For every key, there was a locked door.
Quieter than a Garo Ninja, Link tracked through the cave of the mountain springs. For every solution, there was a problem. Following residual puddles, he combed the trail of Saria's captor. For every spark, there was a fire. Odds were, wherever this Zora was headed, he still had the key. For every light, there was a darkness. The trail of puddles led him not toward the spring, but oddly enough, past it. For every hero, there was a villain. Stalking the trail further, the boy found it lead into a smaller enclave, therein resided the guard, and in his hand, the cell key. For every good, there was an evil. The Zora set the tool on a nearby rock, stretched his arms, and took a sip from a bottle of rum. For every prisoner, there was a captor. Silently, Link drew the Kokiri Sword from its sheath, and prepared to strike. For every victim, there was an assassin. Swiftly, Link drove the blade through the Zora's body, and without so much as a whimper, he fell limp to the damp floor. For every life, there was a death.
"Oh... where is he?"
"He'll back any minute now, there's definitely a key lying around somewhere."
"I hate this! I hate sitting alone, waiting to be rescued! I want to be out there, helping him!"
"Shush, Saria! Someone might hear!"
"Sorry, sorry... I'm just tired of being detained, stuck in a box."
"You always were a free spirit. My free spirit."
"Marieeeee..."
Rolling her eyes at her guardian fairy, Saria sighed and felt over the clammy floor. Link had been gone for quite some time, in his usual fashion, without a word. Something was off in her friend when he crept away. He had a fire in his eyes, a fire she had seen before few times. 'That boy had better not do anything rash.' When footsteps echoed down the hallway, Saria wasn't sure whether to get her hopes up. The wanderer could be Link, but it could also be another Zora guard, sure to take her someplace much worse. Rounding the corner, Link showed his face, and Saria relaxed a bit. With him, however, her friend carried a very grim look. Link wasn't one to go around wearing a smile, but something was undeniably abnormal about his expression.
"You're back! Did you find a key?"
With a fake smirk, Link produced the small trinket from his pocket.
"Great job Link, great job! You really are a sneaky little angel, aren't you?"
Such a title hardly felt befitting for him. An angel? No, he felt quite the opposite of that. Carefully, he placed the key into its hole, and twisted it to manipulate the mechanism. The barred door swang open, and Saria jumped out to hug him.
"Oh, thank you Link! You don't know how much I hate being trapped!"
Unable to bring himself to return the hug, Link stood still and sighed. Saria noticed the boy's somber mood once again, and withdrew her embrace.
"Is something wrong Link?"
No, nothing was wrong. He had slaughtered people before. Bloodshed seemed to follow him everywhere he went. It was a part of him now, it was who he was. Yet, he didn't want to be who he was, he didn't want to be a ruthless warrior. But if he took that away from himself, what even remained? A scared little boy who couldn't fend for himself, who took beatings from bullies and cried himself to sleep. That wasn't someone he wanted to be either. Why was Saria even his friend anyway? If she knew of all the things he had done, would she like him anymore? Would she still like him if he told her of the awful things he had witnessed in the twisted land of Termina? Link fought back tears as he turned the other way.
"Link? Come on, what is it?"
"Maybe you should just let it go for a bit. He'll probably feel more up to talking later."
He didn't want to put anything off, Saria deserved to know how horrible a person he was. He was going to show her the Zora he had murdered in cold blood.
"This way."
"Uh, okay."
Resuming a tactical stance, Link started back towards the hall, but when he rounded the corner, he wound up against an unhappy Zora.
"Hey! What are you doing here?"
Saria too rounded the corner into the Zora's vision, which seemed to make him even more furious.
"Oi! I thought we locked you up! Did you help her break out?"
This didn't look good. Calling down the halls, the one guard summoned many more. Saria's hand darted to the hilt of her sword, but Link gave a motion and she put it back to her side. Fighting this many people would be futile for two children. Several Zora hoisted them into the air, and carried them off through the cavern.
"Take them to the Baron! He'll know what to do with these scamps!"
Unnoticed by the horde, Mari kept close to the children, but distant enough to prevent herself from being seen.
Link and Saria were thrown to their knees in the midst of a large room with a thin layer of water running across the floor. An elaborately decorated rotund creature sat at what might be called a throne, but was really just a ledge of stone.
"Baron Zora, these two have escaped from detention in our cells. What shall be their punishment?"
With a deep voice that boomed like a tuba, the leader spoke slowly.
"Hmmm, they are outsiders, are they not?"
"Yes sire."
"Then they will get off with a warning. You shall let them go free, but should they return, they are to be beheaded."
"Beheaded?!"
"Quiet girl, you're not allowed to speak in the presence of the Baron!"
A Zora offered Saria a backhanded slap to the cheek, Link was starting to remember why he had stabbed that guard in the first place. They needed to get into the spring and find the third piece of the fairy harp. If they were issued a death warrant simply by trespassing again, it would be rather difficult to sneak into the teeming waters. No wonder Martha was so skittish about the place. They needed something to change, and they needed it to change quick. Link eyed over the room for anything that might help, absolutely anything. The walls were adorned with banners of the Zora crest, small falls cascaded into the room as the puddle of a floor flowed outward. Wait just a moment, was he standing on what he thought he was standing on? He shuffled to the side a few inches, and found that he and Saria sat atop three golden triangles etched into the floor. The triforce! Then the Zora Baron must swear fealty to the throne of Hyrule, either directly, or under King Zora De Bon XVI. He knew exactly what he needed to do. Link attempted to remove the ocarina of time from his pocket, but a guard grabbed him by the wrist and began to haul him towards the exit. It was now or never. Using his left hand, Link managed to pull the flute to his mouth. Before they could lead him and Saria out of the room, he played Zelda's Lullaby.
"Wait!"
"Yes sire?"
"Bring those two back over here. I'd like to talk to them."
