In Sacred Walls
I hope you all like it! Thanks for responding to my poll; those of you that did! This story is a combination of The Sacred Grove and Farron Woods in the Twilight Princess setting.
Link and Zelda had been walking for nearly two hours. Springtime in Hyrule was a time of year to be savored and cherished. It only came once a year and when it did the world blossomed into a lush wonderland of flowers and vegetation. Zelda laughed with Link as she clung to his hand. It had been the perfect day for a walk to the most treasured of places in Hyrule: The Sacred Grove. Zelda looked so clean today in her white strapless linen dress and Link couldn't believe he had her to himself for the day. Link thought she looked so beautiful; the way her brunette hair fell over her shoulders and how the sunlight caressed her every curve.
"I've never been here. I've heard so many stories about the Sacred Grove." Zelda said as Link lead her through the carved out path in the woods. "It must have been thrilling for you to have set foot in the old temple site." Zelda said.
"There's not much left of the old temple, that's for sure." Link said. He squeezed her hand tighter and pulled her closer to him. "It's still such a..mystical place. Do you think the gods know the temple's remains are still there?" Link asked.
"Of course they do. They were the messengers that desired the temple to be built on those grounds; that's why it's sacred." Zelda said.
"Zelda, is it true that the kingdom was once built around those grounds?" Link asked.
"Part of it was. The old castle was once built outside of the grounds but there's nothing left of it now. It was abandoned when the kingdom became too large and the grounds dismantled. There was fear that the sprawling urban center would trickle into the Sacred Grove and it was immediately moved to its current location." Zelda explained.
"Hmm…do you ever wonder what that was like? You know, before our time…the times we only hear about in stories." Link stopped in his tracks and took Zelda in his arms. She smiled.
"I do wonder about those times. Sometimes I think that the magic and spontaneity of days of old is lost to our time now. Like what we're doing today, we woke up and you came knocking on my door with this grand idea. I would have never thought of such. Maybe you have some of the magic and spontaneity of the old hero they always speak of." Zelda said smiling. She threw her arms over Link's shoulders. He laughed at her.
"I somehow doubt that. I just wanted you to go on a walk with me." Link said. Zelda kissed him sweetly.
"I love you." Zelda said. "I can't kiss you like that…well ever." Zelda said. "That's why we should take advantage of a good thing." Zelda kissed him again. Zelda would be horribly frowned upon if anyone saw her kissing Link in this unsavory fashion. It was a curse to be royalty sometimes. Unfortunately, Zelda had an unrealistic image to uphold and there were times when it did nothing but torment her. But she was with Link today and when she was with him there was never any harm in being the woman she really was.
"I wish I could kiss you like that all the time." Link said taking her hand again. They had to get moving if they were going to see the sights the Sacred Grove had to offer.
"I do too." Zelda said sincerely. There was almost a certain degree of sadness in her voice; as if she felt trapped under the weight of being a rightful heir to Hyrule. If anyone could rule this country someday it was Zelda and Link told her that a hundred times. But, there was a price you paid for being next in line to govern Hyrule. The birds could be heard chirping and fluttering through the trees and the bushes that lined this seemingly lightly traveled path. The mossy ground was cool underneath their feet. As they traveled deep into the forest the air around them grew cooler. It would have been much easier to come here on Epona but Link thought it a good idea to leave her in the stables after the big day she had experienced the day before. After all, what would have been the point in a walk to the Sacred Grove had Link and Zelda taken Epona?
The closer Link and Zelda got to the Sacred Grove the more she yearned for Link to just steal her away for the weekend. She loved trips like this with Link and always hated to think of the end of their journeys together. Zelda reached her hand out to a small bloom on one of the plants that grew around them.
"Do you know what kind of plant this is?" Zelda asked.
"Hmm…no I don't, but it's delicate isn't it?" Link asked.
"It is. And such tiny little petals." Zelda said looking at the small pale yellow flower. The air around them was growing damper and it loomed with the scent of a rain shower. It was a sure sign that the Sacred Grove wasn't far off. Link walked ahead of Zelda to part away the vines that were overtaking the path. Once peeled away the walls of the decrepit temple could be seen in the distance.
"Zelda, come here." Link motioned for her. It had been nearly three years since he had laid eyes on this hallowed sight. He reached for Zelda's hand and pulled her close to him. Putting one hand on his back, Zelda leaned forward and peered between the vines that Link had pushed back and felt herself loose her breath. There is was. It was far more overgrown than Zelda had imagined.
"I can see what's left of the temple walls! Ooooh would you look at this place!" Zelda said excitedly as she peered upon the first glimpse of the remains of the old Temple of Time.
"Come on…" Link said stepping over the mound of tree roots and rocks. Zelda held on to Link and followed in his footsteps. The ground was soft from rainwater and the squish of wet grass below was the only sound to be heard. Zelda looked around; the moss covered walls spoke of an era in Hyrule lost to the forest. Link and Zelda weren't even near the old Temple of Time yet and the revered nature of this site could be felt.
"The Master Sword was once in here; considered the only place precious enough to protect a blade that would yield its power to its chosen master." Zelda said dreamily as she put her hand on the side of Link's face. Link smiled at her.
