A/N: Quick note! I did a few edits near the end of chapter 4. It's not detrimental to the plot or anything, but it was added to enhance the imagery addressed in this chapter. Enjoy!

"You have to turn your hips so that they face where you want the tree to land."

"I'm doing that. Am I not doing that?"

"If you swing now, the tree will fall diagonally and possibly roll off."

I shifted my stance just a bit to the left, so that I was perpendicular to the chasm. I readied to swing the axe against the lumber. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Wait, why can't I just use a bomb?" I asked, sheathing the axe behind me. The bombs were a limitless supply. That way, I can conserve my weapon's durability.

"I never said you couldn't." The old man shrugged.

Tapping on the eye insignia, a blue bomb in the shape of a cube spawned in my hand. I set it down exactly where I was poised with my axe before jogging a distance far from the blast radius. The old man followed my example and stood right next to me.

I detonated the bomb with a simple tap on the eye.

BOOM!

We watched the towering pine fall in the opposite direction of where I placed the bomb. Once it hit the ground on the other side, a resounding thunk echoed in the cavern below and bounced along the cliff's edges. Its leaves were shaken off by the impact, leaving a bare log that served as a makeshift bridge to the other side.

I shared a triumphant grin with the old man and approached the fallen log.

Before I can step onto the makeshift crossing, the old man caught my attention, "Do you have everything you need for the mountain?"

I checked my weapons, but more importantly, I made sure I had the sautéed peppers. Grabbing the mason jar from the side pocket, I showed him the contents and shook it slightly, the jam-like consistency jiggling in the confined space.

He smiled. "You only have two shrines left. Find those last two and I will hand over my paraglider."

I nodded, determined to descend from the plateau by tonight.

Turning around, I stepped onto the log and balanced precariously in the middle. Then, I made the biggest mistake of looking down.

The chasm looked bottomless, a testament as to high the plateau was compared to the rest of Hyrule. My stomach turned and there was a tumbling feeling in my throat. I knew how high it was. Fog obscured the view of the ground; I couldn't even see where I would land. Yet, my brain wanted to make the powerful decision of leaping off.

"Zelda?" The old man called.

I had forgotten he was still here.

Before I could psych myself out any further, I spread my arms out and treaded lightly on the balls of my feet. I crossed the chasm without overthinking much about where I was stepping. Next thing I knew, my feet hit the solid ground of the other side.

I turned around and laughed out in relief. In a completely childish fashion, I waved to the old man on the other side.

"Zelda, watch out!"

I heard the telltale garbled grunts of Bokoblins. Turning around, there were two of the monsters – one wielding a wooden spear and the other with a wooden club. They quickly planned a coordinated assault. One had circled around the apple tree between us and the other charged forward with the spear.

I prepared to unsheathe one of my weapons to prepare for the confrontation.

But then I remembered…

"Wait, why can't I just use a bomb?"

Instead, I ran in the one direction that baited the two Bokoblins to chase after me. I bobbed and weaved around the two as they took turns swinging the club, thrusting the spear, and circling their weapons around their heads.

Eventually, I managed to lead them parallel to the cliff's edge. I side-stepped so instead of being in front of the monsters, I was now beside them.

I tapped the slate and a bomb spawned in my hands.

I had to get the timing right.

But with one Bokoblin sprinting towards me, I just had to throw and pray.

The blast of the bomb not only knocked both of them off of the cliff, it also threw me backwards. My head hit the stone wall behind me, but I would rather suffer an acute concussion than fall to my death.

Fortunately, due to the nature of the bomb not being gunpowder-based, the injuries I sustained were manageable. In fact, I calmly got up and picked a few apples from that tree earlier. I munched on the crisp fruit, the stinging sensation slowly ebbing away with each bite.

After finishing the apple, core and all, I faced the vertical stone wall I was tasked with climbing.

The old man told me that this was one of the ways to get up to Mount Hylia. The more conventional route was the entrance near the Temple of Time. It was marked by a stone archway. He said a path was paved parallel from and across the River of the Dead. It was actually where the wild spicy peppers grew, a fitting environment.

However, I didn't to back track over the fields nor do I want to encounter the beast again. Teleportation was out of the question as well because ahem, the experience was terrifying for me.

The only other way was this wall. At first, I expressed full disbelief when the old man told me that there were natural ledges along the stone cliff – places where a climber could have a brief respite when their arms tire. Now, staring up and looking closely, I can't help but ogle at the convenience of it all.

There was even a starting platform right beside the apple tree.

I thoroughly wiped off any excess sweat and oil from my palms on the fabric of my trousers. Approaching the wall, I dug my foot into a sturdy cranny and pushed myself upwards.

