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BOUND	By : OokamiKasumi Category: +M to R > Natsume Y?jin-Ch? > Natsume Y?jin-Ch? Views: 1742 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: ‘Natsume Yuujinchou’ characters, terms, and locations property of Midorikawa Yuki. This story was written for the intent of Personal enjoyment. No money was made from this work.

Chapter List
- 1-BOUND
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty-One
- 22-Twenty-Two
- 23-Twenty-Three
- 24-Twenty-Four - END
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~ Two ~
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Completely surrounded by forest and at the top of a winding stone staircase, the temple in Eight Fields is a small, single storey Chinese styled building made of hand-polished wood with a sloping red-tile roof. It was old and a little battered, but the red paint on the roof supports and the porch columns guarding the door was fresh.
As soon as the temple came into view, the cat's eyes narrowed. "Natsume, why are we here?"
I smiled as innocently as I was capable of. "I thought I'd stop by for a visit."
He immediately started spitting, hissing, and shouting up a storm. "A visit! What do you mean, a visit? That's a temple, you idiot! I can't go in there!" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What business do you have in there? That blind priest can't do anything for you that I can't -- and better too!"
Leaving the cat on the stone steps, I crossed the patio, and stepped up onto the small porch.
The cat's fury devolved into growls, hissing, and name-calling. "Stupid, Natsume! Idiot boy! Ungrateful brat! After all I've done for you...!"
Sighing heavily, I slipped off my shoes, leaving them at the door, and stepped inside. The interior of the temple smelled of incense and wood polish and metal polish. A humongous solid bronze effigy of a reclining Buddha surrounded by thousands of lit candles took up almost the entire interior. I blinked at it, unable to imagine how many hours went into polishing it -- and cleaning up spilled candle wax.
I moved to the left and spotted movement in the far back corner. Moving slowly, so I wouldn't disturb the candles, I slipped past the Buddha and walked deeper into shadow.
Sitting in the far left corner and against the wall on a thick cushion was the bespectacled monk Mr. Tanuma with his robes tucked neatly around his knees. Before him was a low black table scattered with scrolls, books, and papers. By his right hand were a solid black ink stone and a cup holding ink brushes. Wielding one of the slender brushes, he inked words in flowing lines down a sheet of creamy rice paper.
An open door at the center of the very back wall, shed bright sunlight onto his table, and revealed the small spare apartment where the Mr. Tanuma stayed with his son.
The priest and his son were the only two people in town that knew I saw spirits. Mr. Tanuma wasn't sensitive to them at all at all, which is why the spirits considered him blind. However, that didn't stop his purification spells from packing one hell of a wallop.
His son Kaname was sensitive to spirits, but he only saw them as flickering shadows. He couldn't see them or hear them the way I did. As schoolmates, we had a tentative friendship. Kaname and I spoke on occasion, but I was afraid to get any closer than that. With all the spirits chasing after me, his inability to see them clearly could get him seriously hurt -- or killed.
I did not tell them about the Book of Friends.
Mister Tanuma looked up and smiled. "Oh, young Natsume, nice of you to visit."
I bowed politely. "Mr. Tanuma." All of a sudden, I had no idea how to ask for what I needed -- a sutra to ward a refrigerator from gluttonous spirit cat.
The monk rose from his cushion. "I was just about to make a pot of tea, would you like some?"
I nodded and smiled, grateful for the chance to gather my thoughts.
"Come along then." Mr. Tanuma led me into his tiny apartment. The main room was small, holding only a battered loveseat and a worn wing-backed chair with a small table and lamp between them. There was no sign of a TV set. Instead, there were shelves on every wall loaded with books and scrolls jammed in every available space. On the left, I noticed a short hallway with two doors I assumed were bedrooms, and a door at the far back that was most likely the toilet and bathroom.
In the center of the main room's back wall, the door was open. Bright sunlight poured through the glass of the storm door. Large, nearly floor to ceiling windows framed the door on either side letting in even more sunlight.
