silver-tooth-the-panther

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter 16:

Reunion

Warnings: Angst, parental death, implied child abuse

Word Count: 5855

  The halls of the Infinity Castle were filled with a bright and cheery atmosphere. Half-demons, both slayers and Kizuki, roamed the building and partaken in delightful conversations with each other. Now, everything was calm. Everything was peaceful. Things have finally settled down.

  Zenitsu sat in the lap of his new boyfriend and Demon King, Tanjiro. His head rested on his lover's chest, listening to the soothing heartbeat inside. Stroking his hair, Tanjiro smiled as he looked at the blonde boy. They were the only two in the office. It was just them.

  "I'm surprised everything is going well so far." Tanjiro said in a soft voice. "I probably shouldn't say that now that I think about it. Trouble will come...eventually." Zenitsu only nuzzled harder into Tanjiro. "Oh come on. You of all people deserve a break. Just try to relax." Tanjiro nodded and nuzzled his boyfriend.

  "Thank you..I am glad that the Kizuki are getting the help they need." Tanjiro purred with a smile on his face. A painful memory resurfaced once more in Zenitsu's mind. He remembered his so-called brother and how cruel his words were. Venom was laced into everything Kaigaku said, yet fear controlled his actions. That's why he became a demon. That's why Gramps died.

  Yet..Zenitsu knew that Kaigaku didn't intend to cause Gramp's death. He also understood what fear could really do. So, Zenitsu wondered. He wondered if Kaigaku was like the other Kizuki? Was he redeemable? Despite everything he has done, Zenitsu hoped so.

  "Hey, Tanji?" Zenitsu asked, making Tanjiro look down at his small boyfriend. "Mind if I ask you something?" The Demon King nodded. "Of course! What is it?" Gripping his lover's haori, Zenitsu sighed heavily. "There is..still another demon that needs to be revived."

  A soft, surprised rumble came from the Demon King. "Really?! Who is it?" Zenitsu's heart clenched before he spoke. "It's someone who took over the Uppermoon Six position after the Shabana siblings died..Kaigaku. We used to be training mates and sort of adoptive brothers." Tanjiro tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me about him?" He paused, somber realization creeping in his heart. "Did something happen between you two?"

  Sadly, Zenitsu slowly nodded his head. "You could say that.." He put the side of his head against Tanjiro's chest. "I'll be honest, I really didn't believe that demons could be helped, but your dream seems to be working. I'll...I'll give it a chance. I'll give him a chance." A sense of longing could be heard in his voice.

  Tanjiro understood this longing completely. Family was difficult to come by in this life and it was completely human to crave it. "Do you have anything of his? I could easily track down his scent if you do." Zenitsu nodded before standing up. He walked past his beloved, headed behind him, and went into the floorboard right against the back wall. There, Zenitsu lifted the board up with ease. A dull black and gold sword lay within the wood chips and nail.

  Blowing on the weapon, Zenitsu brought it over to Tanjiro. "This was his weapon. It's the last thing of his belongings." The Demon King sniffed the sword. Aspen flowers and a faint scent of peaches wafted in his nose. Now, he had the scent locked in his memory.

  Tanjiro stood up and huffed in determination. "Alright! Let's go get him!" Zenitsu gently took the Demon King's hand as Tanjiro opened the door. The couple then walked out into the vast hallways and corridors of the Infinity Castle. Sniffing the air, Tanjiro led the way. An invisible trail of Aspen and peaches guided them to a darkened area of the castle.

  The home of the half-demons was vast and like its name "Infinite", so it was no surprise that they ended up in an uninhabited spot. This didn't stop chills from creeping down Zenitsu's spine. "Don't worry, Zen." Tanjiro lightly squeezed his hand. "Nothing can hurt you."

  The scent built up in an empty room that had barely any light. Tanjiro was able to sense the red particles that floated around him. Blood splattered on the floor as he cut his arm open. A red light emitted from the ashes as they were drawn to the blood. Zenitsu hid behind Tanjiro as the ashes slowly formed the body of his estranged brother.

  "Oof!" Kaigaku fell to the floor with a thud. He rubbed the back of his head and winced in pain. Zenitsu shook and trembled behind his boyfriend. Kaigaku looked up at the Demon King. "Who the fuck are you?" Kaigaku hissed and backed away like a scared animal. "I'm the new Demon King, Tanjiro Kamado." Tanjiro spoke in a formal and stern voice.

  Kaigaku widened his eyes as his ear flattened. His body started to tremble. "Wha-what do you want from me?" His voice was much softer and submissive. "I'm just here to give you a second chance. I won't hurt you. No one will." Tanjiro's tone turned warm and gentle. Still, Kaigaku's heart pounded in his chest. "You have no use for me."

  "Maybe not, but he does." Zenitsu peeked out from behind Tanjiro when he said that. Kaigaku's jaw dropped when he saw the young boy. "He..he wanted me? He wanted me to come back?" Any hostility and fear melted from his voice. Kaigaku stood up with shaky legs. "He does, Kaigaku. Zenitsu informed me about you."

  Looking down at the floor, Kaigaku fiddled with his hands. "But why? That doesn't make any sense.." Tanjiro nods and hums understandably. "Does it matter why? He just wants you back." Kaigaku huffed and scoffed. "He's just a softie.." A contradicting scent hit Tanjiro's nose. "I know you don't mean that." Kaigaku hissed in a defensive manner. To retaliate, Tanjiro growled and victoriously snarled. Thus, making Kaigaku tremble and look down at the ground.

  Pain swelled in Zenitsu's heart. He prayed that their relationship wasn't hopeless and unmendable. "Let that fierce act disappear." Tanjiro spoke sternly. "Be honest and you will have love. No one likes a liar." Kaigaku pawed at the ground, staying silent.

  "Zenitsu wants you to be better and I believe you can reach that goal." Tanjiro looks down at Kaigaku. "Question is..Are you willing to put in the work to be better?" Kaigaku looked up at him. He turned to look at Zenitsu.

  It was truly hard to believe that Zenitsu wanted him back. After all he's done...Why? Why did he want this? Not to mention, Tanjiro was able to read him like a book. Must be able to smell the fear. "I..I can try." Kaigaku said weakly. He wasn't sure if he could. Breaking through the cage is incredibly difficult and Kaigaku wasn't sure if he would be strong enough to.

  "Try your best, Kaigaku. Follow me. I'll lead you to your new room." Tanjiro turned around with Zenitsu walking in front of him. Kaigaku's legs shook as he followed behind them. He looked around him, examining his surroundings. Everything had changed since he was gone and it terrified him. Fear filled him as he slowly followed behind him.

  Eventually, they stopped at an empty room in the warmly lit area of the castle. "Here's a good space." Tanjiro spoke as he opened the door. "I'll bring a futon in and you can get whatever decorations you want." Kaigaku nodded and walked inside the room. "Thank you. It's surprisingly spacious.."

  "It's no problem. We eat our meals in the dining room. Take a left at the next turn and head straight. You'll get there. If you need any help, let me know." Tanjiro spoke with warmth. Kaigaku just nodded his head and huffed. "Alright..I'll find my way."

  Tanjiro then walked away, yet Zenitsu stayed behind. Instead, he went up to his adoptive brother and presented the sword to him. "Here. I believe this is yours, Kai." Kaigaku widened his eyes and gently took the sword. "Thank you.." Zenitsu nodded and turned. "Please...make the right choice this time."

  Those last words rang in Kaigaku's head as Zenitsu walked away. He looked down at the symbol of shame in his hands. This was completely unbelievable. Why did Zenitsu still care for him? Why did he still want him? Kaigaku might never know the reason, but he had to accept it. He held the sword close to his chest. Maybe..just maybe...He could change.

  "I'm just goin' out to draw! I won't be too far!" Gyutaro hollered to Daki as he held onto the front door. A crude piece of paper, a pencil, and a brown bag were held in his clawed hands. "Just make sure to get home by dinner! Tanjiro's making something with venison."

  "Venison.." Gyutaro whispered to himself. "Haven't had that in a while..See ya in a while, Ume!" The spotted demon purred with warmth as he stepped outside. It had been three days since he last saw Kerido, so he was hoping he would see him soon.

  Fresh air hit the Uppermoon's face as he walked. The woods of Kaikoma mountain were just as beautiful in the daylight as it did during the night. Little rabbits and birds hopped from one place to another. Gyutaro treaded down the soil path to what he called "the perfect drawing spot."

  This spot was against an oak tree that let the sun shine down upon it. A beautiful creek flowed right below the boulder that gave Gyutaro the space to rest his legs. He headed to this spot and rested his back up against the tree. A soft sigh escaped him as he placed the bag beside him and started to put pencil to paper.

   Gyutaro remembered when he started drawing. One day when he was young, the poor boy found a piece of paper and a quill and ink that was left behind from one of Daki's clients. Instead of returning the items, Gyutaro decided to put it to good use. He curled up near the door and used a lamp as his source of light. The young man found a wall scroll that had a drawing of a traditional Japanese dragon. This was his muse.

  For the next few hours, Gyutaro drew the angry and energetic dragon. He made sure every shape was right. Every stroke of shading was accurate to the original tapestry. Surprisingly, this seemed to be his natural talent, but he wouldn't believe that. "Brother! Brother!" A young, human Ume waltzed into the house. She looked down at him and raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

  "I'm just drawing. I don't know how to write, but I thought I could try this." Gyutaro said as he put down the quill. Ume looked down upon the paper, scanning the ink dragon. "Wow...That's actually really good!" Gyutaro looked up at her and smiled. "You don't need to be nice. I know it's bad." Ume shook her head. "No! I mean it! It's great."

  A soft blush spread on Gyutaro's face. "Thank you." Despite saying this, he didn't believe her. Gyutaro didn't think that his drawings were any good. Yet, he still did it for fun. It was one of the few hobbies he had that brought him joy. So, that's why he was drawing now.

 

  Just like he did back then, Gyutaro chose to draw a traditional dragon. The magnificent creature was wandering the slope of an arctic mountain. It's serene expression contrasted the furious flames of the dragon he drew over a hundred years ago. Time ticked by as the half-demon put pencil to paper and let his imagination fly.

