When Nezuko sees the Wisteria flowers, she knows that Mt. Fujikasane is near.

It had been a slightly tiring trip; she had stopped many times to help people who looked like they needed someone, and it took her a little longer than she expected. Travelling alone was all new to her as well, in the past, Tanjiro had always been with her. Maybe going alone wasn't a good idea, Nezuko briefly thinks before shaking her head side by side.

No, her master believed in her. Her brother was waiting for her to return. She cannot get weak now.

She climbs the mountain efficiently, inwardly marveling at how effortless it felt. She reaches the top in no time, and immediately scans her surroundings.

Many people of different sizes and clothing greets her. Some look at her warily, some don't even bother, and some –

She feels a body crash into her, a pair of arms wrapping around her torso. Nezuko screeches instantly, gripping the arms to tear them off her body.

"Who – let go of me–"

"NEZU!"

She recognizes that voice. It was hard to mistake that gruff, yet happy voice anywhere. Her arms relax, and her eyes almost water at the realization.

"I-Inosuke…?"

She is flipped around to see bright emerald eyes shining, and a wide grin on a pretty face greets her. Seeing Inosuke without his boar head was incredibly rare but knowing how her life didn't exactly go as planned, he must have gone through a different path in life as well.

"Nezu! You're not Tanjiro! Where's the guy? Did he trip and fall down the mountain or something? Well that can't be helped, I guess the boss should go and get his subordinate, huh?" Inosuke sniffs at her and darts his head around, searching for her brother. Nezuko hesitates, her hands awkwardly placed on his chest in an attempt to get his attention. It works; Inosuke turns to focus his bright gaze on her, and she opens her mouth.

"Inosuke, Onii-chan, he's…not…"

But before she can finish that sentence, Inosuke's ears twitch. It isn't long before her own picks up something as well.

Or well, someone.

"—tupid boar! LET GO OF MY WIFE, YOU SHITTY BOAR HEAD!"

A clap of thunder, and Nezuko finds herself enveloped in another kind of warmth. The kind that tickles her nose with sunflowers and peaches and sends a shiver of electricity travelling up her spine. The one warmth she is all too familiar with, and Nezuko's vision blurs ever so slightly.

Inosuke, despite almost getting hit by a flash of lightning, reacts more positively than Nezuko thought he would. "Zen! Hahaha, you're here too? Great, we're three down, three more to go! Didja see Kana or Gen anywhere? Man, why are they so late?!"

"Kanao-chan and Genya should be here soon – that's not the point! The point is, WHAT WERE YOU DOING, CRUSHING NEZUKO-CHAN LIKE THAT?!" Zenitsu's arms tighten around her but making enough room for her to breathe. "Nezuko-chan is delicate! Don't treat her like a brute, you pig!"

"Hah? If she managed to get here before Tanjiro did, she's obviously not as weak as you think she is, dandelions!" Inosuke points at her, and she feels a small giggle erupt. Zenitsu looks down, his brown eyes meeting hers for the first in a long time, and she feels her heart thump. A small flush of pink spreads across his face as well before he gently sets her down, his arms still around her shoulders.

"S-sorry, Nezuko-chan, I didn't mean to haul you around like that!" He blusters a little, scratching his cheek. "My body just kinda reacted on its own, I couldn't bear to see Inosuke hugging you like that…"

Ignoring the protestant 'hey!' in the background, Nezuko shakes her head, gently smiling up at him. "It's okay, Zenitsu, I didn't mind. It was fun meeting Inosuke and you again, I think I got a little carried away myself, haha."

Inosuke smiles briskly at that, a small pink blush forming on his cheeks while Zenitsu covers his red face, gushing loudly at how cute she was. Nezuko takes the moment to really look at them and sees how different they both were. Inosuke's hair was longer than she last saw it, the bluish tips ending at his shoulders. His body was as muscular as ever, but less scars were scattered on his skin. His pants were a little ripped, and his trademark twin nichirin swords were strapped to his waist. She is curious about his missing boar head, but she decides to ask him later.

Zenitsu, on the other hand, had shorter hair than she was used to. His blonde locks were tied awkwardly in a low ponytail, but she knows that they will eventually grow out to be some of the most beautiful hair she has ever seen. His clothes were a little mattered and dirty, but she wasn't exactly in perfect shape either, so she didn't care.

They were both healthy and doing well, as far as she observes. That lifts a weight off her shoulders; seeing her two friends after wondering so long really does miracles on her own mental health.

