The Legend of Zelda: The Hero Reborn (Modern Adventure AU)

Into the Forest

And after years of searching, we have finally found him. The one who will slay Ganondorf Dragmire once and for all: Link Aldamear, the Hero Reborn!

The crowd of soldiers roared, and Link winced at the title the Hylian Resistance General had given him. It had only been around an hour or two since he was told that he bore the spirit of the Hero. Still, he hated that they called him a hero even though he had done nothing to earn that title. As the thousands of soldiers that stood in the airfield fired their weapons into the air in celebration, Link felt even more pressure bestowed upon himself. He now understood that all eyes would be on him to complete a task that he could not even fathom.

Link took a deep breath and sighed. As he stared at his shoes, he felt Zelda's gaze from his side. The soldiers continued to cheer, and the thought of Link's father resurfaced in his head. The vest and the M4 assault rifle that Impa had given him reminded him so much of his father. When he first put it on, Link looked in the mirror, and as he did, he noticed the resemblance he now had to his father. The vest was nearly identical to that of the one his father wore on the day of judgment; it was a dark green and had the Hylian flag on the square middle of his chest. In fact, the rifle Impa had given him was almost the same as his father's old M4. When Impa had asked him if he knew how to use such a weapon, Link snapped at her. He raised his voice a tone too high when he told her how he grew up using such weapons, and that he knew very well how to use them. As he thought of the tone he used, he began to feel bad, especially for the way he had been speaking to Zelda. He knew both of them were only trying to help him, but he still didn't want to forgive them for kidnapping him, even though it was for a very important cause.

"Link?"

"Link?"

Link immediately snapped out of the trance he was in, and his eyes met Zelda's.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah... just... worried about my family... that's all." He responded.

The thoughts of her own family now resurfaced in Zelda's mind, but she quickly hid the emotions trying to take over.

"Once you retrieve the blade, you will get to see them again, okay? I promise."

"Yeah. Okay." Link replied as he looked over the sea of soldiers. They now seemed to be dispersing into platoons, and Link knew that it was almost time.

With that, Impa turned away from the General that was at her side and began walking towards Link and Zelda who stood behind her.

"It's time."

Upon Impa's stride past them, Zelda followed, and Link knew that was his cue to follow as well. They headed back inside the hangar behind them and walked through the military base. As they walked through, Impa would whisper something to those wearing the strange black and white uniform with the eye on the front of it, which he now recognized as those of the Sheikah clan.

After they had left the observatory, Impa informed Link of the Sheikah clan, and he now understood that those wearing that strange uniform were those who were not only special forces but those capable of using ancient magic. To Link's surprise, Zelda was also one of those people, and it now made sense that her eyes would change color when she wore the Sheikan uniform.

As they walked into the loading docks, Link recognized the armored cars he had seen at his father's military base when he was younger. A strange sense of nostalgia overwhelmed him as he looked at them from Zelda's side. As both he and Zelda walked in behind Impa, he instantly felt the eyes of the soldiers cast upon him, and he hated the attention he was getting.

"First Squadron, you all ready?" Impa yelled as the three walked toward the vehicles.

Link turned to notice the group of around twelve soldiers, who wore a mix of the Hylian and Sheikan uniform. They all had the same vest Link was wearing, but a Sheikan eye was clear in the middle where the Hylian flag was on his own. Another difference was that they were all a solid black, and each soldier had their face covered as Zelda did.