I remember it clearly: that single week that had forever changed my mindset, and entire outlook on life.

From the moment that I opened my eyes as an infant, I knew: I don't belong here. Not in this world anyways. I was startled. I remembered it clearly: I had died. I had died in… I died because…why DID I die?

The harder that I tried to remember, the more the memory slipped away. The only thing I could focus on was the face looking down at me. It was a woman's face, and she was smiling. Looking at her and her smile made me forget about trying to cling onto the memory of my death. The only thing that mattered was that I was alive, and this woman was clearly happy just by seeing me.

"My son…" she whispered, shedding a single tear of joy. She herself was beautiful. Short brown hair going to her shoulders, caring sapphire eyes. Another face appeared right next to hers, a man's face. Brown/black untidy hair, emerald eyes that held both kindness and…an odd hunger. I had the feeling that I had seen him before, but I couldn't place my finger on it.

He gave a small chuckle. "He sure is a handsome one, isn't he, Elise?"

The woman nodded her head. "Just like his father." Another chuckle.

It was at this moment that I realized that I was wrapped in a blanket. I tried moving my arms, but they were pinned to my sides by the aforementioned blanket. It was a few seconds later that I realized something else: I was an infant.

I guess I should have been more shocked, however I was just too comfortable to care at the moment. I had even forgotten the fact that I had died.

The man started to speak again. "I think that we'll call him-" the women cut him off.

"Silver." She finished for him. "His name is Silver." He gave her a look of confusion.

"Silver?" He asked. "Why Silver?"

"Because I think that he is more precious than silver." She responded. "And his eyes."

The man looked at me straight in the eyes. It was almost unnerving. "Yea. He has silver eyes." Giving a shrug, he simply said, "Sure. I'm good with that."

Life presumed as normally. Well, as normally as I could. The three of us lived on Mercay Island as a happy family of three. The only difference, however, is that I never fit in with the other kids. I was always odd to them, with not only my rounded ears as opposed to their pointed ones, but with my "eccentric" personality, as my mother called it. One of the things I liked to do was tell stories. I would spend hours to even days coming up with stories. And when they were done, I would tell them to either my parents or the other kids. My parents usually liked them, but the other kids didn't share their sentiments.

Sometimes the other kids would just walk away, not really thinking my stories were interesting. That day was one of my worst days. I was 6 at the time, and I usually told my stories to the other kids when they played in the town square. They were there, playing regular kickball. In all honesty, I was too shy to actually play with them, settling for just telling them stories.

Sitting down on a patch of grass, I watched them for a few seconds before beginning. "Once upon a time, there was a young girl. This girl was loved by the entire island that she lived on. One day soon, however, pirates came to the island. They stole everything and kidnapped the girl." Some of them glance over to me, but continue playing. I continue speaking. "There was a friend of the girl who loved her very much, and he purposed in his heart to not rest until he had saved her." By this point some had stopped playing and sat down.

As I continued telling the story, more sat and listened to the story. I told of how he traversed the seas on a great boat, searching for the pirates and braving storms, hoping to find the girl he had loved.

"After a long and perilous journey, the boy finally discovered the Pirate Fortress." They were really entranced by this point with the story. Even an old man and a fairy stood some feet away, listening to the story. "Fighting his way through, he eventually came face to face with the Pirate King. He was a giant of a man, at 7'8 . He wore armor that was heavily protective, a helmet that looked like a horned demon, with a sinister smile that sent a chill up your spine, and a monster of a sword that was 6 feet long and 3 feet wide. Their battle shook the entire fortress, and even the Great Sea itself. After a long, hard battle, he defeated the Pirate King, and saved the girl he had loved so much. The end." There was some applause from the small crowd of 5 children and the old man. I was about to go home when a hand shot up. "I have a question." He asked.

Looking at him, I motions for him to ask away. "Who is the boy supposed to be in the story?" I froze when he asked that. Giving the crowd a look of nervousness, I cleared my throat.

"Well, the boy can really be anyone," I began. "However, when I first thought up this story, I planned for the boy to be…me."

It was silent except for the normal bustle of Mercay Town. After what seemed like hours (which was actually 7 seconds), one of the kids laughed. Another one joined him, soon all of the kids were laughing, standing up on their feet.

"YOU?!" One said. "You actually think YOU could be a hero?"

"You couldn't battle someone like the Pirate King! You don't even have the guts to play Kickball with us!" I flinch from that last comment. As they continued laughing, I turned around and walked away.

