Reborn

8: Blue Feather (Rewritten!)

Breaks:

[L1,2 or 3] represents the beginning of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives. There is more than one past life, which is why they're numbered. Though, these memories are usually told as she sleeps and Elena herself cannot remember them.

[/L1,2 or 3] represents the end of a flashback to one of Elena's past lives.

[P] represents the beginning of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

[/P] represents the end of a retelling of a memory in Elena's current life.

~3~ is just a timeskip

AN: Enjoy the story!

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Time was a funny thing. When it needed to be slow, to enjoy a moment or have fun for longer, it ran away at the speed of an island bird diving after their prey. Yet when it needed to be faster, to get past boredom or even have the next day arrive sooner, it refused to do so and instead traveled at a snails pace. Once again, I found myself battling with time.

After the party had their fun at the spring I'd patched up any more open injuries; namely Evangeline's back and Rule's arm. Amalia's small burns got covered in healing jell, and Dally's sores had kept him in the water for an extended period of time so he could forget about them. Now we all traveled through the forest again. As the party gladly discussed their plans of fixing their boat with or without the villager's help my thoughts had spiraled into fantasies that would grant me more time.

Over the moons I had gone back to the village many times, despite being banished. I had to if I wanted to survive. From afar I watched what they did, in the few fields that they had, to keep plants alive. Or high above when medical plants were foraged from the forest. Sometimes if I listened hard enough I could even catch snippets of conversation and learn things that way.

When I became more adept with my portals I was able to use them to get small things that I wasn't really able to make on my own, things that the villagers generally had extras of. My mortar and pestle for example, or the small knife I use with the flint. I did my best not to be seen. If I'd be caught in the act I'd flee as fast as I possibly could, before something could happen.

Now as I marched around the mountain range towards the village, the idea of stalling for time- so I didn't have to be there any sooner than I wanted- became a very big temptation. I could simply say that I heard the noise of a (non-existent) animal in the distance, that we would need to go around their territory to avoid needless violence, then lead the party off in loops around the island that would (might) eventually lead to the village. With every step closer we got to the village's location, the more sweet that fantasy seemed. The more that heavy venomous pit of dread within my stomach grew.

A sigh left me, somewhat muffled by the mask Botan had gifted me. What I needed was Moon's steady assurance.

Back at the spring my little monkey friend had spotted the small yellow bird that belonged to Yugo, fluttering about above the water and generally avoiding being wet. Like the curious one he was Moon sped off after the new animal, alarming the ball of feathers. They both disappeared into the woods. When we left the spring, it was assuming that we might run into them along the trek towards the village.

Even if we didn't, Moon always had a way of finding me and I was sure that Az- the name Yugo had called his bird- would follow along happily once the 'danger' Moon posed was neutralized.

Nervously my eyes cast about the trees around us. Maybe Moon-

My breath caught, eyes widened. I hadn't realized that my steps had stopped too, until I felt someone bump into me lightly. The conversation- which had devolved into Amalia complaining about the weather and how it was too hot for trekking about-  died.