Three years ago...

Kagura 1st Person POV

It was well past midnight when I began to put my plan to run away from my father's estate into action.

It has been a couple of weeks since the Final Selection and I have already received my nichirin sword when I was staying with Urodaki-sensei. He already knows what I intend to do once I returned home. He doesn't like it but he understands why I have to, considering my treatment at the hands of my stepmothers and the lack of attention from my father. It doesn't help that since I'm a half-demon (or a hanyou, if you will) the Pillars are bound to find out and they could very well kill me, despite my friendships with Giyuu-kun, Shinobu-chan, Aoi-chan, Kanao-chan, and Mitsuri-chan, as I have trained under and/or alongside them before I departed for the Final Selection. It doesn't matter if I'm also blessed by the Sun Goddess Amaterasu. The law of the Corps is strict about demons.

Now that I got my sword and my other tools to survive (courtesy of Urodaki-sensei) I have no reason to linger around this place. As nice as the estate is, home doesn't feel like home when nobody is there to love you.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and made sure my black-bladed katana was secure in its scabbard before I checked the contents in my travel bag one more time before I departed.

Hunting knife? Check.

Money I stole from both my old man and my nasty stepmothers for travel? Check.

Basic first aid supplies? Check.

Pills filled with my healing tears? Double Check.

Road map? Check.

Notebooks with survival notes? Check.

Big supply of ink pots for writing letters to my loved ones? Check.

Nonperishable food items? Double check.

With my provisions secure and placing the bag into one of my handmade bamboo baskets, I was ready to go.

So with my head held high, I left through the back door, as opposed to the usual "sneak out the window" trope as I am a quiet stepper and the door only needs to moved a little bit before I slipped through it. Once my feet left the back porch, I was silently dashing into the forest outside the estate.

I didn't stop running until I made it to a clearing, full of wildflowers and tall grass. This place was a sanctuary to me. It was a place where I can be myself and not worry about my troubles with my family if only for a short while. It is also where I met some of my best friends. Speaking of which...

I felt a distinct chill in the air as the temperature suddenly dropped about ten degrees. The place suddenly gotten darker despite the bright full moon above me. I rolled my eyes, not even fazed by the change of scenery.

"Alastor!" I hissed. "Stop showboating and get yourself over here or there will be no Shaderoot carrots for a week!"

Just like a switch has been flipped, the clearing was back to normal, shortly accompanied by the familiar whinny as Alastor, my Spectrier, trotted up to me, snorting indignantly at spoiling his fun. I rubbed his muzzle, making him begrudgingly lean into my touch as I caressed him.

After giving him a quick scratch behind his ears, I then tied my a few of my bamboo baskets onto the saddle before I removed my travel bag and slung it on my back. Securing the bamboo baskets to his sides, I then walked off a few yards away from Alastor as I wetted my lips to call upon my two trusted avian companions.

(Play this here)

A few seconds after I made the call, two distinct flapping of wings were heard, making me look to my right, just in time to see both of my trusted birds flying down, one to my outstretched arm, and one to land atop my head.

One of them, the one on top of my head, is a rare-colored baby Owlette Danger Beast, aka Rowlet, that grows into an intelligent A-Class Danger Beast known as a Decidueye, I have hatched from an egg I found during one of my stays with Urokodaki-sensei, is named Octavia. I made her a special hood to wear as the cold season was drawing near.

The other bird, a blue falcon-like bird, which I found out later is called a Rito, I have received after I passed my Final Selection, is named Revali.

I was the only one, aside from a blonde cowardly guy (I honestly have no idea how he survived that entire week), that received a different bird instead of a crow at the end of the Final Selection, bit thankfully nobody really commented on the matter.

As I was stroking the plumage of my birds, I heard a small voice speak up.

"So you're leaving after me all?" I whirled around to see Rui, a demon I have encountered and befriended some time back, standing there with Chibi in his arms, his red/pink demonic eyes filling up with tears.

(Chibi)

I quickly hugged the former proclaimed Lower Moon Five, throwing him off guard. "No, no, no, no!" I said, my own voice cracking. My owl and messenger bird had flew over a distance away from me and Rui. "I'd never leave you behind! I promised you before, remember? We'll always stick together in this fucked up world." Despite Rui looking like a child, he is much older than he looks so he pretty much knows all the swear words by now. I think....

