This story is amazing, and it fits totally with Madara's canon personality.

If anyone is happens to come across this review, it might interest you to know that according to folklore, a person who consumes the flesh of mermaids, or "ningyo" in Japanese, are called Yao Bikuni, and lives for 800 years, not a short stretch of time by any human standards, but certainly not an eternity. A spirit or akayashi might be able to live for that long, but I think a human like Natsume will most certainly go insane/senile, and Madara will live to watch Natsume's humanity, morality, and sense of self get washed away over millennia past.

Would be interesting to read a fic that touches upon this idea!

Beautifully sad

Conflicting feelings for Natsume and Nyanko... So complicated happy for the eternal life that he'll share with the spirits but sad for the people that'll go away ahh... Full of love..

Wow! This story was so sad and beautiful... I loved the way you portrayed Natsume and Madara/Nyanko-Sensei. ;D

... *goes to cry in a corner* This is so bittersweet. Madara didn't want Natsume to disappear from his side, and while Natsume understands that, he's still so so so lonely because now he'll never gain permanent human friendships. guh. (though I think that Natsume won't be that lonely because he'll have/make friends with spirits, which I think when all his human friends expire he'll turn to...maybe permanently. ;DD I shall delude myself with some happier thoughts!)

Thanks for writing!

Ughhhhhhh. *gross sobbing*

Stabbing me would have hurt less but I'm a sadist so I enjoyed this anyway TTATT

Wow. I don't really know what to think of this fic... it kind of shows one of the differences between Youkai and humans that makes it hard for them to interact on a long term basis.

I'd love to read a continuation of this, about those who discover that Natsume can't age or die. Government or Matoba, either would be interesting and angsty.

Is this a oneshot? I would love for this to be a full fledged series, but it's still amazing as it is. Loved it, thank you for making this!

Omg I love this story so much, really nice work.

As much as I like Takashi I have to admit that I am much more fond of Madara T_T (maybe it was because of his cat form lol). When I was watching the mermaid's episode I hoped that the mermaid would give Takashi her blood or something. And I really want him to stay with Madara forever even if he don't like it, so mean. Love this story so much. After all Madara is an akayashi, he doesn't have much sympathy, or at least that's what I think

'the spirit didn't care so long as he could keep the small form by his side.'
God this makes me want to cry TAT

I find myself coming back to this story often. It's so horribly bittersweet and tragic, it's perfect! This gives a deeper perspective to the series and the relationship between Madara and Natsume.

Fuck... This is so depressing!

So sad but very well written! I loved it.