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Two Worlds Collided & They Could Never Tear Us Apart

Chapter 17: Demon Slayer

After completing your first mission and becoming a true member of the Demon Slayer Corps, more mysterious visions—or perhaps memories—of the past and future unfold, leaving you with even more than questions than before.

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Voices slowly trickle through your mind like molasses, but the words don't stick and slip right over the edge. Your lips are downturned in a grimace as images come to the forefront of your mind. A few figures stand in front of you but you can't quite make out who they are as they're blurred. They're talking... no, yelling... but the sound is all muffled, so you squeeze your eyes tightly shut to try and focus on the words. Slowly, the words become louder until you can understand bits and pieces as the figures begin to surround you. They keep shouting until it almost becomes unbearable and your eyes pop back open. But something is wrong, as they start to run away. No, they can't leave, you need to—

"Wake up! Now is not the time to be sleeping, you still have to complete your mission!!"

Your eyes snap open when something sharp stabs the back of your hand. You jolt and push yourself up enough to spot your crow pecking at your skin. You swat her away and cringe as you now sit upright, holding a hand to your head with a pained groan. Your head pounds dully and you blink a few times.

"Yu-Yume..?"

"The one and only! Now, hurry and get up, you don't have all night!"

"What..." You pause and look around the clearing in front of you, your eyes widening as you slowly come to and remember where you're at. "Oh no, the mission!"

She switches to English as she yells at you again. "YES, HURRY UP!! HURRY!!"

The way she's yelling makes it seem like your life is in danger at this very moment, so you begin to panic a little as your eyes flit around the clearing. "WHY ARE YOU YELLING?! IS THE DEMON STILL HERE??!"

Yume squawks, her wings fanning out. "No! You defeated it, don't you remember? But you still have to find the missing children, so hurry!"

Oh... right! You did defeat the demon!

But you had passed out before you could go and search for the children that it had taken. Oh no, this was bad... how long were you out? Was Giyuu here and did he see everything that happened? Probably... so, hopefully he doesn't mention this little hiccup and you end up failing this mission after all. You nearly shriek when you spin around on the ground to get a look at your surroundings from behind you, coming face to... well... not face... with Giyuu, or more like your sword that he's holding in front of you. You scramble back and your eyes shoot up to his face. You aren't surprised to see no expression, but it still unsettles you the slightest bit.

"T-Tomioka!?" He says nothing and just stares at you in complete silence, nudging the sword closer. "Uhh... am I in trouble," you chuckle nervously.

He sighs. "Just take it..."

"Right!" You tentatively reach for the handle and slowly stand back up, putting it back in the saya. "I'm... not in trouble... right?"

"No..."

"Oh, thank goodness—"

"Not unless you fail to complete your mission. It's best to take naps after the fact. Luckily, you were only out for a minute, otherwise I'd have to take matters into my own hands..."

"R-Right! I was just getting to that..." You take a deep breath and resume looking around the clearing, quickly side-eyeing him. "You aren't going to help me, are you?" He opens his mouth but you cut him off before he can answer you. "I don't want you to, in fact, you can't! I have to do this by myself, so... if you were thinking about helping me, please don't... and don't mention me passing out either, alright? It wasn't for long, and I'm going to complete this mission. I'm not failing!"

He blinks and continues to just stand there, looking almost confused by your attitude. He didn't take you for someone to be so... whatever you would call this. You weren't exactly confident, you still had an awkwardness about you, but the way you had spoken to him just now was a bit surprising to say the least. Especially since he was told you could be fairly shy and quiet. But he also remembers Uzui telling everyone that you were a bit feisty and stubborn when it came to certain things as well. This must be what he was talking about. You were clearly out of your element, yet you had partially succeeded and got back up after being almost beaten, and you are continuing to push on to complete your mission. You had some unexpected determination and strength...

"I wasn't going to say or do anything."

"Good! Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some children to track down!" You grunt as you stand up and take off, searching the area for any sort of clues, and not sparing him another glance.

"Are you going to continue watching her," Yume asks.

He blinks again and looks down, his eyes locking with your crow. "Yes, I have to. But I don't think I have to worry about her now..."

"Oh, you were worried about her before?" Her feathers fluff up and she hops closer to him, a strange glint in her dark eyes. "Ohohoho, heheh... tell me more~"

"Well, she is new and I would surely be punished for allowing anything to happen to her, when I was specifically tasked with making sure she wouldn't get into any trouble or die on this mission. I was honestly expecting to save her, but it seems like she can handle herself... although, just barely..."

Yume huffs and takes to the sky. "Ughh, that isn't what I meant! Why must everyone, especially you, be so dense and boring?!"

"Boring?" His brow furrows the slightest bit as your crow then quickly disappears into the night sky. "I don't think I'm boring..."

He stands there for a few more seconds before he walks off and goes back into hiding and keeping tabs on you from a distance. Walking around the clearing was slowly starting to get you down, however, as you weren't finding anything that would lead you to the missing children. Damn, you knew you should've gotten information out of that stupid demon before you obliterated its ass. It probably wouldn't have talked anyways... but it was fine because you would figure it out yourself and save those poor, helpless children.

If you were one thing, you were stubborn, and you won't give up until you succeed. You have to prove yourself to be competent as a Demon Slayer, which means slaying said demons and helping people—sometimes on your own. You've already got the first part down and that was the hardest one, so this should be relatively easy!

Now, if you were a demon, where would you hide a bunch of children? The smart thing to do would be taking them far, far away, but that demon didn't seem particularly smart... and it might have had to keep them somewhat close, so it could easily gather more children.

It said it was gathering children to give them to some 'Lord'. You have no idea whoever this 'Lord' was, but you did know one thing, you hated them with a passion. To take young and innocent children was despicable and absolutely unforgivable. Not to say that all lives aren't important, but it's worse when it's taken from someone who has barely had the chance to truly live. You really hope with your entire being that these children were in fact all safe and still alive. The demon had said they were still alive, and you really shouldn't trust what a demon says, but it gives you some hope. However, that hope is just a small flicker, as it also told you that the children wouldn't be alive for much longer...

In your mind, that only meant two things. That they were slowly dying as you fought the demon, or that they were going to die once delivered to the 'Lord'. You can't think about this... it doesn't help the situation and only adds fuel to the fire that is your anxiety. Whether they're currently dead or alive, you will find them, and bring some sort of peace back to all their families.

You stop in your tracks and close your eyes, slowly breathing in and out. The faint light of the moon disappears behind your closed lids as everything seems to come to a halt, shrouding you in a state of complete darkness and emptiness. With each deliberate breath, you become increasingly aware of the beat of your heart—slow and steady. You almost enter a state of... peace... calm... focus... all of your senses shutting down, yet on high alert. As you stand in the middle of the dark forest, a strange sensation washes over you, a tingling that dances at the edges of your mind. Slowly, a faint vision begins to form, like mist taking shape before your inner eye.

As the vision unfolds, you see yourself in the very clearing you were currently standing in. The surroundings blur as you begin moving through the forest, guided by an unseen force. Each step feels purposeful, as if you're following a trail only you can perceive, becoming swallowed by the mist as you walk further into the forest. It becomes dark and the vision briefly shows the children huddled together in a cold and dark area, closed off from the rest of the world, their eyes darting around, etched with fear and confusion. There's only a small glimmer of light keeping them from total darkness.

The vision quickly changes again to show a cliff, with a particular flower standing out. It's a bright red and has delicate looking petals and a couple of spindly stamen, giving it a spider-like appearance. You feel an inexplicable pull toward the flower, a sensation that goes straight to your core. It seems to beckon, to call out to you, with faint whispers and cries echoing in your ears as it blows with a breeze.

Your eyes suddenly snap open and your feet begin to move on their own, leading you on an unknown path. You've never been here before, but somehow you know exactly where this path will lead. With quick steps, you swiftly approach your destination, your breath coming out in ragged gasps as you push through the thicket of dead brush and out into a smaller clearing, where it leads to a cliff. Your heart races as you take in the scene before you—it's exactly as you envisioned. Standing before you is the lone red flower, firmly planted in its spot by the edge of the cliff. Your eyes narrow in on the movement of the petals as they faintly move with a gentle breeze, blowing towards the edge.

Over there...

You follow the movement and the breeze, walking to the edge of the cliff and peer over it. The forest continues for miles and you don't see anything that particularly stands out, but you don't leave because this is where you need to be. You can feel it... the children are here. Your eyes quickly scan your surroundings, looking for some kind of clue, then focus on a spot below, where a part of the cliff juts out and there appears to be a small opening like a cave.

Getting on your hands and knees, you carefully crawl back over the edge and slowly make your way down, your foot and hand occasionally slipping but you manage to stabilize yourself. You don't dare look down or let your eyes wander around, otherwise the height would freak you out and you'd fall to your death. You can't handle the feeling of falling, where your heart rises to your throat, and you become lightheaded and sick to your stomach as it sinks. Something inside you knows that feeling all too well but you can't pay any attention to that, as you aren't done with your mission yet.

After a couple of minutes of climbing down the rocky side of the cliff, you finally make it to the piece of rock jutting out and plant your feet onto the solid surface, breathing out a sigh of relief. You shuffle to the widest spot where the cave entrance is and clamber inside, ducking your head and wincing when you scrape your knees here and there.

You gasp as you suddenly drop forward, flipping to land on your backside. The rocks strewn about dig into you harshly, making you curse out loud. Luckily it wasn't a big drop, just about two to three feet. You dust yourself off and stretch out your limbs, now able to stand up as the cave entrance opens up into a big cavern. It's hard to see but it looks like there's another area that you can go to, but it's narrower and seems to go down further. Heaving a sigh, you make your way over and slowly navigate the passageway, brushing your fingers along the cold walls to help you.