"So what are we doing?" He asked, still clinging to me.

"We are... going on a trip." I answered, not giving specifics away in case there are "ears" listening in.

"Where to?" Rui asked innocently.

"Far, far away from here." I told him. I had no set destination in mind, as long as I can get away from this wretched place I'm fine with it.

I'll miss Giyuu, Shinobu, Aoi, Kanao, Mitsuri, Muichiro, Urokodaki-sensei and Obanai's snake, Kaburamaru. I might miss Rengoku, but he kinda gets on my nerves with his loud voice. I think he hung around my old man too much. And I guess I'll miss that reddish brunette guy with the hard forehead and hanafuda earrings from the recent Final Selection. What was his name again? Tanjiro or something like that? I remember encountering and having a few chats with him a few times in that demon infested forest, and he carried the scent of a demon accompanying him, though they weren't present during that time. The others, especially the Wind Pillar and the Sound Pillar, can go fuck themselves. Especially Sanemi, as he gave me much unneeded torment. The second he finds out that I'm not fully human, he will be the first to try and kill me on sight. If not him, then that cold-hearted jackass Obanai. At least with Giyuu and some of the others, they would give me a quick end to my life.

"We'll go far away from here and make a life for ourselves." I continued, grabbing a lightweight wooden box with leather straps. I plopped it down in front of Rui. "This is where you'll be hiding in, especially during daylight hours. If you need me to stop somewhere for anything, just let me know, okay?"

He nodded, putting Chibi down so he can shrink himself to fit himself inside the box. Once he was comfortable inside, I shut the box after I gave him some colorful embroidery thread I lifted from one of my stepmothers so he can play with it along with his spider threads.

"Now you, Chibi." I said turning to the small white wolf pup and holding out my arms for him to jump in. Complying eagerly, I deposited the proclaimed grandson/heir of Amaterasu into one of the woven bamboo baskets, which I lined with a few blankets for him to be comfortable in. Seeing him settled in for the night, and hopefully for the first leg of the trip, I secured the lid over him before I lifted the basket before I secured the basket to Alastor, before I mounted myself onto my horse, Rui's box slung onto my back. I let out a quick whistle, calling over my owlette and Revali. Revali perched on my shoulder to keep watch for the remainder of the night while Octavia nestled herself into my lap, trying to seek warmth from the dark-colored cloak I placed over myself.

Once settled, I grabbed the reins to Alastor before flicking them lightly to move him forward, making Alastor move into a trot. "Okay. Step One: Escape the mansion with supplies and stolen goods for survival. Check. Step Two: Acquire getaway horse and my companions. Check. Now for Step Three. Sending my final goodbyes." I already told Urokodaki-sensei that I was going to leave, and we already exchanged our farewells the day before. And before the moon was out, I sent Revali to leave all my written good-byes at the Butterfly Mansion, one for each person I befriended, letting them know I appreciate all that they have done for me up until now and that I will never forget them. As for my old man, I left him and his wives a rather... colorful final written farewell, enough said. Same with Sanemi and Obanai. All that is left now is....

I was brought out of my thoughts when I smelled someone familiar along with the metallic scent of blood in the air. Halting, I made Alastor pause in his steps as the scent was heading right toward us. I gripped my nichirin sword's hilt, ready in case this was one of the other Twelve Kizuki, or worse, Muzan Kibitsuji. Though the latter is rather unlikely as he wouldn't dare come near a demon slayer's domain. That's what his underlings are for. Then I realized with a jolt that it wasn't just one demon heading this way, it was three coming my way.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when one of them appeared. I deadpanned realizing it was Upper Moon Two, aka Douma, along with Upper Moons One and Three, aka Kokushibo and Akaza. My relationship with these three.... is a bit weird to say the least. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we just laugh (though the one doing the most laughing is Douma), and sometimes we just talk about little things. Even before I was changed, everytime we fought I was always the one to come out the victor, with barely a scratch on my person. Now as a half-demon, I seemed to have gotten even better at fighting them, even without a nichirin sword. Though they are quite confused at how I became a half-demon rather than a full one like they have when Muzan got ahold of them, they seemed to take it in stride. Though they also wonder how I can say his name without being killed. My guess is that it has something to do with me not being a full demon like they are and I'm not bound to him like they and their cohorts are. Same might be said for how I am able to be in the sun without turning into ashes. Though Amaterasu might be behind that as well as with her choosing me as her vessel came with some choice benefits, such as never getting sick from natural causes and immunity from some lethal poisons. That and being blessed by the other Celestial Brush gods came with some handy combat maneuvers with my breathing-styles to boot.