"Please, have a seat." Mr. Tanuma waved me toward the loveseat then stepped into the kitchen alcove on the right. It was little more than a long cupboard counter with a stove at the near end, a small refrigerator at the far end, and a sink in the middle. Rather than cabinets over the counter, there were shelves. On the far right was a tiny kitchen table with two chairs. The monk set a kettle on the small gas stove. From the shelves above the sink, he pulled down a plain black teapot and two matching cups. "All I have at the moment is black tea, will that do?"
"Black tea is just fine." I sat on one side of the loveseat and looked around with interest. Some of the books and scrolls lying about looked positively ancient.
Mr. Tanuma came back into the main room with a small wooden tray holding the steaming teapot and cups, a pair of spoons, a small pitcher of cream and a sugar bowl. He set the tray on the table and poured the tea, then sat in the wind-backed chair.
I added a small amount of sugar and cream to my cup. It was hot, and strong. Perfect after a long chilly walk with an annoying companion.
For several minutes of companionable silence, we simply sipped our tea. Eventually, Mr. Tanuma set his empty cup on the table and smiled. "So, young Natsume, what brings you here on such a pretty autumn day?"
I set my cup on the tray. I had thought and thought over how I should ask, but all I could come up with was the bald truth. I took a deep breath and just spat it out. "With all due respect sir, I need a charm to keep a certain spirit out of...a certain place."
Mr. Tanuma's brows lifted. "I see." He folded his hands together and smiled. "Is this place large or small?"
Relieved that the hard part was over, I smiled. "It's small."
Mr. Tanuma turned to his left and opened a wooden box filled with blank yellow slips of paper. "How small? A small room or a small object?" He opened one of his scrolls revealing gorgeous calligraphy.
Fascinated by the scroll, I didn't monitor what I was saying. "It's a refrigerator."
Mr. Tanuma froze, then his gaze slid to mine. "A...refrigerator?"
I stared at him in shock, unable to believe I’d just blurted it out like that. Oh well, too late now. I looked down at my folded hands and hunched my shoulders. "Yes, sir." I lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "The spirit staying with me is sneaking into it at night." I snuck a glance at him. "It's not good for him, and it's definitely not good for the Fujiwaras budget."
Mr. Tanuma blinked, wide-eyed.
I ducked my head wincing. Here it comes, the part where he calls me a liar and kicks me out.
Mr. Tanuma chuckled softly. "I knew you were friendly with the spirits, but I had no idea one of them was actually staying with you."
I looked up at him in more than a little surprise. "You believe me?"
He shrugged and gathered his scroll and the papers. "No reason not to." He smiled. "My son does, though he tells me that you can see them as clearly as you see me. He says you even speak to them and I know you occasionally help them out." He winked.
He was referring to last summer when the local spirits petitioned me to find the exorcist who kept flooding the area with random purifying waves. Mr. Tanuma might not be able to see them, but his Buddhist spiritual powers were undeniably strong.
I nodded and smiled. "I try to help when I can."
Mr. Tanuma rose with the scroll and papers in hand. "Let me take this back to my table. I believe I can make just the thing for you."
I rose and followed the monk into the temple.
He took a seat on his cushion and spread the scroll out. "You probably won't believe this, but there actually is a small charm specifically for keeping spirits out of food."
I blinked. "Really?" I couldn't help but smile. "That's exactly what I need." I dug into my pockets for the money I'd saved from my pocket allowance. "How much do I owe you?"
He paused in the process of inking a very slender brush and smiled up at me. "Leaning against the outside wall, right by the door is a broom. Would you mind sweeping the leaves off the porch and patio?"
I blinked at him. "You don't want money?"
The monk waved his hand in dismissal. "Not from a child."
I looked him dead in the eye. "I'm seventeen."
He blinked back at me. "But, you're in my son's grade, aren't you?"
I nodded slowly. Yes, I was a little old for being in my first year of high school. I offered a tentative smile. "Before the Fujiwaras took me in, I'd changed schools a little too often, so I was put back two grades."
It was the god's honest truth. Moving from home to home so often didn't allow for consistent schooling, never mind consistent grades. Of course, none of my current classmates had any idea that I was two years older than they were. I was somewhat thin and a little short, so I looked far younger than I actually was -- which allowed me to blend in perfectly.