"Anyway! If Nezu is here, that means that bastard didn't get her this time, right?" Inosuke interrupts her train of thought, crossing his arms. His eyebrows are furrowed, lips curled excessively, and Nezuko recognizes that look as his 'thinking face'. "But then where's Tan…jiro…"

His eyes widen as Zenitsu raises his head to stare at her. Nezuko looks away, her short hair parting to reveal the earing on her ear. She can feel their gazes on her, on the accessory, and she feels a hand slowly cup her cheek as Zenitsu guides her face to meet his.

"Nezuko-chan…" He whispers, his tone soft and cracked. "I'm so sorry…"

Another hand roughly, but carefully, pats her head. Inosuke's fingers streak through her short hair. "It's fine. We just need to bust that bastard's ass all over again. Nothing else we can't do, right?"

Nezuko bites her lip, closing her eyes as she lets out a shaky sigh. Nothing else they can't do, she chants to herself. They did it once, they could do it again. Even if so many lives were tossed away for their sake, for the sole purpose of defeating that man; he was alive again. Nezuko feels the dread slowly settle in, and she clenches her fist to stop the horrid thoughts from overtaking her. She isn't a stranger to them, they clung to her ever since that day, but now isn't the time.

When she hears bells ringing in the distance, the three of them raise their head to see the Ubuyashiki children come out. Her heart clenches when she sees them bow, their little voices resounding throughout the area as they went over the greetings and rules.

She feels Inosuke squeezing her shoulder, and Zenitsu's hand on hers. She scans the crowd to find the other two members of their small family, but before she could, she hears Kiriya and his sister, Kanata, chant.

"Let the Final Selection begin."

Everyone in the area takes off. Nezuko feels her body moving, pure instinct driving her as her feet carried her through the forest. She can feel Inosuke and Zenitsu next to her, the former letting out a loud cheer as they proceed.

"Nezu, you're so fast! You have got to fight me later when this whole thing's done, alright?"

"Idiot! Just because Nezuko-chan can, doesn't mean she have to! Nezuko-chan, leave everything to me, ok? I promise I won't let you get hurt!"

"Zenitsu, I love you," she says, and Zenitsu nearly falls off a branch as they jumped from tree to tree. "But I won't leave all the responsibilities to everyone else. I have to pull my own weight, just like Onii-chan did. I promise I won't slow you down!"

She sees Zenitsu hesitating, but before he can respond, Inosuke shouts. "Two to the left! Pretty weak, no problem!"

Nezuko breathes, settling her hand on her hilt. The sword she received from her master gives her a boost of courage, and she matches her swing with the timing of the demon flying at her, fangs bared. The head flies off effortlessly, blood splattering against her cheek. She almost lets her guard down when the other screeches and jumps, claws sharp and ready to tear into her.

She breathes, feeling the fire in her blood awakening, but before she gets to do anything, the demon howls in pain, crashing onto the ground with two bodies on top.

Nezuko lands on the ground with her eyes wide, her heart pounding.

Inosuke drops to the ground as well, and yells happily beside her. "Kana! Gen!"

Genya tears into the shrieking demon, his fangs and nails almost as sharp as Nezuko's attacker. He swallows down a piece of demon flesh, licking his lips as he tilts his head to greet them. If it weren't for all the blood and smell, Nezuko would have loved to hug him. "Hey guys. Sorry we couldn't talk to you before, the trial started before we could."

Kanao rips her sword out of the demon, swinging it to get rid of the blood before sheathing it. She smiles at them happily, graceful as always. "Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke! It's great to see you again."

Nezuko charges at her the same time Inosuke does, and they both glomp her with glee. "Kanao!"

She laughs and hugs them back, her eyes slightly watery.

Zenitsu pats the slightly disappointed Genya's shoulder. "Dude, you reek of blood. I don't blame them."

Genya wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve, standing up as the demon on the ground slowly disappeared without any more cries. "I mean, it's not like I didn't expect that. Let me get cleaned up in a river or something, I don't want them to smell like demon guts too."

Nezuko finally separates herself from the older girl, her tone a little wobbly. "Kanao, Onii-chan, he…"

She pauses when she sees the look in her eyes. Kanao smiles, raising a lock of Nezuko's black hair to tuck it behind her ear, her fingers brushing against the hanafuda earring.

"I know," she says somberly.

Nezuko wants so bad to apologize, to tell her that it's all her fault, that only if she'd let him go down the mountain that day, but nothing comes out. Coming face to face with Kanao's knowing gaze, she finds herself giving the girl one more tight hug before letting go.

