A/N: Wow, I think it has been more than a year since I last updated? I guess I should be updating sometime about now, since I really would like to finish this story. I hate leaving things unfinished (I think I must have said this a billion times). Anyway, I was going through my previous works and I realized how crappy my work was as compared to now! Well, I still have a lot more to improve on, but it's weird seeing how far I've come. I can't give up now!

I would also like to take the opportunity to thank every single person whose ever reviewed. I no longer respond to reviewers anymore, and I am sorry about that, but if you have any questions, or anything at all that you'd like to ask me, you may always PM me.

Well anyway, without further ado, I bring you the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Nintendo related. This is just a fan-based story.

X.X.X

Popo Glace was not a person to ask many questions. Indeed, he found himself remarkably simple and his policy was never to ask nosy questions. He found Nana's curiosity irritable, and he had never understood why people would want to complicate their lives by asking unnecessary and rather intruding questions.

But his curiosity had been aroused right when he found the pills in his mother's drawer. The fact that his mother had told him not to ask questions only raised his curiosity further. However, Popo was inexperienced when it came to prying into other people's affairs because he never really bothered with it himself. So he found the only person he knew and could trust in a situation like this; Nana Glace.

"...And that's when she said to mind my business," Popo finished after relating the whole story to her. He took a deep breath. "I just see something fishy about this situation."

Nana sighed. "Well, it does seem like those pills are for Mom, but she doesn't look like a depressed person. Maybe the pills are working."

"But why is she even on those pills in the first place?" Popo asked desperately. He shifted his leg to prevent it from falling asleep. He stared up at Nana who was spread out on the bed with a faraway thoughtful expression on her face. It was the last day of their stay and the atmosphere of the Glace household had shifted from cheery and alive to gloomy and empty.

"Well," Nana started. She held her face up with her hands and propped her elbows on the bed. "Think about it. Mom's been through a lot. Dad died, and both of us are gone. Before Lila came to her house, Mom was alone, Popo. It had to have been hard on her. I'd be depressed living alone. Maybe depressed enough to see a psychiatrist to prescribe me some medication."

Popo pondered that. It was true that Nina had been through a lot. But up until now, he thought his mother was getting through this just fine. The thought that he was partially responsible for her depression sent tidal waves of guilt over Popo. They swirled around him, and crashed into him, drowning him.

Nana was watching his facial expression change. "It isn't your fault you know. I know what you're thinking." She hopped down the bed, her feet making a light thud against the wood floor, signaling the conversation was over. As she neared the door she stopped, and twisted her head to face him and said gently, "We did what we had to do. Mom would never leave her home, but she would never be able to survive off just being a herbologist. She depends on our income. We need to be there. Don't think her depression is your fault."

She closed the door behind her and headed off but Popo still could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

X.X.X

Lola sat in front of the mirror staring at her face with what started off as a casual expression. But the more she looked in the mirror the more she didn't like what she saw.

Yes, it was true. Lola was a beautiful, young girl. With her features, she could go into modeling or become an actress based solely off her looks. But as she looked deeper into those blue eyes she was beginning to see that her eyes held something else other than beauty. There was a wide aria of emotions. Sadness was definitely there, as was loneliness that seemed to always be in her eyes. She thought she had shaken this emotion off by being with Young Link but then, it was true. They were never really meant for each other and now that she thought about it, he had only used her to get to Nana. But she had known this from the start, so she could not find it in her heart to be disgusted with him. And she had betrayed Nana as well, which was probably even worse than what Young Link had done to her.

Lola knew that the loneliness wasn't even justified. She was surrounded by those who loved her and she was very popular. But she felt like she just couldn't connect with any of the relationships that surrounded her. Nobody would really understand. They all thought she was shallow and vain. But, Lola thought as she picked up the hairbrush delicately with one slim hand and began to run it through her already untangled hair, she hadn't done much to discourage that notion from her acquaintances' minds.

