Angellic

(Name) had never been given choices before. Never given the choice to eat, she and her siblings ate whatever their parents left from their meals. Never given the choice to sleep, move, stare, speak, heck, probably breathe even. If she failed to obey quickly enough, she had learned exactly what followed. There had never been a reason to ask herself whether she wanted something because wanting had never changed anything. For example, if she was cold, she endured it.

Even now, when Shinobu placed two bowls of food in front of her and asked which one she preferred, (Name) found herself staring at them until the question disappeared beneath the weight of everything she had been taught. But this place was different. The people here waited. Kanae waited. Shinobu, despite her impatience, waited. No one had yet struck her for taking too long. That alone was difficult to understand.

Shinobu stared at the girl, trying not to let frustration take over her. She let it go for the tenth time today and picked out a bowl for her, one that was filled with fruit. She set it down in front of the girl and noticed her gaze turned back to the coin that Kanae gave her.

“Are you still looking at that?” (Name) slowly lifted her head. Shinobu stood in front of her, her arms folded over her chest, violet eyes fixed upon the coin.

(Name) looked back down at it. “Yes.” she quietly answered.

Shinobu sighed. “You've been staring at it for nearly ten minutes.” There was no anger in her voice this time, only frustration mixed with something that sounded suspiciously like concern.

(Name) didn't know how to answer. Shinobu walked a tad closer and crouched in front of her, resting her elbows against her knees as she looked at the girl. “You know, it's not going to tell you what you want.” (Name)'s fingers tightened around the coin. Shinobu noticed. “I'm not saying you shouldn't use it,” she added, her voice softer. “Sister gave it to you for a reason.”

Kanae's voice drifted from behind them.

“Shinobu.”

The young woman glanced over her shoulder. Kanae stood in the doorway, one hand resting lightly against the wooden frame, her butterfly-patterned haori shifting gently in the breeze. There was the same peaceful smile upon her face that (Name) had begun looking forward to during the short time she had known her, a smile that never seemed forced and never seemed to demand anything in return. Just gentle.

“Don't overwhelm her,” Kanae said.

“I wasn't.”

“You were.”

Shinobu frowned. “I was just explaining.” she reasoned.

Kanae smiled. “Very passionately.”

Shinobu's eye twitched. (Name) watched them quietly. They did this often. Shinobu would become frustrated. Kanae would smile and be unfazed. Shinobu would become more frustrated. Kanae would continue smiling and be cheerful. It was strange. But it was comforting. Kanae walked over and lowered herself beside (Name), her gaze falling to the coin.

“You don't have to use it right away,” she said gently. “I gave you the coin so it would help you with your decisions. It will still be there when you need it.” (Name) looked at her. Kanae's smile softened. “And one day, you may not need it at all.” (Name) lowered her gaze. She didn't know if that was possible, even though she had hoped for it when she first arrived here.

For now, the coin was the only thing that made choosing feel safe. Kanae didn't take it away. Instead, she reached over and gently closed (Name)'s fingers around it.

“You can keep it.”

(Name) stared at her hand. Then she nodded. It was a very small movement. Kanae smiled as though she had just been given something precious.

“Good.”

The first weeks at the Butterfly Estate were quiet.

(Name) spent most of her time following Kanae or Shinobu, though neither woman had actually asked her to do so. Whenever they moved from one room to another, she would rise and follow, stopping whenever they stopped and sitting whenever they sat. If Kanae went into the garden, (Name) went into the garden. If Shinobu entered the infirmary, (Name) waited outside the door until someone told her she could enter.

Eventually, Shinobu noticed when she was studying medicine. “You know you don't have to follow me everywhere.” (Name) stopped. Shinobu paused her work and turned around to face her. “You can go wherever you want.” (Name) stared at her. Shinobu sighed. “Within reason.”

(Name) still didn't move.

“So that means you cannot leave no, I'm busy.”

“...”

Shinobu stared for a moment before rubbed her forehead, as if she was having a migraine. “Fine. Come with me.”

(Name) followed.

The younger woman muttered something beneath her breath as they continued down the corridor, but there was no real irritation in her voice anymore. She was beginning to understand that there were some things (Name) would simply have to learn slowly.

There were other girls at the estate as well. Aoi Kanzaki was one of them, serious and responsible despite her young age. Aoi has deep blue eyes that fade to a lighter blue at the bottom. She had straight black hair with a parted fringe, and twin tails. She wears two blue butterfly clips to keep her twin tails in place. Throughout (Name)'s time here, she was observant at people's appearances and personalities. She observed that Aoi always seem to appear angry, brutally honest when it comes to certain situations.

One time, when Aoi first saw the girl around her age, the first thing she said to (Name) was

“Why do you look like those creepy porcelain dolls? Are you a doll?”

Since that day, (Name) never knew if that was either a compliment or an insult.

Despite Aoi being somewhat having a gruff demeanor, she is internally kind and caring, doing her best to help the sisters and around the mansion. Another memory (Name) had with her was when Aoi made her dumplings for her to try.

And she craves those dumplings, they were so good, however, she's obviously scared to ask Aoi for more.

While Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho were younger and far more energetic, often filling the estate with voices and footsteps. The three looked to be around four at most. She first mistook them to be siblings, but was surprised that they weren't at all. The three had pale skin with round, dark button-like eyes. Their outfits were long-sleeved white nurse-style dresses with socks and sandals.

Luckily, their accessories helped (Name) to identity which is who. Sumi Nakahara's hair was styled in two low pigtails. Her accessories and accents consists of light blue butterfly hair clips and a matching blue ribbon around her waist.

Kiyo Terauchi 's hair was shoulder-length black hair with thin bangs framing her face. She wore a distinctive pink butterfly hair clips on the sides of her head and a reddish-pink bow around her waist.

Finally, Naho Takada's hair was parted in the middle and styled into two braided twin tails. She had pale green butterfly hair clips and a matching green ribbon around her waist.

They were curious about (Name) at first, especially because she hardly spoke and seemed to spend most of her time watching everyone else. The first time Sumi approached her, she held out a small flower. (Name) stared at it.

“It's for you,” Sumi explained.

The teenager looked at the flower, then at Sumi. “For me?” Sumi nodded enthusiastically. (Name) hesitated before accepting it. “Thank you.” The three girls exchanged delighted looks.

“She spoke!”

(Name)'s eyes widened. Naho covered her mouth as she giggled. Kiyo smiled. The (h/c) haired girl looked down at the flower, suddenly unsure whether she had done something wrong.

Aoi, who had been watching from nearby, immediately noticed. “Don't scare her,” she scolded the younger girls.

“We weren't!”

“You were.”

(Name) looked at the flower again. It was pink. She liked pink. She didn't know why. She simply did, but she did know she felt warmth from the color.

That afternoon, she placed the flower beside her pillow. She kept it there until the petals began to wilt. When the flower ran out of color, she placed it in her drawer and kept it even after it was dead.

Kanae continued teaching her little things. Not swordsmanship. Not yet. Simple things.

How to hold chopsticks.

Fold clothing.

How to brush her hair.

Pour tea without spilling it.

How to sit properly.

How to recognize different flowers and herbs.

And, perhaps most importantly, how to answer questions.

“What do you want to eat?” (Name) stared at the food.

“Anything.”

Kanae smiled gently. “That's not an answer.”

(Name) lowered her gaze. Kanae waited. The silence stretched. The girl's hand drifted toward her pocket.

Kanae stopped her. “No coin.” (Name) froze and brought her gaze back up to her. This was one of the very rare times she has seen her Master not smile, it was more of a sad look. A frown framed her lips. “Just this once,” she added. “please.”

(Name) looked at the food again. There were strawberries. Her eyes lingered on them. Kanae followed the teenager's gaze. “Strawberries?” the woman asked, to which the girl nodded in reply. “There we go.” Kanae placed a few onto her plate.

