A/N: Alright, I thought I would get better reviews for the last chappie, but Zelda turned away the attention, so I'll just keep the geeking to myself. Not that I'm complaining, it's just... yeah... And thanks for the song suggestions, but I already have my list down and planned out. Thanks anyway! Here's a better chapter, all centered around Link. Enjoy!

"I lie awake on a long dark night,

I can't seem to tame my mind.

Slings and arrows are killing me inside.

Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine...

Simple living is my desperate cry.

Been trading love with indifference

And, yeah, it's suits me just fine.

I try to hold on but I'm calloused to the bone,

Maybe that's why I feel alone..."

Brother Squadron: Chapter 9: Brother

The cavern led deep into the rocky terrain, enough to fit each and every caravan. The lack of sun here made the caves cold, dark, and strangely damp as well. The presence of moisture soothed their throats, but then the overpowering smell of mildew took over, giving them little desire to breathe. Stalagmites and stalactites alike twisted and curved like blades after millions of years of formation. Most grew at the mouth of the cave, giving the entrance the look of a gaping mouth of a monster, perhaps to lure intruders away.

Dinner went past without occurrence, and the Squadron prepared for sleep as usual. Inside the lead caravan, Mario and Luigi were already asleep, laying on the floor, wrapped in extra blankets to protect themselves from the cold increased by the cavern's damp atmosphere. They were huddled close together for warmth and security, quiet in slumber. Mario stirred slightly, rolled over, and brought an embracing arm around his brother, snuggling him tightly. With a sleepy sigh, his figure rested once more.

Link looked at the siblings with soft, tired eyes, smiling weakly at the warm phrase they took on in their sleep. He checked over his Uzi one last time, then began to approach the exit for his lookout post. It was then he felt a rough hand gently grasp his shoulder, and he instantly stiffened in alert, sharply turning his head.

"Relax, Link, it's me." Link's stiff shoulders slumped as he regained his tired composure. Fox slowly turned him around, holding up his own rifle. "Don't worry about the lookout tonight. Me and Ness'll take care of it."

Link yawned. "You sure?"

"Well, look at you! You look like you're ready to fall asleep on your feet!" Link chuckled feebly, then Fox placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You've had a tiring day. Get your sleep."

Link considered this briefly, then nodded and stepped out of the exit so Fox could start his patrol. Exhausted, the elf set his Uzi aside, removed his bulky jacket and stiff ascot, and creakily climbed into the hammock, settling into a comfortable position and letting his muscles loosen. He nestled his cheek on the bundled-up blanket that served as a pillow and sighed as sleep weighed down on his eyelids, fluttering slowly until they creased shut at last, and the effects of slumber took over.

"Come on, sis, this way!"

The blackness faded into a silhouette of a young boy running across the kelly green grass fields, framed by the porcelain sky of a beautiful, summer afternoon. Link saw himself as a ten-year-old, familiar eyes of sapphire gleaming with excitement as his long hat trailed behind him and his leather, brown boots slapped the ground, becoming damp from the morning dew. The sun lit up his golden locks as he went on in his old, emerald tunic, green as the old forests.

A gentle smile came to Link's face. He hadn't had a dream like this since he could remember.

Coming up from behind the hill was a young girl around his age, his younger sister, laughing with wild abandon. Her short hair was done up in pigtails, her endless pools of azure equally excited. She was decked in a red shirt, sneakers, and overalls, bringing out her tomboyish nature.

"Come on, Zelda, you're so slow!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she shouted, finally catching up to her brother.

"You're such a slowpoke!" The child began to poke the girl in a taunting manner. "Slowpoke! Slowpoke!"

"Quit it!"

The uncalled-for poking ended when Link's eyes widened as he caught the sight of an animal bathing in the sparkling lake, swimming towards them.

"There he is!" Link bolted from his sister's side and splashed his feet into the water to great the creature as it leaped into his arms, chittering happily. It was mouse-like, with butterscotch fur, big, black ears, and a tiny black tail. It rubbed its pink cheeks up against Link's, to which he laugh an angelic laugh. "Hi, Pichu!"

Link cuddled the blanket pillow close in replacement of Pichu, his smile growing.

"Oh my gosh, he's so cute!" Zelda squealed in delight, petting the rodent.

"Yeah! I found him a week ago, and we became friends, and it was kinda our little secret, but he wanted to meet you, and...!"

"Mini-Me! Mini-Sis! Get your kiesters over here, it's time for lunch!" a friendly, older voice called out to them by their pet names across the fields. Both siblings turned in unison, then looked at each other briefly before Zelda bolted off.

"Last one there's a rotten Deku Nut!" she chorused playfully, dashing over the hills.

"Hey!" Link shouted and waved his free arm for her to stop, but soon gave in when he figured it didn't matter anyway. He glanced down at Pichu, who looked up with tawny, questioning eyes. Link smiled in assurance and petted the creature as he began his walk. "Don't worry, Pichu. He's nice. He'll say yes for sure!"

