The air was cold and clung heavy against him. A thick fog hung stagnant in the air despite there usually being a breeze. There were no waves either, natural or artificial and all sound seemed to have been hushed in the gloom. The natural glow of the sand beneath his feet was murky at best and cast a rather dreary light into the dense mist.

It felt still.

His island felt still, for the first time since he'd arrived on the planet. But, that couldn't be right. Surely it was still moving. There was nothing to anchor it down, hold it in place. Surely they were at least drifting…

Sandy let out a sigh as he looked to the water at his feet. He stood on the edge of his island peering out into the nothing.

He'd been walking over the island when he'd thought he'd heard-

He looked to the left, albeit with a tired shifting, eyes sluggishly looking over the flat grainy shoreline.

Not even a turtle, crab or sea bird. What had he heard? He was sure it had been something. What else would have gotten his attention? He was really far too tired, immortal or no.

A soft hand on his right shoulder made him feel calmer at least. He closed his eyes with a deep breath as he reached up to place his own hand over it. When it met with nothing his brow furrowed as he turned to inspect-

There was no one there. Of course there was no one there. Who else would on his island right now? The sea creatures had all gone out to help deliver the Dreamsand or were keeping an eye out for Jack if he happened to be flying over the ocean. The planet was mostly ocean after all and…and…

…

Another slow moment passed before he returned to looking ahead of him. The water was still and dark. The fog hung in the air and the world remained muffled around him.

It felt still.

V*V*V*V*V*V

Traveling from daylight into the dead of night was always a bit disorienting no matter how many times one did it. Even without the use of a portal North found himself once more trying to quickly adjust to the change. At the very least the darkness would make it easier to spot Sandy's island.

The bright glow of the Dreamsand could be seen for miles and, as North had found once in the past, even through thick snow and fog. The stories that came from that particular night still made him chuckle.

Currently though, he and Tooth were relying on that timeless light to lead them now in what felt like a starless night. There was a cover of clouds above that kept even MiM from peeking through to them. This handy self lit feature was truly a precious aid for an island that moved about the ocean as it pleased. Though, this time they seemed to be having some trouble despite this being so.

Tooth was squinting the best she could, but even she couldn't seem to note that familiar glow. North considered that perhaps it had floated further south than usual for this time of year. What with the search for Jack having gained both his and Tooth's attention that way it wouldn't be so far to assume Sandy had likewise focused on the, at the time, new snowfall.

At this rate he wondered if they'd even run into Bunny at some point.

Shaking his head North brought them lower to the water, hoping to relieve them of some eye strain. If they didn't come across anything soon he would turn them south and hope for better luck.

"What is that over there?" Tooth asked as she pointed off to the left of them.

It was hard to make out from a distance, but it looked to be some kind of debris in the water. In fact, North almost brushed it off as being so until its color became clear on their approach. It wasn't a murky green or brown like the seaweed clump he assumed it to be, but a pale almost ghostly gold.

It was with shock that North realized this was the Sandy's Dreamsand islands. Its swirling hilly mounds all but flat to the surface of the water, the peaks and towers drooped and melted low until they too were almost gone.

The two Guardian's shared a look of worry as North brought them in quickly to land. Tooth flew off before the sleigh was down, peering into what rooms still existed for their friend. She seemed to be taking extra care in where she landed, and for good reason.

The natural swirls of the island used to keep the sand more or less in defined areas based on its potency. However, those curls and bends no longer existed, leading one to the assumption that everything was all mixed together now.

North took care in where he left his sleigh team for just that reason, keeping them to the side where generally it had been safest in the past. Or, at least what he could only assume was the safest side. It really was hard to tell now.

"North, over here!" Tooth called out, her voice transparent with her distress.

Pushing himself a bit faster North made his way to one of the droopier towers. Tooth's wings could be seen in the doorway still, but the inside of the room was too dim for him to make much out. When he got close enough to peek in his eyes widened.

"Sandy?" He questioned, his voice dropping in his own disbelief.

Sitting on the floor beside the lump that formerly had been his large sleeping pillow, was Sandy. His golden color dulled and his eyes baring bags deep enough North could probably have used them to carry this years Christmas gifts.

