Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Maichi, I'm so tired." Your mother sighed as she held onto your father's hand. Your brother, Yamako, noted that she looked more tired than ever. "What if the baby doesn't even survive?" It was a month too early, and your father dropped everything to help with the delivery.

Your father, Maichi, smiled in response, "you're doing great, Ikumi, just keep pushing. We'll figure out what to do when the baby is born." Still, in his voice, everyone could tell he was worried sick for his wife.

Your other brother, Mou, stood next to Yamako. They were identical to each other, the only difference between the two being the way they wore their hair. Mou kept his longer so he could put it in a ponytail, while Yamako kept his short. They were secretly hoping for more twins to be born. They had done all their gardening chores for the day, and now sat beside their mother, holding her hands while she gave birth.

From the moment Maichi met Ikumi, your family was bound to be strange. Your father was only 32 years old, but your mother had been alive hundreds of years longer.

Yes, she was a demon. It was the reason why she couldn't go outside, and only attended the garden during the night. It was why the entire family was isolated on a mountain; the fear of getting caught and killed by demon slayers was too much for your mother to bear. Your father would prick his finger in the morning and dip it in your mother's tea before she went to sleep, just to make sure she got her nutrients. Others would think it was sickening, a human and a monster, but they truly loved each other. Maichi learned of Ikumi's tragic backstory and was understanding, and Ikumi fell in love with Maichi's purity and kindness.

Her blood demon art was not useful outside of combat, but she was able to pass her strength onto Yamako and her speed onto Mou. The boys both wondered what she would pass onto her next child. Or children, as they were hoping.

Only a few hours later, everyone was shocked, but not surprised. Twin girls laid quietly in their mother's arms as she snuggled with them and sighed heavily. "All that wisteria tea was worth it, Maichi." She smiled to him, "they may be weak and sick, but I can smell it. They have poisonous blood."

The family was devastated to learn that not only were both girls sicker than they imagined, but one hadn't even survived to the end of the week and died of heart failure. Now it was just you, fighting for your life as your lungs wheezed for air, and your heart pumped irregularly. Ikumi was nearly frightened to death of losing her other baby, but Maichi used to study as a doctor, and made sure to have Ikumi drink a special tea to change the formula of her milk.

Personally, she didn't like the taste, but anything to get her baby breathing normally. However, your heart still beat out of rhythm, and sometimes made a whooshing noise, but as long as you were kept well-hydrated, the whooshing would fade away. Maichi frowned as he pulled his head away from your chest, "I'm sorry. I wish I had studied longer; maybe I would've had diagnoses for these symptoms, but I -"

She cut him off with a smile. "I don't mind. Just as long as you know how to take care of her."

He broke into a smile as well, seeing his wife happy. "Are we going to name her Yoshihime? It's been a few weeks now, so I'm sure that with the care we've been giving her, she will continue to survive."

"Hey," Ikumi put on a playful scowl, "you got to name both of the boys, so I think it's my turn to name our daughter."

"Oh, alright." Maichi chuckles. "What do you have in mind?"

Well, truthfully, she had not a single clue. She was too stressed over the baby that she didn't even think about anything else. "Well, before I met you, and I traveled a lot, there was this one name that someone else had, and I thought it was beautiful." She peers down at the sleeping baby in her arms, bundled up warm and snugly, "(Name). I want her name to be (Name) Fujimori."

"Oi, (Name), pass it to me!"

"No, don't listen to Mou, throw it to me!"

At only a year old, you sat on the floor with a ball between your legs. However, you were more interested in shoving your entire fist in your mouth. "Ba."

Your mother comes in with a gentle smile on her face. The sun had barely set, so she was awake and ready for dinner. "She doesn't even know what either of you are saying." She washes up and starts to get the table ready with fresh fruits picked in the forest outside of their home that morning by the boys. Every day, they tended to the garden and foraged nearby while your father hunted. "Now, go help your father prepare the meat and then wash your hands."

They both groan in disagreement, but neither argue, and they do as they're told. Ikumi picks you up and grins in delight as she pushes your upper lip and sees two miniature fangs growing in, just like your brothers when they were your age. "You're so cute." She says to you as you continue babbling. "Oh, I know!" She humors you by talking back. "Mhm, and you're going to make a big mess, aren't you?" More baby noises. "I see, you do make a fair point."

Once you start to cough, she gets worried. "Don't worry, My Baby, I'll make some tea for you, alright? Maichi said you were old enough to start taking some ..." She frets over it, ignoring the vegetables in order to start preparing your drink. Having a sick baby like you was stressful at times, but as she cooled the tea and fed you spoonful by spoonful, she was proud to be able to keep something as fragile as you alive. She was hand-picked by the demon king himself to become a powerful woman, and likely would've made a 12 Kizuki if she hadn't broken from his spell.

"Are you feeling better, my (Name)?" She smooths your hair down and kisses your forehead. "I hope so. I love you so much."

Your mother stood by the door. "Carry her if you're going to run!" She scolded them.

"We know!" Yamako called back as Mou gave you a piggyback. He then turned to his brother. "I bet I can beat you to the river this time, especially since you're carrying Stinky."

You leaned over to hit him, "I'm not stinky!" He laughed in response, as you started to swing your legs. "You're the stinky one. Come on, Mou, faster!"

Being the more responsible brother, he grunted and tried to stay balanced. "Be careful, or we'll both fall down the cliff, and you can't swim."

"Yama can carry both of us out if we fall." You respond with a grin, laying your head on his shoulder.

Mou rolled his eyes in response. "And if you get water in your lungs? Mother will kill us. You're her baby." He speaks as he carefully steps over a root, and hops down to a rock.

You pouted, making a kissy face, "aww, you're no fun."

"Hey, (Name)," Yamako got your attention, "look at that bird."

"Yeah? What about it." You huffed, staring at the Toki ahead of you.

"It looks like you." He started laughing.

"IT DOES NOT!!" You yell in his face, startling the bird and causing it to fly off. "I'm telling Mom!" You start to wiggle to get off Mou's back.

"Yamako!" He hisses, trying to keep you from falling as he puts you down. "Don't rile her up."

His twin chuckles, "but it's so easy, and so funny." The two watch as you crawl back up the mountain yelling for your mother to tell her what happened.

"Yeah, and if she starts coughing, we're going to get in trouble." He doesn't say anything else, and sighs.

Meanwhile, Ikumi finally comes outside. "What's wrong, My Baby?" She bends down and pets your hair back, "where are your brothers?"

You point back down the mountain, where the twins were gathering water. "Yama said I looked like a bird!"

Your mother chuckles softly, "oh, (Name), he's just teasing you." Smiling, she cups your right cheek to rub away a forming tear, "although, when you were little, you used to make a little chirping sound when you were hungry. It was very cute."

"But he said it mean! Put him in time out!" You insisted, and she relented for you.

"Oh, alright. After the three of you bathe, though. You've been playing in the garden all night, and now all of you are covered in dirt." She stands back up and takes you inside the cabin to prepare the bath. "Quite honestly, I'm surprised you aren't even wheezing tonight."

You shrug, "I dunno, I just feel stronger at night."

Furrowing her brows, she quickly comes to a conclusion that it had to do with being part demon. "Is that so? How odd." However, she is happy for you. You breathe easier at night.

"Dad!" You called first, jumping onto his stomach.

"Ouf!" He grunts, sitting up. "You're getting to be a big girl, (Name). You can't go jumping on me anymore!" He laughs as he picks you up and sets you down. "How old are you, now?"

You hold up your fingers, "I'm six today!"

"Is that so? Happy birthday, (Name)." He ruffles your hair and yawns. "Let your father get dressed, and I'll be out soon, okay?"

"Okay!" You yelled, rushing outside. It was nighttime, so you were more energetic and didn't wheeze as much. You went to the main room, but no one was there. "Hello?" You asked, suddenly feeling weird. You couldn't name the emotion, but all your hairs were standing on end, and your heart was palpitating, and it felt hard to breathe. You'd never felt anxious before. "Mom? Yama? Mou?" Asking one by one, you opened the door to go outside.

"Surprise!" The three of them called.

You were startled so badly that your heart stopped, and you crumpled to the ground.

Instantly, your mother began shrieking. Both of your brothers began to cry as well, Yamako bursting into tears crying about how they killed you, while Mou knelt down beside you and shook you.

Luckily, as soon as it happened, your heart started beating again, and you rolled over. "Ugh ..." Groaning, you sat up.

"What happened?!" Your father demanded, stomping outside and looking around. He sat down next to Mou and leaned down to listen to your heart and lungs as your mother explained.

"We don't know! We were going to surprise (Name) with a picnic, and the next second she fainted! Is she alright?" She was fretting over your condition. "My poor baby, I thought we killed her."

Maichi sighed, then smiled gently. "The good news is that she's alright. Let's just try not to scare or surprise her in the future, okay? Her heart is weak, and likely couldn't handle the fright. She won't die if you scare her accidentally, but she could get hurt if she falls, okay?" He adds to warn his sons. They both nod quickly as he stood up.

"Can I get up now?" You asked. "I want to go on a picnic!" You grinned, not phased by what had just happened.

Your father scooped you up and put sat you on his shoulders. "Yep! All good to go! I can't wait to see what goodies your mother made."

"Soup! Soup! Soup!" You chanted eagerly, swinging your legs.

You were crying, "but Mom, if Kibutsuji died, would you die too?" She had just finished telling her kids the story of Muzan Kibutsuji, and how she was turned. Her sons were indifferent, but you were in tears and holding onto Mou's arm.

Your other brother scoffed. "Don't be stupid, she'll just be human."

"Yamako! Don't call your sister stupid." Your mother scolded as she rapped him on the head with her knuckle.

He winced and held his head with a frown. "Sorry, Mother. Sorry (Name)." You only 'hmph'ed at him.

Ikumi smiled at you. "I believe that if he did die, then all demons would turn back into humans and continue to live. Even if it does kill them, then there wouldn't be demons anymore, and humans can live in peace."

"Mother, I wish all demons were as nice as you." Mou frowned. "It's not fair that they kill humans without a thought."

She smooths down his hair. "Yes, that would be ideal. However, I do faintly recall another demon was able to break Muzan's curse. Her name was ... Tamayo, I think? I've never met her, but I hope she's kind."

"Will we ever meet Miss Tamayo?" You ask with bright eyes.

"Maybe, but I hope not. Remember, we're secluded in this forest so your father and I can keep you three safe from demon slayers. We can't have anyone finding us, okay?" She stands up, "now, it's way past your bedtime, and the sun is about to rise."

"Yes, Mother." The three of you chant, before snuggling up together under the covers.

"I love you all." She kissed each of her kids' foreheads and tucked you all in. "Sweet dreams."

The moon was bright tonight. Three kids were planning on surprising their father with presents for his birthday in a few days. "Yama, I'm scared." You reached your hand out to him, and he took it. "What if we get lost?"

"We won't." Mou assured you. "I've been out with father plenty of times, so I know my way back from anywhere."

"Yeah, (Name), trust him. He's really good at navigating." Yamako added. "Now, what sounds better -"

"Food." Mou interrupted him. "Always food. Last winter, we barely survived because (Name) was able to stay at the garden so we could hunt."

You grinned and nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Plus, he'll be super happy if we find a large animal to bring home!" Then you began to frown. "What about Mom and Dad, though? We snuck out without telling them ... will we be in trouble?"

The stronger twin scoffed, "it's fine. We're 15, and you're 11. We're old enough to be out on our own for a while. Besides, if anything happens, Mou is fast enough to get you to safety, and I can beat any human!"

"What about demons?" You asked curiously.

"Mother said we smelled like demons, so they'll think we're one of them, and aren't likely to bother us." Responded Mou.

"Ohhhh, okay okay." It's quiet for a bit, and the three of you keep an eye out for anything to eat. "Hey, look!" You pointed to the right, showing off juicy berries gleaming in the moonlight. You let go of your brother's hand so you could run up and gather some.

"(Name)," Yamako called after you, "those won't last long after you pick them, so don't take too much."

"Okay, I won't!" You yell over your shoulder. However, the very next moment, something steps out from behind some shrubbery, and you collapse after being frightened.

Yamako from behind you can't even move; staring at the person ahead. Luckily, Mou was brave enough to come to your side, and helped you sit up. There next to you stood a demon, and your heart nearly stopped again. Whoever he was, he stood tall, staring down at you and your brother with a serious face. His hair was a similar shade to the twins and your father, a sword was sheathed at his hip, and all six of his eyes were assessing the situation. Two of which read 'Upper Rank One'. Whatever that meant, it wasn't good.

"Sorry," Mou was the first to speak, "we didn't mean to get in your way, Rank One. We're leaving now." He bows politely, and grabs your hand to pull you to your feet.

Still silent, the demon reaches out and lays a hand on your brother's shoulder. He seems to be inspecting the two of you, even glancing at Yamako a little further away, as he stares the three of you down. None of you know what he wants, but he finally moves his hand from Mou's shoulder to touch the side of your face. "You even have his eyes." The way he says it indicates fondness, yet his tone of voice sounded hostile. You forced the muscles in your throat to close as you tried desperately not to cough. Your body trembled as he continued to stare with his unreadable expression, and you had squeezed your eyes shut.

Finally, his hand drops as he whips his head around to look at something in the distance behind you. Instinctively, you and your brothers do the same.

"Mom!" You cried, breaking down first and trying to run towards her. However, Mou stops you again with a hissed 'wait'.

"Don't ever touch my kids." You've never heard her voice come out so venomously before, as if she was trying to curse the demon with just words. She was in an offensive position; her claws longer, teeth sharper, and her blood art causing her bones to jut out of her skin like defensive spines. She then speaks to her children. "Get to the river. Your father will be there waiting for you."

Yamako didn't hesitate this time, scooping you up so you wouldn't have to run as he booked it to the house, where the river would be close by. In the blink of an eye, the demon stranger had unsheathed his sword and raced towards your mother. "Mom! What about you?!" She didn't respond as Yamako carried you further and further away, Mou leading the way home. "Mom!!"

"She'll be fine!" Yamako snapped. "We should focus on ourselves for now, like she said!" Nothing else was said as you were rushed to the river.

"Father? Dad, where are you?" Mou called, scouting ahead and searching down the banks. He suddenly halts. "Yamako, don't come any closer. I don't want (Name) to see this."

"Suh-see what?" You were already in tears, making it hard to breathe as your body shuddered through sobs. "What?"

Ignoring his twin's instructions, he brings the two of you closer so you could see behind the rocks.

Whoever that demon was, he didn't come alone. Whoever this demon was, he was feasting on your father's corpse. Your brother put you down and began to roll up his sleeves, stomping towards the busy demon. "Yamako, don't." Your other brother warned through a sharp whisper. The demon hadn't noticed any of you yet, and seemed a lot weaker than the other demon.

However, he didn't listen. "Get off our father!" He screamed, balling his fists together and slamming them over the demon's head, crushing it. However, even as it began to regenerate, he didn't stop, and kept pounding on it.

Mou tried to grab him as he snapped. "Yamako, stop! There's no point! Only sunlight can kill a demon, and we don't know how many more have invaded the mountain! We have to leave!"

"No!" He yelled, wrenching his arm out of his brother's grasp. "This thing, this thing killed our father! I'm going to make it pay!"

"You're going to scare (Name)!" Mou yelled back. "We have to get somewhere safe!"

"There is nowhere safe! This is our home, this is our safe!"

Ignored, you finally got your brother's attention when a second demon came up from behind you and grabbed you up by the neck. Your screams were gargled as he dragged you across the river, kicking and scratching.

"(Name)!!" Mou cried out to you, ditching his brother and splashing into the river to get to you. Struggling to make a decision, Yamako quickly decided that saving a living relative was better than revenging a dead one. Mou grabbed onto your ankles and pulled with all he had to try and stop the demon from pulling you farther away, but now you were starting to choke. "Help me!" He called out to his brother, who was already racing towards the demon with a readied punch.

He hit him in the ribs, causing him to cough up blood from the force, and let go of you. As he did so, Mou lost his footing and fell down, the current sweeping him away with you. "No, dammit!" Shouted Yamako, pushing through the chest deep water to try and get to his siblings. Mou was a more experienced swimmer than you, so he decided to focus on saving you first, as you were flailing about in the river, and your light body was easier to float down the river. "Mou, try to grab (Name)!"

It was a race against time, as both boys knew there was a waterfall somewhere close by. Your head went under a few times, worrying them, until you resurfaced a second later, coughing and crying. "I can't touch the bottom!" You cried.

"We know!" Yamako yelled back, "just kick! We're coming!"

As the waterfall came into view, you screamed your lungs out, then sunk again. Mou was getting desperate, and swam diagonally towards the shore, so he could start running ahead of you. "(Name), I'm right here!" He called out to you as he ran back in. However, he'd never been this close to the waterfall before, so he never realized how deep it really was. His feet couldn't even touch the ground anymore, and he was nowhere near where he needed to be to catch you. He wasn't strong enough to swim with you, either, but he was surely going to try tonight.

Once you got close enough to him, he used one arm to grab you, and the other to keep swimming. "I got her!" He cheered to Yamako, who replied that he was coming as fast as he could. You maneuvered your way around his body so that he could let go of you and focus more on swimming, so you clung to his back. It weighed him down, so he was wasting a lot of energy trying to keep afloat.

"Yama! Faster!" You sobbed.

"I'm almost there!" Yamako reached out, just as the three of you were about to fall over the edge. "NO!!" But his fastest just wasn't fast enough. He felt it; felt the wet fabric hit his fingers as he tried to grab onto his brother's kimono, but it just slipped through them as you both fell over the edge. And without thinking, he followed right after.

You were the first to go unconscious due to the falling, but the impact with the water below took out your brothers as well. All three of you were swept down the rest of the river; the farthest you've ever been from home.

Chapter Text

Mou was the first one to wake up, resting on a bed with Yamako next to him. However, you seemed to be missing, and the moment he realized that, he shot up with wide eyes and looked around. "(Name)?!" He called for you, pulling the covers off and standing up. Pain immediately shot up his leg and he collapsed to the floor.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A man with bright purple eyes spoke, eyeing him carefully. "Your leg is broken."

Mou scowled at him. "I don't care. Where is my sister?"

The man scowled back. "The Lady is still healing her infections. She needs to be separated so you don't make her condition worse."

"Fine." Mou relented. "Can you at least tell me what happened?"

He didn't say anything for a while, agitating the twin, before he finally shifted his posture. "The Lady and I were out, and happened by your bodies on the riverbank. It's a miracle any of you survived at all since there was water in your lungs."

Sighing, Mou got back on the bed. "Well, is there anything you can tell me about how my sister's doing?"

"You're lucky The Lady is so nice. She's been working for the past 40 hours trying to stabilize her. Because she has asthma and a poor heart, she caught a deadly case of pneumonia, and might not be able to fight it off."

Your brother could feel his heart twist in his chest. You might die? "When can I see her?"

The guy seemed tired of talking to him, and opened the door to leave. "If you're fortunate, not anytime soon." And with that, he shut the door behind him.

Mou was left to sit with his thoughts alone in the room. That jerk didn't even offer any food or water after he'd been out for hours. There did happen to be a glass on the table beside the bed and a pitcher of water, so he poured himself some and gulped it down. He crumpled the sheets up in his fists once he was done, as he recalled the half-eaten body of his father behind the rocks. Was his mother even alive? As he thought of you, he realized that he wouldn't be able to deal with losing anyone else close to him. If you died because he wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough, he would never be able to forgive himself. Releasing the sheets from his death-grip, he started to formulate a plan. One to get stronger.

He knew demons were weak to the sun; it was why his mother never went out, and why him and his siblings seemed weaker during the day. Remembering the story his mother told the three of you about Muzan Kibutsuji, her words echoed in his ears as he thought of the Nichirin swords that demon slayers used. Swords made of ores infused with the power of the sun, able to kill demons by slicing their necks. He would need one of those swords if he were to protect what was left of his family.

As something wet hit the back of his hands, he realized he was crying. How could I have been so stupid? We were safe on the mountain for so long that I never even knew what danger was like ... what fear was like ... I'm so scared now.

By now, Yamako had also stirred awake, and put a hand on his twin's shoulder. "Mou?" Asking weakly, his throat sounded dry. "What's wrong? Where are we?"

"Oh," He rubbed away his tears. "We're alright. We're getting fixed up, and (Name) is in another room because she's sick and could get worse. After we fell down the waterfall, we must've blacked out. I guess I broke my leg at some point." He added as he showed off the wrappings.

Yamako was quiet as he took in the information. "Oh, I see." He went to stretch, but winced and held his right side. "I think I bruised something." Grimacing, he noticed the water and poured his own cup. "At least once we're fixed up, we can go back home."

"No. We can't go back there; not until we're stronger."

Creasing his brows, Yamako spoke to him with a concerned tone. "What are you talking about? I know Father's dead, but we can't just leave Mother alone. She doesn't even know where we are."

Mou scowled at his brother. "What's the point? Demons know where we live now, so we have to get stronger and train as demon slayers to protect ourselves!"

"Who cares? We left Father unburied, and Mother will be worried sick because she doesn't know where we are!"

"And what if Mother's dead, huh?! What then?!" Mou finally snapped, more tears stirring in his eyes. "We don't even know where we are; we might never find the river, and never get home anyway!"

Also teary, Yamako glared at his brother before laying down in the bed faced away from him and yanking the covers up to his neck. "I don't care!"

Frustrated, Mou did the same. "Fine."

The next time the twins woke up, a young woman was refilling the water pitcher, the man from before at her side. He was scrutinizing the brothers with his gaze.

"You're awake." The woman smiled gently at them. "How are you two feeling?" They both shrugged at her question, not feeling too great about themselves after the fight they had. "I understand. Let me explain the situation to you, and if I may, ask how you got in this condition?"

"Yes, please. Some updates on our sister would be nice as well, Miss?" Mou spoke politely to her.

She placed her hand on the man next to her, and her other on herself. "My name is Lady Tamayo, and this is my assistant, Yushiro."

"Woah, like the Tamayo our mother told us about?" Yamako asked excitedly, before getting elbowed by his brother.

Mou glowered at him, "we can't let people know who our mother was, remember?" He whispered.

Tamayo looked concerned for the twins. "Please don't elbow your brother like that. His ribs were broken when we found him, and I don't need him to get any worse."

"Sorry, Lady Tamayo." Mou bowed his head. "My name is Mou Fujimori. This is my brother, Yamako, and my sister is (Name)."

She nodded along. "Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that her blood is ... how should I say this ... her blood is purpler than a normal human's, and I believe it was what is causing her atrial septal defect."

Speaking up, Mou tilted his head, "Lady Tamayo, if I may, what does that mean?"

Frowning pitifully, she explains the condition. "Everyone has it when they are born, as it is a hole in the heart that lets oxygen pass quicker while the baby is still developing in the womb. Over time, it fixes itself, but not everyone is that lucky. As the child develops, other complications may occur as well. This is why your sister's growth is stunted, and she has asthma as well as heart defects." She then smiles. "But the good news is that your sister is going to survive her pneumonia, so long as Yushiro and I keep a close eye on her."

