Grounded
Chapter 4: Surface Pressure
He never wanted them to see him like this. But since when did things ever truly go Sky’s way? (Aka: Sky, heavy air pressure, and stamina do not get along.)
Author's Note: Time to bring in some more of that stamina wheel mechanic! I imagine that, to help the Skyloftians adjust, their Surface land is actually at a decently high elevation. This future Hyrule that Sky's in now? Not so much =) [Linked Universe belongs to @jojo56830 / @linkeduniverse , and The Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo of course.] Happy Reading!
Masterlist | First | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5
(💚Please comment and like directly from the og post in case Tumblr does weird things again! Tumblr reblogs are ok but Never repost, thanks! <3)
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Sky hadn’t known it was possible to drown on land until the Chain set out the next day.
The morning had started off simple enough. Upon being dragged from the bliss of sleep, Sky had learned that Twilight had left camp early to scout ahead. Not too long after Sky had finished his breakfast, Twilight returned, informing everyone that he’d discovered a trail stretching out through the hills and signs that it led to a village. The Chain’s next steps were straightforward. Get dressed. Pack your things. Take down the camp…
…and walk.
It was at this moment that Sky became convinced he’d stumbled into another divine test. Either that, or life hated him.
Because it was hot.
The sun had barely risen over the cloudless horizon, and already the air was inching towards the sweltering atmosphere of Lanayru Desert. The problem was, the air wasn’t dry. That he’d gotten used to from the few years he’d lived on the Surface. Instead, humidity rolled through the mid-morning sky like waves of invisible mist, sticking to every seam of Sky’s clothing and clogging his breath. His head swam as his high-altitude body tried to process the new climate. He’d never felt a heat wave like this before... except for, of course, in Eldin.
Sky grimaced. Funny how his fireshield earrings let him walk clean through the hearts of active volcanoes, but did nothing for above-average heat spells. Go figure.
Twilight let out a long whistle. “Feels like it’s gonna be a scorcher, boys.”
“Bring it!” Wind grinned, trotting past the rancher to get a better view of the vast, grassy hills before them. “We’ve had way hotter mornings out on the Great Sea!”
“Sounds delightful,” Legend grumbled.
Four pulled a face. “Sounds miserable.”
“It should!” Wind grinned. “That’s how we weed out the lily-livered. Only the toughest of sailors can brave the harsh days and frigid nights out on the water!”
Sky watched as the young sailor strutted around, puffing his chest out like a proud Loftwing. He smiled, letting Wind’s not-so-subtle boasting distract him from the heat a while.
If the rest of the heroes could handle the weather, then so could he. He had to. This was what the quest demanded, and he’d sell his precious carving tools before he let himself slow down the rest of his new team.
And besides, Sky thought, the village can’t be that far away… can it?
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He was wrong. Very wrong.
Unlike Sky had hoped, their trek just kept going. Hyrule was a vast region, and the others seemed used to it. Every time Sky figured they would stop for a while to breathe, they kept walking, and the small breaks they did take were usually just quick checks for danger or direction. No village appeared over the horizon, no matter how hard Sky stared.
A cold dread seeped into his burning body as he began to understand what was happening. Yesterday was a test of courage. All those unusual monsters were proof of that. But today appeared to be a test of endurance. A test of stamina.
Sky shuddered internally. Oh joy.
This was probably the farthest he’d ever walked all at once without stopping, he realized. Skyloft certainly wasn’t this big, and even on his quest for Zelda, when he’d pushed himself to his limit, he’d had his bird, Crimson. He’d had Skyloft.
And I still was too slow.
Sky couldn’t force that thought back down as his gaze shifted over the other heroes. Wild and Hyrule led the group side by side, talking merrily about the places they’d explored. Neither boy looked like he’d broken a sweat.
Warriors and Twilight weren’t far behind, marching in long steady strides with Legend right beside them. Time stretched his arms and wiped his forehead once, but he never faltered. Four hung back to walk alongside the older knight, but certainly not for lack of energy—his small stature simply wasn’t made for striding.
