A/N: This is all completely flashback and self-indulgent fluffery
Reviews are my lifeblood :3
Orla had always been. She had existed since time immemorial and was the one to create the three Golden Goddesses and Hylia.
She created Din from the lava of a fiery mountain. Like the mountain's fire her hair was red and her eyes were orange. She was feisty and unpredictable and just as passionate as fire.
Nayru was created from the frozen waters of a glacier. Her hair was shorter than Din's and the color of snow tinged with blue. Her eyes were sharp and glacier. Nayru used logic and wit to calculate her next move at almost every turn.
Farore was created from the forest leaves and vines. She kept her leaf green hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were as green as her hair. She was adventurous and always getting into some sort of trouble, usually with Din.
Hylia was the youngest of her sisters by two years. Orla had created her from a sundrop and the breeze's breath. Hylia was different from her sisters with long blonde hair the color of golden thread and sky-blue eyes; she was almost a spitting image of her mother. Hylia was more interested in studying anything and everything she set her gaze on. She loved reading and researching the creations her mother had made; beings called animals.
They came in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Some were fluffy and some were scaly. Others were nice and some were mean.
"What are they called?" Hylia asked, staring at the flapping fluffy creatures hopping along the ground, pecking at it.
"Birds," Orla answered. "They go chirp chirp."
"Chirp chirp!" Hylia said at the birds.
The birds stared at her before resuming their pecking.
Hylia giggled at them.
Orla patted Hylia's head. "I have something to give your sisters. Why don't you entertain yourself, hm?"
"What are you going to give them? Do I get something too?"
"These are just for your sisters, Hylia."
Hylia pouted, crossing her arms and stomping a foot as her wings fluffed up. "But I want to have what they have!"
"Hylia!" Orla scolded sharply. "That is not how a Goddess acts."
Hylia scowled, her ears lowering as she looked at the ground.
"I won't be long."
Hylia made a noise as she watched her mother leave to find her sisters. After a bit, Hylia realized that she was left alone.
She grinned, looking out to the inviting green laying beyond, trees looming in the distance.
Her mother never let her explore the world without accompanying her. But with her mother dealing with her sisters, Hylia could go on her own.
Glancing behind her to make sure her mother wasn't coming back, Hylia ran off with a laugh, scattering the birds.
Hylia glanced around as she walked through the forest, taking in all the birds that hopped around or the lizards that skittered at the sight of her.
It was nice to wander around without Orla breathing down her neck.
Stopping by a pond, Hylia stared at the fish lazily swimming beneath the waters. "Hello, fishies."
A few fish stared at her blankly.
She laughed at them then looked behind her when she realized she couldn't hear the birds chirping anymore. Standing up, Hylia looked around the silent forest, unsure as to why the birds had left so suddenly.
A wind rustled the tree leaves and Hylia's feathers fluffed.
Hylia suddenly didn't feel comfortable in the forest anymore.
"I think it's time to go," Hylia mumbled to herself, backing away.
Out from the depths of the forest jumped a large, shaggy black wolf that snarled at Hylia.
Hylia screamed, backing up more. "Mama!"
She had heard demons roamed the world but they rarely came out during the day. Orla frightened them.
The wolf growled at Hylia, slowly creeping towards her.
Hylia glanced side to side frantically, searching for a way to hide from the demon.
As the demon crouched down, a tiny blur tackled it to the ground. There was a loud snarl and a high-pitched shriek as the two creatures fought.
Whatever had tackled the demon clamped its jaw around the demon's neck, holding on tightly until it fell still.
With the scuffle over, Hylia could see her savior a bit better.
It reached up to her knees and was covered in thick black scales. A thin ridge of flames ran down its back and its mouth was riddled with three rows of needle teeth. The creature lacked eyes but was still somehow able to see.
Hylia moved closer to see the strange creature up close, noticing that it had long arms tipped with white fingers.
It was probably a demon, but it was cute and small.
The creature was busy trying to either drag the dead wolf demon off or trying to tear off the fur. It was hard to tell, but it was emitting tiny growls in its attempts.
"Cute," Hylia whispered, watching the creature.
The creature seemed to notice her and hissed, covering the wolf to claim it as his own, scales bristling.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, little guy. My name is Hylia. Do you have a name?"
The creature growled quietly before its scales flattened, staring in her direction curiously.
