"Link? Hey."

Ilia shook her friend gently. They were at the ranch, and Link had fallen asleep. Which was perfectly normal, if you ignore the fact that he was lying on several feet of snow in the middle of December.

"Hmm?"

"Wake up. You fell asleep."
He yawned. "Yeah, apparently. Why'd you wake me up?"

She giggled and ran her fingers through his long, messy hair. "You're soaking wet."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He looked at her, smiling wickedly.

"W-What?"

"Nothin'. Well, just this." He grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. She too became soaking wet from the snow.

"Link! Let me go! Now!"

"No."

She sighed. "I'll tell your dad," said said quietly. He let her go, and she bit back a smile.

"C'mon, lets get Colin and Talo and go sledding." she said.

"Sure. Race you."

"No way. You know what happened last time."

He laughed. "Race you anyways."

She sighed. "Fine."

"Link! Link, stop!"

Ilia was laughing so hard her throat hurt.

"Link!"
"No!"

He pushed off and they went down the hill, Ilia screaming and Link laughing. When the sled stopped, they rolled off it and Ilia hugged him

"Umm...Ilia?"

She looked up at him. "Are you staying?"

"I think so. I mean, we can't go back. There' too much snow."

She smiled. "Ok. Do you know why I asked?"

"Because...you wanted me to stay?"

"Kinda. Actually, my birthday's next week"

"Cool. Umm, how old are you?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Do you really not-" She sighed. "Never mind."

"Ilia, how-"

"Shut up. I'm cold, and it's getting dark." she said, getting up and heading back to her place. She turned around.

"You wanna come?"

"Sure."

They headed back to her home. Link was surprised to see Ava come running out and he caught her before she tripped.

"Yuck!"

"What?"

Ilia tickled her chin, and Ava giggled. "What did you say?"

"Yuck, Yuck Yuck!"

Link looked at his friend, then at the little toddler bouncing in his arms. "Did you say yuck? I thought you only knew No, Moo and Meow."

"Meow! Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo..."she babbled.

He tickled her nose. She laughed. "Yuck!"

"Yuck to you."

Ilia shivered. "Let's get inside."

Maeri and Rowan were talking with the Mayor inside, which explained the fact that Ava was here. Link and Ilia came in cold and wet, and Ava was, well...Ava. Rowan laughed when he saw them, and Maeri handed them both a cup of hot cocoa and a towel. Ilia smiled and thanked her. She and Link sat down in front of the fire, trying to warm up.

"Next week, on Wednesday, I'm turning 14. Do you wanna do something then?"

"Sure," Link said, sipping his drink.

She yawned and leaned her head on his shoulder. It was dark outside now. "It's snowing again..." she said quietly. Link nodded, and she fell asleep next to him, still holding her cocoa and wrapped in a towel. Link smiled to himself and sipped at his own drink. Bo sighed and shook his head, smiling.

"Lovebirds."

"Hey!"

"Just sayin'."

The next morning, Link sat at the small dining table is his uncle's former home, carving a piece of wood. Colin came by to watch him carve, fascinated by Link's secret talent for woodcarving. After a few hours, Maeri had him clean up so they could eat lunch at the table. Afterwards, he decided to go outside instead. I have at least four days to finish it, he thought. Besides, Ilia's probably mad.

He was right.

As soon as she saw him, she punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"Where were you ALL DAY?!"

"It's noon."

She slapped him.

"Ow..."

"Shut up."

Link sighed. Ilia smiled and, knowing she had won, grabbed his arm and pulled him to the pond.

"C'mon, the pond froze over, and it looks thick enough to skate on. Let's go!"

She dragged him by the arm, Link stumbling behind her, smiling to himself.

"You know, Ilia, it's really cute when you act like that."

He smiled at her, and she slapped him, her face turning bright red as she spoke.

"S-Shut up!"

He laughed and took her hand as he led her to the pond.

"You wanted to go skating, didn't you?"

She nodded and followed him.

He's holding my hand!

They skated for hours, racing and crashing into everything then laughing. He was having so much fun. He didn't want to go home. But he knew he had to as the sun started to set. He reluctantly bade her farewell and headed back to the house nestled in the branches of the huge tree. Ava grabbed his leg as a greeting, and he half-dragged her to the table to work on his carving again. Ava sat on the table and watched her older brother carve away. After thirty minutes or so, she yawned and fell asleep. Link smiled and picked her up, careful not to wake her. He carried her to her crib, and he went to work on the carving again. Several hours later, he finished the carving. As he headed to his room, his father stopped him.

"What?"

"Do you know what time it is?"

"N-No."

"It's past midnight."

"Oh."

Rowan fell silent.

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"Y-Yeah."

"...Be careful around her, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Rowan sighed. He bade his son goodnight and left to his own room.

What was that about? Link thought. He pushed this aside, though, and flopped onto his bed. He was asleep within minutes.

"Happy Birthday, Ilia."

Link held out a necklace. He had used the horse carving as a pendant.

Ilia gasped and her face broke out into a smile.

"Y-You made this for me?"

Link smiled and nodded. Ilia jumped up and hugged him.
"Thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou thankyou!"

Link smiled. "Ilia..."

She let go, and he put it around her neck. She smiled and hugged him again.

"Thank you sooo much, Link. I love it."

The rest of the day consisted of Ilia's birthday party. Ava covered her face with cake, then she got extremely hyper. She crashed and fell asleep thirty minutes later. After the party, Link and Ilia left for the willow tree. The stream had frozen, and the snow was still one or two feet thick. They sat under the tree, drawing pictures in the snow.

"Link..."

"Yeah?"

"What's...What's Hyrule like?"