Then that left Wind, who was… all over the place. His boyish excitement still hadn’t run out, it seemed, and he was bouncing through their ranks, asking as many questions as he could get away with. Sky had trouble keeping up with most of the answers. His chest was acting up again, and with each minute, he could see Time’s back getting farther and farther away.
Didn’t Wind live on a water-bound island? Wasn’t he tired, too? Why was Sky always bringing up the rear?
He wheezed involuntarily, drawing a glance from Time.
Panic struck Sky’s heart like a knife. No! Can’t let them see. Can’t be slow! Set an example…
Sky smiled brightly at him, fighting down the urge to cough.
Time stared at him a moment longer. He looked ready to say something, but whatever it was going to be was lost as Four pulled Time back into their prior conversation. Time nodded and turned away from Sky, resuming his discussion with the smith.
Sky let their words wash over him, desperate to ignore the dizzy ache settling through his body and his heart pounding in his ears.
Too slow…
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Their break for lunch went by far faster than Sky had hoped. The heroes plopped themselves down under the shade of some stray trees, happy to snack on some of Wild’s mushroom and potato skewers. They stretched their aching limbs, resting just long enough to regain their energy and wipe off their sweat.
Sky leaned his back against one of the trees, limbs pulsing and shaking. By now he could feel the familiar, nasty slickness of spit trailing down his throat, threatening to creep into his weak lungs. He downed some water, trying to subtly swallow the gunk away. He wasn’t about to start a coughing fit in front of the others; that wouldn’t do here, not when he was supposed to be an example for them. Time may have been made their leader unofficially, but Sky was still the Chosen Hero. The first of them all. He couldn’t let them down.
Too slow… Too slow…
He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until Time shook his shoulder.
Sky jolted, sending spit down the wrong part of his throat. He hacked on instinct. The ugly sound made him go cold with embarrassment, and he forced himself to be more subtle.
Time stared at him in concern, Hyrule frowning over his shoulder along with the others.
Warriors studied him like a bug under a magnifying glass. “Are you all right?”
Sky waved him away and stood quickly, trying to smile it off. “H-ha. Sorry. Spit went the wrong way. I… wasn’t out for very long, was I?”
“Only a few minutes...” said Time slowly, his gaze never leaving Sky.
“And boy, what a sleep,” Legend added. “You were still sitting up and everything. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone conk out so fast; were you going for a record or something?”
“Legend,” Twilight frowned.
“What? I’m genuinely curious.”
Despite his dizzy head, Sky found a true smile on his lips. That’s just like something Groose would say. “Oh, it’s just another one of my many skills, Veteran. I hope you’re not too jealous.”
Legend’s eyebrows rose, obviously not expecting that comeback. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. “Jealous? Of you? Fat chance, Bird Man.”
Sky grinned, but could still feel several eyes on his back as they packed up lunch. He focused on keeping in his cough to distract himself.
And of course, a sip of stamina potion when no one was looking didn’t hurt, either.
Once they set out again, the air only got hotter. As the day slumped past, many of the men decided to put away their armor, preferring comfort over defense. The only monsters they’d come across so far were basic chu-chus and other tiny enemies, nothing to warrant the mighty regalia of a knight’s outfit. Blasted by heat, most of the others simply slipped into a quiet daze as they let their feet carry them at a steady pace.
The key word there being “most.”
Sky kept falling behind.
His body felt numb and fuzzy with fatigue. His hands and feet were swelling and throbbing as his lungs struggled to keep time with his heart. He was certain his boots had gotten smaller.
Memories of his quest filtered through his mind, unbidden.
You were too slow, hero. Too slow! Too slow to save—
A grunt drew his attention. Wind, who’d been so bubbly that morning, was now strangely quiet. He’d fallen back to the end of the line with Sky, eyebrows notched in a sour grimace. His glazed eyes stared holes into the path before him as he gingerly moved his feet… feet that no doubt were causing him as much pain as Sky’s.