  Behind him, the bushes rustled quietly and the wind was misdirected ever so slightly. Pieces of tree bark fell to the ground as the leaves of the great oak shook and swayed. Despite this disturbance, Gyutaro was not disturbed. He was too deep in his mind to truly pay attention. So, the branches waved and wiggled behind the demon.

  Giant paws descended down the tree and hopped quietly from one branch to another. A rigid tail latched onto the lowest branch as the being swung himself on the branch. "RAWR!" The sudden sound startled Gyutaro, causing him to jump. He whirled around to see who the culprit was.

  "Oh wow! I didn't think that would work!" Kerido chuckled as he swung upside down. He swung himself upwards and grabbed the branch with his front paws. His lower paws landed on the ground with a loud thud and the manticore demon looked at the bewildered Kizuki. He chuckled nervously. "Heh..Sorry."

  Despite Kerido's surprise, there was no smudges on the drawing. Gyutaro stood up and dusted himself off. If this was anyone else, he probably would've grumbled and growled at them. However, he wasn't even ticked. In all actuality, Gyutaro had a large grin on his face. The only other two people that would've gotten away with this were Tanjiro and Ume.

  "Don't worry about it.* Gyutaro chuckled as he picked up the pencil and paper. "Just glad you came back. For a second, I didn't think ya were." Kerido shook his head as he walked up to him. "I always keep my promises. One of the few things I truly have is my word." Gyutaro flushed at the demon's hospitality.

  "So, how was your trip?" The Uppermoon asked, scratching the back of his neck. A wide grin appeared on Kerido's face. "Oh! It was amazing!" His tail wagged like a joyful puppy. "That blood you gave me let me go into towns! I finally got to talk to people!" Loud purring came from him which warmed Gyutaro's heart. "Oh! Speaking of which! I've got you something!"

  Gyutaro widened his eyes. "Really? You did?" Kerido nodded and went over to the great oak. He began to climb it once more. A knot in the lumber hid in the leaves near the top. That's where the manticore demon went.

  There, he pulled out two purple string bags. Kerido slid down the bark and hopped off the trunk. "Got it!" Kerido yelled as he hobbled over to Gyutaro, who had a shy grin on his face. "I really hope you like it!" The manticore demon handed one of the bags over to his friend. Undoing the strings, Gyutaro opened the stash and peered inside.

  Shimmering metal greeted him as Gyutaro yellow eyes stared at the various items. The first item he pulled out was a small, golden-colored dragon that had its body coiled up into a ball. Gyutaro smiled at the adorable tetsu. "He looks great. You really didn't have to do this, Kerido. Thank you."

  "Oh! But there's more!" Kerido's tail wagged as he pointed at the bag. Next up was a hawk's quil and a rather expensive ink bottle. Guess he must've had an inkling of Gyutaro's hobby. "One more thing!" Kerido took out the last item. It was a black bandana with green X's that covered the edges. Kerido folded it in half and took off Gyutaro's red cloth that hung around his neck.

  Then, the manticore demon tied the bandana around where the red cloth was, making Gyutaro blush rather harshly. "And...there!" Kerido stepped back and examined him. The bandana fit perfectly around Gyutaro's neck. "You look great!"

  Gyutaro put a clawed hand up to the bandana. The soft fabric felt almost euphoric against his fingers. A clear sign, to him at least, that this gift was rather expensive. He could feel himself tearing up over the thought. "Thank you...Thank you so much, Kerido."

  Kerido gave the Uppermoon a warm smile. "Of course! I love spoiling my buddies. I also got a little stuffed deer." He said as he shook the other bag. The manticore demon sighed as he went over to the edge of the cliff side. His paws slid against the rock as he sat down.

  He looked at Gyutaro's brown bag. "I'm guessing that must be your lunch?" Gyutaro chuckled as he gently grabbed the bag. "No..Far from it." He opened the bag and pulled out a soft, plush dragon. "I don't know why I bought it. I'm normally quite frugal, but...I guess he just caught my eye. Maybe it's to make up for my childhood,"

  Kerido smiled warmly at him and patted the ground next to him."So, how have you been? I know we've been sending letters, but there's only so much you can say on a piece of paper."

  Gyutaro chuckled as he took a seat next to the manticore. "Oh, I've been fine. Just taking care of my sister. She's a handful, but she's got a good spirit." He purred softly, scooting closer to the manticore's side.

  "You have a sister?" Kerido had a giddy grin on his face as his tail wagged excitedly. Gyutaro nodded, which made the manticore demon more excited. "That's great! I was an only child, so I don't have any siblings."

  "Did you have your parents to take care of you?" Gyutaro raised an eyebrow as he felt his stomach turn. He put his hand to his face and groaned. "Sorry. That was a rather personal question."

  Kerido seemed unaffected by the intimacy of the question. He raised his paws with a cheery grin on his face. "No, no. It's fine! I don't mind answering that." He looked off into the depths of the cliff. Running water rushed through the creek below them. "Truth be told, I did have a mom."

  "Was she a good mom? Hopefully she was better than mine." Gyutaro winced when he spoke. His muscles tensed as he recalled his past. He would never wish that fate on anyone.

  "She was a great mom." Kerido spoke in a soft voice. His paw gently grabbed Gyutaro's hand and lightly squeezed it. Gyutaro could feel his body warm up at the physical contact. Then, Kerido continued.

  "My father left us shortly after my mom gave birth to me. She was devastated, but she always tried her best to take care of me. We were huntsmen and we lived in a small, but very homey cabin that was near the edge of the woods. She taught me how to hunt, but also how to respect the balance in nature. My mom was my light. My comfort..."

  Kerido went silent. Something had shifted in him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A single tear ran down his face and a soft whimper escaped from him. "I'm sorry, Kerido. I shouldn't have asked." Gyutaro said quietly, feeling his heart sink like a weight.

  "No. Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." Kerido wiped his tear away and continued. "One day, my mother and I were attacked by a grizzly bear during one of our hunts. In fact, that's how I got my scar." He traced the mark on his face before continuing. "She tried to defend me as much as she could...Blood was everywhere and the bear tore into her. In the end, she was able to slay the bear, but I couldn't save her from her blood loss. From then on, I was alone."

  "Did anyone ever come by to help or to at least check up on you?" Gyutaro asked with an empathetic and soft voice. A voice that not many heard. His head tilted as he made a subtle wince.

  Kerido shook his head and gripped the earth beneath him. "No. There was a quaint village outside our woods, but they treated us like outsiders since we lived in the forest. Luckily, I had the skills to survive on my own."

  Gyutaro gritted his teeth and growled. "How dare they leave a child on his own. They left you alone for your whole life." His nails dug into the dirt. Then, he felt Kerido put a paw on his shoulder.

  "It's alright." Kerido smiled sweetly, then sighing quietly. "It really wasn't all that bad. They warmed up to me after a little while." His legs swayed back and forth as they hung from the cliff side.

  "Th-they did? How?! Most people that I've delt with never changed. They never cared if an innocent child suffered." A low hiss came from Gyutaro as he recalled the horror of his past.

  Kerido shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure why they did. Even though they hated me at first, I still tried to help them when I thought I should. A child wandered into my section of the woods one time. When I found him, the boy shook and cried from fear. Luckily, I was able to calm him down with some sweets. I took the child to his parents, which was rather quick, and they actually thanked me!"

  An epiphany snapped into Gyutaro's head. They had very similar lives. Neither one of them had much growing up. They had to raise themselves, but there was one key difference between them. A small one that turned them into the opposites they are.

  "Why did you treat them so kindly?" Gyutaro raised his eyebrow. "They didn't deserve your kindness, not after abandoning you."

  Kerido chuckled softly as he adjusted his kimono. "Because they're still people. Sure, they should've tried to understand me better, but they had their own lives to worry about. Besides, I would be just like them if I fought them."

  The anger Gyutaro felt melted away. He thought about the way he treated everyone around him. Sure, he needed to defend himself sometimes, but he didn't help himself by feeding into their monster allegations. He had fed into their fears and made it harder for anyone to come close. That outlook unfortunately affected his sister as well. Out of everything, he regretted that the most. "Did anyone keep you company? In your adulthood I mean."

  "There was one little ray of sunshine that helped me." Kerido smiled warmly as he looked off into the sky. His tail wagged as his thoughts shifted.

  Gyutaro tilted his head in a curious manner. "Who might that be?" He purred quietly as he looked at Kerido.

  "My son, Aino Musuko." His voice softened as he spoke his boy's name.

  Gyutaro's eyes widened with shock. "You have a son?! I had no idea you had a boy! When was this?"

  Kerido chuckled at the many questions the Uppermoon was asking him. "I do. Aino was a small boy who used to live in the town. He was ostracized because of a large birthmark that covered half of his face. I don't know why people hated it. He was fine just the way he was."

  Gyutaro blushed as he listened to Kerido. The manticore was clearly the fatherly type and it was also clear that he deeply cared about his pup. "What happened to him?"

  Kerido's tail and wings dropped as he sighed heavily. "When I turned into a demon, I had to leave him behind. I was lucky when I ate a deer instead of a human, but I didn't want to risk eating him. Even if I didn't, I figured that Muzan would try to go after me, and by extension Aino. I had to leave him. I had no choice."

 

  He remembered the moment quite clearly. A young boy in a dark purple and navy blue kimono walked up to the door of the cabin. A large birthmark that resembled a horrific burn covered the entirety of his left cheek and jaw. His short, black hair shone brightly in the moonlight. "Papa? Is that you?" His voice was soft in the night.

  Aino opened the door to see his once human father turned into a manticore-like beast. The boy widened his eyes and gasped. "Papa?" He shook and trembled as Kerido walked inside the cabin.

  "Hey there, my little fawn. It's alright. I'm still here." He spoke softly, but his voice shook.

  "Papa, what happened to you?" The boy asked as he clutched his kimono. Aino's eyes welled up with tears as he looked upon his father.

