Miruial: Don't worry! Natsume is way too important for me to do that to him!
AlyssPenedo: I agree it is quite corny, but I wanted him to laugh evilly and that's the typical evil laugh. So, you know... : P Oh, I almost forgot; what is 'NY-C fandom'?
Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Natsume Yuujinchou.
The day had been uneventful as per the usual routine. I had dragged myself out of the warm embrace of sleep, walked to school, conversed with my friends, fell asleep in class and had chalk thrown at me by the teacher, eaten lunch, and lived long enough to see the end of the school day. It had been a very long night; two more ayakashi had paid me a visit requesting the return of their names. If that wasn't enough to tire me out, Nyanko-sensei had waltzed through my door utterly wasted. I didn't get to sleep until three o'clock that morning. It was safe to say that I was utterly exhausted.
The bell signalling the end of school had sounded not too long ago and I was packing up my things. After I had just finished shoving the remaining books into my bag two figures approached my desk. It seemed that they were arguing with one another.
"Hey, Natsume! You'll stay and help me right? Unlike Kitamoto here, you're a good friend. Right?"
"Oi! I am a good friend! You're the bad one. Forcing your friends to stay and help you clean up. It's your turn today, Nishimura, not ours."
"You see? Kitamoto wants to abandon me! You wouldn't do that to me would you, Natsume?"
"It's not like you'd be doing this alone anyway. Who're you partnered with?"
"Sasada."
"Hahaha! Of all the people to be paired with. Come on, Natsume we'd better get out of here before she shows up. Otherwise we'll be stuck helping as well."
"Who's leaving?" A female voice sounded from behind the two.
Nishimura and Kitamoto spun around. Sasada was standing in the doorway, blocking off the only escape route. Nishimura looked slightly triumphant at the fact that both Kitamoto and I would be stuck there, but then he realised that he had to stay as well and his sour look returned. Kitamoto's expression on the other hand morphed into a look of pure horror as the class president started to lecture the both of them. The whole scene was somewhat comical; it was like a mother scolding her children. I let out a low chuckle, successfully startling them into silence. As one, they turned to face me.
"Well, I don't have anything else to do." I stated.
Nishimura looked at me like I had just handed him the keys to the chocolate factory. I had to hold back a laugh. It was then that the classroom door slid open to reveal Tanuma and Taki.
"Hey Natsume! Are you ready to go?"
"Ah, sorry, Tanuma. I have to clean up."
"No problem. Do you want some help?"
"You don't have to-"
"Really Tanuma? You're actually willing to help?" Nishimura shot Kitamoto a look as if to say 'see, you're the only one selfish enough not to help'. However, when the implications of Tanuma's additional help set in he was practically jumping off the walls.
"Yeah, why not."
"I guess I'll help out as well." Taki said as she walked into the room after Tanuma. Nishimura looked about ready to faint. I could practically see the hearts fluttering around his head and in his eyes.
"Great. With this many people we should be finished in no time." Sasada proclaimed happily.
Not much time had passed before we were almost finished with the cleaning. Kitamoto completed his last few sweeps with the broom before we all began to move the desks back into their original positions. After giving the classroom a once over our odd little group turned and left the school building. As it was Friday and there was no school to worry about until Monday, Nishimura and Kitamoto were excitedly discussing their plans for the weekend. Everyone seemed to be engaged in the pair's conversation as they discussed several activities that everyone would be able to participate in together.
"What a pain. So, are we going fishing again?" Nishimura sounded despondent.
"You're the one who said we need to mix it up a little." Sasada proclaimed.
"I guess this means we're all grown up." Kitamoto's hands were in his pockets and his attention was cast skyward.
"Huh?" came Nishimura intelligent reply.
"You know what I mean? When little kids go out to play they have all kinds of fun in an empty lot."
"Ah, so that's what you meant." Sasada sounded almost relieved.
"As people grow older they learn to put aside childish things. Soon we'll be learning how adults have fun."
"How adults have fun?" Nishimura, Tanuma, Taki and I all looked to the sky in thought.
A loud sound jolted us from our musings. That sound was soon found to be Sasada clapping her hands. "Hey." She looked a bit red in the face.
"Well, you know, when you were a kid anything you did was fun, so it wasn't so hard to find something to do." Kitamoto continued.
"Yeah, you're right." Tanuma agreed.
"We did something different every day."
"What did you do when you were kids? I played house, tiddlywinks..." Sasada offered.
"I used to go exploring!" Kitamoto seemed to be in a rather chipper mood.
"Exploring?" I queried, having spent most of my childhood being called a liar.
"Yeah. I'd get some kids from the neighbourhood and take them to the reservoir. My parents got really mad at me for that."
"I used to do things like that. I played hide and seek on the temple grounds, and one time I hid in this really important shrine building, and when my dad found me he scolded me good."
"Hahahah! Everyone played tag and hide and seek." Nishimura concluded.
"Shadow tag!" Sasada suddenly exclaimed. Her shout was accompanied by a silent clap of her hands.
