#disabled sky

Warnings: descriptions of chronic pain and fatigue, brief vague-ish allusion to an eating disorder

Sky ached. His knees throbbed in time with his back and the bottoms of his feet felt like he was stepping on lava with every step. His eyes were dry and struggling to stay open as pain throbbed behind them, stemming from the base of his neck. His body yearned for nothing more than to find a nice, soft surface and lay down to sleep. 

Sky took another step, ignoring the pain and fatigue that was dragging him down like Time’s or Twilight’s iron boots in water. They didn’t know how much time they had left in this era and they still had a third of the library to go through. Four was sure they would be able to find something here to help their quest against the shadow they were chasing. Everyone else was busy going through the books.

Twilight and Warriors had commandeered a table and had a dozen books between the two of them spread beneath the two lamps. Legend and Four each had a desk of their own and had their books organized into piles. Wild's leg was barely visible hanging off the side of the rafters. Sky wasn't sure how he hadn't dropped any books yet. Time was wandering the library. Wind and Hyrule were retrieving books any of the others asked for, as they both struggled to read dense text. Hyrule still struggled to read at all, but he was improving greatly. Sky felt a burst of pride whenever he saw Hyrule bent over a book practicing his letters. 

They were all pitching in. Sky wasn’t going to be the first one to stop. 

There was a bench at the end of the aisle of books. Sky let out a sigh of relief and walked to the bench as fast as his legs would allow. He all but collapsed onto the bench and let his head fall sideways to rest against the bookcase. Sky controlled his breaths as his hips throbbed with the new pressure. The pain in his knees and feet lessened instantly, going from a sharp pain like a knife in the joint to a more tolerable ache, spreading like fire throughout his limbs. 

“Sky?”

Sky flinched, forcing his back straight and his shoulders down as he pushed himself off the case. He brought one hand up to rub at his dry eyes and blinked at the figure in front of him as his vision slowly returned to focus. “Hm?”

“Are you… alright?” Time asked, voice just a touch too loud for a library. His underclothes hung loosely on his frame. Was he eating enough? Sky should check on that. Warriors would know, but no– asking Warriors about food was an easy way to trigger him. Sky could check himself. 

“Sky?”

“Yeah!” Sky blinked again, and took another deep breath that didn’t quite fill his lungs. It ended in a yawn, aggressive enough that his vision started to go black around the edges. He blinked it away and stabilized himself with one elbow on the armrest. 

Time raised a skeptical eyebrow. 

“Oh, I’m fine. Just a bit tired, is all.” Sky forced a lazy smile. Time didn’t react at first. His gaze traveled down Sky’s body, and Sky resisted the urge to fidget nervously. He was fine.

Time breathed out harshly through his nose and settled onto the bench next to Sky. Sky looked up in surprise, but Time was already opening his next book. Sky waited for Time to say anything, but he continued to read in silence. 

Eventually, Sky shrugged and pulled the first book off his stack. It was something about theoretical dark magic that he struggled to understand, but Four and Legend had given them all a list of words to look out for. 

“My shoulder might be more comfortable than the bookcase.”

Time’s words broke Sky’s flimsy concentration. Time was still looking at his book, one finger keeping his place across the page as he read. 

“What?” Sky asked. 

Time’s finger paused. He still didn’t look up, but Sky could feel the weight of his attention either way. “Rest your head on my shoulder. The tunic has padding.” 

Embarrassment briefly flared in his chest, but it was quickly overshadowed by the throbbing pain in his neck. Pride be damned, he was tired and everything hurt. Sky scooted over until he was close enough and gently laid his head on Time’s shoulder. It wasn’t the most comfortable since Sky’s muscles were still so tense. He wasn’t used to physical affection with Time, and he knew Time didn’t usually care for it. 

“This is strange,” Time muttered. Sky burst out laughing, then quickly covered his mouth to stifle the sound. Time’s shoulder bounced as he chuckled lightly. 

“Are you sure this is okay?” Sky asked.

“I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Get comfortable. Please.”

Time’s finger resumed its slow pace on the page. Sky watched it for a moment, as Time went back and read the same paragraph three times. Sky glanced at the top of the page to find the title: Applied Physics of Temporal Magic. 

