Now that Zelda thought about it, it was odd that she'd never left Hyrule. She wanted to, of course, but never enough to make it happen. Her father performed visits of state, but she was never allowed to accompany him. When she was older, Mipha and Riju would invite her to visit them during the summer, but her father forbade her to go. It probably wouldn't have been too difficult to persuade him, but she was afraid. What if she said something stupid and embarrassed herself? What if she had one of her attacks away from home? What if she didn't want to go home at all?
The trip through the desert passed in a flash. After Kara-Kara Station, there was only one long, straight road, and it was empty for miles at a time. Riju was taken with Ganondorf. She showed her affection by encouraging him to drive like a maniac. All the while she insisted that he use magic, which she talked about as Ganondorf always did, like it was nothing more than a means of solving a problem. The "problem," in this case, involved reducing the environmental friction that prevented her car from shooting like a bullet along the road. At first Zelda was alarmed by how quickly they were driving, but she became caught up in their game before long. Riju's knowledge of physics was rudimentary, so Zelda found herself making suggestions of her own. The wheels of the car actually left the ground at certain points, which amused Riju to no end.
Riju had never mentioned magic when she lived with Zelda, so it was strange to watch her treat Ganondorf like she treated each new phone she bought, playing with it to see what it could do. Ganondorf seemed happy to oblige. Zelda enjoyed herself, but she couldn't help feeling uneasy about seeing Ganondorf use magic like this, with complete control and absolute ease. He'd told her that she was powerful, but there didn't seem to be any limit to his own abilities. Zelda had been worried that Ganondorf was using her, a possibility she still hadn't eliminated to her satisfaction. Still, it stood to reason that she might be able to use him as well. What would it be possible to accomplish if she had his magic at her disposal?
They arrived at the outskirts of Lanayru City three hours after leaving Kara-Kara Station. Zelda watched the city bloom like a flower from the car window as they drove through the highlands. Gargantuan buildings of white stone and blue glass rose like monuments from the shining gold of the desert. The vista was fantastic and impossibly beautiful, and Zelda resented herself for having gone her entire life without leaving Hyrule.
Traffic began to pick up as they entered the circle of warehouses and office buildings that surrounded the city, whose industrial suburbs resembled those of Hyrule. Once they passed into the residential areas bordering the main city, however, Zelda marveled at how much of the traditional architecture had been left intact. Old buildings were constantly being torn down in Hyrule, where the only thing preserving historic sites were government grants. Hyrule was covered in concrete, but everything here was bathed in green, from the silvery green of olive trees to the creamy green of palms to the deep green of hydromelon vines to the shimmering green of cacti dotted with flowers whose colors were so bright they seemed almost otherworldly.
The roads were crowded, and the streets were full of people. Zelda tried not to stare the first time she caught sight of someone openly using magic – a woman walking while talking on her cellphone without holding it. The phone hovered next to her ear and followed her movements precisely.
Zelda wondered about the rules governing magic use. If Ganondorf could use magic to make Riju's car go faster, could he use magic to change the traffic lights? What was stopping him? Would doing so be against the law, or merely rude? Was there some sort of counter-magic preventing someone from tampering with public property, or was the ability to manipulate electrical devices simply not a talent that most people possessed?
Both Ganondorf and Riju seemed to understand these things instinctively. They got along well together, but they spoke to each other in Hylian. As far as Zelda could tell, Ganondorf didn't speak Gerudo. Or rather, he'd made an attempt as they were leaving Hyrule, but his accent was so strong that it was prohibitively difficult to understand him. Zelda remembered how he spoke Hylian during their first real conversation with each other. He had a thick accent then as well. It had all but vanished in the following weeks, and now he spoke with the same crisp syllables and enunciation her own instructors had trained her to use when she was a child.
