This chapter got a little long. It's by far the longest in this story.

On another note, I recently got my hands on the Natsume Yuujinchou raws, including the newest volume ... and promptly cracked up. Let's just say I managed to predict some of the events down to a T. The only thing I managed to miss was the exact characterization of the people involved, but given the different situations this specific character was in, I'd like to think the change in personality is forgivable.

I suppose you could say this is a celebration for the end of Natsume Yuujinchou San, but the new season is coming in only three months, so there's little point. I'm just glad they seem to find the whole series worthy of animation, since that isn't very common in manga. Usually they just stop somewhere halfway through, go "this is a good stopping point!" and just leave it be.

I'm still sore about Pandora Hearts and Flames of Recca. *twitch*

Anyways, enjoy this chapter! Please review? Rather, I've gotten some really wonderful ones lately, so I'm a very happy camper! Thank you all!

Chapter 14

Ever since he was little, Shuuichi had always seen spirits. It had been something so natural to him that he hadn't thought anything odd of it until he was old enough to be told that his "imaginary friends" weren't real.

But they weren't imaginary. He knew, because when they moved, the leaves moved and the water rippled. When they pushed him, he fell, whether it was into a harmless puddle or down a cliff or into incoming traffic. When they scratched at him, their claws left red lines down his arm that couldn't be explained by any fall from a tree or a stray cat's anger.

And they weren't friends, because friends didn't attack each other. Friends didn't chase each other down the street, yell that they wanted to eat each other, and they surely didn't hurt others near him just for the sheer fun of it.

All for amusement. It was all for their twisted enjoyment.

Unfortunately for Shuuichi, they were everywhere. Spirits were after all not bound by the laws of physics, and even less by the boundaries created by material objects. They appeared when he was at home, when he was at school, and when he was in class. Once they had even appeared in his bedroom, and even though it was a relatively harmless looking cat demon, it still kept him up at night with its caterwauling.

The end result was that Shuuichi became a very good liar in order to maintain a normal life.

And how could life be any better? He had friends, he did well in class, and he didn't have any trouble with the spirits. He avoided their eyes, and instead met the eyes of his human companions. He even became an actor because he was so good at pretending, and it rolled in the money like nothing else.

But like a curse, the spirits followed him. No, to be more precise, he couldn't stop his eyes from following them (even if he did avoid theirs). He saw them play tricks on unsuspecting humans, and he saw them bring disaster upon the heads of innocents.

He couldn't even look at a mirror without being reminded of their plague. Every so often, across the face of his reflection, the gecko-shaped tattoo would crawl, reminding him that he wasn't normal. (Granted, the creeping mark was a help sometimes because even the spirits would sometimes startle at the sight of it. He wasn't sure why, but it was definitely handy in distinguishing human from non-human.) His desire to rid himself of the denigrating mark was the final straw that pushed him to rid himself of his trepidations and jump into the supernatural world.

He became an exorcist. He wasn't so deluded as to say it was from the good of his heart, to protect the innocents. Quite the contrary, it was probably from a bitter desire for revenge. It wasn't very paying, so he kept it on the side, a "hobby" for his free time, but he pursued it with the same persistence they had when they hounded his life.

Even when he met Urihime and Sasago, he hadn't noticed them for their kindness, their desire to help, but for their usefulness. They wanted to follow him – he had no idea why – but he was still in his early years as an exorcist and he needed all the help he could get, so he hadn't refused.

And then he had met Hiiragi (for the second time), and with her came Natsume. Natsume, who was the preface to a whole new beginning, because it was after he had met him that he'd started to see spirits in a new light. There were good spirits, and there were bad ones. Though they differed in many more ways – appearance and in the heart – they were, in the end, like humans.

They felt pain.

They felt loneliness.

Granted, he wasn't about to change his methods. Not even Natsume, impressed as he was of him (such abilities and power! If only he had the motivation, and there was definitely something to be said about that naivety…) could change everything all at once. People died, and so did spirits. The world was not some soft cartoon-scape where no one died and everyone had a happy ending. The job was the job. That was just the kind of person Shuuichi was.

Jobs came in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes he received personal requests, and other times he looked for jobs that were more bounties than anything else.