It's just a story. I thought to myself. It doesn't mean anything if they don't like it.

I kept thinking that line in my head, and I feel like I'm ok. Those kids were nothing. Back home, I received lots more criticism. When I felt down, I would walk the streets and enjoy the lights..

Home.

That was my trigger. I shouldn't have thought of home. The next minute, I felt tears on the brink of welling up.

Darn it, Silver! You are 22 years old! Don't cry because they made fun of you! Grow up!

No, you are a sensitive six year old who is crying because you miss your real home. Just let it out already.

The two voices clashed in my head, both saying that they were right. Struggling to hold back tears, I eventually reached my house. Opening the door, I saw the two of my parents were talking to each other.

"Elise, this map is legitimate!" It was my father who was speaking. He was holding up a piece of paper that looked relatively old. "If we found it, we would be rich!"

Mother sighed. "But we don't NEED anymore money. Wouldn't it be best if-" Mother turned her head to see me close the door. I wasn't turning around, simply facing the door.

"Hey, is something wrong, Sport?" Father asked. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran to my room, slamming the door and throwing myself on top of my bed. I was emotional. Sobs racked my body, my pillow was soaked with my tears. I just let it all out.

This went on for five minutes, and I had (somewhat) calmed down. I heard my bedroom door open and someone walk in. I felt a hand gently rubbing my back. A couple minutes of this, and a voice spoke. "Are you ready to talk?" It was my mother.

Slowly turning over and sitting up, I nodded my head, leaning on her while she continued to rub my back.

"I told the other kids the story about the boy who went to save the kidnapped girl." I replied with a shaky voice.

"Who was kidnapped by the Pirate King?" She asked.

I nodded. "At the end, one of the kids asked who he boy was supposed to be, and when I said he was based around me…they…" I close my eyes to prevent more tears from leaving my eyes. "I'm not a hero…I can't even play kickball with them."

She continued to rub my back as she started to hum a lullaby she would always hum or sing to me to either help me calm down or fall asleep.

Soon after, Father enters the room, leaning against the doorframe. "Hey Sport." He says. "What do we do when you're feeling down?"

"…we find our peace." I respond.

We walk out to the beach, all of us holding hands. It was sunset, and it was beautiful. Listening to the waves crash onto the shore, he sand trickling between my toes, and the sea breeze filling my lungs. Just being near the ocean gave me my peace.

"Remember," Father starts. "No matter what happens, we will always be together to help find our peace."

We all stand there for a while, basking in the glory of the ocean, until a fourth voice was carried across the wind.

"The ocean is a marvelous thing."

We turn around, and standing there is the same old guy who was listening to my story. His face was covered with grey hair, although he had caring eyes. He wore a green shirt with a light blue coat with a raindrop pattern near the bottom, but the most notable thing about him was the giant red staff he had with him that took the shape of a seashell. Floating next to him was a yellow fairy.

"Some say the Ocean is the source of life. The ocean…trillions of drops of water where many living things call their home, and which carries a mystery of what is beyond that horizon…" He becomes lost in thought, before regaining himself. "My apologies. Just the ramblings of an old man."

I shake my head. "No, that was pretty cool, Mr…?"

"Call me Oshus." He answers. He motions to the fairy besides him. "This fairy here is named-"

"Ciela." I finish, remembering her from the game I played in the Other World, Phantom Hourglass. No one seems to notice that I already knew her name.

She flutters close to me before speaking in an energetic voice. "Hi! I just wanted to say that was a cool story you told back there!"

Oshus nods in agreement. "Yes, it was quite entertaining." He turning around, he starts to head back to his home. "I'm afraid I must head home for now, but you're welcome to visit anytime."

After that day, I visited Oshus more frequently. Usually after I finished my daily studies that Mother provided me with. (Math, Literature, etcetera…) I started to see Father less and less often, since he either spent time down at the Milk Bar, in his room, or on his ship doing who-knows-what. I had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with treasure, but there wasn't any solid proof, and I had no desire to go find any. I was intent on keeping our family together, and snooping around wasn't going to help.

But I would soon find that in a year, I wouldn't be able to prevent an argument from happening. An argument that would lead to the ultimate changing of our lives.

The light shone through my window, hitting my eyes as they opened. Throwing a flap of the blanket over the side of the bed, I got up and got dressed in a regular blue shirt and pants.

Walking out to the living/dining room, I noticed my father was writing in a tiny book while constantly looking back on another piece of paper I couldn't see.

"Morning, Father." I say with a smile.

