A/N: Finally…L gets to know what's going on. Yay! Aw, Poor L's not going to like how things turn out.
Disclaimer: I don't own L...or Light….or even Misa.
When L woke up again, it was pitch black "Where are we?" L asked drowsily.
"Back in the cave," Light muttered. "And we gotta hurry so I can get you back to school."
Light dragged L out to the car and soon took off down the hill at a speed highly inappropriate for driving down the mountains.
'Light," L protested. "We are several hours away from Grayville at this time. How do you expect us to reach school without being late?"
Light grinned. "I woke you up early. We have time. And you'll get in all your sleep on the way there. Don't worry. I'm taking care of everything."
L had passed out again by the time Light reached the highway. Light had to wake him up as they arrived at school. "The bell just rang," Light hissed. "Hurry to first period. I'll see you at lunch."
At lunch time, L headed out to the table and found that everyone was already there.
Mikami glared at him murderously. "Do you really have to tell him everything?"
"I'll leave you out of it," Light assured him. "Regardless, I'm taking L with me to Crystal Creek. Anyone else want to come?"
Misa waved her hand around excitedly. "Misa wants to come!"
Light nodded and eyed Matsuda. "Coming?"
"Do you want me to?" Matsuda asked anxiously.
"If you want to come, I don't mind. But you don't have to come. You can stay home like Mikami and mope."
Matsuda hesitated. "I'll come," he said at last.
"Good. L, we'll meet you at the gate after school and we'll take you over to Crystal Creek. That is, if you want to come. It's the haunted house."
L sighed. "Light, please quit trying to dissuade me. I want to know what's going on."
Light nodded. "Okay. I'm just giving you the heads up. You're a brave man, L."
L rolled his eyes. "Will you stop talking like that?"
Light rose. "Okay. We'll see you after school. Matsuda and I need to talk first."
Matsuda got up and followed Light a good distance from the table. L could see Light gesturing to Matsuda, but he couldn't make out what was being said.
Misa beamed at him. "Misa is so happy for L to come with us to Crystal Creek."
L raised an eyebrow. "Light seems to be under the impression that I'll be scared by whatever he has to show me."
Misa frowned. "I don't think L will be scared. L isn't like all the others. And anyway, Misa would never show L anything scary." She hugged L. "Misa will be waiting for you after school!"
L was left to handle his classes after lunch on his own. Light was distant and even Matsuda wasn't really talking to him.
When the bell for sixth period rang, Matsuda dashed ahead instead of waiting for him like he normally did. Matsuda took his place between Light and Misa at the gate and watched solemnly as L walked up.
Light nodded. "Let's go." He began walking and wordlessly, everyone followed him.
The group turned down Crystal Creek and stopped at the house at the very end of the street. Past the house, there was nothing but scorched black dirt and dead plants. The house itself looked old and abandoned.
"L, you wait right here," Light said quietly. "Matsuda, stay with him until we get settled. I'll tell you when to come in."
Matsuda waited on the porch with L as Misa and Light stepped inside and then shut the door. Matsuda patted L's shoulder awkwardly. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I know it kind of freaked me out the first time Light showed me, but it's not that scary. It was just, unexpected."
"L, you may now come in," Light called out.
L frowned. Light's voice sounded distorted and unnaturally formal. But L stepped up to the door, turned the knob, and stepped inside.
Inside, lit by the dingy lighting, were two people L didn't recognize. One was a tall woman with pale skin and thick black hair in a long braid reaching past her waist. She had a long green dress with lots of ruffles and sequins.
The other was an even paler young man in a medieval tunic. He had scruffy brown hair, dark, piercing eyes and fangs.
"So glad you could join us, L," the young man murmured in a strangely accented voice.
The woman squealed and embraced L in a hug. "Misa is so happy you could come. Isn't Misa pretty?" She darted away from L and spun, causing her dress to billow out. "Misa loooooves this dress."
L blinked and looked at the pair uncertainly. 'What's going on? There wasn't enough time for you to change clothes and dye your hair."
Light smiled crookedly and licked the tip of his fangs. "I hate to break it to you, L, but this is the real us. This isn't a disguise."
"Will you stop talking like that?" L growled. "You sound…weird."
Light shrugged. "It's unfortunate that this speech pattern is out of style."
"No, that accent. What are you trying to prove?"
