Summary: Something buried deep beneath Hyrule Castle has survived Ganon's destruction and made its way to the depths of Lake Hylia. Ruta is sent to finish off the enemy, but the outcome is not as hoped. Dr. Purah's alternative leaves everyone in shock.

It was just past midnight and raining hard at Hyrule Castle. Lightning lit the sky every few moments, followed by great peals of thunder. Two guards patrolled the west passage. The guards were happy to be inside, keeping dry and not turning themselves into living lightning rods.

"This storm is sure a nasty one!" said the Private.

"Yep," said the Sergeant. "Good time to stay inside. Let's keep moving and finish checking this area."

They made their way along the tunnel.

"I wonder why they don't seal this passage up?" said the Private. "These old tracks don't seem in good repair."

"I bet they still work," said the Sergeant. "But you're right. This area isn't used anymore. Maybe they will seal it up someday. Right now, I'm glad we're inside it and not outside."

They followed the passageway until they reached a large cavern filled with partially unearthed Guardians.

"This room always gives me the creeps," said the Private. "It feels like a graveyard. What were they doing here?"

"Digging up these Guardian machines," said the Sergeant. "That was over twenty years ago, before the big victory. They were hoping to learn about these machines back then and use them to help fight the enemy. They say that's what happened over ten thousand years ago. It's amazing to me these machines are even in one piece after all that time. But in the end, they weren't used."

"Over twenty years ago, huh?" said the Private. "I wasn't even born yet."

"I was just a small child myself," said the Sergeant. "What? Do you think I saw them digging them up in person? It's information about the castle you study to pass the Sergeant's exam. If you want to move up, you should start learning about the castle."

"Yeah, you're right, Sarge. So, what do we do next? Do we wait here?"

"We might as well. Our patrol ends here. After this, we head back and make our way outside. There's certainly no hurry to do that. Let headquarters know we're staying here for now, so they don't start wondering why we stopped moving."

The Private took out his Tab and pressed a rune. When the Tab indicated the channel was open, he spoke up.

"This is patrol unit six. We're waiting out the storm in the cavern at the end of the west passage."

"Understood," said a voice from the Tab. "And we know where you are, Private, so no need to comment on location unless asked. Out."

"Is it just me, or are the people who do the communications at headquarters always so arrogant?" said the Private as he put away his Tab.

"Ha, ha, yes, they are arrogant," laughed the Sergeant. "They like to show off how smart they are and how much they know from all their sensors and equipment. They're technology people. Most of them think we should be replaced by robots patrolling the grounds, and they look down on us a bit. But leadership isn't ready for that. We use robots for some things, but leadership doesn't want to put the safety of the castle entirely in the hands of machines. Machines can be taken over by an enemy. So, just put up with their attitude and ignore it."

They sat down near a set of three small statues. Even deep inside the cavern, you could hear the thunderstorm outside.

Both of them pulled out their Tabs and started reading, catching up on some personal messages. Then the Sergeant looked at some recent pictures in his Tab and stopped to examine one of them. It was a picture from last week of his daughter's three-year-old birthday celebration. His brother had taken a picture of him and his wife sitting beside a happy looking little girl. He smiled. His daughter was so cute! She took after her mother.

"What are you smiling at, Sarge?"

"My little girl," said the Sergeant. "She turned three last week. We had a small party for her, just family and close friends. She had a great time."

"Let me see," said the Private.

The Sergeant showed him the picture.

"Adorable, Sarge," said the Private. "You're fortunate to have such a beautiful family."

Thanks," said the Sergeant. "What about you? Any family?"

"No, not yet," said the Private. "Dating someone seriously, though. She works here at the castle. Sometimes it's hard to see each other when I have late-night duty like tonight. We might be the right ones for each other. Just needs a bit more time to work that out for ourselves."

"Well, good luck," said the Sergeant.

They returned to reading their Tabs. Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder and then another sound right afterward. They both looked up, startled.

"I wonder that any of the royalty here is able to sleep through this," said the Private. "Wait! Did you hear something besides the thunder?"

