Mother.
You woke with a terrible start and bit your tongue to keep from yelling aloud. You were sitting upright.
The prominent burn scars blemishing your shoulder and ankle screamed in agony.
"Are you alright?"
You hadn't the luxury of responding. Your vision was turning dark; it was too painful.
Your gasps for breath were short and quick.
No, don't panic. Breathe.
Your hand was clutched so tightly to your shoulder that you had a hard time releasing its grip.
Relax.
You started to take deeper breaths.
Your sword.
You cracked an eye open and swiftly grabbed and unsheathed the Nichirin Sword lying a foot away. It took the form of a scimitar, a curved blade.
"Breath of Snow," you croaked, holding the weapon straight out in front of you.
"First Form: First Snowfall."
Skillfully, you tapped your bare left shoulder and right ankle with the flat side of your sword in quick succession. It was a practiced motion.
On coming into contact with the Nichirin Sword, the terrible blisters began to freeze over. A coating of ice sat upon the scars, and dissolved in a matter of seconds. The searing aches of pain subsided.
Murmurs ensued.
You deduced they originated from the other Final Selection candidates, and that the candidates had never before witnessed a Breath of Snow form. After all, that certain breathing technique was an extremely rare sight, compared to Fire Breathing or Wind Breathing.
You exhaled, relieved, dropping your scimitar and wiping away the sweat that had gathered on your forehead.
Good job (Y/n), you praised yourself internally. Proud of ya.
"Are... you alright?"
It was the voice you heard earlier. You realized he was kneeling at your side, his weathered hands hovering uncertainly by you, as if he wanted to help but wasn't sure how. You met his gaze. The boy had dark and compassionate eyes, tinged with a bit of deep red. His hair matched the hue.
You remembered a story your father had told you.
So, this boy is a so-called Child of Brightness.
You smiled. He was kind to be vexed over your health, though you were mere strangers to each other.
"I'm fine," you replied, taking in the rest of his appearance. He looked to be around the same age as you, 16, and only an inch or two taller. A pair of hanafuda earrings hung from his ears. A patch of scarred skin adorned his forehead. He donned a sky blue robe of a familiar pattern, and a fox mask on the side of his head that you felt like you'd seen before...
You blinked.
Was he under the tutelage of Urokodaki, as was your mother? After all, the cloud-like pattern of his robe was similar to the pattern of the garments your mother kept stowed away. The mask, too, was alike the broken one that hung on the shed wall.
You shook your head of those thoughts. It was unlikely. Your mother said Urokodaki rarely trains children anymore.
"The wisteria trees are beautiful," you half-rambled in an attempt to change the subject since he did not look totally convinced. You did not want him inquiring about your scars, nor did you want him to worry unnecessarily. Glancing up at the beautiful canopy of leaves, you said, "It was easy to take a nap under them."
At least, until my dream took a dark turn and I woke up...
It was as they say. Good dreams never last.
The boy's face relaxed, but only slightly. He knew well you were trying to divert his attention from the strange action you took with your sword just moments prior. Respecting your wishes, however, he spoke not of it and instead replied with, "Yeah. Wisteria trees are not supposed to bloom in this season, yet here they are." His eyes sparkled a little. "As I thought, the place of the Final Selection is amazing-!"
Fujikasaneyama, the mountain where said test occurred. You were one of the first to arrive that day, and given the comforting atmosphere, decided to take a nice breather before going into battle. You hadn't expected your scars to act up like that, though. It was troubling.
Here, surrounded by groves of wisteria trees, those cursed, demonic wounds flared.
The footsteps of two caught your attention. They were quiet, but carried on with authority. They belonged to two girls in floral printed kimonos.
"Greetings, everyone," the first said in a soothing tone. She had short black hair. "Thank you all for joining the Final Selection tonight." She then gestured over her shoulder to the rest of the mountain. "There are many demons held captive on this mountain by Demon Slayers. They are unable to leave."
The other girl, one with short white hair, continued to explain, "Because from the mountain foot to halfway up, there is a lot of demon-repelling wisteria that bloom year-round."
They began to trade off lines.
