Endless War

X

"Come to me, warrior of light. I will finish what Makarov started!"

-Yiga leader, identity unknown

"Will we ever be friends again?"

A question for the ages, he thought. Everything I've done up until now has been so we can be friends again.

"Zelda... have I ever shown anger toward you?" He wanted - no, had to know. He couldn't answer her question until his fears had been put to rest.

The Princess pursed her lips and said nothing at first before finally sighing.

"To be honest, Link, you did hurt me. But it was my fault in the first place."

"How?"

"Well, I only have myself to blame, really," she said, giving a wan smile. "I wanted you to return to me even as I mistreated you. And when you didn't...I started getting furious at you for rejecting me."

Link was about to open his mouth to object when Zelda cut him off. "I know, it doesn't excuse my actions, but that went through my mind then. It's not even logical," she pointed out herself. "I was acting as if I didn't want you around when that was all I wanted in reality. You."

It took some time for Link to process those words, but once he did, he asked his most important question: "Why did you hate me? Why did you push me away?"

Zelda's face immediately took on a pained expression. "Link, I never meant for you to feel that way. I know we're still friends, and nothing will ever change that. But as for your question...Father was always pressuring me to be more like you. To be more successful. It was always, 'Link can do this, Link can do that.'

"I know Link can do this and that, but I can't! What does fighting lynels and hinoxes have to do with my sacred power? But regardless, I couldn't bear to be with you because of Father. Nothing between us was your fault, Link."

It was an immense relief for Link, who always felt that he had messed up somehow. And here he had confirmation that it was not him but somebody else.

Link was too full of emotion to open his mouth properly, so instead, he got up and hugged his best friend.

"You asked me for an answer. Here it is," he whispered in her ear.

Zelda hadn't felt such joy and relief and...love in months.

"Thank you, Link."

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

There was much to do between Link and Zelda's hug and the time the soldiers had to deploy to Lorule.

First things first, though, was Zelda giving Link a parting gift. It had been passed down through the royal family for generations before eventually making its way into the hands of the current Zelda. It was a simple piece of cloth known as a sailcloth, said to have been sewn together by the very first Zelda on the mythical land of Skyloft and used by the Hero of the Skies. Its purpose was to slow down the Hero's descent, though Zelda's grandmother had often worn it around her shoulders like a cape. And despite it being eons old, it smelled nice too. Perhaps the weaver had infused some sort of magic in there to make it smell good. It was one of Zelda's most treasured possessions and an heirloom of the royal family.

Second, the soldiers of Noble Team had to stock up on supplies and food, which Link oversaw himself. While the rest of the squad made tiny adjustments to their armor and new bows, Zelda had enough of her power awakened to do small acts of divine grace. So she blessed each soldier in the stead of Hylia, giving them increased combat capabilities and wishing them well on their journey. She especially wished this for Link, for whom she channeled the most power. If only her father could have seen the small ceremony between Her Grace and the troopers.

Finally, there was also the issue of the Spirit Tracks the soldiers would be using to enter Lorule territory. Despite its immense logistical capabilities, the Spirit Tracks were expressly for civilian use, as there were too few train engines for the civilian and military sectors. So Princess Zelda had signed a decree ordering that the Royal Army was only allowed to use the Tracks with permission from either the King or the Princess.

Even if the soldiers were allowed to use the Tracks whenever desired, the closest point on the tracks to the infiltration point was over 300 miles away from where the soldiers were supposed to enter the foreign nation. This necessitated the use of horses, and so each soldier had to choose their horse to ensure a strong bond with it. Link and Zelda went down to the stables together, and after much debate over a pure white horse or a big brown solid mare, Link decided on the latter, naming her Epona. Zelda was not pleased but comforted herself that she could spend time with the pure white horse she chose to call Storm.

After several more hours of preparation and waiting for the train to appear, the soldiers boarded the giant machine, ensuring their mounts were comfortably nestled in the cars designated for them. Before the train pulled out of the Hyrule Castle station, Zelda pulled Link off to the side for one final message.

"Link, I know what I said earlier about not wanting you to return. I take that back completely. I do want you to come back. If you don't... just come back. Promise?"

"I can't promise anything," the young man said, "but I'll do my best to ensure I don't die." Then hoping to lighten the mood, he added, "Is it fine if I don't come back with a finger or two?"

Zelda shuddered. "I'd prefer you have all your fingers when you come back. Your toes too. Your hands are too gentle on me for me to make me push them away."

Link blushed as he remembered caressing her and was about to stroke her cheek when Soap shouted at him.

"Hey, come on, lover boy! Quit flirting and get on the train already."

Now it was time for Zelda to blush. "Stay safe, alright," she commanded as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before gently pushing him into the train and signaling to the engineer that it was all right to go full steam ahead.

(A/N: Well, the first ten chapters are now out. It wasn't easy to edit and correct all these parts, but I hope you're enjoying the story. We're now at the stage where most of Noble Team will die. If you want the details, go back to chapter five and research the soldiers' names, though I highly suggest that you don't, especially if you know nothing of the Call of Duty fandom. These deaths will play an important part. I promise.

Second, I will be gone for a week. One of the games I play has a week-long event that only comes once every two months so I will be grinding away for a long time. But once I get the armor I want, I'll come back. I promise. Maybe I'll come back after 4 or 5 days instead of 7. And I'll check my inbox and notifications daily before grinding away, so don't disappoint.

If you enjoy the story, I would appreciate feedback: comments, suggestions, votes, sharing with friends, etc. It truly motivates me to keep going on.

Peace out. You are all loved and appreciated.)