It gets darker and darker the further you shuffle down the narrow slope, going further underground and your anxiety spikes when it begins to turn, no longer going on a straight line. Cold, dark, tight spaces were going on your list of things you hated. You never pictured yourself in a situation like this, and it's not like you ever wanted to, but you guess you can cross this off as one of the most awful things you've had to do and use it as an anecdote. Although, some of the other Corps members probably have way more interesting or terrifying stories to tell and they'll just laugh at yours.

The last little bit of fresh air you could smell disappears and becomes stagnant. You're going pretty deep underground, now. There's no sound down here, all you hear is brown noise and the faint, gentle hush of your breath as you breathe, inhaling and exhaling slowly in an attempt to keep yourself calm. It's strangely peaceful but unnerving at the same time. Hopefully you don't get lost in here, that would absolutely be awful, and knowing your luck there's a high chance it just might happen. Even though your thoughts are as dim as the cave, you don't let them stop you and continue pushing forward, determined to find the missing children. But another thought strikes you then... what if the children aren't even here, and you did this for nothing?

Nope! Don't even go there, you idiot. Is your brain trying to psych itself out and make you panic?!

You know the children are here. You can feel it—you saw it in the vision, with the flower and the cliff, so it had to mean they were here—and you were going to save them. In and out you take deep, long breaths and keep sliding your hands along the walls to keep yourself steady as you descend even further. It feels like you've been walking for hours, when in reality it's only been about a ten to fifteen minutes of traversing this underground cave. But you're starting to grow tired of the seemingly endless narrow passage until you suddenly feel nothing against your hands, as it opens back up into another cavern.

And then you hear it, the softest whimper and cry, carrying out from where you see a small shaft of light beaming down from the roof of the cave.

You call out, your voice echoing loudly in the once soundless cave, hoping they would speak so you could find them more easily. "Hello? I'm here to help you! I can't see you, so please say something!"

You hear a few tiny gasps and your heart jumps in joy as they start to chatter amongst themselves and call out to you, their voices small and scratchy. These poor children have possibly been in here for days, without any food or water and have grown too weak to yell for help. It nearly breaks your heart when a little girl starts to cry for her mother and some of the other children join along, while a few of them try to be more brave and calm them down. You swiftly approach the sounds and the children are there, just as you saw them in the vision, their eyes wide with a mixture of uncertainty and hope as they look around for the new voice claiming to be their savior. You step into the light, enough for them to make out your figure and a bunch of small figures come from the darkness, their tiny hands grabbing at you as you lean down to gather them closely into your arms.

"Miss... I-I'm scared," one child squeaks out. "Please help us!"

Another sobs, sniffling pitifully as he clings to your leg. "I want my m-mommy..!"

There's at least twelve children surrounding you, all ranging in ages from as young as four to as old as ten. The older ones are a bit calmer than the younger children, but you can still hear the fear and sadness in their voices as they speak. You coax them to stand up with a gentle smile, even if they might not be able to see it very well. They follow your moves and stick close, their bodies vibrating with excitement now that they feel safer with you here.

"Don't worry, little ones, I've got you. I'm gonna get you out of here, alright?"

A bunch of voices ring out at once.

"Yay!"

"Thank you, miss..!"

"Hurry, I don't like the dark!"

"I'm hungry, I want food! Do you have anything? Can I eat now?"

"My tummy... and head... hurts..."

"I'm c-c-cold..!"

You quickly shush them. "Calm down, everything is going to be okay. I need you to be brave a little longer and wait while I try to get you out of here, alright? So, just relax and take some deep breaths with me..."

You inhale and exhale slowly, guiding them through a simple breathing exercise, trying your best to help them calm down. They copy you and within a minute they've all settled down and quietly watch you from where they sit, their eyes wide with curiosity and hope. Now that they were no longer too stressed or scared you could focus on the next task. You bite your lip as you try to think of the best way out of here. You don't want to stumble in the dark and potentially lose a child going back out the way you came. You'd also have to worry about the cliff and figuring out how to get them back up. You can't risk them standing on the ledge or carrying them on your back up.

The small light filtering from above begins to grow brighter and you glance up. It had been dark in the forest earlier, as the moon had been covered up by dark clouds and a heavy mist hung over the land, obscuring most of the light. But now it seems that the moon was getting a chance to finally shine tonight, a small beam lighting up the once dim cave and radiating a soft glow. You can see a bit better now, so you observe the cave walls and small opening above your head. There wasn't an easy way to climb out and the hole wouldn't be big enough for you or some of the older children...

But maybe you could make it bigger?

The ceiling of the cave didn't appear to be all stone, the hole seemed to be made up of compacted dirt and clay. You spot a few decent-sized roots dangling down from plants and trees, possibly big enough for you to grab onto. You could scale the walls, hang onto the giant roots, and try to dig a bigger hole, and then get the children out by using the roots as a makeshift ladder! It won't be easy but there are some parts of the cave that stick out and can provide some leverage, leading up to the dangling roots and ground above.

Parkour?

Easy-peasy!

Walking up to the cave wall, you start placing your hands against the hard, cold surface and latch onto a piece sticking out. Slowly, you lift your foot up and place it in a divot, adjusting your grip on the wall. You start to carefully crawl up the wall to a bigger part that would support you standing on it, and from there you'll have to make a leap of faith to the roots hanging a couple feet away. You almost slip a few times trying to get to the bigger piece of the wall that juts out, but you eventually make it, although not without a few scrapes to your hands, arms, and knees. You ignore the slight stinging in favor of getting out of here as soon as possible and reuniting the children with their families.

You're also starting to get fairly tired at this point. It feels like it's been days of searching, fighting the demon, then having to rescue the children from a deep, dark cave with no good way out.

With one last push you make it to the top of the wall that sticks out and pull yourself up, heaving an exhausted sigh. You push yourself back up on your feet, being careful to not get too close to the edge and take another deep breath. Looking at the roots from below was quite different from where you're standing now. It didn't look like too big of a jump from down there, but now you're having second thoughts as you stare at the roots dangling a couple feet away. Could you actually make this jump? There wasn't a lot of room up here to make a run for it and hope for the speed boost to help close the distance. It was either this, or stumbling through the dark cave and possibly getting lost, and if by some miracle you all made it out then you'd have to climb up the cliff.

The answer was pretty obvious...

If you fell from here, you might sprain an ankle or in the worst case scenario break your leg if you land wrong. But the cliff was even more dangerous and you would die from that fall, so this was the only option.

Pressing your back up against the wall, you take one last deep inhale and then take those couple steps, launching yourself forward. Your hands stretch out before you, desperately reaching for the giant roots, and you hold your breath as the children below gasp and cheer. You can feel gravity working against you as your body gets pulled downward, and you fear you might not make it, but you miraculously manage to snatch one of the roots and pull it down even more as you fall. The root holds strong and you can't help but cheer along with the children as you cling to it, slowly crawling up to the hole overhead. It's tiresome climbing up, but you eventually make it to the top and order the children to move away as you start to claw at the earth, trying your best to rip through smaller roots and clods of hardened dirt and rock.

It's no easy task, holding onto a root and keeping yourself upright as you dig up, but you slowly make progress. You ignore all the dirt falling onto you, and you definitely ignore the thought of any creepy insects possibly falling on you as you do this, not wanting to stop, or else you fear losing what little energy you have left. You're most likely running on fumes at this point. You seriously want to go home, take a nice bath and get all cleaned, and have a nice warm meal with the ones you love. You have to help these children get back to their families, you have to go back home, and see the proud faces of all your friends—your family.

You get to stay with them and help fight in the war against evil. You are a Demon Slayer now. You're not weak or useless anymore. These thoughts help push you along and stop you from giving up. By wrapping your legs around the roots and using your upper core to keep yourself balanced, you start to tear through the earth vigorously with a newfound burst of energy, now able to use both hands. The hole gets bigger and bigger until you finally make it large enough to squeeze through, a giant smile etched on your dirtied face.

"I got it! We're getting outta here, kids!" you shout, glancing down momentarily. "Just hold on for a little longer!"

You look back up and start to pull at the bigger roots, trying to pry them from where they've embedded themselves. You need to get them down, enough to make a ladder for the children to climb up and out of the cave. The muscles in your arms strain as you pull with everything you've got, using your feet to push against the roof of the cave, your legs shaking with effort. It's a risky move if you think about it and probably quite silly looking, practically hanging upside. If you lose your grip and slip, or even if you succeed in pulling the roots from this position, you could fall and land on your head. But there's no other way to get them down as you have no other type of leverage, so you continue to push your legs and pull with your arms in a downward motion towards the ground. If you're careful you could do this without injuring yourself.

With each push and pull, every inhale that fills your lungs to their very limit, you get closer to achieving your goal. The roots groan and snap from the earth and with one final tug you release them from where they've firmly planted themselves. You gasp as you begin to descend with the foliage, preparing yourself for the concussion you'll no doubt receive falling from this height and position. Your body flails for a moment as you slightly panic, trying to think if you should curl up and use your arms to cover your head, or try to catch yourself.

But you don't have to think about it as your body suddenly jerks to a stop.

Something has grabbed you by the ankle and when you weakly lift your head up to see what had saved you from potentially cracking your head open, your eyes widen with surprise, relief... and a hint of annoyance.

Of course it's great that you didn't fall, further injuring yourself from your fight with the demon.

But would this count against you?

This is technically receiving help, and you're supposed to accomplish this mission on your own...

He was told to accompany you and make sure you didn't die! And you had asked—more like demanded—that he didn't do or say anything!

"What are you doing here?!" you yell.

The man's face is devoid of any emotion or thoughts, as per usual, and he simply holds you there without uttering a single thing. You knew he was watching you but you didn't think he'd find you here, yet here he is, holding onto you by your ankle with one hand.

