Light's body grew heavy with exhaustion. He yanked his horses reins and hopped off, guiding Lawliet's fragile body with him. The moon hung above their heads, gazing solemnly as Light ran his fingers through Lawliet's head.
"I don't know where I'm takin' us, Lawli, but you're gonna be alright," he whispered. Although Lawliet's face was barely visible, Light could make out his small, parted lips and suddenly he had to resist any urge to kiss him. He wouldn't take advantage of Lawliet while he was in this condition. If Lawliet desired him, he would express it when he awoke. Light smiled softly and leaned against the rock behind him.
Without warning, the rock shifted and broke off behind Light. He nearly toppled backwards. The rock fell down, banging against some unknown wall. "What the Hell?" Light murmured. He backed away and felt out in front of him. Sure enough, his hand met empty space; they were on a cliff. He peered down into the darkness, wondering when they'd reached higher ground. During the day, there had been no valley next to them.
"Hello?" Light called. His voice echoed, "hello!" back. The unknown vastness below bothered him, but sleep was more important at that point. Light propped his head against his satchel and curled up, placing Lawliet's head on his chest. He licked his lips, suddenly overwhelmingly parched.
After an hour of lying down, completely awake, Light sat up and grabbed his canteen. He took a sip, but it didn't quench him. He took another and another. Nothing helped. He wiped his mouth and propped Lawliet up. When he stood up, his vision suddenly swirled and the darkness consuming him became sequences of blues and purples. They swirled around him, gripping at his hands and tickling his ears. Light shut his eyes, only to find the colors invaded his eyelids. He stumbled backwards, collapsing to his feet. Even through the strange, unexplainable change, his tongue swelled from thirst.
He trembled as he tried to reason. The colors, the way they danced, were unnatural. And in his head. Was he losing his mind again? He reached for Lawliet's silhouette, which was just a dark outline. The boy was oddly cold to his touch. Suddenly, the colors vanished.
"La-Lawliet?" he whimpered, placing his hand in front of Lawliet's mouth. A soft breath tickled his fingers. If he wasn't dead, why was he so cold?
Suddenly, Lawliet began to convulse in Light's arms. His head bucked and his fingers trembled. "Lawliet!" Light cried out, desperately trying to sooth him. Even in the dark, Light watched, horrified, as blood leaked from Lawliet's mouth. What had he done?
The same force that led him here suddenly yanked at his chest. Light desperately tried to ignore it as his hands pumped Lawliet's chest. After a few times, he realized it was no use. He should never have taken Lawliet from the doctor's care. Trembling, he stood up and cradled Lawliet. He pressed his lips onto Lawliet's cool forehead as the boy shook in his arms. From the moment he met Lawliet, Light should have known his destiny didn't consist of saving Lawliet. They were rivals, in fact-but they were so close as children. A tear rolled down Light's unexpected cheek. Confusion babbled at his brain. And that odd force wouldn't quit.
What was the use of fighting it? Lawliet would be dead soon; Beyond probably wiped his family out. Light had nothing left to live for...no cause, no person...nothing. He shut his eyes and began to walk with his nose nestled in Lawliet's hair. Each step he took led him farther into the darkness. After a few minutes, he realized he was headed down into the strange valley. The journey was short, but seemed a lifetime with his weary legs. All the way, Lawliet's life faded.
Just as he reached the bottom of the cliff, the sun's fingers reached across the sky. The blue-gray of dawn illuminated the place they ended up; a long, deep valley, which looked as dead as the rest of the desert. Dawn crawled across the walls, revealing deep grooves eroded into the walls. Strange, familiar markings caught Light's eye. He's seen them so many times before. He grew nauseous as he approached the marks. The ground in front of the wall was hollowed out and looked almost like a dried up pool. With Lawliet cradled in his arms, Light began to trace the grooves with one finger. Nothing happened.
He was going crazy. Dreams interrupted his reality. The valley couldn't have been real. He sighed and leaned against the large wall. His lips cracked as he smiled down at Lawliet. "I'm so thirsty," he murmured. "So thirsty." His eyes flickered close. He could no longer fight death, who had been waiting for him so patiently on the gallows. The unexplainable, wretched thirst prevented him from thinking properly, but he knew he was dying.
