For the record, this story is dedicated to: Me. . .brother. By the way, his name is Graham. (or, on fanfiction, pillar of fire 9)

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December 1st had finally come, but snow hadn't. The winds were getting colder, but Zelda still found comfort in sitting outside. On this particular day, she sat underneath the willow tree next to Link. She grinned.

"I think winter is my favorite season," she sighed.

"Really? Mine too!" Link said. Zelda had already known that, but she didn't let on. "People think I'm crazy, but I don't know why."

"I think winter is cruelly stereotyped," Zelda said. "You know how in all those stories winter is always the wicked subject, or the villian's name has something to do with winter or ice or something like that."

"Yeah, you're right!" Link said. "I never thought of that before."

"And another thing. There are almost no bugs in winter, you can skate, sled and play in the snow!"

"Speaking of snow," Link said. "I wish it would now. Or at least sometime soon."

"Do you get white Christmases often?"

"Yes, pretty much all of the time. What about in Altea?"

"Green a lot. There's the occasional snow, but it's normally very thin and wet." Zelda sighed. "But there's always a royal ball come Christmas time, and the servants work hours into the night making artificial snowflakes. . .and then I never even get to see how people react to my designs."

"What, you don't go to the balls?"

"Of course not, don't be silly!" Zelda said. "Didn't I already tell you? I am never invited to royal occasions of any sort. My friends and I sometimes sneak outdoors and watch the balls from outside the windows. Mostly it's just me and Roy, though."

"Roy. . .that's Marth's manservant, right?"

"Yes. Sometimes I feel like he's the only one in the world willing to be my friend. In Altea, anyway."

Link felt a feeling of jealousy wash over him suddenly. Why was he so jealous of Roy? There was nothing to be jealous about. Not really. "Well don't forget you're still invited to our Christmas party."

"That's really very kind of you, Link," Zelda said. "I just hope Malon will approve of it."

"Sure she will. Believe me, Zel, if I tell her to do something she'll do it. Not to flaunt or anything, but I think quite taken with me." He sniffed loudly, and pretended to be an arrogant sort of aristocrat.

Zelda forced a laugh, but she had this strange feeling. She suddenly felt extremely jealous of Malon. She'd envied her before, but that was because she was a princess and for other stupid matters. Why should she be jealous now?

"Zel, are you all right?" Link asked, suddenly breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm uh. . .yeah."

"Well, I was just wondering about something," Link said. "Darryl and I are going skating in a little while. He's bringing Scarlett because he knows she loves to skate, and I was wondering if you'd like to come."

"Sure!" Zelda blurted. She blushed and straightened. "Thank you, Link. I gladly accept your invitation. . .I sound really stupid, don't I?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Link laughed, standing up. "But I'm glad you want to come. I'll get you when we're ready to leave, all right?"

"Okay."

"Good-bye." Link took Zelda's hand in his and kissed it lightly. He smiled, then walked back to the castle.

Zelda stood there in shock, her arm still outstretched. 'He just kissed my hand,' she thought to herself, still standing dumbly still. 'OH MY GODDESSES, HE JUST KISSED MY HAND!!' Then the servant twirled around, and cried out loud: "OH, I'LL NEVER WASH THIS HAND AGAIN!!"

At that precise moment, a bucket of water came flying out of no where, and the liquid poured all over Zelda's body. "NO!! Where did that water come from!?" But in her mind, she thought, 'Classic. Why is it always me?'

"Me, sorry," came Cody's gruff voice. "I just came from the stream, and I tripped. Sorry I got you wet, Zel."

Trying to hold in her anger and annoyance, Zelda slowly headed back towards the castle. "It's all right, Cody. . .I'll just go dry up a bit." She shivered as she walked inside the castle and walked towards her room.

"Zelda!"

"P-Peach?" she asked, turning around. It seemed that ever since Link had left, the whole atmosphere became freezing.

"My dear girl," Peach said, walking up to her. "You must be frozen to the bone! Where on earth did all that water. . .how did you get so wet?!"

"It was C-Cody," Zelda answered. "He accidentally tripped and spilled some water on m-me."

"Did he now?" Peach asked, steering Zelda up the stairs. "Well, we'll have to get you dried off. I hate to tell you this dearie, but Cody's always been a bit of a clumsy klutz. He says it runs in the family."

"Oh," Zelda whispered, shivering harder. "This really isn't necessary though, Peach. I c-can dry off myself."

"I know," Peach said. "But there's something in my room that I insist you see anyway. Then you can dry off in my bathroom. Okay?"

Zelda nodded.

"Actually, why don't you dry off first?" Peach asked. "Then I'll show you what it is I wanted you to see, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks," Zelda said. "Th-thanks a lot."

