Chapter 15 - Vah Naboris
Summary: Mipha first recovers the Thunder Helm, defeating the Yiga Clan leader in the process. Then, after upgrading her Rubber Armor set, attempts to appease Divine Beast Vah Naboris, as it poses the most significant challenge to her yet.
Mipha awoke refreshed and ate a Hyrule Bass she had caught in the Squabble River. And when she left the inn, she found a Gerudo soldier waiting for her.
"Sav'otta, Champion Mipha! My name is Leena, and the Captain informed our squad that you intend to recover the Thunder Helm for us. She ordered me to offer you some guidance before you set out," said Leena.
"Sav'otta, Leena! Yes, I'm going to do my best," said Mipha.
"Forgive me if I state the obvious, but I want to make sure you are as prepared as possible. First of all, you are going to need something to protect you from the heat and cold," said Leena.
"I intend to prepare some elixirs that will do that," said Mipha.
"Very good! Secondly, I recommend you acquire as many arrows as you can," said Leena. "Danda runs a shop nearby that stocks a good variety of them. The Captain said to provide you with funds if necessary."
"Thank you, I should have enough funds," said Mipha. "I have been mining gems where I find them. And I need to acquire another type of arrow as well."
"And thirdly, you need to acquire a sand seal when you are ready to depart. Sand seals are the only practical way to travel across the desert quickly," said Leena.
"A sand seal? Is it difficult?" said Mipha.
"You may have seen them near the entrance," said Leena. "They can swim through sand, probably much like I imagine you can swim through water. No, it is not hard at all. You just glide across the sand on your shield while you hold the reins to the sand seal and allow it to pull you. You can try to catch your own, but I recommend you rent a sand seal from Frelly or her mother, Kohm. The rented sand seals are faster and trained to stay with you."
"Very well," said Mipha. "I also need to collect some more Voltfruit to upgrade my armor's resistance to electric attacks. I noticed some cactus in the desert nearby."
"Yes, and you can also purchase some fresh Voltfruit from Lorn at the fruit stall near the entrance," said Leena. "There are Yellow Lizalfos throughout the desert who attack with electricity, so being prepared for electric attacks is important."
"Very well," said Mipha.
"And lastly, be on your guard against the Yiga Clan," said Leena. "They are quite dangerous and have some magical ability to transport from place to place. They managed to steal the precious Thunder Helm from right under our noses, and that was no easy task."
"I will," said Mipha.
"Then, that is all I can tell you," said Leena. "I will be at the barracks if you need me. The Captain said your mission is one of stealth, so sending guards with you would only draw unwanted attention. You must be sure to eliminate any Yiga Clan warriors you encounter before you reach their hideout, or they will alert their colleagues."
"I understand," said Mipha. "I know they are servants of Ganon and evil through and through. I will have no qualms eliminating them. Thank you, or Sarqso, I should say. I will start by purchasing some arrows."
"Then I will walk with you, as it is on my way back," said Leena.
As Leena and Mipha walked the short distance to the arrow shop together, Leena spoke up again.
"Forgive me, but we Gerudo do not know much about your people," said Leena. "We trade with Gorons for gems and Rito as well as Hylians sometimes visit here as tourists. But we do not travel to your city, and clearly, your people never visit here. I hope our people and yours will grow closer after this. We pride ourselves on being the best warriors, but meeting you has shown me that other races like yours deserve our respect. I also heard you have been asleep recovering from injury these past hundred years, and personally knew Lady Urbosa. Is that true?"
"Yes, we knew each other," said Mipha. "Sadly, the restoration process deprived me of my memory, so I remember very little of Lady Urbosa. But from what I do remember, she was a strong Champion, and I am proud to have known her."
"Yes, she is considered a legend now, and we revere her memory to this day," said Leena. "But here we are at the arrow shop. I wish you good luck and pray Lady Urbosa will look out for you. If you need anything further from me, I will be at the barracks."
Leena returned to the barracks, and Mipha purchased some arrows of each type. Next, it was time to brew some elixirs to ward off the hot desert climate. She could wear the Rito outfit at night to protect her from the cold if necessary. A cooking pot was available on the other side of the courtyard, and she had all the required ingredients, so she finished preparing enough elixirs.
Next, she purchased all the Voltfruit from a grateful Lorn. She also needed more Electric Chuchu jelly but had learned a trick. You could use an electric weapon or arrow on a batch of regular Chuchu jelly, and it would transform into the electric variety. After checking she had enough of the right ingredients, It was time to pay a visit to the Great Fairy.
