I beg for you guys' forgiveness. I just...totally...lost all connection and stuff to Fanfiction for a long while (I blame school and golf and stuff) so here I am going to try again to write a chapter (or two...or three) for you guys. Don't expect a lot though...cuz...just...cuz.

Don't hate. If you do, leave a review! I desperately want reviews because reason.

Disclaimer- As much as I want to be, I'm not the owner of Natsume Yuujinchou. If I were, I would...idk...rule the world with its awesomeness...and..stuff...yea.


*Swish*

*Swish*

*Click*

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Click*

Its been only 5 hours since I last saw the boy and yet I'm missing him. Already.

Even though I knew the boy for only a little while, I was fascinated by the boy's aura and...well...everything. It was surprising enough to find someone who was able to see youkais, but to be able to meet one who didn't...well..doesn't really understand his own potential...well, they're special. It's not just everyday that one can find someone like the boy, it's not just that he could see youkais, but the trusting and well-manners, it's not common anymore in this day and age. I sighed as I shuffled around for a more comfortable position on my bed. The springs squeaked as the weight shifted about as I moved around for a more comfortable position. My mother's necklace swirled around my finger. The last and only gift from my mother, a simple, yet intricate moonstone pendant was a claimed heirloom rumored to have dated back to the Kōka era.

My mother had been constantly sick since the day of my birth, and even though her incurable sickness kept her in bed most often that not, she had not, in the thirty-five years on her life missed a chance to reprimand me for any of the many foolish actions I have taken. Even on her deathbed, her words were those not of a caring mother's: "Strive," she had stated, "And destroy those insidious creatures who remain unseen to most."

Twas then was when she had taken off the necklace of her's, a beloved treasure, and with frail shaking hands, handed the delicate ornament to me.

She was not smiling when she died. Her face consorted into a frown, as if she regretted not doing many things in her short life span.

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Click*

*Stop*

The necklace swinging upon my hands slowly came to a stop. Something kept nagging me in the back of my mind…

What am I missing... I know it has something to do with the kid… the kid… the ki-

I stood up slowly, before turning toward the wall, and ramming straight forward.

*Thump*

I'm so stupid.


(7:43 pm)

*Tap*

*Tap*

*Tap*

I was getting impatient, and that doesn't usually happen. I checked my watched for the millionth time and sighed. The sky turned a deep blue and the forest, once bright with shining emerald-green and muddy brown converted to it's more forlorn self, now only a dark silhouette barely standing out from the sky, almost equally as murky. It was quite pleasant standing there on the bridge, being able to gaze across the horizon and let one's mind wander. But to stand there for the past ten hours, it isn't as much as of delightful experience. It was fun, though, watching as the residents of the city wander around, be it human or youkai. The humans promptly ignored me, save a few girls who had asked me to help them take a picture. The youkai's, not so much. A few strolled across the bridge, not really paying attention to their surroundings. Most kept a respectful distance away from me, muttering to each other as they glance once or twice at my direction. The oddest was this group of youkais. All barely reached the height of my elbows, all wearing the same black cloth draped over their head, covering their bodies, all seemingly sad and in mourning, and all chanting the same lines over and over again, "Grief our master had passed, Sorrow in this amassed."

When I had almost given up and was all but ready to leave, he came.

*Clack*

*Clack*

*Clack*

*Trip*

And with a small shriek, he landed right in my arms, poised to catch him by instinct. I glared at the quarter-sized youkai who caused the fall, but it just kept going on its way, unfazed.

"Ah…", he started, pushing himself up from my arms, "Sorry." He looked down at the ground, as if expecting me to scold him. When I stayed silent, he warily glanced at me, puzzled.

His face was marred with scratches and bruises, yet he didn't really seem to mind. A fresh bruise bloomed on his left cheek and a few scratches littered his face here and there.

When he saw my concerned face, he quickly looked down again and muttered, "I..uh...bumped into a tree."

This kid was a horrible liar.

Trying to change the subject, he hastily threw out a question.

"Did I make you wait long?" He inquired.

"No, you didn't at all. I just got here an hour ago." I replied, dusting off my hands. The small youkai continued about its way and I noticed as the kid glanced at it.

"Oh right!" I started, making him jump. "What was your name? I didn't quite catch it last time."

"N-Natsume Takashi."

"Natsume, huh?" The name rang a bell in my head, but to which bell, I didn't know. I just ignored it. "I'm Natori Shuuichi. Pleased to meet you."

I extended my right hand and, after a moment's hesitation, Natsume accepted it. His hand was marred with bruises and scratches, not unlike his face. I peered closely at it.

"So..you're going to tell me you got this from bumping into a tree as well."

He withdrew his hand and sharply nodded his head.

I sighed and fussed up my hair. "Follow me," I beckoned, "I know someone who could help you with your injuries from..ah...a tree."

He bobbed his head up and down and proceeded to follow me, carefully navigating his way around the wandering youkai.

As we approached the forest, more and more yokai seemed to follow us, and Natsume grew more and more wary of them every step of the way. At one point, a fox youkai reached out to touch Natsume's arm, eliciting a jolt from him. The sudden jerk startled the fox, causing it to dash back into the woods.


Dun dun dun...What will happen next? Will Natsume eat bread or maybe...ice skate with penguins?(just kidding) Aye. I owe it to my friend who have taken so much of his sleep time to help me with this story.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! 3

For all you people out there, please, do do do do do do do do write a review. I don't care whether it is one letter, one word, one paragraph, or one essay. I JUST WANT A REVIEW!

I appreciate all you guy's help~ If it weren't for you guys, I would have quit this story long ago.