(Name) stared at them. Something warm moved through her chest. She liked strawberries. That was her choice. It was small. Almost meaningless. But it belonged to her.

As the months turned into years has passed, the Butterfly Estate became more familiar. The sounds. The smells. The people. The rhythm of daily life. (Name) had turned eighteen years old and began waking up before Shinobu and Kanae. She would sit outside while the sky was still dark, watching the first hints of morning appear beyond the trees. Sometimes Kanae would find her there.

“You're awake early.” Kanae stated, already dressed in her uniform. (Name) would nod. “Couldn't sleep?” Another nod.

Kanae would sit beside her. Neither needed to speak. There were mornings when they simply watched the sun rise together. Those were some of (Name)'s favorite moments. Although, the young girl didn't know how exactly to express that. So she never did.

Eventually, Kanae began teaching her how to hold a sword. The first wooden blade felt strangely familiar in her hands. (Name) stared at it.

“You're not afraid of it?” Kanae asked.

(Name) shook her head. Kanae smiled softly.

“Good.”

She demonstrated the basic stance, moving slowly enough for the teenager to follow each motion. Her feet shifted first, then her shoulders, then her arms. (Name) watched carefully.

“Try.”

The young girl stepped forward and proceeded. Her stance was awkward. A bead of sweat dropped down on the right side of her head. Her back was slightly bent, arms were way too straight, her feet at two different angles and she bend down a little. In the butterfly sister's eyes, to her, (Name) looked like a gremlin. A very awkward but cute gremlin at least.

Kanae stifled her laugh and played it off with a clear of her throat. After managing to contain herself, she spoke as she walked up to her. “Close but let me just adjust your position.” The woman corrected her feet and body so the girl can be able to fix herself. The (h/c) haired woman's grip was too tight as well, tight enough to the point she might break the poor wooden sword.

The butterfly sister gently placed her right hand on the girls' hands. “Relax your body, too much tension won't let you able to move more freely in battle. Don't let the sword be your enemy.” she said, giving her advice.

(Name) looked confused, her head tilted to her side. Kanae laughed softly at her expression, finding it adorable. “Let it move with you.” she explained, moving away so the girl can move.

(Name) thought for a moment and took a deep breath and tried again. This time, it felt easier. The woman's pink eyes brightened. “You learn quickly.” she complimented, impressed.

The teenager didn't say anything as always, however, she memorized the words her master said. Her words always made her day, to keep going.

The Demon Slayer Corps was unlike any military organization in the kingdoms that (Name) would eventually encounter. It had no king. No throne. No lord who could order its members to fight simply because another lord demanded it.

The Corps had existed for centuries, long before the Targaryens had conquered Westeros, and even before many of the great houses of the Seven Kingdoms had become what they were now. Its origins were buried within the history of the eastern continents, in a time when a man named Muzan Kibutsuji had built an empire through conquest and terror. Kibutsuji had not been a creature of legend in the literal sense. He had been a man. A brilliant, ruthless man who had discovered that fear could accomplish what armies could not. His kingdom had spread through military conquest, the enslavement of conquered peoples, assassinations, forced experimentation, and the creation of specialized soldiers trained to obey without question.

The most loyal of his commanders became known as upper demons, or rather upper moons, not because they had great strength and beyond human abilities to the point they were called supernatural beings, but because the atrocities committed beneath their banners had made ordinary men believe that no human being could possibly behave that way. The name remained long after Muzan's kingdom fell. Demon. The Corps had been born to destroy them.

Although the kingdom fell, it was rumored that Muzan managed to escape from a man named Yorichii Tsugikuni, who was known to be one of the greatest soldiers to ever live. The one who was the reason Muzan Kibutsuji's kingdom fell. Though when Yorichii was asked why he didn't finish off the cruel man, he didn't exactly have a clear answer. This left many to wonder. Why he didn't kill the King when he had the chance? What exactly happened? Is the man still alive or dead? Is his army dead?

Another rumor was that his most loyal commanders were still alive as well, more hidden, but still want bloodshed. One rumor said that the reason Yorichii didn't finish off Muzan, was because of his twin brother, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, who was the top loyal commander of Muzan's. After Yorichii was killed when he was old and frail, no one really knows for sure, questions are left unanswered.

Over generations, resistance became an order. The Ubuyashiki family inherited its leadership, passing down the responsibility from one generation to another, and the Corps eventually grew beyond a simple rebellion. It became a network of warriors, scouts, healers, spies, swordsmen, and informants scattered throughout the eastern lands, protecting villages from warlords, slavers, assassins, and remnants of the old regime. Their enemies changed. Their purpose did not. Kings rose. Kings fell. The Corps remained. That was why they did not swear themselves to rulers. That was why they did not belong to kingdoms. And that was why most people in Westeros knew them only through stories.

There were rumors of eastern swordsmen who could move faster than knights. Rumors of women who fought alongside men. Rumors of warriors who could cross mountains carrying nothing but a blade and survive for weeks. Most Westeros dismissed the stories.

The Demon Slayer Corps preferred it that way.

(Name) knew more of the history as she grew older and understood last bit of it. She knew the Corps had enemies. She knew the name that haunted many people when he was alive. She knew that his kingdom had once stretched across enormous territories. She knew that many of the techniques taught within the Corps had been developed because ordinary swordsmanship had not been enough to survive against the armies that had once served him. Techniques that were created by the man that left so many to wonder and frustrated. And she knew that the work was dangerous. Very dangerous. Kanae had never hidden that from her. Neither had Shinobu.

“You don't have to join,” Kanae told her one evening in the kitchen as the two sisters made dinner. (Name) had came in a couple of minutes ago and just asked if she can join in the Demon Slayer Corps to help them, since she was old enough and fought well enough to be apart of it.

Kanae tried to reason with her, it wasn't clear to (Name), but it was clear to Shinobu, who was trying to distract herself by chopping up chives. Shinobu heard it in her older sister's voice, her sister didn't want the young woman to fight.

“You can live here.” The older sister said, forcing a smile. (Name) stared at her lips, she always had a gentle smile, why was her master's smile forced? “You can grow flowers, read books, help around the estate, or do whatever else makes you happy.” Kanae continued to calmly but tried to stop her from have any ideas of joining. “You don't owe the Corps anything simply because we rescued you. Besides, there hasn't been nothing much to do recently. Mostly it's just helping the elders, being on watch for villages, the usual stuff. We don't do much fighting anything, we train as a precaution. So, please...”

(Name) turned her gaze back to Kanae's eyes, as if observing them. She really did want to fight, to protect and save others like how the sisters saved her that day. How the sisters saved Aoi, saved Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho. The young adult was deeply interested in participating, she didn't want to have the training be all for nothing. So what if nowadays the Demon Slayer Corps just helped villagers by looking out for them or cleaning. If it makes another smile and feel wanted, then so be it.

“I... If I may, master, but I...” (Name) trailed off, heavily anxious about speaking up about her feelings.

For a moment, neither spoke. Then (Name) reached into her pocket and touched the coin to make a decision. Kanae noticed and sighed, trying to ease the worried tone she was starting to reveal. “You're thinking about it.”

The young girl gazed up at her, her eyes never breaking eye contact with her master. Shinobu silently continued making dinner, but her tense posture said something else. After awhile, Kanae simply smiled, but hidden beneath it was sadness. The thought of possibly losing her, losing herself, or even never to be seen again. With final words, she spoke again.

“Take your time, please rethink this.” Kanae turned around and excuses herself. She paused at the sliding door and looked over her shoulder. “And, (Name)?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Please don't mention this to me for awhile.”

With that, Kanae left, leaving (Name) and Shinobu there. The sound of boiling water was the only thing that broke the silence. The purple-haired woman faced the girl finally, she stared for a couple of moments before speaking.

