A/N: The picture I have in use is from dA by an artist lychi and the picture's name is just simply Zelda.

Also, another note: I do NOT own the characters or places unless said otherwise. Nintendo has the rights. =P Honestly speaking, all I have is the idea for the story, few monsters, creatures and bit of changing the places. Oh, and couple of OCs here and there. ^^; I'm certain everyone can figure out which belongs to me and which doesn't. =)

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Summary: Link is having bit of hard time and his older brother happens to come at that time...

Notions: I am still on hiatus / pause but I'm trying to get things back into working. Until then, enjoy of this story. Thanks.

Also, the title of this and earlier chapter (and few to come) is from Swamp Dragon Princess. I usually can come up with the title before I even write the story but there are times when the title just doesn't jump at me. This is when I need ideas from others. =)

I came up with this story during a rainy day. ^^;

Oh, and this chapter could happen before the earlier part.

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Enjoy the chapter! ^.^

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SITUATIONS FROM THEIR LIVES

CHAPTER 17: Secrets of the Hero, part II

The rain was pouring down from the dark clouds high above. The weather fitted well with his mood. He was tired, beaten and annoyed. The few days long mission had left him with few new wounds that would certainly leave their scars into his body. Few of those were still bleeding. He sighed heavily and stopped walking. He was already drenched to bone so few minutes longer in the rain meant nothing.

He closed his cerulean eyes while turning his face towards the heaven. Even with the time of peace the monsters were now and then there. Though, in these days there were less and less of them. In one way it was good but on the other it wasn't. It left him wondering what he'd do with his life from now on when there was no kingdom to be saved.

Link slumped against the closest tree and hang his head while staring into the muddy ground. He was a Hero so of course he couldn't say no when a mission was brought up. He was a Hero so of course he couldn't show off how tired, sick or beaten he was. He was a Hero so of course he couldn't tell off the real truth of his quest and especially not about how much he had wanted to just scream and run away. All he could do was to have a smile on his face and claim that everything was just perfect.

He sighed again but this time it came out with a wavering. He leaned his back and head fully against the trunk of the tree and slid down into the wet ground. He couldn't care less since he was already shivering and soggy. He pulled his legs into his chest, wrapped his arms around them and let his forehead rest on his knees. He closes his eyes as he started to cry.

Link didn't know how long he was like that when he suddenly heard someone coming. He scowled while getting up to his feet, wiping the tears off into his soaked sleeve and crossed his arms over his chest while waiting for the person to come closer. It took a while before he recognized the footsteps. Suddenly he grinned and left to meet the once coming closer.

The closer he got to his visitor, the quicker he moved until he was running. He drew the sword out but didn't take the shield. "Think fast, bro!" He shouted with a wide grin on his face. He didn't even give the other guy a chance to draw the weapon when he already jumped and slashed diagonally.

The older of the two dark Hylians had been frowning as he heard someone running towards him. He blinked in surprise when he heard Link's call before he already gasped and backed away from the attack. "What the hell, bro?!" Dark exclaimed when he just barely had managed to avoid the slash.

"Fight back!" Link half shouted while going for horizontal slash after a short slide on the slippery ground. Dark was fully out of knowing what was going on but he managed to avoid the second attack, but still just barely. The muddy ground got the golden haired warrior to slide again before he attacked for third time by another diagonal strike. This slight slipping gave the darker Hylian the chance to draw out his sword and counter.

As the swords clang together, Dark had a chance to take a better check on his younger brother. The green, soggy and muddy tunic had few rips here and there which fully indicated for a sword strike. The white pants had couple of rips too but with clearly seen blood in those areas. The white shirt were ripped from couple of places in Link's arms and in those were also some blood stains. In the Hero's face seemed to be forming a bruise on his left cheek. "Did you lose a fight or something?" The dark Hylian inquired but it was done in slight concern instead of teasing.

"Something." Link answered, pulled off a bit and attacked by a vertical strike. Dark held his sword horizontally and blocked the attacks one after the other. The cerulean eyed one kept hacking his sword against Dark's over and over again. It was clear he was putting much more of strength into it than needed. Eventually the older brother slightly growled and gave quite a jolt by his sword.

