Shinobu took a deep breath of the morning air as she stepped out of her estate. Birds sang sweetly, heralding the oncoming spring. The morning frost had already melted and while she could see her breath, that wouldn't last. The sun began to peek over the Eastern mountains, making the world seem new, fresh, and far more hopeful than it ever had felt to her before. She smiled and stretched, then looked down at her completely normal, human hands before dropping them to her side. Today marked the end of an era. Today, they would officially close a long, bloody chapter of Japanese history forever.

If only Kanae (and everyone else who had lost their lives) could have lived to see it, although she liked to think they were looking on from the other side. All of their sacrifices had built to this, and everyone's hard work had finally paid off.

It was a good feeling.

Still, who would have thought that cleaning up from the aftermath of Muzan's death would be simultaneously more difficult and far easier than any of them could have guessed? Once Kamado had destroyed his opponent, allowing the sunlight to obliterate everything left of the 'Demon King', he'd collapsed, and they couldn't wake him.

Back then, before they could even evacuate everyone to a relatively safe place, though, Tomioka had shown up with a very disoriented demon Rengoku Shinjuro, who had reunited with his oldest son in a very awkward (but touching) series of half-finished sentences, pats on the back, and trying to hold back tears via unsuccessful attempts to keep their smiles in place.

Tomioka himself had been devastated to learn of Kamado Takeo's kidnapping and subsequent transformations. He'd gone so far as to kneel in dogeza before the Kamado siblings (despite one of them being clearly unconscious), quietly asking for their forgiveness, even though he insisted he did not deserve it and would abide by whatever they decided. The younger Kamado, proving that he did, indeed, come from the same ancestry and background as his older brother, hastily forgave him and told him to rise, flustered, while pointing out that none of them could have known what Muzan had planned. "Even Nii-san and he's lived so many lives." Tomioka thanked him, but hadn't stopped looking guilty since. Still, he'd been professional enough to put that aside and ask what had happened.

Once everyone had exchanged stories and information, they'd immediately wanted to send someone to check on the Kamado family, especially Nezuko. Shinobu hadn't let their Water Pillar go, as he'd obviously needed rest… as had more or less the rest of the Pillars. In the end, Iguro-san had volunteered to go, saying he'd been incapacitated too early in the general fight, but felt better (ignoring the demon transformation, of course) and wanted to be of some use. Mitsuri had taken him aside and given him a very stern talking to after that. Despite her heavy frown and obviously harsh tone, her lecture had seemed to help the Serpent Pillar perk up. Then she'd volunteered to go with him, and Shinobu had allowed it only if Iguro-san carried her. They'd both gone very red after that, but had agreed.

It had been nice to know that being turned into a demon hadn't changed Shinobu's personality that much. She may or may not have orchestrated that just to see their reaction, after all.

According to the kasugai crows they'd sent the next day, Nezuko had passed out fighting Waxing Four and hadn't woken since. Despite that, she hadn't seemed to be in any distress, merely quiet sleep. Knowing that unconsciousness and sleep were not the same state, but could easily be mistaken for the other, Shinobu had decided to go and check on the girl personally (the first time she'd actually used the wings her demon transformation had given her, but certainly not the last—those may be the one thing she'd miss from that transformation). Once there, she'd confirmed that the girl was, indeed, for all intents and purposes, asleep, and she needed that rest. It still seemed too close to Tanjiro's demon sleep for her to feel entirely comfortable leaving the girl there with her family, even with Pillars there to watch over her, so they'd all made the trek to the Butterfly Estate once they'd finished mourning Urokodaki-san and set up the headstone for his grave.

The already nearly-full Butterfly estate had then gained more visitors. Shinobu hadn't seen the estate that crowded since… well, ever. It had been nice, though. Especially once the Ubuyashiki children had come to stay as well, mainly to get check-ups on their own health. Uzui-san hadn't come with them, choosing to return to his wives instead, and that may or may not have been to his benefit as the Kamado matriarch seemed determined to have a 'word' with him. He must have gotten wind because he hadn't come since, despite Shinobu wanting to check up on his health, too. He was still recovering from severe poisoning, after all. She didn't know why he didn't just get it over with. The longer he put the confrontation off, the more it would hurt, but to each his own, she supposed.

Smiling at the morning son, she brought herself back to the present and turned to walk along the engawa, heading towards the sounds of children yelling and giggling. In the background, she could also hear people training. Honestly, she welcomed the noise. Being a doctor and a researcher, one would think she'd hate it, but no. She loved the sound of life and happiness and hope. It seemed like such a positive portent of what could now be.

As she walked, she continued to think back on the recent months.