Link yawned in his sleep, but the gentle smile remained as his blissful dream continued.

Then he saw him. A teenage Hylian, tall and strong, but youth still retained in his impish face. A golden halo framed his face, gleaming in the afternoon sun, his cerulean eyes glittering friendly-like as his younger self bumbled towards the back deck of their Earthling home.

"Whoa! Slow down, trooper!" he laughed in a crisp voice as Link jumped into his arms, and the two linked in a ball of rambunctious energy. The elder Link gave out a hearty laugh as he caught the younger one in a headlock and rubbed in a noogie with a gloved hand. The younger one laughed and squealed in glee, futilely trying to escape.

"Link! Leggo! Link!"

"... Link... hehe..." the name and soft chuckle escaped his lips in a whispered breath.

Once their almost brotherly quarrel ended, the two young siblings began their meal of warm, grilled-cheese sandwiches while Elder Link got acquainted with the creature Link had brought in.

"So, this is Pichu, huh?" Pichu laid in his arms, snuggling close to his warmth, and every so often, he came up and licked the teenager's face with a small pink tongue, to which Elder Link chuckled. "Sure is a friendly little fella."

"Can we keep him, Link? Can we, please?" Link begged hopefully.

Elder Link glanced down at the small bundle of energy in his arms, smiling warmly. "Sure. I don't see why not."

Link rolled onto his back, sighing dreamily.

The scene shifted to another afternoon, on the front porch of that same home. Elder Link sat on the front steps, dipping a bubble wand into a bottle of soap and bringing it up to his face, gently blowing a cascade of bubbles into the air. Link and Zelda laughed in glee, trying to catch the bubbles, Zelda with her bare hands and Link with his tiny sword drawn. He grinned in triumph whenever one landed on the flat side of his blade, watching them softly pop a few seconds later. Pichu watched the tiny spheres with curiosity, leaning over to sniff one as it floated down. Once touching his button nose, it popped, and Pichu jumped slightly in surprise, wriggling his nose from the new sensation.

"They're called bubbles! Pretty cool, huh, Pichu?" Link grabbed his own wand and dipped into the soap. "Watch this!" He blew a fast gust of air, but nothing came out.

"You're blowing too hard, squirt," Elder Link stated, dipping his wand in once more and blowing, this time much more slowly. As a result, instead of a wave of tiny bubbles, one large bubble separated and bobbed about in the air. Pichu retained that same look of curiosity, and his cheeks then lit up with electric sparks that jumped onto the bubble, popping it in a showy flash. The two children laughed, and Pichu cooed in delight.

What happened afterwards was a blur of blissful gaiety. Each of them grabbed two wands, and in minutes, the air was filled with colorful balls, dancing on the wind's breath like fairies. Link spun in circles, laughing carefree, a shield of bubbles surrounding him from his wand. Feeling dizzy, he swayed back and forth, giggling stupidly. But before he collapsed, he felt a pair of strong arms catch him. Shaking his head to rid the dizziness, Link looked up into the face of his older self, that gentle face, that kind smile, those endless pools of sky blue reflecting brotherly affection.

Brother. It was a term the both of them used to describe their relationship, though in reality they were the same person. The thought of a boy loving his older incarnation like a brother baffled many great minds, but the two pushed those beliefs away and accepted the love for what it was. And the fact that his older self expressed his love everyday no matter what others said made Link return twice as much. Grinning ear to ear, Link wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders as the bubbles glittered in the sun like stars around them.

"... Link..." He let the name escape his lips once more.

The blissful dream suddenly shifted to a terrible nightmare, another horrifying memory burned into his young mind. He first saw himself, wrapped up in a cloak to hide most of his features, frantically stumbling through a deep, roaring crowd of people. His hand held a tight grip on his sister's wrist, who cradled a frightened Pichu in her arm. Both siblings had fresh tears on their faces, fueled on by the primal fear of their worst dreams coming true. Yet Zelda had more of a look of innocent misunderstanding, scared only because her brother was as he pushed through the crowd, sobbing in fear. The sullen sound of a rhythmic beat of a war drum droned out the sounds of the crowd, if there was any at all. He couldn't tell; his head hurt from all the crying and confusion.

Link grunted and curled his fingers tightly around the hammock's rope, face contorted in mental pain.

Finally, he broke out of the outside barrier into the free world, looking up at a horrifying scene. The rays of the dusk sun framed the silhouette of the gallows, a dark figure tying a noose in a tight knot. A cart parked by the structure, and the being led out into the public, handcuffed, was...

"LINK!" The younger one cried, panicking, and without thinking, rushed towards his brother, ignoring the commands of the officers as he threw his arms around Elder Link's defined waist.

"Hey, kid, get off of him, NOW!"

"Ignore him for now. Just get the traitor in the noose!"

