The smell of hay filled Illia's nose, and the neighs of horses filled her ears. All around her were horses of every breed and color, all staring intently at her.

"Hello," she said, giving each of them a carrot. "I'll be looking after each of you."

A nearby cinnamon brown horse whinnied. Illia petted its snout.

Epona had recently moved in with the other horses, and seemed to be adjusting quite comfortably.

Illia grabbed a shovel and began to shovel poop, whistling as she worked. She loved the job, even though she'd only had it for a week and a half. One song she whistled was an Ordonian song, and she frowned. To get her mind off of Ordon and back in the present, the present where she was in Hyrule Castle Town, she began to whistle a tune she'd learned from the knights.

After she'd cleaned out the large, smelly stalls, she took each horse outside to run and enjoy the fresh air. The grass was wet from a rainstorm the night before, and the air smelled of spring flowers.

As peaceful as it was, she couldn't help but remember.

"Illia," Link had whispered to her. "So many amazing and strange things happened."

She'd just nodded in reply.

"Doesn't it just seem a little crazy to you? I can hardly believe it myself and I'm the war's hero. I'm amazed at myself."

Illia nodded again, staring down at her sandaled feet.

Link wrapped his arm around her, then lightly squeezed her small hand. "I was so worried about you, and now you're back. Illia, you're my best friend, and it'd kill me if something terrible were to happen to you."

"But something terrible did happen to me, Link." Illia whispered. She looked around at the horses, then at the side of the rebuilt Hyrule Castle. "You vanished, leaving me all alone. Now I have to fend for myself, Link."

That night, all alone under her covers, she thought about her day. Princess Zelda had invited all her workers to dine with her, giving them only the finest food. She'd smiled and happily chatted with them.

"Are you enjoying your work, Illia?" Zelda had asked her.

"I am, Zelda."

Zelda beamed, showing off teeth as white as her skin. "I hoped you would."

Zelda reminded her of Link. Both were kind, brave, and selfless, along with each having their faults. Link would try too hard, and other times he'd blow things off. Zelda tried to be her best, but Illia could see through her facade to the stress underneath. Zelda never let her position go to her head, but she didn't seem to take pride in her accomplishments either.

Illia wondered if maybe she should run away, go to a whole new place, and start her life over again.

But what would she do if something bothered her there? Could she just run away again, hoping that she'd be lucky enough to find a place she was comfortable with, a place that probably didn't exist?

She tossed and turned, trying again and again to sleep. She had to work tomorrow, and she didn't even want to imagine what it would be like if she went to work without having slept.

Illia kept telling herself to just sleep, but she couldn't. Her brain wouldn't listen, and instead flooded her mind with pictures of Link, her father, her friends in Ordon, and Zelda.

Illia pulled her covers over head, closed her eyes, and begged for the darkness to take her from the pain she faced.

It didn't.

The man with the lilac hair frowned. "What a shame to be free of the sword and have nothing to do. My mind should be swimming with ideas, and yet all I do is sit in my palace and wait. What am I waiting for?" He got up, walking around his large throne room, the sound of his footsteps echoing across the walls.

It had been only four days since he'd broken the seal of the Four Sword, though it felt much longer, and only three since he'd formed the magic to transform himself into his Hylian form.

"All of Hyrule lays unprotected before me," he added, continuing the conversation with himself. "From the rubies I heard, the legendary boy in green is gone." He remembered two other boys in green, along with three matching boys in blue, a violet shaded purple, and red. They'd defeated him, and he vowed to make sure it never happened again. "This is quite good for me."

He sat back down at his throne and began to think. "How will I gain Hyrule for myself?"

That was when the plan dawned on him.

He got his paper, then began to write.

Dearest Princess Zelda,

You perhaps have heard legends of me before, maybe during celebrations or before bed. Being the wise, and not to mention beautiful, princess you are, surely you'd call these stories fairy tales. However, these stories are one hundred percent true, and I have no problem proving them true for you. If you wish for your kingdom to be spared of destruction, and I take no pity on the land of Hyrule, then take my hand in marriage. Doing so, you will spare your kingdom of destruction and save the lives of many.

Signed,

Vaati, Mage of Wind

He smiled at the letter, knowing he wouldn't use it until he was sure it would be needed. All he could do now was watch and wait, learning everything that he could use to his advantage. A war would start, perhaps not the type with swords and arrows, but even so he knew he'd still have to win it.

Author's Note: Happy holidays!