Mtnetwarrior here again. With my first two stories out of the way and the stage set for more adventures with III, I decided to wait a little while and get to work on a story taken from another writer. "A Second Chance", by ZaleAcorn, is one I felt had a lot of potential, but when I first read it I noticed he hadn't updated for a year. I feel it's kind of sad when someone takes such great work and never finishes it. So I asked Zale if I could finish it for him. He agreed, under two conditions. The first, that only characters that are dead at the end of Death Note be included (so if you liked a certain character from the task force or the SPK, tough cookies, they won't be here). There was one other story-based idea he had in mind, and I think it's a good idea. Please remember that this story is based off the ORIGINAL Death Note story and has nothing to do with my previous two stories. Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or Legend of Zelda.

Chapter 1: Pirates and Prisoners

This is but one of the legends of which the people speak...

Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.

But one day, a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself. With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand...

A young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light.

The boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time. The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend...

But then... A day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all though had been sealed away by the hero... Once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.

The people believed that the Hero of Time would once again come to save them. ...But the Hero did not appear. Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appear to the gods. In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate.

What became of that kingdom? None remain who know.

The memory of the kingdom vanished, but its legend survived on the wind's breath. On a certain island, it became customary to garb boys in green when they came of age. Clothed in the green of fields, they aspired to find heroic blades and cast down evil. The elders wished only for the youths to know courage like the hero of legend...

L finished reading the book delivered to him by an unknown individual. On the inside back cover was written, "The legend is not yet over. Kira is here." "Kira". That word struck a chord in L's heart. He remembered the life he had lived before the peace and tranquility of living on Outset Island. But no matter calm the seas, how blue the skies, the dreams still haunted him. They had haunted him in his sleep. The bitter, cold winds that scratched his body with claws of darkness. Looking over his shoulder from where he had sat, he stared off the platform at the darkness. The demonic, cold darkness. He could still hear their words in his ear.

'You couldn't stop him... You failed your own mission... He defeated you.' The words they had spoken... he knew they were true. He had failed in his mission. But all the same, he couldn't cry. He couldn't. He had been given a second chance. Perhaps not from where he remembered, but all the same... L shook his head and stared back at the ocean beyond the platform. The memories of his past life still haunted him. He had decided to live out his new life with his new friends. They had claimed to have found him on the beach, like a piece of driftwood. They had taken him in. But still, no matter how he tried to bury his past, one word kept appearing in his mind. One single word. "Kira."

"Hey! Big brother! Ryuzaki!" L turned to see where the voice had come from. Seeing no one, excluding the young boy laying sprawled across the platform, he dismissed the thought from his mind before turning back toward the ocean on the other side of the platform, where he saw a young girl. "Good morning, Ryuzaki!," the girl said, grinning. "Hello, Aryll," L said as he stood up into his slouching position. Aryll stared at the sleeping boy and sighed. "Big brother, come on!" She said, playfully pushing him across the platform as the boy's eyelids fluttered open. "Aryll..." the boy muttered, "just five more minutes..."

"Link," L said, "Have you truly forgotten what today is?" Link stared at the two of them, confused. "Big brother!," Aryll shouted, "It's your birthday!" "My... birthday?," Link asked with a blank expression on his face. Aryll sighed. "Come on, big brother, why do you do this every year? Even Ryuzaki remembers that today is his birthday too!" L sighed. "Just because I showed up on this island as an infant on the day Link was born does not make that my birthday!" Aryll grinned playfully. "Of course not Ryuzaki!," she teased, "But since you are an orphan, apparently, I guess it's our job to choose when your birthday is!" L was speechless. Her idea of logic actually impressed him. Then again, when her intelligence was compared to Link's...

Link pushed himself up from the platform and stared at Aryll, his eyes still half closed. "You're still half-asleep, aren't you?," Aryll asked, grinning. "So what if I am...?," Link retorted. He yawned and sat down on the platform, rubbing his eyes. "I'll just never understand how you can sleep up here! Grandma says you'll get a cold!," Aryll exclaimed. "Link, you should listen to your sister, her advice may actually come in handy some day," L said coldly. Link winced, as he did whenever L spoke like that. "Then how come you can come up here, Ryuzaki?," Link asked, trying to sound cold like L, but failing miserably. L sighed. Link had always tried to act tough, but he could never put his words into actions. He smiled then. Staring off, over the edge of the platform and out onto the great sea. In the distance, he could see what appeared to be a man with wings and a beak like a bird. "Quill's here," he said prompting Link and Aryll to turn around.

Aryll laughed, seeing the seagulls that followed the postman. Link grinned, because that meant the mail was coming. Everyone in the village knew Quill, the Rito postman. He came to their island every Friday to deliver mail. "Oh, yeah!," Aryll said, turning to her brother, "Grandma wants to see you! She said she has something important to give you!" Link sighed. "But I'm so tired! Can't I just sleep a little...?" "No!," Aryll said, hands on her hips. Smiling, L began to descend the ladder. Just listening to these two argue made his day. He stepped down off the ladder and began to walk towards Link and Aryll's house. Walking through the grass from the platform to the house when he was greeted by a young girl carrying a jar on her head. "Happy birthday, Ryuzaki!," she said happily.