When Douma leapt at me with his arms open for a hug, I unsheathed my sword and hit him in the gut with the hilt, making him choke on the air leaving him before he collapsed to the ground coughing out blood. Oops. Looks like I added too much force behind that... Sometimes I don't know my own strength..

"Baka!!" I snapped at him. "What have I told you about coming at me while I'm on Alastor!? You could have had your head kicked in by Alastor if not lopped off by my sword! And that's if you are lucky!"

Kokushibo and Akaza then appeared from the treeline, the both of them looking smug at the fallen Upper Moon Two.

"Told ya." Akaza said smugly walking on him, making Douma wheeze in pain.

"Idiot..." Kokushibo added, also stepping on Douma mercilessly, before turning his six eyes on me. "What.. are you doing?" He asked. "Your bug... told us... you are... leaving..." I could be imagining things but I could have sworn his monotone voice changed at the end. But something about his sentence caught my attention.

"'Bug?'" I quoted. "What do you..." I trailed off when I saw a small green ball of light slip out of Douma's shirt, hopping up and down almost in an angry manner before it jumped to the top of Alastor's head, sitting right between his ears before the green light dimmed revealing Isshun, my "guardian" assigned to me by Amaterasu upon making me her holy vessel. "Ah. 'Bug.' I get it now..." I spoke in a deadpan voice making said "bug" get huffy.

Issun, for less of a better way of describing him, is a combination of Tinker Bell, Myoga the Flea, and probably Jiminy Cricket. He has the temper of said fairy, the quickness of running at the sight of danger of said flea demon from the manga I lifted from Sanemi, and the constant quips of guidance of said fictional cricket from Pinocchio. He's also a bit of a perv. Keeping him in line, especially if I'm around one of the female Hashiras, can be quite a chore, especially when he catches a glimpse of Mitsuri in her demon slayer uniform.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Issun snapped at me peevishly. "What's with that attitude, eh?! Is that anyway to treat your conscience, your good and loyal ol' buddy Issun?"

I glared at him. "Says the one who ran in absolute fear at the sight of the first demon appearing at the Final Selection." I smarted off right back, making him look indignant,

"I didn't run away! I only did a tactical retreat!" He protested, making me roll my eyes.

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "One that lasted until after the Final Selection ceremony. And even then, you didn't show up until I left the place with Revali on my shoulder."

Issun hopped up and down indignantly. "Because of all those stinking Kasugai crows hanging around! You know how I am around those pesky birds! They'd have eaten me if I showed up!" I suppressed a snicker as I remembered Octavia trying to eat him when they first met after Amaterasu made me her vessel. It was funny watching the little Rowlet spit Issun out, much to his mortification.

Sighing, I turned to the three Upper Moons before me, my face stony and serious as a heart attack. "Going straight to the point, yes. Like Issun said, I am leaving. Leaving this country, as a matter of fact."

Their reactions to my words varied.

Kokushibo, who was petting Alastor's muzzle, froze mid-pet before turning his six eyes on me his poker face not giving away a shred of change despite the emotions roiling inside him like a storm.

Akaza, who was leaning against a tree nearby, nearly lost his footing before catching himself just as his face was about to hit the ground. When he righted himself the look he gave me nearly made me flinch, as it was mixed with betrayal and... was that sadness?

Douma, who was getting back on his feet, slipped and ended up on his knees before staring at me with what I assumed was a hurt expression. When it comes to him and emotions, he is hard to discern if he is being genuine or is just acting.

Kokushibo broke the tense silence first. "What..?"

