Chapter 4: Night God
L forced himself to behave normally around Light. It was actually easier than he thought it would be. For an hour or so at a time he would forget, and be able to truthfully be at ease around the other boy. But then he would remember, and the instinct to stay at a distance would surface again.
Light pretended not to notice when L flinched away, or made excuses not to be around him. He wasn't home much anyway, between college and a part-time job. This went on for almost a week, but when the weekend rolled around, things got more complicated.
They were sitting on the couch, watching some kind of crime drama on TV, but neither was really paying attention to it. Light finally shifted, turning to face L, and questioned bluntly, "So is L your actual name?"
L looked up, wide obsidian eyes startled at the sudden question. "No, it is not. My given name has always been difficult for the Japanese to pronounce, given its French origin. When I first arrived, it was easier just to shorten it to L, rather than watch others struggle over the proper pronunciation."
"Eru…" Light said, putting the Japanese inflection to it. He laughed slightly. "So, then, what's your real name, L?"
Something in L's mind and heart screamed aloud that he should not say; that his real name was a precious secret to be kept from this boy. He couldn't place the origin of the feeling, but the strength of it startled him. It was just a name. What was there to be scared of? But the file he'd read on the Kira Case came back to him suddenly, and he remembered an important detail that had kept the police baffled for so long.
Kira needs a face and a true name to kill… A real name… But it shouldn't matter. Even if Light had been Kira in a past life, he wasn't Kira now. He wouldn't kill him because he knew his name. Light was an ordinary college student, not a supernatural psychic killer.
He hadn't realized he was staring off into space until he felt Light's hand on his shoulder. The other boy was gazing at him with concern in his eyes.
"Are you okay? You've been acting really weird all week. Are you sick?" Light asked.
L blinked, fighting the irrational fear he felt, struggling to open his mouth to contradict the other's worries. He finally managed a deep breath, saying softly, "My name is Lawliet Corbeau, and I'm fine."
Light stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "Raven? It suits your hair, but the rest of you would be better described by 'panda'."
"You speak French?"
"Oui. C'est une belle langue, n'est pas?" Light replied. L couldn't stop the wide smile that spread over his face. Obviously colleges required language classes, and he was just lucky that Light spoke French. But it was refreshing to hear his native language. Coming to a decision, he stood up quickly, reaching out and grabbing Light by the hand. The initial shock had dimmed away to almost nothing, and L barely registered the brief tingle that pulsed through his hand when they made contact.
"Wait, where are we going?" Light asked, alarmed but hiding it well.
"We have to go see a friend of mine. She'll be able to tell me what's going on." L said shortly, dragging Light towards the door. Momi would know what was going on, and if this was really what L thought it was. But there were too many coincidences for the raven-head's liking. Light looked exactly like the boy from his dreams, with a few minor details out of place. His eyes weren't exactly the same shade, nor was his hair. But it was close enough to be mistaken at first glance, and that was enough for L.
Light was clearly confused, but consented to follow L out of the building and down Tokyo's busy streets. When they reached Momi's small shop, L immediately disappeared inside. Light hesitated a moment. This battered shop-front didn't look like the safest place he'd ever seen. Was L nuts? After a moment, he followed the panda into the hole-in-the-wall building apprehensively.
Momi was already chatting animatedly to L when he entered. She looked up upon seeing him, frowning in a puzzled fashion. "Who is this, L-kun?"
L sighed. "This is my new roommate, Light Kagayaki. Uh… Momi-san…"
She stared at Light a moment, before motioning to the table in the center of the small store. "Come sit down. I think a triple focus will work for you." She waved Light at the purple armchair opposite her, pulling out her deck of Tarot cards. Seeing the confused expression on Light's face, she decided to explain for his benefit. "A six card draw, like I did for L, will tell almost like a story. The focus, when drawn, becomes what the story will focus around." She shuffled the deck in a careful, professional manner, holding it out to L to cut. He blinked at her, surprised, and she said cheerfully, "Just like real cards, I don't want anyone to think I'm fixing the results." L cut the deck, passing it back to her, and she continued, "A three card draw is different. It will give past, present, and future. If you ask a specific question, it can give you that as well. So the question I ask now… What are you, Light Kagayaki, to Lawliet Corbeau, in the past, in the present, and in the future?"
