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"What's wrong?" Wild frowned.
"What?"
"You." The Champion pointed. "You're staring a lot."
"Oh." Sky cleared his throat, blinking. His hands found their way to his lap, nervously kneading and clenching around the hem of his shirt.
Wild stared for a bit longer, Sky still didn't say any anymore. Perhaps he should have, maybe Wild was waiting for him to say something back. Sky couldn't. Not when he tried to figure out
"Breakfast in 5. We'll set out shortly after." Warriors announced, and if Sky had the strength, he'd groan in his hands. Expect, he didn't. So he simply sat still in his mussed bedroll, awaiting for a more direct sort of instruction, one he couldn't avoid, one he couldn't sit through.
Sky winced, and the pounding in his head seemed to squeeze right where he scrunched is nose in disdain.
Clothes clinging to his sweat-dampened skin, Sky couldn't help but bring his hands over to his, blocking out the Sun, blocking out the world. From where he pushed the heels of his palms, from where he hopelessly applied pressure to his nagging and bashing headache,
His ears rang and unconsciously pinned to the side of his head when Warriors barked another order, and Sky had to bite his tongue when The Sailor chirped in reply shortly before running off elsewhere. Likely to gather wood, or maybe to clear out camp.
Sky didn't know, Sky didn't care. Not when it felt as though knifes and daggers were lodged deep to his throat, the blades bobbing and stabbing as he swallowed tentatively. And certainly not when stomach rolled and lurched in threatening waves of low nausea.
"Everything alright?"
Sky forced his hands down, forced himself to blink as he adjusted to the unwelcome light of day, forced his legs down from where they were brought and pressed tightly to his heaving chest.
Time, who had yet to pack his own belonging, strewn across camp and haphazardly leaned on a nearby fallen log- Sky's vision and attention both drifted off. But with great effort, he realized that the warm pressure on his shoulder was Time's hand, and oh, he's waiting for an answer.
"Sky?"
Sky's heaving, ragged breath found itself caught in his throat, perhaps with the blades that dared wedged themselves in the sensitive passages there. What was the question again?
"Y-Yes?" His voice cracked and broke. Be it from the under use, or from the itchy, irritation he could never quite scratch off, he didn't know.
Time sighed, his careful gaze over Sky, too knowing, too observant. He shrunk a little from the scrutiny, and his aching muscles nearly gave out in that instant. A violent tremor instead coursed through him, and Sky's tightening lungs pushed out a weak, rasped cough or two.
Something in Time's stoic demeanor shifted, and Sky wondered if Time knew something he didn't, if his face was as red and hot as he felt it to be.
"You don't look very well. I asked if you were alright." Time, whose patience surpassed a saint's by far, reiterated.
"I'm fine. Just tired." The Chosen Hero said, lied maybe. Time wouldn't know any better, Sky hoped.
"Right. Then you'll be off watch tonight. I'll let the others know." Time acquiesced, didn't push further nor suspect on Sky's slurred words, his barren and tired gaze. Sky pulled a glower, this wasn't what he meant. He didn't even tell the truth, he didn't even come clean and The Chosen Hero was already being a liability.
Sky stumbled, once more, yet again. Boots and uneven, clambering footsteps collided roughly with the patches of thick grass, with the exposed roots that Sky should have seen in advance, should have stepped aside or over it. He should have been better.
He lingered in the back, eyes forced on the back of both his brothers' and companions' heads. He stared at Legend's hat, how it flew and bobbed with his confident strides. He tried to
But he couldn't. Sky couldn't do anything. Even if he tried.
From where his sword hung on his waist, attached firmly to his belt, his hands pressed firmly on it's hilt, knuckles blanching as he gripped the worn leather furtively.
Wild lead first, followed nervously by Warriors, and more calmly by Time. The Captain's constant fretting and dashing had Sky growing quite dizzy as his royal blue scarf swished wildly in the air.