Not even glancing up from his papers, he waved his hand in my direction. "Yes, yes."

Sitting in a chair next to him, I looked over his shoulder to try and read what he was writing and the paper. "What are you writing?" I ask in a simple voice. He immediately slams the book shut, giving me a small glare.

"If I wanted you to know, I would tell you."

I was taken aback by his response, but Mother had walked into the room. Her eyes immediately fell onto the piece of paper I had inquired about. Letting out a sigh, she said, "How long are you going to be looking for treasure on that map?"

"Im leaving today." His answer was so blunt and emotionless, both Mother and I were shocked at what we heard.

"Wha…what?"

"Elise, I'm leaving to go find the treasure. I know for a fact that it is there, and it can make us rich as heck."

She folds her arms. "You mean t will make YOU rich as heck. I never wanted any part of this treasure business."

Father stood up, that hungry look in his eyes. "With this treasure we can leave this stinking hole of an island and get a good life on Windfall!"

"That's not what I want!" She shoots back. "For ONCE in your life, just be content with what you have!"

I watched as their argument escalated and pretty soon they were both screaming in each other's face. I couldn't take it anymore. "PLEASE! JUST STOP!" I yell at them.

"You know what, I'm leaving. Now." Scooping up his map and book, he storms out the door, slamming it shut.

Mother was too shocked and exhausted to do anything. I, however, raced to the door, swinging it open. I saw him headed to the docks, his ship floating in the harbor.

I rushed after him, trying to say anything to stop him. "Father, PLEASE reconsider! Think about what you are doing!" He doesn't pay attention to me, walking on. "You are going to throw away everything away for a stupid treasure!"

"Stop, Silver." He growls under his breath.

I grab onto his blue coat and hold on tight, my feet firm in the ground. "Please, just stay with Mother and I! I promise you can hear the best stories from me-!"

"I don't have time for anymore of you ridiculous and foolish STORIES!" At first it started out as a cam statement, but it eventually grew into a shout, and on that last word he rapidly spun spun around, a furious expression on his face. In one move, he went from spinning around to sending the back of his hand into my face.

The backhand sent me flying back, rolling across the cobblestone walkway. I was in shock from what happened, so it didn't register immediately that I should stand up. When I finally did, I stared at my father straight in the eyes. He was still in the pose he was in when he backhanded me, and his face still held anger, but his eyes were rapidly changing from anger to shock to shame and back to anger. I couldn't tell WHAT he was feeling.

"Fine." I speak softly, my eyes welling up. "I hope you find the great treasure that is great enough to throw away…throw away your family." I hesitated before I said that last part. I couldn't take it anymore. I ran so that he or any onlookers that had happened to see the scene couldn't see my tears. My head was down, so I didn't notice when I knocked into someone.

That someone turned out to be Oshus. I didn't knock him down, but I certainly made him drop his bag of bread and fruit he was carrying. Clutching his cloak, I buried my head in his shirt, hoping to drown out the sound of my sobs.

"Hey." I hear Ciela's voice. "It's ok. It's alright. Just let it out."

After a few minutes of crying, I was finally calm enough to walk back to my house with Oshus and Ciela.

For the following year, Oshus and Ciela were always there to help Mother and I. We were together so much, we had built up a strong enough bond for me to call him "Grandfather."

The pain my father left to us still had me scarred, but not on a large enough scale. At least not for me.

It was a completely different story for my mother.

She was never the same after he left. Her eyes never glowed with happiness like they used to. She tried to prove otherwise, but I could just tell that it was just a mask. A mask that covered a lot of pain, loss, and suffering. It was a terrible mask she couldn't take off. And it was taking its toll on her body and her mind.

And I paid the price...

"Mother, I'm home." I spoke, closing the door behind me. In my hand was a bag of bread, meats, and fruits.

Walking through the house to the kitchen, I didn't notice her presence. I assumed that she was taking a nap.

When I arrived in the kitchen however, I saw her in front of the stove, stirring something in a giant pot.

"I remembered how one of your favorite foods was ham and potato soup." She said, turning her head towards me, giving me a smile. I return the smile, placing the bag on the table.

"Would you like any help?" I ask her.

She shook her head. "Thank you, but no." Turning her head to the cupboard, she reached her hand out. "I'm almost done, I just need an onion now." I turn my attention back to the bag, starting to unpack. Mere seconds later, I hear a crash behind me. Whipping around, I saw my mother lying on the floor, not moving anymore.

