Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Nothing else, except for the characters I make up!
A/N: Alex, just to tell you, I liked how you worded your review, and I didn't take it as a flame at all.
Chapter Two: Finding, Losing, and Dying
The blue wave was surrounding them, when Link heard a scream. He tried to look, but couldn't. Then, the wave uncovered him, and he dropped, along with the others.
A dark, ominous cloud covered the sky for as far as could be seen. It was dark. It was also raining hard, loud, and everything was inconspicuous due to the rain. Link got up and looked around. Everyone was surrounding him, lying flat on his or her faces or on their backs. He began to get up slowly, wondering how far in the future he'd actually gone. He looked around at the other sages. Saria. Darunia. Impa. Nabouru. No Ruto. Or Zelda. Then one of the sages began to stir.
"Link. You look so flustered? What's wrong?" Nabouru asked, getting up quickly.
"Nabouru, just how far did we go?" Link asked.
"Uh, I dunno. Rauru and Zelda were the only ones." Nabouru answered. Then it hit him. Rauru wasn't there either.
"Well, we lost three while coming here. Did you hear a scream while we were coming?"
"I did." Saria said, rustling around, trying to get up. "Who do you think it is?"
"Well, it had to have been Zelda or Ruto, 'cause I don't think Rauru could scream." Link said. Finally, Darunia and Impa awoke.
"Well, now that we're all sure we're not dead, lets try warping somewhere with my ocarina." Link suggested.
"It won't work." Impa said.
"Care to explain?" Saria asked.
"You don't have it. I could see things you couldn't while we were traveling in time, and I saw Ruto's son destroy it." Impa answered.
"So you must have seen what happened to Zelda, Rauru, and Ruto, right?" Darunia said.
"Yes, that I also saw. Rauru has been trapped inside the Light Temple, Zelda has been taken against her will-"
"Again?" Saria complained.
"Can't that girl stay out of trouble?" Nabouru asked slickly.
"Supposedly, no. And Ruto…was killed."
"By who?" Darunia asked.
"Who's the new Water Sage, then?" Saria inquired.
"That, I wasn't able to see. But it's another Zora, obviously, so we should go to the Zora Domain and see to it." Impa said.
"But who…" Link asked.
"Who else? Her own son. He knew she was working against him, so she killed him." Impa answered.
"How did you see all this?" Darunia asked.
"I have no clue what so ever. Right now, we better try and find the new Sage, though."
Two hours later, they made it to the Zora Domain. Link parted the waterfall entrance with the ocarina Saria had given him way back when. They jumped in to realize how far in the future they really were.
The place was wrecked. Everyone was in disarray. There was no longer a shop, as it had been dilapidated by heavy boulders. The entrance to the Zora Fountain had been blocked off by ruins. And, the King Zora was nowhere to be found. They tried asking around, but it was as if talking to a brick wall.
"Are you sure none of you know how far we are?" Link asked.
"Obviously pretty far. How old do I look?" Saria asked.
"Well, you look the same. Remember, Kokiri kids grow up very slowly." Link reminded her.
"No, they don't grow at all. We stay as kids." Saria retorted.
"So what happened with you?" Darunia asked curiously.
"I'm a Sage." She said loudly. One of the Zora's stared at her. He started walking over.
"Did you just say Sage?" He asked smoothly.
"Yeah, why?"
"I believe there's a Sage who went to Lake Hylia to fix things up at some temple."
"Really?" Impa asked peculiarly. "What more do you know?"
"That's all I can really remember. Well, one of our own kind went on a journey, and came back, and used some sorcery on us. That's the last I can remember though."
"Well, guess where we're going?" Nabouru said happily. They all retraced their steps back to the entrance.
"Well, ready to go?" Saria asked.
"We must. Time continues to flow, and we're falling right in between." Darunia said wisely.
"Wait a second!" Saria said. "We already know Ruto's son, who still has remained nameless, has done all this. So, why don't we go back and destroy what would destroy us?"
"Ruto's son's name is Link. And, we can't go back. We have to have Rauru, Zelda, and whoever this new Sage is." Impa told her.
