"What do you mean, you already know the water form?" Urokudaki asked, more than a little shocked when the red-head just smiled at him knowingly.

"Well, it's been a while, so I don't have the muscle memory, but…" he took a training sword and proceeded to show him every single water breathing form.

What?

He even breathed correctly… although he fell down at the end, clutching his at his chest.

"Forgot… how much… that… hurt."

Urokudaki could only stare. "Who showed you how to do that?"

At which point the boy looked up and smiled. "You did, Urokudaki-sensei."

What.

"I've been waking up in the past over and over again, but you taught it to me the first time." And then he just smiled a beaming smile that practically sang of sunshine.

Which made no sense. Sunshine didn't sing. Smiles didn't shine light. And yet…

This boy smelled completely sincere too.

"So… you just need conditioning?"

He nodded. "Yup!"

Urokudaki put a hand up to his forehead, wishing he could kneed his temple through his mask. Two brats being trained on the mountain… setting up the traps… he'd never get any sleep. And he had three other children to train too…

And a mother, apparently.

He withheld a groan before looking back at his small house.

They'd have to expand that too. With what time, he didn't know… although…

"Every other day, you will climb the mountain. Your sister will climb the days you don't. Your mother, once she gets settled, will get set into the schedule as well." She'd wanted to clean his house and set her children up and make sure everyone had their own chores to do before she could really get into her own training. Urokudaki wasn't about to argue.

"The days you aren't training are the days you will help build an extension onto the house. Understood?"

The boy's eyes practically glittered as he nodded. "Hai, Urokudaki-sensei!"

"Good. Stretch and then give me 1000 swings of your sword while I go and draw up some plans." He was sure he had paper somewhere, and some charcoal he could use for drawing.

Tanjiro immediately began to do as he'd been told. He had a good base. Not extremely solid, but that would likely come with time (and as he already said, muscle memory).

Because he'd learned all of this before… right. His mother had confirmed it, even though she looked about as he felt. Sakonji wasn't entirely sure he understood, even now, but decided that he really shouldn't think of it until he could write to Ubuyashiki-sama.

As he walked towards the house, he saw the three middle children playing tag, laughing and giggling. It wasn't a sound he'd thought he'd ever hear in his home again…

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Later that night, when half the kids woke up crying from nightmares, he reconsidered.

xXx

Sakonji stared at the words written on the paper in front of him. Almost as soon as the Kamado family and himself had come to a consensus (basically work the land as is expected for children their age in exchange for training), and Tanjiro had explained his… unique circumstances, he'd written to Ubuyashiki-sama explaining everything.

The head of the Demon Slayer corps had responded with some questions of his own, and, like Sakonji, he'd been skeptical of such claims. He asked if the boy could prove what he said. When Sakonji had taken this to Tanjiro, he'd replied that he could talk about the Pillars, although it would be who would be Pillars in two years time and his list may not be current.

Sakonji had sent the reply and waited. The crow came back sooner than any reply to a missive he'd sent before, coming with agreement to the terms and asking for as much detail as possible. Tanjiro agreed with his usual smile and he sat down with Sakonji who agreed to write it for the boy – strictly as a witness. (The fact that he was curious had nothing to do with it at all.)

Over the next two hours, Tanjiro spoke of each of the Pillars he remembered in great detail. Starting with Sakonji's own student and replacement as the water Pillar, Tamoika Giyuu. (As far as Sakonji knew, Giyuu had never met the Kamado family – he'd sent a missive to his student as soon as he could fit it in between the letters to Ubuyashiki-sama.)

Tanjiro began with an extremely accurate description of Giyuu's physical appearance – right down to the half-and-half haori he tended to wear. Then Tanjiro went on to describe his personality, from his normally cold exterior to his matter-of-fact approach to his absolute frustration with people who (in Tanjiro's exact words) 'begged and didn't fight for what they wanted'. Then he spoke of Giyuu's past, and while he didn't know everything, he did bring up the names 'Sabito' and 'Makomo'… which had given Sakonji an extremely long pause.

He made a note that everything the boy had said was true and that he'd gotten absolutely none of it from Sakonji himself…

It was… an eye-opening experience.