While Mou sighed in relief, Yamako spoke out against his brother's warning. "Lady Tamayo, we know why her blood is purple." He made it fast so his brother couldn't stop him. "Our mother poisoned herself with wisteria tea to try and make (Name)'s blood poisonous to demons."

"Yamako!! We weren't supposed to tell her -!!"

Mou is cut off as Tamayo nods. "We knew. We were just wondering if the two of you knew as well." She pulled up a chair and began to speak with them longer. "We noticed your teeth were sharper, and your temperature was lower than regular human's are. I was surprised to know that one of your parents had to have been a demon, and even more when I could smell the wisteria in your sister's blood."

Pursing his lips, Mou spoke this time. "Fine. Our mother was a demon, and she spent her entire pregnancy around wisteria, even putting the smallest bit imaginable in her daily tea, made with some of our father's blood. She immediately got sick and almost died a lot, but she had our sisters born. Only one survived though ..." He left it at that.

"I see. I am sorry to hear that."

Next, Yamako wanted his question answered. "Our home was attacked by demons, but we were sent down the river over a waterfall. What happened after? How will we get back home?"

Tamayo frowned at that. "Yushiro and I found you three in critical condition on the side of the river after visiting a client. It's a miracle we found you at all, but your sister's wheezing came across our ears and we were able to rescue you. As for getting home ..." She hesitated for a minute, staring at the two pitifully. "I do not know where you came from, and I'm afraid I cannot help you home. You see, the river we found you on comes from a lake with many incoming rivers. It could take days or months to travel up each river to find the right one. I'm sorry."

Yamako sat there quietly, stunned by the news, while Mou's face darkened. "I see. Thank you, Lady Tamayo."

She stands up and bows. "I must return to your sister's side now. If you have any questions, you can call for us and we will try to help."

"Thank you, Lady Tamayo." Nodded Yamako, before he settled down for some more napping.

She left with Yushiro, and finally the brothers were alone again. Mou's demeanor changed instantly. "I should be beating you to a pulp right now! Why would you tell them about us being demons?!" He snapped as he clocked his brother in the head.

"Ow ow!" He whined, covering his head. "She's the demon Mother told us about, remember? She's a good person, so I thought she should know!"

"Oh yeah? Well what if she was a demon slayer with the same name, or something?"

Yamako froze. "I ... you're right, I didn't think about that. But you didn't have to hit me!"

"Fine," Mou lowered his head. "Sorry about that. Let's just focus on getting better."

"Mm." His brother nodded in agreement. "We have to get strong if we're going to find our home again."

The brothers were healing up nicely, and Tamayo would come in with updates on their sister every night. "Mou, if I may?" She asked him as she began to unwrap his leg. He let her, and she smiled. "You seem to be healing well. I believe most of it has to do with your demon genes, but you are healing faster than the average human. Your sister is also getting better, and you will be able to see her as soon as tomorrow."

Yamako grinned. "Thank you, Lady Tamayo and Yushiro!" He had been in a cheerful mood lately. "We're very grateful."

"You're welcome, Yamako." She stands up and announces both boys as recovered. "You're welcome to go outside, if you would like, but please stay within the boundaries of the home."

"We will." Mou assures her. They had learned of their blood demon arts, and were glad they were used for a good purpose. In return, they told her of their mother's blood art, Bone Armor. Tamayo had told them she vaguely knew of someone with that art, but didn't know much about her.

The boys made their way outside, agreeing to train to get stronger, but neither knew how to train properly. "So ... what should we do?"

Mou chewed at his bottom lip as he thought. "Well, you're already strong, and I'm already fast, so maybe we work on doing the opposite? Like I will do pushups and you can run laps around the house?" Neither had seen the full power of a demon, nor a slayer, so neither knew that they were going to be horribly prepared for real training.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Yamako hummed, "then the demon slayers will have to take us seriously when we try to join them!"

They got to work right away, with Yamako getting winded only a few laps in, and Mou getting tired a few pushups in. They certainly had their work cut out for them, but didn't want to give up just yet.

When you finally stirred to life, you could barely get your eyes open before you began coughing harshly. A woman beside your bed with a rag jumped slightly, then turned to someone else in the room. "Yushiro, go get the twins, she's awake!" She rubbed your back soothingly after helping you sit up, then handed you a cup. "Here, this will help." Without much thought, you just took the cup and swilled down the familiar tasting tea.

It didn't take long for your memories to catch up to you, as you suddenly burst into tears and wailed loudly. "Where's Mou and Yama? Where's Mom?" You sobbed.

"Oh dear," Tamayo brought you close to her and hugged you, letting you lay your head on her chest and hug her back as she patted your head. "There, there. Your brothers are coming soon." She spoke soothingly to you, but it didn't seem to help much.

She was grateful when Mou and Yamako burst into the room, locating you quickly and rushing to your side. "(Name), you're awake! How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

They pestered you with questions as you left Tamayo's side for the more familiar comfort from your brothers. You couldn't get much out, but you managed to ask them where you were and why you felt sick.

"(Name) ... you had pneumonia. You could've died. Luckily, Lady Tamayo and Yushiro are doctors, and helped you feel better." Mou spoke seriously to you, kneeling in front of you so you could look him in the eyes. "Do you feel better?"

You shrugged. "I dunno. My stomach hurts and my chest hurts."

"You must be hungry." Tamayo stood up, heading for the door. "I'll be back with something to eat shortly, please just rest in the meanwhile."

Your brothers moved to sit on either side of you on the bed. Huddled together for the first time in a week, the three of you began to talk. "When are we going home?" You asked the twins tearfully.

Yamako pursed his lips. "We're ... not going back, (Name). Not for a while, at least."

Whipping around to face him with a look of betrayal, you made your confusion known. "What?! Why not? What about Mom and Dad?"

"We'll be back to bury Father eventually, but we can't go home yet. Demons know where we live, so we have to be able to kill them and defend ourselves. Mother is strong, so she either did or didn't kill the demons already there. Even so ..." Tears welled in Mou's eyes, causing a chain reaction between his siblings to do the same. "It's our fault Father is dead. If we didn't go sneaking off, Mother would have been able to protect all of us at once. We can't go back yet."

You sniffled and tears dribbled down your cheeks, but you didn't outwardly cry, only leaning into Mou as the three of you hugged.

"It's okay, (Name), once Mou and I become demon slayers and avenge Father, we can go back. It'll just ... take some time." Yamako added. "Then we can go back. I promise."

Chapter Text

You were very much a sentimental child, so leaving Tamayo's home made you cry. Yushiro didn't want to be hugged by you, so you only held onto Tamayo as your brothers tried to urge you to leave. "I'm gonna miss you, Tamayo." You cried into her Kimono.

She patted your head comfortingly. "And you as well, (Name), but your brothers are waiting for you." She used a gentle hand to your back to guide you towards them. "You're always welcome here." Bowing to you, she waves as the three of you leave. Yushiro does the same after a bit of urging, but doesn't look at any of you. "I hope you have safe travels."

"Thank you for everything, Tamayo!" Yamako waved brightly to her, Mou doing the same before the three of you finally passed through Yushiro's barrier into a quiet street, barely illuminated by the moonlight. "Alright, uhm ..." Your stronger brother hummed, thinking. "So, how do we even find demon slayers in the first place?"

Mou chewed on his bottom lip, not having thought about this. "Well, I suppose if we want to find any, we'll have to go where demons are."

Without any money, the three of you would spend your nights traveling, the mornings sleeping, and the afternoons working. You would enter villages and cities, look for any odd job you could complete, only for the payment of a meal or bath. Yamako ended up doing harder or strenuous work, such as cutting firewood and kneading doughs, while you and Mou did calmer things like laundry, washing floors, or cleaning homes. It was mostly elderly people who gladly took the extra help in exchange for a meal, but busy couples with children also liked the extra help sometimes. You would babysit and play with the children while Mou and Yamako helped around the home, and those jobs were the best, as the couples would let you stay for a night or two and let you use their bath to clean themselves.

Of course, you couldn't work forever without finding demons. It took a few weeks, sure, but eventually a demon showed up on one family's doorstep. Luckily for them, the three of you happened to be there.

It was nighttime, so you were all already awake, outside of the property and keeping a lookout. The house was on the edge of town, near a forest, and housed a couple with their four children; all girls. This made it an easy target, as you soon found out.

"Did you hear that?" Yamako asked, whipping around to face Mou.

He shook his head. "No, where was it?"

Pointing to the forest, you and Mou stepped up next to him to see what he was looking at. "Forests are always creepy." You huff, "it's probably something dumb like a rabbit."

Yamako shook his head rapidly while Mou stared down at you disappointingly, his hands on his hips. "I thought I told you that you couldn't go demon hunting with us. Tamayo only gave us so much medicine for you, and the bag is already half empty. It's supposed to be for emergencies."

Pouting now, you fold your arms with a 'hmph'. "Mom said my blood was poisonous, so I can fight off demons all on my own."

"Yeah, but like, you're only 11." Yamako pointed out, finally turning his attention from the forest.

That was his mistake though, because the moment he looked away, a demon sprinted out from the trees towards the house. "Shit!" Mou cursed, dashing towards the demon. He tackled the demon down, wrestling with it to buy time for Yamako to get there.

The demon isn't happy about this, hissing for your brother to let him go as he slashes him across the face with his claws and trying to bite into his arms. Mou yells and stumbles back, hands flying to his face in pain. Luckily Yamako got there and restrained the demon by grabbing its wrists in one hand and wrapping his arm around its neck. It thrashed about in his hold as they tried to think of what to do next. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?! The sun doesn't come up for another five hours!" Yamako grunted, struggling to try and hold onto the demon. "And I don't know if I can hold him that long!"

"I'm thinking!" Mou snapped back. "It's not like we have any Nichirin swords just lying around!"

Meanwhile, you were frozen in fear. You stared wide eyed at the demon as you remembered your last encounter with evil demons. Those bright yellow eyes that pierced your soul, the way you felt insignificant and small next to him, like he could've turned your body into nothing but a stain on the ground if he so pleased. The demon who ate at your father the moment he was alone. The demon who dragged you across the river and got you all into this mess. Fear and anxiety coursed through your body as you suddenly found it hard to breathe, and your heart clenched painfully. Your hands were trembling horribly, and your vision shook as you watched your brothers wrestle the demon to try and keep it pinned so it couldn't do anything.

Of course they were stronger than before, as you'd seen them train outside when you were with Tamayo, but you weren't sure it was enough. As your heart palpitated painfully, you gripped onto your kimono painfully, staring out at the scene before you. What do I do? What do I do?! The question raced through your mind but you were so panicked that you couldn't think properly.

"(Name)!" Mou called to you. "Please, get back! We can handle this!"

His voice snapped you out of it, as you remembered your blood. If you were going to prove to your brothers that you were strong, you would have to put that poison to use.

"(Name), no!" Yamako yelled as you stumbled towards your brothers.

Holding your palm up to your mouth, you bit down onto it, your sharp demon teeth puncturing the skin and causing blood to well up immediately. Without much other thought, you reached out and smeared the blood across the demon's face. Of course, your mother never explained how to use the poisonous blood, but you figured that if what Tamayo told you about wisteria poison was correct, then any kind of contact should at least do something. To your luck, it didn't take long for something to happen. The demon wailed painfully as his skin began to bubble where you touched him, as if he was being burned by acid.

While his mouth was open, you stuck your hand in his mouth and dripped the blood down his throat. His shrieking faded into gurgles as his skin began to turn purple and his movements died down. Seconds later, he was dead entirely.

The three of you stood there silently, eyes wide and mouths hung open, as you all wondered what happened. Yamako dropped the demon entirely and stepped back to process the whole thing, while Mou grabbed you by the back of your shirt and pulled you away from the demon. Of course, he wasn't moving, so you were safe.

"Okay, what the hell was that?!" Mou questioned aloud.

Yamako went to scoop you up away from the dead demon and take you back towards the house. "How did you -?! Why did you do that?!"

"I dunno!" You defended yourself as he sat you down and observed your bite while Mou tried to take care of his face. "Mom said my blood was poisonous, but I didn't know it was gonna do that! I thought it was just gonna weaken him!"

"But, like, you bit yourself!"

"How else was I gonna get the blood out?!"

Yamako sighed. "Yeah, okay. That's fair." Not knowing how to properly take care of a wound, he just spit onto your bite and wiped it away like it was soapy water.

"Idiot." Mou came up from behind him, making both of you jump. "That's not how you do it," he shoulders him away, "let me do it." He used real water, and wrapped some bandage around it.

"Mou, are you okay?" You asked, reaching up to his scratches.

However, he just pulled away. "Don't; I just cleaned them. And I'm fine." Clearly, all three of you were shaken. "We should just get some rest, okay?"

You agreed, but after that whole ordeal, no one really got any sleep.

Ever since that day, you and your brothers would encounter demons about three times a month, and every time your brothers would apologize for asking to use your blood. They felt shitty for it, but you didn't mind supplying. After a year and a half of this, you got used to it.

There was one place you passed by, where the owner was growing a bunch of peaches. He was glad that for the cheap price of dinner, you and your brothers were willing to help pick them all. Speedy Mou had already filled up a few baskets by now, while Yamako and you split up to try and help. You were all within eyesight of each other, so at least if anything happened, aid would come quickly.

However, it wasn't a demon this time that approached you. "What's a cutie like you doing around here?"

You whipped around at the sudden presence of a young man, likely a bit older than you, standing right beside you. You nearly collapsed as it scared you, but you gripped a branch for support. Never having been addressed in such a way before, you're not sure what to say or do. "Oh, uh, j-just helping out." You reach out to pluck another peach, but he reaches out and grabs it before you, causing you to turn and stare.

The boy had dark hair and turquoise eyes, and stared at you affectionately. "My name's Kaigaku. Yours?"

"Uhm (N ... Name) ... Fujimori." You spoke sheepishly.

He chuckles at this. "What a pretty name." He comes closer. "You know, I like seeing you flustered like this. How about we get to know each other some more?"

"How about you fuck off." The deep and threatening voice of Yamako sounded out behind Kaigaku, who whirled around startled. "Leave my little sister alone."

Kaigaku made a face like he wanted to fight him over you, but one look at his muscles told him that maybe he shouldn't test his luck. He turned and winked back at you, but ultimately left you alone.

That wasn't the only time it happened, either. You stayed at the peach farm for a few days, picking, eating, and sleeping, and at least twice a day, Kaigaku would try to flirt or bother you. Too many times he got too close, lips nearly touching your skin, but luckily your brothers were there to save you every time. Mou had a bit more difficulty getting him to leave you alone, but his height helped.

An arm wrapped around your shoulder, bringing you close to a warm body. "You're such a pretty girl, (Name). You know, other girls would be jealous that someone like me is talking to you. If you became my wife, I would provide you with so much." He stroked the side of your face and admired you. "All I would ask in return is -"

A hand grabbed his wrist. Mou's eyes were covered by his bangs, giving him a dark and eerie look. "Don't touch her."

Kaigaku snarled at him, "and who are you to stop me?"

"She's too good for someone the likes of you. We won't stay here long, anyway, so find some other woman to bother."

He didn't like this, and sauntered off. "Good luck finding some other guy for her then. I'll be waiting for her to crawl to me."

Fortunately for him, but not so much for you, Kaigaku learned since then when to detect if your siblings were nearby or not.

"Thank fucking god." Mou hissed under his breath as the three of you left the farm, done with plucking peaches for food. "One more encounter with that shithead and I would've knocked his teeth out."

"Psht," Yamako scoffed, "I would've knocked him into the next decade." He scowled.

You cuddled up to your brothers. "Thank you for protecting me so much."

The twins smiled down at you, and each wrapped an arm around your shoulders, "you're our baby! You're too young for boyfriends, anyway!"

"Heyyy. I'm not that young ..." They laughed at your reaction, and walked to the next destination in search for a demon slayer to help them.

This was not your week. You had run out of medicine, and had two separate asthma attacks that you barely survived because Mou was smart enough to have you lie down and slowly wait for it to pass. None of you had managed to find any work, and were surviving off of just whatever food you happened by in the wilderness. And on top of it all, the demon you just met seemed to be stronger than other ones you'd met.

"Yamako! Hold it down!" Mou shouted to him.

"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" Your brother was pressing the demon against the ground, but it was resisting and its strength was at an equal measure to your brother.

"Well, you have to keep it down so (Name) doesn't get hurt administrating the poison!"

"Then help me, dammit!" He shouted, before the demon flung him off.

She snarled and looked between the three of you, before her eyes settled on you. "Blood demon art, thorns!" She hissed, as vines shot out of her palms towards you.

Mou ran to you, "get down!" He snapped, grabbing the vines before they could reach you as you ducked away. He let out a loud scream as the thorns pricked into his skin. They were bigger than usual thorns, so they nearly pierced through his hand entirely.

"Mou!" You cried.

Yamako yelled at you, "don't worry about him! Just keep focus, and stay alive!" He then tried again, barreling into the demon as she growled and kicked him away. It was forceful enough that he hit a tree and fell to the ground, coughing some blood.

This demon was too strong for your brothers, and you knew it. Acting quickly, you raced toward the demon and jumped onto her back. "You useless brat!" She shrieked at you, letting her vines fall off her palms so she could go after you next.

"(Name), you can't!" Mou warned you.

You didn't listen, and when she scratched your shoulder deeply, you screamed in her ear, and bit down into her spine at the base of her neck, your teeth piercing into her skin down to the bone, where you didn't let go. Annoyed and frustrated, she uses her vines to wrap around your torso and pulled you away. They sink into your flesh, and you yowl in pain, but you tear her spine out when she rips you off of her.

She falls to her knees, waiting for her regeneration to kick in. However, you didn't wait, and smothered your hand in your shoulder wound, before shoving your bloody hand into her new cavity. The flesh hisses and bubbles and refuses to heal now. Your poison wasn't as powerful as it was with other demons, but this was to be expected with stronger demons.

Your brothers are both impressed yet horrified at your display of violence, and hesitate to move and interrupt. However, Yamako leaps into action when the demon becomes enraged and goes to kill you. He grabs her head while she's distracted by you and twists and pulls, yanking it clean off. In his hands now, her eyes go completely red. "I'm tired of this ... I'm sick of you all! Die! Die!" She screams.

From her body, something seems to be wriggling under her skin. You had already exhausted yourself, and the shoulder and chest wounds weren't helping as you leaked blood at an alarming rate. Yamako noticed this and dropped the demon's head, grabbing you up and running, just as several vines burst from her body and lashed out at everyone. Some struck Yamako across the forehead, blinding him as his own blood spilled into his eyes. Others picked up Mou by the ankles and threatened to rip him in two.

"Yama, Mou," you cried to them, "I'm sorry my blood wasn't strong enough!"

But as soon as you said that, it was over. Mou was dropped to the ground with a heavy thump, and Yamako was able to put you down and rub the blood out of his eyes.

"Are you kids alright?!" A boisterous voice boomed across the field you all were in.

"Huh?" Yamako tried to keep his eyes open long enough to look at the man.

You stared up at him as well. He was fairly tall and wore black clothes with a white cape with flames at the bottom. His hair was yellow with red at the tips, and his owlish eyes observed the three of you. On his hip lay a sheathed sword. A demon slayer! "Why were you three taking on a demon by yourselves?"

Realizing how close you were to death, you burst into tears immediately, and leaned over to hug the stranger's leg. He didn't move or even look at you, and just let it happen. Just a bit away, Yamako let out a heavy sigh and flopped onto his back. This left Mou to be the one to explain. "We're orphans, sir. This woman killed our parents, so we chased her down to get revenge." You didn't even notice he was lying, too distraught for now.

"I see! How noble of you!" The guy grins. "I applaud you for holding out this long against a demon on your own!"

Mou then points to the man's sword. "You can teach us how to kill more demons, can't you?" He said it as a statement more than a question.

"Ah, would you like to become a demon slayer? I think you all will make promising swordsmen!" The man waits for Mou to give a short nod. "Then come with me! You will have a lot to learn!" He gets on one knee and lays a hand on your head. "You can let go now, little one."

Wait. Was it really that easy to become a demon slayer? This stranger is just going to take us in? You had let go of him, but you were immediately swooped up by Yamako, hoisted onto his back so he could carry you long distance. Sleepiness took you over as Mou and the stranger ran off, Yamako following closely behind. You were thankful your brothers knew you couldn't run, so you leaned your head against his shoulder and closed your eyes to get some rest. There's no way it could be this easy ... but I'm so tired. Maybe we'll get food and a warm bed to stay in for longer than just a night or two. I guess I don't care that much. As long as Mou and Yama are with me, I'll be happy. You smiled into your brother's shoulder as you drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

"Senjuro, I'm home!" Rengoku had called as soon as the four of you got close enough. He had exchanged names with you on the way to his estate, in which the run took hours. Yamako was downright exhausted, while Mou was better off, and merely wanted to sit down for a few minutes.

Sure enough, a younger version of Rengoku stepped outside, although he looked more timid. "I've brought guests! They would like to become demon slayers as well!"

Senjuro smiled shyly, and nodded. "Welcome."

Mou bowed to him. "My name is Mou Fujimori. This is my twin, Yamako, and my little sister, (Name). Thank you for your hospitality."

"I'm Senjuro Rengoku. It's nice to meet you all." He seemed nice. "I should get your room ready. I mean, if you don't mind sharing. Our father is, uhm, strict so -"

"We don't mind. We grew up in a small house, so I've had to share the moment I was born!" Yamako laughs, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders.

This causes Senjuro to crack a smile. "Right. Kyojuro will be out soon with training supplies. Since you've made it here without much trouble, I'm sure you will all become great demon slayers in no time."

Once he was gone, the three of you were finally alone for the first time in nearly twelve hours. "Hey, Mou, you know how you told Rengoku that lie about that demon killing our parents? What was that about?" Yamako turned to the twin.

Mou's expression darkened slightly. "We ... we can't tell anyone about anything. These people are demon slayers, and if they catch even a whiff of us being demon children, we'll be dead before we could blink. Didn't any of you even see what Rengoku did to that demon? He barely took out his sword and her head was off in nearly an instant! When we were training at Tamayo's house, neither of us were even half as close to that fast!"

"But Mou, what's the difference between that demon killing our parents and the ones that were actually there?" You asked, tilting your head and tugging his sleeve.

He frowned. "Whatever 'Upper Moon Rank One' means, that demon must've been powerful. Do you think anyone would actually believe us if we told them we survived a demon like that by chance? If our mother didn't kill him ... then at least she bought time for us to escape. Either way, now that Rengoku knows our fake backstory, it should help keep the rest of the demon slayers off our backs. For all they would know, the demon who killed our parents is dead, so they don't need to worry about it, right?"

Yamako nodded along. "Yeah, I get it now. That makes sense."

You, however, lowered your head and tried not to cry. "But Mom's not dead, right?"

Mou pursed his lips in thought. "Right. We don't know, but I'm sure she's waiting for us."

The topic was finished, and so you found something else to talk about until Rengoku came back. "Sorry for the wait! I have finally found a practice sword for (Name)!"

