CAT || Kimetsu No Yaiba Fanfic

Cat Chapter 4

Hotaru wasn't really surprised when she and Urokodaki came to check on Tanjiro and his training only to see him cutting straight right through the boulder, splitting it in half.

She can feel the waves of happiness and dread coming off from Urokodaki though.

Tanjiro was staring at the boulder when they approached him, anly when they were a few meters away did he glance at them. Urokodaki had come to stop beside him, now the one staring at the boulder, while Hotaru, on her cat form, stood a little ways away from them.

"I had no intention of sending you to the Final selection." Urokodaki had started. He saw the kid's shocked expression. "I don't want to see children die anymore. I'm sure you wouldn't be able to slice this boulder but.."

Hotaru's eyes sharpened when Urokodaki reached and patted the boy's head.

"Well done, my boy." His voice softened. "Tanjiro.. You're a remarkable kid."

Hotaru would be ruining the moment and crushing them both now if not for the sudden noise she heard beside her. She stare at the space at her left, midly creeped out by how there's a faint pudge of floating blue beside her.

She knew cats can somehow 'see' ghosts, but she can't help but still be spooked.

"Hotaru-san?" She snapped out of her daze, looking up to see Urokodaki and Tanjiro looking at her worriedly. "What's the matter?" Tanjiro asked.

She leaped up and the boy caught her, curling up and soaking on his warmth.

'Nothing.' She purred.

Hotaru watch Tanjiro as he shove spoonful of her curry to his mouth amazingly fast. Either he's extremely hungry or her cooking was delicious as what Urokodaki had claimed.

Her glaze went to his locks which were getting longer, now reaching almost past his shoulders. That means the timeline haven't changed then. Makomo and Sabito had helped him in time, he'll be fine as long as they follow the timeline.

'What about those people?' A haunting voice whispered to her.

She rolled to her side, keeping her back turned to the two men. 'What people?' But she knew who.

'Oh, you know who, dear Hotaru.' The voice sang. 'Those poeple.'

Faces and colors flashed before her eyes.

A short woman in purple, so kind that almost glowed with a soft smile that shouldn't have been suffered a brutal death, yet stayed strong and brave.

Two people, so in love and so free of pain, holding each other tightly, not wanting to ever let go, alive but suffering, hanging between life and death.

An innocent boy, alone, misunderstood, just wanting for his older brother to acknowledge him, protecting him and dying for him because he's the nicest person ever.

A lurking figure so strong, but having the softest of all, despite the hardships being dug into his empathetic heart.

'They'll be fine.' She grimace, hands clenched so hard that her nails was almost digging on the palm of her hand. 'They're strong. They were happy. The series ended with a happy ending. They would be fine.'

But she knew they won't.

(There's a man looking towards his mother, smiling, drenched in redredred-)

She abruptly stood up, startling the two boys, getting something from a cupboard and sitting stiffly behind the younger boy.

"Hotaru-san?" Tanjiro asked nervously, hearing the snipping of scissors.

"Sit still, brat." She mumbled.

If any of the two noticed the slight shaking of her hand or the slight wetness of her eyes, they didn't say anything.

"Are you really going to come with me, Hotaru-san?" Tanjiro asked the feline currently nesting on his head as he head to where the final selection will be occurring. He felt a single tap on his head, which is a yes from Hotaru cat language.

Her weight on his head disappeared when she jumped down, and he immediately closed his eyes when he heard clothes shifting behind him. He doesn't need to see that twice.

"You've been asking that plenty of times already for the past hour, Tangerine." He snap his eyes open, jogging to catch up to the older woman. "I have some buisness.." She grimace at the word. "..shit to take care of."

Tanjiro scrunch his nose. "What kind of buisness?"

"The kind that you don't have to butt your nose in." She respond, patting his head. "Just kick some demon asses on the selection, Tanjiro."

Tanjiro's eyes widen before he brightened up.

It was the first time he heard his name from the female, which was something. She doesn't bother remembering names, usually calling others by their most noticable characteristics. (A/n: Isn't that bullying though-)

When they arrived at the site, blooming wisteria flowers immediately greeted them.

"Wow.." Tanjiro breathed in amazement. "They're so many.."

Hotaru tried not to look, and stare, at his very awed and happy expression. She doesn't want to see that face when the time comes that he'll be having the exact opposite of what he look right now. She doesn't want to remember him being content in just a simple thing, and be in absolute despair the next.

"Hey kid." She called. "This is my stop. Make sure to be here in a week." Her smirk turned into a smaller smile. "Come back alive, Tanjiro. Your sister still needs her big brother." She mumbled.

"I will, Hotaru-san." He nodded in determination before climbing the stairs to the site.

Her face immediately twisted into a scowl after he went out of sight, turning to face two small children who had been present the entire time. Somehow, she felt like these two are different from the other two who was supposed to be hosting the selection, even when they both have white and black hairs.

"Greetings, Hotaru-san." They both simultaneously said.

"Ey..." She returned awkwardly.

"The others have been waiting for your arrival." The black one started. "Please follow us so we may begin your exam immediately." The white one ended.

"Lead the way.." She was still creeped out by how they can talk alternately.

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This is kinda short.

Like me.