A/N lol lol lol! (I'm being weird) My first Hikago and Natsume yuujinchou fic! Oh boy oh boy! I always want to find a way to make a crossover fic for the reunion between Hikaru and Sai, after selecting a few character as their medium, I finally choose Natsume! XD XD
Disclaimer: I don't own both!
Oh... Grammar...
THE WAY TO FIND A FRIEND
'Hikaru!'
'Can you hear my voice?'
'Hikaru...'
'Hikaru...'
'Hikaru...'
'The one that got into my room that night was a very…'
'Very…Pretty… '
'…Pretty person…'
Natsume Takashi was getting ready to bed when a very very angelic man wearing heian era costume appeared in his bedroom. His lucky cat-shaped so-called guardian, Nyanko-Sensei was snoring loudly at his side, a little stench of alcohol can be smelt from his breath. Surely, the feline spirit had just drunk the night away on some youkai drinking party and fell asleep at 9 PM in the afternoon. What kind of party is that?
The man's white kimono and pale complexion glistened with the moonlight, contrasting to the rich, long black hair he had, making the sight of the man as ethereal as ever.
"I need your help… Natsume Takashi-kun…" That man whispered with a soft, calm voice.
"An… Ayakashi…?" Natsume breathed out, finally able to find his voice.
It was not unusual for a spirit to come asking for something of this time of night, but Natsume has never seen a youkai or spirit with a very pure light coming from them before. Maybe… This man's a local god or something? That's possible…
The man did not answer to Natsume's question, he kept his amethyst eyes to Natsume's golden ones pleadingly, silently asking for help.
"Sensei…? Oi… Nyanko-Sensei?"
Strangely, his guardian cat wasn't even disturbed from his sleep at the appearance of the spirit. Feeling a little bit irritated, a small vein popped out of his forehead
"Wake up you cat!" Natsume nested his spirit-power induced fist on the cat's head, effectively waking his bodyguard up,
"WHAT THE HELL NATSUME? HOW DARE YOU DO THAT… MMMFFFFLLL!" The boy quickly muffled the noisy cat's mouth, fearing that he might woke Natsume's guardians up. Meanwhile the stranger was staring at those two with big interest than he finally let out a chocked laugh
"Huh…? Something's funny you girly-man? Who's this weirdo over here Natsume?"
"That's what I was going to ask you… You're usually pretty sensitive about intruders… He's definitely not human… Is he an Ayakashi or a youkai or something?"
The stranger pouted childishly, eyes wide and sparkling with unshed tears, breaking the entire mature and calm image that Natsume had of him before and squeaked, "How mean! I'm definitely not an Ayakashi nor a Youkai! Huhuhu… HUAAAA!" He shouted when he realized that Nyanko was sniffing at his feet, particularly, the cat surprised him.
Nyanko-Sensei hopped back to Natsume's side once more and purred lightly as Natsume scratched his forehead, "So? Sensei?"
"The reason I didn't notice him before was because… He's not vengeful at all…"
"Whaddya mean?"
"I sense Ayakashi and Youkai that's trying to get near you by sensing their greed, their dark aura and intention. And this wimp over here, has none…"
"A… Peaceful spirit…?" "Yup that's the case" Nyanko yawned
"Yes! I'm not bad at all!" The stranger beamed, obviously happy at Nyanko's words
Natsume and Nyanko sweatdropped at the spirit's cheerful antique. When a spirit visits them, they're usually not this… er… weird.
"Well… How can we help you? Did my grandmother steal your name? Do you want me to get it back?" Natsume got up to reached for his book of friends.
"Oh… No! That's not the reason I'm here tonight…" The stranger stopped Natsume and looked down sadly, "I need… Help… For something else… My time's limited…"
So, the next day, after quickly asking for permission and direction to go to Tokyo for a quick trip to spend his Golden Week holiday from Shigure-san and Touko-san, Natsume departed from his small town by express train at 6 in the morning bringing a backpack with change clothes, toiletries, and other stuff. And of course, his precious book of friends. The train was still empty, so he sat by the window, Nyanko-sensei (with a lot of opposition from the youkai) was safely put in a carrier cage, cats are not allowed to enter the train without that. The spirit, whom had introduced himself as Fujiwara no Sai sat on the seat beside him, humming happily at the sound of the train.
FLASHBACK
"Okay… Let me repeat your story again… So you were cheated on a game of Go and died hundreds year ago and your spirit stuck at this world because your obsession to the board game, making you possessed some boy and gave birth to the legendary player of the game in the whole Japan?" Said Nyanko-Sensei
"Yup!"
