Well, since the world didn't end on the 21st I guess I'll post this year's Christmas story. (Actually written last year for a story exchange, but you get the picture.) Happy late solstice!

Snow crunched under the hooves of the chestnut-brown horse as it and its green-clad rider headed towards a high stone wall. They came to a stop in front of a drawbridge, the only way over the now-frozen moat and into the bustling town behind the wall. The rider pushed back the hood of his green cloak, revealing yellow-blond hair, long pointed ears, and a long green hat.

"Well Epona, we're here. Hyrule Castle Town."

Epona tossed her head and whinnied. Link smiled as he patted her neck.

"Yeah, it's been a while; about what, five years?"

Link dismounted and led Epona over the drawbridge and through the streets of Castle Town. The townsfolk who were out and about waved and called happy greetings as he passed. After several minutes of tramping through the slush and waving to those that hailed him Link finally made it to his destination: Hyrule Castle. A guard began to challenge him, but stopped when he saw who it was.

"Master Link! Please, go right on through. The princess has been awaiting your arrival."

Link nodded thanks and entered the courtyard, glad he didn't have to sneak in liked he'd had to all those years ago. A stable boy came running up to take Epona's reigns. With a final pat Link let the stable boy lead Epona off. She'd be well cared for, he knew. The guards at the huge doors of the Castle proper nodded to him and pulled them open. A little hesitantly Link stepped inside. He'd never actually been in this part of the Castle before. In fact, he'd never really come into the Castle at all. The large and imposing entry hall he had just stepped into was less formidable than it might have regularly been due to the large amount of servants and guards who were hanging Yule decorations all over the place.

"Link!"

A figure emerged from the crowd and hurried up to him. It took Link a second to recognize her as Princess Zelda. She was much taller than when they had last met, almost as tall as he was, and her clothes were much more mature in style. Link bowed solemnly.

"My lady."

Zelda blushed slightly. "You of all people have no reason to bow to me, and I am perfectly fine with you calling me Zelda."

Link winked and bowed again. "As you wish, my lady."

"If you keep doing that I will start referring to you as the Hero of Time and make sure everyone else does as well."

Link immediately straightened. "Whatever you say, Zelda."

Zelda smiled. "That's better. I haven't seen you for five years. How have your travels been?"

"Long." Link answered as he removed his cloak, revealing a long green tunic over a long-sleeved white shirt, white leggings, and tall brown boots. "After leaving I wandered around, helping people and stuff like that, then I decided it would be nice to see Hyrule again. Of course, getting invited to spend Yule at Hyrule Castle wasn't exactly expected, but I'm grateful to be invited all the same."

Zelda looked a little sheepish. "Well, I heard you were back in Hyrule, and I didn't know if you had anywhere to spend Yule. I hope I didn't ruin any plans."

"Don't worry, I didn't really have any plans. Well, I was planning on saying hi to some people, but that can wait until after the holiday."

Zelda got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "You might be able to say hi to some people sooner than you expected. But where are my manners? You're probably tired from all that riding. Let me show you to your room."

As they exited the hall and began ascending a set of stairs Link had a feeling there was going to be a surprise in his room, and that feeling had saved him countless times before. He started tensing up as they stopped in front of a plain-looking door. Zelda pushed it open to reveal a small but comfy-looking room. A large bed was in one corner, across from a fireplace with a small, cheery fire already lit inside. A dresser and two chairs resided against a wall. Floating in the middle of the room, right over a brightly colored rug, was a small bluish-white ball of light with proportionally large, transparent wings.

"Navi!" Link cried in astonishment.

"Hi, Link." Navi replied as she flitted around his head, "Long time no see."

"I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?"

"There were other things I had to accomplish. I'm sorry I had to leave like that."

"It's OK. At least I get to see you again."

Zelda curtsied. "I'll leave you two to catch up. You're welcome to help decorate, if you want." She left. Link hung his cloak by the fire to dry before going down to lend his assistance in decorating for the big celebration the next day, all the while talking with Navi. He was wrapping a garland around a banister when he heard someone say,

"Hey, fairy boy!"

