Palace of Winds (Four Swords Adventures)

''This article is about Vaati's abode in the Realm of the Heavens in and. If you were looking for the dungeon that serves as the Wind Element's housing, please see Palace of Winds (The Minish Cap).''

The Palace of Winds, also known as Vaati's Palace, is a recurring location within the Legend of Zelda series, appearing in all three titles of the Four Swords sub-series. It is portrayed as an immense floating building or set of buildings that floats in the sky high above Hyrule's surface. Though it first featured as a base of operations for the wind sorcerer Vaati, its origins were later revealed to have been nobler prior to its occupation by the evil sorcerer. Any wishing to visit the palace must find a means of reaching the heavens where the palace floats high above the clouds; a structure known as the Tower of Winds has served as the road to the palace on more than one occasion. The palace usually plays a prominent role in the events of each game, serving either as a major dungeon to be explored to reach the game's end or as the final dungeon of the game.

Background
The full history of the Palace of Winds is not completely known. The locale first appeared in as the abode of Vaati, a wind sorcerer that had terrorized Hyrule long before the events of the game. This background was preserved for the palace in its second appearance a short time later, in, where it once again serves as Vaati's stronghold and serves as the final dungeon of the game.

Four Swords
In, the Palace of Winds is called Vaati's Palace and is the final level to unite the four Links and reseal the Wind Sorcerer Vaati within his prison. It is stated in the game's prologue to have been the personal dwelling of the Wind Sorcerer Vaati many long years in the past, when he terrorized Hyrule's people and captured beautiful maidens that struck his fancy, whom he would then carry off to his palace among the clouds to keep for his own pleasure. At the game's beginning, Link and Zelda go to check on the seal of Vaati's prison, which is kept locked by a key, the Four Sword. They are soon after ambushed by the wind sorcerer himself, who had escaped due to the weakening seal on his prison and had hidden nearby when he heard the pair approaching. He kidnaps Zelda and states his intent to make her his bride before knocking Link out and carrying Zelda off to his palace in the sky above Hyrule. Left with no choice, Link is forced to draw the Four Sword from its resting place in order to reach the palace and confront Vaati, causing him to be split into four copies of himself.

The four Links are then forced to go on a quest across Hyrule to find the Great Keys that can open the way to the palace and thus allow them to rescue Zelda from Vaati. Eventually, they succeed in this effort and are able to reach the heavens where Vaati's Palace awaits amongst the clouds. Inside the vast palace, the four Links are forced to battle numerous foes while also trying to keep from falling to their deaths from the palace's heights, in order to reach its top and take on the Wind Sorcerer himself. With the power of the Four Sword, they succeed in besting him once again atop the palace, resealing him within the Four Sword's blade and freeing Princess Zelda from her captivity.

Beyond its establishment as Vaati's residence, no other information about the palace's origins are revealed in this game, though it would reappear in later games.

Four Swords Adventures
In, the Palace of Winds is the third and final stage in the Realm of the Heavens, the eighth level of the game. As is implied by the name of the level it is located in and following in the footsteps of the game's predecessor, the palace floats in the sky high above Hyrule's surface and once again serves as Vaati's dwelling. In the opening of the game, Princess Zelda and the other six Shrine Maidens that act as Hyrule's sages seek to check the seal on Vaati's prison at the Four Sword Sanctuary after dark clouds blanket the skies of Hyrule. However, the maidens and Zelda are soon after kidnapped by Shadow Link, who draws Link to the Four Sword Sanctuary and tricks him into withdrawing the Four Sword from its pedestal, causing Link to split into four colored versions of himself and releasing Vaati in the process. The four Links then go on a quest to find the Shrine Maidens and recover the four Royal Jewels that can restore the road to the Realm of the Heavens, the Tower of Winds.

After succeeding in rescuing the Shrine Maidens and recovering the four Royal Jewels from across Hyrule, the four Links ascend the restored Tower of Winds and free Princess Zelda from the clutches of Frostare before finding the roof and entering the Realm of the Heavens. There they battle the fiercest of foes they've encountered yet and put an end to Shadow Link by recovering the Dark Mirror in the Dark Cloud. From there they reach the Palace of Winds, which heavily resembles its previous incarnation in Four Swords. Here they ascend the palace and do battle with Vaati, seemingly ultimately vanquishing him for good. However, with Vaati dead, his power is no longer present to sustain the Palace of Winds, causing it to begin to collapse. Though they succeed in escaping the collapsing palace with Zelda and try to make their way down the similarly collapsing Tower of Winds, the true evil behind Vaati's release and the evil plaguing Hyrule, Ganon, charges after them out of the ruin of the Palace of Winds, forcing a confrontation amongst the remains of the Tower of Winds with the heroes, who ultimately seal him away within the Four Sword with the aid of the Shrine Maidens.