A Start of Things
Mizuki POV
The time spent with the remainder of the Tsugikuni family was a pleasure. But things have started to happen where I started to decided where I would have to start my own adventure out into this demon slayer world. Where one, I would possibly come into contact with a demon and die. Or I may just be alright and continue on as a slayer.
But at this moment, I lay down staring up at the ceiling as I take deep breaths and focus on my total concentration breath. 'It's been quite the time spent here.....' I say inside my head as my mind wanders.
I think back to the training I've received here, starting off simple with the exercises and training with the sword. To the next months of training where I had to fetch water from the river almost everyday, to later learning concentration breath on my own. Where I have not only practiced on stretching my limbs out but stamina as I has started to run laps around the neighborhood as part of my routine. To as going out of the house and town to the next village to grab supplies at times with Michikatsu. Where this trip would take a while but I would be able to see things outside of the town and house.
The area where I had gained information from my time being here is that this village where we reside in is a decently standard village, but smaller compared to the other where we get other supplies. But also as to the day an age, all dirt roads of course with wagons and regular manual labor that was needed instead of modern day technology.
Without the modern day technology like where I came from, the lack of supplies and knowledge as well, as I have seen from doctors that have come to treat Michi-san. Along with the expansion of villages. Thinking back to the anime, they were decently advanced, having already being influenced by the western advances, using technology and western clothes.
I take another deep breath as I focus on the other training I've done. Still late in the night, I would go inside Yoriichi's little room, to sleep at times when I'm too tired to go back to my room when I train late in the night, trying to create my own breathing technique.
But I still haven't been able to create one where I could create the style. I sigh out as I still continued the breath. "I've been at that forever now and I still don't know how to do it or how I want the style to be." I mumble to myself as I get off my floor and make my way outside, to start my late night practice.
As I step out of the house and walk outside to the back room of Yoriichi's, the cold breeze of the night ruffles my dark brown and purple hair. I enter the little room and pull out a wooden sword which I have kept here for training and shut the door as I walk back outside.
As the breeze blows and I hear the ruffling of the wind. I feel my body relax and rock with the wind. I look up into the night sky seeing it illuminated by the thousands of stars that twinkled under the sky and the bright moon that shined brighter than the stars.
I smile gently as I look up at the moon. 'Michikatsu is like the moon and Yoriichi is like the sun.' I think to myself as I chuckle lightly remembering their styles which surely represent themselves. 'Michikatsu stern but bright in his own way, only at times you can see his brightness and talent that he holds for swordsmanship. Yoriichi, even though he is quiet and reserved. He has the warmest and kindest personality. Yoriichi shines bright even though he doesn't practice swordsmanship, but till that moment it was like he had so much energy.' I thought to myself as I let my mind wander.
I continue to look up at the sky and see the stars twinkle all across the sky. I chuckle lightly without much sound, "If they are the sun and moon, twins who are opposite, the stars that in between the them, which shines along with the moon, but is as bright and hot as the sun." I mumble quietly.
I let that thought sit in my mind before the image of the stars flash through my mind and my eyes widen. "Stars..." I mumbles out and look down at my hands. "A breathing technique..... something that I needed to use as a reference...." I say in an excitable tone as I grip onto the handle tighter.
"I'll use that." I say determinedly.
I get into my stance and bend my knees as I put the sword in front of me. I take a deep breath in focusing my breathing throughout my body feeling the muscles pulse and the blood flow through my veins.
I open my eyes and move forward swinging my sword up and swishing through the air feeling as if I am gliding across. I continue to slash and swing my sword envisioning demons around me as envision my sword glowing brightly like a star.
As I take the last slash forward, I lower my sword and look down at the ground and up at the sky again. "I found it....." I say exasperated and smile brightly as I lift the wooden sword in my hand and slash through the air with it as I pant slightly.
"This is really it. Hah....This is really it.." I tell myself with determination. With that I turn around and walk back a couple feet from where I started so I can practice my moves and get the feel for this breathing.
_____________________________________
Time Skip A couple years later. 15 years old
"Hmm. Michikatsu what are you doing here?" I ask as I'm preparing lunch and glance at him seeing him come towards me.
He continues to walk and stops a couple feet away from me as I continue to cook the fish that's on the fire. I walk past him so I could grab a plate from the cabinet. As I do so and stand on my tippy toes so grab the plates, I watch as a hand grabs the plate from the cabinet above me.
I turn around and see Michikatsu holding the plates in his hands. "Here you go." he says with a small teasing smile, making me smile lightly back and nudge him as I take the plates.
"Thanks." I say as I move past him and set the table with the chopsticks, bowls, and plates. "So what are you doing in the house right now? You are normally training until lunch is ready." I say as I finish placing the dishes down on the table and look at him after turning around.
"Hmm....Dad let me come in earlier, I just thought that I would come to see what you were doing." he said nonchalantly with a straight face causing me to nod my head with a raised brow. "If you say so, but lunch will be ready in a couple minutes. I just have to wait for the vegetables to finish." I say as I head back to the kitchen.
Michikatsu nods his head and follows me back into the kitchen. "You need help?" he asks from my side as I shake my head. "No I got this. You can sit down if you like." I say and move the vegetables around in the pot.
Not hearing Michikatsu's movement, I set the spoon down and turn around to see his face close to mine and he is still standing there. "Um..." I say as I feel my face get a little bit red seeing him stare at me.
"I'll help you set the plate for that." he tells me and turns to walk and get another plate, causing me to sweatdrop at him behavior.
'He has always been a little like that.' I tell myself as I huff out with a fond smile.
