Purple Lotus [Kimetsu no Yaiba]

~Twenty-One~

"It's really not nice to talk about people behind their backs y'know."

The Kakushi froze. They turned around, terrified only to be met by the two brightest smiles known to man, smiling at them. 

"K-Kocho-Sama! Tsuki.....Shiro-Sama," the lady Kakushi stuttered. 

They bowed several times. 

"Are we really that scary, Tsu-chan?" Shinobu asked. 

"I honestly didn't think so," Tsubasa replied. The her smile turned gentle as she bowed to them. "We Hashira are only supposed to intimidate demon, I apologize if you see me as a threat."

Suddenly the two felt really guilty. "N-no! Not at all Tsukishiro-sama."

"You're not that scary. We apologize for speaking so carelessly." 

Tsubasa locked eyes with each of them for only half a second. "Your words are sweet but your thoughts feel like poison honey. It hurts my feeling honestly," she said all while keeping up her smile. 

"We apologize!" the two bowed in unison before hurrying out the room. Aoi sighed as she entered the room.

"Tsu-chan, you know these three," she said, indicating her three friends. "What do we do about this one?" she pointed to a screaming yelling wailing Zenitsu.

"TSUBASA!!! HELP MEEEE!!" he cried. "THEY'RE TRYING TO FEED ME BITTER POISON!! DON'T LET THEM!! PLEEEEEEEASE!!!!"

"Well I'll leave the rest to you then," Shinobu said and took her leave. Tsubasa put her talents into action. 

"Oh Zenitsu~," she cooed. "Think about it this way. If your arms and legs are so short, how are you going to cling onto me in battle?" she asked, innocently.

The blonde froze. Realization dawning on him. He wouldn't be able to be with Tsubasa at all in this state..... or Nezuko.

The purplette grinned, reading his mind. "And how are you going to make flower crowns for Nezuko or protect her if....."

"I'll drink it! I'LL DRINK IT ALL!! GIVE IT TO MEEEE!!!!" Zenitsu suddenly yelled, gulping down all the disgusting tasting fluid.

Tsubasa made her way to Tanjiro.

"Tsu-chan, this one won't give us any problems," Aoi said. 

"I know." the Emotion Pillar sat on Tanjiro's bed and held his hand, smiling at him. "Recover quickly okay? I have much to tell you," she said, beaming. 

Her smile was so bright Tanjiro couldn't help but mimic it. "Right! I'll make sure to heal extra quick!" he proclaimed.

"Yay!" Tsubasa cheered with him as usual. It was then the maroonette noticed that the girl hadn't changed at all. Even though he now knew her title as Hashira, she was still the child he first randomly met at Urokodaki's home. The child who believed playing games was the only way to live. The child who cared more about others than herself.

The child who was still blindly in love with Sabito.

Nothing had changed about her. And we was glad. The child before him was the child he'd come to love. He wouldn't have her any other way. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts by liquid dripping on his hand. He looked to see they were tears. Tsubasa's tears. It seemed she'd read his mind. The child was smiling but crying at the same time. Tanjiro smiled back at her gently. He wiped the tears from her face and beamed. 

"Thank you," she whispered before standing up and making her way to the boar.

Inosuke was depressed and in a tremendous amount of pain. Two things Tsubasa thought she'd never feel from him. Yet here he was. Although his pain was more than enough to make the girl dizzy and collapse, she pushed through it to console him. She sat on his bed, the close proximity was suffocating, and once more took his hand.