"Hello, Sue-Belle," L said cheerfully, even though that one word sent shivers down his spine. Birthday. Beyond. BB. He shivered from that memory. He remembered it clearly. Sue-Belle stared at him oddly. "Are you okay?" L just nodded. He couldn't tell her, he couldn't tell anyone. They would think he was crazy. He continued walking until he heard another voice, this one came from higher up. "Ryuzaki!," shouted the voice, "Happy birthday!" L winced again. He hated that word. It dredged up too many painful memories. Nonetheless, he looked up at the source of the voice, an old, short man with a big head. "Good morning, Sturgeon," L said calmly, "How are you today?" "Just fine, just fine!," said Sturgeon. The old man had taken quite a liking to L because of his intellect. "By the way, Link's grandmother told me that she had something to give you."

"Thank you," L said, as he continued walking toward the house. He knocked on the door, and entered. "Ryuzaki, welcome back!," said Grandma as she entered the parlor. "It's nice to be back in this house, rather than outside on that platform, Grandma," said L, using the name she had told him to call her. "Where's Link?," Grandma asked, noticing that he was missing. L sighed. "He's outside, fighting with Aryll. Nothing new." Grandma pouted. "Really? That's too bad. I was all ready to give him his-" The door began to open, cutting Grandma off. Link stepped inside and sighed. "Sorry I'm late," he said apologetically, "I was running over here when Sturgeon cut me off and began telling me about the wonders of Chu Jelly." He was referring, of course, to the substance dropped by the gelatinous Chuchus.

"Well, now that you're here, I guess I can give you your present," Grandma said. She handed each of them a box. L's was black, and Link's was green. Link quickly tore open his box and pulled out what appeared to be a green tunic. He stared at it for a second, before looking up at Grandma with a fake smile on his face. "Um... Just what I... Er... Wanted?," he said, uncertainly. He then looked mischievously at L, obviously thinking that he would get the same thing. L opened his box and smiled at the present inside. It was a strange book. "The Adventurer's Bestiary...," he whispered, "Fascinating." Inside were pictures of monsters with captions. One was a strange blob-like creature that seemed to pulse with electricity. Another was a creature resembling a pig that could walk and carried a long spear.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you a tunic also," Grandma apologized, "It's just that they're only supposed to be given to boys from the island and... Well..." "I understand," L said, "I'm actually very thankful for this. It's... Informative. Perhaps later I can show this to Aryll. I'm sure these would fascinate her." He was pointing to a monster that resembled a ball of spikes with a single eye in the center. "Although I must ask, how did you acquire this? There are no book stores on this island, and no one in the village enjoys writing, except for Sturgeon, and I highly doubt that he's ever met any of these creatures face-to-face. And there's a very low percentage that this would wash up on the shore completely unharmed. I'd say about a two percent chance."

"Well," said Grandma, completely used to this, "It was written over on Windfall Island, and I asked Quill to deliver a copy of it here." L nodded. "Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense. Thank you very much." He opened the book and began to read. Link, meanwhile, had just returned from changing, and stood there in the green tunic and green hat. L chuckled. "Well Link," he teased, "You look... How do I put this...? Absurd." "Oh, like you look any better!," Link countered. "Actually," L said, "I'm rather fond of my outfit." He was wearing a long, grungy white t-shirt, and jeans. "Well, yeah but... At least I don't look sleep-deprived!," Link said, pointing to the black circles around L's eyes. L smiled. "Well, Link, perhaps that is because I spend most of my time pondering."

Link titled his head to one side, confused. "Pondering what?" "Why I ended up here, of course," L replied. Link said nothing, he just stared at L as Grandma cut in. "Well, tonight I'll be making both of your favorite dinners. Link, I'll make you some Elixir Soup. Ryuzaki, I'll be making you some Elixir Cake," she said, still finding it odd that L could burn so many calories with his brain alone. "By the way, you two, Aryll said that she had something to give you as well!" She turned away and walked into the kitchen, as L and Link opened the door and headed outside. As they left, L looked out toward the sea and saw a small ship off the coast. "Looks like Beedle's in. Shall we see if he has anything interesting?"

They hopped on the ship as it pulled into the dock. Inside sat Beedle, a seafaring salesman, next to a variety of wares. "This looks interesting," Link said as he picked up a small satchel that resembled a pig's head. Beedle smiled warmly. "That's a Bait Bag," he said, "It can be used to store any sort of animal food you happen to find. Two types in particular are sold for very good prices on my ship." L took a look at the price tag. "He always seems to have good, low prices for even the most important items. We should have enough for this, and it could come in handy for helping Rosa to corral her wayward pigs." Link nodded and put the required number of rupees in the box. "Thank you!," Beedle said, "Be sure to come by often for more of my special All-Purpose Bait." "You always seem to find rupees in the most unexpected places," L said as they disembarked from the shop ship. Link shrugged. "Sometimes I just get a feeling. Anyway, we should go and find my sister."

L stared over at the platform across the village, where Aryll was likely to be located. Suddenly, as the two began to head off towards it, a voice called out, "Ryuzaki! Link! It's nice to see you two!" "Hello, Quill," L said as he turned to face the postman, "How was your flight here?" Quill grinned. "It was very nice, the winds and water were quite calm." He then pulled something out of his bag. "I have something here for your sister, Link, do you think you could give it to her?" Link nodded. "Sure Quill, what is it?" "The new addition of Seagull's Monthly," Quill said, "I thought she might like it." "Well, we'll deliver it as soon as we can," L said, "We wouldn't want to keep you here too long. By the way, thank you for the book." Quill smiled. "It was my pleasure, now hurry along! You wouldn't want to keep your sister waiting, would you?"