Your brothers got two regular ones while you got ... "huh? Why's mine so small ..." You pouted, turning it in your hands.

Rengoku laughs. "You're not quite strong enough for a full sized sword just yet!"

"Sure I am!" You counter, suddenly smacking Yamako with the flat side of the blade so hard that he yelped and jumped back. "See?!"

He only laughed some more, then lay a gentle hand on your head. "In time, you will get a normal sword. However! We must practice sword swings! Each of you give me 100 swings!" Rengoku first taught you how to swing your swords, then you all did as told. Yamako kept up pretty well, Mou fell into a rhythm, but you were struggling just two dozen swings in.

"Alright, Mou! Yamako! Come with me where we can practice on targets. (Name), I would like it if you could stay here and continue your swings until you reach 100!" Rengoku told you.

You let out a grunt, upset that you were already behind, and followed your orders. However, once you started to wheeze, you freaked out and lay down to catch your breath. Your ears picked up on the faint complaining of your brothers, so you dropped your sword and went to go eavesdrop. Around the corner of the building, you spotted them hitting a tree, or at least that's what Mou was doing.

"My arms hurt though!" Yamako frowned.

Rengoku only laughed. "I thought you wanted to become demon slayers! You must constantly push your body beyond its limits, or at this rate, you wouldn't survive a demon any bit stronger than the one you faced yesterday!"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. It still hurts, though!" Yamako went back to training, hitting the tree with his wooden sword.

"(Name), Rengoku added without even turning to look, "that includes you!"

Straightening up, you dart back to where you left your sword, wondering how he even knew you were there. He's scary! You thought as you began to swing some more. 37...38...39...

The next morning, Rengoku had everyone awake at the crack of dawn, ready for more training. "Today, we're going to move forward with another technique!" He told you all as you groggily dressed in your little room, then met him outside. You noticed he was holding a wooden sword. "This form of training is more intense! Just don't get hit!"

Within the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Yamako, hitting him in the stomach with the flat edge of the sword, knocking him down. "A real demon would never hold back in a fight against a demon slayer, so neither will I!"

Mou frowned, and leaned down to whisper to you as Yamako shakily stood back up. "Are you sure you can handle dodging like this?"

You gave him a confident nod. "I can do it!" Rushing up to Rengoku, you let out a battle cry, but you were stopped instantly as you were bopped on the head with the flat side like your brother. "Ow!" You dropped your sword to rub your head.

"(Name)! You must never drop your sword in battle! It is the only thing that will keep you safe!" Rengoku seemed to scold you, but he was smiling like always so it was hard to tell. "Sorry," you apologized, bending down to pick it up. Instead, Rengoku swept your legs out from under you and pointed the end of the sword at you as you landed on your back. "You must never let your guard down, either!"

Pouting, you reach out and grab the wooden sword and pull on it, but he doesn't let go. He lets out a chuckle and shakes his head. "You also can't just grab my weapon! A real sword would have sliced your hand open! I see you might have a ways to go before you become a slayer, but I can see potential in you!"

"Blegh," you faked being dead and tilted your head, letting your tongue fall out. Mou poked you in the stomach with his sword, and you giggled and rolled over. "Stop tickling! I'm getting up!" You dusted yourself off and stood up, watching Yamako as he swung his sword, missed, and rolled to the ground.

"It's okay if you don't get it at first," your other brother told you with a hand on your shoulder. "For one, you're younger than us, and two, everything takes practice."

You nod and ready your sword, keeping focus.

By the end of the day, all three of you were worn out, and while you were picking leaves out of Mou's ponytail after he was launched into a bush, he was struggling to keep Yamako still to pull a splinter out of his finger. "Stay still, you baby! (Name) acts more mature than this!"

"But it hurts!" Yamako yelped, yanking his hand away yet again.

Mou huffed, "fine! We'll leave it in there until it gets infected and dies and rots off, huh?"

After a bit of hesitation, Yamako silently returned his finger with a sheepish look. You wondered if every day was going to be like this?

The days became weeks. Yamako was making significant progress in his training, earning a lot of praise from Rengoku. Mou was doing alright, but wasn't really cut out for the strength portion of training. And then there was you. Sure, Rengoku had sent Senjuro out to get you a refill of your medicine, but that wasn't quite working out so far. Nearly every hour, you needed a tea break, sitting with the little brother. He was exactly your age, to the point that his birthday was less than a month away from yours.

Aside from that, you were hardly making any progress. Sure, you got a little more flexible, and a little stronger, but your speed stayed about the same. This was mostly because any time you tried to get faster, your lungs would flare up, and poor Senjuro would have to drag you inside with a cup of tea. "I'm sorry." You lowered your head in a bow to him before taking a sip of your tea to soothe the burning in  your lungs.

He gave you a soft smile. "You don't have to apologize. I know training can be tough. Kyojuro tried to train me once, well, a few times actually, but it never went well. It's okay though! I'm happy just to cheer him on."

You smiled with him, leaning in to brush your cheek against his shoulder. The first time you did it a few days ago, it caught him off guard, but after seeing you wake up in a cuddle pile with your brothers, or hearing you call Kyojuro your own brother by accident a few times, he came to realize you were just affectionate. He shyly did it back this time, catching your temple with his own cheek, and the two of you shared a laugh.

"What are you doing, fooling around." The stern voice had you straighten up, curl every muscle, and tremble lightly. "I don't want you and your family here any longer than you have to be, so get back to training." With that, he smacks the back of your head hard enough to make your head jolt, and saunters off to do whatever he does.

Once he's gone, Senjuro frets over you. "Are you alright?" His hands hover, wanting to check over you, but not wanting to push anything. "He didn't hit you too hard, did he?"

You sigh and stand up, shaking your head, "no, I'm okay. I - I should really get back to training."

As you go to leave, he reaches out and catches your hand, "are you sure? I just want to make sure you weren't hurt."

Nodding, you feel flustered suddenly. "I mean, yeah! It's nothing compared to asthma!" You try to joke, but he deadpans with a 'huh?'. Now entirely warm in the face, you nod harder, "I'm okay! Promise! I'm gonna go train with Kyo - I mean - Rengoku! So I can be a Hashira!"

"I don't think he minds if you of all people call him Kyojuro." Senjuro chuckles as you try to correct your mistake. "You've already called him your brother plenty of times!"

"Nuh uh!" You shout to him as you jog away, "that's only because his hair is like Mou's!"

"His hair is black!" He shouts back.

The shouting gets louder the farther you go, "y-you don't know that!"

"Yes I do!" And with that, the two of you split apart, laughing.

For once in his life, Kyojuro was frowning as he glanced down at your body, the sprinkling of rain dotting away the blood on your chin. Mou came with you, the only brother fast enough to keep up with the Hashira, while a deathly worried Yamako stayed behind. While both of his arms were occupied with holding your body, your brother nearly ripped the door to the Butterfly Mansion off its hinges.

"Shinobu!" He called, voice cracking with tears, "my sister needs help!" The three of you had only met the Hashira once, a few of them twice, but Mou made sure to remember their names. He ... didn't really think his siblings were smart enough to remember themselves.

She made her way to the entrance quickly, gasping at the sight of you limp in the Flame Pillar's arms. "Come with me." She took off towards a room, not wanting to waste time. "This girl is (Name), correct? Place her down in the bed - gently." She added as Rengoku nearly dropped you. "Tell me what happened." She instantly got to work, checking your vitals, and trying to figure out the cause.

"I figured she was ready to try Total Concentration Breathing, as she stopped making progress with just sword training, when she started choking and bleeding. I brought her here as soon as possible." Rengoku explained quickly, not shouting like usual.

Furrowing her brows, Shinobu opened your mouth and turned you onto your side so the blood could leak out of your mouth and you could somewhat breathe. The sheer amount of it spread out on the pillow and sheets quickly, and your brother winced at the sight. "That doesn't make any sense. Sure, it can hurt if you're not used to it, but Total Concentration Breathing shouldn't be able to do this on its own."

Mou gasped as he connected some dots, "a-asthma! She has asthma!"

"She has- ? Are you insane?!" Shinobu suddenly raised her voice, directing it at Rengoku. "Her lungs are much too small for that!" She whipped around to face him. "And you knew she had asthma, too! Your brother has come here for medicine twice now!"

"I'm sorry," Rengoku apologized. "I just didn't think that -"

"Clearly not! You didn't stop for a second to think that someone who, not only wasn't making progress in her training, but was suffering from asthma, wouldn't be able to pull off stunts that are difficult for even the healthiest people?!"

He merely pulled a sheepish look and took some steps back to separate himself from the angry woman. "And you!" She turned on Mou, before taking a deep breath and sighing. "You're just lucky her lungs didn't burst entirely. She's still breathing, so she must've only popped a few alveoli." She goes back to tending to your body. "I still need to check that she hasn't torn anything open, so she might need surgery." She began to leave, only stopping for a second. "Rengoku ... I'm sorry, but you'll have to stop her training permanently."

You had, in fact, a tear in your right lung, which was successfully stitched closed. Within a few hours, you were already awake from surgery, surprising Shinobu and the others with your inhumanly fast healing. Your brothers visited as soon as they could, crying and holding you tightly. You weren't as scared waking up in a new place as last time, as Tamayo had given you a pleasant experience.

"(Name)!" Came a stern voice from the doorway to your room. "I understand the healing process was a miracle to have happened so fast, but you must stay in bed until you're fully recovered!" It was Aoi, who had attended to you for the past week.

"But I'm completely fine! See?" You raised your hands in the air, then did a cartwheel. "Ta da!" You cheered afterwards.

Aoi had tensed up with worry, but you did appear fine. She let out a sigh of relief, and thought for a bit. "Alright, I'll let you go, but you have to stay and rest while your brothers come get you. And Shinobu has to agree to it!"

"Okay!" You peeped cheerfully, jumping onto the bed and curling up under the covers expectantly. You really hoped your brothers would come soon. They didn't get to visit yesterday, which worried you so much that Shinobu had come in, checked on you, and frowned as she figured you might have some sort of separation anxiety. Aoi spent all day soothing you, despite wanting to snap that you were being dramatic. Luckily, she seemed to understand that you had a bit of a childish outlook, and knew yelling wouldn't help.

With the okay to leave, Mou and Yamako were happy you were back to health, and your stronger brother carried you all the way home on his shoulders. Kyojuro and Senjuro looked happy to see you, as you were set down on your own feet. "Look!" You pulled your right arm out of your sleeve, pulling that side of the kimono down to show off your new scar. You took care to keep the other half over your chest, but Senjuro still flushed a bright red at the sight. "I got a cool scar! I'm gonna look like a real demon slayer!" You beamed.

At that, Kyojuro seemed saddened. Yamako tilted his head at you, "Did Shinobu not tell you?"

"Tell me what?" You fixed your kimono back up, much to the relief of the younger Rengoku, and tilted your head as well.

Kyojuro spoke up this time, breaking your heart. "I can no longer train you." Your shoulders sagged as you stared at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, (Name)."

Chapter Text

It had been weeks by now, but you were still upset that you were banned from training. It was getting chilly out, as winter was coming, so you snuggled up next to Senjuro as you both watched the brothers practice. Yamako was doing really well with Flame Breathing, having already gotten down two techniques. Mou was struggling a little more. It wasn't so much that he didn't know what he was doing, but more so that he wasn't strong enough to carry the sheer weight of the flames on his sword. The older Rengoku brother suggested that he switch styles and look to someone like Tokito, Shinazugawa, or Tomioka as a teacher, as their techniques were faster and less reliant on strength. All three were shut down; Tokito being too new to seem like a reliable teacher, Shinazugawa nearly scared the piss out of you so Mou didn't like him, and Tomioka was ... Mou called him 'awkward'.

"Thank you for helping me with my chores." Senjuro suddenly said to you while you were leaned against him for warmth.

You looked up at him from where you sat, smaller than he was. "You thank me everyday. You don't have to."

He met your gaze with a smile. "And you help me everyday, so I do have to."

Shrugging shyly, you nuzzle into his shoulder. Partially to hide, partially because you were feeling fuzzy and affectionate, "I would feel useless if I didn't. My brothers and I always helped Mom and Dad when we lived on a mountain."

Butterflies flit around in Senjuro's stomach at the contact, yet he doesn't pull away. "What was living there like?" He prompts you to keep talking to him about your past.

Not thinking much about Mou's warning, you continue, being careful to omit details of anything to do with demons. "Compared to now, it was a little lonely. But it was also very peaceful. We had a garden, and a nice little place to cook and eat, and we all shared one room, so winters were super cozy." You grin. "I liked going down to the river to get fresh water with my brothers when it was hot because we would splash each other until we were soaked. But we would also get muddy so our mom would make us all take a warm bath after." You let out a chuckle, then sigh. "I miss my parents."

Senjuro nods. "I'm sure they miss you too. I'm sorry they ... the demons ..."

"Don't be," you shake your head. "I'm actually a little bit glad there are demons."

"Huh?! Why?!" He asked, bewildered.

Standing up, you give a pure smile back at him. "Because I wouldn't have met you."

Now he's feeling warm from head to toe, and the butterflies must've doubled - no - tripled after that. He got a glimpse of your fangs through your wide grin, but he wasn't scared of them. You had told him it was inherited from your mother's side of the family to better consume meat. In fact, he thought they were cute. Cute?! Now he had to go inside before his temperature would get feverish. You were just his friend, right? Friends can be ... cute ... right?

"Yama! Mou! I'm hungry! Can we go see Mitsuri? She has the best snacks!" You were talking about your recent friend who started to dote on you after she caught wind of your surgery. From what he heard from your brothers, she would bring something with her to share with you, but end up eating most of it. You had a bit of a small stomach anyway, so it worked out, but Mou and his sweet tooth were starting to get jealous ...

Meanwhile, the blood vessels in Senjuro's face nearly exploded at the sound of your excited pleading.

"Mister Uzui!" You pull a serious voice as you greet him at the door, and bow so hard that you fall forward, rolling onto your back with an 'oof'.

He laughs heartily, squatting down and patting at the side of your head. "Your greetings may not be flashy yet, but they sure are unique!"

You sit up and bring your fists to your chest in determination, your eyes sparkling. "I try my best!"

"Can you go get your brother for me?" He asks, smirking at your childish display. "I heard he was looking for a new Breathing Style to look into."

"Yes!" Shouting, you skitter off to find Mou. He's taking a break, watching Yamako spar with Rengoku, losing horribly to the Hashira, but it was expected. "Mou! Uzui wants you!"

He gets up slowly, trailing behind you. "Good afternoon, Uzui." He bows. "What do you wish to speak with me about?"

Uzui's grin falls. "Hmm, not quite flashy enough ..." He mumbles, loud enough for you to hear him, but you ignore it.

"Where's Hina?!" You demand, wanting attention from your favorite wife of his.

He shoots you a short smile, "she didn't come with me today. Sorry miss Fujimori." He ruffles your hair after you pout. You made friends nearly everywhere you went, Mou noted this. Uzui turns to your brother. "I heard you were looking for a new mentor? If you're flamboyant enough, I'll consider taking you on as my student!" He makes a pose, and your brother stares at him blankly.

"My brother and sister are enough 'flashiness' for me. No thank you." He declines and leaves with a bow.

"Wh-?! What?! Is that it, you brat?!" Yells Uzui, before he sighs and turns to you. "You just might be the only sensible one in the family."

"Yay!" You take the compliment, throwing your fists in the air. "You should teach me instead!"

Shaking his head and chuckling, he pats your shoulder. "I would if I could. Doctor's orders were that you aren't to be trained; particularly in breathing styles." Looking side to side, he suddenly squats down to whisper to you. "I might know of someone who can train you, though." He stands up, "wanna come see?"

You're about to nod, but then look back at the Rengoku home. Should I? You fidget with your scarf a little, wearing it during the cold winter, and thought it over.

Luckily, Uzui seemed to be able to sense your hesitation, and knew why. "Shinobu told me you were scared of being alone?" He held his hand out to you. "You can hold my hand, if it helps you feel better."

Beaming up at him, you feel a little more comfortable. "Okay!" His hand is quite large compared to your little one, seeing as how you look barely two thirds your age, so you can only wrap your fingers around three of his. The way you smiled up at him wasn't particularly flashy ... but it was quite cute. He began to blush and wondered if he should have kids with his wives. He walked you to another person's estate, and from the sound of crying coming within, anyone could guess who it was.

"Hey, Gyomei!" Uzui shot his other hand up in a wave.

You bowed, "good afternoon, Himejima."

He nodded in a bow as well, his hands pressed in prayer. "To you as well, Tengen and Fujimori. May I ask why you are here?" He questions.

Uzui pats your back so hard that you nearly stumble over. "Your Tsuguko, he doesn't use a breathing style, does he?" When Gyomei shakes his head, he continues, "well, (Name)'s lungs can't handle a style either, so I figured she could learn a few pointers from you or him."

Gyomei frowns at this, crying. "I would like to, but I'm afraid Genya isn't very fond of other people. I would have to train Fujimori separately, and wouldn't have much time for her if I'm working with both of them."

"I - I can do it!" You insisted, taking a step forward. "I'm not scared of this Genya guy!"

Uzui frowned as well, "you would be if you knew he was Shinazugawa's brother."

A sudden twist pulled at your heart as you heard the familiar last name. "I - I'm not scared of him e-either!" You forced the words out, trembling. His stare alone froze you in fear the first time you met, but at least it wasn't even a third as stifling as a certain demon's stare. That moment was just a distant memory now; one you repressed so hard that you tended to stick to a childish mindset. "I'm going to be strong so I can go home!" You spoke aloud as Uzui and Himejima conversed without you.

"Are you sure about that?" The flat tone of voice caused you to whip your head around to see a young boy, one who looked about your age. He was nearly as short as you, too. His hair was messy, shaved on the sides, and his eyes piercing into yours. In one hand he held a gun, and in the other a Wakizashi. Determined, you stared back, pouting and yet trembling at the same time. "Just one look at you and I can already tell you're going to be a hindrance and nuisance."

"No I won't!" You insisted immediately. "I know how to fight with a sword and with my hands!" Okay, maybe the sword was a partial lie, you'd only used wooden ones, but you could definitely throw a mean punch. Yamako in particular had been the victim of several of your sneak attacks when you were little. With Mou, you'd only grab his ponytail and yank to surprise him.

"I don't believe you." He held his Wakizashi out to you, "prove it."

Furrowing your brows, you look back at the Hashira, chatting together, before approaching the boy. As soon as you reached out for the weapon, he pulled it away. "Hey ..." you pout, trying to grab for it again. As you do so, he holds it above his head. "If you want me to prove it, then give it to me!"

"Why don't you take it from me, huh?" Genya scowls at you, continuously pulling it from your reach. "If you aren't so useless!"

That one hurt. Tears pricked in your eyes as you pushed him, but he didn't even budge too much. "I'm not!" You were already starting to pant like you usually did when you exerted yourself. Launching towards the boy, you latch onto his side with your legs, and use both of your hands to grab his arm and hand so you could pry the Wakizashi from him.

"Get off!" Growling this time, he falls to the ground once he's off balance, and the two of you wrestle in the grass. At this point, you didn't even care about the weapon, you just wanted either an apology or to deliver him a beating. Having play-wrestled with your brothers in the past, you knew some weak points. You each threw kicks and punches and slaps, until Genya had enough and bit into your hand to get you to let go of him. You yelped, finally drawing the attention of the two Hashira just a bit a ways from you two, until you bit him back in his forearm.

You'd never bitten a person before, not even your own brothers, and the taste was much different from a demon's. His blood welled up from the wound, into your mouth where the flavor settled over each of your taste buds. It was so ... so ...

Sour. More sour than anything you'd ever had before, like eating an entire lemon, or a handful of citric acid.

You spat it out, making a lemon face, and the two of you separated just as the Hashira got there. "What the hell is going on here?!" Uzui sounded very pissed, and you shank down. You and Genya both had bloody mouths, and bruises on your arms, looking a lot like demons who had just feasted.

"She bit me!" Genya pointed at you.

Trying not to throw up from the taste, you point back, coughing, "he bit me first!"

"Well I wish I didn't, your blood tastes like shit!" He snarls, spitting to the side.

"Says you! I've bitten demons with better taste than you!" You cough some more, not noticing how his eyebrows raised and eyes widened slightly.

Snapping, Uzui gets in between you two. "I don't care who started it! You -!" He picked you up with one arm, hoisting you over his shoulder. "Don't get to bite other people! And you -!" He turns to Genya, "don't go around provoking other Slayers!"

"She -! She's not even a Slayer!" He protests.

Gyomei steps in this time, a hand on the Sound Pillar's shoulder, "Tengen, she appears to be coughing too much, and her breathing is strained. Take care of her, I can handle this." He faces his Tsuguko, a look of disappointment on his teary face, "Slayer or not, even civilians shouldn't be treated harshly." As he continues to speak, or perhaps argue, with the boy, Uzui darts off with you, ready to return you home.

"... Uzui?" You finally try to speak up, "I'm sor -"

"Save it." He scowls, and you shrink into yourself more than you already had. "It's not me you have to apologize to."

"Sorry." You repeat, this time apologizing for getting him upset. You sniffle and try not to cry, but you can't help the tears that run down your cheeks.

When he sets you down in front of the Rengoku estate, you crouch down in front of him and cover your head with your arms to protect yourself, just like how you usually would when Senjuro's father was around. Sighing, his scowl lightens into a more neutral face, and he squats down in front of you, gently lifting your hands away from your head. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. Just make sure it doesn't happen again, alright?" Now he smiles, patting your head as he stands back up, "save that energy for demons."

Nodding, you sit up straighter and rub your eyes dry. "I will, Uzui. Thank you for trying with, uhm, everything."

With a grin, he dashes off, and his gone within seconds. You're left to explain your bruises and bloody lips to everyone else as you come to Senjuro to ask for help with your medicine. He dropped everything he was doing to care for you. "Are you alright?" He asks, using a wet cloth to wipe the blood from your mouth and hand like a worried mother would. Sweetly smiling, you nod. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

You look down at the bite mark in your hand and try to make light of the situation. "Well, I just hope that this doesn't make a scar. How embarrassing would it be to explain it in the future?" And the two of you laugh together.

It would be embarrassing to admit to later, but you were full on blubbering as you gripped onto Yamako's yukata, with Mou trying to pry you off of him. "NOOOO!!" You screamed like a banshee, or perhaps more like a kid wanting a toy their parents won't buy. Even Kyojuro was considering stepping in if things got too out of hand. "I don't wanna split up!" You sobbed, tears falling in such a quantity that the ground below you was starting to turn muddy.

"We have to if we're going to go home! It's rude to make Shinobu come all this way just to train us, and Rengoku is tired enough of us as it is!" Mou growled at you, trying to peel your fingers away one by one, but damn were you a strong 12 year old.

Yamako, the pushover brother, smoothed your hair down as you clung to him. "(Naaame)~" he sang, "I could write letters to you every day! And I can come visit every few days?" He spoke in a cheerful tone, but it was not exactly working.

