And now, for a change in pace?

I can't for the life of me remember if Fujiwara Touko has ever met Tanuma. I'm going to assume she has here.

Chapter 8

It was true he didn't have the spiritual power. Kaname knew this, was reminded of it every day by lingering shadows and shapes that were almost there, but never quite. He saw reflections and wisps, but never solid shapes. In a way, he was grateful – he didn't have things nearly as tough as Natsume did. He'd never asked exactly what had happened in Natsume's childhood, but just the understanding look he had been privy to that first day they talked… That was enough.

On the other hand, though, it was like getting a taste of the grapes and then having them forever held out of reach.

It was enough that Natsume was his friend. It was wonderful that he could hear the stories and the descriptions behind everything he almost saw, almost witnessed. It was thrilling, a dream come true.

And now, something had happened to him, and Kaname didn't know where to start.

Despite their friendship, their shared troubles, both of them were too accustomed to hiding behind blinded shutters. Natsume lied before his mind could catch up with his mouth, and then he'd apologize and retract his falsehood and replace it with a half-concealed truth. Kaname would quiet, withdrawing into his mind until the conversation was dropped. They were on the same road, but always passing each other. As such, it was rare for one of them to actively bring the other his troubles.

But then again, this trouble had to do with Natsume, right? It wouldn't hurt for Kaname to confront "him," because whoever had talked to him earlier today was most definitely not Natsume Takashi.

At first, when he had been approaching the house, he had a "feeling." It wasn't the "you better run ASAP" kind of feeling, but more of a "something is most definitely wrong" feeling. It was like an itch running up his spine, little rat feet scurrying up to the base of his neck, sending shivers all the way down again. Something was wrong; he had to go see.

And then Natsume had opened the door, and Kaname knew immediately that something was off. Natsume just didn't feel like that. It was hard to explain, but being the son of a priest on top of seeing things that didn't exist for other people had its perks. He knew there were some things that couldn't easily be explained, and the fact that some people just felt one way was one of them.

He knew his intuition was spot-on when the door slammed shut in his face immediately after.

He'd allowed Taki to drag him away earlier that day, but this sort of thing had to be handled – or else something would go wrong, right? He had to be the active one because Natsume wasn't around to help him – because Natsume was the one in trouble this time.

Pausing only to gather his nerves, he slowly raised a hand to the doorbell.

The chimes rang through the house.

There were footsteps, and then a shudder as the door slid open. "Oh, hello Kaname-kun. How can I help you? Would you like me to get Takashi-kun?"

Kaname nodded. He didn't think he'd be able to do anything else.

She turned, leaving the door open. ("Come on in! Help yourself.") Kaname took the invitation, sliding the door shut behind him.

The not-Natsume appeared before him by the time he looked up again. His eyes were narrowed distastefully, and despite the fact that Kaname was taller, he had the distinct feeling of a mouse being stared down by a cat.

Not-Natsume sighed, and Kaname's muscles felt like they worked again. He opened his mouth.

The two spoke at the same time.

"Yes, Tanuma?" "You're not Natsume."

Silence stretched between them, and Kaname glared at the imposter, who looked shocked.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm-"

Kaname shook his head. "You don't feel like him. You're not him."

This time, whoever-it-was didn't talk back. He instead grabbed Kaname by the arm and dragged him outside. "Touko-san, Tanuma needs some help, so I'm going to go over to his house and probably spend the night there."

"OK, be careful!" came Fujiwara-san's voice from the kitchen.

(Oh god, he was going to be murdered in the streets.)

They didn't walk too far; really, they only stopped in the front yard, under the large tree that hung over the gate, but in that small distance Kaname knew that this Natsume's grip was going to cause bruises later on.

He abruptly stopped, and Kaname almost crashed into him. For a while, there was silence except for the chirping of cicadas.

"I've always told that idiot Natsume," not-Natsume broke the thin veneer of peace, "that being friends with you was going to end up being more trouble than it was worth."

The voice was familiar, and so was the tone, but they didn't belong to the same person. He knew this style of speaking. "You're … Ponta?"

"You're sharp for someone who's working mostly off guesswork." He'd never seen Natsume look so bored in all the time he's known him. "I suppose it comes with working off half-truths all your life."

"Where is Natsume?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here playing house."

"Why aren't you looking, then?"

Ponta – now that just sounded weird in this situation – raised an eyebrow. "Think about that question for a second, and then get back to me."

Because Ponta didn't want the Fujiwara's to worry that Natsume was missing? If he'd searched, though, then that meant that even he couldn't find his friend. Despite the fact that he'd never seen the chubby cat's true form, Kaname knew the spirit was powerful.

Whatever had happened to Natsume, he was in more trouble than usual. It was a long shot, but two bodies were better than one.

"Let me help."

"No."

He didn't expect to be rejected so quickly. "Why? You could search by … by air, and I could see what I could find-"

Natsume's lips pulled back in a growl. He could almost see canines. "You'll what, trip over 'invisible' spirits that you can't see? Meddle with things you can see, kid. It will save me trouble, and it will save your skin. " He turned away and started walking to the gate. "I have my hands full. Don't expect me to be save you from the bellies of some hungry demon. I have my own priorities."

Kaname blinked, and then there was a burst of wind. By the time he lowered his arms shielding his face, Ponta was gone.

He swore – it was one of the rare occasions he allowed himself to do so – and flopped back against the tree with a thud. Damn himself for being powerless. Damn himself for not being able to help his friend. Damn-

And his thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain bursting from the top of his head.

He cried out and jumped up, turning this way and that. He hadn't really expected to see an assailant, but instincts were hard to stop.

He was surprised to find the culprit on the ground, at his feet.

It was a book. Not a library book, or even a modern book, but one of the older ones with spines bound with string. The cover was a deep, forest, and the patterned spine was gold.

He picked it up and flipped through the pages. There were strange scribbles on each page, written in scrawling calligraphy. He was reminded of flowers and rivers, mountains and forests, all in a single brushstroke.

What a strange book, but there was something about it that prevented him from bringing it into the Fujiwara house.

It felt kind of like Natsume.

The front flopped down, billowing out a puff of dust, pollen, sticks and leaves from between the boards. There were kanji, elegant and beautiful, spelling out an innocent-sounding name down the cover.

"Yuujinchou."

The Book of Friends.