Chapter Text
Thirty-One Years Before the Return of the Shikon Jewel
The weather had been stifling hot in recent days. So hot, that Fumie had found it nearly impossible to remain inside her father’s hut as she worked on her usual chores and duties. At only nine-years-old, Fumie had for more duties and chores than most other young girls her age, even in the Demon Slayer village where she and her father lived, due to the fact that her mother had died three years before.
Her father, Naritaka, was a great Demon Slayer and the right-hand man of the village chief, Shako. With her father occupied with work, and often gone for short periods of time, Fumie had learned to care for herself. While other children her age in the village were training to become Demon Slayers themselves, Fumie found herself far too busy with her daily chores and duties to train at that time. And, if Fumie could have been honest with her father, Demon slaying wasn’t the path she wished to take. All Fumie dreamt of was being a wife and mother, and was sure she’d be married to the chief’s son when she was marriageable age.
Fumie was content with the prospect of marrying the chief’s son, as they’d always been friends, but contentment wasn’t the same as happiness.
As these thoughts filled Fumie’s head, she sighed, walking out of her father’s hut, “Well, I suppose there’s nothing that can be done about it.” With her basket in hand, Fumie headed towards the entrance to the Demon Slayer village. Reaching the palisade, she smiled at the Demon Slayers standing guard, “Afternoon, Enya, Iwasaki; here, for your troubles.” She passed them each a rice ball, knowing they were likely hungry from standing guard for so long.
Iwasaki nodded, with a tight smile, not one to speak often, while Enya took the rice ball with a smile, “Thank you, Lady Fumie. You are too kind; you never come empty handed.”
He took a bite as Fumie’s smile grew. “You need not thank me; you both work so hard and deserve more breaks.”
Enya chuckled around a bite of his rice ball, swallowing before he commented, “I wouldn’t let the chief hear you say that, or your father for that matter; neither would approve.”
Fumie shrugged, “They’re gone for a few days, they won’t hear me.” She looked up at the sun from below her straw hat, “Besides, I think the heat would take me out first.”
Enya followed her line of sight, “That’s possible.” He looked back down at the young girl, “Heading out to the forest?”
Fumie nodded, “It’s been almost a week and we’re running low on herbs and plants for both medicines and nioidamas.”
“Alright,” Enya nodded to his partner, who turned and opened the palisade’s wall section exit, “Be safe Lady Fumie. Stay close enough that we’ll be able to hear you call out if you need anything.”
Fumie nodded, “Understood. Thank you.” She walked through the opening and headed down the hidden path that led to the hidden Demon Slayer village, humming to herself.
A half hour later, finding it too hot to continue, Fumie wandered down to the river near the village, hoping to cool off. Barefoot as she was, Fumie set down her basket of herbs and plants, and walked into the river up to her knees. “Ah, so cool! It feels wonderful in this heat. Hmm.” Just as she was starting to relax in the water, Fumie sensed something nearby and turned her head in the direction she felt it coming from. “Who’s there?!” The young girl called out, “Show yourself!” Suddenly, a demon Fumie recognized as a young Kappa from her father’s teachings, came rushing towards her. “Ah!” Fumie screamed as she ran out of the water and onto land, believing the young Kappa wouldn’t be able to follow her. Unfortunately, Fumie had never paid very much attention to her father’s teachings, and was unaware that Kappas could come on land. She ran through the forest, crying for help, unknowingly going in the opposite direction of her village. “Help! Someone help me! Ah!” Fumie cried out as she tripped on a rock and landed on the ground.
Out of nowhere, a boy only a few years older than Fumie, whom Fumie didn’t recognize, meaning he must have been from the village on the other side of the forest, landed in front of her.
“Get back! Back, demon! Back!” The young boy threw large rocks that sat at his feet at the young, small Kappa. Scared for its life, the young Kappa ran back in the direction of the river. “And stay away!” When he was sure the demon was gone, the young boy turned to Fumie and held out his hand, “It’s alright now. Let me help you up.”
