Chapter 4

Ancient Treasures, inc.: A company well-known throughout the land for dealing in ancient artifacts. They were professionals in locating valuable pieces of history, and beating out the competition, sometimes through less than reputable means. They donated enough to museums for the general populace to consider them benevolent, but they had become quite wealthy by selling much of what they found to private collectors, who were willing to pay exorbitant sums for the pride of owning a one-of-a-kind piece. Their biggest customer was the mayor of the city, who was a lover of ancient art, and whose taxes gave a large sum to spend as he liked.

The board of Ancient Treasures was being watched by the police, especially when "accidents" happened to their competitors, but it was extremely difficult to pin anything on them. Most times, no one was ever caught. When they were, they absolutely denied association with the company; after all, money talks, and their threats weren't exactly idle, either.

Because of their success in the finding and selling of artifacts, their employees often worked late into the night to meet shipping deadlines. That particular night, as Link slept uneventfully, three such employees were storing relics of a long-dead time in a warehouse just outside a seedy part of town. Anything of value they found was to be put on a truck, and sent to an auction to be sold to the highest bidder.

Two of these overtime workers were muscular, and they were pushing trolleys loaded with various pieces of ancient art into the warehouse. The third was an elderly man, scholarly in appearance, whose job was to identify ages and rarities on various items, and decide whether they were worth selling. Anything deemed worthless monetarily was left in the warehouse, possibly to be donated later to various places, if the company needed a favor.

"Okay, professor!" called the first man to the third, who was writing at a table with his back to them. "That's the last of the stuff. What do you want us to do with it?"

The professor continued writing as he mumbled his response. "Mm hm, just leave it in the center there and I'll take a look at it." After a few moments, he finished writing and turned around to see the second man, who was a good deal behind the first, bring his trolley to a stop. On it sat a large, stone statue which looked to be quite heavy. Wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand, he spoke. "Whew! This 'un sure is a piece a work, ain't it, perfesser?"

The professor studied it for a moment, and a look of recognition appeared on his face. "Why, it is indeed. The craftsmanship is marvelous; it almost looks alive!"

The second man scratched his chin. "Yeah, that's great an' all, but who's it supposed to be?"

The professor already knew the answer to this question and was quite pleased to tell them. "It is the ancient villain of legend, the King of Evil. Legends tell how he threatened to conquer Hyrule countless times. It is only reasonable that someone carved this to represent… his defeat, it seems," the professor stated, noticing a sword in the statue. The professor chuckled. "What a creative touch! The Master Sword, implanted in his forehead, no less!"

Whatever humor there was in this statement was lost on the two men, who merely glanced at each other and shrugged. Now the first man spoke. "D'you suppose that's the real Master Sword there?"

The professor stopped laughing and examined the sword in question. "Hmmm… it looks remarkably authentic, but…" He shook his head. "I highly doubt it. The Master Sword has been lost for ages, and I doubt it would have been used for something as petty as a statue.

The second man shrugged. "So? I bet someone 'ud pay allota money fer it if we told 'em it was the real thing."

The old man sighed. "Yes, I suppose so, and that is how this company is run… Well, no matter; money makes the world go round, they say. You can start by pulling the sword out. The statue is much too heavy to be moved easily, and I doubt anyone will pay a worthwhile price for it."

The sword proved rather difficult to remove, and it took both of the burly men's strength to finally get it out.

The professor continued, "Now, you two take the sword out to the truck and tell the driver he can go. After that, you're free to do the same; I'll close up here."

They walked briskly away, poking about playfully with the sword, and the professor turned back to his accounts on the table. He sighed quietly as he started writing. "Oh, that statue has so much history to tell… If only it could speak…!" He shook his head. "Of course it can't, though. It's not even alive."

All of a sudden there was a loud crackling noise, and the professor ducked instinctively.

Then, slowly, low-pitched laughter, although with an edge of bitterness, permeated the room, filling the professor's heart with an icy dread.

As the professor fearfully turned he saw a fading glimmer of purple light. Before him, where the statue had been, stood a man. He was kneeling, but had slumped forward, a look of disorientation on his face. His hand was holding his forehead, as if in pain.

The professor's mouth dropped open. "T-the King of Evil?" he stuttered in disbelief, "It's not p-possible!"

The man shook his head, as if clearing it, and slowly rose to his feet. There was a gash on his forehead, and blood ran down the side of his nose. "My name is Ganondorf!" he snapped, eyes glaring disdainfully down on the old man, "Your people are so incompetent, they would forget even the name of their most feared and hated nemesis."