"Sorry, Lawli," he murmured.
A faint noise, like the rush of water, echoed through the valley. It sounded so soothing. Light smiled to himself as it got louder. Death came closer. When the drop of water his Light's cheek, he realized it wasn't death approaching. He glanced up, just as a ton of water poured over them. Light wrapped his arms around Lawliet as the cool, refreshing water consumed them. Just as he began to laugh, water shot into his lungs. He gripped his throat, struggling to breathe.
Suddenly, a hand gripped his arm and another wrapped around his waist. Then everything went black.
Light's eyes flickered open. A drenched Lawliet crouched over him. "Law-Lawli?" Light sputtered. "You saved me?"
"I'm not sure," Lawliet glanced around. As Light's eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he realized they were no longer in the strange valley. In fact, he couldn't tell where they were. Darkness enveloped the surroundings. The eerie feeling they weren't alone crept up in Light's spine. He sat up, facing Lawliet.
"Are we dead?"
Lawliet shrugged. "I'm not sure. I've been in this space for quite some time. There's nothing here; it's endless. So you're assessment that we're dead may be correct, however, why is it just us two? Also, I presumed death presented all the answers, yet I still have so many questions."
Light rested his hand on Lawliet's. "So you don't believe we're dead?"
Lawliet stared at Light's hand and finally retracted it. "I don't know what I believe. It's all very strange."
"Well, if you've been here for a while, then this can't be death. You were alive only a few minutes ago, at least until-we drowned." Light's gaze fell. "I'm sorry Lawliet."
"First of all," Lawliet sighed. "It's L, not Lawliet. I've told you this numerous times. Second, if we are dead, you have an eternity to make it up. Don't expect infinite 'sorrys' will fix anything."
Suddenly, Lawliet chuckled softly and stood up. His white body glistened in the contrasting darkness. "What's so funny?" Light asked.
"Just this. If we are dead, I'm stuck for an eternity with a murderer who's apparently in love with me and is apologizing about God knows what. Apparently, death sees us as equals, Light. That's why we're stuck together. I can't argue with death's decision because I won't make much of a difference. Did you attempt to repent? Is that why we're equals?" The small smile perched on Lawliet's lips faded as he finished his words. "I would never think I deserved this."
Unsure how to respond, Light remained completely silent, gazing up at Lawliet. He never tried to repent, only save the man he loved. Lawliet's deduction that they were equal was wrong; Light's knowledge of love trumped Lawliet's sense of justice. Light understood passion and learned that when it ignited, nothing stood in it's way. He recognized that human change was inevitable and embraced who he became. Then, when it didn't work out, he attempted something else; he never sacrificed happiness or love, not like Lawliet. And if that made Lawliet a better person in Lawliet's or anyone's eyes, Light was content with being the lesser man.
"I've walked most of the time, searching for a way out," Lawliet glanced over his shoulder. "But there's nothing except eternal darkness."
"Huh," Light suddenly spoke.
"What?"
"I'm so refreshed!" Light's fingers traced his lips.
"What do you mean 'refreshed?'"
Light stood up and stretched his arms above him. "The weight of the world is off my chest. I'm not thirsty, nor seein' colors Everythin' kinda just feels good, y'know? I feel like somethin' is puttin' the broken bits back together. I can't explain it Lawli, I just feel-"
"Whole," Lawliet interrupted Light.
Light nodded and muttered, "so you feel it, too?"
Suddenly, just as Lawliet was about to answer, a brilliant light illuminated next to them. Lawliet, whose eyes grew used to the darkness, shielded his vision as the brightness intensified. Then, something smothered it. A door appeared in it's place. Light and Lawliet glanced at each other, then back to the door. Light knew the door should have wracked his nerves, but instead he found himself strangely drawn to it.
"Sh-should I open it?' Light inched towards the door.
Lawliet shrugged. "Well it certainly won't kill us."