The Great Fairy Cotera by Kakariko Village was pleased to see her and grateful that Mipha had freed two of her sisters.
"I thank you for all you have done and hope I can repay you by enhancing your clothing. My last sister, Tera, is the oldest in the family, and is quite far away," sighed Cotera. "At the time she took up abode there, the region was not so harsh as it is today. Now she lives deep in the desert, and it is quite an arduous journey to reach her. I hope you will free her some time. But let me see what I can do for you now."
As expected, Cotera was able to upgrade the Rubber set to level two, with the bonus of being un-shockable. Mipha understood this could protect her from lightning and the attacks of lesser enemies. But she did not expect it would be strong enough to protect her from something as powerful as Naboris or whatever creature Ganon created to infect it. But at least it might help, and she needn't worry about Electric Arrows so much anymore.
It was time to soak in the water, and nearby Lantern Lake was a good enough spot. Mipha sighed as she finally waded into the water and stretched out. She would soak for an hour or so, then head back to the desert. She did a few dives underwater to loosen up, then lay on her back, floating gently. She had the Lake all to herself, and as she stared up at the sky, Mipha reflected on all that had happened.
What a journey it had been so far! From awakening on the Great Plateau knowing nothing, to mastering Shrines, activating Sheikah Towers, becoming skilled enough to combat Guardians, freeing three Divine Beasts, and most of all, reuniting with her dear father and brother who had thought she was lost to them. It was hard to believe so much had happened in such a short time! She had not heard Princess Zelda's voice in a while, other than to warn her to be careful on the occasion of a Blood Moon. She hoped that meant time was not running out on them yet.
And now one more Divine Beast lay ahead. And then what? She would consult with Impa once she appeased Naboris and get her thoughts about what she should do next. And then she smiled. It was admirable that she was thinking beyond Naboris, having a positive outlook that she could triumph. But if truth be told, Naboris was the most frightening to her, and one reason she had adjusted Ruta to fire on Ganon on her own. She did not want her loss to be Hyrule's loss too. Ruta would do her part regardless of Mipha's presence.
Thinking about the other Divine Beasts, Rudania was not so intimidating once she obtained the right armor and elixirs. And Medoh either, since she had grown skilled with paragliding by then and had the benefit of Robbie's weaponry. Ruta, of course, was an old friend that she only needed to get reacquainted with her.
But Naboris seemed different.
She could take steps to protect herself from electric attacks, but could not do so completely. And what of Ganon's creation lurking there? Urbosa was a proud and capable warrior, thus defeating her would not have been easy. Sure, so were Revali and Daruk. But Revali hinted he took his enemy too lightly, though perhaps that was said only to soothe his pride. And what about Daruk? Daruk was not proficient with arrows, nor did he have Sheikah Slate created bombs as she did. His enemy was probably cunning enough to stay out of reach of his mighty Boulder Breaker. So, perhaps it was understandable why Revali and Daruk had been defeated. But Urbosa had the power of electricity as well as being a formidable fighter with scimitar and shield. Her defeat was harder to understand, and Mipha wondered what kind of creature had gotten the better of her.
But first things first. Mipha had to retrieve the Thunder Helm to make any further progress. After an hour of soaking, she ate another fish, then went ashore. Now it was time to visit the Ancient Akkala Tech Lab and replenish her supply of Ancient Arrows.
As expected, Robbie was thrilled to see her again, though Mipha wondered if that wasn't at least in part because she was his only source of research funding. In any case, she purchased another ten Ancient Arrows, leaving her with eleven.
She traveled back to the Shrine just outside Gerudo Town, then entered the town to acquire a sand seal. She approached the sand seal pen, and after some light-hearted banter loaded with seal puns, obtained a sand seal. She drank a heat resistant elixir, steadied herself on her shield, and took off with a dash.
She found riding simple, much like surfing in the water, and soon got the hang of steering her seal in the direction she wanted. She could see the Karusa Valley in the distance to the northwest as several tall spires were visible near the valley entrance. She moved fast and steered clear of the camouflaged Lizalfos she spotted laying in wait on the sand. Giant bones from some extinct ancient creatures dotted the landscape, as did the occasional cactus or shrub. There were also strange statues of women pointing the way to something, but she did not want to spare the time to investigate. As she neared the entrance to the valley, she could make out Lizalfos clinging to some of the tall spires there.