Ganondorf looked as well as he had all those hundreds of years ago, except for wound in his head.

The professor blinked rapidly in confusion and terror. "Ganondorf? I-I…" he stuttered, "B-but, h-how…?"

Ganondorf snorted. "I suppose I should thank you for freeing me, although you were ignorant of it."

The poor professor, terrified to his wit's end, kept talking merely to keep from falling to the floor, gibbering like a lunatic. "B-but that's impossible! Y-you're not even real! A-and… the legends! They all agree that you were destroyed! Or at least locked in a safe place, where no one would find you!"

Ganondorf cast a doubtful gaze on the old man. "Not real? I should think you would trust your eyes, old man. As for safe… The bottom of the ocean not a safe enough place for you? It was fine for the stupid people who wrote those legends. They thought I was finished, buried under miles of water. But I knew. Although death was upon me, I would live, I had to!" A mad glint had appeared in his eyes, and a malevolent grin spread across his face.

The professor burst out, "But! But… No…" and then, more quietly, as if to himself, "No, this can't be happening…"

Ganondorf scowled contemptuously. "Oh, but it is. You should have listened to the man who believed that sword was the Master Sword… perhaps you would have thought twice before removing it from my head." Ganondorf raised his hand, glowing purple magic forming in it. "For such stupidity, you deserve to die…" He stopped, a slight smile creeping across his face. "However, your foolishness has worked in my favor… and I do need knowledge of this new city, and world. How better than to get it from the man who freed me?" He leapt down from the trolley, with movements surprisingly graceful for a man of his height and bulk.

There was an old spell in the dark magic he studied, that allowed the caster to absorb memories from anyone. Ganondorf planned to use this now to instantly gain knowledge of the world he found himself stranded in. He approached the professor, and put his hands on either side of the old man's trembling head. A look of intense concentration appeared on Ganondorf's face, and white sparks of light filled the air between their heads. The sparks slowly dissipated, and when Ganondorf removed his hands, the old man fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Now that the old man was down for the count, Ganondorf began to assess his situation. Despite the bravado he had put on while talking to the old man, he was unsure of himself and in a great deal of pain. Having a sword through your brains will do that to you. Ganondorf fingered the gash, wincing as thoughts ran through his injured brain. How is it possible, he wondered, that I am still alive? I thought I, the great Ganondorf, was finished when the Master Sword was driven through my skull, and yet I am still here, with my skull cleaved in two, for all I know… He decided to stop questioning his good luck, and simply accept the fact that he was alive. Ganondorf now knew that it was countless centuries since he had been defeated, and things had changed a great deal. But his newly acquired thoughts would not cooperate with him, and he would need some time before he could plan what to do next. Closing his eyes, Ganondorf concentrated on calling his magic to heal his head. It would do no good to go around with literal brain damage.

As the wound closed over into a scar, Ganondorf wiped the blood from his face and glanced at the old man on the ground. Weakling, Ganondorf thought, just like the rest… The spell had never left any of its targets conscious. Ganondorf looked down on the professor. It would be so easy to dispose of him; a cliff, a river… Ganondorf could easily make it so his body would never be found. But somehow, Ganondorf could not bring himself to act. From his absorbed memories, he knew this man was perfectly harmless; in fact, he had helped many of the city's so-called lowlifes. If Ganondorf closed his eyes, he could see their faces… Most were women, with athletic figures, vermillion hair, and unusually long and pointed noses… Ganondorf's eyes snapped open. They were Gerudos!

There could be no mistaking it, most of the people the professor had helped were of Gerudo heritage. Ganondorf looked at the old man through new eyes. How could he harm someone who had helped his people? Memory spells wiped the most recent memories of the ones they were cast on, so Ganondorf had no real reason to kill the old man. It was… more of a reputation thing. But since no one knew he was there, did reputation really matter? No, but Ganondorf knew he couldn't leave simply leave the professor there, either. That was sure to cause all kinds of trouble. Where could he take the old man, though? Ganondorf searched his memory. Ah, the man's house was only a few blocks away, and since it was so late, no one would see him. Ganondorf picked up the professor, and headed for the exit. On the way out, he clicked off the lights and closed the large warehouse door, as if by habit. Ganondorf smiled to himself; the memory absorption spell certainly was useful.

Although there was no one on the streets, Ganondorf still proceeded with caution. He was not going to be foiled this time, so he couldn't risk anyone taking action against him before he was ready. He was sure that no one would recognize him, but he was not ready for an appearance just yet.

