Breathe

It was a quiet night, the wind outside was calm and fresh, and the bright moon gave life to the forest. The wooden house of the Okami is bright in its own warmth, many candles glew from every corner of the home, the warmth extended into the small room where Faolan slept. He laid slouching within his bed, he felt no pain in his stomach or hatred within his heart. His mother sat by him, holding onto a book while looking over him. Faolan's vision was masked by haziness as he scanned the room,

'This is warm,' he thought.

"Faolan…," Okami called to the wandering eyes of her son.

"Yes mother?!" Faolan's eyes clear of haziness to the peaceful presence of his mother.

"Did you hear what I said Faolan?" Okami held her book closely, fixed on Faolan's reply.

"I….I...uh don't remember," Faolan's head felt burned at the fact that he didn't know what she was talking about, and so he looked away in shame.

"Faolan…..Faolan," Okami leaned closer to her son. "It is okay," she giggles.

Faolan turns to his mother in embarrassment, "I'm sorry."

"It is well," Okami smiles and opens the book she held close. "Now listen well my Son."

"Yes mother," Faolan sat in a straight ward posture, with his eyes focused on his mother's words.

"For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself," Okami closes her book soon after those words.

"Wait that's it?" Faolan confusingly asked, he was worried that his mother was speaking to him about something longer and less cryptic.

"Yes," Okami smiles.

"But I don't get it, that sounds confusing," Faolan's head lingered in a loss of understanding. He started muttering, analyzing the words she had said.

Okami waited until Faolan calmed down from his confused state and ready to listen, she giggles once again because of the way he looked in regards to the question. Faolan notices his actions and finally stops himself to listen to what his mother would tell him.

"What the Words' is trying to say, is that 'We' are not bound unto ourselves or to anyone else, our relationship is always connected with the one above and that in life or death we are not alone, because He is with us," Okami reached for her son's head, placing her palm within it, Faolan felt the warmth of her palm resting upon his hair.

"I'm still confused, what about you?" asked Faolan, his eyes were worried about her sake in what she claims.

"What about me Faolan?" Okami replied, wanting Faolan to elaborate what he thinks in his mind. She loves it when he asks questions for her to answer them.

"If He is my relationship how are we together connected then?" Faolan asked, while Okami smiled once more.

"Because through Him we are all connected like family, which is why I always say that I'm with you ,wherever you are," Okami taps into Faolan's heart outside of his chest.

"Oooooh," Faolan's eyes and mouth widens in amazement with Okami's statement. Faolan remembered that these nightly conversations he had with his mother were times where she would remind him of the teachings of the book she lived by. Faolan never understood why the book she spoke about so much was so important to his her. Even so, Faolan attempted his best to recognize her teachings and apply it to everyday life whenever he's not home running errands around the village, especially around Mr.Nakama,Miss Yano-San and the village people who loved to see the boy working hard for his mother.

"Whenever you are stressed, feeling alone, fighting with pain… Faolan, always remember to Breathe , remember those people you care about, and call out above," Okami's eyes transcends the ceiling, looking beyond what's natural. The moon brightens her eyes, something supernatural within her spirit rose.

"Yes mother! There's Mr.Nakama he looks kinda scary but he's always nice I can feel it and Miss Yano-San is always nice to me too," Faolan continues to ramble on while Okami quietly giggles, Faolan's massive expressions were always adorable for his mother to witness.

Faolan now tries to Breathe but falls short of breath trying it the way his mother does so.

"I do want you to allow me to have a daughter-in-law too," Okami added, expecting Faolan to become embarrassed and frustrated at the thought of taking care of someone else besides his mother.

"Moooooooom!" Faolan pouts embarrassingly, "How am I supposed to care of you—," Faolan is interrupted by Okami's giggles.

They both end up laughing together, Okami loved her son very much, she would do anything for his life to become a righteous man. Her warmth and wisdom would lock itself within Faolan's mind as a brief period of his happy life, Faolan now has shuttered himself, with her loss his heart was nearly frozen.

