Nezuko walked all through the day, the sun was a welcoming warmth on her skin after the snowy experience she had endured. It had been strange, there had been something instinctual warning her to avoid the sunlight, but she couldn't explain it.

Maybe it was the demon blood... in the stories, the demons burned up in the day... maybe that was true.

Well, Nezuko was glad that she hadn't gained those demon powers, indeed it seemed that she could only regenerate.

Well, by saying she could only regenerate was selling it short. Nezuko felt great; no fatigue, no bruises, cuts, or tired muscles. Only a wondrous feeling in her body despite the terror and despair that lay in her mind.

All she could think about was what she had experienced. Her mind was full of memories her family and of Tanjiro, but mostly she thought of the man with red-eyes. Who was he? What did he want? 

At her core, Nezuko hated that red-eyed man. She had never hated anything or anyone before, but she knew that she despised that demon with every fiber of her being. As she walked she wondered where the demon was now. She wondered if Tanjiro was alright.

As if to answer her, Nezuko suddenly felt Tanjiro's presence. The connection was back. 

"Tanjiro?" Nezuko asked stopping and looking around. She was in the middle of a rice field on a raised trail... no one was around.

"Nezuko," Tanjiro's voice rang out in her mind.

"Tanjiro," Nezuko smiled putting a hand to her chest and closing her eyes.

He was there... not physically, but there.

"Are you alright? Are you safe?" Nezuko asked to the silent area.

There was no answer but Tanjiro was still there.

"Can you not talk?" Nezuko wondered. She sensed that Tanjiro wanted to say yes so she continued walking. If he couldn't talk... she could!

"That's alright, I'll talk!" Nezuko chirped.

She sensed deep loneliness in Tanjiro and she wanted to dispel it. Who knew where he was or what danger he was in but Nezuko wasn't about to fill him with more negative emotions.

"I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm going to this mountain called Sarigiri to go see this guy named... oh shoot..." Nezuko realized she had forgotten the name.

She felt Tanjiro chuckle.

"Hey, I'm trying!" Nezuko defended.

She walked on a bit and sensed Tanjiro feel guilty and sad.

"Don't worry," Nezuko murmured, "I buried them, they're all with Father now."

A small bit of the guilt dispersed.

"It wasn't your fault," Nezuko bit, "Okay!?"

There was still nothing but silence on Tanjiro's side.

"That's it! I'm done being sad!" Nezuko cried walking forward faster. She ranted to Tanjiro trying to do whatever she could to stay positive. It was hard and she remembered her mother telling her that keeping her feelings inside wasn't good for her...

But... Tanjiro was in a worse place. Nezuko didn't know how she knew, but she knew. She could sense that Tanjiro was in danger, that he was scared, that he wasn't okay. 

She would stay positive, at least for now because he needed her to be. He was suffering more than she was. She was the eldest daughter, it was her duty to help her family! She could bare these emotions for now.

"I'm going to find you, Nii-chan!" Nezuko announced striding faster, "I'll turn you back into a human. And when I do, I'm going to put you in the nicest bed and let you sleep for hours! I'm going to help you with every chore and I'm going to let you sleep in like I know you always wanted to! You and your determination never let you sleep in because you always thought that it was your duty to take care of us. Well! I'm going to take care of you after this!" Nezuko announced.

She could sense Tanjiro's smile.

"Don't laugh! I'm serious!" Nezuko retorted.

She didn't know how any of this was possible, but she was thankful it was. She was thank full that even though he was so far away, he was with her.

She wasn't alone.

Many miles away Tanjiro was thinking the same thing.

Nezuko had talked to Tanjiro all day... looking like a crazy woman to everyone who passed her, she didn't care. She only smiled at them and wished them a good day.

When night fell she sensed Tanjiro grow stressed and worried.

"Are you alright?" She asked looking up the trail before her.

No answer, as usual, but Nezuko was certain that something was going on.

"Bye," Tanjiro's voice murmured.

Suddenly the connection was gone.

"Nii-chan?" Nezuko asked. She couldn't sense him anymore, the connection had been cut. "NII-CHAN!? TANJIRO!?" Nezuko cried.

He was gone again!

Was he alright? What was happening!?

She had to calm down, she had to slow her breathing. Tanjiro was going to be alright. She had to focus; Mount Sarigiri, yes she had to focus on getting there. One thing at a time. She could only do one thing at a time...

Her heart ached and all she wanted to do was find her brother and tell him that it was alright. She couldn't. She didn't know where he was or what was happening. It made her feel helpless and weak and she hated it.

She took a deep breath and focused on herself. She had to focus. She was alone in the world no following directions from a complete stranger, she needed to be on her guard.

She strode up the path and she sighed. She needed to rest, but she had just left a town a few miles back. She didn't want to turn back but she did need to sleep... apparently regeneration didn't work with sleepiness. Nezuko continued walking for a while, yawning occasionally. She had almost walked all night... it would be day time soon. If she could just rest for a few hours... just a little bit...