He didn't follow you into the cave, so how did he know exactly where you were, and show up just in time to save you from falling flat on your face? Once again, you're struck by the knowledge that the Hashira are extremely skilled, intelligent, and strong individuals. You groan in slight frustration and let your head fall back down, your arms dangling helplessly. A new pressure is added to your ankle as he begins effortlessly pulling you up by your leg, until you're far enough up for him to grab onto an arm and flip you around to pull you all the way out of the hole. He doesn't necessarily drop you, but you do stumble from his grasp once you're above ground. Pushing your hair and some debris from your face, you look up at him from where you sit and give him a glare, which isn't really deserved but you're a little upset.

"I'm going to fail now because of you!" The only response you get is a slight shift of his brow. "I told you to not help. You know I have to do this alone, Tomioka!"

"I was told to make sure you did not die or get seriously injured," he rebuts. "You won't fail."

"But, you helped me...?"

"You've already succeeded."

"But—"

"Do you wish to have failed?"

"No, but—"

"You have succeeded. I was to not help you fight the demon," he explains. "And you have defeated the demon, and then found the children all on your own, therefore succeeding. Although, your mission isn't quite over yet.. as you still have to get them out and back home. Now, do you wish to continue trying to argue, or finish the task at hand?"

You purse your lips and slowly push yourself up. "Okay, right, sorry... and thank you..."

After awkwardly clearing your throat you watch as Tomioka brings a rope out of nowhere and ties it around a tree trunk, then leads the rest of it over to the hole to drop it down, and then he jumps down with practiced ease, landing gracefully, without even making a single sound. It's very convenient that he has rope, but it makes you want to kick some rocks because he didn't show up sooner. He could've saved you time in trying to pull those damn roots down to make a makeshift ladder/rope! Oh well, it doesn't matter. You slowly start the climb down the rope and hesitate to jump the last few feet, as he waits below with a bored expression, but you do it so as not to make him or the children wait any longer. You don't land as gracefully as him, but you manage to stay upright and not twist or sprain anything, so you mentally pat yourself on the back. The children start to crowd around the both of you with their eyes popping out, jaws open, little squeals of delight and awe escaping their mouths.

"You guys are so cool!"

"Hey, mister! Why is your haori different colors like that?"

"He looks a little scary..."

"Do you have any snacks? I want food!"

For once he looks sort of out of place, like he doesn't know what to do or say as some of the children poke and prod at him, asking hundreds of questions.

"Alright, everyone!" You clap your hands a couple times to gather their attention. "Let's get out of here and get you back home! Tomioka and I will carry the younger children, and the older children can climb up on their own, but please be careful!"

"Yayyy!"

Their spirits and energy burst at the notion of getting out of the cave and going back home to their families, where they can finally be safe and warm once more. Tomioka and yourself work together to get the children out of the cave. You have to stop yourself from shouting in victory once everyone is out and above ground, as it wasn't the time to celebrate just yet, but you do allow the giant grin to stay on your face as you lead everyone back to the village. It's nearly sunrise by the time you exit the woods and walk into the village with all the children following behind you like little ducklings. Tomioka stays in the back to make sure no straggles behind as you march to the center of the village, where people slowly start to appear as they go about their morning. The villagers take notice and more adults come crawling out from their homes or business to see what all the commotion was about, as the word spreads of the return of the missing children.

One child shouts, all snot and tears of joy, as their mother comes running from the growing crowd. She scoops the little girl up into her arms and cries, holding her precious child close to her chest, right where her heart lies. Then another mother, a father, and grandparents, and siblings start to join in, collecting the children who had been stolen from them. Many tears and laughter is shared as they all begin to celebrate the return of their loved ones. You stand in the midst of it, taking in all the joy and love that can be felt around you. And just when you don't think this moment couldn't get any better, the families approach you, with warm smiles and gentle hands.

"Thank you," an older woman says, tears brimming her eyes as she holds her child close. "I thought I would never see my son again! But you saved him, thank you!"

You thank the man and then leave the village. It feels like it's been days of traveling when you're this exhausted, but after a few extra hours of walking you start to see the Butterfly Mansion sitting in the distance, looking as lovely as ever. Your feet, legs, and arms ache and your mind feels bogged down with all the stress and thinking that you had to do in order to complete your mission. But you refuse to slow down even a little bit because you're almost there, you're almost home, and get to see everyone again. You'll get to rest soon, so there's no point in slowing down yet.

You didn't want money, gifts, or anything...

The thought alone of doing something good, fighting by your friend's sides, saving people's lives and changing them for the better, was more than enough...

And it's in this moment where you finally, truly understand why the people in the Corps push themselves to their very limits, risking their lives to do what they do.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

After reuniting the children with their families and the excitement had worn down, the older man from yesterday approached you and dragged you back to his yatai to give you a nice, warm meal. He let you have it for free again, waving you off when you tried to protest. He only requested that you come back to visit and eat more of his food and bring some friends along, to which you happily agreed. He lived alone and didn't have much, but he insisted on letting you stay in his home for the day to let you rest before you leave. Tomioka had disappeared at some point when you returned to the village, so you didn't see any problem in staying another day. If you had to leave right away, he would've told you otherwise. You sleep all day and through the night, not waking up until the sun has begun to rise once more.

You thank the man and then leave the village with a few items that some of the families had gifted you.

It feels like it's been days of traveling when you're this exhausted, but after a few extra hours of walking you start to see the Butterfly Mansion sitting in the distance, looking as lovely as ever. Your feet, legs, and arms ache and your mind feels bogged down with all the stress and thinking that you had to do in order to complete your mission. But you refuse to slow down even a little bit because you're almost there, you're almost home, and get to see everyone again. You'll get to rest soon, so there's no point in slowing down yet.

You still almost can't believe it. You'll finally be able to say you did something and be proud, you'll get to share your accomplishment with all your friends, and join them in this war of humanity against demons.

It was difficult but you did it...

And you can do it again!

You are good enough...

Strong...

Smart...

And you'll only continue to improve your skills and get stronger! The voices in your head are quiet for once as you soak in the warmth of your success and repeat those affirmations.

Your heart and surprisingly enough, your mind, feel light as you make it through the last stretch and come up to the mansion walls. You drag your feet past the gate and let out a tired but content sigh, your upper body slumping forward as you release all the stress and worry because you're here—you're home, at last. You don't even get five feet inside the walls before a loud wail can be heard, and although you're tired you can't stop the corner of your lips from twitching up in a smile, as a certain blond comes running out, being tailed by your much calmer red-headed friend, and a few other familiar faces.

"Y/n-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!" Zenitsu closes the distance in two seconds flat, hands securing themselves around your waist as he clings to you. "You're back and alive! I'm so glad you didn't die!!"

You can only manage to let out a strained gasp as he squeezes you. "Th-Thanks, Zenitsu..! But I cant— can't breathe! You're going.. to crush my lungs!"

He squeaks and immediately detaches himself, looking a little sheepish as he plays with his hands. “Oh, sorry!”

Tanjiro is next to welcome you back from your mission and congratulate you on succeeding, adorning a relieved and proud smile. “Welcome back! I’m so relieved to see you. We were all worried, but we didn’t doubt you one bit.” His brow shoots up as he seems to remember something. “Oh, Nezuko really missed you, too. She’s actually been a little upset… I’m sure she would love to see you when you have a moment?”

“Of course!” you reply happily, your chest warming even more. “Thanks, Tanjiro...”

It’s only been two days but you sure did hate being away. And you’re glad to know that you weren't the only one who had felt the same. You quickly pull him into a quick hug, unaware of the pouting Zenitsu who dispiritedly watches the interaction. He pushes the smidgen of jealousy down because you’re all friends first and foremost, so you’re allowed to hug whoever you want. He does wish you would voluntarily hug him though.

Mitsuri suddenly rushes in and swoops you into her embrace, squealing in delight as she shakes you to and fro. "Wahh, you did it! I knew you could do it! You're so strong and brave! I'm so happy you're back, I've missed you!"

She releases you but you're immediately spun around to face Uzui as he cages you in an arm, crushing you against his side, which is way too close to his armpit for your comfort. Luckily, he doesn't smell or else you'd have a total fit. He annoyingly plops his giant hand on the top of your head and ruffles your hair as he looks down at you. You groan and try to swat it away but he easily dodges your attempts, then proceeds to flick your forehead with a shit-eating grin, causing you to try to escape his grasp.

He just laughs at you—obnoxiously—might you add.

"Hey, kid! Good to see ya alive. Y'know, I have to admit I was a little, how do you say this… worried? Because you really need to work on your breathing and fighting skills. But I gotta give it to you, you’re stubborn as hell and pretty smart, so I wasn't too worried. I knew you'd make it—although, probably not without a scratch." He eyes some of the dark bruises and scrapes that are currently visible on your skin. "How are you feeling...? Do you need to see Kocho? I could let her know you’re finally back, unless I have something more important to do, that is..."

You wanted to roll your eyes and smack him for his teasing, but he makes up for it by showing his more serious, sensitive side towards you. He may be annoying and act nonchalant about a lot of things, but he was truly a kind and caring man. You feel a bit smug knowing that he adored you like his own, even if he would never outwardly admit it.

You just smile and lean forward to wrap your arms around him. "Missed you too, old fart..." you chuckle softly.

He is caught off guard by the sudden hug, but he wraps an arm around you as well, and gives your back a few good slaps as he laughs. "I'm not old!" He digs his knuckles into your head and jabs your side. "You little brat! And if I was old, you should be speaking to me with more respect!"

"But you started it," you protest loudly, and as you look around you feel like something is off. You slightly frown once you realize what it is, and the words slowly spill out with a more subdued tone. "Where's Inosuke?"