The words alone made Sky’s brain hurt. He dug out the book at the bottom of his stack and handed it to Time.

“Here,” Sky said. “This one might be a bit simpler.”

“Thank you,” Time said with clear relief. He pushed the other book off his lap quickly. Sky held back a fond chuckle. 

Sky’s neck twinged with sharp pain. He picked it up with a grimace. Time was taller than him, but not enough to lean comfortably sideways on his shoulder. Sky put his stack of books on Time’s legs so he could push himself around until his back was against Time’s arm and his legs were resting atop the bench’s armrest. He slowly eased his knees straight and adjusted the angle of his hips until his joints didn’t feel the pressure. They still ached– with all the walking they've done in the past week, Sky couldn’t hope for otherwise– but it was bearable. 

Sky opened his mouth to ask for his book just as it appeared in his field of vision. He smiled. 

“Thanks,” Sky muttered. 

Time hummed. 

Sky tried to take another deep breath as he settled the book on his legs. His lungs felt like they didn’t quite know what to do with all the air. His hips throbbed. Frustrated tears gathered behind Sky’s eyes as he prepared himself to adjust his position again. He was just so tired. 

“Here, wait,” Time said. He shifted until Sky’s entire back was supported, leaning back just the right amount to take the pressure off his hips. 

Sky couldn’t bring himself to audibly thank Time. His muscles relaxed, and the fatigue hit him with full force. Against his will, his eyes slid shut. He turned his head so it was resting on Time’s cushioned shoulder in the most comfortable way. Sky rested his hands on his knees so that his fingers hit the top of the book; that way it would at least look like he was reading. 

As Sky faded in and out of a light sleep, voices floated into his mind. They were muffled, like someone was speaking underwater, and he only caught some of the words. 

“... asleep? Good, he must…”

“... stuck here, now…”

“You good, Sky?”

Sky held back a sigh and forced a small smile instead. Ever since they found him passed out beneath the tree, one of the other heroes was never far from Sky. He was glad he was used to living in close quarters on Skyloft and used to Groose’s anxious clinginess; some of the others surely would’ve snapped by now. Every time he felt frustration bubbling at his family’s overbearing concern, he had to remind himself that he was thankful they cared so much.

Legend was watching him with thinly veiled concern. Against his will, Sky’s eyes darted to the braces on Legend’s knees and the compression gloves on her hands. Sky felt the burn of shame. He could ignore the ache in his joints and the fatigue dragging him down. He didn’t want to be the one to slow down the group. 

“I can keep going,” Sky said. 

“Not what I asked.”

Sky felt the tips of his ears go pink. “I’m okay. Are you? Do you need a break?”

“If I need a break, I’ll ask for one,” Legend said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Sky. 

Sky shrugged and turned away. A break would be nice, but he didn’t need one. The pain wasn’t unbearable yet, and he was still moving. As long as he wasn’t assigned to a watch shift tonight, and they made it to a place to stop early in the day tomorrow, it would be fine. He could handle it.

Legend’s stare weighed on Sky’s shoulder for another moment, before Sky heard her huff and stomp away. Disappointment twinged in Sky’s chest, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. His gaze went back to his feet and he tried to let himself zone out, just barely watching for hazards he could trip on. It was easier than focusing on the pain in his hips or knees or back or feet or head or the one weird, sharp twinge in his ankle— that was new, what was that about?

It must have worked, because next thing he knew, Four’s stopped feet appeared in his view. Sky barely scrambled to a stop before he ran into Four, and he still had to put a hand on Four’s shoulder to steady himself. He muttered an apology as he took a step back. Four smiled and waved it away. 

Sky glanced around. They were still in the woods— which did not make Sky want to cry, not at all. The path ahead was split into three forks. Wild, Time, and Twilight were crowded around a broken signpost trying to make sense of the directions. 

Pain slammed into him with full force. His legs were shaking minutely. Sky felt himself sway, and he desperately looked around for the nearest tree to discreetly lean against. Things always felt worse just standing. If they were going to be here for more than a few more seconds, Sky really needed to find a spot to rest. 

“Hey,” Legend said quietly. 