Link and L took off for the platform then, climbing up as soon as they reached it. Aryll stood there, looking at the seagulls through her telescope. "Hi Aryll!," Link said as he and L reached the top. Aryll turned around, grinning. "Big brother, that outfit looks ridiculous on you!" Link winced. "S-so what?," he stammered, "It's not like I have much of a choice!" "So, Ryuzaki," Aryll said, ignoring her brother, "What did Grandma give you?" L smiled and held out the book. " The Adventurer's Bestiary," Aryll read, "So this book has information on all types of monsters?" L nodded. Aryll looked through the book. "This is actually kind of interesting..." "By the way, Aryll," Link said, "Quill wanted us to give you this," He handed her the package, and she handed the book back to L. Aryll tore open the package and grinned happily.

"Thank you, big brother!," Aryll said as she hugged him, "Now I have something for you! Close your eyes and hold out your hand!" Link did so, as Aryll placed her telescope in his hand. "Ta-dah! Happy birthday, big brother!" "Wow, Aryll, your telescope? You sure?," Link asked her. Aryll nodded. "But only for today! Now, Ryuzaki, it's your turn!" L closed his eyes and held out his hand, just as Link had done, and felt something squeezed into his palm. "Ta-dah!," Aryll said, "Happy birthday, Ryuzaki!" L opened his eyes, and stared at the present Aryll had given him. It was her seagull whistle, a strange whistle that makes a noise similar to that of a seagull. "Aryll," he said, "Are you sure? This is one of your most prized possessions!" Aryll nodded. "Remember to give them back tomorrow, but come on, try them out!," she said, bursting with energy.

Link immediately stared through the telescope at the ocean. "Wow," he said, "Is that a pirate ship? Why's it so close to Outset...?" Aryll screamed, "Link! Ryuzaki! Up in the sky!" Link and L stared upward to see a massive bird-like creature moving through the air. Clutched in one of its talons was a young girl. The girl was unconscious as the strange, helmeted bird flew over the island. It didn't take long for L to realize that the pirates were trying to save her. A single cannonball flew through the air and slammed into the bird's beak, causing it to drop the girl into the forest on top of the island. "Oh, no!," cried Aryll, "What do we do?" "Don't worry, Aryll," Link reassured her, "Ryuzaki and I will save her!" L looked up. "What was that, now? In case you've forgotten, Link, neither of us can fight, and monsters have been reported to be seen in the forest."

"Well, then... why don't we ask Orca if we can borrow a sword?," Link asked. L sighed. "You're not listening, Link. Neither of us can fight! It doesn't matter if you have a sword. If you can't use it, what's the point?" He made a good point. Neither of them could fight. "Then... then we'll just have to learn how to fight!," Link countered. L stared up at him, and smiled. "Very well then, Link. You can learn how to fight. I, however, cannot." Link frowned at him. "And why is that?" "I fight with my brain. You fight with your body," L said coldly, "So why should I have to learn how to handle a sword?" Link gulped, L made a very good point there. He was never good at physical work, and if he got into a fight...

"Fine," Link said, "I'll just learn how to fight." L smiled and nodded. "Alright then, Link, I shall wait by the entrance to the forest. You can come up as soon as you're ready." L turned and climbed down from the platform. He walked up to the bridge that connected the top of the island to the forest. Sighing, he sat on a ledge and stared down at the village. Far below, he could see Link rushing over to Orca's house, which was located directly under Sturgeon's house. Looking across the horizon, he could see the platform where Aryll was supposed to be. But Aryll was not there. "Hey! Ryuzaki!," came Aryll's voice from behind him. "Aryll," L said, "You're not supposed to be here." "I-I know, but..." Aryll's voice faltered, "I just got so worried... about that girl, I mean."

L smiled. "Don't worry, Aryll. If Link is on the case, I'm sure she'll be alright. After all, there is a fifty percent chance whether your brother will be able to save her." Immediately as he said those words, the door to Orca's house opened, as Link rushed out as fast as he could. He had a sword strapped to his back in a sheath. L turned to face Aryll. "I would advise you to hide. If Link were to find out you were here, he would be extremely worried." Aryll nodded and ran off to the side, hiding behind a rock. Link was panting as he reached the top of the cliff. "Ryuzaki," he said with difficulty, "I'm... Ready... To go..." "Link, you mustn't overexert yourself," L said sternly, "If you do, you could be killed."

Link winced. L's words were true, he had to be careful. "Of course, Ryuzaki! I'm all ready to go!" L sighed, would Link never learn...? He began across the bridge, as the darkness of the forest was only inches away. The two entered through the opening in the trees to find themselves inside the forest. The frightening atmosphere of the forest was only increased by its darkness, lit only from high above the treetops. Link gulped. "Okay then," he whispered, "Let's get going." The forest before them seemed to go far back, and the pollen that constantly floated in the air was not helpful. Link stood there, sword in hand, shivering with fear. "Link, are you sure you are going to be alright?," L asked. "I-I... Of course!," Link stuttered, "I-I mean... I'm ready!"

As soon as these words came out of Link's mouth, there was a strange, screeching noise that came from inside the forest. "Wh-what was that...?," Link whispered. L flipped open The Adventurer's Bestiary and began to read. "The Bokoblin, one of the weakest monsters, makes a screeching sound when it smells prey." Link froze, and his skin went pale. The noise came again, but it was closer this time. L stared at Link. "Get ready, it's coming." As these words left L's mouth, a tall, pig-like creature emerged from the bushes in front of them. Its skin was a pinkish color, and it had large ears, and a snout. The Bokoblin opened its mouth and let out another screech. It then pulled a sharp-looking sword out of a sheathe on its belt, and slashed at Link.

