Chapter 10
They made their way to Tomorrow Land and the large white structure that housed the Space Mountain ride. As they got into line, Light continued to scour the brochure about the ride.
"Apparently this is a dark ride," he said making L look at him in question.
"Dark? As in theme or as in lighting?" he asked and Light shrugged.
"Looks like maybe both, but I believe they're referring to the lighting, of which apparently there is very little." L grinned in excitement.
"This is looking even more interesting than I expected," he said and Light sighed shaking his head wondering what he was getting himself into.
The line moved rather quickly as it was still early in the day; but it gave them enough time to enjoy the sights along the line, including a couple of video games that involved shooting asteroids. All along the walls were windows that seemed to look into space, the effect quite convincing, along with star charts and maps giving the idea that this was a normal mode of transportation throughout the galaxy. Light laughed as he watched L try to make sense of the charts, reminding him once again that this was merely make believe.
As they neared the loading area, once again L marveled at how deeply they were immersed into the illusion, if he didn't know better he could almost believe they were in a terminal, waiting to board the next shuttle to some planet somewhere. He watched as the other riders chatted excitedly, a good deal of them wearing mouse ears of all various shapes and décor; some even had their names written on the back. He turned to Light, pointing out the mouse ears.
"Do they not realize how they have completely given themselves over? It is as if they are being led by the nose…or in this case…by the ears and they are happily doing it."
"You need to realize that they are doing it because they want to, Ryuzaki. They are not being tricked into anything, or being led unwittingly into this. Everyone here has come here expressly to do what you see them doing. Completely losing themselves in the fantasy, shutting out the real world for a while just to enjoy. It's why I chose it; this is the furthest thing from reality that I could think of to take us away from what we've been through. Stop looking down your nose at them and try to understand." Light told him and for a moment L stopped walking as he gazed at the crowd. Not once in his entire lifetime had he ever removed himself from the reality of the world; he had never seen the need to nor had he thought he could. His thumb went to his mouth as he continued to watch the crowd around him, his sharp observation skills kicking into gear.
"I find it hard to believe that you understand all of this," L told him, "You have never struck me as one who would get involved in this type of fantasy world." Light looked around at the crowd for a moment and then back at L.
"You're absolutely right, after a certain age fantasy was ridiculous to me, I couldn't be bothered with the idea of something like this. But neither did I think about being in love with someone until I met you. So you only have yourself to blame for me being able to understand this." He answered smiling and L snorted at him as he turned back to face the front.
"Of course you would blame this on me," he said making Light chuckle as they continued along the line.
When it was finally their turn to enter one of the rocket-shaped vehicles, Light could almost feel the waves of excitement coming off of L even though it wasn't showing on his face. On his face was the look of someone pondering a math problem, not of one about to get on the roller coaster.
"Light…it looks like we're going to be in the front!" L said excitedly and Light groaned again.
"You sit in the front, I'll sit behind you," Light told him and had to laugh as he watched L almost jump into the front of the vehicle. He got into the seat behind him and L turned to look at him.
"I think I am beginning to understand, Light." He said, flashing the young detective a smile that nearly blinded him in the darkened room, making Light feel that everything that led up to this moment was absolutely worth it. His entire body ached to kiss him but he settled for smiling back at him just as the ride lurched into life.
It went slowly on the track and suddenly went through a tunnel of flashing bright blue lights and they began to obviously climb upwards although they were in nearly complete darkness. Then it began to spiral downwards and because it was pitch black they had no clue in what direction they were going next and it seemed they were going at a frightening speed.
The other riders began to scream as the coaster seemed to go faster and faster, lights and stars seemingly whizzing past them. L could feel that they really weren't going that fast, that the total darkness added to the illusion of speed, but he was still loving every moment of it. Light stared in surprise as L's arms went into the air as the coaster shot downward. He leaned forward towards where he knew L's ear was hiding behind the hair.
"I can't believe you just did that!" he shouted getting only a laugh in return. He then grabbed the handles inside the rocket as it suddenly lurched to the left. At the same time he looked in alarm as it seemed L was leaning out of the coaster as if reaching for something just outside of the car. He frantically reached forward grabbing L's shoulders and pulling him back.
"What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, his heart pounding at the thought of L falling out of the ride.
"My bag of candy fell out, I was trying to catch it!" L yelled back and this time Light had to resist the urge to punch him rather than kiss him.
"Are you out of your mind!" he yelled back as the coaster lurched again practically on it's side as it rounded towards what was ending up to be the final run. The coaster hit a tunnel of flashing red lights simulating returning to earth and finally slowed back into the station. The moment the car came to a stop Light practically leapt out of the car waiting for L to get out.
"How could you do something so stupid?" he practically yelled as L disembarked and began to move along with the rest of the riders.
"I thought I had the bag secured but the violent bumping pushed it right out and as we tipped the bag flew out…" he began and Light shook his head angrily.
"I'm not talking about the damned candy, I'm talking about you leaning out of that moving ride to try and catch it! You could have fallen out, you could have gotten badly hurt or even died and for what…a bag of candy?"
"But I didn't fall out Light, calm yourself. We must go back to the main street so I may replace what I lost." L told him and began to walk away towards the exit. Light stood for a moment and watched him walk away as if he hadn't just frightened 10 years from Light's life. He shook his head and sighed, then sprinted to catch up with him.