"Come on," Kanao says, gently patting Inosuke's head as he pulled away from her as well. "Let's go find a waterbed and some food. We have seven days after all. Why don't we catch up?"

And they do.

(Nezuko and Inosuke made sure to give Genya a big hug as well. He was happy to reciprocate.)

XXX

She meets the many armed demon. In the past, she remembers her brother telling her stories about all the demons he had fought before, how he felt so much sadness from them. She remembers him sitting on the engawa beside her, his long hair in a ponytail, eyes tired, face wrinkly as he spoke with a gentle tone.

"I couldn't forgive any of them, of course. They killed so many people. But demons, they were once human too. I can't help but wonder how sad their lives were before they forgot everything."

She knows this one must have had a tragic past as well. But she also remembers that this is the one who killed Sabito and Makomo, and even though she has never met both of them, the stories her brother told her made them feel like family. This demon is the reason for Giyu's sadness, and no matter how much pain he went through, she can't forgive him for scarring her precious people for life.

So, she screams and charges. Ignoring the panicked yells of her family, Nezuko breathes fire everywhere, slashing and hacking. She gets up and continues even after the demon gloats at her weakness, throwing her into a tree and almost cracking open her forehead.

When she mentions Urokodaki's name, she sees the demon seethe in anger. When she mentions about all the fox children he killed, she sees him smirk in pride. She isn't blind to the confusion in his tone; she has no connection to the former water pillar yet in this life after all.

She cannot forgive him, but as she slices the damn neck off, she holds his hand as he fades away, tears falling from his eyes. She almost collapses, but a couple of arms catch her in time.

"Nezuko-chan, you were amazing," Zenitsu whispers gently, his voice wavering as he presses his lips to her bloody forehead. "You can rest easy now, he's gone."

Her vision blurs. She sees Inosuke rushing off as he shouted about herbs, Kanao gently laying her down with her head in her lap, Genya scanning the surrounds to stand guard, and Zenitsu stroking her hand as he whispers comforting words to her.

She closes her eyes, the fire calming down to a gentle flame.

XXX

Zenitsu's heart squeezes in pain when he sees his beloved close her eyes. He gently wipes the blood away, and as he feared, an all too familiar scar shows itself on her forehead.

Kanao sees it as well and puts her hand on his shaking one. "Zenitsu. It'll be okay. She'll be fine."

"…It's the same thing all over again," Zenitsu's voice breaks. "The damn thing that happened to Tanjiro is happening to her and vice versa. Why can't they be left alone? Haven't they been through enough? Haven't we been through enough? Why the hell do we have to suffer all over again?"

Kanao is silent, but the slight shaking of her hand tells Zenitsu that she wasn't as composed as she seemed. Genya doesn't say anything, but even with his back turned to them, Zenitsu could hear the sadness in his heartbeat.

"…It's a second chance, I think," the mohawked boy speaks up. "The first time, I…I couldn't be by Aniki's side. I ended up getting him killed in the end, remember? But this time…this time, we're together. He's proud of me, you know, he told me that himself, and…I think, we can find something good again. The six of us, we can do everything justice, we can do this right this time. We can save the people who died for us before."

Zenitsu doesn't say anything, but he bends down to muffle his choked sobs in Nezuko's clothes. She was wearing something similar to what Tanjiro had worn, with a bright pink haori instead. Her hands were rough with the results of her training, her arms and legs less smooth and lady-like. He recalls the way she fought, flames blazing all around her, as if she was a goddess of fire. In some ways she was, especially now. When she had told him about all the events that had occurred, he could hardly believe his ears. She was the tsuguko of Rengoku Kyojuro, and Tanjiro was waiting for her back in the mansion, fast asleep.

He opens his eyes again, gazing at her bloodied face. She was his Nezuko no matter what, but he wishes he didn't have to see her like this. He didn't want to see her drive herself to death because of guilt, because she couldn't prevent Tanjiro from taking her place.

He gives her a silent promise.

As long as I'm with you, I promise I'll always bring you back. You're Kamado Nezuko, a gentle, kind and selfless girl. I won't let you forget that.

Kanao nudges Zenitsu gently. "Zenitsu, I can see Inosuke coming back. Do you think you can help me treat her wounds?"

Zenitsu raises his head. He nods, his mouth set in a tight line, his eyes grim with determination. "Of course. Anything for Nezuko-chan."