After returning from Mount Sagiri, Shinobu had gotten back to work on a cure for demons almost immediately, now with extra motivation. All of Muzan's demons had either died with him, or been killed with the double shot of his death and Kamado's fire, that had traveled through all of Japan (and into some parts of China and Korea, from some of the reports they heard). That meant the remaining Kamado demons only had humans to feed off of if things went south, which worried everyone. Fortunately, Sanemi had more or less locked himself in the Butterfly Estate's basement and refused to come out again until they actually had a cure. Shinobu couldn't blame him. Obanai had done much the same, as had Shinazugawa-kun, Rengoku Sr., Kaigaku-san and Inoue-san, the demon Shinazugawa had apparently turned. Tanjiro had been placed in a cell as well, and his brother had followed, refusing to leave his side.

Even Shinobu had had to sleep sometimes or risk the insane hunger (Tanjiro hadn't done the description any justice), but she hated it as she often lost weeks at a time when she needed to work. In that time, though, Kimiko-chan had gotten to know the triplets and they practically became a quartet, albeit with strict supervision by someone who could stop Kimiko if she lost control of herself, but that didn't seem to be a problem most of the time. The 'quartet' met up with the Kamado children often, and between all of them, they tended to finish most needed chores quickly so they could move onto playing. Shinobu didn't mind. Quite the opposite, actually.

Something else that had surprised her was how well Kimiko had taken a liking to Suzuki Kaiyo, who had remained at the Butterfly Estate more or less since her humanity had been restored. Honestly, Shinobu had been worried for the woman. Her depression at not seeing her family had gotten worse and worse, but she and Kimiko had bonded over their harsh pasts, and even before Shinobu's announcement of the cure, Suzuki-san had offered to adopt the small demon. Neither of them had wanted to replace their old family, but they both seemed hopeful in creating a new one. Thinking about it made Shinobu smile.

The remaining demons, namely Yushiro and Akatsugi, had holed themselves up in rooms in the estate. They had both proven that they weren't a danger to those around them, and the basement had been full enough as it was, so they'd both been given the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't lost to Shinobu that the only demons that hadn't been part of the Corps were the ones to get upstairs rooms.

Akatsugi came out nearly every day he wasn't sleeping to train more or less anyone who still wanted to learn how to fight. It had come as a surprise to many when he'd said he wanted to start a dojo once he became human again, and he insisted that techniques still needed to be passed on, even if they'd gotten rid of every demon in existence. It always surprised Shinobu when she watched the former Waxing Moon teach. He was always strict but patient and encouraging. If she hadn't known any better, she would never have guessed his history.

Yushiro had worried her, though. Every time she (or anyone, really) had approached him, he would simply thank them for everything but say he would like to be left alone to mourn on his own, in peace. So they left him alone with his cat. That had only changed once Tanjiro woke, about a month after he'd fallen asleep, and heard about the other demon's situation. The oldest Kamado sibling had immediately marched into the boy's room. A yelling match had followed, and then Yushiro had exited the room in a huff.

"Please live," Tanjiro had called after the older demon. The green-haired boy had frozen at that point, almost mid-step. "You carry Tamayo-san's memory with you, after all."

Shinobu, who had been watching just in case she'd needed to intervene, had actually seen the boy's expression crumple. He'd nodded, but had said nothing as he'd stomped more or less right out of the estate and into the night. He hadn't returned.

"He'll be alright," Tanjiro had said as he'd walked out of the room, watching the other demon's retreating back.

"What made him so mad?" she'd asked.

"I asked him if he wanted to become one of my demons so he could walk in the sun." The demon progenitor had chuckled in amusement, albeit with an undertone of sadness. "His exact words: 'How dare you? I am Tamayo-sama's demon and I always will be! You dare try to take that from me?!'"

That hadn't surprised Shinobu, to be honest.

"But that's why I'm sure he'll be fine," Tanjiro had continued with a soft smile. "I know what it's like to try and live without the people you love. You need a reason. Now he has one. And he knows he can come back any time, so he has support."

Something about the way he'd said that had made Shinobu study him. The look in his eyes had taken her by surprise. For the first time she could really see his fatigue. She suspected he'd been tired for a very long time. He'd had his singular goal that entire time but… how often had he just wanted to rest – to end his continuous lives and finally get a break?

What a sad and morbid thought.

Maybe he understood Yushiro more than any of them were comfortable with.

"And what is your goal, now?" she'd asked.

He'd closed his eyes for a moment before turning to her. "To live happily with my family. The evil in the world isn't gone with demons. I still want to protect their happiness. My goal hasn't changed. I just needed a reminder is all."

"Not side-tracked anymore?" she'd asked.

He'd smiled. "Nope." And she'd believed him. She still did.

After that, she'd gone back to pursuing her own goal. It had taken her two more months to find a poison that would work on Kamado's demons. Thankfully, by that time, Nezuko had woken up as well. While sleeping, she'd made a full recovery, much to her family's relief. It had been a good day.