"Yes, coming from over there," said the Sergeant pointing to the far end of the cavern.

They both stood up and looked toward the back of the cavern.

"You know the protocol when anything suspicious happens," said the Sergeant. "Get your Tab ready and start recording."

The Private pressed a rune while sweeping the area with his Tab. They began walking to the rear of the cavern. Then they heard the noise again, louder this time.

"Sounds like the ground is cracking open," said the Sergeant.

"What is it? A quake?" said the Private.

"No, the whole ground would be shaking then. You stay back and record. I'll check on it."

The Sergeant made his way toward the back of the room. Now he could see a large crack in the floor. He was starting to approach the opening when there was a screeching sound that pierced their hearing. The ground shook as the fissure widened, knocking both soldiers to the ground. An ugly purple-colored creature rose from below ground. It had one eye, and as it rose, it peered around the room as if trying to determine where it was. It glanced at the two soldiers but ignored them. Then with another piercing scream, it made its way out of the room, into the passageway, and then dove into the castle moat and disappeared.

"For the love of Hylia, what was that?" said the Private as he stood up, shaking.

"Did you record all that?" said the Sergeant. "Transmit it to headquarters at once in case that thing returns. We're both lucky to be alive."

The Private did as ordered, then awaited a response.

"But what was that thing, Sarge? It was horrible!"

"I don't know. It reminded me of something I once saw in a history book," said the Sergeant. "The book's illustrator had a rendition of Ganon, trying to depict the great battle. This looked a bit like a smaller version of Ganon."

Just then, the Private's Tab buzzed.

"Patrol unit 6 remain where you are. A team will be there in four minutes. Headquarters out."

He put away his Tab.

"I felt like telling them I know it's headquarters. No need to comment unless asked," said the Private.

"I don't think anyone in leadership will be getting any more sleep tonight," said the Sergeant. "This is pretty serious. Something like this is going to make it all the way to the top."

Meanwhile, back in Zora's Domain, a loud clap of thunder woke Link as he floated next to Mipha in their pool. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at her. Amazingly she was still sleeping soundly. Did Zora hearing differ so much from his? Or was their sleep sounder? Other than hair and fins, he and Mipha had a good deal in common physically. He seldom stopped to think about their differences, other than the happy fact that she was female, of course. Yes, her eyes were different, her skin was smoother, and her teeth were sharper, and things like that. But they were still much more alike than different compared to other creatures. Prejudiced Hylians who jokingly referred to Zora as fish were guaranteed to raise his anger and had better distance themselves from him very quickly. He closed his eyes. It was way too early to get up. There was another crack of thunder, but softer this time. The worst part of the storm seemed to be moving away. That would be perfect, he thought. The sound of rain he liked. He drifted off to sleep again.

His sleep was not dreamless, however. He couldn't remember any images when he awoke later that morning. But the voice and the message he could recognize clearly enough. And after having just dealt with Vera so recently, it would be a very unwelcome message for Mipha and his family, and one that would probably upset Mipha most of all. Mipha was never thrilled that he was still the sword's chosen one. She wanted him all for herself and their family and hated the risks he had to take. And he understood that. He wanted nothing more than to be here for his family as well.

But he owed so very much to Goddess of Time Hylia. She had answered his most fervent of prayers, the wish he prayed for every day for four years. Following Zelda to all those shrines she prayed at had caused some of her devoutness to rub off on him. He believed Hylia had guided Purah to the key to unlocking the mystery of her Temple of Time. And so she had answered his prayer. When his life had grown empty and purposeless, she had granted him a second chance, a chance to spend his life with Mipha, the true love he had lost. He would gladly do whatever Hylia asked of him through her sometimes awkward servant.

"Master, we have some unfinished business together."

Those were the words in his dream. But he decided he wouldn't mention it until he knew more.