  "I-I...was turned into a monster.." Kerido's voice turned hoarse as he choked up. The moonlight now shone on the blood that covered Kerido's chest and jaws. "Please don't be scared...I'm not going to hurt you."

  The boy then burst into tears. Instead of fearing his father, he went up to him and hugged him. "Papa! Please tell me you're okay! I don't want you to die!"

  Kerido's eyes widened when the boy hugged him, but he wrapped his arms around him anyways. "I'm fine. I'm okay, but I need to make sure you'll be safe." He knew what he had to do.

  "What are you gonna do?" Aino looked up at him with teary eyes. His grip tightened on Kerido's kimono.

  "There's...only one thing I can do...Please forgive me." Kerido tried his hardest to stifle back tears. "I need to leave."

  "P-papa? But why? I don't want you to leave!" Aino squeezed Kerido's waist and squished his face into Kerido's belly. He sobbed as his father patted his head.

  "I don't want to either, but I don't want you to get hurt." He crouched down and picked up the small boy. "Do you remember what I've taught you?" The boy nodded as he wiped his tears. "Good. I know you'll be okay. Just remember everything I've taught you."

  "Am I ever going to see you again?" The boy sniffled as he laid his head on his father's shoulder. "I don't know. I'm just going to stay away until I get rid of this curse."

  Aino whimpered as Kerido set him down. "I love you, Papa. Please don't forget me" Tears finally ran down Kerido's cheeks. "I love you too, little fawn and I won't." With one last, tight hug, Aino watched as his father went to the cliffside. Kerido unfurled his wings and took off. The manticore's tears shone brightly in the moonlight as he flew away from the only family he had.

 

  Kerido's tears started to drip onto the soul beneath him. "I didn't want to leave him. He was everything to me." He wiped his eyes and whimpered softly.

  Gyutaro could feel his heart clench as he listened to the manticore. "I can't imagine how much that must've hurt. Becoming a demon...ruined your life."

  Kerido sniffed quietly before sighing. "I would say that." His tail just dropped and laid on the ground woefully. "Besides, there's nothing I can do about it. That stuffed dawn was meant for him, but I don't think I'll be able to give it to him." His head now hung low as sorrow overcame him.

  Gyutaro looked away, trying to figure out what he could do. His fingers tapped anxiously as he thought. Then, he remembered that Kerido's two problems had been resolved. Muzan has been replaced and half-demons don't have the animalistic bloodlust. "Why don't we...go visit him?"

  Kerido looked at him and tilted his head. "It's been about forty years..so he might still be alive." He then looked at the creek below him. "That doesn't matter. He probably hates me."

  Gyutaro sighed and rumbled emphatically. "I understand where you're coming from, but it sounded like he understood why you had to leave. You raised him, so I know he'll be understanding."

  Kerido still looked somber and defeated, so Gyutaro stood up and dusted himself off. "Come on. Life doesn't stop for anyone." He then offered his hand with a confident smile.

  With a small smile, Kerido took his hand. "You're right. If anything, I'll be happy to see him." Kerido turned around and unfurled his wings. Gyutaro grabbed his brown bag and Kerido's purple bag before he wrapped his arms around the manticore's chest and quickly climbed on his back. "Let's go!" Kerido roared as he jumped off the cliff side.

  The wind whipped at their faces as they flew through the skies. Gyutaro could hear the nervous rumbles that came from Kerido. He gently patted the manticore's back. "It's alright, big guy. He'll be really happy to see you."

  Kerido turned back and nodded before looking out at the serene sky. "I just miss him. I really hope he's doing okay." Gyutaro hugged Kerido from the back, trying to reassure him that everything will be alright.

  After half an hour of flying, Kerido swooped down onto the outskirts of a forest. A quiet, rudimentary town moved on to their right. Gyutaro could see an old, yet well kept cabin tucked away in the trees. A glowing light could be seen emitting from the windows. Someone was there.

  "Kerido...I think he's there. I think your son is alive." Gyutaro said after he slid off of Kerido's back. He placed his free hand on Kerido's shoulder. The manticore demon's wings shivered and trembled. His arms shook as his tail curled against his back.

  Kerido turned to look at Gyutaro with nervous eyes. "I-I don't think I can do this. He's gonna hate me! I know it!" His gigantic paws grasped his head as his breathing quickened.

  "Kerido...Kerido...KERIDO!" Gyutaro grasped the manticore demon's shoulders and shook him, causing Kerido to snap back to reality. "It's alright. He's not going to hate you." Gyutaro smiled at him. "The sooner you do this, the better."

  Kerido took a deep breath as he placed his paws on his hips. "You're right...You're right. I need to do this." With that, the manticore demon walked up to the cabin's door. He took another deep breath. "Alright, here I go."

  With a nervous paw, Kerido tenderly knocked on the door. He quickly backed away as he heard footsteps shuffle towards the door from the other side. Then, a man answered the door. A large birthmark covered his left cheek and his green eyes shone brightly. His messy black hair was tied up in a low bun. Aino had grown up.

  "Hey, little fawn." Kerido gave him a nervous smile as he outstretched his arms. "I'm home." Aino's eyes widened before covering his mouth with his hand. His body began to tremble as his eyes filled with tears. "Papa? Is that you?" His voice had grown as well, but was still soft. "Yes. It's me."

  Aino practically threw himself into Kerido's arms. "PAPA! I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD EVER SEE YOU AGAIN!" The young man sobbed into the manticore's chest. His arms were glued to Kerido's chest.

  Kerido grinned happily as he wrapped his massive arms around his boy. He spun him around and nuzzled his shoulder. "Me neither! I'm...I'm so glad to see you again." He sent his son on the ground before cupping his paws around his boy's face.

  "So, you did it! You removed the curse!" Aino's voice cracked with emotion. Kerido nodded as he wiped his son's tears away. "I did, but my friend was the one who truly helped me with that." The manticore demon turned his boy to face Gyutaro, who only smiled nervously.

  "Oh? So, you helped my father?" Aino walked up to the crooked demon. Gyutaro nodded, slinking backwards as he looking at the ground. The bags were clenched in his right hand. "Why, thank you, mister. I'm Aino."

  Aino outstretched his arm towards Gyutaro. The crooked demon looked up at the young man. "O-oh...I'm Gyutaro, Gyutaro Shabana." He timidly shook the man's hand with a weak smile.

Gyutaro then handed the purple bag over to Kerido. "I actually bought something for you. I didn't think I'd be able to give it to you, but I'm glad I'm able to." The manticore demon spoke softly as he handed the string bag over.

  Aino smiled warmly at his adoptive father as he opened the bag. Brown, fluffy fur poked out of the bag. The young man chuckled softly and he took out the stuffed fawn. "Just like my nickname." Aino hugged the deer close to his chest. "Thank you, Papa."

  Kerido grinned at his son before a small, female voice hit his pointed ears. "Daddy? Who is that?" A little girl in a magenta and pink kimono poked her head out from behind the door. She had long, hazel brown hair and purple eyes. However, the girl also had black spots that covered her body and face. Spots that resembled Gyutaro's.

  Aino laughed nervously as he went over to the girl. "It's alright, Kakusa. These people are just Daddy's friends." Kerido's wings fluttered with excitement as Gyutaro's jaw dropped.

  "I didn't know you had a daughter!" Kerido yipped excitedly. "Yeah...let's just say I followed in your footsteps, Papa. I had to give this precious baby the love she deserved." Aino said as he ruffled his adopted daughter's hair. The little girl looked straight at Kerido. "I have a grandpa?"

  Kerido walked over to them, tail wagging behind him, and raised his arms. "Yes, you do." He then looked at Aino. "May I hold her?"

  "Of course." Aino handed Kakusa over to his father. The manticore demon cradled the girl in his gigantic arms. Her purple eyes showed pure innocence and love. "Such a beautiful girl." Kerido spoke softly as he nuzzled her, causing her to giggle. "I wish I knew. If I did, I would've gotten you something too!"

  Gyutaro looked down at the brown bag he had when Kerido said that. Then, a realization hit his head. "Hang on, Kerido. I've got something." He hobbled over to the duo and handed Kakusa the bag. "There you go. I hope you like it."

  The little girl shuffled through the bag and pulled out the purple and red dragon. It's soft fur had various swirl patterns and small, fake gems covered its body. Kakusa's eyes widened with glee before she squeezed the dragon. "I love him! Thank you, mister!"

  Something in Gyutaro's heart melted when he heard her little squeal. "No problem. It was the least I could do." He gently rubbed her head. The black spots on her face stood out to him. Kakusa looked at him as well and tilted her head. "Hehe, look! We're the same!" She put a hand onto Gyutaro's facial spots, which melted his heart.

  "Yeah! You two really are alike!" Kerido grinned as Aino walked over. "I'm glad you two are being so nice to her. Kakusa doesn't really like her spots...no matter how many times I tell her that she's beautiful." Gyutaro felt his heart warm as he gently took the girl in his arms. "I know how that feels, so I'm glad that we're able to help."

  "Would you like to come inside for some tea?" Aino asked with a warm smile. "There's a lot we need to catch up on." Kerido nodded. He now felt fulfilled. "Of course!" Aino went to the door and led Gyutaro and Kakusa inside.

  However, he did stop Kerido at the door. "When you leave, do you plan on coming back?" Aino asked in a hushed tone. Kerido's expression softened, placing a paw on Aino's shoulder. "I will never leave you alone like I did back then. I'll visit as often as I can." With warm smiles and both in their hearts, Kerido and Aino hugged once more.

Author’s Note: I'm so sorry for going on a hiatus. My writer's block was awful and kept me from writing. Luckily, I was able to break through it and I wrote this emotional chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Also, I took some advice and I decided to properly space out the paragraphs in this! Also most of the dialogue will be associated with one character in each paragraph. Hopefully, this will make it easier to read.

#half-demon! tanjiro au #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer tanjiro #demon slayer zenitsu #kaigaku #demon slayer gyutaro #demon slayer oc #kny oc

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

IT’S MY 18th BIRTHDAY

MOTHERFUCKERS!

In all honesty, I’m scared for adulthood to come. I know it’s difficult and hard to deal with, but I’m going to try to make the best of it!

