Rewriting.
Warnings: Song lyrics are in italics.
Shinigami Chapter 6: El Dorado
Duo followed Trowa and Quatre to the edge of Level 4 and stepped into the boat as Trowa held it steady for them. Duo gasped and braced himself on the side of the boat. 'I can't breathe!' He coughed and inhaled slowly. It felt like he was trying to breathe in a pit of tar. He sat down and leaned against the side of the boat. Trowa glanced at him once before jumping into the boat, pushing it into the water.
Duo closed his eyes tight and thought about when he and Heero were back on earth. Everything was perfect then. He was with his love, alone and without distractions. He sighed. It was easier to breathe now. He opened his eyes and gaped at what he saw. Quatre and Trowa were both surrounded by colorful auras. Quatre's was a light, aqua green color while Trowa's was a beautiful pine green.
He glanced down at himself and smiled when he saw he was surrounded by his own very purple aura. His was duller than the other two. "What's that for?" he asked, outlining Trowa's figure to indicate that he meant their auras.
"They are here because they are our only source of light and protection. Ours glow brighter than yours because we've been here before and we've developed something of an immunity to this place and its foul intentions." Trowa moved to the front of the boat, ducking under the open sail.
The boat moved slowly. The liquid they were in didn't feel like water; it was thicker. Duo peered over the edge and watched the thick liquid flowing sluggishly around the boat. "Y'know, this doesn't really look like water." Duo thought for a moment. "It feels more like-"
"Blood," Trowa cut in. He nodded. "Yes, I know." He turned around and looked at Duo. "It feels like such for good reason." Duo blinked at him and Trowa turned back around.
Duo turned his gaze back to the black stuff. "Is..." He swallowed hard. "Is it r-really blood?" he asked uneasily. He turned to Quatre, who nodded solemnly. Duo made a surprised and disgusted face and turned to look at it once again. "There's so much," he said quietly.
He sighed and rose to walk to the front of the boat with Trowa.
Days passed. No one spoke more than five words to each other at a time.
xxx
After about three days - according to Trowa - passed, the trio arrived at a rocky, black land. Tall, rugged mountains were everywhere. On the ground grew nothing, only rocks and dirt met their feet. Leaving the boat on the shore, they started toward the intimidating mountains.
Trowa's aura flared brighter for a split second and returned to normal. Quatre's did the same. Duo was about to ask what it was when off to his left, in the mountains somewhere, a flash of light and an explosion of flames made him yelp and jump sideways. The flames leaped higher, licked the sky and died down again to darkness. The ground rumbled under their feet. It stopped and the ground seemed to hiss angrily. That also stopped.
"What was that!" Duo cried. Neither of his companions had seemed to notice. Trowa's eyes trailed along the mountains until they fell upon the area where the explosion had occurred.
"Nevermind that - ignore them," he told Duo, picking up his pace a bit.
Duo's jaw dropped. "Ignore them! How am I supposed to ignore explosions, earthquakes, and the ground hissing?" he demanded. This was completely freaking him out.
Trowa sighed. "First of all, they aren't earthquakes - the ground merely shook a bit as an aftermath of the so-called explosion. Secondly, the ground isn't hissing. It's coming from the spot where the explosion was."
"So-called explosion? What's that supposed to mean? It was an explosion, wasn't it?"
Trowa sighed again. "Not really. They could be described as such, I suppose, but that's not really what they are. Now if you don't mind, we're nearly there, so please be respectful enough to be quiet."
Duo didn't object. Trowa was kinda scary. Instead, he peered around Trowa to see where they nearly were. Before them towered what appeared to be an elevator. With one huge, wood platform and side rails, the elevator lifted to the top of a plateau. Duo's eyes trailed up to the top. "Are we going up there?" he whispered to Trowa.
He nodded as they approached the abandoned elevator. "They built this because there is no other way of getting to the top." He opened the door and nodded to Duo and Quatre to go in. Getting in himself and latching the door, the elevator lurched up before steadying and proceeding slowly up to the plateau. No ropes or cords were attached to the chute, it just moved by itself. Duo peered over the edge at their boat. It's off-white color made it seem as though it were glowing in the dark land. He sighed and turned to look at the mountain. Not even halfway up.
Out of sheer boredom, Duo began to hum. Nonchalantly at first, but it soon changed to a song he liked to sing to Heero. Quatre looked up at Trowa sadly. He felt so bad for Duo. Trowa nodded and put an arm around his shoulders in understanding.
The slow hum of the song seemed longing and forlorn. Duo closed his eyes and swayed to the beat of the slow song.
