"Sumiko-san!" I heard a cheerful voice wake me from my never-ending nightmare, and groaned. I opened my eyes and came face to face with Mitsuri Kanroji, one of the newest Hashiras.

I grumble aloud, "Five more minutes..."

"It's your turn to make the meals for the Hashira Meeting! There's no time to waste!" Mitsuri beamed down at me.

Of all things to be woken up by...it HAD to be her! Usually, I can tolerate her cheery attitude, but not right after my nightmare. I sat up in my bedroll and sighed. Time to face the music.

I sighed as I looked at her, "Can you please help me?"

She clapped her hands, "Of course!" She carried over a purple kimono that had white peonies on it, along with another object- a wooden leg. Mitsuri clicked her tongue and spoke, "Why so grumpy?"

"I keep reliving that moment...sorry...and woke up from reliving it again..." I hastily grabbed the wooden leg and placed it where the remainder of my right leg was, struggling to latch the areas where flesh met wood together. I stood up carefully and held my arms out, the same routine being played out five million times.

Mitsuri sighed, "You can't go back and change it. Besides, you're still a part of us."

I looked at her, tears in my eyes as she helped me with my kimono and helped with my right leg, "It's not the same. I miss....being able to fight, and slay demons! It kills me to watch you all go off on missions and to just wait for you to return!"

Mitsuri hugged me as she spoke, "But knowing that you're still helping us...means a lot. It feels nice to have someone to turn to when times get tough." She giggled, "Plus, your cooking is amazing! Let's get going!"

I shook my head, "Mitsuri-chan, I still need to get my hair ready."

"You've come to the right person to ask for help with that!" She started to braid my light blonde hair and was done quickly. She grabbed my hand and spoke, "Let's go!"

She tried to run with me, but I spoke up, "You can go on ahead. I'll be behind you."

Mitsuri took my arm and started to help me walk out of my room at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. She smiled as she opened the door, "I would be a terrible friend if I left you behind while you're pouting."

I couldn't help but smile at her actions. They meant a lot to me. Plus, learning how to walk with Shinobu's latest invention is still a struggle. It felt like the latches were in place, but a little bit of walking would ensure to put them into place. It was better than being an invalid or having to rely on someone all the time. At least, I have some sense of freedom with this.

She led me to the kitchen where I started to work while she went to greet her fellow Hashiras. They've changed just a bit since I've been put out of commission. While they're a mismatching group, they do get the job done.

My hands quickly chopped up vegetables and fruits for the members, while meats were being fried in pans along with plenty of rice. I knew I had to make plenty, after all, Mitsuri-chan could eat a lot! While for some, this task might have taken forever, it didn't take me long at all. Hey, when you are limited in what you can do, you tend to get really stinking good at the things you can do.

I knew which Hashiras would want to eat first, and which wouldn't pick anything at their meals. So, I started to call out to my friends, "Mitsuri-san, Shinobu-sama! Can you please help me?"
These two ladies are the only ones that knew about my condition. After all, it was Shinobu that treated me, and Mitsuri that befriended me, mainly because we were both injured at the same time. If it wasn't for them...I would be in the depths of my own personal hell, with no way to get out. As I finished all of the meals, the two ladies were grateful enough to bring out each Hashira's food, since it was tough for me to bend down and place it in front of someone on their mat.

Shinobu promised me that she would hopefully allow me to do some motions again, like sitting on a mat. From what her letters have been telling me, she's working on a leg that will bend again. Though, better latches would need to be put in place on both the wooden extension and what bit of my actual leg I had left. I was willing to do anything if it allowed me to go back in the field.

I didn't even know that someone had snuck into the kitchen because I was so busy with cooking! I heard plates being moved around and saw it was the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, Mitsuri's mentor and good friend. While I may have messed up the other Hashiras the first time I met all of them, Rengoku stood out from the strangers mainly due to his looks- I mean, who else has flame-colored hair and eyes on this planet? Since our meeting, we had worked on a few missions together, so we knew each other.

So, I was able to remember him quickly, and when I saw the all too familiar hair in the kitchen, I spoke softly, "Good day, Rengoku-sama. Do you want anything else?"

He laughed at me, "Always with this sama title, Sumiko. Didn't I tell you otherwise before?" I swore he was shocked to see me there, but it was tough to tell under his sunny visage.

"You all...are all active Hashiras, and I wish to respect that. What is it that you need?"

"More food please! Usually, I don't eat this much at these meetings, but I had never had your cooking before!" 

I smiled as I turned to face him, "I will in a second. Has everyone gotten their plates, including Oyakata-sama?"

"What about you, Sumiko? Will you eat?"

I nodded, "Aye, just after you all eat me through a whole pantry! I'm not terribly worried anyways about me, Rengoku-sama."

"Mitsuri was right. You have changed since your last mission. What happened out there? Are you not still one of us?"

"Unless Oyakata-sama brings it up, I wish not to talk about it." I quickly placed some sweet potatoes on his place, along with some rice and chicken, "Anyhow, here is your food, Rengoku-sama."

With a smile on his face, he walked out of the room as he spoke, "Thanks, Sumiko!" I then went back to making more, making sure I placed some aside for me in case anything happen.

Yet, as I was doing that, I heard a female voice say, "What did you do to my mentor's food?! Did you poison it?! He's so happy right now, and this isn't his typical normal happiness!"

Welp, my food has now ended up on the ground. Mitsuri looks at it and gasps, "Sorry Sumiko-san! I'll help you clean it up!"

I laughed and spoke, "I've got to adapt eventually, so I'll clean it up. As for your questions, I just gave him his favorite food, sweet potatoes, and no poison on me. That's Shinobu-sama's area, not mine!"

"What did he say to you in here?"

"Why I call him Sama, asking if I was going to eat, and my mission. Why did you have to blabber to him about it?"

"All of the Hashiras were worried, and Shinobu-sama's vagueness didn't help! So once I told him you were alive, he started to ask more questions about the mission- who the demon was, things like that. Thing is...you never told us who it was."

"I'll say the same thing I said to your mentor- Unless Oyakata-sama brings it up, I wish not to talk about it."
Mitsuri laughed, "Sumiko-san! I haven't told you something about Kyojuro. It involves you."

"And how am I involved with Flames for Brain out there shouting 'Delicious!' every time he eats a piece of my cooking?"

"Did you two ever go on missions?"

"Sometimes, as all Hashiras do, but those weren't too memorable to me. I did train under his family for a little bit of time." I laughed, "Unfortunately, Flame Breathing was not for me. So I made my own style."

Mitsuri started to get this pout on her face as she spoke, her voice going a little higher, "That's not the point! Did he ever say...anything about you?"

"Like?"

"Uh...looks, personality, things like that?"

"No, just my cooking skills today. What are you trying to get at here?"

The Love Breathing Hashira leaned closer to my ear and spoke, "He was devastated when word got around that you were injured. I would dare say he cares about you! Actually...was this the first time you two had seen each other since your fateful mission?"

"That's for a reason. I...don't want to put anyone else in danger because of me."

Mitsuri smirked, "Any other reason? You don't happen to like him back?"

"If I do, you are not getting me to answer that."

She walked out with two plates full of food and spoke in her sing-song tone, "That's a yes to me..."

Of all the people in this world, why was I cursed to be a friend with a Love Hashira? I just kept on cleaning the kitchen, trying to wipe away not only what was supposed to be my food, but the slight blush on my face.