Sky looked at her in surprise. She inclined her head towards Sky’s left and raised her eyebrows. Sky followed her gaze and saw a tree stump partially hidden from Sky’s view. Sky felt himself sag with relief and immediately went for the stump. He collapsed on top of it with less grace than he would like to admit. Against his will, his eyes slid shut immediately. He crossed his arms and clenched his fists into the fabric of his sleeves as he breathed through the wave of pain in his hips and back with the new pressure. 

The voices of the others faded into background noise as Sky began slipping into a light doze. Sky could still hear the words, but he didn’t put much effort into processing them. Someone would get him when they needed to move again. 

A voice rose louder than the others. “Um, guys?” 

Sky startled, ever so slightly. Sky knew he should probably open his eyes to see what the problem was, but he couldn’t muster the energy. There was a span of silence.

“Is this a safe place to make camp?” 

“Fresh monster tracks.”

Another pause. The voices faded into a buzz. 

“Sky.”

Sky jolted, then winced as his back twinged. He rubbed his dry eyes. “Hm?”

Hyrule smiled apologetically and held out a hand. “We’re moving on.” 

“Oh. Okay.” Sky stifled a yawn as he took Hyrule’s offered hand and let the traveler pull him to his feet. “Thanks.”

Hyrule’s smile widened. “‘Course.”

As they started to walk again, Sky tried to focus on anything besides his body. He looked around the path and noticed a hero was missing.

“Where’s Twilight?” Sky asked. 

“Scouting ahead,” Hyrule said. His ears twitched, and wasn’t looking at Sky. If Sky had any energy, he would’ve pressed. His thoughts were too heavy for that, so Sky just hummed a reply. 

An amount of time passed. Sky didn’t know how much. Staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other was taking all his concentration. An amount of time passed, and then Twilight was jogging down the path towards them. 

“There’s a cave close. A few monsters outside, but it don’t look too deep. We can clear it,” Twilight said. 

Sky frowned. His accent was thicker than usual. That usually meant he was tired, hurt, or stressed. 

“It’s a tight fit, though,” Twilight continued. 

“We’ll split up,” Time said. “Legend?”

Legend shook his head. “I’d rather keep moving.”

“I can stay,” Warriors said.

“Um.” Sky cleared his throat. His ears pinned themselves to his head as Sky grabbed his sailcloth to fiddle with it. “I don’t think I would be the most helpful right now.”

Warriors, with clear movements in Sky’s line of sight, patted Sky’s shoulder. “We’ll stay back.”

“I’ll stay, too. I’ve got a bit of a headache,” Four said, tapping his temple lightly with one finger. 

“Come on, then. It’s close,” Twilight said. 

“Stay safe,” Warriors called as the group left. 

Sky’s eyes burned, both with forming tears and the dryness of exhaustion. He hated feeling like he let the others down. He hated being too slow. 

Sky stepped far enough to be off the path and collapsed in a heap against a rock. He curled his sailcloth around himself and let his eyes slide shut, then let his head fall against the rock. His entire body throbbed. 

“Do you need anything for the headache?” Warriors asked. 

“No, it’s not bad. More pressure than pain, really. I’ll stand watch if you want to…” Four trailed off.

Sky’s neck protested the angle with sharp pains. He huffed a watery breath of frustration and dragged an arm up to rest between his head and the rock. 

Leaves crunched as footsteps approached. 

“Sky?” Warriors asked softly. His voice was closer than Sky expected. He dragged his eyes open and saw Warriors kneeling beside him. 

“Hm?”

“Do you want to lean on me? It’ll be more comfortable than the rock.”

Sky briefly considered protesting, but exhaustion and pain won over. He nodded wordlessly and pushed himself off the rock just a bit. Warriors smiled and settled against the rock just behind Sky with his head pillowed on his hands.

“Touch is okay?” Sky had to check.

Warriors smiled and nodded. “I wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Here.”

Warriors gently guided Sky to lean back against his side. With the way he had his arms up, Sky’s head fit securely on his shoulder. Sky scooted until his back was fully supported and extended his sharply aching knee. He wanted to thank Warriors, but he couldn’t find the energy to open his mouth. 

Sky’s eyes slid shut as the aching in his body settled. He’d be sure to thank Warriors tomorrow.

