Corrupted Dreams

Chapter 1. Aftermath

Zelda awoke the next morning with the unusual feeling of peace in her heart. No matter how much time had passed, she still wasn't used to it, nor did she think she would be used to it for quite a while.

She gazed out of her newly repaired room toward the courtyard below, where soldiers and carpenters alike were working tirelessly to get the castle and the town restored. She spied their Rito allies, headed by Revali himself no less, flying in with fresh supplies and materials.

   The birds sang out, the clouds rolled by in the blue sky. The wind gently kissed the nearby leaves.

   Everything was quiet, tranquil, and calming...for a few seconds.

"Princess!"

Zelda jumped in surprise and turned around.

Impa, the royal advisor walked into her room. She cupped her hand over her mouth when she realized she'd startled Zelda.

"Oh Hylia, sorry about that!" she said. She glanced at the princess's night clothes. "Did you just wake up?"

Zelda nodded. "I did, yes."

Impa smiled. "Well, I'm glad. You've got a lot of extra sleep to catch up on."

"What time is it now?" Zelda asked.

"Half past eight," Impa said. "Meaning you slept in over three hours longer than usual. Good for you!"

Zelda couldn't help but feel embarrassed over how late she'd slept in, even if it was no longer necessary for her to awaken early. But she was thankful for Impa's encouragement to indulge herself in extra sleep.

"Anyway, you need to get dressed and come on down to the Ancient Research Institute," Impa said. "King Rhoam wants you to see him there."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "What's Father doing there?"

Impa shrugged. "Don't know. I didn't ask."

Zelda knew it had to be something serious if her father were present. What could've gone wrong, and why did he require her presence?

She felt her stomach sink into her intestines. It was the first time she'd been summoned by her father since defeating Ganon, and prior to that, being summoned by him was never a good thing. She had a dreadful feeling that her day was already about to be ruined. She wanted that not to be the case, but she couldn't help expecting the worst.

"Go on ahead and tell him I'll be there soon," Zelda said. "I just need to get dressed."

"Got it," Impa said. "You can take the boat across the moat once you're ready. Much faster and safer than going through the Breach of Demise, let me tell you."

Zelda nodded. Her last trek through the Breach hadn't been the most pleasant, certainly. She was thankful that Link, her personal knight and trusted friend, and Impa had been there with her.

"I will see you there," Zelda said.

"Sounds good," Impa said. "See you there!"

Impa left the room. Zelda shut the door and proceeded to change.

One month. That was all the time that had passed since the defeat of Calamity Ganon. Zelda could still scarcely believe it. Her duty had finally ended after seventeen long, stressful years. She wasn't used to this at all. She still found herself going to her training when it was no longer needed.

Calamity Ganon's surprise attack and his tactic of possessing the Guardians had dealt a heavy blow to Hyrule. It had left a lot of death and destruction in its wake, and Zelda wanted to fully commit herself to helping heal what she could. But she was thankful to Hylia for sparing the lives of her closest friends.