“T-Thank you.” Fumie said as she took the young boy’s hand and stood up, a pain shooting through her ankle. “Ah! My ankle!” Fumie collapsed forward, landing in the young boy’s arms.
“Are you alright?”
Fumie blushed as she looked up at the boy, “I-I’m alright. My ankle hurts though; probably from tripping.”
“Hmm,” The boy seemed to be deep in thought, “Well, you can’t walk back to your village alone on that ankle. Let me help you.”
Fumie started panicking, “No, really, I’ll be fine. You don’t need to do that!” She tried desperately to get him to change his mind; the Demon Slayer village, after all, was hidden away for a reason.
“Don’t be silly; you can’t even stand on that ankle, how are you supposed to walk on it?”
Fumie knew he was right; she only hoped she wouldn’t get in any trouble for bringing a stranger to the village, “Very well, you may help me.”
The young boy smiled, and Fumie felt her cheeks heat up again as her heart leaped, “Here, put your arm around my shoulder.” He helped Fumie get in position, with his arm around her waist, holding most of her weight against himself, “There we are now; now which way is your village?”
Fumie looked around, but couldn’t recognize anything around her, “I don’t know how to get there from here, but if you know how to get to the river, I can show you how to get there from the river.” Suddenly, she realized something, “Oh! And I left my basket of herbs and plants there. I really need to take that back with me.”
The young boy nodded, “Alright. I can get us to the river from here no problem. By the way, my name’s Kazuki, what’s yours?”
Fumie smiled at the boy as they started walking, “My name is Fumie.”
“Fumie; that’s a beautiful name.”
Fumie blushed for the third time, hoping he hadn’t noticed any of her blushing. “T-Thank you, Kazuki.”
“You’re welcome.”
The chatted the rest of the way to the river, Kazuki asking Fumie about her life and what he enjoyed. While Fumie could be honest about the things she liked, like the fact her favourite meal was rice with sweetfish, she had to lie about nearly everything doing with her life for the safety of her fellow villagers. When they reached her village, she hoped Kazuki would just assume it was a regular village, and that it had nothing to do with demon slaying.
As they reached the river, Kazuki came to a stop, looking up and down the shoreline. “There, I see your basket. We’ll grab it, then head towards your village for a bit before taking a break. We don’t want to meet up with that demon again, do we?”
Fumie shivered at the thought, “No, definitely not.”
They were able to grab the basket quickly, then Kazuki turned to look at Fumie again, “Alright, now which way.”
Fumie pointed towards the hidden path to the demon village, “If we go through that cluster of trees, you’ll find a path that leads right to my village.”
Kazuki nodded and led them off towards the trees Fumie had pointed out. When they’d passed through the trees, the young boy gasped, “Has this always been here? I thought I knew this entire forest by heart.”
Fumie chuckled awkwardly, “It’s been here since I can remember.”
Kazuki schooled his face before speaking again, “Let’s take a break here.”
Ten minutes later, when Kazuki had decided Fumie was able to go on again, he led them on down the hidden path. It didn’t take them long to reach the palisade around the hidden village.
“What?” Kazuki gasped, “There’s a wall erected around your village? Why? I’ve never seen that before.”
“For safety; why else?” Fumie wondered with a shrug, before calling out. “Enya! Iwasaki! It’s Fumie, I’m back! Please open up!”
Suddenly, to Kazuki’s surprise, a portion of the wall rose up, leaving an opening. On the other side of the opening, Enya and Iwasaki both gasped at the sight of Fumie with a stranger. Iwasaki instantly glared at Kazuki.
Enya collected himself after a second, worry appearing on his face, “Lady Fumie? Are you alright?”
“She was being chased by a demon, and tripped in the forest. Her ankle’s injured.” Kazuki explained, “I protected her from the demon, but I don’t know how to help her ankle. Please see she gets home alright.”