Then, I began the slow and arduous process of climbing.

The pace was slowly infuriating me. I wanted nothing more than to jump and secure a hold at the apex. However, any climber would know that jump climbing was more tiring than rewarding.

I reached one of the natural ledges and took a break. Turning around, I faced the log cabin and found the old man absent from where I last saw him. The log cabin's lights were out, and the cooking fire had been extinguished.

He probably just went hunting. He did say he was out of meat. I thought to myself, pushing away the intrusive thoughts of abandonment.

The dull soreness in my arms had subsided for now. I located the next ledge and braced my hands and feet on the nooks of the stone wall.

The entire climb took me an hour and thirty minutes. I was rewarded with not only reaching the shrine, but some mushrooms and another spectacular view of the land beyond the plateau.

The large bridge in the distance was even more marvelous from this angle. It was definitely worn with age and other things – some of the pillars supporting it were destroyed. There was an island on one side of the lake. It looked relatively small and almost caved into itself in the center.

In the distance, there was not one, but two inactivated Sheikah Towers. And farther that that, bordering the horizon, was a glistening ocean. The waves rolled with the clouds, promising infinity and adventure.

There were green hills and stone mountains brimming with foliage. But on the western face of the shrine, I saw orange.

It was a stark contrast to what I had seen so far. Devoid of grass, trees, and flowers, it was almost a wasteland. Sand danced with the winds and clustered up a dust storm. The dryness was evident from the minimal flora seen. In fact, the only trees seen were the ones in the grasslands below the orange mountains.

They were unimaginably large. I didn't need the scope to zoom closer to see them. The trunk was wide, the leaves and branches grew upwards instead of drooping over or towards the sides.

Changing my focus to the summit, I was surprised to see it capped with snow. I could see what looks to be a monolith, standing solitary at the peak. I unholstered the slate to get a closer look at it. It's location and design had insinuations of a biblical and mysterious purposes.

I minutely became self-aware of my actions and laughed to myself. I guess every time I climb to a high place, I have to take a moment to be starstruck, huh?

Or maybe I'm taking the old man's adage with the heaviness of a sermon.

I stepped onto the platform of the shrine. Activating the travel gate and the doors, I descended into another challenge.

I never expected a monk to teach me about physics nor did I ever predict it would become such a powerful weapon.

I exited Owa Daim with a sledgehammer and the knowledge of kinetic and potential energy bundled together in a little rune called: Stasis.

Stasis – stop the flow of time for an object.
Stopped objects store kinetic energy. The stored energy will act upon the object when the flow of time resumes. Making good use of the stored energy can move even the largest of objects.

I am almost afraid of the power I now possess. First, bombs. Now, I can alter time for an object and send it flying with a few whacks?

The mechanisms worked similar to magnesis. By selecting the rune, the screen of the Sheikah slate showed the immediate area via the camera and a cross. It had the cartography lines, but instead of pink, they were yellow. Not only that, but certain objects were highlighted yellow as well. By aiming the cross over a yellow object, an activate option can be selected. The object is then locked upon activation, with spectral yellow chains freezing it. The slate will then start beeping. I think 10 seconds was the maximum amount of time that an object can be frozen before time resumes. When the object is frozen, I could hit it a bunch of times to store energy. And as the law of physics dictate, the object will fly off in the direction I hit it towards once time ends.

It was 4 o' clock now – the perfect time to climb the frozen tundra of Mount Hylia. The sun was still high in the sky, the temperature a crisp 60º at Owa Daim's elevation. It was as high as the temperature can get before dusk and nightfall.

The shrine was facing a slope that led to higher elevation. As I walked along it, I noticed as the moss and grass dwindled, eventually revealing the cold stone beneath it. I puffed a breath and watched as it grew opaque white before fading. Then, a flurry landed squarely on my nose.

The cliff dropped off abruptly, but turning around, there was a short wall to climb to get to the next level of the mountain. I scaled it quickly.

As I reached up to grab the ledge, my fingers froze upon making contact with what was undeniably snow. I pulled myself up and over, coming face to face with a frozen tundra.

I retrieved the mason jar of peppers. Even though an hour had elapsed since I had cooked it, the jar still radiated heat from the peppers instead. I rolled the jar between my palms, hoping to warm my extremities.

Looking at the Sheikah Slate, the temperature had dropped to an astonishing 28º.

But I didn't eat the peppers, yet. I wanted to prolong their cold-resistance effect. Thus, I settled for the makeshift warmer, hugging the jar flush against my chest.

When I began to involuntarily convulse – in an effort by my muscles to produce heat – I finally unscrewed the lid and began to take servings of pepper.

