As Things Should Be

-25- Instincts

Breathing is hard! Miku never thought it could be so hard! She thought she was good at it. She could beat Inosuke in all of their breath-holding challenges. Papa always pointed out that it was because she didn't need to breathe as frequently as him but she was still good at breathing.

This was hard. She had to remember to breathe all the time and she had to breathe a certain way. It was hard!

It was also amazing. Kanae-san moved so gracefully as she swung her sword in the garden, like a petal in the wind. Miku tried, she really did. She followed the footwork and swung her own wooden sword. She had the strength and endurance to start right away but her lungs didn't like the rhythm of the light and total-focused breathing. She could mirror the balance and the movements but they never had the clean precision or grace that Kanae-san had.

"You're doing great!" the kind hashira would praise and Miku would try to smile. She didn't feel great. It felt... weird. Maybe that's because it was still new but it just felt wrong; like she was trying to dance with an extra leg.

She didn't know - so she went to Mom; because Mom knew everything it seemed.

"You should tell Kanae it feels awkward," Kotoha smiled as she poked a syringe into a cup of concentrated wisteria. It made Miku's nose burn but she watched her Mama work regardless. She was working hard making all sorts of strange things as she wrote notes in her journal. Sometimes she made poisons for the bad demons, sometimes she made antidotes for demonic poisons.

She'd spent a whole day with Gyutaro studying his scythes - he complained that he could still smell the wisteria but she'd come away with a 'formula' that was super helpful against bad demon's poisons.

"If you don't feel comfortable with the form, perhaps you should ask Kanae about others. Aoi was telling me about breathing styles and their many different techniques. You may be better suited for something else," Kotoha smiled as she pulled over a petri dish of Papa's blood and injected the wisteria concentrate into it.

"But... what if she stops training me?" Miku objected, peering into the dish. "What if I don't get to train anymore?"

The red pool flinched at the touch, contorting and rotting for a moment before the blood calmed and the red color returned. Kotoha leaned back with a sigh, putting the syringe down and pulling the thin gloves off her hands.

She turned to Miku and smiled softly.

"I don't think she'd ever be upset at you for telling the truth. And, even if she was; I'm sure we'd find someone else who'd help if you still wanted to so desperately."

Miku stood there self-consciously, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oh, Miku," Kotoha stood and swept up her daughter in a hug. "No one's perfect at anything when they first start. Do you know how many times your brother came home with a busted nose when he first started training?"

"But - but I want to be good at it!" Miky objected. "I want to be strong and good at it - so that I can help!"

"You help," Kotoha soothed as they separated from the hug. "You're so much help -"

"But I want to be able to protect everyone! I want to be awesome quick! Or Inosuke will always be better than me!"

To that, her Mama laughed. "You can't rush these things. It takes time; you'll get there, I'm sure of it. My next fierce little demon slayer. Mirakuru; the hashira."

Miku brightened at the sound of that. 

Mirakuru the hashira. Yes... yes, that sounded perfect! Maybe if she worked hard enough she could beat Inosuke to the top - HA! He'd be so mad it would be awesome!!