Hey. I know that this update has been coming for a REALLY long time, but my computer and I haven't been able to spend much quality time together lately. I have been really busy with my exams, and they finished about a month ago (sheepish grin) but there's been a death in the neighbourhood recently, and I have summer school, and other things have been happeneing, so I haven't had much time.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get back into writing, and I'll have this story finished by the end of the year. Let's hope, eh? Also, starting this chapter, I'll be using the Review Reply feature that I just found, ok?

Anyway, I'd like to thank you for your patience.

To Find The Future, Find The Past

Chapter Thirty Seven

A Little More of Hyrule's Mystery

GREAT SEA

Zel and Dark Linn stood out of the circle of flames, and watched the village folk, and Zelda, dance around the bonfire. The new Link, whom Zel had dubbed Linque, had hurriedly explained that they had arrived in the middle of Outset Island's most famous festival. It celebrated the passing of the year, and the birth of another. It was celebrated with a huge bonfire, and tribal dancing.

People came from all over the Great Sea for the Festival of Passing. It, alone, brought Outset Island's largest income of the year. Not only did it bring money, but it also brought trade. Fairies from the fountain in the above forest were traded for weapons and potions. Fish were traded for cucco's and pig's meat. Rare and valuable shells were traded for jewlery.

Zel watched as Zelda danced with, what appeared to be, careless abandon. She could, however, see the fatigue behind those eyes. She felt a little guilty, knowing that, if she had told Zelda about the repercussions of using her magic, she could have been much more energetic. As it was, even Zel was tired.

"Zelda!" She called out, "Come over here!"

"What is it?" Zelda panted, making her way over through the crowd.

"We need to rest." Zel pointed out, "Especially you. No offence, or anything, Zelda, but you've become weaker and weaker as you've used more and more magic."

"You noticed, huh?" Zelda sighed, "You're right... I don't know what's happening to me..."

"You just need to lay off the magic for a while, Zelda," Zel put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't transform into Sheik for a few days. I'll try to teach you the more... reserved way of using magic. It'll be less draining, but you need to be at full strength to do it."

"Thanks, Zel..." Zelda yawned widely, "I think I'll take up Linque's grandmother's offer of a nice warm bed... I'll see you in the morning..."

"Good night." Zel turned around, and went to the shoreline. She removed her borrowed shoes, and dipped her feet into the icy-cold water. She closed her eyes, and felt the cold water swirl itself around her. She didn't hear the person come up behind her.

"You shouldn't leave your feet in the water," A stern voice said from behind her, "You'll catch your death of cold."

"Look, Tetra," Zel sighed, "I don't really care, ok? I've been stranded in a place that doesn't even exist in my world, I have no one that I know from my own, besides Dark Linn... Who tried to kill me once, by the way, and I don't know how to get home. So, tell me, why should I care?"

"Look," Tetra sat next to her, and hugged her knees to her chest, "I didn't mean to upset you. It's obviously a very touchy subject." Zel blinked. Was this the girl that she had met earlier? Tetra caught the look on her face, and chuckled softly.

"If my husband trusts you," She explained, "Then I trust you. I apologise for my earlier behaviour. I tend to make quick assumptions about new people." Zel blinked again.

"That's alright." She grinned, "I'm the same. So is Linn... The Link from my world."

"There are many parallel planes..." Tetra stared off into space, "But I see something in the other Zelda... I don't think this is a parallel plane to her..."

"Oh?" Zel raised her eyebrows, "How so?"

"I think this may be the past of her world..." Tetra looked out, "She told me the name of the place that she is from is Australia?" She questioned.

"Yes."

"Hmm..." Tetra thought. "Zelda told me that, in one of the Indigenous tongues of her country, that 'Australia' means 'Old Place'... But it means 'Underwater Land' in ancient Hylian..."

"Maybe." Zel looked out, too, "But I don't know... How would this be the past of her world? For one, this is an ocean... the soils of her world may not be the best, but they are not full of salt and salinity."

"Ah..." Tetra winked, "But here's what I know. Link, of this world, thinks that Hyrule was crushed by the waves. What he doesn't know, is that I placed a spell on it. I didn't mean to... It just happened."

"What does the spell do?" Zel asked, intrigued.

"It will preserve Hyrule underwater, and when the time is right, and the true heir arrives into the world, it will slowly reveal itself. I'm guessing that Zelda is that heir."

"But..." Zel was confused, "I thought that the Zelda of the past turned the people of Hyrule to stone? I've been there... There are stone statues of former people everywhere."