“Don't think much into it.” Shinobu reassured. “The reason she acted that way was because... Well, we care for you. She's just worried that if you do join the Demon Slayer Corps then many things could happen, from being injured to dying. This is never an easy job, trust me. It's beyond just saving others, it's risking your life for the. To the point where you sacrifice yourself for them. You've been with us for five years or so, it may not seem understanding to you but you'll figure it out eventually. I'm fine with you joining, but all I can say is, be careful out there, never forget the reasons you do the things you make. I'm proud that you make decisions like this. Sister will come around eventually, just give it some time. I bet it'll only take a day or two to accept it.”

(Name)'s (e/c) eyes shined with light. She bowed, lowering her upper body. “Thank you.” she said, lifting her head and straightened herself. Shinobu walked up to her and ruffled her hair. “Yeah yeah, whatever.”

Ever since that day, (Name) trained, pushing herself to the limits. Each day, her strength, her speed, thinking, and other skills increased. She was able to self-teach herself, occasionally with Shinobu's help. She was a quick learner, just like Kanae said.

The young adult learned Flower Breathing through by observing Kanae. (Name) would stand around as the Flower breather trained with her katana. Her (e/c) eyes followed each movement, never taking her attention off of her. Every turn of the wrist, each step, change in breathing.

So, when no one was watching and alone, she practiced, repeating the same movements her master did. Her movements became more fluid and went with the flow. What (Name) didn't know was that Shinobu happened to pass by where she was training and stopped to watch.

Never seen her so determined before Shinobu pondered, she left before the girl could see her.

As she walked, she was at first surprised to see how different (Name) acted, so serious and fast. Her strength built through years of discipline and careful training. Her movements had become quiet and precise, her eyesight extraordinarily sharp. Then, her stomach churned. The abilities and that strength the young woman has is perfect for her to join the Corps, and that the first thing they'll do once qualified is to send her into battles and possibly even have her be a spy. Lately, so many soldiers and spies failed and were never heard from again. If they were to be seen, it would be a dead corpse people would see.

Final Selection is coming up in two days. A selection that determines whether or not a person is qualified to join to corps. If you pass, you pick an ore that a swordsmith creates for you to use. You also get a uniform made by someone who the demon slayers call a pervert because of how he makes women's uniforms. If you fail, it's simple, that means you died. Final Selection is where you have to spend in a forest throughout the night, till sunrise, fighting and killing as many survivors of Muzan's army. These survivors were caught and sent inside this forest by demon slayers as punishment. Used as an obstacle for new slayers. They are able to kill and hurt these new slayers if ever encountered, however, regardless how many people they've killed, they're still stuck in that forest.

The only reason they can't leave is because they are blocked off by wisteria. There's no logical explanation yet as to why these certain individuals are affected by them. Guesses are that it's a curse, maybe something that has to deal with Muzan.

If (Name) wants to continue this, then I hope everything goes well for her. Shinobu pondered, but internally she knows the girl has got this.

Today was Final Selection, the day new candidates will arrive and be determined whether or not they have what it takes to be a demon slayer.

(Name) didn't tell either of the sisters, nor the others, she decided all of this on the coin. She knew they would refuse, mostly Kanae, who would worry. Shinobu would argue but at least let her go, to give her a chance. She wrote down a letter explaining everything and apologized for any harm that may have been done.

She took Kanae's katana and sheathes it, putting on her belt that's around her waist. With everything ready, she went and traveled to where the selection was going to take place. She arrived on time, just before the sunset. When she arrived at the location, she saw others who wanted this too. Many seemed anxious, serious, determined, impatient, mixed reactions. The wisteria surrounding the mountain was beautiful in the fading light, its pale blossoms hanging heavily from the branches, their scent so strong that it almost seemed impossible that anything cruel could exist within a place so lovely.(Name) saw one with yellow hair boy terrified and another boy with a Mohawk looking like he's irritated rather than scared. Her gaze stopped at another boy, one around the same age as her, maybe a year older.

His hair and eyes had a reddish hue to them, he wore a fox mask on the side of his head. His eyes were kind and gentle, like he would never hurt a fly. (Name)'s eyes softened as she stared. The boy felt someone staring at him and looked to see who it was, he saw a girl glancing his way, but she turned her gaze away when caught. His curious expression etched on his face. He took in her appearance.

The girl wore a pink kimono with a hot pink ribbon tied into a bow in front. Her (e/c) eyes were dull, soft lips, and (h/t) (h/c) hair that was tied into a side ponytail. She wore a pink butterfly clip to hold her hair up. And she's looks...

Beautiful the boy pondered. There's something about her that seems ethereal. My scent isn't picking up on fear or anger from her. All I could scent is how calm she is, but... No emotions? Just numbness perhaps?

A boy and an girl appeared, taking his attention away from her. Both children seemed to be wearing the same purple kimonos with floral patterns. One girl was white-haired, the other appeared to have dark black hair. The two children began to greet the new slayers and started to explained about the Final Selection.

The twins spoke in unison. “Dearest participants, thank you for gathering here to join the Demon Slayer Corps's Final Selection. Here on Fujikasane Mountain, we have in captivity a lot of so-called demons caught alive by our very own slayers. There is no way they can get out of here. That is because wisteria blossoms which demons fear the most bloom all year from the hillside to the foot of the mountain. But from this point onward, there will be no wisteria blossoms, so demons may appear. If you can survive in this place for seven days, you are qualified for the Final Selection. Thus, we wish you all the best."

When she entered the forest, the mountain was colder than (Name) had expected. By the time the sun disappeared behind the trees, the warmth of the afternoon had already been swallowed by the thick forest, leaving behind a damp chill that settled against her skin and crept beneath her kimono. Just like the children said, the wisteria's scent was gone, meaning the demons are able to roam the mountains more.

There were screams. (Name) stood beneath the trees, her fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of her master's sword as she listened. Somewhere deeper within the forest, steel struck steel. Then came a shout. Then silence. She did not move.

The other candidates had already scattered after the twins had explained the rules and sent them into the mountain, each person disappearing between the trees in search of the men who had been imprisoned here for years. Some had looked frightened. Others had tried to hide it beneath confidence, boasting about how many enemies they would kill before dawn.

(Name) had said nothing. She had simply watched them leave before she could get the chance, she was hesitating. She remembered Kanae telling her to breathe when she would train with her. She remembered Shinobu telling her that fear was not weakness. Finally, she remembers the coin sitting inside her pocket. Her fingers brushed against it, but then she let go. Now is not the time to use it, not in this situation when it's your life on the line.

A branch snapped somewhere behind her, causing her to turn around to see where the sound came from. Without hesitation, she unsheathes her sword, getting into a fighting stance. A man stood between the trees. He was older than her, perhaps somewhere in his thirties, and his clothing was torn and stained with dirt. The man had dark brown hair that was greasy and went down a little past his shoulder. His brown eyes appeared to be as though he's seen things beyond imaginable. A sword hung from his hand, though he wasn't holding it properly. His breathing was uneven, and there was blood running down the side of his face from a cut above his eyebrow. He took in her appearance, He then at her sword, and then back at her.

“Another one?” the man laughed bitterly, as if he was finding the situation hilarious. “You're young.” She remained still, unsure if she should attack.

He raised his sword with his arm, pointing the blade at her. “You shouldn't have come here.” he said, almost sounding disappointed.

(Name) shifted her stance. The man lunged towards her. The girl had moved before she had time to think. The first strike came from above, her reflexes were quick. She stepped aside and the second came from the left.

This time she ducked, barely managing to avoid the attack. The man scoffed at her not attacking, but rather defending herself. While the man was distracted by her action, (Name) twisted her body and brought her sword upward. Her blade lifted the mans sword into the air, knocking it from his hands. His eyes widened with surprise, caught off guard. The sword stabbed through the dirt when it landed somewhere a few feet away from them.

(Name) stood several feet away, her sword held steadily in both hands. The girl was unsure what the man's next move was, what should she do now? Kill him when he's unarmed? Leave? Shinobu did teach her to never hesitate and kill any demons that come her way. The man stared at her, his face unreadable, then he looked down at his empty hands.

