As Link heads back to Hyrule Castle, there’s a heart piece he can get in Hyrule Field. That’s the only stop before the castle, where Ezlo wonders if he looks alright for entering the castle, but it’s not like we’re going to see anyone who cares so it doesn’t matter. Link wanders around the castle looking for the elemental sanctuary, and eventually comes to a glowing door that Ezlo notes with great interest. Apparently Link and Ezlo are the only ones who can see it, so it’s almost certainly the place they’re looking for. They pass through a long hallway, coming to the main room, which is reminiscent of the Four Sword Sanctuary; as they enter, the door slams shut behind them.
There’s a pedestal in the center of the sanctuary for a sword, and four pillars around it with labels matching the four elemental stones. Link places his sword on the pedestal, and the Earth and Fire Elements drift to their pillars and infuse the sword with their power. A stone table appears a little beyond the main shrine, telling Link to fill his sword with power and walk over the glowing tiles. Charging the sword now creates a magic bar, and once filled, if Link walks over two of the tiles, a duplicate Link appears and follows his movements until the magic bar finishes draining or they walk into something. Link needs to use this trick to step on both buttons to open the door to leave. At this point, there can be no doubt that the White Sword will eventually become the Four Sword, but it only has two elements and creates one extra Link, so for now, it’s just the Two Sword.
As Link leaves the castle, he’s confronted by Vaati, who was curious about who was interfering in his plans. He’s surprised at Link (I think, pronouns are tricky), but more interestingly, he calls Ezlo his old master. Vaati taunts Ezlo that he won’t be able to break the curse on him, and Ezlo expresses regret over creating a wish-granting cap that is at least a major part of Vaati’s power. Vaati leaves, and as Link tries to follow, he gets penned up in a group of trees to fight a couple Moblins Vaati summoned. Once the Moblins are defeated, Ezlo explains: He was a Minish sage and craftsman, with Vaati as his apprentice. Vaati took the wish-granting cap and transformed himself into his sorcerer form, and Ezlo into the bird-hat.
Ezlo goes on further, explaining that the Picori Blade was only one of the gifts the Minish gave the humans to stop the evils they were up against. The other, called light force, is another magical source, and that’s what Vaati had hoped to find inside the chest, and is now looking for. Ezlo came to the human world to stop Vaati, and had the chance encounter with Link in the woods that gave him the chance. Even if they can’t break the curse on Ezlo, he figures completing the elemental infusions will at least allow the sword to restore Zelda. With the explanations out of the way, it’s time to resume the quest and find the next element.
In the Trilby Highlands, back in the cave where Link bought his bottle from a Business Scrub, is a set of glowing tiles and a large block that can be pushed out of the way to open the way forward to the Western Woods. As Link walks in, Ezlo gets a sense of something bad happening at the castle, and we cut away to see Vaati do something to the king, who then gathers his guards in to command them to interrogate the citizens about the light force. I’m not sure if the king is dead, possessed, or just hidden away somewhere, but that’s not really important; what matters is, one way or another, Vaati’s calling the shots now. Cutting back to Link, Ezlo says that he hopes nothing bad has happened, but all they can do right now is continue the quest.
Near the exit to the Castor Wilds, a sign warns travelers not to forget their Pegasus Boots. Link doesn’t have Pegasus Boots, but he tries anyway. The first time he tries crossing the swamps in the Castor Wilds, he immediately sinks halfway in and retreats to a safe patch of dry land, where Ezlo says they need Link to be able to move faster to cross safely. So, it’s off to find the Pegasus Boots they go. And hey, once that’s done, maybe I’ll be better at the Cucco game.
Next: I realize the scope of a couple quests.