Warnings: detailed descriptions of chronic pain, references to past ableism (with direct ableist quotes), subsequent internalized ableism. They discuss medical issues in this one but they don’t have many of the correct terms or understanding of health conditions, so obligatory please do not take this as medical advice :)

The last bokoblin crumbled to dust at his feet. Sky stumbled to the side, caught in the momentum of the swing of his sword.

"That's the last of them," Warriors said.

"Good fight. Any injuries?” Time asked, just as he did after every battle. No one spoke up, so he nodded in approval. “We should find somewhere nearby to rest.”

Very, very slowly, Sky lowered himself to the ground. His knees, hips, and back popped painfully, so stiff he could barely move them. Sky didn't bother holding back a grimace. Sky pushed his legs out behind him, laid his arms by his side, and collapsed face first in the grass. His entire body throbbed. Sky tried to breathe evenly through the wave of pain.

"Uh, Sky?"

"Here. Rest," Sky mumbled into the dirt. Grass got in his mouth. Removing it seemed like an insurmountable task. It wasn't like it tasted that bad, anyway.

A pause. "Anyone catch that?"

Sky groaned loudly as he turned his head to the side just enough to free his mouth. "Rest. Here." 

Hyrule frowned, glancing around from the top of the hill they were on. The grassy fields continued for miles. "Isn't this a little exposed?"

"Rest here."

Four shrugged. "We did just clear the monsters."

"See? Rest now." Sky wouldn't have been able to get up if he tried. Everything hurt and he was so tired he might cry.

"I'm so on it," Wind said. "I'm so with you." They dropped to their knees—Sky flinched, knowing how his knees would feel if he did that—then sat back on their heels. Wind's arms flopped backwards as they curled forward and shoved their face in the ground. Their forehead touched the ground, leaving their mouth free for complaining. Sky respected the commitment.

"We have been walking and fighting and walking and fighting and running all week. No more," Wind said.

Sky grunted his agreement. The heroes within his line of sigh all looked at him with a wince, eyebrows drawn together and eyes wide with concern. Sky belatedly realized his sound might have been more pitiful than he intended it to be.

"Yeah, that about does it." Legend put her last item away in her bag then flopped onto the grass next to Sky.

"You mind?" Legend asked. Sky made a noise he hoped was significantly less disturbing than before. It must have worked, because Legend laid down with her head on Sky's backside. Sky made a noise of surprise.

"What?" Legend said. "It's soft."

Any reply Sky would have made was cut off by Warriors dramatic sigh as he collapsed on the ground. His legs were bent underneath his body and he haphazardly threw his arms over his face, resulting in his scarf billowing over his head and covering his face completely.

"This is fine," Warriors said, muffled by the scarf.

Twilight laid down next to him and collected the end of Warriors' scarf to use as a pillow. Wild draped himself over Twilight's legs and dragged Hyrule down with him. Hyrule yelped in surprise but relented quickly enough. He stuck one foot into Legend's side as he got comfortable. Four laid on the grass in the most awkward position physically possible. Sky's joints throbbed in pain just looking at it. Sky couldn't see Time from his angle, but going by the loud thump, Time was now also on the ground.

Sky hummed happily and put his face back in the dirt. There was a nice little indentation right where his nose was, so he wasn't even suffocating. How convenient, he thought.

Sky's muscles were still tense from the battle adrenaline. As hard as he tried, he couldn't quite drift off to sleep. His body ached, every joint and every muscle throbbing in time with his heart. The longer he laid on his stomach, the more the fire-like pain in his back spread. He knew he would regret laying like this later, but he really, really didn’t want to move. 

"This is boring," Wind said.

The heroes burst into laughter. Sky chuckled quietly, with as much energy as he could muster.

“Let’s find shapes in the clouds!” Wild suggested. 

“Ooh! Yes! Everyone play!” Wind cheered. 

Sky sighed and tried to will his body to relax. The level of effort he was putting would have been comical—he couldn’t force himself to relax, that defeated the purpose—if he wasn’t so utterly worn down. Everything hurt and he really, really wanted to be asleep. Sharp pressure stung behind his eyes. Sky flopped an arm over them and breathed deeply, desperately trying not to cry. 

The voices of the other heroes sounded like they were underwater. Or, maybe Sky was underwater and they were above. That made more sense, he thought. He certainly felt like he was underwater, drowning as he was pulled down by invisible forces. And how could he fight an enemy he couldn’t see?

