Purple Lotus [Kimetsu no Yaiba]

~Forty-Four~

"Tsu-chan!" Tanjiro called the girl. "There's a strong scent of fear coming from the demon! You can use your tenth form to..."

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form," Tsubasa cut him off and dashed with her sword, the familiar water surrounding her and her opponent once more. 

⁘•⁎Striking Tide!!⁎•⁘

In a matter of seconds, the creature's head was rolling at her feet as it disintegrated before her. The girl unsheathed her sword and went back to Tanjiro, her face blank. "You were saying?"

Tanjiro smiled, "That was great, Tsu-chan," he said, petting her head. "But I was kind of hoping you would try and use your Emotion Breathing. It's been so long since you've used it last, after all."

"The demon is dead. That's what matters," Tsubasa said monotonously. "Let's just go back."

"Yeah," Zenitsu agreed.

As they walked, Tanjiro couldn't help worrying about Tsubasa. Ever since she lost her gift, she refused to use her own Breathing Style to fight demons, she stopped joking around and acting like a child, she didn't smile as often,  she got scared and jumped every time someone approached her from behind, she even stopped dealing with Zenitsu's tantrums! It was like Tsubasa had lost all her color. And it was devastating for both her and everyone around her.

Who was the Emotion Hashira if she didn't show her emotions? 

Inosuke was being more aggressive too. Without his brat being a... brat, he had no one to confide in by yelling unnecessarily or forcing her to do stupid things. He still protected her from loneliness and nightmares, but he didn't get the smile he loved so much out of it anymore. 

He loved Tsubasa. No matter how she acted or whether or not she had her gift. But he missed the old Tsubasa and wanted her back. Everyone wanted her back. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Nezuko, Rengoku, Giyuu, Shinobu, Inosuke. But above all, the person who wanted the old Tsubasa back more than anyone was Tsubasa herself.

She missed the old her and wanted her back. But without her gift everything was different, foreign, strange, bad! Everything was a surprise. Not knowing what anyone was thinking, not being able to tell a lie from the truth, having to decide things on her own... It was devastating! She couldn't live like that!

"Tsu-chan?" She jumped at the sound but relaxed when she saw Tanjiro looking at her. "We're almost there, you're not tired, are you?" 

"No," she said and walked ahead. "You've asked me that three times today. Stop."

"The brat isn't so weak she'd get tired from walking," Inosuke growled at him lowly, "Even without her gift, she's a Hashira. Get that in that tiny brain of your, Gonpachiro." Without waiting for a response, he ran ahead and caught up to the girl.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Tsubasa was seated on the patio of her estate. She yet again couldn't sleep. It wasn't because of a nightmare- Inosuke had made sure of that- but the sleep slipped away from her. So she just sat in silence staring into the mix of the night sky and Wisteria glow.

"What are you doing up, Brat?"

She turned to see, "Inosuke. Did I wake you?" she didn't try to smile. Inosuke would only see right through her anyway. 

He haughtily placed himself beside her, "No you didn't. No brat can wake the King of the Mountains like that!!" I only woke up because I couldn't feel you in the room or nearby anymore. he thought but of course the girl didn't know what he was thinking.

"Of course not," she giggled quietly. "Sorry." 

"But," the boar yanked her wrist and forcefully placed her in his lap. "tell me what's wrong."

The girl's smile faded as she spoke next, "Inosuke?"

"Yeah? Wot?"

"Tell me... Do you love me?" she asked, her eyes automatically filling with tears. "Do you actually love me?"

"Love?" the boar repeated. 

A question like that coming from someone who knew emotions like a second nature would seem very odd. But Inosuke knew that ever since Tsubasa lost her ability to feel the emotions of others, it was like a piece of her had been ripped away. She grew less cheery and stopped talking much. She was more prone to nightmares than ever as well. Even when fighting demons she was different.

Tsubasa felt so alone now, having only her thoughts to hear, only her emotions to feel. And all she felt at the moment was empty. Like a hollow shell. So for her, asking this question was a way of seeking reassurance from the only other person who could make her feel as special as Sabito once did.

When Inosuke stayed silent, Tsubasa felt her tears begin to fall. Had she been mistaken the entire time? Were her feelings towards the boar one-sided? She was just about to get up and run away and cry when Inosuke wrapped his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. 

"Love? Of course I love you ya damn brat!!" he yelled aggressively yet gently as well. "I thought I told you already! If anything, you were the one that told me!! Even without your damn gift, you should've been able to tell! Damnit!!" He hit his fist hard against the wooden floor. 

"How much of a brat can you be to not know that!? Damn you! Damn you for not knowing that I love you!! And damn everyone who thinks I don't!!" Inosuke seemed genuinely angry. "And damn you again for ever thinking I don't love you!! Damn you ya damn brat! I'd tell you to fight me but I love you too much to hurt you! SO DAMN YOU!!!"

When he finally ended his rant, Tsubasa just stared at him. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry about her second guessing his feelings. Gazing into his blazing emerald green eyes, Tsubasa burst onto loud hysterical tears. She held the boar's chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck, soon soaking it. "I love you too," she wailed.

Inosuke hugged her back protectively, "Don't you worry," he whispered in her ear. "The great King of the Mountains will get your gift back. Maybe then you'll know how much I love you. I will succeed, and anyone who tries to stop me will have to FIGHT ME!!"

Tsubasa continued to cry into his chest as he yelled out random stuff along the lines of 'fight me!' and even grumbling some incoherent words of reassurance to the girl while she fell asleep. The boar carried her back to her bedroom and placed her gently- as he possibly could- onto the bed before scrambling next to her and securing his arms around her once more.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

~✨Blu<3✨