Zenitsu sees the flash of worry on the girl's face. She stares at him, her grip on his hand tightening slightly. "Zenitsu. We're here for you, and Nezuko too. Don't forget that."

A small laugh erupts from him. "Don't worry," he smiles, gently clasping her hand with his. "I know. Thank you, Kanao. Genya too."

He hears a small beat of happiness from their hearts.

"Hey! I brought some herbs back!" Inosuke shouts as he skids to a stop in front of them. "Come on, stop being so slow! We gotta treat Nezu, and fast!"

Zenitsu wipes his tears away and stands up. "Alright, alright, just don't manhandle her like you do with everyone!"

"Hah! I know how to take care of a woman, Zen!" Inosuke scoffs, handing half of the herbs to Kanao, who begun to take out bandages she kept in her sleeves. "I have Aoi, remember?"

"You mean, you had Aoi-san," Genya intervenes. "Unless she remembers like all of us do, I think you have to win her over again, Inosuke."

"Gah, it worked out once, I'm sure it'll be fine!"

"I really wonder what Aoi-san saw in this guy…"

"Don't worry Zenitsu, I wonder that all the time. He's technically my brother, you know."

"HEY!"

XXX

Seven days flies by, and before she knows it, Nezuko is back at the starting point. Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao and Genya – all of them were fine with some scrapes here and there. Being a pillar in their past lives must have gave them bonus reflexes or something, because Nezuko was probably the worst looking out of all of them. A bandage around her forehead showed as much.

After picking out the alloy for their swords, with the exception of Genya, who awkwardly requested for a gun instead (Zenitsu received a hard nudge in the ribs when he teased the boy about it), they stood around a bit, not quite sure what to do.

"Well, I gotta go back to mom," Inosuke scratches the back of his head. "She's waiting for me back in the village."

"I have to report back to Jii-chan too," Zenitsu says, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Kanae-nee-san and Shinobu-nee-san are waiting for me too," Kanao mentions. Genya nods, mentioning his brother and others.

Nezuko raises a hand to her cheek, smiling sheepishly as well. "I guess, we're going separate for a while? Master and Senjuro-kun must be anxious, and…Onii-chan should be awake by now."

She sees a small glimpse of desperation in Kanao's eyes, but the older girl hid it fast. They all look at each other, pausing for a few seconds, before Inosuke grabs the two people next to him, and squishes them together.

"Come on, what are you guys waiting for?!"

Nezuko laughs and grabs Kanao next to her, joining the boys in their group hug. It was a small cluster of limbs and utters of 'it's hot', 'ow, that's my stomach', 'INOSUKE', but it was enough. For Nezuko, being surrounded by her family, it's easy to feel like she's safe in their arms, like nothing can hurt them anymore.

They part ways, promises made to meet up soon. They know it won't be long.

XXX

"Jii-chan! I'm ba – ACK?!"

"Zenitsu! Welcome home, and congratulations my boy! You did amazing, I'm so proud of you!"

"Waah Jii-chan, my body's really sore – ow ow ow!"

"Rest, Zenitsu. We'll have a celebratory dinner tonight, shall we?"

"...Haha, thanks, Jii-chan. I love you."

"I love you too, Zenitsu."

XXX

"Aniki, Masachika-san, I did it! I passed!"

"Genya, congratulations! You did it!"

"Genyaa, come here you little – you fucking did it! We're going to have something good for dinner, alright master?"

"Of course. Welcome home, Genya-kun."

"…Hehe, I'm home, everyone."

XXX

"Nee-san, I'm back! I did it, I'm part of the corps now!"

"Welcome home Kanao, I knew you could do it! Let's have a big dinner today to celebrate, right Shinobu?"

"Of course. Welcome home, Kanao. You did well, congratulations."

"…Thank you, Kanae-nee-san, Shinobu-nee-san."

XXX

"MOM! I'M BACK!"

"Inosuke! Oh, my precious baby, welcome home! I'm so glad you're doing okay, are you hungry? Just wait a bit more, I promise the food's going to be ready soon!"

"Hehe, mom! I passed the trial, aren't you proud?"

"Of course, I am! I'm already so proud of you, my little Inosuke. Oh yes, here is the thing you asked me to make! Tada, an artificial boar head! I made it from the furs of the wild boars in the mountain, do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thanks! By the way, what's for dinner? I'm starving!"

"…Fufu, welcome back, Inosuke."

XXX

Nezuko slowly creaks open the gate, entering the grounds of the Rengoku mansion. She was exhausted, her feet were practically dragging themselves, and she can't wait to collapse into a futon.