Link sidestepped the blow, and attacked the Bokoblin with the sharp end of his sword. The monster dodged, and quickly retaliated with an attack of its own. Link held up his sword and blocked the attack. He then countered by rolling along the ground and slashing at the Bokoblin from behind. The blade dug deep into the flesh, drawing a single trickle of bright-red blood. The creature let out one last weak screech, and dropped to the ground, unmoving. As soon as the carcass hit the ground, Link recoiled, his hand slipping from the sword. L simply stared. "Strange... According to this book, monsters explode into rupees when they die, but I don't see..." Link pulled the bloody sword from the Bokoblin's body, and the carcass exploded into five green rupees and a necklace shaped suspiciously like a butterfly. "There it is," L said.

Link moaned. "Ryuzaki..." he said slowly, "Did that... Did that just happen...?" "Yes it did," L replied, picking up one of the rupees and turning it over in his hand. "We should get going, now. That last screech sounded like a distress signal. If there are others nearby, then this could end badly." Link had just finished picking up the rest of the spoils when he saw the girl. She was hanging from a tree not too far away from them. Just as Link and L were headed towards the tree, though, the screech came again. Suddenly, above the forest, two birdlike creatures flew, clutching a Bokoblin in each of their talons. The birds released the monsters to the ground, as they let out their screech again. "Two of them?," Link cried out, "What's going on?" The Bokoblins let out their screeches again, as L shouted, "Link! They're unarmed! They can't block your attacks!"

Link gripped the blade tightly as he slashed at both of the monsters. As one of the Bokoblins came toward the boy from the front, the other snuck up from behind. Link had just slain the one in front of him as the one behind prepared to strike. It never got the chance. Link flipped backwards into the air and struck at the monster's head. Both of the creatures fell to the ground, slain, and exploded into green rupees. The boy panted heavily, sweat dripped from his brow. L smiled. "Good job, Link. That was an excellent finishing blow." Link flashed L a small smile. "Thanks... Ryuzaki... That was... Hard..." L sighed. "I think that's all of them. We'd better go get that girl out of the tree, now." They didn't have to get her out, though, because at that moment, the girl regained consciences. "Huh? Where am I...?" Her eyes suddenly widened in horror as she realized how far above the ground she was. As she struggled to get free, the branch broke, causing her to plummet to the ground.

"Ow...," she said, "That hurt..." She then looked up and saw Link and L. "What's with that getup?," the girl said rudely to Link. Link's face was one of pure shock. "What do you mean by that?," he asked angrily. L sighed, again. "Please excuse my friend here. He's been taking offense over that... Outfit all morning." The girl looked over at L. "Wow, I've never seen anyone with posture that bad before, and what the heck is wrong with your eyes?" "A lot of people ask me that," L replied. "Ryuzaki!," shouted Link, "She just insulted you! Why aren't you angry?" L smirked. "Because, Link, unlike you, I don't get angry unnecessarily." A voice from the forest's entrance caused all of them to stop talking. "Hey! Miss Tetra! Are you okay?" A man emerged from the forest entrance wearing a pirate's outfit. "I finally found you! We've been worried sick! Ever since that monster dropped you on this island..."

"Wait, that thing dropped me on some random island? That was rude of it...," Tetra muttered. "Well, Link, let's get going," L stated, "Our job's done here." They began to leave the forest, with Tetra and the pirate following them. As they exited the forest, Link saw a figure on the other side of the bridge. "Big Brother!," Aryll shouted, starting across the bridge. Just as she was halfway across, a figure appeared in the distance. "No!," L shouted, "Aryll! Get back!" Aryll turned and started to run across the bridge, but it was too late. The monstrous bird, the Helmaroc King, appeared out of the sky and gripped its talons around the girl's body, flying away from the island. Link reached to grab his sword, running towards the cliff, but L held him back. "Link, you can't jump that far. I'm sorry, but Aryll's gone."

Tears fell down Link's face as he tried to nod. "Why?," he whispered, "Why would Aryll come up here? She knew... She knew that it was dangerous... So why?" "Link, it might be my fault," L said slowly, "Earlier, Aryll came up here because she was worried about the pirate, and when we saw you coming out of Orca's house, I told her it would be best to hide here so that you wouldn't get worried yourself." The sorrow on Link's face quickly turned to anger. "You mean... All along, you knew? You knew that my sister was here? You told her to hide? You're right, Ryuzaki! This is all your fault! My sister is gone now, and it's all because you..." Link stopped talking. He reached for the sword, and took a swing at L, who swiftly dodged. He readied to attack again, but Tetra held him back.

"What do you think you're doing? Stupid kid! Killing him won't solve anything!," she shouted. "Let me go!," Link shouted at her, wrenching free from her grasp. The boy glared at L. He sheathed his sword. "Happy birthday, Ryuzaki," he muttered darkly, and turned away from the group and headed down the island. L said nothing. Turning away from the bridge, he walked higher up Outset Island, where he sat looking over the waves. "What have I done?," He murmured. Tetra simply began down the island, heading for her pirate ship, the events from the day still stuck in her mind. The demonic bird. The little girl. The girl's brother. The strange boy.

The prison cell was cold. No, not cold, freezing. The young girl shivered as she sat in the corner. She kept mumbling the same thing to herself over and over again. "Big brother will save me... So will Ryuzaki... They'll be here soon..." Mello sighed. He knew the feeling. It was the same feeling he'd had when he was kidnapped. "C'mon. It'll be okay, I'm sure! Here, have some of this." He pulled a small piece of chocolate from his pocket, and handed it to Aryll. "It's been proven that chocolate makes you feel better. Why don't you try it and tell me where you're from?" One of the other girls, Mila, turned away as Aryll began nibbling on the candy. "It doesn't matter, does it? No one can help us. We're trapped here in this cell." She sighed. "All we can hope for is that the ruler of this island is nicer then we think he is, and lets us go." "We might have some trouble with that," said Mello, "I was the first person in here. It's a miracle that I saved up all that chocolate. I mean, I'd probably be dying of withdrawal right about now if I didn't have it."

