#demon king malladus

[friendlybatteringram]

Let’s settle this, once and for all!

Spirit Tracks bosses, part 8/8

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[princessfaeron]

I see we both got a bit confused by the writers using the term "imprisoning war" again. I'd forgotten the sealing of Demise was also called that, but I got mixed up with the one on the Zelda Timeline instead:

like, I genuinely dragged out my Hyrule Historia to check this while I was playing to try and figure out the timeline 😵

179 Days since Tears of the Kingdom Released. So I’ve recovered a bit from the movie announcement yesterday. Today I’ll share my belief about where Totk is placed on the timeline. I’ve been turning it around in my head but the Demon King Ganondorf, while appearing similar to Demise, is not Demise. The imprisoning war that’s talked about in Skyward Sword is not at all the same as the imprisoning war in Totk. So my belief is that Sonia and her husband are not the first Queen and King of Hyrule. At least they aren’t the first king and queen of the first Hyrule. I think that Skyward Sword happens and that Link and Zelda begin the creation of the Kingdom of Hyrule. After Twilight Princess, Spirit Tracks, and pretty much every other Zelda game besides Botw/Totk happens, the timeline converges and the old Hyrule is destroyed (or Hyrule is destroyed before the timelines merge, your pick.) There’s a period of time with no Hyrule and then the Zonai descend and Sonia and Rauru found Hyrule again . This new Hyrule Kingdom is the same that continues until Botw Zelda’s time. Hence this Ganondorf is imprisoned beneath the castle for so long except for the two Calamity events. That’s my theory (cough a game theory.)

[catohphm]

One of my favorite elements of Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is its incarnation of Link. At the start of the game, he is completing his final exam to become a train driver. He becomes a warrior and hero to save the land after the Demon King Malladus is broken out of his prison by his supporters, proceeding to wreak havoc across the Kingdom of New Hyrule. That is part of a formula seen in other Zelda games such as the Wind Waker.

However, Spirit Tracks is different because before the final battle, you're given a "choose your own" path for Link where you can decide if he'll continue to be a warrior, retire from the high adventure lifestyle and become an engineer, or a third option "Dunno." The post-credits scene with Zelda in her office is different depending on which option you pick.

The warrior path has Link practicing with his sword just outside in the grounds below her office. Zelda gets up from her desk where they see each other, causing him to fall down. They wave at each other before returning to their tasks.

In the engineer path, Zelda is catching up on the paperwork when she hears the whistle of Link's train. She checks out the window and energetically waves at him as he travels past.

The third option just has her remembering her adventure with Link before continuing with the paperwork.

I may be biased toward the engineer path as much as I love trains, but I also prefer that choice for this Link because it gives a different idea of his character. He is a highly skilled, resilient and intrepid warrior when the need arises. However once the kingdom is safe, he actually has an opportunity to settle down and live a regular lifestyle as a train driver, getting the sense of adventure he enjoyed while traveling with Zelda through that. This Link was the hero Hyrule needed, but once the quest is over, he is able to have freedom in his life as a regular person without the burden of it over his shoulders.

[azuresage]

My fourth fanfic is completed at last!

The Concerto of Spirits (193161 words) by AurumFlow Chapters: 42/42 Fandom: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Characters: Original Characters, Original Legend of Zelda Character(s), Various Legend of Zelda Characters Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Action/Adventure, Blood and Violence, Generational Trauma, Character Death Series: Part 4 of The Aurum Flow Summary: At one time, there were heroes in Hyleigh. When the Realms were threatened, the Hero of Spirits rose to the challenge and saved the land. Now, two thousand years have passed, and the place he protected stands as a ghost of its former self, hanging on by a thread as a mysterious entity threatens to resurrect the long-sealed Demon King Malladus. Sitri Beldine, descendant of the Hero of Spirits, tries to defend her land by mirroring the path of her ancestor. In the Mystic Realm, Demon King Mikhaeyla honors her family line and upholds a pact of peace between demons and humans, and she worries for the land her forefathers came from. The Lokomo, too, do everything in their power to manage the Physical Realm and keep it from the hands of monsters. And in the midst of all this, voyagers from a distant sea stumble their way onto Hyleigh’s shores, looking to build a new Hyrule kingdom. When all of these forces come together, it will change Hyleigh’s fate forever.

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It feels so good to have another one under my belt... And there's still more to come! I hope you check it out, as well as the other works in the series!

[kitkatt0430]

Zelda question number #2567244723 - so in Spirit Tracks the land that became New Hyrule already had it's own people and history way beforehand, and now I'm wondering...for how long? Because it sounds like it's been at least several hundred years since Malladus was sealed away so does that mean this place existed even before the Flooding? And what are the wider implications of that?

Ooooh, I like this question. It's a world building question. ^_^

It's been a while since I last played this one, so I had to go take a minute to refresh my memory on it. (Thank you various Zelda fandom wikis.) We know the history of the land is that Link and Tetra (and her pirate crew) found the land that became new Hyrule after the events of the Phantom Hourglass and discovering that the inhabitants already there - the Lokomo - were friendly and welcoming and possibly that the Zora and Gorons had already settled in the area, decided this was the place they were being called to in order to create their new Kingdom.

They started bringing over the people of the Islands - at least, anyone willing to go settle the new land - and founded the new Kingdom, taught by the Lokomo no doubt on how to use the ancient tracks to travel quickly to bring supplies to the people of new Hyrule. A hundred years later, we get the events of the game Spirit Tracks and the first real look at what the Lokomo are like.