I licked my lips before telling them, as much as it kinda hurt to say it. "I'm leaving. I have no reason to stay in this wretched place, much less this country. I told myself that once I survived the Final Selection, I would pack up and leave all of this garbage represented by the Demon Slayer Corps behind. I have no life to live here. And the second they find out I'm not fully human, then shit will really hit the fan. And that's if he haven't gotten his claws on me."

"But surely that's no reason to leave us!" Douma exclaimed jumping to his feet before running up to me, his face uncomfortably close for comfort. "We can protect you from those guys! And that man, too!"

"Yeah." Akaza piped up, sounding a touch angry, but hurt colored his tone as well. "As much as I don't like agreeing with the idiot... Those humans are no match for us. You know that humans can't beat demons! We can protect you from them!"

"And yet who was it that handed your blue-striped ass to you whenever we sparred together before I was changed by Muzan." The three of them collectively winced when I uttered the one they call that man by his name. "And besides, while that may be true that you can fend off most of those guys, Hashira or not, what about your boss? He'll be bound to find out you three are hiding something from him. It's a wonder he hasn't figured out you have been covering for me when he's trying to find me and interrogate me over a stupid flower much less how I'm still half-human despite his efforts."

This made them blink, seeing that they probably haven't thought that far ahead. Muzan would probably... no scratch that. He will kill them on the slight suspicion of these three possibly hiding me from him. I was lucky so far to avoid him as I stuck to being indoors with Urokodaki-sensei after the Final Selection concluded. That and I haven't been anywhere at night until now, aside from sneaking Octavia food from the manor's kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed.

"This is the safest way, for me and for you three." I continued. "I don't want to kill you guys, even with all the things you guys have done in the past and present. But you three are the only friends who understood what I was going through, demon or otherwise. And I would never forgive myself if you guys died over someone like me. And I owed you guys a proper face-to-face farewell rather than a half-assed written note sent to you via carrier pigeon."

Kokushibo then grabbed my hand; not roughly but surprisingly gentle, yet firm enough for me to not be able to take it from him. "It doesn't..." He spoke in a low undecipherable tone. "Have to... end like...this..."

"Nani?"

"Why not have us go with you?~" Douma then cheerfully suggested, making the three of us, mainly me, look at him like he grew a second head (then again, with demons it is possible...).

"Nani?! Are you insane?!" I couldn't fathom it. These three overpowered demonic nincompoops, traveling the world, with me.

"Why not?" Akaza surprisingly agreed to Douma's asinine plan. "You're taking Lower Moon Five, aren't you?" I tensed having forgotten the tiny fact that they could probably sense Rui sleeping in the wooden box on my back. "So why can't we come with?"

"But- but- but that's different!" I tried to argue back only to get a deadpan stare from Kokushibo.

"How so?" He challenged blankly. "He is also a demon... like us. So I see... no difference."

"But-!" I was cut off again, this time by Douma.

"Come on, Kagura-chan!" Douma hopped up and down. "Let's see the world together!! I'll gladly give up my stupid cult if it means being with you!"

"But-!" My will to argue was becoming weaker as time passed debating with these three idiot demons.

"This way we can protect you and make you forget about that man." Akaza added. "I'm done serving him. Fighting and killing my opponents these days don't hold the same appeal it did before. And all I ever get these days are weak men with all bark, yet no bite. Maybe if I go with you, I can find some better opponents to take on and actually have fun taking out."

I barely got to open my mouth before the quiet voice of Kokushibo interjected with his opinion. "It is crazy.... suicidal... especially if... that man finds out." Kokushibo paused before continuing. "But... I want... redemption.... I want to be free... free from this... free from that man... even if it means dying by your own hand... it would be.. worth it..."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that, even if what they were all saying is practically bat-shit crazy and impossible at best.

"And besides~" Douma jumped up to hug me. "I don't want Kagura-chan to leave me!!" He began sobbing, making me sweatdrop at his overdramatic tendencies and the others to glare at him with annoyance. "Don't leave me behind with these stinky idiots!" This made an irk mark appear over both Akaza and Kokushibo.

"Oi!" Akaza snapped at him. "We are right here!"

"Please, please, please!" Douma continued to beg melodramatically. "Please take me with you! I'll cook, I'll clean, I'll even give you massages every night!"

