“Fuga!”
A Yiga had come running into the hideout, holding a sealed scroll from Central Hyrule. Fuga hurried to meet them and took the scroll as the other Yiga scrambled for an explanation:
“It seems urgent, there’s a sand seal and a horse at Gerudo Canyon waiting for you.”
Fuga read the scroll urgently.
The Darkness has begun seeping out of Central Hyrule and Hyrule Castle. Fuga, Hero chosen by the legendary sword, you have been called to carry out your duty in defeating the Calamity. Please meet the Champions and Princess Zelda at the Holy Grounds to strategize your attack.
Hyrule counts on you.
Fuga read it over, twice, thrice. This was it, what they had expected to happen was starting to happen. They thanked the Yiga that had brought them the scroll and packed essential things for this trip they ignored how long would take. They found Kohga and Sooga and caught them up to the situation.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. And… I’ll send letters, if I have to stay somewhere.”
“Good luck,” said Sooga. “We all believe in you.”
Fuga hugged both of them and descended Karusa Valley to take the sand seal away into the desert.
●
Fuga was almost breathless when they arrived at the Sacred Grounds in front of Castle Town. They were the last to arrive, but they sensed the others had arrived not too long ago as well.
“H… how long has it been since we’ve seen signs of the Calamity?”
Zelda turned to them, glad to see them, but nonetheless anxious.
“A little more than a day ago. We’ve had soldiers and Sheikah surveil it, but it might…”
“It might grow exponentially at any moment,” finished Robbie, who had joined the Champions along with Purah and Impa in the hopes to help them in any way they could.
“May I suggest,” started Mipha. “We, the Champions, should board the Divine Beasts and prepare our attack from there?”
Purah nodded and added:
“It is said the Divine Beasts would help the Heroes defeat the Darkness, and we theorised that their attack would weaken Malice. Not defeat it on its own, mind you, but it would make it easier for Fuga and Zelda to…”
She didn’t finish her sentence. The others understood nonetheless. Zelda confirmed with the other Champions that this should be the course of action to take, and Robbie added onto Purah’s train of thought.
“With the Champions waiting by the Divine Beasts, me and Purah will be able to use Guardians to help in any way we can, while Zelda and Fuga wait for the Calamity to manifest itself here.”
They all agreed to the plan, and each Champion headed their separate ways after wishing the others best of luck. Zelda, Fuga, Impa, Purah and Robbie headed towards Hyrule Castle, hoping to verify the Guardians one last time before launching their plan.
●
4 days after the Calamity appeared.
Kohga was pacing inside the Yiga Hideout, anxiously waiting for news, any news, on Central Hyrule, on Fuga.
“They should’ve written already, shouldn’t they? And- what’s going on out there? We have no way to see Central Hyrule from here!”
Sooga was watching him pace, and had been watching him for a while.
“Unless we hear from Fuga directly, I don’t think a lot of news will reach here, or Gerudo Town. It might take longer than expected, I don’t think the mailing system is prioritised out there.”
“But I- I can’t just sit here and do nothing, wait, and-”
A roar was heard outside. A deep, frightening roar that chilled their blood and stopped everyone in their tracks.
The Yiga hurried to the edge of Karusa Valley, climbing the sandstone pillars that had been decorated ages ago. From up there, they could see far into Gerudo Desert. There, they could see the Divine Beast of the Desert, Vah Naboris.
For days now, they had seen it get agitated, stomp, move, but now, it was still.
Its lights were deep magenta, crimson red.
It started moving again, a slow, mechanical movement.
“What happened?”
“Wasn’t it blue before?”
“Did the roar come from that?”
Kohga looked on to the desert, a horrible feeling growing inside him. Had the Champions…
●
Fuga and Zelda had been running, hiding for days, every turn revealing a new horror.
They heard a roar coming from the south-west which stopped them both in their tracks. This had been the fourth, horrible, terrifying roar they had heard from all around Hyrule. East, then north-west, then north-east, and finally, south-west. They both had grown to know what this meant.
Zelda fell behind Fuga.
“No, no, no, no- no, this can’t- our plan was- what did we miss? What didn’t we think about?”
Fuga turned to see her crying. They both had cried a lot in the last few days, but they had promised themselves not to stop walking, running until they reached Fort Hateno, where they would grieve safely, hopefully. They had finally passed Dueling Peaks, but they couldn’t stop here. Fuga could see the glow of the corrupted Guardians not far beyond the peaks. They approached Zelda carefully.
“Zelda, we’re so close- we- we’re so close to Fort Hateno, alright? The- the defences there will hold, we’ll be safe, we-”
“Nothing has held up the way we planned! You don’t know that, Fuga!”
Fuga began breaking down as well, pleading for Zelda to continue.
“I- I know, Zelda, I know that I don’t know, but- we have to try, okay? We have to hope defences will hold and- and- we have to keep moving-”
“Our plan- it- it killed them, didn’t it? I- I led them to their deaths, I-”
Fuga looked up from Zelda and saw Guardians, getting far too close to comfort, passing through Dueling Peaks.
“We- we can’t stay here, Zelda. We- we have to move, the Guardians, they-”
The mention of the Guardians seemed to rouse Zelda up from her stupor. She took Fuga’s hand and they both started running again.
They both could see Fort Hateno from the plain and swamp, but the Guardians had caught up to them. The plains had few hiding spots for both of them. Fuga and Zelda were exhausted, worn out to their core. Fuga had managed to defeat two corrupted Guardians, but only more kept pouring into the swamp.
Another Guardian had spotted them and grew closer. Fuga stood up, painfully, prepared their sword to defend Zelda with anything they had. She had the power to seal the Calamity, to save the prince from the Darkness, she just had to- she had to make her power work, one way or another- she would be able to!
The Guardian prepared its attack.
Fuga was exhausted. Their stance was weak, they would not hold on for much longer. They had to, for Zelda. For Hyrule. For the prince.
Energy crackled and Fuga anticipated the shot.
A bright light blinded them, and darkness fell.
●
23 days after the Calamity appeared.
Vah Naboris’ stomping could be felt throughout the entire desert. It was heard, too. Groans, steps, roars. This was not normal behaviour for a Divine Beast, all knew this. And all were worried as to what it meant.
Kohga was sleeping, passed out, his head resting on Fuga’s desk. His sleep was interrupted every time Vah Naboris roared, suddenly frightened, awake, and fell asleep soon after, still feeling restless from the last few weeks. Sooga, unable to sleep, was sitting on the floor, his back resting against the well. He hadn’t slept in days.
They hadn’t gotten news on the Calamity or Fuga yet.