The others start to look around as well and shrug, except for Tanjiro. He purses his lips and glances at the mansion before looking at you. You remove yourself from Uzui's hold and go up to Tanjiro, crossing your arms as you give him a look that says, 'Well?' because you know he knows. After a few seconds he finally breaks the silence.

"He... didn't come with us when we realized you were back..."

"I can see that... but... where is he?"

"I don't know exactly..."

You watch his face carefully, taking in the way his brows furrow and a slight pout forms. But you're annoyed to find that he was telling the truth. You've come to learn that he was a horrible liar, as he couldn't control his expression when he tried. And he wasn't really a liar, he always told the truth, or at least half-truths. He hated lying, but you could always tell when he wasn't revealing everything he knew, since it bothered him to not be completely honest. His face would scrunch up and he'd avoid eye contact like you weren't right in front of him, and his voice would sound strained, as if he were choking on the very words he was speaking.

You sigh. "Did he not want to come...?"

"N-No, it's not like that!" He quickly waves his hands, and shuffles his feet. "He didn't... not... want to come..."

And there it is. You might have missed it but you saw the nervous way he moved around and how he glanced away.

So, Inosuke didn't want to come and see you...

That's fine...

In fact, you didn't want to see him either—no, you wanted to beat the hell out of him!

The audacity!

He avoids you for days, doesn't say goodbye when you leave for your first mission (no one else really got to say goodbye either, but that's besides the point!), and then he doesn't even come to welcome you back?! What was with him?! Was he still hung up on your stupid comment? You were just trying to make a joke out of a situation, although it was very awkward and uncomfortable, but he was being completely ridiculous at this point! You know he's not like 'normal' people, that his social skills are severely lacking, and he takes most things very literally... but this was going too far. He can't avoid you—one of his only actual friends—forever! He will eventually have to see you and talk again, seeing as you're now a real part of the Corps. You'll possibly be going on missions together in the near future, and there's no way you can complete these future missions if you can't even communicate or work together.

This ends now!

"Just wait until I find him..."

Rolling your shoulders back you start marching towards the mansion with a fire in your eyes, causing Zenitsu and Tanjiro to spring into action. They've seen you upset a few times before, but this was different because it was directed at one of them. You've never once shown any true anger towards them, or anyone for that matter, so this was quite the shock. And try as they might, they can't get you to stop, no matter how much Zenitsu clings to you and tries to change direction or Tanjiro insists for you to listen to him.

"Y/n, I understand you're upset, but please don't make any rash decisions! I think you should calm down—"

"Tanjiro," your voice is cool but there's a sharp edge to it, "NEVER tell a woman to calm down..."

He averts his gaze, and although his mouth quickly shuts, his steps do not falter the slightest bit and he keeps pace with you. The grip Zenitsu has on your uniform loosens, but he also decides to stick by your side as you go on a man-hunt. Either they were going to try to mediate the situation once you found Inosuke, or they were morbidly curious to see what you'd do to the boar-headed man... perhaps it was both. Walking up to the main entrance, you stomp inside and begin your search in the kitchen and dining hall. He had a habit of stealing food all the time, so you figure you'd probably find him in the act and catch him off guard. But much to your irritation he was not in the kitchen or in the nearby dining hall. You ask one of the girls currently cooking if they had seen him, but she couldn't give you a straight answer, mostly because you had frightened her so much that she couldn't speak properly.

Moving on, you head straight for their room and burst through the door. And yet again, he is nowhere to be found. Your bite on your cheek as you stand there, trying to think of other places he might be hiding in. He hasn't really ventured too far from the mansion since your group came here all those months ago. He usually stayed within the outside walls, only going out into the forest to collect random things if it caught his eye from within. Knowing all this, you just know he has to be close by. You head back outside with the other two still close on your heels. You begin to walk around the property, checking bushes and corners, huffing and puffing each time you come up empty-handed. Inosuke is probably watching you all right now, quietly cackling to himself. That thought just irritates you even more.

"Inosuke, where the hell are you?! I know you're hiding from me, so come out and fight me!!" You throw your hands up and look around, expecting to see him hurtling straight towards you for challenging him, but nothing happens. "If you don't show yourself, I'll steal all your acorns and other things!!"

You wait with bated breath...

But there's still no sign of your annoying, boar-headed friend...

Just complete silence...

Clenching your jaw, you spin around and face the two men who have avoided being targets of your anger thus far. You approach Tanjiro first, invading his space, enough to make him lean back just a little bit with slight nervousness as he looks down at you.

"Where is he?!"

"Ah... I told you I don't know exactly—"

"Well, then sniff him out!"

He makes a face, almost disbelieving you had asked him to search for your friend's scent like some kind of dog. He definitely could find Inosuke if he really wanted to, but he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to do so. Not when you're this upset about it. He could only imagine the chaos that would ensue, so he does his best to sound sympathetic about the situation, while not giving in to your demands.

"Y/n, I can't... I'm sorry. Can we please just talk about this?"

"No. Fine, if you won't help," you turn your attention to Zenitsu instead, who makes a startled 'eep!' as your steely gaze lands on him, "then he will! Right, Zenitsu?"

"U-Uhm, I... I uhhh..."

You step closer to him, your tone becoming more persistent. "Zenitsu, you will help me, right? You understand how I feel, don't you? It just hurts knowing one of my friends hasn't come to see me... that he's ignoring and avoiding me! I wanted to see everyone once I came back from my mission... to celebrate with you all, but he isn't here, so it feels incomplete!"

His chin wobbles as he fights the urge to stay calm. He could understand how you feel, but the rational part of his brain was telling him to not let his feelings for you take over and blind him from being more responsible. His eyes dart to Tanjiro, in hopes of him lending a hand because he's not great with confrontations at all, especially when it came to you, which the red-head already knew. Tanjiro places a hand on your shoulder, gently patting it in hopes of subconsciously calming you down with his reassuring presence, but you ignore it entirely, still staring intensely at Zenitsu.

"Y/n-chan... I think Tanjiro is right, maybe we should just talk—"

"No, I don't want to talk! I wanted all my friends here and he's being so... so—" You throw your head back and shrug off Tanjiro's hand as you get all worked up. "Ugh, I'm gonna pummel that damn pig! He can't ignore me forever!"

You're about to walk away and make good on your threat, but as soon as you take one step you're being held in place by a pair of strong arms wrapping around you from behind. You instinctively try to free yourself, using all your energy and anger to do so, but it's a struggle. Tanjiro sounds a little guilty and sorry for doing this, but he doesn't let go, even as you start to kick your legs around. You keep kicking and squirming around until Tanjiro finally lifts you from the ground, so you no longer have any leverage.

"Y/n, calm down..!" Tanjiro pleads once again.

You don't calm down. In fact, you increase your efforts in escaping. You don't want to hurt him, but you do land a few kicks to his legs and elbow him in the sides. He grunts as you do so, but he doesn't budge and calls out to Zenitsu, who leaps into action by grabbing onto your legs. Now both of them are restraining you, keeping you suspended in the air between them. It must have been quite the commotion, as one of the Kakushi comes barreling outside and gasps at the sight.

"Hey, what is going on here?! Are you trying to kidnap that woman?! You bastards, let go of her!!"

They both flush red with embarrassment at the accusation, while the Kakushi runs up on them and starts to smack them vigorously. It probably did look like they were trying to kidnap you, but if only the Kakushi knew that they were trying to stop you from potentially murdering one of your friends.

Tanjiro tries his best to explain the situation, but he fails miserably as he can't get the words out because the Kakushi keeps hitting them. "Ow— Wait, it's not what it looks like..! She's our— oof!— our friend! We're— aghh! Please!"

"Scum!! I won't let you get away with this! You can't just take people!!"

"No, listen— ouch!" Zenitsu shouts, dropping your legs to cover himself from the Kakushi's blows. "Stop!! We're just trying to save an idiot from being murdered!"

The Kakushi falters but still looks suspicious, his hands ready to continue fighting them. "Explain yourselves!"

You've given up at this point, actually feeling a little embarrassed of yourself. Now that you've calmed down you were left to go over your actions... and you weren't too proud to say that you were being extremely unreasonable and causing too much trouble. You sigh and Tanjiro instantly notices your change in demeanor and carefully lets you go. You slip out of his arms and avoid looking at him and Zenitsu, choosing to speak to the Kakushi first.

"I apologize..." You hold your hands in front of yourself and give a small bow, sparing a quick glance at your friends. "I was angry and being stupid, but my friends here were only trying to help. Please forgive me for causing such a disturbance."

The Kakushi lowers his hands. "So, they weren't trying to kidnap you?"

"No," you shake your head, "they were just trying to calm me down, but I was being too stubborn to listen. Again, I apologize. I didn't mean to alarm you and make such a scene..."

"Oh.. well, that's a relief! I'm glad that you weren't being kidnapped. I really thought I would have to fight someone dangerous, but I wasn't sure if I could beat them, so I called for backup when I heard all the commotion! Although, he seemed rather busy..."

And as if on cue another man comes out and stops in his tracks when he sees you all. His eyes scan everyone, before coming to a stop on Tanjiro, which makes a scowl appear on his face. Tanjiro, however, has the exact opposite reaction to seeing the other man, as he waves and gives a friendly smile. His happy demeanor seems to irritate the other man, as his scowl deepens even more and he tenses up.

"You're the guy from Final Selection, right? It's been a while, glad to see you're doing well!"

"Tch.."

You curiously look at the newcomer, noticing the big, long scar going across his right cheek, almost reaching the left side. His hair was buzzed on the sides, leaving long locks to flow down from the top and middle of his head, much like a mohawk/mullet—which he surprisingly pulled off. Altogether, it gave him a more intimidating look than most of the other people you've ever met. The man turns back around to leave without uttering a single word, but the Kakushi stops him in his tracks.

