Even before they came to Hyrule, Trevor's friends had their gifts.

Jerome Bailey was more than his best friend.

He was a rescuer, a loyal companion who saved Trevor from bullies on the first day he moved to Oak Shire.

No one wanted to mess with a tall kid who could look you in the eye while telling you to someone else alone.

There was always a fire to him.

Sheila was quiet, but kind. Her heart was so big that even the meanest people liked her.

It was like she always knew other people without having met them.

Even if someone had secrets in the shadows, Sheila would find them without even trying.

Rebecca didn't always get along with Trevor. She would tease far too often.

She'd snatch his possessions, just because. After doing the act, she'd run around and taunt Trevor, daring him to come after her.

The girl always wore a big grin on her face while in the act. It always made Trevor mad.

There was too much of a spirit about her.

Trevor never really saw himself as anyone but Trevor Berenson. He was the only kid in his family, the first and last born of two parents.

His mother grew up in Oak Shire. His father came to Illinois from Cleveland.

He had a family history that went back many generations. That's what his mother told him, though her eyes seemed to wander off when she said it. It was like she never knew either.

Maybe everything was a mystery for the Berenson family. No one knew where they really came from. They just knew that they were here now.

When his abilities awakened, Trevor sensed everything.

He felt the streams outside the city. He felt the lake at a nearby beach where people frequently visited during the summer. The ocean could have been beside Trevor for all he knew. Its waves roared on his skin despite being many miles away.

When Trevor looked around in a panic, he saw nothing but dry land. The sensations overwhelmed him. In the shadows of his house, he wept from the secret.

Secrets were supposed to be treasures, after all. Trevor understood them as words you wrote on a piece of paper before throwing it away. They were words you whispered in your best friend's ear. No one else knew the truth of a secret. It belonged to one person and one person alone, if the holder chose it to be so.

People locked secrets away before pitching the key.

People dug holes in the ground and buried secrets in the darkness of fresh soil. Nature, after all, made a good cover.

Secrets were the shadows that followed someone but they always stayed quiet.

Trevor liked secrets, so he made his powers into just that—an unknown truth.

As time passed, the sensations from the world's water that crawled on his skin like locusts faded away. They stopped haunting his senses. Trevor learned to enjoy trips to the town square, the pool, and the beach. Everything felt normal and no one ever knew what Trevor was really like.

The secret remained Trevor's and Trevor's alone. It was more than a secret—it was his hidden treasure, his unseen burial, the shadow he never saw.

No one else knew. No one else knew until...

Now—Zora's Domain

The leader of the Zora soldiers looked like a stern kind of aquatic man. Link knew it didn't give him the right to stay silent.

With a slight step forward, he looked at the general in his dark blue glare and spoke up.

"Hi sir," he said. "We're here on a quest from Princess Zelda."

The leader of the soldiers glanced down at Link. His strict stance softened and he already seemed to be in deep thought about the answer Link gave him.

He looked over at the tunnel the children emerged from before returning his gaze to the boy.

"Did you play the royal family's song?" asked the leader. "Just a moment ago? It sounded like it came from a wind instrument." Link dug back into his satchel and pulled out his ocarina to support what he said. "Ah. An ocarina. Isn't it a common instrument for forest children like yourself?"

"I'd like to think so," Link replied, realizing he had never known despite living in the forest his whole life.

"You're undoubtedly one of the Kokiri," the leader observed. He nodded a greeting at Navi, who curtseyed with caution, careful to show her respect. "I can't say I'm terribly familiar with the rest of your group, though. They share similarities to different tribes and peoples...but they're so unlike everyone else. All of you were sent on a quest from Zelda? Please, be honest my boy."

Link looked at the others while putting his ocarina away. They looked weary, much like himself.

Jerome and Sheila were calmer than Trevor. Trevor had revealed so much to the group in the past twenty-four hours.

He probably didn't know what to say about himself. Link wasn't sure what to think of him, though he knew a lot about being different from the rest of the world.

"I was sent alone on the quest," said Link. "But I already met him—" he pointed at the pale-faced Trevor. "—And he's the reason why Zelda sent me. The others—" Link acknowledged Sheila and Jerome as if they were one. "—They were helpful too. One of them helped us find out what we had to do next. The other one's the reason why we're still alive. We defeated the Dodongos on Death Mountain and received this."