When Shinobu had informed the other demons of her progress with a potential cure, the older Shinazugawa had practically demanded his little brother go first. Of course, said little brother wanted it the other way around and that had started a shouting match that Tanjiro had been needed to step in on, as none of the other demons there dared.

In the end, the older Shinazugawa had indeed gone first, just in case something went wrong. Genya-san hadn't been happy, pacing around his chosen cell like a trapped wolf, despite having technically 'won' his argument.

Just in case something did go wrong, though, Shinobu had insisted that only herself, Tanjiro and Shinazugawa be allowed inside the room she'd prepped. Some reluctant agreement and creative ushering later, the Wind Pillar had laid down on the bed they'd set up and, with one final glance, she'd put him under with her new poison.

Once he couldn't seem to respond, she'd nodded at Tanjiro, who had activated his blood art.

Burning the cells out of one of his own demons took a lot out of him. Curing Shinazugawa-san alone had required almost an hour of continuous flame before Tanjiro couldn't sense any more demon cells within. He'd also burned out the remainder of the poison, so Shinazugawa had woken up not minutes after they'd finished.

"How do you feel?" Shinobu had asked him cautiously as he'd sat up. His eyes, completely back to normal, had flicked up at her before he'd stood, jumped up and down, swung his arms around, stretched, and gone through several katas, minus his sword, of course. Then he'd grinned, with completely normal teeth.

"Human," he said.

Of course, that's when Shinobu had noticed the change and gasped.

His grin had dropped immediately. "What…?"

Instead of answering him, she'd handed him a small, hand-held mirror that she kept around. He'd noticed the change quickly. His tongue remained a sort of violet red, but definitely far more purple than it should be. It was normal otherwise (Shinobu had checked) but he hadn't been happy. He'd still been grateful, though, and had still insisted he felt human. Shinobu told him to remain at the estate for observation, and then had handed him a rice ball. Hesitantly, he'd taken a bite… and then had continued to scarf the entire thing down, grinning widely the entire time.

"I'll take it," he'd said, once he finished.

"Welcome back, Shinazugawa-san," Shinobu had said with an enormous grin. They'd succeeded!

"I'll go get Genya!" the Wind Pillar had informed them, already striding out of the room. At the door, he'd paused, then spoke without turning around. "Call me Sanemi," he'd finally said. Shinobu remembered the pleased surprise she'd felt at that as if it were moments ago. That only increased when he'd gone on. "She would have been proud of you, Kocho."

Shinobu's voice caught in her throat as Shin… Sanemi opened the door. "Shinobu," she called after him.

"Whatever," he called back.

Tanjiro had snorted at that.

They'd only been able to heal three demons that day, but everyone had been excited. They'd slowly worked their way through the demons after that, until there were only two left.

Shinobu had had to continue working on the actual cure though, for two reasons. First, she had quite the immunity to Westeria poison and second, Kamado couldn't exactly burn his own cells out. As long as he had enough power to burn his cells, he was still too demonic. Once he hit that threshold where he couldn't burn those cells, theoretically, he'd be demonic enough to only start the process of slowly turning back into a demon all over again. While he'd likely pass as human, the remaining demonic cells would grow in number again and he would always be a demon waiting to happen. And that's if he didn't become immune to his own power.

In the end, he would likely still have to be awake to burn his own cells out, but they would have to perfect the cure and have him consume it at just the right time to even have a chance of returning Kamado to a remotely human state. Truthfully, even Shinobu wasn't entirely sure Tanjiro would be fully human again. None of the other demons were. Most of the results had simply been strange colorations and some slight improvements to stamina and such or weird cravings.

Kimiko still had a green shine to her hair and the proclivity to use her otherwise normal feet as hands. Genya had been larger than initially and had retained a rather hairy back. Iguro-san's scars had lessened significantly but he had a tendency to hiss, as well as a heightened sense of heat and cold when he breathed through his mouth. The Kaigaku kid had strangely-colored sclera. Even Suzuki-san had said her skin had a more sallow tone to it than when she'd been human before and she felt drawn to water when she hadn't before. Shinobu, herself, had new, strange colors in her eyes that hadn't been there before and she craved meat more than she felt she should. It annoyed her to no end that she'd come to remotely resemble the deceased Waxing Two with his rainbow-colored eyes, but she did enjoy the extra strength and stamina she'd gained from her experience. She even missed the wings. Not enough to remain a demon, but still, they'd been… fun. And interesting.

However, once she'd formulated the cure, several months after that final confrontation, she hadn't hesitated to take it herself. Over a week of severe sickness later, and she'd woken to find the remnants of her wings shed permanently, and with her hands and teeth back to normal. That had been two days ago and she'd luxuriated in feeling human again ever since. Yes, she'd gotten weaker once more, but not wishing to take a bite out of every passing human was definitely preferable.