The land itself is supposed to be guarded by the Spirits of Good - based on the name I'd guess they're meant to be similar to the Spirits of Light from Twilight Princess. They're the ones who sealed the Demon King away and used the Spirit Tracks as that seal. It's interesting to me that this tale is very similar to the plot of Skyward Sword; I've always wondered if a piece of Demise escaped to incarnate as the Demon King, thinking that it was far enough away from the 'cursed lands guarded by Hylia' to cause mischief unopposed only to get body slammed by the Spirits of Good.

At any rate, this story is one told by the 'first settlers' of the land and since I'd like to believe that Link and Tetra didn't commit colonial violence to found their Kingdom, it seems likely that the first settlers were the Lokomo and they may have been dying out already.

Why do I think they were dying out? Well, Spirit Tracks we encounter seven of them and they're all pretty isolated. They're largely carrying out sacred tasks meant to help maintain the Demon King's and it's heavily implied that the Lokomo are not particularly common people in Hyrule. It seems unlikely Link's ever heard of them or encountered them before he gets dragged into saving Hyrule, nor do we see any Lokomo living among the people of Hyrule's towns/cities either.

Of the seven Lokomo we meet, Bryne is on of the two youngest and he was previously Anjean's apprentice who failed his apprenticeship out of a desire for power over purpose. But considering that of the Lokomo who are actually doing their sacred jobs - which fills the space usually taken by the Sages rather neatly - only Gage appears to be young... it seems likely he was also an apprentice around the same time Bryne was, or shortly before, and actually succeeded at his apprenticeship. The other five Lokomo guardians are all kinda... old. And none of them have apprentices.

My suspicion is that the Lokomo saw the descendants of Old Hyrule and the touch of the goddess upon them - the pointy ears that the Lokomo also have, indicating they're also touched by the gods in some way - and were hoping that the people of New Hyrule could become their successors in maintaining the seal. Since they were longer lived, they could watch over the land and it's new people to see if Hylians could connect to the land's magic and take over for the Lokomo despite their much shorter lives. And I think the events of the game, with Link and Zelda, proved that Hylians not only could, but did.

Of course the question of why the Lokomo are dying out is one I can't really figure an answer to, though it certainly makes sense in why they'd welcome settlers from a far away place to not only take up residence but found an entirely new kingdom run by the colonizers and not the indigenous inhabitants. If there just weren't enough Lokomo to maintain a community, much less a kingdom... having new caretakers to the land would have been a welcome sign from the Spirits of Good that their efforts as custodians of the Spirit Tracks wouldn't be in vain as their people continued to dwindle away.

But your question goes further back than the founding of new Hyrule. And maybe that would explain why the Lokomo are so few in number compared to the Hylians and Humans of Old Hyrule. Hyrule was a temperate, blessed land where the fields were fertile, food was plentiful, and everything was below the now-current sea level. Which means New Hyrule is up in an area that would have taken the equivalent of climbing to the top of Death Mountain to reach. And while New Hyrule is similar in size to Old Hyrule, I don't think it was always similar weather/temperature wise.

If Old Hyrule were founded during, say... something similar to an ice age, but was close enough to the equator to still have a comfortable temperature range and seasonal changes, then the flooding was likely caused by the goddesses raising the overall temperature of the planet, melting the ice caps enough to flood Hyrule... and causing distinct changes in the weather across the world. The land that became New Hyrule was higher in elevation than old Hyrule and also likely further away from the temperate zone of the equator.

Or... it was really, really cold all the time. Until the floods came, the ice age ended, and the land thawed out to become a more comfortably habitable place. It could be that the Lokomo were not well adapted to these changes in their habitat and that in flooding Old Hyrule as a sort of nuclear option to stop Ganondorf and the piece of Demise within him... they kinda screwed over their precautions for maintaining the seal over the Demon King and the piece of Demise within that guy. But of course the Hylians provided a handy bandaid. With Ganondorf dead and the piece of Demise within him being dealt with by the Master Sword beneath the ocean waves (goodbye Fi, you were a bit annoying but the switch version of the game made you less so and I did like you regardless...) meant that the Hylians could get transferred over to take up guardianship of a different piece of Demise.

Win-win. The displaced Hyrulians get a new home, the Lokomo get successors capable of utilizing the magic of the Spirit Tracks. Everybody's happy. (And the gods involved in the flooding can totally pretend this was their intention from the start.)

As for when exactly Malladus showed up in these new lands... I suspect it happened around the time Zelda sent Link back in time. The timeline splitting to create the child and adult timelines could have easily allowed another piece of Demise to escape confinement, and rather than stick around where the piece in Ganondorf had just failed and been sealed, it ran away to a land of ice far beyond the Gerudo desert and high above the lands of Hyrule. Far enough away that surely no one would stand to oppose it's rise to power.

Since the only thing we really know about the time that passed between the end of Ocarina of Time in the adult timeline and the start of The Wind Waker is that ages had passed between the two, long enough that the tale of the Hero of Time had passed into Legend. So it definitely could have already been a few hundred years at that point, especially with it having been quite some time since the flood happened as well. Which would match up well with Malladus having been sealed away for hundreds of years.

Of course, the wider implications of the land that becomes New Hyrule existing before the flooding things is... there is a whole planet out there to explore and Old Hyrule was definitely in some kind of quarantine to try and keep Demise from spreading. And that quarantine totally failed. Terribly. They're gonna be finding bits and pieces of Demise all over the place for generations to come. If he can take the form of an evil train? I wanna know where evil squirrel Demise is hiding. (I jest, but it would be hilarious, no?)

(Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Hyrule is separated from the rest of the world via mountains on one side, ocean on two sides, and a giant chasm to the fourth. It's a quarantine, I tell you. Gotta protect the rest of the planet from whatever the latest Hyrulian nonsense with Demise is.)