Thank you to everyone who’s been supporting me over these last few years I’ve been writing these fanfics now for quite some time and I know they’ve been a lot of work to make. I’ve made many lovely friends on here that will hopefully be with me for a long time. I plan to make my career about writing and you guys are giving me the confidence to do that. So…

Thank You~❤️

#half-demon! tanjiro au #silver talks #thank you sooo much for this #you mean a lot to me

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Thoughts on Hazbin Hotel Lute vore?

I can enjoy it! I mostly see her as a power prey to Adam, which is a hilarious concept to me. She’s a fighting goth girl with a lot of strength. I can even see her being a protective pred to another one of the angels! If you would like to request something with this, you can!

#comfort vore #safe vore #soft vore #vore writing #hazbin hotel vore

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Cuttteeee! I do have a protogen OC, but he’s more like a living, haunted fursuit than an actual protogen. His name is Stain!

A FELLOW FURRY!!!

YEESSS!! A black panther to be specific! I may have sharp, silver teeth, but I don’t bite.

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

His tail flicked nervously. What happened?

*Milo runs to hug Strifles. She’s crying cause she just had a nightmare and it really scared her*

Woah! Are you okay? The small pup hugged his friend tightly.

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

💌 send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. don't feel obligated to continue the chain!! I just wanted to let you know 💌

💙💙💙

Awww!! Thank you so much!!!

#silver talks

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

*Milo runs to hug Strifles. She’s crying cause she just had a nightmare and it really scared her*

Woah! Are you okay? The small pup hugged his friend tightly.

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

✨🩷🌙SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING ✨🩷🌙

#silver talks

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

A FELLOW FURRY!!!

YEESSS!! A black panther to be specific! I may have sharp, silver teeth, but I don’t bite.

#silver talks #furry #sfw furry #furry fandom

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

✨🩷🌙SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING ✨🩷🌙

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I honestly love all my Tumbkr moots!

#silver talks

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Hey Silver, I hope school is going well for you in your end. And that everything overall is going ok.

I’m okay, just a bit tired. I’ve had to add an extra class to my already busy schedule, but I’m making it work. I hope school is going well for you and I wish the best for you.

#silver talks

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Hey Silver, hope you're doing well since we don't interact much and I hope you have a great Valentine's Day of friendhip from me!

Happy late Valentine’s Day! Sorry for not responding. I’ve been busy. Once I finish up this next HDT chapter, I’ll use one of your previous asks to do your request!

#silver talks

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter Fifteen:

A Day Of Love

Warnings: None! It's just fluff!

Word Count: 5648

  Nezuko has noticed this for a long time. It had been on her mind for a while now and she wanted to help. Zenitsu has been crushing over her less and less as time went by. By the time that Tanjiro ran away and became the Demon King, Zenitsu's crushing had completely stopped.

  Don't get her wrong, they still were close friends, but their relationship was more platonic than anything else. She pondered about this knowledge while she was eating her breakfast. Tanjiro made miso soup and grilled fish for everyone, which was incredibly tasty. Rengoku's constant "UMAI" echoed through the dining hall. Luckily, it didn't bother anyone. Tanjiro and Zenitsu were conversing at the head of the table with cheerful smiles.

  Nezuko looked over at them. Inosuke-who was sitting next to her-was doing the same. "What's so interesting about them?" Inosuke asked, tilting his head. "I'm just thinking.." Nezuko spoke softly. "Do you really think that they're in love?" Inosuke shrugged. "I have no idea, but they have been more chatty!"

  Nezuko chuckled. "Maybe I could try to ask them?" Inosuke nodded, almost aggressively. "Oh! Oh! Can I help?  I've been so bored!" Nezuko smiled warmly at the boar. "Sure. I don't see why not." Inosuke punched the air. "Yes! Thanks, Tenako!"

  A few hours had passed and the two decided that Nezuko would approach Tanjiro and Inosuke would go up to Zenitsu. Nezuko had complete confidence in Inosuke, which some would consider to be naive. After cleaning up, Tanjiro went to his office to look through information about the cavern on the Humanoid island.  Nezuko walked up to the office door and tenderly knocked on it. "Hello? Big brother?"

  She heard some shuffling behind the door before her brother opened it. "Hello, Nezuko! Do you want something?" Tanjiro's soft, warm voice was a great comfort for her. "No. I just wanted to talk. Tanjiro nodded and stepped aside. "Sure. We can do that. I'm trying to look through some books, but we can talk for a bit."

  Nezuko walked in and Tanjiro shut the door behind her. The Demon King sat back down near his desk. Nezuko just sat right next to him and cuddled close. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Tanjiro asked with a tilt of his head.

  "I just wanted to ask how you've been feeling.  You tend to put a lot on your shoulders, so I just wanted to check up on you." Nezuko said with a bright smile. "I'm actually feeling okay today. It has been a few days since we visited the Humanoids. I guess the only thing I'm truly anxious about is when Jackyll will appear again." Tanjiro returned the grin.

  "Don't worry, big brother." Nezuko wrapped an arm around him. "When he does show his face, I know we can take him." Tanjiro looked at her with a soft expression and made a rather soothing rumble sound. "Thank you." Nezuko looked up at him, trying to think of how to get to the point.

  "You and Zenitsu have been rather close as of late." Nezuko could see soft, red blush appear on her brother's face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "I guess we have been talking a lot more than usual, huh?" Nezuko nodded eagerly. "He does seem to care a lot about you." Tanjiro's face only blushed more as he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah..I've noticed that he's pretty much stopped obsessing over you, but the same sweet scent is still there.."

  Nezuko scooted closer with a cheeky grin on her face. "Do you think he likes you instead?" Tanjiro's face was completely red at this point and he nervously laughed. "I doubt it. Not like that anyway." His voice seemed rather somber during that last sentence. Nezuko gently grabbed his hand. "Do you like him?"

  Tanjiro looked down at the floor, hesitating. "I guess you could say that. Yes, I do. I don't really know why, but I think it's because he brings me back down to reality." Nezuko put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "That's really sweet!" Tanjiro nodded, but he didn't look back up at her. In confusion, Nezuko tilted her head. "Are you ashamed to love him?"

  The Demon King shook his head. "No. That's not it." Nezuko was now more confused. "Then why do you seem so sad?" Soft winces came from Tanjiro. "I know that he doesn't feel the same. He loves you and I just have to accept that." Nezuko gently gripped Tanjiro's arm. "Don't say that. You never really know for sure until you ask him."

  Tanjiro just remained silent. He had no idea how to even approach Zenitsu. After all, he was almost one hundred percent sure that Zenitsu would never feel the same. Nezuko could read him like a book. "I know that you have your doubts, but the worst he can do is say no." Tanjiro looked up at her. "How about this..I can help you ask him! We can make it super romantic too! Would that be okay?"

  Tanjiro nodded slowly with a soft smile. "That would be great. Thank you, Nezuko." The Demon Princess nearly jumped on her brother and wrapped her arms around him. "Of course! You've done so much for me. It's only fair that I return the favor!" Tanjiro chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her as well.

  Inosuke marched around the castle, looking for Zenitsu. He has no idea on how to approach him, but he usually plays things by ear anyways. Snooping around, Inosuke peaks his head around a corner to see Zenitsu sitting outside. He was watching the birds flutter by. Puffing out his chest, Inosuke matched right up behind him.

  "Hey, Monitsu!" Zenitsu practically jumped out of his skin. He stumbled back, looking at the boat with both anger and surprise. "Why the hell would you just walk up behind me like that?!" Inosuke shrugged. "What's so wrong with that?" Zenitsu pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Nevermind. Just forget it. Why are you here anyway?"

  "Because you and Gaupachiro have been more buddy-buddy!" A slight blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as steam arose from him. "What do you mean? We've always been friends!" The boar nodded and crossed his arms. "You know what I mean! You've been talking to him a lot more. Are you his minion or something?"

  Embarrassed blush turned into pure disgust. "No! Of course I'm not his minion!" Inosuke tilted his head. "Then do ya like him then?" The blush returned to Zenitsu's face. "O-of course. He's m-my.." Zenitsu stopped himself. Inosuke leaned his head forward, trying to hear what Zenitsu was going to say.

  "Do ya love him?" The boar finally broke the silence. Zenitsu opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly shut it. He knew that it would've been a lie. "So what if I do? Boys can't love other boys." A confused grunt came from Inosuke. "Why not? No one's telling ya you can't!"

  Zenitsu only shook his head sadly. "You just don't get it, Inosuke." He turned to look at him. "Do you ever see any same sex couple?" The boar didn't even think about the question. "I see two boys and two girls all the time!" With a sigh, Zenitsu facepalmed. "I mean romantically.."

  His voice was now shaky as he only grew more frustrated. "Do I love Tanjiro? Yes I do.. just don't know if it's really possible for us to be together." Inosuke shook his head violently. "That's just some bullshit! No one's telling ya you can't and even if they were, who cares?! It's how you feel and you aren't hurting anyone!"

  Zenitsu's heart clenched when he heard Inosuke's words. He wanted to have the king. He wanted to love him. Zenitsu just had no idea on how to get there or if he should get there in the first place. "I just don't know, Inosuke..."

  "Trust me. No one is going to think any less of ya." The boar cackled. "I can help us get with him if you'd like!" A drop of cold sweat ran down Zenitsu's face as his lips trembled. "I dunno.." Inosuke stomped his foot. "Aw come on! I know you wanna!" Zenitsu closed his eyes, sighed, and relented. "Fine..Just don't go blabber about it."

  "Yes!" Inosuke practically jumped up and down. "Don't worry, Conjitsu! You won't regret this!" The boar ran off as he said this. Zenitsu just put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "I already am.."

  Inosuke cackled as he ran through the castle. The Shabana siblings walked past him on their way to Rui's room. They just stared at the crazed boar as he ran past them. Daki looked at her brother with a furrowed brow as if asking him, "What the fuck just happened?" Gyutaro just shrugged, shook his head, and walked with his sister.

