Light sat up in his bed and looked around, no one seemed to be in the area, even though it was still dark outside. He opened the door to a long hallway, staring down the empty hallway, he called out, "Hello?" He sighed when he heard Sayu giggle, "It's not funny, Sayu…" He stood in front of the first door and pushed it open, no one was there. He turned his head when he saw a glimpse of Sayu out of the corner of his eye.
He walked towards the figure that disappeared into Caspian's room. He walked passed a door that was wide open, a flash of lightning lit the room and the horrific beast and the toothy grin it gave him. Thin, jet black, wings spread out throughout the empty room, he could hear incoherent whispers from the beast, as it gave a clown like grin. Light widened his eyes and lightly ran to the room that the figure of Sayu walked into. He sighed a brief moment of relief to see Sayu crouching in the center of an empty room. "Sayu…"
"The piper has come… Where do the children hide? …Here they are…" Sayu stood and turned around. A deep red pool began to surround her feet.
Light backed away from her slowly with an expression of fear as she grew taller and her hair started to fall out. The face had no eyes, nose or mouth, the hair fell from the head as if being cut from inside the skull. A hand reached out and grabbed Light's shoulder firmly. Light closed his eyes tightly and screamed. Another hand reached out and grabbed his other shoulder and began to shake him. A mouth tore open from the fleshy bandage over the lips and howled horrifically, screaming his name over and over again.
Light snapped his eyes open after having his arms pinned to his sides. He searched the room frantically with tears streaming down his face. His eyes snapped towards his name, "Light…" Beyond pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay. You're okay." Light attempted to pull away, "Light! Wake up! You're safe! No one wants to hurt you!"
Light shook his head violently and started to flail his legs slightly before abruptly calming himself after his head was pulled into Beyond's shoulder. Light twitched slightly, still not fully awakened from his dream state he latched onto Beyond's neck and bit down.
Beyond tightened his grip on Light and winced, "I'm not letting you go! I don't care if you break skin!"
Light seemed to still and slowly release pressure from his jaw, he snapped too and pulled away from Beyond to the corner of his bed against the corner of the walls. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I… I'm sorry!" Light covered his face with his hands and began to shake.
Beyond sighed and sat next to him and pulled him gently into his arms, "It's okay. You didn't mean it. What did you see?" Light buried his face into Beyond's collar bone and shook his head quickly. "Light, please? Tell me."
Light took a deep but shaky breath, "I was here… I think, I don't know, all the furniture was gone and no one was here, I heard Sayu laugh so I followed her, then I saw this thing in one of the rooms and it scared me so I ran after Sayu… But it wasn't her… It was him…"
Anthony blinked a couple of times, holding his cheek that had been struck in Light's flailing. A deep bruise already forming below his brilliant blue eye. "Him?"
Light tightened his grip on Beyond's shirt and cried, "I don't want to die!"
Beyond held Light a little tighter, "I won't let that happen. C won't let that happen. You're safe, did you ever see his face?"
Light shook his head, "When he turned around there was no face… Just a mouth that was screaming my name over and over again." Light started to shake a little again.
Beyond sighed and rested his chin on the top of Light's head, "He can't hurt you, he's gone. Your imagination is just playing cruel tricks on your mind… You're not going to die. I promise, not for a long, long time." He gently rubbed Light's back.
Light closed his eyes and relaxed a little, "I'm sorry if I hurt you, A…"
Anthony waved it off, "B broke my jaw when he first came and had a night terror, I'll take a black eye over that, any day of the week." He sat in front of Light and placed a gentle hand on Light's knee, "We're here for you… You don't have to go through this alone."
Beyond eased Light back down onto his pillow, "I'll stay right here if you want…"
Anthony nodded and flopped next to Light on the other side of him, "Me too." He gave Light a comforting smile that made him sigh in relief and silently nod.
Anthony and Beyond smiled to each other and cuddled up to Light on either side of him, each hugging him softly. Light released a deep yawn and hugged one of each of their arms with his own, whispering quietly, "Thank you."
Light opened his eyes slowly and instantly smiled softly when he glanced over at Anthony and Beyond. He heard a throat clear and he glanced at the end of his bed where Caspian sat with an odd smile, "Didn't sleep well?"
Light shook his head slightly. "I had a nightmare…"
Caspian raised an eyebrow, "From all the yelling last night I would assume it was more than a nightmare…"
Light untangled himself from the other two and crawled over to Caspian and sat next to him, "You heard?"
Caspian nodded, "Walls are pretty thin… That and I'm sure the neighbors heard…"
Light widened his eyes. "But… The nearest neighbor is…"
"A mile away, Light, it was a joke." He ruffled Light's hair, "Are you hungry?" Light nodded. "Let's beat the rush for breakfast then. Ever see a home full of growing kids trying to all have a meal at the same time? It's awful." Light smiled slightly and followed Caspian out of the room.
The sky was lit a brilliant red as the sun slowly started to rise. Light watched it with wide eyes. Caspian smiled at him and started making breakfast for the two of them. Light watched him curiously and smiled softly, 'He looks kind of funny in normal clothes…' Caspian groaned and dug through the drawers. He pulled a lighter out of his sweatpants' pocket and lit the pilot. Light glanced back outside to see dark clouds rolling in. "Is it going to rain today?"
Caspian looked outside, "Red skies at morning, Sailor's best warning."
