Told you it wouldn't be too far away! HAH! But I didn't get many reviews for the last one... only 3! THREE, PEOPLE! (sob) Where oh where have my lovely reviewers gone? I'm so sad...

Oh well, the show must go on!

Lost in Time, Identity and Destiny

Chapter 40

An Impossible Vision

Zelda and Zel followed the Hero of Time into the Temple of Time. Zel was tense, and Zelda was fairly certain she knew what to expect.

Walking up the Pedestal of Time, Link pushed the Master Sword back into the Pedestal. A bright blue light engulfed them, and Zelda felt a dreamy sensation. She felt for Zel's hand. Grasping it, and the hand of the Hero of Time, she blacked out.

PRESENT HYRULE

"This is weird..." Ruto muttered, "I haven't been here in centuries." Link shushed her, and she fell into an irritated state.

"We need to speak with the Queen." Linn said quietly, jumping from the ledge to the entrance to the Domain.

"You won't find them." Link said darkly, "Dark Link destroyed the place about two years ago."

"What?" Ruto demanded, "Why did you let him?"

"I was unconscious." Link said, not looking back as they made their way through the eerily quiet Zora's Domain, "And everyone was worried about the Princess. She had been kidnapped at the time."

"Link..." Nabouru muttered, "While we're on the subject of the Princess-"

"She will return." Link said forcefully, "I may not have known her for very long, but I know for a fact that she is tough. And, with Zel with her, they'll be fine. I'm sure of it."

"But they may never find a way back." Impa said tensely, "And, Angahim's spell was to get rid of them. How do you know that they are not dead?" Link stopped in his tracks.

"Because it's easier to believe that they are alive, out there somewhere, then to believe that they are dead." He said quietly, resuming his path through the rubble. None but Linn noticed the tear in his eye.

Their beloved Princesses had been missing for over six moons. Linn, personally, was positive that they were dead. It was too long to be so hopeful. After almost seven moons, it seemed impossible that they could still be alive. It was too much to hope for. Linn decided that he shoud accept the worst.

"The Temple is through there." Ruto said, pointing to a gap in the bottom of the Domain, "That passageway will take us to the Temple."

"How do we get down there?" Link asked, leaning over to get a better look. Ruto pointed to the top of the Domain.

"Out the back way, there used to be a shrine to Lord Jabu-Jabu." She said strongly, "There was an Ice Cavern just beyond that. I do not know if it is still made of ice, but I doubt it is. Hidden in that Cavern is a pair of Iron Boots. The Hero of TIme used them to walk at the bottom of the Lake."

"But how did he breathe?" Linn asked, horrified.

"These." A strange voice called out, "Zora Tunics." Their group turned in shock, and gasped when they saw a majestic Zora. She looked almost exactly like Ruto, except she was wearing a lilac wraparound with red and gold trimming. Kyan, Queen of the Zoras.

"Take these." Kyan said solemly, handing them the Zora Tunics, "The Cavern is now a muddy pit. It is not quite worth going in there. If you return in one moon's time, I will have the Iron Boots specially made for you, Heroes."

"It's not a good idea..." Impa said quietly to Link and Linn, "We need the weapon in there to even enter the other Temples... And you will need the Iron Boots in the Shadow Temple as well." Link nodded.

"It's a matter of utmost urgency, Majesty." He said, bowing to Kyan, "I am afraid that I must go into the Temple rather urgently. I must go through the Cavern."

"Very well." Kyan said sadly, "But a word of warning. The mud is thin as water in there. Be careful where you step. Wear that tunic, so that you might breathe in the mud pits. There are places where you will have to sink to get through the cavern as well."

"Thank you." Link said, tossing the blue Tunic over the green one. Turning to the rest, he motioned for only Ruto to follow. Nodding a farewell to the others, they began to silently climb the staircase to the Throne Room. Link caught a flash of an old memory.

He was a child, garbed in a green tunic. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, two women standing in the shadows. In front of him was the King and Ruto as a child. Link opened his mouth to speak.

"I have brought something for her Royal Highness, Princess Ruto." He said quietly. Ruto beamed at him, and ran off the Throne Platform to join him. He wordlessly handed her the Zora's Saphire, and turned to the women.

"Link!" Ruto grabbed his arm, "I do not understand! Why are you doing this?" Link looked at her, expressionless.