Enya nodded, before coming over and scooping Fumie up into his arms, “I’ll see she’s taken care of. Thank you for helping Lady Fumie, but you must promise never to come her again, understand?”
“Huh?”
“Promise him, Kazuki,” Fumie pleaded, her eyes begging.
Contrary to what he felt like doing, Kazuki nodded, for Fumie’s sake, “Very well, I promise. I won’t come back here again.”
With that Enya nodded, and carried Fumie through the opening. As the wall closed, Kazuki felt like he’d just given away a part of his soul.
Twenty-Four Years Before the Return of the Shikon Jewel
It had been seven years since Fumie had met Kazuki that day in the forest that sat between his village and the hidden Demon Slayer village. True to his word, Kazuki hadn’t come to Fumie’s village again, but that hadn’t stopped him from spending every moment he could with her.
A week after they’d met, Fumie returned to the forest, ankle healed, to gather more herbs and plants. There, sitting with his feet in the river where her father and the other demon slayers had recently slayed the young Kappa demon who’d attacked her, was Kazuki. His smile when he caught sight of Fumie was electric, and Fumie found herself happy to see him as well. Kazuki told Fumie he’d spent every day waiting by the river to see her again, and that he wanted to be friends, assuring her he’d never return to her village, but the forest could be their sanctuary. Fumie happily agreed.
From then on, they met every week near the river. Kazuki would help her gather her plants and herbs, and for the first few years, they’d even swim together. Then, one day when Fumie was fourteen, Kazuki suddenly decided they couldn’t swim together anymore, so instead they’d sit on the shoreline, feet dipped below the water, and talk.
Fumie knew, even at nine-years-old, that she’d found the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. So, when Kazuki brought up the prospect of marriage only days after she turned sixteen, Fumie knew her answer right away.
Without a thought Fumie had taken Kazuki’s hand and, despite his protests, raced towards the hidden Demon Slayer village to seek her father’s permission. They nearly didn’t receive his permission as Naritaka and Shako were too busy admonishing Fumie for bringing someone to the hidden village. Once Fumie screamed for her father to listen, he did. She told him of her heart’s truest desire, and he approved the marriage, even when he knew he wasn’t just giving away his daughter in marriage, he was giving her away for life, as she would leave the hidden village and never return.
Twelve Years Before the Return of the Shikon Jewel
Twelve blissful years of marriage had gone by for Fumie and Kazuki. They’d been blessed with a son six years before whom they’d bestowed the name Naomasa to. Now, Fumie was pregnant again, nearly ready to give birth, hoping she carried a daughter who would resemble her mother, even though Fumie barely remembered her.
“Fumie!” Kazuki, now in his thirties, called from the storehouse, “Do we have anymore rice?”
Fumie chuckled, entering the storehouse slowly, waddling away, “Kazu-kun, the barrel is behind the rice wine.”
Kazuki walked to the other side of the storehouse and moved aside a barrel, finding the bale of rice easily, “Ah, there you are. I knew we had one more.” He lifted the bale onto his shoulder, turning to his wife, “There’s a samurai—Fumie!” Kazuki dropped the bale of rice on the ground, racing towards the entry where Fumie was doubled over holding her belly, “What’s wrong?!”
“M-My waters just broke! I’m in labour!”
“Oh, oh no!” Kazuki lifted his wife into his army, despite her weight, and looked around for help, “Who, who? I know! Naomasa! Naomasa!”
The young boy came running to the storehouse of the family’s general store, shocked to see his father in distress and his mother in his father’s arms, “Father! What’s wrong?!”
“Your mother is in labour. Go, run, get the priestess!”
Naomasa ran off without a word as his father rushed into the main store room and past the samurai.
“What’s going on here?” The samurai called out, “Where’s my rice?”
Kazuki didn’t stop, headed for the family’s quarters, as he yelled back, “My wife’s in labour! Your rice will have to wait!”
