It was following them again. I felt bad for them. But in the end, I knew I could not do a thing to help, lest they think I'm insane and throw me out. But... What could I do? I wanted to help. These people…They took me in when others would not. Should I help them?
"Heh, those people are as good as dead now,"
I sucked in a breath and turned to face the nasally voice behind me. Nothing. Before I could move back a dark, shadowy blur jumped from the corner of my eye, followed by a rush of wind that ruffled my hair and threw leaves in my face. From the startled cries of the couple in front of me, I knew they were affected by it too.
"Even the wind mocks them too,"
I whipped around, shouting, "Who said that? Where are you?"
"Ah, you can hear me,"
My eyes strained past the forest to my left. I clutched my school bag tightly; it could be my only protection and their's.
"I'm down here, idiot,"
I look down, my eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. " A…fat cat,"
White on one half of his back and face with orange on the other half. Its yellow eyes gleamed, twitching its black whiskers. That surely must not have been the one talking so I looked around again.
"Who're you calling fat?! I'm well-fed!" The voice bristled.
Hot, sharp pain shot up my leg. I looked down to see the damn cat licking its orange paw delicately. Great, a cat youkai. Shooting a glare at it, I said, "I get it. What did you mean, 'Good as dead,' huh? Can it be...that youkai?"
Surprise briefly flitted across its face before being masked with contemplation. "It's one thing to hear a youkai's voice, but it's another to see one. You must have a lot of power," It observed, flicking a white paw over its scruffy, white ear. "And I, myself am very powerful to wear a form of disguise to walk among you, humans,"
"What? What do you mean?"
"To eat them, of course," Its eyes glittered in amusement. "You must know that. They're very tasty to us, after all," it added.
I swallowed. I should have known. All youkai were the same; it is their way of life after all. I should not have expected otherwise. My fist clenched the handle of my bag even tighter. Would he go after me like the other was going after them?
"Relax, I've already eaten,"
At this, my mouth opened in horror.
"Not humans, you idiot! Food! Delicious, steamed pork-buns with rice," His face took on a dazed and dreamy look.
I briefly wondered if it was stolen, but I could not help the sigh of relief that escaped me.
"Snagged it off some human's table. It was just left there! I couldn't let it go to waste!"
My suspicions were confirmed.
"But," the cat paused. "I rarely eat the best for last,"
"Wha--" Before I knew it, he disappeared into a misty fog. I coughed. Horrible smelling really. Suddenly I heard a low growl within the fog and stepped back. Fear raced up my spine in a cold form of a shiver. Big, gleaming, gold and silver eyes opened.
"I have you now, Reiko!" came the deep, guttural voice, and huge ivory fangs rushed at me.
I could not help the startled cry that escaped my lips, but what he said got me puzzled despite my present circumstance. He called me Reiko…A girl's name. My grandmother's.
I never knew her, nor had I met her. Although, I did receive, from my uncle, an old pad of paper. On the cover was written, the Book of Friends, and inside were individual names written on each piece of paper within it. The names were written beautifully, like a calligraphy, in black ink.
My uncle had said it was something my grandmother had until she died. Quite young, he had added, by the age of seventeen too.
I do not know why, but I kept it with me, even though my aunt advised me to throw it away. It is old and it is coming apart. Already the back cover had been torn off when I had received it.
The thing is, both my aunt and uncle did not know my grandmother very well.
Reckless, childless, and very anti-social, were what everyone I asked had said, including my aunt and uncle.
But everyone talked behind my back when I left them with a polite thank you.
An orphan!
His parents died in a fire.
He must be cursed!
Stay away from him.
Just like his grandmother...
Looks exactly like her, blonde hair, honey-colored eyes...
Distant and cold, did you see that fake smile?
She smiled that way too.
By then, I had already walked away from hearing distance, but that did not stop the talking that continued repeatedly in my own head.
Searing pain ripped me back to the present.
"You have it don't you?" The deep voice growled.
I knew what he was talking about. "Have what?" I gasped, struggling around the pain.
"Give it to me! The Book of Friends. The names of all the youkai that Reiko made them write after defeating them,"
So that is what it was! "I don't know what you're talking abo--argh!"