"I no longer have need of that stone." He said in a monotone, "I was simply returning it to you, so that you may give it to the man to whom you will give your heart." Turning his back on her once more, he walked towards the women.

"I've given it back." He said quietly, "Now you may return home."

"Not quite yet..." Zel said sadly, "We must escort you to another quest before we depart."

Link simply nodded.

Link came back to himself abruptly. He hadn't realised that he had spoken out loud, or that he had fallen to his knees. Ruto was standing in the corner, tears silently streaming down her face, her eyes full of hate.

"What... happened?" Link asked shakily, standing up.

"I hate you." Ruto said startingly, and stalked off to the rest of the group. Link sighed, and continued along alone. Stopping in his tracks, he realised who he was talking to in his vision.

"They're in the past?" Link speculated, "Impossible." He dismissed it, and continued to climb.

ANCIENT HYRULE

Zelda and Zel woke up to find a young boy between them. They themselves had not changed in the slighest. Navi drew their attention.

"I am afraid that I will have to return to my own time now." She said heavily, "Zelda, Zel... Blessed be you, and return to us safely."

"Tell them..." Zelda tried to find the words, "Tell them that we will be fine. That we are in the presence of the Hero of Time... Tell them that."

"Yes, your Highness."

"Navi! Wait!" Link cried out.

"I'm sorry, Link... I cannot." Navi flew down to talk to him at eye level, "I am needed in my own time. Maybe, one day, I will return. I do not know."

"Good bye!" Navi called out as she flew into the light. Zel harrumphed.

"How come she gets to go home, but we're stuck here?" She asked darkly, following Link and Zelda out of the Temple.

"Because you still have something to do here, in this time." Rauru's voice boomed from behind. Shocked, all three of them turned to face him. He wore a smile on his face.

"What do we have to do?" Zelda asked, her tone giving away her desperation.

"You must travel with Link here to return the Spiritual Stones, and then escort him to border of Termina. When you reach there, he must play the Ocarina of Time at the gates." Was all Rauru said, before disappearing.

"Easy." Link said, "But I want to visit the Princess first."

"Fine." Zel said bitterly, "But make it quick. I wanna go home."

PRESENT HYRULE

Link dragged himself out of the water, and onto the ledge. He had continued on alone to the Cavern, where he was determined to find the Iron Boots. Not stopping to catch his breath, he continued into the chamber.

Link walked through the dank and dark tunnel for a while. He couldln't see his hand in front of his face, it was that dark. He had to rely on his hearing and feeling. He stretched one hand out in front of him, and another traced along the walls. He had to use his feet in order to determine the stability of the ground. What he would do if he was attacked, he had no idea.

For one gut-wrenching second, Link thought that he had stepped into a bottomless mud pit. He landed waist deep in mud, thick enough to be hard earth. Wading forwards, his hearing was heightened. after a few more drops, Link was having to sort of swim to the centre of the room, where he was met with a whirlpool. He couldn't struggle out of it. It sucked him into it's depths.

Link realised, with a flash of horror, that the Zora's Tunics did not help him breathe in the mud.

ZORA'S DOMAIN

Ruto refused to speak, Impa was agitated, Nabouru was anxious, and Linn was feeling very concerned. It had been several hours since Link had left them in Zora's Domain to go and collect the Iron Boots. Linn had the awful feeling that something had happened to Link, again.

"I'm back!" Link announced, appearing at the top of the stairs. He was covered in mud from head to toe, and he looked a little blue and purple, but he was alive.

"It took the Hero of Time three days to get through that!" Kyan exclaimed, "How did you do it so fast?"

"I got sucked into a whirlpool." Link said, jumping into the water to clean off. He kept his Zora tunic on, so that he could stay under, "Took me straight to it. Almost suffocated in the process, though."

"I thought the Tunics were supposed to help us breathe?" Linn asked, shooting Kyan a suspicious glance.

"It does." Link said, nodding, "Underwater. It drained the water from the mud, but not the dirt. It was like I was in a dust storm, actually."

ANCIENT HYRULE

"Goddesses..." Zelda muttered, seeing the Market Town in Ancient Times. it was alive and ustling with activity. One of the happiest sights she had ever seen.

"Excume me, ma'am." A soldier snapped her out of her reviere, "But you're knew around here. I need to see your papers."

"Papers?" Zelda asked, bewildered.

"She's with me." Link said, coming up to the soldier.

"Ah." The guard straightened up, "Well, that's cleared that up! You may continue to the Castle!"

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