"Wait. If we go back, wouldn't that mean this new Sage would have to go back with us? Because Ruto's son was the first born Zora since I killed Ganon." Link said.
"Sounds like we've stumbled upon a mystery. I say we go one at a time." Darunia said sagaciously. They continued their way out of the Zora's Domain and traveled slowly, but surely, to Lake Hylia. There, they stumbled upon another problem.
"Umm, the Lake is full." Saria said.
"Well, yeah, that's what a lake is for; to hold water!" Link said.
"And I don't suppose you're hiding your iron boots anywhere on you?" Impa asked hopefully.
"And be weighed down to where I could hardly walk? Yeah right."
"Well then, how will we get to the bottom?" Darunia wondered aloud. Nabouru began wandering around. She entered the old, broken down house that stood on the edge of the lake.
"Whoa, check this out. This is really weird." Nabouru yelled. Link ran over.
"Well, what is it?"
"It's a Zora Tunic. Think it could help?" She said optimistically.
"Possibly. Now we just need to find a way to get at least one of us down there." Link answered her in the same tone.
"That shouldn't be needed." Impa said, walking over slowly.
"And why?" Nabouru asked.
"Because he's right over there." She said, pointing a finger over to the old fishing house.
"Well, shall we, then?"
They began walking over to him. It seemed he was just trying to pass time. They got to him quickly, and a conversation broke out.
"You are…?" He asked rather rudely.
"I am Impa. This is Saria, Darunia, Nabouru, and Link." She told him. "May I ask whom you are?"
"I am Leo." He answered stiffly.
"Yes, well, we heard that a Zora came down to try to fix things up in the Water Temple. Are you this person?" Saria asked.
"Yes. Who told you? Why do you continue to interrogate me?" Leo asked.
"We're just trying to make a friendly communication. We are also Sages, except for Link." Impa answered.
"I'm the Forest Sage, from the Sacred Forest Meadow." Saria said.
"I'm the Fire Sage, from the Death Mountain Crater." Darunia continued.
"I'm the Spirit Sage, from the Desert Colossus." Nabouru said.
"And I'm the Shadow Sage, from Kakariko Village." Impa finished.
"And you want to help me?" Leo asked.
"Yes. We just need some information, first. Why did you want to get into the Water Temple?" Impa asked.
"Well, this new Zora Lord, he left a while back, I remember it well. He came back a little bit ago and used some sort of magic to seal a curse on the Water Temple. He wiped out everyone's memory back at the Zora Domain, but I got away."
"So now you're trying to dispel the curse inside the Temple." Saria said.
"Well, we have one person who can help you." Darunia said, turning to Link.
"Any easy way of getting my down below to the entrance to the Water Temple?" Link asked curiously.
"Yes there is. But, it'd be useless. The entrance has been blocked off. There's no way to get it open." Leo said.
"Huh. That sounds like a problem." Nabouru said.
"Yes. You look like a thief. Are you?" He asked curiously.
"Yes, I am. Way back when, I was. Before Ganondorf's time." She answered.
"Ganondorf. That name sounds so familiar." He said suspiciously.
"Really?" Saria said, interested. "Let's talk then. How do you know of Ganondorf?"
"I remember his rule. It was terrible. Back when I was only a child, I had a dream of an ominous, dark cloud surrounding the entire Hyrule. But, a bright light came from the Kokiri Forest." He said.
"Wait, that sounds seriously familiar." Link said.
"Yes, because it was Princess Zelda's dream, as well. It was a prophecy. But who would have known there was a Zora just like her." Impa explained.
"Yes, and yet it was because of me that this is happening." He continued.
"What? How does that make sense?" Nabouru asked.
"I am the father of the Dark Ruler, Link." Leo said.
"You're Ruto's husband? That's why he attacked the Zora's Domain. Because he wanted to find you." Saria concluded.
"Precisely. And now I'm trying to destroy the evil in the Water Temple just as the Hero of Time did in Ganondorf's time."
"Well, here's your Hero of Time." Saria said, waving her arms slightly. "He was the one that destroyed Ganon."
R&R