As he reached the sliding door separating the business from the family’s home, he set Fumie on her feet only long enough to slide the door open, then lifted her up, carried her inside, and sat her down on the wood floor. He rushed back to close the door, before heading to the other end of the room to pull out the futon and blankets for his wife. Once the futon was set up, Kazuki lifted Fumie back into his arms and sat her down on the futon.
“Is there anything else I can do, Fumie-chan?” He asked, still distressed.
She shook her head, no, “I just n-need the priestess.”
Just as the word was out of her mouth, the priestess opened the door to the family’s home with Naomasa hiding behind her. “Kazuki, take Naomasa for a walk. I’ll see to Fumie.”
“Right, yes. A walk.” Kazuki kissed Fumie on the cheek, then rushed to lead Naomasa out of the store, closing the business for the rest of the day.
“Now, Fumie,” the priestess started as she knelt before Fumie, “Let’s bring this baby into the world.”
Five hours later, a cry pierced through the room, as a little girl was welcomed to the family. The priestess settled the babe beside Fumie on the futon and left to get Kazuki and Naomasa. With the family back together, the priestess left them to rejoice in the birth of the baby girl.
Kazuki sat with his newborn daughter in his arms, “What should we call her?”
“Eiko,” Fumie replied, “She’s an honoured child and should be known as such.”
A Few Months After the Return of the Shikon Jewel
Now twelve years old, Eiko was the pride and joy of her parents. Her older brother, Naomasa, now eighteen, doted upon his little sister with abandon.
Naomasa had planned to follow in his maternal grandfather, Naritaka’s, footsteps and become a Demon Slayer, but due to the request of his parents, he had remained to help run their general store until Eiko was old enough to run it with them. Though that too was contrary to Eiko’s dream in life.
After hearing so many stories about her maternal grandfather and the lives of Demon Slayers, Eiko too wanted to become a Demon Slayer, but her parents were adamantly against it due to the fact she was a girl.
Fumie would always say, “Just because girls have been Demon Slayers before, doesn’t mean you have to be.”
At this, Eiko would always roll her eyes and tell her mother she didn’t understand.
Then, the unthinkable happened. It was a few months after Eiko’s twelfth birthday when demons attacked her peaceful village.
An explosion rocked their store, sending Eiko flying into the back wall of the storehouse where she’d been sent to bring out a bolt of fabric.
“Ah!” She screamed as she flew backwards, her back hitting the wall hard, causing her to wince. “Father! Mother! Naomasa!” Eiko cried out as she slowly climbed to her feet, attempting to return to the main store.
Before she got to the doorway, her brother rushed through it, slamming the sliding door shut, then heading straight towards her. “Sister! You must hide. Demons are attacking!”
“What?! But why?”
“I don’t know. Father and Mother ran to help. Now, you must hide.” He picked his sister up into his arms, something he hadn’t done for several years, and ran towards the cabbage barrel, lifting the lid and settling her inside.
“Not here, Big Brother. It smells terrible!”
Despite the horrors going on around them, Naomasa smiled, chuckling at his little sister’s protest. “That’s the point. The smell of the cabbage will mask your smell to the demons. Now, sit there quietly and I’ll protect you. Take this.” He handed her a pink shard of some type of crystal, and Eiko instantly recognized it.
“Brother, I can’t hide with a shard of the Shikon Jewel!”
“Yes, you can. Now, remember to guard it with your life.”
Just as her brother set the lid a top the cabbage barrel, concealing Eiko inside darkness, she heard the door rattle, then blow inside.
“There!” A female voice called, “He’s the one who had the jewel shard; kill him.”
Eiko lifted the barrel lid slightly, only enough to see her brother stand up to the hoard of demons and the demoness in a purple and white kimono with feathers in her ponytail.
“You’ll never get the Shikon Jewel shard I had. I vow it!” Naomasa warned them.
