Chapter 11: The Plot
"So, they got away…" Ganondorf was not happy as he heard the reports from the figures in front of him. It was a small group in that room consisting of him, Zant, and two other figures. The process for his complete revival had advanced to the point where he could manifest himself separately from Zant's body. It would not be long before he could claim a body for his own and regain all the power he had lost when he was previously defeated. Still, it was certainly a setback that his most dangerous enemy had managed to get himself out of their grasp.
"Please forgive me, master," Zant choked out. He didn't want to suffer through his master's wrath, remembering the torment he would be subjected to when any setback occurred. Despite the violent nature of his death, his master's fury, to him, was far worse.
"We're not here to forgive failure!" exclaimed the figure sitting next to him. He resembled a mutated turtle with red hair and a spiked shell. "Because of the lack of appropriate force, we have to deal with a serious threat to our plans!"
"Now, Bowser," the fourth figure, a rather rotund man with a red suit, black pants, white gloves, and a brown moustache, started, "we need not fret over this small matter."
The aforementioned villain turned to sneer at him. "Small? Perhaps for your size, you oversized egg!"
"ENOUGH!" bellowed Ganondorf. The others turned to face him. "I don't need any fighting amongst ourselves. We'll have plenty of time to fight soon enough. Now, Doctor Eggman, do you care to explain why you think that the escape of the Hero is so insignificant?"
Eggman shot a smug look to the Koopa King and continued. "After analyzing the way that this Link person acts, it seems that courage is the only way he has ever been able to stop your plans, sir. Why don't we play with his emotions?"
Seeing the way the discussion was going, Ganondorf grinned in a perverse delight. "What do you have in mind?"
"I suggest we take someone precious from him to make him feel a sense of guilt. Then, we get his hopes up by offering a path towards getting said person back. Just as he feels that he is about to rescue that person, we plunge him into despair and teach him the most potent form of pain, the one he has never experienced before. We will show him the agony of failure in such an irrevocable way that he will no longer be able to stop us!"
Zant glanced at his master. "I like the way this guy thinks, master. It would certainly be more satisfying to torture the boy who stood in our path rather than kill him outright."
"I agree whole heartedly. Any objections, Bowser?"
Bowser grimaced for a moment before continuing. "Fine. I like the straight forward approach better, but, as long as you hold up your end of the bargain, I'll go along with whatever plan you please.
Ganondorf nodded. "Then, it is settled. By now, the Hero will have encountered our little friend keeping these shadows over his home. Zant, I am sure you will know a suitable target who will make this plan work."
"Of course, master. I am aware of the Hero's friends, and there is one girl who would have the most power over him."
"Ah, a girl…even better. There's no way that he won't be devastated once our plan unfolds. So, you shall go pay them all a visit soon." When he said that, he noticed Zant seem to look away, as if to connote some form of concern. "Is there something wrong?"
"Well, I believed that curse we gave the boy should have prevented him from even being able to progress the last time. Perhaps we should try a new one?"
Zant braced himself for some form of punishment due to questioning the mastermind, but Ganondorf carefully considered his point. "You know, it would be much harder for him, if not impossible, should he be confined to his beastly shape. The curse that you used proved to be ineffective, so let's try a new approach."
An object appeared from the darkness and floated towards the table. It was a heart-shaped mask with spikes protruding from the sides and a strangely unnerving face on it. It emanated a dark power that made the three not named Ganondorf shudder.
"This is an ancient artifact known as Majora's Mask. It used to house the darkest demon in existence before the boy's ancestor, the so-called Hero of Time, managed to defeat it. However, it still holds immense power that will be of use for our goals. From what I know, its power transformed the whelp into a mere Deku Scrub. So, who wants to have it?"
Before the last words left his mouth, Bowser eagerly snatched the mask out of the air and put it on. Instantly, he felt a surge of power so potent he felt like he would have perished were it not for the strength he already possessed. "This power is amazing! I feel like I could do anything!"
Ganondorf relaxed in satisfaction. The Koopa King was a simple mind who merely desired power and victory over his own nemesis, though he had to wonder how he could lose in contests of strength to some plumber named Mario. The raw power he possessed was something that could be used well if controlled by someone with a vision, and Ganondorf certainly provided that, which made it easy to get him to accept someone else's orders.
However, there was one question that Eggman had regarding this plan of action. "Hang on, wasn't there this 'Master Sword' thing that broke the curse you sent before? What happens if he finds it again?"
Ganondorf grinned. "We don't have to worry about that accursed weapon anymore. Let's just say that, even if he found the sword again, it wouldn't do him any good."
Eggman nodded and Ganondorf continued. "I think we all know what we need to do then," Ganondorf said. "So, I'll leave you all to your tasks."
Zant and Bowser immediately disappeared, heading to Ordon to prepare. Ganondorf was ready to rest himself, but he noticed that the doctor had not gotten up. "Is something the matter, Doctor?"
Eggman shrugged. "Eh, not really. It's just that…your other plan to use Sonic's little girlfriend and the Chaos Emeralds is…unnerving to say the least.
Ganondorf sighed. While it was easy to manipulate the Koopa King, the scientist was definitely a horse of a different color. When he discussed with the man that his plans would involve confronting his nemesis, Eggman seemed like he would rather not stick his neck out for the mere promise of revenge. However, Ganondorf was the King of Evil, and he knew how to motivate his pawns. Even with Eggman's show of bravado, he realized that the scientist would not continue to follow his lead were it not for the one means of persuasion that he knew would work on the man.
"I'm not exactly pleased with the idea of it either, but there is no other option. I need to reclaim the entirety of my power, and I need both the power of the Chaos Emeralds and a suitable subject to do so. Just remember our little arrangement, Doctor, and you won't be worried about this topic again."
It was Eggman's turn to sigh. "Yeah, yeah…by the way, if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to do with that one in the other cell?" He pointed to the cell adjacent to the one containing the pink hedgehog. From what he could tell, it seemed to resemble some sort of woman but, for whatever reason, also some sort of untamed, animal-like vibe. He could also discern a strong power emanating from within its body.
The mastermind grinned. "Ah, I see you have taken the time to notice my prized catch when we retook Hyrule Castle. Our little guest happens to be the former princess of Hyrule, Zelda. I need her alive long enough to complete the task I had started many years ago but never was able to finish. I can see you sense her innate power. Though I can't tell you everything about it yet, know that I need it in order to exponentially increase my own so that the plans will succeed."
Eggman took another look at the stranger, wondering how in the world that thing in the cell was a princess, but he then decided he had stayed too long at base. It was time for him to return to his planets to continue to carry out his end of the bargain. "Very well, then. I shall go and carry out my tasks now. I shall see you soon."
A machine that looked like the bottom half of a sphere appeared, and Eggman jumped onto it. Ganondorf turned towards his captives and began to chuckle ominously. Soon, he would be able to spread darkness not just on this world but on the entire universe. His power would surpass that of the goddesses themselves, and he would finally have revenge on the two forces that constantly foiled his evil plans.
He then turned towards a small window in the direction of Ordon. "Soon, Link, you will learn the true meaning of pain and suffering." His ominous chuckle became an undisguised laugh of contempt and anticipation. He couldn't wait for Link to experience a pain far worse than the execution or the Master Sword had ever wrought on him, and the very thought of his goals proceeding as well as they had so far began to impress on him pleasure and satisfaction.