The group screamed as they fell into the ancient ruins of the Water Temple, plunging into the deep water below. Tack, Kevin, and Ms. Vicky emerged, sputtering for air.
"Is everyone okay?!" Kevin asked, his voice shaking with worry.
"I'm fine, but... I don't see Tack!" Ms. Vicky called, her tone rising in fear as she frantically searched the water around her.
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Meanwhile...
SPLASH! Carly heard the sound of something-or someone-crashing into the water. She was still groggy, trapped in the submerged cell. Her heart raced as a figure swam closer. At first, it was hard to make out who it was, but as it drew nearer, Carly's breath caught in her throat.
"Tack? Tack!" she cried, her voice trembling with relief. Her tears mixed with the water around her, or so it seemed.
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Tack's Vision
Tack groggily woke up-but not in the water. Instead, he found himself in his bed, back in his and Carly's room. Confused, he got up and wandered down the hallway, feeling a strange sense of calm. When he reached the dining room, he found his family-Carly and their parents-sitting at the table, eating and laughing.
"Tack, you're up," his mother said, patting the chair beside her.
"I had the craziest dream..." Tack began, his head spinning as he tried to explain.
He recounted his dream in detail, but as he finished, a heavy silence fell over the room. Carly and their parents exchanged unreadable looks before vanishing, leaving Tack alone in the void.
Suddenly, a voice echoed around him. "Tack, don't give up. We are with you-and Carly, too."
"Mom? Dad?" Tack called out, turning toward a golden light that began to illuminate the darkness.
"Yes, our child," the voice replied, as a glowing golden triangle appeared before him. "You must wake up and save Carly. Together, you can rescue Hyrule."
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Carly gasped as the figure-now clearly Tack-broke the door off her underwater cage. She swam up to the surface, climbing onto a small ledge. However, as she blinked in disbelief, she realized it wasn't Tack at all, but a shadowy version of him standing in front of her.
"Who... who are you?" Carly asked, trembling. The shadow didn't reply. Instead, it reached into a nearby backpack and pulled out some food, sliding it toward her.
"Is this for me?" she asked, hesitantly taking the tray. The shadow nodded in response. Carly quickly devoured the meal, too hungry to care about the strange situation. The shadow figure chuckled softly at her eagerness.
"What's your name?" Carly asked, her curiosity growing. The shadow shrugged, offering no answer. "How about... Shadow?" The figure flinched at the name, shaking its head.
"Okay, what about... Dark Tack? DT for short?" Carly suggested. The shadow hesitated, then nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, a guttural voice echoed through the ruins. "THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!" A large, scaly lizard, walking on two legs, spotted them. Without hesitation, DT grabbed Carly's arm and bolted deeper into the temple, Carly struggling to keep up as a pack of lizard creatures gave chase.
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Tack woke up with a start, still submerged in the temple's water, his back aching from the fall. He swam up to the surface and was stunned to see two familiar figures running from a horde of monstrous lizards.
"AHHHH!" Carly screamed, firing arrows wildly behind her as she ran.
"GET THEM!" a lizard yelled, spurring the others on. The shadowy figure grabbed Carly and dove into the water, dragging her along. Tack, instinctively following them, watched as the lizards who chased them were swiftly pulled under, floating to the surface unconscious.
"RETREAT!" one of the lizards barked from the back, signaling their defeat.
Tack swam faster, trying to catch up. "Why are you running?" he shouted, just as a familiar voice called back.
"TACK?" Ms. Vicky's voice cut through the chaos, surprised.
Carly turned toward the sound. "Tack!" she cried, relief flooding her voice as she rushed to hug her brother. "You're here! You're okay!"
Tears welled up in Tack's eyes as he hugged her tightly. "You're safe. But... how?"
"DT saved me," Carly explained, pointing toward the shadowy figure who looked like Tack.
Before Tack could process the bizarre situation, Kevin's urgent voice rang out. "We have to move!" He pointed toward the depths below. "There's something in the old 'boss room'-something dangerous."
The group swam downward, entering the ancient chamber. The room appeared empty at first, but DT spotted something-or someone-distressed near the back.
"DT, who is that?" Carly asked, squinting at the shadowy form. "Wait... is that... me?"
Before anyone could respond, a massive, monstrous fish burst out from beneath the sand, knocking them all backward and sending them hurtling to the surface.
"What was that?!" Tack yelled, his heart pounding.
"That was Gyorpheel," Ms. Vicky spat, her voice tinged with anger. "It's a monster, born from the bones of Gyorg and Morpheel-created by that evil man with greenish skin."
"How do we stop it?" Carly asked, her voice quivering slightly.
"You'll need upgraded armor," Ms. Vicky replied, determined. "Go to Castle Town-find the Zora shopkeeper. He can help you. In the meantime, we'll hold Gyorpheel off."
"Take this," Kevin added, handing them a map of the maze. "And don't worry, we've got this."
Tack glanced at the map, his eyes narrowing. "You had this the whole time? You two almost tore me apart in that maze!"
Kevin grinned sheepishly. "I... uh... forgot. Now, go!"
With the map in hand, Tack and Carly dove into the maze, following the directions carefully. They navigated through it in just five minutes-much quicker than their first attempt.
"That's thirty minutes faster than last time," Tack muttered, still annoyed.
The siblings reached the shore, changed quickly behind some bushes, and sprinted toward North Hyrule Field.
"We need a faster way to travel," Carly huffed, catching her breath.
"How about we head to Elly's house?" Tack suggested.
Carly nodded. "Yes, let's go."
With that, the two ran across Hyrule, heading toward their next destination.