Lake Hylia (Stage)

is a Stage in. It contains the second Scenario in the branch, "The Water Temple", and the second Scenario in Linkle's Tale, "Powers Collide".

It is separated into two halves: the northern half is Lake Hylia itself, and the southern half is the Water Temple. Pieces of Zora's Domain in its frozen state appear in the Lake Hylia portion of the stage.

The Water Temple
After rescuing Princess Ruto atop the Death Mountain summit from a brainwashed Darunia, Impa and Sheik learn that the Gate of Souls located inside the Water Temple is teeming with monsters apparently being led by Zelda. The Hyrulean Forces, now joined by the Princess of Zoras and the Goron chieftain, venture to Lake Hylia to investigate Zelda's apparent change of heart.

As the Hyrulean Forces arrive at Zora's Domain, Princess Zelda orders her minions to attack them. The allies, however, use the domain's frozen waterfall to attack from the rear and surprise the Dark Forces, lowering their morale. They soon discover that Ruto is being attacked by a group of monsters, and they quickly rush to help her since she is the only one who knows how to gain entrance to the Water Temple, where Zelda and the Gate of Souls are. After rescuing the Zora Princess from a group of Lizalfos, she heads to the Lakeside Keep to open the floodgates and thus reveal the entrance to the Water Temple.

Using her position as the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda harshly and continually urges the Hyrulean soldiers to cease their attack and instead follow her "royal command." This causes conflicting thoughts within the army and lowers their morale; Impa realizes that this Zelda is an impostor and repeatedly urges the Hyrulean Forces not to listen. In light of this, Ruto suggests that they use the Lens of Truth, somewhere within the Water Temple, to reveal the identity of the fake Zelda. While the Hyrulean Forces advance to the inside of the temple, the Zora Princess goes underwater to search for the relic. Ruto easily infiltrates the temple from underneath and finds the Lens of Truth, but Zelda closes the hall and imprisons her before she can rejoin her allies. Ruto, seeking help from the Hyrulean Forces, instructs them to open the floodgates inside the temple in order to free her. Pulling the two floodgate switches found in the Southeast and Southwest Room of the temple recedes the water from the Central Hall, allowing the allies to rescue the Zora Princess from within. She hands over the Lens of Truth to Sheik before she retreats from the battlefield.

The newly-acquired relic reveals the room where the impostor and the Gate of Souls are located, and the Hyrulean Forces quickly engage in combat with the false Zelda. Angered, the fake Princess of Hyrule summons King Dodongo to the battlefield to use as a distraction, but Sheik and Impa manage to defeat the impostor before any grave damage is done. Sheik then holds the Lens of Truth toward Zelda, revealing Wizzro as the impostor. As Wizzro expresses his surprise at how they managed to see through his disguise, Sheik states that the wizard could not have been Zelda before twirling around in a flash of light and revealing her own true identity: Princess Zelda. Impa is overjoyed at the sight of the princess alive, with Zelda apologizing for not having told her before. After Wizzro escapes, the real Princess of Hyrule and her top general combine their powers to close the Gate of Souls, stemming the flow of monsters from the era of the Hero of Time.

After the Scenario finishes, Zelda becomes a playable character and her weapon, the Polished Rapier, becomes available for use.

Powers Collide
"Powers Collide" takes place after the events of "The Water Temple", after Zelda and Impa leave to rejoin Link at the Temple of the Sacred Sword. In their absence, Volga launches an attack on Ruto and Darunia, who stayed behind to watch over Lake Hylia.

Shortly after the battle begins, Darunia's Forces retreat into the Water Temple as Darunia seals the door to it, accidentally breaking the door. Meanwhile, he leaves them to fight Volga alone. Ruto pleads to Linkle to find a way to help Darunia, as it's too dangerous for him alone to handle. Linkle is directed to the Water Temple's entrance to find a way to join Darunia. Goron Engineers appear, offering to fix the door while tasking Linkle with the duty of escorting them.

Upon aiding all three Engineers, they join forces to open the front gate, allowing Linkle to come to Darunia's side. Afterwards, the Lizalfos and Dinolfos Chieftans direct a portion of the Enemy Forces to the Temple East Gate, forcing it open. Guided by Dinolfos, they rush toward the Allied Base in an attempt to overwhelm Darunia's Forces and quickly end the battle. If the Dinolfos are defeated, the assault will be squandered allowing Darunia's Forces to continue their advance.

Defeating the Lizalfos dotted along Lake Hylia will force the Lizalfos and Dinolfos Chieftans to open a number of Keeps controlled by the Dark Forces as a last-ditch effort to defeat the Allied Forces, including the Temple Face Keep where they were hiding. They will race toward the Allied Base, attempting to capture it unless intercepted, while Darunia rushes Volga's position in the Enemy Base at the King's Hall Keep. Defeating both Chieftans will halt all enemy advances, allowing Darunia's Forces to sweep all enemy strongholds.

After escorting Darunia's Forces to the Enemy Base, Darunia challenges Volga directly. Accepting, Volga opens the Enemy Base, initiating confrontation. Upon his defeat, Volga calls for his troops to retreat, ending the battle. Afterwards, Linkle notes that compass glows again as it had in "The Girl in the Green Tunic" before leaving once more to find Hyrule Castle.