Finding You

chapter 13

Shinobu could feel it, the gaze, the stare Kanao was giving her. Obviously not just Kanao, but everyone in the Corps and Estate. Some was so scared of demons that when they saw her, the only thing she would receive was the scared expression and some dashing footsteps to get away from her.

The overflowing locks of hair were getting on her nerves and after each and every step she can feel it sliding along with her on the wooden floor. That was the final strike, she thought.
Using her nails, which was long and sharp, being that she was a demon, Shinobu sliced the overgrown hair off, leaving her hair a little shorter than the original length, now making it only going down to her upper waist. Still undoubtedly long, but shorter than the time she used to live in her house in the field.

Speaking of it, the demon was going to go back to her house in the abandoned field. That was her home now, where the wild flowers keep on growing every sunny day, where the stack of kimonos and haoris were still on top of her old uniforms, where she spent her first snow in the house drinking tea with the knitted fabric scarf around her pale, cold neck. Sure, the troubled feelings of Tomioka was still eating her up even when the first snow came, but in that lonely four years, she grew attached to the house that she took care of so kindly.

The kids that cling on to her every time she made her way into town and begged her for money to get candies from the shops, the kind grandma that gave her several discounts on the vegetables every time she needs to prepare dinner, even those little memories came back to her, just for her to realise the disappointment that all of that, was only to prepare to bring Tomioka back. Her home wasn't here. Wasn't at the Estate or the Corps. Even if it's impossible, the demon wants to go back to where her home belongs, and she's going to leave, but this time with Tomioka.

By the time she finished the trip down to the memories lane, Shinobu found herself infront of the shared room of Kanao and Tanjiro. The mess of hair that she sliced off was somewhere over some different hall way, and she was sure that some confused gaze will be directed to the dark, purple mess, but she couldn't be bothered right now. Her purple tips were still here, making it a great choice to cut off the unnecessary ones, and Shinobu was here for Kanao and no one else.

Once, twice, three times she knocked on the door and was replied with no answers strangely enough was already an answer to her. Give it or not, she had to make it up to Kanao. With that attitude that a sorry person shouldn't have, believe it or not though, she was sorry, Shinobu raised up her leg and kicked her way in.

What she was seeing blinded her.

Kanao was ripping Shinobu's old kimonos up, along with the Estate's clothes that she had before when Kanae was still a pillar and Shinobu had yet become a demon slayer. The thing that hurt the demon the most though, was that Kanao was crying, sobbing at that. Gripping the old fabric like a lifeline, Kanao leaned down and sobbed into them like there's no tomorrow. There will not be tomorrow, Shinobu thought, if Kanao was going to die because of dehydration that was caused by her own waterfall of tears, so Shinobu sighed a pained one and quietly make her way towards her... sister.

The word 'sister' sounded bitter and ugly on her tongue because, kami be given, Kanao was not her sister anymore. A person that made their sister sobbed so hard that their crying drowned out the loud 'bam' of the door being opened should not be a sister. Doesn't deserve to be a sister. And Shinobu, being in the daylight example, except that she couldn't be in daylight, was an absolute pathetic excuse of a sister.

So Shinobu thought.

Kanao's tiny knuckles were white and her pale blue veins can be seen through the thin skin. It wasn't popped out, but Kanao must have been that certain level of unhealthy to see the veins through the skin like that. Shinobu padded quietly, feet on the cold wooden floor gracefully, face serious. On the last step, she couldn't take the sobbing anymore and slammed her foot down.

Kanao was startled and looked up with that teary face of her's. Her long, silky black hair trailed down onto the floor like water, hair tie no where to be seen. Those vulnerable eyes hardened in seconds, hands shaking uncontrollable as eyebrows furrowed, the fabric caught in between the angry hands being scrunched up even more. That made Shinobu's heart hurt. She had became so hated that a second to spare for those eyes couldn't even be given to harden them. It did take them seconds for those eyes to throw daggers at Shinobu, but the demon knew that they couldn't have done it quicker because Kanao was still crying.

The girl on the floor was gritting her teeth hard and wow Shinobu was shock. The meeting in the hallway sure was filled with suspense and warnings, but she never expected the one person who used to love her with their life can now look at her like that. 

Shinobu still couldn't speak because, well, she's a demon. Demons could speak but Nezuko and her couldn't. That automatically worsened the situation as suddenly, Kanao threw asides the ripped kimonos and work clothes and launch at Shinobu.

"How?! How can you do this to me?!"

Kanao screamed like a madman with her hands fisted into Shinobu's kimono. The girl with silky, long black hair was shaking the demon hard as she screamed. Now Shinobu was shock, so shock her mouth just stayed gaping open. Kanao never, have never ever screamed like that before, or sobbed like that, or, or, or-

"Answer me!!"

Skin met skin as a loud 'bam' echoed through the room and into the hallway, passing the door with the broken lock that was done by Shinobu kicking her way in.

Shinobu was on the floor, hand and elbow keeping her up as she rolled her jaw. Kanao had slapped her, hard at that with all that training she did. Her cheek sting. Her mind confused, her opened mouth inhale strangely calm.

"You, you disappeared like that and came back, came back-," Kanao was so angry she couldn't even control her shaking voice. Kanao gulped, Shinobu could hear, and she continued.

"You came back a demon." Kanao screamed. Once again, she launched at Shinobu who was on the ground, and with those same small hand that was red from slapping Shinobu so hard with that sheer force that sent her to the ground, she once again fisted her hand this time into the demon's haori. It was a better grip as she shook Shinobu in anger, her own self radiated with that negative energy.

The demon's body was between Kanao's leg as the younger girl slapped her again, and again, and again. She shook her, screamed at her, but Shinobu understood. The demon understood how much pain she caused the once little girl that she showered for. She wasn't little anymore and of course it hurts, being slapped on both cheeks, that is, but she couldn't do anything.

Kanao was out of control, she herself knew it, but she couldn't stop. All those years, those dying years of her master, no, she was a disgrace of a master, being gone just to come back like this. Kanao loved Shinobu, but it's because of how much the little girl love her that she was hitting her. Tears rolled down her face as she lost power in her slap, lowering both of her hands down into fists and hitting them slowly and sadly on to Shinobu's chest.

"Why? Why? Why?!!!" She screamed once again and it echoed loud out into the hallway. Shinobu was crying too, but she bit her lips to quiet her sobs because what position was she in to be allowed to cry? Who was she to cry?

Kanao brought her hand up and punched Shinobu, giving her a black eye.

"If you're a demon, then you wouldn't feel the pain, right?!!" Kanao screamed. As she was about to punch a second time, suddenly there were people running in to hold her back, and through the hazy eyes Shinobu could make out some people from the Estate, but it didn't matter as Kanao was screaming her throat out at Shinobu, but she was sobbing as well. Shinobu messed it up. From wanting to protect and earning someone's trust again turned into brutal punching like this, she knew she had failed.

Shinobu laughed a bitter laugh before passing out suddenly.

P.s. I'm sorry for the late update, I'll definitely try to write more. Please stay safe everyone during this time. You should wash your hands, you detty pig! Hopefully someone gets it hehe, stay safe and thank you for supporting! 🥰💜💜💜