Shattering value
L slowly picked the fragile notes and attached them together with the special thread. He carefully sew the notes with its front and back cover to form a note book. Then, he knotted it neatly before cutting off the remaining thread.
"Familiar, isn't it?" he questioned his watcher and placed the black notebook on the pile. However, the brunette wasn't listening. Instead, he was trying to get some rest after coming back from travelling to Europe in one night to pick up another new ghost who had died hanging himself on the tree.
L poked the ghostly figure with his unearthly finger. "Oi, are you there?" he asked. Raito blinked and forced himself wide awake even though he could hardly keep up with the raven haired boy.
"Familiar, isn't it?" L repeated his unanswered question. Raito observed the pile of black notebook. Since when did L was working on those?
"In case you've forgotten, this is a death note", L reminded. Raito looked more intently. So, this is where the death note had been produced. Was this place is a factory for this kind of notebook?
"Hades told me, we manufactured the books for the Shinigami, not every year but whenever the king of the king sends him an order for the books. It seems that they have run out of it so they need more stocks", L explained.
"Interesting", Raito picked one of them and flipped the page open. The books were neatly made; very different from the previous one. The pages were also cleaner. Maybe, this was how L likes to work, always keeping his product in the best quality.
A few moments later, old James emerged from the granite wall and sat next to L. "Adieus, partner. What'cha got there?"
"A couple of death notes", L continued to attach the next piece. His hand gracefully dancing on the pages as he checked the number of pages on the notebook; he didn't want to make a slightest mistake or he would be facing the fuming Hades later.
A bad contribution would cost his liberty. He would rather be free roaming the earth rather than stuck in on dull place of nothingness.
Raito watched old James approaching him. When he was so close, the old ghost punched his elbow and cackled like mad. "What d'ya like!" he exclaimed and carry on cackling until his stomach ache.
It was madness; Raito didn't understand why James had to laugh at him like that. Every single of his visits, he had never missed a chance to snigger at him. The boy scratched his non itching hair in total confusion.
After that, like any other of his visits, he would go away which was a relief to Raito.
"What's wrong with him?" he asked under his breathe. L heard him but he focused on his job that needed to be done by midnight. "Give me a hand, will you?" requested L politely. If he wanted Raito to work under him, he would need to treat him better, even though at first he was thinking of torturing the boy for revenge but they needed each other for quite a long time and having a bad impression would be gratefully superfluous.
Raito took out another needle and started helping L. He managed to sew his first notebook after a ten times doing it wrongly. Then, he did the second and third rightly before he gave up on the fourth because of his exhaustion.
When he tried to sleep, old James drifted in again and hit his head with one of the notebook. "You're being to kind on him, L", James said and perched on the side table where the two were working.
"Someone with his mirror broken shouldn't be treated that way", he added and started laughing like mad again. "Mirror?" asked Raito uncertain of what James was mentioning.
"That's right. Mirror is the value of the person. What human always know as pride", James tangled the thread that L was using.
"Gosh, L. You look alike to Mandy Hoodwinked", cried James. The way L was sorting out with the sewing kits reminded him of the tailor's wife in his village. She should be long gone by now. The tailor wife who he had once confessed his love to her had rejected him for good which had led to the fight against Harry, Mandy's husband. Of course, James lost or he wouldn't be there with L and Raito.
"James, enough of talking. Go to your place already", L shooed him for good. James pouted but drifted heavy heartedly away from them.
Raito spied L's dull expression. He was looking as solemn as ever.
"Something's wrong?" Raito offered a comfort. L ignored him and put away the last death notes on the pile. Then, he lifted the load to the main antechamber where Hades was finishing filing the names in order.
"They're done", L placed the notebooks on the floor and left without words. In fact, Hades was also too busy to chat with him. Therefore, wandering around would be a good way to kill the time.
Raito caught up with him. He was still thinking about the mirror.
He decided to question L.
"L, what is this mirror?" and L stopped himself. He turned to look at Raito furiously. He disliked the fact that someone would be asking about the mirror. The word mirror was irritating.
"Don't think about it. Everybody knows that it is just a legend. It's not real", he said. "It's not real", he repeated and Hades voice called out from the antechamber to give him another duty.
Want to know if the mirror is real or not, reviews! Thanks to elomelotorn pieces, and capturedangel225 for the kind reviews on previous chapter.
