Chapter Text
Kasai blinks, before raising an eyebrow.
“Do you need help? I can't remember the last time I saw one of Izanami-sama's children walking on Earth.”
The ghost blinks too, looking surprised by Kasai's lack of shock, before smiling.
“We can't leave yet. There's still something that needs to be done.”
Kasai hums, eyes narrowed. Curiosity burns on the back of her mind, but she knows better than asking.
“Is that so... And it has something to do with me?”
Again, the ghost looks surprised, which Kasai finds strange. It is obvious, after all, since a ghost doesn't approach someone unless it has a very good reason to do so. The fact that she doesn't know her is even more reason to notice it.
“I can't bring you back to life, and neither can Izanagi-sama. If this is what you want, stop now and leave this realm.”
The ghost laughs, a sad and gentle sound, before shaking her head. She's young, Kasai distractedly notices, too young to have died what was without doubt a painful death, but it doesn't sadden her. Things like that happen all the time.
(But you were so sad when it was the family that danced for you- what made them different?)
(Why did you become mortal for them?)
“My name is Makomo." the ghost explains, dreamy smile on her face, "And I'm not here because of me, but because of you, little god. You look like you need help, and it is my duty to help Urokodaki's students.”
Kasai bristles, angry and embarrassed. Being unable to perform all the Breath of the Sun's forms, which was invented by her blessed, frustrates her more than she wants to admit.
“How can you help me? If you're one of Urokodaki's former students, you're a Breath of Water user. I'm trying to learn Sun Breathing. I sincerely doubt that you know how to do it.”
It comes out harsher than she meant it to be, but Makomo doesn't look bothered.
“The problem is not the forms, but your breath.”
“My what?” Kasai repeats, puzzled.
Makomo hums, and carefully approaches Kasai until she's nearly touching. They're almost the same height, though Kasai is a bit taller. She wonders how old Makomo was when she died, before deciding that this question is too rude even for her.
The ghost lightly puts her hand on Kasai's chest.
“Here. When you start the form, it stays even, but when you're near the end you forget to breath, or you breath too fast. I guess you didn't notice.”
Kasai frowns. “I didn't.”
Makomo smiles kindly, and sends her a curious glance.
“Urokodaki-san would have helped, you know. If you had let him watch over your training, he would have instantly noticed the problem. It took me a lot longer to understand what you were doing wrong.”
Kasai blushes, and doesn't answer, doesn't want to explain to this child how ashamed her difficulties to perform her breath make her.
(Doesn't want to tell her how she thought that she owed already too much to Urokodaki.)
The ghost sighs, but keeps her smile.
“Try again.” she says “I'll tell you how to do it from there.”
Hours later, the god lies heavily on the grass, exhausted but satisfied. Her fire, while still burning inside her, stayed still (well, as still as fire can be) when she perfomed Sun Breathing. It's a lot more tiring than she first thought, but she succeeded, and it's what matters.
She slowly gets up, limbs heavy. There's a painful feeling in her stomach she learnt to identify as hunger, and it is really time to get back before the others start to worry.
She kneels in front of the river calmly passing by, and lets her hand fall inside. Water feels strange, and she can't resist playing with it. It's something she wasn't able to do before, and she finds herself liking how it warps around her fingers.
It goes on a few seconds before something like a hand brutally drags her underwater.
Kasai's yell is engulfed by the waves.
HINOKAMI! What are you doing?!
Water, too much water-
Do you have any idea of the mess you left behind? Amaterasu-sama is worried sick!
I'm not a god anymore, I can't-
We thought something horrible happened, and you just left without saying anything! If Fūjin hadn't noticed you-
Suijin, stop-
What happened? How did you end up here? Izanagi and Izanami were acting strange, almost worried-
SUIJIN I CAN'T BREATH STOP!
...
You're human.
Oh, Hinokami, what did you do?
A hand grips Kasai's haori and drags her on the surface. She caughs water, and briefly sees worried pink eyes staring at her before passing out.
Oh, my beautiful, amazing child, what path did you take?