Another of the girls, Maggie, looked over at him. "What do you mean by 'we might have some trouble with that'?" Suddenly, the doors to the room opened as a large man walked inside. "Well," he said coldly, "It looks like my pet caught some more worms today." He walked over to Mello. "What I don't understand is why my pet went after you. Perhaps it mistook you for a girl. I wouldn't be very surprised if that was the case," he mocked. Mello growled. "I'll be free of here some day. I promise you that, and when I am, I'll-" Mello stopped speaking as the man pulled a sword on him, and smacked the side of his head with the flat end of the blade. Mello dropped to the ground, clutching at his head, and moaning in pain. Mila, Maggie, and Aryll watched in horror as the ruler of the island whispered into the cell, "Cross me again, and it will be the sharp end, brat!" Turning, the big man exited the prison, leaving the captives shivering in the cold.

It was several hours later that L actually began to descend the island. He looked over at the platform where Aryll had been hours before, and felt terrible. It was his fault. He caused it. He continued walking, and finally reached the base of the mountain. looking over at the ocean, L noticed that the pirate ship from earlier was still there. 'That's odd,' he thought, 'They should've left by now.' Then he saw the reason. Link stood in front of the ship, with the shield from his house on his back. "How about now?," he asked the pirate captain, Tetra, "Now can I come along?" "Fine," she muttered, "Let's just hope that piece of wood holds out long enough." "Link? What do you think you're doing?," L said to the boy, "This is highly irrational." "What does it look like? I'm going to save my sister!," Link shouted. "I see..," L said, "In that case, let me help. After all, I caused this to happen, so I must help make it right again." Link sunk his head. "Actually... Quill said it was actually Tetra's fault, since that bird wouldn't even have come here if her pirate crew hadn't chased here."

Tetra stared at the two, back and forth. "If you both want to come along that badly, then who am I to stop you? Just don't come crying to me if you get hurt!" "Wait, you're letting him on?," Link said, pointing at L, "Why?" "Because he has just as much a reason to help your sister as you do," Tetra replied, "Besides, you both helped me, and I don't want to be stuck with any debts." Link nodded. "Okay, but I should warn you, he may not be much in a fight." L smiled. "Well, you've never actually seen me fight." Link looked back at him, confused. He began to walk to the ship, and L began to follow. "Wait," Tetra said, "Don't you want to say goodbye to your family? Not that I care or anything, but you won't be seeing them for a while." "I'm not very good at goodbyes," L said, walking towards the ship. Tetra stared silently at the island, and walked after the two.

A gong was sounded, and the ship began to pull away from the shore. L looked over the edge, and saw his friends from the island waving goodbye. Then, looking over at Link's house, he saw Link's grandmother staring silently towards the ship with tears in her eyes. Link began to wave at his friends and family with misty eyes. L said nothing. He just stood on the top of the ship, staring out at the sea. "Ugh," came a voice from behind him, "How much longer do you think your friend is going to be this way? You got an estimate?" L sighed. "Well, Tetra, I wouldn't worry too much about him." "Hm? And why's that?," the pirate asked. "Link knows what he's doing, despite his appearance," L answered. "Well, are you sure we shouldn't just turn around and take you back to your island?," Tetra said. "Of course not," L replied, "Link and I have a mission, and we plan to fulfill it."

Tetra shrugged, "Okay, if you say so." She walked away from L. L sighed. "Did I truly make the correct choice?," he mumbled, "Should I have chosen to come along?" He looked over at where Link had been, and noticed that the boy was gone. "Tetra," he asked the pirate captain, "Where's Link?" Tetra replied, "I sent him down to learn from Niko." L looked confused. "Niko?" Tetra nodded at him. "Yeah, he's one of the crew, and his job is to help new recruits fit in better." "But, Link's not-," L started, then realized something. Tetra simply smiled. "You're trying to get as much work out of him as you possibly can, aren't you?," L said with a grin. "What makes you say that, kid?," Tetra said, trying to play innocent.

L put his thumb to his lips. "Well, Link never joined your crew, and it will likely take us some time before we can reach the Forsaken Fortress. Therefore, it is highly probable that you're trying to get Link to work for you in the short time between our departure and when we arrive." Tetra stared at him, shocked by his logic. "So, you're an intellectual?" "You could say that," L said as he walked away. Link soon came back up, looking a little worn out. "Niko work you too hard?," L asked. "Not... Not too hard...," Link said, panting, "But he did... Let me have this..." He smiled as he held up a purple bag that had a monster face in it. Tetra looked surprised. "He let you have one of our Spoils Bags? That Niko is going soft..." Link smiled. "This bag can be used to hold items dropped by certain monsters, like those butterfly-shaped pendants the Bokoblins dropped." "I see," L said, "That should come in handy."