Ah. So I was right about him earlier, Sky thought. Poor little fledgling…
He quietly cleared the phlegm out of his raw throat, breaking the silence between them.
“So, what’s it like traveling an entire ocean?”
Wind's ears perked up. "Huh?"
"I have... well, maybe not experience, but I've gone sailing on the Surface with a friend of mine before. He's a captain, actually."
Sky's question worked beautifully. Wind's exhaustion was quickly swept to the side in favor of a big, dimpled grin. "No way."
Sky nodded. "Yeah. A mechanical captain from an age long past. It's sort of hard to explain, but there are these stones that act as windows to the past, and they can turn one of the deserts in my era into what it used to be: an ocean. It's beautiful. But to be completely surrounded by water for days on end... isn't that scary?"
Wind shook his head firmly. "No! Well, maybe a little at first, but that was because of my quest. But on a ship with a crew, it's like journeying with a big family. Every day something new could happen, and there's always something to do on the boat. I like shooting the canons at monsters, personally. "
Sky found himself grinning. "Canon's have no right to be that entertaining."
"As long as you're not the one being shot out of one,” Wind agreed. “I got lucky with my pirate’s initiation. They only shot me from a giant catapult. But from the stories I’ve heard on the sea? Some guys across the ocean have some insane pastimes, heh.”
“Wait, wait, a giant… what did you call it?”
“A catapult? You know,” Wind cupped his hand and swung his arm forward forcefully. “Big wooden thing that you wind back and release, throws whatever you put in the barrel? Like a cannon but with less gunpowder.”
Sky blinked in amazement. That almost sounded like… No. It couldn’t be. “You’re not talking about—I can’t believe I’m saying this—the Groosenator, are you?”
Wind pulled an odd, pinched expression, somewhere between deep thought and utter confusion. “What? Wait lemme think, why is that… Oh! Yeah, actually I think my Grandma had an old school book that said something about a lot of early inventions all having this one guy’s name tacked onto them? Hey, and that goosen-something you mentioned…”
“Groosenator.”
“Bless you. But yeah! I think that was the earliest catapult or something?” Wind gasped as a thought hit him. “WAIT! Do you know the guy who made it?!?”
Sky smiled. “Yeah. He used to bully me in school but we’re pretty great buddies now. He’s actually been a big help with building our Surface settlement… when he’s not off getting distracted by his ‘latest stroke of genius’ and shooting me out of the ‘Groosenator Mark II like a test dummy.” Sky rubbed his neck. “Yikes.”
Wind's eyes blew wide. “So you’ve been shot out a catapult, too?!?”
Sky bit his lip to keep his laugh contained. "Yeah, several times actually. And I’ve shot a canon AND been shot out of one. I have… many types of friends."
Wind blew out a puff of air. "That's amazing. Who knew we had so much in common! Islands, catapults, friends that sail..."
"...A hero's spirit," Sky added, putting a numb hand on Wind's back.
"And you're Tetra's ancestor... Ha! She'd probably flip if I told her. You two seriously need to meet."
Pride swelled in Sky's chest, overtaking his exhaustion for a moment. "You said she was the captain?"
"The best on the ocean," said Wind. He closed his eyes fondly. "She's brave and quick, and she'll do anything for the men that fight at her side. She sort of inherited the crew when her mom died, so they all look out for her even though she's in charge. They’re basically her family. I'm just the newcomer."
"Just the newcomer?" Sky pressed. "The way you talk about her and the crew, you seem a bit more than just that."
"Yeah... well..." Wind scratched his head. He blushed when the older hero nudged his shoulder. "Hey, don't make this mushier than it needs to be, Sky."
"Then tell me more about her," the Skyloftian pressed. "What should I know if I'm going meet her?"
"...Well… we both like to spar."
"Hey, that sounds fun!" Sky smiled, thinking about all the sparring he'd done with his classmates in Skyloft. The thought of crossing swords with his great-something granddaughter sent warm sparks swirling through his chest. "I really hope I get to see her, and all the Zeldas, too," he sighed. "I just hope..."