Link revealed the Goron Ruby. It rested in his satchel, a gift from Darunia of the Gorons.

When the leader saw the ruby, he pulled his head back as if he'd witnessed a miracle.

"Why would the Gorons give you their ruby?" he said. "This is not just a treasure. It's critical to all of Hyrule's safety."

"The princess needs it," said Link. "To protect the Triforce."

Link explained the rest of the situation. He was surprised at how easy it was to remember the tale of the Triforce and its abilities.

The story would have been a mere legend to Link if it weren't for his recent experiences. When he was done, the leader looked back at his soldiers.

The soldiers stood still, which seemed to come across as a form of approval from them. With silence, the leader looked back at Link and placed a hand on Link's head.

"I believe you," he said. "You have a trustworthy air about you. All of you. I presume you want to obtain the Zora Sapphire?"

"That's right," Navi chimed in. "We promise to take care of it. Once we're ready, we'd return it to you. Surely you can trust the King of Hyrule's daughter."

"It's so far-fetched," said the leader. "Under any other circumstances, we'd politely turn you away. However, I believe the young girl's suspicions are well-placed. It's saddening that King Arkanian doesn't feel the same way. You have our full support. My name is Commander Claudius, leader of the Zora Army." Claudius turned to his soldiers once again. "Attention!"

"Attention given!" the soldiers said in unison.

The voices were diverse, but moved as one. No one stood out above the other.

They seemed to go out of their way to do everything simultaneously. Link thought it was all so astonishing.

"We're going to escort our guests to the royal chambers," Claudius said. "They are to be protected while staying here at the Domain! They are our responsibility! If anything happens to them, their fate is in our hands and in our conscience. Is this understood?"

"Understood, sire!"

With that, the soldiers turned to face the inclined path. Claudius gestured towards the group of children and made sure they walked ahead of him.

"They're a good group of fellows," he said with a proud smile. "Not rebellious, single minded, loyal. And trained by me. They define discipline. You look like you have the potential, at least, given your recent exploits."

"Thank you," Link said.

"Absolutely. Come along, we mustn't waste time...I wonder if the timing is unfortunate or fortuitous."

The group walked ahead, following the soldiers up two flights of steps. At the top of the second flight, a pair of guards stopped the unit by crossing their silver spears over one another.

Claudius walked through the middle of the group, who split themselves down the middle to create a perfect walking path for their Commander.

The soldiers saluted Claudius, who briefly explained the business of the children. After he was done, the guards allowed Claudius in and the children waited.

Minutes later, Claudius came out of the room at the top of the steps.

"King Zora has granted you an audience," he said. "Hurry along, the matters surrounding us are quite pressing. He's convinced, however, that you'll play a role in our problem."

"Problem...?" Jerome looked back at Sheila with a raised eyebrow. "Sheila, can you see the problem? In your head?"

Sheila frowned. "No," she said. "Don't you remember? It doesn't' work like that."

"I wasn't trying to say it does," said Jerome. "But it's been a while since you predicted anything."

"But I don't predict. I just...I see it, OK?"

"What does that even mean?" Jerome asked, but he didn't seem to expect an answer. He was already moving ahead.

The children climbed the flight of stairs and made their way into a room filled with more soldiers. A few paces ahead was a platform with a small set of steps that could be used to climb to the top of it.

Water filled a gap carved into the ground beyond it. The water flowed down from a small ledge with a grate wall behind it.

Seated on the ledge was a gargantuan figure that had to have been none other than King Zora.

King Zora was a larger version of the people he ruled. He had a round, stout head and a pair of keen red eyes. He had a crimson robe draped around his keg-like figure and donned a golden crown.

What seemed to stand out to Link the most was the way the King's eyes wilted, as if the children's mere presence tired him. Perhaps, Link thought, he was already like this before.

Claudius approached the platform, stopping short at the bottom of the steps. He bowed and gestured back towards the children.

"Your majesty," he said. "Here are the messengers in question. They are ready whenever you are."

King Zora nodded slightly before continuing to stare straight ahead. He truly looked as if he didn't want to be here.

Link looked around at his friends, wondering what to do. When none of them moved forward, he already knew it was up to him to stand up on the platform and speak with the Zora monarch.

He walked to the top of the platform and bowed to King Zora.

"Good day your majesty," Link said.

