#also i refuse to believe kotoha kept her husbands last name

[wisteriamoons]

Pinky Promise

So I see a lot of au’s where Kotoha lives, but stays with Douma and never sees the carnage he causes. 

So, this oneshot kinda explores what would happen if Kotoha escaped unscathed that night. If she had stayed on the road, running till daybreak. Unknowingly missing the human village, instead running even further to a specific house.

What if, Kotoha Hashibira, became a Demon Slayer?

Words: 1821

--

Through all the abuse and manipulation, from the deepest parts of her memory, she knows she’ll never forget one thing. What had occurred on April 22nd. 

The delivery lasted hours, but through the pain and tears, she won’t remember it as a bad thing.

No, not even close. 

She’ll remember it as the day it changed her. 

--

At a mere seventeen banking on eighteen girl, she had married young, desperate for a family. Her family had been killed by what the locals thought was a bear, and Kotoha Hashibira found herself all alone.

She made one error, unfortunately, and that was marrying too quickly. Too fast. The man seemed so perfect and loving, and while his mother was stern and icy, he seemed wonderful.

That quickly changed, however.

She found it hopeless to escape, not finding a way to run. But nine months into the marriage, she gave birth. She cried tears of joy, finding her son to have little to no attributes from his father.

“Inosuke,” she whispered. “My little Inosuke.”

He gave her a reason to keep going, to stay hopeful and face the horrors of the day with a brave face.

And then she remembers the night she did escape. 

With only the clothes on her back, she had managed to wrap Inosuke’s favorite blanket around him. The night was treacherous, winter just settling in and snow caking the ground like powder. But no matter how cold it got, no matter how tired she was, she kept running with her one-month-old son in her arms.

She remembered hearing about a paradise, a place where you could escape to when you had nowhere else.

That was her other error. 

Douma was a wonderful host. She saw the magic he performed personally, as he healed her from her partial blindness, her scars, everything she had accumulated. He called her beautiful. He treated her like a goddess.

She stayed.

She didn’t realize how much of a trophy Douma saw her as. And as she sang, took care of her son, sat side-by-side with Douma, made people happy. She didn’t know the real horrors of the cult she had found herself in. She only had unconfirmed suspicions filtered out by her own bias. People were disappearing, but Douma said they left for brighter pastures. Why would she have any reason to not believe him, when he took her and her son in from the cold?

The suspicions grew, no matter how much she thought otherwise. The feeling in her gut made her feel more uneasy as the days wore on.

--

The stench was pungent, nauseating, revolting.

She had awoken, taking Inosuke in her arms to look for the source. Perhaps someone hunted? Yes, yes, that had to be the--

“Oh, Kotoha, you weren’t supposed to see this,” Douma said smoothly, wiping the blood from his lips. Kotoha stood, heart palpitating, hyperventilation threatening to begin. On the ground was an acquaintance, the friendly Aki, dead in a puddle of her own blood. 

“You…” Kotoha breathes in, stomach churning. “You monster!”

“Kotoha, listen to me, my b--”

“I will have none of it! You spouted nothing but horrible lies! You planned to eat me! You planned to eat Inosuke! Fiend! You awful, awful man!”

Kotoha didn’t listen to what Douma had to say next. She ran once more, with only the clothes on her back. 

She had fallen for another man’s tricks again. Not only putting herself in danger, but Inosuke, too. Tears threatened to build. 

“I’m so sorry, Inosuke. I’m sorry mommy’s stupid! I always make mistakes, I always go the wrong way! Sorry, I’m so sorry… I’m your mother, I need to keep it together.”

Inosuke just babbled, only knowing his mother was upset, but not of the danger that followed behind. She ran and ran until day broke just behind the trees. She hadn’t realized she lost Douma hours ago.

“Please, pleasepleaseplease, I can’t lose my son,” Kotoha cries to herself, holding him closer to her chest. “I can’t die!”

The first house she saw she practically flung herself at it, banging at the gate with a terrified fist. 

“Please! Please, oh please let us in! Please! We’re being chased by a cannibal!” Kotoha wails, slamming her fist faster. “Please, open up!”

It was met with succession. 

An old woman opened the gate, and Kotoha ran inside, the woman closing the gate behind her. The old woman had long graying hair, soft blue eyes and a purple kimono.

“A cannibal?” the old woman questions as Kotoha dashes up the steps of the Japanese house.

“Ye-yes, I just saw him eat another with my own eyes, oh goodness please let us stay at least the night.”

The old woman took pity on her, and let her inside. 

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but that wasn’t a cannibal. You probably saw the workings of a demon.”

“A… a what?” Kotoha asks, panting as the adrenaline wears off. The woman guides her over into the kitchen, having her sit at the kotatsu. Kotoha refuses to put Inosuke down, so she keeps him close to her. The woman starts brewing some tea, placing the kettle over the fire. 

“A demon. You don’t know where you are, child?”

Kotoha shakes her head slowly. Inosuke snoozes in her arms.

“You’re in a Wisteria House. The crest you saw out front marks this place as a sanctuary for demon hunters, from the Demon Slayer Corps. I usually only provide to demon hunters, but considering you were being chased by a demon, I hold no problem taking you in for a while.”