Wind tilted his head. "What?"
It was Sky's turn to blush. "I just hope we'll get along, you know? That she doesn't think meeting her ancient ancestor will be weird."
"Weird? No way! She may be tough on the outside, but she's really great once you get to know her. She'll love you, Sky."
"If you say so."
Wind paused to consider something. Slowly, his face lit up with a big, twinkling grin. "Hey! Now that I think about it, you two actually balance each other out really well."
"We do?"
"Yep!" Wind winked. "You make the perfect team. Your all sweet and she's super sour!”
Sky couldn’t help it. He let out a deep, sharp laugh, surprised by Wind’s blunt honesty.
This proved to be a horrible mistake.
His laughter erupted into a coughing fit, seizing his diaphragm and refusing to let go. All at once, Sky’s held-back phlegm was finally free. It surged from his ragged airways in a full force assault, drowning him where he stood. His chest spasmed, but no air came in. His head swam. There was thunder in his ears and a fire in his lungs, pounding, burning, suffocating him with overloaded senses. Air was water. Up was down. All at once the world was spinning, and the ground came swirling up to meet him.
Strong hands grabbed him before he could break his nose, but he was sure he’d bruised his knee on a rock. His throat tightened on him, and he wheezed. He couldn't swallow. Everything was too hot, too humid. He couldn't breathe.
Too slow too slow too slow!
Something smelling of a garden was shoved beneath his nose. It was clear. Sweet. Cold.
Skyloft.
Sky opened his mouth, inhaling the mint leaf’s fumes greedily as the powerful scent forced space back into his airways. He coughed up a disgusting amount of phlegm. He could taste salt running down his chin and nose, tears escaping his eyes with his body’s effort to clear his system. His heart thudded against his chest, his stamina long since spent. Limply, he let himself sink back into the arms of whoever had caught him.
A faint smell of pumpkins tickled his nose. He coughed weakly, too exhausted to even clear his lungs correctly. Someone ran a cool cloth over his face to clean it.
“Sky?!? Sky?” Wind’s jarring voice sounded from somewhere nearby. “Captain, what was that?!? What happened? We were just talking, and—!”
“Some kind of respiratory illness, perhaps” Warriors murmured right in front of him, wiping the water-soaked cloth across Sky’s cheek. “Bring the crushed mint a bit closer to his face, Champion. Twilight, sit him up straighter—don’t hold him so tight—there. Let him breathe.”
Numbly, the Skyloftian registered Wild’s hand on his rattling chest, moving the crumpled sprig of mint toward his mouth and nose.
“Sky,” Hyrule whined, sounding heartbroken. “Ugh, I knew there was something wrong earlier.”
Time consoled the traveler with a small pat to the shoulder. Sky then heard the path shift as the older knight knelt before him.
“A group is only as fast as its slowest member, Sky, and none of us have a problem slowing down. We are not made of clockwork, and it’s hot. If you ever feel ill, you need to tell us. You know that.”
“I know,” he rasped, chest catching fire all over again. Pain and embarrassment swirled within his eyes. He couldn’t move his body. “M’sorry…”
Too late. Too slow. Not enough.
Sky clenched his fist over the mint.
I’m so sorry.
For more than you know.
“All right, that’s enough of that,” Warriors cut in. “Time, I’m making an executive decision. We’re resting. Village be darned, we’ll find it tomorrow.” He eyed Wind, who was swaying on his feet, looking miserable. “All of us are resting,” he clarified.
Sky felt himself being lifted up and placed against another tree, all the while drifting in and out of consciousness in his exhaustion. Wild’s mint sprig was still tucked into the neck of his sailcloth, mixing its fresh scent with the lingering traces of Zelda’s perfume. Sky closed his eyes and breathed.
“Oh, Sleepyhead…” she would have whispered to him, teasing his hair with her soft fingers. He could practically feel her curled up next to him.
Someone shifted by his side, and Sky jolted out of his half-dream.
Oh. Right.