Eyes widening, I rush to her side and try to wake her. "Mother, wake up! Wake up! PLEASE!" The last word comes out of my mouth in a desperate tone. Not wanting to leave her, but knowing that I needed help, I ran out of the house and down the road as fast as my legs could carry.

Eventually reaching Oshus's house, I burst through the door, startling Oshus, who was having a cup of tea. Surprised, he nearly drops it, but instead just spills a tiny amount.

"Silver!" He exclaimed. "What is-"

"It's Mother!" I blurt out, cutting him off. "She collapsed!"

Oshus had told me to run and get the doctor in town while he made his way to my house. Right now, the doctor was looking over Mother, who was in bed, while Oshus, Ciela and I were surrounding him.

I was holding onto Mother's hand, silently praying to God that she would be alright. I kept praying, Ciela floating right next to me. After what seemed like hours, the doctor finally turned to me.

"I don't know what's wrong with her."

I register the words, and my eyes fill with anger. "You don't- WHAT DO YOU MEAN you don't know what's wrong with her?!"

He flinched from my yell, but recomposed himself. "Physically, she is perfectly healthy. I don't know why, but we're losing her."

I wanted to yell at him, to punch him, to make him make Mother better. My hands wouldn't let me though. At first I thought I thought it was because my hand was locked or something, but after five seconds, I realized it wasn't moving because of a memory I had. My left hand subconsciously went up to my cheek as I remembered my skin scraping against the stone pathway.

Instead, I went to Mother's side, holding her hand. This woke her up, and she weakly moved her head towards me.

"Silver…" she spoke in a weak voice.

"Mother." My voice caught in my throat.

"…Words can't express how much I love you." She continued. "I apologize for leaving you. I don't have any excuse."

"No," I interrupted. "Why do you have to leave? Why now?" Tears were rolling down my cheeks.

She looked at me with regret. There was something else there mingled with the regret. It took me a few seconds, but I deciphered it as purpose. "Seventh step up." She spoke, with a weaker voice. "The piano…"

I look at her in the eyes, and open my mouth to ask her a question. "Can we sing? One last time?"

She weakly smiles, and we both begin to sing the lullaby she always sang for me.

"Open your eyes," she starts. "You're the chosen one."

"From the fields to the mountains," I pick up. "To the rising sun."

"We've been waiting for you...for one hundred years…" her voice kept getting weaker. "Can you try...to…"

I felt her arm go limp.

If my eyes hadn't welled up yet, they had now. "…Can you try to remember?" I finished. I buried my head in her side as I cried. Oshus and Ciela both stayed by my side, Oshus rubbing my back and Ciela whispering comforting words in my ear.

…

After Mother died, I wasn't the same. I lived with Oshus, but I didn't tell as much stories anymore. I just kept living life. A couple weeks after Mother died, something snapped in me. My only thought was one thing: revenge.

I blamed my father. If he hadn't left, maybe he would've known what to do. It was because he left that Mother died. When I heard that there wasn't anything physically wrong with her, I came to one conclusion.

She literally died of a broken heart.

I devoted my time to my studies and working to become a Sea Captain. I studied day and night, sending letters to the biggest trading company on the Great Sea, Zaitech Trading Company, hoping that they would give me a chance.

I always had time for Oshus and Ciela however.

I made a vow to never make my work more important than family. I wouldn't make the same mistake as my father.

We had tea together several afternoons of the week, the occasional game of chess, and when I was lucky, Oshus would teach me Swordplay. I had asked him with the reason, "I might need to defend myself someday."

Soon enough, all my hard work paid off. Seven years after my mother's death, I got a letter back from Mr. Zunari, the president of Zaitech Trading Company.

I practically ran into the house, waving the letter above my head. "I got it! I got it!"

Oshus looked up from his tea, and Ciela quickly fluttered to my side. "What's it say?!" She asked, her voice laced with enthusiasm.

I read it on the way over, so I unfolded the letter for a second time, reading with an excited quickness.

"Dear Mr. Silver Legends, After countless checks of your background, skills, and age, we have agreed that, despite your youth considering the position, we have decided to give you a chance to prove yourself to us in person, so we can see firsthand if you have the practical skills to become a Sea Captain in my company. Come to my headquarters on Windfall Island in two weeks time so that we may discuss your position. Sincerely, Jonathan Zunari. CEO of Zaitech Trading Company."

…

The next day, I was packed and ready to go, the ferry to Windfall Island leaving in a few minutes. Oshus and Ciela had come to see me off.

"I hope you come to visit us often!" Ciela says to me. I chuckle.

