The scenery outside Link's window was just a blur of yellows and browns as Riju sped through the desert with a wide grin on her face. They weren't even heading in the direction of Vah Naboris. Instead, Riju whipped them around the desert, slowing down only when they spun out on the sand to redirect the vehicle. She laughed and cheered as the car kicked up dust behind them and the engine roared under the hood. The speedometer climbed higher and higher as Riju took them around the desert, and Link clung to whatever he could find as she whipped through sharp turns.
"Take it easy!" Link barked at her. "I need this thing!"
"No, way!" Riju said over the roar of the engine. "You're never getting this back!" She spun the wheel and the car slid against the sand before it caught traction, but this time, Riju did slow the car down. The engine died down to a more reasonable volume and Link settled back in his seat with a sense of relief.
"You're crazy," he muttered. "Completely insane." But when Riju did not respond, he glanced at her. Her face had grown pale and her gaze was glued on something outside. Link followed her gaze, his jaw dropping slightly as he found himself looking into a massive sandstorm just before them. Within seconds, it swallowed them whole, whipping sand in every direction at the car.
"Shit," Riju muttered. She threw the car into reverse and slammed her foot down on the accelerator.
"What?" Link asked, panicked. Something was wrong.
"It's Vah Naboris," she said. The car rocketed backwards, but Riju's gaze was fixated on the storm before them as it seemed to follow them across the desert.
Link twisted around in his seat to gather his guns from the back seat. He slipped them quickly into his holsters and packed extra ammunition. "How did you not notice that thing?" he muttered as he turned back around.
Riju grinned and stepped on the brakes, bringing the car to a sliding stop. "I noticed," she said. She looked up into the sandstorm. "We were coming for you sooner or later, Vah Naboris. Guess you're ready for us now."
The ground trembled for a brief moment and Link tried his best to peer through the sandstorm, but it continued to whip around them. After a moment, the ground shook once more. And then the sand started to lessen and clear as Vah Naboris emerged before them, its deep roar bellowing throughout the desert.
Just as Urbosa had promised Link, she and Zelda were atop Vah Naboris, Zelda sleeping quietly against the Gerudo Champion. She looked over her shoulder as Link approached. "You certainly got here fast," she said, taking care not to wake Zelda. She brushed a lock of hair out of the princess's face. "She's kept herself busy most of the day, trying to open some old shrines out here. Still as the sands now." She turned and met Link's gaze. "So? How are you two getting along?" Link hesitated, but Urbosa continued. "She puts up a tough wall, I know. I've known her most of her life. She gets so frustrated with these ideas of destiny. It's all her father's ever pushed on her, and she feels like a failure every day that passes without any hint of the power that sleeps inside of her. Don't take it personally." She sighed lightly and turned her gaze out into the desert under the silver glow of the moon. "In truth, she's been working to find her power since she was very young, and she has nothing to show for it. That's why she works so hard with her research. She has more determination than anyone." Urbosa turned her eyes back to Link. "You make sure to protect her with your life.""Are you ready?"
Link turned his gaze to Riju. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."
Riju stepped hard on the accelerator. The tires spun against the sand, then the car shot forward. Lightning struck the ground in an attempt to stop them, but Riju navigated around the strikes like she were simply stepping around an annoying cobweb. The car slid to the side as she turned the wheel, then in the other direction as she avoided another strike. They neared the Divine Beast quickly and were soon driving underneath. She circled the back leg, waiting as it took a step, the leg lifting in the air slowly, then coming down once more, shaking the ground. As it did so, she threw the car into park and cut the engine.
"That's our cue," she said as she opened the door and dashed towards the back leg and climbing up the rungs.
Link darted after her, catching a rung just as Vah Naboris lifted its back foot once more. "This wasn't part of the deal!" Link shouted up at Riju. "I never agreed to you coming up here."
"Too late for that, isn't it?" she shouted down to Link, that white toothed grin on her face. "You'll want me up there, anyway," she continued. "I can help protect you from any lightning that might get thrown our way."
More lightning. Great.
Link followed Riju to the top where they climbed aboard Vah Naboris's back. Just as with the other two Divine Beasts, they were not alone. This time, the Thunderblight phantom was waiting for them, and it wasted no time attacking them with nothing other than a strike of lightning. Riju was quick to react, however, and just as she promised, she was able to deflect the strike. Or rather, it seemed to simply strike the air above them, its sheer force or power proving useless against the barrier Riju had erected around them.