The sun cast long shadows from the surrounding cliffs as she continued past the spires and into the valley proper. Occasional boulders fell from above and rolled toward her, but it was easy to maneuver past them. Finally, she reached an orange sandstone plateau with small statues similar to the ones Paya cared for outside Impa's residence. She could no longer ride the sand seal and left it to climb up the rocks. The sand seals were trained to return to Gerudo Town, and Mipha would be making the rest of the journey on foot now.
After climbing onto the small plateau, Mipha made her way along the path, which was dotted with many more small statues. This must have been an area frequented by Sheikah at one time. Sand fell in streams from the cliffs overhead as she continued her walk.
And then alarms went off in her head as she saw an unusual statue in the path. Paya would have wept because it was the same statue Paya tended with reverence, but the face was covered with a cloth decorated with the upside-down Sheikah symbol used by the Yiga Clan. She must be getting close! And sure enough, a Yiga Foot-soldier appeared out of thin air and fired a pair of arrows at her, which fortunately struck the ground at her feet. She managed to freeze the soldier with an Ice Arrow, then destroyed it with her spear. But she needed to be on her guard now.
Making her way forward, there was a large cluster of desecrated statues in the path, and suddenly three Yiga Foot-soldiers appeared and attacked. She froze one with an Ice Arrow, but another winged her with an Electric Arrow. Thank the Goddess she had the sense to wear her Rubber Armor outfit! She kept close to the cliff wall, then dodged, and managed to use Stasis on one warrior then eliminated it. She then kept dodging the third as she came back and destroyed the frozen one with her spear. Now it was one against one. She kept her shield up, waited for the Yiga soldier to fire on her, and then land, then hit the soldier with an Ice Arrow. Running over, she stabbed that one too. All three were disposed of now, and none had sounded any alarm. She collected the Rupees and Mighty Bananas that her assailants had dropped.
And then ahead, she saw an opening in the cliff face, which could only be the entrance to their hideout. Well, almost. Once inside the room, she could see it contained a small raised platform with flaming lanterns, eight giant statues, and five large tapestry wall coverings with steps leading up to them and two lanterns to either side of them. The stairs suggested a path. And seeing a torch there and no other way to proceed, Mipha set fire to the tapestries, and behind one was a stairway into the hideout itself.
She climbed the steps slowly and quietly, and then saw a small jail cell and a Gerudo warrior imprisoned behind it. She made her way to the cell and saw it was the missing Gerudo guard Barta, who was muttering to herself that she needed to escape somehow. Barta looked up, startled to see Mipha, and spoke quietly.
"Hey, what are you doing here? This is the hideout of those Yiga Clan thieves who stole the Thunder Helm. If they spot you, they'll call their friends for sure. There's no way you can take them all on. If only you had some way of distracting them, but I don't know how. All I ever see them do is patrol and eat bananas. I haven't seen anything else that you could exploit as a weakness. Listen, this place is dangerous. You should get out of here while you can. I can take care of myself."
Mipha didn't think it timely to engage in conversation and instead looked below to where she could see a Yiga Blade-master patrolling. It was time for stealth. Timing her movements, she was able to sneak past the first patrol, then crouched behind some crates. A guard was blocking the doorway to the left, but looking up, she saw a wooden shelf containing some Mighty Bananas. Moreover, she could see it marked with an X where the wood holding the shelf was held together with a material of some sort. A single arrow collapsed the platform, and the guard eagerly went for the bananas while Mipha ducked behind him past the door, made a left, and climbed a long ladder. It led to a room with an abundance of bananas and a Topaz.
Then she made her way back to the opening in the upstairs corridor that overlooked the room below. Several Blade-masters were patrolling, but by tossing bananas, she was able to distract them and made her down to the floor and over to a ladder along the left wall, which led to a ceiling walkway. The next obstacle was a guard blocking a door at the far end of the room. Again, dropping some bananas distracted the guard, and she glided from the walkway into a room with a treasure chest in the center and several partially buried chests. The treasure chest contained bananas, but using Magnesis to unearth the buried chests revealed two valuable topazes and a ruby. Magnesis also revealed the presence of a hidden door. Opening the door led to a wide-open area with a giant pit. The silence was ominous as she entered the open area. And then she turned as she heard a voice.
A less than imposing figure introduced himself as Master Kohga, the leader of the Yiga Clan, who was beside himself with glee over his good fortune having Mipha fall into his hands while he had spies searching everywhere for her. He apparently recognized her from the Sheikah Slate. Then he announced his plan to eliminate her, and the battle began.
