Ch.4 - Missing Memories

As Natsume woke-up he tried to remember where he was, Then it hit him and he flung up from the place he was laying down. He went to stand up, but his vision was still blurry and he ended up slipping and hitting a cold blanket of water. He could barely swim at the moment so he just continued to sink deeper and deeper in to the ocean. Until he saw a figure coming for him, but he couldn't see enough to tell who it was, But also at that moment he didn't really care so with the tiny bit of strength he had left he lunged forward and grabbed on to the figure and then the person pulled Natsume close to there chest and began to swim back up to the surface. When Natsume was out of the water he could hear the persons voice and he knew who it was.

He now knew it was Matoba now, but it still didn't really matter who it was because he had 2 choices at that time he could make either he was to hold on for dear life or drowned in the ocean and he knew he would always chose Matoba over death.

When they were safely out of the water and back on the small boat that they had been on earlier, Matoba sat Natsume up and started patting his back so he would Cough all of the water out. Matoba leaned down to get a good look at his face "Wow did you do that on purpose to get us wet or was it just an accident."

Natsume coughed a few times and then said very bluntly "What do you think?"

Matoba laughed and leaned forward to grab a blanket and then wrapped it around Natsume's Shoulders. He went to touch Natsume's arm, But Natsume jumped side ways trying to keep his distance, until He sensed it again, That thing that had been chasing them all earlier. He instantly got as close as he possible could to Matoba, He tilted his head up and right before he passed out once again he whispered 4 words "Run away, Its coming."

Matoba didn't know what Natsume was talking about, But he knew that it had to be bad for Natsume to try and rely on him, but still he really had no idea what to do, because he had no clue what was coming after them, But the first thing he knew they had to do was get back to land.

When they had gotten back to land Matoba carried the sleeping Natsume in to the car he had waiting for them. When he got Natsume in to the car he woke him up long enough to give him some medicine for his fever then let him go back to sleep and After about 20 minutes in the car Matoba took a small strip of paper with writing on it and secured it around Natsume wrist.

When Natsume woke up his fever was a lot lower and he could actually see Matoba's face. When he sat up. He looked at his wrist and then back at Matoba "Really, Well I was sick and totally out you put this on me."

Matoba smiled "Its proof that you belong to me, and this time it won't come off because it's a seal that you cant remove by yourself and you don't know anyone strong enough to help you remove it."

Natsume tried to touch it with his other hand but got shocked " Owe, Take it off."

Matoba looked at it " Ya, Sorry that's not happening."

Natsume's head shot around to look behind them he could sense what had been following them again so he opened the door grabbing Matoba's arm and he began running away from the car. Matoba hooked his hand gripping Natsume's wrist and shoved his heels in to the dirt " Why are you running, What's wrong."

Natsume tried to pull away because he could sense it getting closer "We have to go, Its coming. Hurry up."

"What's coming."

Natsume tried to pull away again "It."

Matoba tapped Natsume's shoulder and he collapsed "You still barely have the strength to stand so came down and explain to me he situation."

Natsume looked up at him "But I don't even know the situation myself."

Right then a large black creature appeared behind Matoba and Natsume Scream and tried to pull away again. The beast kept repeating Natsume's name over and over again, The Beast pounced at them hitting Matoba across the back and knocking him unconscious. Natsume ran over and grabbed Matoba by the arms trying to drag him away from the where the beast was, But that only ended up getting them both hit in to the small river they were near. As they were flying down the river Natsume found a shallow spot where he could get footing and he knocked Matoba out of the water but he lost his footing in the process and started going down the river again. As he was trying to fight the current he ended up hitting his head against a rock and knocking himself out.

When he woke up he was beside the river on the grass, and he could only remember that he was knocked in to the water with someone. So he stood up as well as he could and started to walk back upstream looking for someone but he didn't know who. He couldn't even remember his own name, But for some reason he could still remember long black hair. The long black hair of the person he fell in the water with was all he could remember, and the fact he really needed to find the person who was with him kept ringing in his head and as he was walking his legs gave out from the stress of putting weight on them after they had gotten hurt in the river by the rock, but he still forced himself to stand up and managed to continue walking but after about 20 more minutes his vision went blurry and he blacked out.

Natsume could feel some one shaking his shoulder trying to wake him up, But he was so tired that he didn't want to move. But as the time went by he opened hid eyes and looked at the person kneeling beside him. He saw the long black hair and stretched his hand out and grabbed on to it. Matoba winched as Natsume pulled on his hair "What are you doing."

Natsume looked at his face "Who are you?"

Matoba looked at him "What are you telling me that you don't remember."

Natsume looked "Well I can't really remember anything except us falling in to the river and me pushing you out of the water then getting swept away again by the current."

Matoba looked back up the river "So that's how I ended up there soaking wet."

Natsume looked at the water too "Yeah but why exactly were we in the water."

Matoba's gaze slowly shifted back to Natsume's face "Tell me everything you know about yourself."

Natsume head dropped so he was looking at the ground "I don't remember anything but the few minutes before I went under."

Matoba thought about it for a second and then decided this was how Natsume would really become his, As long as Natsume has no memory of his life before Matoba knew he could say anything and that the foolish one in front of him would believe it was the truth. So the first thing Matoba told him was that his name was Natsume Takashi, and that he had no living family so he lived permanently with Matoba and that he could see youkai. Natsume believed everything little thing that Matoba had told him without questioning it a bit.

When they were done talking they decided it was time to leave and find a way to town, But when Natsume tried to stand up and started to walk he collapsed and hit his arm against a large group of rocks which cut the side of his wrist open. Natsume looked at Matoba "Owe, Why can't I walk."

