The tumble down the waterfall only lasted ten seconds until the group smashed into the rapids with enough force to break some limbs. There wasn't even enough time to come up for a breath of air before the rapids started forcing them downstream.

L pushed his head up for a split second to gulp some air before going back under. Unfortunately for all his intelligence he never learned how to swim. It was a struggle just to keep his head above water to call roll. Sputtering he yelled, "Guys! Let me know you're still living!"

Just then a hand came by and knocked him dead-center in his forehead. L slumped a little bit, an unconscious weight in the water.

"GAAAHHH! LEGGO OF ME! I'M NOT GOING DOWN WITH YOU! DON'T GRAB THERE!" Light shouted flailing in the water and waving his fists in the air (the ones that hit L on accident). Attached to Light was Mello who was holding on for dear life.

"NO WAY! I'm not drowning when someone is floating right next to me! Stop floundering and swim!" Mello screamed in Light's ear as he gripped his waist.

"I don't know how to swim either! Get off and fend for yourself, Asshole!"

"You're the asshole!"

Suddenly another figure latched itself onto Mello's arm and stuck tight. It was sobbing maniacally and digging its nails into the flesh of Mello's forearm. "DON'T LET ME DIE! PLEASE DON'T LET ME DIE! I'M TOO YOUNG! TOOOO YOOOUNG!"

Mello started to beat on the figure, trying to pry the nails lose. "Dammit Matt! Go get someone else to die with you! I don't have time for this, I need to survive."

Still sobbing, Matt replied, "But what about the friendship that we've developed?"

"FUCK FRIENDSHIP!"

Light was busy trying to keep afloat with two other leeches attached to him when he saw a peculiar sight. It was Near. And he seemed to be skimming on top of the water! "THE FU- How's he doing that!?"

Near heard the voices and looked over to see the three floundering in the rapid flush. "Oh hello there. It seems you two didn't pick the person who could swim to attach to. Right, Matsuda?"

Matsuda? What is he talking about-? Light thought frantically then remembered Matsuda. The marriage vacation. Misa's speedboat. MATSUDA THE MARLIN.

And just as he suspected he peered closely at the shape that was carrying Near. And Matsuda was beneath him swimming like a dolphin, his body skimming the rapids without even having to move his arms, only his legs.

Matsuda glanced around and saw that almost everyone was together. "Hey, you three! Latch onto Near and I can swim everyone to shore! And don't thrash, that makes it harder for me to swim."

Light, Mello, and Matt grabbed onto Near while Matsuda began to swim for the bank. There was a large, flat rock on the edge of the bank that they all climbed onto and crawled toward the forest edge. Breathing heavily, Near was the first one to catch on to L's disappearance. "Hey! I think L still may be in the river!"

"Too bad!" Light and Mello shouted together and continued to ring out their shirts.

Matsuda hopped back on the flat rock and scanned the turbulent surface for any sight of L. "There! I see him! Hold on, buddy! I'm coming for ya!"He yelled as swan-dived back into the roaring rapids and disappeared under the waves.

"Whoa! This is like an action movie! Kinda cool!" Matt said as he watched Matsuda struggle with a prone L back to the shore. "Honestly, I would have let him drown."

Coughing, both L and Matsuda rolled onto the dirt and heaved sighs of relief.

"You didn't drown me...I find that intriguing...and nice. Thank you." L said to Matsuda.

"No problem. Now, can anyone tell me where we ARE?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Give a big thank you to Matsuda for saving everyone's ass. Too bad they're far from civilization with no food and clean water...

Thanks to the people still out there keeping up! And maybe, *ahem*, you know, um, REVIEWING once in awhile. Not that I'm complaining. :D