Link turned and saw Malon, a coy smile on her lips. "Oh, hi Malon. What are you doing here?"

"Dad and I were delivering a load of milk, and the princess invited us to stay. What about you? Last I heard you were off in some distant land."

"I decided I wanted to see Hyrule again and got invited to stay as well."

Malon took the garland and began helping Link. "How's Epona?"

"She's doing excellent. You can visit her in the stable if you want."

Malon began asking him about his recent adventures, all the while shooting him flirty looks. By the time they were done Link was starting to get annoyed. He made up an excuse about making sure Epona was taken care of and left before she could offer to come with him.

"I think she likes you." Navi said as they headed outside.

"No duh." Link retorted.

Epona was more than adequately cared for, so Link went back inside. He was just about to see if Malon had left when he heard a familiar dinging sound. A winged ball of light that looked almost exactly like Navi except for that fact that it was white flitted in front of him.

"Tatl!" Link exclaimed in surprise, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Skull Kid asked me give you something, now that we actually know where you are." She dropped a tightly rolled piece of paper into his outstretched hand. "But he says not to open it until tomorrow."

"Thanks. Are you planning on staying around for the party?"

"Yep. Skull Kid said to stay and make sure you don't open that until tomorrow."

"Great!"

Link tucked the paper in a pocket inside his tunic and went to help decorate. He quickly found out that certain items, such as the hookshot, sped up the process immensely. Then things quickly started going downhill. It started when Navi said something about targeting. Tatl disagreed, and it turned into an argument. To make matters worse, Malon showed up and began flirting with Link in what he thought to be the most annoying manner possible. The only thing that could have made it worse, in Link's opinion, was if Ruto were to show up and start going on about how they were engaged. With an amazing amount of stealth that could have rivaled the Gerudo, he distracted Malon and slipped off into a side corridor. His sigh of relief was cut short by someone saying his name.

"Link? What's going on? It sounds like there's an argument going on in there."

Link turned to see Zelda, a bundle of evergreen boughs in her arms. "Well, Tatl showed up, and now she and Navi are arguing. Oh, and Malon seems to have decided to stalk me."

"That does sound like a problem." Zelda cocked her head in thought.

"You have the Triforce of Wisdom. What am I supposed to do about it?"

"I'm not sure about Malon, but I guess you could try to keep Navi and Tatl separate. If you get really lucky they'll do it on their own."

"Or I could catch them in separate bottles." Link speculated, "That might keep them from arguing."

Zelda laughed. "Most likely, but I doubt they would appreciate it. If they bug you too much you could always go up on the battlements. No one usually goes up there except for the guards, and I'm sure they won't mind."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Do you want to help me with these? I doubt Malon will bother you as much if you're with me."

"Sure."

They went back the way Link had come. As they started entering the room they saw that Malon was glaring at them fiercely, especially at Zelda. A quick glance up revealed a sprig of mistletoe hanging directly above their heads. Link and Zelda looked at each other in alarm and jumped back into the corridor.

"That was awkward." Link said as they rounded a corner.

"Very. Did you notice how she managed to hang mistletoe over all the doorways and half the ceiling?"

"Yeah." Link let out an exasperated sigh.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Easy." Link whipped out his bow, notched an arrow, and muttered something. The arrowhead burst into flames. "I should have enough magic and arrows to do the job."

Zelda laughed. "You'd best wait until everyone's out. Come on, I know a way around that room."

Link took the branches and followed Zelda away from the room where Malon waited in vain for him to come back.

A pattern quickly became established. One of the fairies was usually with Link. Then the other fairy would show up and they would begin arguing. Link would leave, eventually one of them would find him, and the process would begin all over again. Malon was a constant annoyance. Link was soon going to extreme measures to avoid her, ranging from ducking behind boxes and piles of decorations to using his hookshot to hang from a ceiling beam and praying Malon didn't look up. The most epic adventure came late that afternoon. He was decorating a balcony when he heard clucking. A Cucco came strutting onto the balcony. Link stared at it in surprise. What was a Cucco doing here?

