A/N: Enjoy everyone! And if you haven't already, search "human madara" in google images. There is a drawing titled "Madara = Nyanko sensei" with four illustrations... it's amazing!

WE TOO, WILL BE STORIES IN THE END

His garments were white. The cloth wrapped tightly around his arms, creating a long sleeve ending part-way up his hand. It accentuated his nimble wrist, and long fingers, but Natsume could tell that there was strength in those slender arms. The same went for his legs down to his ankles, after which feet like that of a dancer stood looked perfect in a traditional wooden geta. Above the tightly fitting cloth, he adorned a kimono-like robe, also white, and billowing in the breeze of his transformation, embelished with intricate borders woven with faint red thread.

His face was fair, and pure white unkempt hair curled gracefully down his back. His eyes resembled that of the beast: they were strict and wise, but gentle at the same time. A small pointed nose, and pale lips, and the same red markings as the beast on his forehead, lining his eyes and high on his cheekbones. Perfectly formed features harmonised with his lithe form, taller than Natsume by about a half a head.

He was as magnificient as his white beast form. There was an air of regality about him, as he looked down at Natsume with a smile on his face, a completely different aura, but still exactly the same.

Natsume stared unashamedly at the new form. This was his sensei. This was his Nyanko-sensei. The one who played around, and loved manjuu, and went out drinking every night. The one who he argued with, the one who seemed undependable on the surface. Even when he transformed into Reiko or himself, he still looked so much like Nyanko-sensei, with that superior air and proud smirk...but this, this was so different. Was this really the Nyanko-sensei who had been by his side all this time?

'Stunned by my magnificence?' Madara smirked at the awed look on Natsume's face.

'Beautiful.' Natsume whispered.

'What!' Madara's cry was an indignant one; he couldn't believe that Natsume was calling him, a great magnificent ayakashi, beautiful, of all things.

'Beautiful. Sensei, you're really beautiful.' Natsume said once more. His tone betrayed no sign of teasing or mirth: it was genuinely earnest.

'You- oh never mind.' A small smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head in mock resignation. 'I should have expected something like that from you.'

Natsume reached his hand up, before pausing and asking: 'May I?'

Madara nodded his head curiously, and watched as Natsume examined his hair in his hands. He was exceedingly gentle as he held a wayward strand between his finger and thumb.

'It's just like your fur, sensei. ' Natsume's voice was low as he observed in wonder. 'Sensei, who is this?'

'What do you mean?'

'This form? Is is someone you knew?'

'Ohra, Natsume, this is nobody's form but my own self's!'

'Yo-your own self? You mean this is what you actually look like! You're not imitating someone like you do when you change into me or Reiko-san?'

Madara laughed gently at Natsume's shock.

'It is as much myself as the beast form is.'

Natsume took some moments for himself as he stared once more at his sensei. All this time, he had no idea. His sensei had a form like this? A form of a human? All this time, and he had never seen it.

'Sensei? Why did you never show me?'

'Think about it, Natsume. This form of mine is material - anyone can see it whether they can see yokai or not, just like the usual form I take. You should know by now that the reason I don't stay in my true beast from is because people would notice if you talked to thin air all the time. The cat form means that people will just assume you are talking to your cat, whether you are talking to me or some other yokai. You having a cat follow you around is nothing. But if a human started following you around, wouldn't that cause some problems? As nice as the Fujiwaras are, even they wouldn't allow a stranger as suspicious to stay at their house. After all, a person who turns up out of thin air, without a job or a home, or family, who follows a high school boy everywhere is nothing but suspicious.'

Natsume gaped at his sensei. He would have never imagined that he had put so much thought into these things, just so it would be easier for him.

'Sensei... You didn't have to do all this. I could have just said that you were my fr-'

'Baka Natsume, it not just because of you. It's much easier to intimidate yokai in my beast form so I don't take on this form very often. Two months ago and now, it's the first time that I have used this form in a very long time. I can't even remember the last time. None of the ayakashi would even recognise it. So don't you go thinking it's all for you.'

Natsume smiled. 'Hai. But sensei, I have another question.'

'What is it now?'

'Why is this form material? If it is your true form and you are a yokai, then why can all people see it?' Natsume asked, not quite devoid of suspicion.

'...Technically, it is a transformation like I do when I turn into you or Reiko.' He said, scratching the side of his face and uncharacteristically abashed.

'Huh? But you said that this is your true form?'

'Ma, that would be because a long, long, long time ago, I wasn't an ayakashi; I was a human.'