InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reincarnation Isn't Always a Good Thing! ❯ 18 ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Mahkoto was out all day, mumbling to herself incoherently. The group was unable to get out, but they also realized that the barrier kept everything out as well, from observing small land animals.
Finally, after the sun had set, Mahkoto awoke, rubbing her eyes.
"Nighttime again?" she asked. They all turned to look at her. She laughed nervously under their stares.
"What? I didn't say anything while I was asleep, did I?" For a moment, something deeper then nervousness flitted across her face, but it disappeared behind a mask they hadn't even realized existed. Panic about speaking in her sleep?
"No, but we're hungry. We couldn't get out all day." Kotan said, glaring. Mahkoto didn't seem affected by it.
"Really? Oh, right, Wind....." she murmured aloud, then remembered that she had guests. "Auhh...." she said weakly, smiling a bit. "Why don't you try again now? I can go look for some rabbits or something......" she turne dto make her exit, but one of the boys stopped her.
'Nakago.' she thought fleetingly.
"How did you know it was a wind that blew us back?"
"Lucky guess? None of you are wet, none of you have dirt on your clothes- more then usual anyway- and none of you are burned." she replied, as though it were teh most obvious thing in the world. Instantly she realized her mistake.
"What does this have to do with the basic elements?" Kagosha asked. She had, like her friends, gotten the basic training. They knew how to identify what element an attack was from, how to best counter it, things like that. Kagosha had tought it was useless.
"Nothing. I have to go- aren't you all hungry? I can find something for dinner." With that, she managed to wrench her arm from Nakago's grip, running into the night.
"Wait-!" Kotan yelled impatiently, but Santu grabbed her arm as she was about to run after the girl.
"You wait. Let's follow her." Kagosha nodded at Santu's idea.
"He has a point Kotan." Nakago nodded, agreeing with them.
"We have to hurry, or we'll lose the trail." With that, they left the cave, a light breeze blowing through their hair.

Mahkoto ran. She knew what happened when she used Wind..... why had she been so careless? She finally reached a nearby clearing, the moon high above her head. A light breeze tickled her, letting her know that Wind was still nearby.
"It's okay Wind, I'm fine." she said, like she addressed an old friend, not an element. To her, the elements mght as well have been friends...... she knew them better than she did people. This time, Wind was playful. It ruffled her hair and tickled her nose.
"Thanks for protecting me, but.." her pause made Wind stop. She was still hanging about, but she wasn't happy. Wind touched her shoulder like a concerned mother. Mahkoto smiled.
"You could've let them out. It's okay, they wouldn't hurt me." Mahkoto smiled and spread her arms out, letting the rays of the moon tocuh her face as Wind 'laughed' blowing Mahkoto's hair back from her face. Wind was the best mother a girl could have, always happy when her 'daughter' was happy, always there when she was called, never having other engagments.
Mahkoto smiled. She knew that she must look odd to teh casual observer, for she was standing in a clearing with the wind blowing her hair back and the moon lighting her eyes up, but she didn't really care. Few people had ever seen her, and they had all thought that she had been a dream. It was simply impossible for her to give much thought to the matter.
The wind ceased, as though warning her of something.
"What is it?" she asked softly, knowing that Wind would try to answer. She did get the usual bundle of emotions that constituted the 'messages' from Wind, but they were in a jumble. as good as Mahkoto was at figuring out what Wind meant, this was impossible. 'Fear? What could frighetn Wind? She's only scared when something bad happens to me, or is about to happen... what's this? Discovery? She's either feeling liek she's discovered something, or someone's discovered us.' Cursing herself, she remembered- once again- that she had guests. Youkai guests. Youkai guests with good noses. they had followed her. She had hoped that they wouldn't, but a small part of her told her that they would. She had half-hoped that they would find out. Easier to make them get going again.
Eyes burned a hole in the back of her neck. She lookedover her shoulder and saw nothing, but that didn't mean a thing. Her guess was proved correct when Wind sent a feeling of accomplishment towards her.
"Come out. I know you're there." No response. She was hesitant to use her friends names- they still didn't know she had them- but she didn't have a choice.
'Wait, am I sure they're my friends?' She sent the feeling that went along with the cave, then a 'picture' of her friends, along with a feeling of questioning. It cam eout something like this:

She felt Wind swirl around her, as though to protect her if she needed it.
Wind relented but didn't leave. She could be stubborn if she wanted.
"Kotan, Kagosha, Santu, Nakago, I know your names and I know you're there. Come out, one at a time if you want." She just felt Wind bristle at teh coming of another person- behind her. She turned and saw Kotan, looking at her with a glare of suspiscion. She stopped just within earshot of speaking in a normal tone, as though wary and afraid of her.
"How do you know our names?"

Kotan sat there in shocl. How did Mahkoto know their names? It seemed impossible.
"I'll go." she whispered. She started to stand up, but Nakago grabbed her arm.
"Are you crazy? Did you see what happened? Something odd is going on. You don't like her at all, and yoru temper isn't the best. What if she decides you're her enemy?"
"He's right. I should go. I'm sort of her friend." Kagosha said.
"You can't go either. She's friendly with you and she's brutally honest with me, at least I think she has been." Kotan argued.
"You think." Santu commented.
"I can at least catch up with her if she decides to run."
In the end, they did send Kotan out there, hoping that they had made the right descion.

"How do you know our names?" Kotan demanded, striding across the meadow to Mahkoto. "I know we let Santu's slip, but what about the others?"
"Why did you follow me?" Mahkoto seemed a bit angry with them- odd. A second ago she hadn't seemed angry at all.
"Answer my question first." Kotan said, crossing her arms. Mahkoto smiled thinly.
"I don't have to, and I honestly don't feel like it. Why did you follow me? I doubt it was to protect me."
"Fine, I'll be honest them. What are you? What happened?"
"At least you are honest. I don't see a good reason to tell you. I don't feel like explaining."
"I'm not asking you to explain, I'm telling you to!" Kotan made as if to grab Mahkoto's arm, but a firce wind blew up, stinging her eyes and blowing her hair directly into her face, making it hard to see. She covered her face, trying to make sure a whipping strand of hair didn't do some damage to her eyes. Distantly, she could hear Mahkoto's voice.
"Wind, It's okay! Let her go." Annoyance flashed across Mahkoto's face, then the wind stopped suddenly. Kotan wiped her stinging eyes and glanced around.
Mahkoto wasn't anywhere in sight.
She heard a groan, and then looked at the meadow floor.
Mahkoto was lying down again, exactly like she had been just earlier that day. She seemed exhausted again.
"What happened?" Kagosha asked, running up, the others not far behind.
"That seems to be the magic question."

*Mahkoto- a Few Minutes Earlier*
"At least you are honest. I don't see a good reason to tell you. I don't feel like explaining." she said, eyes on Kotan, holding Wind back with a corner of her mind. 'I didn't know anyone could still be honest. You do learn something everyday......'
"I'm not asking you to explain, I'm telling you to!" Mahkoto saw Kotan move forward, hand outstretched. Instantly, her control snapped. She was unaware of Wind attacking Kotan, not until she heard the girl give a small cry, covering her face with her arms, trying to protect her eyes.
"Wind, it's okay! Let her go." Wind refused.
Mahkoto was annoyed. Wind meant well, but she couldn't realize that times came when you had to hold back. Deep inside, Wind was very simple.
Concentrating, Mahkoto used her already low energy resources to send Wind away. At the rate Wind had been attacking Kotan, she could have put out an eye, arms or no. (Arms, after all, aren't perfect as defense tools.) Mahkoto smiled, totally beat. The world was going around in circles, making her dizzy. Black dots swam in her eyes. She put a hands to her forhead, hoping that it would let her stay standing, but no. She swayed unsteadily on her feet, then fainted, her legs unable to hold up her weight anymore.
From far away, as though through a door, she heard Kagosha speak.
"What happ-"
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