A hand touched his boot. Sky flinched, eyes flying open with a gasp. Legend was sitting up beside him; Sky hadn’t noticed the change in pressure when she moved. Legend flashed him an apologetic smile. 

“The sailor wants you to look at the clouds,” Legend said. “You’ve got about ten seconds before they drag you over there themself. Just a warning.”

“Over where?” Sky asked. His neck ached from the strain of looking sideways at Legend. 

In response, Legend tilted her head over her shoulders. The other heroes were gathered in a circle, laying on their backs with their heads together. Legend carefully pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. Beneath her braces, her joints popped. She shook them out then went to the circle. 

Instead of taking the closest open spot, she deliberately stepped on Warriors’ chest. Her step was light enough that it wouldn’t hurt, and more than enough for Warriors to yelp and swat her away. Legend laughed as she let herself be tackled onto the ground. 

Just as Legend predicted, it was no more than ten seconds before Wind was hopping up from the circle and bounding over to Sky. They knelt next to Sky’s head with a wide smile. “Sky, come look at clouds with us!” 

Sky forced a smile even as tears gathered in his eyes. As soon as they started, he couldn’t stop. Tears flowed down his face as Sky choked on a sob, burying his face in his arms in shame. 

“Sky?” Wind’s voice was panicked. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

Sky sniffled and shook his head, ignoring the pinpricks of pain throughout his neck and shoulders. “No, I— I’m— it’s fine. I’m fine.”

“What’s wrong?” Wind asked again. 

“I don- I don’t know,” Sky cried. “I’m just…”

Wind’s hand landed on his back and they started rubbing comforting circles. Another sob forced its way out of Sky’s chest. 

“You should turn over,” Twilight said. Sky sniffed and looked up in surprise. Twilight was right next to him. They all were, Sky realized; the others had moved their circle over to Sky and were all trying very hard not to stare at him in concern. 

“Your back always hurts when you lay like that,” Twilight continued. 

A fresh wave of emotion forced more tears out of Sky’s eyes. “You— how?”

Twilight smiled sadly at him. “I noticed. You never said anything about it, though, so…” Twilight shrugged. 

“Here,” Wind said, voice determined. “Can I help?” 

Sky nodded and wiped his nose miserably. Wind put one hand beneath his shoulder and the other beneath his hip.

“Ready? Set, go!” 

With Wind’s added momentum, Sky turned over on the first try with minimal difficulty. As soon as he landed on his back, the pain intensified and the sound of blood rushing filled his ears. Sky’s breath hitched, then he forced himself to calm down and breathe through the pain as his joints released their tension. 

“Are you having regrets?” Legend asked in a teasing tone. Sky knew that was how she showed her concern, and the words warmed his heart. 

“Mmhmm,” Sky mumbled in reply. His voice wavered far more than he expected. 

The sharp pain receded, and Sky finally was able to take a full breath. He let his arms flop on the grass above his head. Sky let himself breathe and relax. 

“Sky?” Twilight asked, voice uncharacteristically hesitant. 

Sky’s eyes felt like sandpaper under his eyelids as he dragged them open. 

“We wanted to talk to you about… this,” Twilight continued. 

Sky’s face burned with shame. His ears pinned themselves against his head. He glanced at the other heroes, all clearly staring, then shoved his eyes closed again. 

This was it. They were going to tell him he was being too slow and he needed to be better. He needed to try harder . Somewhere in the logical part of his mind, Sky knew he was being unfair to them, but a lifetime of being told to just suck it up and do better and being far, far too slow clouded his judgment.

“I’m sorry. I can do better,” Sky said. 

“What?” Legend interjected harshly. “What are you on about?”

Sky sniffled and wiped his eyes to keep his tears at bay. He drew in a shaky breath before he continued. “I know I’ve been slow lately, but I’ll do better. We don’t have to talk about it. I’m sorry.”

“No, Sky, that’s not what’s happening here,” Warriors said quickly. “We want to help.”

Sky’s thoughts stuttered to a halt. “You… what do you mean?”

“Back in your era, after you passed out, we talked to Zelda about it. We weren’t hiding this from you, but we haven’t had a chance to bring it up since.”