There was silence for a moment before his voice broke it, pausing the girl's movements.

“You're one of them.” When she didn't answer, confused by what he meant, he added. “One of the Corps, I mean.” She nodded. The man's expression changed. There was hatred there. Not for her. For something else. “You don't know what you're doing.” (Name)'s eyes narrowed slightly. “You think all of us are monsters,” he said, his breathing growing heavier. “You think most of us chose this path.” (Name) watched him. He reached for his sword to take it out from the ground.

The young girl stepped forward, her nonchalant expression have nothing away. “Don't, please.” she calmly said. The two words came quietly but loud enough for him to hear.

The man froze, his hand inches away from the handle. His attention went back to the girl, it was the first time he had heard her voice. It was almost quiet, soft even. Perhaps soothing to him.

“So, you're going to kill me?” his voice was surprisingly calm for someone that was trying to kill her not too long ago. The girl remained quiet, only slightly tightened her grip on the blade. His mouth twisted. “Then do it.”

(Name)'s eyes widened, she was not expecting that. She lowers her sword. “What?” she questioned.

The man's eyes looked tired, his arms rested at his sides. “Go on, I don't care anymore.” he said. He began to walk towards her, each step was slow. “Do you know how long I've been here? Seven years. Seven hellish years in this damn forest.” the man laughed, but there wasn't a single humor in it. “The demon slayers throw us some food every few days. Sometimes they don't. They would tell us that if we managed to survive long enough after final selection, we can be able to leave.” He looked around, his arms spread out, making her look around the place cautiously. “No one leaves. It's all bullshit, the second we step foot outside, we are killed instead. Our heads chopped off, giving us a false sense of hope. I've stopped counting how many men and woman and children I've killed. The reason why I joined that man's army was because my wife was ill with our unborn baby. I needed the money, I didn't want to see her suffer, see them suffer. So, I killed innocents, no matter what. I had to watch as their life faded before their very eyes.”

He stopped in front of her, his hands motioning with his words, not only expressing his feelings though his voice, but rather through his body. “You want to know what happened one day? After I came home from doing that bastard's bloody work for him?” he asked, his eyes glossy with tears that was starting to fall. He answered his own question. “When I finally got enough money to help my dear pregnant wife. I came home with her on the floor with her throat slit, she was already dead when I got there. My house was ransacked, tables and chairs were over the place and it looked like a bloody mess. From what I heard, the reason she was dead was because someone around the area heard who I fought for and fucking snitched to a fellow demon slayer. The demon slayer went inside my home! Killed my darling to make me suffer, to bring me down! I didn't even get to see my baby born, to hold them in my arms! They didn't get to live such a normal life. They would never get married, have children of their own, to fucking smile and speak or even walk for the first time! And my wife...

“Oh my poor wife, she'd never got hold her baby in her arms. Never get better and instead worse and fragile. I'm even starting to forget her face, the one I used to love looking at so much. Their death made me more want to continue being in that army. When I first got here, I took my anger out on you all. I have no mercy. Although, there was a memory I still grasp, one that I remember to this day. It was my first Final Selection... There was a boy, looked like he was twelve. Young little thing. Back then, I was cruel, my heart taken from me. So, when that boy tried to kill me, I killed him with my sword, he didn't even land a hit or strike his sword against mine. The boy was bleeding out, I decided to ask him, curious of why, why someone so young, would join the Demon Slayer Corps. He said that his mother was severely sick and his father left the two there all alone. Him and his mother couldn't afford medicine so he participated in this. With a dying breath, he called out for his mom. That boy got a burial, I buried him, if a person dies then they are left here to rot or to be eaten by us.”

His voice cracked. “I saw myself in that boy. Desperate to help their loved ones, only to die or suffer due to the consequences of their decisions. I don't even know if his mom is alive or dead. Since then, I've stopped counting how many men I've killed.”

There was silence between them, broken by the sound of his knees hitting the ground. He looked at her sword. “Just kill me. There's no reason left for me to continue on fighting. I'm tired, I just want to be free.” he said.

(Name)'s breathing slowed. During training, she had learned to strike targets. She had practiced against wooden opponents with her master. But this was different. He wasn't attacking like how enemies do. He was asking.

“I apologize, but may I ask why?” she asked finally.

The man's face crumpled slightly. “Because I just want to see my wife again. Even if for a brief moment... I don't want to die,” he admitted. “That's the worst part.” His fingers trembled. “I don't want to die, but I don't want to live like this anymore either. I don't care where I go in the afterlife, as long as I see her... Then it's okay.” He looks up at her, his eyes locking with hers. “So please.” he said, pleading. Her hand tightened around the sword.

“Please kill me.”

The forest seemed suddenly very quiet.(Name) could hear her own breathing. She remembered the first time someone had told her to stand. The first time someone had told her to sit. The first time someone had taken her hand. Someone had given her food and asked what she wanted. She remembered being seven years old when her father's back disappearing into a crowd. She remembered thinking that if she were good enough, perhaps he would come back.

The man in front of her was waiting.

(Name) raised her sword, she thought for a moment. She was going to use one of the flower breathing techniques, but then a memory came to her. Aoi, who went to the Final Selection before they've met. From what she heard from the little girls, Aoi came back and ignored everyone and went straight to her room. She stayed there for a couple of days till she was ready to tell the butterfly sisters. Aoi said that when she was in Final Selection, there was a boy that was faster and slayed more demons, while she managed to kill a few. She claimed she passed by chance, believed she was never a true demon slayer, so she quit and became a nurse at the Butterfly Mansion.

When later down the years, when (Name) started to practice flower breathing, Aoi decided to teach her a few techniques of water breathing. According to the blue-eyed girl, she wanted to do this because she believed that (Name) would use some of these techniques someday when in battle. One of these water breathing techniques was fifth form: blessed rain after the drought: used on enemies to give them a swift, painless death.

She shifted her breathing and stance. With a deep breath, she muttered.

“Water breathing, fifth form: blessed rain after the drought.”

His eyes closed, his mouth uttered his last words.

“Thank you.”

With a swing of her sword, the man's head was cut off. She slowly wiped the blade against the grass. When she sheathed her master's sword, the man's body fell into the grass, his head rolled at the side of his body. Blood was splattered and poured out of the man's neck and sucked up by the dirt.

(Name) stared at him, there wasn't satisfaction, no triumph, only silence. Her chest felt strangely heavy. She had been taught that killing was sometimes necessary, especially if you want to survive. She had been taught that the remnants of Muzan's kingdom would continue hurting innocent people if no one stopped them. But no one had taught her what to do when the person in front of her no longer wanted to fight.

Is this what it takes to be a demon slayer?

With that in mind, she walked away.

The rest of the days she was here went by quickly since she had killed that man. By the time the seventh day was up, the wisteria came up, bloomed brightly and the scent was more stronger.

When the surviving candidates finally gathered beneath the trees, there were far fewer of them than there had been at the beginning. There were three remaining besides her.

The boy she saw before the rest was injured, bandages wrapped around his head.

The blond boy next to her becomes scared that he survived, as he believes he would die anyway. He began to mutter more negative things about himself under his breath.

The boy with a Mohawk looking pissed, covering with dirt and some bruises.

(Name) stood among them quietly, the only candidate that wasn't dirty nor injured. A yellow butterfly floated around her, she smiled softly and lifts her finger towards it. The butterfly landed in her finger, it's wings flapping lightly. The red-haired boy found it a bit eerie to find this woman to be so calm, but didn't seemed to think about it as rude. He doesn't judge others that quickly, he's often a curious boy. She watches the insect as it flys away.