[thisbelongsto-nohbodys]

And with the defeat of Ganondorf, I’ve finally beat Tears of the Kingdom.

Loved this game (and I can’t wait to watch my brother get frustrated playing it, hehehe). I’m not fond of how even tho’ I spent so long hunting down the Sage’s Wills, they didn’t really help in the phases that they were a part of (not that they’re powers would’ve been helpful anyways). The 2.5 Phase was a bit annoying but eventually I got the timing down...altho’ I used Shards of the Light Dragon Arrows to deal the final blow, which then brings me to the final phase of the fight. I like this final desperate attack from Ganondorf a lot more than the one in BotW (y’know, the giant boar demon that just stood there and didn’t do anything), it was a lot more cinematic and if you’ve collected all the Tears then it becomes a lot more meaningful.

I’m kinda hoping that with the defeat of Calamity Ganon in BotW being Ganon ending the resurrection cycle and the defeat of The Demon King Ganon here, that Nintendo will finally do a different main villain for the next few main-line Zelda games. Villains like Vaati, Zant, Malladus, Majora, Onox/Veran and the like were decent/good villains and it’s a shame that we don’t get more like them (I excluded Demise and Ghirahim because they’re a part of Ganon’s line) and so hopefully we will get some new faces to add to the Zelda villains table.

I didn’t get the DLC for BotW (wasn’t interested in the Trials of the Master Sword and the 5th Divine Beast Shrine) but hopefully if they do DLC for this game and it’s interesting then I’ll likely get it because there’s so many story ideas that they could do.

10/10 would recommend this game (especially if you played BotW)

[fourswords]

okay. wait. i need to rant about spirit tracks' convoluted history or it'll eat at me for the rest of my days.

OKAY. so. in the beginning, this is the tale told to link (and the players):

This is a tale from long ago. It's the tale of the first settlers of this land.

In the beginning, the people followed the spirits of good, and all was peaceful. But that era of peace soon came to an end.

The evil Demon King rose to power, destroying everything in his path. The spirits of good had no choice but to face him in battle.

The war that ensued seemed to last an eternity, and much blood was shed. Finally, the spirits subdued the Demon King, though they could not destroy him. Their powers were greatly depleted.

With their remaining power, they buried the Demon King's spirit in the ground. They built shackles to imprison him, and a tower that acted as a lock. These shackles cover the land to this day.

With their power drained, the spirits of good returned to the heavens. Suddenly bereft of both demons and spirits, this land was entrusted to us.

And what that seems to imply is that. The settlers??? Were Tetra and her crew??? Because the beginning starts with "the first settlers of this land" (and only One Group throughout the whole game have been shown to have settled there) and the whole thing ends with "Suddenly bereft of both demons and spirits, this land was entrusted to us" with absolutely no differentiation between those "first settlers" and "us" (and, since Niko was IN Tetra's crew, the "us" would especially make sense??). So basically, if I'm reading this right and am not just sleep-deprived, it's saying that Tetra and her crew arrived PRIOR to the war between the Spirits of Good and Malladus. Like, they showed up, were like "Hey, the last kingdom our people lived in was flooded to all hell with poisonous water and people can only sustain themselves for so many generations on those tiny islands we came from. Can we live here" and the Spirits were like "Yeah no problem, come on in" and so they started to live there. Whatever. Etc etc. There was peace for a few years, and then all hell broke loose.

And, see, the conversation between Anjean and Zelda about the history of everything goes like this:

Zelda: Oh... Did you know someone in my family?

Anjean: Feisty AND bright, just like she was! The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Yes, I knew one of your ancestors. I met her when she had just arrived here. She and I were friends for a very long time.

Zelda: My family first arrived here about a century ago. Were you already here in the tower then, Anjean?

Anjean: That's a story for another time, my dear. Right now, we must discuss a matter more grave. Tell me, do you know the story of this tower?

Zelda: Only what the folktales say... Long ago, the spirits of good and the Demon King were embroiled in a never- ending war. In the end, the spirits could not defeat him. But they did manage to imprison him in this tower.

Anjean says she met Tetra when Tetra had just arrived there, and was friends with her for a very long time. And then Zelda asks her if Anjean was already in the tower when Tetra arrived, to which Anjean...dodges the question about. And then! This explanation about the Lokomos!

Anjean: Not yet. But there is a way to restore energy to the rail maps. You can ask my people to help you.

Zelda: Your people, Anjean?

Anjean: Indeed. We are called the Lokomos. We are servants of the spirits. They have entrusted us with protecting the temples and the Spirit Tracks. By playing our sacred instruments... We generate energy that powers the Spirit Tracks.

So, the Lokomos were entrusted with protecting the temples and the Spirit Tracks. Hyrule Historia mentions that they were specifically dispatched from the heavens to each of the four temples and the tower—which, of course, implies that if Anjean met Tetra when she first arrived, the tower was ALREADY THERE. And Hyrule Historia, again, asserts that claim!:

Continuing their journey, Link, Tetra, and the pirates at last came upon a new continent. At the heart of this lsnd sat a structure called the Tower of Spirits, from which the Spirit Tracks spiraled out. Here, Tetra founded New Hyrule.

