Linked AU One-Shots

43. Silent Fears Part 3

Finally, after what felt like hours wandering carefully through the mist, they found it: a large flower designed on the ground. It was such a dense fog that Sky could only just make out the entire design. For some reason, his breathing had picked up rapidly. It must have been the fog. There was something in it that made it hard for him to breathe, surely. 

"This-- this is it." He explained. He swayed slightly, and his head suddenly felt far too light. He stumbled slightly. He must have walked too far.

Suddenly, the strong arms of Twilight had gripped his shoulders and were holding him upright. "Sky, what's going on?" He asked. Together, the two worked to sit Sky down on the ground. 

"It's-- I walked to much." He replied, trying to catch his breath. It wasn't slowing down any though, and for some reason, his mind eye was replaying a thousand moments of what took place in the Silent Realm. Times that he made a misstep and were caught by the Watchers. Times that he was being chased by the Guardians with countless swords all pointed at him. The moments that these same swords sliced right through his heart, sliding in like butter. The moment following where a gurgling sound would ripple through his throat, his lungs unable to take in any air, and his heartbeat was startling absent. It was as though time itself would stutter, though he were fully aware of the searing pain in his chest. Times when he would open his eyes again after such an event, seeing the way that Fi shook her head in sheer and utter disappointment, noting to herself that maybe the Goddesses were wrong in choosing him after all. 

They were all such precious memories of such a sacred place, and it was an honor to experience every single one of them. Still though, out of respect for the Goddesses, he tried to dispel them from his mind. It didn't work. 

"-Ink! Link! Are you there, Link?" Someone was shouting, and he found his body being shaken. Right in front of him, taking up his entire vision, was Legend. 

Oh shoot, they were saying his real name. That probably meant that they had been calling him for awhile, hadn't it? "Y-yeah?" He croaked, stuttering for some odd reason. 

"Legend, you're being too forceful!" Time's voice exclaimed. When Sky looked closely, he could just make out his boots and legs, but the rest of him was too obscured by the fog. 

"Here, let me take it from here." Four's voice said, and then the Hero was sitting right in front of Sky. The fog made his eyes appear a deep crimson, which Sky really wasn't in the state to make sense of how the light did that. In any case, Four took a hold of both of Sky's hands and began rubbing circles into them. 

"Sky, are you okay?" He asked, his voice as gentle as could be. 

"Of course!" Sky exclaimed a bit too quickly. 

"Sky." Four asked, his tone far more rigid now as green swirled in his irises just for a moment. He had left no room for argument.

"I-- think the fog is affecting me." Sky began, shuddering. "And-- and all the adrenaline, and the hit to my head and-!" He found himself suddenly desperate, scrambling for answers. Even though those were the answers, surely they were, they had to be. Right? Right. Even though those were the answers, it almost felt as though he had to prove that to them. 

"Sky, is there anything else bothering you?" Four asked when Sky had seemingly stopped his rambling. "Like, perhaps, did something bad happen to you in the Silent Realm?" 

Sky's eyes widened and he gasped. How dare Four have the audacity to say that! A deep anger burned and boiled over into the words he said next. "No, no of course not! That is the holy place where the Chosen Hero is strengthened by the Goddesses and bestowed gifts unlike any other! How dare-!!" 

"Sky!" This time, it was Legend that spoke. His tone was harsh enough to silence the other. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Look... I know that I am very critical of the Goddesses, and I know we've gotten into fights about this. I know how much you love them, we all do. That being said, we have all endured some terrible things, either directly or indirectly because of them. It's possible to love them while also recognizing that serving them has caused you harm and pain. That doesn't make you any less loyal to them; your feelings and your pain are real and deserve to be felt." 

Sky saw, but mostly heard the shuffling of feet, everyone else turning towards Legend. "What? Did you prefer a Mr. Grumpy Not-Wearing Pants answer? I can't be negative all of the time, geez!" Sky watched as the hero slouched, crossing his arms. "And besides, it wasn't as though I always hated the Goddesses... I- I mean, I sort of get it. Went through this too. Maybe not this bad, though." 

"I-- What?" Sky croaked again. Tears rimmed his eyes, and he found that he couldn't blink them away. 

"Sky," Four spoke gently. He had been rubbing circles in Sky's hands this entire time. "What exactly happens in the Silent Realm?" A pause. "We aren't here to judge. We just want to be able to help you, and by sharing with us, maybe it'll make your load lighter."

"And, it would give us invaluable intel as to how to rescue Wind." Wars said.