The twins who welcomed them to the mountain appear again, congratulated the four on their success. The last boy with a Mohawk scowls at them and rejects their applause and asks what becomes of their situation now, demanding his sword. They explain they will first be given their uniform and assigned the rank of Mizunoto, the lowest of ten ranks in the Demon Slayer Corps. They will then choose the ore of their swords but are told they will actually receive it at a later date. At the signal of one of the twins, birds descend to meet the four. The survivors are given Kasugai Crows to assign them with new mission and for communication; the blond boy notices that he isn’t given a crow but a sparrow instead.

“Hey, um... isn't this a sparrow?” he said, looking at the twins, unsure how to react as the sparrow chipped at him.

(Name) lifted her arm as the crow flew towards her, it's feet landed in the body part. The bird seemed to observe her for a moment before making a sound, happy with this person as their owner.

Enraged, the boy with the Mohawk swatted aggressively at the bird to go away and stormed up to the children. He grabs the hair of one of the twins, to the shock of the red boy and the blond boy, demanding he be given a Nichirin Sword. The boy (Name) was staring at earlier intervenes and grabs his arm, threatening to break it if he doesn’t release his hold.

When he implores him to try, the red-haired boy tightens his grip, hurting the boy into releasing his hand. After the small scuffle, the four are presented with various ores for their sword to be made with. They are confused as they don’t know what to look for in choosing an ore, but it is the same boy that intervened who makes the first choice by sniffing a sample and selecting it. The others chose their own ore one by one.

(Name) was last, she stared at each one for a moment before pulling out her coin. She flipped it in the air, the coin landing on her palm. The girl flips it onto the back of her hand, tails.

She points at one of the ores and the twins nodded in unison, accepting her choice. (Name) walks away, the crow flying behind her.

Somewhere, at an unknown location, a man is informed by a Kasugai Crow that five have survived Final Selection. He is delighted at the news and ponders on what kind of Demon Slayers they would become.

(Name) returned at the butterfly mansion, she paused at the entrance when she noticed the girls and the sisters rushing up to her. Shinobu was furious, Kanae looked like she hasn't gotten enough sleep and had a frown. Aoi appeared to be stunned and the three little girls glanced at her, concerned.

“You went without telling us?” Shinobu demanded. (Name) nodded. “Why?”

Silence.

Shinobu stared at her. (Name)'s fingers curled around the coin, uncomfortable.

Kanae understood. “You wanted to do it. To be like us. To not see others suffer.” she spoke quietly, no anger laced in her voice.

(Name) nodded and Kanae slowly walks up to her. The woman didn't say anything and neither did she. The eighteen-year old girl felt as though the sister was going to hit her like how her parents and her owner did. She was about to take a step back and apologize, however, her eyes widened when Kanae embraced her, her arms wrapped around her body tightly but enough for the girl to breathe. She felt her shoulder dampen with water and realized Kanae was crying.

“Master, are you crying?” (Name) asked.

Kanae laughed happily as tears went down her cheeks. “Yes, but they're happy tears (Name), I'm so happy your alright. You came back alive.” she replied.

With that, Shinobu couldn't hold it in and began to cry as well, embracing the girl. Aoi and the other three girls soon followed, all began to sob except Kanao. That's when it hit her. Tears fell from her eyes, it felt good to feel this way. After what it seemed like awhile, she wrapped her arms around them, secretly grateful to have them in her life.

Days past since she arrived home after the Final Selection. A swordsmith came by the mansion a day after, he presented (Name) her sword, explaining how he is the one responsible who will be responsible to make a new sword for her if she happened to lose it or if the sword broke. The swordsmith had long black hair that was tied into a low bun. He wore a black kimono with a light grey bow tied around his waist.

His mask covered his face, his mask had a funny expression. Wide eyes, wide open smile with its tongue out in the middle, the nose pointy and long, and having bushy eyebrows.

(Name) held the sword in her hands as the swordsmith had asked her to see which color she'll have. After a few moments, the color of the weapon turned pink, the man seemed to be satisfied at the choice. He bid her a farewell and left, leaving (Name) with the sword. That man seemed like a nice person from first meeting him.

Then, a day later after that encounter, she'd received her uniform. Kanae and Shinobu encouraged her to try it in. (Name) came out of her room to show the butterfly sisters. When she revealed her uniform to them, they loved it. The uniform was a slightly purple-tinted variation of the standard Demon Slayer uniform, consisting of a button-up jacket with a stand-up collar and long sleeves, featuring silver buttons and a shirt pocket on her left breast, with the kanji for Destroy engraved on the back of the uniform.

Beneath the jacket, she wore a white long-sleeved collared undershirt. Rather than the traditional tattsuke-hakama pants, her uniform is customized with a mid thigh-length pleated skirt in the same tinted color, secured with a white belt around her waist. Draped over her uniform, she wears a short white cloak, fastened on one side by a dark pink triple knot given by Shinobu. On her feet, she sports distinctive knee-high lace-up white boots with tan soles, heels, and toes.

Overtime, (Name) had became stronger after that. Missions took her farther from home, she learned how different survivors of Muzan's armies felt when she faces them. Some where too prideful, others no longer want to live, others simply felt as though their mental state worsened, making them unable to think. She experienced executions, cannibalism, villages burned, and villages and people being saved. She witnessed people who had never heard of the Corps before, thanking her for saving them. The girl began to understand why Kanae had chosen this life along with Shinobu by her side. They want to save as many as possible, to defeat enemies as many as they can. The work was brutal. But it mattered.

Then, one night, (Name) woke up from a nightmare. She always has these strange dreams ever since she was a kid, she never mentioned it to anyone before she was rescued because people like the owners and her parents called her a creep for it. Why? They came true. One time, she had a nightmare of a bad winter storm happening around her village, causing crops to fail. When she woke up, she at least tried to tell her parents what happened, however, they only beaten her for waking them up.

A few days later, the winter storm occurred. Crops began to fail and the village suffered malnutrition for a couple of months. The parents demanded how she knew such a thing, but she only replied with:

“I don't know.”

Her parents couldn't make a profit out of that since villagers called them insane. Since then, parents began to call her a freak or a a creep.

This recent dream was different, she was walking around a town at night when she saw a man with pale blond hair, holding two sharp golden fans. Before she could observe further, the man sliced her lungs, causing her to snap out of the dream. (Name) sat up from the futon, looking around, seeing it was still midnight. Then, she hears footsteps and chatting. She got out of her futon and walked towards her sliding door. She opened the door slightly to peek through and saw Kanae and Shinobu chatting.

The girl heard little, however she manages to get some information. Kanae and Shinobu were going to an urgent mission, one that needed the two specifically. The two, already ready to go, left. To the girls at the butterfly mansion, this wasn't new, to the point where they know what they are doing when all of them wake up. To (Name), this felt off, like something strange was going to happened.

Oh how right she was.

Because when sunrise came, when the girls were up and in the kitchen making breakfast, Kanae's crow cawed outside. That wasn't good, the crow was supposed to be with the owner. The girls ran outside and met with the crow. The words that came out of its mouth made their hearts sink.

“Kanae Kocho, The Flower Hashira, is dead! She was killed by one of Muzan's most dangerous surviving commanders. Upper Rank Two. She managed to survive until sunrise, however, the Upper Rank Two wounded her deeply! The demon managed to get away! Caw!”

Aoi sunk to the ground and screamed, the little girls were crying at the loss of what they saw as an older sister. (Name)... Didn't cry, her eyes only widened with shock, a bead of sweat dropped down her cheek. What? Kanae's dead? She just her a couple of hours ago, talking with her sister, seeing her walks away with her.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

(Name) snapped out of it when Aoi's head was on her shoulder, needing comfort as she sobbed. Her hands clutching the flower breather's shoulders, but the girl felt no pain. The (h/c)-haired woman only stared at the ground, unmoving.

