KT: Now really, this isn't my fault, Karanos!

Karanos: I don't want to hear it! This time you've gone too far!

KT: But! But I didn't have a chance-

Karanos: NO SWAG FOR YOU!

Marth: My Lady KT! Milady Karanos! What's going on here?

Link: Isn't it obvious? Whip-weilding Psycho-Captain over there is mad that Sobbing, Weak-Willed Dark Angel didn't update when school let out over a month ago.

Karanos: She's had the chapter written for SIX WEEKS! She just hasn't taken the time to update!

KT/cries/

Roy: Um, guys? There's a crowd. They demand an update now. Can we give it to them?

KT: Oh, yeah… /sniffs/ here, it's my turn to answer reviews now.

Ledzeplisa – Ah! I'm so sorry/bows over and over again/ I didn't mean for you to be left out of the reviews last time! I'm glad you like the story, though. I just hope the chemistry can manage to stay between Roy and Jasmine!

Daikonran – Actually, the whole plot is always planned out when I write a story, but it has a habit of changing as I go along. Karanos and I were talking about doing some completely irrelevant, silly in-between scenes for some of these stories, so we'll see how it goes. Karanos: the taking of names is, of course, what we do best.

Max Fuchs – Achoo! It's cold in here. Can you take down the wall of ice now? I try to make things dramatic, but not TOO dramatic! Did I succeed?

Lemurian 04 – You really think it's such a good idea? Oh, I'm so happy! See, Karanos? I TOLD you people would like it! Karanos: Hmmph. Pain and suffering are all that you need to make good character development, if you ask me.

Hylian Dragoness – Ah, but that's just it, see. He hasn't had the proper chance to pull her in and kiss her. Yet. Tee hee. But don't worry. I think Captain Falcon should jump in the septic tank. If you really want to talk to me, you can feel free to email me. I'm on MSN, too.

Lvmj – I love a guy who is willing to jump into a dangerous situation for the girl he loves, don't you? Of course, being blinded by love isn't really a great excuse for doing something stupid… If you ask Karanos, all her ideas are good ones. Karanos: Damn right, they are.

Tymaporer – Um… was that a good 'O' or a bad one/worry worry worry/

Lvmj2 – Yeah, I don't think he'll be going out in the snow without a coat anytime in the near future, especially after this chapter. It's gonna get reeeeeeaaalllly cold here…

KT: okay, that's all of them.

Roy: Yes! Time to start!

Karanos: No, not quite yet. KT has something to say.

KT: Yep. Okay guys, this is it. This is the last chapter of IMS, plus an epilogue.

Roy: WHAT! That's IT? But… But Marth's story got twenty chapters!

Karanos: We go for quality, not quantity around here.

KT: Anyway, expect an epilogue here soon, and then… well, then we'll move on to other stories! So, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

Roy/sobs/

In Midwinter's Stillness – The Warmth of a Freak Snow Storm

Roy stumbled through the heavy white masses of snow as fast as he could, which was not fast at all. If he had taken the time to look behind him he would have seen how rapidly the falling snowflakes filled his tracks. As it was, he often had to brush them from his face and hair before they fell into his eyes.

The redhead couldn't see Jasmine's trail, but it had looked like she was heading for the forest on the edge of the grounds. He made his way to the now-white tree line, doggedly pushing through the gradually growing mounds of snow.

He was exhausted before he was halfway there. He'd fallen twice already, his momentum carrying him further than some of the snowdrifts would let him go. He was soaked through and completely frozen. What had possessed him to come outside without a coat? He should have brought two, one for him and one for the girl he was chasing after, but his sudden excitement in the common room had pushed him straight past the coat closet without a second glance. He picked himself up from his most recent fall and continued on, trying not to think about how cold he was.

Once he stepped into the forest he could see a little better. The dense trees kept out some of the snow, so he didn't have to clear his face anymore. Roy suddenly realized that he was able to see Jasmine's footprints now. He rushed forward eagerly, anxious to find her and bring her in soon.

"Jasmine?" he called, hoping the snow wouldn't muffle the sound too much. "Jasmine?"

"Roy?" The voice came quietly from somewhere to his left. Roy whirled and crashed into a tree. A cascade of snow fell from one of the branches, almost burying him.

"Ack!" he spluttered, struggling to climb out of the new pile. "Jasmine, help!"

