The pattern woven in the morbid viewings became clear immediately. The more they watched, the more they could relate. Each death was unique, each person was unique, yet they began to experience a strange sensation that they were all connected. L immediately picked up on another pattern: each man held certain characteristics. Some of them explained how they developed a certain wholeness, which was unfamiliar to them. They all hated it.
L hated it.
There must have been a reason someone presented these images. L began to take each trait, connecting one man to himself, and the other to Light. He had to keep himself busy; the deaths yanked at his chest. Besides, it was fascinating going back in time and observing the different scenery, clothing, and even people.
"Can you deduce why we're watching this?" Light asked.
"Because we have no choice," L answered as one man sliced another man's head off. The blood sailed through Light and L's intangible bodies. "There's a pattern which is much like our own: two friends turn on each other."
Light was silent for a moment. "I never turned on you, Lawli," he glanced over at L. L avoided Light's gaze. "Only one man turns on the other each time which, I'm guessin' is 'cause he feels a wholeness 'round the other man which he can't appreciate. Does that sound 'bout right?"
"It doesn't make sense, though. Why would you kill a person because they make you feel whole?"
"I was gonna ask you the same question."
Blood splattered on the ground as a knife sank into a man's gut. He sputtered, trying desperately to speak until his eyes glazed over. The other man yanked out his knife and covered his ears, moaning about a noise. He collapsed to his knees, rocking back and fourth, begging for quiet. L and Light continued to their next destination.
"Each time one man kills the other, the murderer seems to go through either mental or physical anguish," L observed.
He glanced over at Light, whose eyes glistened when they made eye contact. Immediately, L averted his gaze and focused on the new couple in front of them. If Light had been hanged, would L have experienced this pain? The physical pain, probably. When L journeyed to see Light again, his ears bled. It happened several times to countless men during the course of L and Light's viewing. When L and Light reunited, though, the sickness which plagued L suddenly disappeared.
The next destination stood out from the rest. A man with filthy brown hair sat against the wall of the cave; chains held his arms above his head. He mumbled incoherent words, babbling as another man with long, wavy hair walked in. The chained man glanced up with his solemn brown eyes.
"Don't you feel it in your bones?" he muttered. "I can hear it calling to me. No, not just me. For us. Can't we go? It will only take a few days. It will, I promise. Let's go tomorrow."
"Stop," the other man demanded. "I can't stand taking care of you; it's destroying my life."
The brunette muttered something about water, then glanced over at his captor. "Please listen. Too many nights, too long I spent here. Just let me out, and we'll go together. I'll be okay if you let me out. I promise I'll be good. We can go together."
The captor's fingers trembled as he brought them up to his mouth. With a harsh whisper, he said, "I'm sorry. This will be the last time I come. I hope you can rest in death." With that, he turned around and left the cave. The brunette whimpered and yanked at his chains.
"Come back!" he begged. "They stop when you're around! Come back!"
Light bowed his head as they traveled to the next shot. "I can't take much more of this," he muttered. "That man-Shit, Lawli, somethin's wrong with this-with us. A came to me in a dream, told me we were fragmented beings and after witnessing all this trivial violence, I think I'm beginning to understand."
"You're going to keep calling me Lawliet, aren't you?" L suddenly sighed. Light stared wide-eyed at him. His lips parted as if he were about to speak. When the next scene arrived, though, he closed his mouth and watched again as one man betrayed the other.
Again and again. Like Light, L began to reach his limit. He understood the basic concept, but he had to figure out why to fully comprehend what was happening to them. If the why never came, L knew he was in Hell.
Hours later, Light collapsed after they watched a man hack another into pieces. "I should have killed Beyond when I had the chance," he murmured as he rested his head against the wall. "I brought down powerful criminals, y'know those above the law. And Beyond surpassed any of those bastards I killed. He thoroughly enjoyed the chaos he created. Hell, he even had followers who adored him. Mainly it was the money, but Mello never should have stayed with Beyond. Mello wasn't pathetic before he met Beyond. He had power, and he enjoyed it. But, he also had Matt to keep him in balance. And I fucked it all up. I wanted to make the world beautiful, but I chose the wrong people to side with. I deserved to be condemned."
L crouched next to Light, tilting his head as Light gazed up at the open sky. A tear rolled down his cheek. L's extensive knowledge meant nothing as he watched guilt consume Light. He couldn't comprehend how such an evil being felt such remorse. When they were awake, Light made no attempts to repent for his wrongdoings. As L observed Light, though, an epiphany struck him. Light did attempt to repent. He rescued L out of pure love.
L shook immediately shook off the empathy welling up in his body. The only logical reason Light saved L's life was to trick L into believing Light changed and was actually a good person. L wouldn't fall for it.
"I'm sorry, Lawli," Light mumbled. "I never meant to drag you down with me."
If they weren't dead, then where were they? L never read about a out of body experiences in which a person constantly watched scenes of betrayal and death. Logically, this place didn't make sense. But it seemed to have a toll on Light. Light curled farther against the wall, tears continued to stream down his face.
"Somethin' ain't right," he whispered. "This place ain't normal. I stuck with you, like A told me-but I shouldn't have trusted that damn murderer. He was sick. He raped Beyond when he was only nine years old. Christ, Lawli, nine years old. I don't even think I knew what sex was when I was nine."
The final destination strayed from the pattern of the scenes before. They stood on a field, surrounded by men attacking each other. They swung their clubs and jabbed their crooked spears. Blood leaked around Light's and L's feet. The smell of rotting flesh pierced their noses. A spear flung through L's belly and he immediately backed away from the chaos. This war was the result of something-the result of a betrayal?
"I know this place," Light called to L over the bellows and war cries.
"Where are we?" L called.
"We're in the desert, before it dried out. This is the place I brought you! This is where that strange wall stands." Light pointed behind L.
Sure enough, a wall towered over the men, shielding the battle from the sun. However, it wasn't just a wall. Water poured from the top, splashing into the small pool at the bottom. L stepped toward it and placed his intangible hand under the water. He licked his lips, suddenly yearning for a taste of the cleansing water.
A man with a burly beard dragged another by the neck towards the fountain. He pressed his spear against the man's throat and uttered, "you shall never taste it again." He pierced the man's throat. Blood spat from the wound, drenching their clothes. Laughter bellowed from the man with the beard's chest.
And suddenly, the water ceased streaming from the top. The bearded man's eyes widened as he stared at the drying pool. "Wh-what?" he gasped. "How can this happen?"
Suddenly, darkness began to leak into the scene around them. It's crooked, rigid fingers consumed everything around them until only L and Light were left standing. "What now?" Light moaned softly.
A strange shimmer appeared in front of them. It expanded, swelling towards them. L immediately backed up, dragging Light with him. Winged shapes sprouted at it's sides and, finally, a monstrous creature stood before them. L immediately recognized the thing. A bandage covered one eye and tied around it's mangled lavender hair. It had long, crooked fingers and it's mouth twisted into a broken frown. Maybe this was all a dream. Light may have still been taking care of L, while L was trapped in this dream.
Light struggled to his feet and took a step towards it, admiring its wings. "You're not death," he said. "So what are you?"
The thing glanced from Light to L and spoke with a soft voice, "Actually, I was once death-A shinigami. But you may call me Rem."