All of them later waited at the entrance of the butterfly mansion, after five hours, Shinobu appeared, her right cheek bloody and her eyes appeared to have no light in them. She walked slow, tired. When asked where's Kanae, Shinobu pointed to where the wooden handcart was. On it was the body of Kanae Kocho, covered by a sheet of white cloth. Shinobu muttered how she exactly died, the flower hashira tried to kill Upper Rank Two, unaware who exactly he was. He's the man whose reputation had spread across half the eastern territories. Kanae had fought him alone. The commander cut her deeply, slicing her lungs. By the time Shinobu arrived at the scene, her older sister was on the ground, the demon already escaped. She manages to hold Kanae and talk to her for one last time, she didn't want to talk about be sisters last words.

The day of the funeral felt quiet, filled with sobs and grief. Everyone who has cared for the Flowers Hashira stayed a little bit after she was buried and left, unable to see the sight of the girls crying. Near the grave Shinobu, Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho were on their knees, crying. (Name), however, stood quietly on the side. She waited for the tears. They never came. Something inside her hurt so badly that she could barely breathe, yet her face remained still. She wondered if something was wrong with her. Perhaps she had never truly loved Kanae. Perhaps all those years had meant nothing. Perhaps she was still the same empty girl who had arrived at the estate. She lowered her gaze. The coin rested in her palm. For once, she did not flip it. She knew what she wanted. She wanted Kanae to come back. And there was no decision she could make that would change that. So she simply stood there. Silent. Unable to cry. Unable to speak. But unable to leave.

After the girls calmed down, Shinobu was the first to stand up, the girls stood up after her. The purpled-haired demon slayer looked at (Name), she understood. Shinobu was never angry at the girl for not crying at the loss of her master. The poor teenager couldn't understand human emotions well enough for tears to pour out of her eyes. It was rare. Instead, Shinobu patted (Name)'s shoulder before she trailed her hand down to the girl's arm and took her hand, guiding her back to the butterfly mansion as the others followed. (Name) let her take her hand, to be guided.

And Shinobu, sitting beside her, understood. She reached for (Name)'s hand. This time, (Name) took it without hesitation. Neither of the two girls said a word. They didn't need to. Kanae Kocho, the Flower Hashira. The one who was kind and gentle to whoever she met, the one who's smile was gentle and kind, the one who forgave and wished any enemies that the Demon Slayer Corps had would be friends someday, was gone. But the life she had given them remained.

And (Name) secretly vowed to protect others and save them from suffering like how Kanae did with her.

She'll do the gentle smile to warm others hearts and to not be afraid.

She will train more, push herself to the limits.

(Name) Tsuyuri will do great things for the greater good.

Even if it means to have blood on her hands.

-----------------Dragon Secrets---------------

(Name)'s main hobby is blowing soap bubbles. She also enjoys buying sweets and accessories with her pocket money for everyone at the Butterfly Mansion, as well as squishing cat paws and helping with the cooking. Her other favorite hobby is (favorite hobby).

(Name)'s favorite drink is (favorite drink), and she enjoys all of Aoi's cooking.

(Name) has a habit of gulping whenever she sees her favorite food or drink in front of her. She seems to be unaware of this. She did drool once when she was craving her favorite food.

Since (Name) couldn't do housework and nursing at the Butterfly Mansion like her colleagues, she opted to be a Demon Slayer. Although, she denies this as for some reason, she finds it embarrassing how she couldn't do those jobs correctly.

(Name) accidentally poisoned an injured demon slayer at the Butterfly Mansion and stayed in her room for five days, feeling guilty.

(Name) is stated Tsuguko by Shinobu.

(Name)'s rank during the events on Mount Natagumo was Tsuchinoto.

(Name)'s original uniform was originally going to be open chested but Shinobu secretly threw oil on it and burned it in front of Maeda, the one who makes uniforms for demon slayers.

The man that wanted to be dead reunited with his wife and child, forgiven.

The mother of the boy, who was killed by that man got better and is wondering where her son has been. Slowly, day by day, she is starting to think her boy left her, unable to bear seeing her anymore. She doesn't hate him if that were to be true.

The red-haired boy is thinks (Name) is beautiful and wants to meet her again someday.

There was another boy that survived, wearing a boar mask. (Name) once spotted him during the Final Selection, cackling and running off. She assumed he had survived.

(Name) sees Kanae and Shinobu as mother figures, Kanae being her gentle savior and Shinobu being a savior as well.

After Kanae's death, (Name) had been practicing her master's smile in front of a mirror. This is because she wants others to being warmth and not be afraid of her.

(Name)'s Kasugai Crow is named Isuzu, a female crow who secretly worries about her owner because the girl has a hard time expressing her feelings.

(Name) kept one of Kanae's pink butterfly pins and decided to wear it instead of the one she was given when she was little.

------------------------🐉----------------------

Lovely readers! I have finished chapter one finally, thank goodness. I apologize heavily that the chapter is long, I wanted the backstory wrapped up rather than just skip and skip important parts. I also apologize if some characters are a bit ooc, especially with how (Name) acts. I wish I did add more details on certain parts, maybe spending time with Kanae but I just said, dang it, oh well, have a deadline. Speaking of which, I'm thinking of writing one or two chapters each week since House of the Dragons start on Sundays (get it...? Okay...).

I will go back and edit anything that seems to make no sense or a grammer error. There was one in the prologue when I wrote Kanao instead of Kanae, ouch. Same with this one, I'll probably be fixing this if I realize any mistakes I see. As for the love interests, here's what I want to do. I'll write them down in one of the future chapters (probably either chapter two or three) so it won't be confusing on who's a love interest and who's not as said before. I'll add more for each season. Another thing, certain characters will either be aged up or aged down. I haven't exactly figured it out yet, I want it to where it's appropriate enough and not weird (something about a person being in their fifties and their liver being twenty or eighteen feels off, just my opinion, I'm sorry and I respect anyone's opposite ones).

At least I figured out how to deal with the demons situation for Muzan and them, I just thought it would be interesting if we had this type of stuff like that. I want to make all of you feel well fed and have you guys have things you relate to as the story goes on as I want (Name) to be as relatable as possible. Please be patient for more chapters! Demanding or anything wrong, I will block you. Writing takes time and authors have lives outside of Tumblr. This will be a slow burn, depending on the characters. Anyways, I hope you guys have a great chapter and may great things come your way. See you in the next chapter. 🐣

-mylovelysavior

In those days, House Targaryen stood at the height of its strength with ten adult dragons under its yoke. No power in the world could stand against it. King Jaehaerys reigned over nearly sixty years of peace and prosperity. But tragedy had claimed both his sons, leaving his succession in doubt. So, in the year 101, the Old King called a Great Council to choose an heir. Over a thousand lords made the journey to Harrenhal.

The two archmaesters of the Citadel carry a chest up to the dais. The Seven Knights of the Kings guard are arrayed in a line at the foot of the dais. An archmaester of the Citadel and the high septon also stand on the dais with the candidates.

Fourteen succession claims were heard but only two were truly considered: Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the King's eldest descendant, and her younger cousin, Prince Viserys Targaryen, the King's eldest male descendant.

Standing on the dais itself are the two candidates, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, who was in her forties and Prince Viserys Targaryen, who was in his thirties. Their respective spouses, Lord Corlys Velaryon, who was in his forties and Lady Aemma Arryn, who was in her twenties. Arryn, quite pregnant, stand beside her husband. Prince Viserys Targaryen possessed the unmistakable beauty of old Valyria. His hair was pale silver, worn long and falling about his shoulders in fine, gleaming strands, framing his face, an almost straight nose, and a proud mouth that made a calm smile. His eyes were a deep violet, seemingly calm. Slender rather than broad, Viserys dressed in the finest silks and dark leathers, favoring the colors and ornaments of a prince.

Lady Aemma Arryn, her once-slender figure softened and rounded by the life growing within her. She had the fair coloring of the Arryns, with pale skin, gentle blue eyes, and long golden-blonde hair that framed her delicate face and fell in soft waves about her shoulders. Even in pregnancy she was still beautiful, though there was tiredness beneath her eyes. She dressed in flowing gowns of pale blue, cream, and soft gold.