Link stumbled few steps backwards by the move but he was very quickly gripping the handle of his sword by two hands again. He gave out slight scream and ran for a new attack. It came diagonally from down to up. Dark could've easily blocked it but he rather avoided it. The golden haired warrior growled and slashed horizontally while whole time moving towards Dark. "Fight, damn it!" He screamed while slashing again and again as he waited for Dark to counter.

Yet, for once Dark knew better than to give Link what he asked for. The dark Hylian simply kept avoiding and blocking now and then. But he made no move to attack. This only fueled the other's anger even more and his attacks became fiercer with each turn which only swapped him from strength quite quickly.

Eventually the expression of anger and fierceness started to melt into that of a sorrow. Link stopped attacking and dropped his gaze while gritting his teeth as his breathing became shaky and deep. "Link?" Dark called tentatively while frowning a bit. He nearly gasped when his brother let go of the sword, swayed a bit and started to fall. "LINK!" The dark Hylian shouted, dropped his own sword and dashed forward that short distance to catch the golden haired brother of his.

Link only sobbed while keeping his eyes closed. He was grateful of being held since he knew his own legs wouldn't have held him upright anymore. Dark kept a strong hold on his brother and gently lowered them both to the ground while pulling the cerulean eyed one to his lap. "Ssh, it's okay. Everything's okay. I'm right here." He whispered quietly while still feeling thoroughly confused of Link's way of acting. The older brother would've ran his hand up and down on Link's back but considering how wet their clothes were, it didn't exactly seem like a wise idea.

It took a while before Link slowly opened his eyes and took deep and shaky breath. He wiped the tears off and whispered very quietly: "I'm sorry."

Dark sighed bit heavily but tightened his hold around the golden haired one. "There's nothing to be sorry 'bout, Link. You wanna tell me what got you so out of it?" He replied while bit fearing that he wouldn't get an answer.

Link sighed heavily and shrugged a bit. "Just the lack of company, I guess..." He answered and closed his eyes again. He was still tired and shivering but he was feeling much better than before.

Dark groaned a bit while changing his position. Link simply gave a slight whine but didn't move even one inch besides what he ended up moving by his brother's shifting. "Listen, I really enjoy this cuddling but I'm soaking wet and my legs are starting to get numb so, is ther—..." He started but was cut off very quickly.

"I'm even more soaked to bone that what you are! I'm annoyed and angry! Not to mention beaten up! I'm not moving an inch from my place and that's it!" The cerulean eyed one half growled and huffed in the end of his words. "I'm in the need of a hug and I'm gonna keep having that whether or not you like it." He concluded with a defiant voice.

Dark was bit startled and he blinked few times while turning his gaze down into his brother. Link was bit hunched and having his eyes closed. His ears were drooping while he was sporting bit of a scowl on his face. Not to mention that he was gripping Dark's black tunic quite tightly. "Bro...?" The dark Hylian called carefully.

Link tried to keep his current posture but slowly he started to take deep and shaky breaths until he hang his head and hid his face into his hand as he broke down. "I just want someone to hold me for a while..." He whispered with wavering voice.

Dark sighed sorrowfully and cradled his brother a bit more securely. "Okay. No worries." He replied quietly while starting to whisper gentle and reassuring words. Once he felt Link calming down a bit, he looked down at him. The cerulean eyed Hylian was still awake, his expression and posture was fully sad one and he was absentmindedly playing with the rim of the dark tunic. "Duckling... What's happened?" The dark Hylian eventually asked with a quiet and concerned voice.

Link took once a deep and shaky breath while closing his eyes and leaning fully against Dark's chest. "Things just got too much to bear..." He mumbled and shrugged a bit.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Dark inquired while gently kissing the top of Link's head. The golden haired one just simply nodded. "Then, please, you gotta be more explicit with your explanation." The older brother almost begged. "I can't help you if I don't know what's going on." He told even though he knew Link to know it already.

