Tale of the Flower Hashira

7. Gone

"Ten? When we met you were only eight?"

"I didn't wanna bother anyone, I'm sorry..."

"Oh, little y/n." He giggled and pinched your cheeks. "Looks like I need to spoil you tomorrow night, two birthdays worth of presents."

Your eyes widened. "Wha... what kind of presents?"

"Anything you'd like, my sweet little y/n." He bounced to his feet and leaned down to the waters edge, plucking a lovely lotus blossom. He held it out to you. "For you."

You took it and he booped your nose with his finger.

"Thank you, Douma-chan."

"It's our flower." He smiled sweetly and pushed the long hair out of your face that usually covered most of your burgundy eyepatch. He pulled out one of his fans to show you the floral design. "See, I have mine here. And you have your mark that will protect you. So it's our flower! Our special thing."

"So whenever you see the lotus you think of me?" You asked sheepishly.

"Of course!"

"Well then, it makes me think of you too!" You wrapped your arms around him and squeezed as tight as you could. He hugged back and pressed a kiss to your forehead.

"Alright, off to bed you go, it's too late for little girls to be up!"

You scurried off and he turned back to look at the little pond. A thud and whimper of pain followed by the scent of blood made him whip around.

"Y/n?" He got up, nose tingling from the smell.

You were crumpled on the ground with a bleeding knee. His eyes fixated on the red trickle down your leg. He hadn't eaten yet that night and his mouth watered at the sight.

"Douma-Chan?"

It took him a moment to realize you had been calling his name.

"You're so clumsy, y/n." He scooped you into his arms and carried you off.

Still so young, too small to make a proper meal.

-Six months later-

     You woke drenched in sweat. Pushing off the blankets you panted and rushed outside to feel the cold night air. Autumn was coming already. The earth kept on its cycle even though he was dead. Rengoku... dead.
     You vomited into an undeserving camellia bush and tried to stop the tremors that wracked your body. It was your crow that brought the news. Even though you were on a mission, Sanemi was at your side the following morning. It was his presence that really brought it into reality.
You hadn't even said goodbye. While he was on the train leading to his death, you had been off killing some worthless demons. No goodbye, no warning. Just gone.
      In the months that followed, you had lost weight and woke from sleep nearly every night from nightmares, leaving you a haunted shell of your former self. With the white hair you shared with your brother, you really did appear as a ghost. Still there, but not quite alive.
     "Y/n?"
     You turned, wiping a line of drool from your mouth to find Genya. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
     "I was already up. Don't apologize." Genya sat next to you and looked up at the night sky. Thick clouds indicative of rain blotted out large swaths of stars, leaving only a few visible to the eye.
     "What did you dream about?" He asked.
     I sighed and spat into the ground.
     "Yeah, makes sense." He said.
     "I'm gonna kill upper three." You said suddenly.
     Genya just looked at you. "I suggest you try and keep some food down first. You'll get wasted by an unranked demon if you can't take care of yourself."
     You nodded. "I know."
     "Our family is dead. You've seen others die in this business. Why is this the one you can't let go."
     Your eyes burnt, but you held back any trace of tears.
     "He was the most prepared for it. If the strongest of us die like that, how can we possibly defeat the upper ranks, let alone Muzan Kibutsuji."
     "That's some circular logic or some shit that will get you killed. In your mind, they are unkillable. Are you trying to die?"
     His words sent a shudder down your spine. And you knew, perhaps he was right. You didn't say anything for a moment and he stood up.
     "Someone's gotta do it, might as well be me." You said.
     "I'll make you some tea." Genya said and walked off to the kitchen.