Yay! New chapter!

I'm not really sure what to say, other than the fact that I hate the previous two chapters (especially the Red Cold Flowers one). But I really LOVE this one. It's inspired by Spirited Away. I tried to make it sound like that world. Maybe I tried too much for the sake of the story though... Maybe it came off as awkward? Well, either way, I love the concept! I'M SO EXCITED!

I almost spoiled all of you with the plot of the following chapters! I had a summary of the chapters at the end and I almost forgot to erase it. Oops. Well, all is well, fortunately, I didn't goof up. Thank the ending author's note for that, otherwise, I wouldn't have seen the potential disaster!

Anyway, I don't have much to say other than, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Off you go then!

(as always, I haven't proofread. My apologies.. )

Natsume squirmed uncomfortably. He was not used to wearing traditional clothing. The layers of clothes under his blue haori made him feel as if his movements were restrained. He had no idea where the forest yokai had found these clothes, but he was glad. This way he would be able to blend in more easily.

"You look great, Natsume. You'd be very pretty if you were a girl…" Hinoe said and teasingly blew smoke on his face. Natsume grimaced, waving the small cloud away. "Now there is one more thing that I'd add.."

He waited patiently as the purple-lipped woman tied the blank rectangular paper mask for him. As usual, it covered half of his face and obstructed most of his view, much to his dismay. Hinoe brushed his bangs aside with a smile. "There, all done."

Natsume and Hinoe walked up to the clearing where Misuzu was awaiting. The great bull yokai had gathered his familiars, most of which were tiny green frogs with single yellow spots on their backs, chirping rhythmically in rows before the wide horse grin and the big swirly eyes of their master, their little mouths opening and closing in excitement. Natsume had never seen so many frogs before and it was sort of mesmerizing to view the tiny army.

"Don't you dare forget about souvenirs!"

Ah. Of course. The fat ayakashi was there too, eyeing the frogs in a very concerning manner.

"I'm not going there for fun, Sensei."

"Tch. You're missing so many opportunities. Hey, why don't you send me instead? You stay here, I'll go get the kid."

"I really doubt you can handle a three-year-old."

"You never know unless you try."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Listen, Nyanko-sensei, and listen well because I will only say this once." He approached the fat cat with one finger pointing up in an intimidating way. The fact cat gulped. "You will absolutely not embarrass me in front of the Fujiwara. Got it? You won't eat so gluttonously like last time."

"I can't help it, your share of lunch, dinner, and breakfast is always so much more than mine, and you are always allowed to get seconds…"

"Sensei, please control yourself just this once, and I'll buy you lots of manjuu when I come home for compensation."

"As many as your wallet can afford." The cat nodded with satisfaction.

"Natsume-dono." Misuzu interrupted, the bells clinging pleasantly at the slightest motion of his head. "We should depart now. If the sun rises to the middle of the sky, I cannot guarantee passage."

He reached for the pendant around his neck, feeling the smooth surface of the blue scale with care. Once it was off, he sensed the breezes shift around him, rustling the bushes and whooshing through the bare branches of trees. The tiny frog familiars chirped jubilantly. He knew that if he were to look in a mirror, his reflection would be that of a white-haired, green-eyed Natsume Takashi who bore the eyes of dragons. But he still felt the same Natsume Takashi that would help carry Touko-san's shopping bags. The blue dragon scale seemed to pulsate reassuringly between his fingers.

"Time to go then, I guess… Nyanko-sensei." He said, and for some reason, everything seemed otherworldly. Knowing that the fat cat would not accompany him was unnerving.

"I guess it is." The multi-colored fat ayakashi yawned and stretched his front short legs lazily, completely unfazed.

Natsume's expression softened. He kneeled down and patted the fluffy cat's head, then got up again and walked away without saying anything. Nyanko-sensei, fortunately, did not make any comments.

Misuzu waited for the nod of confirmation from the boy and upon receiving it, a tremor ran through his body and his purple hair shook in the air, accompanied by the jingles of bells and the chirps of the chorus of frogs.

"Don't you worry, Madara, we're going to have as much fun as we can in your stead!" Hinoe shouted to be heard above the clamor. Nyanko-sensei scoffed.