Zelda was starting to understand why Ganondorf hadn't been able to speak Hylian – or Gerudo, for that matter. Earlier that morning she had used Pictoshop to make a composite of Link's pictures while half-listening to Riju's nonsensical attempts to speak with Ganondorf in Gerudo. It had taken almost two hours, and she'd gotten a bit carsick in the process, but she was finally able to put together a clear image. After magnifying the details, Zelda was able to confirm what she'd seen with her own eyes: the creature in the pictures was partially constructed from ancient technology.
If she asked Riju to show Ganondorf materials written in Classical Gerudo, could he read them? If she spoke to Ganondorf in ancient Hylian, would he understand her? Not that she spoke ancient Hylian; no one did. She would have to practice if she wanted to make it seem natural. As they made their way through the crowded streets, Zelda put together a rudimentary plan to test the extent of Ganondorf's knowledge. He may have lost his memory, but he was far from a blank slate. If she could pinpoint the location of his linguistic and cultural background, she might be able to figure out who he was and where he came from.
Once they were well into the city, Riju directed Ganondorf to a gate set up at the mouth of a side road that continued underground. After a brief conversation with the guards, they followed the tunnel for a few minutes before emerging into a large cave. The cavern was entirely natural, with no concrete or support structures to be seen. A small crowd of people came out to meet them as they parked.
Zelda recognized Buliara, the chief of Riju's staff. Buliara immediately began dressing down Riju in Gerudo, telling her that Urbosa didn't appreciate that she suddenly disappeared and went off to Hyrule, of all places. Buliara then turned to Zelda spoke in Hylian, assuring her that Urbosa was looking forward to seeing her again.
Riju scowled. "You don't have to give her special treatment, you know. She speaks Gerudo."
"Of course she does," Buliara said, switching back to Gerudo. "My apologies, dear. You must be tired. Why don't we get you some tea, and then we can sit down and talk. I'll have one of my girls tell your driver where to take the car, and we'll have your bags brought up."
Riju rolled her eyes. "Buliara, you're getting senile. He's not our driver. Obviously."
"Oh?" Buliara gave Ganondorf an appraising look. "Who is he, then?"
Who is he indeed, Zelda thought. Although Ganondorf was just as charming with Riju as he had been in front of Sidon and Link, he hadn't spoken to her much at all. Zelda still wasn't sure what to tell Riju about him, and she hadn't yet had time to fabricate a story explaining his presence.
"He's a colleague of mine," Zelda said, thinking quickly. "A tech investor. Neither of us has been to Lanayru City before, and Riju offered to bring us here so that we could spend a few days drawing up plans for a future partnership. We appreciate the ride, but we can arrange for lodgings in the city."
"Nonsense," Buliara said warmly. "You'll stay with us. Urbosa has already had a room prepared for you."
"Rooms," Riju corrected her. "I want Zelda to stay in the suite next to mine, and the voeneeds his own quarters."
Zelda nodded gratefully, but she was worried about Ganondorf. How much of this conversation did he understand? Would he consent to having this decision made for him?
Not that it made any difference. There was no point in pretending to give him a choice in the matter.
If the mark on the back of her hand was what she thought it was, then she had inherited the Triforce. Assuming this was the same Triforce that appeared in the legends of the royal family, then she was the Zelda. She hated her family, and she hated the old legends, and she hated idea that she was anyone other than herself.
Regardless, if there was even the slightest chance that Ganondorf was the harbinger of another Calamity, as Impa seemed to believe he was, then she needed to get him as far away from Hyrule as possible.
It was a shame, really. She liked Ganondorf, and the story she'd made up about him being a colleague wasn't outside the realm of possibility. Putting the matter of his magic aside, he had a deft hand with managing money. He claimed to have no political interests, but that could certainly change. If she wanted to establish herself outside the circle of her family's influence, his assistance could prove invaluable. Still, it wasn't strictly necessary that he operate from inside Hyrule. Zelda had grown accustomed to his company, and she would miss being able to see him. She was used to being lonely, however, and it was better to cut things off before their relationship became too serious. Whatever had happened last night, she would not allow it to happen again.
She would need Riju's understanding and Urbosa's cooperation, but it was imperative that Ganondorf stay here in Lanayru – whether he wanted to or not.
