and Four Swords, making it the second story in that timeline. As a prequel to Four Swords, The Minish Cap tells the backstory of Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword, which both feature in Four Swords and its sequel Four Swords Adventures. Plot Centuries ago, Hyrule was ravaged by evil forces until the Picori, a race of tiny creatures, bestowed a young hero with the Picori Blade and the Light Force, using both to trap the world's evils in a chest. The grateful people of Hyrule would hold an annual Picori Festival, with legends stating that a door between their worlds would open every 100 years, allowing the Picori to return. In the present, Link accompanies Princess Zelda to the Picori Festival. The festival's swordfighting champion, Vaati, destroys the Picori Blade and opens the chest, releasing monsters across Hyrule. Not finding the Light Force he seeks, Vaati turns Zelda to stone and leaves. As only children can see the Picori, King Daltus orders Link to find them so that the sword can be reforged to stop Vaati and restore Zelda. Traveling to Minish Woods, Link encounters Ezlo, a magical hat, who decides to accompany Link and grants him the ability to shrink to Picori size. The Picori, who call themselves Minish, then task Link with retrieving the Four Elements, magic stones needed to restore the Picori Blade. During the journey, Ezlo explains that he was once a Minish sage who created the Mage's Cap, a hat capable of granting wishes, but his apprentice Vaati stole the hat and became a powerful sorcerer. Fascinated by evil and seeking the Light Force's power, Vaati used his new abilities to trap Ezlo in his current form. Meanwhile, Vaati brainwashes King Daltus and takes control of Hyrule Castle. Link eventually retrieves the Four Elements and infuses them into the reforged blade, which becomes the Four Sword. Link and Ezlo also learn that the Light Force is passed down within Hyrule's princesses. Vaati, who has been spying on them, overhears this and begins siphoning the Light Force from Zelda. Link returns to the castle and confronts Vaati, who uses the extracted Light Force to become all-powerful, but Link overcomes Vaati and restores Zelda to normal. Vaati transforms into a demonic form, only to be vanquished by Link, restoring Ezlo to normal. Zelda retrieves the Mage's Cap and uses it undo all the damage