She held out the deck towards him. He hesitated and drew a card. When he flipped it over, L peered eagerly over his shoulder to see what it was. Momi blinked at the card that he had chosen.
"The Three of Swords…" she said softly. "Heartbreak and betrayal." She was silent a moment, her fingertips resting lightly on the card, then she continued, "In his past, you were the betrayer. A broken word, you stabbed him in the back and showed him that his trust had been misplaced."
Light glanced at L, who was watching impassively, his face almost too calm. His eyes had an odd gleam, like it had been exactly what he'd been expecting. Light reached for the next card without thinking, and set it upright on the table. Before she looked at it, Momi looked him directly in the eyes and said firmly, "You are him, aren't you? The Night God's Moon. I knew you were connected."
"Night God?" Light asked. "Yagami… I don't understand what that has to do with anything. My name is written with the kanji for moon, but is that relevant?"
Momi didn't answer, glancing briefly at L before looking to the card Light had set down. "Twenty, Judgment. New beginning, accepting of past mistakes, redemption, and forgiveness. For the present, you know the wrong you have done, and seek to be redeemed. Probably from the one person you want forgiveness from most." Light still remained silent, contemplating what she was saying.
"And the future?" L asked eagerly. This was only confirming what he had initially thought, the reason he had brought Light here in the first place.
Light drew the last card, but as he did another slipped from the deck, falling to the table, landing face down. Momi smiled as she saw what the card Light had drawn was.
"The Two of Cups, representing the power of two and the formation of strong bonds. Look for a truce and the chance to forgive." She then smiled almost impishly. "I could interpret it further, but I do not think it is relevant. There are the answers you looked for."
"Momi?" L asked. "Was I right? Is he what I think he is?"
She smiled. "I think so, L. But everything will turn out okay. Just, have some trust."
Light decided not to ask. Instead, he pointed at the remaining face-down card. "What about that one?"
Momi quickly picked it up. "It has no meaning to this draw, because it landed face-down. There's nothing to worry about."
It wasn't an acceptable answer, in either of their opinions, but they decided not to press the matter further. Thanking Momi, they left the shop quickly, heading in the direction of home. Momi glanced at the card in her hand. It could serve as a reinforcing card to the Two of Cups, as they had fallen together. She chuckled at what she saw there. It only further confirmed her suspicions about the two boys' future. How ironic, considering their pasts. She laughed, putting the deck away, and disappeared into the back of the store.
xXx
L and Light made their way back up the street slowly, both thinking over what they had heard. Light finally stopped altogether and looked at L, asking in a subdued voice, "What was that about? Why did you want her to read my future?"
L looked away. "Can I explain when we get home? I think cake will be a necessity for me to explain this coherently."
Light looked perturbed, but nodded. As they resumed walking, a child came barreling around the corner, crashing into L and promptly dropping all the books and notebooks he carried. L shifted back with an 'oof!', as the child fell on his butt.
"Are you okay?" Light asked, kneeling and beginning to gather up the fallen books. L bent to help as well, picking up a white notebook, a blue notebook, and a purple notebook from the sidewalk. He passed them to Light, who added them to the pile in his arms before returning them to the boy.
"I'm all right. Thank you!" The boy dashed off, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. How great to be a child, where everything seemed important and amazing. L and Light smiled before continuing towards home. Neither noticed that shadow that now seemed to be hanging over the child. But the shadow noticed them, and chuckled.
Now this would be interesting, indeed!
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If anyone wants to look up the remaining meaning of the Two of Cups, look on Wikipedia. And the face-down card, for anyone who wants to (maybe) spoil the future, was card VI. :) I do love my Tarot cards.