The Champion lead over his slate, footsteps slow and careful. That forced everybody else to halt to a steady, leisure-like pace. Sky was in no condition for leisure.
Twilight kept a keen eye on Wind, who had quite the habit of breaking out of path, into a nearby clearing, or perhaps a promising-looking forest. Twilight was sure they were promising, was sure the calls of adventure were worth reward. But this wasn't their Hyrule, not their lands. He wouldn't let The Sailor leave his attention.
Hyrule and Legend walked side by side. Hyrule lingering close by and if Sky had it in him to focus, he'd realize The Traveler's hand hand found it's way and remained on The Veteran's sleeve. Legend didn't even shift, unbothered and conscious as he matched his pace to Hyrule's curious stroll, eyes wide and full of wonder in a land that didn't just survive, but thrived.
A sudden throb to his head interrupted Sky's longing for a rest that he couldn't even dare imagine, hope for.
Determined, though with waning strength, Sky pushed forward. Stumbling past Legend, nearly crashing into Wind, Sky threw his hand on Wild's shoulder. He was unsure whether it was to beckon the Champion's attention, or catch himself before he tumbled over.
The boy flinched, shoulders flying right to his ears. Sky ripped off his hand as though it was lit ablaze. Time stared in silence, and Sky kept his gaze to the forest floor, to the dried leaves that crunched and broke under his clumsy footsteps.
"Sky?" Wild looked at the Chosen Hero, Sky felt those eyes on him, but he didn't dare look back.
"How much longer?"
"What?"
A frustrated noise burned low in Sky's throat. "How much longer until the next stable?" Until we can rest, until I can rest, going unsaid- Time's ear twitched as heard it.
"Three days on foot if we keep up at this pace." Wild guessed, glancing down at his slate. "Yeah. We'll arrive by nightfall of the third day."
At a sudden, at an overwhelming sudden, Sky felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, tumble and crash over him.
What felt unbearable before was excruciating now. The lingering shivers and aches over his feverish body suddenly felt rattling, violent.
"Okay. Thanks." Sky mumbled, feeling bile climb up. He instead embraced the burn of acid in him.
He fell back before Time could say anything else, could catch Sky's lies and perhaps call him
A chain was only as strong as it's weakest link. Sky felt himself crumbling, he didn't want anyone to crash and burn like he did. Even if his skin truly did burn from the feverish hells and the soft crumbles of his reserves, his strength.
Words suddenly felt heavy in his dry mouth, on his useless tongue.
Sky stumbled forward, because that was all he was good for. This time, his hands grabbed Twilight's arm, but with the lack of coordination from his uncooperative limbs and his spinning head, he was just barely able to grasp unto the Rancher's sleeves.
"Twi-" He rasped out, voice quieter than even the softest of whispers. Black spots danced in his vision, a final warning as he reached his body's impending limit. "'m gonna pass out."
He suddenly felt a hand on his arm, another encircling his back, sliding over and around him as everything suddenly went dark.
Warmth.
Sky shifted, his leg running through a soft sort of material. It felt a lot like his blanket, not quite his too-tight boots he had shucked on early morning, laces tucked into the sides as his hands wouldn't work to tie them.
Something plush rested underneath his head, not quite like a pillow, and certainly not quite like a tree bark he had to rest on to breathe for a few moments while everybody else but him contributed to pack away, to set off from camp.
His eyes fluttered open, tentatively this time. But it was also in this moment that there wasn't the bright, burning rays on his retinas, remaining and shining even as he shut his eyes and weakly brought his hands over his face.
The first he saw was the soft dusting of stars, more danced and appeared in to his gaze as he stared longer to the night sky, as he needn't to adjust to the change of light.
Eyebrows furrowed in pain, Sky slowly sat up as more the world and his surroundings filtered in.
A thick blanket fell and pooled over his lap, from where Sky had just realized it had been draped and tucked over his chest, up to his shoulders to keep the gentle breeze out and away.