The Thunderblight screamed in frustration as its attack was deflected and it shot through the air with wicked speed. Link could not even follow it with his eyes until it stopped on the other side of Vah Naboris. It lifted an arm, then swiped it across its body, releasing large orbs of pure, electrifying energy in their direction.
"I don't know how long I can deflect its attacks," Riju said to Link. "Better make this quick."
Link pulled out his loaded gun and took aim. He waited for a clear shot between the orbs, but the Thunderblight was quicker and darted through the air further away from them. As soon as it stopped, Link pulled the trigger and the bullet ripped through the blight's flesh. It shrieked and raised an arm, sending down three strikes of lightning. They crashed against Riju's barrier forcefully and she strained under the weight of the attack.
Link pulled the trigger again, but the blight was gone, reappearing just yards away and sending down another wave of electrifying attacks. Once more, Link fired his gun, but the Thunderblight disappeared again, darting with blinding speed across the Divine Beast. It slashed through the air with its arm and more orbs of energy flew at them.
Instead of waste Riju's energy, Link pulled at her wrist and they sprinted across Vah Naboris, dodging the slower moving orbs of energy with ease. Link watched the blight closely as it continued to dart across Vah Naboris and throw attacks at them. Link pulled Riju towards the metal pillars at the far end of the Divine Beast, and the closer they got to the pillars, the further away the Thunderblight seemed to get from them. It was avoiding the pillars.
"Are you crazy?" Riju hissed, pulling against Link's arm. "If we get near those pillars, its attacks will fry us."
"I have a theory," Link said. "Fight fire with fire."
"That would be great if we could get the thing over here," Riju said, crossing her arms.
"Can you take care of it if I lure it over?"
Riju nodded. "Of course. But I won't be able to protect you from its attacks."
"I got this," Link said, though he didn't feel very confident in himself. He left Riju by the pillars, darting across Vah Naboris and dodging more orbs of energy as the Thunderblight hurled them at him. Just as he predicted, as he neared the blight, the phantom darted through the air in an attempt to keep distance between them. All he had to do was figure out a way to corner the phantom near the pillars and let Riju take care of the rest.
The blight appeared once more at the far end of Vah Naboris and Link charged at it before it had a chance to throw another attack at him. The Thunderblight darted away from Link, hovering just by the control panel, but not close enough.
However, Riju was there, waiting for the blight, and with nowhere else for the blight to go, it was forced to dart further away, right where Link wanted it to go. It appeared just above the pillars, and Riju didn't waste a moment throwing her arm in the air and letting loose her own lightning attack. Just as Link had hoped, her attacks were drawn to the metal pillars, entrapping the blight. The strikes bounced from pillar to pillar, than shot into the middle at the Thunderblight. Its shrill shrieks pierced the air as it was caught in the attack and fell to the ground as the lightning subsided.
Link hurried across the Divine Beast as the Thunderblight fell, and when it landed on the ground, Link emptied the rest of his bullets into the phantom. It continued to scream as each bullet ripped through it and it rose in one last desperate attempt to deliver another blow to Link and Riju. Riju snapped her fingers, sending another course of energy through the sky. The lightning struck with wicked speed, intensifying from the pillars around it, shooting at the blight one last time, and the phantom burst in the air.
Riju whooped triumphantly, jumping up and down, thrusting her fist in the air. "Take that, Ganon!" She turned to Link with a wide grin. "We make a good team! I should come with you when you go into the city!"
"I don't think so," Link said as he made his way to the control panel. He placed the Sheikah Slate aginst it and Vah Naboris settled in with a familiar sigh. The sandstorm it had whipped up around it died out and the desert was quiet.
"Why not?" Riju whined. "You won't get anywhere without my help."
Link tucked the slate into his pocket and nodded. "You're not entirely wrong there," he said.
Riju's grin widened, hopeful. She put her hands on her hips. "You're admitting that you need my help?"
"I do," Link said. "I need someone to man Vah Naboris. We need the Divine Beasts to help bring down Ganon, and you're the only one who knows how to handle Vah Naboris."
"Like Urbosa," Riju said. Her smile softened, honored to be given such a task. "The new Champion? Me?"
"Is that a problem?"
Riju shook her head. "You can count on us," she said, standing proudly, her shoulders pulled back. "We'll blast Ganon into oblivion. He'll never fight with Hyrule ever again!"