  Shutting the door behind her, Nezuko stumbled out of Tanjiro's office with a big grin on her face. "Tenuko! Tenuko!" Inosuke ran to her like a bullet and skidded to a stop, nearly knocking her off her feet. Nezuko giggled as she tucked her hair back. "So, how did it go?" She tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

  "He does love him!" Inosuke yellsd, raising his arms. With quick thinking, Nezuko put a finger to her lips. The boar realized his mistake. "Sorry. Monitsu likes him." Nezuko's grin only grew wider. "Same with Tanjiro. He just didn't know if he liked him back." Inosuke nodded. "Yeah. Kenitsu is just worried about it being they're both boys. I don't get it."

  Nezuko only shrugged. Although, she did know and understood why he was afraid. So, Nezuko didn't tell Inosuke why he was afraid. "So, do you know what our next step is?" The boar nodded aggressively. "We gotta help them and push them!" Nezuko giggled as she felt her face warm up. "Yup! Now let's get started!" Inosuke punched the air. "Yay!"

  At first, Nezuko tried to get them to go on a picnic. Since their sensitive senses make it easy for them to get overstimulated, the forest would be the best option for them. It's a quiet atmosphere, beautiful to look at, and full of soft smells. So, what could be more perfect?

  "I hope that this will be okay." Tanjiro mumbled to himself as he was brushing a soy sauce glaze on some potato mochi. Nezuko looked around curiously at the assortment of food. Dorayaki, fresh peaches, rice crackers, and Japanese cheesecake filled the wicker basket on the counter. "I don't think you have much to worry about. That's a lot of food." Nezuko said with awe.

  Tanjiro chuckled softly. "You think so?" Nezuko turned to look at him, beaming with hope. "Absolutely! I knew that you would go above and beyond!" Soft, red blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "I just hope that he likes this." He put the mochi into a small container and placed it in the wicker basket. "I think he'll love it." Nezuko beamed at her brother. The Demon King returned the smile and picked up the wicker basket.

  "Alright. I'm off!" Tanjiro waved to her as he went towards the door. Waving back, Nezuko smiled gleefully. "Good luck, big brother. With that, Tanjiro slid the door shut and walked off into the forest. After a few minutes of waiting, Nezuko-with a wide grin-opened the door and followed his trail.

  A soft, fuzzy blanket covered the forest floor. Zenitsu sat down on the fluffy fabric, patiently waiting. Unbeknownst to him, Inosuke positioned himself near a large boulder in the shadowy bushes. Humming softly, Zenitsu bopped his head as he waited for his crush. Then, he heard soft footsteps heading towards them.

  "Hey, Zenitsu!" Tanjiro waved his free hand while he carried the wicker basket in the other. Zenitsu raised his hand to wave back. "Hi there, Tanjiro. Whatcha got there?" Tanjiro went up to the blanket and sat down across from Zenitsu. "Oh just some food." He proceeded to unpack all the food. Each plate was placed in between the two of them. Despite Tanjiro being a half-demon, Zenitsu was the only one who was salivating.

  "I hope this is alright." Tanjiro said shyly, fidgeting his hands. "This is more than alright! This is great!" Zenitsu gleefully squealed. A light blush spread across Tanjiro's face. "Thank you."

  As the two teens started to dig in, Nezuko finally managed to head over to Inosuke's shadowy spot. "So..what'd I miss?" Nezuko panted as she sat down, exhausted. "Nothing really. They have been really sweet though." Inosuke shrugged. "That's good." Nezuko then turned to the sky.

  "I'll be honest, Kenazo.." Inosuke started to say. Nezuko laid on against the rock and turned to look at him with curious eyes. "I don't really understand what's so different between how I feel about Gampachiro and how Monitsu feels about him. Monitsu said that I don't understand what it means and he's right..I really don't..so, what does it mean to like someone like that?"

  Nezuko put her hand to her chin, thinking. This was a really difficult question to answer. "That's really hard to explain. I guess the best way I can describe it is when you feel like you found the person or people who complete you. You don't judge each other for the harmless things you do and you are inseparable. There may be a few fights, but you will always end up on the other side together and loved. That's really the best way I can describe it."

  Inosuke looked at her with wonder and awe. He then looked at the forest ahead of them. Brittle leaves blew in the cold wind. Small chirps echoed through the forest as the sun shone down on them. "That does sound great.." Inosuke took the boar's head off and smiled. "I would love to have that." Nezuko's face turned pink as she saw Inosuke's giddy expression. "Don't worry. Everyone finds their match."

  Tanjiro definitely took more of a liking towards the rice crackers while Zenitsu showed that he definitely had a voracious appetite. Not that Tanjiro was complaining though. "Sorry, Tanji. I didn't have lunch today." Zenitsu spoke shyly. A few crumbs laid on his face. Tanjiro chuckled softly. "No need to be sorry. I made these foods with you in mind." Zenitsu smiled to himself. Then, his mind shifted to a question he had been meaning to ask him.

  "Hey Tanji?" Zenitsu looked up at the Demon King with puppy eyes. "Hm?" Tanjiro purred as he nibbled on a rice cracker. "I want to ask you something." Zenitsu ducked his head, shyly. Tanjiro wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Sure! I'm all ears."

  "What would you think if you saw two people of the same gender as a couple? Even married?" Zenitsu could feel his heart hurt as he asked this question. Despite Zenitsu's initial fear, Tanjiro only gave him a gentle smile. "I wouldn't think anything of it. They wouldn't be hurting anyone, so I don't see why it would be a problem."

  Zenitsu could feel a breath of relief escape from him. "Yeah..they wouldn't be hurting anyone." He spoke softly, looking at the forest next to them. There he saw a gorgeous white flower. Reaching out, Zenitsu plucked the flower and inspected it. "That flower looks beautiful." Tanjiro took notice of the plant and smiled. Zenitsu grinned at the flower. An idea popped in his head.

  Zenitsu scooted closer to Tanjiro and leaned towards him. "What are you doing, Zen?" Tanjiro asked, tilting his head. Before Tanjiro could even react, Zenitsu tucked the flower on top of the Demon King's left ear. A wide, nervous smile was plastered over Tanjiro's face as Zenitsu sat back down. "There.." His voice was soft with warmth.

  Tanjiro raised his hand and touched the flower, blush covering his cheeks. "Heh..Thank you, Zen." Zenitsu giggled nervously. "No problem. I just thought that it would match you pretty well." Luckily, Nezuko and Inosuke managed to see this. "Awww! Looks like things are going well!" Nezuko beamed as she watched them. Inosuke nodded in agreement. He looked to his right to see a big and shiny acorn. Picking it up, Inosuke observed the nut. Then, the boat turned to Nezuko.

  "Here." Inosuke handed the acorn to her. Nezuko was a bit surprised by it, but she gladly accepted the acorn. She immediately understood that was just how he expressed affection. "Why, thank you, Inosuke." The boat nodded. "No problem!"

  Shortly after that, Tanjiro and Zenitsu finished up their meal as the sun was setting. They quickly cleaned up the mess and Zenitsu even accidentally put his hand over Tanjiro's, which made both of them blush. After that, the pair started to head back home with Inosuke and Nezuko following far behind them.

  "You know.." Zenitsu spoke as he walked next to Tanjiro. "Despite being a half-demon, you're not that much different from when we first met. Not like that's a bad thing." Tanjiro gave a small smile. "I do think it's a bit strange, but I'm not complaining. As long as I still get to be with you guys, I'm happy." Zenitsu could feel his heart flutter. "I do want to ask you something, though. How have you been feeling? Tell me the truth. I need to know if you're doing okay or not."

  Tanjiro nodded, knowing what he was referring to. "I'm a bit stressed by all that's going on. The Humanoids were helpful, but I'm still worried about Jackyll.." Zenitsu quickly took the Demon King's hand and gently squeezed it. "Hey, it's okay. Everything will be okay." Tanjiro gently smiled at Zenitsu. "You shouldn't have to carry so much weight on your shoulders, Tanjiro." Zenitsu hugged the Demon King tightly, which he gladly returned.

  "It's alright, Zen. I'll be okay. I'm just glad me got to do this." Tanjiro thought for a second. "Oh! I have something I want to show you." He bent down to the ground and placed his hand on the ground. The earth shook below them, which almost made Zenitsu trip. Soil cracked underneath Tanjiro's hand and water seeped through it. The water rose into the air and floated around Tanjiro. "Watch this." Tanjiro grinned, reaching his arms out.

  Water swirled and flowed around the Demon King. It danced and moved with grace and beauty. Stunning would be how Zenitsu would describe it. Droplets glistened in the fresh moonlight. It all felt so magical and soothing. The even came to a head when the water rushed towards Tanjiro's back and shaped itself into six, beautiful wings. Tanjiro clenched his left fist and the wings burst into solar flames.

  Zenitsu's jaw dropped as the glowing orange flames shone upon him. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at the most beautiful scene he'd ever seen. "You're..an angel." He spoke quietly. Tanjiro's face flushed at Zenitsu's compliment. "Th-thank you. I can't fly with them, but they're pretty neat. Don't you think?" Zenitsu. "I do..I really do."

  The second trial was rather simple. Both Tanjiro and Zenitsu would meet up in a certain room in the Infinity Castle. Nakime had created a room where celebrations and festivities could be help. Some of the half-demons had bought or brought various items and instruments to fill the room. Both Nakime and Zenitsu brought in some biwas and kotos for the room. Kyogai brought various drums of many kinds and Giyuu bought a gorgeous grand piano and music books as a gift for the kingdom. Safe to say, there were many ways to entertain themselves.

  "Oh! I can't wait!" Zenitsu was giddy with excitement. "Maybe we could see if you can play one of the instruments!" Tanjiro chuckled nervously. "I doubt it. I know I can't sing that well, so I probably won't do well with the other instruments." Zenitsu turned to look at him. "Don't syke yourself just yet, Tanji. We just need to try it." Tanjiro nodded, agreeing with him.

  Nezuko and Inosuke were already in the room. Except, they were resting in the rafters. "This was actually a rather clever idea, Inosuke." Nezuko grinned as she sat on a thick piece of wood. Inosuke cackled as he climbed on the rafters. "Yeah! I've been used to climbing up on these things for years! They're great for surprising people."

