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ourneying through the gate along the path that led to the tree's court, Link was awed to see a tree larger than any other he had ever known existed. Much like the legendary Deku Tree, the tree had a face upon it much to Link's surprise, but, alas, it failed to seem alive. Just as Link finally pressed his hand against the rough bark of the tree to see if it was awake, the Maku Tree suddenly arose with a startled shock, not only because of the touch but because of a mysterious emptiness welling deep inside of him, an emptiness that made him aware of the sunken Temple of Seasons. He instantly knew that meant that Din had been captured and taken prisoner, and so the Maku Tree was alarmed at the news, yet Link could still see an uncanny weariness of the tree before him, a weariness that permeated all of its actions. The tree lazily spoke to Link, telling him about the legend of the Temple and of a mysterious artifice which laid there, but he was saddened as it was now beneath the earth, buried within the soil of Holodrum. Being as tired and withered as the tree seemed to be, he suggested that Link find the eight Essences of Nature scattered across Holodrum, that perhaps they would give the Maku Tree strength and energy and perhaps enable him to fix that which was made wrong.

Link left the presence of the tree with his new mission, and he set foot back into Horon Village to see the villagers gathered about him. He calmed them as best he could, settling their fears that he just might be able to bring order back to the seasons, for indeed, as had been predicted by the Sheikah, it was as if all four seasons had descended upon the villagers, mixing them together into a ridiculous jumble. Link's courage, however, gave them hope that their fears would come to pass, and so they were overjoyed to know that a hero would come to their aid. So joyous were the people that, when Link asked about the location of a particular tree that the Maku Tree had briefly mentioned before once again falling asleep, they actually walked with Link into the fields north of the village, pointing him toward an island upon which stood an ancient tree whose age was beyond the knowledge of their kind. There, nestled upon an island north of the village, was Link's first task—the Gnarled Root Dungeon.

Link stepped into the gaping mouth of the tree, descending down the steps into the deep underground, where he entered a world all too familiar to him. Suddenly he could see himself back in Hyrule when he had rescued the Princess Zelda from the hands of Agahnim and Ganondorf. Enemies all too familiar to Link lurked about every corner, trying to keep him from passing through the narrow corridors of the forest maze, but they were not strong enough to delay the Hero at length. Link was quite surprised to see a rail car system functioning within the damp depths of the cave, but he found out that they were helpful to go through the dark mine shafts that had been carved into the rock, lighting his way as they took him to the end of the line. The dungeon had been trapped as well, and Link began thinking back as to what the Triforce had meant when it sent him upon this quest. He searched for the Triforce's power within him, but as he could not feel it it became merely a momentary thought, for there were more pressing issues at hand.

Finally Link came to a dead end whereupon he found a single-horned dragon blocking the passage forward. The dragon was called an Aquamentus, for the species preferred the damp climate of caves deep underground. The dragon would breath fire at Link as Link rolled away desperately. As Link approached, the dragon's attention would be cast at him so quickly that Link barely had time to avoid his sharp claws and maw, but soon Link realized that this had exposed the dragon's weakness, his single horn. Link took his trusty sword and cleaved the top of it off of his head, causing the dragon to scream in suffering as it slowly keeled over upon its side. Link had defeated the monster, and so he continued behind him to find the first of the eight Essences, the Fertile Soil, something that would help the Maku Tree seep in strength from the ground below. With this, Link finally understood the purpose of the Essences: to give the Maku Tree strength enough in times of trouble in order to protect its people. Realizing that, Link renewed his promise to the great tree, vowing that he would find the remaining Essences.

As Link left the dungeon, he could feel the falling of the leaves swirl about him, and softly the Maku Tree's voice entered his head. The tree offered its congratulations, but more importantly it proffered to Link a vision of events to come. The tree could still sense the Temple of the Seasons, but he could not determine where it was, for he did not recognize the land it was in. Nevertheless, Link sought to find the temple despite the tree's inability to locate it, and so he journeyed to the west into the forests where winter seemed to rule over the other three seasons in the battle to control nature. Link's footsteps crunched through pockets of snow not yet melted from the occasional bursts of summer when he found a strange creature with smooth, slick skin, rather short in stature, and bright, recessed eyes. She seemed in a rush, and a rather panicked one at that, so Link did not disturb her but rather merely followed her until she disappeared within a portal. Link, confused but not wholly surprised, for, after all, this land was quite foreign to him, followed her into the portal.

