4. PASSAGE
The brand seems to be the single thing that connects them. It aches as a reminder to Light that while he has a goal in mind, he won't get anywhere near it still being tied to this monstrosity. Light traces the L along his the back of his shoulder and winces when his finger presses down. He notices Ryuzaki flinch. Curious, he presses harder until his nail digs into the brand, and it bleeds. He fights through the pain as he watches the thing walking in front of him hunch farther forward as if in pain. It's shoulders shake and legs weaken.
Ryuzaki stops and turns to face him. "Do you enjoy masochism, Yagami-kun?"
Light moves his hand away. "What?"
Before he can say anything else, a cold hand snatches him by the neck and lifts him off his feet. Light claws at the hand but can't break free.
"I'm not sure if I'm able to kill you, Yagami-kun. But I am able to break every bone in your body until you're nothing more than a pile of agonized meat on the ground. So if you want my cooperation, I suggest you leave the brand alone." He drops Light and continues on.
Light scrambles to him feet and dusts himself off. His test worked. He pries the smile from his face before his adversary takes notice. Good, as long as he has a method to control Ryuzaki, Light could use it when necessary—even if it means sacrificing a few broken bones along the way.
The pair returns to the two Shinigami, who see Ryuzaki first and panic. Light hurries forward to calm and reassure them they have both come to an agreement.
"I've done my part. Now it's time for you two to fulfill your end of the bargain," Light says, crossing his arms. "Show us the way to the City of Gods."
"H-how do we know you won't harm us after we've shown you?"
Ryuzaki takes a step, but Light wedges himself in between him and the two Shinigami. If he lets Ryuzaki attack or even threaten one of them, he'll be forced to seek help elsewhere. And with the world barren and the road long, he can't afford to waste time searching. "He won't. You have my word."
The Shinigami remain apprehensive. The fish-eyed one finally nods to its friend, and the slug-like Shinigami with golden jewelry waddles away toward some jagged rocks and then beckons with a fat, fingerless hand.
"This way. Follow me."
The group of four traverses a lean passage, surrounded by bones and rocks that seem to meld with each other, producing walls roughly a hundred feet high. A thin fog blocks out the sky, and Light has difficulty estimating where the rocks and bones end and the sky begins. His eyes narrow, and he notices a massive skeleton, perhaps that of a whale, through the thin fog. At first he thinks it's floating, but he deduces that the rock walls are holding it up. One bone looks capable of crushing the group should it fall.
Ryuzaki makes a noise of distress. He lifts a foot and pulls out a fish bone from the sole. Blood drips along the ground.
"Careful," the golden-jeweled Shinigami says a bit too late. "This is a boneyard. Your feet will be cut apart."
"If only you two had wings," its partner says with slight disappointment in its tone. "We could have flied there without hazard."
Ryuzaki shoots it a glare, as does Light. They seem to have some other connection aside from the brand. Perhaps it's not completely hopeless after all. Perhaps, deep down, the real L dwells within this pale creature. A part of Light, the part that enjoyed the chase, the thrill of having an equal, the allure of being feared and admired at the same time wants this to be that L. Another part urges him to abandon his hope. Hope is poisonous. Hope is a façade. Hope doesn't oust the wicked. Hope creates foolishness. It brought about Light's downfall. Its one strength is that it keeps the weak from succumbing to madness. But the weak have no place to stand in a perfect world. Since when has hope ever been his ally?
The wound on Ryuzaki's foot begins to heal. By the time they reach a giant lake, he doesn't appear to have sustained any injury.
The slug fixes its golden chain and says, "This is as far as we can take you without compensation."
Light surveys their surroundings. "There's no boat."
"You'll need coin to attain safe travel across the lake," the fish-eyed Shinigami explains and lifts a long finger to point. "The entrance is just beyond the fog."
"Has anyone attempted to swim across?" Ryuzaki asks, testing the water temperature with a toe. He places a foot in and then retracts it. The look of disgust on his face indicates it's colder than anticipated. "Sure doesn't feel like anyone could endure this."
"Nobody has tried."
Ryuzaki returns his attention to the water. His thumb presses to his lip, and he nibbles on the nail. "I see."
Light watches his adversary's mannerisms. A sickness rises in his stomach as if he's eaten a large dinner his body can't keep down. Even this thing moves and acts like L. The god king knew what he was planning when he created this creature from Light's memories.
Fucking bastard, Light thinks.
Ryuzaki dips another foot into the lake. His mouth twitches involuntarily. After a pause, he presses forward.