This time, the job had been one of the former. The rice from the fields had been disappearing in enormous batches every harvest and it was eating into the profits of the people in the land near Tateyama. The town's main stable was the rice and even though there were the basic signs of urbanization, it was still a mostly agricultural-based area.

And then an entire field ended up being knocked out of commission by a mysterious whoosh of wind, and the people decided enough was enough. That was where he came in.

Tateyama was right on the other side of Natsume's town from where Shuuichi had been, so he'd thought it would be fun if the other boy tagged along too. He truly did enjoy spending time with him; despite their difference in age and views, it was like finally meeting another of his species.

He wasn't alone in the world.

But Natsume was missing. He'd been missing for more than a week and he hadn't been found. The stupid cat of his wasn't even doing its job properly. Some bodyguard. The damn thing wasn't even thinking straight, and the thought was enough to make Shuuichi grit his teeth in frustration and outrage.

So Shuuichi had taken it into his own hands to start on his search. Unfortunately, a job was a job (and there were responsibilities involved). Despite his worries, he reasoned that one more day would probably be the least harmful thing for Natsume (since the stupid cat had already let so many slip by) and went on with his job. He could at least ask around, right?

Unfortunately, there wasn't any information to be found. No one had seen anyone with Natsume's description or name. It was very disheartening, but searching for Natsume in Japan was going to be like looking for straw in a haystack. He had somewhat expected it. Such was life.

The only thing left had been to seal the demon, assure the townspeople they and their crop was safe, and to leave, preferably to somewhere with a strong information network.

He definitely hadn't expected to be defeated. Kicked out. Condescendingly let go and left alive.

He sat in the inn room he'd rented. The view was good, looking over the fields. The rice plants swayed like waves in the ocean, in time and in rounds with the wind. A sea of green, yet it was interrupted by the sparkle of sunlight reflecting off the marshy pits of the field. Beyond that was the forest, greenery as far as the eyes could see as the land rose into one of Japan's many holy mountains.

It was truly a sight to behold, and a perfect spot for vacationing. If only Shuuichi were in such a mood, and if only he weren't in such dire conditions.

"Hiiragi, has your bleeding stopped?" he asked the one-eyed demon who was resting on the floor. She had just recently regained consciousness. Spirits healed easier than humans, not being of the flesh (another reason Shuuichi was less than hesitant about causing bodily harm to them), and nothing short of an exorcised blow could cause permanent damage.

"Yes, Natori-sama. The demon seemed to be holding back."

Shuuichi barely withheld a snort. It wasn't fitting of his image, even if there wasn't anyone nearby who cared. "Holding back or not, it still managed to do a number on us. Sasago is still unconscious, and Urihime just woke up. She returned to sleep soon after, though, to heal her wounds." He remembered the flurry and whoosh of the monster's long tails, flinging Hiiragi to the ground. The long sharp claws that had rent Urihime's binds in two as though they were mere spider webs. The rush of fur and hot breath as the demon had leaped on top of him, face close to his.

Hiiragi was silent. At first Shuuichi thought it was because of their loss and how it was supposedly her fault (she had an awful habit of shifting all the guilt to herself), but he was taken off guard by her next words. "Did that spirit seem … familiar to you?"

If she implied that it looked familiar, then absolutely not. However, there was something, something he had felt the moment the demon had snarled down his neck. Perhaps it was the eyes – the honey-colored irises with the slit through them that seemed to see and observe everything. Perhaps it was the aura – something that seemed so familiar that he was hard put not to actually relax when the other had entered his personal bubble and started threatening in a rather frightening manner. (No matter his experience as an exorcist, being confronted with a face of teeth was never a pleasant experience.) Either way, a strange feeling had come over him, something that seemed to have settled within him and stuck like Velcro. The hooks nagged at him and demanded attention. It was unsettling.

The most infuriating part was that he couldn't pinpoint exactly why, even though he knew he should.

"Natori-sama?" Hiiragi's voice broke through his thoughts.

"What? Oh, sorry, I got sidetracked. Yes, he does feel familiar, but I can't tell why."

The spirit only looked down in reply.

"You know?"

"But it doesn't seem very possible…" She seemed very unsure of herself, so Shuuichi decided not to press.

He looked up, and a shape caught his eye out of the window. "Isn't that…"

The white speck zoomed closer and plastered itself against the glass. Shuuichi stood and opened the window. "Is it out?"

