Chapter 2: Dream

L struggled to his feet, breathing heavily.

"I've told you before…" he murmured. "An eye for an eye, my friend." He flipped to balance on his hands, driving his feet into the other's chest. He staggered back, before charging forward and tackling the not-quite upright L. They rolled across the floor, each struggling to pin the other. L wound up on his back, his friend grinning down at him.

"I think I win this one, L."

L squirmed, trying to wriggle away, but the other's grip was too strong. He flopped back to the carpet, defeated. "I concede, but you only won because you got me upside down."

"Any advantage helps! You have a mean kick!" He let him up, offering a hand to L to help him to his feet. L climbed upright again, head tilted curiously.

"You seem happy."

The other grinned. "Of course! Just to have a moment to goof off with you is better than sitting and working all day, even if we did end up fighting. You'll have to teach me that fighting style someday."

"It's called Capoeira. It was developed as a dance originally, I believe, and then developed into an acrobatic fighting style." L replied. "It requires good balance and rhythm. Most capoeira is done for fun, and to show skills, but it can be invaluable in a fight."

"Interesting. I won't even bother to ask where you learned it. You wouldn't tell me anyway. You still think I want to destroy you and rule the universe."

"Maybe." A mocking smile accompanied the words, and he laughed as the other rolled his eyes.

"Again with the accusations! God, L!"

L smiled. "If you are not, then it will become apparent in time…" His vision faded slowly to black, as if he were going to sleep, but he was actually aware of it. When it cleared, he was only able to register the pain that he was suddenly feeling. It burned his heart, extending into every limb, every finger. He felt arms tighten around him and stared up into the other's smiling face, grinning down at him in his pain.

"I wasn't wrong…" L managed. His 'friend' grinned in response.

"No, you weren't."

The black returned again, and this time when it cleared he was staring down at his friend as the boy lay bleeding on a set of stairs. Multiple wounds covered him, and L knew he was dying.

"It's over." he voiced quietly, knowing that he was not substantial, but also knowing that the dying boy on the stairs could hear him.

"L…" he rasped. "You're here…"

"I never left… I had to be here when you fell, -kun."

L jerked awake, shaking in what could only be described as violent tremors. He grabbed at his blankets urgently, curling up in a tiny cocoon of bedcovers. He had died. He had had a dream of his own death. Letting go of his vice-grip on the comforter, he pressed his palm over his frantically beating heart. It had hurt, more physically than anything he had ever experienced in his life. It was only a dream. Could you feel pain in dreams?

Of all the dreams he'd had so far, this was much worse than the others. It had been a week since Momi had read his future, and since then he'd been having the strangest dreams. Most involved the mysterious auburn-haired boy, whose name was never mentioned. It seemed that anytime L or anyone else tried to utter anyone's name, it came out as inaudible to his ears. But this boy seemed to know him well. They worked together, though on what L wasn't sure. They fought occasionally, but for the most part had seemed to get along well. But this night, L's dreams chose to be unkind. From what he had seen, his friend betrayed and killed him.

L glanced at the clock, shivering. Three in the morning again. This was getting ridiculous. He needed to go back and speak to Momi again, having a distinct hunch that whatever was tormenting his dreams had something to do with her. He rolled over, still clutching his blankets close, and fell back into a fitful sleep, praying that he could at least make it to morning without being woken again.

XxX

"Hey, you came back! Did your future come to pass?"

Momi was happy to see him, welcoming him into her small shop and passing him a cup of tea. She settled herself across from him, stirring in a small amount of milk and sugar to her own cup. L carefully put seven sugar cubes in his tea, much to Momi's amusement, before taking a sip. He pulled his knees up to his chest, more comfortable sitting like that, and waited.

"So…" Momi said. "What brings you back so soon… ehh… kami, I don't even know your name!"

"Lawliet. It's French, but just call me L, please."

"Law, hmm? So I was right, Raven's Law, ne?" she smiled, pleased, before continuing, "Now, L-san, tell me what's wrong, please. You're here for a reason."

L stared into his tea. How did you even begin to explain living another life in your dreams? How could he even begin to describe what had happened to him? He took a deep breath. "Since you read my future, I've been having the strangest dreams…" As he explained, Momi's eyes got bigger and bigger. When his story was done, up to the ending of his dream the previous night, she sat silently for a long moment before finally speaking.

"L, this is going to sound really odd, but do you have a birthmark anywhere on you?" she asked. He blinked at her, not understanding where she was coming from. She shook her head quickly, continuing, "I know it sounds crazy, but when I was growing up I learned an urban legend that said birthmarks were indications of wounds or scars from a past life when faint, and evidence of being murdered in a past life if they are particularly pronounced. Between the dream and the reading the Tarot cards gave, I have to ask."

L hesitated, then tugged at the collar of his shirt until the small star-shaped mark over his heart was exposed. "Here." he said softly. "This is the only one I have."

Momi leaned close. "A star…? And a pronounced one at that. If it were a stab wound, it would be a line where the blade entered; or a round mark if it were a gunshot wound. This… This looks like it could be evidence of a heart attack, but I've never seen anything like it before. Maybe…" She paused. "Maybe in your past life you were killed by Kira."

"But I…" L trailed off, unable to believe what he was being told. If what she was saying was true, then his friend in his dreams was Kira.

Momi was watching him with concern. "Another part of the legend is that you will be able to identify your past murderer, if he lives now, or has been reborn like you. Have you seen anyone like that?"

"No." L replied immediately. He didn't particularly want to. Coming face to face with someone who had killed him in the past didn't sound like the most pleasant experience anyone would ever face. Besides, in a world of a billion people, what were the chances that he could actually meet the one person who had killed him?

"Keep an eye out, then." Momi warned him. "Sometimes fates remain tied in the next life as well. If you were bound by fate before, there is nothing to say that you aren't now. And if you are, you will be drawn to each other eventually, whether you like it or not."

L frowned into his tea. Momi seemed to sense his discomfort, because she got up and hugged him. "Don't worry, L. There are differences to what everyone can remember. He probably won't even know who you are."

As L walked back to his apartment, he carefully considered everything he had heard. Even if he had been killed by Kira, what reason would the psychotic mass-murderer have to kill him? And if the boy in his dreams was Kira, had he been Kira's friend? It was almost frightening to think of. L didn't want to believe in Tarot cards and reincarnation, but the evidence was starting to stack up against him. He really didn't have a choice at this point, unless it was all some very strange coincidence…

He passed what appeared to be a small martial arts studio, noting a sign in the window listing the classes you could sign up to take. At the very bottom of the list was capoeira.

L smiled wryly. Maybe there weren't such a thing as coincidences after all. He read the rest of the sign, noting that the lessons were free, and shrugged. What harm could it do? It might even be fun.

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

Momi-oneechan, my real-life not-big-sister, actually did tell me about the birthmark thing. I put in the part about knowing your murderer, just to suit my needs. Onee-chan would be happy to know she's in my fanfiction. :)

Does this make any sense? Because I actually find myself liking it. Guess who shows up next chapter? :P

Li