  The sound of the sliding door alerted them. Nezuko put a finger to her lips to tell Inosuke to be quiet. Then, Tanjiro and Zenitsu walked in. "So, what would you like to do?" Tanjiro asked the blonde. "I dunno..hmmm.." Zenitsu hummed as he scanned the room. He laid his eyes on the gorgeous grand piano. "Let's try that out!"

  Both teens went over to the piano and took a seat on the piano bench. Zenitsu immediately scooted up close to Tanjiro, soaking in his warmth. "Do you know how to play this?" Zenitsu asked, looking up at Tanjiro. The Demon King just shook his head. "That's okay. I can teach ya." Zenitsu sat up and pointed at the center key. "This is the middle C note. It's the base for hand placement." He opened one of the music books on the music desk and pointed to where the C note was on the stanza. "This is the C note itself. When you see this in the stanza, you press that key."

  Tanjiro did as Zenitsu said. He pressed down on the key, which released a sweet, whole note. "Good! Very good!" Zenitsu beamed at Tanjiro, who looked excited. He then taught him about the different types of basic notes and where they lie in the stanza. "Of course, that's just be basics. Would you like to try to play something?"

  "I could try." Tanjiro shyly nodded. Zenitsu stood up and grabbed one of the music books. He flipped through it, trying to look for a simple song. "Aha! Found one!" Zenitsu placed the book back in front of Tanjiro. The pages spoke of a soft and gentle melody. It perfectly suited Tanjiro. "I think you'll like this one."

  Tanjiro then lowered his hands down on the keyboard. The melody was slow, but it did need soft and hard presses during certain parts. The Demon King played with surprisingly good accuracy, but the one thing that surprised Zenitsu most was that Tanjiro understood when to press gently and when to press hard. The piano was a natural fit for him and he played it like a prodigy.

  Zenitsu watched him with awe as he played. "Maybe I could use this to help him sing better." Zenitsu thought to himself. The music flowed through the entire room. Nezuko listened intently, even going as far as to him along with it. Even Inosuke was entranced by the heavenly melody.

  Once Tanjiro was done playing, he turned to look at Zenitsu. "I hope that was okay." He smiled shyly. Zenitsu couldn't control his excitement and grinned at him. "That was amazing! Most people can't perform simple melodies until they have a few weeks of practice!" Tanjiro felt his face heat up with warmth and love. Then, Zenitsu had an idea.

  He flipped through the music book and found another simple, lyricless melody. "Trying playing that. I have an idea." With no rebuttal, Tanjiro started to play the song. Tapping his finger, Zenitsu hummed along with the song until he thought of a few words.

  "Don't you see what you're doing to me? I long to hold you, to sing to you, but I fear that I'm doing something wrong. Your loving sound soothes me, warms me. I want to feel your warmth. Please tell me...please tell me why I'm falling for you. Can I truly have you? If it means that you'd get scorned, then I'll keep it to myself. Yet, I know that you don't mind. So would this be a mercy or a curse?"

  Zenitsu's voice meshed into the melody to create a beautiful tune. Both teens were phenomenal in their art. It even drove Nezuko to tears. While Tanjiro didn't know what Zenitsu's lyrics meant, Nezuko understood his pain perfectly. She perfectly understood the words of his song. Even Inosuke understood what Zenitsu was saying.

  Soon, the melody finished. Tanjiro turned to look at Zenitsu once more. "Wow.." He spoke softly. "You have a really pretty voice, Zen." Zenitsu's face immediately turned red. "Hehe, thanks. That..means a lot to me." He looked at the music then back at Tanjiro. "Could we..play again sometime?" Tanjiro nodded energetically. "Of course! I would love that!"

  Soon, Valentine's Day came and Nezuko knew that this day needed to be taken advantage of.this special day. Earlier that day, she had gone to the market and bought a bouquet of colorful roses. She had told Inosuke about her plans to make sure that he would be on board. Of course, the boar was incredibly excited and ran off to rangle Zenitsu.

  "So...Big brother, I think today should be the day!" Nezuko waddled into his office with the bouquet in her arms. Tanjiro was sitting down in the center of the room. His head rested in his hands and his breathing was shaky. "I'm not sure, Nezuko. I don't know if he really loves me like that.."

  Nezuko scooted up to his side and she wrapped her free arm around his. "I know you're scared, but I promise you that he does. I really do think it will work out for you two." Tanjiro nodded slowly, but still looked somber. It didn't really seem to convince him. Nezuko turned so that she was sitting in front of him. "Tanjiro, I know you're scared, but you will regret it even more if you don't speak your mind. Even if he doesn't feel the same, I know you will find someone. Do this so that you'll know if he's the right one. Remember, the worst he can do is to say no, okay?"

  Tanjiro nodded, a bright smile forming on his face. "Yeah..that is the worst that can happen." He stood up, put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. "Alright..I think I'm ready!" Nezuko jumped up in excitement. "I can't wait! So..Where are you planning to do this?" Tanjiro thought for a moment. "On the pathway that goes into town. Specifically, near the large limestone under the cherry blossom tree. I'll be there at sunset." Nezuko gave him two thumbs up. "That sounds great! Really romantic too!"

  She handed her brother the flowers and quickly ushered him out the door. "Now go! Sunset is in half an hour!" Tanjiro laughed. "Okay! Okay! I'm going!" The Demon King then took off, running down the dirt pathway. Blue was slowly fading from the sky, turning into a beautiful gold. Nezuko ran into the woods and chose to hide behind a bush. "Alright Inosuke..We don't have much time."

  "Inosuke please.." Zenitsu huffed irritably as he shut the lid on the grand piano. His back was towards the boar and his breathing was heavy. "There's no way that he'll be willing to date me. I'm a boy, not a girl." Angry steam came from Inosuke's boar mask. "Oh come on! You don't know that!" With a snap, Zenitsu whirled around to look at him. "Yes I do! Most people aren't like this! I..I.." He turned away once more. "I just don't know what to do..."

  Inosuke crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Look, I don't get why it's such a big deal. You love him. That's all that matters." No answer came from Zenitsu. Inosuke growled and stomped his feet. "Look! You don't know how he feels about you! It's not wrong to like other boys, even if others tell you it is! You'll never be happy until you say somethin'! So quit your whining and talk to him!"

  Zenitsu nearly jumped out of his skin. "Inosuke.." The boar shook his head aggressively. "One chance. That's all ya got. If you waste it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Zenitsu slowly and fearfully nodded. "Are you really sure that this will work?" Inosuke raised his fist in the air. "Of course I do! You'll never know until you try it!" A small smile appeared on Zenitsu's face. "Alright. Let's see."

  Matsuemon flew right into the celebration room and landed on top of Zenitsu's shoulder, much to his dismay. "Caw! Caw! Lord Tanjiro wants to see you, Zenitsu! Caw! By the boulder near the cherry blossom tree! At sunset!" Zenitsu looked at the crow with wide eyes. "What for?" The crow just fluttered his wings. "Don't know! Caw!" Then, the crow just flew away.

  "You better hurry, Monitsu!" Inosuke jumped with excitement. Zenitsu nodded and headed towards the door. "Alright. See you later, Inosuke." Shutting the door behind him, Zenitsu walked with a steady pace to the outside. Inosuke waited a few minutes before leaving himself. Once he felt like enough time passed, the boat ran through the hallways of the Infinity Castle.

  Inosuke leaped out of the front door and landed on the dirt road. "Aha!" He turned towards the bush and Nezuko popped her head up. "Tenako! Tenako!" He ran over towards her. "I think I helped Kenifsu!" Nezuko smiled at him warmly and pet the top of his head. "You did a great job, Inosuke!" Heat rose in Inosuke's face as she said this. "Hehehe..Thanks."

  Golden colors filled the sky now as the sun was setting. Nezuko turned to look at the horizon. "We gotta go, otherwise we're going to miss it." Inosuke nodded and Nezuko took his hand, making his face turn red under the mask. Together, both of them ran off towards the path that Tanjiro took.

  Out of all of them, Zenitsu was the first one to get there. This was probably because he was the fastest. There, he stood by the large boulder, waiting. Ruffles from the bushes caught his attention. "Hmm?" Zenitsu hummed to himself. Ultimately, he just ignored the sound. Behind the bush, Inosuke and Nezuko took shelter from watching eyes. Nezuko put her finger to her lips.

  Then, soft footsteps could be heard sliding against the harsh soil. "Look! Look!" Inosuke whispered, pointing at Tanjiro as he was walking down the hill. Zenitsu widened his eyes as he looked upon the Demon King. The flowers were what mostly caught his attention. Was Tanjiro about to do what he thinks he's doing?

  "It's about to happen!" Nezuko squealed quietly as she grabbed Inosuke's arm. A deep breath came from the king before walking down the hill. Light blush appeared on Zenitsu's face as his body tensed up. Tanjiro now stood in front of Zenitsu, flowers in hand.

  "Zenitsu, I have to tell you something." Tanjiro nervously smiled as he shuffled his feet. The realization of the moment hit Zenitsu and it made him want to cry. Nezuko and Inosuke huddled together in anticipation.

  "Zenitsu..Ever since I came back, you've stuck to my side. I didn't realize how much I mean to you until the night that you helped me sleep. That night..I realized something. I realized that you also mean a lot to me. In a way, we both help each other. We may fight sometimes, but we both stick together in the end.."Tanjiro sighs. "What I'm trying to say is that I love you. Not like a friend, but like a partner. I know that not many people get together with others of the same gender, but that doesn't change how I feel. I do hope that you feel the same, but I understand if you don't."

  Tanjiro looked like an adorable, innocent puppy, desperately hoping that the affection would be returned. Zenitsu looked at him with teary eyes, but he managed to hold back the tears. At least for now. "Tanjiro..I DO feel the same! I know it didn't seem like it, but that was just because I was scared. I was just so worried that you would see me as a weirdo for loving you. You were right. It really is just harmless and you know what?" Zenitsu ran up to the Demon King. "Who cares what they think?! I love you and that's all that matters!"

