!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
I'm still in search of a Beta-Reader. I need someone with Discord who is online often so we can also talk about plotpoints if necessary ^^
Also more pic for Yua family members.
Laughter and the klir of chopsticks against bowls could be heard in the dining room of the Mochizuki family.
It was a happy and warm atmosphere.
Not all Mochizuki were participating in the lunch.
Their clanhead still nursed the broken nose their guest Tanjiro had caused him and Aunt Chiyako, her oldest son Daku and Uncle Keitaro were on missions.
Even if they were missing the lunch the other Mochizuki would tell them all about how Tanjiro had stood up for their Yua.
For them, the red-haired boy belonged already to the family.
Yua, herself, was holding Tanjiro's hand under the table and looked with loving eyes at how Tanjiro (Her love? Boyfriend?) interacted with her family.
He was gentle to her little cousins Kaito and Hikari.
Charming and thankful for the lunch she had made to her Aunt Miwa.
Talked with Uncle Hansuke about their work as Demon Slayers.
Laughed at Sayako jokes.
And gave the utmost respect to her father Haruto.
Even more, after her father came back from talking with her grandfather and had told his father if he ever touched her again in a harmful way, he would move out of the mansion with her.
Everybody saw Haruto's bloody knuckles and applauded him for hitting their father/father-in-law/grandfather.
Then when Nezuko came out of her box, the younger Kamado fit in just as easily.
She played with Kaito and Hikari, who were fascinated by the good demon, while Tanjiro told her family, their tragic story.
Aunt Miwa gave the Kamado siblings each a big hug after that, while the other said words of comfort.
All in all, it was an amazing lunch.
The Kamado felt again like a part of a big loving family and the Mochizuki already saw them as their own.
In Yua's eyes, it couldn't have gone better.
Sure, her Grandfather gripping her hair and saying these harmful words to her, she could live without it, but beggars can't be choosers.
After lunch, it was time to do the thing Yua and Tanjiro had come to the Mochizuki Mansion.
It was time to research the Hinokami Kagura Dance in the archives.
Nezuko stayed with Miwa and the kids, while Haruto led his daughter and their guest to the archives.
"Here.", said Haruto and laid an old scroll on the table in the archive. "This is what I found about the Hinokami Kagura Dance. It was written by Mochizuki Meiyo."
"Mochizuki Meiyo?", repeated Tanjiro, gently opening the old scroll. "Wasn't he the one who founded your family?"
"Yes, young Tanjiro. I will leave you two to your research.", with a forehead kiss to Yua and a shoulder squeeze Tanjiro Haruto did just that.
"This should be interesting.", said Yua, eyeing the scroll.
"Should I read aloud?", asked Tanjiro his love. He needed to ask her if she wanted to be his girlfriend soon.
The midnight blue-haired beauty nodded and sat down on the table.
"Let's see what my ancestor has written about the Hinokami Kagura Dance!"
Mochizuki Meiyo knew what people thought about him.
Especially his brothers-in-arms in the corps.
After...after his Master left them..they thought he would follow him.
Betray them.
Betray humanity!
What a nonsense.
Tsugikuni-Sama may have saved him, a lowly orphan, from a life on the street and sure death, had treated him like a son, but Meiyo was his own person.
He...he knew his master was in the wrong.
Not only because he was also close to Yoriichi-San, Tsugikuni-Sama's younger brother, no, but because he remembered what demons had done to his beloved parents.
What they did to humans any day.
He would never betray his race.
Yes, he still used Moon-Breathing, but it would be nonsense to not use the second powerful Breathing Style against their enemies, only because his master was now one of them.
Meiyo signed and looked up the mountain trail he was going up.
He would soon reach the home of his friend.
"Otou-San.", called his pride and joy, his daughter Nozomi to him. Her tiny hand squeezed his big, callous one. "When are we at your friend's house."
He chuckled.
Nozomi was already tired, he could see it clearly.
"We are nearly there, want me to carry you, moon bunny?"
She frowned and shook her head. She wanted to show him what a big girl she already was.
He was so proud of her.
Meiyo was sure she would be the first woman in the Demon Slayer Corps, she already could copy Moon Breathing in a playful dance.
"A there it is!", Meiyo pointed at the little hut before them. "There lives my friend. Sumiyoshi!", he called loud for him...
...The two men and friends were sitting on the veranda of the little house enjoying a cup of tea as they watched how Nozomi played with little Sumire.
"So...a dance?", Meiyo asked a bit in disbelief at Kamado Sumiyoshi.