For many hours, L did nothing but stare at the ocean and the many islands that they went by. Eventually, a voice from the crow's nest shouted down, "We're at the Forsaken Fortress!" Tetra shouted down towards where Link was, "We're here, kid! C'mon up!" Soon, Link and L were standing on the deck of the ship, and Tetra was walking around them, "Alright, so it'll be hard getting into the Forsaken Fortress. The entire place is under tight surveillance. This place once belonged to a rival pirate crew we defeated. But now, it looks like someone else has taken up residence." "So," Link said, "How do we get in?" Tetra winked at him. "Don't you worry. I've got a great way to get inside." Without warning, a couple pirates blindfolded Link and L. At first, they didn't know what was going on. At one point Link felt someone slip something into his pocket. After a few minutes, they found their blindfolds removed.

"Alright, you can open your eyes, now," Tetra said. L opened his eyes slowly, and was shocked to find himself trapped in a barrel on a catapult. "Huh? What is this?" Link opened his eyes, too, and shouted, "Why am I in a barrel?" Tetra sighed. "It's the only way inside a heavily guarded place like that." "Are you sure about this?," Link asked, slowly. Tetra closed her eyes and smiled. "Of course! We pirates do this kind of thing all the time!" "How do we escape after we rescue Aryll?," L questioned. "We'll be waiting outside the entrance for a while after you've entered," Tetra explained, "And we'll get you out once you've saved your sister." "Captain!," Gonzo, one of Tetra's pirates, shouted, "The catapult is set to launch!" "Alright! Get ready to launch these two into the Forsaken Fortress!," Tetra shouted back, "In three! Two! One!" "Wait!," cried L, "The angle on the catapult is off! If you launch us now, then we'll-" "Fire!," shouted Tetra.

The catapult launched L and Link high into the air, causing them to fly into the wall of the Forsaken Fortress. The blade Link had received from Orca flew out of its sheathe and landed on the top of the fortress. Link and L, on the other hand, went tumbling down towards the entrance of the fortress and fell in the water. The two pulled themselves out of the water, as they stared up at the Forsaken Fortress. "I'm coming, Aryll," Link said. The darkness of the Forsaken Fortress had completely surrounded L and Link. The darkness was penetrated only by the searchlights that moved over the stronghold of evil, seeking out intruders. The two children stood with their backs against wall, hiding from the guards. As soon as the way was clear, Link and L began to dash from their safe spot, only to be halted by something that vibrated in Link's pocket. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a stone.

"Your sword landed all the way up there? Shoot!," came Tetra's voice from the rock, "I'm sorry! I apologize! I guess that our aim was a little off..." "A little, indeed," L muttered. "Wait," Link said, "How are you...? What's going on?" "Shut up!," said Tetra, "The guards will find you if you're not careful!" "Right..." Link whispered. "Anyway, this stone is called the Pirate's Charm," Tetra explained, "It allows people to communicate over long distances. I stuck it in your pocket before we launched you." L sighed. "So now we have to listen to you ordering us around?" "Yes," Tetra said simply. "You should have let me finish what I was saying before you launched us. Maybe then you would've adjusted the angle of the catapult and we would be all done with this," L said, aggravated. "Hey! Don't blame us!," Tetra said defensively, "You'll have to go to the top of the Forsaken Fortress on your own, and save your sister."

"Alright," Link said, "C'mon Ryuzaki, we're going to the top of this fortress and we're going to rescue Aryll!" "Wait, Link," L said, "Remember that there are guards all over this place. If we're not careful, we'll get caught." "So, maybe we should just try to sneak into the fortress. There's gotta be a way for us to get inside," Link said. He looked around for a bit. "There!," he said, pointing over at some barrels, "We can sneak inside using those!" "A barrel? Don't you think that the guards would be smart enough not to fall for such a cheap trick?" L asked, "There's a very, very slim chance that they would be that ignorant." Link shrugged. "It's worth a try, right?" "Fine," L said, "There is no other way that we can think of, anyway." The two walked over to the barrels and turned them over. L and Link placed the barrels over their heads. The two began moving, using holes in the barrels to see out. When a searchlight or a guard was near, the two would stop moving and let the barrel cover their feet. After a short while, the L and Link managed to get inside the Forsaken Fortress.

"I can't believe that worked," L said, "Those guards must be less intelligent then we thought." Link grinned. "Yeah, can you believe that they fell for that?" "We can't relax yet," said L, "If we're going to reach the top of the fortress, then we'll have to take out those searchlights." Link nodded. "If they catch us, then we'll never reach the top, and the top of the Forsaken Fortress is where they're focused on the most." "Well," said L, "It appears that there's a searchlight not too far from here at all." He pointed at a ramp heading over to a ladder, which reached a platform with one of the three searchlights on top of it. Link led the way, being careful to avoid being spotted by the guards. The two of them climbed up the ladder once they'd reached it, and proceeded to slowly move towards the Bokoblin manning the mechanism.

Link pulled a Boko Stick out of a nearby pot, and proceeded to slam it down on the head of the Bokoblin. The shocked creature stood, dazed, as Link proceeded to hit it again. This time, the blow sent it flying. The Bokoblin flew over the edge of the platform, and fell into the water below, dead. L walked over to the searchlight, and proceeded to turn it off. The searchlights went upward, shooting beams of light into the dark sky. "One down," L said, "Only two are left." The two left the area with the searchlight, and proceeded into a strange hallway that appeared to connect two separate buildings. Going through the door on their left, L and Link saw a large gap in the floor. "How do we get over this?," Link groaned. "Hm," said L, "There appears to be a rope hanging from the ceiling. If we can grab onto that, we can use it to get across."

