Legend of FIVE: Shadow in the Lake

More Lost Than Ever

Art Credit: Horidy

"You don't see anything?"

"No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"...I don't know."

"You never see anything anymore, Sheila. Your powers should help us."

Sheila's eyes welled up with tears. They kept her from getting a clear view of Hyrule's evergreen countryside. Its mountains were dark red smudges. Traces of the Zora River started to dry up under the day's blazing sun. However, the sun started hiding behind a curtain of gray clouds. Its glow dimmed and a cold wind accompanied the field's empty feeling.

The Zora fleets rushed to Lake Hylia. The soldiers on the gliders were hoping to assist the sentries in containing Jabu-Jabu. Attacking the creature on two fronts was the only hope the Zoras had when it came to ensuring it would stay in control.

When the ships arrived, Jerome and Sheila jumped off their rafts. The soldiers that were with them gave chase, trying to keep them from the lakeside. Many sentries stood on the shore, tending to their wounds. It gave the children an uneasy feeling. There wasn't a sign of Jabu-Jabu, let alone that of him being captured. To the children's despair, it looked like the sentries had failed.

After a brief search, the children found Link amongst the sentries. He wasn't hurt, but seemed rattled by the battle. He took off his cap and sat down hunched over with his head bowed. Navi with him, tending to his needs. While the children were relieved to see Link and Navi unharmed, a new fear came over them; Trevor was nowhere in sight.

"Oh no," Jerome murmured. He ran to Link first, kneeling in front of him so he could see the forest boy face-to-face.

Link looked at Jerome and had a grieved look on his face. What was he supposed to tell Jerome and Sheila. He looked away from them, bringing more worry to his friends' hearts.

"Where's Trevor?" Jerome asked.

There was nothing Link could do to avoid the truth. He looked Jerome in the eyes as he spoke.

"He's missing," he said. "I'm sorry. He got lost in the battle. I don't know what happened."

"What...?" Jerome didn't seem to know what else to say.

"He's out of sight." Navi looked out at the lake, as if she were still searching for Trevor. "Nobody can find him. They don't know what happened. They think he might...he could be...stupid kid."

Jerome stood up and held his hands on the top of his head. "No...no, no, no man..."

He turned and had an angry look in his eyes. Jerome walked in Sheila's direction and stopped inches away from her, bearing down on the girl.

"Find him," he said.

Sheila's red gaze narrowed. "...What?"

"Look for him. With your visions."

"It...it doesn't work like that," Sheila stammered.

"Why won't it?"

"I don't know! I never know, it's something I just have! If I knew how it really worked, there's so much I would do! Why does everyone ask me to be magic whenever?"

Jerome thrashed as he stepped back from Sheila, gritting his teeth. His tears intensified, drowning his cheeks.

"You just don't know how to do anything right," said Jerome. "Do you? If you did, maybe Rebecca would be here! Maybe we'd actually get the Triforce and just be done with all this mess!"

Sheila's lips trembled. Navi noticed and brought her aura between the two children.

"Jerome," said Navi. "Let's stay calm—"

"It's not fair that you're sitting on your butt with nothing to do!" Jerome pointed past the fairy at Sheila. "I can't find a way to fight with fire, but I try to help! I'm here, aren't I? Helping! Trevor was too! So's Link! And what do you got? A dumb old slingshot? You don't even use it! What else do you got, huh?"

Sheila wiped away her tears and turned her back on Jerome. Her shoulders were hunched with shame. Both hands balled up into fists and Sheila walked away.

"You're not my friend anymore," she said just loud enough for the others to hear. "I—I don't want to talk to you ever again if I can help it."

And Sheila was gone. Link felt for her as the girl walked away. He didn't know what to say to Jerome, who seemed to realize he just made a big mistake. His anger was gone and a part of him shrank.

"What was that for?" Navi asked, unafraid to confront Jerome.

"All my friends are disappearing," said Jerome. "They're getting away from me. No one does anything to stop it, though."

"That's not Sheila's fault." Navi looked in Sheila's direction. She was sitting back in the raft she and Jerome came in on. "I don't know where Sheila's visions went, but I have a feeling it has nothing to do with what her heart wants. It hurts every day she can't find Rebecca. She didn't blame you for that."

Navi closed in on Jerome's face. Her light was blinding. Link allowed the conversation to happen, watching while his weary body continued to recover.

"When Trevor looked for you," said Navi. "He knew that you had to be found. It was one of his hopes. He pointed a lot of fingers like you are, but you know what? He went out of his way to find you himself. Trevor always had faith you'd be fine. He kept trying to find his best friend, putting it on himself to do that. What you said was so unlike you. It was so unkind. Trevor always said you were one of the coolest kids he met. He actually said you were pretty nice. I can't believe he might have been wrong."

With that, Navi flew away. She sat by Sheila's side, comforting her. Jerome stood quietly and bowed his head before walking off, needing to think. Link looked out into the lake and let out a deep sigh. He didn't know what else to do. The last spiritual stone was in his sights. Going home was his main goal as well. Saving Hyrule had to happen—he naturally felt a need to protect it. As time passed, the mission seemed so hard. Link waited for more news on Jabu-Jabu to arrive so that the mission could finally continue as it needed to.