  Wrapping his free arm around Zenitsu, Tanjiro's voice started to shake and crumble. "S..so..do you..want to be my boyfriend?" With eyes full of tears, Zenitsu practically threw himself into Tanjiro's chest. "Of course I do!" Tanjiro wrapped both arms around Zenitsu-still holding onto the flowers-and swung him around, laughing.

  "YES!" Nezuko and Inosuke cheered with excitement. The newly formed couple look at the look and both partners gave them a smug grin. "We knew you were here, ya know?" Zenitsu furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait! You knew we were here?!" Inosuke tilted his head. "How?" Nezuko asked. Tanjiro pointed at his nose while Zenitsu pointed at one of his ears. "Hyper-senses."

  "Right.." Both Nezuko and Inosuke chuckled. Tanjiro turned back to Zenitsu and the both of them finally shared a kiss. Nezuko and Inosuke cheered for their friends. "I'm so happy for them." Nezuko said softly, turning to Inosuke. "You know, you're a great friend, Inosuke." The boar lifted up his mask and smiled warmly at her. "Thanks..You're pretty great too!"

  Then, to Inosuke's surprise, Nezuko kissed him on the cheek. The boat's face immediately turned as red as a tomato. "Heh, are you okay?" Nezuko asked shyly. "Y-yeah! I-I'm more than okay!" Inosuke hugged Nezuko tightly and they both laughed happily. For today was a day of love. Love of all kinds!

 

 

Author's Note: Happy, late, Valentine's Day! I'm so happy that this chapter finally came out and I hope you guys love it too! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!

#half-demon! tanjiro au #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer tanjiro #demon slayer zenitsu #demon slayer inosuke #demon slayer nezuko #tanzen #zentan #inonezu

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

The Animagus Virus

(A MLP Infection AU)

After their latest concert in Canterlot, Vinyl and Octavia have to head back home to Ponyville. However, the Friendship Express wouldn’t take them home. The conductor told them that Ponyville was shut down. Not willing to be deterred, both of the musicians simply decide to walk back home.

Luckily, they know their way back since Canterlot isn’t too far from Ponyville, so it only took a few hours. When they got back however, everything was deserted. No life echoed in the town, sending chills down their spines. Trembling, both Octavia and Vinyl went up to Twilight’s castle to seek answers.

Octavia knocked on the door, calling for the princess of friendship. Somepony did respond and creaked the door open, but it wasn’t the pony they were looking for. Starlight peered out from the other side. Darkness made it hard to get a good look at her. Both of the musicians sigh, but their comfort didn’t last long.

Starlight flung the door open and as the light shines on her, Vinyl and Octavia realized that something was wrong. The unicorn has a long, black grin on her face and her eyes are sunken in. Her hooves were cracked and broken which made them look like long, sharp claws. Strangely, she walked on her back legs, not on all fours.

She immediately rushed towards them, swinging her long limbs. The musicians ran away from the twisted pony. Eventually, Starlight exhausted herself and headed back to her territory. Octavia and Vinyl found themselves in a state of panic and confusion. Luckily, they found a letter meant for Fluttershy right outside of her cottage.

In that letter, Pinkie wrote to her girlfriend and tells her that she hopes that she can hang in there until Twilight can finish making a cure. It tells them that there has been an infection going around and Ponyville is in quarantine. The virus is known as the Animagus virus.

The Crystal Empire was the safest place to go, so they knew what they had to do. Octavia and Vinyl carefully gathered supplies and embarked on a long and dangerous journey. Shortly into their journey, Vinyl heard the whimpering of a filly in agony. Cautiously, She shuffled through the bushes to find the pained pony.

There she found Scootaloo, whimpering and crying in pain. She was clearly infected, but she strangely wasn’t aggressive. Vinyl and Octavia debated on taking her alone with them. Octavia was scared that she might infect one of them, while Vinyl knew that she wouldn’t attack and wanted to take her to help her.

They decided to take her with. Bandages covered the filly’s body as she rested on Vinyl’s back. Scootaloo clutched onto them, hoping that they can get her to safety. What dangers will they encounter next? What even is this virus and how does it work? Most importantly, can they get to the Crystal Empire before Scootaloo’s body gives up fighting?

If you guys like this concept, I can definitely do more with this infection AU! Let me know if you want more of this!

#mlp g4 #mlp fim #mlp creepypasta #mlp #mlp infection au #mlp virus #mlp vinyl scratch #mlp octavia #octascratch #mlp scootaloo #scootaloo #my baby is infected!!

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Half-Demon! Tanjiro AU

Chapter 14:

Doctor’s Notes

Warnings: Discussions of mental health, child abuse, and mental breakdowns

Word Count: 3167

11/27/1923 - First Thoughts

Tomorrow, I will start my therapy sessions with the demons, well now "half-demons." Through careful planning, I've decided to interview Rui first. Reason being that he's a child demon. I don't really hold much animosity towards him since he was probably manipulated by the former king, Muzan Kibutsuji.

In all honesty, I'm not too eager for these sessions. It's not that I think they'll attack me. If they do, I've got my sword always on my hip, so I'll always be ready. No, that's not why. In reality, I just don't believe that they can change. They've eaten humans, so they've tasted blood before. I have no doubt that they'll be hunting for every opportunity to taste blood again. I can understand why Nezuko would be considered redeemed, but these other demons..I don't know.

The only reason why I agreed to this is because I know Tanjiro needs all the help he needs right now. He's stressed out and my disapproval will only make it worse. There are so many odds against him..I just feel like he could use a break. Besides, maybe some good could come out of this. That's what she would've wanted...

Anyways, tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. I'll keep logging in this journal after every session. For now though, I need to get some rest. Let's hope for the best.

Shinobu Kocho

11/28/1923 - My First Session With Rui

When the spider demon walked into my office today, he looked petrified. I immediately crouched down and asked him why. He said that he thought he was going to be scrutinized or even killed. I didn't know that I scared him that badly. Luckily with some quick reassurance, we were able to continue the session.

The first thing I noticed about the pup was that he looked like he was never satisfied with how things were. Specifically, his kimono. Rui constantly adjusted it, even though it fit him just fine. He also adjusted the soft pad I had him sit on. When I asked him why he did what he did, he told me that "it just didn't feel right." He said that he knew that everything was neat, but something told him that it didn't fit right. This was the first piece of his puzzle.

Next, we took a trip down memory lane. I asked him about his life as a human. This was simple enough. He told me that he had two loving parents, but an incredibly weak body. It was so weak that taking a few steps would exhaust him. That's why Muzan came to him. In a way, I can understand why he would accept his offer. As a doctor, I know that he would've only lasted a few more years if he wasn't converted.

Then, he started to grow upset. Rui told me that his parents tried to kill him because of what he was doing to others - eating people - but they were also going to kill themselves to join him. He didn't realize that and killed them in self defense. It all became clear.

Rui wanted to create a family so he could have a loving relationship once more. I unfortunately can relate to that. Wanting your family back after a terrible accident..One thing threw me off though. Rui was incredibly peculiar about the roles of the family. He even went as far as to plan our roles for the siblings, despite not having any siblings himself. Not to mention, the way he described his parents made it seem like they fit in the traditional roles.

When I asked him about this, he said that "If the family didn't work that way, everything would turn to ruin." He seems like he didn't want everything to fall apart again. As I observed him, I noticed that he felt like terrible things would happen if he didn't do something in a specific way every single time. He told me that he always counted to thirty seconds when he's washing his hands. Rui also told me that if things were organized chaotically, the day would be disastrous.

Furthermore, I can tell that all this change is stressing him out. He interchangeably grasps his hands together, showing that he's clearly nervous and upset. I know that a part of the stress was being interviewed by a Hashira, but the other problem was definitely the changes. As of recently though, there has been a discovery in this field that these traits perfectly fit.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD seems to be what the pup has. His past of having a feeble body makes it worse. With all the pieces I had, I tried to give him some advice. Since his anxiety seems to be incredibly high, I told him that he should try to rest in the small meadow outside the Infinity Castle. The light from the sun will help to soothe him and going or even playing outside might give him the confidence he needs.

Another thing that was necessary to be aware of were his intrusive thoughts. I told him to be aware of the meanings he's assigning to these thoughts. Rui seems to know that these thoughts are distracting, which is a step forward. So, I told him that he needs to disconnect the meaning behind the thoughts. That's the first step to stopping the compulsions.

Looking back on this, I forgot that Rui was a half-demon when we were talking about his OCD. He talked to me like a human child, not a bloodthirsty monster. The pup was genuinely afraid and somber. Nothing about him showed that he was faking his emotions. For the first session, it surprisingly went well. I know that the others won't be easy, but I do hope that they decide to come in.

Shinobu Kocho

11/30/1923 - The Shabana Siblings

Today, two demon siblings came in upon Tanjiro's request. They were the two Uppermost Six demons, Daki and Gyutaro Shabana. I had asked Uzui about them before this session. Despite of what happened at the Entertainment District, he seemed rather nonchalant about them. He did say that they did have a high temper, so I kept my sword at the ready.

What I got were two calm, yet protective siblings. I guess Tanjiro had worked his magic on them. He must've warmed them slightly, enough to have them discuss their pasts. Speaking of which...

I did not expect the Entertainment District to be that hellish. Tengen has told me before that the place was one of the worst places imaginable, but I didn't grasp the full picture until now. Their story was horrific and it was hard not to feel sympathy for them. Everyone left or beat them....strangers, colleagues, even their parents. All they had was each other.

Once again, I felt myself relating to my patients. I even imagined myself in their shoes. What if my sister and I had been abandoned by everyone? What if we were shunned by everyone who should've shown us kindness? What if the only being that showed us grace..was a demon? Would we end up the same? Was this how Kanao felt?

I didn't expect to feel this way, but I still had a job to fulfill. When they finished their narrative, I asked them how they felt now. Gyutaro seemed to be more at ease with himself. He even said that he made friends with a demon named Kerido. From the look of it though, he seems to feel a stronger affection towards the demon.