"And after that boy's death you waited in his board and years later this Hikaru guy found you?" Natsume finished it
"Uh-uh"
"So now this Hikaru's a successful player, and he let you played the strongest player in Japan now and your spirit finally went to heaven because you had achieved the 'hand of God'?" Nyanko started talking again
"That's right!"
"And… Why are you here right now if you had passed already?" Natsume and Nyanko said in the same time
"Well you see…. It's been 5 year since I passed to the other world, so the Gods up there said I'm allow to go to this world to visit Hikaru for 5 days!"
"And… Why are you here I mean…"
Sai stopped his cheerful laugh and frown, "Well you see…. Hikaru… Can no longer see my form anymore… My voice can't reach him anymore…"
Natsume widened his eyes, "He… Lost his ability to see spirits?"
"Oh… Hikaru's different from you Takashi-kun… The Gods said that my existence to Hikaru was only for guiding him to achieve his way to Go… So… I've done my part in his live… So there's no other reason for the Gods to give him the ability to see and hear me anymore…"
"I see…" Natsume said bitterly, silently feeling sad to Sai and his boy. The memory of Hotaru the firefly youkai replayed in his mind, reminding him of the bittersweet story.
"So… What brought you here to me Sai?"
"Well… You see, Takashi-kun… I was sad, and my mind was empty, and suddenly I found myself at the forest near this village. I met a cow and a one-eyed youkai. They said to come here to meet Natsume-sama!"
'Those twoo!'
END OF FLASHBACK
"Hey! Hey! Takashi-kun! How long will it take to Hikaru's town?" asked Sai excitedly
"Ah… It takes half a day from my town to Tokyo... So… We'll be there… At 12 PM, I guess" Natsume whispered quietly, trying to avoid other patron's confusion
"Aaaawwww… It takes too long! This's my second day! I only have 4 days now Takashi-kuuuuun….." Sai whined, he hid his face with his kimono's sleeves, as if he was crying
Natsume smiled weakly when Nyanko's growl came from the cat carrier, "Shut up you wimp! You should've thanks Natsume for taking this long trip just for you! Stop whining!"
"Oh, little kitty, are you getting tired? Is that why you're so grumpy kitty? Oh poor you, it must've been tiring to be trapped in that small cage…" Said Sai, without a bad intention
"HEY! ARE YOU PICKING A FIGHT?"
Natsume sighed at Sai and Nyanko-sensei, silently thanking his choice of getting into the last car, where there's small number of people.
"SHIBUYA STATION! SHIBUYA STATION!"
"Do we get off here Takashi-kun?"
"Umm… Yeah, let's go!" Natsume got off the train and looked around the crowded platform. The Shibuya station was big, much more bigger then the stations at his town. To reach here, they've changed train thrice. It was a pretty long trip; Natsume cracked his back and started looking for exit,
"Where do we go from here Natsume?" Nyanko-sensei said, still in his carrier
"Okay… Hmmm…. Hhhh…" Natsume stared at the note with the direction to Tokyo's Go Institute that Shigeru-san gave him. But he couldn't get to understand Shigeru's little map of the station. The boy sighed and said, "Let's just ask the… ARGH!"
"NYREEEEOOOW!" shouted Nyanko as his carrier flung to the ground
Natsume bumped into a black haired preteen boy until they both fell onto the ground. The boy wore a magenta long-sleeves shirt with a short sleeves green vest over it; a blue baseball cap covered most of his face. He jumped up, and took the cat carrier, peeking inside it for a bit and reached his hand out to help Natsume up from the ground,
"I'm so so sorry! I wasn't looking before! I hope the kitty's okay!" he said apologetically, and handed him Nyanko's carrier. For just a sec, his stare flew from Natsume's eyes to an empty space beside the teenager, the space where Sai was, looking at the long-haired man carefully.
"No… It's my fault… I was the one's that spacing out… I'm sorry…"Natsume bowed quickly. The boy answered his bow by doing it himself a few times, while keep apologizing to the young man.
"I'm in a hurry! I'm so sorry I gotta go!" the boy was going to run again, but Natsume stopped him
"…Ah! Wait! Do you where's the way here?" Natsume showed him Shigure-san's note. The boy took a quick glance to the note and pointed out a staircase that would lead them to their way out, "Just took that exit! I'm so sorry… I really have to go!" Then, like a flash the boy ran to an almost-closed elevator full of kids.