But it was not much of a battle as far as Mipha was concerned. Hitting him with an arrow caused him to lose concentration over his magic, and drop one of the giant balls he created on his head, driving him into the ground and leaving him vulnerable to a spear attack as he struggled to unearth himself. And when he resorted to using a giant metal sphere, Mipha took over control of it using Magnesis and bashed him with it. The battle ended ridiculously when Master Kohga created a ball so large it rolled into him, plunging him into the giant pit as he swore his fellow Yiga would avenge him. His demise revealed a chest containing the precious Thunder Helm. It was time to return this heirloom to Chief Riju.
Mipha teleported back to Gerudo Town. It was quite late, however, and everyone was asleep. Mipha needed to rest as well, so she made her way to the inn, and updated her journal.
Extract from Mipha's Journal - #20
I managed to retrieve the lost Thunder Helm and destroy the Yiga Clan leader, though the latter did not prove as difficult as I would have feared. Perhaps in destroying Master Kohga, I have inadvertently done Hyrule a disservice since I cannot imagine any subsequent Yiga Clan leader could be as incompetent a buffoon as he was. The main point, however, is that we now have the Thunder Helm back in our possession. I will return the helm to Chief Riju first thing tomorrow morning when she awakes. With Chief Riju's help, I can now attempt to appease Divine Beast Naboris. I will rest tonight and prepare myself as best I can for what I expect will be my greatest challenge so far. As always, I pray the Goddess will protect and guide me. And perhaps I shall pray for Champion Urbosa's help as well, as my Gerudo colleagues do. If she is looking down on me, she knows I can use her aid.
The next morning Mipha ate a Hearty Bass, donned the full Rubber outfit once again, swallowed a heat resistant elixir, and sought Chief Riju in the palace. But she was told the Chief was waiting for her upstairs outside her bedroom.
"I've been waiting for you," said Riju. "Oh, you needn't say a word. As the Chief of the Gerudo, I can sense the power of the heirloom flowing from you. I know you've succeeded. I am, as you have no doubt noticed, still but a child. The people look on me with nothing but warmth in their eyes, but even this brings me some pain, I must admit…I've tried so hard to be worthy of their love, to be a worthy chief and to prove to myself that I was worthy, too. When my family heirloom was stolen, I felt as though a shadow had fallen over me. Yes, your arrival in the midst of all of this must be the work of Lady Urbosa. Now, please give me the helm."
Mipha handed her the helm, and Riju put it on.
"Um. How do I look?" said Riju.
Mipha had to admit it looked a tad big. It was clearly intended for an adult.
"The threat Divine Beast Vah Naboris poses has only grown since we began searching for the heirloom. I believe Gerudo Town itself may be in danger before too long. As Chief, and as a Gerudo, I must find some way to stop that thing before it threatens my people. Will you help me?"
"Of course!" said Mipha.
"Heh heh, who would have thought that, just before such a momentous battle, hearing a simple, confident pledge of support from you would be what puts me at ease? I'll head out now. Let's meet up at the lookout post south of town. There's only one way to get close to Naboris, and that's with the help of a sand seal. The lookout post isn't too far from town, but you should take a sand seal there. You can get some practice that way. I'll be there waiting for you with my favorite sand seal, Patricia."
Mipha rented a sand seal and made her way the short distance to the outpost. The guard inside the building told her that the Chief was waiting on the observation platform. Mipha then went back outside and climbed up the ladder to join Riju.
"You've come. I knew you would," said Riju. "It's rare to see a Zora this far into the desert. You're the first one I've actually met. But what a sight! Divine Beast Vah Naboris is pretty intimidating. If we want to get close enough to that thing, we'll need to use sand seals. Are you ready?"
"Of course!" Said Mipha.
"Feeling confident? Good. Let's get going, then!" Said Riju. "First, we'll use sand seals to get in really close to that thing. I'll take the lead. I'm counting on you to shoot at its feet with bomb arrows. Naboris draws energy from the ground to keep moving. If you damage the feet, I think you can stop it. Those lightning strikes, though. Getting hit even once could prove fatal, especially for a Zora. The Thunder Helm can repel the lightning strikes, protecting me from harm. But it can also shield a limited area around me. You'll have to stay close if you don't want to get shocked. And listen. If you're too injured to keep fighting, promise me, you'll retreat here, to the lookout post. Don't do anything reckless under any circumstances. Here are some Gerudo bomb arrows. There aren't many, so be sure to put them to good use. This is the last time I'll ask. Are you ready?"
"Of course!" repeated Mipha since she realized Riju fed off her confidence.
The joined each other on the desert sand below, and Riju asked Mipha for a bit of room for a moment, then began to pray.
