Link was tired.
Profoundly.
He could barely string three thoughts together. He thanked Hylia that once Zelda and Impa had passed through the portal Girahim did not bother fighting him. He probably would have lost.
Link's sword chirped and Fi pirouetted out to hover before him.
"Master, I propose we travel to the sealed temple."
Link gave a sunken nod and turned to exit the Lanaryu temple. He didn't make it far.
He had not slept since the tornado that took Zelda had knocked him out. He had roused from that almost 35 hours ago. Putting his shield on his back pulled him off-balance and he staggered sideways into the wall of the temple as he crossed the threshold.
He had raced across what was the entire discovered surface world chasing Zelda. And Impa but whatever. All fueled by the desperate fear for his best friend's safety. He finally caught up to her and…
Link pulled the harp out. Zelda had launched at him, saying it was important.
Link slumped against the wall and slid to the earth. He sat there staring sadly at the harp for several long moments. Fi observed him patiently.
"Master, I suggest we move on." Fi advised after a few minutes of stillness.
Link gave a weary huff and glanced at Fi. "We will. Soon." He murmered as he rested his elbows on his knees.
Fi nodded and hovered toward the Skyward Sword.
"Fi?" Link interrupted her.
Instantly Fi stopped.
"Yes Master?"
Link hesitated. Fi waited patiently.
"... Stay out. Stay with me for a little while." Link requested.
"Very well, Master." Fi replied, remaining hovering.
"... Would you like to sit down?" Link asked uncertainly.
Fi seemed to proceed this for a moment.
"I am capable of a seated posture." She eventually replied.
Link cracked a tired smile. That was probably the best he would get.
"Come sit with me Fi." He requested gently. He didn't like telling her what to do, but she would often do nothing if he didn't.
Fi hovered down and folded her legs neatly under her, keeping her back straight.
Link smiled at her and she stared neutrally back. Link looked at the harp in his hands. It was a sorry consolation prize in place of his friend. Despite it being made of something heavy, Link couldn't help but think it felt hollow. He didn't even know how to play it.
Link blinked and his eyes failed to refocus on the harp. He blinked hard and saw it clearly again.
He felt heavy. Well technically he was heavier than usual; he had about 20 extra pounds of gear strapped on him, mostly attributed to his sword, shield, and chainmail. But more than that he felt like his bones were made of lead.
There was sand, ash, and thistles in his boots and blood caked on his tunic. His mail shirt had gaps torn in it. His face was covered in grime and streaked from his sweat like some kind of war paint. His left shoulder throbbed from being dislocated by a lizalfos in the fire temple. He was limping a little from an injury he didn't even remember receiving. And he was tired. So tired.
Fi looked on as Link's face subtly shifted through a range of emotions that remained somewhat abstract to her. She noticed that his eyes were drooping rapidly and slightly rolling back.
"Master, analysis shows that you are showing signs of acute exhaustion. It is imperative that you r-"
Fi was cut off as a green-capped head dropped onto her shoulder.
Fi was not… programmed for this.
Link was already snoring softly. Upon examining him closely, Fi could see early signs of stage three REM sleep, indicating Link had passed through stage one and two while still awake. He had been partially unconscious on his feet.
"..." Fi's processing components struggled to come up with a protocol relevant to the situation. Finding nothing, she sat frozen in indecision.
Link snorted and twitched hard, destabilizing himself. He dropped off of Fi's shoulder and Fi, lacking hands, hovered up to catch him in her lap. Her protocols dictated that she not let him fall while he was asleep and risk the 10% chance of him hurting himself. She lowered herself back to the ground, allowing Link to recline fully.
Fi scanned the area and finding it devoid of threats, returned to her earlier conundrum. She was tasked with aiding the hero in his quest, which meant pressing forward. However, Fi was more inclined to follow her directive of looking after the hero's well-being. With that decided, Fi prepared to lower Link gently before returning to the sword, but something stopped her.
She scanned the area again and discovered what her sub-processes had been warning her of. It was very hot, and Link may suffer from heat stroke and sunburn if he continued to sleep in the direct sunlight. Conveniently, Fi's shawl-like appendages were reflective. She blanketed him with one arm and shaded his face with the other.
Perhaps thinking that Fi's arm was a blanket, Link reached around in his sleep and pulled it tighter around himself. He nuzzled into her legs and stilled, his breathing becoming deep and slow.
Many hours later the sun was beginning to set and Link was stirring. He shifted and his eyes cracked open blearily. Remembering where he was, he jolted upright in alarm.
"Be at ease Master Link. You are in no danger." Fi's soft voice soothed. Fi floated into Link's view, conspicuously without her usual chime heralding her exiting his sword.
"Oh…" Link sighed. He looked disoriented. "You kept watch? Thank you."
Fi bowed graciously.
Link looked around and shook a sheet of white sand off his tunic as he stood. "How long have we been here?" He asked as he took his cap off to do the same with it. He blinked in confusion when there was no sand to shake off.
"Six hours, twenty-two minutes and ten-point-two-four seconds." Fi answered as Link replaced his cap.
Link winced. That was a lot of time. "We should get going to the Sealed Temple then." He said. He felt emotionally refreshed, if not entirely physically refreshed.
"Master Link, I must protest." Fi stopped him, "Your strength parameters are waning. I did not say anything prior because I had no cause to ascribe it to. Current analysis suggests acute exhaustion."
"Fi, I just slept for six hours, I'm fine." Link resisted.
"Negative, master." Fi pressed.
Link was surprised into silence. Fi had never contradicted him before.
"Fi?" He asked.
"Your resting period is yet unproportionate to your exhaustion. I propose we return to Skyloft and remain there until morning." Fi declared.
Link blinked. Was Fi staging an intervention? If she was… He should probably listen.
"I see… I guess Zelda is with Impa. She will be ok with her, right?"
Fi nodded. "My analysis indicates that Impa is both strong and interested in Zelda's well-being."
Link gave a hum of acknowledgement. "Skyloft it is then." He said, pulling out his map and searching for the nearest bird statue.
Fi nodded and leaped back into the skyward sword.
Link put his map away and began walking.
"Fi?"
"Yes Master Link?"
"Thank you."
Fi was very conscious of his sleep from that day on.
Hello everyone! I was playing Skyward Sword a couple weeks ago and I decided to play it a little more roleplayishly. I wanted to be more immersed in the story. My first night I played up to the first battle with Demise. I was really feeling the fatigue that Link must have been facing, hence this. I have a couple of ideas for other chapters (One is already half written), but I go back to college tomorrow afternoon, so we will see how that goes.