Light leaned in closer to L. "This is the way we used to talk, many years ago."
L backed away. "And why are you wearing those silly fangs? It's not Halloween."
Light grinned. "They're real. They're my own teeth. Normally, you would never see them unless I'm feeding, but this house reveals all."
L frowned. "Light, I didn't come all the way out here for you to dress up like a vampire and try to scare me. This is so immature. I expected more out of you."
"Matsuda," Light called. "We require your presence."
L turned and watched as Matsuda slowly stepped across the threshold. Right before L's eyes, Matsuda's t-shirt and jeans transformed into chainmail.
"What is going on?" L asked quietly. "This isn't normal."
Light took L's arm and led him back to the door. "I think you've seen enough proof. Let's go outside and talk."
As they stepped back outside, Misa morphed back into the bubbly blonde cheerleader and Light turned back into the friendly class president.
Light beamed at L. "I'm so glad I get to tell you everything. You were right. I should have told you everything a long time ago."
L backed away from him. 'So you're saying that you're all vampires? Why should I trust you to protect me from anything?"
"Misa is not a vampire," Misa said indignantly. "Misa is a witch."
L sighed. "Oh yes, that makes it so much better."
"You don't understand, L. We're the good guys," Light said quietly. "I know witches and vampires have a bad reputation, but we're not like the stories. Misa doesn't ride a broomstick and put hexes on people. She just makes me cologne. She's really good with plants and deriving cologne from plants."
L frowned. "And you're going to tell me you don't actually drink blood?"
Light sighed. "I would love to tell you that, but it's technically not true."
"It's either yes or no, Light. Do you or do you not drink blood?"
Light groaned. "It's…well. It's complicated. I don't kill random strangers and suck their blood. I'm certainly not going to drink yours, so you have nothing to worry about. I prefer the blood of criminals or people that are on their death bed. The Black Plague was a wonderful time for me to feed."
"The Black Plague?!"
"Yes, also known as the Bubonic Plague. Yes, I was there at the time."
"How old are you exactly, Light?"
"Well, my best guess is that I was born in the year 1008. I can't be sure, but that's my best guess. It gets hard to remember what dates belong to which identity. When you're cursed like I am, the years become a blur."
L chewed his thumb. "It might be fascinating to talk to you and find out your perspective on events, but you're a vampire."
"So? I told you that I won't hurt you."
"But you'll hurt other people. Cullen was one of your victims, wasn't he?"
Light exhaled noisily. "Okay, I'll admit it. I did kill him. But believe me, he felt no pain. He actually wanted to commit suicide and I agreed to help him. I bought him one last meal and I spiked his drink. He was completely out of it. He didn't feel a thing."
L frowned. "How many people have you killed in this manner? I'll bet all the people that left town were running from you."
Light shook his head. "No, I'm nice to anyone who wants to move into that house. Most of the supernatural creatures here want the house for themselves. It's the only place where we can all see each other exactly as we are. No disguises, no secret identities. There are some who would do anything to keep the house as our meeting spot. I'm not one of them. When you first moved in, I tried everything I could to keep you in that house, but it was all for naught." Light sighed heavily. He reached out to touch L's cheek.
"Light," L said warningly.
"Don't worry," Light said softly. "You know what they say. You are what you eat. All you eat is sugar. You'd taste…far too sweet for me."
L frowned. "And what do convicts and disease victims taste like?"
Light smiled faintly. "They taste like whatever I feed them. It's the only way we can ever taste food, unless it's red. Ketchup, cherries, and strawberries still have taste to us, but they won't sustain us. Everything else is ash on our tongues."
"And you think that telling me that you're a vampire is going to make me trust you?"
Light grinned. "Well, I told you, didn't I? That's got to count for something. I trust you enough to tell you, knowing that you won't tell anyone else. I could be killed for what I am, but I trust you to save my life from those who would kill me."
L shook his head slowly. "A gay vampire? This is too weird to be real. I'm going to wake up and we'll sill be in San Diego."
Light shrugged. "Most of us are gay. That way we don't have a woman's menstruation to tempt us."
L made a face. "Ew."
Light smiled crookedly. "L, I already told you that we're nothing like storybook vampires. We've learned to adapt and blend in so well that most people would never suspect a thing. You may have met other vampires and not even know about it. But if it helps at all, I'll gladly tell you about my past. I'll tell you everything, starting from my birth into the night life."