Title: The Spirit Whisperer and his Spirit Teacher
Category: Anime/Manga » Natsume Yūjin-Chō
Author: we can fly away to Gallifrey
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Friendship/General
Published: 11-18-18, Updated: 11-18-18
Chapters: 1, Words: 2,028

Chapter 1: Fukigen x

A/N: These amazing fandoms need more attention and appreciation. They have beautiful worlds and beautiful morals and beautiful stories. I sincerely hope you enjoy delving into these worlds! This is written from Abeno's POV and is a story about a chance meeting between the characters. I'll be writing a Natsume POV in the coming future too, which I'll be incorporating into a bigger planned Natsume Yuujinchou work, which I am posting at the moment. I you would like, please check that out too - it is called 'We too, will be stories in the end'. But for now, please enjoy!

THE SPIRIT WHISPERER AND HIS SPIRIT TEACHER

Abeno and Ashiya watched as a boy, who had not been there a moment ago, caught a spirit by the arm as they almost tripped while passing him.

'Be careful!' The boy called after the young spirit who ran away after a quick 'Thanks!'

The boy must have appeared from behind the trees that they had been standing in front of, arguing about where Moja could be after another day with no sign of the furry creature. They had searched everywhere: the town, the school, and they had just been looking around the forest too. At first Abeno had been irritated at his employee's hysteria when Moja had been missing for an hour, and had allowed himself to be dragged along in the fruitless search, but it had been a few days now and he himself was quite worried. He found himself thinking the same thing again and again: I hope kedama is safe. For his sake and for Ashiya's.

The boy in appearance was about their age, with soft looking straw-coloured hair, and small fox-like, but kind, golden eyes. He wore casual grey trousers, a pink shirt with an open beige jacket on top. On his shoulder sat a creature resembling Moja but with orange and grey patches, which jumped down to rest on a light green shoulder bag the boy was carrying. And in the boy's arms sat the fuzzy little creature that they had been searching for all this time!

Abeno regarded the boy for a moment, then Moja in his hands, and then his eyes automatically narrowed on the neko form accompanying him.

That creature looks like a Maneki-neko. It's a yokai, that much is obvious, but what is this power? A yokai in disguise?

Ashiya, in contrast, had eyes only for the fur-ball sitting in the boy's arms. 'Moja!' he cried in joy.

The boy looked down in his arms at the fur-ball who seemed equally happy as Ashiya, who seemed to be almost crying in relief. 'Well, kemari, it seems that we found the human you were looking for.' The boy smiled at the fur-ball who nodded happily in response. The boy's voice matched his appearance well: it was quiet, but nonetheless encouraging. His whole aura radiated gentleness. 'Good for you. Don't keep him waiting.' He said, ruffling the yokai's fur, and watched the joyful reunion between the two before sighing. 'Sensei, could you please refrain from glaring at someone you just met like that?'

Sensei?

Indeed, since they had made their presence known, the Moja-like creature sitting on the kind boy's bag had been staring rather evilly at Abeno, who was returning the favour with an equally amount of malice. He was sure that the yokai knew he was the master of the Mononokean - there was something in his self satisfied smirk as he broke the stare which told him so. However the thing which irked him was that he hadn't figured out anything about the yokai in question, and that yokai knew it.

How? How does he know? Can he sense it?

'Well, he's glaring at me too!' The neko argued.

'And whose fault do you think that is?'

Just as the next retort was about to go flying, the pair's bickering was interrupted by the teary voice of Ashiya.

'Thank you so much! You found Moja! I was so worried! I couldn't find him anywhere!'

'It's okay. I'm glad I could help. Kemari seemed quite distressed without you. I think he got lost in the forest - that's where we found him. Some powerful yokai just passed through the area - the scents probably disoriented him.'

That's true...I felt them passing. They are our clients for tomorrow.

'Really? Wow you are so knowledgeable! You're just like Abeno-san - he's super smart too. And on top of that, you called Moja 'kemari', right? Abeno-san calls him kedama. Pretty similar, right?'

'So it is.' The boy smiled at the excitable Ashiya.

So another human that can see yokai. I'm glad that he accepts them. It always worries me when a human can see yokai. Yokai can be very strong, but they can be very vulnerable too, and can be easily hurt by humans. He is kind and went out of his way to help a yokai, and what more but he has a yokai companion. He won't ever hurt them... but what is this feeling? It's more subtle than that neko-yokai's power. This feels like a different kind of power. But that boy is human, right?

'Nice to meet you. I'm Ashiya Hanae. I hope we get on well.'

'I'm Natsume. Same to you.'

Natsume? Just Natsume? Who is he?

The two boys then looked at the Abeno expectedly.

On realising this, he hastily pulled himself from his thoughts and said: 'Domo. Abeno Haruitsuki.'

The boy, now Natsume, nodded at the Abeno curiously, exchanging a brief glance with the neko form.

What! The boy knows too! That can't be right... but he definitely can sense something.

'So you can see yokai too?' Ashiya asked brightly.

The neko form snorted: 'Obviously', making Natsume sigh yet again.

'Stop being so rude, Sensei.'

Ashiya, meanwhile, stared open-mouthed at the neko form, and let out a loud and very delayed reaction, causing both Natsume and Abeno to jump in surprise.

'Aaaaa! Y-your moja can talk! Sugoi.'

Everyone blinked at him. Abeno, the one most used to Ashiya's antics, was the first to react and brought a hand to his forehead. 'You - why are you so surprised. You've met at least a dozen talking yokai. And didn't you hear the neko speaking before, baka.' To which Ashiya placed a hand behind his head in sheepish embarrassment.

