ever so beautiful smile ''Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do, Ryuuzaki''
L ignored the stab at his heart and kept his head high. ''Is there even something to get to know?''
Light scoffed and looked into the other mans eyes, “Isn’t that hypocritical of you ‘Ryuuzaki’, accusing someone else of pretense whilst you go by a fake identity yourself”
Not being able to hide his shock L just stared at Light, “How?”
Light was silent and turned around to look at the painting once again. ''A man who does not fear God's judgement is merely a fool''
“Do you truly fear gods judgment? I find that hard to believe, your actions speak louder than words”, L’s eyes drifted towards the painting of Jesus lying dead in Mary’s arms.
Light looked at the painting one final time and the closed his eyes, the air around them got cold and the pretense of friendliness dropped. “You should not speak of things you do not know of, Ryuuzaki my dear old friend, for-“
“What is there else to know but murder and tax evasion – you’ve become as corrupt as the men you doomed in court” L interrupted, fire in his eyes. “You call me your dear old friend, but I wonder where my old friend has gone”
“I have seen it with my own eyes, the horrible lies and sins these men commit, it would only be the kindest to them and their family to let them be cleansed by fire.'' Light said, spite clear in his voice, “How can I support a Monarchy who allows this sin and corruption to happen? A rule who engages in it openly – where is the justice in that??
“Is that how you justify it? Don’t you see that in the end hell is where you will find yourself” a sadness went through L. “You know I have to take to court”
Light Laughs, “I know for certain I will never see hell, don’t you worry, nor do I fear your court. What about Misa? Are you really going to make her face this punishment, of being imprisoned all her life?” Light said, without showing any emotions. But if looked closely enough you could see a spark in his eyes.
“You know I have to… Did you really have to do this my old friend?” It wasn’t as much of a question as it was a statement.
Both looking deep into each other’s eyes, Light stepped closer and they soon were inches apart. “I used to be a man with no beliefs, I just to believe in raw intellect as yourself – I believed in man. But my fate took me elsewhere, I had no choice but to realize that the world did not need to follow the flawed justice system set up by humans, I now know the world needed a God, a god of the court who’s judges so that the good people of the world never needed to be in fear. A world where justice prevails.”
“Enough, for I can no longer bear to hear your madness – there’s no such thing as the god you are speaking of! The god we have gave us disease, he gave us liars and cheats – he gave us death and wars.” L took a hold of Lights cravat, forcing them to look deeply eyes to eye.
“Death is the gift of God,” Light closed his eyes and smirked “You shall see that soon my friend, what Gods judgement feels like”
“So you say, but I dare say you will feel the justice after my judgement” L said, slowly letting go of the cravat, “but this doesn’t make me feel holy, nor blessed by the gods.”
The tension in the room dropped, “Ryuuzaki” Light whispered, looking into the eyes of his friend, the way he used to – before this mess. “Do not be saddened, for we both know justice must prevail, no matter the cost” Enchanted by the moment, L could not contain himself, he captures the lips of his companion in a kiss, whilst his hands lied on the other man’s cheeks.
Returning the kiss, with an equal amount of passion, Light fists his hand into L’s hair. The kiss ended, Light freed L from his embrace, the hands on his cheeks did not return the favor however. A sharp pain then made itself known in L’s chest, he fell unto the floor, captured then by Lights embrace. The painting of Mary and Jesus fresh into his mind, he looks up to see his friend smirking. Oh how he hated that smirk.
In his final moment, he looked upon the bench and wondered when the red apple of sin was eaten, and if his morning star would join him in the afterlife. Light gently laid his corpse on the church floor, kissing it one final time.
Light arose, took his wig up from the bench and set it upon his head again. He started walking towards the exit while fixing the carvat and his navy-blue jacket. Passing by a pile of grey sand, the corpse of a god, the smirk never leaving his face,
‘’One who does not fear my judgement I merely a fool’’.