Linked AU One-Shots

40. Silent Fears

This is actually three prompts in one story! I wrote one, and when the second prompt came out it just felt like it'd naturally follow. Then I just felt like making a third part because I felt like it... and then got dared to. The prompts were run, let me catch my breath and pilgrimage. Each scene is a different prompt. The first prompt, run, I had under ten minutes to complete so I really was writing as fast as I could!

Also Sky probably has cerebral palsy in this again. Honestly that might just be how I write him now-

Anyway enjoy!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Sky had to run fast. As fast as he possibly could. He stumbled on the tree roots, on small stones that littered the path. Branches of the trees scratched at him, catching on his clothes. His cape caught onto one, and he had to tug and tug before it was finally freed. Thankfully, without ripping. 

 The path was dark, and the only light he had was moonlight. His breath rang loudly in his ears, along with the pulse, blood rushing. He couldn't. He couldn't. He could not give up, could never give up. Even if the distance between him and them continued growing. Even if all seemed hopeless. It hurt. His legs, the pain in them was rising up. He was stumbling more. Getting more clumsy. Still, he ran, cursing his legs, cursing this situation. Cursing the way the alarms were going off in his head. He never swore, but he did now for all this shitshow was. 

 He tripped once and for all— his feet just couldn't pick themselves up high enough. And he fell. Crashed to the ground. The mud reached out to give him a messy hug. The ground left him with bruises and the branches left him with cuts. 

 And he laid down his head as he finally passed out once and for all.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When Sky came to, everything around him felt fuzzy. It wasn't just that his vision was messed up; all of his perceptions were skewed to the point where he couldn't actually take in anything. The morning light was nothing short of blinding, basking the world in a piercing white and light shades of off whites. 

He used his knees and his elbows to prop himself up from the hard ground underneath of him. He must have done it too fast, because a splitting headache appeared a moment later. He let out a yell, the very sound of it cutting his own eardrums. Had he really screamed that loudly? Or were his senses that sensitive?

His limbs were trembling, trying to keep himself upright. He winced, letting out as quiet of a whimper as he could. Even that hurt his ears. He lowered his head to the ground before letting his limbs relax again and closing his eyes. He just needed a minute to catch his breath...

How had he gotten in this situation anyway? Where was he and how had he gotten... wherever this was? Outside he guessed, based on the birds that would not shut up. That, and the way his clothes clung to him as though he had been drenched and he let his clothes (mostly) dry onto his skin. 

The fuzziness waned, bit by bit as Sky took the time to collect himself. He kept his eyes closed and his muscles relaxed the entire time, allowing himself to focus on his breathing. In, out. Big breath in, big breath out. He tried his best to ignore the birds and the sounds of what he guessed was the forest around him. The more he breathed, the more things became clear. 

"There he is!" Someone's voice called from far away. Sky dared to open up one of his eyes. This time, thankfully, he wasn't greeted with impaling white, but a blur of greens painted on browns and light blue. A red splotch was quickly approaching followed by silver, blue, rainbow and three different greens.