The little man was hunched over and staring into the ground, eyes unfocused as loose grains of sand seemed to slowly flake down off of him. Tooth was moving to kneel next to him, a hand slowly reaching out but not touching him just yet. If the smaller man didn't seem to even hear their arrival despite Tooth's shouting just a moment ago.

It wasn't until Tooth's hand made contact with his shoulder that Sandy seemed to come to. He gave a short start before raising his head, though slowly. Tooth stared at Sandy with a shaky breath before wrapping him in her arms. He remained still for a moment before bringing his arms up to return it, though weakly.

"What happened to you, friend?" North asked, keeping his voice soft as he too moved to be kneeling before the other.

No sand emotes came and Tooth let go of her embrace to look at Sandy with a questioning look of her own. Sandy let out a heavy sigh that seemed to drag his hold body down afterwards. Bringing up his hands he began to sign.

'Tired'

…

And that was it.

North looked to Tooth once more, their worries growing as Sandy's gaze fell to the ground once more.

V*V*V*V*V*V

He let out a soft breath as he felt his focus go fuzzy once more. It wouldn't be sleep, he knew already. It would have been different, softer, warmer feeling. No, this was not to be sleep. He was merely following the traces of Dreamsand from the island once more. He couldn't press too far though, not anymore. Barely to the nearest island.

There was a touch to his shoulder once more and Sandy felt the weary pull of his mind back to his self. The small room feeling ever so much smaller with the two other Guardians before him. They were both looking at him with worry and he couldn't bring any part of him to be surprised.

He must look terrible.

"Sandy, If you are so tired why do you not sleep?" North asked as softly as he could.

He remained still as he took in the question. It…was simple. In thought at least. He understood why the other asked. He was the Guardian of Dreams. Sleep was more or less his 'domain', or at least a corner stone of it. He was usually the one to ask it though.

Why not sleep?

Have you rested?

And he would send them off into slumber without so much as blinking.

Send them to sleep.

Send them to rest.

Send them away from the waking world for their own good.

"Sandy?" North asked again and once more Sandy lifted his head to look up at him.

He couldn't focus his vision, but with the man being so big and wearing red it gave him a fair target to at least aim for.

…

'can't'

He signed slowly as his hands dropped to his lap once more. He wanted to explain more, truly. He just…didn't have the energy right now. Tooth's hand on his shoulder squeezed for a moment before moving to rub soft circles on his back.

Honestly, it felt really nice.

Letting out another breath Sandy closed his eyes and accepted the comfort.

V*V*V*V*V*V

North and Tooth shared a look as the fairy queen continued to massage soothingly on Sandy's back. This was certainly a new experience, and not a good one. When the master of all things sleep struggles with his own it understandably fells like an ill omen. Especially considering how much of a grounding point the elder Guardian was for the rest of them.

"My friend. You should have come to us." North stated as he too reached out to lay a gentle hand on the smaller man's shoulder.

It took Sandy another moment to reply, hands lazily coming up to sign again. At least, they started to. He hesitated as if unsure of what he wanted to say. After half a minute his hands fell to his lap again and he breathed out a heavy breath.

Just as North was starting to think the other wasn't going to reply at all Sandy shook his head. Slowly his hands rose once more.

'needed time'

A pause.

'searching'

North gave Sandy's shoulder a squeeze though Tooth spoke up before he did.

"We will always have time for each other Sandy. You know that." She stated as she moved to give him a side hug.

Sandy didn't raise his arms this time to return it, instead he let out a smaller breath than before. His gaze remained downcast and the tight feeling in North's stomach grew. He leaned back and tried to think of what to do now.

With North having removed his hand from Sandy's shoulder to stroke his bread Tooth picked the smaller up and moved him to be more in her lap. Holding him close she rocked him a bit as she glanced back at him. 'Worried' or 'concerned' were no longer strong enough descriptors for the look on her face. While she kept her arms and hold on Sandy steady her wings twitched giving away the anxiety she was feeling.