"Good day." King Zora had a proper voice, one full of pride and dignity. It was mixed with an ache as well—Link understood the feeling more than anyone. "You are the one from the forest, yes?"

"I am," Link answered.

"And you are here on a journey from Princess Zelda?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"How well does she fare?"

"Very well."

"Good...good. I...know Hyrule Castle is too preoccupied because they won't..." King Zora closed his eyes and shook his head. The soldiers seemed to show concern but the monarch raised his small arms to tell them to stand by.

"No," he said. "No, no, no, I am in good health. And I pray the same for my daughter. And Lord Jabu-Jabu. May they both be in good hands."

Link and Navi looked at each other. Lord Jabu-Jabu? The King's daughter? Link's fairy was as curious as he was. For the first time in a while, Navi didn't have an answer to the questions in her charge's mind.

"Sir," Navi asked. "I...don't mean to go out of my way to ask. If it's none of our concern, we won't persist...but what's wrong with your daughter and Lord Jabu-Jabu? Is there anything we can do to help you?"

"We were hoping for as much." King Zora bowed his head. "For the past two days, we have had a dilemma. You see, my daughter Ruto is the heiress to our people's throne. It comes with responsibilities and one of them involves the occasional feeding of our guardian, Jabu-Jabu. He is usually in the Zora's fountain behind me, resting in his pool of water as he always had for centuries. Ruto went to feed him per tradition...and...I suppose she was too independent."

"Why is that?" Navi asked.

"Well, Jabu-Jabu swallowed her."

The children gasped. King Zora was mourning a loss, or so it seemed. Link was curious about why King Zora seemed to speak as if his daughter were still alive.

"We would have sent someone to go in and retrieve her—the belly of such a beast is vast, you could get lost in there honestly—and we would have found Ruto as soon as possible...but Jabu-Jabu isn't even in the fountain any longer. He's disappeared, without a trace. A strange sight indeed. He overpowered Ruto's guards before breaking through the fencing that held him in. We think he's somewhere in the depths of the desert valley, hiding in the water...he's gone rabid. But we haven't a clue where he is."

The story gnawed at Link. Something about all this was far too familiar, though he couldn't place his hand on what it was, exactly...

"And from what I understand," King Zora continued. "You have a boon you would like us to grant? The Zora Sapphire, yes?" Link nodded and the monarch's red eyes narrowed. "Hmm...I know you are already proven to be trustworthy...but it is interesting that another seeks our spiritual stone. You're not the first one to request it."

"Who's the second?" Link asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Ganondorf, King of the Gerudos."

A pit settled in Link's core. The thief's influence spread across all of Hyrule once more, disrupting the most peaceful places. Link noticed how King Zora's court fell into silence, as if silence could swallow the world's sounds whole.

He kept from trembling at the mention of Ganondorf's name.

"It's just..." King Zora sighed. "Very troubling to fulfill such a request when my daughter is missing. I'm trying to recall where the Spiritual Stone is, but we shan't let things out so casually. Not now, at least. My family must take priority before we consider your asking."

"Understandable," Navi said.

"Claudius has vouched for you," said King Zora. "And I see your honesty myself. If you rescue Princess Ruto, we can discuss handing you the Sapphire for the sake of Hyrule's well being. Please accept this quest; help us find Lord Jabu-Jabu so I can rescue my daughter from his clutches."

"Yes, your majesty," Link said. "We'll do everything we can. We promise to save her."

"Thank you." King Zora bowed his head and closed his eyes, allowing himself to smile. "Thank you...I am most grateful, young heroes."

"How can we help with finding the Princess?" Navi asked.

Claudius stepped forward.

"While we commence with our search for Jabu-Jabu and Ruto," he said "We feel it's best to help familiarize you with our way of combat. Jabu-Jabu's rabid state has to be counteracted with non-lethal, yet firm force. This will require precise skill from everyone involved in the effort. You have to know how to stave off any unpredictable strikes. You'll be training in our armory to prepare. Come this way."

Claudius walked toward the court room's entrance. The children followed, though every step did feel a bit uncertain. Link didn't blame them.

Danger was sure to meet them again in the future. It was a future where they hoped to rescue Rebecca, save another princess' life and finally obtain the last key to Hyrule's salvation.

The mission's burden grew heavy on Link, but his sense of duty was greater than any weariness he could feel.

Link forged ahead, following Claudius' lead to the end.