"Do you think the hero of old walked here once? You know, came into this grove with the wisdom of the gods…on a mission to take blade in hand and protect Hyrule?" Link asked Zelda as they made their way through the lush green of what were presumably the remnants of the old courtyard in front of the temple. Zelda squeezed his hand tighter.
"I'm certain he did. The stories say that some are able to see into the past and that this is the only place where such vision occurs." Zelda said. Link stopped in his tracks and took Zelda in his arms.
"It's true." He answered her. She could feel his lips on her bare shoulder. Zelda turned her head slightly.
"You have the gift don't you? You can see into the past, can't you?" Zelda asked her voice serious and soft." Link raised his head up and his eyes met Zelda's.
"I can." Link responded.
"Is…that going to be worrisome to you today?" Zelda asked suddenly worried about what Link may see.
"Not at all. The sight will be peaceful I'm certain of it." Link smiled at her to let Zelda know there was nothing to worry about. Let's get closer to where the Master Sword once rest." Link said taking Zelda's hand again. They could hear the wind rustling the trees and the occasional chirping bird. It was as if nature knew this place was holy. They walked through the soaked earth wondering how high these walls once reached to the heavens. This place looked to have been abandoned for possibly hundreds of years. The stone sidewalk that was once in the courtyard was entirely covered in moss and brambles now.
"Link, that's the entrance isn't it? Up there, that's the ancient entrance." Zelda asked eagerly as she pointed in front of her. Link stopped walking with her again. Memories flooded his mind as he looked upon the old entrance in the distance.
"Yes…that's the old entrance…the Master Sword once rested in the chamber behind it. Link's eyes shifted to the sky. Some of the infrastructure of the old temple remained. He could see it; the temple that is. He could see its rafters, its ancient marble, the glint of gold. They hadn't even reached the old entrance and these images were already flooding Link's mind like a torrent of water.
"Link, are you alright?" Zelda asked.
"Yeah…it's like the gods are whispering to me." Link said softly. The breeze picked up; you could almost hear the faint chanting of the gods. Zelda's eyes were wide with fascination as she squeezed Link's hand tighter. They made their way up the slick, worn away stone steps. Link seemed to be enchanted by the ancient entryway. Her remembered standing here with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Funny how things change in three years. The triforce symbol that had once been carved so deeply into this doorway was wearing away.
"There's something on the ground." Zelda's voice woke Link from his enchanted state.
"Oh this is…I know what this is…there's another triforce here. I remember it. Help pull the vines away." Link said anxiously as he remembered how this spot looked three years ago. Zelda knelt down beside Link and helped him tug at the vines and brambles that covered the antique stone in the ground.
"Well, look at that, it matches the impression that was once vivid on the entryway." Zelda said. Zelda shifted her eyes to Link as he stood up and stood on the spot that they had uncovered. The visions became much clearer. He could see the ancient holy statues, the winding stairs. He could see how the chamber that once housed the Master Sword looked. He saw a temple at peace. Zelda rose from her knees. Her feet felt cold from the wet earth. She put a hand on Link's arm.
"It's so beautiful…I wish you could see it." Link said. Zelda gazed ahead in the direction Link was looking. All she saw was grass and the outer wall of the Master Sword Chamber. She could see the stained stone and the moss that was claiming this land as its own. She could see the elaborate archway, crumbling into the earth once more. The grand statues, once white and lustrous, were corroded and weathering away. The arched windows of the temples had been gone for years. Zelda's vision was far different than that of what Link saw. Where they were standing would have once been the second floor terrace level that overlooked the main entrance to the temple. It was nothing more than a mound of earth and stone now. The dome that once covered this structure was the only part of this sacred site that was salvaged before the temple went in to ruins. The dome now rested in the new temple in the current kingdom of Hyrule. "It's just as I remember…" Link's voice trailed off as he could see the old sunlight pouring through the windows illuminating the main chamber. Zelda moved her hand to Link's back. Link blinked a couple times and snapped out of his reminisceful state. He now saw the same aged walls Zelda could see. Link put his hands on Zelda's shoulders.
"Let's see if you can see it." Link said trading Zelda places on the stone triforce in the ground.
"But Link, the Master Sword doesn't yield to me…I won't be able to see the old temple in all its grandeur." Zelda said hating so much to disappoint the hero she loved so dearly.
"Here, just try, look through the stone." Link said keeping his hands on Zelda's shoulders. She took a deep breath as the tender air pushed long hair off her shoulders. Secretly, she hoped she could see the vision too. She wanted to know what this place looked like all those years ago. She fixed her eyes on the triforce engraved stone before her. All she could see was the partially wet stone from the early rain and a butterfly flutter its way across her path of vision.
"I'm sorry, darling. I can't see it." Zelda said turning around to face Link. Link smiled a bit saddened that Zelda couldn't see this beautiful temple. Link looked above the stone to the decorative arched window, half of the arch was gone leaving only a skeletal spindle of what once was.
"But you can see the Master Sword chamber, let's go." Link said taking her by the hand.