Purah of the Sheikah watched from her telescope on Lookout Landing as Hyrule Castle rose into the sky. The earth shook and rocks that trailed a blue-green light, rained from the sky. Gloom poured from the castle, shrouding it once again in a red-purple haze. Bubbles of the stuff shot up into the air in wide arcs. She saw one hit the middle Hyrule field and an enormous monster that Purah had never seen before stepped out from the mists. It roared as its brethren appeared, and Purah felt herself almost disconnect from what was happening. She couldn't process this. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be a Calamity again. And so soon? Hyrule was just starting to find hope, starting to rebuild. But Hyrule was once again burning around her. This time, she wouldn't run. She came back to her body and she ran down to Lookout Landing bunker and helped herd everyone into the bunker. She was the last one in. She glanced back at Hyrule Castle, now hovering in the sky.
'Please be okay.' she thought to Link and Zelda as she closed the hatch behind her.
Prince Sidon of the Zora was extremely worried. Like willing to swim upstream across Hyrule worried. The day before, the ground had shook, large rocks and sludge had rained from the skies, more and different monsters than they had ever seen before had been born, and he had just got word that Hyrule castle was now suspended in the sky. Perhaps worst of all was the traveler's last bit of news. Princess Zelda and her Knight AKA Link, were both missing. Hyrule's PRINCESS and LINK were missing. Needless to say Sidon was having a hard time breathing. Not only that but the Domain was covered in dark sludge that polluted the waters of Zora's Domain. Sidon knew it was only a matter of time before all the Zora in this region became ill because of the pollution.
But Sidon silently swore, by the Goddesses, that he would not let a single Zora fall. He swore this oath in front of Mipha's statue, which was where Yona found him now.
Yona had traveled from a distant Domain as a part of a plan to connect Zoran peoples. King Dorfin and Yona's father, King Ralis, had agreed to wed their children as a symbol of their alliance. Sidon had met Yona about a week after he saw Link last, which seemed like an important distinction to him. It shouldn't be but it was. Around three weeks after that he'd heard a rumor, that Princess Zelda and her Knight were sharing a house in Hateno village, and that Hyrule should expect their wedding announcement any day now. Why this rumor had disturbed Sidon so much, he didn't know. Maybe it was because he would have expected Link to tell him if he and Zelda were courting. The only reason Sidon hadn't told Link about Yona was because he hadn't learned of his approaching fiance until she had almost arrived, as his father hadn't seen fit to warn him.
A hand on Sidon's shoulder startled him from his thoughts.
"Darling." Yona said. Sidon stiffened. They'd agreed to act like a true couple for the sake of the Zora, but in truth, Yona was simply an acquaintance. Right now they were alone so Sidon didn't know why she was insisting on this now. Sidon heard Yona sigh, he knew that she thought his distance was childish. She saw this as a one and done, but Sidon found himself still reeling at their arrangement.
"Sidon… I come with grave news. Your father has gone missing, the Domain needs you to lead it in his absence." Sidon stood, momentarily forgetting his thoughts of Link.
"What has happened to him?" Sidon asked.
"We don't know, but I have a pod of spearzora out to try and find him. For now, we are needed at the Domain. You must provide comfort to your people, and I have the sickness to heal." Yona put her hand back on his shoulder.
"I will do all I can." Sidon promised, and Yona smiled at him.
"So will I, Sidon."
"BULIARA, REPORT!" Chief Riju of the Gerudo screamed as she blocked an attack from another Gibdo with her scimitars.
"We have lost contact with the western edge of the town!" Riju vaguely heard Buliara's voice from somewhere to her right. Riju gritted her teeth and tried to summon a lightning bolt. She missed, nearly hitting one of her own soldiers. Oh Seven Heroines… Riju and the rest of her warriors couldn't do this. Their weapons did nothing despite their training, and Riju hadn't managed to hit an actual Gibdo this whole fight. For the love of the Goddesses, she'd almost vaporized one of her own.
"Buliara! Is the shelter ready to receive us?"
"Chief Riju-" Riju could already hear her old friend's protests.
"BULIARA!" Riju shouted, and then had to duck a strike from a Gibdo that had managed to sneak up behind her. Oh no, Riju was losing energy, how long had she been fighting?
"The shelter is not ready!" Buliara responded moments later.
"We must retreat now, if we stay out here any longer, we will all be killed!" Riju said, her eyes stung with the admission. The Gerudo were a proud people and Riju was no different. She hated admitting defeat, even to Buliara.
'What would the great Naboru think of me?' Riju thought as she slowly retreated towards the hole for the shelter. 'What would Urbosa think of me? How could I fail them like this? What would Zelda say?' Riju closed her eyes and screamed. She felt more than heard the crackle of lightning. She opened her eyes and saw one of her archers shoot an arrow at a Gibdo. Riju focused on the arrow and as soon as the arrow hit the Gibdo, lightning cracked down on the sky vaporizing three Gibdo. Riju's tears vanished as she realized she could do it. Still her forces were in full retreat, so charging out now would be foolish. She ran down to the entrance to the shelter and Buliara ushered her in. Riju turned to see her soldiers, well what was left of them. Still she forced a wide smile.
"I know for a fact that the Gibdo are hurt by lightning." Riju announced. "Once the invasion has died down I will go out and train in the Gerudo desert, once I return I will liberate our town, for now, take care of our people." her soldiers let out a brave cheer and dispersed. Buliara stayed by her side as Riju made her way to the back of the shelter.
"What is on your mind, Riju?" Buliara asked when they were alone.
"Princess Zelda."
"Ah."
"She and Link have disappeared, and in our very time of need. I can't help but feel that the evil that brought the Gibdos has her trapped somehow."
"You mean them? Both the Princess and her Knight?" Buliara asked, something unknowable glinting in her eyes. Riju glanced at Buliara confused.
"Yes, was that not what I said? Anyway, my point is that two of the most important and powerful people in Hyrule are missing, possibly trapped by the same evil we face here, and Gerudo warriors are hiding below the sands. I can only imagine what has been unleashed on the rest of Hyrule, and trapped as we are, we have no way to help."
"Why would we help them when we can't help ourselves? You must think critically. Gerudo before the rest of Hyrule. All the tribes have this policy. " Buliara asked.
"I know, but we should be worried about the others because we have the strongest military in Hyrule. Everyone knows this. If the Gerudo are hiding, and Zelda and Link are missing what do you suppose has happened to the other peoples? Are the Hylians of Heteno and Luralin overrun? Have the Sheikah been forced to barricade Lookout Landing or Kakariko village with their technology? Is the Rito's only safety their power of flight? Have the Gorons been forced to give up their city? Do lighting monsters ravage Zora's Domain? We know that Hyrule castle has been cast into the sky and that strange Gloom sickness pours from it… what if Lookout Landing is gone, the Hylains are dead without Link and Zelda, and the other tribes have been forced to hide, just like us or worse!" Riju was yelling now. Buliara caught Riju's shoulders. She leaned down and met Riju's eyes.
"Link and Zelda are alive."
"But-"
"Link and Zelda are alive. We must believe that. We must believe that the other tribes fare better than us. Perhaps our enemy sent their strongest minions to the Gerudo desert to keep us contained. Maybe they underestimated each tribe, as you have just done. We must believe that our allies live Riju." Buliara pulled her close and Riju allowed herself to take comfort in her embrace.