Ganondorf soon arrived at the professor's house, and let himself in with the old man's key. It was dark inside, but Ganondorf's sharp eyes spotted a couch in the front room, which he laid the old man on. He went back to the door, but paused on the way out, and chuckled to himself. "Poor fool, he'll have a monstrous headache tomorrow…" Then he stepped into the night, shutting the door behind him.

--------------

A few minutes later, Ganondorf had found a likely spot to safely ponder his next course of action: on top of a building. It was old and dilapidated, with graffiti painted on the walls. The other buildings in the neighborhood were in a similar condition. This area of town was a thriving center for all kinds of shady dealings, but it was nearly impossible to find anyone, as it had a maze of tunnels underneath it, known only to the criminal population. It was the kind of place cops like Link desperately wanted to clean up, and yet lacked the power to do so.

The particular building Ganondorf was standing on was slightly different from its fellows, in that it had a fire escape winding up its side. Ganondorf had disdained using this, however, merely levitating himself to the top. He now stood with his right foot perched on the parapet wall, pondering his situation. His magic had worked wonders on his damaged brain, and he was able to sift through the old man's memories with little difficulty. Ganondorf was currently in a bustling metropolis called Hyrule. This city was the capital of a small country called New Hope. Ganondorf half smiled. How strange, Hyrule had once been the name of a nation, but it was now only the name of a city… Ganondorf could find little else relating to geography in the old man's memories, since he was a student of ancient history, something which Ganondorf was already familiar with.

Ganondorf was sure that there was more information that he could find useful, but he hadn't the time to sort it carefully. The sun would eventually rise, and it was important that he find a place to stay. How he would find such a place, however, he was not certain…

His thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice and a knife to his throat. "Hey, man, I ain't seen you around b'fore, but this is my special spot, and I don't let nobody come up here. Now, you're gonna leave; dead or alive, that's your choice." Despite this obvious display of hostility, Ganondorf was far from worried. In fact, he was sharply annoyed that he had let someone slip up on him unnoticed. He realized that his slowed reflexes probably had something to do with his head wound. He would have thought about this some more, but his assaulter was impatient for a reply. "Well, what's it gonna be? I ain't got no qualms about killing you."

Faster than the eye could follow, Ganondorf swung his hand back, hitting his assailant in the stomach, and sending him flying into a duct with a resounding thud. As Ganondorf slowly walked up to the man, the attacker realized he was way out of his league. "Woah, man! I didn't mean it, really! I was only kidding!" Ganondorf had been planning possible means of execution, when he caught sight of the man's face as the former attacker franticly scrambled to get away. His skin was rather light, but his facial features indicated that he was of Gerudo descent. Ganondorf stopped advancing. Hmm, two homicides adverted in one night. If Ganondorf didn't have a reason for refraining to kill, he might think he was going soft…

Ganondorf sneered disdainfully, partly at himself, but mostly at the fallen Gerudo. What a weakling… "Get up," Ganondorf stated curtly, "You have nothing to fear from me." The man blinked in astonishment. "Y-you mean it? Wow, thanks, man!" He quickly got to his feet. "Hey, I owe you a favor. Why don't you stay at my hideout, I think we can put you up…" He caught sight of Ganondorf's questioning expression. "Man, it's so obvious you don't have anywhere to go. You wouldn't be out this close to morning unless you had a job, or were completely crazy…" he trailed off, suddenly realizing what he might be implying, "But I'm sure you're not!! Besides, I haven't seen ya around before… Wait, you're not gonna bump me off and take over my clan, are ya?"

Ganondorf sneered slightly. "I have already had ample opportunity for that. Even if I was, do you think I would tell you?"

The man looked sideways. "Oh, right. Um, I didn't catch your name…?"

Ganondorf decided it would be better not to reveal his name until he learned more about this man and his "clan". "Yours first."

The man looked surprised. "Oh, I'm Raygould Nortyme. Um…" he decided from the look in Ganondorf's eyes that it would be unwise to ask his name again. "So, follow me, I guess…" He led Ganondorf around several buildings, and into an apparently deserted alleyway. Raygould uncovered a secret trapdoor that led into a series of maze-like tunnels. Ganondorf made sure to remember what turns they took; he did not want to rely on anyone for directions. They entered into a rather large room, lit dimly with lanterns. Around the outside of the room were several beds and mattresses, on which Gerudo women of varying ages slept or talked in low voices. In the center of the room were two square tables, covered in papers and surrounded by stools. Ganondorf could sense the low spirits of the women in the room, and judging from Raygould's earlier talk, there were more groups like this one, who survived by doing whatever they could, even if it was less than… lawful. One of the elder women near the door rose and bowed as she caught sight of Raygould entering the room. She was dressed in a gray shirt with an ornate jacket and baggy salmon colored pants and looked like she was in her 30's. "Ah, my lord, you have returned. I trust your assignment was a success?"