The things she said aloud made people believe she was a very superficial girl who only cared about her appearance. While Lola did not deny that she placed her looks above most other traits, she felt like there was more to her besides just being attractive on the eyes. The truth though, was that she felt like she didn't have much to offer besides her looks. She felt like it was the best thing about her which was why she placed so much emphasis on them.

As Lola set the brush down, she heard the door open softly but she did not bother to glance behind her. If she did, she'd see all her bags packed neatly against the bed, which she knew would only worsen her mood. Although Lola loathed this place for all the bad memories, she did have many good ones and after all it was she felt, her only home now that her own had been crushed.

"All packed, snowflake?" Lola heard her mother ask in a soft voice, making Lola turn around to address her mother.

People had often said that Lila and her daughter looked extremely alike, a comment that had always made Lola glow with praise. Her mother was very beautiful. But as Lola looked at her mother, really looked at her it seemed ever since Lyle's death she realized how much alike the both of them were with a shock.

She glanced at the dark circles underneath her mother's eyes, creating a haunting, harrowed look. Those blue eyes now seemed to reflect a pool of sorrow, weakness, eyes that felt that they could never experience true happiness again. She glanced down at her mother's slackened jaw, and a chin that seemed to be trembling forever when looked upon closely. Weakness, surrender, they seemed to say. Lola knew she was responsible for some of this. She'd abandoned her mother when she had needed her daughter the most. But Lola had to escape it all. She had to. She could not bear to be in this dead, winter wonderland. The thought of this place depressed her, and she knew she had to get away from it before the sorrow drove her mad. Just like it seemed to will her mother away. She felt ashamed, but at the same time, the fear had driven her away.

It was like this that she was like her mother. Both were weak. If she stayed here, Lola thought as she looked at her mother's small frame, which now looked emaciated, she would be her mother in ten years. Perhaps even less. Lola couldn't bear that. She had to go.

"Yes, Lila. I'm all packed," she said softly. Lila's eyes seemed to twitch in shock, before before seemingly growing into a dark grayish blue color. The color reminded Lola of the sky before it rained, growing increasingly depressing.

Lila smiled disappointedly. "Good. Make sure you've packed everything. We wouldn't want you to forget anything here," she murmured. Like me, she seemed to be thinking afterward. Lola could almost see the words forming over her mother's head.

Lola tried to argue with the overwhelming guilt that her mother could not expect her to stay. It was unfair of her. Shouldn't her mother want what was best for her? And wasn't leaving this miserable place what was indeed best for her? Lola grew slightly irritated as she thought about it more. Her mother could not expect her to stay in a place like this. She squeezed her eyes tightly, the words preparing to fly off her lips and smack her mother. But just as she was about to say something there was a knock at the door and two second pause before the door opened and Ness emerged.

Lola's and Lila's faces changed to accommodate the stranger that had entered the room. The way they both smiled at Ness in unison was almost scary and Ness, PSI powers or not could sense he had just walked into a very tense situation. He took a step forward, unsure of whether to speak or not. But then Lila prompted him gently, "What is it, Ness?"

Ness swallowed. "Er... Just wanted to tell you that uh... That we only have two hours before the portal emerges so I just uh... Wanted to make sure you had packed since you know, uh... Lola has a lot of packed stuff..." He mumbled, tapering off lamely.

Lola, already irritated, became even more irritated at what Ness had said. "And just what exactly are you trying to say here, huh?" she snapped.

Ness looked alarmed at her outburst and tried to do some damage control. "Nothing!" he said hastily, and before he could stop himself all these words started spewing out. "I, uh... Sorry if I upset you Lola, really sorry, didn't know you were mad. Are you all right? Is it cramps? Time of month? Did you take any Midol?" he asked quickly, firing one question after another without understanding that each question was making her even angrier and angrier.

"Shut up! It is NOT my time of month!" she snarled. Boys. They never knew the right things to say. She let out a very unladylike roar of frustration before stomping out and making a very dramatic exit.

A very Lola-like exit, Ness couldn't help thinking. He gestured listlessly at the room and then proffered an apologetic smile towards Lila. "Er... Sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude..."