SO IT'S LIKE!!!! HUH!!!!! WHAT!!!!!!! I could maybe understand things getting twisted and turned in folklore here and there, but it's only been a single itty bitty century since Tetra's crew showed up (and somehow Zelda is the fifth of her line, according to Hyrule Historia??? If the war started after Tetra's crew arrived there, I could see it—having kids young in case anything happened or something along those lines)—SURELY it hasn't had the TIME to become so convoluted yet??? And from two sources of information who were THERE (Niko and Anjean) no less??? Would it have killed them to be a little clearer in the actual game instead of the dubious "canon" that is Hyrule Historia. Just been like "Yeah we showed up and then this great war started after a few years of peace" or "Yeah this great war raged on before we got there and then we showed up right after it ended." Or SOMETHING. HEAD IN MY HANDS

[skyloftian-nutcase]

The deal about Zelda in Spirit Tracks is that she is actually the companion character for Link in that game. The first time ever a Zelda has been with Link form start to end of an adventure! Essentially she had asked Link to help her sneak out of the castle so they could go to this tower, because she suspected some sort of corruption or omen was going to happen. Since this is a Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass sequel you can bet this is Tetra's granddaughter and the final boss isn't Ganon. Instead is this demon bull thing names Malladus who was apparently sealed away using these train tracks, the reason we have a train in this game, and one of his servants pas posing as a Counciler in Zelda's court. Basically, Spirit Zelda was led into a trap where her body was stolen from her to be used as a vessel for the new demon king. Zelda, naturally, freaks the fuck out and insists on Link helping her get her body back. Thus why she is able to posses suits of armor (who are Phantom enemies returning from Phantom Hourglass) and her ability to fight with Link

I love everything about this! The idea of Zelda being the companion is so fun, they get to have the adventure together! ❤️ I think this game is only available on DS and I don’t have that, but I’ll have to watch a play through or at least the cut scenes at some point.

[alphascorpiixx]

Phantom Touch - Chapter 7

Zelink Week Day 7: Hand in Hand (Free Day)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

Read on AO3

@zelinkcommunity

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The Demon Train hurtled through the darkness. Zelda marched along the top of the engine. Her body was within her sight, only a few steps away. The train rocked from side to side, like it was trying to shake her off. The feet of the Phantom armor held firm, and she kept her steady pace. One step, then another.

At last, she was within reach.

Zelda seized her body. Malladus still controlled it and carried them both into the air. Zelda struggled to hold on as her own body fought back. She couldn’t fail now, not with Link holding the Bow of Light and aiming for Malladus. Not when they were so close to ending this.

Malladus screamed. Zelda screamed back, finally releasing her buried anger and despair. Her cries echoed in her armor. Her voice multiplied into a cacophony that contained every biting setback and false hope she’d endured thus far. Malladus thrashed in her arms. Strands of golden hair caught in her armor's horns, but Zelda held her possessed body with all the life and dreams this armor helped contain within her. In the corner of her eye, she saw Link loose the bowstring.

The arrow struck true.

The Demon King screeched in a horrid mix of his growling voice from Zelda’s vocal chords. Light energy surged around her body. Malladus fought against the exorcizing light but he couldn’t break free from the grip of Zelda’s armor. Malladus had corrupted the Phantoms in the Tower of Spirits. Fitting that she would use their power to destroy him.

“You won’t escape this time, Malladus!” she taunted.

“RELEASE ME!”

They landed on the Demon Train. Link was still there, the bow exchanged for his sword and shield. His body was poised to rush toward her, but Zelda didn’t want him anywhere near the demon’s darkness.

“Link! Be careful! Don’t worry about me! Just get away from Malladus!”

But Link either didn’t hear or didn’t heed her warning. He ran for her just as the light overwhelmed Zelda’s eyes.

The train shook beneath her feet. A scream burst from the grimacing face. The engine exploded in a rage of fire. She lost her grip on Malladus. Her arms flailed for anything to hold—either Malladus or Link or a piece of the shattered train. Something to cling to as the blast flung her into oblivion.

“Link!” she cried out.

The light became darkness.

-

Zelda opened her eyes to a red-orange sky. Her helmet was gone, her Phantom body lost.

But Link was there. He was lying on the ground, unconscious, but he was still there. Zelda floated to his side. She couldn’t shake him awake, and she couldn’t stop Malladus alone.

“Link! Link! Please open your eyes, Link!”

Link stirred. He grimaced and opened one eye.

“Are you all right?” she asked. Link tried to smile but winced and groaned. “Oh no . . .”

The remains of the Demon Train were scattered around the field. Cole appeared to have been knocked out, but her body was still floating in the air, surrounded by Malladus’ darkness. If the power of light hadn’t worked, then they’d failed. Without Link, without her armor, Ferrovia was lost.

“Link, please,” Zelda whispered. Her hands rested on his shoulders. She couldn’t touch him or offer any physical comfort. But she needed him to rise and face Malladus.

Her body arched and screamed. A demonic face formed of blue smoke burst out. Zelda sobbed in relief. The Bow of Light’s power had worked in releasing Malladus from her body.

But the Demon King was yet to be destroyed.

Now was her chance. Zelda raced for her freed body. Cole was in her way. She couldn’t knock him aside, but her speed startled him into reeling away.

She closed the gap between her spirit and her physical form. No more hoping, no more waiting. No more yearning for normalcy and the simple joy of the smallest touch. No more feelings of inadequacy when she couldn’t help Link without the armor. She couldn’t feel the wind on her face but she swore she could feel her heart lodged in her throat as her body grew closer, closer, closer—

Sky.

Zelda spun around. Her body hadn’t moved, but her spirit had passed right through.  No, no, no, nonononono. She tried again and again, but her spirit refused to remerge with her body. Or was her body rejecting her spirit?

She dimly heard Cole shouting and Malladus roar, but she didn’t care. Their schemes were inconsequential compared to the fact that this wasn’t working. Why wasn’t this working?

Blue smoke swirled in her peripheral vision. She noticed Malladus’ approach—too late. His fire burning eyes held her in their sights as his roar rattled the earth. Zelda covered her face with her arms, her unarmored spirit useless to stop him.