Then the boy went on to describe Shinobu the 'Insect' Pillar, apparently. He described her height, the way she tended to do her hair, her insect-like haori that made her look like a butterfly when she fought. He knew she'd lost her sister – the former Flower Pillar named Kanae – but didn't know how outside of the fact that she'd been killed by Waxing Moon Two (at which point he'd worriedly stopped and asked to include a note to please have Kanae-chan be careful if she's still alive – something Sakonji completely agreed with completely).

Once he finished with her, he went on to describe the Wind Pillar (Sanmei Shinazugawa), a merechi who Tanjiro admitted he didn't tend to get along with. He still spoke highly of the man's skills afterwards and then went on to describe his relationship with his little brother who apparently couldn't use breath styles but fought with demon abilities after devouring them…

(To say Sakonji had been horrified would be similar to calling the sun warm… and he let Ubuyashiki know that too. Seriously?! What was anyone involved in that situation thinking?! That could only end badly!)

After that, Tanjiro spoke of the Stone Pillar (who was training the demon-eating boy! What?!), who was blind and very devoted to his beliefs. Then he spoke of the 'Love' Pillar (apparently a style she modified from flame) and then the Snake Pillar, who he admitted he didn't know as well but had run into in a few lifetimes. He described Uzui the sound Pillar and his three wives (all kunoichi, apparently), then spoke of the Mist Pillar, (who he admittedly knew the least about) and ended with the Flame Pillar, one Rengoku Kyojiro. From his description, it seemed the new Flame Pillar had (somehow) become even more outspoken than his father, the previous Flame Pillar.

(Once Tanjiro spoke of how said former Flame Pillar treated his family, Sakonji made a mental note to go over there and give the man a piece of his mind – grieving for his wife or not, there was no reason to treat his children like that! He couldn't force the man to change his mind, but he could likely beat said man into the ground if he insisted on being an idiot.)

And that was everyone. Sakonji finished that up and was about to close the (rather large) letter, but Tanjiro stopped him.

"Urokudaki-sensei… I… think now would be a good time for me to give up information on all the Waxing Moons… and most of the Waning Moons as well, if you'd like, even though Muzan usually kills them within the next three years for not being strong enough."

The note of sadness and regret in the boy's voice worried Sakonji. Immensely.

"You… know them all personally?"

Tanjiro's mouth tightened and his eyes remained fixed on the floor in front of him. "I've met all of the Waxing Moons in my previous lives. I've not met all of the Waning Moons. As I said, they're usually… gone by the time I am in a position to find them."

Sakonji chose his next words very carefully.

"Do you care for them?"

The boy's hands fisted in the fabric of his Hakama.

"That… is a difficult question for me, Urokudaki-san," he said softly. Not 'sensei' this time? The boy was treating him as an equal – as a fellow Demon Slayer. "You must understand that most demons have not chosen to become so. Muzan simply sees an opportunity – something someone can do that he would like to put to good use in favor of him – and forcefully recruits them.

"That isn't the case with every demon. I think if a Waxing Moon tries to turn someone, they have to agree, but I'm honestly not entirely sure.

"In any case," Tanjiro continued before Sakonji could cut in, "in an attempt to gain more information, a couple of lifetimes ago I challenged Waxing Moon Three for the position once I was strong enough."

Sakonji had to concentrate on not dropping his brush and ruining the letter. Had he just heard correctly?!

"Waxing… Three?" he forced himself to ask, annoyed at how tightly his voice came out.

If Tanjiro noticed, he didn't say anything. Instead he nodded with a sigh. "Yes. I challenged him because he tends to be the most straight-forward in a fight. Four, Five and Six all have tricks that make their fights… rather long. I don't want to go anywhere near Two if I don't have to and One can kill demons. I'd made sure to sleep extra long that lifetime to gather enough power to do it. It… still wasn't an easy fight, but I managed to beat him, if only barely. \

"Everyone below two was… not happy with me as they'd all been kicked down a position, and I had to put up with Akaza constantly challenging me to my place again and again." He shook his head. "I wanted information. I got most of what I went for and more but… I wish I hadn't. The cost… was far too high."

"You were a Waxing Moon?" Sakonji had to ask, just to make sure he hadn't misheard.