He brought a hand to his eye, tiredly rubbing the sleep away and blinking heavily.
Faint crackles and groans from the campfire kept Sky from falling back asleep, kept him to reality. He peered over, Wild's attention over a simmering pot of soup, Sky followed the rising steam and smoke to where it disappeared into the night's horizon.
On a fallen log nearby, Sky noted the faint clinking to be from Four mending a dent in a sword, Wind's likely. The Smithy nursed a frustrated frown, and if Sky felt any different, he'd keep an internal note to take better care of his gear in front of the poor Smithy.
Faint whispers, or perhaps mumbles were heard from behind Sky. Rather than whipping his head to the sound out of nerves, or maybe even panic, he simply slowly crawled over from his bedroll, something low and satisfying in his back popping as he did. Sky didn't feel very satisfied.
Wind, Legend and Hyrule silently traded pouches of rupees, cards held in hands and defensively hidden away from the others.
Sky brought the blanket in his hold, fingers running through the thick, warm material. It was only warm because of his fever. Nothing else. That sort of chilling reminder didn't have Sky feel warm anymore, and certainly not from the kiss of wind on his sweat-soaked skin as his fever broke and shattered in his sleep.
Gentle scratches and scribbles came from nearby, and Time smiled to himself as he wrote a letter, likely to Malon. Sky wrote letters of his own too, to Sun. He helped Time more often than not with words, with putting such terms to his love and longing. He didn't help now, he didn't help anything, he didn't even feel like helping now.
Sky, for all the guilt and remaining exhaustion he felt, leaned back, bracing himself for the harsh fall on the cushioned grass, maybe even back to what he assumed was the pillow.
But instead, The Chosen Hero had found himself landing on something much softer, far sooner than he expected.
"Whoops." The Rancher caught Sky by the sides, and Sky nearly flinched out his own damp and flushed skin.
Sky froze, forcing himself to not melt and lean into the contact. The sort of contact his sore and fever-ridden body begged for. His legs panged in pain as he shifted lightly, trying to move. A heavy reminder of himself pushing far past than what he should have.
"Careful." Twilight guided Sky back a little, only letting go of The Chosen Hero when he was sure Sky would stay upright, wouldn't topple over himself again. "Can you hear me?"
Sky nodded, though he didn't fight against the confused little pout that tugged at his lips as Twilight situated him and leaned back. That addicting warmth from the embrace now a distant memory. "What happened?"
"You fell on me- Passed out actually." Twilight added, correcting himself with an upset scowl. Not at Sky, but more so at himself.
"Oh. Sorry." Sky felt like he needed to say. Twilight gave a pitying, little smile when Sky thought he'd frown, or maybe even scowl at Sky rather than at his own festering guilt of mistakes.
"Forget that." He shook his head, and Sky looked down at his lap, shoulders nervously brought up as he braced to be yelled at, to deal with Twilight's upset on top of his headache, though dialed down to a much more tolerable, gentle ache. Like an injury long-since sustained, long since pounding and splitting. "Are you okay?"
Sky blinked a few times, head whipping up and gaze shot towards Twilight.
"You were really sick, Sky." He admitted, guilt ridden as his fingers picked anxiously at the skin of his nails.
Sky gasped, eyes widening with the realization of potentially hurting Twilight as he fell, useless and ill and worthless as he was.
"I'm sorry." He repeated, though this time it felt right to say. Sky wanted to say it again.
Twilight shook his head again. He didn't say anymore, rather wanting to hear The Chosen Hero's voice, what he wanted to say.
With that sort of chance, that sort of freedom, Sky felt his words roll uselessly in his mouth.
"I… I thought I could do it." Sky breathed, tears welling up in his exhausted eyes.
"Do what?" Twilight asked, noting when Sky turned his head away, a hand covering his mouth.
Sky swallowed thickly, eyebrows scrunching in pain as he forgot his the sharp, piercing pain in his throat.
