Lost and Found (BEN x FtM reader)

Ch. 8: And then everything went black.

A/N: *This one took way too long to write- lack of inspiration and all. Sorry for the wait.

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I didn't sleep very long. Dirt and mud didn't make for a comfortable bed, and even the grass was sharper than soft. Still, I couldn't bring myself to get up on my own.

How could I? How could I move, knowing that I'd never go home again? Even if someday I managed to get out of here, even if I managed to get back to my house in the mountain...

... It wasn't home without him.

I sniffed, trying not to cry again. I was already pretty dehydrated, and poor Tatl had just had to sit there listening to me the whole time. Plus, I didn't want to give whatever was controlling Skull Kid the satisfaction of seeing me bawl.

My shoulders slumped, and I let myself relax somewhat, trying to get back to sleep so I wouldn't have to think anymore.

"[Y/N]!" Came Tatl's voice from beside me. She chimed anxiously, pushing herself off the ground and hovering around my head. I opened my eyes at last, pulling myself off the ground. My tunic was caked in mud. I reluctantly nodded.

"I know, I can't... stay here forever. We've only got a few days." I sighed shakily, speaking to myself more than her. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get rid of the persistent tear tracks before glancing up to Tatl.

She was holding my hat toward me, apparently struggling to even keep it off the ground. The sight was so ridiculous that despite- or perhaps because of- everything that had happened, I couldn't help but snort, accidentally hitting myself in the eye with the hand I'd just been rubbing it with.

"Ghk- ow... thanks, Tatl." I mumbled, struggling to keep my voice even as I took the hat.

Tatl gave another worried ring, settling down on my shoulder. She was silent for a few moments, but seemed to find the courage to speak as soon as I stood up.

"... I don't really understand what was happening back there, um, [Y/N]." She paused, rocking back on my shoulder for a moment before abruptly tensing, her wings fluttering.

"I don't know if you knew Skull Kid before or- if that was Skull Kid but I'm..."

... I knew from her tone of voice that she wanted to apologize. For a moment, I felt she should, but I knew my anger was misguided.

"It's okay." I grimaced. "It wasn't you. You didn't do. it."

We fell into an uneasy silence as I slipped the hat back on, trying to figure out which way would take us out of the woods. Everything looked the same. Eventually, I settled on walking through the nearest tunnel. It was just my luck that that took us back to the entrance immediately. How had I ever gotten so lost to begin with?

I glanced to the monkey now waiting again by the woods, but paid it no mind, heading toward the water to rinse some of the dirt off my face and clothes. Tatl pulled off my shoulder, pausing.

"... Are you... sure you can keep going?" She asked, tilting her body somewhat. I glanced to her, splashing water up into my face and giving a soft sigh of relief. "I mean, I- we could go back really easily. Back to the first day. You could take all the time you need in Clock Town-!" She offered, fluttering further up into the air for a moment.

I didn't even take a moment to consider her offer.

"No. I want to be out of here as soon as possible."

"But... didn't Skull Kid say there was no way out?" 

I stared down into the water at my own reflection, my green hat hanging down over my shoulder. Almost all the dirt was cleared from my face by now, and I supposed I'd have to be okay with not being very thorough since, again- I had no change of clothes.