Author's Note: Woohoo, here we go again. I meant to get these chapters up about once a week, but it seems to be happening every two weeks. I apologize. Life leaves me tired. Anyhoo, this scene was one of the ones that popped into my head when I got the idea, and part of the reason I did it. It just amused me. There's also a weird philosophical tangent that I didn't expect to pop up this early, but it works.

Thanks to all those who've reviewed so far, and who've been keeping up with me. The fanfic muse feeds on reviews so... please feed the muse.

As always, I don't own Legend of Zelda or any characters therein. And I'm just as broke as I was last time, so there's really no point in suing.

Link looked around as the lights came on in what Gannondorf called 'the Antiquities Wing'. It was almost a warehouse, it was so big, with glass cases standing everywhere. Some of it was just mildly interesting. Old armor and weapons, general museum type stuff. What he really paid attention to was the Hyrule Collection.

There was a lot of stuff he recognized, but hadn't seen in a long, long time. There was a Stone of Truth, looking mysterious as always. A fragment of a stone wall with a Triforce engraved on it, and if he wasn't mistaken, it had come from the Water Temple. One of the dancing scarecrows, he forgot their names, was leaning in a corner. It was dormant now, and probably had been for a long time. A replica of one of the Fairy Fountains, or maybe the pillars and pool had actually been moved here.

Link blinked at a large round, yellowish boulder. "Is that a Goron?"

Gannondorf nodded. "It is. One of the few who didn't retreat to the core of the earth when their mountain changed."

"Is it still alive?"

The red-haired man shrugged. "So far as I know. They can live practically forever. They can also sleep practically forever."

"Yeah..." Link thought about trying to wake the creature, but he thought he sort of remembered what their greetings were like, and after the dodongo a week ago, his ribs were still sore. Speaking of dodongos... he examined a skull on display. "Wow, this was a big sucker. I was chasing one around last week, but it wasn't nearly this big. And I'm sure the Metro Transit Authority is glad about that."

Gannondorf raised an eyebrow as he turned on another set of lights. "I thought dodongos, if not extinct, preferred volcanic areas. Or at least, caves deep underground."

"Yeah, well, apparently the north branch subway tunnel will do in a pinch." Link had moved along, staring up at a wall where about twenty or so masks were displayed. "Oh, I remember those." There was a faint quirk of a smile. "What I had to do to get them..."

"Well, I know what I had to do to find them. That ridiculous little salesman assures me that I have all but five." Gannondorf indicated five open spots.

Link grinned. "The salesman, he was what, unreasonably creepy, given to bizarre mood swings, knew entirely too much?"

"You've met him, then."

"A long time ago."

"I see." Gannondorf leaned against the wall, studying the mask collection. "At any rate, he told me three masks are beyond my reach, I of all people shouldn't have anything to do with the fourth, and he's not even sure the fifth exists."

"If he meant what I think he meant, then yeah, that's about right," Link said, nodding. Then he frowned. "You said assures. Like, present tense. The Happy Mask Salesman is still alive too?"

Gannondorf snorted. "For all I know, it's the family business. He showed a good deal of knowledge of Hyrule, but at the same time, he didn't seem to know who I was." He considered for a moment, then added, "Of course, given the way he is, I don't think I'd be at all surprised if he was the original one, still alive after all this time."

"No, I don't think I would be either." There was another wall, this one covered with tattered maps covered with glass. "I see you've got a lot of Tingle's maps. That's someone else it wouldn't surprise me if he's still alive. He was always a weird little... thing."

"Unfortunately, the maps were all found randomly. Bookshops and such. I never met the mapmaker."

Link rolled his eyes. "You might have been better off. I wasn't kidding. He was probably the most bizarre person I've ever met. I never was too sure what he was."

They'd been moving through the collection, Link inspecting and remembering various artifacts. He'd noticed, in a sort of professional way, when the security had increased. More artifacts and display cases had alarm sensors and cameras and things. There were the tell-tale twitches of magic around them, too, and he could tell that there were spells that would trigger if things were disturbed. And knowing who'd put those spells there, they were probably nasty.

