The Perfect World

Chapter 12

3rd Person POV

Flashback

"What are you doing?! We have to leave!" Dimentio shouts, grabbing L's arm.

A tear slowly falls from his eye, and he leans forward, leaning into the jester's chest and softly sobbing.

Sobbing because he can't. He's chained to this world. If he were to leave, he'd fade away. Because the Manguer didn't design him to be able to leave this world. This world is what gives him life.

He has to tell him. 

He needs him to hear his voice. Heck, he needs to hear his own voice. At least once.

"C......C...n't.....go....." He manages to whisper, his voice blocked. He knows what the punishment for speaking will be, but he wanted, no, he needed to say something. It hurts to talk. It's physically painful, like sandpaper scratching away at his throat. It burns like fire. "N......t........r.ea....l."

Dimentio gives him a heartbroken expression. "But, No. You can't stay here. He'll-"

"Pl.....se, ....g....o" he interrupts, not wanting to hear what the Manguer is going to do to him. He already knows what's going to happen to him. He already knows that there's no real world for him. No happiness. No stars.

This is hopefully the last time he'll see Dimentio. His last taste of the real world. His last chance to feel real.

He looks Dimentio in his eyes. His real eyes. Mismatched, but real.

Oh, how he longed to have real eyes like that.

And in the small sliver of time he has left, he does something he'll never forget. He feels real. He's real for a moment. 

He pulls the Jester into a kiss.

And it's wonderful. For a moment, he forgets what he knows is going to happen to him. He forgets that he's not real. He forgets he's trapped. 

And then, that moment ends.

"DIMENTIO!" Bleck's voice calls, filled with rage. "NO!"

Mr. L can hear the sound of his footsteps sprinting over, and winces. He immediately pulls back, filling with fear. He's out of time. The happiness is over. 

He wished he had more time. He only felt happiness for so little. He wished he could feel it more.

He shoves that paper note into Dimentio's hands, then shoves him into the tunnel, slamming the door shut and pressing his back to it as the Manguer approaches him, rage in his eyes.

The Manguer screams, and violently grabs the man in green's collar, yanking him forward and bashing his head against the door, screaming louder and louder.

"YOU FOOL!" He shouts, grasping his throat and continuing to bash his head in. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?!"

Mr. L coughs and nods as the Manguer continues to scream. 

He's no longer trembling.

"Don't...." Mr. L whispers, as harshly as he can manage. He narrows his yellow eyes up at the Manguer and glares. "Don't regret."

"Excuse me?!" The Manguer asks, smiling now as he still grasps the alternate L's throat. He pauses the bashing and just glares. "Who gave YOU permission to speak?"

"I....d...did," Mr. L whispers. "Y....y..ou ......c..n't... c..ntr...l....me."

The Manguer's smile falters and his eye twitches. "Oh," He spits. "I'd beg to differ."