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"Perseverance is not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard."

Chapter 2:

The sun was beginning to rise breaking the spell of darkness that had just coated the field. In the center stood a young boy wielding a sickle shaped chained weapon. With his right hand he held the handle slightly above his head and held the chain of the weapon with his other near the torso of his body. Despite the coolness of the early morning air a thin layer of sweat had formed on his face. He roughly wiped it away with the back of his hand before attempting to toss his weapon again at the short wooden logs that he set up for targets. He took a deep breath and held it, praying he would hit his mark this time. The sickle landed quietly into the grass, his target still resting in the same position it was prompted up in. He let out a loud sigh of frustration before throwing himself in a seated position on the ground. Sulking, with his face in his hands, he didn't notice the figure slowly approaching.

"Sitting on the ground in defeat isn't going to knock over any targets Kohaku, let alone take down a demon." His older sister, Sango, stood behind him with a small smile gracing her lips. Kohaku only buried his face deeper in hopes of hiding his embarrassment. He hadn't expected to see his sister out here this early. He was so tired of letting his family down. He wished more than anything to be at least half as good of a demon slayer as his sister. Sango took a seat beside him and wrapped her arms around him bringing him closer to her. A slight blush began to form on his face that stood out amongst the many freckles that ran a trail from the middle of his cheeks to the bridge of his nose. He would never admit it out loud, but he valued these moments with her the most. They sat in silence for a while before Sango finally broke it.

"You are way too hard on your self. I know you have this idea in your head that you aren't good enough but that's not true at all."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. When you were my age Father had already taken you out on missions with him. He still hasn't asked me yet." Feeling her brothers despair she started to rub the top of his head knowing it would soothe him. For the second time this morning the pair sat in a comfortable silence. Once the sun was high in the sky and the fields were no longer wet with dew, they prepared them selves to head back home to start their daily chores. Before they could even take their next step a large explosion sounded from the south near the mountain at the edge of the forest. Sango sprang to her feet, regretting her decision to leave her Hiraikotsu at home.

"Run back to the village, find Kiarara and Father, and tell them where I am."

"No! I want to go with you. I'm ready Sango! Please, let me do this." Sango instantly recognized the look on her brothers face. It was the same will and determination that mirrored hers so many years ago when she first started training.

"Let's go. If it ends up being too dangerous and I tell you to run, you must run. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"Do you understand Kohaku?"

"Yes Sango."

"Good. Separate your feet a little more before you throw. It'll help you keep your balance and improve your aim.

"Right!" Kohaku was finally getting his chance to prove himself. Nothing was going to get in his way today.

—-

'Keep moving Makaira! Ignore the pain and keep moving.'

The trip down Hibiki Cliff had been a lot tougher than she had anticipated. What she thought was just a mere cliff had actually turned out to be a giant mountain. With only a couple hours left of her journey, and only a few minor scrapes and bruises, she had managed to trip over an edge in the dark and took a terrible tumble off the side of the mountain into a nearby forest. Makaira was sure she was currently suffering from a fractured ankle and her ribs ached with each breath she took. The little voice of doubt came to the back of her mind as she hobbled through the forest. 'Shika told you it wasn't safe. How are you suppose to protect the Shikon Jewel now?! Pathetic. Still she trotted on, feeling a bit of relief when the top of a nearby village came into view. Just before she reached the end of the forest a cold shiver ran up her spine. 'Someone, no, something is close by. Has Uncle found me already?' Makaira had never been more thankful for her training than at that exact moment. She picked up on the sound of the wind quickening and threw her body to the ground, barely missing the attack. Rolling over in pain, she came face to face with a giant serpent. Its scales were a chalky colored brown with hints of green blended in. "I musssssst ssssay, I am ssssurpisssed you are sssstill alive after that fall human. I wassss ccccertain that little trap I sssset would have ended you but here we are." She coiled her body around a nearby tree as she spoke and loomed her head over Makaira's body. Her piercing auburn eyes scanned her body as if in search for something. Makaira did her best to push her satchel further underneath her in hopes the snake demon would miss it. "Now hand it over and I'll make your death a quick one!"

Without a second thought Makaira summoned what little strength she had left and pushed her self to her feet aiming both of her hands, spread open wide, towards the demon. 'I have to make this hit count. I won't get a second chance.'

"Divine Blitz!" Makaira's hand gave off a bright white light before the color formed a solid sphere and shot towards the serpent. The sphere expanded even further engulfing its entire being sending the demon hurling towards the mountain causing a loud explosion at the base.

'Please let that have been enough..' Was Makaira's final thought before surrounding to her exhaustion.

Kohaku made sure to stay right near his sister as they reached the opening of the forest. It wasn't very large and housed various small animals and medicinal herbs. They haven't had any trouble here in years. Within minutes, Sango spotted the worn out girl, laying flat on her back. It was hard to tell if she were still breathing or not.

"Do you think she's dead?"

"No. At least not yet. She's bleeding from her torso and her left ankle looks pretty swollen."

"Her hair sure is weird looking. Do you think she's the cause of that noise we heard?"

"Only one way to find out. Help me get her on my back and we'll bring her to Father."

Makaira's entire body felt like it was up in flames. And what was this heavy force pushing down on her chest? If only she could get her eyes open.

"I think she's starting to wake up Sango!"