Their effect was immediate. The spice was unnoticeable, but the warmth was definitely present. It spread from my stomach to my chest and then to the extremities.

I only ate a few servings – again, in my effort to prolong the dish's effects. However, I did press the jar against my cheek and neck as I trekked through the hail.

Speaking of which, although these were boots, they were definitely not suited for sleet. The soles repeatedly slipped along the ice and with every step, I sunk into the fresh powder. To avoid completely face planting, I had to walk carefully.

The issue of hypothermia was addressed and fixed. I surveyed my surroundings.

The cliffs carved a natural path for me to follow. There were boulders precariously balanced on their edges. Peeking down, there was a Bokoblin camp sitting opportunely below the rocks.

I considered it, especially since there was a chest sitting by the campfire.

Then, I abandoned the thought. There was a total of three Bokoblins and the slope leading up was so easy to walk up. It wasn't worth the wasted resources and injuries to satisfy my curiosity. Plus, all my current weapons were relatively unused. I didn't want to go out of my way and chip their durability.

I'll stay at the elevation I'm at.

Looking past the camp, there were pillars marking a path that goes upwards. However, a Bokoblin that was much darker in coloring was guarding that area. It looked like it was alone and so, it wasn't too much of a concern. I'll probably just climb the short wall to avoid taking the slope and thus, the Bokoblin. If I'm confronted, I'll just fight as I have been.

In the distance was the peak of Mount Hylia.

I unholstered the Sheikah Slate and studied the map. The shrine was located past the peak of Mount Hylia. In fact, I'll probably have a better luck finding the shrine if I stand at the peak.

My affinity for high places is ever increasing.

Placing the slate back, I began the sluggish trek towards the peak.

The crunch of the snow underneath my boots was strangely satisfying. As I neared a cluster of pine trees, a few pigeons could be heard cooing. The flutter of wings resounded as they flapped away from my oncoming presence.

I ran past the boulders and the incline without alerting the camp below. Before approaching the base of the path marked by the pillars, I hid behind another cluster of trees. I took out the slate and observed the new variation of Bokoblin.

Unlike the blue ones I have encountered so far, this one was black with white markings around its eyes. Was there a color hierarchy these monsters species abide to? If so, where do the black ones rank in relation to the blue ones?

As much as I wanted to know, I didn't want to waste any resources. And by the way things were playing out, I had no doubt I would be encountering black Bokoblins in the future.

The pine trees were actually close to the wall I needed to climb in order to bypass the path.

I rubbed my palms furiously along the mason jar, hoping to warm up my extremities so that my fingers don't freeze. Placing the mason jar back into the side pocket, I began to climb.

I retrieved the jar of peppers once I had pulled myself over the edge. The heat in my stomach was slowly diminishing. I helped myself to a couple of servings before screwing the lid closed and holding it against my check.

There was a small hill of snow which I easily walked up. From there, I saw the familiar stone borders of the plateau and a clear view of the peak.

Similar to the summit of the orange mountains, there was a lone monolith standing resilient against the snowfall.

Dare I say, my interest was piqued even further.

I trailed my eyes from the apex to find a path that could lead me towards it. Luckily, I didn't have to think too much. There were a few ruins that outlined a natural course through the snowfield. The mountain leading up the peak even had a slope that spiraled along the foothill. Even better, there were absolutely no Bokoblins nor any other monsters to be found.

I descended the hill I was on and winded through the pillars. The crunching of my boots sounded loud to my own ears but were probably muffled by the flurries that rained down. My boots were slowly ruined by the ice they were not made for. Just reaching the base of the summit took way too long for my liking.

There has got to be a better way to do this…

As I ascended the peak, my ears were muffled due to the high elevation. I held my nose and blew hard, feeling the harsh pop of my ear drums. I started to slowly run out of breath and my thighs were struggling with the uphill climb.

There has GOT to be a better way to do this.

Reaching the summit, I was greeted with a sight for sore eyes.

Hyrule was already breathtaking from my first glance out of the Shrine of Resurrection. But seeing Hyrule in its entirety…

There were the orange mountains behind me, the mountain with the circle in its peak to the left, the lake with the great bridge to my right, the twin mountains, Hyrule Castle, and the volcano in the center of my view.

The skies were blue and bright, with a few clouds beginning to roll in from the horizon. The radiant sun shined upon the different terrains, in defiance of the dark aura enshrouding the castle.

Without the slate, I could count 12 pillars of orange lights – Sheikah Towers. There were more shrines spread throughout the land, reminding me of the 120 monks ready to guide me on my journey.