She stopped when she saw a house with it's windows dark. She felt bad awakening the family this late but she hoped they would offer her a spare room... hopefully.

She walked up to the house and knocked on the door.

"Hello?" she called softly, "I... um... I'm sorry to awaken you but..."

The house was silent so Nezuko knocked harder, "Hello!?"

No answer.

Was it empty? Abandoned?

Slowly, Nezuko slid the door open, peering inside.

There was a candle burning off to the side of the room but Nezuko's gaze fixed onto the corpses. Red, covered in blood - just like her family. Except... except this time, the killer was still there.

"Hey there, girl," the demon chuckled, licking his bloody fingers. "This is my territory, but I won't hate the idea of another meal."

Nezuko was trembling as she took a small step back. 

Just like her family... those dead people had been just like her family. They didn't deserve to die this way!

"You've got an interesting aura... you are human right?" the demon asked standing up and facing her.

Nezuko looked to the demon, anger bubbling in her heart.

"Ah, no matter," the demon dismissed. He moved so fast that Nezuko barely had time to react. The candle blew out and suddenly the demon was on top of her, pinning her to the ground... his attack had thrown her a few feet back. He was strong and immensely fast.

"What's one more human tonight?" the demon cackled.

Nezuko's rage-fueled her strength and she kneed the demon in the stomach making him flinch. She then ripped out of his grasp and pushed him off of her. She scrambled away and faced the demon.

"You're stronger than you look," the demon admitted.

Nezuko said nothing. She was too busy thinking out how she could kill this monster. How do you kill a demon!? She should've asked Giyu that! Dammit!

The demon lunged forward again, his claws aiming for Nezuko's neck. Nezuko jumped away but his claw raked over her face. She cried out and stumbled back holding her now bleeding face.

The demon cackled but that smile of his turned into a look of confused horror as the wounds on Nezuko's face began to heal.

"The hell? You're a demon? You don't have the aura of one... what the hell are you!?" the demon demanded.

Nezuko let out a roar of determination and ran at the demon. She jumped and kicked the demon on his head, knocking it clean off of his skull - she didn't know her kick was that strong. The shocked skull flew a few feet and slammed against a tree. The body crumpled but Nezuko backed away nervously... was it really that simple.

NOPE!

The body acted on its own and attacked Nezuko. She dodged the blows and backed away.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" the head screamed from where it lay.

Nezuko ducked under a kick from the headless body and picked up a stick. Desperately she darted around the body, jumping onto its back and jamming the semi-pointed stick into the body's headless area.

There was a sickening squish as the stick pierced through the open flesh and the head screamed from where it landed. Nezuko also felt bile rise in her throat.

Nezuko inserted the stick as far as it would go, down the thing's back and hitting the spinal cord. The head screamed a bit more and the body flailed. It slammed Nezuko against a tree's trunk, Nezuko released the body and fell to the ground. She picked up a stone from the earth and prepared to attack the body again when she saw the head coming for her. It had grown arms and was coming for her, straight out of a nightmare.

Nezuko threw the stone for all she was worth, it slammed into the head's forehead, knocking the head back.

Nezuko looked through the tree and dimly saw the light of dawn... demons burned up in the sunlight, right? She hoped so.

The head also saw the horizon.

"SHIT!" it screamed scrambling for the house. 

"No," Nezuko growled running over and grabbing the head. She yanked him by his hair and pulled him toward the east.

"BODY! HELP ME!" The head demanded.

Nezuko ducked under another blow from the body and then tackled the body.

"You burn up in the sun, right?" Nezuko demanded.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! LET ME GO!!" the demon screamed. The hands on its head clawed at Nezuko's skin but Nezuko knew that it wouldn't be permanent.

She wasn't letting this demon go. The body below her could easily overpower her but Nezuko grabbed on to the stick protruding from the body's neck and yanked. The head screamed again and the body flailed.

The sun was rising. Any moment now.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" the head screamed. Nezuko gritted her teeth.

"What you've done is unforgivable!" Nezuko reprimanded it, "You have to pay for it."

The sunlight hit the head and the body.

The head let out an ear-piercing scream and the body flailed as the two burst into flames and turned into ash.

Nezuko panted and lay on the ground, exhausted and partially terrified. She had just done that. It had been insane. She was insane.

This was all insane!

Her arm was torn to bits from the demon's claws, but it was already healing.

"You're quite handy," Nezuko murmured to her regenerative abilities. She then lost consciousness.

She awoke to the aroma of soup and the growling of her stomach. She felt warm and comfortable and she smiled.

"What's for breakfast Kaa-sa-" she began to ask her mother as she woke and sat up. In a terrible moment, she remembered everything.

She jumped out of the bed and looked around terrified. This was a different house, strange and new.

