Spiders and Moons

Reunited

Yumiko ran. With her new abilities she was even faster. She knew they would be at the butterfly mansion. Their injuries were severe, especially Tengen. She hid throughout the day and stole a cloak. She left yen for it but the owner wasn't happy.

It took her a day and a half to get to the butterfly mansion. Once she got there she realized she didn't know how to show herself to anyone. She stood at the entrance pacing. She was trying to figure out her plan. In the night she heard the voice of a woman.

"Hello there! Are you lost?" It was Shinobu. Yumiko was ready to piss herself. She turned to Shinobu so fast her cloak fell off her head revealing her horns and face.

"Shinobu, please don't kill me! I just want to see Tengen! He told you right?"

Shinobu kept her smile. It was sinister now that Yumiko was on the dark side of it.

"It's me Yumiko! Look, it's my haori! The one with the webs!"

Shinobu's face dropped. She unsheathed her sword and spoke. "I must kill you Yumiko. I am sorry."

Yumiko clenched her jaw. "If I am going to die it will be by Tengen's hands! I can do something no other demon can! Let me live till the day! I have conquered the sun!"

Shinobu laughed and kept her sword out. "Alright I will restrain you so you can leave."

Yumiko agreed to those terms and let Shinobu surround her with wisteria. It was only a couple more hours till the sun rose. She sat in the circle and talked with Shinobu and told her the story. Shinobu expressed she wouldn't believe a word until she saw her standing in the sun unharmed.

The sun began to rise. Shinobu saw Yumiko getting nervous.

"You know you can always back out of this agreement and die the easy way."

Yumiko laughed. "You are sorely mistaken if you think I would die that easily."

The sun began to shine on Yumiko's face. She held her hand over her eyes but she didn't burn. Shinobu removed the wisteria and rushed her into the mansion. Yumiko and Shinobu went into a room and Shinobu locked the door.

Shinobu slapped Yumiko across the face. "What the fuck! Just because I am a demon doesn't mean I don't feel pain!"

Shinobu smirked. "Good." She slapped Yumiko again on the other cheek.

"Do you realize how irresponsible you are? You kept this a secret out of selfishness. You don't deserve to be in the demon slayer corps."

Yumiko was stunned and as she listened to Shinobu's words looked to the ground. "Of course I'm not. I never felt worthy to even be a Hashira. Do you think I don't hate myself every moment of every day and night wishing I hadn't been born? I have never been nor will I ever be worthy."

Shinobu was taken aback. "I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn. This isn't your fault. I just wish you had told me sooner."

Yumiko looked at Shinobu with guilt in her face. She hugged Shinobu tightly. Shinobu returned the hug. Yumiko asked if Shinobu could help ease Tengen into this all. She agreed.

Shinobu walked into Tengen's room and told him that he needed to be prepared to see something he didn't want to see. Tengen braised himself. When Shinobu opened the door, that was Yumiko's cue to walk in. Yumiko stood for a moment before Shinobu grabbed her hand and dragged her in.

Tengen's face was in shock. Yumiko looked down in shame. Shinobu pushed Yumiko towards Tengen.

"Tengen I-" Tengen pulled Yumiko into his chest. "You little shit! I thought you were truly gone!" Tengen was crying and Yumiko soon followed. Shinobu laughed at Tengen. He got angry and asked why she was laughing.

Shinobu, almost in tears, said "You didn't even realize she is in the sun, you were so happy to see her!"

Tengen took a moment and looked at Yumiko in the sunlight. Her eyes though now a shade of yellow glistened in the light. "HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHH?!?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU EVEN MANAGE THIS?!?!"

Yumiko began to giggle. "I didn't want to die without seeing you again. You and the others made it so I could live, I think. All I know now is Muzan wants me so he can go into the sun."

Tengen understood everything now. "I must speak with the master. He will know what is best for me and you."

Tengen agreed but he wanted to be there. Yumiko agreed. Yumiko asked if Shinobu could get Iguro to the mansion. She agreed to try.

When Iguro received the message. He headed there straight away. Shinobu greeted him and brought him to Yumiko's room. It was facing the sun.

"Iguro, open the door and stay there for a while. The person in there really wants to talk with you."

Iguro didn't understand what was so important but he listened. When he opened the door he saw Yumiko. A demon was all he saw until Yumiko spoke.

"I'm glad you came, Iguro. Please, I want to talk to you about what happened the night Douma took me before your eyes."

Iguro looked at Yumiko with his eyes widened. He just stared and didn't speak. "It's not your fault, Iguro. It was bound to happen at some point. I don't want you to feel guilty about what happened. Douma was coming for me to turn me into a demon. It's okay."

Iguro looked up at Yumiko. "It is not okay. You got taken by a demon. All the Hashira, I know they look down upon me after that. I will never forgive myself."

"Iguro I understand. I regret every moment I didn't speak the truth. It always felt like it was in the distant future but it wasn't. It isn't your fault. I know you will fool yourself into thinking that but no hashira blames you and if they do I'll make sure they know the truth."

Iguro and Yumiko talked things over for a while. They both had a new respect for one another and truly could say they were friends.