The young Gerudo boy sat still by the shores of Lake Hylia, sharp blue eyes deep in concentration as his little fingers worked on tying the perfect fishing knot. Amongst the Gerudo children of his age group, he was known to be very talented and capable of picking up any new skill with ease. As a result, when he found himself faced with a task that he could not overcome without significant difficulty, he quickly became frustrated. One of those infuriating things happened to be everything and anything involved with fishing.
Sitting beside the young boy was his father, the man renown throughout Hyrule as its Hero. He silently observed the child as he bit his lip, determined to knot and set his own fishing line. Link knew well of the boy's temperament; he would not give up until he got the task right and did it with just as much ease as his father. As he watched his son struggle, the Hero could not help his thoughts as they drifted, reflecting over the oddity of the relationship he shared with the boy. The Gerudo had rejoiced that their precious male child had been born from the loins of the most worthy man in Hyrule, one that had earned the respect of the predominantly female tribe. However, both Link and Zelda had been shocked beyond words upon the birth of the boy, namely because of the distinctive mark on his hand. This was, without doubt, the boy who would grow to become the Demon King, Ganondorf.
Yet, this boy was also Link's son, destined to carry the blood of the hero within his veins. This Ganondorf was the living definition of irony.
Despite destiny and its oddities, Link could not help but consider this boy as his beloved son, and nothing more. He was energetic, rambunctious, and a little troublemaker. In many ways, Ganondorf was very much like Link. However, the Hero did not fail to realize that the boy had quite a temper, a signature trait of any bearer of Power. He could see it slowly flaring as the child's eyes burned with frustration, his fingers fumbling as if they wished to destroy the fishing rod and be done with the entire affair. Being his father, Link was determined not to see his son walk the same path of destruction as his ancestors. This activity was supposed to help calm the child, not fuel his anger.
"Shhh Ganny," Link whispered quietly as his hand carded through the boy's short, red hair. The boy blinked as if he was suddenly awakened from a trance. His eyes turned to Link, his face clearly showing just how frustrated he was that he was incapable of tying a simple knot. The Hero smiled in response; it would always be a little odd yet heart-warming to see that this Ganondorf, his son, had inherited his eyes.
"Why can't I do this Papa?" the child pouted as his gaze returned to the fishing rod. "I've tried a million times and it still doesn't work!" Link laughed in response as he crawled over to the child. Getting behind him, Link took hold of the boy's hands, guiding them towards the hook that still remained unknotted. Slowly, yet patiently, Link worked Ganondorf's little fingers, guiding them until the hook was perfectly knotted. Despite the help he had gotten, Link did not miss the gleam of happiness in the depths of the boy's blue eyes as he finally had the hook secured to the end of the fishing line.
"It's alright to ask for help when we can't do something ourselves Ganny," Link said as he let go of the child's hands. "It is much better than getting angry and breaking things. That never solves any problems." Although the lesson seemed simple, the Hero knew it was a very crucial one for the boy in question. The legacy of the Demon King was that of destruction after all. By tempering the child to calmly deal with smaller issues, Link hoped that it would translate to actions that would have larger consequences if the more pacifist route was not taken.
"I know Papa," Ganondorf replied with a grin. "See, I didn't break the fishing rod this time!" Link chuckled as he ruffled the boy's head, his smile widening as the child let go of his earlier frustration with the fishing knot. The boy quickly found himself on his feet, the rod secured in his hand as the hook dangled freely. He turned to his father, his grin brightening his youthful face as he shuffled impatiently in his place.
"C'mon Papa, let's go catch some fish!" the boy declared gleefully as he ran towards their usual fishing spot. Link shook his head, a happy sigh escaping his lips as he followed the energetic child. Whatever the matter was, Ganondorf was his son this time around. There was nothing that brought more joy to Link's heart than seeing the boy happy and free of worries, just like a child should be.