"Ah, Mr. Shinazugawa! Thank you for coming to lend your help... I actually wasn't sure if you would come. But I'm happy to report that the crisis has been averted, so you can continue going about your business!"

The Kakushi bows and then quickly leaves once he's sure you weren't being kidnapped. Everyone stands in awkward silence for a moment, until the man—Shinazugawa—takes another step, but he's stopped once again.

"Shinazugawa...?" Tanjiro ponders aloud. "Wait, are you a relative of the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa? What’s your first name?"

"Don't speak to me!" the man snaps, spinning around to point a finger at him. "Don't ever say that name! And I'm not telling you!"

"Wow, you've really bulked up since I saw you last!" Tanjiro carries on, like he hadn't just been yelled at. "Do you want to train together sometime? We could all hone our skills together, wouldn’t that be great!?"

The man glares daggers at Tanjiro, who seems totally oblivious towards his dislike, and quickly spits out, "No!"

The man is bristling with anger but Tanjiro seems none the wiser to his disdain and continues talking. You watch quietly, absolutely fascinated by Tanjiro's ability to ignore all signs of someone who does not want to be friends with him. He wasn't that oblivious... right? There's no way because his damn nose could pick up on all sorts of things, such as blood from miles away, including a person's feelings! Either his nose wasn't working, because you know damn well whatever scent that guy is putting off is not a good one, or Tanjiro was in complete denial of someone disliking him and is trying his hardest to be buddies.

"Are you hungry right now? We could eat lunch first and then—"

"No! Why would I do that? Do you not remember what you did the first time we met?! I told you not to speak to me, damn it!"

He stomps away from the scene and Tanjiro just blinks before turning his attention back to you and Zenitsu. "He must be really busy," he sighs, then smiles a moment later. "Maybe we should visit him later?"

"Tanjiro," you snort in amusement, "I don't think he likes you... at all. What could you have possibly done to make him dislike you so much?"

"Well, I did almost break his arm at Final Selection..."

"You almost broke his arm?! Well, no wonder he hates you..."

"I didn't mean to make him hate me, I just wanted him to stop pulling on a child's hair..." he mutters dejectedly.

You pat his back a few times, holding in your laughter. "Awww, don't worry.. I like you, Tanji! Good on you for standing up for a child.. but maybe try not to break someone's arm in the process and then try to befriend them afterwards. And who needs to be friends with that big, grumpy guy anyways when you've got us!” You gesture to yourself and Zenitsu. “Right, Zenitsu?"

"Yeah, you're right!" Zenitsu pipes up, but he then pouts as he looks at you and points at Tanjiro, whining quietly. "Y/n-chan, how come you said his name all cutesy? I want to be called in a cute manner, too!"

"Oh, really? Huh, didn't notice..."

"Yeah, I want a nickname like Tanjiro! It's only fair! Otherwise, it's like you're picking favorites! You can't have favorite friends, Y/n-chan, that's cruel!"

"Alright, alright," you say appeasingly. "How about... Sleepyhead?" His mouth draws into a straight line, his face devoid of any emotion, so you laugh. "I'm just joking, Tsutsu!"

His mouth opens and closes, looking at a loss as he slowly parrots you. "Tsutsu...?"

"What, you don't like it?"

"No, it's just... ughhh..."

"I guess I could call you something else, like... Zen?"

"That's better! But still not as cute," he mumbles quietly, then sighs. "Anyways, you should probably get checked out now that you're back. I can't help but notice you look a little..."

"I look like shit, huh?"

"Eh!? That's not what I was going to say at all! Y/n-chan, you don't look bad..! I would never use such words to describe you��"

You laugh again, waving him off. "I know, don't worry about it. I said it myself because if we're being honest here, I don't look the best right now. I unfortunately wasn't able to dodge all of the demon's attacks, but I'm fine for the most part. Could you please let Rengoku know that I've completed my mission and have returned? Oh, and I can't forget Nezuko. Please let her know I'm back, too. I'm afraid I can't see them right now." You grimace as you feel a headache starting, and the rest of your injuries make sure you don't forget that they're still there, as they begin to ache and burn. "Now that I'm back and can fully relax, I think my body is starting to let go and feel the pain, so I'm going to visit the infirmary first."

"Of course! And you should get plenty of rest once you're done getting checked out," Tanjiro chimes in. "Would it be alright then if I brought Nezuko to see you later? She'll worry about you..."

You muster a smile and nod before you leave, heading inside and slowly making your way towards the infirmary, where Kocho would most likely be. If she isn't there then someone else would have to give you a check up, which is completely fine by you, but you were kind of hoping to see her. You aren't as close to her as you are with Mitsuri or Nezuko, as she always seemed so busy and holed up in her office, but you still considered her a friend and wanted to share your success with her. She hadn't sugar-coated giving you the news about your first mission and when you were having doubts, she had dismissed them effortlessly, telling you that you would be fine and you could do it. Although she appeared cold, she had still shown you warmth with her reassuring words, and even though she didn't doubt you she still wished for you to be careful.

You hope that she, as well as Rengoku and all of your other friends you've made along the way, will be proud of you.

As you're turning a corner you bump face-first into something solid, yet soft and warm. You're about to apologize until you look up to find yourself staring at the man who very obviously disliked your friend Tanjiro. He scowls down at you and you quickly stop yourself from saying anything, that is until he tries to go around you and mutters, 'watch it,' under his breath as he bumps you with his shoulder. With much more speed than you thought you had, you block him and step right up into his space with your own little glare.

"What did you say?" You poke him dead center in the chest. He takes one step back, looking at you incredulously, brows pinched together. "Watch it? Maybe you should watch where you're going! I admit I should've been more careful, but I'm not feeling too well, so what's your excuse? I'd drop that attitude of yours since you're no better at avoiding bumping into people than I am."

His eyes widen and he quickly closes his mouth, a faint red dusting his ears and cheeks in slight embarrassment. He definitely did not think that you would confront him so quickly, and boldly, especially since he tended to scare most people with just a simple look. But you didn't seem to care what he looked like and decided to tear him a new one when he acted rudely. He could very easily push you out of the way and continue going about his business, but he doesn't move or even try to interrupt you.

"I don't care who you are, what your rank is, or anything—" You rant on, and he almost starts to disassociate, but you finally stop. "—you will not act like that with me, got it?!"

He blinks, completely dumbfounded, then averts his gaze and bows his head very quickly as he mutters, 'yes, ma'am,' and then makes a break for it. You gasp at being called, 'ma'am.' Who did this guy think he was?! Was he being a smartass or was he just blind? Because you do not look like an older woman! Unless he was a very young child, you wouldn't even bat an eye at being called that, but you're certain he was around the same age as you and your friends. If you ever run into him again, you'll have to remind him to never call you 'ma'am' again unless he wants to fight you.

Screw the Corps rules, you will throw hands!

With a roll of your eyes you continue walking. You finally make it to the infirmary and quietly slide open the doors, stepping inside and looking around to see who exactly is around. You see the girl who was tasked with taking care of your three rambunctious friends when you first came here after the Mount Natagumo situation, and you believe you heard that her name is Aoi Kanzaki. You also spot one of the younger girls you've seen running around the estate, who is usually with two other girls, but she's alone and assisting Kanzaki in cleaning the room and setting it up. You briefly wonder where the other two are and what they're doing, but you don't get to think about it for too long as the younger girl spots you and quickly makes her way over.

"Oh, do you need any help?"

"Ah, yeah.. I just came back from a mission and I'm a bit worse for wear. So, here I am..." You glance around the area. "Is Kocho around?"

"Sorry, she's in her office conducting medical research. Shall I go get her for you?"

"No, thank you," you shake your head, "I don't want to bother her if she's busy. Could you maybe give her a message from me?"

The little girl nods and listens as you give her the short and simple message, then gets permission from Kanzaki to leave and relay your message. She approaches you as the young girl leaves the room, lifting her brow up in a questioning manner. You tell her about your mission, and how you just came back to the mansion about half an hour ago, and that you probably needed to get a check up. She orders you into another room and has you sit on a bed, firm hands poking and prodding at you. She makes you tell her about everything that happened during your battle with the demon, so she could get a better assessment as she continues to work her hands over your body. She frowns as you recount the events, going into as much detail as you can so she can figure out exactly what you'll need for treatment. You doubt anything was too serious, or broken, but you were definitely feeling some pain that was on the border of just being uncomfortable.

"You slayers are all so reckless," she ‘tsks’ and sighs. "You need to be more careful out there, or you'll get a lot more than just a concussion, and some scrapes and bruises. You're lucky that your skull isn't broken. Had you hit that tree differently, you could very well be dead."

Oh, well isn't she just a little ray of sunshine...

You deflate with a little pout and sit there in silence as she continues to passively-aggressively reprimand you and every other slayer she's had the pleasure to deal with. After she's finally done going over your injuries, giving you some medicine, and ordering you to stay in bed for the next week, she leaves the room and closes the door with a firm 'click'. You need to rest and allow your body some time to heal, but the thought of being stuck in a bed for an entire week makes you feel restless. You didn't think you'd have to stay in here that long. Had you known, you would've put off coming here so you could see Nezuko and Rengoku first. You thought you would just get a quick check up, some medicine, and then sent on your merry way. But Kanzaki had other plans and demanded that you listen to her or else you wouldn't get better as quickly.