Misuzu lead the parade of frogs into the trees, which swayed and shifted like melting candles, the brown colors of their trunks and branches fading away into something indiscernible. Natsume could hear faint cheerful music coming from that swirly image.

He walked close behind Misuzu, with Hinoe by his side. The Chuukyuu were singing and waving their sake bottles around to bid them farewell.

The shifting bright blur was too much for his eyes, so he shielded them with a pale hand, and waited patiently for the colors to stabilize again.

Then, everything took shape around them all too suddenly. The frogs came to an abrupt stop and he stumbled in an attempt to avoid stepping on them. Misuzu turned around to face him, a huge wide grin of square teeth present on his face.

"We are here. Welcome to the land of spirits, Natsume-dono."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were everywhere, short and chubby, tall and slender, horned, one-eyed, winged, clawed, tailed, masked, red, black, grey, green, blue, the variety of ayakashi was captivating. The hustle and bustle echoed throughout, a throbbing life. The food stalls at each side of the street were decorated with glowing red and yellow lanterns, and were filled with customers that were chugging down the slippery noodles from their bowls, or tearing the juicy flesh of delicacies on sticks with sharp teeth. The buildings were traditional, with red beams and black rooftops, and above, connecting either side of the road, were even more lanterns. Up ahead, there was a crossroad where many of the bigger yokai were walking or slithering, and between them rushed smaller figures that were busy carrying things for various errands. Carriages lifted clouds of dust and coughs echoed in irritation. The flutes whistled peculiar tunes, louder and louder for each song, and then starting slow again at the beginning of a new one, only to end it with the same trick of recycled enthusiasm that was however fresh to all the ears that had an unquenchable thirst for fun. The smell of alcohol, steamy foo, and smoke burned the nostrils, but it wasn't unpleasant.

The place had a kind of dusty feel to it, but it was in no way to be considered the kind of energy-less old. No, it was the opposite. It was a place so full of life that time itself had a hard time keeping a steady pace. It seemed to flow faster out of sheer thrill, yet it still gave every little thing the pampering of attention. So many colors and details and motions that he didn't know what to observe first. Just like that, Natsume found himself unable to take his eyes off the scene.

"Ohoo, this place is not half bad!" Hinoe exclaimed, staring around in awe while smoking her pipe. "The doll cat is going to be so jealous!"

Misuzu suggested. "Let us go somewhere quieter, Natsume-dono. I will lead the way."

The boy blinked with surprise upon hearing the gigantic yokai's deep voice. He had completely forgotten that he was there. The little frogs had climbed up on their masters' clothes and hair, sticking on like a dozen of green sequins so as not to be stepped on by the crowd.

"Thanks, Misuzu." He nodded.

They started walking slowly, and Natsume's attention returned to the surroundings. He glanced over his shoulder. A big tattered gate, not the toori kind, but still looking sinister and important, stood just where they had appeared. It appeared that space had not yet settled there, as the colors were distorted and unclear.

"It stays like that for a while, until eventually, it goes back to normal. Another may wish to reopen this passage from somewhere else to come here then." Misuzu explained, noticing the boy's turned head.

"I see… So Kitamoto's cousin wandered here because it hadn't yet closed…" he muttered to himself and pushed his paper mask a little bit to the left so that he could see better with at least one eye out in the clear.

It was a long walk, but it certainly was not boring. There was so much going on around them to see that, for a brief moment, he wished he could have a whole of three days to rest there and explore everything. Street musicians humming and looking pleadingly at passer-bys, elegantly dressed yokai of great power and sly eyes blowing wind around with their fans, little ones sneaking around and avoiding being stepped on with an experienced skillfulness, sweaty cooks pouring soups in pots, carriages where the carrier was five times smaller than the one they were pulling, or carriages the size of a basketball, clothes shops, shady yokai selling shady goods, inns, tea houses, and more, much more.

Eventually, they reached a somewhat grandiose, somewhat tarnished mansion. Two short frog-like yokai stood at the tall, wide door, one at each side, to welcome the guests. Natsume noticed the wooden sign that hung above them. It read, simply, 'Teahouse', making him raise an eyebrow. The thin layer of brown paint on the wooden pillars was missing patches and had faded away, and the floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they climbed the few steps.