Wind was leaning against Sky, arms crossed over his knees and his chin tucked behind them. He looked utterly spent, and there was little doubt that Sky looked even worse.
"Sky."
The Chosen Hero looked up to see that the camp had already been set. The sun hung low in a late afternoon haze, its long shadows and golden glow joining with that of the firelight. How long had he been resting?
"Sky?"
His eyes snapped to the rest of the heroes. Time and Warriors, in particular, were staring at him with intense study and concern. The two of them looked scarily similar.
He'd seen that look on Gaepora a few times, too.
"Uh... yes?" Sky asked innocently. He did not want to have this conversation again.
"Kindly explain what just happened," said Time. It wasn’t a request.
Sky sighed. He pulled a bottle out of his pack, the green liquid inside glowing faintly. He downed the rest of his stamina potion in one gulp, and the effect was immediate. The cool, minty, earthy taste of the potion soothed his ragged throat, settling in his stomach like a refreshing drink of spring water. A buzzing sensation spread across his body, reaching even the tips of his fingers and ears. It didn't take much longer for it to chase his exhaustion away.
With the weight on his chest gone, Sky took a massive breath, gulping down clear air like a fish would gulp water. He sighed in relief.
Meanwhile, Time and Warriors were still waiting for an answer.
I guess there's no escaping it now...
"This is normal, for me," Sky began. He held up a hand before anyone could butt in. "My people… our bodies aren't built for this kind of air. We've lived in the clouds for countless generations, where the air is thinner. Found out pretty fast that anyone who spends time on the Surface has to adjust. Even then... some of us have a harder time than others."
"And you didn't think to tell us this before our massive walk through the hot sun that was obviously bad for your health?" Legend frowned.
"I-I..." Sky's heart began to pound. He had no good excuse and he knew it, but he had to give them something. "I'll get used to it."
"Sky—"
"Please," Sky interrupted Twilight. "I've done it before. I've already been living between Skyloft and my Surface for a few years now. The atmosphere here is just... thicker than I'm used to. My body will adjust. That's my burden and I'm at peace with that. But you all shouldn't need to slow down because of me. We have a quest to learn about and supplies to gather. If we're to succeed, little things like this are irrelevant—"
"Stop that."
It was Warriors who'd interrupted him. The captain’s ice blue eyes pierced through him, and Sky couldn’t look away.
"I'm not a fan of leaving people behind, Sky, and if you think you're an exception to that rule, then you’re mistaken, ‘Chosen Hero’ or not," he said. "Rest is not irrelevant. It makes you stronger, more alert and ready for the next battle. So, from now on, wherever we go, we go together, and if anyone needs rest, we will happily sit our butts down until everyone is fine to move again. Ask any one of us and he'll tell you the same. Mask especially."
Time hummed. “You never did let me forget that lesson back in the day, did you?”
“And I’ll continue to do so until something on Farore’s green earth finally succeeds in ending me. That goes for all of you, here me?” Warriors said sternly.
All around him, every other hero was nodding along.
"No hero left behind."
"You won't help anyone by running yourself into the ground."
"Let us look after you."
"No shame in that."
"We've all been there."
Sky clenched his fists, taken aback by the wave of caring. He didn't deserve it, he knew he really was slowing them down, but... it was very kind of them all to offer their support.
And the captain, Warriors, he was a good man. A kind leader, like Pipit or Eagus. Listening to his advice was the least Sky could do to show his respect for his character. And if it meant finally taking a break, well. Who was he to complain?
Sky hummed his thanks to the captain, letting his shoulders droop. He really needed to brew more stamina potion if his was already wearing off. Or was he just that tired? That probably wasn't a good sign.
"Can we get you anything, Sky?"
"Hmm?" Sky blinked, looking up at Wild. "Oh. No..."
Wild gave him a stare sharper than a Loftwing's.
"...Maybe some food?"
"Done."
"Can't argue with the cook, Sky," mumbled Wind. "Ev'body knows that."
