The Crystal Trap

The Crystal Trap is a book released for the Nintendo Adventure Books series. Released in North America in February 1992, it follows the "choose-your-own-adventure" format, which means the reader could choose what the characters did and thus direct the story. In total, there are 14 different endings, one of which is the only "true" ending, while the rest are endings in which Princess Zelda or Link dies under different circumstances. As the reader follows along, they will receive various items that may or may not help them along the adventure; moreover, they will also receive or lose points depending on the actions they take. Adding up all the points they receive at the end allows the reader to see their "Triforce Protector Rating." If, however, the reader chooses the wrong path, they will receive a page ending with the words "GAME OVER," indicating they must start the adventure all over again and choose a different path. The book also contains various puzzles which the reader must solve in order to help them figure out which path to take or to foreshadow what will happen next.

Unlike The Shadow Prince, this book focuses on Princess Zelda, who, in just 24 hours, must travel across various dungeons and terrains to obtain the three items that will free Link from Ganon's crystal.

Story
The book begins with Princess Zelda and Link running through the Midoro Palace as they try to escape from Ganon's grasp. Eventually they find themselves in the tunnels below the palace, and although Link tries to reassure Zelda that they are not being pursued any longer, Ganon then appears with an army of Moblins behind him, blocking their only route of escape. Ganon tells them to surrender, but Zelda begins to think on what weapon she could use to defeat Ganon's evil magic.

Just as Zelda is about to fire her arrow, Ganon fires a bolt of light from his finger, making her arrow perish. Zelda cries at Link, who leaps forward, but he begins to get swallowed up by a crystal as the princess is approaching him, causing him to be trapped inside. Ganon explains that since he cannot obtain the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom from Link and Zelda respectively, he used a Magic Scroll which cast a spell to encase both pieces of the Triforce, including the Triforce of Courage encased in Link's heart. Zelda cries to the young hero that she will break him free of the crystal, but just then Ganon mocks the princess and tells her that she will never figure out how to free Link, for in just 24 hours, he will be trapped inside the crystal forever. Saying that it is much better to watch Zelda suffer than to kill her, Ganon leaves her and departs the temple. Zelda must now decide whether she should stay to protect Link or go look for help.

Zelda eventually makes her way out of the palace, but she's unsure of her current location. She then comes upon tall stone pillars that have a strange writing on them and which serve as crossroads. The princess notices that one of the columns has a worn picture with trees and a deer, which means that path leads to the forest. Another pillar has a carving of a swamp, and another one of a desert, making Zelda choose between the path that leads to the forest, swamp, or desert.

As she continues to travel through the cavern, Zelda comes up to a wall and just then hears more Gibdo approaching. She tries to find a way out of the cavern and spots a small door in a shallow alcove of rock near the end of the wall, and using all her might, she sprints over the cavern floor. Zelda gets through the door and closes it shut, freeing herself from the Gibdos. As she's walking down the cavern trying to figure out the meaning of the riddle, she bumps into a set of doors, one which is locked and the other one unlocked. Although the Large Brass Key doesn't fit into the locked door, she realizes something important must be behind it.

Having decided to deal with the man later, Zelda goes out into the main street of Ruto and notices a "dark, evil-looking tower" looming over the whole town. Moreover, there is also a light coming from a Tavern and hears sounds of singing, while to her right there is an entrance to a fortune-teller's shop. Sighing, Zelda begins to think on what path she should take now.

Already night, Zelda arrives to the Beekeeper's hut outside of town and calls out his name. When Conly answers, Zelda replies saying she has some fairy flower sap, and although the man demands that he see it at once, the princess tells the beekeeper that she'll trade it in for some Magic Honey as well as some of Conly's bees, which she needs in order to get to Midoro Palace by morning. Conly agrees and snatches the flask from Zelda and goes back inside the hut.

Zelda enters the hut and fills a small jar with the magic honey, and while she does so, thousands of bees cover her whole body and begin to lift her off the floor. The bees fly out the door and into the sky and they arrive to the Midoro Palace just before sunrise. Zelda thanks the bees and returns to the room where Link is imprisoned.

Ganon sarcastically congratulates Princess Zelda for freeing Link from his spell, but calls her a fool since he could just cast the spell again. Link confidently tells Ganon that they have the weapon to stop him, and just then the King of Evil makes the Magic Scroll appear in front of him again. Zelda hurries Link to use the weapon they found and the young hero poises himself to strike.

Characters

 * Princess Zelda
 * Link
 * Ganon
 * Blue Fairy
 * Greenbeard
 * Geetchee
 * Tree Witch
 * Aldo
 * Madame Grusha
 * Estragon
 * Conly
 * Magic Bees
 * Pink Fairy

Items

 * Magic Scroll
 * Magic Rope
 * Magic Arrow
 * Fairy's Scroll
 * Witch's Ring
 * Large Brass Key
 * Magnifying Glass
 * Handprint
 * Magic Honey
 * Fairy Flower Sap
 * Battle Axe
 * Spear

Places

 * Midoro Palace
 * Town of Ruto
 * Dark Tower
 * Tavern
 * Pillar Crossroads
 * Beekeeper's Hut
 * Cavern
 * Forest
 * Desert
 * Swamp

Trivia
Moruge Swamp is misspelled as "Moluge Swamp."