Both Kokushibo and Akaza shared aghast looks at the idea of Douma preparing meals for me, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread passing through me at the notion.

I pushed him off me, making him land on his ass on the ground before I placed both of my hands on my face, groaning in frustration. If I continue this stupid argument then we will never be able to make any progress with leaving the country before sunrise. As crazy and suicidal it may become, I have no choice but to bring these three with me. Idiots they may be sometimes, but in the end they are still my friends. If it were Giyuu, Shinobu, Mitsuri, Kanao, or hell even that Tanjiro kid, I would probably do the same for them. The reason why I didn't involve any of them is because they have a future here with the Corps, even that Tanjiro guy. If I were to stay I'm just waiting for death to claim me by the Hashira's blade once they inevitably find out I'm not a full human anymore. And I haven't got to live my life so I'll be damned before those wipes take it from me.

With that said, I made mt decision. "Okay fine, you guys can come with me and Rui." The varying levels of relief and joy were present on their faces for a fleeting moment before they wiped the smiles off their faces (with the exception of Douma, but when is he not smiling?) the next moment. "But I got some ground rules." I made sure I had all three Upper Moons' attention, especially Douma's, before speaking. "One is that you stop eating innocent people. Bad people are the only exception to that rule. Even then, you gotta wait for the go-ahead from me before killing them. Next is that you three have to stay hidden while we travel by day. I assume you guys can change into something smaller like Rui here right?" As an answer, they both shrank themselves, almost making me "aww" at how adorable those three look. Even the markings that show their demonic features seem to fade away with their transformation.

"Okay the, that answers that." I hopped off my horse to start rearranging the stuff in three of my bamboo baskets so that they can fit in each one. Turning back to them and squatting to their level, I continued with my conditions. "Next is that you three must give all that you know in regards to Muzan. In exchange I can give you guys my blood as payment. Since I'm resistant to the sun this may be just what you guys need. And if you guys can move about during the daylight hours then that can give both of us an advantage when we have to run from any pursuers, whether it be the demon slayers or maybe Muzan or one of the other Twelve Kizuki. How's that sound?"

The three exchanged glances before they silently nodded at me. "Good. We will start the payment exchange once we can get clearance from Tamayo-sama and Yushiro-kun that my blood really does grant partial immunity to the sun among other things." I opened the baskets before gesturing to them. "In you go then. I made it where you guys can sit comfortably inside the baskets with your current size. Now let's go already so we can catch the last ship leaving this place to whatever distant land is their destination." Without a word, the three Upper Moons did as they were told. Good start, no arguments and no mutiny so far, but this is just the beginning. We haven't left national soil yet. Oh, I hope I don't regret this....

With the basket lids secured, I hopped back onto Alastor, nudging him gently in the sides to spur him forward. As my phantom horse picked up speed, I spared one last cursory glance over my shoulder before facing forward again, shutting my eyes to fight back the tears stinging my eyes.

I have no regrets leaving that accursed manor behind, along with that flamboyant bastard and his malicious creatures he calls his wives.

I shook my head as the image of Giyuu, one of my first friends, and vice versa, filled my head. "I'm sorry, Giyuu... but you don't deserve someone as cowardly and low like me to be a friend to a great guy like you...." A part of me briefly wondered if things were different, like if I was never changed to a half-demon, if this would happen anyway. Maybe instead of the Upper Moons and maybe Rui, I would be taking him with me instead to travel the world together.

Shaking myself from the fantasy of "what-if's" I focused on the present as we stuck to the shadows at the docking piers before I snuck aboard with Alastor to the darker spots of the lower decks. Settling myself into a corner beside a stack of wooden crates, I pulled my knees up to my chin as I stared at the nothing when the ship finally set sail just before dawn's first light.

"Farewell... my friends... may you all live long healthy lives.... without me dragging you guys down..."

AAAAANNNNDDD SCENE!!!!

There we go! This is my answer, or one of my answers, to revamping "Assassin's Dream" by the lovely yuki_no_fuyu on her Quotev page and she gave me permission to revamp it. Though it is an x reader fic, I couldn't resist using an OC for this as per my style. So I hope you guys enjoy!

This is the ArtVampire signing off!

Ja ne!