When his vision unblurred, Link was standing atop a mountain staring down over a land half covered by lava. As he would soon learn from the folk who lived in the fiery land, he was in Subrosia, deep beneath the land above him. It took Link only a few moments to realize that the Temple of Seasons, fallen from the land above, would be found no place other than this very strange land into which he had dropped; indeed, the Subrosians could talk of nothing else, amazed and bewildered by the new castle to the east. Gathering direction from the curious but friendly folk, Link wandered towards the Temple of Seasons already on the horizon. Guided there by the Maku Tree's vision, Link wandered into the main cathedral where he saw a rod resting upon a pedestal at the front of the room. Link took it by its held and raised it high into the sky, and suddenly, a fairy came to him, giggling happily.

"Welcome, Link," she told him. "You have journeyed far to come here, no? We are very honored that you have come for the Rod of Seasons, for it is destiny that a hero should come when times like these arise." The fairy continued and explained that she was the Spirit of Winter. Saddened by the chaotic climes above, she offered him her help in bringing order to the seasons. She blessed the Rod of Seasons with her magic, allowing Link the power to call down winter to the land so that a fragment of the chaos could be lessened. Link thanked the fairy for her blessing, returning to the woods above, where he used the very magic to create a snowdrift across a lake so that he might get to where the second Essence was being held deep within the Snake's Remains.

The Snake's Remains laid deep within the center of the forest, hidden away from most wandering eyes. Were it not for the monsters that inhabited the underworldly rooms, it virtually appeared, with all of the plants and their roots finding solace within the dwelling, as if it had been abandoned for years. The floor was covered with mottled soil here and there, and it gave the appearance that the ceiling could give way to the ground resting above it due to the antiquity of its chambers. The roof managed to hold everywhere, thankfully, and Link slowly crept through, destroying those that blocked his path forward, seeking the inevitable Essence that awaited him at the dungeon's end.

In time, Link would find the very thing he sought, the next essence, in the next room, but from the very door that stood between Link and his goal came an enemy larger than all those he had faced within the dank walls so far, one of the legendary Dodongo. The door slammed shut behind Link's adversary, and Link remembered the the stories of the Dodongo from long ago; he knew that their exteriors were as thick as metal, impenetrable by all weapons, but their insides were vulnerable to just about anything, as if made out of the smoothest jelly. Link finally broke free from his thoughts as the Dodongo charged at him, Link leaping out of the way just in time. Pulling out a bomb from his satchel and lighting it with a stone of flint against the steel casing of the bomb, he charged after the Dodongo, throwing the device at the Dodongo. However, Link's aim was off at first, bouncing off of the beast's snout. In response, the monster became enraged and began spewing fire into the room, Link running from the flames desperately. Link lit a second one, however into its mouth as its flames died. Seconds later, the Dodongo literally exploded, pieces of it being scattered about in all directions, and finally, the door to the Essence reopened, permitting Link's entry. Therein he found the Gift of Time, that which controlled the flow of time and regulated the seasons; with it, Link felt that the Maku Tree would find more within the confines of his memory.

Link left the cave, and with the Maku Tree's new instructions carried by the wind freshly into his mind, he headed to the west, across Holodrum's plains into the damp Spool Swamp. Traveling to the furthest reaches of the island, he could not seem to find the dungeon that the Maku Tree spoke of, and this caused Link to wonder whether or not the tree's knowledge had failed him. Just as Link began to leave in discouragement, a prophet by the name Sokra came to him and showed him a secret switch within a statue. With it, the swamps began to drain, exposing an entrance into a cave embedded in the cliff's surface below high above the ground. Link groaned in frustration after realizing that he could still not reach the cave, but Sokra calmed him and told him of a vision that he had seen. "Link," he said, "I have seen you in my visions, and I have seen your voyage to the temple of this land. There you shall find a spirit that shall guide you to that which you seek. Go, go to the temple, for your destiny is laid there before you."