"Okay! Thanks!" Natsume shouted, but the boy didn't hear him. Natsume, Sai, and Nyanko stared at the boy. The elevator's closed already and the boy ran quickly to the stairs beside it.
Natsume let his mind out of that boy, "Let's go Sai! We're going this way!"
Sai and Nyanko were still staring at the way where that boy left
"What's wrong?" "Takashi-kun… That boy…"
"What? He can see you can't he? He stared at you for a sec before"
"Yes… That's correct but…"
"Natsume, that boy has a different scent as other humans"
"Sensei… Whaddya mean?" asked Natsume, not understanding of what's the spirits were talking about
"Well… I don't know about the smell that the kitty's saying about, but he definitely felt different…"
"Huh? I'm seriously not getting it you guys!"
"It means… Takashi-kun… Uuummm…" Sai stuttered, he seemed to avoiding Natsume's eyes
"His death's near, Natsume…"
"WHAT?"
Suddenly a loud cry was heard from the distance. People starting to run to that direction, wondering what did happen, "A boy fell from the stairs! He's badly injured!" Natsume heard shouts. He widened his eyes and his face paled. If he didn't stop that boy before he wouldn't have to run down the stairs…
"Let's go Natsume"
"It's not your fault Takashi-kun…"
His friends' voice startled him, "…Bu…"
"Natsume. We've gotta hurry. This wimp only got 3 and half more days remember? That kid's death it's not your matter. Let's go!" Nyanko-sensei said firmly
"…Umm… Yes… Sorry Sai. Let's go"
Natsume, finnaly got rid of the blue-capped boy from his mind, now was standing in front of the Go institute with Nyanko-Sensei perching at his shoulder and Sai by his side. Natsume had put the carrier in a paid locker at the station.
"So… Is this the place you wimp?" Nyanko said
"Yup! I'm sure of it!"
"Okay, let's give it a try shall we?"
Natsume entered the building and walked straight to the receptionist.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for Shindou Hikaru-san, is he available for the moment?" asked Natsume with his most charming smile, capturing the heart of the young receptionist successfully.
"Ah! Ummm…. Shindou-san… Right now… He… Eeeerrrr…" The young woman stuttered at the sparkling bishounen before her while trying to hide her blush with her book
"Shindou's out of town." A soft voice came from behind. Natsume turned around, found a young man, in his early twenties with spiky hair with an older man with a calm and soft expression,
"Look Isumi-san! A cat!"
Sai suddenly beamed at the sight of the man,
"Ah! Waya-kun! He's grown so tall! Isumi-kun too! Wow! It's been too long!" obviously, this Waya person can't hear a thing the spirit had said.
"Re… Really? Do you know where he is right now?" Natsume said
Waya was sticking out his finger to Nyanko-sensei and swirled it around, trying to get the cat's attention,
"Shindou's at Innoshima right now" 'Isumi' said
"Innoshima? At the Hiroshima prefecture?" Natsume asked in disbelief. Sai was widening his eyes as well.
Both of the young men nodded. Natsume groaned and slapped his forehead
"Shindou's always spent his golden week holiday there. Don't know why" Waya said, still playing with the cat. Nyanko-sensei, with all of his might was trying to catch Waya's finger.
"I think he's visiting Honinbo Shusaku's grave Waya"
"Might be"
"O… Okay… then… Thanks for your help" Natsume bowed to the men after stopping abruptly Waya and Nyanko's little game. He made his way to the exit, not before bowing politely to the lady at the receptionist.
After they're out of the building, Natsume sighed, "So? What now? Sai?"
"Takashi-kun… I guess… You don't have to take me there… It's way too far from here… I don't want to bothe…"
"Well you already bothered us didn't you huh Wimp?"
Natsume reached for Sai's head and patted it gently, "I already promised that I'll help you talk to Hikaru didn't I? Don't worry about that. Let's go to your Hikaru"
Sai's eyes were wet with tears hearing Natsume's word. Slowly, he bowed his head, hiding his face behind his sleeves and whispered chockingly, "Thank you so much… Takashi-kun…"
TBC
A/N: I had no idea which town does Natsume live with the Fujiwara's or if the train from there get to the Shibuya Station or not… :P
P.S Can you guess the boy that Natsume bumped into at the station? Lol! R&R!
P.P.S about the 5s (5 year, 5 days) If you not already know, the day where Sai disappeared was May 5th, and Go can also means 'five' (that's why Hikaru has lots of shirts with the number five on them, maybe) so yeah,