Rhaenys Targaryen, was on the right side of the King with her husband. She had carried the look of old Valyria in her face, though the years had tempered its youthful beauty into something sharper and more commanding. Her silver-white hair fell in long, pale waves around her shoulders, catching the light like moonlit steel, while her violet eyes held the cool, watchful gaze of a woman who had learned that crowns were often won by lesser people and lost by the proud. She was tall and elegant, with a noble bearing that seemed almost effortless, her features fine but not fragile, and there was a quiet strength in the way she held herself.

Lord Corlys Velaryon, an imposing, middle-aged man with short grey-streaked dreadlocked hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. He wears rich, dark maritime-themed attire featuring scaled leather and heavy, ornate bronze or dark metal clasps, projecting a proud, stern, and authoritative presence. He carries himself with rigid pride, staring ahead, calm as the ocean and serious as the waves.

The archmaesters place the chest down on the table and open the latch. The Old King reaches inside, where the results of the vote are written on a square of parchment, secured with the wax seal of the Citadel. King Jaehaerys breaks the seal and reads the result. He looks up to face all the lords of the Seven Kingdoms.

"It is declared by all lords paramount and lords vassal of the Seven Kingdoms that Prince Viserys Targaryen be made Prince of Dragonstone." said Jaehaerys with his soft but authoritative tone.

The crowd had mixed reactions. Many clapped and cheered for their future King and Queen. Others remained neutral and a few expressed disappointment and slight unsureness about the decision that was made. Viserys and his wife Aemma look relieved, while Rhaenys remains mostly expressionless.

Rhaenys, a woman, would not inherit the Iron Throne. The lords instead chose Viserys… my father.

Viserys and Rhaenys exchange glances at one another. The Old King, Jaehaerys, exhales. This heavy burden has, at last, been lifted. The realm has spoken as one.

Jaehaerys called the Great Council to prevent a war being fought over his succession. For he knew the cold truth. The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon... was itself.

At last, King Jaehaerys shuts his eyes.

It is now the Ninth Year of King Viserys I Targaryen's Reign. 172 years before the death of the Mad King, Aerys, and the birth of his daughter, Daenerys Targaryen.

172 years before Daenerys Targaryen.

Her parents sold her when she was seven.

She doesn't remember what they sold her for. A handful of coins, perhaps. A debt. A bottle of sake. Maybe nothing at all. she used to think there had to be a reason. Children are strange creatures. They will invent any explanation if it means believing their parents loved them once. She remembers her mother's hands. Not her face. It was like a blur. Her hands. They were always red and cracked, her fingernails broken from work.

Sometimes, when she thought no one was looking, she would touch her hair. Just once. A quick brush of her fingers against her daughter's cheek. Then she would pull away. She doesn't know why she remembers that. Perhaps because it was the only gentle thing she ever gave her besides hurting her.

Their home was small. Dark. Always cold. There were too many children and never enough food. When they cried, the parents shouted. When hungry, they told them to be quiet. When the children fought over scraps, they beat them. Eventually, the little girl learned not to cry. Crying made things worse. She learned not to ask questions. Questions made things worse. She learned that looking at people for too long made them angry. So she stopped looking. She learned that wanting things was dangerous. So she stopped wanting.

One day, her father took her hand. She remembers staring at their fingers. His were rough. Hers were tiny and dirty.

"Come," he said. She followed him because she didn't want to get smacked. Because he was her father. Because children believe their parents will always bring them home. They walked for a long time. The road was crowded, and the air smelled of smoke and horses and unfamiliar people. She kept looking back, waiting for her mother to appear. She never did.

Eventually, her father stopped in front of a man. The man looked at the little girl. Then he looked at the father. They spoke quietly. She didn't understand the words. She only understood the sound of coins. Metal striking metal. Her father's hand leaving hers.

The little girl looked up. "Papa?" she quietly called He didn't answer. The stranger grabbed her wrist. She pulled back. "Papa." Still nothing. He walked away. She remembers watching his back disappear into the crowd. She waited for him to turn around. He didn't.

That was the first time she understood that people could leave you behind. The man who bought her was not kind. Neither were the others. She'd became another pair of hands. Another mouth to feed. Another thing to command. She had learned quickly. Stand when told. Sit when told. Eat when told. Sleep when told. Speak only when spoken to. They were different, they hurt her even when they were simply bored or needed anger to be taken out of.

Eventually, even speaking became difficult. What was the point? No one listened. No one cared what she thought. So she stopped thinking about what she wanted. She had stopped thinking about anything. She heard a rope breaking. She never knew or felt pain again. Days became weeks. Weeks became years. When she turned fourteen, somewhere inside her, something went quiet. Not dead. Just... quiet.

Then, one day, two women appeared when the little girl and the owner, that tied her waist earlier before they left, walked over the bridge. The man seemed to stop in his tracks. Both wore a butterfly-shaped hair ornament. The short woman had an angry expression, she wore a dark purple uniform with a white short haired. She had purple eyes and a frown on her face. The younger woman had dark purple hair with lavender colored ends. She had a purple butterfly hairpin.

The other woman smiled at the teenager. The older woman had bright pink eyes with beautiful light in them. Her black straight hair that reached to her behind. She wore a similar colored uniform but her haori was butterfly themed. She had a pink and green butterfly hairpin. The little girl simply stared, no emotion etched on her face. Kindness had become a language she no longer understood.

"Excuse me, do you have a minute?" The taller one asked the man. When the owner seemed to be in confusion, she continued. "Could you tell us why that child is all tied up? Is she a criminal, perhaps?"

The owner simply scowled. "Isn’t it obvious? She’s flea-ridden, and her face is dirty. Not to mention, she might try to escape."

The taller girl walked up to the girl and crouched in front of her. Her eyes were gentle. "Hello, there. Nice to meet you." And so was her voice. "My name is Kanae Kochou. What’s your name?"

The little girl stared at her. Her mouth never opened, unsure of herself. Nothing came out. The woman waited. She didn't shout. Didn't slap her. Didn't tell her to hurry. She simply waited, though her eyes widened slightly.

"She’s got no name, all right? Her parents never gave her one." The owner explained, irritated at the two girls. "Happy now? Get away from her." The owner reaches to push Kanae away, but the shorter girl slaps his hand away.

The short girl glares at the owner, her voice sounded gentle but filled with contained anger. "Please don’t touch my sister." She politely commanded.

The owner looked almost offended at action and glared angrily at them, though he lowers his hand. "What’s your problem, you two?! If you wanna talk to this kid, pay up!" he exclaimed, his patience losing by the minute.

The short girl glanced at Kanae, who still was staring at the girl. She knows that look, it's the look that says she doesn't want to leave the girl behind. With a sigh, the young girl reached into her chest pocket. "All right, then, we’ll purchase her. Would this be enough?" The girl smirked as she throws a bunch of cash into the air.

The owner looked at the money that was thrown in the air with surprise. The dark purple haired girl took advantage of the distraction and grabs the rope from the owner’s hand as the money falls to the ground. Her and Kanae run away with the little girl. The owner didn't even try to catch them. Only shouted at them before falling to the ground, greedily taking the money from the floor.

The younger sister glanced back at the man. "I’d pick it up right now if I were you!" she exclaimed, smiling. "After all, there’s a crowd here, and the wind is strong!"

Kanae, laughs softly as she glanced her at sister. "Ahh, are you sure about this?" she asked, though it was clear in her voice that she didn't mind this at all.

The younger sister turned her gaze away from the man and looked ahead as the three continued to run. She nodded. "It’s fine!" she replied.

Kanae shouted back at the man, not looking back. "Please excuse us!" In the distance they heard the man shouting at the crowd, telling them to back off and that it was his money. "Ara ara."

That's when then, the teenage girl's eyes lit up with light. This was happiness she believe she felt.