"My name is Riju, a descendant of the royal line and leader of the Gerudo people! With the power of the heirloom passed down in my family, I shall calm the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Ancestors of the Gerudo! Answer my call! Aid me in this task!"
Suddenly Riju was surrounded by a sphere of energy, a barrier that expanded to include Mipha and both their sand seals.
Riju turned to Mipha.
"Oh, wow! I can feel their power coursing through me! Let's move!"
Then Riju paused one last time to say a final prayer as she stared off into the distance.
"Lady Urbosa…please grant Mipha and me your protection…"
Now it was time to chase after Naboris and disable its feet with bomb arrows while staying safe within Riju's energy field.
"Don't fall behind," said Riju.
And then the chase was on a fast one that challenged Mipha's skill with her sand seal as they zig-zagged across the desert toward Naboris. You could not see Naboris at first as a sandstorm obscured it, but then they suddenly cleared the storm, and Naboris was right before them. The ground shook with each step Naboris took, and as they drew closer, Naboris activated its lightning defenses, sending a massive bolt of lightning toward them. But Riju's energy field successfully repelled it.
Mipha began targeting the feet, and it took four bombs each to disable them. Using a duplex bow she had picked up from a fallen Yiga Clan warrior proved handy, as it launched two bomb arrows in one shot. Mipha eventually succeeded in disabling three of the four feet. But in her eagerness to get off a close shot at the last foot, Mipha inadvertently strayed outside the barrier and was stunned by Naboris, collapsing onto the sand as her world went black.
Everything was dark, and then she heard a voice saying something. At first, she thought it was saying to open her eyes. Was she dreaming that she was back in the Shrine of Resurrection? But no, this voice was saying her name.
"Mipha! Mipha!" said the voice over and over.
Her body tingled all over, a numb feeling, but she opened her eyes. Riju was kneeling beside her, looking anxiously down at her.
"Thank the gods!" said Riju.
"Just give me a moment," said Mipha as the numbness slowly lessened, and she flexed her fingers and blinked several times.
Mipha realized what had happened and that the Rubber Set she wore had reduced the damage to less than a fatal shock. But it was still a horrible experience.
"Are you all right, Mipha? Do you want to withdraw and try again later after you have time to recover?" said a concerned Riju.
"No, I want to continue. But that was quite a jolt," said Mipha breathing hard and sitting up. "Give me another moment. I have some nourishment with me that can help restore my vitality."
Mipha selected a dish from her Sheikah Slate made from a Hearty Durian and started feeling better at once.
"Let's go," said Mipha as she pulled herself to her feet. "Believe me. I'll be more careful to remain within the barrier!"
"You've weakened Naboris by damaging three of its feet," said Riju. "But are you sure you are alright?"
"Yes, let's do this," said Mipha
Once again, Riju led the way with Patricia, and Mipha followed. With only one foot undamaged, they could head straight for it. Mipha launched several bomb arrows at the undamaged foot when they got within range and finally managed to disable it.
Naboris slowed, swayed, and crackled with electricity as it staggered a few steps further. Then it collapsed, throwing a mighty cloud of sand into the air, and lay silent.
Riju and Mipha glided to a stop next to Naboris, and Riju took off the Thunder Helm.
"Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own," said Riju. "I have no choice but to entrust the rest to you."
Mipha acknowledged the fact with a nod and ran to Naboris. After boarding the Divine Beast, Naboris rose and resumed its slow walk.
Mipha knew the drill by now. She pressed her Sheikah Slate against the terminal at the entrance, which activated the travel gate behind her. And then, as had been the case with Rudania and Medoh, she heard a voice she remembered.
"Well, well, well, isn't this a surprise!" said Urbosa. "Is this your first trip to the desert, Mipha? I doubt you will ever forget it! I can't wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon! One thing at a time, though. You'll need a map to find your way around. Head over to that Guidance Stone over there. Sounds easy, right?"
Straight ahead on the ramp, a Guardian Scout stood in her path, but she dispatched it with arrows and a final stab, picking up some Ancient parts. Then she climbed up the second part of the inclined ramp and destroyed another ugly glob of malice by shutting the eye. That cleared the path ahead. Walking up one of the ramps and along the edge brought her to the room containing the Guidance Stone. She touched the Sheikah Slate to the pedestal, and the Naboris control system acknowledged the slate's authenticity, distilled a map of Naboris onto the Sheikah Slate, and gave it access to the Divine Beast controls. Urbosa congratulated her on getting the map and pointed out the location of the five terminals, offering some more encouragement by telling her she was ready for this.