Tanjiro sighed. "Yes. And I still regret it. Muzan…" he grit his teeth (for just a moment, they looked sharper, but nothing was amiss when Sakonji did a double take). The boy took several deep, calming breaths before he went on. When he did, he finally looked up at Sakonji. "I think he's bored, honestly. Bored, addicted to power, convinced of his own superiority and that he deserves anything other than being left to burn in the sun…" Several more deep breaths. "And he likes hurting people. No… he loves it. I think he saw me as a new play toy. He kept trying to pry into my background, but I managed to hide my family away – not even I knew where they were that lifetime. That infuriated him and he punished me…"

The boy paused again, this time looking more than a little green and he gulped as he looked down again, in shame or disgust, Sakonji didn't know.

"He gets… creative when he's playing with people. He tries to make them hurt while persuading them he has already given them and will continue to give them everything they need. He… screws with your head… and it's so hard to tell what's real and what isn't…" He paused again and Sakonji let him gather himself, unsure of what to really say or think. Was this what it was like to be a Waxing Moon? Were they really such pitiful creatures?

Finally, Tanjiro continued. "I swore never to infiltrate the upper ranks again. Especially when he killed me on a whim that time. Just because I happened to be there at the wrong moment and was new. In my next life, though, once he turned me into a demon he…" the boy's throat cut off and he seemed to be forcing himself to breathe slowly. "He must have gotten a memory from my time as a Waxing Moon because h-he came after m-me. Found me with my family and… I…" More breaths.

"I had to pledge myself to him to save them.

"Th-the p-previous lifetime was nothing compared t-to th-that one. I—" his voice cut off again. "H-he—" the same thing happened. Then his mouth opened and closed several times before Sakonji realized the boy had tears running down his too-pale cheeks.

Tanjiro shook his head, looking up with pleading eyes at his sensei. "He m-made an en-entirely new rank just for me – not because I-I was that p-p-powerful, but b-because he was c-convinced I w-would conquer the sun for him. H-he wasn't wrong, per se… I h-have before: c-conquered the sun as a d-demon. B-but I made sure I didn't that time. I th-think he knew b-because it ju-just kept getting worse. Th-the things h-he m-made me do j-just to kee—" another deep breath that didn't seem to be doing much good, "keep them a-alive a-and then h-he…" the boy faded off and Sakonji knew the boy was no longer there in his home just then. He'd seen demon slayers – veteran demon slayers – who would do this sometimes: relive particularly bad fights again and again.

Seeing it on this boy – this former Waxing Moon...

The boy shook his head again. "I-I'm s-s-sorry, b-but I c-can't right now, U-Urokudaki-sensei," he sobbed. "I… can't."

Sakonji couldn't answer. He didn't really know what to say to this. He'd never been good with helping people through problems like… this. The only thing he really knew to do at this point was a distraction.

So he cleared his throat.

"What about the Waxing Moons?" he asked calmly, and then mentally kicked himself. That was probably not the best subject to approach at the moment. At the same time, that was definitely information they needed yesterday.

He watched the boy carefully, deciding that if he did not react well to that, Sakonji would drag him out back for a spar. Thankfully, Tanjiro seemed to grasp onto the question and his eyes focused once again on Sakonji, seeming a little surprised at where he was. Good. That meant he was thinking and processing the here and now again.

"H-hai," he said, his voice still a little shaky, but he took more deep breaths and they finally seemed to help him calm.

Then he proceeded to speak about each and every one of the Twelve Kizuki he'd encountered. He had details on their physical appearance, their abilities, their loyalties (other than to Muzan or why they were loyal to that monster) and finally, how to kill them. Sakonji found it a great relief to know that enough poison could take out most of the Waxing Moons (up to and including Waxing Two) and that most of them were still subject to beheading (albeit the 'main' body or both demons at the same time, but still). However, his description of Waxing Moon One almost had Sakonji throwing up. To think that a demon slayer – one of the first demon slayers – would willingly join that… that thing.

Then Sakonji asked if Tanjiro knew where they could currently be found. When Tanjiro remained silent, the former Water Pillar looked over at him, concerned. The boy looked troubled, and then finally shook his head.

"I can't tell you where the Waxing Moons are."

Sakonji frowned. "Do you know where they are?"

"I know where most of them can be found," he said evasively. "Or how to lure them out."

The former Pillar frowned under his mask, his hand inching towards his nearby sword. "Are you protecting them?"

Tanjiro looked genuinely shocked at that. "What? No! I want them taken out as much as anyone!"

Sakonji's hand relaxed. He smelled nothing but sincerity. But then he tipped his head to one side. "Then why?" he asked.