Heeding the prophet's advice, Link returned to the Temple of Seasons that the prophet had spoken of, and true as the prophet had said, Link found another corner of the temple open to him. Feeling the power of the seasons falling into rank about him in the nexus of the temple, he climbed the tower stairs to its peak, and by a statue at the tower's top sat a lone fairy, shining bright red in her glow. She giggled for a moment before flying to Link, standing upon the tip of the Rod of Seasons that he held in hand. "You must be the Hero that we have heard of; the mark on your wrist clearly shows you are. Please take my power and use it for the good of Holodrum. I am the Spirit of Summer; call me forth when you desire my scorching sun!" In a puff of light, the fairy disappeared, but the chill of the Rod was now intermingled with another force, a force saturating the relic with the warmth of summer. Link grinned in delight, for now he was one step closer to finding the path to Din.

Link returned to the Spool Swamp and called forth summer, allowing vines of ivy to grow against the cliff face under the heat of the sun, and the Hero climbed their leafy branches into the cave entitled the Poison Moth's Lair. The walls and floor were dirty and dingy, black stains marring the nonexistent sanctity of the cave. A faint aura of mildew permeated the every part of the cave, imbuing into the air a distinct stiffness, almost as if poison had seeped into it, making it difficult to breathe. Amongst the skeletons of enemies and those of Holodrum alike, Link found the occasional trampoline which sent him through holes in the ceiling to the floor above him, oftentimes needing to be perfectly aligned through the small open nooks and crannies in the ceiling to allow his forward progress. The enemies here were began putting up significant fights against Link, more courageous than Link had seen upon the island so far as they sought to dodge him and attack with greater cunning, but they were still no match for Link's blade.

Link neared the center of the dungeon, and finally a monster flew down from the ceiling. With dull-colored wings and lackluster body, Link could tell from his earlier adventures in Hyrule that it was a Mothula, similar to the one he had faced in the Skull Woods. Link winced, however, realizing that this time he had nothing to exploit the weakness of the flying insect—fire. The Mothula, however, seemed to be quite adept at wielding it against Link, spewing forth liquid rivers of flame at the Hero, charring his tunic and exposed skin lightly whenever he wasn't careful. Link decided that his sword would have to do as a replacement for his Fire Rod, and so he sliced at the wings of the beast, tearing them to shreds before finally attacking the beast's body when it could no longer flutter. Try as it might, the Mothula could not stand against Link's fury, and soon it was bested. Link then went into the chamber where the Essence was held, and there he found the Bright Sun, the source of energy for all of nature in Holodrum. With the third Essence in tow, Link headed for the exit then, eager to see the warmth of the sun above once more.

Again the Great Maku Tree whispered in the wind to Link, and he told him of a gentle tug against his branches coming from the northeastern reaches of the isle, from another Essence seeking him out, begging to be found. Link whispered back his acknowledgements and headed towards the east, first towards a city halfway between the swamp and the heights of Mount Cucco where the Essence laid. There Link found the city of Bolura; however, due to the chaotic seasons wreaking havoc with their ecosystem, water had drained across their land, perpetually filling it with water deep enough to flood all of the houses, giving it the more common nickname of the Sunken City. The townspeople, upon seeing him, begged him for assistance, for he was the first visitor to their town since the seasons were bent out of shape, and so they figured that he must be some knight of sorts because of it. Link promised he would help them, but that he must go to Mount Cucco first and foremost in order to seek the next Essence of Nature. He departed the desperate citizens and traveled up the mountain by way of an underwater cave, leading him into the far off hills. From atop the mountain, he could see all of Holodrum from its heights, but even more interesting was another portal leading into the land of Subrosia. Thinking that he might be able to extract another essence from the Temple of Seasons, he put off his search for the next Essence momentarily and stepped into the temple, running with all due speed towards the Temple of Seasons. Once again he found his way into another of the four pinnacles of the ancient ruins. With great wonder, he wandered in the door and up the stairs, this time to find a fairy bathing in emerald light. She introduced herself to the Hero as the Spirit of Spring, granting him her power over the season in hopes that he could conquer the evil that had befallen their world. With her blessing, Link returned to the surface to find that which had called for the Maku Tree. The dungeon was quickly found, but it stood upon an inaccessible cliff high off the ground. Calling forth the season of spring, a flower bloomed directly beneath Link's feet, pushing him high into the air to the very cliff he sought, and Link quickly entered the dungeon on the mountain.