Despite all of the noise she could hear as she slowly meandered in the crisp air towards the training fields and shed, she couldn't help but notice areas where some of the recovering slayers (and former demons) had unofficially claimed, even if they now stood empty. Like near that tree, where the Shinazugawa brothers had trained every morning once they'd been cured. They'd only left a couple of days before to head back to the Wind estate. The Ubuyashiki children had been happy to give some of the estates they owned to the current pillars for their future posterity in thanks for their service. It had been incredibly generous and it took a huge weight off of Shinobu's shoulders knowing that the Butterfly Estate was officially hers and her sisters' now. But once that had been finalized, most of the Pillars (and former Pillars) had left to set their estates in order and to look for records. The Ubuyashiki children had asked for any such records and histories with the demons and breath styles so as to make copies. They wanted to have all of that history in one place, even if not the originals. They had even planned on hiring scribes to make several copies for any family involved who would like one.

The Shinazugawas had left with Himejima-san, both intent on assisting the other with going through their estates. The Rengokus, who had often trained near that small pond with the Kamados, had also left to their household, only to return fairly quickly. Or, well, the youngest son had. Apparently his older brother and father wanted to go over their own plans for the future of their family, and once Senjuro had given his opinion and volunteered to return to the Butterfly Estate with the records, they had thanked him and sent him on his way. Shinobu had since heard that they had agreed to let Senjuro go to study in one of the Tokyo universities while Kyojuro and Shinjuro would start a local dojo to teach anyone who wanted to learn sword techniques. Even without the actual breathing, the sword styles were still powerful and part of Japan's history. Senjuro had been thrilled, putting up his sword permanently before thanking the Kamados, Giyuu, Shinobu, and the Ubuyashiki's for their help and generosity. Then he'd returned home to spend time with his family before he would prepare to leave for the city.

Giyuu-san had taken his tsuguko (he still insisted on training the boy, even if there were no longer demons to fight, and Kamado Takeo seemed more than willing to follow the Water Pillar) and Kamado Nezuko to the Water Estate and Mount Sagiri respectively to gather any records in either place before returning about a week later. It hadn't been an easy trip for any of them, especially as both had turned down the Ubuyashiki's offer to retain the land around Mount Sagiri. Giyuu-san seemed content with the Water estate and the Kamados were making plans to return to their mountain and the village they'd been forced to leave so long ago. Shinobu both did and didn't understand. That had been a lot of land to turn down, but their original home was just that, their home. As long as they were happy, she supposed.

Iguro – now Obanai on his fiance's insistence, which Shinobu found endless amusement in – and Mitsuri hadn't inherited any traditional land and had refused anything the Ubuyashikis had offered as Mitsuri would be inheriting land of her own from her family. The omiai with Mitsuri's family had gone splendidly (as if anyone had expected differently) and the two Hashira were now in the process of planning their wedding, of which everyone had been invited to participate in. It would be a very large after-party from what Shinobu could tell.

They weren't the only ones getting married. Several people had decided to begin new chapters of their lives now that their incredibly life-threatening, if well-paying, career had ended*. To be honest, Shinobu was looking forward to attending each and every one. Now that life seemed so much more positive, she wanted to live it to its fullest.

The Thunder cultivator had taken the two boys he'd raised and returned to the Thunder Estate, which he had still been occupying as they hadn't had a Thunder Pillar to take over when he'd lost his leg. Only the youngest, who was no longer a Thunder tsuguko as he'd created his own style, had returned and had seemed relieved to do so. Apparently he and the older tsuguko hadn't gotten along. She honestly didn't want to really get involved, but was still keeping an eye on that situation just in case.

Which brought her to the last Hashira. They'd set up a shrine for Tokito Muichiro in one particular room looking out over the garden. It was a lovely place, out of the way and quiet, just what he would like. Tanjiro had visited often once he'd woken, praying at the shrine and asking for forgiveness. When Shinobu had asked what he needed forgiveness for (she'd been confused and didn't think it was healthy for him), he'd said he asked forgiveness as he'd decided to move on – to do his best to not reset and rid himself of everything demonic that he possibly could. He wouldn't go back in time anymore, which meant there was no way to save the boy who hadn't even gotten his memories back this time around.

"It's not fair," the demon boy had muttered softly. "His life was worth just as much as anyone else's. That's why I feel guilty about moving on."

"He'd want you to," Shinobu had pointed out softly.

He'd sighed. "I know. It just feels… disrespectful. But I know it isn't, which is why I'm choosing this. I could go back right now. I'm still a demon after all. I know what to do and I have a feeling that things would be very different if I reset but… I also feel like that would be diminishing his sacrifice at the same time. Plus, we'd lose so much…"

Shinobu hadn't known what to say to that because he'd spoken the truth. She knew if she could go back and save her sister, she would in a heartbeat, but… who else would that hurt? How difficult would that truly be? Would Kanae agree that such pain and uncertainty would be worth it? Shinobu had doubted it (still did), but then again that had been who Kanae was.