"Oh, don't thank me," Peach said, shoving Zelda into the bathroom and shutting the door. "Link told me that he invited you to go ice skating later on, and you can't go there looking like Frosty's sister. It's cold enough out there without being drenched with stream water."

A few minutes later, Zelda walked out of Peach's bathroom, completely dry. "Thank you, Peach. . ."

"Like I said, there's no need to thank me," Peach beamed, walking over to her closet. "But there's something I'd like to show you before you leave." She opened the closet door, and a small grey kitten sped out of it. "This is Ginseng, my newest cat."

Ginseng ran towards Zelda and started rubbing his head against her ankles. Grinning, Zelda slowly reached down and stroked the kitten's back. "He seems very friendly with people."

"I'm glad you think so," Peach said. "Because I want you to have him."

Zelda looked up at the princess in shock. "But Peach! He's your cat! I can't just take him away from you! That would be unthinkable!"

"I'm giving him to you," Peach said. "I insist that you take him! I've already got more cats than I can handle (barely) and I know that you'd be able to take good care of him, Zelda!"

"Peach, I. . .I don't know what to say!"

"Oh, who cares about words? Just consider the dear as an early Christmas present. Now you'd best be hurrying off to get dressed for skating. I think that they're leaving sometime soon."

"Thank you, Peach!" Zelda squealed, cursteying.

"I was only too happy to do it!" Peach laughed, watching Zelda walk out of the room. She sighed. "Why was I cursed with two brothers and no sisters? WHY?!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, the group (consisting of Link, Zelda, Darryl, Scarlett, Roy and a somewhat reluctant Malon) were all at the skating pond.

"Ain't it a lovely little private pond?" Scarlett asked, lacing up her skates. "We comes here every winter, we does. Skatin's my favorite sport!"

"So I've been told," said Zelda, smiling. She inched towards the pond, and tried to get up off the ground. "It's just standing up that's the problem with me."

"Nonsense!" Scarlett cried joyvially. "Standing up is a breeze!"

"Perhaps for someone like you," Zelda said, holding up her arm. "Give me a hand, will you?"

"Sure," Scarlett grunted, helping Zelda to her feet. "There you are, Zel. You ever skated before?"

"Well. . .kinda not really."

"Kinda not really, eh? Why exactly did you come, may I ask?"

"Link asked me to."

"A-HA!!!" Scarlett shouted victoriously, almost causing Zelda to fall over and making several birds fly out of a nearby tree. "Soooooooooo. . .you're on first-name terms with him now, are you?"

"Yeah," Zelda sniffed. "Is that such a huge problem?"

"Problem? Don't speak such mad tosh! It's great! The last time his higness asked a servant to call him by name was when. . .when. . .well actually, he doesn't talk much with servants. He doesn't have any, you see. And we servants and such aren't 'sposed to stay around royals when they aren't our personal masters, see? Ain't right for us too."

"Right," Zelda said, a little confused. "I remember vaguely a long time ago. . .my brother and sister tried to teach me how to skate. I did all right." She released Scarlett's arm, which she had been gripping tightly in order to keep her balance. Zelda wobbled a bit on the ice, then managed to keep steady. "I guess I still remember a bit of what they taught me to do."

"Interesting," Scarlett said. "So, where are you brother and sister?"

"They're dead," Zelda answered in a monotone. "Along with the rest of my family. They were murdered when I was barely four."

"Oh. . .wow, Zelda, I'm real sorry. Are they really all gone?"

"I think," Zelda muttered to herself. She glanced over at Darryl, who was helping Link stick some sort of sign in the ice.

"What was that?" Scarlett asked.

"Yes."

"Sorry, Zel. Really I am."

"You know, skating's not really that hard once you get going," Zelda said, trying to change the subject.

"I'm glad you've finally caught on," Scarlett laughed. She skated ahead, leaving Zelda to wander about on the ice by herself.

Malon, wearing a ridiculously poofy red-and-pink winter coat (complete with poofy hat, mittons and earmuffs) was skating right alongside Link. He was wearing a rather disappointed look, but appeared to be trying to hide it.

Scarlett noticed Zelda staring at the pair of royals with an evil glare, so she cleverly skated over and tried to curtsey. "Your majesty," she said, addressing Malon. "I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"Very well, what is it?"

"Well. . .I would rather appreciate it if it could be a private inquiry."

"Don't be ridiculous. Whatever you have to ask me, you can ask Link as well."

"Oh no, that's all right," Link said quickly. "I should feel terrible if I were to intrude on this interrogation when I am not wanted."

"But you are want--"

"I shall return," Link said. Malon glared as he glided towards her servant girl. She found it most annoying.

"So, how's it going?" Link asked Zelda.

"Oh, all right I guess," she answered. "I haven't been skating for some time, that's for sure." She laughed, but it was an empty laugh.