A barrier of light stalled his advance. Zelda found the source of the barrier below her: Byrne. Byrne, her former enemy and now ally, stood in front of Link and cast a barrier spell between her and the Demon King.

“You cannot give up now!” he shouted, voice still strained from his injuries. “Your body still has the sacred power of the spirits! Now concentrate on reclaiming it!” He hunched over and clutched his torso in pain. When he spoke again, she could almost detect a smile under his mask. “After all . . . Didn’t you say you wanted to have words with me?”

A laugh almost tore from her throat at the absurdity of the situation. Byrne had helped steal her body in the first place. Now here he was giving her advice to reclaim it. She most certainly would have words for him later.

Zelda faced her body and closed her eyes. Malladus and Cole faded from her mind as she focused on seeking the light within herself. “If there really is a sacred power . . . Please let me hear it! Tetra! Please give me your blessing!”

Sensation washed over her—not feeling exactly, but like the ghost of sunlight on her skin.

Then she fell.

Zelda screamed—

—she was falling—she had her body back—she was falling and about to die—

She landed on Link. Zelda gasped and sat up. She was still sitting on top of him, but—

She was no longer weightless. She stared her hands—her hands! Flexed her fingers. Felt the fabric of her gloves shift on her arms. She breathed—breathed!—in a great lungful of air—sweet, fresh air!—and laughed and sobbed and let the tears—tears!—flow freely down her cheeks. Link groaned and pushed himself up. Zelda hugged him.

He smelled like sweat and smoke and grease. Zelda breathed in that delightful scent and pressed her face into his shoulder. A loose thread from his tunic itched her nose. His heartbeat pulsed under her touch. She laughed until her chest hurt.

A wail of agony pierced the air.

Zelda broke off her embrace. Malladus had restrained Byrne with crackling purple electricity. She stared in horror and Byrne screamed and writhed. Even with her body, she was still armorless and powerless. His body shattered into wisps of shadow.

Zelda cried out. Former enemy or not, Byrne had been the one to help her reunite with her body. He did not deserve to die from Malladus’ cruelty.

Cole’s shrieking laughter grated in her ears. “Bravo, Your Majesty! Bravo!” He turned to Link and Zelda, face twisted into his vicious smile. “But time is short, Your Majesty. Please do away with the boy and capture Zelda.”

Zelda’s throat closed. She would not have Link taken from her and could not have her body stolen again. Link was still injured, and she still had no armor. But Link still held his sword, and she could use the Bow of Light. This would not be the end.

Malladus loomed behind Cole. Embers glowed in his eyes. That hideous smile slipped from Cole’s face as he faced his master.

“. . . Your Majesty?”

Malladus swallowed him.

Zelda and Link froze in muted shock. Malladus had found an alternate vessel. Zelda’s relief was overshadowed by her growing dread. Lightning gathered around the Demon King until a rippling tornado obscured him. She shielded her face from the storm.

A hand touched her shoulder. Link’s presence brought her a brief glimmer of comfort before the storm stopped and Malladus reappeared.

The ground trembled under the weight of the beast’s body. It retained the blue of Malladus’ smoky wraith but resembled Cole in a twisted distortion. The reddish-orange hair and horns were Cole’s, but the hair was more like fur and the horns were elongated into deadly weapons. Beastly tusks protruding from its lower jaw clashed with the smartly pointed mustache.

The yellow fire in its eyes was all Malladus.

He snorted and pawed the ground. Zelda flinched away from those claws.

“This vessel . . . is . . . rejecting my spirit. I’m . . . slipping from it . . . I can’t hold on for long . . . But the world will crumble in the time I have left!” His roar thundered through her bones and rattled her eardrums.

Zelda let the last of her tears fall before facing the beast and shouting in defiance, “Come on, Link! Let’s settle this once and for all!”

Link raised his sword.

Lightning cracked in the cloud-swollen sky.

Malladus beat his paws on the ground and howled.

The sacred power flashed under Zelda’s finger tips. She knew how to destroy him.

“Link! I’m going to concentrate on channeling my power. While I do that, please protect me from Malladus!”

He needed no encouragement. Link smiled. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She focused on that feeling and closed her eyes. The sight of his smile lingered in her vision.

—seeing that smile for the first time in the castle. A young boy graduating from apprentice to Royal Engineer—

—no hesitation when she asked him to take her to the Tower of Spirits. His fearlessness when facing Cole and Byrne—

—his patience with her when she lost her body. Never once saying she was useless or unneeded—

—protecting her from rats even when she could have taken care of them herself in her armor—

—writing letters for her. Promising to take her swimming in Papuchia Village—

—the music he played to cheer her when her thoughts spiraled into despair—

—laughing with her as the train sped along the tracks and they could ignore their worries for just a moment—

—the simple touch of his hand as wordless reassurance—

Light shone through Zelda’s closed eyelids. Her heart swelled with power, a rush of exhilaration, and the sweet affection for the boy who had become her best friend and most trusted ally. Neither of them could have accomplished so much without the other.

Zelda opened her eyes. She raised her arms and let the light sing through her body.

“Thank you for protecting me! I’m ready now, Link! Let’s combine my power with the power of the Spirit Flute! I think we can use them to weaken Malladus!” There was more she wanted to say to him, but now was not the time. Her confidence in their victory allowed her to tuck those thoughts away for the moment. They could wait until after Malladus was defeated.

With the sacred power at her command, Zelda transported them to a space outside reality—the spirit realm. Her power would not last long, but they would make this time count. “This is it. Just follow along with me, Link,” she said.

They stood side by side bathed in the otherworldly glow. Link held the Spirit Flute. Zelda inhaled deeply, reminding her body how to work her throat and lungs to transform her breath into song. The silence calmed her mind, like the realm waited for her and Link to fill it with their music.