Finally, though, she'd known what to say after thinking back to all the advice she'd been given after her own sister had died. And even more recently.

"I think you underestimate your own efforts – your own sacrifice. Your life and feelings are worth just as much as his. You did your absolute best to save him and everyone else. You suffered greatly for it. You deserve to move on and live happily, even after everything. As long as you do not forget him – or anyone who has died – and what they strove for, you are respecting them, Tanjiro."

The boy had looked at her with such sadness and pain then. "I just hate that the happiest ending I could get for him was to meet his family in the afterlife."

She'd empathized with that. "I know," she whispered.

"He used to have a twin brother, you know. And loving parents before they died."

No, she hadn't known.

"His brother didn't want him to learn to wield a sword but… he forgot that after almost dying to the demon that attacked them and killed his brother."

That sounded like Tokito had wanted to forget to Shinobu. It also explained a lot about the forgetful boy.

"They were also descendants of Waxing One," Tanjiro had gone on.

The Insect Pillar had turned to stare at him in open shock with that metaphorical punch to the gut. Because what!?

"There were so many reasons why his brother likely didn't want him to become a slayer," Tanjiro had muttered, turning back to the shrine. Then the boy had let out a long breath. "But… I also think that even in this life, some part of him knew. Some part of him wanted to help end his own ancestor's contribution to the demon problem. And… I think he felt he had to to avenge his brother, even subconsciously."

Once again, Shinobu could relate. Not to the 'having a demon in the family history' part, but still.

She'd managed to work past her shock to say something that had helped her recently. "He has now," she said. "I would have died to stop the demonic threat. Making sure to destroy the demon who hurt my sister was a huge bonus. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to confront him, but if I hadn't, and someone else had destroyed him, I still would have been thrilled. If Tokito-san was anything like me, he is at peace now… with his family."

For several seconds Tanjiro hadn't said anything. Then, finally, he'd closed his eyes and taken a deep breath.

"Yeah. Thank you, Shinobu-san."

She'd left him to grieve alone after that, but she'd also noticed that he'd seemed lighter too, and sincerely hoped her words had helped him. He wasn't there today. The room stood empty and she decided to take a couple of moments to pay her respects to the fallen Pillar.

"Today, we end it," she said to the picture nestled behind the lit candles. "And a lot of that is thanks to you, Tokito-san. I wish I had known you better. Please, be at peace knowing your sacrifice helped us succeed. The future has so much potential now. So, thank you."

After a couple of silent moments, she got the sense of Tokito-san smiling kindly down at her as he stood next to a scowling but otherwise identical boy. That certainly felt like approval.

She bowed once again before rising and returning to her mission, passing the next room which also had a shrine in it, to Urokodaki-san. She'd never met the man herself, but it was also a room Tanjiro frequented often, as did Giyuu-san, the rest of the Kamados and the Rengokus. Several dishes and cups of sake sat before the shrine even now. She smiled at the scene, but didn't stop at it, instead choosing to continue pursuing her goal.

She was headed all the way to the far end of the estate and the training grounds. She was glad no one had invaded her garden. She'd taken great pains to make sure that it stayed beautiful and rich. Having people step all over her flowers and the butterflies that took refuge there would not make her happy. Hence why everyone had chosen other places to train away from more or less every other group. She liked her grounds. She could have just gone through the estate buildings to the back, but she'd wanted to enjoy the fresh air. Morning had always been one of her favorite times of day, and now she didn't have to wait up all night to see it.

She could definitely get used to this.

As she turned on the engawa facing the back of the estate, she had to pause as she almost ran into several children, all carrying baskets of clothes or blankets, and all laughing at each other before noticing her. The triplets were there, along with Kimiko, the Ubuyashiki sisters (Kiriya himself was not yet strong enough to do activities like this, but from what Shinobu could tell, he would be – and that had been an enormous relief to the entire corps) as well as the two youngest Kamados. They'd obviously been doing the laundry as a group, hence the laughing she'd heard. They must have just finished with the washing and were heading over to hang everything up.

They bowed as best they could when they saw her, greeting her with a 'Shinobu-sama' or 'Shinobu-san'.

"Hard at work, I see," she said with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am," several of them replied.

"After, we're going to play ball!" Rokuta said happily, almost bouncing in place. "Kanata-san said she'd teach us new games while everything dries!"

Shinobu laughed. As long as they finished their chores, she didn't see a problem with that. "Well, I hope you all have fun. Carry on."