You looked up at him, "but - but what if a - a demon comes by, l-like Mom and Dad, and - and!" You tried to speak through your hyperventilating, but you just began to cough instead.

"(Name), please, calm down or you're going to hurt yourself." Yamako fussed over you. "I'm a lot stronger than I was before, and I'll kill any demon that tries to hurt our family, but we need to split up so you and Mou can work on getting stronger too. If Shinobu can use your blood to make a deadly poison, then she can make you very strong. We can go home when we're strong, remember?" His hands moved from your shoulders to your arms as he knelt in front of you, causing you to look down at him. When you nod sadly, he picks you up, twirls you around, then sets you back on the ground. "I won't be gone, (Name), remember that!"

The two of you kissed cheeks as a goodbye, just like how your mother taught you from when she traveled. She said it was a foreign greeting and goodbye, meant for close friends and family. As such, you kissed cheeks with the Rengoku brothers as well, causing a certain younger brother to flare up in a blush while the other seemed unaffected by it. "Huh? What was that for?" Senjuro asked, trying to cover his cheeks.

"My Mom said it means 'goodbye for now', so that means we have to see each other again, okay Sen?" You inform him, and he nods in a flustered manner, even excited by the new nickname.

"Oh! Uh, yeah! I hope we see each other again soon." He bows as you take Mou's hand and let him drag lead you out of the estate and towards the Butterfly Mansion.

Shinobu was already there, waiting for you, but frowned at your slumped shoulders. "Oh my, what's got someone as sweet as you so sad?" She bends down and pulls some hair from your face, tucking it behind your ear.

"We had to leave Yama behind so he could train with Kyojuro ..." You mutter to her sadly.

She nods empathetically, and stands back up. "And you miss him a lot, don't you?" When you nod slowly, she turns to Mou. "Considering her separation anxiety, I have planned ahead for it, and scheduled for weekly meetups for the three of you here." She then turns to you, "doesn't that sound great?" You shrug sadly, apathetic towards anything else right now. She sighs, expecting this. "Well, it's the best I could do." Opening the door, she lets the two of you into one of her lab rooms. "Please, come in. I must admit I am particularly surprised to have found traces of wisteria in your blood, (Name), and would like to study it, if I may?"

Uncaring, you lift your arm for her to draw blood. Unseen by you, your brother shared a defeated look with the Hashira in front of you, before she slid the needle under your skin.

Chapter Text

Sitting on the porch with Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho, the four of you cheered Mou on as he practiced Insect Breathing. Shinobu had decided she wanted to pair his sword with your poison once he got one after the Final Selection, which you were not anticipating to be soon. At least seeing Yamako yesterday had brightened your mood, and you nearly spent the whole time snuggled up to him as you napped, not having slept properly all week. Kanao and Aoi had also befriended you, aside from the three girls beside you. Aoi in particular liked you the most, as you helped her out in the kitchen in your spare time, which was much appreciated by her.

"(Name)! Medicine time!" The three girls around you suddenly turned on you after hearing a single wheeze from all the jumping and yelling you were doing.

"Huh? Really? I thought I took it this morning ..." You muttered thoughtfully.

They nodded, Naho adding some extra information, "Shinobu told us you can take it every two hours, especially if you're having trouble breathing!"

"Yeah!" Kiyo tacks on, "taking it in the morning and night is just to help!"

You sighed, "okay. We'll be back, Mou!" Allowing the girls to lead you to the kitchen, Aoi was already there preparing some lunches for injured slayers.

"Oh, it's just you, (Name)." She seemed startled at first, but then gave you a knowing smile, "your meds?" Nodding shyly, you let her prepare your tea for you. "No, it's okay, I've got it." She insisted, not allowing you to help her.

Adding a fair amount of honey to help the drink go down, you breathe in the steam gratefully before blowing it away and taking a sip of the warm liquid. It almost made you melt. "Thank you, Aoi." You grinned, "I feel a lot better."

"Just doing my job!" She blushes, then turns away to resume her work. "You can go now, I've got lunch all handled."

You nodded, until Sumi tugged your skirt. "(Name), can we go back outside now and make flower crowns?"

"Yeah! Let me just ..." you gulped down the rest of your drink, before rinsing it out and leaving it to wash later. "Alright, let me show you how my mom used to make them." You then leaned in and whispered, "Yama said he hated wearing them, but we caught him with them on when he thought we weren't watching!"

The girls giggled and led you back outside, to a small patch of flowers growing. Kanao happened to be there as well, so you waved to her. She waved back, flipped her coin that Shinobu told you about two days ago, then headed off elsewhere. I wonder what she was thinking about? You tilted your head, questioning the possibilities, but you weren't going to ask her, so you forgot about it. "Alright!" You plopped yourself down and began picking flowers as close to the stems as you could, and explained the meanings of some of them along the way.

"Depending on what you want your crown to say, you should pick certain flowers! For example, peonies mean bravery, and red poppies mean fun loving!" You teach.

"(Name), what about this one?" Kiyo holds up a violet.

You nod, "you should add that to your crown! It means you're honest." She cheers and starts to weave it into her crown like you taught them. "You can also make crowns for other people, like if you're in love with someone, then you use a lot of different colored camellias."

"Have you ever gotten a camellia?" Sumi asked.

Blushing, you shake your head, "no. Maybe someday! But I'd want it to be from the perfect guy." The three girls giggled to themselves at your answer.

"Did your Dad ever wear crowns? What was he like?" Naho asks.

Sighing, you start to think of the past, but you push past your last horrible memory of him, and remember his smiles and loving hugs. "His name was Maichi. He was a really good dad, and always did everything my brothers and I asked of him." You giggle, "my crowns weren't the best, but he still wore them proudly when he went hunting. It was silly."

The other girls giggle as well, and continue weaving crowns, as you tell them which flowers mean what so they can make appropriate crowns for the patients to cheer them up.

Yamako had definitely gotten faster, and a whole lot stronger. On the other hand, Mou had gotten so fast that he was nearly on par with Shinobu's speed, and this was only after two months of training with her. Your stronger brother gripped your legs as you wrapped your arms around his neck; after all, carrying you to the Master's house would be a lot faster than waiting for you to catch up. Of course, all three of you were deathly nervous. You weren't given any details on why the meeting was being held, or who with, but for all any of you knew, your secret had gotten out, and you were going to be sentenced to death for daring to be alive as the sons and daughter of a demon. Friendly or not.

"Thanks, Yama." You slid off his back, landing gracefully on your feet. He nods, too anxious to speak for the moment.

To your surprise, Tokito was there too. Neither of you had spoke with him more than twice, so you knew nothing about him.

"Welcome, my children." A calm voice rang out into the open space in front of the home, and the four of you bow deeply.

"Good morning, Master Ubuyashiki." Your voices are all in sync as you speak to him, and he smiles at this.

"You all may rise. In fact, I have wonderful news." Although he is blind, he is still able to turn to face Tokito's direction. "I believe I've found remnants of your family, Muichiro."

Unable to connect the dots, you tilt your head. "Really? Where?" You ask dumbly.

"Stupid!" Yamako smacks the back of your head. "No interrupting!" He was also unable to understand the situation.

Ubuyashiki turns towards you three. "(Name) ... I was told that you have revealed your father's name to be Maichi?"

When both of your brothers' heads darted to glare into yours, you start to sweat. "I - I - I dunno! M-m-maybe it was - uh - a mistake?" You stutter, trying to think of a way out of this. You knew you weren't supposed to talk about your family without your brothers' permissions, but you were so happy with the Sumi, Naho, and Kiyo, that you weren't expecting them to spread the information around!

The Master before you let out a light chuckle. "We were able to do some research into your family lineage, and found that you three are not Fujimoris, but rather Tokitos. You see, your grandfather split ways with Muichiro's grandfather, changing his name and going into hiding. Although we weren't able to discern why he chose to do this, it appears that it is hard to keep your family apart."

With a gasp, you whip around to face the Mist Pillar, then grin so wide your teeth show. "You're our cousin!" You scramble up to him and give him a tight hug, "I don't have a twin, like my brothers. Do you have a twin? We can be twins! Cousin twins! My birthday is August 8th, what about you? -"

And although he lets it happen for a short few seconds, he finally pulls away with a displeased look. "Please don't do that again."

"O-oh." Sitting back, you feel ashamed of your sudden action. "Sorry, Mui." You nickname him immediately.

"Don't call me that." Now he looks at you with a slight scowl.

"Muichiro?" You offer, but he doesn't seem to like that either.

"Tokito works fine. I don't even know you." His words shoot through you like a bullet, causing your heart to squeeze painfully. You were just excited to see more family, especially after having already lost some, but it appeared he didn't feel the same. He stands up, ignoring your pain, and bows to Ubuyashiki. "Thank you, but I must be going."

The Master lets him leave, yet doesn't seem as heartbroken as you about the encounter. "(Name)? Are you alright?" At least he cared a little about you.

"Y-yeah." You fake it, rubbing away the tears that were just starting to form. I mean, I barely know him either. Why did I care so much? But your brothers had always known you to be an easily trusting and affectionate person. "I'm good."

He smiles in your direction, offering some words of advice. "Just give it time. He's gone through a bit of a rough time lately, but I know he'll come to you when he's ready. You're all dismissed."

Mou, despite being respectful, couldn't help but feel peeved. This could've been a letter ... He thought to himself. At least with knowing his first cousin was a Hashira, he knew that Yamako and he would have to step up their games in order to meet expectations of the family.

"Kyo, Kyo!" You shook the older brother awake, pushing on his chest as you sobbed, "I can't find Mou and Yama!"

It took the Flame Pillar a few seconds to realize what was going on, but he sat up once he did. "Yes, (Name), I'm sorry for the trick, but they've gone to Final Selection." He put his hands on your shoulders to try and get you to calm down, but it wasn't really going that well.

"You mean, the sleepover with Yama wasn't real?" You whimpered, face flushed from crying. As your bottom lip trembled, Kyojuro quickly tried to explain himself.

"No! I mean, it was real, but he just wanted to have a good day with you before he left. Your brothers knew you weren't going to let them go if they didn't sneak off, but I promise it wasn't with bad intentions! You'll see them in under two weeks!"

Thinking of Kyojuro as an eldest brother by now, you leaned forwards to cry into his chest, as he held you close like you were his own kid. Even Senjuro was stirred by the noise, and came in to see what was happening.

"Oh, did (Name) learn about the Final Selection?" He asked. When his brother nodded, he felt pity for you, and sat behind you and rubbed your back. "(Name)? It's okay! Don't you know that Lady Kocho is working out a way for you to become a slayer, too? Then you can go on missions with your brothers!" He tried to cheer you up.

Turning to look at him with teary eyes, you sniffle. "Really?"

He nods happily, glad he could help you feel better. "Yeah! And they'll be back before you know it. I was little when Kyojuro went out to do his Final Selection, so I don't remember much, but he was barely even gone."

Your sniffles and hiccups faded out and you smiled at him, "thanks, Sen. Maybe they'll be back early." Still not used to the nickname, said boy blushed.

With a yawn and a stretch, Kyojuro wraps his arms around both you and his brother, grinning. "Well, after that wake up, how about we go find a nice place to eat breakfast?"

"Yeah!" The two of you cheered.

That night, you shyly asked the brothers if you could all sleep together, unable to fall asleep by yourself. Relieved that you wouldn't have to face the embarrassment of a 'no', they agreed and set up all their bedding into a little nest, where the three of you got cozy. Despite it being the best sleep he'd had in a while, Senjuro was extremely embarrassed to wake up to find not only had his brother gone from being between you two to being the pillow, as you both laid your heads on his chest and stomach, but you were nearly nose to nose with the poor boy, and he blushed deeply before slipping away to get dressed.

He didn't bring it up, and you didn't ask, so you must not have noticed anything. As such, the day went about normally, with Kyojuro having to go out and complete a small mission with a few other slayers of varying ranks, and their father going out to restock his drinks. That left you and Senjuro alone in the house, and he tried to avoid you, thinking it was inappropriate to be alone with a girl, particularly not of his family and in his age range, so he was grateful when he heard a knock at the front door.

"Coming!" He called, opening it to be faced with ... who was he again?

The boy with the scar across his nose furrowed his brows upon seeing him. "Doesn't ... Fujimori live here ... er - I mean Tokito?"

"Oh, (Name)?" Senjuro asks, "she and her brothers still like Fujimori. I heard they didn't get along well with Tokito."

"Well, does she live here or not?!" The boy snapped, and Senjuro shrank down.

"Y-yeah, let me go get her." He left his broom by the door, and went off towards his room, where you were doing some reading. "(Name)? Some guy wants to see you?"

You perked up and tilted your head at him. "Really? Who?"

He shook his head and shrugged, "I don't remember, but he seemed really mad."

"Oh." You hung your head and slowly got up. "I guess I should see who it is if they're mad at me ..."

Seeing how scared you looked, he reached out and held your hand. "I can stay with you, if you want?" He offered, and you accepted with a smile.

When you turned the corner and saw who it was at the door, you squeezed his hand tightly, clearly somewhat afraid of the guy. He mumbled something, and rubbed the back of his head shyly. "Himejima told me that I should apologize ... and that it would cheer you up since you were going through a hard time ..." He then held out ... a carnation.

"G-Genya!" You stuttered, your hands flying up to your cheeks.

Ohhh yeah. Genya ... isn't he Shinazugawa's brother? Senjuro realized, having met him very rarely. His eyes widened, and when he looked to you, he found you were looking at him too in total shock.

The boy in front of you two also began to blush, unsure what the problem was. "W - well I'm sorry for biting you ... just take it already ..."

"But - but why a carnation?!" Senjuro asked.

"Why do you care?!" He snapped. "Girls like flowers, so I got one that ... matched her eyes ..."

Finding your voice, you spoke up. "Genya ... carnations are a confession of love ..."

Now his entire face was red. "H-how was I supposed to know?!" He then thrust the flower into your hands. "Just be grateful I even went out of my way to apologize!" And with that, Genya stomped off to blow off some steam.

Leaving the two of you there with gaped mouths, you finally looked at each other again, before bursting out into laughter and giggles. "Wow! I didn't expect him to bring me a flower!"

As his laughter died down, he reached out for the carnation. "Hey, let me try something." Tilting your head, you give him the flower, and watch curiously as he tucks it into your hair after pinching off the excess stem, then stepped back with a smile. "There. It looks pretty on you."

A sudden heat blooms in your cheeks, and you feel strangely happy. "Thanks, Sen." You give him a tight hug, which he returns, before you grin. "Now I want to find a flower to put in your hair!"

"Y-you don't have to do that!" He insists, but you're already outside to look for something suitable.

"But I want to!" You turn to him with a thoughtful look, "are cherry blossoms in season? I think you would look cute with one!"

Cute? Me? He thinks to himself with a shy smile.

"Do you like it?" Shinobu asked. She had arrived at the Rengoku estate with a present for you; a bracelet with little detachable beads full of a mixture of your own blood and some enhancers to make your poison extra effective.

"I love it!" You grin and hug her.

She accepts it with a sigh. "You know, with your conditions, I really advise against you going out on missions, but the stress of being away from your family is too much for your body to handle, and I want you to live as long as possible." She leans down to be at eye level with you. "Do you understand that even if you're allowed to go, you won't be able to participate in fights? You'll need to stay on the sidelines, and that bracelet is only for emergencies."

Nodding, you agree with her. "I understand, Shinobu. Thank you for the bracelet!"

"Alright." She sighs in relief. "I must be going now. Take care, (Name). Please, try to eat today, okay?"

You waved to her until you couldn't see her anymore, and then your smile dropped quickly. It had already been nine days, with no word from either of your brothers. Every night, Senjuro and Kyojuro had to spend time reassuring you that they were coming back, but after a week, it had gotten harder. You perceived yourself as such an annoying individual that you believed the brothers were starting to get sick of you, but you couldn't help it.

The memories of your dead father and the thoughts of your own brothers ending up the same way sickened you so much that your stomach was constantly churning. "Try to eat today, okay?" Shinobu's words ring in your head as lately you'd been having troubles eating. Some times unable to keep it down, and others unable to eat in the first place. Just the thought of eating while your brothers were all alone fighting demons on the mountain where the Final Selection takes place, made you feel horrible. Did they get enough to eat and drink every day? Could they even get any sleep? And yet here you were, being a nuisance, living a privileged life of safety, fresh food, and soft bedding.

And so you sat on the ground and hugged your knees, crying into them. "Oh, (Name), please don't cry." Senjuro's gentle voice resonated behind you, as you heard him place a tray beside you so he could pat your back. "You're already dehydrated enough as it is, please, drink something." He picked up a cup off the tray and brought it to you. "They'll probably be back any day now, or hours!"

You reluctantly took the cup from him, taking two sips before frowning at him. "But they haven't contacted me at all. What if they're dead, and I couldn't -!"

"(NAME)?!"

Throat closing up immediately at the sound of a familiar voice, you gasped with a bright grin, your eyes lighting up brighter than Senjuro had ever seen. You whipped your head around to see two familiar figures; one lean with a high ponytail, and the other more stocky with a crow perched on his shoulder. "Y- ..." You placed the cup on the tray, nearly tipping it over as you stood up and began to run to them. "YAMA!! MOU!!" You screamed, launching yourself at them once you were close enough. Yamako caught you, wrapping his arms around you tightly while you clung to him and sobbed happily into his neck. "You're alive ..."

"Where's my hug?" Mou stated bluntly, causing you to laugh and pull away from your other brother to hold the poor twin. They both smelled awful, as they haven't bathed in a while, and were covered in blood, dirt, and little wounds. However, you didn't care, as the three of you huddled together in reunion on the road. Even the crow hopped onto your shoulder to get to know you better.

"Who's that?" You ask, looking to her as she nuzzled against your head.

Yamako grins, "we've got a family crow!"

The crow bows, and then speaks to you. "Nice to meet you, (Name), I'm your Kasugai Crow, Chizuru."

"Hello, Chizuru." You smiled and pet her feathers, somewhat surprised she let you.

After a bit of hugging and crying, Mou noticed you had gone a little limp. "(Name)?" He asked, tilting his head to look down at you. There you lay, eyes closed as you had finally let your stresses melt away, dozing off. To this, your brother smiled and scooped you up. "We should go to Shinobu's and get ourselves checked out."

"Yeah," Yamako agrees, checking on his wrist. "That demon had some seriously sharp claws! I hope it's not infected. Then I want to take a looong sleep somewhere comfortable."

"Really? I find myself more hungry than tired." Mou hummed, carrying you off to the Butterfly Mansion. Shinobu would be thrilled to see the twins back, as she worried deeply for your health while they were gone.

Chapter Text

You did a little twirl in front of Senjuro to show off your skirt. "Isn't it cute? I love my uniform!" It was a plain black color, just like your brothers', but you had a skirt instead of the usual pants. The three of you had identically colored haori, coincidentally your favorite color, each with a different white pattern on it. Yamako's had flames around the bottom, Mou's was lightly decorated with dragonflies, and yours was littered with sakura blossoms and petals.

"Yeah! I think it suits you pretty well." Senjuro smiled brightly at you. "Stay safe, okay?" He added after, giving you a tight hug.

"I will! Thank you for the meals in advance!" You kiss at both of his cheeks, an action he still wasn't used to but adored anyway, then skittered up to your brothers to go along your way.

Yamako grinned and squat down, presenting his back for you to crawl onto. "Alright, let's get going." Since you weren't allowed to fight, you carried a backpack with shelf stable meals, first aid, and other necessary gear. Luckily for your brother, he was strong enough to carry it all.

"Bye-bye!" You waved to the Rengoku brothers, as they waved back until you disappeared over the horizon.

Chizuru had given you your mission already, and it was to head off into a forest next to a village where people were going missing. "I think it's bullshit that you can't fight." Mou growled. "You're plenty strong."

"But Mou," you leaned closer to him, "all everyone knows is that I'm sick and weak. If they knew I was stronger at night, wouldn't they think I'm a demon?"

He sighs, "kind of hard to come to that conclusion when you don't burn up but ... I get it. Maybe we can get Tetsuido to forge something small for you if we see him again."

"Ohh yeah," Yamako adds cheekily, elbowing his brother while still holding onto you, "we'll tell him it's for her protection, huh? Then she can fight with us for real."

Mou grins back with just as much cheek, "well, that wasn't exactly my plan, but I like that too." And the three of you giggled mischievously.

Once you arrived at the little village, you were let off Yamako's back, where you got to look around and ask a few questions. "Okay, I don't think we're doing great at this." Yamako frowned. The three of you had just gotten harsh glares from the women at a grocery stall as you asked if they'd seen anything weird.

"Eh, not our fault." Mou shrugged, folding his arms behind his head. "We were raised alone in the mountains. How are we supposed to talk to strangers?" He then leaned closer to his twin and whispered, "we've only ever met, what, three other women besides our family?"

"Shut up!" Blushing, Yamako pushed at his brother. "(Name), you're cutesy, go ask around."

You whipped around to face him. "Huh?! Me?! I'm 14, not 8!"

"Yeah? And we're older than you. Go do as you're told." He gave you a boot to the butt, lightly, and yet you still stumbled forwards.

"That was mean!" You snapped at him, rubbing your sore behind, "I'm doing it!" Grumbling, you enter a shop. The keeper was hunched over a fire, mumbling angrily to himself. Something about how he used to get better charcoal than this, but you didn't pay much mind. "Mister?" You ask delicately, stepping up to him, and tilting your head to the side.

"What do you want, kid?" He huffed, dusting off his hands and turning to you. He briefly looked you up and down, then sighed to settle his temper. "Are you looking for smoked meats? I've got plenty to pick from."

"Oh, no thank you. They smell good, though!" You compliment, trying to add to your charm. "My brothers heard that there was a monster in the woods, though! Do you have any stories?"

The man frowned. "Stories? No, not really ... there was this one kid though, a great kid; kind and smart and all that, him and his mother, brothers, and sisters were all killed on the mountain nearby. We couldn't find his body though, or one of his sisters, but we think they were eaten. Nobody went up there for a year, but we thought it was safe to go back up. Nothing happened, until this month, people started disappearing." He stood up and stretched, his back popping satisfyingly. "I'm afraid that's all I got. Sure you don't want to buy anything?"

"Nope! Thank you, though!" You waved, leaving the building. Your grin immediately soured as you pouted at Yamako, and immediately punched him in the groin.

"ACK!" He keeled over, holding himself, as he cried out, "(Name) whyyy?"

Huffing, you ignored him and talked to Mou. "So apparently, the monster is in the mountains." You frowned up at him. "You don't think ..."

Mou immediately shook his head and put a comforting hand on your shoulder. "If it were an Upper Moon, we wouldn't have gone at all. It's probably some low level demon."

Nodding in relief, you steel your nerves as you feel yourself become stronger. The setting sun had finally disappeared over the horizon, and whatever demon or demons who were lurking in the forested mountains were bound to be out and about. Chasing after your brothers, the three of you knew it would take a while to find any demons if the three of you stuck together. You made short conversation with each other, promising to keep contact if any of you found anything. Mou went left, you right, and Yamako center, the stronger brother taking your backpack for safe keeping and bidding each other luck before darting off.