Zelda raised a hand to her heart and sang five simple notes. Link echoed them on the flute. After a repetition, the melody changed, more rises and falls to the notes. Her voice and Link’s flute blended together in a duet.

A cello and pipa added strength to the song, then a second flute and timpani. An oboe completed their orchestra. Zelda glanced up to see the five Lokomos floated above her and Link. Anjean was not with them, but Zelda nevertheless felt her presence radiating from the Spirit Flute.

As Zelda finished the song, she thought she heard another voice joining with hers. The familiarity sparked memories of the Spirit Flute when her grandmother used to play the instrument for her. Zelda reached out her hand and felt the ghost of a touch reach back. In her heart, she knew this was Tetra, aiding her and Link just as she had with the Hero of Winds in their own time.

She sang her last note, but the song did not fade from her ears. It pulsed in her heart as she and Link were transported back to their reality. Malladus reared onto his hind legs and roared, but the sound did not jolt her as it had before. He had no power over her. Her own sacred light struck him and etched a glowing marking on his back.

“Link, give me the Bow of Light,” Zelda said. He handed her the weapon, and she wrapped her hands around the spots warmed from his grip. “You distract Malladus. When I see an opportunity, I’ll shoot him in the back. This is the last battle, so let’s make it count!”

Link parted from her side and ran straight for Malladus’ head. Claws swiped at Link’s small body. Her heart skipped, but she did not fear. Link rolled under the beast’s belly and slashed his sword at a hind leg.

With Malladus’ attention on Link, Zelda readied her shot. Light flooded her palms as she nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring. The beast’s back was to her, but she did not yet have a clear shot.

Come on, Link!

One more jab from Link’s sword had Malladus turning. Zelda loosed the arrow. Light exploded over Malladus. His back arched, and he bellowed in rage.

Yes!

The one arrow hadn’t been a killing blow. Zelda ran to the side to get another shot. Her breaths were already ragged in her lungs. Flying as a spirit had been faster, but Zelda did not regret any limitation of her body.

Malladus was surprisingly nimble for his monstrous size. Zelda ducked out of the way of his thrashing tail. Link still held his attention, and Zelda loosed a second arrow. The power of light ignited the crystal in Malladus’ forehead. A bleeding red glow illuminated his snarling face as the beast collapsed.

“Now, Link! Give him your worst!”

Link rained blow after blow on Malladus until his left horn snapped in half. The beast jolted upright. He spit flaming rocks at Link and Zelda. Link smacked them away, though one came dangerously close to scorching Zelda’s skin and clothes. She brushed off Link’s worried look and took her aim.

The third shot felled Malladus again. Link broke his other horn and made a clear opening to the glowing ruby. One more round of this chase, and Malladus would be finished.

One more arrow, one more shot. She was just about to loose when Malladus slammed Link into the ground.

“Link!” she screamed. Malladus’ jaws opened above Link’s unmoving body. She loosed the arrow at Malladus’ head. He jerked away from the blast of light.

Zelda was about to run to Link’s side when he heaved himself to his feet. He gave her a quick thumbs-up before diving right back into the fight. Zelda’s heart did not calm its wild beat, but she took up her position behind the beast. She gripped the bow with shaking hands.

One more shot. The kingdom was counting on her. Link was counting on her. She did not have her armor, but she did not need it. The tremor in her hands impeded her aim, but she welcomed it. Her body’s reaction to fear reminded her that she had a body. The solid, rocky ground under her feet, wind in her hair, and scent of warm summer rain steadied her.

Spirits, Tetra, Hero of Winds, guide me.

She let go of the bowstring.

Malladus arched his back. The marking pulsed with the light of the arrows embedded in its center. The ruby flared with crimson fire.

Link thrust his sword into the ruby. Zelda saw him strain against Malladus’s might. They were at a deadlock, boy versus beast. Hero versus Demon King.

But Link was not fighting alone. “I’ll be right there! Hold on!” Zelda shouted.

Her legs burned from weeks of disuse and the exertion she’d pushed her body through in the last few minutes, but she forced them into a sprint until she made it to Link’s side. She dropped the bow and wrapped her hands around Link’s grip on the sword hilt. Her feet braced against the ground. The Bow of Light had responded to her sacred power, and pulling the bowstring had been as easy as moving through air. But now her muscles screamed. She did not have the strength of her borrowed armor, only her own body and her heart’s courage driving her.

Malladus pressed forward. His head loomed over theirs, a glare in his hateful eyes. Her legs almost buckled.

“It’s almost over now, Zelda!”

Link’s voice inspired a new surge of strength. His hands flexed under hers. When she had yearned to hold his hand, this wasn’t what she had in mind. So she would fight for the chance to do so properly.

“One last push!”

Together, Link and Zelda heaved the sword up. They had no more words, so their cries rang as one.

Lightning cracked.

The ruby shattered.

A shard clipped Zelda’s cheek. A thin line of blood welled and dripped like a tear down her face. She did not let go of the sword to wipe it away. Her forearms ached, but she and Link pulled the sword out. Black spots almost overwhelmed her vision. The sword slipped from her fingers, and one of Link’s arms caught her before she collapsed.

Malladus roared. Zelda could not lift her hands to cover her ears. She flinched away from Malladus’ screeching death but did not close her eyes. She would see her enemy vanquished.

Light burst from Malladus’ body, breaking him into nothing but smoke scattered to the wind.

The storm clouds dissipated, and the sky brightened with the glow of sunrise. Zelda stood on shaking legs. Link’s hand hovered above her shoulder in case she needed support.

“So it’s all over now,” she whispered in wonder. Even with their victory, a sorrow tugged at her heart. “But . . .”