Matoba pulled Natsume's pant legs up and saw all the bruises and cuts covering his legs "Well I can understand why you can't walk, I mean look at your legs I'm surprised that you can move at all and not to mention how now your wrist is also cut."

Matoba ripped a piece of his shirt off and tied it around Natsume's wrist, Then he stood up and got Natsume standing long enough to get him in to his arms. After about 20 minutes

Natsume was asleep and it was getting dark so Matoba though it was time to take a break, So he sat down against the tree and fell asleep with Natsume sleeping with his head on his lap.

When Natsume woke up he could hear someone calling his name and since Matoba was still sleeping he decide to find out who the person that was calling him was. Natsume could stand up but just barely so he used the trees to move slowly towards the voice's. When he was close enough to see them he saw Nyanko-sensei and Natori, But since his memories were gone he just turned around and walked back towards Matoba without really caring about who they was.

When Natsume had gone back to where Matoba was he sat down and laid against Matoba's shoulder. After about another hour of sleep he awoke in Matoba's arms, They were walking for about another 5 hours until they were at a large building with the name Matoba beside the door. Right when they went in Matoba head for the room setting Natsume down on the bed and then he walked in to the bathroom to grab some medical supplies. He came back to the bedroom and found Natsume there asleep with his hands gripping at the bag on around his waist. Matoba was curious so he was going to open the small bag but when he went to touch it subconsciously Natsume slapped his hand away. Matoba stood there trying to figure out weather Natsume was really asleep or not, But after looking closer he was 100% Sure that Natsume was asleep. So Matoba sat down beside Natsume on the bed and just continued to stare at him wonder how he knew, Until after about 30 minutes Natsume woke up to see Matoba staring at him very intently and got freaked out and jumped backwards falling off the bed and smacking himself against the floor. Natsume rubbed the back of his head "Owe, you scared me."

Matoba looked at him "I'm sorry I was just worried about you."

Matoba crawled across the bed and put out his hand and pulled Natsume up off the floor. Then Matoba grabbed the medical supplies off the floor "Now lets get your legs fixed up, So they don't get infected."

Natsume smiled at him "Yeah, and I can't be in a very could condition because they are feeling really numb."

Matoba pulled his pant legs up and took a cloth and soaked it in rubbing alcohol, Then he wiped them both down and bandaged them up. Then he took Natsume's wrist and just splashed some straight from the bottle on the cut, and Natsume kind of yelped at the pain. Then after repeating a few times he put some antibiotic suave on it and then wrapped it in bandage. Matoba laid across the bed and just stared at the roof, He was just so tired and exhausted after all that walking and instantly fell asleep.

When Matoba woke-up Natsume was gone and he got worried so he jumped out of bed and went searching, and ended up finding Natsume sitting in the small stone garden he had. Natsume was watching the coy swim around in the pond and never noticed Matoba walk up behind him. When Matoba went to touch the younger ones shoulder he flinched and then turned looking behind him to see who was there. They sat there together for a little while then Matoba helped Natsume up and took him to a room in the very back of the large house. As they opened the door Natsume was so surprised to what he saw, There were tons of different kimonos filling the inside of the room. Matoba took him in and set him down on the small stool closing the door behind them. Matoba walked to the chair on the other side of the room "Pick anyone you like and I'll help you put it on."

Natsume looked at them all and then looked back at Matoba "Aren't all of these Kimonos made for women."

Matoba looked at him "Yeah, But you'll look best in these, So just pick one."

Natsume looked around and found 2 that he really liked "Okay these are the 2 that I can't pick from, See I really like this black one with red and light blue markings all over it. But I also like this one that is white with black, and violet marking, So which one do you like most."

Matoba looked at them and then walked back to the shelf and grabbed one that was Black and white with Violet marking "How about this one."

Natsume looked and at the ones he had picked then back at the one Matoba had picked "Yeah I like that one better then these 2."

Matoba pulled it from it's stand and then helped Natsume put it on, and just admired Natsume. Then he thought about what would make it look even better so he took a string with a bell on each end and tied the back part of his hair up and grabbed him some nice shoes. Natsume just starred at himself in the mirror not believing what he looked like "Why in gods name do I look like a girl."

Matoba looked at him completely hypnotized "OMG, Your so pretty and You look so fragile and delicate, and completely just down right gorgeous and the outfit goes perfect with you and you hair looks so sexy."

Natsume pulled the bottom of the kimono up and showed his feet "Do I really need to wear these, I mean come on they are killing my feet."

Matoba looked down "But they totally complete your outfit, and the longer you wear them the more you'll get use to them"

Natsume looked at him with such unhappy eyes "Your not lessening to me at all, and did you forget that my legs are hurt right now and that I already can barely walk, not to mention that It hurts trying to walk in these right now."

Matoba looked at him "You have 2 choices wear that outfit or have me put you in the cell down stairs until you start listening remember you belong to me."

Matoba's hand flew up to his mouth after remembering that Natsume's memories were gone. Natsume looked at Matoba "What's that suppose to mean."

Matoba took his hand "I found you a few years back after you parents died in a forest and have raised you on my own since then and you always wear this kind of stuff so I just though you were already use to it but I forgot you had lost you memories, I'm sorry."

Natsume gripped his hand "That still doesn't tell me why I am yours."

Matoba hugged Natsume "Well we were kind of going out, and I wanted to see if you would remember it on your own, but I let it slip."

Natsume looked at Matoba "So that's why your so friendly with me and why I saved you when we fell in the water."

Matoba stopped and thought to himself for a second. "Yes exactly."

Matoba helped Natsume back to the stone garden so he could watch the fish and again, and then Matoba went to the bedroom to lay down for a while to think about what Natsume had said and wondering why he whispered to himself "Why did you save me when I was trying to hurt you the entire time, I mean he could of just let me drowned and saved himself, So Why, Why did he save me?"