And it felt beautiful.

The place was huge when the she arrived with them. There was sunlight. Real sunlight. Kanae and the younger sister took her inside. Kanae spoke to her sister, Shinobu was her name, about telling her to help wash the girl off. Shinobu grumbled under her breath but still took the girl's hand and led her into a room. The teenage girl didn't move when Shinobu let go to set everything up for a bath. The dark purple haired woman filled the large wooden bowl with warm water. With a sigh, Shinobu stood up and glanced down at her.

"Alright," she starts, her hands on her hips. "Need help undressing yourself?" No response. "Do you want to do it?" Nothing there was silence till Shinobu took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She made the decision for the girl. "Not helping me here. Fine, I'll help you."

Shinobu took a step forward and began to take off her clothing, including untying the rope that was tied around her waist. The teenage girl only stared expressionless at her and the woman felt weirded out by her but continued nonetheless. After removing the last piece of clothing, Shinobu eyes widened. Her body was extremely thin to the point where you can see the poor girls bones, now taking a look at her, a real one, Shinobu's heart tugged. The teenage girl's hair was so knotted and filthy, her whole body was covered with bruises, scratches, cuts, wounds that weren't treated properly and fleas and maggots were crawling on her. Her face, the poor girls face has no emotion, her (e/c) eyes appeared to be so empty but everything they looked at the woman, they shined with light. She didn't even flinch when the cold air hit her skin. She looked so... Broken.

Shinobu managed to snap out of it and led her into the wooden tub. The warm water turned light brown when she stepped in, washing off the dirt. The woman had her sit on a wooden stool and she got to work. She scrubbed the girls hair, body, taking off any fleas and maggots off of her. The teenage girl felt clean, she didn't scream or cry when soap got into her eyes, she didn't feel the sting.

After the bath, Shinobu drained out the water and dried her with a towel. She put the girl in a kimono, the top half was light pink and the bottom half appeared to be in a dark pink color. Shinobu tied the ribbon into a bow in the middle of her stomach. Then, the girls hair was put into a side ponytail, a pink butterfly clip holding it up. The young woman treated any injuries that were in the teenager the best she could. After that, Shinobu had her in a Japanese sitting position on a pillow in another room, told her she would be right back and left to go do something. The girl stared at the wooden floor, doing nor saying anything.

After awhile, Shinobu came back with a tray filled with good. There was a couple of drawing in a bowl, the top of each of them cut off. The main dish was steaming curry and fresh steamed rice on the side along with a cup of water. She set the tray down in front of the girl and sat beside her.

"Eat." Shinobu commanded, but it wasn't harsh. The girl stared at it. The woman sighed softly. "Please." The girl still didn't move. "Do you want the rice?" No answer. "Or the curry or the strawberries?" Silence. "Or all three?" The teenager looked at Shinobu.

Shinobu felt frustrated and picked up the utensil for the food. She gently grabbed the teenager's hand and placed the utensil on her palm. "You can eat, it's fine." she said with barely contained frustration.

After a long pause, the girl finally but managed eat. There was one problem.

She didn't know how to use the utensil, no one ever taught her. Seeing her hesitation, Shinobu helped her, guiding her hands with hers and eventually the teenager managed to grasp onto the knowledge. Letting go, the girl finally ate, her (e/c) eyes lit up at the taste and continued to eat, careful not to eat quickly. Shinobu stared as the girl ate and sighed.

"Sister! Sister, this child is hopeless!"

Shinobu was in Kanae's room. She had placed the girl on a pillow and had her sit while she spoke to Kanae. The younger sister ran out of patience as it only had been a week since they bought her out from the owner. During that time, Shinobu and Kanae were trying to figure out a name for her. The younger sister came up with weird names with weird meanings, even one where it means fish. The two wrote down different names on different papers and placed them down in front of the girl so she could pick it out herself.

The girl stared for a moment and then was going to reach down a paper that Shinobu wrote. Knowing it won't end well, Kanae quickly lied and said that one was misplaced and the girl instead picked up a paper and it said:

(Name).

Kanae liked it but Shinobu heavily claimed hers was better.

Currently, Kanae sat outside on the wooden platform, cleaning her katana with a white cloth. After hearing her sister's shouting, she calmly glanced at her.

Shinobu looked shocked, but also frustrated. "She can’t do anything without being told! That goes for meals, as well!" she said, baffled. "She won’t touch her food unless I tell her to eat! Even as her stomach growls and growls!"

Kanae places her katana down and begins to walk towards the girls direction. Shinobu looks at her sister as she walks by her. down "What exactly are we going to do with her?" Shinobu asked, concerned for the teenage girls well being.

Kanae paused for a moment and turned towards her sister. puts her hands together and places then on her cheek, smiling softly with her eyes closed at her sister. "Now, now, don’t be like that, okay?" she reassured. "I just love that smile of yours, Shinobu."

Shinobu's eyebrows furrowed with irritation, a vein on the side of her forehead behind visible for a moment. "Argh! We can’t do anything with a kid who can’t even think for herself! It’s dangerous!" She shouted.

"Well, you do have a point."

"She can’t do anything on her own! She can’t decide for herself!" The younger sister continued as Kanae resumed walking.

Kanae stopped at the side of (Name) and kneels down beside the young teenager and holds a coin out for her. "All right, when you’re on your own, you can decide by flipping this coin. Right, (Name)?" she conversed.

Shinobu angrily stared at Kanae. "Sister!" she called out.

Kanae only closed lip smiled and turned her attention to her sister. "You don’t have to take this so seriously, you know, since (Name) is so adorable!" she replied happily. Her fisted in the air, totally unfazed by Shinobu's outbursts.

"That’s not a good reason!"

Kanae places the coin on (Name)'s hand. "As long as it’s given a chance, a person’s soul will open up, so don’t worry. When you fall in love with some boy or a girl someday, you’ll change too, (Name)." she spoke gently to the girl while the other butterfly girl continued on with her angry rambles.

(Name) glanced down at the coin, observing it. It was a simple gold coin, but it felt like it was very helpful and useful.

And hopefully, she wishes, someone would love her. Loves her and makes her smile and help her be able to make decisions. To see beyond just her face. Someone who understands her.

Her Saviour.

Dragon Secrets

Shinobu is secretly always concerned about (Name)'s well being, especially after the bath scene.

(Name) forgot when her birthday was so the butterfly sisters decided that the day they rescued her would be her birthday.

If the sisters had been a month late, (Name) would've been dead.

At the owner's and her family's house, (Name) was considered by other kids and her siblings to be creepy since she always told them casually about the dreams she had. Ones that eventually came true so they nicknamed her dreamer in their minds.

(Name) is the youngest in her family, unclear yet about how many siblings she has since most were either dead or sold to different owners.

(Name) glances at Kanae's smile to learned how to smile like that since she notices the warmth it brings to others.

----🐉----

Lovely readers! My writer's block has been finally lifted! All thanks to fanfictions here that I've enjoyed and gave me motivation. I apologize that it's a long prologue, and the fact that it may not make sense when reading. I try my best to make it sense and understandable. I'm really interested in House Of Dragons, currently on season three and hope it stays that way. Since I also liked Demon Slayer, I thought, why not and felt as though Kanao's character fit in the world of dragons.

Now, I'm unsure if I should include the demons and such in here. That's a long thing to think about since I have to think, if I did include them, how would I do it? If I do, then I'm thinking it will be like, oh the demons and Muzan will become in a more bigger thing in Game Of Thrones or something like that. Additionally, if I didn't bring demons into the plot then maybe the whole demon slayers thing will be more like an army of men and women lead by Kaguya. Please be patient for more chapters! Demanding or anything wrong, I will block you. Writing takes time and authors have lives outside of Tumblr. This will be a slow burn, depending on the characters. Anyways, I'll include love interests and such either in a post or in a future chapter. See you in the next chapter!

-mylovelysavior