But Lila seemed to have brightened up considerably at the little exchange. Ness didn't know it, but he had punctured the tight air around them, prevented the mounting tension between her and Lola. For now, at least. Lila sighed. There would have to be a day where they both talked their feelings out. As much as Lila wanted Lola to stay with her always, she knew she had messed up pretty badly as a parent. With Lyle, and then pretending like Lola didn't exist while he was sick and after his death. She didn't know how to mend things between them.

X.X.X

Young Link had never seen snow besides when he fought at Icicle Mountain, and even then it wasn't real snow. The snow and the stages itself were only projections, so that the Smash fighters could be able to wear their respective costumes and not be at a severe disadvantage. So even though the Icicle Mountain stage looked cold, and was in fact slippery due to the ice, the temperature was always the same.

The snow in the actual Icicle Mountain had at first annoyed Young Link. He did not like it in the beginning but now he was beginning to appreciate this winter wonderland despite the barren atmosphere that accompanied it now. It was because of this that Young Link decided that he wanted to take it in one last time. So he dressed in considerably warmer clothes, and before he left, decided to take his sword, shield, hookshot, and arrows. You never knew what you could find in a place like this. In the short weeks he had been here Young Link had been in more than the usual life-death situations and though he was used to those sorts of incidents, he felt his chance at survival was minimal if he didn't have these items with him. He thought about taking his bombs with him, but then decided against it, fearing the explosions might actually attract unwanted attention, or worse an avalanche.

As he gazed at the white world around him, he wondered how it must have been like when the place was full of Ice Climbers. He imagined their way of living. It was certainly far different from the way he had seen other races of his own world lived. The Gorons would never be able to survive in a place like this. The thought of the big, rocklike creatures who loved the heat, living in ice was ludicrous. The Zoras probably would fare no better, as they would freeze to death. The Kokiris were forest dwellers. There would be no way they'd survive in a dry place with only evergreen trees. Perhaps Hylians would be able to survive here he thought.

He hadn't realized where he was walking. But now he recalled he was walking the very same path he and Nana had walked together to Lola's house in order to save their friend. He smiled as he remembered their adventures. It was the first time they'd actually worked together, and he realized that they actually made a good team. The Smash matches that they had when they were paired together always ended up in disaster. But Young Link supposed that this situation was different from the matches, because their survival depended on their cooperation.

He stopped at the mound of snow that covered the house. It had seemed like a long time ago they'd both entered in. Things were so different when they first entered. They were always bickering, and now...

Young Link recalled the way she had looked at him with unguarded eyes right when she stepped out of the shower and he unexpectedly felt heat rising up his neck, blooming across his cheeks. He could not possibly like Nana Glace, could he?

He thought about the way they'd bickered before coming here. Young Link felt ashamed at the way he'd treated her. What he had done to her was far worse than what she'd done to him. Even if he liked her, even if he confessed his feelings to her there was no way she'd return his feelings after everything that was said and done between them.

The realization of this made him unexpectedly depressed. He tried to shake it off, but the feeling persisted, and he was so caught up with his feelings and how confused he was, he began to walk again unaware of where he was going. But this time he was heading to a destination he'd never been before but had heard about...

X.X.X

"Packed already?" Popo asked Lola absentmindedly. They were both sitting in the living room. Everybody's luggage was already packed here, waiting for the warning signal to sound. The signal was a five minute warning before the portal opened. He had barely acknowledged the way she was still fuming over what Ness said to her.

"Yes!" she responded, annoyed. "Why does everybody keep asking me that? I am packed. I am a neat person! Just because I may pack an extra suitcase does not mean I can't keep up with the items I pack. Honestly what do you take me for? Somebody who doesn't do things on her own? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much!" she ranted.

Popo had no idea what had just happened. But he knew that Lola was upset. He'd spent so much time with her when they were younger that he just knew that something had been said to upset her.

"So who said what to you?" he asked automatically.

Lola let loose another roar of annoyance. "Ness! He said I was at my time of month! Do you know how degrading that is to women like me? Can't I just have a bad day and NOT be PMSing? Huh?" she asked, looking as deranged as a polished girl like Lola could get.