At Hyrule Castle, things were in a state of high alert. The video recording had been reviewed and quickly escalated up the chain of command. The Sergeant and Private were interviewed, and the area inspected. The crack in the floor opened into an underground chamber which must have contained this creature. What caused the ground to crack at that time was unclear. Other cameras and sensors around the castle had their recordings and data analyzed. At some point, Dr. Purah was brought in for a scientific evaluation. She immediately recognized what it was.

"You're looking at one of Ganon's creations," said Purah. "We thought there were only four of these, one for each Divine Beast. Something must have gone wrong with Ganon's plans, and this thing didn't surface on schedule. Perhaps the ground was disturbed when those five giant columns emerged, and this thing couldn't get out. And what this creature's target was supposed to be is unclear. Nothing by the castle surely, or it would still be here, and you would have your hands full, believe me. The fact it headed underwater makes me think perhaps Ganon thought there was some underwater threat. Perhaps when he last attacked ten thousand or so years ago, there was an underwater city he feared. Or perhaps he worried Divine Beast Vah Ruta would already be submerged when he attacked, and he needed a blight creature suitable for that environment. Who knows? But we need to inform Her Majesty at once if you haven't already done so. This is very serious. And since it involves water, I'm sure the Zora will need to be involved, too. Have you tracked where this thing is?"

"Yes," said the officer in charge. "We have sensors throughout the area, and this creature has made its way down the Hylia River to Lake Hylia. It has stopped there in some very deep water. But we need to alert Her Majesty, as you said. It's terrible she needs to be bothered with this so soon after the loss of her father."

"Yes, but we are not able to choose our enemy's time. We learned that before," said Purah.

The Captain of the Royal Guard activated the emergency alert on Zelda's Tab. It was designed to wake her at any time and under any circumstances and was used only for emergencies. Rudin and Zelda awoke to the shrill sound.

"Oh! Something must be wrong," said Zelda. "The message says Larah is outside waiting to bring me to a meeting. Will you look after Zelda while I find out what's going on?"

"Of course," said Rudin. "And let me know right away if I can help. I'll get Zelda at once and head for shelter unless you tell me there's no danger to her."

Zelda quickly got dressed, then accompanied Larah toward the situation room where her senior staff was already gathered.

"Larah, do you know what this is all about?" said Zelda as they walked toward the meeting room.

"Not entirely, Your Majesty," said Larah. "But from what I did hear, some creature they believe was created by Ganon emerged from beneath the castle and found its way to Lake Hylia. That's all I learned before I was ordered to escort you to this meeting."

"Oh, no!" said Zelda. "Twenty plus years on, we have another one of Ganon's creations to deal with? And it's submerged in Lake Hylia? Alright, thank you, Larah. Could you please go back and make sure Zelda and Rudin are alright? It doesn't sound like there is any danger to us here, but I will need to make sure nothing else is buried to be comfortable."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Larah as she bowed then left.

Zelda entered the meeting room, and everyone rose and ceased conversation. Zelda took a chair at the head of the table and asked everyone to be seated.

"Thank you for your attention to this. First of all, are we sure there is no further danger here? There is nothing else buried below the castle?" said Zelda.

The commander of the Hyrule Guards spoke up.

"We have inspected the chamber that this thing emerged from, Your Majesty. It is empty, and there is no evidence of any other chamber. I would say there is nothing else buried there."

"Alright, then the Castle is safe, at least for now," said Zelda. "Now, please tell me what we know about this thing and where it is."

The commander of Hyrule's army spoke up.

"The thing was tracked traveling along the Hylia River to Lake Hylia, Your Majesty. It stopped there and is currently motionless at the deepest part of the lake. We are sending a probe down with a camera to examine it and should have a video soon. It's relatively dark at that depth, so we will need to depend on the probe to illuminate it. Therefore, this thing will know it's being looked at."

"When will the video be available?" said Zelda.

"I would say in less than thirty minutes, Your Majesty," said the commander. "We have set up a screen here for all of us to see."

"And so far, this thing has not harmed anyone?" said Zelda.