"Welcome." The two frog-like yokai bowed deeply in unison and held the doors wide open for them to pass.

It smelled nice, like freshly washed hair…Natsume inhaled deeply, with his chin raised so that he could look at the peculiar colorful ribbons that were hung from the porch as they walked underneath it. At the end of the ribbons, there were tiny golden bells, that jingled serenely as Misuzu's ears grazed them. On cue, another yokai appeared and bowed at them.

"We will not stay for long. We wish to converse." Misuzu informed.

Again, the yokai bowed. "I will show you to the room. Follow me please, esteemed guests."

Natsume felt a little bit aloof. The roles were reversed. Instead of a yokai entering a human dwelling, it was the opposite. He pulled at his paper mask, making sure that it covered most of his face, and focused on walking with confident steps behind the frog-armored Misuzu. As they made their way to of multiple thin paper shoji doors, they passed by a couple of drunken-looking Tengu that paid them no heed, and woman-or was it a man?- that smiled widely at them, a bit too widely perhaps, with a fluffy fox tail twitching behind her. Things creaked and steps echoed, yet there was a strange, uneasy silence because of the lack of voices.

"Please have this room, esteemed guests." The little yokai kneeled down as it came to a stop before one of the doors, and pushed it open.

Quietly, Misuzu, Hinoe, and Natsume entered, and the door discreetly closed behind them. Being the only human in the room, Natsume felt that his heart was ready to shoot out of his chest.

There were many yokai on sitting cushions of all sizes to accommodate for the variety. Some of them were sitting at one table and were engaged in whispery, serious talk. There were others, in clusters, more jolly and there to gossip. Then there were some lonesome ones, maybe trying to overhear, or perhaps waiting for someone else to arrive, that shot suspicious glares at the others. But they all turned to examine the newcomers and the room fell silent for a brief second.

"Misuzu-sama. It is a pleasant surprise to see you here. You rarely visit if it's not spring."

Natsume looked at the undeniably pretty woman that had stood up to greet them. He immediately noted her piercing violet gaze and the waterfall of black hair that flowed down her shoulders down to her waist, and the way her kimono swayed with her movements.

"Eiko." The bull yokai greeted with a nod. The little frogs on his clothes peeped cheerfully in recognition of the woman.

The violet eyes fell on Hinoe and Natsume, narrowing curiously.

"They are my company. Unfortunately, I will not stay here for long. There is something that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible." Misuzu told her.

"Ah, I see. To have come to this teahouse, I understand it must be important business. Well then, have a seat."

Slowly, the conversations in the room picked up from where they had left, and the glances became occasional and less interested. Natsume sat down on a cushion between Hinoe and Misuzu, feeling rather uncomfortable. The woman sat opposite them.

"So, what kind of information would you like me to provide you with?"

There was a pause as a small yokai arrived at their table and served them tea. Natsume looked up and nodded at it with gratitude. The yokai's expression stiffened at that and it hurried to finish its job, muttering apologies as it left. Natsume felt confused and guilty as he watched it go, unable to figure out what he had done wrong.

"I'd like to know if a human child has been seen wandering around." Misuzu continued. The woman's violet eyes widened for a second before her face returned to calm.

"A child wandered here on accident and you're looking for it before someone catches it, may I assume?"

"I would not know," Misuzu replied sternly. "Was a child seen?"

"Say, Misuzu-sama, do you happen to have a soft spot for that child? Correct me if I'm wrong." She said bluntly.

Misuzu blew air from his nostrils, and the terrifying grin of square teeth appeared on his face. "I was merely in festive spirits. Maybe having a soft, crunchy delicacy wouldn't be bad."

Natsume gulped nervously. Hearing those morbid words made an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. Eiko didn't bat an eyelash at that comment, not seeming to believe it at all.

"Now now, I'm not going to make trouble for you. I am just curious." Eiko smiled."You are in luck, in fact. I did happen to overhear an interesting conversation a while ago."

She brought her cup to her lips to take a sip. Steams escaped the cup as she set it back on the table. Natsume stared at the green liquid inside her cup. Half of the surface had frozen and the temperature difference made the ice evaporate.