The red-head sighed. "Because the Pillars aren't strong enough right now."

Sakonji paused, blinking. Then he shook his head. "If enough Pillars form a group and have backup with lower-ranking members—"

Tanjiro cut him off (Sakonji felt his hackles rise at the disrespect, but also knew the boy wasn't in the best state at the moment, so decided to give him this one time). "No, you don't understand. In my first life, Uzui-san, his three wives, myself, my sister and two of my fellow demon slayers were barely enough to take on Waxing Six. Uzui-san still lost an arm and had to retire.

"Rengoku-san took on Waxing Three when he attacked a train. He had myself and my friends as backup… but we couldn't do anything. The only reason everyone survived that was because it was close to dawn. Rengoku died protecting everyone in one of the largest shows of strength I've ever seen from a Pillar. I'm positive he got his mark, but we just couldn't see it under the blood…" the boy winced.

"Mark?"

Tanjiro blinked, then sighed again and pointed to his forehead where Sakonji could see a scar. The scar had taken on a rather strange shape (like flame) and seemed a little darker than it had the day before now that the former water Pillar thought about it. "When demon slayers go above and beyond in a fight – survived a life-or-death situation where their heart rate reaches a certain level, they develop a mark. It can give a user enhanced speed and strength, allow them to literally see inside their opponents, and give their blades the coveted red color that hinders a demon's regrowth ability."

Sakonji blinked. He'd never heard of such a thing.

"And… only demon slayers can get this… mark?" he asked slowly."

Tanjiro nodded, then paused. "Well, only people who know a breath style. Waxing Moon One has one."

This… kept getting worse.

"In any case," Tanjiro's voice cut into his thoughts, "The Pillars need to train more before they're ready to take on any of the Waxing Moons. I'm pretty sure they could handle most of the Waning Moons right now though."

"Train more?" Sakonji asked, because Pillars training constantly was a given.

Tanjiro nodded. "In each other's styles of training. That's how it worked before."

Sakonji thought about having to train in the lightning or even stone styles and almost shuddered. That would be horrible for even a Pillar… which, he supposed, was the point.

He looked at the stack of papers for the letter that was already going to give his crow trouble and realized he'd just have to go and speak to Ubuyashiki-sama himself.

"I see." He turned to face his latest sheet of paper again. "It looks like I will be leaving next week. It will be up to you to train yourself and your sister."

"What?! B-but I've never done that before!" Tanjiro protested. "I'm still trying to get back into the swing of fighting like a demon slayer and not a demon… even if I did utilize breathing techniques…"

"If what you say is true, you are plenty qualified to watch over her training for a week."

A pause, then, "Yes, Urokudaki-sensei."

Sakonji nodded firmly and picked his brush back up. "Now, explain this mark again to me?"

xXx

It had been a while since Sakonji had seen the Ubuyashiki head. He still remembered the boy's father – strict and a little bitter, but still utterly dedicated to eradicating Muzan. Oyakata-sama, though, had taken after his mother, choosing to be patient and understanding while still somehow proving to be just as dedicated.

He'd never commanded respect like his father had. He'd just sort of… earned it. And not just from Sakonji. Which had been a lot of the reason why the former water Pillar had made the trek all the way here just to go over Tanjiro's letter.

It took Ubuyashiki-sama about half an hour just to read what Sakonji had written while the older man sipped at his tea, with his mask pulled back from his face for once. When the demon slayer head finally finished, he put the paper down and just sort of stared at it for a while. Sakonji couldn't help but feel a little relieved that he wasn't the only one who felt like he'd been pulled in over his head.

After several minutes of more silence, the dark-haired man lifted his eyes to meet Sakonji's.

"Kocho Shinobu is currently the Insect Pillar and has been for almost a year now."

Sakonji withheld a sigh.

"So her sister…?"

Ubuyashiki-sama nodded sadly. "Yes. Kocho Kanae, our former Flower Pillar, died a year and a half ago."

Sakonji nodded and they both had a moment of silence for the lost Pillar.

Eventually, the younger man spoke again. "Shinazugawa Sanmei, Himejima Gyomei, Tengen Uzui, Rengoku Kyojiro are all current Hashira. The information here," he tapped the papers of the letter with one finger, "about each of them is, indeed, correct.

"Iguro Obanai and Kanroji Mitsuri are both part of the corps and well on their way to becoming pillars themselves, but the rest of the information is accurate."