Being short didn't give much of an advantage, especially since anything could be in the surrounding bushes, so you decided to scale the nearest tree, using your claws to help haul yourself up at a fast rate, almost like a squirrel. Using the height, you could see farther, and even hopped from branch to branch, choosing ones large enough to support your weight, and keeping yourself quiet. Movement caught your eye, so your gaze instinctively snapped towards the location. Sure enough, a demon was making his way down the mountain, snarling and licking his lips, sniffing the air. There's one! You plucked a bead off your bracelet, aiming for his head. With a flick of your wrist so fast that anyone who blinked would've missed it, the bead landed perfectly on target, all thanks to your few days of training with Uzui's wives while your brothers were waiting for their swords. It shattered against his skin, spraying him in your blood, and the effects kicked in immediately. With an agonized shriek, his flesh purpled and bubbled, melting away until he collapsed dead.

Nodding to yourself at the results, you carried on. Tree to tree, there wasn't much else to find. The moon was at its peak, and you were ready to turn back, until you stumbled across an empty home, and dropped down to investigate. Beside it were some graves, and looking at the blood that stained the floors and walls of the home, along with the broken doors, you realized that this might've been the home that the shop keeper was talking about. Your heart twisted in grief as you saw some clothes barely hanging up on a clothesline, some small enough to fit a child. You didn't realize you were crying until you heard one of your tears drip against the entryway stairs, yet you knew why. This home secluded in the mountains, a family ruined by demons ... this could've been us. You thought bitterly.

The two eldest children ... weren't even found. What if that had happened to my brothers? You stood before the graves, knowing they had passed on long ago, but since they seemed so similar to you and your family, you decided to pray for them.

Elsewhere, a girl rolled over in her bed, startling her older brother.

Getting back up, you heard a scream in the distance. Yama! You took off into the forest immediately, following the direction you heard the sound come from. Leaping over roots, dropping down rocks, and dodging branches, you arrived within two minutes to the scene, just barely out of breath. However, your brother seemed to have handled it already.

"Shitty ankle biter." He complained to you, as he kicked at a decaying demon. "Luckily it's just a small bite, but that thing was so creepy, skittering around like a centipede."

You grinned at him. "Well, I haven't found anything except for a single demon. He's dead now." You held your bracelet up for your brother to see, "this thing is pretty cool!"

"Ya think Mou's doing anything?" Yamako sheathed his sword, then picked you up and tucked you under his arm. You didn't mind being carried like this.

"Maybe he's already killed his demons."

Chuckling, your brother sprint away to go find his twin. It didn't take long to find him, as he was on his way to find you two. "Considering you're here, I'm guessing you already took care of your share of demons?"

Set down, you puff out your chest. "I took care of a demon all by myself!"

"That's nothing; I took three at once!" Yamako boasted.

"Ten."

"Huh?" You spoke in sync.

"I had to deal with ten demons, all after the other." A vein popped in his forehead as he huffed. "Just as I thought I was done, another would show up."

"Wow, you're so cool, Mou!" You cheered, the three of you starting to descend the mountain.

Yamako pouted. "Where's my praise?"

Blowing a raspberry at him, you also punch him in the arm. "You can be the cool brother when you don't make me talk to strangers!"

"That was hours ago!"

"Too bad, so sad!"

"You little -!" He grabs you up, and starts ruffling your hair, getting it tangled. Then you start slapping at each other.

Mou merely watched with a smile, until he finally decided it was time for him to butt in. "All right, all right. Chizuru will be back any moment to collect a report, so we've got to be on good behavior."

You huffed and crossed your arms. "A demon's a demon. Why do we have to do a report."

"Well, part of it is so slayers are able to tell the population of demons, like are more or less being created and during which times, and where." He provides some insight. "Another is that if there are a lot of demons in particular areas, more slayers are sent there for longer term to protect the people."

"Ohhh," you nodded, "I get it, I get it." You grin and throw your fists in the air, "then lets get reporting so we can go back to slaying!"

You giggled to yourself as you listened to the message Kaname relayed to you. Most of it consisted of Senjuro telling you he missed you, and that he hoped you were all doing well. Kyojuro said a few things here and there, but the message was mostly dominated by his little brother.

"Is that a little message from your little guy friend?" Yamako sang teasingly at you.

"He's not my boyfriend!!" You screamed at him immediately, in which the crow fluttered off.

He grinned, "I didn't say boyfriend." To which you immediately punched him in the crotch. He fell to the ground and cursed. "You're never going to be an Aunt at this rate!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're never going to be an Uncle, so ha!" You shot back at him, crossing your arms.

Mou's monotonous voice split through the tension. "Did you two forget about me?" It was said with a hint of sadness.

You both became apologetic and went in to hug him. "Hey, your food's ready." The food stand chef behind you placed your orders of katsudon on the counter, to which the three of you thanked him, and took your meals to sit somewhere.

"Thank you for the meal." You spoke in sync before digging in.

The past six months had been hectic. Just last month, you'd learned that Kanao had done her Final Selection, and although many slayers went in, only five came out alive. Those were horrible numbers! Your brothers said that nearly everyone survived when they went! Genya was there as well, and even though you didn't have a good first impression of him, now when you thought of him, you thought of the carnation that had wilted away long ago. Aside from those two, the other two slayers that came out were two boys, one with a scar on his head, and another who was extremely timid. The fifth was a complete mystery, as Kanao mentioned to you in the single message she sent to you that she never got to see them. You often sent messages to her and the others at the Butterfly Mansion, but most were ignored because they tended to be busy.

However, one time, the trio of girls sent you a bit of chocolate ... specifically all for you! They said they hoped you were feeling okay, especially since you weren't killing demons. Well, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. So far, Chizuru was unaware of your demon killing streak, so that means everyone else was unaware too.

Speaking of killing demons ... where the hell were they all coming from?! Even aside from living your entire childhood in the mountains, it almost seemed like a miracle that you weren't found for so long! Although, you figured now that you had a crow telling you where to go and find them, you were bound to find more demons than when you were running around randomly before meeting Kyojuro. So far, they seemed to be low in strength, as you and your brothers could take them out with ease.

However, it was only a matter of time before you would run into a stronger demon.

"That was tasty." You sighed, patting your belly, warm with katsudon.

"Yep! Best I've ever had. ... Don't tell Mother." Yamako winked at you, and you giggled.

Mou chuckled as well, then sat up to collect the dishes and bring them back to the cart so they could be washed and reused. "Thank you. My siblings and I loved it." The owner thanked him back, before closing up his shop. It was dusk, after all, and the three of you wanted to grab something to boost your strength.

"Alright, where are we supposed to go again?" Yamako asked.

Mou sat back down with you and discussed the details. "For the past three months or so, people have gone missing. Coincidentally, a new doctor arrived in town three months ago, only taking patients during the evening."

"Tamayo?!" You asked hopefully, eyes glittering.

"No, stupid!" Yamako scolded you. "Besides, she would never kidnap people, or hurt them!" You sighed and slumped down at his choice of words with you.

Continuing, the elder twin ignored you, "out of everyone going missing, the most common among them tend to be kids."

You suddenly felt very small. "Wh-what are you two staring at?!" You demanded. "You're not making me the bait again, are you?!"

Yamako grinned with a wink, "ding, ding, ding!"

"I hate you both." You growled, folding your arms with a pout.

"Oh, come on!" He pleaded, "you're sooo cute and teeny tiny," he grabbed your cheeks and pulled them, "you're practically a widdle baby!"

"Yama ... let's not antagonize her. Instead, we should be happy that she's willing to do this to help, right?" Mou sighed as you slapped his twin's hands away, crinkling your nose angrily at him.

Said other twin sighed as well, leaving you be. "Yeah, you're right." He then turned to you. "Well, we haven't got all night, but we're ready when you are. Mou's already got the location of the doctor."

"Okay, okay." You stood up and stretched, "let's get going."

Going down the streets and taking corners and shortcuts, a single light was still on down a particular path. That was it. Faking a limp, you hobbled up to the door, and knocked twice.

"Come in~!" Came a sweet voice. Knowing it was likely a demon made it feel so much more sickly.

With a faked tremble of the lip, you sniff and open the door. "My leg," you whimpered, "I twisted it when I was fetching water for the bath!"

"Oh, you poor thing." The man frowned. "Let's get it looked at, alright?"

You nodded along, observing the man's characteristics. He did have sharper nails, and fang-like teeth, but his eyes seemed normal compared to other demons, so you weren't quite sure yet. Maybe his canines are longer than most? Maybe he doesn't trim his nails regularly? I mean, my brothers and I have sharp nails ... but that's because we're demons. You followed him to a room where he had you sit on an examination table, and had you prop your leg up. "Now, where does it hurt?" He touched your leg, and as he did, you shrieked. That was the cue ... I hope they heard it so they can start searching the place.

"Sorry," you apologized immediately, "it just hurts a lot."

The man furrows his brows at you accusingly, but smiles anyway. "That's quite alright, my dear. Pain is ... normal."

Okay, maybe there wasn't concrete evidence that he was a demon, but he was certainly very sketchy. He continued poking and prodding around at you, then stepped back with a sigh. "Well, I believe it might be a twisted ankle, but there doesn't seem to be any swelling, which is ... unusual." His tone turns accusatory as he stares at you.

Feigning innocence, you tilt your head. "Does that mean I'll feel better soon?"

Clink

His head whipped around to face the tiny noise from behind the door, and you swallowed thickly. Have we been caught? The man opens the door, only to be met with the scene of your brothers helping malnourished looking people in chains out of a cellar under a rug. "You little shit!" He grabs you up and throws you against the wall, nearly causing you to crash through it.

"Run!" Mou urged the captured people, pushing them along before he draws his sword, blocking a punch by chopping the man's hand of. Sure enough, just like any other demon, it grew back. Only faster than you've seen before.

You recovered quickly, joining the battle as the demon sheds his disguise, with his skin turning a pale green, and his sclera going red. A crown of horns burst from his skull, and you and your brothers realize that this is likely the strongest demon you'd ever faced. "Yama! Get down!" You shouted to the younger twin, but he wasn't able to dodge in time, and the punch sent him flying into a wall, leaving a splat of blood against it as your brother went unconscious.

"Shit." Mou cursed, readying himself.

Most of the people were able to get out before the building crashed down due to the demon roaring out and destroying the entire thing with one blow.

”Mou, don’t worry, I’m coming to help!” You were lucky enough not to be trapped under heavy rubble, but he blocked a heavy punch before shouting back to you.

”Don’t bother! Go help Yama and any survivors first!” He pauses as he grunts when he needs to jump back. “I can handle this!” Nodding agreement, you go back to the building to search for your brother first. “Insect Breathing: Dance of the Dragonfly!” He calls, making multiple jabs at the demon, who dodged them all diligently.

You welcomed the strength that you got from the night as you tossed pieces of wood here and there in search of anyone at all. There was a young girl, a teenaged boy, but you were struggling to find your beloved brother. “Yama!” You called for him, only to hear another voice from behind.

”(Name)! Look out!” It was Mou, and the demon was right behind you, ready to slash you open. However, a hand burst out from under the rubble instead, grabbing the demon’s ankle and causing him to trip.

”Don’t touch her.” Yamako’s voice was deep with malice as he pulled himself out from the debris, drawing his sword and slicing at the demon’s head. “Flame Breathing: Unknowing Fire!”

Unfortunately, this demon appeared to be fast, leaning back to dodge the attack, before ripping its leg off to escape.

Your beads! Taking one off, you aim it at the demon as he dodged attacks from your brothers, but ... it’s all too fast. You can’t find an opening unless you get closer.

”Blood Demon Art: Iron Maw!” The demon crowed before its mouth disgustingly began to protrude from its body, growing a few sizes before he used it to bite down on Yamako’s blade, snapping it in half.

You could feel your heart sink into your chest as both you and your siblings’ eyes widened. Was such a thing possible? Apparently. Taking the distraction as an opportunity, the demon punches Mou, hard enough for a sickening crack to resound in the area. Your brother roared in pain, his arm bent at an awkward angle now.

”You know, it was foolish to send amateurs like yourselves to me.” The demon grinned wolfishly, grabbing Yamako by his throat when he tried to reach his twin. “Like pigs to the slaughter.” He then licked his teeth, using his other hand to grab your brother’s wrist so he couldn’t strike with his sword. “I think after eating you three, I’ll be promoted to Lower Six, like I deserve.”

He was distracted. You flicked your bead immediately, scowling at the demon as it made contact with his open jaw. His flesh began to bubble, and he even snarled in pain. He dropped your brother, choked to unconsciousness, to peel the skin off. “What the hell did you do to me?!” He demanded from you.

Mou just recovered enough to use his Breathing to ignore the damage to his forearm, and rushed at the demon. You did the same, pulling another bead. Silently communicating with your brother, you jump up just as he slices at the demon’s legs, cutting them off entirely while you slam your beads against his neck, listening to his skin melting as he howled from pain. Using the follow through of his motions, Mou aimed for the demon’s neck, ready to strike it where you poisoned him.

”Blood Demon Art: Iron Skin!” And the blade merely clinks off of him.

One again, you paled. “Mou!” You cried desperately, before slicing your skin on his blade to get your blood on it. “Pierce him!”

Once again, it only clinked and slid off the metal body. He grinned again, “it’s pitiful, really, just a couple of unfortunate kids, huh? Well, no matter. A meal’s a meal, and I’m ready to eat.” Mou didn’t stop trying to hit him, using as many breathing techniques as he could, but none of them were doing anything.

”Yama! Wake up!” He yelled to his unconscious twin, but he got no response. After getting his head banged around earlier and passing out twice, he wasn’t likely to get up for a while.

The demon turned to you with a scowl, “this little shit, though,” he raised his hand, “she can just die.”

”NO!!” Mou jumped in front of you, blocking the attack with his blade as best he could. Luckily, his wasn’t perfectly modeled after Shinobu’s sword, so it was a bit wider, able to take the attack without snapping. “Run, (Name)!”

But you both knew you wouldn’t leave your family. Pulling off your bracelet, you use the whole entire thing as a makeshift whip, and lash the demon across the side with it. He expectedly yowls out again, pulling back to assess the damage and remove it if he needed to.

His pupils shrunk into needles, revealing how truly pissed off he was now, as he willingly ripped the poisoned skin off of him yet again. Surface poison wasn’t exactly working right now, so you’d have to find a way to get it into his -

“I am so fucking tired of you.” His voice was low, expressing his deep fury, as he snatched you up by your collar, leaving your feet to dangle. You kicked at him, but his skin was iron, and probably hurt you more than him. He brought his face close to yours, “so I’m going to finally get rid of you.” He raised his other fist back, but he was just close enough for you to do something to escape.

Looking at his nose, it was right in front of you. Maybe your jaw wasn’t strong enough, but if even a bit of pain could get him to let you go, then so be it.

You ended up launching forwards and bit his nose clean off, his own blood flooding your mouth.

Suddenly, a jolt wracked your body. You remembered that taste. It was just like that demon you killed before meeting Kyojuro; but this taste was much more ... flavorful. It danced on your tongue like fire, yet slipped down your throat smooth as ice. And this feeling it left you with; it was beautiful. You felt powerful. Like a shark, all these many sensations flooded your senses, dilated your pupils, and you lost yourself to a demon's limitless hunger, gorging on the tasty flesh of something living ... -

-*!

" ...! (Name)!" Mou yelled out to you as your senses came fading back in. You had blacked out.

"What the ..." you slurred tiredly, feeling Yamako's strong arms around your waist. Why was he holding you? When did he wake up? Your chin felt wet and sticky, and as you glanced down, you could see your hands and forearms drenched in blood and bits of flesh, and your clothes splattered with it. You snapped to attention as you realized what it was. "Oh God!!" You screamed, trying to see if there was anything else as you began to cry, "what did I do? Did I kill someone?! Oh God, am I gonna die!?!"

"Hey! Hey, no, no, you're not going to die," Mou’s good arm gripped your’s, shaking you a bit to help you snap out of it. "That's not human blood. I ... I don't know what happened, but you couldn't seem to hear us at all." He looked over to the burning demon, and your eyes followed, seeing large bite marks torn in his legs before they were ashed away. "It was like you hadn't eaten in years, and the demon ... you just kept eating him, even when he tried to push you off. I don’t know how you managed to overpower him, but you were like a wild animal.”

Your bottom lip trembled as you listened to your brother describe your actions. “Was I bad? Was that bad? Do you hate me?” You sniffed as you started to cry.

”What? No! We’d never hate you!” Both brothers quickly went to assure you.

”We were just worried for you because you were acting strange. It’s not bad, and we’re glad you’re safe, it’s just that you weren’t listening. Are you okay?” Mou asked, rubbing your back.

With a hiccup, you nod, “yeah, my stomach just hurts.”

Yamako tried to lighten the situation with a short chuckle, “ha, I bet. You ate, like, seven whole chickens out of that man.”

His silly sentence made you crack a smile, but it fell shortly after. “What’s happening to me? What’s going to happen?”

”Well,” Mou puts a hand on your shoulder, “we don’t know. Let’s just call it Demon Hunger for now, and stick together. We can figure this out. As for now ... Chizuru should be here any moment.”

Yamako groaned, stretching. “Do you think we’ll be brought to a Wisteria House? I mean, my sword broke, and my head hurts like hell, and you broke your arm.”

You sighed with him. “I hope so. I just want to sleep after this.”

”Oh yeah? What if it takes us three hours to get there?” Yamako teases.

”Don’t jinx it, idiot!” You kick him in the arm, to which he lightly chuckles. “I just want a nice bath and a warm bed is all.” You dreamed.

Chapter Text

Finally. Everyone had settled down, ready to go to sleep. Inosuke was out like a light, and Zenitsu had barely begun to snore. Then he smelled it. Demons! Tanjiro sat up in bed, looking around. How could they get into the Wisteria House? Especially undetected? He immediately got out of bed, grabbing his sword and taking off. He followed the scent until he arrived at a room with no lights on, and the door closed.

With no hesitation, he threw it open, staring before him at the group of demons, two young adults cuddled protectively around what looked to be a little girl, but he knew she was also a demon. As he drew his blade, he suddenly realized that one of the boys were missing. Where did he go?

”What are you doing in our room?” The voice came from behind him.

He whirled around to be faced with the boy in a ponytail with his own sword pointed at his throat. However, Tanjiro did not back down. “I’m a Demon Slayer, and you three are demons!”

Oddly enough, at that, the boy seemed to pale. Especially when the little girl woke up. “Mou?” She asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning, “who’s that? Did he come to the wrong room?” She then directed her attention towards Tanjiro, “Mister, this room is for me and my brothers.”

”Go back to sleep, I’ll take care of it.” The angered voice above him spoke, before he felt himself be grabbed up, then tossed to his knees, the blade of the sword against his neck.

The girl’s eyes widened in shock, “Mou? What are you doing? You’re going to hurt him!” To his shock, she actually began to tear up, crawling towards the two of them.

”I have to while he’s still a low ranking Demon Slayer. I’ve never seen him before, so I don’t think he’ll be missed. Somehow, he was able to tell we were demons.”

The girl cried harder, this time standing on Tanjiro’s thighs as she had actually crawled up to them, and used him to reach her brother. It was a little uncomfortable, especially since her soft stomach was pressing up against him, a thin Yukata the only thing between him and her skin, but he didn’t want to make the wrong move when he could be losing his head. Wait ... soft? ... Yeah, soft. Tanjiro blushed.

“Nooo!” She wailed, “we can’t kill anyone! I don’t want to be a murderer!”

”We have to. He’s alone, and if we don’t, he’ll just tell everyone and get us killed instead. It’s him or us.”

The girl fell into his lap, and just began to cry more.

Finally, the second guy woke up. “What the hell is all the ruckus?” He was a lot buffer, as his Yukata could barely contain his muscle. “(Name), quit crying so hard, I don’t want to have to brew tea this late at night.”

Tea? For what? Tanjiro wondered. None of this was making sense. They smelled like demons, looked a little like demons, but they slept at night and drank tea? And why did the girl in his lap smell so much like wisteria? Then it clicked for him. Whoever these people are ... they haven’t fully been turned into demons! He finally spoke up, “none of you are really demons, are you?” Silence. Did he do something right? Or terribly, terribly wrong? Confusion and distrust wafted through the air, so he continued to speak. “I-I actually have a little sister, who is a demon. She doesn’t eat people though, and I guess none of you do, either? I can show you her, if you’d like? I promise I won’t tell anyone you’re demons.”

The little girl, (Name), grunted. “People taste horrible.”

”Don tell him anything.” Mou, from behind him, spoke. “He can’t be trusted, and is probably just trying to wriggle his way out of this.”

”Mou, please, let’s just hear him out. He can leave his sword here, and if he’s lying, we can ... y’know ...” the other guy bit his lip anxiously before continuing, gesturing to (Name) with a quick tilt of his head. “I don’t think she wants to see anymore dead humans. Not after what happened to ...”

With a heavy sigh, Mou seemed to weigh his options, the scent of immense guilt and sadness radiating off of him as he looked down at the little girl, curled up in Tanjiro’s lap and crying into his Yukata. “Fine. Leave your sword here, and bring us to your sister. We’ll figure out what happens next from there.”

A deal’s a deal, so Tanjiro dropped his sword without hesitation, then looked down at the girl. He found it odd that she lacked understanding of personal space, but he wasn’t about to comment on it. She got off his lap, going to the other man.

”Yama, you should sleep. Your head still hurts.” She knelt beside him, and he ran a hand through her hair with a smile.

”I will. Stay safe. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.” With a final pat of her head, he lays back down for some sleep.

She gets up to follow Mou and him to his room. He desperately hoped that his friends would still be asleep, so as not to bother these ... humans? "Nezuko?" He calls for his sister once he opens the door, watching as she sleepily crawls out of her box.

"How mean!" (Name) cries, "you keep your little sister in a box? My brothers would never!"

Ah, so those two must be her brothers. I wasn't sure because they don't look entirely alike. He glances into your red eyes, and then Mou's dark red hair, tied up in a ponytail and looking a lot like his own father's did. In fact, they look like they could be part of my family! "Oh, well, she burns up in the sun, so I keep her there for traveling ..."

"Well, you're not traveling now!" She retorts with her arms crossed. "You should keep her out!"

Tanjiro sweats, "I guess you're right. I'll keep that in mind from now on." He glances at Mou, who is scrutinizing Nezuko's every move, when he realizes something. "Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Kamado Tanjiro. This is my sister, Kamado Nezuko, and my friends, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Hashibira Inosuke."

To his relief, Mou sheaths his sword and bows, "My name is Fujimori Mou, this is my little sister Fujimori (Name), and my twin is Fujimori Yamako."

(Name) bows as well. "Sorry my brother was scary, but he's just protecting us."

"(Name) ... stop talking to him ..." Mou irritates over her oversharing.

Tanjiro shakes his head in understanding. "It's alright, I would do the same for Nezuko. She's the only family I have left."

"Hey, just like us!"