"Lower your voice Kohaku, she's probably scared enough as it is. Father said to make sure she was well attended too."

Sango? Kohaku? Where was she? Did the snake demon survive? Had she taken her somewhere? Struggling once more she was finally able to open her eyes but quickly winced from the sunlight pouring in from a nearby window. She tried to sit up but her ribs quickly rendered that as a terrible idea.

"Try not to move too much. You were in pretty bad shape when we found you."

Makaira slowly moved her head towards the woman's voice to be greeted with a pair of friendly brown eyes. For a split second they reminded her so much of Shika's, aside from the purple that outlined the top outer part. 'Oh Shika, if only you could see me now.'

"My name is Sango, and this here is my little brother Kohaku. He hasn't left your side since we brought you back to the village."

The young boy looked down in embarrassment.

"Come on, you didn't have to tell her that." He mumbled. Finally getting a good look at the two she could see the resemblance. They both had the same dark chestnut colored hair and their eyes shown with the same warm welcoming look. A jolt of panic surged through her and she whipped her head side to side in search of her carrier.

"M-my satchel?! Where is it?!" This time she was able to sit up a little straighter, with the help of Sango. She carefully lowered the thick blanket that covered Maikaira and applied pressure to her lower back.

"You mean this?" Kohaku pulled out the worn out bag from his side. "You had a pretty tight grip on it, even after you passed out." Maikaira let out a breath that she wasn't even aware she was holding in. Kohaku handed it over to her shyly without making any eye contact. She carefully tucked it away under the blanket burying it deeply into her side.

Sango and Kohaku exchanged looks before they both moved to stand.

"Please rest up for a little while longer. My father is very interested in meeting the girl who survived the great tumble down the mountain." A hint of playfulness could be heard in Sango's voice before departing. As curious as Maikaira was she couldn't fight off the heaviness of her eye lids any longer and fell into a deep sleep once more.

When Sango and Kohaku were no longer in ear shot of the hut their new guest was resting in, the younger of the two cleared his throat.

"Do you think she can be trusted? How could she have possibly survived that fall?"

"Father said she is of no threat to us. We will just have to trust in what he says."

Onigumo paced the castle grounds, frustration seeping through his every step. Seven days had passed and she still hadn't returned. She often disappeared at times but never for more than a day. And that foolish girl had the nerve to take the sacred jewel with her. With out even turning around he sensed Kagura approaching. Unlike the other servants of the castle, Kagura's footsteps were light and airy, often impossible to detect.

"My lord. You summoned me?"

"Yes. I need you to fetch me the young hand maiden. Shika I believe her name is."

"The meek one that always trailed after the princess?"

"That is the one. I'm sure she can help spread some light on this situation." The smirk plastered on his face sent an uncomfortable chill through her.

"Maikaira! Shika! Hurry along now or you'll miss it!" A tall slender woman with pale pink hair stood patiently waiting for the two young children behind her to finish catching their breath.

"My mom said right when the sun touches the top of the sky is when they'll hatch!"

"I hope we don't scare them."

Within minute the trio reached the center of the forest. They hid behind a giant oak tree and looked ahead into the small clearing, careful to stay out of sight. The center had an area that were nesting grounds for Torga Rabbits. Nothing but grass and wild flowers of different oranges, reds, and blues. Once every fifty fifteen years a mother gives birth to three young babes. This time around only one mother Torga was present. Just like Maikaira's mother said, the babes were born right as the sun was setting in the sky. The reddish hue light the sun was giving off sparkled against the babes florescent shells. They watched on in awe as the mother helped the young ones find their footing. Their long ears drooped to the side of their faces and it took some time for them to stop tripping over them. The girls sat back giggling amongst them selves. Maikaira was so wrapped up in her laughter she didn't notice the quiet approach of the mother until she felt a soft touch against her arm. She instantly froze afraid the mother would bite her. As soft as these animals looked everyone knew their bites were something vicious. The mother nuzzled her nose into the young girls arm again and slowly closed its eyes. Maikaira's own mother was the first to break the silence. She looked at her daughter with such a soft smile.

"Don't be frightened my dear. It is believed that a Torga Rabbit brings good luck and fortunate to anyone it favors. And by the looks of things, she certainly has taken a liking to you."

Maikaira stretched out her body before rising from bed. She hadn't dreamt of her mother in years. 'Good fortunate and luck.. I suppose that explains how I made it off of that mountain alive.' A fresh green kimono, similar to the one Sango had on, lay draped across the end of her bed. To her dismay dressing took a little longer than usual. Her ribs still ached and she couldn't put pressure on her left ankle for too long. She grimaced at her reflection in the mirror on the other side of the room. Small scratches covered her cheeks and forehead and her hair was a dull mess. She scrubbed at her face, with the water from the wooden bowl that was placed in front of the mirror, until her skin was a harsh pink. She brushed out her hair with her fingers in her best attempt to look human again. Before she could fret over her appearance again a small meow broke the silence of the hut. A small cat like animal stared straight up at her from the door way. Its fur was a tan color aside from the black stripes that adorned her ears, paws, and the edge of her two tails. Her tails swayed happily behind her as if dancing to the rhythm of the wind. The small cat meowed again before turning around. It seemed she meant for Maikaira to follow her. So follow her she did.