The demoness chuckled, “Oh, please. We’ve already killed the village headman for his shards of the Shikon Jewel, some little boy won’t be hard to kill.” Suddenly, she whipped out a hand fan, slicing it across the air, “Dance of Blades!” Blades of pure air came flying out of her hand fan, headed right for Naomasa.
No! Big Brother! Eiko cried out in her mind, remaining as quiet as possible.
The blades of pure air sliced across Naomasa’s chest, knocking him into the ground, bleeding out. Eiko knew in that moment, that her brother was dead.
The demoness smirked, “See? So easy.” Her smirk shifted into a hard line, “Where’s the jewel shard? How can he not have it!” She shot out her arm holding the fan, instructing the demons, “Go! Find it or Naraku will take it out on us!”
The demons shattered the wall leading to the village on their way to hunt for the Sacred Jewel shard that sat in the cabbage barrel with Eiko. Soon, the demoness followed them, silently.
Eiko remained silent as a church mouse inside the barrel, listening to the slaughter of her fellow villagers all around her. She knew without a doubt that when the battle ended, she’d be the sole survivor.
As soon as Eiko had felt safe enough, she climbed out of the cabbage barrel, and after only stopping to pray over the corpses of her brother and parents, ran straight for the forest she knew separated her village and the hidden Demon Slayer village. Remembering all her mother’s stories, helped Eiko make it to the Demon Slayer village, having only gotten lost twice. Though due to getting lost meant it took her almost three days to make it to the village.
She found the palisade partially open, and hesitantly walked inside. Immediately, a large cat demon, stood before her, growling. While behind the cat demon, sat a young women, barely sixteen if Eiko had to guess, in front of graves, most likely having just paid her respects.
The cat demon jumped at Eiko.
“Ah!” Eiko cried as the cat demon lorded over her, causing her to fall backwards onto her back. “Please don’t hurt me! I mean no harm!”
Eiko heard the older woman gasp, “Kirara!” she called out and the cat demon sat back on her haunches. “Who are you?” The older woman asked, eyeing Eiko suspiciously, “Why do you look so familiar?”
Eiko slowly moved to sit on her knees, bowing low to the older woman. “My name is Eiko; I come seeking your aid. My village that lies just on the other side of the forest was attacked by demons. I’m the sole survivor.”
The older woman sniffed the air, only then registering the stench of the young girl. She covered her nose, “I see. You must have hidden in a cabbage barrel to mask your sent. And the attack must have been days ago for you to be this ripe.”
Eiko nodded, “Yes. My brother hid me in a cabbage barrel in our storehouse.”
“How many days ago?”
“Almost four now, since the attack.”
“Hmm, I see.” The older woman thought for a moment, “Stand up and come with me. You must be half starved.”
Eiko lifted her head, shocked the woman would care enough or trust her enough for that matter, to offer her food, “Thank you, Miss?”
“My name is Sango.” The woman called back from where she was already heading towards a large hut, the cat demon now tiny and on her shoulder, “This is my partner, Kirara.”
Eiko bowed again, “Thank you both.”
“Enough bowing. Didn’t I say to stand up?”
“Right! Yes!” Eiko shot up from her place on the ground and rushed over to Sango.
The older woman led her into the largest hut in the village. Eiko, who’d ran away barefoot from her village, felt bad she’d be tracking in dirt as she watched Sango remove her sandals.
“Don’t worry about any dirt. I can always clean up later.” Sango sat herself before the fire in the middle of the room. On top sat a rice pot. “Please, sit.” She motioned to the other side of the fire. “Let me get you some food.” Sango filled a bowl that had been on the floor beside her with a generous helping of rice, and passed it and a set of chopsticks to Eiko, “Eat your fill. I made plenty of rice.” Eiko dived into the rice, not caring about her manners, as Sango dished another helping of rice for herself. “Tell me, how did you find this village. Few know of its existence.”