Light blinked a couple of times, "Huh?"
Caspian smiled as he started brewing coffee, "It's an old rhyme that sailors used to say; What do you want to do for your sister's birthday?"
Light thought about it for a bit, "I don't know… I know she loves horses."
Caspian nodded and skillfully flipped a couple eggs on a pan, "So, you think she would like to horseback riding?"
Light smiled softly, "She'd probably die of squealing."
Caspian looked back at him, "I'm not sure that's possible…" They both cracked a small smile before both laughing quietly. Caspian set a plate down in front of Light and sat down at the table next to him with a cup of coffee. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Light poked at the egg, "It was a bad dream that doesn't mean anything, it just scared me…"
Caspian stared at his coffee, "Sometimes the unknown is the most terrifying."
Light looked up, "When I woke up in my dream, no one was there, all the furniture was gone…" He looked up to Caspian who was watching him with an analytical stare, his deep blue eyes never wavering.
"Sometimes that means a fear of being abandoned." He took a drink of his coffee, "I had a similar dream a lot when I was a kid." He gave a small sigh, "You don't have to worry about that… Okay? I will never leave." He placed a warm hand on Light's shoulder and gave him a sincere smile.
Light furrowed his eyebrows and looked down, "What if you die?"
Caspian sat back and folded his arms in thought, "I'll haunt the shit out of you." He cracked a smile making Light chuckled softly.
"That's not fair…" Light pouted a little.
Caspian nodded, "Yeah, you're right, Beyond will take care of you. There's a reason I chose to room you with those two. Even though you haven't noticed, L has been watching you; he'd make sure that nothing bad happened to you."
"That's oddly comforting… And, a little creepy." Light finally started eating his food.
Caspian nodded, "Yeah, now that you mention it…" He took another drink of his coffee. "I promise. You'll never be alone. I'm not much for words… But, I can promise you that." Light looked up from his plate, and Caspian flicked a small crumb from his Light's cheek. "Actions speak louder."
Watari came out of his room dressed and ready for the day and stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, "You two are up early. Ah, it's good to see you eating, Light." He glanced down at his watch, "Suppose I should get everything started for the madhouse."
Caspian smirked at Light, "I'll help." He patted Light's shoulder and stood up and started helping with the breakfast for everyone else.
Light finished his food and brought it to the sink and started washing it. He turned around and watched L walk through the kitchen and straight to the refrigerator. 'No wonder no one ever sees him.' Light walked out of the room and into the living room and sat on the couch.
L walked out with a plate of cheesecake, "Light. Come talk to me." Light looked up anxiously, "Relax, I just want to talk with you." Light nodded and followed him up the stairs, through the hall and up another set of stairs to the attic.
"You live in the attic?" Light glanced around to the messy room, a stark contrast to how Beyond keeps their room.
"Indeed. I prefer the privacy." He sat himself in a computer chair and pulled his legs up to his knees balancing his plate on them, "Please. Sit. How are you adjusting? A and B aren't giving you grief are they?"
Light sat down on the neatly made bed, "No. They're great actually." Light glanced around the room taking in the scene of a multitude of files and books. His honeyed gaze fell to the floor where a discarded shirt lay next to three solved puzzle boxes.
L watched the younger boy with a clinical stare and waited for him to continue, before nodding his head, "Good, but, you never answered my question about how you're settling."
Light glanced up from the floor and his eyes landed outside from the small window, "It's very different…"
L watched him, "I see…" the raven haired boy set his gaze to where Light was looking, but nothing was to be found.
A loud knock was heard at the door making Light jump slightly. "L! Who are you talking to!" L rolled his eyes. "Come in, Mello."
Mello walked in and instantly narrowed his eyes at Light, "What's HE doing here?"
Light stood up and left the room before anything else could be said. L shook his head, "I was investigating the welfare of our newest companion. Perhaps, if you laid your jealousy to the side, you'd be more concerned as well… What information have you learned from him since his arrival?"
Mello sighed, "He's reclusive, doesn't say much to anyone except B, which I don't understand."
L watched the blonde with a calculated gaze and set his now empty plate on his desk, "B has shown him stability in an unstable world, his approach with kindness has outweighed any other approach, I suspect, unless you change your attitude, your investigation will never be complete." The corners of L's lips curled upwards, "Perhaps you could learn from Beyond…"
Mello crossed his arms and shifted his weight, "Fat chance, the guy is a freak."
L nodded turning back to his computer, "Near's notes on Light were much more conclusive."
Mello's eyes widened before narrowing again, "That little twerp!"
L sighed, "In order to be the next L, you'll have to learn to do things that aren't exactly what you want to do… Do you understand? Sometimes, you'll find it isn't as unpleasant as it seems. Who knows, maybe you could learn to like him if you could understand him. Run along, I have much work to get done."
Mello sighed and walked out of the room.
L watched him leave from the corner of his eye and typed on his computer, 'This works both ways for me, Light, he makes a good study target. It will do those three well to witness what madness can become, or should it work the other way, they may gain a reliable ally. Either extent of the boy's mind will work in my favor. I stand to gain either way.' L smirked towards his computer screen reading over Light's personal file from Japan, 'An interesting young boy, perhaps he himself would make a half decent successor as well…' He chuckled quietly to himself at his own musings, 'Well played, C. Limiting B's own instability with another's.'