Link stared at her. He was almost sure he had seen those eyes before. They were unforgettable--but he knew he'd never seen Zelda before. "I hope you don't mind my asking," the prince said. "But do I, by any chance, know. . .well, have I ever met your mother, or sister or someone? I could swear that I've seen you before."

"I'm afraid that would be quite impossible," Zelda sighed. "My family lived in secluded areas all their lives. It is extremely unlikely that you saw any of them before they died."

"Oh. . ." Link said dumbly. "I'm very sorry."

"No, no, it's all right," Zelda sighed. 'Why is everyone bringing up my family today?' she thought to herself. 'It's driving me crazy!'. She glanced over at Darryl. Laughing and throwing a clump of snow at Scarlett, he looked even more like the brother Zelda had lost so long ago.

"So about how far away is this pond from your castle?" Zelda asked, breaking the long silence between her and the prince. "I wasn't really paying attention on the way up."

"It's a ways away, I guess," Link said, shrugging. "In fact, we stay in that inn down the road quite often." He nodded towards a large and luxurious looking building. "Darryl and Scarlett never tire of skating, and we end up staying here well into the night."

"That's very interesting."

Malon, now skating along by herself, glared at Zelda and Link with annoyance. It was quite despicable, really. She had a feeling that she had been dumped. But the princess shrugged off the idea. Her own brother, Marth, always flirted like crazy with all the maids in the castle, but it never meant anything. Never. But it never hurt to be safe. . .

She had an idea. Malon headed towards a small sign that read 'Beware: Thin ice!' The princess looked around to make sure no one was looking, then took out the sign and buried it in some nearby snow. Smiling to herself, Malon took off her scarf and threw it onto the thin layer of ice.

Link and Zelda were coming closer. It was time. "Zelda!" Malon called out. Her servant stopped (as did Link) and looked at her expectantly. "My scarf's gone awry and blown all the way over there. Would you be a dear and get it for me, Zellie?"

"All right," Zelda mumbled, going over onto the dilute ice, adding in a growl, "Your majesty."

"I'd be more careful with your words, dear," Malon called after her, grinning. "You should watch out, or you may be skating on thin ice!"

Of course, Zelda didn't take her seriously. Malon's expression, however, prompted Link to look around the pond for the sign he and Darryl had put up. It wasn't anywhere in sight. As he turned around, he heard a loud scream come from behind him.

As Malon had expected, the thin ice underneath Zelda's skates cracked almost immediately. Seconds later, she fell into the freezing water below.

"Help!" she cried.

"Someone's got to help her!" Scarlett shouted. "She doesn't know how to swim!"

"Says who?" Malon asked in a calm sort of voice.

"Says Zelda!" Scarlett said back. "You may have known her longer than me, but I know a lot more about Zelda that you do!"

"Whatever, she can get out herself," Malon sniffed, tugging at Link's arm. "C'mon Link, let's get going."

"Are you crazy?!" Link asked. "If she doesn't drown first, she'll freeze to death!" He ran onto the snow surrounding the pond and got flat down onto his stomach. Link reached out his hands. "C'mon Zel, just grab my hands!"

In attempting to do so, the ice around Zelda started to break. She reached towards Link with bare hands (her gloves had slipped off in the water) and he held onto her. "I've got you," he grunted, pulling her up. "I won't let go--just push!"

A few moments later, Link had managed to pull Zelda onto the bank of snow. Bits of ice clung to her all over her body, as she shivered non-stop.

"Are you okay?" Link asked her.

"W-well, I'm a. . .I'm a b-bit cold," she stammered.

Link looked up. "C'mon, put your arm around my neck," he said, picking her up. "I'll take you into that inn over there."

"Ok-kay." Zelda did as Link told her to, then her eyes slowly closed.

"Just look at that," Malon said, not particularly speaking to anyone. "How does she do it? Zelda's just completely ruined our skating trip!"

"MALON!" Scarlett shouted, forgetting her place. "You knew that the ice over there was thin, and you told her to go over there just because you're jealous! You vicious, jealous, conniving wench!"

"Why, how dare you--!"

But before Malon had a chance to reprimand her, Scarlett rushed over towards Link. That servant had some nerve. . .both of them. They'd pay.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Malon: (in bugs bunny voice) Ain't I a stinker?

Zelda: Um, yeah? YOU TRIED TO KILL ME!!

Malon: Yeah, but we're really best friends when we're not in stories like these.

Zelda: It's the truth!

Sawyerzelda: riiiiight...

Link: Hey, are you named after a cat?

Zelda: ARE YOU CALLING ME A CAT?!

Link: no, i meant 'sawyer' in the author's name.

Sawyerzelda: yeah, the sawyer part comes from a dancing cat!!! well my dear readers, keep on. . .reading! and reviewing! and eating chocolate!