I’m grateful everything is green and growing again, even if it does mean allergies XD The dogwood tree in my front yard is very lovely and pink at the moment! And also that I thiiiink my cold is getting better. Maybe.
For a prompt, how about the word “river” for any setting you like!
-Sky Floor
Link sighs irritably as he paces along the river where the army is camped. It's the middle of the night, with the moon high in the sky, and he can't settle down to sleep. It's frustrating - they're going to be moving first thing in the morning, and he knows being sleep deprived won't be helpful, but try as he might, he just can't settle.
He doesn't know what it is, whether it's something in particular that's rattling him or everything all at once, or not even anything related to that at all. It could be his cold for all he knows, the blasted thing just won't go away.
He's going to run himself ragged, he knows it. But he can't stop either - a cold is a pitiful excuse to put work aside, saying he couldn't sleep is a laughable thing. As if other soldiers can't sleep.
Well. Actually any soldier can sleep like a log anywhere at any time if they're tired enough. He supposes he just isn't tired enough.
He wishes he was, though. He feels tired. And awake. And not. And he coughs, his chest hurting from all the dry coughing fits he's had lately. He wishes this cold would just go away.
His mind wanders to the briefing earlier today, to the march on the Valley of Seers that they'll be doing tomorrow. He's anxious, but he's ready. He hasn't lost a single battle since obtaining the Master Sword - this will be no different.
But not if he can't sleep. Probably.
It's still a day's march to Cia's stronghold. He figures he'll get some rest and feel a little better by then. But he isn't looking forward to the looks he'll get, particularly from Tune, who will try to mother him to death.
The boy is sweet, but it is just a cold, and Link doesn't need to get him sick too. The farther the others stay away, the better.
"Hey."
Link jumps, pulling out a knife, and realizes quickly that it's just one of his friends, the oldest hero among them. "Gosh, don't sneak up on me like that."
Chime smiles, red eyes glowing in the dark as he tilts his head to the side, clearly amused with having scared him.
"Why are you up?" Link asks, grumpy.
"Why are you up?" Chime counters.
"That's not answering my question."
Chime sighs, shrugging. "Can't sleep."
Link huffs. "Me neither."
Chime bends over, sitting on a rock and patting the spot beside it. Link reluctantly moves to join him, a little too antsy to be sitting.
He doesn't really know what to expect from his friend. Chime is overall tender and caring, but he can also be distant and quiet. If someone is ill or injured Chime will do what he can to assist, and he especially looks after the younger heroes, but he also tries to respect the chain of command.
At least when given orders. Otherwise, he treats Link as casually as any friend would. It's nice, but it tends to make nights like this unpredictable.
"Why can't you sleep?" Link asks, falling into the familiar habit of parsing out what's bothering a fellow hero. He abruptly remembers Chime is probably older than him, or at least acts that way, and his cheeks blush a little, but he's also genuinely curious. Perhaps he doesn't have to be a big brother to this hero in particular, but Chime does keep everything very close to his chest and sometimes...
Sometimes Link just wishes he would talk to him. He reminds him of his mother with how secretive he can be. He supposes it's a Sheikah thing, but it also feels like being held at arm's length, and that hurts a little.
Besides, he needs a distraction from his nerves. And this stupid cough.
Chime shrugs casually. "Usual stuff. I imagine it's the same for you."
Link sighs, feeling even more tired.
"It's okay," Chime assures him with a little smile. "War is war. Some nights you just can't sleep, you know? The little ones at least can avoid the worries of all the planning that goes into this stuff. They just trust and believe and... it's sweet that they still do. Even Mask."
Link glances at him. "Do you not trust the goddesses?"
Chime is quiet for a long time before answering. "I do trust them. I just mean... trusting people. Things. Everything. I don't know."
Link knows about having trust issues. Dark magic corrupts anyone, and his own men have turned on him before. But he trusts his friends with his life.
Link puts his hand on Chime's shoulder. "It'll be all right. We're almost through. We'll win this war."
Somehow his words don't seem to reassure Chime. Instead, he watches the river, shoulders slumping a little. "Yes. The war will be over soon, hopefully."
Before Link can truly try to parse out what that reaction means, Chime glances up to the sky, smiling. "Look."
Link follows his gaze, wondering what's caught his attention, but he just sees the sky. "What is it?"
"The stars," Chime explains. "The constellations. Don't you see how pretty they are? The sky tells stories."
Link looks back up, really examining the sky. He's looked at the stars plenty of times, sure, but it's not kept his attention much. But stories? "What stories do they tell?"
Chime traces a shape across the sky, and Link follows it, connecting the stars until he can see an image. "That's Orik. He's a guardian, here to guide others and protect them at night. He points to the north star. Over there is Oshika, a drum that we play during festivals. Summertime is when you can see it best."
Link listens as Chime tells him the stories of the sky, and he wonders if his mother knows these tales. She probably does.
He feels suddenly sad that he missed out on moments like this growing up without her.
But he has these moments now, and he tries to engage with Chime as he speaks. The hero is talking more than he usually does, and it's clear he really enjoys stargazing.
"Which one is your favorite?" Link asks.
Chime stares at the sky before sighing, looking away. He looks like he's debating something, and then he smiles at Link. "Tell me yours first."
Link hums, thinking about it. "I guess Orik. Helpful having something pointing out the north star."
Chime's face softens, and his smile is so warm and genuine it makes Link pause.
"I... take it that's your favorite too, then?" he asks.
"...Sure," Chime replies. "But... please know. Orik... he'll... even when the war is over and we're all gone, and I can't tell you about the sky anymore, Orik will be watching out for you."
Suddenly it hits Link, how the sky can speak to others, how seeing the same constellations across eras can connect them all, even when they drift apart at the war's conclusion.
He swallows a lump in his throat unexpectedly, heart finally at ease from the anxiety that was riddling him earlier, and he swallows. "I... yeah. He... he will."
Chime watches Link for a long time before looking back at the river and sighing. He stands, motioning towards the camp. "We should try to rest. Here."
Link stands, noticing Chime holding out an herb of some sort.
"Boil it in water," Chime instructs. "The resulting tea might help with your cough."
"You're full of tricks," Link laughs a little, taking the offered item. "Thank you."
Chime smiles and nods his head a little in acknowledgement, growing quiet once more, and disappears into the shadows. Link sighs, going back to his tent.
Back to being a road warrior and driving again today. At least I’m done flying for the rest of this year. Just gotta make it through a couple more days before break!
Ironhide has never taken a "sick day" in his life. It's a ridiculous Earth concept that Old School Cybertronians just don't need. He’s not about to start yielding to such scrap now. But in the middle of a high-stakes briefing, denial can only carry him so far – and the one who steps in to catch him is the last mech he’d expect.
Day 2: Forced to go to work/school while sick.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Fandoms: Transformers: Earthspark (Cartoon), Transformers - All Media Types
Additional Tags: powering through, forced to work while sick, Ironhide needs a hug, Denial of illness, Stubbornness, Fever, collapse, Team Tension, Enemies to Friends, Sicktember 2025