"(Name)!" Mou barks, causing the girl to shrink for a short second before righting herself with a sheepish smile. "Let's just get to bed, alright?" She agrees and takes off, waving to the Kamado siblings. Mou goes to follow, but pauses, looking back at Tanjiro and Nezuko. "Just so you know, I treasure my siblings more than anything. Even my own life. They've been through so much, and it's up to me to protect them, so if anything were to happen to them because of you or anyone else ... I would raise hell on Earth." When Tanjiro nods in understanding, his personality seems to flip, and he actually flashes a friendly smile. "Come by to pick up your sword tomorrow morning. Goodnight."

Once he was gone, Tanjiro let out a sigh of relief, only to be short lived by Zenitsu going, "Tanjiro? Who was that?"

You figured the boys and Nezuko would be gone next morning, but you were surprised when they joined you for breakfast instead. "Wow! What a feast!" The yellow haired boy sighed. Uh, Zenitsu, right?

"Good morning!" You smiled to them, sitting between your brothers. Mou had brought Tanjiro's sword to the table, so you should've known better than to think they would leave. "Come and eat with us!"

The three boys eyed your brothers really quickly, as if trying to gain approval, before sitting around the table as well. "Y'know, when Tanjiro said there was another girl here, I didn't think I would find one so cute!" Zenitsu swooned over you, making you blush.

Your brothers scowled at him as he tried to approach you, "ugh. Not another one." Yamako muttered under his breath and lamented at the thought of having to deal with a 'Second Kaigaku' while trying to recover.

Mou chose to ignore him for now, only passing over Tanjiro's sword. "Kamado, your sword, as promised." He held it out to him, and he thanked Mou before taking it.

It was quiet. Awkwardly so. You pouted, trying to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind as you fidgeted in your seat. Eventually, you just blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Why does boar head wear a hat if he's pretty?!"

The twins gave you confused and disappointed looks, Tanjiro's jaw dropped, and the other two began to yell over each other.

"What the hell did you just say about me? You wanna fight?!"
"SO YOU AGREE?! YOU THINK IT'S WEIRD TOO?! I KNEW IT, HE'S SUCH A FREAK! A FREAAAK!!"

Inosuke jumped onto the table, making everyone shriek and scream at him to get down, while you began to laugh that the outlandish display, as he puffed his chest out and pointed at you. "I'll have you know I'm the King of the Mountains!"

"Yay!" You cheered, getting up, also ready to get on the table. "Fight! Fight!"

"NooOO!!" Yamako leapt up, grabbing you under your arms and pulling you away. Inosuke, however, grabbed onto your legs, and started to crawl up you.

"Stooop! That tickles!" You giggle, trying to kick him off of you.

Then Zenitsu got involved. "HOW REVOLTING!! HOW DISTURBING!! KEEP YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF THAT POOR GIRL, YOU BRUTE!!" He shrieked, lunging for you, and toppling everyone over. The four of you wrestled each other, some of you having more fun than others, and even Tanjiro got up to try and help untangle everyone, until he got pulled into the mix. Punches flew, kicks landed, and hair was pulled, and while you got smacked around a bit, you still were having fun, tickling people whenever your hands landed on them. Mou didn't end up joining, but watched on approvingly.

It wasn't until you started coughing that everyone else became serious and pulled apart. "Are you alright?" Tanjiro asked, patting your back.

Once you finished, you grinned up at him and nodded. Zenitsu frowned thoughtfully, "it sounds like she has asthma. I could hear her wheezing echo around the house all morning."

All tension from last night forgotten, Mou tilted his head curiously. "You must have really good hearing, then."

He blushed brightly and became giggly, "aw, stop, it's not that great of a thing!~"

Inosuke grunted. "Make her better, then! I want to keep fighting!"

You got up with a bright grin and bumped your forehead against Inosuke's shoulder affectionately. "I want to play more, too!" You threw your fists up excitedly, then began to cough some more.

"Come on, let's get you your medicine." Yamako led you away from the group, sweeping you up.

However, Inosuke blocked him, "let me do it! I can carry her a hundred, no, a million times better than you can!"

"No, you can't. You can follow me, though." But the boar headed man disagreed, stating it was a waste of time, then. Tanjiro went, though, as he wanted to help.

Secretly, he was wondering why he felt so ... fluffy inside when you bumped up against him like some cat. Of course, he knew it was an affectionate gesture, he just didn't understand why she did it to him, or why he felt that way. "Hey, Min!" But he was paid any attention. "Oi! Don't ignore me!" He stomped right up to your brother, finally demanding attention, "that girl, why was she rubbing up all against me, and stuff?!"

"HUH?! SHE DID?! I'M SO JEALOUS!!" Zenitsu shrieked, much to his annoyance. "You don't deserve it at all!"

Mou held his hand up, indicating he wanted some quiet. Surprisingly, Zenitsu silenced himself. Putting his cup down, he turned to Inosuke. "She's always been this way. She loves everyone and everything. If it wasn't for her, I don't think Kamado would be alive."

It was quiet for a bit longer, until Zenitsu spoke up again. "Tanjiro told us what happened last night. Inosuke and I promised not to tell anyone, either." He then gives a small smile. "I think it's nice to know that demons are helpful."

Mou shook his head. Part of him wanted to be more reserved, but ... he also wanted to talk to people who would understand his struggles. Hiding Nezuko is grounds for getting banished from the Demon Slayer Corps, but they all are protecting her secret. Surely, they could protect his as well? He decided to fess up. "Well, we aren't actually demons. We just got some traits from our mother, who made us half demons. Yamako and I were ... more desirable outcomes, but no one in the family loved (Name) any less for having defects."

By now, Inosuke had gotten his answer, and went back to stuffing his face, albeit with Yamako's food, and ignored the conversation. Meanwhile, Zenitsu deflated a little in contentment. "Well, I'm sure your mother was nice." With a nod of agreement from Mou, everything was peaceful as breakfast resumed.

At least, for another few minutes. "(Name), duck!" Tanjiro called to you, as you were piggybacking off him, while he was ... piggybacking on Yamako?? Mou stifled a giggle, knowing you were super charismatic to make friends so easily, especially with one who tried to kill you less than 12 hours ago.

You squealed in delight, ducking your head to avoid hitting the top of the door frame, as the three of you entered the room. "The baby has been medicated!" Your brother announced, causing you to pout at him.

"I'm not a baby! I'm 14!" You kicked at him, but mostly missed because of the Kamado boy in the way.

"EH?!" Zenitsu yelped, while Tanjiro's eyes widened in surprise. "How can someone so small be 14?! You're lying! You're totally 8!"

You curled your lip angrily to reveal your fangs to try and intimidate him, "how about I pull all your hair out, huh? Explode!"

"Ack -!" He clutches his heart, "so cruel!"

Yamako dumps Tanjiro on the ground, where he fell onto you by accident. Your brother begins screaming at Inosuke, demanding that he leaves his breakfast alone, and starts to chase him around as he laughs deviously. Meanwhile, Tanjiro rolls off of you, asking if you were alright and fretting over potentially crushing you.

You giggle, "I'm okay!" Letting him help you up, you walk over to the table. "Let's finish eating, so we can play some more later. I still have to take my bath, and get dressed!"

He smiled, feeling oddly fluttery this morning. "Sounds good to me!"

Over the course of the next two days, the three boys a few doors down from you had grown close to you and your brothers, getting used to Yamako's roughhousing, Mou's eerie silence, and your heavy affections. Zenitsu enjoyed it the most, to both the dread of your brothers, but also your own happiness, as he liked to brush your hair and hold hands. The twins had expressed their displeasure to him, stating that it reminded them too much of Kaigaku. To their surprise, he knew of him, and assured them he wasn't like that. All of his fawning over you was harmless anyway, so they figured they could put up with it.

Inosuke found that he liked going into the garden with you to ... terrorize the wildlife. You often tried to redirect his efforts towards other things, like the flowers, and watching clouds, but he was insistent on chasing squirrels up trees and scaring birds away. "Inosuke, why do you keep scaring the animals?" You asked him yesterday, to which he replied that he had to let them know that he was a King. After which, the two of you began to play by trying to scare each other. He hasn't been able to scare you so far, and you haven't managed to scare him, either.

Tanjiro seemed a lot like Senjuro. He was calm, and mostly happy, especially when he got to see you. Even Nezuko liked you, and the two of you would make up silly little dances together. In the mornings, though, she couldn't go out much, so it was just you and Tanjiro together. He kept you well enough company, as he usually went with you when you went to take your medicine, and would listen to you when you wanted to talk.

" - I was a twin too! It's just that my sister died a few days later ..." you shake your head to get rid of the sad feeling. "Actually, twins are pretty common in my family! Master Ubuyashiki told me that even my ancient ancestors were twins!"

You were sitting with Tanjiro and Zenitsu, the latter of which spat out the drink he was sipping on. "WHAT?! You've met the Master?! How terrifying!"

Shrugging, you reply, "I don't think it was that scary. Actually, that's where I met my cousin, Tokito Muichiro!"

"YOUR COUSIN'S A HASHIRA?!" He pointed, face white as a ghost.

Ignoring his antics, you nod with a little smile. "Yep! He's a little ..." Mean. Cold. Rude. He only cares about killing demons. "Distant, but it's okay. He's a Hashira, so he's busy. Actually, my last name is really Tokito, and Mou's and Yamako's, but we like Fujimori more, because of our mom and dad. Apparently, our grandfathers were twins, and my grandpa ran away and took a new name and passed it to our dad."

Tanjiro smiled, "well, at least you were able to find the rest of your family in the end."

You agree with him, "yeah. I never met any of my grandparents, so I don't get why they split the family apart, but it's all okay now!" You smile and get up, deciding to stretch.

Bad idea, as you were knocked into by none other than a rambunctious Inosuke, who bowled into you and held you close to him as you both tumbled to the ground. Yep, that did it, as your heart palpitated. He quickly hopped up off the floor and cackled, "hahaha! Not only did I beat Nokimo, but I scared you too!"

"YOU IDIOT!!" Zenitsu jumped on his case immediately, "SHE'S DELICATE!! WHAT IF YOU HURT HER?! OR KILLED HER?!" You lay on the ground unmoving. "GAH!! YOU DID KILL HER!! MONSTER!!"

Yamako quickly came in, panting slightly, before he saw you on the ground. "(Name)? Are you okay?"

"SHE'S DEAD!! THIS PIG KILLED HER!!"

Your brother glanced at Zenitsu before chuckling.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY!! MY FUTURE WIFE IS DEAD!! AHHHH, I'LL AVENGE YOU, (NAAAAAAME)!!"

"No, I mean, she's not dead." He knelt down beside you and put a hand on your back, "she'll be up in a second, her heart just needs to do a bit of a ... reset, so to say. It just skipped a few beats is all."

Sure enough, with a little cough, you pushed yourself to your hands and knees. That was as far as you got until Zenitsu grabbed you up into a hug and rubbed his cheek against yours, "(Name)! I was so scared you died! Don't ever worry me like that again!"

"Eh? I thought you had good hearing? My heart's still beating." You pat your chest.

"I WAS SCARED, OKAY?!" He yelled, then grabbed your shoulders and held you at a distance, "YOU HAVE A WEAK HEART, WHAT IF YOU GET SO SCARED YOU DIE?!"

You giggled, which he found cute, despite the circumstances, "I won't die! I'm half demon!" You pulled up the sleeve of your Yukata to reveal your bicep, and flexed it. Another action that the boys surrounding you found cute, aside from Inosuke, who just felt fluffy inside, and your brother, who thought you looked dumb. "I'm plenty strong!"

Tanjiro placed his hand on your shoulder with a gentle smile. "Just stay safe, okay?"

And you nodded along. "I will!"

You and Zenitsu clung together, crying loudly. "Wah, you look so cute today, I don't want you to leave!" He bawled, "don't ever forget us, (Name)!"

"I wooon't!" You wailed, "I'll write whenever I can! You're all so nice, I'm gonna miss you!"

Tanjiro rubbed your back to try and soothe you, "it's okay! I'm sure we'll meet again someday! I've heard that sometimes Demon Slayers will be grouped up, so we'll see each other again, okay?"

"Okaaay!" Sniffling, you pull away from Zenitsu a bit so you could hug Tanjiro as well, with Inosuke deciding to join in a second later.

Having only been at the Wisteria House for a week, four of those days devoted to meeting and having fun with your new friends, your brothers healed quickly, and already had a new mission from Chizuru. When you all let go of each other, that was that, and you had to leave. "Tell Nezuko I said goodbye too, okay?" You asked of Tanjiro, who agreed.

You and your brothers were given sparks of good luck by the old woman before you officially left the Wisteria House, and Chizuru led you away to your next destination, a village where the elderly were going missing.

Chapter Text

Merely a week and a half later, you were given a new mission, one that made your brothers frown. "Mount Natagumo! Head to Mount Natagumo quickly!" Chizuru had relayed to you. The three of you entered the wooded mountain immediately, only to be met with many dead or dying Slayers, moving about like puppets with no visible strings. You didn't know what you would be facing.

Your brothers were facing off against the Slayers, buying time while they thought of what to do. "If they're just puppets, maybe their strings are invisible. Slice above their heads!" Mou ordered. You sat off to the side with the backpack, watching as one by one the people crumpled to the ground after getting their strings cut. However, they only rose again after a mere few seconds.

Yamako grunted angrily. "What?! That doesn't make any sense! How are we supposed to continue if these guys are just going to keep getting back up?!"

You sighed, brows furrowed, as you tried to think as well. It wasn't until you felt a tickle around your leg that you scratched, bumping against something. You pluck it off you, screaming when you realize it's a spider. "EW!! GROSS!!" You shriek, flinging it away.

"(Name), what's wrong? -" Mou gets cut off once his arm moves on its own, startling him. "Shit!" He hisses, reaching out with his free hand until he grabbed a string, bringing it to his mouth to gnaw through it in a single bite.

"There are spiders everywhere!" You complained, standing up to look behind you, spotting half a dozen more trying to sneak up on you.

Yamako's face paled. "Spuh - spiders?" He was absolutely terrified. Yelping, he barely manages to dodge a spider, and stomps on it after.

Meanwhile, Mou's face lit up, "so we're not dealing with a puppet demon, but a spider demon? That makes this much easier; we just need to follow these strings, these webs, to their source." He spoke as he avoided getting hit while also slashing webs off the people.

His twin grimaced. He's had a fear of spiders since he was five, when a spider landed in his hair, crawled down his back, and bit him on the shoulder. "How about you two go on ahead, and I'll keep these guys distracted so they don't try to stop you?" He squishes a few more spiders, more focused on them than the puppets.

Luckily, his brother was picking up on his slack. "How about you stop being so scared of tiny bugs and come help?" Mou scoffed.

"NO!! - I mean, I - I don't have to ..."

"You kinda do, Yama." You put your hands on your hips and furrowed your brows. "All of these people were Demon Slayers. Whoever we need to kill, they're powerful enough to take out humans on a whim. We're probably the next best thing to a Hashira." You yourself have been stomping spiders, but forgot to focus on the ones in the branches, dropping onto you, and weaving webs around your -

Both brothers' eyes widened in fear for their little sister. "(NAME)!!"

The stinging pain was instant, as the web pressed harshly into your neck, dragging you up the mountain. Your backpack is left behind as it falls off your shoulders, and your brothers chase after you. You're pulled over sharp rocks, through thorny bushes, and scratchy leaves, all of which tear at your clothes and shred any exposed skin. In a panic and trying to breathe again, you try to claw at the thin silk at your throat, but you can't do so without causing yourself to bleed. To your luck, or perhaps because it made sense, the web deteriorated the moment your blood touched it, and you were able to catch your breath.

"(Name)?" You hear a familiar voice behind you. "Yamako? Mou?"

You whip around, tears in your eyes as you wheeze. Tanjiro and Inosuke stood there, staring at you. Well, in the boar-head's case, probably staring, but that didn't matter. Zenitsu was nowhere to be seen, but there was a big demon behind them, controlled by puppets. "Ta -" You tried to talk to them, to express relief at seeing your friends again, but that demon. The fresh blood that dripped off of it. It smelled powerful.

It smelled delicious.

"Ta -!" Was all that came from your mouth before you seemed to choke on your own words, and your head drooped. Tanjiro became concerned for you, quickly making sure Inosuke was blocking the headless demon's attacks before returning his attention back to you.

"(Name)? Are you okay?" He could smell you ... changing? It was a drastic change, as your wisteria scent shifted into something bitter and greedy. Not only that, but a deep fear settled into your brothers, the scent even concerning him now. "... (Name)?" This time, his voice was just barely over a whisper.

As your name fell out of his mouth, your head snapped up in an unsettling way, the bones cracking oddly. His own heart nearly stopped as he witnessed your change. Your beautiful red eyes, a lot like his, had now become a piercing yellow, with the sclera going red, and your pupils becoming slit. You were breathing heavily, but your asthma didn't seem to bother you at all. Rather, you were drooling without a care, your lip curled in a hungry snarl, and your eyes were trained on the demon behind him.

While he was relieved that you didn't seem to want to eat him or Inosuke, he was both horrified and worried when you dashed at the demon and latched onto it like an angry cat. Your claws sunk into its skin, and your teeth tore into it like tender meat. You didn't even take the time to chew, you just swallowed it like a starved wolf and kept ripping into the demon. It couldn't make any sounds of pain, but it was thrashing about as if it was. What happened to you? Were you still in there? Did any of this hurt?

Clearly not, as one of your arms were chopped off, but you didn't stop at all, not even to make a pained sound. "Shit! Yamako, grab her!" To everyone's luck, your arm seemed to be growing back, just very slowly, and starting with the bone. Knowing you and your brothers were half demons, this made sense to Tanjiro, but he still couldn't understand why it was growing back so fast if your brothers were injured for so long back at the Wisteria House.

"What's going on?!" Inosuke demanded. "Why is she acting crazy?!"

Mou grit his teeth as he watched his twin struggle to pry you off the demon while at the same time trying to avoid the little spiders and not get struck by the demon. "We ... we don't know yet. This is only the second time she's done it. I don't know what happened, why it started, or what it's doing to her, but all we know is that she's ... hungry." He turned to Tanjiro. "If you don't want your sister to get eaten by ours, you'd better get out of here."

Said boy bit his lip, trying to think. If he concentrated, he could very faintly smell that calming wisteria scent below all that hunger, and it was asleep. He didn't understand it, but since your brothers didn't seem to know what was happening either, and you weren't aware of your current actions, he would have to wait. Nodding in agreement, he glanced over at the demon, half devoured and struggling to regenerate, then to Inosuke, who was right in front of him.

Without any time to think, he was grabbed and thrown away, up above the trees, where he caught a new scent. The spider who was puppeteer over everyone else. Maybe she was far enough away that you could calm down, revert back to your real self, and tell everyone what was wrong. He wanted to help you, and he knew that when it came to demons, sooner was always better than later.

HunGRy ... mOre ... hungrY ... MOrE hunGRY HUNGRY!!! A single voice demanded within your head, the order getting stronger and stronger.

"Muh ... ORe ..." You struggled to speak, not in control of your own body. It came out in a low, broken growl, as you pushed against your brother's arms to try and get him to let go.

"I think a part of her is still in there!" Yamako grunted, both of his arms around your abdomen as he lifted you off the ground. "Look, she's not trying to hurt me at all, just escape! Maybe we just have to call out to her!"

He was right. You had sharp claws and teeth, yet you only tried to use your own strength to try and push him off. Mou scowled, "don't say things like that. We don't know if it's true." He spoke, trying not to get anyone's hopes up.

"(Name)? (Name)! It's me, Yama! And there's Mou, and Inosuke!" The stronger brother tried to ignore his twin. "Ha! It is working!" He boasted, as you settled down a bit. By now, Mou and Inosuke were leaving to find Tanjiro, as there were likely to be more demons around.

Grimacing, Mou eyed you carefully. "I'm ... not sure that's the case." Inosuke went up ahead, and Mou turned to follow him with an irritated sigh. "No matter; stay here with her, you're the stronger one."

"What?! Stronger than me? No one's stronger than me! I can do it three, no, a million times better than -!!"

"Shut up." Mou stared down the boar headed boy, and he immediately dropped it, sweating and stomping off ahead. He was intimidating when he wanted to be. "Anyway, we're going up ahead to scout for any other demons. This place is huge, and I doubt one demon was taking care of the whole thing. Stay here."

And with that, he was gone. Your brother grumbled to himself, but didn't complain too much. Your neck nearly snapping to look elsewhere, you stopped sniffing the air, getting distracted by some scent, and resorted back to mindless growling and wrestling. "Hey, hey! Calm down!" Yamako held tighter, before a loud clap of thunder went off unexpectedly in the distance. "Was that -? Shit!" The distraction left your brother startled, and you were able to slip from his grasp. "(Name), no! Come back!"

You were horrifyingly fast, skittering along the ground like a wild animal, making your way around the mountain. Oddly enough, you weren't going towards the sound, but rather away from it. "(Name)!" Your poor brother called after you, chasing you down. He quickly lost sight of you, especially as the trees got denser, and you were weaving between them like you'd been here before. "Slow down! Come back!" He cried desperately. If he hadn't gotten distracted, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to run off. Mou was going to kill him if he lost you. Sure, in this strange form you had, you seemed to be able to care for yourself, but who knows how long you would be chasing after demon blood? How long it would take for you to stumble across a demon slayer who mistook you for a threat? He wailed for you. "(NAAAME!)"

Mou's sword had broken a while ago. He tried to penetrate that spider demon with it, to try and put your blood to use like Shinobu had instructed, but the tip snapped. The demon's skin was far too strong. His eyes widened in confusion and fear, although he tried to mask it by slashing instead of stabbing. That didn't work either, and now, as per Inosuke's instruction, he left to follow Tanjiro to make sure he was alright.

On the way there, he passed his brother, but not his sister. "Where is she?" He demanded, slightly out of breath. His twin's hair was messy, and his eyes were puffy from crying. He didn't answer right away. "I asked you a question!"

"I don't know!" Yamako suddenly blurted, falling to his knees, dropping his sword, and clutching his head. "I don't know." He repeated softly, his crying starting back up. "I tried to follow her but - but she's fast now! She's like you!"

He could tell how disheveled his twin was, so he only sighed and pat his brother's back. "We'll find her. I promise. For now, you go help Inosuke. He's back there fighting a really tough demon, and if any one of us can beat that thing, it's you."

Sniffling, Yamako slowly gathered himself up and took a deep breath to steady himself. "Right."

With that, Mou dashed onwards. It didn't take long to reach where Tanjiro was, and when he did, he stayed hidden, eyes wide in horror.

Nezuko was suspended in a delicate way, with her entire body covered in webs, although they were sharp enough to start grazing her skin, getting her blood everywhere. She looked to be in pain as she hung upside down, nearly unconscious.

If he looked to the right, he could see you clearly, and it sickened him. Your entire body was covered in deep gashes, all oozing purple blood. Melted strands of spiderwebs clung to your skin, as you writhed in your bindings. Thick webbing was wrapped around your neck and wrists, so all you could do was struggle, suffocate, and try to blindly attack the demon below you.