"Uh?"
"I used to play shadow tag all the time. If someone stepped on your shadow you were 'it'"
"Ahh. I know that one." I said, happy to find a game that I knew.
"Everybody does."
"Yeah. Haha."
~Flashback~
The afternoon sun was sitting low in the sky casting its orange glow over the playground before me. There were several kids running around, all laughing and playing some form of game. I think one of the kids said it was called 'Shadow Tag'. They all seemed to be having the time of their lives, nothing but joy was in those smiling happy faces. It made me wonder what it was like to be able to play with your friends.
"I always watched the other kids play but I never joined them."
"Did you say something Natsume?" Nishimura asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"No, nothing."
They continued chatting excitedly all the way to the school gate. I was content with simply listening to them talk and observing the ever familiar scenery around me. This place had become a major part of my life and held an even bigger place in my heart. With the people that surrounded me now, I could forget about my troubles and simply live in happiness. I was soon brought out of my musings when a lone figure standing on the other side of the road caught my attention. The dark figure seemed somewhat familiar but I couldn't quite place it, we were too far away from– I stopped dead in my tracks. All humour from the previous conversation drained out of me. My sudden stop drew the attention of my friends as they turned to look at me.
"Natsume, what's wrong? Why'd you stop?"
They all seemed surprised to see slight trembling of my frame and the expression of fear-tinted-anger on my face. They followed my gaze to the man across the street. Of course, they had no idea who he was, but I knew him enough to know that he was bad news. It was Matoba-san Seiji. He was merely standing there with his usual sadistic smile plastered on his face. After finally seeming to notice me, he started to approach. I took a quick step back and instantly regretted it. Behind me were a couple of Matoba-san's shiki.
"Hello, Takashi-kun. Long-time no see."
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want, Matoba-san?" My friends looked between me and Matoba-san, attempting to understand what was happening. They appeared slightly startled by the tone of my voice.
"Someone's in a bad mood. Can't I just pop by to say hello?"
"What do you want, Matoba-san?"
He sighed. "I want what I've always wanted, Takashi-kun. You said not to come to your house, so here I am. Now, we can do this the easy way, which I strongly suggest unless you want your friends involved." I visibly stiffened at this. "Or we could do it the hard way." No one missed the underlying threat in his words. Matoba-san's eyes locked onto mine.
"Hey! Who do you think you are? You can't just come here and threaten Natsume like that!" Nishimura protested, fist raised.
Matoba-san looked amused. "Oh how rude of me. I never introduced myself to your friends Takashi-kun." His grin widened.
"Don't." I panicked.
"Oi. You're clearly upsetting him, why don't you just leave? If you don't I'll go get a teacher." Kitamoto interjected.
Matoba-san's amused grin stayed in place but he began to look somewhat annoyed. "I'll say it again Takashi-kun; come with me now or something bad will happen to your little friends."
"Oi! We told you to leave him alone."
Nishimura, Kitamoto and Tanuma moved to stand in front of me. However before they could get there Matoba-san's shiki grabbed them. Two more came from the bushes and took a hold of Sasada and Taki as well. They all began to struggle against their unseen foe. Confusion was evident in their faces. Tanuma and Taki however had identical expressions of realisation flash across theirs. Tanuma raised his eyes to meet mine, a silent message passing between us. Yokai? I turned back to Matoba-san completely furious now.
"Let them go." I ground out. My friends stopped struggling, shocked by both my tone and the command.
"What good would that do me? Say, I noticed that your little pet isn't with you. You're foolish to think that you are safe at your school."
"He's around somewhere. Let them go."
"I told you before, I don't-"
"Let them go and I'll go with you."
"Oi, Natsume! Don't give in to him!" Kitamoto scolded.
"Well, well. That's a good boy." Matoba-san clicked his fingers and his shiki released my friends. As I was just about to take a step towards Matoba-san, Nyanko-Sensei jumped down off the gate.
"Jeez, Natsume. I leave you alone for a minute and this happens."
"Sensei!"
There was a puff of pink smoke and Sensei now stood in between Matoba-san and I, his tail curled around me protectively. During Sensei's sudden appearance Tanuma and Taki had dragged Kitamoto, Nishimura and Sasada a few paces behind me. They then each grabbed one of my hands and pulled me towards them. They were asking me questions but I was too focused on Sensei to respond to any of them. Matoba-san's shiki had positioned themselves in front of Matoba-san to guard him. As Sensei took a couple of steps back to lengthen the distance between them he let out a low growl. I looked around me for an escape route and my eyes came to rest on the forest. I remembered the time a yokai had chased me through that very forest demanding that I hand over the Book of Friends. I had hidden from it in a concealed cave, maybe that would work against Matoba-san too. I turned back to my friends, determined to get them out of here.
"We don't have much time but I need you guys to trust me. When I say go, follow me as fast as you can into the forest." They nodded their confirmation. I then turned towards Sensei and Matoba-san's standoff. "Sensei!"