Ganondorf is Wind's father AU
Hello! This is a story that’s been on my mind for a long time, and I’ve finally managed to post about it, especially thanks to @cirilozinha, with whom I discussed this. She's already published a story based on this, so go and read it! You can find it here: https://www.tumblr.com/cirilozinha/812773051562360832/the-same-eyes?source=shareÂ
As the title says, in this AU, Ganondorf is Wind’s father. If anyone wants to write something based on this (as I don’t think I’ll do it myself, since I don’t have the talent or the patience for writing), they’re free to do so. But please let me know so I can read it and recommend it! I’m also more than happy to answer any questions! Without further delay, let’s get on with it (English isn't my first language, so please be kind when pointing out any mistakes):
Wind and Tetra return to Forsaken Fortress sometime between WW and PH. There, they find evidence that leads them to discover that Ganondorf and Wind’s mother (whom I’ll call Rose to make the story easier to follow) had a relationship.Â
Rose discovered who Ganondorf was (as he was using magic to hide his identity) and his plans. She fled without knowing she was pregnant. Ganondorf decided not to look for her, deciding she wasn't worth it, and focused on the search for the princess.Â
Rose returned to Outset with her mother and gave birth to Wind. She kept the identity of Wind’s father a secret, leading many on the island to assume that he wasn’t interested in having children or that something even worse had happened.
Rose meets Aryll’s father, and he treats Wind as if he were his own.
When Wind is 5 years old, Aryll is born.
When Wind is 7 and Aryll is 2, Rose and her husband die at sea after their ship is attacked by pirates (NOT Tetra’s mother).
Ganondorf never found out that Wind was his son.
Wind is devastated upon discovering this. Tetra fully supports him, not caring that Ganondorf is his father, and tries to convince him that he is still a hero. They keep it a complete secret, not even telling Aryll or Grandma.
PH takes place. During the adventure, Ciela, Leaf and Neri detect a strange magic in Wind’s Joy Pendant, which Rose had given him when he was still just a toddler. A camouflage spell and a kind of compulsion that prevented Wind from taking it off.
Now that Wind knows about the spells, the compulsion stops working. He takes off the Joy Pendant and his features change, making him look more like Ganondorf. The most notable changes are his much darker skin, his hair, which now has red streaks mixed in with the blonde, and the fact that he is slightly taller and wider in the shoulders. He hates it. He puts the Joy Pendant back on and feels an indescribable sense of relief as his face returns to “normal”.
He tells Tetra once PH is over, but he doesn’t take off the Joy Pendant in front of her. She doesn’t press him on it. Again, they don’t tell anyone else.
Both are transported to HW. Wind quickly befriends Mask and the Captain, but he never dares to reveal his secret. The army is full of traitors, and if his secret were to come to light in an environment like that, he fears he would be executed immediately. It is strange to face another version of Ganondorf, but at least he doesn’t seem to recognise him. Honestly, Wind isn’t sure how to feel about it. The war ends and they return home, relieved to have managed to keep the secret.
Wind has barely had time to process the war when a dark portal appears before his eyes, pulling him in with its magic. After informing Tetra, he steps through the portal.
Seeing Mask and the Captain again is amazing, and the new heroes are impressive too, but Wind lives in a constant state of tension. Everyone (except Sky) has faced Ganondorf or Ganon, and he fears what will happen if they discover he is Wind’s father.
Something happens. Either the Joy Pendant breaks, or Wind is knocked unconscious and the others take it off for some reason. In either case, they see his true form. Everyone quickly pieces it all together.
How do they react to this information? It depends on how much angst you want. My mind suggests the following options:
After the initial surprise, they discuss it with Wind. It’s easy to see that the young boy has mixed feelings about the situation. In the end, one thing is clear: Wind is still their brother. By the time LU ends, they have helped him to accept himself and his Gerudo heritage (not all Gerudo were bad after all). Eventually, Wind stops wearing the Joy Pendant and tells the secret to his family and Tetra’s crew.
They take it poorly. There is a lot of shouting and accusations. Time and Warriors feel particularly betrayed, because Wind said nothing during the war. They do not attack Wind directly (either physically or verbally) after the initial shock, but the way they treat him changes drastically. He still receives food, as Wild is unable to let him go hungry despite his anger, but he is no longer assigned guards (because they don’t trust him), they keep their distance from him during battle, they don’t speak to him… Wind is, basically, an outcast. It all ends with a visit to Lon-Lon Ranch, where Malon demands immediate answers upon seeing how they’re treating the poor boy. Time explains everything to her and Malon just stares at him in shock, slaps him and tells him not to even think of speaking to her until he comes to his senses. She finds Wind and calms him down, assuring him that it’s not his fault and that she’ll make them see reason. She manages to make them see reason (perhaps with the help of Lullaby, who is also disgusted by the heroes’ behaviour) and they apologise. It takes time, but eventually Wind feels comfortable with them again. BONUS: Lullaby writes a letter to the other Zeldas explaining the situation. They all have a serious word with their respective hero. Especially Artemis and Flora, who (in my mind) are Wind's descendants and, therefore, Ganondorf's as well. (In particular, I imagine Artemis asking Warriors if he intends to commit treason now that he knows this, given that he hates someone so much simply because of their ancestry, so he must hate her too. Impa is standing beside her, looking very threatening)
Here’s the version I dream about more (too much), which is bound to be a long story (one I don’t have the talent to write): They react horribly. So much so that Hylia summons a portal just for Wind and sends him back to the Great Sea, leaving the other heroes to finish the mission. (Perhaps she calls upon another hero to join them? Like Spirit or EoW Link). But as they progress on their adventure, the Shadow gains ground and Hylia once again asks Wind for help, who has now grown up (between 19 and 21 years old) and has embraced his Gerudo side, learning about their culture, fighting techniques, magic, etc. He is able to do this because he found a way to explore the ocean floor and discovered many things that survived behind magical barriers created just before the Great Flood swept everything away, not only in Hyrule, but in all the other kingdoms: Labrynna, Holodrum… (I mean, I doubt the water stopped at Hyrule’s border. It swallowed everything). This Wind isn’t intimidated and doesn’t care what the other heroes think of him. The Zeldas and Malon side with Wind and support him, much to the heroes’ despair. It takes time, but eventually they realise they’ve been acting like idiots and apologise, eventually regaining Wind’s trust.
And that's it. I hope you enjoyed it!
