The sea demon waited for three days for the water hashiras return and finally at the fourth day he finally returned midday.
"Welcome home." Ayuna greeted him and he just stared at her.
Ayuna: "What?"
Giyu: "Were you by chance waiting the whole time?"
"What else can I do? Next time leave a note so I don't waste my time looking for you." Ayuna patted with her tail at the seat next to the table, "Mind telling me about your mission?"
And that's how the two of them developed a routine. Whenever one of them returned from a mission they will tell the other about it.
Also, if they had a mission together, the water hashira got used to the fighting style of his demon friend so each mission went successfulky with only a few little scratches but the demons they encounter were going more and more berserk at the sight of Ayuna. Guess the demon lord finally heard of her.
Ayuna also enjoyed every mission with Mitsuri, Shinobu and Kanao even if she didn't speak much. Missions with the other hashiras like with Sanemi, Tengen, Obanai and Muichiro were boring or like hell since they treat Ayuna differently while it was quite alright with the rock or flame hashira. The demon spent much time with the hashiras and naturally some of them allowed her to call them by their first names.
In addition, the sea demon got invited by the Ubuyashiki family from time to time and they always had a great time.
Soon winter came and Ayuna was very happy about it since she can go out earlier and the snow around her just give her a big advantage.
And today, was just another day where the sea demon will wait in the estate for the water hashiras return.
Ayuna's pov
Finally I could hear Giyu entering so I wrapped my tail around him, moved him to the room I was and placed him on the seat next to me. He got used at the way how I used my tail. I placed a cup of tea in front of him as I retreated my tail around him but I could tell that he wasn't well.
Still I patiently waited for him to start his story.
"Today I met a boy who's sister turned into a demon..." he started, "I knocked out the boy and as I thought the demon wanted to kill him, she instead standed in front of him protectively. So I let them go, I told them to met my teacher and he will train him to be a slayer. I don't know if it was right."
"I think you did well Giyu." I said honestly. A demon who can restrain themselves from hurting the people they love... I think Muzan didn't expect that.
"But why the long face?"
Giyu looked at me so I continued, "You may be hard to read but not for me since we're living together." I gave him a faint smile, "So tell me what's on your mind?"
Giyu: "If I had arrived half a day earlier perhaps hsi family would be still alive."
"Actually I'm glad that you didn't." I said.
Giyu looked at me surprised almost angry so I sighed, "Only Muzan can turn a human into a demon, so if you have arrived a half day earlier you might as well be dead."
Giyu also sighed, "Maybe it would better-"
I slapped his head with my tail, "Don't. Say. Something. Like. That. What makes you think that way?!"
He was quiet and looked away.
"Seriously talk to me. I'm a good listener after all." I encouraged him but he didn't budge so I added, "I won't tell anyone, promise. And it's not healthy to keep it for yourself. You'll feel better after letting it out."
Giyu knew I wouldn't leave him alone so he spoke, "I don't think I deserve the title hashira."
"Why?" I asked.
"Before someone can join the demon slayer corps, they must complete the final selection first. They have to survive for seven days." he explained, "I lost consciousness and when I woke up the selection was over and I passed while my friends didn't make it. So the hashira title shouldn't belong to me."
"But you have the title you worked for, so give yourself some credit. There's a reason why you became a hashira so hold your title proudly." I didn't know how to comfort someone since I was mostly alone but I lived long enough to understand his situation.
"Hold my title proudly?! How can I after they all died?! And how can you understand?!" he bursted out but I wasn't mad.
"If your friends were here they would hate you very much for thinking this way. You're stuck in the past but I don't demand you to get over it, but I do ask to acknowledge your efforts in the present because if not it might lead you to your downfall one day." I got up, "I'll leave you alone now to think over."
I left the the house and wandered around the estate and I stopped in front of the small pond in the back yard and looked up to the snowy sky.
How many years passed? Some decades? A century or more?
When was the last time I looked up at the sky...
I heard footsteps behind me.