Kotoha feels tears build up in her eyes, and she bows her head.

“Thank you so much. But, what is a demon?”

“A demon is someone that has been infected by a demon’s blood and turned into a blood-thirsty monster. They’re usually unintelligent, only looking for, well…”

Kotoha nods, sniffling. 

“This demon wasn’t unintelligent though.”

The old woman frowns.

“Oh my… I’m glad I let you in.”

The old woman doesn’t elaborate, which Kotoha is quite thankful for. All she wanted to focus on was Inosuke.

“If you only provide for free for demon hunters, then I’m willing to work here,” Kotoha speaks quietly. 

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of hard work, plus you have a babe.”

“I don’t want to be a burden. Inosuke is very well-behaved for a one month old, he’s so sweet to me.” Kotoha beams down at her son, kissing his forehead. The woman hums.

“Well, I’m Himari. What is your name, child?”

“Kotoha. Thank you again for taking us in.” Kotoha bows her head once more, which Himari replicates. 

--

For the next few weeks, Himari helped Kotoha settle in along with Inosuke. Kotoha had been right about one thing; Inosuke was surprisingly well-behaved for a baby. He slept through the night, never made a real fuss even when he was hungry or his diaper needed changing. He seemed to really love silk and velvet, the birds chirping in the morning, books, a boar plush his mother made, and hearing his mother sing their special song.

“Pinky promise, pinky promise, such small hands you have~”

It warms Himari’s heart, hearing her sing it when it was bedtime for Inosuke. The lyrics changed almost every night, but every word was meaningful.

Kotoha learned more of the Wisteria Houses, and Himari herself. Himari was going to turn sixty-three soon, but had the energy of a twenty-year-old. All her immediate family lived far away, but her extended family was large. So large, Wisteria Houses basically spanned the whole country. It was fascinating. 

About a month into Kotoha’s stay, a group of demon slayers led by the Flame Pillar came to stay at the Wisteria House. 

“Mr. Rengoku, may I ask you something?” Kotoha asks before bed. Shinjuro Rengoku gives the woman a curious look as he wipes his blade down with a cloth. “I’m curious as to what demon slaying is like, can you tell me about it?”

Shinjuro was surprised that she wanted to know in the first place. After all, she looked like a gentle nadeshiko; she even reminded him of his wife. But he answered her question anyway; if she wanted to know, he wasn’t going to discriminate against her for it. 

“It’s hard, you may have to leave home for months at a time, and there’s a large possibility you can die.”

“Then why did you join, Mr. Rengoku?”

Shinjuro pauses.

“My family goes generations back for Flame Breathing, but I also found it’d be worth it to save people and keep them from the dark.”

Kotoha listens intently, her usual kind face into more of an unreadable expression.

Shinjuro wouldn’t find out until years later why she asked. Himari found out immediately, after the group went to sleep.

“Himari, I want to learn how to be a demon slayer.”

The old woman nearly drops her pot of water, looking at Kotoha incredulously. 

“Koto-- why?”

Kotoha glares at the wood of the kotatsu.

“I’m sick and tired of being a defenseless woman who doesn’t know what she’s doing. I want to be able to protect my son and make a world where he doesn’t have to be scared to go out at night. I want to be stronger, I want to help people.”

Himari looks at Kotoha, her incredulous look fading.

“Are you sure, Kotoha? Demons are dangerous, I’ve especially heard the Final Selection is ruthless; you’re either alive or you’re dead when you come out.”

Kotoha gazes at the bassinet which holds a sleeping Inosuke.

“I’ll take my time. And I know it’ll be hard, much harder than anything I’ve faced. But it’ll be worth it.”

Himari stares silently at Kotoha, and then gives a weak smile.

“I know someone who can teach you, then. I’m willing to also help take care of Inosuke, too.”

Kotoha looks at Himari, smiling as tears stream down her eyes. 

“Thank you, Himari. Thank you so much.”

--

This is where it all began.

Kotoha stands outside of the Wisteria House, looking much different, more older. She now had the Demon Slayer Corps uniform on, a long blue haori with light yellow bell patterns decorating it. Every step she took, the actual bells sewn into a red bracelet on her left wrist tinkled softly. She opens the gate, a smile on her face. She’d be getting her Nichirin blade soon.

“Mama!” Inosuke cries. She had been gone for only a week, but for five year old Inosuke, it felt like forever. The small boy runs over to her, and she crouches as she hugs him close, stroking his hair. 

Himari watches from the porch, smiling proudly at the mother and son. 

“I told you I’d be back, my little dragonfly,” Kotoha laughs, kissing his forehead. “I pinky promised it, after all.”

This is where it all began.

For the Bell Pillar, Kotoha Hashibira. 

[angstandhappiness]

NEAT NEAT SUPER NEAT I LOVE IT

Pinky Promise

So I see a lot of au’s where Kotoha lives, but stays with Douma and never sees the carnage he causes. 

So, this oneshot kinda explores what would happen if Kotoha escaped unscathed that night. If she had stayed on the road, running till daybreak. Unknowingly missing the human village, instead running even further to a specific house.

What if, Kotoha Hashibira, became a Demon Slayer?

Words: 1821

–

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