WISH
"Kid" "Hey kid", called a voice. Natsume's eyes popped open and he shot up instantly regretting it. His vision was still blurry and his head hurt, like really hurt. "Oh so you are alive", said that same voice he could tell it was a girl's. His vision cleared and he looked up to see a pair of light brown eyes peering down at him. Natsume bewildered inched back quickly. The girl just shrugged "Since you can move so fast I guess you're okay", she said flatly "but that was some fall". He couldn't help thinking her voice sounded familiar "Wait", he thought "fall?!" He stood "I fell?" the girl nodded her face looked familiar too very familiar. "Yup from up there", she pointed up to the edge of a cliff. "What were you doing anyway", she asked and he shook his head. "I'm not sure", he said but was thinking "Probably running from another youkai".
"You don't know. What'd you lose your memory or something?" she said arms crossed and a grudging expression. "Do you even remember your name?"
Natsume nodded of course he remembered his name that was the one thing he'd never forget. "Natsume Takashi", he said unexpectedly bold. The girl nodded a little surprised.
"We have the same surname then", she stated "My name is Natsume too". Natsume nodded still trying to pin point where he had seen her from. She was wearing his school uniform and her face voice and hair seemed so familiar like he saw and heard it every day. Speaking of school it was over, and he'd worry Touko if he didn't hurry. He reached for his bag then suddenly realized it wasn't there. "The book", he thought in shock. "Have you seen my bag", he asked the girl fully aware the color was draining from his face. "Nope", she said flatly "maybe it's still up there" she pointed to the cliff hanger again. "Thanks", he said then ran "I need to get the book". The other Natsume stood staring at him run off "He was weird", she thought but so was she. Then glancing at the spot he fell she saw his black school bag. "Crap", she said then called out "Hey kid" and ran after him. "He sure can run fast", she muttered running at full speed to catch up with him.
Natsume was vaguely aware that the girl was calling after him but he couldn't stop he needed to find the book fast. "Where's Sensei when you need him?" Pushing on he ran through the forest and came to a spot close enough to the cliff he could climb. "Can't let anyone find the Book", he thought "especially not an ayakashi!" He ran and ran all the while keeping an eye out for youkai or his bag. Suddenly his foot hit something and he fell splat on his face. Groaning he made to stand but was suddenly stepped "Ow", he yelled. Whoever stepped on him jumped and then stood in front of him. He looked up to see the girl, the other Natsume. "Hey kid", she panted "I found your bag" she held up his school bag and relief wash over his face. "Thank you", he exclaimed grabbing then bowing. The girl laughed "You're a weird kid", she said and then he laughed "So are you" he was sure of it too. But what he couldn't figure out was why. "You seem familiar", he said after a moment.
Her face darkened to a scowl "Familiar how?" she spat as if it was an insult.
'I'm not sure", he shrugged. "Oh well I should get home. Thanks again for finding my bag I don't know what I'd do if I lost it".
"Why it's just a bag", she asked skeptically.
"Ha, ha", he laughed shrugging. "Guess you wouldn't understand. I always carry a very important family heir loom in my bag so as not to lose it". At that the girl scowled and looked away. "Must be nice to have family", she muttered and Natsume looked at her questioningly. "Yes it must be", he said and she glanced at him. Shrugging he laughed suddenly feeling like he was in a shoujo manga. "Well a real one that is, I live with very distant relatives and I guess I can count them as family", he explained. "But not really, there's still stuff I can't tell them and that's the stuff I could tell my real family" he finished suddenly wondering why he was telling her all this. She nodded as if she understood. "There's things I wish I had a family to tell too", she said then grinned. "Well Takashi shouldn't you be getting home it's not good to be in this forest especially not at night", she said sounding very mature. Natsume laughed "Yeah I know but I camped here once and I run through here a lot", he said "or rather am chased" he added quietly.
The two started to turn back when they heard something. "Reiko", said an eerie dark voice. They both jumped but neither noticed. "You need to", started the girl "Get out of here", he finished and they glanced at each other before breaking off into a run. "Kid you heard that", she asked as they ran. Natsume nodded "Yes, you?" he said though it was obvious. "Of course he was calling me", she answered. "Huh?" Natsume stopped "No he was calling my grandmother", he said and the girl stopped too. "Huh,, no the ayakashi in this area are always looking for me", she said. Natsume shook his head "There always looking for my grandmother", he said. She glared they both had forgotten the youkai already. "What who's your grandmother I want to meet her", she declared. "Natsume Reiko", he said boldly crossing his arms. The girl stared at him dumbfounded "That's my name", she screamed. "I can't possibly your grandmother". "What?" said Natsume just as the giant ayakashi found them.
"Reiko", it said ominously "Give me back my name". It was giant and black with a white skull mask face. Natsume (Takashi) and Reiko both jumped then turned to the youkai that bent towards them. "We're talking", they said in unison. Natsume punched it just as Reiko kicked it and the thing fell. Turning back to each other back to their own problems "Now look here it's impossible that your grandmother and I have the same name", she declared. Natsume shook his head "Not the same name", he said in realization. "You are the same person".
"That's impossible", she ranted.
"Well then let's see", he said taking the Book from his bag and Reiko gasped.
"That's mine", she said pointing.
Natsume nodded.
"But thinner", she added.
"I've been returning some of the names", he admitted sheepishly and Reiko glared at him.
"I suppose you can do whatever you want with yours", she mumbled "but they were all my friends".
"You stole their names", exclaimed Natsume and she scowled.
"So what they lost fair and square", she defended. Natsume was about to say something else when they heard branches crack and turned to see the giant youkai standing. "No time to argue", yelled Reiko who grabbed him and they ran. Natsume almost dropped the Book but managed to push it back in his bag. "This is fun", said Reiko as they ran and he almost didn't believe her. "I knew she was weird", he thought grudgingly. They ran and suddenly came back to the cliff and without realizing it fell. They tumbled down and down and he hit his head hard blacking out as he did.
"Takashi", said someone worriedly.
"Natsume", said another person.
The voices kept calling him and he opened his eyes groggily as he tried to place them. "Look he's coming to", said the first voice. His eyes popped open to see Sensei, Tanuma, Nishimura, Kitamoto, and Touko looking down at him concerned. He tried to sit up then with a stab of pain regretted it. "De' ja vu", he thought lying back down. "Oh Takashi are you okay", asked Touko very worried. Natsume nodded "What happened?" It was Tanuma who answered him. "Ponta was making a fuss at the side of the road and saw us we followed him to where you fell", he explained. "You fell off a cliff", piped in Nishimura and Kitamoto elbowed him. "Sorry", said Kitamoto "are you really okay", he asked and Natsume nodded. "Yeah I'm fine just tired", he said and they nodded.
Touko shooed them from the room. "We'll let you rest and write a note to your school for tomorrow okay", she said and he nodded. Sitting up slowly he turned to Sensei. "Was I really at the bottom of a cliff", he asked and Sensei nodded. "Yes you fell running from some youkai or something", he answered yawning. "You know you were mumbling in your sleep?" he said eyeing him. "Was I", asked Natsume and he nodded "About what?" "You were calling Reiko", said Sensei and after a moment Natsume shrugged. He stared out his window "Really? Sensei is there an ayakashi that can take you back in time", eh asked looking down at him. "Hm No but there is one that can grant wishes", he answered half asleep. Natsume nodded "Wishes huh", he mumbled.