North understood fully what she must have been feeling. He just, didn't have an answer right now on what to do. While they had come seeking Sandy's help they hadn't come prepared for the other needing theirs. Certainly not to this extent either.

Slowly Sandy finally accepted this new embrace and laid his head softly against Tooth's chest. His eyes fluttered a moment, but instead of closing he just…stared. It was the same drifted look he'd taken on moments ago, awake but not present. North felt the urge to give him another shake, bring him back to them. What good would that do though? Until they could-

North's brow raised as he noted a soft humming in the air. He'd been so deep in thought he hadn't noticed it at first.

Tooth was humming.

As she rocked Sandy gently she hummed what he could only assume was a lullaby, or something akin to it. She'd hummed a similar one to Jack before-

He shook his head and looked to Tooth, her eyes closed now as she ran a hand through Sandy's hair. It was a bit matted and tangled and yet she seemed to be undoing those tangles steadily as she went.

He couldn't say much for his own abilities in putting people to sleep, but, Tooth… While she was still no match for Sandy's skill, she did still have a knack for it.

V*V*V*V*V*V

Keeping her voice soft but audible Tooth continued to hum. She was at a loss, as North seemed to be, but she couldn't bare to do nothing while options were considered. She couldn't stand feeling useless once again when one of her dear friends needed help.

Not again.

Opening her eyes she peered towards North in the hopes that maybe he'd come up with…something. When their eyes met she was surprised to see him looking at her with a noted interest. He gave her an encouraging wave, motioning to Sandy. When she looked down Tooth was met with the sight of the smaller Guardian with heavily lidded eyes leaning against her. He looked…distant, but…also relaxed.

She didn't need to be told what the idea was. If their friend needed sleep then she would do what she could to get him there. He already seemed closed to drifting off. She adjusted her hold a bit and hummed a bit louder.

After a moment Tooth felt Sandy's head rest a bit heavier on her chest and felt his breath evening out. A small swell of hope rose in her chest at this as she risked a glance up at North. He too seemed to be holding his breath, allowing a small tempt of a smile to cross his face.

It was a short lived relief though. Just before Tooth was about to assume Sandy was actually nodded off the little man jerked in her arms with a start. His head popped up as an almost fearful look entered his eyes.

"Sandy?" Tooth questioned, trying to calm his sudden tenseness with another hug.

This time, however, Sandy was pushing away from her. He was shaking more than a fair bit as he tried to slip off her lap. Not wanting to hold him against his will she reluctantly let him go.

"Sandy? What is wrong?" North asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Sandy didn't respond to them at first, instead he slapped at his cheeks and shook his head. It was certainly a sight to see, especially from someone who so desperately needed to rest. Unable to watch him Tooth reached out to take hold of Sandy's hands, but he moved away from her before she could do so.

'I can't'
Sandy signed repeatedly, hands trembling which made it hard to decipher.

"Calm down, Sandy. Please. We are only trying to help." North tried as well, a hand going out to try and place on the smaller mans shoulder.

Once more Sandy was out of reach as he now paced the small room. He was signing more now, but it was rapid and more often than not he wasn't facing them enough to see. It was, however, clear to see that he was in distress. The blank or dulled look from earlier now replaced with a deep furrowed brow and a grimace. He looked like he was close to crying, though his exact emotion was hard to read at the moment.

'Can't sleep.'

'Too much time-'

'Can't afford-'

'I can't, I can't, I can't-'

Unable to stand his frantic motions Tooth quickly moved to his side and pulled him into another hug. This time she didn't let up even as he tried to push her away, hands moving quickly between shoves but making no intelligible words.

With him against her she could feel how rapidly he was breathing, how tense he was. It broke her heart and all she could do was hold him close and try to quell his burst of panic with soft shushes and what she could manage for back rubs.

North had also moved to them now, arms out to embrace the both of them. Not strong enough to squish them as he was known to do, but carefully firm enough to be warm and anchoring. He was patting Sandy's back as well, mining Tooth's hand as it moved. She had no doubt North could likewise feel Sandy shuddering, but he said nothing aside from his own soft calming words of 'its okay', 'We are here', and 'You are alright'.