Eiko slowed down her hurried eating, to answer the older woman’s question, “My mother told me about it.”
Sango gasped, “Your mother? But how’d she know about it?”
“My mother was raised here. Her name was Fumie, she was the daughter of the previous chief’s right-hand, Naritaka. My father, Kazuki, was from my village. My parents met when they were young and my mother chose to leave the Demon Slayer village to marry my father. But she told me stories of the village and my grandfather’s heroic deeds as a Demon Slayer. She’d tell them to me and my older brother, Naomasa all the time.” Eiko looked down, solemn. “My brother even planned on coming to this village to be a Demon Slayer like our grandfather, but the demon attack…changed all that.”
She was silent for a while as Sango took in everything the young girl had said.
That’s why she looks so familiar! Sango realized. She’s Naritaka’s granddaughter. He lived here in the village after he retired and was an advisor to my father.
Eiko looked up at Sango suddenly, “Do you know what happened to my grandfather?” She looked around, “The village seems…different than my mother described.”
“That’s because a half-demon named Naraku attacked this village, slaughtering everyone here.” Sango’s face fell, “He also was the cause of the death of all the Demon Slayers, except…for me and my brother Kohaku.”
Eiko nodded, “I see. And did my grandfather die in this slaughter?”
Sango looked back at the young girl, not wanting to answer, but knowing the girl deserved to know the truth, “Yes, he did. Naritaka had retired when my grandfather passed away, before my birth. Up until his death he served as an advisor to my father, the last chief.”
“Then, it’s decide.”
“Huh?”
Eiko looked up at Sango with determination. “You will be my trainer then, if there is no one else. I’m putting myself in your capable hands, Sensei.” She bowed to Sango, “Please, train me to be a Demon Slayer so I may avenge my village.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” Sango apologized, “You see, I’m on a mission to avenge my family as well, and that has to remain my goal. I must kill Naraku!”
“Then, we have the same goal.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
Eiko sighed, “You see, while I was hiding I overheard the demoness in charge say that someone named Naraku sent her and the demons to kill the village headman for his Shikon Jewel shards. That Naraku is the reason my parents, brother, and grandfather are dead. I will avenge them, but I need your help.”
“I see.” Sango thought things over a moment. She does deserve the chance to get her revenge on Naraku. After all, that’s what brought me and my friends together isn’t it. She doesn’t seem much older than Kohaku, maybe a year? That means she’s a good age to train. “Very well, I will train you.”
Eiko bowed again, “Thank you so much, Sensei; you don’t know what this means to me.”
“I think I do.” Sango smiled, then covered her nose again. “Finish eating. We’ll begin after you’ve had a bath.”
“Very well, Sensei.” Eiko lifted her bowl of rice back up and returned to eating it with gusto.
Sango and Kirara led Eiko back to the river nearby. Though the young girl was wary of leaving the Demon Slayer village, Sango had assured her that she and Kirara would protect her. When they reached the water, Eiko jumped in, clothes and all.
“Hey!” Sango called out as Eiko surfaced, “I brought you clean clothes to change into. You didn’t need to do that. We can was your clothes before going back.”
“Oh, alright.” Eiko climbed out of the water, stripped down, then jumped in again.
Sango sighed, picked up the young girl’s clothes, and proceeded to wash them. “What do you think, Kirara?” She asked the Cat Demon as she laid down next to her battle partner, but of course Kirara couldn’t answer back. “Have I just made a huge mistake? Did I put my friends in danger by agreeing to this?” Sango turned to look at Kirara who seemed to be thinking it over. After a moment, the Cat Demon shook her head, no. Sango sighed again, “I hope you’re right. Something in my gut says that girl’s hiding something, but I don’t know what.”
When Eiko had finished her bath, changed, and her clothes were hung up to dry, Sango led the young girl to the armory.