"Good, you're awake," a voice gruffed.

Nezuko turned to the voice and saw an old man wearing a goblin mask sitting in front of the fire on which the stew was cooking.

"Who are you?" Nezuko asked nervously.

"Urokodaki," the man in the red goblin mask answered.

That name was familiar, "You're Mr. Urokodaki?" Nezuko murmured.

"Yes, I'm told you're someone who desired to become a demon slayer," Mr. Urokodaki murmured staring into the fire.

"I - " Nezuko began.

"I'm also told that you have demon blood in your veins," Mr. Urokodaki murmured.

Nezuko straightened, "Yes. But I'm not a demon."

"I could see that," Mr. Urokodaki nodded, "You were very brave and foolish to pin that demon down until morning came."

Nezuko recoiled, "You were watching?"

"I was."

Nezuko wanted to demand why he hadn't helped but she kept her mouth shut. 

"It was a test wasn't it," she murmured, "You watched that to test me."

"I did," Mr. Urokodaki nodded.

Nezuko sighed, "Did... did the people in the house get buried?"

"They did."

Nezuko bit her lip and looked at the man, "Did... did you carry me here?"

"Yes, you were exhausted and didn't stir once."

"... Well... Thank you."

Silence met her and she slowly sat down and wondered what was going to happen.

"I've agreed to take you on as my student," Mr. Urokodaki murmured. Nezuko's head shot up.

"What?" she asked, unbelievingly.

"While you're dealing with that demon was foolish, it was also resourceful. As someone who can regenerate, you cared little for your body when it came to victory. You managed to kill a demon with your bare hands," Mr. Urokodaki murmured.

"And a stick," Nezuko murmured, "And the sun helped..."

"Yes," Mr. Urokodaki murmured, standing up, "After you eat, training will begin."

"You will teach me how to slay demons?" Nezuko affirmed.

"Yes," Mr. Urokodaki nodded.

Nezuko thought to the red-eyed man and her heart hardened, "Good."

The training began and it was long, arduous, and taxing. Nezuko would run down a boobytrapped mountain, workout, practice with a sword, sit under a waterfall, and drag herself into the house, and then go to bed.

It wasn't too bad since her body constantly regenerated anything that was injured, but she found that the more she regenerated, the more tired she became.

The best thing was that some nights, she would lay in bed, and she would feel Tanjiro. She would talk to him and vent. She would sense his feelings and connect with her brother. Some nights, it felt like he was right there, laughing about her hardships in training. It gave her the strength to keep moving.

The worst day of her training was a year later when Urokodaki left. He showed her a boulder, told her to cut it, and then walked away.

He simply left her.

Nezuko had no idea what she was to do. For six months she trained over and over again, trying everything she could to break that boulder, but it was fruitless.

One day, she became so distraught that she began to cry. Tanjiro's conscience was there, encouraging her.

"But I can't!" Nezuko cried falling to her knees in front of the boulder. Her hands were worn and bloodied, they were already healing but as soon as Nezuko picked up the sword again, she knew she would wear her hands down again.

Tanjiro's mind was there, by her side, supporting her. She could feel him but it seemed so useless.

"I can't do it Nii-chan," she whimpered, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She wouldn't go to Final Selection, she wouldn't become a demon slayer, she wouldn't find Tanjiro, she wouldn't kill the red-eyed demon. NO!

SHE HAD TO DO IT!

She stood up again and yelled as she raised her sword.

"If you want to be a slayer, dry those tears," a harsh voice ordered. Nezuko froze her movement and looked to the top of the border. Sitting there was a boy with peach-colored hair and a fierce-looking fox mask. "If you wish to kill demons, then have a callused heart and have your tears run dry."

Nezuko's training had intensified. The fierce-looking fox mask boy, named Sabito, had beaten her down day and day again. Another girl with a fox mask, named Makamo, instructed, and helped her day after day.

Nezuko grew once more, she became stronger and steadier in her movements. She was quick and strong. She could heal faster and efficiently thanks to total concentration breathing that seemed to speed her regeneration.

And, six months later, Nezuko finally faced Sabito and won. 

The fox mask fell into two clean pieces exposing the boy's face underneath. It broke Nezuko's heart to see his soft kind face. Sabito looked nothing like she'd expected and yet the kind face didn't surprise her. 

He smiled sadly at her and then he vanished.

Instead, She looked in awe at the boulder that was now cut in two.

"I did it Nii-chan," she smiled even though she didn't feel Tanjiro. Tears rolled down the side of her face, "I did it..."

(Did I just sum up like a whole two episodes of the show in less than 3000 words? Yes, yes I did. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the demon slayer training montage but writing it is surprisingly painful so kudos to Gotouge or any manga writer for writing ANY training montage because I just want to get back to the demon-slaying stuff.

Anyyyyway, hope you all liked it and I hope you have a great day/night!)