Chapter 2

"I'm home, Tooko-san."

"Welcome home, Takashi-kun. Go change, dinner's ready." greeted Tooko-san.

"Okay."

"Nyanko-sensei, did any youkais come here while I was gone? I've been feeling a strong youkai's presence for a while now." said Natsume as he put down his school bag and started to change.

"No. I haven't felt anything. Maybe it's just you feeling tired." suggested Nyanko-sensei.

"...I don't think so. And I have a really bad feeling. Nyanko-sensei, if anything happens tell Tooko-san and Shigeru-san I'll be at a friend's house or something, okay?"

"Fine. But you better not be getting yourself into trouble, causing I'm going drinking in the forest." warned Nyanko-sensei.

"Thanks. I'll try to keep a look out."

"Takashi-kun, dinners ready!" called Tooko-san from downstairs.

"Okay, I'm coming!" replied Natsume.

"Natsume, come here." called a large youkai.

"Youkai. Ho-how did you get in here!?

Nyanko-sensei! Where are you when I need you!?" cried Natsume as the youkai grabbed his feet and dragged him outside.

"Nyanko-sensei! Help!"

"Be quiet!" warned the youkai as it hit Natsume in the stomach.

Natsume's POV

Where did this youkai come from? I couldn't even sense its presence. Could it be the strong youkai presence I've been feeling all week? Natsume thought as he lost consciousness.

"Natsume, I'm going to use you to gather more humans to feed on. This is going to be fun." laughed the youkai as it dragged Natsume into a cave.

"Natsume, are you home? What happened in here?" asked Nyanko-sensei as he searched around the scattered room. "Natsume? Guess I'll have to take emergency procedures"

"Tooko-san, I'm going to stay at a friend's house for a while." said Nyanko-sensei transformed as Natsume.

"Oh, sure. But make sure to call me when you get there, okay?"

"Okay. I'll go after I pack my things."

"Yes. Have fun, Takashi-kun."

"I will. So see you."

Nyanko-sensei's POV

That Natsume, always getting into trouble. Didn't I tell him to look out for himself? I guess I'll have to talk to Tanuma. Natsume won't like me getting him involved, but two is better than one.

"Tanuma, help me look for Natsume. It looks like some youkai has kidnapped him." said Nyanko-sensei.

"What!? Natsume was kidnapped by a youkai!? Why!? Where was Ponta!?" yelled a panicked Tanuma.

"Gosh, you don't have to yell a bunch of questions. I wasn't there because I was in the forest drinking with the other youkais. And I don't know why Natsume was kidnapped. Does that answer all your questions?"

"Uh, yeah... So do you have any clue as to where he might have been taken to?" asked Tanuma.

"No. But it's highly possible he's in the deep part of the forest, because that's where most of the strong youkais live."

"Okay. Let's go!" said Tanuma as he started running towards the forest.

In the cave:

"Natsume, are you lonely? Why is nobody coming to look for you? Is it because you're alone? Cause nobody cares for you?" the youkai whispered in Natsume's ear.
"I-I'm not alone. There are people that care. Nyanko-sensei is probably looking for me." Natsume answered back.

"Probably? There is nobody looking for you. Ever since you've been seeing us, everybody's been calling you a liar and distancing themselves from you. Nobody has cared anything about you. You've realized it too, haven't you?"

"N-no. That's not true. They were good people, it happens when they include someone like me into their family. It wasn't their fault it turned out like that. But now I have Tooko-san and Shigure-san." replies Natsume in a quiet voice.

"Really? You haven't told them about us, have you? The only reason why they're nice is because they don't know. If they knew, they would leave you." smirked the youkai.

"N-no they wouldn't. They're good people. All the people I've met have been." stuttered Natsume.

"Then, do you want to test it?" sneered the youkai.

"No! What are you going to do!? Don't you dare do anything!" shouted Natsume.

"Hmph, that depends on your cooperation, Natsume."

"..."

"What do I need to do? I'll do anything if you promise not to harm anybody." replied Natsume in a whispered voice.

"Now that's how we do it, right Natsume?"

"..."

"All you have to do is let go of your consciousness and I'll do the rest." instructed the youkai with a smirk.

"You won't harm anybody, right?"

"Yup, if that's what you want. I won't harm anybody."

"Okay..." Natsume said as he felt himself lose consciousness.

"Now, for the fun."