She motioned around the room where the walls were filled with weapons and the tables were covered in them. “From these weapons you’ll choose your main and your hand-to-hand combat weapons. Also—” Sango opened the nearest cabinet and pulled out a Demon Slayer uniform set with accents of pastel purple and sky blue. “This’ll be your uniform.” She walked over to a section that held main weapons, “You may choose from the sodegarami, the yari, the kanabō, a yumi and arrows, the chigruki, the masakari, or the tetsubo as your main weapon.”
“Hmm,” Eiko looked them over before settling on a pole weapon. “I’ll take the sodegarami.”
Sango pulled one down that fit Eiko’s height and passed it to her. “Very well, but know, it takes lots and lots of training to master that weapon.”
“I understand. What’s next?”
Sango led her over to the hand-to-hand combat weapons. “Now, you may choose from the tekkō, the tekagai-shuko, the kakute, or the neko-te as your hand-to-hand combat weapon.”
“The kakute, definitely.”
Sango picked up four different shaped kakute rings and passed them to Eiko. “Very well, you’ll also need a few more things.” She head over to a table with swords picking one up that’s sheath matched the sky blue of her uniform, “Your backup weapon, a wakizashi.” Sango wandered around gathering more things, then came back to Eiko and gave them to her one by one. “Your filter mask, wear this as much as you can. Your kusari-fundo, it goes in one of your shoulder pads. Your poison powder and nioidamas go in the other. Also, in your right arm of your uniform is a hidden blade. You’ll never be defenseless.” She headed towards the exit, “Now, change into your new uniform and meet me at the target range.”
Changed into her outfit with her hair braided back, Eiko walked out to the target range all set up with her sodegarami in hand. There she found Sango in her own uniform standing beside Kirara who had five kunai knives in her mouth, while Sango held three in her right hand.
“Ready to begin?” The older girl asked. Eiko nodded and Sango turned towards the target across from her. “While it’s true you’ve chosen a pole weapon, which is often used for closer combat, I’ve found that demons don’t fight in close combat as often as you’d think, so you’ll have to learn to use your sodegarami as a long range weapon as well, meaning you’ll need to learn to hit your target. Like this.” She three the three kunai knives in succession and all three landed in the bullseye. Eiko gaped in shock. Sango motioned to the target across from Eiko. “Now, you try.”
Eiko nodded, lined up her shot, threw her sodegarami, which was no easy task, and it landed in the ground at the foot of the target. Eiko deflated.
“You weren’t going to be a marksman on your first day,” Sango sympathized. “Like I said that weapon takes lots of training to master. Grab it and try again.”
The next afternoon, Sango had switched to training Eiko sword combat with their wakizashis when suddenly, a resting Kirara changed forms and began to growl.
“What is it, Kirara? Do you sense something?” Sango inquired.
Kirara just ran out of the entrance of the Demon Slayer village in reply, leaving Sango and Eiko behind.
Sango sheathed her wakizashi, rushed over to grab Hiraikotsu, and headed for the entrance, shouting behind her, “Eiko! Let’s go!”
Eiko sheathed her own wakizashi, picked up her sodegarami, and followed after them.
The two girls chased after the Cat Demon into the forest to find a horde of demons waiting.
“Finally, we have found the other shard of the Shikon Jewel we’ve been searching for.” The lead demon slithered.
“Shikon Jewel shard?” Sango started as a realization came to her. Her head snapped in Eiko’s direction. “You have a Shikon Jewel shard on you?!”
Eiko nodded sheepishly, “Y-Yes. I’m sorry, Sensei, I know I should have told you, but my brother told me to protect it with my life! That’s all I was trying to do; follow my brother’s last request.”
“Well, now you have to keep that promise! Let’s put that training of yours to the test!” The demons flew towards Sango and Eiko. Sango lifted Hirakotsu up, preparing to throw it, “Hirakotsu,” She yelled, releasing it, and watching it kill a quarter of the demons.