Is this how Zenitsu felt when he was ordered to take his medicine a certain amount, multiple times a day? Because you fully understand why he was acting the way he had. Although the medicine you were just given wasn't nearly as pungent or disgusting looking, it still was fairly gross, and it left a bitter aftertaste that couldn't be washed away with water, much to your dismay. And to think you had to take this stuff every morning and night for this entire week. Sighing and groaning to yourself, you try to get comfortable and fluff up your pillow before lying down. You find yourself staring at the ceiling, watching beams of light and shadows dance across the surface. There is a bookshelf in the room and you would have started to read something had your headache gone away, but it was still there, enough to make you not want to focus on looking at hundreds of words on pieces of paper.

As you lie there, your eyes begin to droop and your breathing comes to a slow, steady rhythm. Sleep creeps at the very edge of your mind but you stubbornly hold onto your consciousness. You were tired, but you weren't exactly sleepy, which may not make any sense. But you didn't want to go to sleep just yet, especially since Tanjiro was going to bring Nezuko by some time. You aren't even sure when, since neither of you thought to confirm a time, but it could happen any minute and you didn't want to miss it! The longer you stare up the ceiling, watching the light and shadows bounce around, the more you start to see... things. It helps in keeping you awake but it's still hard to keep sleep at bay, that is until you slowly blink, only to have your eyes pop wide open with some kind of vision, or perhaps a memory.

And then dark…

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

A long time ago...

"I do not wish for my only daughter to die so young, she should have a long, prosperous life!"

"I know, dear..." a man sighs, holding his wife's hands, "but what can we do?"

"She must get married," the woman says with a faraway look. "She can no longer be a Ubuyashiki, or else the curse will take her, too."

"Then we have to send her away..."

"I know, but if she's to have a better life and continue the bloodline, it must be done. It's the cursed name! If she no longer holds the Ubuyashiki name, then the curse can not affect her. It is... for the best," the woman cries softly. "She can't die... she can't suffer the same fate... I won't allow it!"

"Very well... then we'll make the preparations immediately," her husband agrees softly.

The curse of the Ubuyashiki clan roots in the fact that their bloodline produced the demon progenitor. Each of their members, who are male, will suffer from a horrible condition that deforms their skin and makes them weak. The condition progresses as they get older, and the curse will ultimately take their life before they reach the age of thirty. No man of the Ubuyashiki clan has ever lived beyond that age.

The same fate awaits the female members of their clan, but unlike the men, they can exploit a loophole of sorts. If a woman born from the Ubuyashiki name can marry off to another family they will get to live much longer lives. Because of this curse, the members of the Ubuyashiki clan have to work hard very early on in life in order to stop the curse from ending the bloodline entirely, so they created and organized the Demon Slayers Corps in hopes of one day completing their ultimate goal of exterminating demons, and the progenitor himself, Muzan Kibutsuji—thus, ending the curse.

For many generations, the Ubuyashiki clan has spread and carried out their mission, along with the members of the Corps, working hard to track down and defeat all demons. It seems as if there is no end to the pain and suffering brought upon them and all other humans who are unfortunate enough to encounter a demon, but they don't lose hope and fight tirelessly.

All they can do is hope. And fight. And pray that someday, by some miracle, mankind can live in peace once more...

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

The darkness fades as your eyes slowly open to a bright, white light but you're not awake. No, you're still in a dream... a vision, or memory... you aren't sure. But you do know one thing, whatever was happening right now was important. Voices trickle in like tiny drops of rain, whispering in your ears, things that you don't fully understand yet. This is just like before, when you fell unconscious after your fight with the demon, except there are no figures. They just whisper words like they're secrets that must be shared with you, and you alone.

"ᵁᵇᵘʸᵃˢʰᶦᵏᶦ..."

"ᴮˡᵘᵉ—"

"ᴷᶦᵇᵘᵗˢᵘʲᶦᵎ"

"ᴹᵒᵒⁿ..."

"—ˢᵖᶦᵈᵉʳ..."

"ˢᵘⁿ..."

"ᴱᶜˡᶦᵖ—"

"ᴰᵉᶠᵉᵃᵗ..."

"ᵀˢᵘᵍᶦᵏᵘⁿᶦ—"

It's like a puzzle but none of the pieces fit, it doesn't make any sense to you, and the words all jumble together. The voices suddenly stop and it's like your life, or many other lives that aren't even your own, flash before your eyes—hundreds of visions blinding you in mere seconds—and you try to close your eyes, to shield yourself from the onslaught. But you can't move or do anything, as you're forced to listen to, see, and feel everything...

It's all happening too fast...

Too slow...

Too loud...

Too quiet...

Too hot...

Too cold...

Too soft...

Too painful...

It's just all... too much...

You crumple under the weight of it all, finally able to close your eyes and scream with your might, shattering everything around you. Everything slowly fades away and you become shrouded in darkness once more, left all alone to try and wrap your mind around it all. But nothing makes any sense. Your chest heaves as you try to control your breathing and stabilize yourself. You should be a complete mess after experiencing so many confusing, frightening, and yet exciting feelings and images at once. But you're relatively calm now that you have a moment of complete, utter silence. It takes a couple more deep breaths before you feel well enough to sit up and look around, but the only thing that greets you is darkness. Then a glimmer of light shines through, beckoning you towards it. Slowly standing, you brace yourself for whatever may come your way once you reach the light, and walk to it with unhurried steps. Once you finally reach the light, you hesitate before walking into it, your eyes squinting against the brightness as a voice gently whispers to you...

"ʸᵒᵘ ᵃʳᵉ ˢᵘʳʳᵒᵘⁿᵈᵉᵈ ᵇʸ ᵈᵃʳᵏⁿᵉˢˢ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵒˡᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᶦᵍʰᵗ ʷᶦᵗʰᶦⁿ—ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ..."

Your eyes suddenly pop open, and you're staring back up at the ceiling of your room in the infirmary. It's gotten darker but no more than an hour has passed since you fell asleep or whatever happened. You blink and slowly sit up, rubbing at your eyes to get rid of the tiredness. Those last words spoken to you, play in your mind over and over, as you ponder the meaning behind it. Why would it say that to you? Generally speaking, it could be good advice you'd give to someone if they weren't doing too well, and you wanted to lift their spirits like, 'I know times are tough and you feel like nothing will work out, but stay strong! Everything will be okay, as long as you don't lose hope.' But you have a strange feeling that there's more to it than that...

It was a warning, as much as it was encouragement...

A knock on your door has you jumping up, startled by the sudden noise. They're about to leave, as you notice their shadow start to retreat, but you quickly call out, 'come in!' to let the other person know you were awake and didn't mind the company. You wonder who it could be, and you briefly think it's Tanjiro and Nezuko, but you only noticed one shadow. They turn back around and approach the door again, slowly opening it, and you're pleasantly surprised to see that Rengoku was your mysterious visitor. He enters your room with his signature bright, warm smile but he stays at the door. You notice he's holding a tray of some food and tea in one hand and a small bouquet of peonies in the other hand.

"Good evening, Y/n! I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I got word of your return, so I stopped by to celebrate your success!"

"Oh wow... r-really?" You look at the tray of food and flowers, your lips twitching. "Thank you! Please, come in... you're not bothering me at all."

"Excellent!"

He steps further into your room and places the tray on your bedside table, then hands you the small bouquet. Your fingers brush his, and he doesn't seem to notice or care, but you almost sweat from the simple touch. God, why did he have such an effect on you? Even a simple glance from him sent your heart thundering away, and made your body heat up a hundred degrees. He just had an aura that was slightly intimidating, although he was a very kind and warm man. Was it because in some way he was an authority figure? He is very strong and admirable, so perhaps you just get nervous around him because you don't want to seem like such a fool. But Uzui is also a Hashira and you never get nervous around him, except for when he gets that evil glint in his eye, and you know he's about to cause some trouble. He's like an annoying older brother/uncle figure to you. Then there's Mitsuri and Kocho, who are also Hashiras... but they don't make you as nervous, even though they are really strong and pretty and—

Hold up...!

Stop that thought, right there! Don't you dare think any further than that. You don't like them, or anyone else, like that—in a way that's more than just friendly! Nope! You've already been over this, so get yourself together! They're all busy and have much more important things to think about, and no one would want you anyways, so it's best to just ignore these feelings and hope that they go away with time—and hopefully sooner than later! If anyone asks you about your love life, if you secretly admire anyone, you'll just laugh and deny any feelings you have for any of your friends. Because that's all they are, your friends! You can't risk making things awkward or ruining your friendships with them because of silly, dumb feelings—which don't exist!

And that reminds you, you really need to find Inosuke and make things better... why did your stupid brain have to be mesmerized by his annoying, beautiful face and say something weird?! Yes, you know it's why he's been ignoring you, you've just been in denial and refusing to believe you're the reason why. Poor man woke up with you basically breathing in his face, sort of cuddling, and then you very awkwardly trying to joke—definitely not flirt—with him about it! You also need to beat him up... because reasons...

Rengoku snaps you out of your thoughts, stopping you from spiraling into doom, as he gestures to the flowers now in your hands, which you had been absentmindedly sniffing.

"Do you like them?"

You smile sheepishly and nod. "Oh, yes.. they're lovely. Thank you..."

"I’m pleased to hear! I was told you are very fond of flowers from the lad in yellow. He told me he has given you some before, and you always seemed to enjoy them! So, it seemed like the appropriate gift in celebration of your accomplishments!"

You had a feeling that it was Zenitsu who had given you flowers when you were having a bad week–well, more like two weeks of hell–all those months ago. And since that day, every now and then you'd find a random flower or bouquet of flowers in your room. You never quite thanked him for them, and now that you're thinking about it, you should do so. This only reminds you of what an awful friend you've been so far... geez, you really need to step up your game and start doing things for everyone else. You can't keep letting people spoil you with such kind words and items when you haven't done anything to deserve them.

"Yes, I really appreciate them..."

