Rain. Rain. Rain. For five days the skies had been dark, covered with gray clouds that mercilessly unleashed their wrath on Hyrule. Nothing about the water falling from the sky was abnormal, for just as any other land Hyrule experienced seasons of dry and wet. The consistency at which it fell left many concerned. The wide area the rain covered left many in suspicious fear.

It was only when the mysterious rain reached the desert that Ganondorf knew there was more at work than some unusual pattern in the weather.

At first the idea left him in hysterics. He burst out in cruel laughter, initially finding the idea, that the goddesses were trying to wash away their mistakes, highly amusing. Was this the best they could do? A great evil was resurrected so they chose to flood the world and start over? How ridiculous!

Then, the wheels in his head turned. Ganondorf's power was definitely returning, but he realized more than half of it was sealed away when the Master Sword was replaced in its pedestal. Any of the sages could have sensed his return, as well as the royal family of Hyrule. Someone, somewhere, had to have prayed to the goddesses for help. Why would they need the goddesses intervention when they could have just summoned the hero?

Unless, he returned during a time where no hero was awakened.

Ganondorf grinned wickedly.

It was the ideal time to strike. Hyrule was in chaos trying to hold back the flood waters and move their families to higher ground. Lake Hylia already flooded half the fields, the Zora's river and waterfalls raged, and the creeks and streams spilled over their banks.

There was, of course, one other problem.

His wife.

He had been free of his prison for nearly a year, keeping completely hidden just outside the reaches of Hyrule. Recently he began slinking his way back in, regaining what little power he could manage, but Ganondora was nowhere to be found. He found it laughable to consider she had been executed. The idea was absurd. If she was not in hiding, then the royal family of Hyrule guaranteed she could not interfere by keeping her captive. The prison would need to be magical and impregnable to hold her forever. She was the highest skilled thief he knew, and none matched her talents.

Ganondorf departed his temporary home, securing his sword in his sheath at his waist. Only recently had he conjured a few minions from the Sacred Realm, and they were busy at work, in the pouring rain, making shelter. They watched as their master vanished into thin air.

As predicted, the guards, the knights, and the volunteers were all busy at work to quickly move the remaining citizens of Hyrule to where they could survive until the rain passed and the flood waters receded. Ganondorf did all he could to avoid gaining their attention. He was a large man, in a dark hooded robe, and most people seemed to take notice of him. However, it had been generations since his banishment, and none of those simple people recognized him at a glance.

Calmly, he walked down the path that led to Hyrule Castle. The castle had been rebuilt on a grand scale, with higher walls and more spires. The doors were wide open, and servants scurried in and out, carrying food and belongings to prepare wagons for departure. Ganondorf hoped the royal family was still around to greet him.

Although, before looking for them, he needed to find her.

The castle, for the most part, was empty. He waited for the servant that passed him to return to the castle, and gripped his arm. "I need to move the prisoner. Point me in the direction of the dungeon."

The servant pointed to a wooden door across the room of the main hall. He suspiciously asked, "Who are you?"

Ganondorf grinned, and snatched the servant's head in his hand. "That's not important."

"You're- !"

He lifted the man by his head, twisted him so that his neck snapped, and then tossed his lifeless body out the main entrance.

The door to the dungeon was nothing extraordinary. He twisted the knob on the creaky door, stepped through, and it slammed shut behind him. The stone steps were unkempt, and they crumbled more beneath his weight. The bottom of the stairs opened up into a wide dungeon, with barred windows, and cells all around the walls. It was disheartening to find the dungeon was void of any prisoners. He searched all to his left where the room turned and continue in a square. After the search yielded no results, he returned and explored the right side, and was rewarded. The back part of this half of the dungeon was sealed off with a stone wall, and an enchanted door. There was only one person who could be concealed behind such a magical barrier.

To any average person, the door seemed plain, but to anyone sensitive to magic energy, the door was imbued with a light magic barrier. Just moving closer to the door made Ganondorf's head and muscles ache. He would be forced to use his dark energy to counteract the barrier, which would reveal him to his enemies.

He placed his hand, palm out, as close to the door as he dared without touching it. An orb of dark energy grew rapidly between him and the door. When Ganondorf could detect his energy was greater than the light barrier, he released the orb, which exploded, and the door crumbled.

The sweat on his face cooled and dried once the opposing energy was gone. He stepped inside the dark, windowless room, and squinted to find his wife.