“...Oh. Um…”

Wind’s hand slipped into his and squeezed. Sky squeezed back, at a loss for words. 

“That was scary,” Wind said quietly. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

Sky’s stomach flipped. “I’m sorry.”

Wind squeezed his hand again. “It’s not your fault! The only thing you should be sorry about is not telling us that could happen! How were we supposed to know you’d be okay?”

“Sailor,” Warriors admonished quietly. “Sky, there’s nothing wrong with needing extra help. We all do, sometimes. I… I may not have said it out loud before, but I have battlesickness. You know that, and I know any of you will help me calm down when I can’t remember where I am. Do you blame me for that?”

“Of course not!” Sky said. 

“You’ve helped me apply my scar gel before! And you always make tea when me or Twilight have cramps,” Wild said. 

“I have a blind side. I can’t see attacks,” Time said.

“My shoulder won’t grow right after a monster flung me around. I can’t move it all the way and it hurts, sometimes,” Wind said. 

“This isn’t like that,” Sky interrupted, clenching his free hand in frustration. “This isn’t from my adventure. It comes and goes with how bad it is, but I’ve always been this way.”

“You know my joints are terrible. That’s something you and I have in common,” Legend added. “The braces help, but I’m not always up for moving. You’ve never blamed me for that.”

“I’ve had migraines all my life,” Four said. “More after my adventures, just like you.”

“I have food allergies,” Hyrule said. “Those aren’t my fault and they’ve been here forever.”

“It… it doesn’t get better. I have to deal with this every day.” Sky’s voice had a hint of a whine to it, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Everything hurts all the time. I’m so tired. I can’t even stand up without my body collapsing. It’s— it’s really, really hard,” Sky finished in a small voice. 

Wind squeezed his hand. The group was silent for a moment, only the sounds of crickets jumping through the grass. 

“Zelda told us some things she and Groose do to help,” Warriors said. “I’d like to hear what you do day to day to manage it, if you’re comfortable sharing.”

Sky blinked up at the clouds through teary eyes. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

“I always watch food being prepared, that helps my anxiety. I don’t like my face or neck being touched. When I’m panicking, breathing exercises and asking me to describe my surroundings are what help,” Warriors offered. 

After a beat, enough time for Sky to speak up if he wanted, Legend continued. “I stretch every morning and night. I have pain relief tea if I need it. Movement helps the inflammation stay down, but too much running or jumping makes things worse.”

“Oh,” Sky realized. “That’s— my knees are the same. If they stay straight or bent for too long they get hard to move.”

“There, see? Stuff like that,” Warriors encouraged. “What else do you know?”

“Um. When I passed out, that was from standing too quickly. Well, the portal makes everything feel worse, and I don’t usually fully pass out. When I sit up or stand up I have to move really slow or I feel bad for a while. I lean or sit as often as I can. I sleep as much as I can, but I’m still tired all the time, no matter how much I rest. Is that— is that okay?”

“You’re doing great, Sky. That’s exactly what we mean,” Twilight said. 

“Zelda mentioned the exhaustion too,” Warriors said. “She said stamina fruit helps…”

The Links stayed on the hill, resting and talking for the rest of the day. Time tired of talking quickly, but he listened with a smile on his face. Wind, Wild, and Hyrule pointed out exciting clouds during lapses in the conversation. The other heroes offered things about themselves they had learned and things that helped them, too, so Sky wasn’t the only one. They made sure he didn’t feel like a burden, and they made sure he felt loved. 

For once, Sky was not the first to fall asleep. Time and Wild hadn’t responded in a while, and Legend hadn’t opened her eyes for her last three comments. Sky could feel the fatigue tugging on his eyelids as he struggled to keep up with the conversation. After his third yawn in as many sentences, Warriors reached over Wind and ruffled Sky’s hair. 

“Get some sleep,” Warriors said with a fond chuckle. “I’ll wake everyone up in time to make camp before dusk.”

The portals were a strange experience. The buzz of magic as he approached was something even Sky could feel. There was a moment as he entered that mimics his breath getting caught in his lungs as all his muscles tense, and then there was nothing. He didn’t feel the pain in his joints, he didn’t feel the tightness in his muscles, he didn’t feel the overbearing weight of fatigue. There was a slight tingling where he thought his limbs should be, but it was pleasant, like the soft trickle of water running through the hair on his skin.