Jazz stepped into view and covered a grin with her hand. "What are you doing down there?" she asked, helping him up.

"Getting colder and wetter. What are you doing out here, Jasmine?" Roy asked with a scowl.

Jazz stopped smiling. "Just going for a walk."

Roy couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "What? A walk? In this weather!"

"Don't get mad at me for what I choose to do, Roy," Jazz said calmly.

Roy didn't hear her. "I had to work to get through all that stuff! That was no stroll through the park!"

"Why did you come out here, Roy?" Jazz asked.

"I… there's a blizzard coming. Heck, it's already here," Roy said.

Jazz rolled her eyes. "So why did you come out here? Tell me the truth."

Roy swallowed nervously. He'd have to take the reaction he got. "I was worried about you."

Jazz looked surprised for a moment, but she composed herself quickly. "You're shivering."

"I'm cold."

She stepped closer to him and her eyes widened. "You're soaking wet!"

"I fell down a couple of times on my way out here. The dump that tree just gave me didn't help much either." The redhead crossed his arms and hunched his shoulders, trying to get warm.

Jazz glared up at him. "Why didn't you put on a coat?"

"Why didn't you?" he retorted.

"I asked you first."

Roy sighed, exasperated. "I was too distracted. I just forgot."

Jazz brushed some snow out of her eyes. "You really came out because you were worried about me?"

Roy nodded.

"Just because of me?"

Roy nodded, slowly this time.

"Why? You don't even like me," she said matter-of-factly.

Roy shook his head. "That's not true. I never said I didn't like you."

"Then why do we fight all the time?"

Roy took a deep breath. "Because… I want you to notice me."

The snow was falling hard, even in the forest now. Blasts of wind blew, tearing at their clothing, making them shiver and hunch down for more warmth.

"God, Jasmine, I'm so sorry. I didn't ever mean to get you in trouble. It wasn't even your fault. I shouldn't have reacted to your comment like I did. You didn't even mean it the way I tried to interpret it. It's just that… I… Falcon…" Roy looked back at Jasmine. "What do you see in him? What does he have that I don't?"

Jasmine didn't say anything for a long time. She looked down at the ground. "I don't see anything in him. What made you think I did?"

Roy gaped. "I… you were always hanging out with him. The day he broke my arm, he smiled at you like… like he thought he owned you. And that one day, he… mistletoe…" he trailed off.

Jasmine looked back at him. "You shouldn't spy. Most people don't like it. You must have left pretty soon if you didn't see that I wouldn't let him kiss me. I don't go for guys like him." She took a step closer to him. "And as for what he's got that you don't, a rude mouth, obscene gestures, and a very large head that is most likely filled with pictures of himself and a few naked women in there."

Roy didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. He just stared as she came closer to him. Why was she so close all of a sudden?

"It's so cold," she said, as if in answer to his unvoiced question.

Roy found his voice somehow. "I'm sorry. I should have brought you a coat."

Jazz smiled. "You really are stupid, Roy. But I am too, so that's okay." She put her arms around his waist and leaned against him. "This is what I meant."

Roy felt his heart stop. He was at the same time terrified and amazingly happy. He put his arms around her gingerly.

The wind continued to blow. "I think it's getting worse," Jazz said. "Let's see if we can't get back in."

Wordlessly, the two of them walked back to the edge of the forest. The snow was so deep within the trees now that it was coming a little higher than their knees. Roy was scared that they wouldn't be able to get through the snow once they left the forest.

His fears were confirmed when they were a few feet from the edge. Jasmine could not get through the snow unless she walked behind Roy, and even then she had trouble. Every muscle in Roy's body was crying out in pain. It was too much now to be numbed by the cold. Neither of them could see more than three feet in front of them, the outline of the mansion just barely visible.

"Let's turn back, Roy. If I'm exhausted, then it's a wonder you're not dead, doing all that work. Let's see if we can find shelter in the forest." Jasmine called over the wind.

Roy turned around. "We'll have to stay out until it ends if we do!"

"Maybe someone will come out."

"They'd have to be mad to come out now!"

"You came out!"

"Well, I was mad, wasn't I?"

Jazz took his hand and pulled him back into the forest. "We'll have to chance it."