When she raises her hand to knock on the door, it slides open with a loud smack, and Senjuro's voices greets her.

"Nezuko-san! Welcome home, and congratulations!" He exclaims, eyes teary as he pants. Seeing how frantic the boy was, Nezuko couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"I'm back, Senjuro-kun," she smiles, reaching out to draw him into a hug. Senjuro squeaks lightly, but hugs her back, albeit a little more hesitantly.

"Nezuko."

The two of them let go when a lower voice interrupts them. Nezuko gazes up into the eyes of her master, who was looking at her with immense pride. A small smile graces his face, his expression making her feel tingly and warm.

"Welcome home, my student. I knew you could do it."

Kyojuro almost falls backwards when Nezuko barrels into him, wrapping her arms around his body as she muffles her shout of 'Master!' in his haori. The tall man laughs loudly, hugging her back with just as much joy and relief.

As he bends down to whisper a certain piece of information in her ear, another weight jumps onto them, this time taking them down to the floor.

"Mmf!" The small figure pounds its fists onto Kyojuro's back, almost as if telling him to hurry up. "Mmm!"

Kyojuro laughs and let go of Nezuko, who was dragged onto his lap. She grasps onto the fabric of his cloak, and he sees how her eyes shine when she sees the small figure behind him. He sees how tears appear in her pink orbs, and he raises a hand to her cheek to wipe the falling ones away.

"Master, is…did he…"

"Nezuko," Kyojuro smiles gently. "Senjuro and I aren't the only people to welcome you home anymore."

Nezuko reaches out, her calloused hand brushing against a soft cheek. The small boy purrs lightly, climbing from Kyojuro's back to come down to his lap, slightly growing in size to cup her own cheeks in his hands.

"Mmf!" Tanjiro narrows his eyes in glee, his sharp nails careful not to scratch her. "Mm!"

Nezuko covers his hands with hers, tears freely falling from her eyes now. "O…Onii-chan…"

Kyojuro slowly nudges them out of his lap, so that he could give them some space. As he moves to stand with Senjuro, Nezuko wraps her arm around her demonized brother, bring him close to her as she chants his name over and over again. Tanjiro doesn't cry, but his hold on her is so gentle, so full of brotherly love, that Kyojuro can't help but marvel at the view in front of him.

Demons were capable of emotions, just like humans. Tanjiro and Nezuko were proof of that.

Kyojuro feels a tugging on his sleeve. He looks down to see Senjuro, sniffling quietly.

"Brother, I'm glad that Tanjiro-san woke up," Senjuro says quietly, as to not disturb the reunion in front of them. "Nezuko-san…she must have missed him a lot. She's such a strong person."

Kyojuro nods, ruffling his little brother's hair. "She is. I'm proud of having her as my student. With Tanjiro by her side now, I have no doubt she will get even stronger."

He doesn't voice his concerns, opting to hold Senjuro close to his side instead.

With Nezuko becoming part of the corps, there is no doubt that she will draw attention in the future, good and bad. Being the only tsuguko of the Flame Pillar didn't help that, he already caught rumors of the recent Final Selection. Only five people had passed this year, and two were said to be tsugukos of the current Pillars, with another having some kind of familial relationship with a Pillar as well. He is sure that the other tsuguko is Kocho's, she had mentioned her prized student entering this year. He guesses that other could be Shinazugawa's little brother, he had joined him and Kocho Kanae on a dinner outing before, and they had talked about that as well.

This year's recruits are full of surprises, and he is quite excited to see what they are capable of.

But seeing Nezuko and Tanjiro together, he thinks they can leave all the complicated stuff aside for tonight.

They are family, and for now, that is enough.

I haven't updated for a month, but since that it's the Winter holidays, I'm finally free! Here you go, the second chapter of BtB!

The final selection arc is done, I hope I portrayed them well. Since the Kamaboko crew aren't exactly kids, it's a little hard to get that balance between their past lives and present lives. I wanted to show their casual and loving relationship while still keeping them in character. Did I do it right, I wonder?

Anyways, since that I thought of this AU before I knew what happened to Genya and everything, this is more of an AU of an AU. Especially since KnY isn't done yet, anything could happen…I hope Gotouge doesn't kill off anymore characters, LET THEM LIVE PLEASE.

So, I'm accepting prompts right now, and if you want to request something, DM me on my twitter or comment down below!

Twitter: Runefairy12

See you next time!