"Lying is a very bad thing, you know. I can do worse too,"
I grit my teeth. "Let…Let go of ME!"
I do not know what had quite happened, because one moment I was about to be eaten, and the next, I was lying on the ground with a slight trace of the misty fog in the air. Not to mention the howling of the fat cat, who was pounding the pavement beneath him with his white paw and clutching his nose with the orange paw.
I blinked, noticing that I still held my school bag.
"What did you hit me with?! Rocks?!" he cried and shot me a teary-eyed glare.
"No, just my school books," I said, still in a bit of shock.
"They sure load kids up these days," he said with a sulk.
"A..Are you going to eat me?"
"Not anymore," he sniffed, then moaned, "I almost had it!"
"What do you mean?" I asked wearily.
"You humans ask to many questions! You beat me, now what do you want? My name too? Just so you can keep me as your slave like all the others?"
"Hold on, you mean to say that these names bind the youkai to me?"
"Yes, you idiot! You held the Book of Friends all this time, and didn't even know about that?! Hurry up, and tell me what you want! Food? Protection from sickness? A cure? Good weather? Can't do long life,"
"A bodyguard,"
"Can't bring humans back to life either, wait, what did you say?"
"I want you to be my bodyguard,"
"Why?" he asked suspiciously.
"I'm sure there are others just like you who are after my grandmother's book right?"
He nodded reluctantly.
"So I want you to protect me from them,"
He grumbled, spat in my direction, and ran. He did not get past two steps before tripping over a small stone and landing with an oomph. "Damn it! Damn you, humans! Damn you, Reiko!"
"Another thing," I stepped in. "My name is not Reiko. It's Natsume,"
"Like I care," he sneered.
"You should, tubby,"
He froze. "What..did you just call me?!"
"You heard me," I said, brushing off the dirt from my soiled shirt. It was white too, before he tried to eat me. He deserves every insult that comes his way.
"You take that back!"
"You going to help me or not?"
"Yes, damnit, now take it back!"
"Natsume?"
We froze.
"Who are you talking to?" My aunt.
We turned to see both my aunt and uncle coming our way. From the edge of the trees, I could see the youkai that was following them flitting through the shadows of the trees.
"What are you going to do?" I whispered through the side of my mouth.
"Me?! Why should I do anything?"
"Because you're my-- never mind…"
"Natsume?" My uncle this.
"No one." I chuckled nervously. "Just this cat. Mind if I keep it?"
"It sure is fat," my uncle commented.
The cat in turn seethed.
"Nonsense," My aunt waved in. "It's just healthy, see?"
Oh, did he like that.
"What his name?"
"If it is a he," my uncle put in. "You never know unless you lift it. Perhaps it's pregnant?"
I swear its jaw just dropped right there. I had to grab it before it could attack my uncle.
"It doesn't have a collar." My aunt mused. "I wouldn't mind a pet. Would you dear?"
My uncle shook his head.
"Excellent!" My aunt clapped then tilted her head to the side. "I wonder if it has a name?"
"I am known as the great--"
"Nyanko," I said, cutting him off.
"Nani?!"
"I've named him Nyanko,"
"Very good," My uncle said, "Let's head home now, shall we? Dinner is waiting for us,"
My aunt grabbed his hand and headed into the direction of their home. My uncle turned to me, pausing.
"You coming, Natsume?"
"Ah, hai! I'm coming,"
He nodded and pulled my aunt forward.
"What about me?" came the whiny voice in my arms.
"Your coming too,"
"By the way, Natsume," he said seriously. "The--"
"I know," I said. "Guess you have a job to do right?"
Nyanko sighed. "Save me some food, will ya?"
"Of course,"
He jumped out of my arms and we both separated ways. Me, heading toward the gate that lead to my uncle's and aunt's house, and Nyanko to the youkai's path.
I small evening breeze swept by, and I stepped in the yard. Gazing at its color. The sun setting sure made the world look differently. The shadows, longer and the sky, a blazing orange followed by a raging ball of fire.
Just an old thing I wrote. I was supposed to write a different story, but it was like this one took over my brain and poured through my fingers instead. It was fun hehe. Personally, I'm not even sure if this is supposed to be a one-shot or not...
Hope you all enjoyed!