"Where did that Cucco go? Dad's not going to be happy if I can't find it."

Link recognized the voice as Malon's. Desperately, he looked around. There was no way to escape her unless he jumped off the balcony. He looked over and saw another balcony not too far away. As footsteps approached he grabbed the Cucco and jumped over the railing, using the Cucco to glide to the next balcony. Still holding the squawking chicken, Link ducked inside the door. With a sigh of relief he went looking for Talon and found him sleeping in a remote corner. The Cucco gave an especially loud squawk, and Talon woke up with a snort.

"What the...oh, hello Link. It's been a while. Did you find my Cucco?"

"Yep." He handed the bird to Talon. Malon's voice came from the hall. "You didn't see me." Link ran out the other door, leaving behind a confused Talon, and didn't stop until he was in the relative safety of his room.

The next day was even busier than the previous as everyone hurried to finish last-minute preparations for the Yule feast and celebration that would happen that night. Link, in a double effort to avoid Malon and stay out of everyone's way, took Zelda's advice and went up to the battlements. More snow had fallen during the night, covering everything in another layer of sparkling white. The air was cold and crisp, and no breeze disturbed the quiet. Link stood still, absorbing the peace.

"No, you give out the most useless advice!"

Link internally winced as the two fairies came into view, arguing more loudly than should be possible for such small creatures. As they flew higher and higher he fingered the bottles he kept in his tunic pockets. He only had one empty one, but it would be a small matter to drink a red potion to get another one.

Suddenly several flying shapes caught his eye as they came out of a window on a high tower. As they came closer he grimaced. They looked like bats surrounded by a blue flame. Of course it had to be Ice Keese. They were by far some of the most annoying enemies he had come across, and he had come across quite a few. The fairies swooped up.

"Watch out, Link! They're Ice Keese!" Navi said.

"Yeah, like he didn't already know that." Tatl snapped.

"Would you two just quit it?" Link said as he drew his sword. Surprisingly enough, they did. Each fairy flew towards a Keese in an attempt to help Link target it.

"Over here!"

"No, get this one!"

While Link was distracted by the fairies another Ice Keese swooped up behind him and froze him. It took several seconds for him to thaw out, and when he did he lost his balance and landed face first in the snow. Muttering several choice words under his breath, he rolled over and lashed out, killing one of the Keese. Ignoring the fairies, he took out the others before brushing snow from his clothes and hair.

"Wow, that was close." Tatl said, "Maybe we should get inside before more come."

Link nodded and headed down the stairs, not mentioning how it was probably her and Navi's bickering that disturbed the Keese in the first place.

Later in the day other guests began arriving. There were a number of Gorons and Zoras, the latter heavily bundled up against the cold, as well as a large amount of people from various towns such as Kakariko. What really surprised Link was when he saw a group of Kokiri, though none of them recognized him.

The sky grew dark, and torches were lit. Everyone gathered into a giant hall, where long tables groaned under a massive assortment of food and drinks. By a stroke of good luck Link was seated far away from Malon. The King, seated at the head of the middle table, stood and gave a welcome speech before saying a prayer of thanks. When that was done everyone dug in with a will. After the feast the remains were cleared away and the tables and benches were pushed against the wall. A group of musicians gathered in one corner and began playing a lively tune. After several minutes of dodging through the crowd Link finally managed to shake Malon and sat in an obscure corner. The combination of warmth, a full stomach, and the last two action-packed days soon sent him into a quiet slumber.

Link woke to the sound of arguing. Navi, Tatl, and Malon were in front of him, their voices getting louder and louder. Barely suppressing the urge to whip out one of his weapons, he stood and tried to calm them down. Rather than quelling the fighting, though, it seemed to inflame them. He couldn't even tell what they were fighting about. Finally, he snapped.