V*V*V*V*V

It took a fair bit for Sandy to finally calm down, or at least what passed for breathing was even now and his frantic motions had stopped. His arms lay trapped between him and Tooth where he left them after seeming to give up pushing her off him. Though she refrained from humming anything now she was back to running a hand through his hair, which seemed to help. North himself was keeping a hand on both of their backs, almost afraid of what might happen if he were to step away from them.

After another moment in the almost deafening silence Sandy moved once more. Slow, but not with the same languid air as when they arrived. He let out a deep breath and shifted enough so that he could use his hands to speak. Tooth was only letting go of him enough to allow him to do so, but still was keeping him close to her. If he minded now it didn't register.

'Sorry'

'I wasn't myself for a moment'

The look on Tooth's face said she wanted to hug him tight again, but restrained herself so as not to hinder his ability to speak. North himself let out a sad breath as he softly patted reassuringly on the others back.

"Is okay. But…we are worried for you, Sandy." North stated with a small frown as his brow furrowed, "What did you mean by 'can't sleep'?"

With the panic from before North could only assume now that there had been a… misunderstanding. Either that or there was more to it than a face value of a presumed inability. The rather deflated look on Sandy's face didn't help his feeling on the matter.

Sandy raised his hands to speak, hesitating and lowering them as he seemed to be considering what words to use. After a brief moment he raised them again, though pausing between words as he still seemed to be trying to find the most accurate ones.

'I can not...could not, sleep'

'Now, even if I could…I cannot be allowed to'

'It would be too long.'

'I might not wake for some time…much time.'

He stopped here, hesitating once more. North got the feeling he was trying to soften his words while still being truthful, which was another of concerning.

North moved his hand to be more firmly on Sandy's shoulder, making eye contact with him, though the smaller had hesitated on doing that as well for a moment. He looked well worried, fearful even and, of course, heavily exhausted.

"Speak plainly Sandy. Whatever it is, we will help you." North tried to assure, though it didn't seem to sooth the other at all.

Regardless Sandy nodded his head slowly, hands fidgeting and tensing as he considered his next words.

'If I sleep now I…might not wake-'

'for…for easily a century'

'Perhaps longer'

Sandy paused here, waiting for his words to fully register to the pair. It certainly took North a minute to take it in. The 'Long Sleep'. Of course. He'd heard of it before, from Sandy no less. Ages ago, or more. It was how he had arrived on Earth in the first place. A shooting star, an attack, a wish and then sleep. Sandy himself wasn't even sure what had woke him back up, aside from a strong guess of the Man in the Moon. Though this eldest Guardian had never confirmed. Not to Sandy at least.

North leaned back and stroked his beard again, brow furrowed deeply as he tried to re-organize his thoughts with this new information. Sandy still needed sleep, but, without triggering a 'Long Sleep'. A state he'd been put under even when he wasn't sleep deprived. How much worse would it be now that he was?

"Surely there would be a way to wake you from it with us here." Tooth offered.

Sandy lowered his head and shook it lightly. Though, he did pause as if unsure, which wasn't lost on either Guardian.

'I do not know'

'I can not risk it'

'Jack still needs us'

"He needs us at our best." Tooth stated before North even had time to consider a response, "As close as we can get ourselves. You need to sleep Sandy. For both you and Jack."

Sandy didn't reply to this, staring down at his hands instead.

"We would wake you, Sandy. You know that we would. You know you can trust us." She tried again.

He still seemed hesitant, unsure. Even with his trust in the two, he feared falling into that deep sleep more. While it wasn't unpleasant it still removed him from the world. From everything.

Tooth leaned forwards and placed her head gently upon his own.

"Please. Let us help you." She pleaded softly, voice cracking ever so slightly.

There was another pause, longer than before, before Sandy reached and laid a hand on Tooth's arm. She rose up enough to be able to look at him properly. He was still staring down at first, taking a breath before he moved his head up to make eye contact with her. The look of defeat in his eyes was ever so slightly tinged with a determination. Fragile and small, but there.

He nodded his head before making to sign again.

'I trust you.'