Once replacement candy had been purchased, they continued through Fantasyland, L turning his nose up at the signature fantasy rides such as Peter Pan's Flight and Snow White's Scary Adventures and completely ignoring Light when he suggested they try the spinning teacups.
They were sitting on a bench after purchasing drinks and an ice cream for L when he decided to ask Light a question.
"Have you given any thought to my offer of employment?" he asked and Light nodded.
"It has crossed my mind from time to time since we've been here," he answered.
"But you have not made a decision?" L prodded and Light shook his head.
"Ryuzaki that's not a decision I can make lightly, you know that."
"Yes, I am aware of that. But I do not understand what the hold of the NPA is on you. They have not treated you very well and coerced you into a case that could have gotten you killed…"
"Not everyone treats me badly, Ryuzaki, there's only a few that make things difficult and I can handle them. The NPA is where I've always wanted to be, and now that I'm there I'm not sure I wish to give it up, I haven't been there very long and I worked very, very hard to get there."
"You're dreams of following in your father's footsteps are holding your possibilities in reality hostage. You have accomplished that goal, there is nothing more to be done there." Light turned and looked at L.
"Why are you so against my staying there?" he asked .
"You know perfectly well why, I feel you are being wasted there. Your talents and intelligence are not appreciated nearly enough; you constantly have to deal with small minded fools whose intelligence you can fit in a thimble and yet have delusions of being good detectives and have the audacity to look down on you. You are frustrated by the barriers of the law which keep letting offenders get away or keep you from even getting them in the first place. Not to mention their insider politics and policies which are dangerous on their own."
"There are problems there I can't deny that," Light answered, "But for the most part I enjoy being there and I like my job. I'm not sure I want to change, especially not right now."
"Then you are turning down my offer?" L asked and Light shook his head.
"I haven't decided yet, that's all. It's not that I don't think working with you would be exciting and fulfilling in many ways, but I'm just not sure I want to do that quite yet. I still have to prove myself at the NPA. Would it really upset you if I didn't take your offer?" he asked.
"I would be disappointed but I would not be angry with you, it is your decision to make," he smiled at his partner, "I suppose the NPA needs your intelligence more than I do, as they are sadly lacking in that department, although I fail to see what it is you must prove to them," Light smiled back at him.
"I think you're being too hash on them, but I still need to think it over. I just feel I haven't proven myself yet, and I need to do that before I move on," he stood up and reached for his map, "No more talking so seriously when there are still coasters to be tackled." L finished his ice cream and stood up as well.
"Where are these coasters?" he asked and Light pointed.
"Frontierland you adrenalin junkie, and no more leaning out of the cars!" L smiled without answering and took Light's hand squeezing it quickly before letting it go again.
"Whatever you decide I will support you, and if you decide not to the offer is open for whenever you think you might wish to take it."
"Thank you. Now let's find that coaster," he said and headed into the direction of Frontierland.
Once there they made their way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was themed as a railroad running through an abandoned gold mine. L once again was amazed at the authenticity of the queue as they wound their way through old mining equipment and what you would expect to find in an abandoned gold mind in the mountains.
As they climbed into the mine cars Light took L's remaining candies in the bag out of his hands and stuck them under his own fitted shirt to keep any further incidents from occurring, ignoring the frown he got for his efforts.
When the coaster began it went through a totally dark tunnel first as it made it's first climb, the other riders squealing at the sudden darkness and the sound of bats all around them. They were both surprised as they passed caverns on the right of them that looked so real that they both continued to stare at it, and didn't realize they had reached the top and were caught completely off guard when the coaster began to plunge down quickly to the left into bright sunlight. The coaster was careening through twists and turns through the mountain and then once again into a darkened area and up another lift.
This time it careened to the left quickly, giving L the opportunity to put his arms up again as it sped around the corner, whizzing past what looked like an abandoned mining town. Light watched as he did that, still wondering how this adrenalin junkie had been hiding inside that stoic demeanor all this time.
When they arrived back at the station, L assaulted him for his bag of candy and then hopped out of car.
"What's next?" he asked the color from the rush of the ride still high on his pale cheeks.
"Splash Mountain," Light answered and then stopped walking, "Wait a minute…"
"Something wrong?" L asked him and Light looked at him seriously.
"I think we may have to skip that one," he said as he read the brochure.
"Why? Is it not working?"
"It's working…but it appears to end in a big splash…we'll get wet." L burst out laughing at the pained expression on Light's face.
"Is that the problem? Now who needs to loosen up?" L asked him and Light suddenly looked indignant.
"Why should I want to get my clothes wet?" he asked.
"Because it will be exciting and they will dry," L answered grabbing his arm and pulling him along. Light sighed and allowed himself to be pulled, perhaps it wouldn't be too wet…
He stood and watched in alarm as the log ride came out of a tunnel and plummeted down at a hair raising speed, landing in the water below creating a huge wave of water. Light shook his head and began to back away.
"No, I don't think so Ryuzaki, we'll be soaking wet when it's over," he said.
"You'll dry in no time with the temperature that it is out here, stop being a baby," L told him as he headed for the queue.
"I'm serious I'm not riding this," Light said stringently and L turned from him.
"Fine, then I'll go without you," he told him, his upturned nose going further into the air.
"Can't you just…it's just one ride!" Light called after him and L ignored him as he moved further up the line. Light growled in frustration, looking from L to the ride and then down to his clothes.
"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath and ran to catch up with L.