"Oh, I guess not." Hylia frowned, crossing her arms before she grinned. "I'm going to call you Scaley because you're covered in scales."
Scaley looked at himself with a grumbling growl before grunting, hopping from foot to foot.
"I take it you like that. Where are you mommy and daddy?"
Scaley whined, slumping miserably.
"Oh…" Hylia's wings lowered. "So, you're alone, huh? You don't have any friends either?"
Scaley shook his head.
Hylia pouted before she gasped. "Oh, why don't I be your friend? My sisters will be so jealous…"
Scaley tilted his head with a grumble.
Hylia tried to pick Scaley up but when she touched his scales, she pulled back when they bit her fingers. "Ow!"
She sucked on her fingers as Scaley flattened his scales against his body even more, appearing concerned.
"They're sharp…" Hylia murmured, shaking her hands then looking at them. Her wounds were already healing but she couldn't pick Scaley up without cutting her hands. "Hmm…."
An idea struck her and she tore off the end of her dress, wrapping it around Scaley. Then she picked him up.
"There we go. Now your scales can't hurt me."
Scaley made a grumbling noise, head lifted to look at Hylia.
"Let's go show you to my sisters!"
"There you are, Hylia!" Orla sighed when she saw Hylia only to gasp, moving forward and grabbing Hylia's arm.
The force caused Hylia to drop Scaley who squeaked when he hit the ground.
Orla pulled her away from Scaley as Hylia's sisters all looked past Orla to stare at the small creature.
"Why are you holding a Wyrm?!"
"Huh?" Hylia asked, staring up at her mother in confusion. "A Wyrm?"
"That's a demon! One of the most dangerous ones!"
"Scaley saved my life from another demon though," Hylia mumbled. "He can't be that bad."
"You named it? Ah, you daft girl. Wyrms grow quickly and get to be as tall as mountains!" Orla squinted at Scaley who remained where he was, shifting foot to foot with small whines. "Hn. He appears small. A runt perhaps. I imagine his parents abandoned him to die. They don't take care of the sick or runts."
Hylia pulled her arm out of her mother's grasp. "Scaley isn't like his family though! He saved me so he has to be good!"
"A demon is a demon! It needs to be put down."
"No!" Hylia stood in front of Scaley, puffing herself up. "You'll have to go through me to get to him!"
Orla blew out an aggravated breath at Hylia's defiance before she crossed her arms. "Fine. Keep it away from your sisters. The second it does something wrong, I'll end it."
Hylia watched her mother leave before she turned to pick Scaley up. "Don't listen to her. You're a good demon."
Scaley gave a purring growl before baring his teeth when Din, Nayru and Farore approached.
On their shoulders sat three small dragons of different colors and wearing what appeared to be cloaks.
Hylia stared at the dragons and wondered whether they were the presents her mother had said she would give to the three.
"What is that?" Din asked, staring at Scaley. "Is it really a demon like mom said?"
"It's ugly," Nayru muttered, leaning a bit closer to Scaley.
"You're ugly," Hylia snapped, squeezing Scaley as she pouted at her sisters. "Don't listen to them, Scaley. You're beautiful in your own way."
Farore snorted as she scratched her dragon's chest. "You're going to keep it?"
"Mm-hm. Scaley saved me, so I'm going to protect him."
Din rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "You're so weird."
"I am not!"
"You are! You're always doing something weird and unnatural and just not Goddess-like!"
"W-well….maybe I don't wanna be a Goddess!" Hylia stomped a foot, wings flaring out as she squeezed Scaley even tighter until he squeaked. "Then I wouldn't have mean sisters like you!"
"Hylia," Nayru murmured, reaching a hand out to the blonde. "She didn't mean it like that."
Hylia took a step back, out of reach of Nayru's touch, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She glared at them before running off to her room.
"Nice going, Din," Farore muttered.
"Why is it my fault?!" Din complained, throwing up her hands.
"You didn't have to be so cruel," Nayru said. "She's our sister. We all have our quirks and it doesn't make her weird or unusual or a freak. Hylia is Hylia and you know our mother made her to surpass her when the time comes."
Hylia pouted in her room, leaning against her pillow as she clung to Scaley.
Scaley didn't complain at the pressure keeping him still, letting Hylia use him as a comfort measure.
"Stupid dumb sisters…thinking they're better than me because they're older."
Scaley lifted his head to look up at Hylia who was still pouting.
"And why do they get dragons? What's so special about them? You're way cooler than some dumb lizard."
