Kagami was sleeping peacefully in her bed in the hospital ward of the Butterfly Mansion. The patient wear was more comfortable and softer than she imagined. She slowly turned over on her side, pushing her head further into her pillow and wrapping the thick blankets more securely around her, soft snores spilling out of her mouth as exhaustion took over her once more. She could see the light of the sun beginning to spill through from the window but she wanted to get as much rest as possible.
Well, as much as she could when she had Zenitsu's bed beside hers.
"NO!" He screamed loudly jolting her awake with a painful gasp. "I can't possibly take any more of this!"
Small growls left Kagami's mouth as she grabbed her pillow and placed it roughly over her head.
"We go through this every single day!" She could hear Aoi chastise him sternly as he continued to cry and cry like a baby. "You're the most severely injured, Zenitsu! Take your medicine this second!"
Kagami let out a large huff and sat up in her bed. Her dead, tired eyes landed on Zenitsu with a large glare. Her sleep and naps have always been ruined by his insistent and relentless screaming and crying about his awful tasting medicine. She would've sympathized seeing he was poisoned by a spider demon but he didn't get the ever life beaten out of him. He also didn't have his entire rib-cage broken into tiny pieces and didn't need a blood transfusion!
He held his cup of medicine and cried more staring into it, dreading the taste of it sticking to his tongue. He didn't seem to notice the look on her face but she knew if he did, he wouldn't be crying about the medicine any time soon. She would give him something to actually cry about.
"This is your medicine, Kagami," Aoi sighed gesturing for Fuji, another assistant, to give Kagami hers.
As Fuji smiled and handed Kagami her medicine, Aoi and Kiyo walked to the other bed to give Tanjiro his. Kagami bowed her head and thanked them all for the medicine and helping them get better. Both she and Tanjiro downed the cup of medicine with ease without complaining about the taste. Sure, it wasn't pleasant but it certainly wasn't as terrible as Zenitsu constantly cried about.
"Hey!" Zenitsu screamed looking over at them. "Tanjiro and Kagami's medicine goes down that easy, huh? Is that right? I see, it's different from mine! I call favoritism! I call favoritism!"
Kagami looked over at Tanjiro with an annoyed look and sighed, "You see what I've been dealing with?"
"Zenitsu, this is a hospital ward! Quiet down!" Tanjiro began to plea but a voice from the doorway spoke up.
"You all seem lively."
They all turned curiously and standing by the door was a familiar Demon Slayer!
Kagami and Tanjiro smiled and gasped, "Murata!"
"Hey!" He greeted lifting his hand up revealing two bandaged fingers.
He held a small smile, his black eyes bright as he gazed at them all, in his Demon Slayer Corps uniform. His straight jet-black hair flowed slowly in the air when he approached their beds. Kagami sure was glad to see him! She hadn't heard anything about him ever since she was taken from Mount Natagumo to the Butterfly Mansion. To see him alive and well, with looked like very minor injuries, brightened her heart immensely.
Kagami slowly got out of her bed and, with the help of Murata, moved to Tanjiro's. They passed by Inosuke's, who still laid silently and not moving at all, and paid no attention to him. She sat on the edge carefully, her arm holding her abdomen softly, as Murata pulled up a stool. Kagami and Tanjiro grasped hands for a moment, grinning at each other in greeting, before giving Murata their full attention.
"Are you all right?" Tanjiro asked him.
Murata shrugged but answered, "Well, I came close to getting melted away, but I made it somehow. But I hear you guys got really banged up."
His eyes ran over all of them; Zenitsu, Inosuke, her bandaged abdomen, and then landed on Tanjiro.
"Yeah, it looks like it's going to take some time, but we'll bounce back soon," Kagami answered ignoring the lightning bolt of pain striking through her chest. She just continued to smile and nod her head to hopefully ease away the pain.
Murata set his eyes on the seemingly lifeless Inosuke and chuckled, "What was it that happened to you, Wild Boar? I guess you damaged your throat, huh?" When Inosuke didn't move or answer, Murata curiously looked over at Kagami and Tanjiro and asked, almost confused, "Is he sleeping or something? Why is he unresponsive?"
Kagami and Tanjiro glanced at each other then smiled nervously at him. "Well, we… went through a lot. You should just let him be," She advised him.
"But for him of all people to be quiet—" Murata began to speak but was interrupted.
"Tanjiro! Kagami!" Zenitsu called for them. "Who... is that?" He asked pointing a small curious finger hidden beneath his patient wear to Murata.
Tanjiro gestured to the boy and answered, grinning, "He's Murata. He fought with us on Mount Natagumo. He's a friend."