And then the world slammed into place and everything was so much worse than before. Sky collapsed on the ground, his body throbbing as it came back into itself. He stayed still, desperately gasping through the turmoil of the sensations, until he could pull a full breath into his weary lungs. They’re tight, so he knew immediately he wasn’t in the sky. As always, no matter how many times he tried to deny it, a sharp sliver of disappointment cut through him.

He really, really missed his partners. 

Sky gave himself three breaths to mope about it before he pushed himself into a sitting position. His elbows cracked as he straightened them, but not in the way that hurt; just in the way they do, sometimes. He only had a few seconds before his vision started to go black around the edges and his head was filled with the sound of blood rushing. Sky groaned and stayed as still as he could, breathing as deeply as he could. After a moment it faded, and Sky could actually look around.

Warriors would probably be on him about taking so long to get up. He always worried like that, and Sky hasn’t been exactly forthcoming with… whatever it is that happened when he goes through the portals. Or gets out of bed, or sits up too fast, or stands for too long, or gets too hot, or— 

Not helpful, Sky told himself. 

Sky was in a grassy clearing. There were thick trees scattered across the plain, not quite enough to call a forest, but enough to obscure his view. There wasn’t much to see at all, but Sky did notice two very important things: there were no monsters in sight, but there were no other heroes, either. 

Sky sighed, and barely resisted the urge to collapse back onto the ground. It was soft and inviting and he was so, so tired. The thought of walking aimlessly to find his brothers made him want to cry, a little bit. But he was a hero, and he couldn’t do that. He had to keep going. What if the others needed help?

Sky pushed himself over to the closest tree and used it as a leverage point to stand. He swayed as he was struck with lightheadedness and blinked away black spots in his vision. His chest twinged, so he rubbed at it uncomfortably until it faded. Then, with a weary sigh, Sky pushed away from the tree and surveyed the area. He couldn’t see any signs of a town or any running water to follow, so he picked the biggest tree he could see as his destination. It was the most identifiable landmark around, so surely the others would be heading that way, too.

So he walked. Then as his knee started to burn with the—albeit minimal—exertion, he slowed his pace and limped. His hips protested, so he forced himself to walk normally again. His head started to pound as he walked, a dull ache that started at the base of his skull and wrapped around his head. His eyelids dropped, desperate to close, and his movements were sluggish with fatigue.

Sky huffed with frustration. Tears burned at the back of his eyes. He wiped at his face and forced them back. He was not going to cry. He was a hero. He’d been in so much more pain before. He’d been more sleep deprived before; he’d barely slept at all during his adventure. Sure, it had taken nearly six months to recover from that, but he’d done it. He’d survived. 

Sky didn’t notice the tree until he was tripping over a root. He crashed to his knees, barely throwing his arms out in time to stop from face planting in the foliage. Searing pain throbbed through his joints. 

Sky considered standing for all of one second, then rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around himself in a hug. He sniffled as he rolled his shoulders around enough to look up at the tree, ignoring the ache in his back at the movement. 

The tree was… spooky. Sky couldn’t think of a more apt description than spooky. The roots crawled over the ruins of a stone building, engulfing them into the trunk of the tree. The stone was cracking under the weight of the tree. To the side, crumpled pillars lay around the tree in decoration. The tree itself was massive. Not nearly as large as the Deku tree they met in Wind’s era, but it was the largest natural one Sky had ever seen. The other trees were twigs in comparison, the soft purple flowers smaller than gnats.

If Sky wasn’t so miserably exhausted, he would’ve loved to climb to the top, just to see if he could. The views from the top would be incredible.  The views from the top would also give him a good lay of the land and a chance to look for the others. 

Sky should do that. 

…

Sky should do that. He would do that, if the effort required to move more than a finger wasn’t such a monumental task. Tears sprung to his eyes, and this time he didn’t have the energy to wipe them away. He was just so tired. Despite the burning in his joints, Sky curled up into as tight a ball as he could. The pain was enough that he knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep naturally, even as tired as he was. Wild’s special teas were the only thing that could get him to sleep through the night these last few weeks.