Popo started to laugh. He wasn't laughing at her, just at the situation. "Oh Lola."

"What is so funny?" Lola asked annoyed.

When Popo could finally speak properly he responded to her question. "Listen, guys are stupid. Especially to pretty ones like yourself. They don't know how to handle them when they're mad especially if they don't know why you're mad. And if they don't know why, they'll automatically assume it's because you know... You're experiencing er... Womanly hormones because they think you're too perfect to be mad at something that they consider irrational. Now, not only are you a very pretty girl, but you're also high class. Guys like Ness don't know how to handle that, so they say stupid things like that. Don't hold it against him. He's just like that."

As Popo watched Lola, he knew he had once again mollified her. If anybody could calm her down, it was Popo. He saw just the barest hint of a smile which took his mind off of the bottle of pills from the cabinet for a minute.

Like many other boys who talked about Lola in the locker room at school, Popo thought Lola was a very attractive girl. But he would never voice to her how attractive he thought she was and how much more beauty he found in her than just her outward appearance. Lola never thought of Popo as more than just a brother, and that had always been the way between them both. He didn't mind this unrequited love. He found it oddly comforting as it was well within his comfort zone to just admire her from afar. The way the right side of her smile seemed to crook up just a little further when she was really smiling. And the way she arched her eyebrow when she checked her reflection in the mirror. He liked noticing and looking for these things in her, these things nobody really ever noticed.

"What have you got there?" he nodded at the magazine she was reading. She lifted it up to reveal a fashion magazine.

She didn't even look up when she responded, "10 signs he's the one."

Popo inwardly groaned. "Let's hear them then."

Lola looked up for once, surprise showing in her clear, blue eyes. "You want to hear them?"

"Sure, how bad can they be?"

Lola laughed and began reading them aloud. "Okay, number ten, he listens to everything that you say and actually seems interested in it..."

X.X.X

There was one last place Nana had to visit before she could go back to the Mansion. It was a place that haunted her for years now. She didn't know why she had the urge to visit the very spot that caused Lyle's demise, but the place had been in her thoughts ever since she'd stepped foot onto Icicle Mountain. She had kept putting it off but now she felt she could not do it anymore. So she began the trek to the secluded pond just a mile away from Lola's house.

As the area she was searching for materialized in front of her, her heartbeat quickened and she slowed down, wondering if it was a good idea to rehash this particular memory. But as she drank in the details of the pond, she could see that there was something not quite right about it. She just couldn't put her finger on it. The place had been uninhabited for many years. Nobody had gone to this pond as there were no more Ice Climbers left apart from Nina and Lila who lived on the mountain.

So why...?

And then Nana began to run when she realized that there was one set of footprints leading to the pond. Human footsteps. But there were none going out which meant somebody was there. She had to warn them.

X.X.X

"Ooh, so what's number 1, huh?" Popo asked teasingly. "I'm waiting to see what the last sign is."

Lola licked her lips nervously as she read the last sign. For all of these signs that she'd read so far she realized for the very first time that Popo matched all of them. But she didn't know if he matched this one.

"Well..." she laughed nervously. "This is a stupid one, I probably shouldn't read it."

Popo laughed, "Aw come on! It can't be as bad as, 'You like his sense of fashion'." Popo's expression turned serious. "Or maybe it is?"

Lola laughed, but Popo could detect the nervous tremor in it. "Alright," she obliged. She read the last sign. "When he kisses you good bye, he kisses you like it's your last." she forced a giggle that seemed to come off higher than usual. "What is that supposed to mean? That he's gonna break up with you soon?"

Popo laughed too, but he felt a blush blooming onto his cheeks. "I guess," he said quietly after the nervous laughter subsided. "I guess it meant to say that when he kisses her good bye, he kisses her in such a way that makes her feel that he doesn't take her for granted."

Lola froze at those words and she looked up at him, serious. "Do you think such a person exists who doesn't take a girl for granted?"