"Will you all just knock it off already?! I'm sick of this!" he yelled.

The three stopped immediately and stared at him, stunned. Without waiting to see if they would reply Link stormed off. Through silent halls and empty rooms he went, not caring where he ended up, until he found himself up on the battlement. It was quiet, and the moonlight sparkling on the snow created a serene atmosphere. Link found a snow-free patch of stone and sat down, head in hands. When he had come up with the idea of returning to Hyrule to see his old friends, he had thought it would be an enjoyable experience. He had never imagined it would turn out as a two-day nightmare.

Snow crunched as someone approached. Link knew without looking that it was Zelda. He was right. Zelda sat down beside him, silent for a few moments.

"This is where I usually come when I'm upset." she said softly, "Hardly anyone comes up here, so it's quiet and peaceful most of the time. I do a lot of my thinking up here."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Link sighed.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've faced thousands of enemies, but I can't handle some silly arguing."

"Friends make the worst enemies, especially when they are so unintentionally." Zelda said gently, "It's kind of funny. People get so caught up in the celebration that they forget what they're celebrating. It becomes about the decorations and impressing the neighbors, rather than the simple joys of giving and being with the ones you love."

"Even when the ones you love are out to kill each other?"

"Even then." Zelda stood. "The others have promised to stop fighting. Don't stay out here too long, or you might catch a cold."

As Zelda's footsteps faded Link rested his head against the parapet. Zelda was right, but he didn't feel like going down just yet. What if the others started fighting again the moment they saw him? He really didn't know if he could stop himself from inflicting serious injury on at least one of them.

Behind him, down in the courtyard, a small voice started singing. It was soon joined by other voices Link recognized as Kokiri. The melody was a lullaby, slow and sweet, that he had heard often when he had lived with the Kokiri and thought he was one of them. As the choir began the second verse he pulled out his ocarina, the Ocarina of Time that Zelda had given him, and started playing along with them. By the end of the fourth and final verse Link felt much better. Music had that effect on him, especially when he was the one making it. As he tucked the ocarina back into his tunic he felt something small and cylindrical. Curious, he pulled out out. It was the roll of paper Skull Kid had sent him. He unrolled it and spread it on his lap.

The moon was a day from full, giving Link enough light to see that it was a drawing of Link, Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael. Underneath was written, "Friends Forever". Suddenly, Link understood. It wasn't just about being with the ones you loved. It was about loving the ones you loved, even if they were far away or arguing incessantly. Smiling, he tucked the picture next to his ocarina and went back inside. Navi, Tatl, and Malon jumped when they saw him and started apologizing all at once.

"Link, we're really sorry about all the fighting..."

"We promised to stop, really..."

"We just got caught up..."

Link held up his hands. "It's all right. I forgive all of you. Let's just try to enjoy the rest of the night, such as it is."

The musicians struck up the Yule Dance, traditionally the last dance of the evening and one in which everyone participated in regardless of how well they could dance. Zelda came up to Link and curtsied.

"May I have the honor of having this last dance with you?"

Link bowed. "The honor is mine."

As they headed towards the center of the floor Link saw a handsome, well-dressed man ask Malon to dance with him, causing Malon to blush as she accepted. The dance started in earnest, and Link focused on the steps. When he had them down, an easy feat since it was so simple, he said,

"Thank you for everything."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just happy I could help."

"But I still thank you."

Zelda smiled. "Very well. Thank you for gracing us with your presence."

"Let's just stop before this gets out of hand."

"All right. Where do you plan on going to next?"

"I'm not sure yet. I might stay in Hyrule for a while."

"Well, you are always welcome to stay here until you decide what to do."

They talked until the dance ended, after which Zelda bid Link a good night and left. Most of the other guests said good night to him, and he even let Malon hug him, though it was a much longer one than he would have preferred. As he finally made his way to his room, Link smiled. Some nightmares had happy endings after all.

And that's it. Merry Christmas, happy whatever-else-you-celebrate, and a happy New Year!