'I miss mother, you said that you're always with me but I don't feel like you're with me mom. I feel alone now, I feel hatred. I long for the warmth that you showed me, I don't feel like that could ever come back. Perhaps He did not care for me? Is it because I haven't prayed? Is it because I've been infested with hatred towards the demons? Is it wrong to hate them for what they did to me?' Faolan's mind cracks in despair.

Okami blows the candles in his room, leaving Faolan in the dark, gazing into the night sky. Thunder can be heard as clouds form beneath the moon.

The memories of his kind mother flooded through his mind.

"Faolan, you are a cup that needs to fill, find that love within your heart and fill it with passion, you have a purpose in life," Okami's motherly voice whispered within his ears, with something even more powerful behind her voice that had overwhelming peace Faolan could not fathom.

That feeling began to fade.

"WAIT!" Faolan rose from the bed sprinting across the room, he looked into the hallway where the rest of the candles were still lit, he dashed to the living room where it suddenly became dark.

Faolan could not see, he heard a thunderous rumble.

"Faolan…" a whisper.

"What?! Where are you MOOOOM!" shouted Faolan as he dropped to his knees.

"I never thought my life could end up so twisted, why me! I NEVER WANTED MOTHER GO AWAY!" Faolan's eyes break into tears flowing down his face.

"Breathe," she whispered.

[The world shifts]

"Okami-kun!" An older voice called out to Faolan, one filled with wisdom and honor.

The sky turned blue, the air grew moist and hot, the trees were soaked from the recent rain, the village people appeared out of their homes. Children ran past Faolan playing a game of tag as he stood holding chunks of dark metal. Faolan took a step forward—

"Boy!" Mr. Nakama held Faolan's shoulder stopping him from stepping into a mud pile. Faolan let out a "uuff."

Stopping to see the mud pile Faolan gasps, "Thank you very much Sensei, I wasn't paying attention," he bowed his head a little since he couldn't move his entire body.

"Use your eyes boy, they are a remarkable gift," Mr.Nakama stepped around the mud pile and they both continued to his smith shop.

"Yes!" Faolan followed.

They entered Mr.Nakama's smithery, inside it was very organized and clean with woodwork, along with metalwork separated in their very own sections. Faolan places the clunks of metal on a thick wooden table that held other clunks of metals. Mr.Nakama prepared the anvil by wiping it of any scraps, and took a metallic instrument from the oven to begin smithing.

"Boy, today you will begin to smith as well," Mr.Nakama stated.

"Really? I mean yes sir!" Faolan has finally gained the opportunity to smith instruments to help the village, but especially more revenue for his Mother than just cleaning or delivering items.

"Use your eyes and watch Faolan," Mr.Nakama raises the hammer and swings it upon the metal that laid upon the anvil.

"You will be able to craft items such as I do, as long as your patient and willing to work understand?" Mr.Nakama asked.

"Yessir, I will totally be committed to everything you show me, I will put it in all my effort and apply it wherever," stated Faolan.

"I'll take you up on that, now and watch," Mr. Nakama smiles, he appreciated what Faolan said and hoped that he will be a fine student.

As Mr. Nakama slammed the hammer, he suddenly held a katana, and flash of lightning swept swiped a mannequin.

"Could you see what I did again boy?" Mr. Nakama held his katana with a gentle intensity, and a mannequin slowly collapsed in half.

Faolan watched without giving a complete answer with his voice, but with the nodding of his head.

"Now you, show me what you saw," Mr.Nakama ordered.

Faolan gripped his blade, attempting to find his breathing, he held his stance, focusing his eyes to fully grasp the mannequin that flew far beyond his reach. Faolan swings the blade, with no implementation of the breathing technique, meaning failure.

Faolan decides to look away from his teacher once again. Mr. Nakama's eyes were weak, he reached for Faolan but the cough returned and forced him to draw his arm away from Faolan, he used his sleeve to cough on again, leaving tiny droplets of blood. Mr.Nakama distracts himself by informing Faolan what he felt in his heart, so he wouldn't think about his mortality.