Popo looked at her and very honestly said, "For you Lola, I'm sure there are many guys who'd never take you for granted."

There was a pause as Lola stared at the glossy pages of the magazine, wondering if she should say the words she'd been itching to say all of a sudden. "What about you?" Lola finally dared to ask.

Popo didn't know how to answer this question. He knew she'd catch his lie, if he did lie. But what if he answered honestly and she didn't return his feelings? He decided to make light of the situation and suddenly smirked and said, "If you let me kiss you, maybe you'd find out."

X.X.X

Nana began to run faster, before she suddenly stopped short. Her heart which had been beating so hard, that that was all she could hear in her ears screeched to a halt as well.

It was Young Link.

He was half submerged in the contaminated water. He had managed to pull himself out up to his torso. All of his legs were submerged in the water. He was bent over the edge. His eyes were closed, his face was pale, and his shining usually golden blond hair seemed to change into a dull blond, hanging over his face.

"Link?" Nana asked, hysteria creeping into her voice. "Link!" she screamed. But there was no response.

How could this have happened twice? Nana thought. Her brain was slowly growing numb. First Lyle, now Link. But he can't be dead. He can't be dead. He can't be dead... she thought over and over, like a mantra.

She crept over to him, silently grateful that she'd worn a full leather suit today, rather than her typical wool parka. This way, she could touch Young Link without worrying that the contaminated water would touch her skin. The leather would prevent anything from passing through. She grabbed his arms firmly and dug her heels in the snow and began to pull him out. She gritted her teeth, upon finally managing to succeed, and dragged his body a safe distance away from the pond and set him down. "Oh God, please be alive," Nana murmured. The initial shock that had numbed her down was finally beginning to fade away, and fear was taking over, piercing her body with such coldness that could not compare to the wintry atmosphere around her.

She turned him so that he was lying on his back, with his face looking up directly towards the sky. She grabbed his wrist and tried to feel for a pulse but she realized her leather gloves were too thick to determine if he was alive or not. She gently wiped his now dull blond hair away from his face so that she could see his face, now pale, and curiously flatter and wider. Shaking, she placed a hand on his face, sliding down his cheek which seemed more rotund than usual. And weren't his eyebrows more arched? This wasn't Young Link, was it?

"Link...?" she whispered. "What has happened to you?" she bent over him and placed both her hands gently on either side of his face, so that his face was sandwiched between them.

"Link," she began, sternly, staring at his closed eyes. "If you don't get up, then I win." she started saying, blabbering now. "Yeah, that's right. I win this little prank war we have going on. Because you know what? I'll give you that, you were winning before that. Your pranks were better than mine, even if they were harsh... But you dying? It means you gave up. And I didn't. So it means that I win. It means you couldn't handle me, what with Lola, and finding out more about my life. I mean, I guess you weren't so bad after all. I bet I could even like you if we weren't like this."

She paused at her words as she said this, before realizing they were true. "But," she said, looking at him and realizing it was too late to save him, "I guess you're gone. And you left us." she began to shake uncontrollably again. She wasn't even aware of it. She realized his face was still warm, but that would change. His body would become as cold as the air around him. So she held on to his face, desperate for the warmth that had once been her friend and enemy and bent down so that she as close as she would allow herself to be without touching him. She stared at his closed eyelids, looking more almond-like by the second. She wished he'd open his eyes and stare at her with those blue eyes. The same ones that she'd dreamt about, watching over her.

She didn't realize that the tears were flowing out of her eyes, until they hit Young Link's face. But she didn't care. Until his face twitched in response to the hotness of her tears.

"N-Nana?" his eyes shot open and Nana stared at him for a second before she yelped and threw herself backward, crawling away from him, not daring to believe what she'd just seen.

His gaze on her was piercing as before, yet now there was a sort of flatness to it.

Because his irises had turned black.

X.X.X

End of Chapter 15.

Please tell me what you think! And please tell me what exactly you liked/disliked about it. Reviews are definitely helpful! Thank you all so much!

- Crystalicios