The children's smiles all returned before they'd yelled variations of 'hai' and 'thank you' before hurrying off. Shinobu could only smile and shake her head fondly as she watched them go. After a moment, she turned to see several people training, including the older Kamado children. Akatsugi stood with his arms folded at the head of the group, facing them and watching their movements carefully. It seemed strange to see his hair mostly black and that approving smile on his face as he looked on, stopping someone every now and then to help them. This included Giyuu-san, as everyone there had decided to also learn what the former Waxing Moon called the Soryu style – a weaponless martial art that Akatsugi had mastered when he'd still been human. Learning the style and incorporating it into their different fighting styles was not exactly easy, but most of them seemed to have experience learning and meshing different styles anyway, if not inventing their own branch, so they were making progress. It also served to keep them both occupied and satisfied as well as healthy. Honestly, she'd like to try it out herself once she got a little more time. If she ever got any more time.

Then, as she watched, Akatsugi ended the 'class', had the students bow, and then let them go for their own free time.

"Fight me!" Inosuke immediately shouted at Tanjiro, who seemed to slump tiredly.

"Inosuke, no," Nezuko said as she came up to the pair, followed by Kanao and Zenitsu.

"Inosuke, yes!" he replied with a huge grin.

"Stupid boar," Zenitsu muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I am not stupid! And I'll prove it!" He turned back to Tanjiro. "Fight me!"

The last demon (next to Yushiro) held his hands up placatingly. "I already fought you this week."

"I'm stronger now!" Well, to be fair, he was. She'd seen some serious improvement once everyone had added Akatsugi's style into their repertoire. A lot of that was because of how hard the former Waxing Moon worked with them to add to their sword style, but something had to be said about his natural teaching ability for him to even take that into account, let alone for his efforts to work so well. It helped that he had talented students.

Speaking of the man, she turned to see him standing a little ways off, watching the group, golden eyes (what he'd retained from his history as a demon, along with a couple of pink locks of hair) lit up in amusement. Pointedly, she walked up to him.

"Aren't you going to step in?" she asked.

"You kiddin'?" he returned with a snort. "This is hilarious."

She let out an obvious sigh and shook her head as she decided to come to Kamado's rescue.

"So that's why you should fight me again!" Inosuke was saying as she walked up to their group.

"I—" Tanjiro started, but Shinobu spoke before he could get farther.

"I'm afraid he can't right now." At that point she turned to the boy in question. "It's time."

Everyone seemed to freeze, even him, with the exception of his red, slitted eyes widening. Then his face broke into an excited smile.

"If you'll follow me," she said, nodding a goodbye to everyone else.

"Hai!" Tanjiro said as he followed her across the training field. Behind them, Inosuke started saying how he wanted to be the last one to defeat a demon! And there was only one demon left to fight! Shinobu just shook her head fondly. That boy. She was sad that he – and likely Obanai and Mitsuri, perhaps even Tanjiro and Nezuko, along with many of the other Pillars – wouldn't likely live to see their 30th birthday due to the marks they'd manifested. Countering that was actually next on Shinobu's list.

But for now…

"Are you ready for this?" She asked as they entered the estate and began to walk down the hallways.

He took a deep breath and let it out before nodding. "I am. I mean, I'm used to being a demon, but I can't wait to go back to being a human. I'm going to eat a whole bowl of fatsia sprouts! They're my favorite food, you know."

Shinobu giggled a little. Sometimes he really acted his physical age. Now was definitely one of those times.

"But…" he went on after a long pause, voice subdued, "I'd… be lying if I said I wasn't scared."

She blinked and glanced over at him. "Oh? Why? Because you aren't sure you'll be able to become human? Or is it the pain?" Because it would likely be agony for him.

He winced. "A little of both, but…" he paused and took another breath. "But also… I've known what to do for so long. I've known more or less what would happen and what I needed to try and avoid and how to deal with what was coming. I won't have that advantage – all the information – anymore. After so long of relying on that it's… just scary, you know?"

She could have welcomed him to the club of everyone else in the world who had to live their lives like that, but… honestly, she could imagine where he was coming from, and didn't feel like being a troll just then. It had to happen sometimes, she supposed.

"I don't know, but I can certainly sympathize," she said honestly. But then her smile (they'd been feeling so real these days) returned. "But if anyone can navigate it, I'm sure it's you."

The smile on his face was worth her comment.

But… then that troll inside her raised its mischievous head. "However, I would like to remind you that people have been doing it for centuries."

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Which just made her shake her head at him. Probably the strongest being in the world and he shrunk away like that at just a simple, teasing comment.

"I suppose everyone will just have to all help each other." She looked ahead, but out of the corner of her eye, she did see him perk up.

"Yeah. I guess we will."

No, seriously, she could definitely get used to – get addicted to – this lightness and this feeling of hope.

xXx

"Alright, Tanjiro," Shinobu said as she handed him two vials full of liquid. "Drink this one right now," she pointed to the amber colored one. "That's a painkiller. It shouldn't take too long to take effect with your metabolism. Make sure you don't burn that out because it's all I can give you to take the edge off of this."

