18. DANCE

The sounds of faint screaming seem to lurk in every niche Ryuzaki passes as he and Light descend farther into the heart of the city. Sometimes he assumes his mind is playing tricks on him, trying to scare or provoke him in some way. The screams' timbres are high in pitch, meaning they could belong to women or children. It's the most unpleasant sound he's ever heard despite everything that's happened to him.

Meanwhile, Light seems unfazed by the cries of torture. His focus is on the Shinigami named Amonia. To think, if he had done something slightly different in his approach when handling Kinddara, his Death Note would be safely back in his possession. But either Kami or some irrevocable force keeps the notebook a step or two out of reach, and all Light can do is give chase and hope the Death Note doesn't fall in a flaming pit during the pursuit.

The surrounding buildings around the duo seem to watch them closely, as if Kami has implanted his eyes within their looming shadows. Beneath the screaming, Ryuzaki hears the thumping sounds Light spoke lowly of. They draw closer to their destination.

"Sounds like a million beating hearts," the pale man muses.

"You have no idea."

They approach a large stone structure that seems to stretch into the gray sky. A double set of doors sits in their way. Light turns the doorknob shaped like a skull and steps into a world of dancing, chortling monsters and luminescence that seems to come out of the ground. The floor and ceiling are made entire out of mirrors, and his reflections glance back at him with both curiosity and slight disgust. It has been some time since he's seen himself. He's the same person he was as a human, at least physically. Though the dullness in his eyes reflects his loss of humanity. The primitive glow in his irises frightens him. He almost thinks a beast's looking at him.

Meanwhile, Ryuzaki is mesmerized by other distractions. Bones rattle together and feet stomp the floor as partygoers weave in motion with each other and the bizarre live music. Monsters give off the appearance of humans. Reflecting the erotic and electrifying presence that clubs are meant to promote. But as he observes, he comes to realize that death gods do not make the best dancers. Some collide together as if under the influence, while others twirl for far too long and lose their balance. While quite a disappointing scene it's still entertaining to watch. Despite the flaws, partygoers never cease moving. There's a continuous cycle of clumsy falls and twirls and rattling. Not that he is an expert in the sport, but Ryuzaki believes dancing is most enjoyable when paired with someone. He neither knows how to follow a musical rhythm nor has a partner willing to teach him. His eyes flicker to Light for the briefest moment.

"That must be him," Light nods to someone across the room.

Ryuzaki follows his gaze. A skeletal Shinigami, glimmering with a large sum of jewels, sits with his skull resting on one fisted hand and ruby eyes watching the partygoers with little interest.

Light and Ryuzaki shoulder through the throng to reach him.

"Amonia Justin Beyondormason?"

The skull raises its head. "Yes?"

"I'm Light Yagami, I was told by my retainer, Nym, that you might know where my Death Note is located."

"Light Yagami," his voice muses. "Aren't you the one who took over the fighting pits from Kinddara?"

Light nods.

"Really?" Amonia taps his finger against a golden tooth. "This is the first time I've heard someone has gotten the best of Kinddara Guivelostain. May I ask how you accomplished such a feat?"

Light and Ryuzaki exchange looks.

"We were able to recognize her weakness. The throne she carried around with her everywhere happened to be hiding her Death Note."

"And now you've taken her place as overseer of the fighting pits?" The skull nods. "Interesting. So you're here to find your Death Note? Should I be concerned that you may try to usurp me?" Amonia's voice grows steely. "I've heard about you, Light Yagami. Ryuk spoke quite fondly of you at his trial. You even managed to impress our king." He nods to to the partygoers. "It's because of you that they're acting this way. I'm starting to wonder if this change is poisonous to our way of life."

"You can rest assure that I have no intention of harming you or your status," Light says with a perfunctory smile. "All I ask is for information on my Death Note's whereabouts and I'll be on my way."

Someone jostles Ryuzaki, and the pale man turns to glare at the perpetrator, but he can't find the culprit in the thick crowd.

Amonia chuckles. "Perhaps there is something you can do for me in exchange for information."

Light groans but maintains his forced smile. "What do you have in mind?"

"You were brought back to life for our entertainment, Light Yagami. I'd like to see what sort of entertainment a fallen soul can bring to the world of gods. You caused mass hysteria and chaos in your human life. But what other entertainment do you possess besides murder?"

"I'm quite good at card games," Light says.

Amonia fiddles with the numerous jeweled-encrusted trinkets around his neck. "This is a club, Light Yagami. Surely there is something far more enticing that you can come up with than cards."