"Ahhh…I enjoy gazing out at the world from here."

I turned and saw the old man, standing next to the monolith as his gaze went far into the horizon.

I was so focused on the world that I completely neglected his presence.

"B-b-breathtaking view!" I managed to shiver out.

He smiled and moved to stand closer to me. With his staff, he motioned to the plateau below us. "This may be the best place to get a full view of the entire plateau."

The Sheikah Tower and the Temple of Time were the two landmarks that were distinguishable from this elevation. I turned to my left and saw the last shrine below, glowing orange next to a pool of water.

Before I could make my way down, the old man caught my attention.

"You did well to make it this far without the proper clothing. Please take this warm doublet as a reward for your tenacity."

He retrieved a tunic from underneath his cloak. It had white sleeves and a teal torso with red detailing. Along with the shirt, he also added a pair of brown gloves.

His eyes sparkled with delight. "I assume you will want to try it on right away, yes? I thought you might be eager to see how it looks. It's quite fetching!"

I looked at him and then I looked at myself. Evidently, these were going to be a little big on me.

I also wanted to tell him that teal wasn't really my color, but at his enthusiastic insistence, I didn't want to dampen his spirits. It would be like telling your grandpa that you didn't like the socks he gave you, but the socks have patterns of dogs on them and you love dogs!

However, standing on the summit of a snow-capped mountain in 28º weather, I was not a person to complain.

I shrugged on the jacket and donned the gloves. As expected, they were very large on me. The hem of the jacket fell to the middle of my thighs and I had to roll up the sleeves so that they weren't falling over my palms. The fingers of the gloves were too long and too wide, but as long as they kept my fingers from freezing off, they were just fine. I was swimming in thick, bulky fabric. It was a little itchy, too.

I fought to scratch the itch under my collar, but the old man saw through me. "Well, I suppose it matters not. It is yours now. Do take care to put it on before you get too cold, though."

Feeling infinitely warmer, I motioned to the next task I set to accomplish. "That's the last shrine I have to finish."

"That's wonderful!" He took a glance at the sky and noted the time. "It will be approaching twilight soon. You best be on your way. Soon the world will blur, and you might encounter something not quite human."

I raised an eyebrow at his cryptic warning. My immediate guess was that "something" could be a monster. However, his tone – alluding, but not somber – did not seem like a warning.

I nodded before turning to make the tedious walk down the slopes.

Or actually…

I brought the pot lid / shield substitute that was hooked around the backpack. I brought braced it in front of me and faced the downward trail.

"Zelda…what are you doing?"

I took a leap forward and jumped, climbing on top of the shield and maintaining my balance. The wood scraped harshly against the stone, but otherwise stayed intact. I twisted my torso and brought my arms up to balance. Leaning backwards and forwards with the balls of my feet, I was able to kick up the shield to jump onto the soft powder below.

Upon landing, I kickflipped the shield into my hands, lightly jogging with the residual momentum. I stopped and looked up at the old man who was still standing on the summit.

His face was flushed with worry. He had gripped the edge of the platform, leaning over in an effort to determine my safety.

"That was absolutely dangerous!" He scolded, the wind carrying his voice to me.

I gave him a cheeky smile and a thumbs up. "You can't tell me that wasn't cool!"

He shook his head in exasperation.

I gave one last smile and prepared to shield surf the remaining distance to the shrine.

Closing in, I noticed a camp of Bokoblins once more, obstructing my trek up to the last shrine I needed. I flipped off my shield and hooked it onto my backpack.

I gauged the height of the stone wall and determined that I couldn't climb all the way to the top without running out of stamina. Just to add insult to injury, there were no naturally occurring ledges or a slope I could rest on. I wouldn't be able to climb from here.

I took a quick look around the immediate area. The shrine came awfully close to the borders of the plateau. They were short enough for me to climb without losing all of my stamina and it would be a much better start than ground level.

Removing the gloves so that I can have a better grip, I climbed the stone walls that bordered the cliffs.

I faced the hill that the shrine stood upon, finding a ledge where I can jump to.

Giving myself a running start, I pushed off the stone wall and easily found my grip with the hill. Eventually, the group leveled so that I no longer needed to climb, but easily walk.

The Sheikah Slate let out a hum, resonating with the shrine's presence.

Keh Namut Shrine

And with a rhythm born out of repetition, I activated the shrine and all its accessories. The door opened and I positioned myself on the platform, the finish line well within my sights.

Like Oman Au, this shrine elevated my blood pressure just a little bit.