He doesn't know what happened, but he knew all he could see was a deep, angry red. "She can't breathe!" He screamed, revealing himself as he dashed forwards, intending to slice the demon's head off.

"Mou, don't! That's one of the Twelve Kizuki!" Tanjiro shouted at him in warning.

Shit. Well, he didn't know that. The demon sent out only a single web, but after hearing Tanjiro, he knew that was likely all the demon needed, and it was threatening. He narrowly dodged it by rolling backwards, with some of his bangs getting sliced.

The demon scowled, then briefly sniffed the air. "Why are demons working with demon slayers?" His voice comes out cold, and almost quiet. It puts everyone on edge. It's hardly a question.

"We're not demons!!" Mou snaps, bracing himself for another attack.

The demon, almost childish looking, tilts his head in fake innocence. "Oh, but you very clearly are. You and," he points directly above himself, where you hung unconscious, "that little girl up there smell like demons, but you don't smell like my Master. What have you done?"

He doesn't have time for this. "Dance of the Centipede!" He cries out, controlling his breathing so he is able to speed up and get close to the demon. He readies himself to strike, able to see a clear opening, yet halts just before he can hit him.

The demon before him, eerily calm at first, suddenly smiles. Although it's small, it's malicious, and sends shivers up his spine. "I see." He speaks, stepping out from behind you. Bastard! Mou cursed. I can't believe he could... "So you refuse to hurt this one." He taps your cheek. "Two little sisters in one night. Isn't that wonderful for me?"

Your eyes snapped open, only to be greeted by a dark forest, where you were lying on your back, in a plain white dress that almost seemed to glow amidst the night. You were a little kid again, but with your hair long enough to drag on the floor behind you, feet bare yet clean, and a permanent smile on your face, despite your confusion and fear. Growling beyond a few trees caught your attention, and with nothing else to do, and nowhere else to go, you followed the sound.

On the dirt laid an exact copy of your current self, only also with long hair, bare feet, and a glowing white dress. However, this one was scratched up in the back, exposing all of these scars you didn't actually have on your real body. A little to the right of the unconscious body sat ... you? It was a silhouette of you, with six gleaming yellow eyes, but your skin, hair, and clothes all blended into each other as if melded to your figure. It was all the same color, made as if drawn by constant scribbling of charcoal, with a black smoke around it. It was a demon. Muzan's influence. You don't know why you knew what it was, but you did know the little pearl it was holding, staring into it with a menacing grin on its face. My spirit core.

You'd heard your mom talk about them before. Spirit cores were what made you who you were. They were your every thought, feeling, ideal, moral, and action you ever took. Inside it lay every single memory, and you wondered why yours was in such a place, held by such a creature. And yet, as you looked down at yourself, all you saw were your chubby little kid hands, and your tiny, fragile body. You could never defeat a demon on your own. It was this very demon who was powering you; letting you become strong enough to kill other demons, but that was only because it wanted their power, and you knew that. Deep down, you think you've always known that. So as you attended to your True Self, all you could do otherwise was laugh and laugh, with little tears streaming down your ever-smiling face.

This child version of you, the one you always put on display for others so that they wouldn't worry about you ... this was your Farce. She wasn't always here, but she showed up at the same time your Demon did. The night you and your brothers left home. Farce looked over to Demon, who was ever-so-slightly darkening your core wherever she touched. She couldn't do anything to kill Demon, even with True Self up and well, so she only cried more, maniacally laughing through the tears, and waiting for her to wake up so she could go back to protecting the core again. Then Farce could go back to her job of making sure no one knew what was happening to the Heart.

Chapter Text

Panting heavily, you woke up in deep pain. What had happened, where were you? You couldn't see anything, except the light that faintly filtered through a burlap bag on your head. Beneath your knees and shins were small, hard rocks that dug into the skin, and your arms were bound tightly behind you. Most importantly, you were wheezing in your panic. My medicine!

"Take it off! She can't breathe; you bastards know that!" Yamako. You could hear his voice, so you knew you weren't alone at least.

"Shut up, brat!" You hear someone snap, before a body knocks into yours, making you fall onto your side. "Demons like you don't get to order us around."

Demons?! What did I miss?! Panicking more, you start to wriggle around. Mou and Yamako told me to always run away if someone found out about us. You manage to get to your knees, before attempting to stand. Your efforts were wasted quickly as someone swept your feet out from under you, causing you to fall back on your head.

"Stay the hell down." Another voice snapped before a pressure was put on your chest. You began to cough, each one getting more and more violent as you struggled to take in oxygen.

This time, you heard Tanjiro's voice. "Please!" He cried. "I beg of you, don't treat her like this! Out of any of us ... offer her the most kindness!"

His pleading was shut down. "She's a demon. She doesn't deserve any kindness." Something in your heart ... cracked. Was this person right? Just because you were a demon ... you didn't deserve anything? You tried to quiet down your asthma attack, but it wasn't going very well.

You heard another familiar voice. "He's right, you know. If she dies, she won't get a trial, and the Master won't be happy with us." It's Shinobu. Her light footsteps come towards you, and she gently takes the bag off your head. You breathe deeply at the sudden fresh air in your face, while only briefly wincing at the sudden bright light. Your coughing fit resumes. "Drink."

It's the smell of your medicine. The only difference is that it's not flavored nicely with anything sweet. Still, desperate, you gulp it down from the cup in her hands, as the tension from the people around you lessened.

You, Yamako, and Mou were lined up shoulder to shoulder, with Mou staying quiet. Tanjiro was next to Mou on the other side, where he didn't wear a bag either, though his hands were still tied. All of them were beat up.

He smiled gently at you, trying to assure you that everything was going to be okay, but you could see that it was strained. You offered a weak smile back, before coughing twice. "Thank you, Shinobu. Thank -"

"It's Kocho to you." The same angry voice from before snapped. It was Iguro. You avoided his stare; you knew he disliked you before this, and if anything, this gave him the perfect reason to hate you now. Him and Shinazugawa were two peas in a pod. What one hated, the other did too.

Your head hung fearfully. "S-Sorry, Kocho. Thank you for the me-medicine." You stuttered, struggling not to sound terrified.

A new voice popped in. "Sorry but ... this doesn't feel right. The Fujimori's are our friends! I just don't understand why they have to be on trial ..."

"They're demons. They're not our friends, they were probably manipulating us." Came a low voice. It was the same man who told you to stay down earlier. Tengen. Your heart broke a little more.

You looked over to the last person you thought would at least be on your side. "Kyo-"

"Please, Fujimori. Don't call me that." His voice was firm. Finally, your heart just shattered into pieces. Everyone was against you now, just because you were a demon? You didn't even hurt people, you hated hurting people. If anything, you and your brothers were anti-demons. Free of Muzan's influence, free to live under the sun, and powerful enough to slay those who have killed others.

Tengen, or perhaps just Uzui now, stared down at Yamako, the eldest. "Explain everything to us. Who are you really?"

Instead, Mou spoke up for him. "Uzui, not once have we lied to any of you about our intentions. We are truly orphans, and we truly want to kill Kibutsuji Muzan. Although we originate from demons; we hate the comparison." He speaks his last sentence venomously.

From up in the tree, Iguro scoffs, "since you clearly don't want to tell us the truth, how about the Kamado boy tells us his side of the story? I'm sure his excuse is better than yours."

You lower your gaze, trying not to sniffle, trying not to cry. You were going to die today, and it wasn't even going to be your fault. You've never hurt anyone before, aside from demons. Everyone else knew this, so why did they turn on you suddenly?

Tanjiro spoke, staring sadly at your miserable form on the ground. You reeked of heartbreak and despair, an almost sickening scent, but no one else seemed to notice. "The Fujimori's speak the truth. I've met them before, and they're all stronger than me. When we first met, they could've easily overpowered and killed me, but they didn't. Not even when I knew they were demons, and threatened to kill them first." He looked up to Iguro with a glare, "and the demon I'm traveling with is my sister, Nezuko! And just like them, she would never hurt a human!"

The serpent Hashira scoffed. "So, she's your sister? No wonder you defend her. I bet she's made you soft for these demons, too."

"You don't understand!" Tanjiro shouted. "I became a demon slayer to look for a cure for Nezuko! The Fujimori's have nothing to do with it!"

As the talking went on, with no one to defend you but poor Tanjiro, a new voice appeared just to your left. Every muscle in your body tightened with fear with recognition, and you didn't dare look up.

Shinazugawa Sanemi. If none of these people were going to kill you, he sure as hell will. Who were you kidding? You weren't innocent. You'd bitten his brother. There was no doubt he told on you to his older brother, right? That's what you would've done. Finally, tears spilled over your eyes as you tried to quiet your sniffles.

His tone was mocking as he spoke. "Well, what's all this? A demon reunion?" The smile on his face was far from a kind one. "I've brought one more." He holds up Nezuko's box in the palm of his hand, grinning viciously.

One of the Kakushi stepped up behind him. "Please, Shinazugawa, let's not make any rash decisions."

Kocho repeated the sentiment, turning to look at him. "Don't step out of line." She knew the Master would be here soon.

However, it all went ignored. "So this demon ... you think she could be a Demon Slayer? Just like those ones over there?" He points to you. "How delusional!" In a swift motion, he pulls out his sword, stabbing into her box.

"(Name)!" Mou cried, struggling to cover your face so you couldn't see.

Still, your body reacted to the smell of a strong demon's blood. You shrieked in pain as your body tried to transform, but kept getting burnt by the sun. It was a repetitive process of transformation and reversion, as your body writhed in agony. Your mind constantly switched between hunger and salvation, as you tried to hide yourself under your brothers for protection.

The Hashira stared at you in horror, having never seen this side of you before. You'd always been their little, innocent (Name) to them, and it was hard at first to believe what Shinobu and Giyuu had told them, but it was all true.

Even Tanjiro had stopped yelling about his sister getting hurt when he heard your whimpers. He was pissed enough that the man before him dared to stab his sister, but the fact that it had a chain reaction on you made the situation a lot worse. He couldn't bear to hear the demon women he cherished in pain. "You bastard!"

Giyuu tried to stop him as he came towards Shinazugawa, "stop! The Master will arrive soon!" He didn't want the problem escalating, but there wasn't much he could do.

Tanjiro rushed forwards, leaping to avoid a simple slash at him, before landing harshly, delivering a headbutt. It hurt a lot more than the Hashira expected, as he dropped Nezuko's box and fell to the ground in pain. Everyone stared at them, until a snort redirected their attention. It was Mitsuri, as she found the headbutt a little funny. She'd never seen him taken off guard before.

Standing before his little sister's box, he glared at Shinazugawa. "If you can't tell the difference between a good and bad demon, then you have no business being a Hashira!"

Now that he'd stopped smiling, he looked even more sinister. "You're dead, kid. You're so dead." He grabbed his blade and brought it close to Tanjiro's face.

Luckily, there was an interruption. "The Master has arrived." Twin girls spoke behind you, although by this point you had already passed out from the pain.

Tanjiro had seen you asleep before, at the Wisteria House, but this time it was different. Before, you looked peaceful, and even smiled in your dreams. However, now your face was charred, and your eyebrows furrowed in pain. Tears continued to run down your cheeks, and he felt his own heart twist in grief for you. He doesn't quite understand why he cares for you in a different way than he does for other people, but he chalks it up to your human-half's weaknesses. Still, if he can get out of this alive, he was going to comfort you as best as he could. You were heavily affectionate, so you likely would just want to cuddle.

The Master steps out slowly and purposefully, with a gentle smile on his face. Everyone was turned to face him by now, including you as Mou propped you up on his lap while you rested. "I appreciate you all for joining me, my lovely children." The little girls take their places beside him, walking him to the front of the manor, so he could feel the sun. "Good morning, everyone. The weather is splendid, today." He continues to exchange pleasantries with his quiet crowd, making the poor boys anxious.

This whole time, Yamako had struggled to keep indifference on his face, because he was worried about Ubuyashiki's opinion of him and his younger siblings. As the eldest, he was willing to take whatever punishments that would be dealt all for himself, but if the punishment truly was just death, then he needed a way to get at least Mou to safety. Sure, you were the baby, and he loved you just as much as he loved his twin, but you were also an easy target with your asthma. You would be killed the minute you tried to run away. Mou was the fastest, so if any of them could run away and live, it would be him. I love you both. I'm sorry. He tried to keep from crying, still.

Shinazugawa prattled on about his best wishes for the Master, making Mou seethe under his skin. Poor Tanjiro didn't get the message, and didn't bow like everyone else did, but he still hated how the Wind Hashira dared slam the kid's face into the ground while also acting respectful towards Ubuyashiki.

"Regarding Kamado Tanjiro and Nezuko, I've sanctioned their activities. Fujimori Yamako, Mou, and (Name) have all been pardoned as well."

While few Hashira accepted his wishes, others spoke out against it. "Demons becoming demon slayers seems dishonorable!" Uzui speaks out. "We dedicate our lives to protecting ourselves from them, but the moment a handful of demons who haven't killed humans shows up, it's suddenly okay? I can't agree with this."

Iguro also speaks. "I don't trust them, not one bit. The Fujimori family especially, as they've lied to us about themselves this whole time. I hate demons." He adds.

Rengoku speaks out against it as well. "I respect you, Master, but I agree with Uzui. I'm sorry."

And then there's Shinazugawa, who the twins knew hated their family the whole time. This was his perfect excuse to kill you all off. "The Demon Slayer Corps is meant to slay demons, not house them as one of us. I ask that you punish Kamado, Tomioka, and remove the other demons."

Still smiling, Ubuyashiki takes in all of the criticism. "I see. The letter, please." He addresses the girl on his right.

She pulls a letter from her Kimono, opening it and reading it aloud for all to hear. "This letter is from Urokodaki Sakonji, a former Hashira. I shall read you all an abridged version." She finally looks down to it, reading the contents. "I implore you to allow Kamado Tanjiro to travel alongside his younger sister, Kamado Nezuko. She has shown strong mental fortitude, retaining her humanity, and not once has she devoured a human. Two years later, this remains true. Although far-fetched an idea, it still remains true. In the event that she does harm a single human, Kamado Tanjiro, as well as Urokodaki Sakonji, and Tomioka Giyuu, shall atone by committing a ritual suicide."

The words of the letter take a minute to sink in for everyone, as they think it all over. Of course, Shinazugawa is the first to speak out against it. "So what if they commit suicide? It doesn't guarantee that innocent, human lives wouldn't be lost if she should decide to get hungry."

To the surprise of your brothers, it's Rengoku that agrees with this. "He's right! We can't bring back the dead, if she decides to eat someone!"

"You're right. There's no guarantee that she won't attack humans. We have no proof that she won't. However, that also means that we don't have proof that she will." Ubuyashiki states. "We still know that in the past two years, Nezuko hasn't eaten a single human. We also have three people risking their lives to show that she will never hurt a human. To reject this reasoning, would mean you must offer an even more convincing argument that she would."

At this, it's suddenly quiet. Mou secretly wonders when they'll start talking about his family, but maybe he'll get off easy if a full demon like Nezuko can get out without punishment. After all, half demons like his family should be nothing to worry about. They still eat fruits, grains, and vegetables to get their nutrients like any other human, just with the added bonus of night vision and demon abilities.

"If there are no more objections, I would also like to relay to you that Tanjiro has encountered Kibutsuji Muzan."

At this, Mou's eyes widened. Yamako turns to the boy, "what? Tell us when! Tell us where!" He demanded. He wasn't the only one bombarding the poor boy with questions, as even Mitsuri had gotten knocked over in the commotion.

Overwhelmed, poor Tanjiro couldn't catch a break until Ubuyashiki silenced them all with a single gesture. Removing his finger from his lip, he continues calmly. "Kibutsuji has sent pursuers after Tanjiro. Although the purpose may have been just to silence him, we can't deny that this has given us a chance to track him down. I also believe that something is happening to Nezuko that he never saw coming. So I once again ask that you all try to understand."

It's quiet once again, and just like before, Shinazugawa interrupts the silence. "I would understand if it were a human, but this is a demon we're dealing with! After all we've done, all we've been though, and all we've lost to demons, it's unacceptable to expect us to work with a demon!" Suddenly, he slices his arm open, exposing his blood to all of the demons. "I'll prove to you myself the true nature of a demon!" He lets his blood dribble over Nezuko's box, antagonizing her.

A small part of Yamako wished she would come out and devour Shinazugawa in less than a second, he knew that would be much worse for them than just having to deal with the asshole Hashira.

Iguro brought up a new point. "Shinazugawa, there's no point in doing this out in the sun, a demon won't show itself unless it's within the shadows."

He realized he was right, and picked up her box. "Master, please forgive me for this." He leaps into the manor, tossing Nezuko's box to the ground, before stabbing her not just once, but twice. "Come on out!" He shouts, holding out his wound to her.

She finally does, standing up and revealing a very hungry, very angry demon. Although the marechi before her seems enticing, it's nothing she can't ignore. She's not concerned over eating him, no, she just wants to repay him for all the pain he's caused. But she can't. She can hear her brother calling for her, and from the corner of her eyes, she can see you, passed out, burnt, and bloodied. It all makes her so, so furious. But more than anything, she's tired. She's tired, and she wants to go home. He taunts her with his nutritious blood, and yet she turns away from Shinazugawa, disgusted with him.

Ubuyashiki speaks after a bit of silence. "What happened?" He asks of the little girls.

One of them speaks up, "the demon girl has been stabbed 3 times, and Shinazugawa is flaunting his blood, and yet she did not bite. She turned away in disgust."

"I see." He smiles, then turns to face the rest of the Hashira. "Then it has been demonstrated that Nezuko will not pose a threat to humans." Finally, he addresses Tanjiro. "Despite what has happened here today, there will still be skeptical people who won't accept Nezuko. You must prove yourselves from now on."

The young boy feels light as he bows gratefully in front of the Master. "Go out and defeat one of the twelve Kizuki. With that, you shall be accepted by all."

He stands back up, "Nezuko and I vow to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan, putting an end to all of this misery!"

Amused, Ubuyashiki gives him a close-eyed smile. "I don't quite believe you're well-equipped to do that just yet. Just focus on taking down one of the Kizuki for now, alright?"

Tanjiro flushes with embarrassment. "Y-yes sir!"

This lightens the mood a little, as some of the Hashira stifle giggles.

Your twins try to get in on the lifted emotions, but still can't help but worry about themselves. They haven't been addressed yet since the beginning, and they don't know what to expect.

Tanjiro can smell their anxiety, and while he's beyond relieved that Nezuko is safe, the same can't be said about you yet. He wants to stay, to find out what your verdict will be, but one of Shinobu's Kakushi takes him away. "No! Wait!" He wriggles away, running back to the meeting. "Yamako, Mou, (Name)! Please, be kind to them." He bows deeply in front of Ubuyashiki. "If a human must take responsibility for their actions, just like with Nezuko, then I would be willing to do that for them, too! I trust that -!"

He's interrupted by a rock to the face, knocking him out cold. More than anything, he's scared for you. He doesn't know if you'll be okay, or if you'll even survive.

Once Tanjiro is gone, the meeting continues. "Fujimori Yamako, Mou, and (Name). Although I was given a letter explaining the situation with the Kamado's, I don't have anything from you. May I please hear your story?"

"Master," Mou bows his head, "all that I ask is that you please understand why we lied about our heritage. We may be demons, but as you can tell that we don't burn in the sun, that is only part of the story. Our father, Fujimori Maichi, was a human, and our mother, Fujimori Ikumi, is a demon. However, as long as they've been together, our mother has never eaten a human. We may have fangs, and we may have demon strength, but we are fully human in every other aspect."

"You say your father was a human? Please elaborate." The Master asks of Mou.

He nods. "We lived alone on a mountain, with no other people around. Upper Rank One attacked us, along with a few other demons. My siblings and I were outside, so our mother came to save us from him. She sent us home, thinking we would be safe. Our father has no experience with fighting demons, so he was dead when we found him. We were forced to run away from home, so we don't even know if our mother is still alive. (Name) was only 11 at the time, and we've been traveling since then as unofficial demon slayers, until Rengoku took us in and made it official."

"I see." The Master is quiet for a moment. "I am sorry for your loss. I only have one other question; Shinobu and Giyuu have told me that your sister had transformed into a demon of some kind? I understand you are half-demons, but why was your sister suddenly so strong?"

"She ..." Yamako takes a deep breath, deciding it was his turn to talk, then sighs. "We don't know what's been happening to her lately, but she has a taste for demons. When she wants to eat one, she becomes more demon-like as well. She changes, she burns in the sun, and she loses some of her humanity. She can barely talk, but she's still aware of the differences between humans and demons. It is why she is able to fight demons without harming humans."

Shinazugawa scowls. "I don't trust you for a moment." He points at your body. "She has been proven to harm humans, as my little brother still has the bite mark to prove it!"

To the surprise of your brothers, Himejima speaks up for you. "That is ... not the full story." He cries. "Shinazugawa Genya is partly to blame, as he attacked her first, so she reacted in defense. They have since made up for it. Please forgive her for that."

Uzui also came to your defense. "I've heard it myself, that she dislikes the taste of humans. I have reason to believe that none of them will eat humans."

"We don't know if she secretly liked it, though! And who knows, what if they're just spies for Kibutsuji?" Shinazugawa spits.

Sick of him, Yamako finally snaps back at him. "Are you deaf or just stupid?! We want to kill him just as much as you do! Without him, we wouldn't be born, but we all understand that it would be better not to be born than to have this many people suffer because of demons! But we can't change the past, so we're dedicating ourselves to the future!" He snarls. "We all know you've hated us from the start, so you're just grasping at straws now, trying to get us punished for something we can't control!"

"Why you little -!"

Ubuyashiki raises his hand. "Sanemi, please." Said Hashira clenches his fist, yet says nothing. "Fujimori's ... you are not in any trouble. Although some of your fellow slayers may have lost trust in you, I also understand that you didn't trust us because of your heritage. Let it be known that I do not wish harm upon any of you, nor any punishment."

Your brothers' shoulders fall in relief, as they look at each other in disbelief. "Master," Yamako bows so his forehead touches the ground. "We promise you will not regret this decision." Mou tries to bow as well, but your upper half is resting on his thighs to keep you comfortable, so the best he can do is lean forward.

He smiles. "And I believe you. You're all free to go and receive medical care."

Understanding, Shinobu claps once again and some more Kakushi come out to retrieve their patients. While Mou settles you onto the back of one of them, another mutters as quietly as he can something about Yamako's hulking size, and lamenting having to carry him.

Finally away from the other slayers, Yamako bursts into tears. "That was so scary!" He sobs, "I really thought we were going to die back there!"

Mou lets out a deep sigh, a few of his own tears spilling over his cheeks. "I also thought that was going to be the end ... I'm so grateful for the Master's decision."

"Me too ... imagine how happy (Name) will be to find out ..." Yamako commented as they both looked over to you, your eyebrows scrunched in your sleep.

Chapter Text

"And you can't smell anything? Are you sure?" Zenitsu asked his friend with tears in his eyes.