Link plunged into the cold halls of stone of the Dancing Dragon Dungeon, finding himself surrounded by seemingly regal walls of a mountain hideaway. Perhaps General Onox himself had claimed this place as his own, Link wondered, or merely he had been catching ear of Link's plight and plan, for knights of some unknown origin had come to the sacred palace to prevent Link from fulfilling his promise to the people of both Horon Village and the Sunken City. The swordsmen present were quite hardy and strong, and they were able to reward Link with a few battle wounds against his arms and stomach, but Link's swordsmanship was clearly superior to theirs after his extensive training, and he eventually destroyed them all, slaying them without mercy. Enemies, however, seemed to be the least of Link's worries this time for vast chasms kept him from fully exploring the noble dungeon; it wasn't until Link found a slingshot deep within the dungeon until he found that he could toggle crystal switches from afar to lower narrow bridges made out of thin planks that would open the way forward. As always, Link descended into the dungeon with care, always making certain that he would not be surprised by a stray surprise.

At the deepest point in the dungeon, Link finally saw the next Essence, but between him and it resided a huge one-eyed spider, a Gohma to be exact, seeking to prevent him from attaining it. The Gohma had sharp pincers with which it tried to grab Link, and from time to time it would catch him unaware and off guard, slamming him into the ground almost instantly thereafter, blurring Link's vision slightly with a degree of dizziness and pain. Angered by the Gohma's actions, Link raised his sword mightily and slashed at its claws, severing them from its body in a clean swipe. The Gohma panicked and was sent into a flight, retreating from Link as it faced him in fright. The creature, however, ran too quickly for Link, so in reply Link shot a few seeds at it from his slingshot, firing straight into the Gohma's single eye. The monster screamed as it had an intense reaction to the seeds, and soon it began melting into a puddle of liquid upon the ground, fading away from the world's memory. Link was once again victorious in his endeavor, and so he went forth to the pillar where stood the fourth Essence, the Soothing Rain. He raised it above his head, and at last he was halfway through his quest for the essences.

Link left the cave finally and the Maku Tree spoke to him once again, telling him of a lake that looked just like a pair of eyeglasses, that perhaps Link's next destination should be there. Link recognized the shape immediately as the pool that resided just north of Horon Village in the south, so Link quickly descended the mountain and, with the help of the Spirit of Winter, froze the lake so that Link might walk across it, stepping carefully through the wintry chill towards the eastern embankment. There he could see the quest before him, but alas, he could not reach it, for a field of mushrooms, deadly poisonous in most seasons even with just the slight est touch, prevented him from crossing the distance to the maw of the dungeon. Link turned around with a sigh only to discover yet another gate to Subrosia close by, and Link, grinning slightly to himself, hoped that the last tower of the Temple of Seasons—the Tower of Autumn—would be open. Once again, he went to the Subrosian temple where he found a lone Subrosian working upon his greatest masterpiece, a more powerful variant of Link's bombs. Link and the Subrosian stood back and waited for the detonation that would blast the entrance clear from the rubble before them. Link became quite excited to see the last door open, and so he hurried in and found at its pinnacle the Spirit of Autumn. The final fairy greeted him warmly, and ultimately she too blessed the Rod of Seasons with her power.

Link held the Rod before him as he finally emerged to the island world once more, and he saw all four of the spirits' symbols dressing the Rod of Season he proudly held. The power to control all the seasons was now within his grasp. Confidence flowed about him, surrounding him with the triune aura of power, wisdom, and courage. All that was needed were the last four Essences... and then to save Din. With the Rod of Seasons, Link called forth the breeze of autumn, and it was then that the mushrooms shrived, their poison exhausted, and Link found his next challenge.