• Chapter Six
    L
    The hotel L found was very nice, and very, very expensive. L could see that as they walked in. The whole place seemed to sparkle. A grand, glittering crystal chandelier hung in the air above them, people seemed to slow down and relax as they strolled across the glassy tiles, surrounded by the velvet walls and intricate paintings adorning them. Light sucked in a gasp behind them and Misa squealed with enthusiasm and happiness.
    “Wow, Ryuuzaki!’ she cried, rushing over to his side. “This place is… amazing!” “Yes, but how do you suspect we are going to pay for it? This certainly isn’t Kento, and who knows if they use yen, or dollars, or some other form of currency!?” L turned his head away from the two and rolled his eyes. From the very beginning, Light seemed out and determined to stump him. He dug in his deep pockets and dragged out a small wallet. He was so grateful to have put it in his pocket that morning. Using his thumb, he flipped it open to reveal several pockets, as though it was a small photo album. Each one contained several hundred dollars in the most popular currencies around the world Yen, Dollars, Euros, each in hundreds or thousands. L could feel Misa and Light’s eyes boring down on him, willing him to slip up or admit that he wasn’t prepared. Watari had put the wallet together for when he was forced to travel on short notice. L wondered what had driven him to shove it into his pockets that morning.
    He readied the Euros that he had and crammed the wallet and his hands into his pockets, his shoulders still hunched forward, he made his way over to the black marble counter and quietly requested 3 separate suites, though preferably on the same level. Light and Misa stood on either side of him, Misa looking (as usual) bouncy and ecstatic; basically clueless. Light was surveying his every move, as though there couldn’t be another possible point of interest in the world. The woman looked around the group a couple times, before turning to L and asking if he had any luggage. L shook his head. “Our trip was a bit… sudden. We didn’t have time to pack much,” he quietly tried to explain. Skeptically, the receptionist nodded and handed him the keys to their rooms.
    L studied the cards as the elevator began to rise from the lobby floor. They were the top floor, number 5, and… and. . . . . . NO! NO!!! No, he had to stay awake! L forced his eyes open, even though they were suddenly heavy, his limbs seeming to weigh a ton, and his mind fuzzy and out of it. L fought a loosing battle against the elevator music, the soft, rhythmical hum that reached his ears from the rising car. The elevator ride was a long one, if he could simply close his eyes for a second, he’d be fine… . . . he’d be . . .
    Light turned in L’s direction and noticed him struggling to keep his eyelids open, a small yawn escaping his lips. Suddenly, unexpectedly, L crashed to the floor of the elevator, too tired to stay on his feet any longer. Misa screamed and jumped aside just in time to let room for L to fall to the floor. L lay on his side, both watching his chest rise and fall with each slow, still breath he took in his sleep.
    “What- Ryuuzaki!!!” Misa squealed and dug her nails into Light’s shoulder. Light could feel her fingers tighten around his shoulder, and knelt beside L’s crumpled figure, escaping Misa’s grasp. “Don’t worry, he’s just sleeping,” Light reassured her. He scooped up L, letting him continue to sleep, knowing to try and wake someone as tired as to collapse in an elevator would simply be futile. The elevator doors opened to reveal a family with two small, wet children, their stringy hair sopping, wearing colorful bathing suits. The father’s eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped in shock as Light, holding the unconscious L in his arms, Misa trailing behind him.
    All three pairs of eyes were on them as they walked across the hallway. “Don’t worry, he’s just asleep,” Light called back, though he knew it probably still wasn’t much of a reassurance to their father, who had quickly ushered his children into the closing elevator, a scared expression over his face.
    “Misa, I need you to open our doors, okay?” Light asked. Misa bounded next to him, now clutching the keys, smiling. The door at the very end of the hall was labeled 238 in large metal letters. She tried all the keys before finally reaching key 238. The door clicked and swung open. Light strode in, Misa holding the door after she handed him the key, and watching. Light laid L down on the neatly folded bed, trying to linger too long admiring the beautiful suite L managed to afford for all three of them. He could hear the soft breaths L took in his sleep, but no Misa. Light turned to the door, to find it held open by the stopper at the bottom, no blonde-gothic-Lolita holding it. Light set the key on the top of the small refrigerator door, where L would be sure to find it. He then stepped out, kicking the door stopper out and shutting the door.
    Two doors down, Misa’s blonde, smiling face popped out. “You have GOT to check out these rooms, Light!” she squealed. “Who knew Ryuuzaki was so LOADED!!!” she added, her large brown eyes wide in amazement. Light chuckled and took the second key Misa tossed at him excitedly and used it to open his own door. It swung open easily, leading to the most grand of suites Light had ever seen. A large bed, its white sheets neatly tucked into the mattress, was standing against a wall. The wall next to that one was all windows.
    Light thrust the shutters and blinds open to reveal a wonderful view over the city, the tops of the tallest buildings below him. The golden sun was sinking low in the horizon, spreading out streaks of crimsons, rosy pinks, and sky blues across the darkening sky. A sigh escaped Light’s lips as he witnessed the amazing scene out his window. A pang of regret hit him as he realized Ryuuzaki must be missing this wonderful view. Now thinking back, Light wasn’t sure if he had closed the door to Ryuuzaki’s room. That could surely lead to trouble. Light crossed to the other side of the room and left, being careful not to lock himself out.
    Suddenly, he lost his footing, limbs flailing in a futile effort to regain posture, and crashed to the ground. The perpetrator of his fall was kicked and slid across the ornate rug, hitting door 238 and stopping. Light pulled himself to his feet and followed the thing to the edge of Ryuuzaki’s closed door. He leaned over to pick it up, and realized he was holding a manga book, comics from Japan. Strangely, it had a picture of Ryuuzaki on the cover, so it obviously belonged to him, maybe fallen from his back pocket as Light took him to his room. Light didn’t want to pry, but he couldn’t help it as he smoothed the cover open and began to read it. Light’s eyes opened wide in fear and shock as he read. The book fell from his hands and thudded on the floor, closing for the first time Light opened it. He shook, and it was all he could do to keep from screaming. His eyes wide, breathing hard, he stared down at the cursed book in fear.
    “Ryuuzaki…” he started, forcing himself to suck in a ragged breath. “WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS RETCHED THING?!?!”