"I promise, Ciela." I look towards Oshus, and he had an approved look on his face.

"I have nothing left to teach you. I hope that you find what you're looking for in life." He extends his arms, beckoning for a hug. We embrace for a few seconds before stopping. "One last thing," he tells me, a serious look in his eyes. "Forgive me, but you remember your mother's last words, do you not?"

After a few seconds, I solemnly nod my head. I told Oshus what she said to me soon after she died. I had never checked to see if she meant what I think she meant.

"I think that now is a good time as any to see what she meant, don't you?" He had a twinkle in his eyes.

Before I could respond, I heard a horn blow from the ship. "Ferry to Windfall leaves in ten minutes!" Someone aboard yelled.

Taking about ten seconds to think about it, I dropped my bags and sprinted off the docks into town. The other houses blurred past as I came to a stop at the house I abandoned seven years ago. With a slight hesitancy, I turned the doorknob, entering through the doorframe.

The musty smell of dust and neglect filled my nostrils. No one had wanted to purchase the house for seven whole years. Technically, it was my house by inheritance, but I never wanted it.

"Seventh step up." I repeated from the last words of Mother. I approached the stairs leading to the second floor. I went up six steps staring down at step number seven.

I reached down and felt around the step, to eventually feel something like a switch under the wedge of the stair sticking out. I pushed it, which caused stair number eight to flip up, revealing a secret compartment.

Peering inside, I pulled out a sheet of parchment that had a series of letters on it.

"D, EFLAT, F, C, BFLAT, C, C, D, BFLAT, G, G, A, BFLAT, C, D, C, A, F, G, A, G, F, G." There were also some odd inscriptions I didn't recognize beneath each letter. Had I forgotten Mother's last words, the letters meaning would be lost upon me. But I didn't forget.

"The piano." I go back down the stairs to the living room parlor, where an old black piano sat in the corner. "They're piano notes."

Putting the paper on the music stand, I started attempting to play the notes. When I started playing, I realized that it was the same tune as the Lullaby Mother sang for me.

The notes were the simple melody. I quietly sang along. "Open your eyes, you're the chosen one. Though reclaimed by nature, this is your kingdom. We've been waiting for you for one hundred years. Can you try to remember?"

When the last note was hit, the piano suddenly lit up with light blue lines, startling me back a few feet. The lights died down, and a single compartment opened on the side.

Inside, resting in velvet, was a peculiar looking coin.

It was gold, about the size of my palm, with some of the same lines that appeared on the piano. The most intriguing thing about it was what took up most of the coin's surface: an odd-looking eye with three spikes floating just above it, with it crying a single large tear.

Curious, I reached out to pick up the coin. The minute my skin made contact however, a multitude of images flooded into my mind like a tidal wave.

A city in flames, giant spider like beings that ran amok, causing destruction at every turn, a gargantuan salamander like creature climbing a giant volcano, a young black haired girl in a red and black outfit, and most terrifying of all, a large black shadow enshrouding a large castle.

I let out a small scream, pulling my hand back and falling to the floor. Those images came in the timespan of 3 seconds. Getting back up, I carefully put my finger on the coin again, but nothing happened. I picked it up, still nothing.

I heard a horn in the distance, reminding me the ferry was leaving. Shoving the coin in my trench coat pocket, I ran out, slamming the door behind me. The only trace that someone had been there being the opened compartment in the piano.

...

Relatively short, but it gives most of Silver's backstory. I'm sorry this chapter took so long.

It meant to come out sooner, but the last two weeks I needed to crack down on my History class, and I thankfully passed my final exam and essay with a final grade of 70%. And right after I finished I got breath of the wild and a switch. And…yea. You can figure the rest.

Speaking of which, I'm doing a let's play on my YouTube channel of Breath of the Wild! Yes the first couple episodes are a bit cruddy (in my opinion), but I'm learning. If you want to check it out, my channel is called GamerInspector4700.

Shameless Self advertising.

Now, review replies!

Water Solace: Thanks! It was fun to write Silver's personality out, and I'm glad you think it has the feeling of "real." I like to think out my characters while I'm at work and have literally nothing to do. Silver is kind of a representation of myself, but he ISNT myself. (Does that make sense?) and this chapter should reveal what gender he is, but I forgot about that in the last chapter! Thanks, and good eye! By the time this is up, I will have probably taken the authors note down, and that one sentence that was wrong? That's the result of typing it on my phone and messing up (I'm not blaming the spell check… yet.)

Anyways, thanks for reading and I will see you all Next time!