He paused and looked up at the former Water Pillar. "You said yourself that the information on Tomioka Giyuu is correct?"

Sakonji nodded. "That has not changed and I cannot find any fault in his description of my student."

Ubuyashiki-sama nodded thoughtfully before continuing. "The most curious case here is that of the child named Tokito Muchiro. While I have never met him, he currently lives with his twin brother as their parents were killed by demons. He is currently twelve years old and not part of the Demon Slayer Corps. Given the rest of the information we have, I will keep a closer eye on them to try and prevent another tragedy."

Well, Tanjiro may have prevented at least some death with his information, even if not the one he'd been hoping for.

"So, your conclusion, Oyakata-sama?" he asked.

More silence as the Ubuyashiki head contemplated his question. "There certainly is a great deal of information here – and I haven't even begun on the report about the Twelve Kizuki… but what was your read on the boy?"

Sakonji paused and set his tea down carefully. Then he took a deep breath.

"I believe him." He shook his head. "His reactions, his actions and his utter loathing of Muzan… those aren't emotions that can be faked. Not easily and not consistently. There are just… too many things that don't add up otherwise."

Ubuyashiki-sama smiled gently at him. "I happen to agree. I believe him as well."

Only years of practicing constant breathing allowed Sakonji to not let out the breath he'd been holding loudly, but the relief he felt at the acceptance felt like a weight off of his shoulders.

The younger man continued. "I will request that the current Pillars take time off to train in each other's styles and encourage the children under them to do the same." He eyed the former Pillar, amused. "That includes your children, you realize."

Sakonji repressed a sigh, forcing himself to remain stoic as he nodded once. "Yes, I know."

Ubuyashiki-sama's smile widened. "Thank you, Sakonji, for both bringing this to me and for continuing to train new children."

The former Pillar replaced his mask and bowed deeply. "It is my honor, Ubuyashiki-sama."

The younger man just smiled and nodded respectfully. "Will you be returning home immediately, then?" he asked. "I can have someone prepare a room for you."

Sakonji shook his head. "That will not be necessary. I will be heading over to Rengoku's estate, actually. If I leave now, I will make it well before sunset."

Ubuyashiki-sama nodded knowingly. "Very well. I will speed you on your way. But please, don't be too harsh on him. We all have our own obstacles."

Sakonji didn't respond except to bow once more at Ubuyashiki-sama before turning to walk out of the room. He made no promises as he wasn't entirely sure he could keep them.

xXx

Omake – (Consider this one canon for the story)

A cry of surprise and then pain had Kyojiro on his feet with sword in hand before he'd registered that he'd even moved. Disregarding that information as unimportant, he quickly ran out of the room and onto the engawa just in time to see his younger brother come out of his own room, looking around frantically. Kyojiro couldn't help but be impressed at his otouto's own reaction times.

"Onii-san!" he said, looking relieved. "What was that? It sounded like father!"

Before Kyojiro could say anything, the sound of sword fighting drew both of their attentions to the side of the house.

"Stay here," the flame Pillar instructed, then went to take a look. He'd only gone a couple of steps when a voice reached him.

"How dare you give up now!" A man Kyojiro did not recognize yelled. "And not only do you give up, but you insist on dragging your family down with you! Simply because you can! Since when did you side with the demons?!"

"Father!" Kyojiro called out. He'd almost reached the end of the engawa, gritting his teeth angrily. He may agree with the words, but that last one was going too far. He held his sword in his hand, ready to draw it, but before he could, two blurs rushed out from behind the house and into the training area in front.

"You have no right to say that!" Kyojiro heard his father yell back. That made him stop. That was the most passion he'd heard in his father's voice for over a year now. "You who have had only one student out of dozens even pass the Final Selection!"

"But at least," the strange man in a blue haori and a tengu mask swung in between each word. "I," swish, "NEVER," clang, "GAVE," whoosh, "UP!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Kyojiro's father yelled back, swinging a sword (an actual, physical sword!) with his signature fire techniques. Even retired and muscles practically rusted with disuse, the former flame Pillar was a wonder to behold. The man in the tengu mask was no slouch either, swinging his sword in a very familiar style. Was that Tomioka's water style?

"Don't I?!" the tengu-man returned.