"Yes, I know about that. I saw it in a dream." Tetra said sadly, "The Ancient Princess did indeed turn her people to stone, but a few survived to make it to the mountaintops. Then, eventually, the rainwater filled up the valleys. It rained for years. People thought that the water would eventually drain away, but it never happpened. But, people are noticing now, that the waterlines are receding. The water is finally going away."

"So..." Zel looked out again, "This place will become Australia?"

"Part of it, yes." Tetra sighed, "But not the whole thing. The legends of this place are all inaccurate. They all state that Ganondorf Dragmire, King of Evil, re-surfaced and attacked the world. I know for a fact that it was not he. He may have influenced the Christian armies, but it was most certainly not he that struck a blow."

"Wow..." Zel stared at the strange woman in awe, "How can you know so much?"

"I found it in my mother's things when she passed away." She saw a tear run down Tetra's face, "But I was only a child then. I didn't understand. I do now, though. I trust that you know not to tell Zelda any of this? She will find out all in due time..."

"Yeah... I understand." Zel stood up, "Well, I'm going to bed. It seems to have quietened down a bit." Tetra snorted.

"Yeah, from here." She smirked, "We're too far away to hear all of the noise. Wait until you get closer." Zel giggled.

"Well, goodnight." She smiled. Tetra did not take her eyes off the ocean, glittering in the moonlight.

"Good night, Princess."

HYRULE (Fire Temple)

"What in the name of Din happened here?" Linn muttered to himself as he entered the ruins that were the Fire Temple.

The entrance hall looked as if someone had tried to burn the walls black, but had only partially succeeded. The statues at the back of the room were half demolished, and the door to the left of the top of the stairs had been securely locked with about twenty locks and chains. There was rubble and debris everywhere, and something smeered around that looked suspiciously like...

"Blood..." Linn touched it, and rubbed it between his fingers. It was a rather large puddle, and seemed to have a trail leading from it. He followed it, and trooped up the stairs. But, at the top, the trail spread out two ways. One to the left, and one to the right.

Because the door on the left was locked, Linn turned to the right. He tugged on the door, and it's rusty hinges creaked open slowly. Strangely, the trail of blood lead to a ledge, and then stopped. It looked as if the bleeding one had been dragged through the lava. But, of course, that was impossible.

Looking up, Linn noticed that chains were hanging from the roof, as if they had once supported a bridge. Linn sighed. They probably had. Just his luck. He'd have to inch is way around the lava pits. Perfect. Just perfect.

Linn slowly crept along the ledges that wound their ways across the lava pit, and came to a side door on a platform about half way. He looked around, and decided that the door was worth a bit of a check out. He opened it, and heard groaning from deep inside the dark chamber.

The hairs on the back of Linn's neck stood on end. This was creepy, no matter how much he tried to deny it. He slowly made his way into the darkness, not able to see a thing. The further he went, the louder the groaning got. He inched his way a little further into the darkness, and was able to distinguish words from the groaner.

"Damned dragon..." He heard a familliar voice groan. Linn recognised that voice.

"Link?" He called softly, "Where are you?"

"Further down here." Came Link's weak response. Linn knew he was losing blood, fast. He had to get to him, and stop the blood flow.

He hurried along, but stopped when he set foot into a puddle of water. At least, he hoped it was water. He almost screamed when a hand latched itself around his ankle.

"Linn..." Link muttered, and then passed out, relaxing his grip as Linn head his head fall into the puddle with a dulled 'thud'. Linn cursed very colourfully.

"Argh..." He picked Link up, and hunched over as he attempted to get him onto his back, "This guy weighs a tonne..."

He slowly and carefully made his way back through the chamber, balancing the unconscious form of Link precariously on his back. He had to get him out of the Temple, and back to the city. Otherwise... Linn didn't want to think about it.

He opened the door, and was met with a obstacle. How was he to get Link back to the main room? The ledges that he had used to get there in the first place were only just wide enough for him to get across. There was no way that he'd be able to get both of them across.

He stood there, wasting precious time, thinking. Suddely a thought struck him.

'If you are wearing the Goron's Tunic,' Nabouru had said, 'Then you can walk short distances across pits of lava, and the like.'

Linn, cautiously, tested this theory by putting his foot within an inch of the molten rock. It was hot, but not unbearable. Bracing himself, and Link, he ran across the lava. It was quick, and felt as if he were walking through hot coals, but it wasn't that bad. They emerged on the ledge without incident. Linn sighed.

Now to get him up the ladder, and into the City.

This was going to be fun...

Ok... I have to stop here. I can only write whenI feel motivated, but it's boring me at the moment. And I think that this is a good place to leave it, anyway. Please review.