Daki, on the other hand, seems to be unsure of who she is. I would say that she was immature for her age, but she was converted at thirteen, so it made sense. I will say though, she has my type of humor. A few chuckles came from me when she started teasing her brother. Very unprofessional, I know. I just couldn't help myself.

After their session, they did seem to be at ease. Maybe having someone to talk to made them feel better. I wish I could do the same...Once again, another strange, calm session. I know it won't be like this forever, so I'm still prepared. Tanjiro telepathically spoke to me a few hours after the session, which felt odd. He told me that the Hantengu clones would be coming in the next few days. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I'm prepared for whatever is in store.

Shinobu Kocho

12/05/1923 - The Hantengu Clones

They all arrived at once, which overwhelmed me at first. Luckily, I was able to organize it rather quickly. I decided to interview them from who I suspected to be the easiest to the most difficult. So, Karaku, the clone of pleasure, was the best choice.

One thing I should add is that I actually had Mitsuri's help with these sessions. She discovered her Blood Demon Art yesterday and we both thought it would be rather useful. Basically, she can create a mist from her heart-shaped marks that soothes everyone who's around her. With no surprise, she came to me and offered her help. I am glad that I'm not the only one who's willing to help with this project.

Karaku wasn't really difficult to work with. He had a rather relaxed personality, which was nice. There was a strange oddity about his past though. He didn't remember hardly anything about his childhood, nor about the crimes that Hantengu had committed during his human life. He vaguely remembered stealing, I guess it gave him some pleasure. Most of his memories come from his teen years and his demon years. This just struck me as odd when we talked.

Another oddity that came up was that Karaku wasn't just his particular emotion. He had a whole personality! Karaku is a very relaxed, laid back, and oddly flirty character, but he's also lazy, slightly whiny, and prideful. I was expecting him to just represent his emotion and that was it, but I got more than I expected. So, I kept my eyes open while having the sessions with the other clones.

Urogi, the clone of joy, was up next. He was surprisingly sweet and, not so surprisingly, hyper. While we were talking, the bird demon couldn't sit still. He rocked back and forth at times and messed with the objects surrounding him at other times. To most people, this may seem like he doesn't care about what your saying. I, on the other hand, beg to differ. Reason being is because when I confronted him about it, he looked rather upset and disappointed in himself. He apologized profusely for it. Clearly, he's been scolded for it before.

Now for what he may have? I do have an idea. A while ago, I remember reading a paper that was written by a British pediatrician in 1902. There, he described an occurrence in certain children that resulted in difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and hyperactivity. Despite this, the children were still shown to be intelligent. Therefore in my mind, he should not be treated unfairly for his behavior.

Similar to Karaku, he doesn't remember anything from Hantengu's childhood. Instead, Urogi remembers games he played with his friends during his teen years. However, most of his memories are of his demon life. As I expected, Urogi never took any of the fights he had to deal with seriously. He just wanted to play games and have fun. I can understand that.

Along with that, Urogi also mentioned that there has been tension amongst his "brothers", which is how he refers to the clones. When I questioned him, Urogi said that the transformation into Zohakuten is extremely painful, both physically and mentally. During that time, all the clones are flooded with terrible hatred and vague memories of people's wrath.

He told me that Sekido was the one who initiated the transformation. However, Urogi said he understood why Sekido did it, but he wished that they could talk about it. I hope that I can help them with their tension. None of us want them to be torn apart.... It reminds me of someone.

Anyway, I managed to cheer him up by the end-which wasn't hard-and he left with a wide smile on his face. Now I didn't need to have Mitsuri use her abilities for the first two clones, but..we did have to use it for the next clone. Aizetsu, the clone of sorrow, walked in with an emotionally tired expression. I'll be honest. The first time I saw him, I did feel rather sympathetic for him.

This session brought so many pieces to the puzzle. Unlike the other clones, he remembered Hantengu's childhood. Aizetsu spoke softly as he told me the many horror stories from his childhood.

To say that I was sickening would be an understatement. According to Aizetsu, Hentengu lived in a single parent household. That parent being his cruel father. He was an alcoholic, short-tempered man who frequently beat his son whenever he didn't get his way. Hantengu's father threw away any toy that annoyed him and often kept him locked up inside for weeks as "punishment". Dragging his son by the hair, Hantengu's father often convicted him that he was narcissistic for forgetting simple things or didn't do things his way.

Aizetsu trembled as he spoke of fear and sorrow. He remembered craving love and he never received it. His mother was never there, his father was abusive, and he never had any friends. Hantengu feared for his life for he was too weak at the time to do anything about it. That was when Aizetsu broke.

He began to sob into his hands as he recalled all the pain he went through. I immediately tried to soothe him with breathing tactics. This did virtually nothing as he only sobbed harder. Backup was needed. Mitsuri released the mist from her marks. I held his hands as he breathed in the mist.

Just like how Mitsuri described it, Aizetsu was slowly soothed. He wiped away his tears as his breathing slowly regained normality. As his therapist, I had to help him. With a soft voice, I told him that he doesn't have to worry anymore. No one will hurt him here. He was safe.

Aizetsu smiled at me as he listened. He told me that he was never really a fighter. Whenever they were called for battle, he never wanted to actually hurt anyone. Honestly, I can see that. The way he acts is incredibly gentle and soft. I wasn't surprised by any of this news. However, he did confirm what Urogi was saying, except he felt the pain on a much larger scale.

I'm not going to lie. I was rather tense as I called Sekido, the clone of anger, into the office. I was apprehensive from the very beginning, but the fact that Zohakuten causes so much pain on his brothers makes me distrustful of him. However, I'm his therapist, so I have to be open minded.

The session started out calmly enough. He answered my basic questions with no attitude or ill-temper. Then..I asked him about his past. That's when his temper began to rise. Sekido cursed about his father. White Aizetsu's memories were more in the moment, Sekido's memories were the vengeful aftermath. He spoke with pure hate for that man. I can't say I blame him..

When Hentengu grew into his early teen years, he began resisting against his father's beatings. Sekido came to tear this man apart. That was his first murder. This might sound cruel to say, but I would've done the same. This is where things took an even darker turn.

Sekido was the only clone that remembered the murders. He told me that he needed to kill those people to protect Hantengu. They made him feel weak. They made him feel used. However, this was when he lost his temper.

He rose up from his seat and roared with fury. Sekido vented about how much pain he and his brothers went through and cursed us for trying to kill them. One line in particular stuck with me. "How dare you assume that we're monsters when you don't even bother to understand why we are the way we are?!" This not only applies to us, but it also applied to his father as well.

Mitsuri released her mist to quickly calm him down. With the mist and some affirmation, Sekido calmed down and we resumed the session. He apologized for losing his temper and explained that he's been apprehensive from the very beginning. With all this information, I've come to a shocking revelation.

The clones are Hantengu's different personalities. They each have selective memories and they seemed to be formed for certain purposes. Urogi and Karaku were meant to help Hantengu be happy with no guilt or fear behind his eyes. Aizetsu internalizes all the guilt and suffering that his father inflicted on him. Sekido was the source of protection and a defense mechanism.

This man was deeply wounded as a child. I'm not trying to excuse what he did, but he really was unaware of his actions until it was too late. It really was his hands that killed those people. With the selective memory, I can understand why Sekido killed them. He thought that they were trying to attack him and his brothers. In that way, I can understand him..I can relate to him.

Shinobu Kocho

12/06/1923 - Final Thoughts For Now

I don't know what to feel anymore. In all honesty, I expected to roll my eyes at their stories. I thought they would prove themselves to be the monsters I thought they were. What I found though were stories more human than I could ever imagine. I found myself relating to them, which scared me at first. However, I have come to acknowledge the truth of the situation.

We demon slayers were hurt by demons. Therefore, we hurt them. Demons, on the other hand, were hurt by humans. Thus, they hurt us. This isn't a battle between good and evil-as I originally thought-but it was a civil war between two groups of broken people. Every few of the beings in that war were good or evil. We were all broken, attacking each other in the name of revenge.

I thought...that extermination was the only solution-especially after Kanae died-but I can't say the same after listening to the demon's tales. I know that I might sound crazy. I know that I might get hurt later, but I genuinely believe now that this is the best way to go. There are some that I'm still skeptical of, but I will keep a open mind.I will continue these sessions and see how the half-demons grow over time. This war has to end and I believe that this is the best way to end it.

Shinobu Kocho

Author's Note: Yes, this is written in first person. I thought that this would be more impactful for Shinobu's character development. I did do research for this, so I hope that this is accurate representation! Sorry for not updating, I've been constantly sick. I do hope you enjoy this though!

#half-demon! tanjiro au #demon slayer #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer shinobu #demon slayer rui #demon slayer gyutaro #demon slayer daki #demon slayer hantengu #demon slayer urogi #karaku #aizetsu #sekido #hantengu clones

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Y’all I have a HD!T chapter to work on, but I wanted to put this out there!

Can someone please make an AU where Velvet and Veneer are slowly getting ill from consuming Floyd’s talent? Like I think it would be cool-and terrifying-if they were both slowly becoming more and more sick as they continued their process. Veneer wants to stop not only to keep Floyd from dying, but then as well. Velvet of course refuses..but uncovers a dark truth.

Since she continues, Velvet consumes so much of his talent that she becomes a troll sucking monster. Her body becomes unrecognizable and she chases Veneer and Floyd out of the house. Veneer is devastated and Floyd tries his best to comfort him.

Yes, this is inspired by the MLP infection AUs.

#trolls au #trolls band together #trolls veneer #trolls velvet #trolls floyd #trolls horror au #I need to see a drawing of rotting Velvet.

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Kokushibo carefully pets her on the head, before reaching out and picking her up. Strifles climbed up on his back. Let’s get you..cleaned up..we can’t let those wounds..get infected..can we?

*While running around outside, Strifles sees a little girl around a year or 2 younger than him. She has cat ears and a tail but she’s not a demon, she’s a yokai. She’s curled up under a tree, crying*

(gonna reblog to my rp acc:>)

The little jaguar approaches her, leaving paw prints on the ground. His tail droops by his legs as he makes his way to her. Hello? Strifles asked with a worried look. Are you okay?