Mipha studied the map, and it was clear that Naboris was a much more complex mechanism than the other Divine Beasts. Rudania had two possible positions, Medoh three, and Ruta's trunk could be placed into any of ten different positions. But Naboris had three separate cylindrical sections, each of which could be rotated into any one of four different positions, for a total of sixty-four different configurations! It would take some time, logical thinking, plus trial and error to figure this out!
Making her way outside, she met another Guardian Scout, which she destroyed. Then moving to the last section, she rotated it three times to open a room containing a terminal. One down and four to go as Urbosa said she was counting on her. She turned the section once more to exit the room.
She made her way to the other side of Naboris, destroyed another Guardian Scout outside, re-entered the far section, and by positioning herself against parts of the section and rotating it, she was able to glide over to the second terminal along the wall.
"There are three terminals remaining," said Urbosa. "Hang in there!"
Rotating the section she was in twice, making her way outside, then rotating all of the sections, so that they aligned, made the far left wall rotate. Positioning herself and jumping led her back outside at the rear of Naboris, where some metal blocks needed to be placed by Magnesis to transmit electricity to the mechanism. Rotating the section broke the electric connection and lowered the long neck allowing her to climb it. Then turning the section back raised it, and she ran forward, destroying some malice in her way. She could now enter the rear hump of the camel.
There was more malice to be destroyed here and an elevator to ride, plus some more Guardian Scouts. Retrieving an electric orb from a platform and taking it with her allowed her to deposit it by a switch, activating a platform that moved between the two humps of the camel. After riding the platform over to the second hump, there was more malice to shoot at and Guardian Scouts to destroy and another elevator. Clearing the malice in the second hump revealed the third terminal, which she activated.
"There are two terminals remaining! Stay focused!" said Urbosa.
At the top of the second hump was another electric orb, which she carried down the elevator. She first used it to open a gate that led to a room with two receptacles intended to hold the orbs. But first, she had to deal with a pair of Guardian Scouts. After defeating them, it was a matter of retrieving the two orbs, including the one she left on the top level and depositing them in the two receptacles, which opened a gate to the fourth terminal.
"Just one terminal remaining! You're almost there!" said Urbosa with an encouraging tone.
Returning to the adjoining room and destroying some malice, she cleared a doorway. That led to a rotating switch, which, when first turned left and then turned right properly, activated an elevator to the final terminal.
Mipha didn't need Urbosa to know what came next. She needed to activate the main terminal inside Naboris. She first restored all the sections of Naboris, so they were back the way they were when she entered, and the main control unit was right side up. Then she made her way over to it.
But before activating the main control unit, she needed to prepare. She first drank an elixir that increased her strength. She made sure she had Ancient Arrows ready in her quiver. She checked she had a strong bow, sword, and shield at hand. She had decided using a one-handed weapon had some advantages in terms of allowing her to keep her shield ready without switching out her weapon. And then she said another prayer to the Goddess to protect her from Ganon's evil.
With that, she pressed the Sheikah Slate against the pedestal, and the familiar cloud of purple fumes emerged. Then behind her, a swirl of Ancient Energy formed into another abomination of Ganon's creation.
This creature looked like some misshapen Gerudo that emerged from a nightmare with its long unkempt red hair dangling on either side of its bizarre-looking head. A Guardian like blue eye stared out from what you would, for lack of a better term, have to call its face. Ugly malice covered its body, and it wielded an Ancient scimitar-shaped weapon in its right hand and an Ancient Shield in its left. Bolts of electricity briefly sparked from its body.
Urbosa then warned her to stay on her edge and that this formidable adversary she now faced had brought her to a warrior's demise a century ago. She urged to fight for her life and its death, advice Mipha hardly needed. She kept her shield raised as she eyed this new enemy.
Thunderblight Ganon slashed its giant blade defiantly in the air. As it lowered its head and pointed its eye to look at its new adversary, it felt some surprise. It had been created to battle a Gerudo warrior, but this creature looked like anything but. From its fins and body parts, it's foe looked like a two-legged sand seal without tusks, but that didn't seem possible. No, with all those fins, it must be a water creature. It didn't actually care what its adversary was, but a tiny water creature looked like an enemy almost too good to be true. Water creatures were the most vulnerable to electricity, so only a fool would send one to battle it, the master of lightning. This should not take very long, it thought. But as it gloated silently to itself, something gave it pause. Only a Champion could enter a Divine Beast. That was the point of imprisoning the spirit of her past adversary, allowing it to control Naboris and prevent any other from doing so. But here was another Champion come to challenge it. That should not have happened, not according to its master's plan. Something must have gone wrong, and this water creature had somehow defeated its Waterblight sibling. So, maybe it should not take this creature too lightly after all.