Eiko lined up her shot. “Sodegarami,” Then, threw her sodegarami straight at some demons. Missing her target, she took out a different demon. “My target’s off, I can’t take out enough of them.”
“That’s what I’m for,” They heard a new voice declare, and before Eiko could get her sodegarami back, a Dog Demon landed in front of her and Sango, just as Hirakotsu came back to Sango’s arm.
“Good to see you, Inuyasha.”
“You too, let me help.” The Dog Demon pulled out a rusty old sword, and before Eiko had time to wonder how that would help, the sword transformed into a giant, sharp sword. The Dog Demon, apparently named Inuyasha, lifted the sword above his head and shot it downwards, “Wind Scar!” He called out as a light erupted from his sword and shot towards the demons, killing them all in one shot. “Ha! Too easy.”
Inuyasha sheathed his sword and turned to Sango as three more people, a Buddhist monk, a young girl in strange clothing, and a young fox demon, came over.
“Hi, Sango.” The strange looking girl who carried a bow and quiver on her back greeted.
The little fox demon jumped up onto the girl’s shoulder, “We came back to get you.”
Eiko could see tears welling up in her Sensei’s eyes, “Thank you.”
The fox demon looked past Inuyasha at Eiko, “Who’s that?”
Sango turned to Eiko, “She’s the reason I’ve been gone longer than I planned. This is Eiko, my new apprentice. She lived in the village on the other side of the forest.”
“I see,” The monk said. “We just went through that village.” He turned to Eiko, “You must be the only survivor.”
Eiko nodded, “I am.”
Inuyasha huffed, “What I don’t understand is why the demons came after Sango.”
“They weren’t going after Sensei; they came for me.” Eiko pulled out the jewel shard she’d hidden in her pocket. “They wanted this. By order of the Half-Demon Naraku.”
Sango’s friends gasped.
The odd looking girl stepped forward and reached out a hand, “Eiko, do you mind if I keep that safe for you.” She pulled out a small bottle. “See, I have more here. We find them and collect them to keep them out of Naraku’s hands.”
Eiko looked to Sango. “It’s alright.” The oldest girl encouraged. “Kagome will keep them safe, and you’ll still be following your brother’s last request by helping to keep Kagome and the shards safe.”
Eiko nodded and handed Kagome the shard. “Please protect it, my brother gave his life to keep me and that shard safe.”
“I’ll protect it with my life.”
“No you won’t!” Inuyasha yelled.
“Yes, I will! You don’t get to say what I can and can’t do.”
“When it comes to you being stupid and risking your life I do!”
Kagome sighed, “Sit, Boy!”
The next day, the friends and Eiko were preparing to leave with plans to head to a village where a priestess named Kaede lived. Eiko had been properly introduced to the friends the day before.
“What made you guys come to our rescue anyway?” Eiko asked the friends.
“Well, Miroku was worried about Sango, so we decided to come.” Inuyasha explained. “It’s a good thing we did, too, after all, we got another Shikon Jewel shard.”
Kagome turned to Sango who was looking at the monk, “Well, I’m glad we made it on time.”
Eiko noticed the blush on Sango’s face as her Sensei walked over to the monk, “Miroku, were you actually that worried about me?”
“Oh, call it a premonition, if you will. I kept seeing your face, Sango, no matter what I did. I simply couldn’t get you out of my mind.” Miroku set his hand on Sango’s butt. “It’s the truth.”
Suddenly, Eiko heard a slap and turned to see a fresh handprint on the monk’s face. So, he’s a lecher I see. Eiko thought. At least, Sensei, knows how to deal with him.
Sango’s blush was gone and now she was angry, “Thank you for your concern.”
“Don’t mention it.” Miroku chuckled.
“When is he ever gonna learn?” Shippō asked from Kagome’s shoulder, shaking his head, “Please don’t let me grow up to be like him.”
“Mm-hmm.” Inuyasha and Kagome nodded in agreement.