"Did you know that peonies symbolize bravery and honor? Your little friend has given me that information, and I think it's quite fitting, as you've succeeded in completing your first mission!"

"Huh.. I did not know that. That's very nice, but I'm not so sure about that..."

"What do you mean?" Rengoku looks at you quizzically. "You should be very proud of yourself, for you are brave and have done an honorable thing, saving young, innocent lives from a terrible fate! Everyone, all of your friends and fellow comrades who you haven't even met, are proud!"

You flush under his praise, chuckling with a bashful smile. "Ahh, I'm just trying to stay humble. I don't need all this praise, it'll only go to my head... and I think one Uzui is more than enough," you joke.

He laughs wholeheartedly, head thrown back with a giant, amused grin plastered on his face. "You are most certainly right, one of him is quite enough!"

You continue to giggle and joke with him for a little bit as you eat the food he brought. After a good fifteen minutes or so, he takes his leave but not before he expresses his joy of being able to start training with you more in a week. He sort of surprises you by telling you how much fun he has with training and that he looks forward to it everyday. He found you amusing at times and felt like he could relax a bit more, as you wouldn't judge him for not being absolutely perfect. He always tries to do his best, but it was nice to not be so serious all the time and have a little bit of fun, even if you're supposed to be working.

He gently closes the door and you're once again left to sit alone in a cold, sterile room. Luckily for you, Tanjiro and Nezuko appear shortly after Rengoku has left. They didn't even get a chance to knock, as you had been watching the door like a hawk, anticipating their arrival. As soon as you heard Tanjiro's soft voice and Nezuko's little hum, you yelled for them to come in. You swear you heard Tanjiro jump a little, and you laugh as he and Nezuko peek their heads inside with wide eyes. Nezuko is the first to move and slinks inside, running to your side in an instant and jumping on top of you with a cheery chirp.

"I missed you, Nezuko! I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye before I left," you sigh, wrapping your arms around her.

She wraps her arms around you as well, gently squeezing. "Mmm, mhm!" She lets go and then leans back, tilting her head as she looks over your face and notices how bruised and tired you look. A tiny frown makes its way onto her face and she reaches up to cup your cheek, softly tapping her fingers along your skin. "Hmm? Mmmn..."

You smile and lean into her touch. "I'm alright, don't worry. I'll be more careful next time, but injuries are bound to happen now that I'm a real member of the Corps."

"Mhmmn?"

"I completed my first mission," you tell her excitedly, sitting up more straight. "We'll get to go out together, and I'll actually be able to help and fight this time!"

Her eyes gleam as she throws her hands up, and you both start bouncing on your bed, giggling together. Tanjiro, who's been quietly listening to you two from your side table as he looks at your bouquet of peonies, finally makes his way over when Nezuko grunts 'Ehm! Mhmm!' at him to get his attention. He chuckles at her reaction, happy to see her so excited about the news and pats her head.

"I'm excited to have Y/n join us, too! She's really brave and strong, isn't she?"

You grin, lightly blushing at the compliments. "Ahh... I'm only strong and brave because of you all..."

"Nonsense," Tanjiro shakes his head. "You chose to train, get stronger, and help people—to become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. We may have helped, but it's through your own integrity and dedication that you've succeeded! We're all proud and honored to have you here with us! You shouldn't be so modest about accomplishing things."

"Oh no, not you, too..."

You laugh, missing Tanjiro's confused 'huh..?' as you're bemused by the fact that he and Rengoku have given you such high, undeserved praise. Well, maybe it isn't so undeserved. What they said wasn't... wrong... but you still couldn't fully accept their words without feeling a little off, like a fraud or something. You didn't think you were quite good enough yet to receive all these compliments and praise. But you'll do better, you'll make a difference someday, and maybe then you'll take in their words with much more confidence and ease, accepting them for yourself. But until then you'll continue to disagree with them, quietly, and mostly in your head.

You turn your attention back to Nezuko, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Your brother is very silly. It's kind of cute how passionate he gets about things like this, don't you think?"

She giggles, nodding her head as she glances at Tanjiro, who is left completely confused about what's so funny. She absolutely agrees that her brother is silly and can be very cute and sweet when it comes to his friends and family. He was always thinking of others, saying and doing nice things for them, but he never really took the time to care of himself.

"Why are you.. laughing? Is it something I said...?"

"Tanjiro," you turn to him and smile, "has anyone told you that you're amazing?" He stares at you, looking a little shocked and at a loss for words. "You're a really good brother and friend, y'know? And you may not think so, but you're an incredible swordsman and you'll only get better. I can only hope to be as brave and strong as you. Your resilience and determination to help others is very admirable, you should also be more proud."

He doesn't move or even blink as he processes your words, but then ever so slowly a soft, small smile graces his lips and the corners of his eyes slightly crinkle. "Thank you, Y/n. And we'll get stronger... all of us, together! You, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Nezuko, and me." He looks at his sister and grins even wider. "Isn't that right?"

Nezuko nods enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling as she huffs.

"Since they missed it, how about we find Zenitsu and Inosuke and tell them just how cool they are, too," you propose.

"Great idea!" Tanjiro agrees happily, holding his fists up in excitement.

Nezuko cheers by your side, pumping her fist. "Mmhmph!"

You all leave your room, very quietly and sneakily because you're supposed to stay in bed, but this was too important to let it slip by. You shared a moment with Nezuko and Tanjiro, your chest feeling warm and light, and you didn't want that feeling to stop. So, all three of you went on your merry way to spread love and happiness with your two other friends. You only find Zenitsu, and unsurprisingly he cries as everyone takes turns giving him compliments.

"Zenitsu!"

"Oh, hey guys.. is something the matter?"

You shake your head and grin. "Nope! We just wanted to tell you something."

"Okay...?"

"Zenitsu, you're a really good friend and you always try your best to help everyone. You may be a little loud," you say lightheartedly, "but I wouldn't want to change a thing. You brighten a room up with your energy and enthusiasm, and I'm glad to have someone like you by my side to not only make us laugh, but to take care of us when we're in need. I never did thank you for the flowers... or for the time you saved me from being eaten by a demon, or for helping me eat when I was too tired to feed myself, so thank you. Your efforts don't go unnoticed and we wanted to let you know that we appreciate you..."

His eyes start getting misty with tears as he stares at you, his chin and lip wobbling as he starts to cry.

"Yeah, you're amazing, Zenitsu! I know you doubt yourself at times... but you're a lot stronger and braver than you think," Tanjiro adds on, patting his shoulder. " When we first met, I had mentioned that the box carrying Nezuko was more important to me than my own life, and even though you knew she was a demon you still risked your life to save her. I know I can count on you to have our backs when things get tough, and we've got yours, so let's continue to grow stronger together!"

"Tanjirooooooo," Zenitsu wails and wipes at his face, "Y/n-chaaaaaaaan! You guys.. r-really are great!!"

"Mhm!" Nezuko joins in.

Zenitsu sniffles and smiles, nodding his head at her. "You too, Nezuko-chan! All of you... thank you."

After having a group hug and letting Zenitsu calm down, you look around for Inosuke but you come up empty-handed. You were bummed that Inosuke was still hiding around, but the boys reassured you that they would talk to him if they came across him. But not long after they say that Inosuke comes creeping around the corner. He pauses as soon as he sees you all. The air grows quiet and still and then... he turns tail and takes off.

You gasp and chase after him. "Inosuke, get back here!"

The others follow and yell with you—mainly Zenitsu. "Quit running through the halls! You're gonna break something or hurt someone!!"

After a few minutes you finally catch up to your masked friend and tackle him. He grunts at the impact and immediately tries to escape, but you're stubborn and latch onto him.

"Get off of me!!"

"No," you screech, "stop avoiding me, you coward!"

That makes him pause for a second. "WHAT?! I'M NOT A COWARD!!"

"Then why do you keep hiding from me!?"

"I'm not hiding from you!"

You manage to wrangle his mask off and he throws an even bigger fit, but you shut him up as you get right in his face. "Yes, you are! Ever since I told you that your dumb eyes are pretty, you've been ignoring me, and hiding!"

"HAH," Zenitsu makes a strangled noise, "you said his eyes are pret—"

"So what if I complimented you?! Friends can compliment each other, it isn't weird!"

Inosuke avoids looking at you, his face turning red as he finally pushes you away. "Shut up..!"

"No, because guess what? I'm going to compliment you even more! And so is Tanjiro and Zenitsu!"

Zenitsu makes a face. "I don't—"

"Inosuke," you quickly start speaking before he tries to escape again, "you're really cool and an incredible fighter! I never really thanked you for saving me from the giant spider demon before either, so thank you. I want to be as tough and brave as you, jumping in to save my friends without hesitation. And I like when we fight over food, even though it's a little annoying, but it's fun and reminds me that I'm lucky to have friends like you around who I can be silly and fight with. You make life interesting and fun, and I hope we can continue to fight and go on crazy adventures together!"

"....."

You look at the other two and nod your head. "Alright, it's your turn guys."

"Uhh..."

Tanjiro was going to say something but Inosuke grabs his mask and swiftly puts it back on, yelling wildly. "AGHHHH, DAMN YOU AND YOUR STUPID SENSITIVE, MUSH!! YOU MAKE ME SO.. SO—"

"Angry...?" Zenitsu helpfully supplies, subtly rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! And I can't stand it!"

"But, why? We're just being nice. It's what friends do, y'know..."

"Well, stop being so nice..!"

You frown and push him for a better answer. You weren't going to accept that. "Why?!"

"Because it makes me feel weird!"

"Weird, how? Is it... like what you said before?" Tanjiro joins in on the questioning, tilting his head curiously.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna throw up! It feels like there's bugs in my stomach, crawling around.. and my ears feel like they're on fire, and my heart feels like it's going to burst out of my chest or something!"