Link reached for her, but his gaze caught on something over her shoulder.

Anjean sat in her wheeled chair, hands folded together. Relief to see her again flooded Zelda’s body.

“Oh, Anjean . . . I’m so sorry. Byrne was trying to protect me . . .” The memory of his awful death flashed in her mind. The harsh words she would never get to say to him persisted on her tongue alongside a thanks for saving her life.

“Yes, but there should be no regrets. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. Besides, our kind are the servants of the spirits. We don’t disappear that easily.” Anjean rolled past her and raised her arms to the sky. Light gathered into a small bluish purple sphere.

“What do you mean?” Zelda asked.

“The spirit is persistent, my dear. Byrne may not have any memory of these events, but years from now he’ll return in a new form.” Anjean faced them again. Byrne’s spirit cast a soft glow on her face. She smiled softly. “You see, as Lokomos, we weren’t only meant to protect the Spirit Tracks. We were also meant to watch over mankind. But our protection is no longer needed. Even without the spirits’ guidance, you will do well. So I think I will return to the heavens, in the company of my old friend Byrne.”

Zelda watched Anjean extend her arms and float out of her chair. The urge to shout and call back for her friend gripped her body. “Anjean, wait!”

Anjean clasped her hands together and gazed down, the lines of her face set into serenity. “Please watch over this land, my dear. And Link . . . You must help her.” Her body transformed into a similar sphere, one of violet to match Byrne’s purple-blue. Anjean’s voice drifted to them, carrying one last message.

“Goodbye . . . And thank you. Thank you both.”

Anjean and Byrne were joined by five other spirits. Zelda recognized Gage’s forest green alongside Carben’s ocean blue and Steem’s snowy white. The fire of Embrose burned beside Rael’s desert gold. They all ascended to the heavens, the last of their light fading into the sunrise.

A tear rolled down her face. Zelda rubbed it away. Her glove came away speckled with red. She’d forgotten about the small cut. It would leave a scar, but the wound would heal. The kingdom, her kingdom, was already on the path to recovery thanks to her and Link. Now Zelda herself would be able to take that next step with her own two feet and restore her kingdom with her own two hands.

Link’s shoulder brushed hers. She slipped her hand through his, and he held her tight.

---

A/N: the idea for Ferrovia as the name of the kingdom is from this post

[rex-shadao]

My reaction to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's contribution to the Zelda Canon and Timeline. *SPOILERS*

You really think Nintendo would actually try to keep the Zelda lore consistent? Having been in the Zelda fandom in the mid-2000s, I've seen too many instances where Nintendo just never followed up on the lore they created and instead make new ones, leading to a great many theories falling flat. When I was young and naive, I thought they were going to make Malladus the Big Bad of Skyward Sword because he was called Demon King in Spirit Tracks and Skyward Sword mentions of a Demon King (and keep in mind, Ganondorf was only called Great King of Evil or Dark Lord in the US at the time). That's when I learned the hard way that it's best to treat every Zelda game as a stand alone unless otherwise stated to be a direct sequel or prequel of a past installment (not distant).

Honestly, only recently has Nintendo given a more consistent world of Hyrule through Breath of the Wild and its two related installments, Age of Calamity and Tears of the Kingdom. That's currently an outlier than the norm. So I'm not surprised that they changed the origins of the Royal Family of Hyrule AND Ganondorf's accession as the Demon King again.

[grandsonoflightike]

Dana the Writer: Welcome to Chapter 24 of “Subspace Askr VS Demonic Grey Emblia”. This is the chapter that has Subspace Alfonse, Subspace Sharena, Subspace Anna, and Subspace Aereon take a vacation to The California Coast in the United States of Writers’ Earth but of course they get attacked by Malladus’s Demon Army on the beach.

Subspace Alfonse: Of Course the Demon Army attack the beach when we’re on it.

Takeda: They are after me because I got Revived By Dana The Writer.

Light Chrom: Why did you get revived?

Dana The Writer: Because the one commanding Malladus is fearful of him.

Kathy The Writer: What? The one commanding Malladus fears Takeda? They are a threat that fears a Evil Writer. I wonder who this mysterious one commanding Malladus is.

Light Male Robin: I bet we’ll find out at least something about Takeda. All Branders Characters and Writers © tAll3Shyguy On DA or tAll3Shyguy Skull Land On Fanfiction/Youtube/Tumblr or tAll3Shyguy_Skull_Land on Archive of Our Own or Skulkerman on PSN or DavidTWr On Nintendo Network or KalligLegacy On Discord. Grandsonoflightike is a role-play account of tAll3Shyguy Skull Land On Tumblr aka @skulkerman on tumblr where he role-plays as his branders characters. Preview made by @brozoco on tumblr.

Dana The Writer: Thanks for the disclaimer, Light Male Robin. Background song is Blow Me Away By Breaking Benjamin. Now on with the story.

Subspace Askr VS Demonic Grey Emblia Chapter 24:  The Askrians At The California Coastline

Once The Subspace Order Of Heroes get back from the Shadow Nohrian Summer Resort, The King Of Subspace Askr orders them to take a break on the Calfornian Beach.

At The Beach, They head to the Changing Rooms. Subspace Aereon, Subspace Alfonse, and Subspace Sharena come out no problem but not Subspace Anna.

Subspace Sharena says “What is taking you so long, Subspace Anna?”

Subspace Anna only moans.

Subspace Aereon says “Go check on her, Subspace Sharena.”

Subspace Sharena says “Gotcha.”

Subspace Sharena goes inside and sees Subspace Anna Has Her Bikini on and doesn’t know why she moaned. Suddenly Subspace Anna Turns Around to her And Subspace Sharena sees why she moaned. Her Personal Swimsuit is the one she would have modeled for her photographs she was taking in. She looks rather sexy in it as well.