For a moment, Light's fingers lingered by the door knob. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room with a man no over the age of thirty lounging on a chair. A fire crackled, snapping as Light and Lawliet entered. The man didn't acknowledge their entrance. Instead, his eyes remained locked on the book.
"Where are we?" Light asked the man. He didn't reply. Light turned his head, only to find the door they'd walked through disappeared. He shot Lawliet a quizzical expression and immediately stepped towards the man, demanding answers.
"Light, he can't hear you," Lawliet said.
Suddenly, the door by the man's chair swung open. He snapped his head, turning to face a furious A. Kinan. A's whiskers jutted in different directions and his hair was disheveled. His fingers danced by his holster. The man remained too calm. "Hello, A," he spoke. "What brings you here?"
"I think you know," A snarled. "I can't eat, can't sleep. I feel this incredible pain in my chest, and it only started happenin' after I met you. You gave me those damn pills, promised me it'd be aw'right. What did you do to me, Penbar? You poison me?"
Penbar stood up, placing his book on the arm chair. "I didn't do anything, A. You gotta relax, you know what the stress will do to you."
A's fist smashed against to the wall. Finally, fear struck Penbar's eyes. He immediately tried to cover it up, but as A. stormed towards him, there was no hiding it. "Listen to me, A. I didn't do anythin'. C'mon, A! You came to me for help, and I tried, I really did. I've tried for years to help you, but you're just gettin' worse and that ain't my fault. Look at yourself, A! Look what you're doin' to me. I thought we were friends."
The mouth of A's gun suddenly grazed against Penbar's cheek. Penbar swallowed, gripping his arm chair to hold himself up. "Friends?" A snarled. "I can barely stand bein' 'round you."
"Why? 'Cause I helped you? 'Cause I opened your eyes? A few months ago, you thanked me for everythin' I'd done. You said after meetin' me, the emptiness subsided!"
With a trembling finger, A cocked his gun. "Maybe I wanted to be numb. Thanks for leadin' me to that realization, Penbar."
Before Penbar could utter another word, A pulled the trigger. Blood splattered on the wall. Penbar's body lay in a heap. The gun slipped from A's fingers and he nearly lost his balance. After a few minutes of leaning against the armchair, he opened the door and left the room, leaving the echo of a chilling laugh.
Lawliet gripped the bookcase standing closest to him. His eyes widened as blood continued to spill from Penbar's head. "What just happened?" he murmured.
Light knew the story, already. He'd heard it in a dream a few weeks ago. His heart pounded in his ear as he patted Lawliet's back softly. "That was A. Kinan, the man my father hanged the day before I was born. C'mon, Lawliet, we should get out of here." Without another word, Lawliet followed Light from the room; his gaze never left Penbar's body.
The next room, however, clearly wasn't part of the house they had just been in. They found themselves in a dingy kitchen. A rat scurried by their feet. A disheveled man with brilliant green eyes walked through the back door, gripping his forehead. He moaned softly as he collapsed into an awaiting chair. Another man with short, blond hair followed shortly behind, taking the seat next to the green-eyed man.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, picking up the tea pot on the table. He poured it into a cup and pushed the drink over. "I know the migraines have gotten worse, but I told you it would take time."
"Time?" the green-eyed man growled. "Sometimes I think all I got is time, then I realize it's taken from me because I can't think properly. My mind clouds when I try to read, or listen, or even talk. Whenever there's a head ache, I get sick almost immediately. I can't work anymore. I don't know what to do. And-I always feel so thirsty, no matter how much a drink."
The blond nodded and poured himself his own cup. "Yes, I understand that. Too much salt in your diet, possibly?"
The green-eyed man glanced up at his friend, his eyes narrowing. Without warning, he lunged across the table and wrapped his fingers around the blond's neck. The blond attempted to throw him off, but the green-eyed man was obviously larger and tougher.
"Stop!" Lawliet cried out. He averted his gaze as the life slipped from the blond's eyes. The green-eyed man stared down at his hands, horrified by his actions. He stood up, trembling. As he ran out, Light caught a glimpse of blood trickling from his ear.
"I'm in Hell," Lawliet murmured.