Roy sighed in defeat and followed her. They followed the trail they had already dug. After a few minutes, Roy looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, great. Right after we decide to give up, it lets up some."

Jazz looked back too and laughed. "Maybe they'll come out now that it's barely snowing."

"I still say it's wishful thinking," Roy said.

They settled themselves against a large rock that had hardly any snow on one side.

"Roy?" Jazz said. Roy looked at her. "I'm sorry about our fight earlier. Sure, you reacted badly, but I made some pretty bad moves, too. It wasn't very smart of me to throw a plate at you."

Roy bit his lip and tried not to laugh. "Well, your aim was terrible, so I forgive you."

"My aim was perfect!" she gasped in mock anger. "You were just lucky enough to get out of the way in time."

Roy gave in and laughed. "My reflexes were good, then. I still forgive you."

Jasmine laughed too and leaned against his shoulder. Roy could feel her shivering, though she was clearly trying not to.

"You were right, you know," she said quietly. "I don't understand how you feel." She held his arm tightly and looked up at him. "Tell me. I want to understand."

Roy looked at her, but he didn't say anything. He just looked at her. Strands of her blond hair blew into her face and he pushed them away without hesitation. Her green eyes were bright, even though her cheeks were red from the cold and wind. Before her knew it, he'd leaned close enough that their foreheads touched.

The redhead exhaled. "I think you're beauty-"

The word was cut off as Jasmine pressed her lips against his. The kiss lasted only a second before she pulled away again. Roy stared at her breathlessly.

"You… I… I didn't get to finish my sentence!" he stammered.

Jazz let out a nervous giggle. "Are you upset?"

Roy leaned back against the rock and ran his fingers through his hair. "Upset? How could I be upset? You just kissed me!"

"Was that bad of me?"

Roy turned back to her. "Oh, no. The only thing I would change is to put us on a tropical island or something. Being stranded and freezing in a freak snow storm is not the most romantic of situations."

Jazz collapsed against him in a fit of laughter and somehow ended up with her arms around his neck. She kissed him again.

"And all this time you thought I like Falcon?" she asked.

Roy just nodded dumbly.

Jazz smiled. "Poor Roy. We've been training together for two weeks! Why didn't you just tell me?"

Roy looked away, embarrassed.

"You were jealous, weren't you?" Jazz said, beginning to giggle again. "You were jealous of him! Over me!" She was really laughing now. "Oh, wow, I never thought a guy would like me enough to be jealous! That's great!"

"Great?" Roy coughed. "That bastard broke my arm!"

Jazz smiled at him. "But you were fighting for me, right?"

"Yeah. Pretty sad that the one I'm fighting for has to teach me how, right?" Roy said with a laugh as well.

"No, not really. Just an interesting twist," she said. "Besides, you would have seen how I feel about you by Christmas, when I gave you my present."

Roy could have punched himself. "Christmas? Oh, no…"

"What's wrong?" Jazz asked. "Forget to do your shopping?"

Roy shook his head. "No, that's not it. Jasmine, I'm so sorry. I bought you a beautiful gift, but… I got upset," he looked away. "I returned it."

Jazz looked upset for a moment, then seemed to brighten. "That's okay. I can give you your present now, and then you can give it back on Christmas!"

Roy blinked. "I'm confused."

Jazz smiled. "Close your eyes."

Roy looked at her skeptically.

"What? You don't trust me? I want you to give this back, remember?" Jazz said. Roy closed his eyes. She kissed him again, this time much longer than before. When she started to move away, he pulled her back to him.

"Make sure you give that back on Christmas," she said when he finally let her go. "Or I won't forgive you for not having a present for me."

Roy sighed. "Don't worry. I can't imagine that I'll forget."

o0o

What felt like an eternity later, Roy poked Jazz with a numb finger. "Jasmine?" he whispered.

The girl stirred slightly as if she'd been asleep. "What?"

"I bet I'm colder than you."

Jazz glared at him and shivered. "Shut up."

Roy grabbed her shoulder to keep her from turning away from him. "Don't fall asleep, okay? I don't think it's a good idea."

Jazz rubbed furiously at her eyes. "I know, but I'm tired and cold, and I can't feel my hands or my face or my ears or my toes, or anything!"

Roy bit his lip. "If I had a coat, I would have offered it to you a long time ago." He looked up worriedly. It was getting dark, which meant it was getting colder. The two of them were already snuggled close together. He just wished they were in a situation where he could enjoy it.