"That's a good idea, Ryuzaki!," Link complemented. Running forward, the boy grabbed onto the rope, swinging across to the other side of the gap. "Alright, come on, Ryuzaki!," he shouted, "It's really easy!" L looked at the precariously hanging rope, uncertainly, "Actually, Link," he said, "I think I'd better stay over here..." "Oh, come on, Ryuzaki!," Link shouted, "Don't worry!" L sighed. "Fine... I'm going to regret this..." Running forward, L leaped, grabbing onto the rope. Unfortunately, the sweat from Link's hands caused him to slip and fall to the floor below. "Ryuzaki!," Link called out, leaping down to check on his friend. L slowly got up and rubbed the back of his hand. "Considering how daring you were swinging across, I can only assumed that you're sweating due to the anxiety of getting caught."

Link looked up form where L lay on the ground and gulped. "And it looks like it was well founded..." L turned behind him to see a Moblin standing there. "Oh boy..." The next thing the two of them knew, they were thrown into a small cell. As Link got up, the Pirate's Charm began to vibrate. "I can't believe you got yourself caught," Tetra said, "Don't worry though, if I remember correctly there should be a secret passage out of the cell you're in." L looked around the cell. "There, behind those pots on the shelf." He climbed up and moved the pots out of the way, followed by Link. In the adjacent room was a large chest. Curious, Link opened it. "Link," L said, "Those things may be booby-trapped." Link found something inside the chest. "Or they may hold something interesting. In his hand was a heart-shaped crystal with a heart-shaped ruby in the center.

L started at it. "I think that's a gem called a Piece of Heart. If the stories are true, four of these collected can improve one's overall health." Link tucked the piece of heart into his satchel. "Maybe we can more of them elsewhere, but for right now let's get back to saving my sister." Returning to where they were before L fell, he said to Link, "Make sure you wipe your hands first this time." Link sheepishly wiped his palms on his pants. Then the two of them swung across to the hole to the other side. Once L was safely across, he began panting. "Never... Want to do that... Again..." "Let's get going," Link said, "We need to get rid of the other two searchlights." Leaving through a door on their side of the hole, the two found themselves outside again.

"Every hallway looks the same!," Link complained, "How are we going to know where we are?" L looked over at his friend. "Link, we don't have time to complain! We have a mission to take care of, first and foremost." Link sighed. "You're right, Ryuzaki, as always. We have to find the other two searchlights!" L looked to the left of where they were. "There seems to be another one right over there," he remarked, "We just need to climb up that ladder and we'll be able to get there." After they were on the guard's platform, L and Link crept silently toward the Bokoblin on the searchlight. Link grabbed another Boko Stick out of a nearby pot, and proceeded towards the guard. The Bokoblin smirked, jumped up, and rammed the Boko Stick that it held into Link's chest.

The boy cried out in pain as he flew backwards, and the guard readied to smash into him again. Then, there was a crash, and the guard let out a weak screech and died. There, behind the corpse, stood L. In the back of the Bokoblin's head were many shards from the pot close to the ladder. The dead monster exploded into rupees. "Ryuzaki!," Link said, in shock, "D-did you...?" He glanced at the Bokoblin. "Yes," L said in his monotone, "I figured that the guard would know that the other searchlight had been turned off." He looked over at the platform. "So I knew that it would try to catch you off guard, which it did." "I... should've been more careful, right?," Link asked, "I mean, if you hadn't been quick enough, I would've been killed."

L nodded. "There is a ninety-eight percent chance that the other guard on that searchlight will be expecting us when we get there, just as this one has." "And we can bet that the other guards are gonna know about this too," Link said, "I guess that we need to be even more careful now." "But first," L said, "We need to disable the searchlight." He walked over, and shut off the second searchlight. "Let's get going. The sooner we turn off that other searchlight, the sooner we can rescue Aryll, and any other captives that are being held here." Link nodded, and headed towards the ladder. As the two began back into the fortress, they circled around to where they started, and instead headed through the opposite door. When they entered the room, they quickly noticed a treasure chest on the other side of a large chasm.

"Must we?," L asked to Link, whose face was beaming, "We have to save your sister, remember?" "It'll only take a second!," Link protested, "After that, we can get over to the other searchlight and turn it off too!" "Fine, do as you must," said L, irritably, "After all, it's not my sister who's rotting in prison." He'd hoped Link would get the message; they had no time for treasure. Of course, Link went and swung across the pit, and opened the chest. "What did you find?," L asked, hoping that it would be something that they actually needed to make up for the lost time. "It's... A map," answered Link, "It looks like a map of the fortress." "A map? Perhaps it was useful opening that treasure chest," L said, "Does that map show where the third searchlight is?" "Yeah," Link said, holding it out so that he could see it better, "It says that it's... Through that door." He pointed towards the other door on the platform. "Well," L muttered, "It wasn't useful at all, if that's what it says."

Link swung back over, and the two of them went through the door. They walked through the hallway, and climbed the ladder that led to the searchlight. "Okay," L said, "The Bokoblin is probably waiting for us. We'll each take a stick, and take opposite sides. You go left, I'll go right." Link agreed, and the two crept silently from their sides, until they both reached the Bokoblin. The creature made no movement towards them, and died quickly when they both struck its head with their Boko Sticks. "That's odd," L said, confused, "I expected it to attack us as soon as we got up here, but it didn't." "Maybe the other one was just smarter?," volunteered Link, "This one didn't move, even when we were right behind it." "Perhaps," whispered L, turning off the final searchlight.