The man in the checkered haori, laughed sheepishly.
"I thought this was the best way to preserve Yoriichi-San Sun-Breathing. It's really fluid if you think about it. One Kata goes to the next like, well, in a dance.", laughed Sumiyoshi a bit embarrassed.
Meiyo huffed and hit his shoulder playfully.
"I was just pulling your leg. Nozomi...when she sees me doing my Kata's, she copies them in dancing moves too. My wife is actually freacking out about that, she wants Nozomi become a lady of the high society, but Nozomi wants to be a Demon Slayer too.", explained the blue-haired male.
"Oh dear.", laughed the red-haired male. "I don't know how I would feel about if Sumire or my son wanted to join the Corps. Don't get me wrong I'm grateful for what you guys do, but..."
"No, I get it."
Both looked at their children.
"No one wants their child in that danger, but I think I can't forbid Nozomi to follow me into the Corps. She is my only child, my wife sadly can't bear any more children...My Master betrayed the Corps...It's our duty to stay loyal to the Corps and serve them with the Moon-Breathing."
Sumiyoshi put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"It's not your fault that your Master betrayed the Corps."
"But it's my fault that he could leave...Sumiyoshi...When I fought him, begged him to stay with us...I could have done it...I could have killed him...but I only saw the man who raised me after my parents died, the man I loved like a father...I just couldn't."
As an answer his friend wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.
"Old friend, who could blame you for not raising your sword against the man you loved like a father? The one who saved your life?"
A bitter laugh escaped Meiyo.
"Oyakata-Sama and all my fellow Demon Slayer. They cursed me and Yoriichi-San out for our weakness for Tsugikuni-Sama."
"Then they are fools.", told Sumiyoshi sure. "Everybody with a heart understands how painful it would have been for you two."
"Enough with this.", decide Meiyo. "Tell me how are you gonna call the dance."
"The Hinokami Kagura Dance."
"Fitting for a family of coal makers. You know...I think I will turn Moon-Breathing into a dance too, it's a good way to see if someone can do it. Nozomi showed me that. It just needs a name also."...
Surprised Yua and Tanjiro looked at the scroll.
"Wait, that's it?", asked Yua shocked. "Is there more?"
Tanjiro flipped the scroll, but there was nothing.
"No, it ends with the naming of the Jihibukai Tsukigami No Mai and Meiyo and Sumiyoshi saying goodbye to each other.", told Tanjiro, equally shocked.
"Wow, what a disappointing ending.", grumbled Yua, crossing her arms.
The red-haired boy closed the scroll and gave her a tiny smile.
"But I think we learned the most important things."
"Like my ancestor and yours were friends!", shouted Yua, still in shock about that discovery.
Who would have thought that?
And who would have thought that 300 years later a Kamado and a Mochizuki would be friends and maybe lovers?
"And both were friends with someone named Yoriichi, who used Sun Breathing, which is my Hinokami Kagura Dance.", added Tanjiro.
The girl nodded.
"Still, some things are still missing. Like why is Sun Breathing so powerful, when we all thought for a long time that Moon Breathing was the strongest?"
"I agree. You sure there is no more in the archives."
"If there were, Otou-San would have found it."
Both Demon Slayer signed.
Well, at least they have found something.
Now what to do with it?
***
Since it had taken them half a day to reach the Mochizuki Mansion, Yua, Tanjiro and Nezuko stayed the night over.
They would return back to the Butterfly Mansion tomorrow.
So they enjoyed the rest of the day with the other Mochizuki.
Then even Aunt Chiyoko, her son Daku and Uncle Keitaro came home and met the Kamado Siblings too.
Yua was happy to see all her family, besides the death and the missing Noritaka, together and treating Tanjiro and Nezuko as their family too.
She could see how it touched the Kamado Siblings a lot.
More than once Tanjiro had to wipe away his tears.
Anyway, it was time to sleep.
Tanjiro and Nezuko would sleep in her room, as would Kaito and Hikari.
Her younger cousins didn't want to leave Nezuko.
It was so cute.
Nezuko lay in her futon, one arm around each child and both gripping the demon girl's clothes with their tiny fist.
Yua and Tanjiro put their futon together and automatically their hands found each other.
They stayed awake watching the moon outside Yua's window.
As they lay there, Yua and Tanjiro couldn't help but think about the scroll they had found earlier that day. They had learned so much about their ancestors and the origins of their respective Breathing Styles. But there were still unanswered questions lingering in their minds.