Subspace Anna says “Hey Subspace Sharena. This is why I am afraid to go out. It is my Personal swimsuit I was going to model. I’m scared that Subspace Alfonse might think I am going to take pictures. Plus I also am embarrassed to be seen by Your Brother like this.”

Subspace Sharena was confused until she remembered that Subspace Alfonse and Subspace Anna Are A Couple which is a secret to Subspace Askr’s Civilians. Subspace Sharena says “He like the way you look and he think you are very sexy before remembering what that swimsuit was going to be used for in your pictures.”

“I don’t know if that’s true.” Subspace Anna says.

Suddenly a voice says “You don’t have to worry, Subspace Anna.”

They look in the direction of the voice and see Kathy The Writer and Dana The Writer. It was Dana The Writer who spoke.

“You Really think so, Dana The Writer?” Subspace Anna says.

Dana the Writer says “Just be truthful with what the swimsuit was in that time and he will accept you.”

“Alright then. Let’s go.” Subspace Anna Says.

Subspace Anna goes out of the changing huts Last. Subspace Alfonse is amazed by Subspace Anna's Swimsuit even though there is something familiar about it.

Subspace Anna says “This is the outfit I would of Modeled myself in.  The thing is it is also my personal swimsuit.”

Subspace Alfonse says “I understand.”

Suddenly the Californian Coast gets Attacked by Malladus’s Demons and something is running from the demons. It is the former Evil Writer, Takeda.

Subspace Alfonse says “What are you doing alive Takeda?”

Dana The Writer says “I revived him.”

“What?!” Kathy The Writer says “You do realize daughter that he is my mortal enemy.”

“Not anymore he’s not.  The truth is...” Dana The Writer says.

Takeda says “Let me explain, Dana.”

Dana The Writer says “Alright Takeda.”

Takeda says “To be honest, I was born in a different reality. Not a different timeline but a reality that is corresponding to this as another dimension. That is all I know of my past because of Amnesia I got before I arrived to this dimension.”

Light Male Robin says “You Had amnesia since arriving here? I had amnesia after arriving to the 100 Years Era the only thing I didn’t forget was my wife and Daughter. Could you be linked to the one commanding Malladus’s Death.”

Takeda says “This is what I figured out after I was Chased by Malladus’s Demons And Some Creepypasta-like beings Of The BU.”

Suddenly The Creepypasta-like beings appear in back up to The Demons.

“You just had to tell us about the Creepypastas...” Subspace Alfonse says “Order Of Heroes, We must protect Takeda.

They battle the demons of the Malladus’s demonic hordes and The Creepypasta Versions of The Demonic Emblian Soldiers It seems.

Subspace Anna says “Is it just me or do those Creepypasta versions look like versions of the Demonic Emblian Soldiers?”

Subspace Sharena says “It’s not just you.  That is what they are to me as well.

Subspace Alfonse says “Me Too.”

Subspace Aereon says “Me as well.”

Suddenly the reinforcements stop and the battle ends.  A Demonic Grey Emblian Appears behind them and she looks at Subspace Alexander and groan.

“Who was she looking at?” Subspace Aereon says.

Dana The Writer says “Takeda, What do you now know of the reason you left your dimension?  It must of came back over time.”

Takeda says “I do now. I come from the first Banger Universe.  The One who was taken over by Xavius The God Of Corruption and Leader Of These Creepypastas called The Creepy Forces who live in that world infecting the beings of my universe, the Terminal BU.  I am it’s only remaining Writer as Xavius Destroyed the rest by blowing up Writer’s Earth.”

Kathy says “That’s Horrible.  What we can do now is defeat the Demons and then go free the Terminal BU.”

“The Creepy Forces also control other BUs besides mine.  Mine was just the very first Banger Universe so it was the first area to attack for The Creepy Forces.” Takeda says. 

“Then we will free them as well.” Subspace Alfonse Says.

“Thanks guys.” Takeda says.

“All we needed to do was wait for your memories to return to do this.” Kathy The Writer says.

“For now, Surfs Up.” Subspace Sharena Says because the 3 Subspace Askrians and Subspace Aereon are still in their swimsuits ready for a day at the beach.

Subspace Alfonse Chuckles and says “Forgot we were in our swimsuits.  I guess we are 3 new heroes editions of ourselves.”

TBC…

[princess-of-zoras]

Me: *playing through Spirit Tracks and watching Chancellor Cole's plans to resurrect his master, the Demon King Malladus by using Zelda as a sacrifice*

Also me: So... This is basically the plot of Skyward Sword, but with trains?

[themattress]

Nintendo, how are you so bad at this!?

There is no ambiguity as to which timeline between Adult and Child that BOTW and TOTK should be in, since old Hyrule and everything in it, including the sealed Demon King, got irrevocably sunk beneath the waves in the Adult timeline! Not to mention there was only one instance of Ganon ever returning in that timeline, with the suggestion being it won't happen again since he fully accepts his death this time, which is why Malladus replaces him as the incarnation of Demise's hate. So BOTW and TOTK can only happen in the Child timeline.

(Unless, of course, the timelines got merged somehow at some point. Who knows?)

ok chat, what do we think

(source)

[the-weirder]

Shoutout to The Demon King Malladus. If nobody got my back, I know he’s reppin’ it up in bodysnatcher heaven like the cloudy blue thot he is. Lots of love, tough guy. Tough break. For a tougher man.

[thevoidcallsall]

Haven't seen much of fan art for my baby demon boi Malladus so I decided to change that with my twist on the demon king. This was quiet fun to draw and edit specially with how well it turned out in my opinion.