"Faolan, remember that this training is for you to find yourself, it will not come easy—," Mr.Nakama's cough intensifies so he steps further away from Faolan. Faolan turns to to the ill man, he wanted to reach for Mr.Nakama but he couldn't. Once Mr.Nakama finished fighting with the cough he readied himself to finish his statement.

"You may not control every single event that may happen to you, but only you boy, you must decide to not be reduced by them, you must decide to keep going, you must decide to become something greater than your failures, you must decide to never give up," Mr.Nakama raises his blade conquering the terror within his lungs, and the hope for Faolan to become something greater.

'Mr.Nakama-sensei, where have you gone? I always enjoyed your teachings when I was young, I wanted to make you proud with this training I put myself through. I feel like I have failed you Mr.Nakama, I couldn't master a single Thunder Breathing Style, now I'm going to die! I missed you as much as I miss my mother now, I don't know where you have gone, but you wouldn't just leave me. I couldn't deflect lighting sir. I don't know if I have any hope for myself,' Faolan laid beckoning, the thunderous rumble grew louder.

"Boy… Okami, you are a warrior, but what kind of warrior are you?" Mr. Nakama asked.

'What kind of warrior am I?' Faolan thought.

The Demon from the first attack on the village haunted Faolan, his rage overflowed his passion.

Faolan smashes the ground repeatedly.

"Never give up," Mr. Nakama stated.

"Huh?" Faolan looks for the sound of the voice.

"Boy, I know and you will become the warrior you decide to be," Mr. Nakama smiled.

"BUT—,"

"Breathe," he ordered.

[The world shifts]

The world now turned into a warm summer day with a beautiful blue sky soon fading into a dark night, and an emerald forest that shined ahead,

" Is this when Juichi…"

"Faolaaaaaaan!" a young voice called out to him.

Juichi the boy Faolan saved over a year ago had stopped him before Faolan made the journey back to where he trained ultimately leaving the village.

"Juichi," Faolan whispered.

Faolan never understood Juichi's character, he was younger than him, lost his whole family, and is not filled with the amount of rage that Faolan has. Faolan never understood how he was able to keep himself level-headed, Faolan couldn't imagine looking forward so easily,

"I've told you before, I was told to keep moving forward," Juichi said.

"How?" Faolan asked.

"I don't know how, I just do," Juichi looked into the emerald forest.

Faolan scanned Juichi, who smiled to the emerald forest ahead, he could not comprehend the actions of Juichi.

"We all have struggles Faolan, you can't assume that I don't have my moments where I wish my parents were still here, I loved my family but life has a way of changing everything," Juichi's eyes were forming sockets of tears his lips quivering.

'I was wrong to assume Juichi,'Faolan thought.

"So keep this in your mind, and I know I'm just twelve now, and we've only had so little time since that monster attacked, but what I do know is that you can move forward too Faolan. Listen to what your mother told you," Juichi laid his fist upon Faolan's heart with ultimate conviction

"What my mother has told me, what has mother always told me? What has Mr.Nakama always told me? What have you all been trying to remind me?" Faolan's thoughts enter into a state of realization,

"You told me that your mother always said to find something you love, my mother has always told me to look forward to Faolan, now what do you care about with all your heart?"

"What do I care about, what is something I love, what kind of warrior will I become, with all my heart?" Faolan felt his heart unthawing with his palm.

In the starry darkness, thunder struck the nightly sky, the Moon shines brighter than the stars above and beyond. The clouds surround the Moon, ready to strike. Faolan looked up into the dark sky searching for his answer.

"Breathe," a voice whispered.

Faolan shut his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Mother, Mr.Nakama, and Juichi….. you are all people I care about, I wanted to keep you all safe, but I'm powerless. Miss Yano-San, the children and the village, their lives are at stake, if I.. I… can't save them..

No.....they… they... don't deserve to go through the same pain from before. I need to save them, but I'm hopeless.

