The Nature Hashira

Chapter 6: The Nature Estate

After treating Kagaya, he was okay and started resting as Amane and Miyaki cleaned up the blood and organized the medical supplies. While Amane was cleaning up the supplies, she noticed something significantly different about Miyaki's aura.
    "Are you alright?" Amane asked out of concern.
    "I'm alright, Amane, why do you ask, dear?" she answered with a smile on her face to assure her everything is alright.
    "You don't seem like it, you seem to be sad...especially for a demon. I've never seen you like that before." Amane admitted.
    "Amane...maybe a lot of demons don't feel the wide range of emotions as humans do, but I do. I tend to hide the fact that I feel strong feelings like you all do in order to not feel a sense of weakness." Miyaki explained.
    "Stay stoic, don't show pain, that leads to open paths for ambushes. You do know that, right?" she heard Suijin Mizuchi, the first Water Hashira's voice in her mind.
    Amane shakes her head as she finished cleaning up. She wanted to assure Miyaki that it's okay to feel emotions. Miyaki eventually finished cleaning up right after Amane finished cleaning.
    "I can understand why you are in despair, you went through a lot and seen a lot more than us, but you know you can talk to us. After all, we would understand." Amane sympathized.
    Miyaki sighed as she was trying to articulate her response to have Amane understand why she is like this. She then spoke after some deep thoughts.
"Unfortunately I have seen and experienced a lot, dear, but it's not like I can turn back the clock and prevent events from happening. I guess my long life is a penance; an atonement for my sins in the Corps long ago," she sighed sadly.
    Amane was going to ask what sins Miyaki was referring to but decided against it. She didn't want to sadden Miyaki further or have her bring up painful memories from her past at a time when she seemed sad. Amane was deeply worried about Miyaki. But to respect Miyaki's wishes, she stayed quiet about her worries until another time.
    "I will be heading to my estate now. Amane, please inform me about Kagaya's condition in due time. I will come back from my estate in a few hours to visit the Butterfly Mansion. I would like to see the injured slayers and talk to Shinobu privately about some matters." Miyaki declared.
    "That sounds great, would you like an umbrella to help you in the sun?" Amane asked.
    "That would be very much appreciated. I thank you for that, Amane." Miyaki bows out of gratitude.
    "My lady, you don't need to curtsey to me. I should be the one to do that." Amane assured as she curtseyed and went to get an umbrella for Miyaki.
As Amane was getting the umbrella, Miyaki starts to wear her brown contacts to hide her demon eyes again. She didn't like how they were uncomfortable sometimes, but she managed. After all, she doesn't want to have everyone know her demon self yet.
    "Here is the umbrella, but before you go, would you like some animal blood? Hinaki and Nichika told me that you were hungry for blood earlier, so would you like some to take with you?" Amane questioned.
    "Hinaki and Nichika are very thoughtful to think about my lack of food." she smiled out of relief.
    "They care for you, just as much as you cared for them and my other children at times of duty I and my husband had to take care of." Amane smiled widely.
    Miyaki smiled out of gratitude and started to even tear up a little, but before Amane saw her tears welling up, she looked away.
    "Thank you..." Miyaki replied softly, sinking her tears back into her eyes.
    "Of course, let me go get the blood," Amane said.
    After a bit of time, Amane got the blood in a jar and gave it to Miyaki, they said their farewells for the day before Miyaki went to go to her estate.
Miyaki headed to her estate in the daylight with her whole body covered for her own protection. Her estate was in an isolated location, close to Mount Natagumo, where the previous demon attacks occurred. She was walking with the umbrella and animal blood that was contained in a big jar, disguised as juice to not have the public question what it actually was. She thought a lot about Tanjiro and Nezuko. With how she felt protective towards them, she vowed to herself to not let them die in her hands, no matter what, which is the same promise she made for Muichiro as well. She knew that if the Corps were to advance, she must tell everyone in the Corps everything she knew eventually.