"Nice to meet you!" Murata greeted bowing his head. Then, it slightly tilted to the side staring at Zenitsu's small body compared to the normal size of his head. "Hey, your arms… What happened to them?" He asked.
"I almost got turned into a spider so my arms and legs are still short," Zenitsu sighed out lifting them up for him to see.
Aoi, almost out of nowhere, held a cup eerily similar to the one Zenitsu had before and frown on her face. "And that's why you need to take this medicine!" She chastised him forcing the cup in his shaky hands.
Then, Kagami, Tanjiro, and Murata watched and listened to the back-and-forth yelling and crying conversation of Aoi and Zenitsu. She sighed and watched with a frown, Tanjiro and Murata looking on with curious but uncomfortable looks. She thought she would've gotten used to it at that point. With Zenitsu needing to take his medicine five times a day, every day, for three months, they all believed he wouldn't be bothered by the taste of his medicine anymore. But they were wrong. Completely wrong.
No matter how many times Aoi reminded Zenitsu the medicine, and additional sunlight, would help turn his limbs back to normal, he just wouldn't listen. The power of flavor was too much for his tiny pea-size brain to comprehend. It seemed he would rather be short forever than get better.
He was avoiding it so much he jumped out of his bed, ran across Kagami's and Inosuke's, and climbed on Tanjiro's! He hid behind their bodies, cowering like a shaking animal much to their dismay, screeching at Aoi, "I can't do it! Nothing changes the fact that stuff tastes awful!"
Suddenly, an ominous and dreadful aura began to surround Murata. Kagami, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu flinched away from it, seeing what looked like dark blue flames appear out of his body, when his head tilted downwards. His body trembled slightly when he shakily spoke below his breath, "Looks like fun. I'm jealous. I was summoned to the Hashira Meeting to give my report on anything related to the the Mount Natagumo incident. But it was like hell! Those Hashira are way too terrifying! They were all angry that Corps fighters these days are dropping in quality since some who were sent to Mount Natagumo didn't follow orders. So, they wanted to interrogate who their trainers were. What good would it do to ask someone of my rank anyway? The Hashira really terrify me!"
At that point, the three of them weren't listening anymore.
Their terrified eyes landed and followed two tall figures walking inside the ward. Their mouths were open in dismay, their bodies shaking slightly with fear, and it took everything for whimpers not to fall out of their mouths. They didn't bother to warn Murata as he continued babbling on about the Hashira as the two figures stood directly behind him. He didn't seem to have noticed the looks on their faces because he would've definitely shut up.
By the time he finished speaking, one of the figures behind him cheerfully spoke, "Hello there!"
At the sound of the woman's voice, Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho's voice, Murata immediately straightened his back with a muffled scream and terrified look. He jumped out of his seat, his eyes completely white staring at Lady Kocho and Angel Hashira Angela Tenshi, stuttering, "Lady-Lady Kocho! And Miss Tenshi!"
"Good day to you," Miss Tenshi greeted with the bow of her head.
Murata bowed his entire body, shrieking, "And you as well! Goodbye!" then rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him quickly.
"Oh, my! Leaving so soon?" Lady Kocho giggled after him but there was no response. She turned her large purple gradient eyes on them and smiled, asking sweetly, "The three of you, how is your recovery coming along?"
Tanjiro smiled and answered, "I think we're a lot better now," along with the nod of Kagami's head and the deep blush on Zenitsu's cheeks.
Tenshi settled her yellow eyes on Kagami, nearly freaking her out, but she spoke, "I'm glad to see you are well, Yamato. I felt genuine fright and fear you wouldn't have made it to the Butterfly Mansion in time. I had reattached the pieces of your broken bones together but, since you lost an substantial amount of blood and lacked the required amount of energy needed, I couldn't risk mending them properly until a transfusion was performed. I was correct to have placed my faith in young Karasuma and Aoi to save your life."
Small heat entered Kagami's cheeks at Miss Tenshi's words and bowed her head deeply. "Thank you for saving my life. If it weren't for you, I'd surely be dead."
The angel looked slightly taken back but grinned. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Yamato. With the Dragon Breathing power coursing strong through your veins, I'm sure that with more training and confidence in your abilities you and your friends would've outmatched that demon. It was simply the matter of learning the same techniques your mother once used when she was your age," She explained... much to Kagami's confusion.
"Wait... did you say something about my mother?" Kagami gasped out at her.
Tanjiro looked like he remembered something he'd forgotten and whipped his head to her. "Oh, Kagami! I forgot to mention a message from the Master about your parents to you," He said quickly. Kagami's eyes widened and gasped when he continued, "He said, "It's wonderful to hear the Yamato bloodline's thriving and very well much alive in her. It would've been an honor to have met Kaen and Masako's daughter." He also mentioned that in Mr. Urokodaki's note he knew... your mom. That she was the last Dragon Hashira they had seen in centuries."