I want to protect those people, people whose lives have been effected by injustice, that's what I wanna do.

That's why I care so much.

That's what I want to do, but how?" Faolan inhales once again, thunder roars once more, the moon overlooked Faolan.

"Breathe," they all said it, everyone did, but Faolan could not understand who said it and who they were, yet it felt like everybody he knew and will know had just told him to breathe.

"This is what I have to do." Faolan slowly rose to his feet, the rain poured from the sky, the thunder still roaring from within the cloud, and the Moon still overlooking. Blood dripped from his stomach, and from his wounds, he gripped his katana and placed it within its sheath. Faolan, lunges forward, holding the stance of a coming strike.

"Aaaaaaaa, so the boy rises again?" Aika sings a hymn to render Faolan unconscious, still holding Juichi with her tentacle. The hymn would be useless, as Faolan held his ground with total conviction.

"Hmm?" Aika thought.

"Faolan! Save us!" Juichi shouted.

The Demon Slayer saw that the young boy who was injured from the stomach is challenging a Demon he could not beat,

" I can't let him die, not like this! " He slowly kneeled on his uninjured knee, wielding his bloodied katana.

"Quiet child!" Aika turns to Juichi launches a tentacle to pierce Him through the neck, but a sudden bolt cut the tentacle into two.

"Oh, look at this failure," Aika turns to Faolan.

The Demon Slayer turns to see the injured boy with electrical sparks vibrating like an aura. "That boy can use Thunder?" The Demon Slayer is surprised, "But his blade won't kill it," The Demon Slayer prepares himself

"I won't let you take any innocent lives, I won't give up, the only thing that matters now is that I'm still on my feet…!" Thunder strikes and Faolan's eyes radiated with the Moon, electrical sparks surrounded Faolan and the Earth rumbled, his hair blown by the power.

"This is the warrior I want to be,"

He inhales.

"Breath of Thunder: First Style: Thunderclap and Flash"

" There's people, who put a lot of hope into me, and I'll put that hope into this strike!" His eyes displayed her entire body in glowing manner in which he did not understand.

In the blink of an eye, Faolan zapped across the neck of Aika catching her by surprise,

'What? This failure of a boy slashes me!' she did not expect the speed that Faolan would come at her with, nearly slicing the entirety of its neck and head. Faolan's strike had also paralyzed Aika for just enough time for the Demon Slayer to make a move.

The Demon Slayer slashes his palm once again,

"Breath of Blood: Sixth Style: Instant Slash of Life"

The Demon Slayer's katana length shortened, and its sharpness is tripled with blood infusion coating the entire blade. With this short blade, the Demon Slayer will need to move fast for a fast strike to finish Aika. The Demon Slayer launches himself with the strength of one knee to the paralyzed Aika. He had to make contact with the electricity paralyzing Aika, with determination he pushes through the rest of her neck while being shocked, now stunning him as Aika's head and body flops to the ground. Juichi falls along with her tentacles, he however was not stunned despite being held by Aika while she was being electrocuted , Faolan though had already fainted to the ground. The rain poured without thunder roaring within the sky anymore.

"Faolan, Faolan!" Juichi unwrapped himself from the tentacles and ran for Faolan.

The Demon Slayer felt his head throbbing with pain, and his whole body stung sharply due to the electrical currents that flowed within his body. Clearing his head, he spots the young boy running to the aid of the older boy, "I should check in with that boy," The Demon Slayer coats his knee with special blood so it could heal at a faster rate and limps towards Faolan and Juichi. The village people slowly wake from the spell Aika had put them in, they wake confusingly in the rain.

"Seems to me she really did have everyone under control, even the demons, the only other person I thought could do that would be the upper and lower 12 or Muzan himself, but I suppose I was wrong,"

The Demon Slayer turns to inspect Aika's corpse, noticing that it had disappeared instantly, rather than burning away like other demons.

"I don't think that demon is gone just yet. There's something Muzan must be planning, shit ."