Princess of the Zoras

Disclaimer: The usual. I don't feel like making something up. :p

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--Ruto: 13 years --

"YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!" Ruto shouts. She is standing in the laboratory at Lake Hylia. The lab scientist is standing in front of her. "He's dying!" She shouts again, fighting tears. The scientist shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," he says. "I really don't know anything about him. For all I know, giving him medicine to cure him will kill him. There is so much about Jabu-Jabu we don't know." The scientist paces a bit. Ruto is practically on her knees.

"Please!" She pleads. The scientist looks at her.

"If something happened to him because of what I give him...I could be beheaded! I..." Ruto interrupts him.

"Nothing will happen to you. I promise. Please, try to help him at least." Ruto unleashes the ultimate weapon... the cutsie puppy sad eyes with tears. The scientist can't resist. He sighs.

"I'll try, Your Highness..." he says. "But I can't promise anything." Ruto nods, then practically drags him to Zora's domain.

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"Hmm..." The Lake Laboratory scientist examines Jabu-Jabu while Ruto and King Zora look on. Dozens of guards are circling the group. After a while the scientist turns to King Zora.

"Can you do something?" King Zora asks. The scientist shakes his head.

"Anything I do would be too little too late. I'm terribly sorry." He hangs his head. King Zora looks at the ground. Ruto is in tears.

"No, please..." Ruto whispers. The guards aren't sure what to do. King Zora finally looks at the scientist.

"How much longer does he have?" he asks. His voice is cracking a bit, even though he is trying to hide it. The scientist looks at him a moment, then sighs.

"A week, two if he is lucky." He responds. He looks at Jabu-Jabu. "I can make him more comfortable and ease the pain, but not much else. I'm deeply sorry." King Zora nods.

"Thank you. Please help him all you can." He says. With tears in his eyes, he turns out of the shrine. Ruto goes up to Jabu-Jabu and gives him a small kiss.

"Please don't go..." she whispers. One of the guards guides Ruto away and back inside the domain. Ruto can't help but take one last look at Jabu- Jabu as she was led away.

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--two weeks later—

Ruto sits on her bed. She has long ago cried all the tears in her. Jabu-Jabu is really gone. For almost three years he held on. Ruto is convinced that it was the monster that the Gerudo put in him that caused this. All kinds of bad things have been happening since he came. Now he is King of Hyrule. And things have just gotten worse since then. Every so often, Ruto commands one of the guards to go with her to the Water Temple. She keeps trying in vain to open the seal.

"Your Highness?" A voice says through her door. Ruto recognizes it as one of the priestesses. "Are you all right?" Ruto opens the door.

"I'm OK." She says. She is exhausted from crying for almost two days straight. The priestess must have seen it, because she got the 'I'm not buying it' look.

"Is there anything you require?" the priestess asks. Ruto starts to say no, but then realizes she can't take it anymore. She practically jumps on the priestess and starts crying again. The priestess is caught off- guard, but recovers quickly. She guides Ruto back into her room, knowing what may happen if the other Zoras see their princess like this. Sitting on Ruto's bed, the priestess just lets Ruto get it out, comforting her as best she can. Finally Ruto stops. She whimpers a bit, but it seems like all the tears are really gone now.

"Not fair." Ruto says softly. "What did I do wrong?" The priestess becomes worried hearing this.

"Your Highness, please don't blame yourself." She says. Ruto looks up at her. She starts to say something, but exhaustion finally wins. She falls asleep. The priestess carefully lays her on her bed and puts the thin, damp sheet over her. Quietly she leaves the room, praying for them all.

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"Daddy..." Ruto stands on the stand in front of her father. King Zora looks up from the paper he is holding and looks at her. Then he motions for her to come up at her place next to him. Ruto quickly does so.

"What's wrong?" he says. Ruto looks down.

"Am I a bad girl?" she asks. King Zora looks at her totally confused.

"Where did this come from?" he asks. Ruto's voice shakes as she answers.

"Mamma died, then Noran, now Jabu-Jabu." She says. "Everything I love." She finally looks up at her father. "Does Nayru hate me?"

"Nayru may be just preparing you for something. Or maybe sparing them from something worse coming." He replies. Sighing, he shakes his head. "If we could just get into the Temple, we may be able to ask her. It's too bad that we..." King Zora stops as a Zoran Guard comes up looking royally pissed.

"King Gannondorf to see you Your Majesty." He says. The words come out like ice. King Zora nods, and the guard steps aside. The Gerudo male that Ruto remembered from just before she met Link walks up the stairs and stands on the platform. King Zora keeps his face neutral, and Ruto tries to do the same.

"What can I do for you King Gannondorf." King Zora says. Gannondorf looks at him like he is a child.

"I heard your guardian fish passed away recently. I just wanted to offer my condolences." Gannondorf says with a small bow. His tone, though, is almost laughing. Ruto seethes, but somehow manages not to show it. King Zora's reaction is pretty much the same.

Pretending he thinks it is real, King Zora replies, "It is appreciated King Gannondorf." Gannondorf nods like this is all a joke to him, then turns to leave.

"Oh," he turns around again, "I also have an order for all of the Zoran people." King Zora braces himself. Gannondorf gives a truly evil smile. "No Zora will ever go to Lake Hylia on pain of death. Understood?!" King Zora nods.

"I will inform my people immediately." He responds. Gannondorf finally leaves. After they are sure that he is gone, Ruto turns to her father.

"But that cuts us off from the Temple!" she says. King Zora nods.

"I know..." he says with a sigh. He nods to two of the guards. "Make sure everyone knows. I don't want any Zora falling to that man again." The guards salute and rush off. Ruto sits down next to her father.

"Where's the hero?" she asks. No one has an answer for her.