Raygould grinned and held up a can of gasoline and a lighter. "As well as can be expected."

Suddenly the woman stiffened as she caught sight of Ganondorf in the shadows behind Raygould. "Who is this, that you have brought him to our home?!"

Raygould glanced behind him. "Oh, uh, he's okay. He needs a place to stay."

The woman continued to glare at Ganondorf. "How do you know that? He could be trying to usurp your position!"

Raygould shrugged, looking decidedly unconcerned. "Well, he didn't kill me when he had the chance…"

She sneered. "And you think that makes him trustworthy?!" She made a noise of disgust, and added under her breath, "Sometimes I think you are too stupid to lead us…"

Raygould was infuriated. He drew his knife, and held it at her throat. "You are a capable second in command, but I will not hesitate to punish you if you insult me again."

The woman smiled. "Ah, your ruthlessness is impressive, my liege. My faith in you has been somewhat restored…"

As Raygould sheathed his knife, Ganondorf decided it was time to speak. "I do not intend to harm any of your race, I am only looking for a place to stay."

She sneered in an amused way. "Sure you are…" After a few moments of silence, she continued. "Well, I may as well introduce myself. I am Gana Dragmire."

Another woman, very young, perhaps 18 or so, had been watching the conversation. She was dressed in clothes similar to Gana's and was hanging on her every word. At Gana's introduction, she popped up to interject, "Gana is descended from the great lord Ganon himself!"

Gana smiled softly, and put her hand on the young girl's shoulder, pushing her back into a sitting position. "Sit down, dear, I can speak for myself." She turned back to Ganondorf. "You must excuse Joobana; she takes great pride in my ancestry. Before you ask, I am descended from the great Ganon, though I do not like to make much of it."

Ganondorf shook his head in disbelief. "It is just as well that you do not, for it is untrue."

Gana's eyes widened in outrage. "Who are you to claim my family's ancestry as a lie?! You do not even know me!"

Ganondorf was taken aback. How could she believe such a thing? Of course, it didn't really matter, and it was obvious there was nothing he could do to change her opinion. To reveal his identity would make them call his sanity into question, and he needed their help to make his plan work. Besides, there was no harm in anyone believing he had children; he had no honor to defend, after all.

Ganondorf knew that he had no children. He had never even slept with a woman. When he had first risen to power, there had been plenty of willing candidates, but to them he was merely a trophy, something to lord over their friends. Not one of them had truly shared his vision for conquering Hyrule… After that, he had been too busy planning and gaining power to have time for relationships. That and the fact that he was surrounded by monstrous minions instead of beautiful women at his beck and call. Ganondorf shrugged. "It is no matter. I will retract my statement."

Gana crossed her arms, "Well, after that insult, I believe I deserve to know your name!"

Ganondorf considered this a moment. What was left of the Gerudo race only knew his regal title Ganon, and he doubted that the rest of the world even knew that. It was obvious that history had forgotten the man behind the monster, and there was a good chance that his common name had faded from the minds of his people as well. It would do no harm to reveal it. "I concur," he stated, "My name is Ganondorf."

Gana raised her eyebrows, and said, "Have you no last name? No proud heritage to carry?"

Ganondorf paused before speaking. "Dragmire."

Gana's eyes widened. "Then is it possible that you too are descended from the Great Ganon?"

Ganondorf chuckled silently to himself. It was a strange thought, but he did not dwell on it. He shook his head.

Gana tilted her head sadly. "Ah, a pity. I thought perhaps we might be related…"

Raygould, who had been quietly standing by all this time, suddenly spoke out. "Enough of this. It will soon be dawn, and our friend needs some rest."

"Right!" Gana said, turning around. "All right, you lot!" she called, addressing the many women in the room, "We have a guest tonight; find him a place to sleep." Several giggles rang out, and she cast a stern gaze in their general direction. "Alone, if you don't mind. We already have enough people in this clan as it is."

As she turned towards Ganondorf, he spoke, "I can see that you live in poverty here." Gana started to protest his rudeness, but Ganondorf held up a hand. "Wait, hear me out. Change is coming to this world, and if you do a few simple things to aid me, I will see that you are richly rewarded in the end. I am a Gerudo as well, why would I possibly want harm you?"