Jazz pulled at his shirt to get his attention. "Roy, I think we'd better-"

Roy put a hand over her mouth. "Shh! Listen!"

Faint noises were coming from off in the distance. It sounded like the crunch of snow being dug through.

Roy and Jazz looked at each other hopefully. "Do you think it's them?" she whispered excitedly.

"I hope so."

They heard the voices then.

"Jazz! Jasmine!"

"Roy! Rooooooy!"

"Where are you? Hello!"

"Jazz!"

The two of them struggled to stand up, fighting against the numbness of their legs. They both started shouting at once.

"We're here! We're here! In the forest!"

"Heeeey! Marth, Link, we're here!"

Roy turned to Jasmine and took her hand. "Come on, let's move closer to them."

They walked along slowly, shivering madly, their bodies protesting the movement. They answered the calls of the searchers every so often until they met up with them.

Marth was the first to find them. "Roy! Milady Jasmine! Are you all right?"

They didn't have time to answer before the Ice Climbers appeared, followed closely by Link. The Ice Climbers, who knew something of winter weather, took control.

"Don't just stand here talking! Get them inside!" Nana said shrilly.

"Yeah, they need to get warm!" Popo added.

The group made their way back to the mansion as quickly as they could. The Ice Climbers hacked easily through the monstrous snow piles and the others just followed behind. Link attempted to ask questions occasionally, but Marth cut him off each time.

There was more excitement waiting for them at the mansion.

"Link!"

Roy looked up and saw a very irate Zelda leaning out of a window. To be specific, it was the window of the room he shared with Link and Marth.

Link stepped forward. "Zelda, close that window! You're letting all the cold in!"

"Ha!" Zelda shrieked. "You should have thought of that before you locked me in here!"

"I only locked you in so you wouldn't go traipsing about in this snow!" Link called.

Zelda crossed her arms. "Oh, I see. You're the Hero of Time, so you're the one who gets to save you friends, right? Certainly, the crippled princess can't be allowed to do a thing to help her friends, too. Well," She disappeared from the window for a moment, then reappeared, carrying something in her arms. "Surely the big hero needs his proper weapons, right? Oh, dear, you seem to have forgotten them! Here you go!" She began heaving things out the window. Link ran to and fro, trying to catch his falling equipment.

"Zelda! Wait, no, don't throw my bow! The string can't get wet! Ah, no stop!" he cried.

"Then you'd better catch it fast!" Zelda tossed it as well. "And what is a hero without his sword and shield?"

"Zelda, no! I'm sorry, okay? Don't throw them!" Link's protestations were cut off as the two heavy metal objects hit the snow.

The princess began yelling about a change of clothes, and soon the group was surrounded with all of Link's tunics. "Wait, Zelda, not that one!" Link yelled.

Zelda hesitated. "Why not?"

"It's Marths."

Zelda looked at it again. "So it is." She tossed it over her shoulder and rummaged around for something else to throw. "If you don't let me out of this room right now, I swear I'll-"

Roy stopped listening to Zelda's rantings as Jasmine tugged at his shirt again. "What?"

Jazz smiled. "They fight like an old married couple."

Roy laughed. "Don't let them hear you say that. They'll deny it to the end of the earth."

Jazz leaned against him. "Hold me, Roy-Boy. I'm cold."

Roy complied. "Let's go in. We've been out here long enough."

As they walked through the snow, they heard the sound of Zelda blasting the door down with her magic. Behind them, Marth moaned.

"We're going to have to pay to replace that now!" the prince yelled. "Sarah's not going to be happy!"

Jazz looked up at Roy. "She's not, you know. She doesn't like expenses."

"Right now, I don't really care. It's not my problem anyway," he said. He kissed her, then led her inside to finally, finally get warm.

Link: Well, it's another lame ending.

KT: Oh, you think so? I… I'm sorry… I tried…

Marth: Link! Stop making her cry! It was a good ending!

Karanos: Pssh. It wasn't even the ending at all. There's still the epilogue.

Link: Oh, right. The epilogue. Well, that ending is sure to be even sappier than this one.

Roy: I liked it.

Link: That's only because you got to kiss Jazz.

Roy/blush/

Karanos: Review. That's not a request.