However, before he could reply, the said creature interrupted, infuriated. 'Who are you calling Moja and "neko"! I am Nyanko-sensei - a high level ayakashi. Learn it well, lowly human boys.'

So I was right. There is more that what the eye sees for both the yokai and the boy.

Ashiya flinched. 'Scary,' He muttered under his breath causing Abeno to sigh. Of course only Ashiya would get scared by a neko-like yokai. However their actions were all put to a stop as they observed Natsume:

Shaking his head at the commotion, Natsume had crouched down and beckoned to Moja. 'Come here.' His eyes soft eyes softened more as the little creature padded uncertainly over to him. He stroked the fur soothingly and reassured him. 'Don't be so sad, kemari. They don't mean it like that.' Indeed, Moja had looked a little upset. Abeno flinched.

Damn it! I was too wound up in my thoughts to realise what Ashiya just said. And I just added salt to the wound. I'll have to apologise to kedama later.

At Natsume's words, the yokai looked up questioningly to which he smiled. 'You really are cute. I do mean it.'

Moja shook its body a little and puffed out its fur.

'You can trust me.'

The creature's sudden bout of happiness made Natsume smile even more. He watched in amusement as it nuzzled his ankles and jumped up and down enthusiastically.

'I can see that.' Natsume laughed.

At the look of mild alarm from Moja, Natsume tapped the side of his nose knowingly.

'It'll be our secret, okay?'

Unknown to them, Abeno and Ashiya were observing the interaction with a variety of emotions. It looked like, well, like they were having a proper conversation. Abeno had on his face curiosity, understanding and the slightest bit of wariness, while Ashiya looked confused, awed and jealous, but mostly confused.

This boy, Natsume, has power. It's not influence like mine, but somehow close enough. He can see and understand them perfectly and there is a hidden but impressive aura about him. Never in all these years have I met someone like him. On the surface, he seems normal enough, but just who is he?

Nyanko-sensei sat preening himself indifferently. His only curt words to Natsume were: 'We're not bringing this one home.' To which Natsume rolled his eyes exasperatedly.

'Y-you can talk to Moja? Natsume-san, you can understand?' Ashiya cried out in shock. Abeno, who would have normally intervened, stayed silent this time - he wanted to hear what the mysterious Natsume would say.

'Of course.' Said boy replied while playing with Moja with a grass seed stalk so naturally as if he had been doing it for years. 'But you should be careful with your words, Ashiya-kun, otherwise you'll hurt kemari again.' Under his breath he muttered something along the lines of: 'Natsume-san? We look the same age, right? At least it's not as bad as The Dog's Circle...' with a frown, while his yokai companion laughed at him.

The Dog's Circle? Is that supposed to mean something?

'What? I hurt Moja? Moja, I'm so sorry! You're my precious friend, and I missed you so much, and I never meant to hurt you!'

Natsume smiled kindly at Moja. 'See, I told you.' Which made it release a croon of happiness.

'But I still don't understand...' Ashiya trailed off looking at the yokai who had made himself comfortable under Natsume's hand.

Well, for once there's one thing we have in common, Ashiya.

Natsume stood up, holding the white creature in both hands. He looked kindly at Ashiya. 'It doesn't matter whether either way. Look at kemari. Can you not tell just by looking? No? You don't need words to understand a yokai's heart.'

At the silence from Ashiya and Abeno, he lifted the yokai in his hands partway up in front of his face so that his mouth was hidden from the school-boys.

'I'm sorry for being angry at you! You're my most precious human and it made me sad when I couldn't find you, but now I have, I am very happy!'

After saying that, he placed the fur-ball in Ashiya's arms, and said: 'So, then, Ashiya-kun, Abeno-kun, until next time. Take care, kemari.', smiling in farewell.

He softly spoke to the not-Moja yokai, Nyanko-sensei, which had climbed up to his shoulder, and without glancing back, disappeared back into the forest from where he had first appeared, before the word 'Wait!' left the stunned Ashiya and Abeno.

Wait! Where did you come from? What is this feeling? Just who are you?

Later, when the pair recounted the tale to Mononokean, they didn't expect the reaction they got.

And you're sure that the boy's name was Natsume? (・・ ) ?

'Yes, we're sure. Why?'

And there was a yokai with him that resembled a Maneki-neko? (=ω=)

'Well now you say it, Nyanko-sensei looked more like that than Moja...

No way! You should have brought them here I can't believe I missed out on meeting them... ｡ﾟ･ (﹏) ･ﾟ｡

'Huh? Why are you so sad? Abeno-san, do you know?'

'Don't ask me. All I know is that he'd make a much better employee than you!'

Oh, Abeno, you have no idea just what an amazing employee he would make.

Abeno looked up in shock. Is he really that special?

'Abeno-san! How mean! And Mononokean, you too?!'

Never mind that. Tell me all about them. What were they like. Don't miss out any details! Tell me everything! !(''O'')!

A/N: Thank you for reading! I am no Japanese speaker (I'd like to be!) but to my knowledge, KE means hair or fur. MARI means ball. So KEMARI as Natsume calls the fluffy white ball yokai in the anime, is literally hairball or furball. I have quite conveniently used this name of Natsume's for Moja too. For that matter, Abeno calls Moja KEDAMA. Same meaning here, with KE meaning hair/fur and TAMA meaning ball. So KE + TAMA = KEDAMA = Hairball. So it's not that they sound similar, but they mean pretty much the same thing, with the difference being whatever nuance the words have in the Japanese language (I have no idea). But please do tell me if you know, and correct me if I am wrong.