A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "My son is in a similar situation." He sighed. "Problems...kept cropping up at the schools he attended, so he's a bit...old for his grade too."
Problems -- meaning spirits. I nodded in complete understanding.
Mr. Tanuma smiled. "My son will be seventeen this winter."
I blinked. As tall as he was, I'd realized that young Tanuma was a bit older than the rest of our classmates, but I hadn't realized that he was that close to me in age. "Oh..."
Mr. Tanuma waved his hand. "Either way, your money is no good to me." He smiled. "But that porch could really use a good sweeping?"
I smiled and bowed. "Yes, sir and thank you sir."
He brandished his ink brush. "Go-Go! Sweep-sweep!"
I left the monk to his work and squeezed past the Buddha to step outside and put on my shoes. I found the twig broom exactly where he said it would be and started sweeping. Since it was October, and the temple was in the middle of a forest, there were a LOT of leaves on the patio and porch.
The cat hopped up onto the top step of the long staircase then scooted around the edge of the temple's patio to face me. "Natsume, what are you doing?"
In a jovial mood, I smiled. "I'm making pancakes, what does it look like?"
"Pancakes...?" The cat frowned. "It looks like you're sweeping to me."
I smiled brightly. "Well then, if you know what I'm doing, why did you ask?" I swept the gathered leaves into his face.
The cat huffed and puffed through the leaves. "Brat! What were you doing in there with that priest?"
Without pausing in my sweeping, I shrugged. "We had tea and talked about his son." It was the truth -- just not all of it.
The cat followed me without stepping onto the patio. "So why are you sweeping?"
"Because it needed to be swept." I swept another pile of leaves into the cat's face.
The cat squawked in surprise and sputtered. "Natsume, you idiot...!"
I quickly moved to the center of the patio to distance myself from the irate cat digging his way out of the leaves. Hopefully, I'd annoyed him enough to derail his train of questioning.
Once the cat crawled out of the leaves, he toddled around the edge clearly trying to get close to me without stepping on the patio. "Natsume, you're up to something! I can tell!"
Well there goes that hope. I continued sweeping, but decided to go on the attack. "You're absolutely right! I am plotting against you with the priest!"
The cat huffed and snorted. "Like that priest can do anything to me?"
"Well, now that that's out of your system..." I smiled and changed the subject to the cat's favorite topic. "I wonder what Mrs. Fujiwara is making for dinner?"
The cat bounced in place. "Oh! I know! Hot-pot with tender, juicy leeks, boiled eggs, and lots of chicken...!"
I nodded solemnly while casually sweeping another pile of leaves in his direction. "Is that so?"
The cat eyed the leaves getting closer to him. "Yes, and if you don't finish that soon, we will be late for it."
I smiled widely. "Oh, then I guess I better hurry." I sent my gathered pile of leaves flying his way.
The cat dodged to the left. "Nyah! Nyah! Missed me! Missed me!"
"Just that once, you obese cat!" Brandishing my broom like a hockey stick, I chased him with more leaves.
The cat dodged around the edge of the patio to the left. "Obese! Who's obese?"
I chased after him with more leaves. "The way you eat, are you a cat or a pig?"
The cat dodged the other way. "At least I eat! Do you? Ever? You're so skinny I can't tell if you're a sapling gone very wrong, or just a twig...!"
Sweeping madly, I chased after him. "A sapling gone wrong? You're gonna have to do better than that, Mr. I-can't-stay-out-of-the-sake...!"
The trees and the wind seemed to join in on our game, blowing just enough bright red and gold leaves onto the patio to keep me sweeping. Eventually though, I ran out of leaves and breath, from laughing so hard. Smiling I went to return the broom to its place by the door.
The cat took the opportunity to flop over onto his side huffing for breath.
Mr. Tanuma met me at the door with a broad smile. "Enjoy yourself?"
Heat filled my cheeks and I looked away. "Well, the leaves are cleared."
Mr. Tanuma nodded and continued to smile. "So I saw." He leaned close and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Is that...the problem?" His gaze slid toward the cat on the edge of his patio.