Link held him tight, sobbing Hylian words to him one last time. 'Link, please, don't go! I don't want you to go...'

'I don't want to go either, but you don't see me complaining,' he returned, still showing that brotherly part of sarcasm. But as they tied the noose tightly around his neck, he remembered his current position, and unable to return the hug, buried his face into his brother's mop of hair. 'It's alright... It's too late to save me now... But you can still live... I want you to take good care of yourself and Zelda for me... Run away from this place as fast as your legs can take you... Just run.'

Link sniffed. 'I love you, Link...'

Elder Link grinned sadly. 'Right back at ya.'

Tears came to Link's shut eyes quietly.

"Alright, kid, get off! NOW!" One of the Human officers tugged at his shirt, dragging him off of the criminal.

"NO! You can't make me!" he bellowed, angry tears coating his cheeks as he kicked and screamed in protest. "Stop! Leggo!"

"Stop... stop..." Link's head rocked from side to side feverishly, fists tightening and relaxing as the struggle in his thoughts continued. "Leggo..."

"Quit it, you little brat!" He had Link in a tight grasp, hand over his mouth. Rage came over the boy, and with a grunt, he dug his teeth into the man's palm until he could taste his metallic blood. The Human howled in pain, releasing the pressure in his grasp, and Link sought his opportunity and escaped. But he didn't get close to his brother before a giant, white hand grabbed him from the waist down, holding his arm firmly in place as he struggled in vain. A luminous shadow then fell over him, and he looked up and froze in fear. Above him floated the being known by all as Master Hand, a large, gloved hand that was soon to be the absolute ruler of Earth. The fact that he had no face and remained an enigma to all gave him an even more frightening look. Terror surrounded him like an aura, and Link shook in horror, eyes bulged.

Master Hand seemed to stare at him for a long time before his lead-heavy voice spoke without emotion. "Put him back in the crowd, Brother."

The hand holding him tossed him back into the crowd, and he landed face-first in the dirt near Zelda and Pichu. They came to help, but no Humans did, their attention drawn solely to Master Hand, who floated close by the gallows.

"Earthlings..." he began in a god-like, fatherly voice. "I have here one of the criminals you have been searching for. The cause of all your hardships and sorrow stands here before you. And he is about to pay for all his crimes against humanity!"

"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Link screamed feverishly. "LINK'S INNOCENT!"

"No, stop... He's innocent..." Link mumbled, half awake.

No one was listening to him. Who'd listen to a kid like him, anyway? Link felt enraged at these stupid Humans who thought they were better than him, at Master Hand for accusing his innocent brother, and at himself for letting all this happen.

"May this be a warning to the rest of the Nintendian scum! And let the race of the Nintendian forever be an enemy of the peace!" Master Hand concluded powerfully, gaining a rouse of cheering from the Humans below.

"NO!" Link cried, tears running rivers down his cheeks.

And then it happened. All in a second. The noose was pulled, tugging its victim up with its merciless grip. A single snap of the neck, and his brother was dead to the world. Link gazed up in horror, eyes bulged as wide as they could be as the body rocked back and forth to a steady rhythm like a hypnotist's watch. It stared back with lifeless, cold eyes as if speaking to him one last time.

Run, Link... Run...

The metallic cackle of Master Hand rattled his brain.

Run away from this hellish place... RUN!

"NOOO!" Link screamed, sitting up from sleep and soaked with sweat and tears. His blank tank top was soaked to the seams, and Link hugged his bare arms close, shivering. How did it get so damn cold? He grabbed the pile of blankets, unwrapped them, and cocooned them close, but nothing could shut out the cold from within.

Dream... It was just a dream... Or a nightmare, he didn't really care. His reddened eyes glanced over at the Mario Brothers, who were thankfully still asleep, cuddled together for warmth. Link felt a tug of envy at his heartstrings then. Luigi still had a big brother, to protect him, to comfort him, to love him. But Link felt no anger, for that was how things were, and there was no point in directing anger towards his fellow Nintendians. That was saved up for the Wire Frames and especially that cursed Master Hand.

Link gave out a tired sigh and slowly lowered himself down into the hammock, trying to get back to sleep.

"The sun shines and I can't avoid the light.

I think I'm holding onto life too tight.

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,

Sometimes I feel like giving up...

Cause me... I'm rusted and weathered,

Barely holding together.

I'm covered with skin, it peels

And it just won't heal..." -Weathered, Creed (Link's theme)

A/N: Wow, long huh? Yep, this looks like Xuchy's work again, but with my own tweaks. The bubbles part was inspired by an afternoon outside where I was blowing bubbles and my little brother was popping them with a stick and making slashing noises. I swear, my bro idolizes Link. XD So now you know that Link is really Young Link all grown up and that the older Link is dead! (adds another tally to Nintendian deaths) Please don't get mad. Yeah, I just hope you likeys the chappie! Review, please.