"I thought I could do it. I…" Sky looked down, and Twilight's expression softened to something far more pitying and gentle when Sky's shoulders quivered as he fought against the weak sobs that tried to wrench themselves out. "Why am I so weak?"
The Rancher tugged him in for a hug, and Sky buried his head in his wolf pet. He shook his head, weak fists trying push away as his tears dampened and likely dirtied the soft fur that adorned Twilight's shoulders.
"It's okay, it's okay." Twilight promised, and that alone made Sky want to cry even more.
Succumbing to the tears that poured and streamed down, Sky gasped and heaved apologies into his wolf pet. Apologies for being weak, for passing out, for getting sick, for stopping their advance to the stables, for continuing on with their quest.
The Chosen Hero sobbed, even when Twilight kept a warm, stable hand on his back, even when The Rancher negated and shot down all of Sky's pitiful apologies, all the guilt that festered and spilled over- Twilight caught it all.
Much time had passed until Sky deemed himself fine enough to pull back. Not enough to want his brother to stop holding his hand comfortingly. Nor for those promises to stop.
He wiped his hand on his teary, and sore eyes, avoiding Twilight's pitying gaze all while he did so.
"Better?" Twilight queried, noting how Sky's hand stayed in his.
The Chosen Hero shook his head, to which Twilight simply mumbled a, "That's fine."
With nothing much more said, Sky allowed the delirium of his fever, and the weakness of his entire body to wash over, to succumb to those needs. Sky leaned himself back to Twilight, arms wrapping The Rancher's middle, and head voluntary rested on his shoulder, cheek pressed against his wolf pelt.
"Alright. We can do that." Twilight breathed, petting Sky's hair softy.
He smiled when Sky shifted closer from the gentle touch, when The Chosen Hero no longer heaved apologies, no longer carried all the guilt Twilight wished to drag off his shoulders.
Wild approached by, two steaming bowls in his hand. The Champion tilted his head in confusion, and Twilight held out his free hand to accept the offering.
"Pumpkin soup." Wild explained, and Twilight nodded in a thanks as Sky pressed himself closer to The Rancher with a plaintive whine. "…Is he alright?"
Twilight looked at him knowingly. He could practically sense how Wild seemed to inwardly fret over Sky, how he'd somehow find a way to blame himself for what had happened earlier, for what had forced them to stop for camp right away.
"He is, Wild. Are you?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just- You know." He uselessly explained. Taking a deep breath, Wild tried again. "I just felt bad for him. I feel like I should have noticed."
"I get it. But Sky's alright, yeah? I promise. Don't beat yourself up over it." With that, Sky brought a hand up to Twilight's shoulder, simply to cuddle closer to The Rancher.
Luckily enough, that was more than needed to settle The Champion, who instead moved to have his own helping of soup with Time.
"Hey, Sky." The petting in his hair stopped, and The Chosen Hero whined miserably. "I know, I know. But Wild's got us some soup, yeah? You want some?"
"…Soup?" Sky blearily pointed at the bowls.
"Yeah, soup. For you." Twilight smiled, more so when Sky lit up.
Carefully, with a steady hand, The Rancher tipped the bowl pressed against Sky's lips. It was only once half way through the bowl's contents did The Chosen Hero began to fuss.
Twilight brought it close to Sky, and instead of obligingly taking a small sip, Sky instead shook his head, whining.
"Alright, time for bed then." Twilight put up little fight, no fight really, as he placed the bowls elsewhere.
With Sky still in his hold, and his fever long since broken, Twilight leaned them both down to his bedroll, bringing Sky near and tucking a blanket over his shoulders.
Twilight ran his hand through Sky's hair, watching fondly as his brother fell back to a sleep. He deserved it, and he certainly wasn't weak.
Not when Sky pushed himself for the better of the team, and for himself. And certainly not when he put others first, time after time. Now it was Twilight's to repay that favor, to take care of The Chosen Hero.
Sky's taken plenty care of all, but now, it was his turn to be taken care of.