You cover your mouth and giggle at the realization. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No," he slowly admits, grumbling and crossing his arms, turning his head. "It makes my heart feel fuzzy... but it feels weird, so quit before I really throw up or something!"

Laughing, you shake your head and shrug. "Alright, but no promises!"

Now that you've confronted him, the atmosphere seems a little lighter and less tense. So, he wasn't used to the whole 'caring for and complimenting your friends and family thing.' Hopefully he won't continue to try to avoid you after this. You'll have to be more careful and not be so forward, otherwise you'll just scare him again. Even though he has shown he cares for his friends and done nice things, in his own... weird ways, it wasn't something he had much experience with. You've learned that the poor guy grew up alone on a mountain, so it was understandable why affection or even friendly things bothered him a bit.

You make a plan with Tanjiro and Zenitsu to slowly introduce him to more things, like complimenting him during training and battles, and giving him small things that he likes. But doing it in a manner that didn't draw too much attention and you'd all act nonchalant, that way he didn't feel too weird, and over time he might get used to it and think nothing of it. Someday you'll all be able to share your thoughts and feelings with each other more openly, and you can't wait for that day to come, to grow even closer and form unbreakable bonds.

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

The next three days go by slowly. Nothing much happens, seeing as you're bed-ridden. Well, you're supposed to be, but you've snuck out a few times to go outside for fresh air or hang out with the boys outside of your room. You almost got caught by Kanzaki a few times, but you managed to stay hidden and make it back to your room without her noticing. Since you had another one of your weird vision things, you asked Kanzaki this time to give Kocho another message. Day five of your week-long stay in the infirmary is a lot more interesting, as she finally makes an appearance. You're sitting in bed, reading one of the many books lying around, when you hear a knock at the door. You don't take your eyes off of the page as you tell them to enter, but then you hear her voice.

"Good morning, I do hope I'm not disturbing you."

You turn to her and shut the book, sliding to the edge of the bed. "Shino— Kocho! I didn't think I'd see you.. you've been fairly busy, huh?"

"Ah, indeed. I do apologize for not stopping by sooner." She gives her signature smile, although it isn't as strained as usual. "I'm glad to see that you've successfully completed your first mission, well done!"

You nod and chuckle. "Thanks. Although, I did get beat up a bit."

"That's to be expected. This line of work isn't without risk, as you know." She sighs, her shoulders relaxing a bit as she fixes her gaze on you. "I received your message, but I get the feeling that you wanted to talk to me about something much more important..."

"Yes," you confirm, "I umm, I've been getting more of those weird visions—or memories—I don't know what they are. They don't make sense and they just leave me with more questions."

"I see..." She taps her chin in thought, slowly pacing the room. "Could you tell me more about these... 'visions?'"

"Well, sometimes I see flashes of colors... figures... and I hear voices. But they go just as quickly as they come. They don't make sense, they're so... cryptic, and what's even more strange is that I feel like they have to do with the past... and possibly the future."

She raises a brow. "The past and future? Do tell me more."

"Yeah... I don't know. One time... I got this weird vision about Rengoku—at least I strongly believe so—and it felt like it was very important. Like something was going to happen, I'm not sure what, but it... terrified me." You swallow, your throat feeling dry and you try to stay focused on talking. "I've seen more things, but the most recent one.. that actually happened a few days ago, I heard and felt so many things. These voices in my head kept repeating words but I don't know what they mean. They have to mean something though, right? It was like it was encouraging me... but also giving me a warning."

"Hmm, that does seem awfully intriguing, and like it's very important." She gestures for you to follow her. "I'm afraid I can't give you much help regarding these things, however, I do believe there is someone who can."

You quickly slide off the bed and follow her out of the room, down the halls, and then outside. "Who?"

"I think it's about time you talk to the Master."

"The Master?!"

"Yes, he may be able to help you with these strange occurrences, as he has a gift quite similar to your visions—foresight." As you walk outside and pass through the giant gate, you hum in curiosity, prompting her to continue. "He can make predictions, which are often proven to be true without any previous knowledge. Although the outcomes are never guaranteed, his ability to make such predictions is what has helped the Corps avoid disastrous situations in the past, and amassed a great amount of fortune and wealth to keep it operating."

"Oh.. wow, that's... pretty incredible."

"Indeed. So, I do believe the Master may be of help in this situation. Perhaps you will finally be able to learn more about yourself."

"Maybe... but that's all in the past. I don't see how predictions could help with that. I might never find out, but it's fine. Right now I just want to figure out what these visions mean..."

"Of course." She smiles, almost smirking. "And Y/n... call me Shinobu, we are friends, are we not?"

You perk up and quickly nod. "Oh, right..! Yes, we are... Shinobu. Thank you..."

She lightly laughs and nods then says nothing more, leaving you to walk in silence the rest of the way to the headquarters. Sometimes it's nice to just be in your own head without any distractions, but the problem that comes with that is when you start thinking too much, as there's nothing else to fill in the space that comes with the silence. You try not to work yourself up and think about all the questions you could possibly ask. You've spent too much time doing that, you just want your head to be empty right now. The trip isn't very long but by the time you get there you're feeling sluggish. You still needed to rest but this was pretty important and you couldn't miss the opportunity to speak with the Master, as he might be able to help you in some way.

You finally pass through the headquarters' entrance and make your way up to the main building, staying close to Shinobu's side. You haven't been here or seen the Master, so you were a little nervous. You couldn't help but wonder what the Master was like, especially as someone who was in charge of the entire Corps, including the best slayers known to mankind—the Hashiras. From what you could tell they all respected him greatly. You wait quietly next to Shinobu as she speaks to a young child who greets out on the engawa. They welcome you inside and then you both politely sit on a zabuton, waiting for the Master's arrival.

You had a lot of different ideas in your mind, but what you weren't expecting to see was a man who appeared to be sick and weak.

He almost seemed... too soft and kind.

But you're glad he wasn't some giant, scary man who could easily squash you or anyone who didn't follow his orders. No, he appeared to be a very well-spoken, thoughtful, and kind man. So, it wasn't too surprising to see why everyone respected him. You noticed that he was blind and had some sort of condition that covered the top half of his face. You did not stare though and did not speak until you were spoken to.

"Good morning," he greets warmly, a pleasant smile gracing his features. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I was just about to have some tea, do you care to join me?"

"Good morning, Master. I am most pleased to see you in good spirits." Shinobu bows respectfully and smiles. "We've come to speak with you about some... very interesting things. We thought you might be able to help in this situation."

Another young child comes out to assist him in sitting down, while another brings out a freshly boiled pot of water for tea. They go around pouring a cup for all three of you and then sit quietly by his side. You gently blow on the steaming liquid, taking a few small sips and relishing in the warmth of it as it flows down into your stomach. You don't know much about tea, but this tea was quite good and didn't have any strong notes of flavor, but it did have a floral hint.

"Is that so? I would be glad to offer some insight if I am able to, please do share."

Clearing your throat softly, you speak up. "I've been having strange dreams... or visions... or memories, whatever you may wish to call them, but I don't know what to make of them. All I know is that they are important and they mean something."

"That is very intriguing," he says softly, folding his hands in front of him neatly. "May you go into more detail about these?"

You take in a deep breath before you start telling him every single thing you saw, felt, and heard during those moments. Some parts were harder to recall and describe, but you do your best to go into as much detail as you can. By the end of it all, you wait patiently as he sits there quietly, deep in thought. His expression was light but pensive as he took in all the information and finally let out a soft, little hum.

"I see... this is indeed very important. I'm glad you have come. It seems that these visions of yours are similar to those of my own. As you may know, I possess the power of foresight. I can make accurate predictions regarding the future, although I don't use it often, as it is limited and takes a toll on my already weakened state." He tilts his head, his eyes moving in your direction, and it's almost like he was looking right through you. "Miss Y/n, do you have any recollection of your past or family?"

"No," you murmur. "As you may already know, I've lost all my memories and have yet to regain them. I'm starting to think I'll never find out who I am—who I was—and it hurts to think about it too much, so I'm just going to focus on the present for now."

His mouth parts but he pauses, his eyes shifting up as a small smile spreads over his face. He closes his eyes briefly and nods, then after a few seconds he opens his mouth again and says, "I believe that it was fate that brought you here, and you will learn soon enough about your past and even the future to come. I cannot say what exactly these visions of yours mean, but I can say that I do agree with your intuition--they are important. Nothing may make sense for a while yet, but until then, stay strong and keep fighting alongside your friends. Have hope, dear Y/n. I know you must feel like you are stumbling around in the dark, but do not give up, as there is always a light within the darkness and you will find your way."

Your eyes widen at his last statement, your breath catching in your throat as you're reminded of very similar words.

"Of course... thank you, Master."

And with that, your small talk ends and you leave the headquarters, going back to the Butterfly Mansion where you sit in your room and try finish your book. But the Master's words and all of your strange visions occupy your thoughts throughout the rest of the day, and well into the night.

"ʸᵒᵘ ᵃʳᵉ ˢᵘʳʳᵒᵘⁿᵈᵉᵈ ᵇʸ ᵈᵃʳᵏⁿᵉˢˢ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵒˡᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᶦᵍʰᵗ ʷᶦᵗʰᶦⁿ—ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ᶠᵒʳᵍᵉᵗ..."

☽☼☾☽☼☾☽☼☾

Taisho Secret

* Your crow, Yume, is very nosey and loves drama and gossip. She's always trying to pry personal information out of people. When Giyuu had said it didn't seem like he would need to worry about you anymore while you finished your mission, she had gotten excited and thought he had possibly developed feelings for you. That's why she got annoyed at Giyuu's nonchalant answer to her question because she hardly ever does hear anything interesting.

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