Endless War

III

"So you found the sword 'cuz you were taking a dump? Nice one. I'm writing you up for the Medal of Honor kid. Hope the Big One likes what I write down." 

 -Lt. Simon "Ghost" Riley

Hyrule Castle - 04:58:52

Link still wasn't going to bed. He knew he needed the rest, but for some reason it wasn't coming. He glanced back to the legendary sword fastened to his back. He had pulled it out of that rock three years ago. He thought back...

After the fight that made him who he was, it was clear that Link needed to pull the Sword That Seals the Darkness out of its pedestal. The problem was that nobody in the entire kingdom knew where to look for. Oh, the conspiracy theories were enough to drive a man to drink. If you listened to the Gorons, it was hidden inside Death Mountain. The Rito claimed it was hidden in an alternate universe that could only be accessed by flying straight up for 100 miles. A few Zora soldiers thought that if they swam deep enough, they could find the legendary blade. And the Gerudo? Well, they thought it was hidden inside a molduga, and that the only way to reach it was to go inside one. Needless to say, none ever tried this out.

Even the old man did not know where it was hidden away, though he suggested that only Link could pull the blade out of the pedestal.

With the blade officially listed as MIA, the General once again took command and ordered his soldiers to search every square inch of the kingdom. His formal order read: "By command of the king, soldiers of the Royal Army are instructed to search for the sword known as the Master Sword, alias the Sword That Seals the Darkness, the Blade of Evil's Bane, or the Legendary Sword. Descriptions vary, but the blade is alleged to have a steel edge, a purple hilt, and the symbol of the Triforce upon its blade. Do not attempt to pull the blade yourself. Death or serious injury may occur."

The General had reformed the Royal Army into something even stronger than the one that fell during the Red War. It was now even larger, offered better pay, and had strict training and moral codes. Most importantly, its soldiers were dedicated not just to the King, but to the people themselves. 

One of the first rules the General implemented was the Law of Morality, which stated that a soldier did not have to follow a superior's order if they deemed it unmoral. This had the effect of keeping officers in line, especially the higher ranking ones who may have had unhealthy designs on rupees or expensive housing or cheap women. Thus corruption was removed from the board in a quick stroke, increasing the army's effectiveness. In addition, he also started effective alliances with the various races, often giving each race resources in exchange for the military presence of the Royal Army on their ground. Whereas before the Hylians were confined to their own area, now their military might extended everywhere, allowing for the greater mobility of the army.

However, despite all these changes and the increased training and equipment, the Royal Army was nothing but a royal failure in searching for the sword of myth. There were simply too many leads to track down and not enough soldiers; CIA also employed its own agents, but they too were ineffective. Spring turned to summer; summer quickly became winter; and the trees once again became lush with green. It began to seem as if there was no hope for finding the sleeping sword.

By this time, Link was now eleven. His training had only increased with time, and now his mind was starting to take the toll, even if his rather androgynous body wasn't showing the stress he was under. Slowly, but surely noticeably, he began withdrawing into himself, unable to speak for fear that his words would be judged. Even at such a young age, he knew that he had an important role to play, and that people with Important Roles became Important People. He had now become such a person, and Important People were taken seriously. He couldn't afford to make his jokes and laughs anymore - how would others react to the Great Hero laughing and smiling? No, he had to be a soldier, and hide his face behind an emotionless mask lest he not be taken seriously.

Zelda, thankfully, was rather immune to this. When the two of them were together, it seemed as if all their responsibilities and duties faded away to nothing more than a daydream, and they had their fair share of mischief. At least, during this time, the two could be happy.

.....................................................................................................................................

A year and a half passed since the legendary fight that made people whisper Link in awe. There was still no sign of the Master Sword, and there were debates as to whether or not the Army should continue its search for the weapon. It had become the costliest manhunt (weaponhunt perhaps?) it had undertaken, as the Army was burning through equipment and losing men left and right as it fought monsters in the areas it searched. Morale was at a low, even with the Princess herself traveling the land to each outpost to spend time with the soldiers.

Then one day, Private John "Soap" MacTavish, stationed at Fort Woodland, was feeling the call of nature rather strongly and wandered into the Lost Woods to do his business. Yet when he was finished, he could not find his way back out. It took some time for him to reach the end, but he made it.

Or so he thought.

Instead he found himself staring straight at a sword stuck in the ground.

(Author's Note: In case you're wondering why I spent so much time on the Army, it's because I love the military and can't stop talking about it, apparently even when writing fanfic. I always felt the Hylian Army could use some more time in the spotlight, so I'll do it myself. Also, the Law of Morality is not important to the story's plot, but I find it interesting. Those of you familiar with the German Bundeswehr will know this is the law of the land in that nation's army, which I have always found interesting, hence its inclusion.)