━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━

❝ as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire. ❞

- emily brontë.

━。゜✿ฺ✿ฺ゜。━

Y/N hadn't remembered anyone training them, but there was a familiarity in those words Himejima spoke a few months ago. Maybe the same person who taught them Total Concentration Breathing? All they could think about was that purple aura, and when focusing hard enough, that purple blended into a blood red. That's all they could figure out.

A few months ago, when Himejima had asked that question, Y/N refused but not outright saying no. They wanted time to figure things out, still confused over their memories, and although Himejima had helped them for nearly a year, they didn't know whether to trust him. After a few more visits from the gentle giant, he suggested that he bring Y/N to his estate to have proper shelter and care, even without the training. Even then, it took another visit – that was at least two weeks apart – for them to agree.

Himejima's estate is now where Y/N has resided for the last 2 months. It took a while, but they got used to having a proper futon for more than a few weeks and having properly cooked meals. Y/N didn't ask how he knew how to cook when he was blind; they were just grateful. He was the first person to actually ask about their feelings and properly care for them, and they couldn't be more grateful. Himejima never pestered them on training with him, only asking if they were ready, which in hindsight, felt right to Y/N. When Himejima first asked, they thought it wasn't the time, nor was it right for them to train, sure they knew how to do Concentration Breathing, but what if they weren't good enough to perform what Himejima called Breathing Techniques?

'All this thinking isn't going to do me any good.' Y/N thought, getting up from their futon and seeing the sun peeking from the trees. 'I should probably go get something to eat.'

Y/N slowly prepared for the day and went downstairs to see Himejima cooking. They rarely saw him, as he was usually busy on missions. They wanted to ask Himejima something, so they wanted to take this opportunity to ask him.

"Ah, you're up, little one." Himejima spoke, putting the food on the small table, "I was wondering if I would need to get you up myself." Y/N huffed at this, sitting down.

"It was one time, Gyomei-san."

Himejima chuckled, settling down himself. Y/N knew their relationship had significantly improved since they first met, and they were glad about it. Having someone stick by you and not be (hopefully) temporary is something they didn't know they needed.

They prayed before digging into the food themselves. Y/N took this time to try and figure out a way to phrase their question without sounding weird. People seeing people's auras isn't weird... right?

Y/N sighed, putting down their chopsticks. "Gyomei-san, could I ask a question?"

"Of course," Gyomei replied, putting his chopsticks down, his eyes landing on them, "I will try to answer."

"Do you see people's aura? I know you're blind, but is there any way you could see them?" Y/N scratched their cheek before continuing, "Aura's that kind of surround the person, highlighting a different, or same colour as other people?"

Gyomei hummed in thought before shaking his head. "No, I do not see auras, but could you explain more? Maybe I can help you figure this out."

Y/N nodded, squinting at him, "From what I can see, I can see different colours, kind of, surrounding someone? It's almost like a silhouette of colour. For example, I have seen different colours on my journey: orange, black, green, and blue. Black is usually what I see from a select few during the night, which, now that I think about it were probably demons. I remember a pink aura and a purple one that blended into a red one. At the moment, you're a blue fading into a grey, which might be influenced by the fact that you use Stone Breathing."

Gyomei took this in, he had never found someone who could sense one's aura, and he didn't know how to go about that; if what they said was true, then it would greatly help the Slayer corps, but he wasn't about to pressure them into the corps, not when he could see they weren't ready to join. They would participate in their own time, and he would be there to train them when they needed it.

"Hmm, could it be that their aura is what kind of person they are, Y/N-chan? Each colour has a meaning behind it. From what I remember hearing when someone read me books, different colours have different meanings." Gyomei hypothesised. "If I remember correctly, grey represents steadfast nature, formality, and neutrality. Blue is used to represent sadness, but also responsibility."

Y/N listened intensely, nodding their head along to what he was saying. They told Gyomei to wait a second before running upstairs to grab something to write with and something to write on and rushed back downstairs, "Do you know what the other colours may represent?"

Gyomei paused in thought, his hands in his usual prayer position. "I only remember a few. You might have to ask others on this topic, as they may be more helpful. I might know someone who could help you with this," Gyomei sighed before continuing, "maybe we can help this aura get stronger, so it's less of a shadow, and make it surround the whole person."

Y/N was frantically writing in their diary, nodding along, "Maybe. The shadow is like it follows the person. Who do you know that might be able to help me?" Y/N wrote a few more things before looking up at Gyomei, who seemed slightly troubled.

"The person I am thinking of is the corps leader, Uyubashiki Kagaya." Gyomei started, his face slowly returning to its stoic nature, "We will meet him only if you are completely alright with it. He knows you are staying with me as I have to report to him after missions."

"That's alright! It's not like it's a secret. I'm grateful you decided to take me in, even while not training me, Gyomei-san." Y/N nodded with their words, "If it's possible, could we meet Ubuyashiki-san once I have trained it more?"

Gyomei nodded, smiling slightly with his usual tears rolling down his face, "Of course, little one. Whenever you are ready. It will take some time, but I will try to find a way to help you train this ability of yours, and I will ask Oyakata-sama if he has any books on it." Gyomei stood up, grabbing everyone at the table, "Go get yourself busy with your own books, which I know you've been stealing from that empty room. I have to clean this up.

Y/N let their lips quirk up the slightest bit, standing up, "Of course, Gyomei-san! But I have been doing no such thing!" Y/N stood at their room door, looking back at Gyomei, "Are you sure you don't need help cleaning up?"

Gyomei used his hands to tell them to shoo and not worry. Y/N sighed, went into their room, and placed their diary on the table in the corner of their room, next to their futon.

'So, each colour means something different and helps me figure out what type of person someone is.' Y/N thought, rereading everything they had put down. 'If Gyomei-san is correct, and blue means sadness and responsibility, then is Gyomei taking responsibility for something that happened in that temple? Is that why he's also sad over it? Grey could also be because of his breathing technique, but that isn't entirely why... He's steadfast in his opinions and demons and quite formal.'

Y/N closed their diary, grabbed one of the books neatly stacked on the table, and sat on their futon, reading it.

-

Six months had gone by, and Y/N was able to write down everything they knew about their ability; all the colours that Y/N had learned and what they represented, and how they were able to make it stronger, along with being able to feel auras if they focused hard enough. All this training with their ability had made Y/N realise they were ready to be trained under Gyomei for the corps.

After getting back to their room after meditating outside to help their focus – they preferred to meditate during the night. It felt more peaceful with the moon shining on them and the soft breeze of the wind – they felt as if they were ready and that it was the right time to be trained by Gyomei. They were stronger mentally than they were a few months ago, and it didn't help that they had helped a few people who helped Y/N change their minds.

Y/N hummed in thought, getting up and making their way to Gyomei's room, and knocked three times. After hearing Gyomei tell them to come in, they stepped inside, slowly getting nervous.

"I'm ready to train under you, Gyomei-sensei."