"I-I wouldn't do that if I were you," the golden-jeweled Shinigami warns underneath a nervous tone.
Light wants to say something, but his curiosity is stronger than his desire to protect the creature.
Despite his discomfort and the warning, Ryuzaki wades into the water until only his torso and head are showing. His cloak floats against the surface like a moving raft of shadows. The freezing lake numbs his body, and he loses any trace of himself below the water. While he knows his hands are in there somewhere, the black water mixed with the fog mars his vision. Something moves beneath him, but he has no inkling of what.
Ashore, Light loses track of the floating torso in the fog. "Ryuzaki!" he calls to no answer.
"Uh-oh." The fish-eyed Shinigami bites its long fingers.
"What's the matter?" Light asks.
The ground rumbles, and small waves form in the lake, hitting his feet. Light shrinks back. The water feels like a thousand tiny needles against his skin. The fog thickens until it's almost impossible to see his hands in front of him. The wind carries a feeling of dread. Light calls out to Ryuzaki one more time. His voice absorbs into the fog.
And then, a great wave comes crashing down upon them. A thousand stabbing knives evolve into a million across Light's body. His teeth chatter, and he coughs out the sticky, lake water. Something lies before him.
"Ryuzaki!" he says, bending down to his adversary's level. "Are you alright?"
"Told you it was a bad idea," the golden-jeweled Shinigami says, and Light leers at it.
The creature stirs and rises, peeling off seaweed and other pieces of God-knows-what that have latched themselves to his pale body. His cloak fans out, flicking off any dampness and wrapping back around him, now dry.
Ryuzaki combs his fingers through his hair. "Did I lose?"
Light blinks. "If that's what you intend to call it, then yes."
"You can't simply swim across," the fish-eyed Shinigami explains. "You need to either pay the lake for a boat or have wings."
"How much does a boat ride cost?" Light asks, standing.
"Ten coins. Each."
So twenty. Figures. "Do you know how we may obtain that much money in a short time?"
The Shinigami exchange looks.
"You can always gamble," the fish-eyed one says. "Though there's only one Shinigami in the entire realm who'd be willing to play against a couple of fakes."
The word hits him hard. Light forces back a swift retort. If he'd learned anything from his past life, relying on his ego isn't the wisest move. "Fakes?"
The jeweled-clad slug plays with its golden necklace. "You're neither human nor Shinigami. You're in the middle, somewhere. You could be evolving into a Shinigami, but your outer appearance remains that of your human appearance." It taps its nearly nonexistent chin as if in thought. "Or maybe it's the other way around."
Light's interest increases. This could prove beneficial. "What happens if I become a Shinigami?"
"What happens to everybody…you're stuck here!" It releases a wheezing laugh like something has been caught in its throat. "It's quite a boring existence, really."
Light had experience with bored gods of death. He managed to keep one entertained for nearly seven years. Boredom was the seed that kept him from being killed. To fall back into it, and absent any Death Note, makes this journey seem worthless. No, there's always a way to think of something else. There's always a way to relieve the boredom. He's been given a second chance. He cannot falter his mission again. Immortality sits beyond this lake. Light can practically touch it with an outstretched hand. Any self-doubt is problematic. Any problem may produce weakness. He can't afford to be weak. He was once the most powerful being in the entire human world. Nobody will follow the weak—especially gods of death.
He needs to get across now. "That's a shame," Light says, dropping his head to appear upset. "I would think Shinigami have the good life. Never dying. Always in control of someone else's life. Instead, you waste your immortality with mindless games." He frowns and shakes his head. "When I was human, I befriended one of your kind. We spent a good deal of time together. You could say we were partners, though he preferred to watch from a distance."
Ryuzaki cocks a brow.
Light drops his head farther and softens his voice. "Deep down, I always thought we'd be friends. I had hoped he knew my admiration for his species. But I died before admitting it. My one regret is that he didn't know how lucky he was to have been a god of death. So I'll you two this now. You're lucky. You should be proud to be Shinigami. It's a privilege."
The pair pauses in puzzlement. This could be the first time they've ever heard such a complement.
Light conjures a smile. He's ensnared them.
"Liar." Ryuzaki stands.
The smile on Light's face shrivels away.
A/N: Well, shit. This new Ryuzaki is certainly giving Light a hard time. Don't fret Light; things will start looking up for you…eventually. I'm trying to build Light's character development around Ryuzaki's criticism. Suffice to say, I'm using Ryuzaki to break Light down in order to build him back up.