The cerulean eyed younger brother sighed heavily but stayed silent. "Duckling?" Dark called but he got no reaction to know if Link was listening at all. "What's going through that head of yours right now?" He inquired worriedly. The dark Hylian knew he could've easily just read his brother's thoughts but for some reason he rather heard him talk than think.

Link sighed heavily and slumped. "I just felt so lonely at there..." He eventually mumbled. Dark frowned at the answer but he made a quick conclusion of his brother meaning that he was just returning from a mission of some kind. "It hasn't bothered me before but... This time I would've wanted someone to be there with me." Link continued quietly before chuckling humorlessly. "It's not that I wouldn't survive on my own but..." He explained until he sighed again with his ears drooping even more if possible. "I guess I just have gotten used to the knowledge that I don't have to face things alone anymore..." The cerulean eyed one continued sorrowfully.

Dark frowned in confusion. "Why wasn't Darky with you at there?" He inquired carefully. It wasn't like their youngest brother wouldn't have followed Link on the heartbeat would he been asked to.

"He had another mission to handle..." The golden haired Hyrulian whispered. The darker Hylian nodded but he still didn't understand the situation.

"Why didn't you fetch me then?" He asked while getting worried again. Link shrugged at first but he did give an answer.

"You had told you had plans with SDP. I couldn't come up and ruing things off."

Dark blinked in bit of a shock. "You wouldn't have ruined things—" He exclaimed but got no further before Link's hand was already over his mouth.

"You know more than well enough that there's no chances that I'd come to bother if you and SDP got plans." The cerulean eyed one told strictly. He turned his gaze into his brother and bit softened the expression. "You and her deserve the chances to spend time together." He told with much calmer voice.

Dark still frowned in confusion. The whole situation didn't make any of sense to him. "Then why are you—" He started but way too soon he was cut short again.

Link sighed and shrugged. "Just my own idiocy. I let things crash when I shouldn't have." He answered and shrugged a bit. "I didn't realize how long the mission would be." The golden haired male told but soon he frowned a bit. "And what brought you over to this Hyrule?" He inquired bit confused.

Dark chuckled at the question. "I came to see if I could coax you and Darky over to my place. SDP, I and Ruby are pretty much missing you two." He told while grinning exultantly.

Link blinked bit surprised and turned his gaze back into his brother. For a short moment he just stared at him before starting to chuckle until that turned into a laughter. Dark blinked bit startled and frowned at the reaction he gained. Once the younger brother started to calm down, he grinned widely, nearly mischievously. "That's no hard task. At least not on getting me to come over." He told before turning a bit on Dark's lap and hugged him tightly. "I think Darky should be back at the castle by now too." He half whispered while calming down.

Link got up after a moment and offered his hand to his brother. "So, shall we go and fetch lil bro along, hmm?" He inquired while smiling happily. Dark chuckled a bit and accepted the help while nodding.

"Sounds like a plan." The older brother told but once he was on his feet, he hugged Link tightly. "You okay, bro?" He inquired bit worriedly. Link relaxed in the hold and nodded. "You sure?" Dark asked while still feeling concerned. The other chuckled a bit and nodded.

"Fully and thoroughly. I just needed to get some frustration out and, unfortunately, you just happened to be a perfect way for it since I knew for certain that I wouldn't be able to cause much of actual harm to you." The cerulean eyed Hylian told calmly. Dark simply nodded and let his brother free from the hold. The duo fetched their weapons and headed towards the castle.

While Link went to give the explanation of his mission, Dark fetched their younger brother. It didn't take long before the trio was heading over to the Temple where Dark lived at. "No matter the situation or time, I always have people to count on to..." Link thought with a happy smile on his face. Dark glanced at him as he had unintentionally heard his younger brother's thoughts. Yet, that only got him to smile bit wider and wrap his arm around the golden haired one's shoulders. Link was tad surprised but inside less than a second he already smiled widely and leaned against his brother's side. Darky, noticing the situation, took his place from Dark's other side very happily. And the rain that had been pouring down whole time didn't bother the trio even one bit...

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A/N: And like before, the Dark Link that's the duo's older brother, is SDP's (Swamp Dragon Princess) version of Dark Link. So, yeah, he's had huge impact in my Link's life.