Author's Note: The story was re-posted as I made some small changes in it, as well as corrected mistakes in writing.

It was lunch time but Light wasn't eating. Currently he was absorbed by hilarious, or some would say by the look on his face, unhealthy observations of a certain creature. Well, rather a certain human being to be honest... Light was disgusted and engrossed, fascinated in the same time by the... spectacle taking place in front of him. Ryuuzaki was wrapping strawberry jelly laces around his tongue. And he didn't need his other hand to do that. Just this... dexterous tongue of his. It wasn't eating anymore. It really was like a performance or at least something having many in common with it. It couldn't be normal! It has to be some kind of a swerve, fixation. He was about to ask Ryuuzaki bluntly what was the cause of it, just wanting the man to stop his strange ministrations, but Watari's face suddenly appeared on L's computer screen and it effectively stopped his, somewhat silly, intent.

"L, there was another murder. I am sending you the exact location. The rest of the team will be informed shortly. The car is waiting in front of the building already."

"Thank you, Watari. I and Light-kun will be down in a minute." - the older man nodded as usually and disappeared from the screen. - "Light-kun is forced to eat his lunch later, I think. There is a dead body waiting for us in the West Tokyo Library..."

And there was... But it wasn't the only one. Because this time there were two bodies. Two women. Killed in the same way as the previous victim. Dismembered and connected with metal rods. However the picture was different. Bodies were telling another story, a new one... They were placed in the middle of the library's hall, facing the door, so if someone would enter the building, he would have been immediately greeted by this... sculpture. Light thought that these women were purposely juxtaposed.

One had astonishingly, inconceivably fair hair and ivory, unblemished skin, the other could be compared to a bronze statue with her hair jet black, like the darkest depths of the human mind and heart. While the first woman was dressed in a pitch-black robe, making her even more pale, ghostly white, the second one had a white robe, dissenting substantially from her dark, brass-like skin. Eyes, azure and succulent green, were the only parts of their faces visible from behind the golden masks, comic and tragic, which they were holding in their hands, making it impossible to read almost a single thing from their expression. They were standing close to each other, probably because of the bronze globe resting in the cradle made of their outstretched hands. The globe representing the Earth. Women's eyes were fixed on it intensely, like they were trying to posses it, or maybe it has already been in their possession... Who could have known that?

There was another thing that Light was trying to comprehend at this moment. Why was comedy wearing black and tragedy white? It should have been the opposite, right? But here they were, in this deadly but god-like glory, confusing them, daring them to look for the unspoken once again. All of this was so surreal that Light had to ask Ryuuzaki if he saw it to...

"Oh, I see it quite clearly, Light-kun. But I cannot exactly say that it stunned or surprised me. After all, there is consequence in what's before us. I am even certain that we can find connection with Greek mythology here. I actually think that this women are the Muses, ancient goddesses of art and science. Concluding from their attributes, masks, we probably see Thalia, goddess of comedy and Melpomene, goddess of tragedy. Why they're holding the globe together? Normally it was Urania who held it, since she was the goddess of astronomy... It's something to be explained yet."

"How do you know all of this, Ryuuzaki-kun?"

"I have wide breadth of knowledge, Light-kun. I told you that I have been educated thoroughly. Besides, it's not uncommon to know something like that if you're interested in literature and theatre, for example. You don't have to be an expert in mythology. Many things are connected..."

"Well, it looks like I should broaden my horizons a little bit..." - Light only raised his eyebrow, smirking slightly. - "Back to the kernel of the case, we should actually move and look for evidence. Maybe will have some luck and our murderer had forgotten about something this time..."

"It could be... Let's look then. We'll examine the bodies and the others will check the room. We have no time to waste..." - Ryuuzaki said and quickly move to talk with the rest of the present team and give them orders.

Light thought that they looked similar to him. Definitely stunned but also afraid of what the future could bring... It wasn't an open fear for their own lives. It was rather an oblique fright tracing subtle lines of uncertainty on their faces, revealing some of the questions harrowing them. How many victims before they'll catch the perpetrator? Will the number increase constantly? Is it a woman or a man? Who is it? Did I see him or her on the street on a sunny, cloudless day when I was going for some fresh milk or he is hiding somewhere, leaving his den only for the hunt? Why...?

There were no answers, merely assumptions and speculations for now. Though they won't let this fright overcome them. Well, Light won't... It will be there, probably not leaving his side but he'll silence it, diminish it to a whisper when it will become to loud and make it his motivation when his current one, simple wish for justice and peaceful life, won't be strong enough. And this certain one will surely do. Because Light hated to be weak, especially when his weakness ensued from fear or uncertainty.

It was something entirely else when you could see your enemy, know that it had a certain shape. But human with his emotions was sometimes his biggest foe itself and Light had to admit it, albeit very reluctantly. After all, he tried to convince Ryuuzaki that emotions weren't his mortal enemy and that statement could be like a stud to his own casket. Light knew that Ryuuzaki has been aware of that already and he just didn't think about that in connection with their previous case. Light wasn't a moron, so he kept his mouth shut about that little detail and his own feelings about that matter... Thoughtfully, all of this become temporarily insignificant because there was something to do he was the best at... hard, meticulous work.

And it paid off. After about three hours of comprehensive examination Light had finally found a clue, to be precise, two fingerprints under Comedy's, as they called her for now, ear, sufficiently defined to diagnose to whom they belonged to. But as one of his British acquaintances said, you don't count your chickens before they hatched, as to not be disappointed. Besides, Light actually had some common sense and he knew that reality was probably to crude to made their work that easy... And, as he and Ryuuzaki suspected earlier, there would be no such fingerprints in any database to compare them with. But if they will... No! When they will catch the murderer, those fingerprints will become an actual evidence and help them to convict the culprit for his atrocious, inhuman acts. That was enough to make Light pleased for now...

If you start to pretend something, someone in any way possible, you'll way to easily, to quickly become someone you're not. You'll start to believe into your own lies, to believe into something you didn't want to believe no matter what. You'll lose yourself for something you don't even understand completely. For something black, untrue, hidden under beautiful words, ideas, visions...You'll become the lie itself. And when you'll want to turn back to the one you knew then you'll realize it may be to late for you... Because who have you been before? Who were you now? How to find yourself when your mind and heart keep silent? Will the remain pieces of 'you' fit together?

How to fight against your own defeat? Is it even possible? Is it worth trying? The shreds of your old self, the shreds of your heart, mind and... soul will be all that's left. Only sherds... That's how it will be.

L couldn't see that so vividly earlier or he didn't want to. But he could see it now. Light made him realize it... Was it really to late to do something, to react, to change? And there supposed to be this... friendship thing between him and Light. He looked at the boy, sitting at the table and eating his late lunch with the corner of his eye. It shouldn't be important for him as L. It was with no guaranteed benefit for him. He wasn't even capable of counting percentage in this situation. If it won't work, it could have negative influence on his work for sure because of his partnership with Light. The question was... how big?

Being honest with himself, he had to concede that vision of his relations with Light developing was far more disturbing than a possible fiasco. And it rang an alarm bell in his head. It shouldn't be that way... He should have been emotionless about it, it should make no difference for him. But it did. Somehow it did. And he hadn't got a slightest idea what to do about it... Maybe for once in his life he should 'go with the flow'...? Even if it wasn't something calculative, thoroughly thought-out. Consequences of his decision will reveal itself in time, there was no doubt about it... L sighed, breathed deeply and turned to Light, gnawing at his left thumb.

"What would Light-kun say for some cake and coffee and after that maybe a nice play of chess with me?"