"Sorry." Giyu said sincerely. Perhaps he thought that I lost more since I'm a demon. But then again, demons don't have a sense of humanity, they are just greedy and selfish creatures.
"I'm not mad," I assured him with a smile, "Maybe you're right, I don't understand since I never experienced it myself. But I do know much. Sometimes, I talk due experience and sometimes, I talk because I've seen a lot."
I created an ice statue of a person next to me but the face was blank.
"That's my mother." I started, "How many years passed? Or was it decades? I can't remember her face anymore." I stroked the ice statues blank face, "All I remember are her figure and this jade pendant." I grabbed the pendant from my sleeves.
"If I remember correctly, my father was a businessman so I couldn't see him often. My mother was too a businesswoman but she choosed to stay with me so father had to take care of my family's business by himself.
I remember how my mother told me that I'll do great in the business while she gave me this pendant. Then there was a disaster. A strange disease spread among my hometown and my parents caught it. The business was in my hands for a couple of months, it wasn't good but it was stable, then my father's businesspartner who I considered as my uncle came and convinced me to let him carry on on the business since I was still young with no experience. At first I didn't agree because my parents entrusted the business to me but several persons came and told me that I wasn't good enough or I was not worthy at all so I handed him the business. Not even one month had passed and the business was ruined and I got blamed for it. They say that I made a past mistake which caused the business to almost go bankrupt so I got kicked out of the business and he took over my house. I lived in a hallway for some time and cried for weeks. I blamed myself for it. I believed that I was all my fault that I ruined my family's business. Now that I'm thinking about it, I could have changed something if I decided to get up and take action. There was a man who was a close friend to my family and he offered my his help but I was rejected him several times because I thought I only do worse. Soon the business finally collapsed and that uncle took the pendant my mother left me. I tried to fight him but I got accused for stealing so I got kicked out of my hometown."
Giyu listened attentively waiting for me to continue.
"I don't remember when I got turned but I woke up in the sea bottom. I secretly visited the village at night and I saw how he was swimming in gold in my former house and that's when I realised I got tricked and my efforts were good but I never acknowledged them. I was in despair after noticing my situation so I isolated myself in the sea. I stayed there most of the time and once I got bored I watched the living of some people nearby. I also traveled for some time but after meeting a slayer who almost killed me, I went back immediately. I saw many new lifes entering the world, deaths, despair, hope, betrayal, happyness, family collapsing and the change of my village from afar. My life was lonely and I lost my purpose so when I finally came into my senses, it was already too late. So much time had passed, I didn't do anything for the families I saw collapsing and I wasn't sure if I could get my pendant back but I had hope after hearing some news from people who passed the sea. So I worked on my abilities I have now, I lured people to me because I was wary of the demon slayer corps and the consequences if I appear in the village, so I offered them things they want and in return they get the pendant for me. At first some will come to me to report their failure and after some time nobody ever returned, until you came." I smiled at him.
"Actually meeting you was the best thing that happened to me. I met nice people, I found a new purpose and I'm happy in my present. So Giyu, it's okay to think about the past and be sad about it, but don't make the same mistake I did. Acknowledge your efforts that you worked hard for and you do deserve the title. Also, try to enjoy life with those you have now." I added and he nodded in response.
"Wow, when was the last time I talked this much?" I stretched my body, "I'm going inside now." I shattered the statue and walked pass him to enter the house.
3rd person pov
Unbeknownst to Ayuna, the water hashira had a faint smile as he watched at her retreating figure. She was right, he felt better after telling her his story and he felt glad that she also trusted him with her past and her advise.
"Hey, aren't you coming too? You'll catch a cold if you stay out for too long in these cold days!" she shouted and the water hashira also got inside.
Ayuna: "Hey Giyu, can I visit them?"
Giyu: "Who?"
Ayuna: "The boy you saved and his demon sister. I really want to met her."
Giyu: "I'll ask my teacher first."
Ayuna: "You should go too, it's nice if you visit your teacher, he'll be happy if you do."
Giyu: "I'll think about it."