"You never met a Waxing Moon!" the head of the Rengoku family yelled between swings, dodging and blocking and parrying and attacking. "I have! I met Waxing Moon One and I cannot describe the utter power that monster wields! He decimated the entire company in seconds, and the only reason I escaped was because the sun was rising and I could get high enough and far enough away in time.

"I was one of the strongest Pillars and stood absolutely no chance! And if that is the case, then what. Is. The. POINT?!" Rengoku Shinjuro screamed as he put all of his effort and anger and fear into one attack. Kyojiro could practically see the Pillar of flame rising from his father, and yet the tengu-masked man managed to weave around it – like the stream of a river.

It was awe inspiring.

And eye-opening. That was why he'd had a problem? Kyojiro had thought his attitude had begun to sour because of his mother's death. He distinctly remembered his father changing then, and it just never… got better. But then he had trained with his father and little brother after their mother had died… It struck him as to how much he'd misread the situation.

The more they went on, the more this sounded like a fight Kyojiro really shouldn't get involved in… and yet, he watched each move and waited… just in case. He may not be pleased with his father's actions right now, but he was still his father, and one of the people Kyojiro had vowed to protect.

"The point is to get stronger!" the masked man said. "And if you can't then you make the next generation stronger! And let them grow! And acknowledge them! Nurture them! Love them!"

"So that they'll be sent on missions they'll never return from?! For no reason?!"

The two traded blows for a couple of seconds before the masked man responded.

"And yet if you give up, Muzan wins! He will succeed and take everything you love from you anyway!"

"At least this way I can keep them around a little longer! Enjoy it while I have it!"

"BUT YOU'RE NOT!"

The two men broke apart, breathing heavily from either side of the yard as they faced each other down.

The masked man was the first to speak. "You claim that you love your children and yet you neglect or outright discourage them! You claim there is nothing we can do against the Waxing Moons, so you stopped trying! The only person here who has condemned this family is you!"

"And who are you to butt your long nose into my business where it doesn't belong?! You have no right to be here! This is my family to lead as I see fit."

"Which you are only saying because you know I'm right!"

"You don't know what I saw, Urokudaki!"

"I know that Waxing One used to be a demon slayer!"

Kyojiro gasped and behind him, he heard his little brother do the same. What? Who… who would do such a thing? What kind of demon slayer would side with Muzan of all people? How… utterly disgusting!

"I know he's almost as old as Muzan himself is! And I know that he has a breathing style unlike any we've ever seen before! I also know that he could decimate every single Hashira one-on-one to date!"

Kyojiro's father grit his teeth. "Then why are you—"

But the man (Urokudaki, apparently) cut him off (rather rudely in Kyojiro's opinion). "Because that's what makes us different! That's why we can win! Because we aren't alone! Muzan has his demons, but ultimately they will look out for themselves over anyone else – as will he. But multiple Hashira working together can and will take down the twelve Kizuki and Muzan!"

The yard fell into silence as that statement rang through the field.

Then Urokudaki spoke again, his voice quieter. "But that's just it – we need you. We need a flame Pillar to pass on everything so if we cannot reach the kind of strength we need right now, we can teache what we have learned to people who can. You of all people know this more than anyone else!"

It was painful for Kyojiro to sit there and watch his father stand there looking like he wanted to hope but didn't dare as his arms (and sword) shook in front of him – whether from his first workout in a while or emotion, Kyojiro didn't know.

"They're so strong… and Muzan is even stronger," Kyojiro heard his father say. "I don't… I don't want to send my sons into that. I… I don't want to lose them too!"

It both touched the current flame Pillar that his father would say that about both of his sons, but also made him raise his hackles a little because he could take care of himself! He'd proven that!

"But you know that you can't stop them because you've raised good sons," Urokudaki responded. "You've done a good job up until recently, Shinjuro. So you try to push them away to stop it from hurting if you lose them. I've seen it happen before. I've been there before! Fortunately, I had someone there to kick my sorry backside into shape because all you are doing, in the long run, is making everything worse! For you and for them!"

The man stepped forward, sword held out to the side in a show of non-aggression. "Anyone would have been terrified to see what you saw. There is no shame in that. Anyone decent would have felt guilty for surviving when your comrades didn't."

A wince from his father had Kyojiro almost gaping. He… he hadn't known his father had felt guilty…

"It is not your fault. You did the right thing by coming back to your boys because that is the best thing you can do to keep them alive: give them a welcoming, happy home to return to – a place they want to come back to."