Scaley gave a low grumble, flattening his scales so he could bump his head gently against Hylia's chin.
Hylia sighed, pressing her forehead against Scaley's forehead. "They're not even any fun to play with….I want a friend my age to play with. Someone who won't make me feel lonely."
Scaley remained still, thinking about Hylia's words. She had taken him in on the mistake of him saving her life from the wolf demon when he had been hunting it for food. But she was nice and made him feel safe. She was warm too.
Maybe they could help each other.
Wriggling out of Hylia's grasp, Scaley hopped off her bead.
Hylia sniffed a bit, watching as Scaley went to the door of her bedroom. "Scaley? Where are you going?"
Scaley turned to Hylia, giving a low grumble. He couldn't tell her he would be back since he couldn't speak but he hoped she would understand his message.
Hylia watched as Scaley opened the door then left. Her wings drooped as she wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. "Okay, bye…."
She must have annoyed the demon with her incessant chattering.
Hylia sighed as she tossed more bread at the ducks swimming on the pond's surface, watching them squabble over it.
It had been a few days since Scaley's disappearance and since she hadn't seen him anywhere, she assumed he had returned to wherever he had come from.
"It's for the best," Orla had said. "Demons like that aren't meant to be around Goddesses."
Hylia wasn't so sure if Scaley had been a demon. That was just what her mother told her.
A footstep sounded behind her and Hylia turned rapidly, feathers raising in alarm.
A few feet away stood a boy her age with dark skin and red hair that flickered like fire. His eyes were read as well and Hylia thought that the boy's arms were covered in scales.
The boy wore what appeared to be a strip of cloth around his waist.
Hylia stared at the boy. Was he a creation of her mother's? Had Orla made him to give her a friend?
The boy gave a small wave at Hylia, smiling nervously. His teeth were sharp. "Hello. My name is…"
You will bring demise upon our brood, runt!
"Demise."
Hylia gave a slight chuckle. "Demise? That's a silly name."
"It is?" Demise rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I can change it to another name if you wish."
"Didn't your parents name you Demise?"
Demise appeared to flinch but didn't respond to her question, instead pointing at the ducks. "What are you doing?"
"Oh." Hylia looked at the ducks who were watching her, waiting for more bread. "I'm feeding the ducks."
"Ducks? That's what they're called?"
Hylia glanced at him. "You've never seen a duck before?"
Demise shrugged. "I have. I just didn't know what they were called. Can I help?"
Hylia grinned. "Of course!"
"I only realized that Scaley was Demise when I saw the Imprisoned for the first time," Hylia sighed, shaking her head as she clasped her hands together. "I didn't think to question it and he hadn't told me. I don't even know how he became human. Wyrms didn't have the ability to transform into a human form."
Ganondorf glanced at Zelda who appeared to be deep in thought.
Link frowned, he hadn't thought that the Imprisoned was a different form for Demise; he had thought it was just a result of being sealed. Why are you telling us this?
"Because knowing the history of Demise is knowing the history of Malice."
Zelda looked up sharply at Hylia's words. "Are you saying you think the Malice gave Demise a human form?"
"It's quite possible the Malice was a demon. A parasitic demon. It offered him a body, something he wanted, in return for shelter." Hylia closed her eyes. "Of course, it had ulterior motives."
"So we're purging the parasite," Ganondorf said, "by bathing in the springs."
Hylia nodded with a smile. "Yes. Purging yourselves may not get rid of the Malice in its entirety but for this cycle you'll be free."
"Are you sure?" Zelda asked.
"I can't be certain that the Malice hasn't thought of this eventuality, but you three will be safe from its grasp."
The three glanced at each other before looking back at Hylia.
What do we do now? Link asked.
Hylia smiled, pleased with the determination. "The three scales have to be offered up to the stone labyrinths created by the Zonai. In them, you will be challenged using your wisdom, power, and courage. The rewards you gain will help you in future temples."
"Where is the first labyrinth?" Ganondorf asked.
"Tabantha. It is in North Tabantha Snowfield, nestled just pas a mountain." Hylia smiled.
"Don't worry. You'll be able to spot it easily."
Zelda bowed. "Thank you for your guidance, Hylia."
"The pleasure was all mine, young ones. I give you my blessing." Hylia watched the three as they departed and sighed. "Good luck. The journey is only going to get much difficult, champions."