"There were two, sitting on that table over there. Now it's only one. The other one left." She nodded towards a table at the far back, where a bulky horned yokai was drinking tea. "They talked about business mostly. The other one mentioned that something strange happened in his shop today. 'A troublesome guy came in and he kept making weird noises and shouting, and he smeared his weird liquids all over', is how he described it. 'He was wearing some kind of weird clothes… I'd never wear something that embarrassing', that's also what he said." Eiko narrated, with a straight face but ridiculously high-pitched voices to represent the yokai's words.

"Impressive. You recall every detail." Hinoe praised and picked up her cup.

"It seemed interesting, that is the only reason why I remember such a thing." Eiko replied and glanced once more at Hinoe with interest. But before she could start another talk, Misuzu interfered.

"Was there anything else?"

"Hm… I don't think so. I happened to hear where that happened, if you're interested."

Natsume sprang up. "That would be very helpful!"

He wanted to slap himself for that sudden enthusiastic exclamation. Every yokai in the room had turned to look at him suspiciously. Someone muttered something about 'annoying loud customers'. It didn't last long however, as it was only momentary attention. He closed his mouth abruptly and straightened his back, but it was too late, the violet eyes were already glued on him. Misuzu and Hinoe tensed.

"You… who are you?" Eiko asked quietly. She stretched her arm, and her slender fingers slowly headed for the paper mask that was covering most of his face from view. Natsume panicked and grabbed her wrist an inch away from his face, forcing her to a stop. He shivered. Her skin was cold as ice and electrifying to the touch.

"You are… human, aren't you?" she mumbled in a low voice.

Natsume gritted his teeth and got ready to stand up, but Hinoe placed a hand on his shoulder and held him down.

"A human boy, huh….Your voice is young and full of fire. I hate fire." The raven-haired woman simply remarked and withdrew her hand. "What's your name?"

"He is Natsume Reiko's grandson." Hinoe answered in his stead.

"Natsume? Ha… I see. You've been returning the names lately, I heard. You hear a lot of things in this place."

He decided to be blunt. "…Eiko-san… Is your name in the Yuujinchou as well?"

For a moment, nobody spoke. But Natsume clearly felt the temperature drop at least five degrees in the room. The hairs at the back of his neck rose, but he stood still as a rock.

"You're sharp. I dislike it when others have such a trait." The yokai woman finally said and proceeded to discreetly stand to announce her departure. "I will not be involved any further. But I shall tell you where to go."

"Tha-"

"Don't thank me, boy. Thank Misuzu-sama for being on good terms with me."

.

.

.

"…a small one, up to here…" he put a hand below his waist to indicate the height of the child. "With unusual clothes!" He added hopefully.

The one-eyed yokai shook its head negatively.

"I see… thanks."

Natsume walked away and his eyes darted around the crowd with a worried frown above them, unsure of whom to ask about the little girl. The little frog that had nested in his hands let out a thin and crackly ribbid, turning its little body to the left. Misuzu had provided him with one of his familiars that knew the area well enough to guide him through the maze of streets.

Natsume glanced at the direction that the frog was sticking its tongue out and he spotted Hinoe, making sweet eyes with a food stall owner. She chuckled with a sleeve over her mouth, and the other ayakashi talked to her happily. Then she spun on her heels and waved at Natsume. His face lit up.

"What happened?" he asked as he approached her with an excited gait.

Hinoe pointed at her face with a nail, a pucker appearing between her eyebrows.

Natsume touched his cheek with a small 'o' in his lips, then scratched it nervously as he realized that Hinoe was wondering where his mask had gone. "Oh, it got ripped when I passed by someone with horns a while earlier…"

She sighed. "Never mind. I don't think anyone would recognize you or pay much attention in this crowd. And you already blend in perfectly with those eyes of yours."

"…"

"I've got some news."

He looked up at her with hopeful dread, an emotion that was starting to tire him out a lot over the last few hours.

"Apparently, shortly after the ruckus that the child caused, some powerful one appeared and took it away."

"Took it away?" Natsume felt his heart skip a beat, and his green eyes widened.

"They apologized for the mess and even paid… Sounds courteous."

"We need to find her… She… She's still a three-year-old…She's!-"

"Calm down Natsume." Hinoe squeezed his shoulder with a little bit more pressure than necessary, but he still didn't look up.