"I left them there, though… it is my fault!" Kyojiro's father's voice cracked.

"Father…" Kyojiro said quietly. He'd known his father had been hurting… but not like this.

"It is the demon's fault and specifically Muzan's! Every life lost in demon slaying lies squarely on his shoulders and no one else's! And if you aren't strong enough, well, I have some training for you and your sons to go through. We can become stronger together and your children will be even stronger than we are!"

The silence felt heavy enough to be cut with a sword.

Then the Rengoku head glanced over at his sons. "But…" he said softly.

"Apologize to them. Even the best fathers make mistakes. Show them that you are sorry by trying once again to live up to the man you used to be."

A snort and Kyojiro could swear he heard his father holding back tears. "I will never be that man again."

"Then be better, Shinjuro."

Kyojiro's father's shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "I'm too out of practice to—"

"I give you six months. Six months and then I will come and drag you to my mountain myself. Get yourself back up to strength in the meantime."

And to Kyojiro's amazement and joy, his father laughed. It was a wet sort of pity laugh, but Kyojiro decided to count it as an immense improvement. He wasn't sure when he'd last heard his father laugh.

"Fine. Stupid Old Tengu."

"Hot-headed Newbie." The masked man had reached Shinjuro and sheathed his sword before putting his hands on the blond man's shoulders.

"Good. Come back from this, if only for them. It's the least you owe them."

"And Ruka," the Rengoku head said softly. Kyojiro had to stop from choking on another gasp. He hadn't heard his father speak of his mother in years.

"And Ruka," Urokudaki replied. "She would have wanted me to beat some sense into you too."

Another laugh from the younger man and Kyojiro suddenly felt as if his knees had gone weak. He didn't know quite what to think of everything – of anything – at the moment. This just seemed so… sudden.

Then the masked man said, his voice almost too soft for Kyojiro to hear, "We can do this, but only if we all do our part. This is the part you chose years ago. In all seriousness, will you swear to follow it again?"

His father slumped. "I still think that we are fighting a losing battle." He shook his head. "I just… can't get that encounter out of my mind. But…" he looked up. "You are right. I chose this path, knowing the potential consequences. I will not give into my fear again. Not like that."

The tension finally left all of Urokudaki's frame.

"Thank you, old friend." He stepped back and turned to face Kyojiro and Senjuro. "Now, how about you introduce me to your sons?"

His father blinked and looked over at them guiltily. Then, a rather sly grin crept over his face (it was like the unfeeling mannequin of his father had just melted away).

"The sons of the family you just insulted?" he asked.

Urokudaki stepped back as if startled. "What?"

"What were the words again? 'Since when did you side with the demons'?"

"Now, wait a moment—"

Kyojiro caught on almost immediately. He was grateful to this man for what he'd done, certainly… but some of those accusations did not sit well with him, so he interrupted.

"Indeed! I am Rengoku Kyojiro, the current flame Pillar! And as the head of the Rengoku family, I must challenge you to an honor duel!"

He said the whole thing with his signature smile.

The fact that it was one hundred percent real this time may have made it even wider and brighter than normal.

"Onii-san," he heard his brother whisper, unsure if he'd done so in awe or resignation. Not wanting to break eye contact, he decided to accept it as the former and then moved on, striding forward.

Urokudaki had turned back to Shinjuro, and while Kyojiro couldn't see it under the mask, he could almost feel the betrayal rolling off the man.

Honestly, it was so amusing, he had to laugh.

"Please, put up a good fight, Urokudaki-san!"

"Good luck, son," his father said on his way past, walking back towards the house. He also clapped Kyojiro on the shoulder.

It didn't fix or excuse anything that had happened in the last several months… but it was a start. A wonderful, hopeful start. And Kyojiro vowed he would live up to his father's expectations and hold nothing back.

The masked man sighed and then took a familiar stance. "Very well. We will see how the current Pillars measure up."

And with that, the battle started.

The old man was far too strong for anyone his age.

The fact that they ended in a draw, more than anything else, convinced Kyojiro that the old man was right: he needed more training.

xXx

Author's Note: Sorry, but I have GOT to rant about the timeline for and some of my issues with Demon Slayer.