But now he was actually looking at the stuff under the most security, and honestly, it kind of freaked him out a little. The Megaton Hammer, the Biggoron's Sword, the Fairy Slingshot, a Hylian Shield, a Deku Shield, the Mirror Shield... tunics and boots... He stared. "Nearly everything in this room is mine. Or was mine."

Gannondorf smirked. "Well, I've made a hobby of collecting magical artifacts of Hyrule. And I only collect the best. And unfortunately, your equipment was always the best of the best. I'd have liked to get my hands on the Master Sword, and the Ocarina of Time, among other things. The collection is incomplete without them."

"You can't have them. I'm still using them." Link was still in shock, a bit. This was just weird.

"So I noticed, back in my office. That sword is unmistakable. I had thought that tomb robbers had beaten me to them. I never thought you were the tomb robber in question."

"Tomb rob- Ah, man, you looted my tomb?! That's just not right!"

"Well, you weren't using it," Gannondorf said reasonably. "It wasn't even a real tomb, since you obviously faked your own death. I fail to see what you're upset about."

Link decided to ignore him in favor of staring at a green tunic. "This is the Kokiri tunic. The one I wore when I was still a kid. Okay, this has officially gone from 'useful if unsettling coincidence' to 'creepy stalker' territory, you know that, right?" He shuddered a little. "What the HELL is wrong with you? You hated me, why are you collecting my stuff?"

Gannondorf didn't answer immediately, and when he did, it wasn't a direct answer. "For a thousand years, I waited, swearing that I would punish all of Hyrule for daring to stand against me. I swore I'd make myself master of the land. And when the seals failed, and I was released... it was into a world I didn't recogonize. Everything had changed. Even the desert was gone." He was quiet. "Hyrule had faded from memory. No one recognized my name anymore, or if they did, it was only in connection to some half-remembered legend. No one even remembered your name, or the princess's. It was like... being lost in the desert, with no landmarks. I had to start all over." He looked around at his collection. "So, when I regained the resources to do it, I started seeking out anything to connect me to the past, to Hyrule. You were my enemy once. But you're still a... well, if you'll excuse the pun, a link to the past. We both remember what Hyrule was, at the height of its glory. And I dare say, we are the only two men in the world who do. These," and here he gestured at the displays, "these aren't some... museum display to us. They meant something once, and still do."

Link stared at him for several moments. Funny enough, he understood what Gannondorf was saying. Things had changed so much. It wasn't so bad for him, he'd lived through all of the change. But to come in halfway down the road... it had to be rough. But he didn't know how to say it, so he changed the subject uncomfortably. "So, yeah... the security for your Stone..."

Gannondorf collected himself, once again becoming the intimidating, stone-faced businessman. He pointed at the shattered case. "In addition to alarms, sensors, and cameras that would rival those on the most valuable paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there were a few spells of my own design. You'd know about what to expect." He pointed at several figures lined up behind the case. "These are tied into all of the wards in this room. If any one object is disturbed..."

Link looked at them. "Stalfos, Armos, Beamos, Iron Knuckle, Redead, Gibdo..." And three of each. He reached out to inspect the Redead. "You weren't playing around."

"And four Floormasters in the corners, and two invisible Wizzrobes. Careful. I wouldn't touch that if I were you. I lost three cleaning crews before people figured that out." There was a faintly amused tone to Gannondorf's voice.

Link pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned. "They're real?!" He retreated to a safe distance. "Man, this is way more overkill than most dungeons. I can't see anyone except maybe you and me being able to take anything out of here without contracting a severe case of death. And even then, it might be tricky. "

"I said you'd have had an interesting time getting to it. But now you see why I needed someone like you to get my Stone back. Someone was able to get past all of this."

"Yeeeah... that's going to make this fun."