Down to a fruit before a long time (7)
I believe the answer is:
plumage
'down' is the definition.
'fruit before a long time' is the wordplay.
'fruit' becomes 'plum' (plum is a kind of fruit).
'before' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'a long time' becomes 'age' (an age is a period of time).
'plum'+'age'='PLUMAGE'
'to a' is the link.
(Other definitions for plumage that I've seen before include "A bird's feathers, may be fancy" , "coat" , "Cover for diver" , "Bird's covering of feathers" , "One's feathers" .)