A couple of years had passed by with training and staying with the Tsugikuni's again making me and Michikatsu 15 this year, meaning that I had already given Michikatsu his bracelet long ago. As Yoriichi took his way before.
I sigh out as I remember Yoriichi and take the vegetables off the plate and see Michikatsu place the plate down. I walk over put the vegetables on the plate and put the pot back on the stove.
'I wonder if he is doing alright....I hope he found a nice place somewhere or even he had found some sort of happiness with a girl..' I tell myself as I turn around to grab the rice container.
I had visited the temple before to check up on Yoriichi but as I asked about him, they said that he had disappear not to long after he came. Some of the kids which I had spoke to say that he ran away during the night.
I sigh out as Michikatsu walks behind me carrying the vegetables. I place down the rice container and bend down to put the rice in the bowls as Michikatsu puts the plate down.
"What's wrong?" I hear from Michikatsu which snaps my thoughts away from Yoriichi. I turn to face Michikatsu with a small smile. "Hmm. Nothing much, just thinking about training and how I'm going to beat you again." I say with a small smirk, making Michikatsu chuckle lightly.
"Hmm. Even though you beat me a good amount of times, and even though you got better. Doesn't mean that I didn't get better and that I didn't beat you countless times." Michikatsu said matter of factly with a straight face as he stared at me.
I chuckled lightly now as I placed down the bowl of rice and took another bowl. "Yes your right. But still I can still face against you pretty well." I say as I place down Sato-san's bowl.
As I finish up the last dishes and placing things on the table, I get up to call Sato-san.
"Sato-san lunch is ready!" I call out and see him get up from his spot and close his book. I smile lightly and turn around start lunch.
"Let's eat." the three of us say out as we grab our chopsticks and start eating. We eat our food in silence as Sato-san occasionally glances at Michikatsu or me. While I just eat and look out at the garden and the sky seeing the clouds pass by.
'It's been a long time since I've been here.....I wonder how Testu, mom, and dad are.....Do they remember me? How is it even going out in that world, while I'm here?' I question myself.
I occasionally think of my family and my world every so often reminding myself of events that I remember from before but it seems that my memory is becoming vague at some parts. I wonder if I'm slowly forgetting that world or if I was just too focused on this one.
'I wonder if my friends are doing alright...I wonder how the manga is going...Will it still be the same as I am here? It's not like I'm messing with the original story....' I think to myself as I munch on a vegetable and look down at my bowl for a while.
As I finish my meal I set down my bowl and pick up my tea. I let out a soft huff as I go to drink some tea and continue to watch the clouds in the sky relaxing as I enjoy the soft breeze that blows through the doorway.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" The deep and stern voice of Sato-san calls out to me breaking my thoughts, causing me to look at him. I widen my eyes slightly in surprise seeing him call out me and nod my head. I look down at my tea and watch as the tea leaves float around.
"Hmmm....Just reminiscing some times and thinking of some fond memories." I say as I take a sip and glance at Sato. I see him look at me and nod his head as he too grabs his tea cups and drinks. "I see. It's not bad to reminisce at times." I smile slightly with a saddened look and put my tea cup down.
"Yes it's quite nice..." I say and think of my parents and Tetsu smiling at me when I come home from school. The dinners that I would be joking and messing with Testu to the times I laughed with all of them. My smile turns fond and I grab the cup again taking another sip.
'It makes me remember that I have to find a way back too....' I say to myself as I place the cup back down and grab the empty dishes.
"I'll be coming out to finish training like usual after I finish cleaning." I say and take Sato's bowl and dishes. I get a hum as a reply from Sato-san as I get up and walk to the kitchen.
As I begin to put each dish into the sink, I let out a sigh and turn around. Only to bump into a chest, I step back and slightly look up to see Michikatsu holding some empty plates.
"Oh sorry Michikatsu." I say and grab the dishes from him and place them in the sink as well. He hums in reply and I glance at him. "Is that all the dishes from the table?" I ask and he nods his head.
"Thank you." I say and turn around to wash the dishes.
"......."
The only thing that could be heard was the dishes clinking together and the sound of water swishing as I scrubbed the plates and bowls. Not hearing Michikatsu leave or any noise I glance back to see Michikatsu still standing there.
"Ummm....Michikatsu why are you standing there? " I ask as I raise my brow. I stop washing the dishes and turn my body slightly to face him. "Is something wrong?" I ask concerned as I furrow my brows and set the bowl down.
I watch as he steps forward, closing the distance between us and looks down at me slightly. "Are you sad?" he asks me straightforwardly. I blink at him and tilt my head. "Sad?" I repeat and he nods his head showing concern on his face.
"Were you reminiscing about your family?" Michikatsu asks me, causing me to widen my eyes slightly at his question. My eyes slowly return back to normal and I smile softly at him as my memories flash of my family and friend.
"Hmm." I hum and wipe my wet hands on my pants. "Yeah I was reminiscing about them...I'm not exactly sad but you could say that I miss them. I sometimes think about them at random moments or when something reminds me of them." I say as think of Testu laughing with me, causing me to smile.
As I look up to meet the gaze of Michikatsu he steps forward pulling me into a hug, causing me to stiffen up in surprise.
"It's okay.....I'm here with you, I won't leave." he says to me as he pats my head. My eyes widen and I feel my eyes start to water.
'Ahh....But they weren't the ones to leave. But still....' I say to myself and more memories flash inside my head of my family and I wrap my arms around him. "Hmm thank you Michikatsu..." I say softly as tears run down my face.
"Thank you...." I say again.
'This means a lot....It makes me happy.' I think as I smile and hug Michikatsu tighter.