"Why do you think Sun Breathing is so powerful?" Yua asked, breaking the silence.
Tanjiro thought for a moment before answering. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that it's based on the sun. Sunlight destroys demons in one instant."
Yua nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. But I wonder if there's more to it than that."
"Maybe we'll find out someday," Tanjiro said optimistically.
Yua smiled at him, grateful for his positivity. She was more of a pessimist.
They complemented each other nicely.
So there was one thing left today before they could fall asleep.
Yua turned sideway in her futon and reached with a hand Tanjiro's head. She turned it towards her.
Automatically Tanjiro was on his side too.
"Tanjiro.", she whispered quietly under the moonlight. "What are we?"
The boy blushed cutely, putting his hand over Yua and squeezing.
"I want to be together with you.", he confessed. "Like a real couple. I know it will be hard, us being Demon Slayer, but...I like you so much Yua, I will regret it if I don't ask you to be mine."
Yua's heart skipped a beat at Tanjiro's words.
She had been hoping he felt the same way she did, but to hear him say it out loud was still a shock. She took a deep breath before answering.
"I want that too, Tanjiro," she said softly, her hand still on his cheek, gently stroking it. "I want to be with you, even if it means facing danger together as Demon Slayers."
Tanjiro smiled at her, relief and happiness evident on his face.
He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss.
It was brief but sweet, and Yua couldn't help, yet it felt like everything was falling into place.
As they settled back into their futons, Yua snuggled up closer to Tanjiro, feeling safe and content in his arms.
They drifted off to sleep with smiles on their faces, excited about what the future held for them as lovers.
The next morning, Yua and Tanjiro woke up early to prepare for their journey back to the Butterfly Mansion.
Nezuko was still asleep with Kaito and Hikari in her futon.
Yua and Tanjiro quietly got dressed and packed their bags.
Then they woke up the sleepy Nezuko and helped her get into her box.
Hikari and Kaito they let sleep. It was still too early for the four and five-year-old.
As they were about to leave, Haruto came to see them off.
"It was nice meeting you Tanjiro. You and your sister.," he said warmly. "Be sure, that you will have always friends and family in the Mochizuki's."
"You are so sweet Otou-San," Yua replied with a smile.
"We are really grateful, Haruto-San. Nezuko and I enjoyed staying with your family and thank you for letting us research the archives," added Tanjiro.
Haruto nodded. "Of course, anytime. And be careful on your way back."
"We will, Otou-San" promised Yua.
Father and daughter hugged each other tight, putting all the love they had for each other in it.
They didn't know when they would see each other again.
As Tanjiro and Yua walked out of the mansion gates, hand in hand, the girl couldn't help but feel grateful for everything that had happened during their visit.
They had learned so much about their ancestors and themselves and had strengthened their bond as a couple.
She looked down at Tanjiro, who was smiling up at her with love in his eyes. She knew that whatever challenges they faced as Demon Slayers, they could face them together as partners.
Yua squeezed his hand tighter as they made their way back to the Butterfly Mansion, ready to continue their journey together.
!!!!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
And with that, the little Arc is over, now we will get into the Demon Slayer storyline back again.
Also who all are interested in how the others reacted to Yua and Tanjiro being a couple...
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!", shouted Zenitsu, as he watched how Yua and Tanjiro cuddle together in one of the beds of the Butterfly Mansion Patient Room. "HOW THE HECK DID YOU SCORE A GODDESS LIKE YUA-SENPAI?! WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TANJIRO, TELL ME, TELL ME, I MUST KNOW!"
The blond-haired boy crawled up to their bed, tears and snoot flying everywhere and was met with Yua's fist.
He crumpled on the ground like a cheap firework.
Inosuke hollerd, while Tanjiro tutted at his girlfriend.
"What, he was being annoying.", she defended her action.
From the ground, you only heard pathetic groans.
"So you are mates?", asked Inosuke to clarify. "Does it mean when mating season is you two will breed?"
The red Tanjiro turned needed a new name, while Yua just deadpanned.
"Boarhead, you don't ask such things couple normally."
Meanwhile from behind the door of the patient room the four little girls celebrated that their favourite couple, become one, Aoi was busy explaining to Kanao what was going on and Shinobu?
Giggling she put a hand on her mouth.
"Ara, are, what a nice surprise. I wish you, kids, the best."
And if she thought about a certain Water Hashira, no one, but Shinobu needed to know.
Now we really are done!
So I beg you please leave A COMMENT!
The more comments I get, the faster you will get chapters ;D