Sky studied the young sailor. He was still curled up next to Sky, but something about the way he shifted his ankles made Sky frown.
His feet, Sky remembered. He must have callouses from this much walking. I would know. Ouch. He shifted his own boots.
But why not tell anyone he was hurt? Unless...
Unless he's just like me.
Maybe the other heroes did understand his burden.
Sky tried not to lament the implications of that as he rifled through his pack for another potion. He could bear some aches, but the thought of his successors hurt in any way was greatly upsetting to him.
Wordlessly, he held out the red potion to Wind.
Sky could practically see the cage slamming shut around the boy.
"What’s that for?" asked the sailor under his breath.
"I would hope you know what a potion is."
Wind rolled his eyes. "Well, duh! But why are you giving it to me?"
Sky subtly glanced at the sailor's boots. "I've found that it helps us islanders cope with prolonged, non-relaxing strolls along the Surface."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
The Skyloftian raised an eyebrow. When he was sure none of the others were looking, he reached down and flicked one of Wind’s toes.
The sailor yelped. He glared at Sky through tear-speckled eyes, only to come face-to-face with the potion.
"Barnacle blisters, Sky, OK!" he hissed. "So I'm a little sore, sue me. I'll be fine."
"Your feet need this."
"No they don't. I've toughed out way worse before, and I'm not letting you waste a potion on my stupid feet. I can handle it just like the rest of you."
Sky stared at him for a moment longer, then sighed. He hated to use this card, but he knew it was exactly what Zelda would have done for him... what she continued to do for him. Her wisdom was not to be taken lightly.
So he shrugged, "Fine. Then I'm not telling Wild how to brew more stamina potion for me."
"What?" Wind shot up. "Sky, you can't do that—"
"Why? I've been through worse. And I can be just as stubborn as you. Why waste someone else's time, anyway?" Sky looked down. His regret was real as he mumbled, "I've already slowed you down enough today."
Wind growled. "So? It's never a waste of time when you care about someone! Everyone would be MORE than willing to help you if you would just let—" Wind froze as those words finally registered in his head.
Sky held out the potion again, a bittersweet smile appearing on his face. "We really are a lot alike, you and I."
Wind stared at him for nearly a minute before swiping the red potion from Sky's hand. "I'd hate you if I didn't like you so much," he mumbled, taking a sip.
Sky wheezed with laughter and pulled him close.
"And you better tell Wild about the stamina potion," Wind huffed, passing back the bottle. "If you don't, I'll know, and I'll personally help him shove it down your throat."
"It's a promise," Sky chuckled. He took a sip of the red potion for his own aching feet, and before he knew it, he was nodding off with his arm around the sailor.
Wild’s gentle voice woke Sky up a moment later. Wind cheered as the champion passed them two steaming bowls of leftover pumpkin soup, and by the smell of it, Wild had even added some extra herbs and vegetables.
"For the healing properties," the champion explained.
A freshly brewed stamina potion materialized beside Sky's pack, and Wild walked away, smiling.
He already knew how to brew it, Sky realized, warmth spreading through his chest at the kind gesture. "Thank you," he whispered after him.
Wind sighed in delight. "I love it when Wild cooks."
Sky grinned, his gratitude for the heroes of the future warming in his heart.
"Me too, Wind. Me too."
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Masterlist | First | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5
Author's Note: Get cared for, Sky!!! For such a sleepy guy he's got a huge fixation on efficiency and timeliness. Good qualities, but like anything else, they can be taken to an extreme. I looooved writing Wind, especially alongside Sky! They're one of my favorite duos, and quite similar! Both are islanders, start their quests for someone they love, "sail" across a large expanse, and are very expressive, positive, & caring people. And both of them are mischievous. Sky's responsible when he has to be but let's never forget that he broke someone's entire chandelier while trying to grab a shiny Piece of Heart. And Wind legally owns his own private oasis. >u<
Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!
(💚Please comment and like directly from the og post in case Tumblr does weird things again! Tumblr reblogs are ok but never repost, thanks! <3)
