FORTITUDE

Mist Siblings..🌸

"Nii-san where are you?!"

Ayane felt her heart sink and break as she looked around her. Thick fog coated the forest and she could barely see where she is going. It's almost night, the temperature dropping rapidly making her shiver in both cold and fear.

"Nii-san please! Where are you? Come out!" The young girl pleaded, voice hoarse from all the shouting.

A harsh breeze barrelled towards her, her hair flying right in front of her face obscuring her vision as her feet stepped back.

Trying to tame her hair, she bumped her heel on a tree root causing her to fall. A frightened scream escaped her throat as she helplessly dropped down. Closing her eyes, she mentally prepared for the pain only to get suspended in mid air.

Huh?

Confused, she opened her eyes to be met with her brother's turqouise eyes worriedly looking at her. He caught her mid fall and is now holding her tightly.

"Nii-san-"

She gasped seeing her brother's eyes turn scarlet, his worried aura changing into something she never expected to feel from him. Dangerous and cold.

"N-nii-san?"

Fear froze her entire body when her brother opened his mouth and what she saw made her scream bloodily.

Sharp razor fangs.

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"AYANE!!"

Ayane gasped deeply, taking in large amounts of air as she got up in a flash from lying on the bed.

Sweat trickled down her temple, her hand flying to her chest. What was that? What kind of dream was that? Her brother?

No..

"Ayane," a worried voice called out to her, a hand on her arm making her flinch as she looked back to see the very same brother she had dreamt about worriedly looking at her.

Sunrays were streaming down the large windows, the morning bright and warm but not her. Not when she was shaken like this.

"Hey, it's okay. Come here," Muichiro opened his arms, looking hopeful at his sister who was clearly panicking. Ayane dived without second thoughts on that embrace she longed for, for months.

"Nii-san," she folded herself more on her brothers embrace like a little girl, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply.

"It's alright. Whatever it is that had dreamt off, it's not true. I won't let it happen. I promise," Muichiro kissed her temple, tightening his hold on her.

"It was scary," she whispers to which the hashira answered with another gentle kiss on her hair.

"I will protect you. No need to fear that. It won't come true. I am here now. I will never allow something bad befall you or nee-chan. I promise Ayane so trust brother, yes?"

Ayane nods despite still being on her brothers arms. She knows that the nightmare was far from reality. But she also knows that Muichiro will never allow anything to happen to them. All of them. As Misty had made him promise that he too will have to look after himself in every situation, he was in.

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"All good to go," Shinobu happily announces as soon as she finished checking up on the youngest hashira.