Solemnly, Tanjiro stares at his hands in his lap. "I mean, all I can catch are faint wisps of them off of Aoi, but their situation isn't the same as mine. Nezuko and I had our teacher and the Water Hashira on our side. Since we haven't seen them ... there's a chance that they're ..."

"My poor (Name)!" Zenitsu wailed, sobbing into his tiny little hands. "Monsters! These people are monsters for slaughtering my little angel!"

Over the past two days, Tanjiro had just learned to tune him out when he cried about you. Of course, he missed you as well, and he could even catch a faint scent of longing from Inosuke, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do. He was bedridden for another day and a half, due to his injuries, and his friends were even worse off.

By the time he got back from his meeting those two days ago, he was in full tears. He never even got to tell you what Rui said to him before your brother killed him. According to Murata, Mou should've been made into a Hashira immediately after killing a Twelve Kizuki, but due to being half demon, and there already being an Insect Pillar, the complications made it so that Mou would likely never be a Hashira no matter what he did.

"That girl ..." Rui had looked at your unconscious body with longing, perhaps even fondness, as his head rolled in the dirt, right next to Mou's foot. "I know the pain of having a weak body, too. Make sure she lives a better life than I did ..." His head faded into tears and dust as his body clutched onto your uniform as long as it could.

The memory brought tears back to his eyes again. He wiped them away, sniffing to try and calm down, until a sharp wisteria scent came to his nose. He perked up instantly, whipping around to face the door. He knew it wasn't likely, but hope still bloomed in his chest as the smell got stronger.

The door was already open to let Aoi go in and out with trays of food and medicine easily, so you were able to run right through it and leap onto Tanjiro's bed, landing right across his stomach. "Tanjiro!!"

And as quickly as you greeted him, you stood right up on his bed, jumped over to Zenitsu's bed, and plopped yourself down between his legs to give him a hug. "Zenitsu!" You cheered.

Just as you got up and flopped yourself on top of Inosuke to give another hyper hello, Mou appeared at the doorway with an irritated look on his face. "(Name) ..." He started to scold, but his face softened as he saw the boys crying over you and getting up to give you a group hug.

"(NAAAAME)!!" Zenitsu sobbed, on his knees as he tried to wrap his arms around your waist. "Don't ever worry me like that again, you hear?! I thought you died! I was so scared, okay?!!"

Tanjiro had managed to nestle himself against your side to rest his head on top of yours and hug around your shoulders, while Inosuke got to wrap his arms around to your back. "I'm so glad you're okay, (Name). You and your brothers." Tanjiro added, "since I wasn't able to attend your half of the meeting, I was sure that it meant that you were going to be punished."

You gave him a smile, ruffling Zenitsu's hair to try and calm the poor boy down, "I was unconscious for most of it, but Mou and Yama told me that they were able to get us out without a punishment, even!" Your optimism was charming, and caused the boys to chuckle together. "But Zenitsu," turning to face the boy, you tilt your head cutely, "why did you get so small?"

"THAT SPIDER!!" He shouted instantly, getting worked up, "THAT STUPID SPIDER BIT ME!! IT POISONED ME AND TRIED TO TURN ME INTO ONE OF THEM!!"

"Oh ..." you frowned, thinking. "Well, if it's demon poison, maybe my blood will make it go away?"

At the sound of that, Zenitsu's eyes sparkled, "really? You would do that for me?" He giggled and blushed, swaying a little, "wow, you really are an angel ..."

"Yep! If I bite right here," you point to your wrist, "you can drink it out and it should fight the poison."

"For real? I -ACK-!!" Zenitsu choked on his spit, suddenly feeling like he was doing something wrong. Tanjiro and your brothers were glaring at him, with even Inosuke giving off a strange aura from under his mask. "Ah!" He realized, "y-you don't have to do that for me, (Name)! I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself for little old me!" Suddenly the room felt lighter again, and he sighed in disappointment.

"Are you sure?" You ask.

He hangs his head. "Yeah ..."

"Hey, (Name)." Tanjiro taps on your shoulder to get your attention. "Sorry we didn't get to ask, but how are you doing? Are you feeling okay?"

Nodding, you lift up your shirt to show them the progress on your sunburns. The boys turn bright red. "These burns are still healing because my clothes burned into my skin and they had to scrape it off, but the rest of me is fine!"

"(Name)!" Mou barked. "Put your shirt back down!"

"Yes!" You do as told, and smooth out the wrinkles you made. "Anyway, Tanjiro, are you okay?"

He sighs, "I'm feeling a lot better knowing you didn't get in trouble because of me, but I still have a bit of internal bleeding that's healing from the fight with the Lower Moon."

Humming in satisfaction, you finally turn to Inosuke, hands on your hips. "And you! You haven't said a thing! Did I hurt you earlier?"

He only grunts, worrying you even more.

"Oh!" Tanjiro waves his hands to try to keep peace. "He's totally fine! His throat got a little crushed though, so he was instructed not to talk for a while."

Zenitsu huffs, "he's just mad because he couldn't kill that demon by himself."

"What demon?" You asked.

"Right, you were unconscious ... well, Inosuke and I were fighting a huge spider demon, and he was really tough! Yamako made it there in time to help Inosuke though after I was thrown away. By the time he got there, Inosuke was unconscious, so he was a big help and defeated the demon!" Tanjiro explains.

"HUH?!" You yelp, turning to face the masked boy. "You almost died?!" Your eyes had watered up by now, concerned over his well being. Inosuke only huffed, turning his head away. He seemed ashamed, but you still crawled onto his bed, and hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness you survived!" You sobbed.

"WHUH?! I ALMOST DIED TOO!!" Zenitsu demanded, "WHERE'S MY HUG?!"

"Oh, right," you let out a grateful little smile, and wrapped your arm around his shoulders to pull him into a small group hug. With a sniffle, you buried your head into both boys' shoulders. "I'm so glad we all made it."

Tanjiro sighed in relief. "me too."

Since the trio were still in bad conditions, you were pretty bored in the Butterfly Mansion alone. Well, Yamako and Mou were there, but they were busy training, while you wandered around the place.

"Hey, (Name)!" Someone called. You glanced over to see Aoi. She was waving you down, approaching you in the garden.

"Hm?" You hummed, tilting your head. You stopped doing cartwheels and smoothed your skirt down, before meeting her halfway. "What's going on?"

"Nothing at all! It's just that I was going to go down to the market for some supplies, and I was wondering if you could come with me?" She asked.

Shy, you look to the ground, fiddling your fingers. "Are ... are you sure you want me to go with you?"

A little ticked, she put her hands on her hips. "Why, because you're part demon? I don't care! I just need someone to go with, and Kanao is out on a mission until tomorrow, and I don't have time to wait! I know you're not going to hurt me, so are you going or not, because if not, I'll just ask Go-!"

Happy, you interrupt her ranting, "of course! I really want to go with you, Aoi!" You put on probably the cutest grin she's ever seen, so she huffs and turns around.

"Good! I don't think Goto would even agree. Just grab a basket, and we'll go to the markets. We can even eat somewhere nice while we're there." She picks up her own basket, and puts it on her shoulders.

You were so excited, finally, someone else who doesn't care that I'm a demon! So happy, in fact, that the two hour walk to the market felt like nothing to you. Well, not mentally at least, as you wheezed at the sight of the large village.

"Here, drink up." Aoi passed you a container from her basket. "I know it doesn't work as well when it's cold, but it's better than nothing. I prepared it ahead of time, because I figured you were bored and would definitely come along."

"Thank you!" You drink up your bitter medicine, coughing a little between sips, before closing it off and passing the container back to her. "You're the best!"

She looks away, "yeah, yeah, now let's go to the candle stall!" She rolls her eyes, "one of the patients keeps complaining about his room not smelling good because of his infection, and he can't get any sleep because of it."

"Yay! Let's pick a really nice scent!" You run off ahead, leaving Aoi to chase after you and scold your impatience. You sniffed a few, before finding a deep, floral scented one. "Aoi!" You call to her, and point, "I think this one would work best! It's a really heavy scent, so it should cover the infection smell, and it smells like iris!" You grin.

She comes up next to you, giving it a smell herself, before agreeing with you and purchasing two. "Alright, next, we should look into getting some more cleaning supplies ..."

Bringing you along with her mental list of supplies, you find yourself curious. "Um, Aoi, is it okay for me to ask why you didn't send a Kakushi to come get these things?" She gives you a dumbfounded look, and dread creeps up your spine. I'm bothering her. "Ah! Sorry, I was just wondering. You don't have to answer me. Um, you can ignore me. Pretend I didn't-"

"(Name). Slow down." She sighs. "It's just that sometimes I want to get out of the Mansion and stretch my legs. I don't do it often, but sometimes I can get tired of patients. Sure, a Kakushi could do all of this for me, but it's just a sort of break. Besides, I get to buy some tasty food that I don't usually get. I just didn't want to go alone, so I invited you."

At the mention of food, you find yourself mentally drooling. "Right! That makes sense! Thank you for the invitation, it was nice." You wait for a bit before asking your next question. "Actually, I'm a little hungry myself. But it's fine if you're not hungry! I can wait!" You add. I don't want to be a burden. You're not sure why you're suddenly having these thoughts, but those looks from your former Hashira friends still haunts you.

Shaking her head, she gives you a sigh, "it's okay if you're hungry. I could go for a bite myself, so how about you pick something out? I've been to most of these places already."

"Wow, really?" You ask, and she nods. Barely looking around, a brightly colored restaurant catches your eye, and you dash off towards it.

"(Name)!" Aoi snaps, "what did I tell you about running off?"

"Right!" You slow down, "sorry!" You turn to bow an apology, but you bump into someone with enough force to cause yourself to fall forward. "Oh my - I'm so sorry!" You apologize to the person behind you, standing up quickly. "Are you okay-?" You refrain from talking anymore when you see the Rengoku brothers with Mitsuri. All of your organs twist within yourself, induced by sudden panic and anxiety. Remembering your best manners, you bow as low as you can, even getting to the ground. "My deepest apologies. I didn't mean to bump into you. Please spare -"

A deep laugh catches you off guard. "Fujimori, please get up!" Unsure what to do, you stand up as fast as you can, not wanting to disobey an order. "I should be the one apologizing into you, as you're the one who fell over! Are you alright?"

Stunned, you don't even know what to say. "Wuh - me - I -" You stammer over your words.

Senjuro looks very happy to see you, and gives you a tight hug. "(Name)! I missed you!"

Is it okay to hug back? You stiffen, looking to his brother for any hint of hostility. He's still smiling at you, so you tentatively hug the boy back.

He can sense something is wrong with you; you're not rubbing against him, you're not calling him by his nickname, you're not even responding to him. "Are you okay? You're shaking."

You pull away from him quickly. "Sorry, I-I'm just a little cold." Lying, you smile so no one notices your anxiety. "I missed you too, Rengoku." You stay formal.

He doesn't trust your answer, and especially dislikes that you're calling him by his last name. "I already told you that you can call me Senjuro." He nudges against you lightly, trying to brighten your mood. "If you're cold," He grabs onto your hand as he walks towards a restaurant, "then let's get something warm to eat!"

Maybe Kyojuro didn't tell him. You think to yourself, letting the boy lead you away. Why else would he willingly try to hang out with me? Why let me use his first name? Should I warn him? Your heart aches. He sits you down, taking a seat across from you. You both get ramen, but you aren't even sure if you're hungry anymore. What should I say? Anxiety eats away at your vision, trying to drown you in the worries it offers. Oh God, I just let him bring me somewhere away from the others! What if they think I'm going to hurt -

The thoughts are quickly dissipated when he speaks up, and you try to focus. His voice is full of worry, "is something wrong? You're not ... you."

Your heart clenches, startled by the question and the implications it could carry, and you accidentally dig your nails into your palms. With a pained yelp, you let go, and inspect the blood. It's not too bad, but before Senjuro can grab your hands to inspect them, the other three come into the restaurant. "There you are! We were a little worried! You both ran off!" Rengoku chuckles.

Senjuro is distracted, and misses you hiding your hands in your lap. "Sorry, (Name) was cold, so I thought I could bring her here to warm up." He gives his brother a sheepish smile.

"That's so sweet of you! You two are so cute!" Mitsuri comments, pressing her hands to her cheeks in adoration.

You nod, "it was very nice of him. Thank you, Rengoku." The rest of the day goes by in a haze, with hardly any input in any conversation, as you realize you ... don't like being out like this anymore. You miss your brothers, and wish you'd just stayed home. This isn't normal of me. You think.

But it will keep you safe. Comes the reply.

Sitting quietly on the floor, you watch the boys train. Mou was out on a mission, Yamako was snoring away, healing from stitches in his last fight, and Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were taking turns getting stretched out.

Someone was enjoying it a lot more than the others. "(Naaame)~" Zenitsu called out to you, "do you want to help me stretch?"

You reject him quickly, "I'm not that strong during the day, I won't be much help." Giving a sheepish smile, you hope it will placate Kanao, who is training with Tanjiro right now. She hasn't spoken a word to you since your big reveal, and you think she hates you. "I don't want to be a bother, anyways."

The boy frowns at this. He hasn't forgotten what you'd done last night.

Sniffling, you had approached Tanjiro's bed in the dead of night. Zenitsu knew he was supposed to sleep, but your little footsteps woke him up, no matter how quiet you tried to be. With no visuals, he instead listened as you settled yourself down in the teen's bed. Careful not to disturb him, you whispered. "You look so much like him ... Papa ..." He heard you shuffling, as it sounded like you had grabbed onto Tanjiro's hand to place it against your cheek. "It's my fault, isn't it? If I wasn't so weak, maybe if I wasn't even born, you would still be alive." You choked on your own sobs, and Zenitsu felt his own tears start to spill. He heard your nails scrape over your skin somewhere, itching yourself in your anxious thoughts."Wouldn't things be better if I had died instead?" Wisteria scent flooded the room, and he knew then that you had scratched yourself open.

He cupped a hand over his mouth to try and not sob, or yell out to you to stop hurting yourself. What right did he have, when he wasn't even supposed to be hearing this? When he finally, finally heard your footsteps fade, he let himself go, soaking his pillow in tears.

Should he bring it up? Tell someone? Who was he supposed to tell? Tanjiro was a very doting person, he knew this, but would it be too overwhelming? Your brothers as well; they would pester you into caring for yourself. Inosuke - well, he was out of the question. A brash person like himself would probably demand you to show him the wounds, like the freak he was.

Excusing himself from the girls helping him, he comes up to you with another try. "(Naaame)~!" He comes up and hugs you tightly, rubbing the side of his face against yours, and he can feel the heat in your cheeks. "You could never be a bother~!"

From the middle of the room, Tanjiro agrees, "Zenitsu's right. You're a very kind and sweet person, and also very strong in your own way!" He beams.

Your face turns even darker at their kind words. Considering how horrible you felt last night, you do feel a little better from their words, albeit shy. "I ... I-I mean, I guess? Maybe." You pull the front of your shirt over your face to cover your blush.

"WAHH!" Zenitsu suddenly burst out, knocking you over. He crawls over you, "YOU'RE SO CUTE!!" You make a little noise, and he brings his face to your neck to snuggle closer.

However, with a harsh yank to the back of his shirt, he's pulled clean off of you. It's Yamako, and he's PISSED. Veins bulge out from everywhere as he speaks, "what are you doing on my sister."

He screams and wriggles about. "TANJIRO HELP! THIS BRUTE IS GONNA KILL ME!!" Shrieking, he braces for impact.

"I SHOULD CASTRATE YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!" Yamako shouts in retaliation, hoisting the poor boy over his head before throwing him onto the ground as hard as he could.

"ACK-" Zenitsu coughs before skittering into a standing position and running to hide behind you. "Waaah, save me (Name)..." He whimpered behind you.

You giggled, turning to hug him gently. "It's okay, Yama, we were just playing." You beam up to your older brother. "He was trying to cheer me up."

Calming down, he sighs and ruffles your hair. "I guess he is a clingy boy, huh?"

Turning back again to look at Zenitsu, your grin softens. "He's really sweet when he's not trying to be silly." Suddenly, you weren't feeling so anxious anymore.

Today was the day. Inosuke and Tanjiro were supposed to receive their new swords today. You waited outside with both of them, holding their hands.

Tanjiro was supposed to be used to holding hands with others, but with you it was different. He focused in on the sensation of your nails lightly scraping the back of his hand, the way your fingers curled around his, and the frigid softness that came off your skin. He tried to rationalize it as the strangeness of holding hands with a demon, but he's held hands with his sister plenty, and he didn't feel this way towards her.

On the other hand, Inosuke was feeling incredibly warm. When you first wanted to hold hands, he tried to decline, but relented when he saw Tanjiro readily grab your hand. It was gentle, and your skin was still soft, and he couldn't help himself when he moved his thumb over the back of your hand, trying to relish in the feeling.

It was all cut short when Tanjiro's swordsmith, Haganezuka, begins charging the three of you with a knife. You shriek, hiding behind Inosuke for safety, while Tanjiro runs for his life.

"How dare you snap my sword in two?!" The smith yelled, chasing down the poor boy. "I'll kill you!!"

The two spoke back and forth for a while, with Tanjiro dodging every attack by just a hair, until Inosuke's swordsmith, Kanamori, helped calm Haganezuka down.

You sat down with the small group, listening to the conversation as you tried not to look at Haganezuka. You couldn't quite tell from under his mask, but it felt like he was staring you down with a deep intensity. " ... There's no one quite like him, even in-"

Kanamori is interrupted when Haganezuka leans in close to you. "So you're one of those demon children Tetsuido was talking about ... may I?"

'May I' what? You wondered. Your anxiety inclined you to allow him to do as he pleased, so you nod slowly.

To your surprise, he grabs your hand and inspects your nails. Tanjiro and Kanamori chalk it up to his strangeness, and continue talking, this time about Inosuke's swords. The boar, however, carefully watches your interaction. He's jealous of how close this stranger got to you, but he doesn't know what he's feeling. "Hm, very sharp. Is this natural, or do you cut them in this shape?"

"You can cut nails?"

The room goes very quiet. "Miss Fujimori, do you ... not cut your nails?" Kanamori's voice comes out at just above a whisper.

You feel very shy all of a sudden. "W-well, I mean - I guess, it's just that my nails have always looked this way."

"(Name), nails are supposed to grow all the time, like hair, and you cut them occasionally. Do you not have to?" Tanjiro asks.

Thinking, you shake your head. "I guess not."

While this was going on, Haganezuka had been poking at your nails for a while, even going so far as to nearly puncture his fingertip on the end of your pinkie. "I wonder, then ..." he mumbles to himself. He takes out his knife and tries to cut the tip of the nail, surprised when he needed to put some effort in. "If you're willing to transfer to me, I would like to create a unique weapon for you."

Kanamori puts off a shocked demeanor, choking under his mask at the sudden offer.

"I ... I'm not sure." You reply slowly, trying to think. He still has both of your hands clasped in his, waiting for your answer. "Of course I'm curious! But I also wouldn't be able to use a sword to its full potential, and," you think back to how Haganezuka tried to kill Tanjiro over breaking his sword just minutes ago, "I wouldn't want to ruin something you worked hard to make."

"So considerate ..." Haganezuka trembles momentarily, then drops your hands. "Let me know if you EVER change your mind."

You stand up, ready to leave, as you didn't want to deal with the swordsmiths anymore. "I sure will!" You smile, before turning to leave.

Tanjiro didn't like the anxious scent that wafted off you as you left.

"(Name)?" Your brother's voice was quiet as you laid in your bed. "The boys and I are being sent on a mission." Mou took a seat next to you, and brushes your hair from your eyes. You had been crying again. He and his twin knew what had been going on with you; once the Hashira turned on you during that meeting, you'd been different ever since. They didn't know how to fix it. "You can come too; I doubt you want to be stuck here with Yamako. That guy breaks a new bone every mission he goes on."

This brought a short chuckle out of you, as he picked on your other brother. "Are you sure you want me to come with you? What if I just ... get in the way. What if I bother everyone, what if -"

He grabs your shoulders and forces you to sit up, "and what if you don't, huh?" He grabs a brush off the table, and starts fixing up your hair. "I know you're a little scared of yourself when you turn more demon-like, but it's really effective in distracting any demon we fight. You take up their attention when you fight them close combat, and we just have to look for an opening to cut them down."

You sigh, "I guess. But what if I also get in the way of the mission somehow?"

"How." He puts it bluntly, and you struggle to think of an answer.

"Well, what if, like, uh, I turn on you somehow...?" You bring it up weakly, and he already has a rebuttal.

"But," he pulls the brush through a knot, and you wince, "we already know that you won't turn on humans. Didn't you bite that Shinazugawa kid and call him disgusting?"

Grabbing your pillow and stuffing your face into it, you groan. "Don't remind me."

Suddenly, the door opens. "(Name)!" It's Tanjiro's beaming face. He could smell the despair that came from your room, and decided to cheer you up. It followed you around these days, and he told himself he would do his best to make you feel better when he could. "There you are! I was wondering if you wanted to help me prepare for my mission?"

And just like that, your scent brightened at the sight of him. He loved that just his presence made you happy. "Really? Okay!" You let Mou rush through one last comb-through of your hair, then hopped off the bed and came up to Tanjiro's side. "Let's go!"

Running through the hallways, he chases you with a smile on his face. "Maybe if we're quick, we can -!"

He's interrupted when you crash into someone so hard that you fall flat on your back. He calls to you in worry for any injuries you might've gotten, as you sit back up. "Sorry," you apologize, "I didn't mean to -" Your voice gets caught in your throat as you look up to see who it was.

Genya, whose face was twisted into a grimace of some sort, softened as soon as he saw you. "It's ... okay." His voice is quiet as he helps you up. He doesn't even acknowledge the boy behind you.

"I'm so sorry Shinazugawa." He was surprised to hear you call him by his last name. Though he'd only seen you twice, both times you had inserted yourself as friends with him. "I'm sorry," even more surprising was the amount of apologies that came from your lips. "Please don't tell your brother if I hurt you," you winced as you said that. "He'll - he'll -"

He could sense you were starting to spiral, so he grabbed your shoulders to bring you back to reality. "It's okay." He repeated himself again. He caught sight of the guy behind you, the one he remembered breaking his arm at Final Selection, and ignored him entirely. He glanced at the bite mark he had left on you not even a year ago; it had scarred over by now, and he felt a little guilty. "I ... won't tell."

You nodded sheepishly, keeping your head low to avoid his eye contact. This wasn't the you that he remembered fondly in his head. What? He'd already heard through the grapevine that you and your brothers were half demons, but knew from experience that you were harmless. You were more alike than he first thought. He'd already known that his brother despised demons of any sort, so knowing you had the blood of one, he knew you must've feared him. With that, he shoves past Tanjiro, embarrassed at his sudden display of softness, and scowls on his way out.

"(N-Name)!" Tanjiro calls to you, and takes your hands into his. "Come on, I'm sure Zenitsu and Inosuke will be happy to see you." He tries to distract you, smiling kindly and leading you to their room. He's happy to find your comforting wisteria scent return. It's okay, (Name). He told himself, I'll always try to make you happy.