Her heart skipped a beat, her hand trembled on her lap, and her eyes shook staring into his. He wasn't lying about what he was saying. Tanjiro wouldn't have known about her parent's names, Kaen and Masako Yamato. He wouldn't lie about such things, not when she was so focused on learning the truth of her heritage.
So, her mother was a Demon Slayer. She knew that much from her Nichirin Sword and she was somehow from a line of forgotten Dragon Breathers that somehow died off centuries ago. That they were simply a legend until her mother's appearance. But... she had been a Hashira? A Dragon Hashira? How did Kagami go her whole life of 15 years without ever knowing her mother was an all powerful Demon Slayer who hunted demons? She didn't even know her father was a Demon Slayer himself! How else would the Master have known who he was? How could something like that have been kept from her? By her father and by... Mr. Urokodaki.
The whole time he was training her, for two whole years, he had known she was the daughter of the late Dragon Hashira. Why did he never say anything to her? If he had known her mother, surely he would've said something. He would've indicated that she was more than the daughter of a Demon Slayer. Of a Dragon Breather long forgotten from time. Did he take her in knowing she could turn out like her, like her mother, Masako? That the line of Dragon Breathers becoming Demon Slayers needed to continue?
Kagami... didn't like that. Not at all. She's more than some long lost bloodline. It was her choice to become a Demon Slayer. No one influenced her; not her father, not Tanjiro, and certainly not her dead mother. It was her, Kagami's choice.
"Did... Did you know she used to be a Hashira?" Zenitsu asked her quietly.
Kagami only clenched her fists tightly and sighed out, "I didn't. I only knew of her being a Demon Slayer but nothing more." Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked at Tanjiro, choking out, "Is it... okay to feel betrayed by Mr. Urokodaki? He knew about her. He knew about my mother but decided to stay quiet. Why... Why would he? He knew how much I wanted to learn of her. So... why?"
Tanjiro looked at her sadly and said, "Yes, it's okay to feel betrayed but it's not okay to feel hatred. I'm sure he had his reasons."
"Perhaps it simply wasn't the right time yet," Miss Tenshi suddenly spoke up. Kagami looked at her curiously and the angel continued, "Would you have continued pushing towards becoming a Demon Slayer, to hunting down demons for the sake of finding yourself and helping your friend Nezuko return to being a human, if you had found out your mother might've been killed in the line of duty? Killed by a demon protecting her comrades, brothers-and-sisters-in-arms, or her family? Tell me, Yamato, what would you have done?"
Kagami growled slightly and huffed, "I don't know. I don't know whether I would've continued or given up. But I do know it was my choice to make. Not his."
Miss Tenshi nodded her head, speaking, "You're absolutely right. It should've been your choice to make," but added, "But the Demon Slayer Corps needs a miracle. It needs a Dragon Breather, a technique the demons haven't learned or seen of in centuries, to bring Kibutsuji down. It needs you, Kagami Yamato."
With that, the Angel Hashira began to take her leave. She left without so much as another word. She entered the room quietly and left just as silent.
That woman... was pretty hard to read. She saved Kagami's life and wanted to see how she was doing. Miss Tenshi seemed sympathetic and compassionate but if not also blunt and honest. She held herself up high proudly but not in a superior or condescending way. The Hashira just seemed so confident in her abilities as a Demon Slayer. Kagami could feel the self-assured and powerful woman filled with overflowing faith. If only Kagami could ever get to that level.
What she was just told... It was a lot to think about.
"Well, now that you're done chatting," Lady Kocho giggled clapping her hands together excitedly, "Perhaps it's about time you start your Rehabilitation Training."
Kagami, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu looked at each other curiously and confused. To say she was ready for training was an exaggeration. She knew she would cough out blood, or her entire stomach, if she tried to move faster than a snail at the moment. Though, that nearly didn't bother her more than learning about her parents. They were Demon Slayers and her mother was the Dragon Hashira. She thought she wanted answers but... she hoped she wouldn't have felt betrayed in the process.
Now, everyone expects her to follow in her mother's footsteps. To become just as strong as her, but how? She only knew a few forms taught to her by Mr. Urokodaki. Maybe those few moves he had learned from her mother but they weren't going to be enough to make her a Hashira. Does she even want to be a Hashira? To be a Demon Slayer for the rest of her life?
She shouldn't focus on that. Not then. She needs to rest and get prepared for the Rehabilitation Training.