Hiiragi nodded. "Yes, I sense him nearby. There is a strange buffer in the area that is stifling my senses, but just now, it was very clear."

He was just about to turn away when another paper doll came zipping into sight. "What's this?" He picked the doll hovering before his eyes from the air and held it, turning it over in his palm. When he saw his own note on this particular one, he groaned.

"Natori-sama?"

"It seems like a fellow colleague of mine is in the area." Originally, he had set the guard up to prevent them from meeting each other, but as things were, he couldn't just leave. He'd just have to be extra careful to avoid Matoba altogether.

Again, he was about to turn, but yet again, a white form appeared. "Again? I didn't even set this many dolls out in the first place!" he complained, exasperated, but as the words left his mouth he realized that this time, the form was rather large. And furry. And canine-looking.

"Natsume's cat?" He shoved open the window and stuck his head out, waving. "Hey! Stupid meat bun! Over here!" Luckily, there was no one on the streets to turn their head up at him and look at him like he belonged in an institution.

The large demon seemed to be sniffing around the ground for something. The very fact that Natsume's "bodyguard" was here was strange, since he'd last left him at the boy's home. They hadn't exactly left on good terms. Had the idiot really taken his words to heart and started his own search?

The spirit looked up. "Natori? So this is where your job is?" He lifted his massive head, looking into the distance. "What a coincidence."

"Coincidence?"

"I received word that Natsume's in this area. You wouldn't happen to have run into him, would you?"

"I've already asked around, but I've heard nothing either-" but just as he said those words, his breath caught in his throat.

Natsume?

He hadn't really linked the two trains of thought together until now, so it hadn't even occurred to him. Rather, even now, right after it had occurred to him, Hiiragi was right. It was just downright impossible.

Then again, maybe there was some spell?

"What. What is it? You thought of something?" Shuuichi was suddenly confronted by the dog demon's eyes up-close. He must have something from his expression.

Shuuichi shifted, trying not to show his discomfort at having such a large (and powerful, when he wanted to be) spirit so close and paying such close attention to him. "It's not… I really have no idea how to express it. To be precise, I think it would be best if you go to check it with your own eyes. I'll come with you, so wait there for a second?" Shuuichi didn't wait for the demon's affirming grunt before turning around and running out the room.

"Natori-sama! You're not planning on seeing him again, are you?" Hiiragi cried.

"Him." It wasn't "it" anymore, Shuuichi noticed. Hiiragi had known, or at least, her train of thought was definitely the same as his own.

Shuuichi checked his pockets, making sure he'd brought everything he needed. He didn't waste any words.

"Wait! Let me come with y-" her words were cut off by a cringe. Shuuichi ran up to her side to lay her down again on the futon.

"You know yourself you're not in any condition. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"If I can't go then … at least take someone! Urihime was fine, you said?"

"I said she'd woken, not in any condition to fight. Don't worry. As unreliable as the stupid cat is, he's pretty strong. I'm sure in this case, he'll actually put in his all."

"He won't protect you. He has his sights set on only one objective."

"I won't get in his way, this one time." Again, Shuuichi made his way to the door. "Don't follow me. Rest up, and I'll be back before you wake up, with any luck."

Outside, Natsume's familiar was still at the door. He was starting to paw the ground in irritation. Shuuichi was surprised he'd waited in the first place.

"You're slow! Hurry it up!"

Shuuichi ignored his words. "Wouldn't it be better you were in your cat form?"

"It'd be faster if we went by air."

And ignore all pretense of normalcy, because surely someone in this town would catch sight of him riding on thin air? Sure, why not? "It's in the forest. Traveling by air will only make landing more difficult, so it'll be better to go by foot."

The demon grunted in annoyance, but a puff of smoke later and the fat cat appeared again. "You better make this worth my time!"

"Oh trust me, if my hunch is correct," and he didn't know if he wanted it to be, "then this will be just what you're looking for."

"You've already met Natsume then?" Shuuichi stumbled as the cat clambered onto his shoulder, but he set off into a light jog with the sandbag on his back. (How had Natsume done this all the time?) He needed to conserve his energy for what was next, considering the other's hostility towards intruders at the moment.

"In a sense," was Shuuichi's only reply as the two hurried towards the forest.