Raygould gaze flickered between Ganondorf and Gana. It was difficult to read his companion's expression, but judging from the glint in Ganondorf's eyes, it would be unwise to resist. He nodded slowly. "Alright, I don't see the harm in it, but you better not try to double cross us!" It was an empty threat, and they all knew it.

Ganondorf looked at Gana. He would need her cooperation as well. She smirked. "I like your attitude, Ganondorf. I'll do what you want, as long as it's reasonable. You don't have any proof, but I'll give it a shot."

Ganondorf smiled, somehow conveying quite the opposite of friendliness. "This is what I'll need…"

hr

The first part of his plan was to learn all he could about the city and those who ran it, so the next morning, he was taken on a tour. His guide was none other than the youthful Joobana, who had not yet developed a criminal record, and would not raise suspicions. Their first stop was at a clothing shop close by, which was often frequented by Gerudos. Ganondorf had realized that robes were no longer acceptable attire, and found himself needing a change of outfit. The owner of the shop was shocked by Ganondorf's height, but eventually found something that fit. Ganondorf left in a white shirt and non-descript black slacks. He also sported a casual black jacket, with gold designs surprisingly similar to those on his robe. Ganondorf smirked when he saw it. The world had forgotten his name, but apparently not his fashion sense.

The store keeper had been quite enamored with Ganondorf's robe, and had offered the clothes and a large sum of money in return for it. Ganondorf accepted, and once the man had the prized robe, he headed off to a back room, mumbling something about 'original design.' The owner had also made a rather large offer on Ganondorf's boots, but he declined, as there were no other shoes in his size.

Now much less conspicuous, Ganondorf was ready for a tour. The first thing Joobana showed him was the Ancient Treasures inc. headquarters, not too far from where the Gerudo clan was staying. Ganondorf knew this was the company responsible for his revival, but apparently there was more to know.

"This place uses advanced technology to recover artifacts from shrines under the Great Sea," Joobana told him. "Well, they look for anything they can find on land too, but mostly everything's under the water. They're well known for the amount of treasures they find, and uh… we often do a little 'business' with them," she said, looking up at Ganondorf, "Y'know?" Ganondorf had a pretty good idea of what she meant, but she explained, her voice now a whisper. "They pay us to make 'accidents' happen to their competition. You saw what Raygould had last night? Well, they paid him to cause a fire in one of their rival company's ships." Ganondorf looked away from Joobana, and let his eyes wander up the many floored building. A company that finds 'ancient treasures'… and one that is known to bend the rules quite a bit, Ganondorf thought, Perfect! A wicked grin appeared on his face. His plan now had a start.

Joobana showed Ganondorf all around town. She pointed out the houses of various important people in the city, such as the Police Commissioner. With both of them having no criminal record, at least in the current time, they were able to walk past the police station without fear. The idea of police still confused Ganondorf, even after Joobana explained it. Police were a great deal like guards of old, but instead of protecting the king, they protected everyone in the city. Ganondorf thought this totally unnecessary. In his opinion, the king and his family were the only ones worth attacking, and therefore the only ones worth defending. A king, Ganondorf wondered, does this city even have one?

Shortly after coming across the police station, they were in the center of the city. Joobana pointed out the town hall. "That's where the mayor and all the officials of the city meet. Um, I don't know what they do in there, but it must be important."

Mayor, Ganondorf thought the word. So he was who led the city. Instead of a king, they had… an elected official. Ganondorf blinked in surprise. The old man's memories had more information than Ganondorf realized. He turned to Joobana. "Tell me about the mayor."

"Oh, um, sure! I don't know that much about him, but he lives down there," she pointed to a small mansion several lots away from the town hall. "I hear he's a pretty nice guy, though. There're also rumors that he's descended from the ancient kings of Hyrule, but I think that's dumb." Joobana laughed.

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows. Descended from the kings? That was a good start, if only… "Does he have a daughter, by any chance?" Ganondorf questioned.

Joobana looked up in surprise. "Why, yes he does! She's an only child, name's Emily." Joobana studied Ganondorf. "How did you know?"

Ganondorf looked at her, but didn't answer right away. "A lucky guess," he finally said, "now, let's go back; I have seen enough." As Joobana led the way, Ganondorf smirked to himself. Already, his plan was rapidly falling into place. Then there was his good fortune of finding the inheritor of the Triforce of Wisdom. If only he could find the one who would claim the Triforce of courage. That might take some doing, but he had time; all the time that he wanted…