Light glances over his shoulder at the sea of moving bodies and exchanging of what could only be liquor. Clubs have never been a place he's frequented. Even in college, when his friends would try to drag him out to one, he'd only go to preserve the guise that he was an ordinary undergraduate student chasing the usual hedonistic desires every college boy wants—sex and alcohol. He'd never found either meaningful.

His eyes fall onto Ryuzaki, who's still trying to avoid being swept away by the partygoers. An insane thought crosses his mind.

"We could dance for you," Light offers.

Ryuzaki blinks. "We?"

Light shoots him a look, as if to say, "Just go with it."

All of a sudden, Amonia throws his head back and a guffaw bursts from his hollow mouth. When he finds some composure, he says, "Now I see why our king likes you so much. Very well. Show us your dancing prowess, Light Yagami."

"I don't dance," Ryuzaki says to nobody's listening ears.

Light grabs his arm regardless of his protests and drags him into the sea of weaving and drinking death gods. He finds a small opening within the throng and yanks on Ryuzaki's cloak. The pale man nearly falls into him. Their faces are so close, and their bodies are even closer.

"Seriously, Yagami-kun. Me. Dancing. No—"

"Just shut up and follow my lead."

"I'll kick you if you step on my feet," Ryuzaki mumbles, and the look in his eyes ensures he indeed will.

But Light is unprovoked by the threat. He should be grateful that it's just a kick he needs to worry about and not a beheading. He wraps an arm around the pale man's thin waist and feels Ryuzaki's lithe body tense beneath his fingertips. "Relax," he whispers. "It's just for show." With his other hand, he entwines their cold fingers together. Light rolls his shoulders back and stands tall.

The dance floor grows spacious as Shinigami take notice of the human shadows entangled together. Ryuzaki's gaze scans the room at the numerous pairs of eyes staring back at him. Tightness grows in his stomach until it's painful. A wave of fog fills his mind.

"Don't."

He jerks his head back to Light.

"Don't pay attention to anyone else but me," his companion says with tenderness in his tone. "I'll keep you afloat. Trust me." And the softness in his deep-set eyes forms a barrier against the pain in the pale man's chest.

Ryuzaki's body relaxes a bit in response. For some inexplicable reason, he trusts Light's words.

And slowly but surely, his partner bends a knee and steps back, pulling Ryuzaki along with him. Then Light bends another knee and steps to the side, and so forth, until he's formed a solid rhythm. Ryuzaki stumbles through the first few steps before they finally register in his mind. Light's expression remains reserved, frozen like a statue. Despite Ryuzaki's poor coordination, he doesn't seem bothered by his partner's inexperience.

Ryuzaki can't help but put his reputation into Light's cold but gentle hands. The taller man pulls him in more until their chests press together. Ryuzaki's eyes come to about Light's chin, but he maintains his gaze on his companion's. Should he stray from them, he fears another, more serious, slip up is imminent.

Their swirling world becomes a haze—twisting and morphing into a realm that is occupied by only Light and Ryuzaki. The two men may be an unorthodox pairing, but something inside Ryuzaki builds and builds until it shudders awake inside his chest. The space between them thins. Both partners seem to be waiting for the other one to recoil—a test to see who will back down first. But neither do. Pride is on the line. And all of a sudden, before either man even realizes it, the gap between them becomes nonexistent. The pounding music dies away into a repressed memory, and the smell of alcohol and sweat dissolves. Warmth extends to Ryuzaki's limbs, cloaking him in a protective blanket that also seems to reach Light.

But within this world that belongs only to them, a dark figure appears. It flies in with feathered wings the color of night and perches itself on a cliff. A pair of large, yellow orbs stare down at Ryuzaki. He stares back, challenging them. A Cheshire grin thickens across the being's face, and a loud cackle escapes its throat. It raises something into the air, and the pale man's eyes widen.

The Death Note slips from the being's grasp and falls down a deep void of mayhem. At first, it doesn't seem to end until the void brightens and large structures flood its canvas. The Death Note continues to drift downward until it disappears behind one of these large structures. Somehow, Ryuzaki recognizes this location.

He snaps back to reality and pushes Light away, brushing the back of his hand against his lips. Heat extends across his face. But the shock must wait. "I know where your Death Note is," he reveals.

Light has his hand over his mouth, also taking in the absentminded contact. He removes his hand to ask, "Where?"

"It's in the human world."

A/N: So next chapter is officially the finale of Part I of ROFG. I will be making a special announcement regarding Part II afterward. Stay tuned!