The elevator groaned and slowed to a stop. Duo stopped humming and opened his eyes. Trowa opened the door and watched Duo's face as he stepped off. He looked so emotionless... so numb.
Duo followed Trowa and Quatre into the darkness.
For as long as they walked, Duo felt as though years were passing. On asking Trowa about it, he found it had been four days. Duo asked if the plateau ever ended. He was surprised when he got this reply:
"There is no longer a plateau. This is the ground. We never came off of that plateau, it is now the ground of the Fifth Level." Trowa glanced at the confused look on Duo's face. "I mean, there is no descending from the plateau, it basically just formed another floor above where we came ashore." Duo looked down. "Does that make more sense?" Trowa asked him.
Duo nodded. "How much longer do you think it'll take?" he asked.
Trowa shrugged. "I'm not sure. There's a rumor going around that Shinigami has a castle. We have no idea how that rumor started since only about two percent of the souls that are originally brought here ever get to Summerland. But anyway, it says that his castle is located deep within the heart of the Fifth Level. This would be considered the heart," he said, spreading his arms. "It is also rumored that he goes there when he doesn't have work to do. Or if he just doesn't want to leave." He shrugged.
"Speaking of which," Duo began. "Why haven't we seen anyone? I know you said you just avoided them in the other Levels but this seems different somehow." He gazed around into the darkness.
Trowa sighed. "They're everywhere. They're all around us, even as we speak. This is why we have these light auras - They're terribly afraid of light and won't come near us. When you fell behind during the Fourth Level, had you needed an aura for protection, it would have dimmed considerably and they would have attacked you," Trowa muttered, peering around.
"Attacked?" Duo whispered fiercely.
Trowa nodded. "Without hesitation. But they wouldn't really be touching you physically, they use their minds to make it seem like they are. So don't fall behind and don't think pessimistically," he warned.
Duo nodded quickly.
After a few minutes of silence, Duo once again began to hum. Trowa and Quatre listened with interest as Duo launched into song.
"Kanashimi no uta o kuchizusamu toki / hito wa dare demo tabibito ni naru / mienai ito o tadori haruka na kimi no moto e / shinji au kokoro wa dare ni mo makenai kara / ai wa shinanai yume wa kienai / kanashimi koete mezase El Dorado / tooku ni kirameku hoshi ga kimi nara / boku wa yozora o wataru kaze ni naru / setsunaku afuretekuru namida ga shitte iru / kizutsuita kokoro o iyaseru sono basho o / ai wa shinanai yume wa kienai / namida o fuite mezase El Dorado / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... kimi o motomete / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... tooi El Dorado / ai ga michiru basho sore ga El Dorado / futatsu no kokoro ga hitotsu ni naru yo / osanai ano hi ni haha ni dakarete / itsumo kiite ita uta ga natsukashii / kimi ni aitai ima sugu aitai / tsunoru omoi ga daichi o hashiru / dakara ai wa shinanai yume wa kienai / kanashimi koete mezase El Dorado / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... kimi o motomete / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... tooi El Dorado"
xxx
One long week passed by in this bleak place. Until one day...
Trowa, Quatre, and Duo all stopped. "Woah..." Duo murmured. They all stared in awe at the magnificent castle that stood about three miles away.
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The English translation for El Dorado goes something like this:
You are my star in the sky / Shining with a far-off light / I will be the wind that blows / O'er the sea and all through the night / So many times I have cried bitter tears / I know too well the heartbreak and pain / Take me to the land where my soul / United with you is made whole again / Love and hope will never die / Dreams of you are by my side / Cry no more, dry all your tears / I'll be there - El Dorado / A whisper of a lullaby / Singing sadly 'cross the sea / Anyone who hears the song / Soon turns into a wanderer / Invisible to us now is our fate / Which ties you to me so faraway / I believe in your love promised me / My heart will never lose you again / Love and hope will never die / Dreams of you are by my side / Gone with sadness, set the course / For my goal - El Dorado / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... searching for you ev'rywhere / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... faraway El Dorado / Paradise forevermore / That is my El Dorado / To the land of perfect love / There our hearts can become one / I remember as a child / In my mother's arms I slept / She sang to me of journeys far / I can still hear her voice in the wind / I need you, I need your love / How could I betray my heart/ Faith in you is all I have / Dreaming of El Dorado / Believing / Love and hope will never die / Dreams of you are by my side / Gone with sadness, set the course / For my goal - El Dorado / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... searching for you ev'rywhere / La, la, la, la, la, la, la... faraway El Dorado