He nodded and swallowed the liquid. The substance tasted extremely bitter. So much so that he couldn't stop himself from making a face, but he didn't otherwise say anything as he handed the vial back. Despite how badly it tasted, he was grateful for it. He'd been preparing for this for a while, but he wasn't entirely sure anyone could truly prepare for what he was about to go through.

"In about ten minutes, I'll need you to begin to burn your cells out. When I say, you'll need to swallow this," she pointed to the purple-gray liquid. "It's the cure mixed with some wisteria to help it along. You'll likely want to burn that out too, but please refrain."

Once again, he nodded. "Only demon cells."

"Correct," she said, then paused. "Are you sure you want to do this? I remember what you said about not being able to burn yourself and the mind-set it put you in…"

He took another calming breath, closing his eyes and trying to release all of his anxious tension. It helped. Then he met her gaze steadily. "Yes." She still looked concerned, so he forced himself to smile. "How else can I eat those sprouts?"

It worked. She chuckled, which was contagious and helped him relax a little too.

"Very well," she finally said.

"And…" he started hesitantly, "I think I was afraid, before. When I tried to burn the demon cells out of my body, I mean. Afraid that I'd be making a mistake because I didn't think I would be strong enough without this strength." He sighed, knowing he sounded self-deprecating but unable to help it. He deserved it.

Shinobu frowned and was about to open her mouth, but he continued before she could say anything.

"I know we were strong enough before but… so many people died. We had him, but then he turned me into a demon and… I couldn't chance it working out remotely like that again. I didn't even really think about it until after he was gone, so it wasn't conscious, but…

"It was easier for me to believe in myself like this then it was for me to believe in everyone working together again." He slumped. "I'm a hypocrite. A selfish hypocrite."

For several seconds, the room fell into silence. He didn't want to look up and see her agreement. She tended to be brutally honest with her assessment of things and it took all he could muster to brace for that.

Which was why he couldn't help but feel shocked when she said, "No," firmly.

Tanjiro blinked. "What?"

Her eyes narrowed, fixing him in place as she folded her arms. "What's wrong is that you value other people more than you value yourself. It was easier for you to sacrifice yourself than it was to even contemplate sacrificing others. You believed you could handle it, and if it gave everyone else more of a chance to survive, then so be it. That is not selfish." She huffed and her face softened. "Just a little… side-tracked."

For moments that lasted an eternity, he could only blink at her. She'd meant that. Every word. He could smell it, and even if he couldn't he didn't think he could deny it. Because… well, now that she pointed it out… he did think like that, didn't he.

His mind went back to his siblings telling him he wasn't evil, just side-tracked and he heard himself chuckle, mildly hysterically. Shinobu still seemed pleased.

"I guess I'm just susceptible to becoming misguided," he muttered.

She cocked her head to one side. "It's easy to become misguided in one lifetime, let alone almost a hundred. I think it's understandable and that you should be kinder to yourself."

The half-smile he gave her felt raw and grateful at the same time. "I'll work on that."

She nodded. "You'd better." Then she glanced at the clock in the corner of the room. "We have about three more minutes."

He returned the gesture and they fell into a nervous silence as they waited for the time to pass. It felt like years and yet just moments before she finally nodded again.

"Okay, now."

He braced himself and scratched his finger. "Demon blood art, Palm Fire," he said, then forced his blood to ignite all over his body.

Oh, it hurt. Immensely so. He grit his teeth but the white-hot pain just kept growing. He couldn't hold back grunts and then shrieks, and finally sustained yells and screams, but he didn't let up. He couldn't.

"Keep going!" he heard Shinobu say. He didn't want to. He couldn't express in words how much he didn't want to. But… he had to if he wanted to be human again. That was worth any pain. Even this crippling agony that made it hard to see and breathe.

He fell to the floor. Or was it the hospital bed? He couldn't tell. His fingers (claws?) had already dug holes into… something and he gripped it like his life depended on it. Or maybe he'd scratched it? It being whatever he lay on. But he didn't let up with his fire. If Nezuko could handle this, then so could he. He could. He had to.

Because he couldn't handle going back again.

That would hurt more. Maybe not physically.

Wait, where was the other vial? Had he smashed it?

He tried to ask, but could only croak out, "Cure?"

"I have it right here," Shinobu said. "Don't worry. Just keep going."

He felt a cool hand on his forehead. A doctor's hand. A friend's hand. He was infinitely glad his fire only burned what he wanted it to. He clung to that small relief, even as he continued to scream out and tears leaked down his cheeks.

After what felt like longer than an eternity, the pain finally, finally began to subside, going from burning knives stabbing into his entire body over and over and over again to pin pricks instead. His throat hurt too.

"I don't… think I can… keep it up… much longer," he gasped out.

"Okay," Shinobu said soothingly. "Then take this."