Thunderblight Ganon charged her with speed Mipha could not believe, and only by holding her shield in place and the benefit of Daruk's protection did she avoid injury. Her adversary withdrew, and Mipha decided that dropping down to the floor below would give her more room to maneuver. She also realized that as long as her enemy's shield was intact, there was no point in attempting to harm it with arrows as it would only block them.
She dropped to the floor, then raised her shield, and kept her eye on her enemy as it floated in the air and prepared to strike again.
This time when it zig-zagged toward her, she timed her shield block well and did a perfect parry, stunning it briefly, and allowing her to get in several blows with her sword. But it quickly regrouped.
Then it attacked again. This time Mipha was able to block it by keeping her shield raised, but it was not a good parry. So she struck out at its shield, chipping away at it, and upon the fourth blow, it shattered, leaving her enemy vulnerable to three strikes with her sword before it teleported out of reach. When it took to the air again, it fired electric charges her way until its shield regenerated. Then it prepared to attack again.
Mipha repeated the same approach, blocking its attack with her shield, then chipping away at its shield until it broke, then landing some blows. The creature recovered and withdrew into the air again, firing balls of electricity. But it dawned on Mipha now that while it was without its shield, it was vulnerable to arrows. She fired two Ancient Arrows into it doing some damage, but then it finally regenerated its shield.
She was beginning to get the pattern down now. It attacked once again, and Mipha held her shield in place, then destroyed its shield and struck some more blows. After it collapsed on the ground, she fired two Ancient Arrows into its prone form. And that seemed to affect it somehow, triggering a different reaction.
The creature dematerialized then materialized above the main control unit, and then it somehow drew down electric power from above, energizing itself. Its sword and shield sparked with electricity as it brandished its blade in the air. It was time for it to use all its power on this pesky Champion.
Thunderblight Ganon spawned metal rods all around her, then energized them one-by-one with electricity, hoping to shock her. Her armor prevented any shock damage, but it was unclear how to attack it now, so she ran away. Since the creature hovered far above and out of reach, she climbed one of the walkways and made her way to the main control unit. Standing close to the unit shielded her from attack as she considered her strategy. The creature had its shield in place, so arrows were useless now. And then she heard Urbosa's voice in her head.
"You need a way to get around that shield. Get something metallic near that thing!" said Urbosa.
Well, that was one idea, and probably a good one. But Mipha had another she thought might be easier. The creature blocked arrows with its shield. But it could not block an arrow if it could not move its shield. Mipha moved closer to be in range. Then she used Stasis to paralyze her foe momentarily while she hit it quickly with a bomb arrow before the Stasis wore off. That did the trick, and her enemy fell to the ground. But the fight was far from over.
This time as it prepared to attack, its sword crackled with electricity, and despite her armor, Mipha's instinct was to avoid it. She dodged the attack with a perfect back-flip and was able to pummel the creature several times. The beast regrouped again and attacked, but Mipha jumped back. She watched as the electric charge faded from its shield, and the next time it attacked, she destroyed its shield and landed several blows with her sword. This staggered her enemy and weakened it considerably, but it had one last trick.
It hovered in the air out of reach with a regenerated shield and targeted Mipha with its laser weapon. She held her shield steady, and as Thunderblight Ganon fired, she parried the beam back at it. It fell to the ground one last time, and she ran up to it and slashed it three times.
And that was it!
The creature dematerialized then materialized as it hung limp in the air, spewing purple liquid malice from all over its body as it screeched, and then exploded into nothingness. The malice vapor swirling about the main control unit evaporated, and the unit pulsed orange while the terminal itself glowed a bright blue.
Mipha jumped into the air with joy! She had done it! She bowed her head and said a prayer of thanks to the Goddess, then ran back to the main control unit and pressed her Sheikah Slate against it. And a moment later, Urbosa's spirit appeared.
"I knew you wouldn't let us down, Mipha," said Urbosa. "Thanks to your valor and skill, my soul is now free, and Naboris is ours once again, which means that finally, we can complete what we started one hundred years ago. We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business. I've waited so long for the moment I see you finally join the Princess and Link at Hyrule Castle. Which reminds me, I want to give you a little something. Please accept this gift, which has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury. It will no doubt be of use to you."
Urbosa snapped her fingers, sending a ball of energy her way. Mipha now had the power to call down lightning!