When I saw the layout of the shrine and the rune distilled, I thought it would a be a simple trial – like Remote Bombs and Stasis were. However, I did not expect another tiny machine to come sprinting at me when I opened the gate. Confidence in my experience, I managed to beat it. However, at the expense of one of my beloved axe and sword.

It didn't matter because one of the chests inside had a spear for the taking.

I was now equipped with one sledgehammer, one traveler's swords, two broadswords, a spear, a pot lid, a wooden shield, two traveler's bows, and the arrows to match.

And of course, Cryonis.

Cryonis – create a pillar of ice from a water surface
Builds ice pillars that are very stable. These pillars can be used as steppingstones or obstacles. Use Cryonis on an ice pillar to break it.

Similar to the Stasis and Magnesis, Cryonis shows a map of the surrounding area with blue cartography lines. However, being that it needs water to activate, all bodies of water will glow a solid blue on screen. If the cross is pointed at the water, a hologram of an ice pillar appears. Once selecting the intended area, an ice block will manifest from the water.

The same thing for reversing the rune's actions. Only difference is that once the cross is pointed at the pillar, it will glow red. An option to break the pillar appears and if selected, the ice will shatter.

It looks like the limit for Cryonis blocks is three. The oldest block placed will automatically break if I spawn another pillar.

In front of Keh Namut was a body of ice-cold water. If I were to fall in, the shock and hypothermia would kill me instantly. Luckily, with Cryonis, I was able to create steppingstones and support the wooden chest in the middle. I was reward with a plethora of arrows to add to my arsenal.

Magnetism, Time and Kinetic Energy, Explosions, and Ice. The quadfecta of the Plateau Sheikah Runes.

The Sheikah Slate is a powerful device. I have to wonder if I am the only person who has one.

It was 6 o' clock and I retreated back to the shrine's platforms. By then, the world had been blanketed in pastel purple hues. The zenith of the heavens was indigo, forming a gradient that progressively got lighter towards the horizon. Around the sun was a halo of white and pink.

Twilight.

White clouds encompassed the skyline like a border as they began to roll in from the outskirts of the world – an invasion of fog. There would be no heavenly bodies tonight.

The serene and ethereal scene was juxtaposed by all too familiar, all too jubilant, "Ho!"

Descending from the skies was the old man with his paraglider.

He gave me a crinkled smile. "With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau," he praised. "Oho ho! Extraordinary!"

I accepted his praise, feeling the accomplishment of two days-worth of adventuring finally wash over me.

I was prepared to banter more and insist on him handing over the paraglider now, but his eyes turned grave. Solemness cascaded over his features like a veil and I knew this wasn't the time to be witty or childish.

"That means…It's finally time," he said, cryptically. "Zelda, it is finally time for me to tell you everything."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

I stepped forward, prepared to unleash an onslaught of questions. He held up a hand.

"But first…" He turned and motioned to the frozen hills with the staff. "Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there."

The Sheikah Slate suddenly seemed heavier on my hip.

I sensed he was about to leave and in an effort to stronghold him into answering my questions, I reached out to grab his shoulder.

My hand phased through him.

"…w-what…" I gasp out, staring at him.

The sun dipped below the horizon, its rays refracting and scattering from the skies. Hyrule was cloaked in a light shadow and yet, there was still light. It clung softly to the horizon, bidding the world a slow and waiflike goodbye.

"Soon the world will blur, and you might encounter something not quite human."

His smile was transparent. I could see the glow of the Sheikah Tower through him.

"Do you understand? Where the two lines connecting the shrines would cross…"

A blue-green glow danced in my peripheral. Looking down, his feet and legs had begun wisping away into flecks of spectral light. It wafted from him like smoke.

Denial flushed through my veins. There was no way I was alone this entire time. There was no way I had been bantering with this…this thing! There was no way this thing was able to take care of me and provide me sympathy at my lowest!

Had it all been in my head? Was all of this a side effect to my amnesia?

He began to fade, a familiar goodbye I had experienced fourfold already. I felt a sense of panic rise from the pit of my stomach and began to fear. Fear the foreseeable loneliness and solitude and inevitable conclusion that I have to do this – protect the world, save the world –alone.

I watched as my guide – the only constant throughout my journey, the only person I trusted, the only friend I had – disappear.

"There…I will be waiting…"

A/N: Yay, a quick update and another week finished! So, I rewatched Seishun Buta Yarō and Kimi no Na Wa this week and if you couldn't tell, the twilight / dreams imagery lives rent free in my mind.

We're approaching the end of the Great Plateau Arc. I hope you're enjoying the story so far.

If you are, I hope you consider leaving a review. I am more interactive on AO3 than I am on fanfic so if you have any specific questions you'd like me to reply to, don't hesitate to ask me!