"However, from here on out, there is no more wisteria. Only demons."
You briefly considering nabbing some wisteria flowers and taking them with you, but then dismissed the idea as cheating.
"If you can survive here for seven days,"
"Then you pass the Final Selection."
They separated to let you and the other candidates move onward.
"Now, let the Final Selection begin."
The boy offered you his hand, and again you couldn't help but notice how rough it was. It had the callouses and marks of a true fighter, and despite being worn, his hand looked gentle.
It reminded you of your mother.
You accepted his help and grasped his hand as he pulled you to your feet.
His hand was warm, as expected.
"My name is Kamado Tanjiro," he introduced himself.
"I'm (L/n) (Y/n)," you replied, nodding your thanks. "Best of luck to you in the exam."
After a moment, your hand slipped out of his as you picked up your sword from the ground. The metallic blue scimitar gleamed in the dying evening rays -- night would soon befall, which was prime-time for demons to roam. You sheathed your weapon so you could move freely; you had to get a move on.
Setting off at a brisk pace, you looked only forward as you passed the two girls standing by the entrance of the upper mountain.
A minute of silence passed before you heard,
"Wait! (Y/n)."
You turned.
Behind you stood -- surprise, surprise -- Kamado Tanjiro.
"I didn't get the chance to say this earlier," he started, "but your Snow Breathing... I've never seen anything like it before. I don't know what you used it for, but it was very graceful!"
You raised an eyebrow. So he ended up mentioning it in the end. Did he follow you just to compliment you, in the middle of the Final Selection? To waste time, both yours and his, was an amateur move.
He seems... almost a bit naïve?
"Thank you. But, Tanjiro, neither of us has the liberty to dawdle here."
He nodded. "I know that. However, there was no rule saying we cannot ally amongst ourselves." Once more, the kind boy held out his hand.
"In a test as dangerous as this, I believe it is best to join forces."
His eyes were resolute. I suppose he's not wrong.
"(Y/n), we can watch each other's backs. I know we are strangers, but... how do I say this..." He scratched the back of his neck with his other hand.
"I don't want to see you or anyone around me dying, when I can save them. In a way, I'd feel responsible."
His outstretched hand was tempting. From this boy you sensed a pure, benevolent soul, one devoid of lies or falsehoods. You sighed under your breath, but it wasn't one of exasperation.
You're too kind. I'd get a guilty conscience, too, if you ended up not making it.
"You say that as if I'm not strong enough to stand alone," you gently teased with a small smile. Tanjiro froze as sweat started rapidly dripping down his face. "Ah! No no no, I didn't it mean for it to come across as an insult! I'm so sor-"
You interrupted him by taking his outstretched hand. He drew back in surprise a bit, and met your gaze.
You turned back and lightly tugged him along with you as you picked up a jogging pace. "Let's go," you said. "We're heading to the eastern side, so that daylight will hit us sooner."
Maybe it was your imagination, but as you whisked him along,
he held your hand just a little tighter.
"Right!"
• • * • • * • • * • •
•* Tidbits *•
#1 - You and Tanjiro are hand-holders. You always held your mother's hand, and Tanjiro always holds his sister's, so you are accustomed to it. Neither of you think much of it.
#2 - You prefer a scimitar (curved blade) over a straight blade because a curved blade has a greater surface area. It is stronger when used for slashing as opposed to stabbing/thrusting.
#3 - The other candidates who also witnessed your First Snowfall thought you were a freak, but unanimously decided not to say anything.
#4 - Unbeknownst to you, Tanjiro could smell the acridity of your scars as they acted up. He figured out a vague reason why you froze your shoulder and ankle before he approached you during the Final Selection.
#5 - Your mother met your father in the Demon Slayer Corps. Though she would never tell you, part of the reason why she decided to give up her dream was so she could pursue a new one: to have a family with him, and to birth a daughter -- you.
• • * • • * • • * • •
•* New Form *•
First Form: First Snowfall
A gentle "attack" that freezes whatever it touches. The extent of freezing is controllable. Often used to ease burn scars or help with bleeding wounds in a pinch.
• • * • • * • • * • •