Link paused. "You know, to tell the truth, I don't really know. I mean, I've traveled through part of Hyrule, but never actually stayed in Hyrule. Sorry."

"It's alright. I was just curious."

"Ilia..."

"Hmm?"

He hesitated. "Ilia...m-my dad said we have to leave soon.

She whipped around and faced him. "W-What?!"

"Why?!"

He sighed.

"Link, you can't leave! Not now!"
"Why?"

The truth was, she didn't know why. She didn't tell him.

"Link, the village needs you. Rusl needs you. I need you!"

"I-I know."

"Not just that, but don't you want to finish your sword training with Rusl?"

"Y-Yeah, but-"

"But what? Link, please. Don't leave."

He sighed and fell silent. He looked at her face. There were tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

"Why did you have to tell me today, of all days!"
"Ilia, I'm sorry."

She slapped him. Hard. "Sorry won't cut it."

And with that, she stormed off, tears streaming down her pretty cheeks. Tears she didn't want him to see.

"Dad?"

Link was laying on his bed, his father sitting on the floor, playing with Ava.

"Yes?"

"C-Can I stay here?"

Rowan set his baby girl down and looked at his son.

"What?"

"I asked if I could stay here."

"Link, you're 15."

"Exactly."

Rowan sighed. "You're only 15. Why do you want to stay? How would you earn money? Don't you like Esmon?"

"First, Ilia, Colin, Talo, Beth and Malo are here. On top of that, I could finish my sword training with Rusl. Second, I could work at the ranch. Fado isn't the best goat herd around. Not to be mean."

"I agree with you on that one. And Third?"

"Yes, I do like Esmon. But Esmon isn't Ordon."

Rowan sighed again. "Link, those aren't my main problems. You know that."

"Then what is?"

"Ilia."

"W-What about her?"

"Link, she's a 14-year-old girl whom you spend practically all your time with. You're 15, as I said earlier. I don't trust you being alone here with her. She's only 14."

"Dad, I'm not alone. Her dad is well aware of that. And besides, I have absolutely no plans whatsoever that consist of whatever you were thinking about. Dad, please."

"Link..."

"Please!"

"I can't be with you all the time."

"Then compromise. You can visit me once a year for my birthday and make sure I'm doing alright."

"Six months."

"Do you have the time?"

He sighed. He didn't, and he knew that. Oh, the love a father has for a son.

"How about this? I visit once a year and ask the villagers if you've behaved, especially around Ilia. If yes, then you can stay another year. If not, then you're coming back to Esmon and you're not coming back here without me again. Sound fair?"

"Dad!'

"Yes or no?"

Link sighed. "Fine. I agree."

"Good. Now, son. It's getting late, and you need some time to devise up some prank to pull on me as payment for doing this to you."

"Gee, you shouldn't have told me that."

"Go!"

Link laughed. "Thanks dad. For everything."

"I said go to bed. Now."

He swiped his hand at his son's head, and Link ducked and ran away, laughing.

Link tapped on the keys, fascinated by the fact that they made noise. Wait...

This white one, then these ones, then that one...

That sounded like the song that Ilia played on the violin. And these keys sounded good along with those other notes...

Some of them were labeled. C, D, E, F, G. A, B and C.

He tapped A, then B, C, D...

No, wait.

"Link?"

He turned around. Uli was standing in the doorway, Colin with her.

"Link, do you want to learn how to play piano? You're a natural."

He looked at the instrument, tapped a few notes and shrugged.

"I dunno..."

"Might I change your mind?"

She sat down on the bench and started to play a song. Link watched in amazement as her fingers danced, creating the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard in his life. She played for several minutes, and when she finished, she turned to face him.

"That song was called Clair de Lune. Do you want to learn?"

He nodded. "Yes. Please teach me."

Uli smiled and patted the bench next to her, and he sat.

"First, let me tell you. Talent never comes at once, especially with music. Piano takes time and diligence. It also requires practice and patience. Don't rush."

And with that, his first piano lesson began.

"Link, Maeri, Ava and I are leaving tomorrow."

He nodded, not looking up from the paper.

Rowan sighed. "Link, what are you doing?"

"Nothin'."

"Well, you're obviously doing something."

"Uh-huh."

"Aren't you going to say bye to us?"

Link sighed and set the paper down. Rowan picked it up.

"Epona? You're drawing again?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"A bit? This is really good."

"T-Thanks."

Rowan smiled and patted his son on the back.

"You gonna say bye? Ava will throw a fit if you don't."

"Yeah, and then she'll rip my hair out the next time she sees me."

"Maeri will punch you."

"With words. I think that hurts more than her punches."

"Are you insulting my wife?"

Link laughed. "Yes, I am."

Rowan slapped him.

"Well, I don't think you want the girls to do that to you. Ilia won't love you anymore if you're bald."

"Hey!"

"Then go say goodbye!"

"I'm goin'!" Link cried as he ran outside.

"Link, there you are!" Maeri exclaimed as he came outside.

"I thought you didn't love us!"

"I don''t."

She slapped him.

"Ooh, that one was loud. Your cheek's turning red," a familiar voice said. She was behind him. Ilia.

"Are you all right? I came to say goodbye to your family, if you were wondering. Everyone else already said bye."

"Impatient kids, huh?"

"They were hungry. You know, Colin thought you were leaving, too. He burst into tears, the poor kid."

Link laughed lightly. "Did you tell him?"

"No, Rusl did."

"Ah."

Maeri grabbed his ear.

Are you gonna say bye or not?!"

"B-Bye!"

"Louder!"
"BYE!"

She let him go, satisfied. "Good. Now to Ava."

"Ba!"

Link laughed and picked up his sister."

"Bye-bye, Ava."

"Ba-ba!"

Link laughed.

"Bye."