He forced himself to focus on the vial in front of him, the purplish-gray liquid inside waiting for him to swallow it. With a tired, aching, and shaky hand, he managed to grasp the cool, hard glass and dump the contents in his mouth, forcing himself to swallow something that tasted even worse than the painkillers (painkillers that didn't feel like they were remotely working at all).

Of course, that's when the pain came back, except from his stomach this time. He groaned and collapsed again.

How much longer did he have to do this? Would it end? It didn't feel like it.

"Keep burning as long as you can," he heard Shinobu's voice. Gritting his teeth and holding back more screams, he focused on those words, pushing that fire to keep burning. He could feel it slipping out of his grasp, though. Whether due to pain or his weakening demon cells, he didn't know but he had to keep pushing. So he did.

He didn't even recognize when he lost consciousness.

xXx

Nezuko sat by her brother's bed, dabbing the damp cloth over his face. He looked pained with his flushed cheeks and sweaty face and hair. Shinobu-san said that the fever was expected, but she'd looked so worried when she'd said it…

All of their brothers and sisters, as well as their mother and even Giyuu-san, took turns by his bedside, trying to keep the fever down. They had some medications that were supposed to help, but since no one knew how they'd interact with the demon cure, they hadn't dared use them. All they could do were old-fashioned treatments of keeping his head cool and his feet warm to keep the fever down to a manageable level.

"Nii-san," she whispered, "come back to us soon. Everyone's worried."

And they were. Though Nezuko wasn't sure whether she would prefer for him to come back as a demon over dying. Selfishly, she thought she would, but she knew that would break his heart. So she hoped he came back completely human.

Or mostly human like her. She'd take that.

Or just not demon. Whatever else he may be.

She just wanted her brother back.

Closing her eyes, she tried again to project herself outwards, hoping that maybe she could connect with his spirit somehow but… yet again, nothing happened. After several minutes of concentrating, she collapsed against the back of the chair, sighing in frustration. She didn't know how she'd been able to do that – project herself into the battle and even be able to interact with the battlefield. She hadn't been able to do it since, and she had tried. Especially recently. If she could project some part of herself out of her body, could she also project herself into his mind? She didn't know, but… she really wanted to let him know how much they loved and missed him.

With a heavy sigh, she took the cloth on his forehead, dipped it back in the water and squeezed the heat out again. Then she went back to dab his forehead again and froze. Two maroon irises peeked out from under heavy eyelids.

"Nezu… ko?" a croaking voice asked.

For several seconds, she just sat there, staring. Then she dropped the cloth and leaped forward, catching him in a hug.

"Tanjiro!" She shrieked in joy.

He groaned and she realized she may be squeezing him a little too tightly. Hurriedly, she let go.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay? How do you feel?"

He chuckled tiredly. "I… ache. All over."

She smiled in sympathy.

"And I'm… hungry," he muttered, frowning.

"Oh! We have some rice balls right here!" she said as she hurriedly grabbed the white triangles from the plate on the side table. "They're a little old but…"

He eyed the offering cautiously for several seconds before reaching a shaking hand out from under his covers, taking it carefully, and moving it to his mouth. Then he bit into it. He could barely move his lips, it seemed, so she couldn't see if he'd lost his fangs or not.

The room fell into a heavy silence as he chewed and swallowed, then waited. And waited. And finally, tears came to his eyes.

Oh, no! Was something wrong? Did he still—

Before she could finish that thought, he burst out into a sob and stuffed the rice into his mouth again.

Oh.

He… he could eat it.

He was human again.

Or at least not demon.

Nezuko felt tears come to her own eyes.

"It's over," he choked out after he'd swallowed that mouthful. "It's finally over."

"Yeah," she said.

Slowly, his eyes closed and his arm holding the half-eaten rice ball fell down. She could see and feel his slow, steady breaths. Not constant concentration, but still deep and restful.

"Sleep, Nii-san," she whispered, taking the rice out of his hand and setting it back on the plate before tucking his arm back inside the blankets. Then, unknowingly echoing he little brother's sentiment from after the battle with Muzan, she smiled at him. "You've earned it."

Because just then, she realized that everything would be just fine.

Setting the damp cloth on his forehead once again, she kissed his temple before standing and rushing out to tell Shinobu-san. Behind her, on the bed, Tanjiro smiled.

xXx

AN: *Yes, this also means Miyabe and Imagawa. :D They're totally planning their wedding. 3

Um… I didn't mean to actually make TanjiroxShinobu undertones in here. No, guys, I seriously didn't. That was just the best place to put that conversation. I like TanjiroxKanao. I do. I just… um… oops.

Just as a reminder, there will still be an Epilogue and 2 chapters of an alternate ending posted here! Thanks! Also, thanks to Quathis and Found for their help on this.

Discord: discord. gg/xDDz3gqWfy (no spaces)