(A/N: Written for the 12daysChristmas LiveJournal challenge, prompt "eight fairy tales". Inspired by Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.)

There was no one else in the apartment except the dripping of taps and the hum of traffic and the faint twitching of curtains and yet. And yet, Raito couldn't stop walking from room to room. He only managed not to check in cupboards or behind doors because that was for people who had guilt to hide.

He had just got into bed and was trying to read when he heard the clink of chain.

All the other noises could be explained away by neighbours or settling houses, but this one was a genuine oddity.

(And it took him back.)

He got out of bed and listened, and heard it again, from the kitchen. Jingle, and then the thud of a cupboard door. And soft, padding footsteps.

(He doesn't call the police, because he is Kira and doesn't need them, does he?)

Instead he walked up to the kitchen door, which was closed now, and listened. The sounds stopped and listened back.

And a voice said, "I am well aware that you are listening, Raito-kun. Please, come in."

And so he did.

L was crouched on the kitchen table, holding a packet of sugar lumps which he'd clearly taken from the nearby cupboard. The streetlight from the window was behind him, turning his skin into paper.

"You're dead," said Raito, stepping forward, "and those are not your sugar lumps."

"Oh, come now, Raito-kun. We've both stolen things, haven't we?" A faint crunching as he popped another sugar lump into his mouth. "I am interested to see how you'll behave towards me now there isn't so much to hide."

"You're supposed to be dead," Raito said, gritting his teeth because he doesn't make mistakes. "What are you doing here?"

L tilted his head to one side - in the shadow that was his face Raito knew those huge eyes would be watching - and raised his free hand. Clink. He was still wearing the handcuffs. The chain was piled up on the table and Raito followed it with his eyes until he saw it stopped almost at his feet.

"You always knew that we would be linked together forever, didn't you?" L said.

"Don't talk nonsense."

"I'm not. You're even wearing my name. Anyway, you are my first friend. Do you have any hot chocolate?"

"Ryuzaki," Raito said, not meaning to use that name, "get to the point."

"You're walking very close to the edge, you know," L said. "I suppose you always did. But the situation is critical now. I'm only trying to turn you back, just a little."

"I don't believe you. All you've ever wanted to do is catch Kira. I suppose it's not unlikely you'd try and do that from beyond the grave, so don't pretend you're concerned for my welfare."

"Very well," L said. He popped the last few sugar lumps into his mouth, and, through them, said, "At three points during this night you'll be visited by people you may remember who will attempt to demonstrate to you the error of your ways. Pretty standard, really. If you aren't interested and would prefer to put it down to dreams brought on by the stress of being Kira, then that's fine, but please don't start blaming me when you wake up afterwards."

He scrambled down from the table, the light glowing on his bare feet. Clink. Raito would not back away even as the chain trailed across his toes. L stood in front of him, the light brighter now. Then he turned to look at it. It should have glowed on his face, but there was nothing but shadow.

Raito next found himself lying in bed, the sheets half off and cold air pinching his feet. And yes, when he went out to the kitchen and checked, he had run out of sugar lumps, but he couldn't swear that he'd actually bought any, and it would be stupid to believe in ghosts on that evidence alone. It was now one o'clock.