Firstly, it happens in the Taisho period. That begins in 1912, two years before WORLD WAR 1. Japan wasn't an enormous part of WWI like they were in WWII, but they were still a notable and noticeable presence. We hear nothing about said war in the series, though, so either KNY begins in the Meiji era (1868 – 1912) and we move into the Taisho era around the Final Selection (what most people tend to go with) or it has to start after November of 1918… but again, we hear nothing about said war either way, and the farther we go into the 20's, the less it fits with the era of what we see. The Taisho era ended in 1926 as well, so the idea of them not mentioning a war at all seems strange as it was a world war and still impacted whole economies of multiple countries, Japan included.

Secondly, TALK ABOUT CHILD SOLDIERS! I mean Ubuyashiki seems like a really great guy for a leader, but he also sends children to die on a mountain for a test (having a couple of slayers there to rescue people and send them home for a year if they 'fail' would definitely NOT be a bad idea!) and then we get Hashira as young as 14! And that isn't a huge lead for a record in the series! What the actual… grits teeth. So hunters have to kill a certain amount of demons and/or fulfill a certain amount of missions to raise ranks. Okay, fine. People can hurry through ranks if they end up having several in a row quickly enough. Assuming Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu remained approximately the same rank, they all got to tsuchinoto pretty quickly – within a couple of months of passing their Final Exam. Although that begs the question, why are there hundreds of slayers when only four or five pass each Final Selection? And how often are these selections held? Once every month? Once every other month? Once every six months? Once a year? WE HAVE NO IDEA! *headdesk*

Then we get how FAST they become Pillars! The only way for someone to raise ranks quickly enough, such as Muichiro and Gyoumei (both of them rose to Pillar level in 2 months), is for them to work non-stop for weeks in a row and then face one of the twelve Kizuki. We know that Rengoku faced Lower/Waning 2 before he became a Pillar, and when Muzan kills the Lower/Waning Moons after Rui is taken out, there's a Waning 2 that's very different from the one Rengoku faced… so I can kinda see Muzan's point in that at least 3 of them had to be completely replaced within the last 2 years (or less, could be as little as 6 months for all we know!). Still, this goes back to the point of if people progress so quickly, why aren't there more Pillars? Why aren't there more higher-ranked members period? I get this is a deadly job with a high turnover rate ahem, but I don't think that fits with everything we know.

In any case, Himejima Gyoumei (Rock Pillar) is the oldest of the Hashira at 27 when we first meet him. He's been a demon slayer long enough for both of the Kocho sisters to be rescued by him, then for Kanae to reach the age of 17, become a Pillar herself, and die (Yes, Kanae died at 17), then Shinobu to reach the age of 18 when we first meet her.

Yes, Shinobu is 18. Kanroji is 19. Both of the female Pillars are under the age of 20. Very cool but still, SO YOUNG?! Most of the male Pillars are 21 (although Giyuu is 19 at the beginning of the manga/anime when Nezuko becomes a demon, but that makes him 21 when Tanjiro passes his final selection). Now, how long they've all been Pillars is up for grabs. The manga doesn't really say, but in the Rengoku Gaiden, there are only five Pillars. Unless all of the previous Pillars got shunted out at about the same time (IF SO, WHHHHYYYYY?!), then we've had four Pillars all appointed any time within the two years before Tanjiro's Final Selection. Could be as early as three years because Kanae is not there in the Gaiden and Shinobu is… which begs the question of WHEN did Shinobu become a Pillar?! She was 14 when Kanae died! That happened about 3 to 3.5 years before we meet her at Mt. Natagumo. Are we talking 15?! 16?! IMMEDIATELY AFTER?! (I'd put more exclamation points here if ffnet let me, because seriously, WHAT?!) I do doubt Shinobu became a pillar earlier than 15 because Muichiro holds the record for the youngest at 14… so yeah. What about Shinazugawa? Uzui is the second oldest at 23 (yes, Mr. I have three wives is 23)… and we just have no idea how long they've all been in their roles. All we know is that Rengoku, Kanroji, Obenai and Muichiro are the latest of the group to come in. But figuring all this out… gah!

This is so messed up.

So basically, it's late, I'm trying to figure this out and annoyed and while this isn't the WORST timeline ever (I've stopped trying with Star Wars and FFVII), but it certainly isn't the best either.

And it's after 4 am (when I wrote this), please realize that.

I sleep now.

P.S. Thank you to TimeLordTim for his help with this!