"A child is-"

She immediately put her hand over his mouth, muffling his words. Startled, Natsume grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away.

"Calm down Natsume. Someone might hear."

He had never been so worried in his life. Sure, there had been times when he had been tormented by constant wariness as those he cared about were in risk, but this time, it was suffocating. At any second, anywhere, the child could be hurt or even…at any second, Kitamoto's little cousin could be lost forever… Right now. Even right at that moment, she could be in grave danger, and he could do nothing.

Hinoe sighed. "Let me handle this. I more or less have an idea where they went after the whole incident, according to the stall owner's words."

Slowly, she withdrew her hand. Natsume stayed quiet and just nodded, staring down at the smooth cobblestones beneath his sandals.

'What a strong power! I didn't know humans could feel such a strong frustration.' Hinoe thought, rubbing her hand with unease. 'This is bad. Never mind me, if he keeps sulking like that, he's going to affect the others around him and attract lots of attention…'

Indeed, there were already some ayakashi going inexplicably quiet as they passed by. They looked around with confusion, not knowing what it was that suddenly made them feel so worried.

And Hinoe wasn't going to let them figure it out.

"Let's go, Natsume."

A small furry brown hand suddenly pulled on Hinoe's sleeve. She raised an eyebrow.

"E-Excuse me… Are you perhaps…?"

The willowy woman and the silver-haired boy flinched.

.

.

.

The fine silk was ever so soft to the touch. As if powdered by silver dust, it sparkled under the light of the lanterns. Colors of violet blended in smoothly with deep and lighter blue.

He held it up to admire it, but his eyes found something else to look at. His lips formed a tender smile upon seeing the two black pigtails of his unusual companion moving up and down happily.

"Nostalgic…"

"What is the matter, Sir?"

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking that I like this ribbon very much. How much is it?"

"The ribbon only, Sir?" the small one-eyed yokai asked for confirmation.

"Yes, just the ribbon. Will this much do?"

The pale fingers revealed the money and a gasp followed.

"Ah a a! This is, this is too much for just a ribbon!"

"Your honesty is appreciated. Still, it would not do to give any less for such a pretty thing."

The shiny coin landed in the hands of the astounded yokai. Its single eye locked on it with a glimmer of awe. "Th-Thank you very much for your generosity!"

The blue eyes narrowed kindly. The tall, winged figure turned around and walked away, as two black pigtails moved up and down happily behind him. He looked down at his cheerful companion. He had promised himself not to get close to any humans again but… He just couldn't help it this time.

"Nostalgic…" he mumbled.

The two big eyes locked onto his own with innocent wonder. "Ri, what is not-sa-li?"

"Nostalgic, it's when you remember something that made you happy." He tried to explain.

A frown. "Chocolay is noslagist."

"I guess it is." He agreed, not really sure what the child was referring to.

The girl's chubby hand searched into the small front pocket of her pink dress and withdrew with something shiny and crumbled. "Ri want chocolay?"

"Thanks but I'm okay…"

"I want hair like Ri, one day I will be big and have blue hair too, and I will have a blue cat and three dogs! But we will live in a pink house because I like pink." She shouted and bit down on the chocolate with determination.

He watched the little girl munch on the chocolate with a smile. The care-freeness of human children had always amazed him.

"I have a present for you."

"Ri has? For me?"

Riou kneeled down. Even then, he was so much taller than her. "This is for you." He showed her the newly-purchased ribbon.

"Ah! Pretty!" she cried enthusiastically and immediately tried to snatch it out of his hands.

"Hold on, little one. I will put it on you, so just be patient." He pleaded.

Gently, those pale fingers, huge in comparison to the small and fragile child, somehow managed to undo the two pig tails in a few seconds and to tie the hair up with the ribbon.

"There, all done."

"How I look, how, how? I wanna see!" the little girl requested.

"Hm… A mirror… Let's see…" The tall ayakashi got up on his legs again, looking around skeptically. "There was one back in the shop, I think…"

The little girl twirled around cheerfully, letting Riou think about it. She tapped her shoes on the cobblestones rhythmically, avoiding the gaps, and pretending to be a dancer, like those she had seen on the television.