After they'd snuck around the entire fortress, the two found themselves on the roof, right near another guard. "Another one?," Link asked, looking at the pig like creature, "Ryuzaki, what does that book say about Moblins?" L pulled The Adventurer's Bestiary out of his pocket and turned to the page that detailed Moblins. "A foolish, pig like species," he read, "Moblins are easily tricked, but are vicious when provoked. Proceed with caution, as they are some of the most dangerous monsters alive when enraged." L found this somewhat amusing, all things considered. "Alright," Link said, "We can use those barrels to sneak by it, but what about...?" He pointed at a rat that scurried around the ground. "Ryuzaki?" "Rats," L read, "The exact opposite of Moblins, if such a thing existed. Rats are highly intelligent, but are weak. Some have opened stores to those who feed them bait. Will steal rupees."

Link moaned. "So we've got to worry about big monsters that are stupid, yet strong, and small monsters that are smart, but weak? How do we do this?" L smiled. "Simple. The Rats can alert the Moblins of our presence, so we'd be best to be careful to not have those creatures find us." "So, if we can avoid the Rats, we don't need to worry?," Link asked. L nodded. "Yes." Link sighed. "Alright, then let's give it a try!" L and Link snuck over to the barrels, placed them over their heads, and headed towards the ramp that led upwards. They were able to reach the top of the fortress without too much trouble, somehow avoiding the Rats that scurried across the floor. "Now," L said, pulling the barrel off, "We're almost done here. Now we've just got to head up and enter the room where they keep the prisoners."

They began heading further upwards when they noticed another gap in the floor. This one, however, didn't have a rope hanging from the ceiling. Link groaned. "What now?" L smiled. "Also simple." He pointed at a small ledge. "We can sidle across that ledge, there." "S-sidle?," Link asked, "But we'll..." He looked down at the long drop, and gulped. "There are no other options," L said, flatly, "It's either that or..." He broke his sentence off, and glanced towards the top of the fortress. Link understood. Feeling brave, he pressed his back to the wall. He slowly began to move across the large gap in the ground. As Link reached the other side, he let out a breath of relief. "Ryu-Ryuzaki..." he said, panting, "It's your... It's your turn..." The other boy looked at the gap, the treacherous fall, and said, "I'm not-" "Ryuzaki!," Link yelled. "Fine," L said, placing his back to the wall as Link had done. He moved across the wall, hoping that he wouldn't fall.

At last, he reached the other side, and looked over at Link, "I never... Want to do that again." Continuing onwards, the two finally reached the top of the Forsaken Fortress. "Hey!," Link shouted, "It's my sword!" He ran over and grabbed it, just as spikes flew out of the ground behind them. They turned back, and saw a large, green Bokoblin, wielding a wickedly curved sword, and a wooden shield. Link unsheathed his blade, and leapt at the Bokoblin. The creature blocked his strike, and retaliated with an attack of its own. Link quickly blocked this, and the Bokoblin's sword flew out of its hand and onto the platform. L ran over and picked up the weapon, which was, admittedly, strange. Considering that L was never the athletic type, him wielding a sword-or any weapon, for that matter-was very odd. Nevertheless, L swung at the Bokoblin, cleaving its shield in two, as Link jumped forward, and stabbed his sword, Orca's sword, into the monster, killing it. As Link pulled the weapon out, the Bokoblin exploded into green rupees.

"Thanks, Ryuzaki," he said, turning towards his friend, "You helped distract it, which let me finish it off." L smiled at his friend. "Never mind, my friend. I've never used a weapon before. It was oddly... Exhilarating." He chuckled, and through the sword over the edge of the platform, and into the sea. "Well," he said, turning back towards Link, "Let's go. I'm sure that your sister would love to see you, aren't you?" Link grinned, and opened the large, wooden doors in front of them. As soon as they entered the doors, the prisoners within the cell looked over at them. All at once, Aryll leapt up and ran over to the cell door. "Big brother!," she shouted, happily, "Ryuzaki!" Link ran forwards, grinning. "Aryll! We're here to save you!" "Wait," said another prisoner, running to the front of the cell, "Ryu-Ryuzaki? You're...?"

"Mello?," L said, in shock. Mello was one of the boys at Wammy's House and one of the top two choices to be his successor. "L!," Mello said, "You've got to get out of here, now! The ruler of the Forsaken Fortress is-!" There wasn't much time to explain, as the Helmaroc King burst through the ceiling, and grabbed both L and Link in its talons. "Hey! Let me down!," Link shouted, "Aryll!" "Big brother!," she screamed, sobbing. "L!," Mello yelled. "Aryll! Mello!," L cried out. Everything was happening so fast. They'd finally got to the top of the fortress, and were so close to saving everyone. Then... They were flying upward, towards the sky. L saw, out of the corner of his eye, a boat. It had been converted into part of the fortress. On the boat stood a man. A cruel-looking man. At his sides were two long sheaths.

He gestured towards them, as L heard, "Wait." Another man came outside, and looked over at L. "Well, L, I guess you lose again." "Light... Yagami...," L muttered. The other man smirked, and gestured at the Helmaroc King. The bird nodded, and threw L and Link across the ocean. L had no time to think. Everything was going far too quickly. Aryll... Mello... Both were so close to being saved, yet so far. And then, he remembered, just before he fell out of consciousness, "Well, L, I guess you lose again." 'It's him,' L thought, 'Light is here... Kira is here... Someone knew this and they sent me a warning. If I can somehow survive... I have a second chance. A second chance to beat Kira and put these nightmare to rest.' This L thought as he hit the ocean hard and began drifting away...

Next chapter: Windfall and Watari

So there it is. I squashed together all the original chapters into one. And Zale, I hope you don't mind too much of some of the additions I've made. I'm up to the point where he stopped and from this point forward everything is going to come from my mind. See you next time, so read and review.