Endless War

XXVII

"The youth is the future. I will protect yours."

-Yuri

Somehow, someway, Yuri brought two unconscious people back to the castle. He first dumped them in the infirmary, told the royal doctors and nurses to start caring for them, and then marched off to see his general.

Yuri burst through the door to the still-small war room. Shepherd was standing there, looking bleakly at his war map. Yuri expected his head to be ripped off, but the older man said nothing. Nor did he do anything.

"General Shepherd, sir. I have news to report." He stood as straight as he could, with his dirty uniform smoothed down as much as possible.

There was no answer.

"General Shepherd...?"

Finally, Link's father sighed and snatched a cigar from the table.

"Go on. Tell me about the latest disaster. Soap and Ghost haven't returned nor answered their charms. They're officially MIA."

And so Yuri did. He explained how the team had been captured and how Zelda had gone ape on Link in the cell. He described in vivid detail her transformation and how Makarov was back.

"What? Makarov?" the old man jumped out of his seat, placing both hands on the desk and leaning toward Yuri.

He swallowed. "Um, yes, sir. He was alive and well. I think the Malice was able to bring him back to life."

"No. No, no, no, that can't be," his superior muttered. "He's alive?"

The war room had little ventilation, but Yuri started sweating in earnest. "Yes, sir. And your son, Link..."

Shepherd took the hint. He picked up a throwing knife and threw it at a picture of the Inverted Eye.

"When...how will we stop them?"

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

The medics had immediately pronounced Link dead, and he had been for at least an hour. There was nothing anyone in the room could do.

Hilda was still alive, though just barely. But with proper care and magic from the top doctors, the princess was restored to life.

Dr. Edward came around to check on her per his orders from the Hylian general. She was sitting up this time, though her eyes fluttered open and shut.

Hilda tried smiling when she saw the doctor, but it was more of a grimace.

"Doctor, would you please take me to -" she said before she was wracked with severe coughing.

Edward offered some water, but she refused. She struggled to say the following words.

"Take me to Yuri. There is something I wish for him to see."

The doctor was a silent man who only offered his shoulder for her to lean on.

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

"I thought your Triforce was destroyed ages ago."

Hilda coughed up specks of blood before speaking. "The full Triforce was," she corrected Yuri. "This is only a shard of that same artifact."

In her open hand was a small, golden shard. It looked much like an icicle, though golden. It didn't look at all spectacular.

Hilda gestured for him to inspect it, so he picked it up gingerly lest it blow up in his face.