And then, two strong hands seized hold of her shoulders firmly. Curious, she turned around to see who it was.

An unknown woman with a scary face and red eyes.

"You are Kobayashi Tomomi child, are you not?" the stranger demanded loudly, threateningly to the confused girl's eyes

That was all it took for the waterworks to begin. The cries left little Tomomi's throat, startling Hinoe enough to make her let go. The frightened child ran for cover behind the white feathers of Riou. A few surrounding yokai looked their way with annoyance.

Riou spread his wings warily, eyeing the stranger with angry blue eyes. Who was that stranger that had dared induce fear to the little girl to the point that she was crying?

"This is a misunderstanding…" Hinoe tried to explain, holding up her arms to send the message that she had meant no harm.

"Riou-sama!"

The blue-haired ayakashi's eyes widened in recognition of the voice. He looked down with surprise at the panting silver-haired boy that had just arrived to the scene, accompanied by one of his yokai subordinates. Natsume supported his upper body on his knees as he caught his breath. The little frog that had snuck in the collar of his haori emerged with dizzy chirps.

The wings drooped and the blue eyes softened, however, the suspiciousness didn't fade away from the tall ayakashi's face.

"…Who-"

"Riou-sama, it's me, Natsume Takashi." He replied between the heaving.

This time, every ounce of wariness disappeared. An apologetic smile, warm and bright, as Natsume remembered Riou to be, came into view. "I see…My apologies, the appearance fooled me…"

Natsume's green eyes fell on the little girl that was peeking at him behind the safety of the ayakashi's wing. He felt a pang in his heart as the child withdrew with fear upon spotting his cat-like pupils. But more importantly…

"Don't worry, she's not hurt," Riou reassured before he could ask. "I suppose her family is looking for her… How irresponsible of me to forget about something so important. My apologies, Natsume. I got carried away."

"Ri, who…?" the little girl asked hesitantly.

Natsume smiled at her. "I'm your cousin's, Kitamoto Atsushi's friend."

"Atsu's friend?" she repeated and took a step forward.

"I'm Natsume Takashi. I'm here to take you home."

Her little foot stomped the ground. "No!"

"Eh?" he looked at the sulky little girl with confusion.

"No! I don't want home! I want with Ri!" she stubbornly shook her head.

"But-"

"No! No! I stay!"

Natsume sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Hinoe shrugged. He was very relieved to find the girl safe and sound by some divine luck. He was very thankful to Riou-sama for taking care of her. But he had never anticipated this kind of problem.

...

The violet eyes watched carefully. The ribbon, her ribbon, was being examined by the Riou-sama that she had heard some rumors about. She knew that she shouldn't feel that way, but…

"Even after all these years… You still have me in your trap…" she whispered, and her misty breath made the red column she was hiding behind freeze over.

She had given it away exactly because she wished to get away from it all. She had forced herself to stop thinking about the ribbon. And now, all of the sudden, it was in front of her again.

Then her violet eyes fell on a glimpse of pink, barely visible behind the shaded forms of the things for sale in the antique shop.

Soon enough, Riou-sama and a human child made their way into the street.

Not only the ribbon but a child too?

How cruel coincidence could be...

Ta-da!

Yep, I have things to unfold in the next chapter! And oh my, the things that are to come in the next chapters... (I tried planning a bit because there were a lot of ideas and I needed to organize at last). I am so excited guys! I can't wait to see this fic contain all those future chapters!

Thank you for your support, dear readers! And thank you for your reviews! You're the boost in the motivation that I need! I greatly appreciate your presence! Some of you are here since the early beginning of this fic, and that really amazes me! And then, there are some of you who came in with so much enthusiasm lately that made me get all fired up again! I can never thank you enough!

I tried to reply to some of your reviews privately, I hope you didn't mind the PM (I'm a bit awkward when it comes to being a person, haha...*nervous and at the same time a tad sad laughter). I will attempt to reply to some more this time around as well.

Also, I've changed the description of the story. I think it's a bit better now. But it still does not quite fit the story. I think I'll be able to write a good and accurate description only once I've finished this fic.

I will be seeing you next chapter. Till then, please accept this big virtual THANK YOU sign as a token of my gratitude for your support.

Bye!