"I know all of you have suffered much regarding what happened. But this is how things had to happen. No one need carry blame. So, please make it clear so that the Princess understands that. Tell her to shed any worries. And tell her I couldn't be more proud of her."
Mipha felt herself dematerializing and then materializing outside Gerudo Town. Meanwhile, Urbosa piloted Naboris to a nearby clifftop and set its targeting beam onto Hyrule Castle. Now all four Divine Beasts were finally ready.
Mipha was eager to return home to share the good news with her family as well as let them know she was all right. She knew they were worried about her. But she first needed to pay a call on Chief Riju.
"You did it!" exclaimed Riju upon seeing Mipha as she approached her in the throne room. "You appeased Divine Beast Naboris and returned here unharmed. You are a true Champion, Mipha, and I can see why you and Lady Urbosa would have been friends."
"Yes, please forgive me for ever doubting you, Champion Mipha," said Buliara. "I feel so foolish now. You were everything you said you were and more."
"No, you were right to be skeptical, Buliara," said Mipha. "I hold no ill will toward you about it."
"You have our eternal gratitude," said Riju. "I gather you have more tasks ahead, but should you ever wish to return, you will always be welcome as a friend of the Gerudo. And as a friend of Lady Urbosa, it is only fitting that you have the treasure there. They belonged to Lady Urbosa, and I am sure she would be pleased to have the one who freed Naboris to have it."
The chests contained Urbosa's scimitar and shield.
"Thank you, Chief Riju," said Mipha. "But now I would like to return to my family. They have been quite worried about me."
"Of course," said Riju. "Go now. And may the sun always shine on your path."
Mipha bowed, then left the palace and activated the Sheikah Slate to return to Zora's Domain. It was not quite evening yet, and she made her way through the plaza, then up the steps. She stopped to say a prayer at Hylia's statue, then proceeded up the remaining steps to the throne room where her father and brother were speaking.
"With the blessings of the Goddess, I was able to appease Naboris!" exclaimed Mipha excitedly. "All of the Divine Beasts are back on our side!"
She ran to her father for a hug, and then her brother embraced her.
"You are amazing, sweetheart," said King Dorephan. "I cannot find words to express how impressed I am at all you've accomplished. And most of all, to see that you are safe.."
"Yes, dear Sister," said Sidon. "You have done something no one would ever dream possible."
"I will rest here tonight in the water," said Mipha. "I have seen enough dry sand to last a lifetime! Then tomorrow I will travel to Kakariko Village and consult with Impa. She will know what I need to do next."
"If you are not too tired, perhaps you could sit here with us and tell us all that happened," said King Dorephan.
"No, I don't mind speaking of my mission," said Mipha. "I am still too excited to sleep!"
Mipha told the story of what happened, and by the time she finished, it was quite late. She hugged them both goodnight, then made her way to the slumber pools, and soon fell asleep.
But she had another dream.
She and Link had been swimming again in East Reservoir Lake.
"I'm getting tired," said Link. "I think I've had enough. Let's head back to the pier."
"Of course," said Mipha. "You swam quite well today, though."
But Mipha didn't wait for him. She swam back at full speed and jumped onto the pier. Then she picked up Link's Champion tunic, where he had left it and examined it, making a note of its size. She needed to double-check something and smiled as she realized she had gotten his size precisely right. Just then, Link climbed ashore, and with a joking flourish, Mipha presented him with his tunic.
"Master Link, your tunic," said Mipha with a bow.
"Thank you," laughed Link as he took his tunic from her. "I hope you didn't swim back here that quickly just so that you could present me with my tunic. I should be waiting on you, Princess, not the other way around."
"But as you can see, I don't need to wear much," laughed Mipha.
Then Link blushed, and he looked so cute!
"Well, yes, I did notice," said Link. "That's one nice thing about being a Zora, I guess."
"But do I look all right to you?" said Mipha adjusting her neck ornament.
"Yes, yes, you look perfect," said Link. "Absolutely perfect!"
"Shall we sit and dry off?" said Mipha.
"Yes, of course," said Link.
They sat quietly for a moment, watching the clouds and the water.
"It's good to see you more like your old self for a change," said Mipha. "Do you know when you will be able to return here again? I may have something ready for you by then."
"I think next weekend I can visit," said Link. "The Princess said she wouldn't need me. I can get here by late afternoon."
"That would be perfect," said Mipha. "Meet me here by the Lake. We can relax on Ruta's trunk and enjoy the sunset."
Then the dream ended, and she slept the rest of the night soundly.