It took the duo a few hours to reach their home, as the journey from Fujikasane Mountain to Sagiri Mountain was quite long.
"Tanjiro-kun! We're finally home!" (Y/n) was still as cheerful as ever despite the exhaustion from the long journey while Tanjiro could barely walk due to his injuries.
"Yeah... finally..." he mumbled, smiling at the girl's enthusiasm.
Just then, the duo gasped as they saw the hut door flung open causing the door to fall to the ground, revealing a peacefully walking Nezuko.
"Nezuko! YOU'RE AWAKE!" Tanjiro exclaimed as he ran towards his sister, falling to the ground due to exhaustion.
Nezuko ran towards her brother and hugged him, causing him to tear up.
"Nezuko, why did you suddenly fall asleep?? Plus, you never wake up after that," Tanjiro cried, "I really thought you were dead!!"
(Y/n) sniffled in tears at the scene in front of her. "Oh my god, I think I'm going to have a heart attack..."
Urokodaki appeared as he walked towards the small group and hugged them. "Thank goodness, you're back alive..." he mumbled as a few tears of relief escaped from the sides of his mask.
(Y/n) hummed as she hugged Urokodaki back.
🌺
Soon after Tanjiro had introduced (Y/n) to Nezuko, they had become extremely close within a matter of a few days. That day, Nezuko was sitting on the older girl's lap as she was making Nezuko's hair like her hairstyle.
"Nezuko, your hair is so soft!" (Y/n) said as Nezuko hummed and nodded happily at her compliment.
"You two are really getting close, aren't you?" Tanjiro smiled as he saw his sister sitting on the girl's lap. After all, you both were destined to be together, according to him, so it made him ecstatic to see Nezuko and you acting like siblings already.
"Your sister is just too cute!" the girl squealed as the boy laughed.
"I know she is," he said as he sat next to (Y/n). "Since I've passed the Final Selection, that only brings me one step closer to finding a way to turn Nezuko back into a human. It's all I want, really. To see her standing in the sun again." Tanjiro smiled as he saw Nezuko dozing off once again hugging (Y/n) on her lap.
"Consider me a part of your mission too, then"
"Huh?"
"I wanna help you too to turn Nezuko back human. Plus, won't we be going on missions together too? There's a much better chance of us finding the cure as long as we're together!" the girl said cheerfully.
"Of course! Thanks, (Y/n)," Tanjiro responded, ecstatic.
"'As long as we're together?' Does she mean that she wants to be together with me forever? Is that her way of confessing!?!?" The boy's mind raced with the possibility of the girl liking him back. "SHE DEFINITELY LOVES ME BACK!"
🌺
Later that night...
(Y/n)'s heart raced as cold sweat poured down her face. She had woken up in the middle of the night in her room as she struggled to catch her breath, her vision blurred and her chest thrummed with her fast heartbeat. Her nightmares had become a constant presence, haunting her every night, but tonight's seemed especially vivid. She kept remembering the events of that one particular day which had changed everything.
"Mama..." The girl's eyes threatened with tears as she picked up a bedside photo of her mom and her young teenage self. "I promise I won't let you down."
🌺
10 days later...
The girl was planting flowers outside the hut one day when she heard the sound of windchimes coming from a distance. She looked up to see a figure wearing a sunflower-patterned haori and a large hat with windchimes hanging from it. The person was wearing a Hyottoko mask.
"Huh? Who's that?" (Y/n) thought as Tanjiro stepped out of the hut as he had also heard the sound of wind chimes.
"Who is that person?"
"Dunno."
The figure stopped in front of them as he inspected the teenagers for a few moments before speaking up.
"I'm Haganezuka," he identified himself, "(Y/n) (L/n)'s and Tanjiro Kamado's swords are ready. I came here to deliver them."
"Oh, nice to meet you, Haganezuka-san!" (Y/n) bowed, her beautiful (H/c) hair falling beside her face, drawing Tanjiro's attention.
"She's so pretty!"
"I'm Tanjiro Kamado, and this is (Y/-"
"This is a Nichirin blade," Haganezuka interrupted the boy, "I've forged this sword."
"Well..." Tanjiro looked at the man with dotted eyes, "I'll make tea now. Please come in-"
"The raw materials of a Nichirin blade are mined from the mountain nearest to the sun," he interrupted again, "Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Crimson Ore. Thus, the forged steel can absorb sunlight," the man said, pointing to the sun, as Tanjiro's sweat dropped while (Y/n) listened intently to what Haganezuka was saying, interested.
"I-I see. Now, can you please co-"
"That's because Sunlight Mountain is perpetually bathed in sunlight throughout the year. It doesn't rain or snow on the mountain..."
"As always..." Urokodaki sighed, listening to Haganezuka's spiel from inside the hut, "This guy never listens."
"It's dirty. Can you stand up first?" muffled voices came inside the house.
Just then, Haganezuka brought his face very near (Y/n), making her take a step back. "Aren't you the daughter of Mei (L/n)?"
"Uh... yes. You know my mother?"
"That's a good thing. Maybe you'll manage to become a hashira in the future if you carry her genes."
"Ah, I hope so!"
"Maybe at this rate, your sword will turn bright red!" he exclaimed, dragging the teenagers into the hut.
🎇
The duo sat beside each other as they held their newly forced swords in their hand, still in the shield.
"Alright. I want to see what colors your swords turn to. UNSHIELD THE SWORD!!" he shouted.
"Okay, okay!"
The girl looked at Tanjiro and nodded. She gulped in nervousness as they both unsheathed their swords simultaneously.
"Woah..." Tanjiro's sword turned swiftly into a black color.
"Mine's taking time to turn into a color..." (Y/n) looked at her sword. "Wait... it's turning into a golden color!"
"WHAT?" the older men exclaimed at the same time.
"What?"
"I shouldn't be surprised... After all, you both are wonder children..." Urokodaki mumbled.
"What do you mean?"
"Is something wrong with a black sword!?!" Tanjiro panicked
"No, it's nothing like that. It's really rare to see a pitch-black sword, that's all. And as for you, (Y/n), this is the second time I've seen a golden-colored sword."
"Really? Who was the first one?"
"Your mother."
"Oh..." (Y/n) looked at her golden sword, smiling. "Maybe that means I'm on the right path."
"I THOUGHT I COULD SEE A BRIGHT RED SWORD!!!" Haganezuka screamed as he jumped on (Y/n) and Tanjiro, "I'M PISSED!"
Haganezuka chased the duo out of the hut. "UROKODAKI-SAN, HELP US!!"
"CAW! CAW!" a crow appeared outside the hut. "Tanjiro Kamado. (Y/n) (L/n). You both have been assigned a mission!" the crow talked.
"WHAT? THE CROW IS TALKING!?!" the girl exclaimed.
"Make haste to the northwestern town. Young girls have been vanishing there. That is your both's first mission. Caw!"
"Our first mission..." Tanjiro gulped.
🌺
Thank you all for reading this and I hope you liked this chapter. Have a nice day/night everyone and take care :) ❤