"No, Your Majesty," said the commander. "The two soldiers who were present when this thing emerged were unharmed. Ignored completely, actually. They are very thankful."

"Yes, and so am I," said Zelda. "I can't believe we are still dealing with Ganon's work! When will we ever be rid of it? Fortunately, this thing sounds very similar to one of the creatures Ganon created to occupy the Divine Beasts. We were able to handle them using the Divine Beasts, though Link helped with one of them. If this thing stays deep in the water, then I think it will be a job for Ruta. Do we know anything else? Or should we just wait for the video?"

No one had anything further to add, so they waited for the video feed from the probe in Lake Hylia.

"The first images are coming in now, Your Majesty," said the commander.

Everyone watched the screen. At first, nothing could be seen except a beam of light cutting through the water and an occasional fish attracted by the light. Then they began to make out the thing as the probe approached. It was sitting motionless at the bottom of the lake and was as described—a horrible purple monstrosity with multiple arms and an ugly red eye. The creature evidently saw the probe as it turned to look right at it but took no action. But then, as the probe maneuvered closer and closer, the thing must have sensed there was a possible danger to itself. Suddenly its eye began pulsating, and there was a blinding flash of light. Then the signal and the picture were gone.

"So, it can fire some kind of energy beam from its eye," said the commander. "Do we want to send down another probe?"

"Yes, but let's keep the next one further away," said Zelda. "I'd like to keep an eye on this thing, but not make it feel so threatened it destroys our probe."

The commander relayed the order, and soon another picture filled the screen. They could make out the creature sitting at the bottom of the lake. It was ignoring the new probe.

"Alright," said Zelda. "I think we will need Ruta to deal with this. I'll contact King Dorephan. Let me know if anything changes."

Zelda got up and left as everyone rose. She made her way to a small room nearby and called King Dorephan. It was just about lunchtime by now.

"Zelda, you used the emergency channel," said King Dorephan. "What's wrong?"

Zelda explained the situation and the need for Ruta to deal with this. King Dorephan listened.

"Alright," said King Dorephan. "I'm sorry to hear we are still dealing with Ganon's evil, but we Zora are here to do our part for Hyrule. I will let Mipha and Link know."

King Dorephan used his Tab to request an emergency meeting with Mipha and Link. Mipha and Link were home when their Tabs buzzed. They both looked at them at the same time.

"This isn't good," said Mipha. "Father is using the emergency signal to have us meet with him. Let's go."

They headed out the door and started down the path to the throne room.

"Uh oh," said Link as they walked together. "I was afraid of this."

"What do you mean?" said Mipha. "And what aren't you telling me, husband?"

"I had a dream last night. The voice of Fi said I would be needed again," said Link. "I didn't want to say anything until I learned more. I thought telling you before knowing anything further would just cause you unnecessary worry."

"Next time, tell me right away and let me worry about how I feel, alright?" said Mipha.

"Yes, I'm sorry," said Link.

They arrived at the throne room, and King Dorephan told them what he knew.

"I think we need to have a conference call with Zelda and Purah at least to learn as much as we can before we rush to Lake Hylia with Ruta," said Link.

"That sounds very reasonable to me," said King Dorephan. "For all the danger this thing may pose, my understanding is that it hasn't actually harmed anyone yet. Let me see if I can get a call set up."

King Dorephan sent some messages, and it was agreed they could have a call with Zelda and Purah shortly.

"Is anyone hungry?" said King Dorephan. "I can have some food brought in while we wait."

That sounded good to Link, and King Dorephan had one of the guards bring in lunch for everyone. They had almost finished when the signal for the call came through.

"This is Zelda, and I have Dr. Purah with me as well as the Hyrule army commander," said Zelda.

"And I have Mipha and Link here with me," said King Dorephan. "Link thought a discussion would help. Link, I'll let you take over."

"Hello, Your Majesty and everyone," said Link. "Before we rush to Lake Hylia with Ruta, can anyone tell us or speculate what this thing's purpose is? The four blights we dealt with years ago were designed to take over Divine Beasts."