I winced. "Yes sir."
He blinked. "Ah, I see." He held out a plain envelope and an apple. His voice remained a whisper. "Simply say, 'I invoke thee,' and it place it somewhere out of casual sight."
I took the envelope and tucked it into my interior coat pocket, then took the apple. "Thank you, very, very much." I bowed.
Mr Tanuma inclined his head. "I was honored to have your...visit, young Natsume. Feel free to visit again." He winked. "Preferably when my son is home, I'm sure Kaname would like the company."
I nodded and smiled. "I think I'd like that too, Mr. Tanuma." I bowed again. "Sorry, but, I really ought to go."
Mr. Tanuma nodded. "Yes, you probably better, before it gets too late."
I jogged for the stairs. Just before stepping down them, I turned and waved. "Thanks again!"
Mr. Tanuma waved in reply, then turned and went back into his temple.
I started down the wide but shallow steps at a fairly quick pace.
The cat was at my side in an instant. "What did that monk give you?"
I held up the apple. "Want a bite?"
The cat shuddered. "Hell no! I won't eat anything that's been handled by a monk!"
I smiled. "Good!" I bit into the apple with gusto.
The cat shook his head and stuck out his tongue. "Disgusting...!"
Since I didn't have to disguise where I was going, I was able to take a far more direct and much shorter route home -- due west, right through town. The sun was directly in my eyes, but the sunset-stained red, gold, and violet clouds were lovely.
I was walking by a high white stone wall, about twenty minutes from the house, when I saw an interesting sight.
A female spirit was walking towards me in loud wooden sandals wearing worn antique robes and a weathered mask with one eye and two upraised curving horns. Her right hand was bandaged, but the bandages were dirty and unraveling. She walked right past me trailing a rope that was tied around her neck.
I frowned after her. "Hey, your bandage is coming undone. Want me to fix it?"
The spirit stopped but didn't turn around. "It's of no concern to you, human." She clopped away on her wooden sandals.
The cat hissed at my feet. "Don't just randomly talk to spirits, you idiot!"
I sighed. "Okay, fine." I continued toward home.
* * *
The cat was right; Mrs. Fujiwara made hot-pot that night.
Sitting at the table across from the older couple, I dug in with enthusiasm and moaned with pleasure. "This is sooo good!"
Touko smiled broadly. "Oh! Well then, eat as much as you like!"
Mr. Fujiwara, Shigure's mouth was full, so he nodded enthusiastically and waved his chopsticks. As soon as he swallowed, he pointed at the boiling pot of food in the center of the table. "Yes, eat up!" He leaned across the table and spoke in a loud stage whisper. "I married her for her cooking you know!" He winked and smiled.
Touko put on a huge fake pout.
I shook my head and smiled. "You did not." I leaned across the table to stage whisper back to Shigure. "I saw the wedding photo in the living room." I winked. "I would have married her too!"
Shigure rolled his eyes. "Okay, you got me." He turned to Touko and nodded solemnly. "I married her for her smile."
I nodded firmly. "Exactly."
Touko rolled her eyes. "Oh you two..." But her cheeks turned pink and a smile danced at the edge of her lips.
Dinner went along smoothly and rather happily. After dinner, I made sure to help clear the plates and help put away the leftovers. As soon as Touko started on the dishes, I pulled out the crisper drawer and drew out the yellow sutra I had tucked into the sleeve of my sweater. I breathed on the paper in the softest whisper I could manage. "I invoke thee."
The paper gave off a bit of a flash.
I immediately slapped it against the bottom of the crisper drawer and closed it.
Touko turned around. "Is everything all right?"
I hastily closed the refrigerator, stood up, and turned around with an uneasy smile. "I just wanted to be sure nothing would fall out when it opened." Had she seen the flash? I knew for a fact that she couldn't see spirits, so it was doubtful. Just in case, I decided that distraction was the better part of valor. "Would you like a hand with those dishes?"
Touko tilted her head to the side then smiled. "You are such a good boy." She nodded. "I'd love some help."
I went to the sink and took up the dishtowel to help her with a far more sincere smile.
~ * ~
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