Historian Butterfly AU: Chapter 1

Historian Butterfly AU: Chapter 1

Shinobu x female OC

prologue

Chapter 2

“Come here my curious little bird.”

Fukuro looked up at her great grandmother shyly. Gran Gran had been getting sicker and sicker. She could barely move, and could barely speak before going into coughing fits. Even now her voice was barely above a faint whisper.

Fukuro let go of Yua’s leg after being given a light nudge. She walked up to her Gran Gran’s bedside. “Yes, Gran Gran?”

Her Gran Gran let out a dry cough as she took off the necklace around her neck. “I want you to have this. It was a gift given to me long ago that kept me safe, and now I hope it can keep you safe as it did with me.”

Fukuro took the necklace into her hands. It was nothing fancy, but it was also pretty valuable. It had a silver chain with a single gold charm. It was a large circle with flower patterns engraved into it. Fukuro looked at it in confusion. “How will it keep me safe Gran Gran?”

She thinks that her Gran Gran attempted to laugh, but what came out was a wheezing sound followed by a coughing fit. “You will find that answer when the time comes. But for now keep it as a sign that I will always be with you.”

Fukuro looked at the necklace for a moment before looking back up. “Can you tell me another story, Gran Gran?”

Her Gran Gran looked up at Yua who was holding one infant, while her husband held the other. She gave her a nod with a sad look on her face.

“Alright, but I’m afraid we can only do one today. So how about I tell you a story about the Love Hashira?”

***

Fukuro woke up with a gasp. She clawed at the ground, and found her hands grabbing onto clumps of grass. She took a moment to steady her breathing before she sat up and pushed her glasses back up her face.

“Ugh, what happened?” Fukuro looked around and realized that she was in a completely unfamiliar place. Instead of underground and in the ruins she was in the middle of a forest, with no sign of any civilization in sight. The night sky was full of stars, but I looked like morning was an hour or two away, which was strange because it had been around late afternoon.

“Where the heck am I?” Fukuro got up and dusted herself off. All of her clothes had stayed in tack and she still had her bag full of notes. “Kenta!” she shouted, but there was no response. She started to walk around hoping that she would find a way out. “Kenta! Are you there? I swear this isn’t funny! If you decided to try to put me in the middle of nowhere after one of my expeditions made me unconscious again, then so help me!”

Fukuro walked around for a bit before she ended up at an old house. She let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, I’ll be fine. I just need to ask where I am and hope that whoever lives there can give me directions to the nearest town. I would ask for a phone, but I’m pretty sure this is an old fashioned residence because that is one old looking building. Still how in the world did I even end up in the middle of the woods?” She continued to ponder as she walked up to the house.

Almost immediately Fukuro could tell something was not right. She fought through the shiver that went up her spine and went to knock on the door. But as sound as her fist collided with it it opened. Fukuro uneasily took a step in the house.

“Excuse me? Is anyone-“

Fukuro cut herself off with a gasp. There were people in the house, but they were all dead and covered in blood. Fukuro’s stomach twisted and she felt like she was going to get sick. “What the- what happened here?”

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

Fukuro let out a small squeak as she quickly turned around with wide eyes. In front of her was a man, but he didn’t look human. He had teeth and claws as sharp as knives. There were two large horns coming out of his head. His eyes were in amber slits while the rest of eye were red. His vines bulged from his deathly pale skin. The only normal thing about him was the shoulder length brown hair. There was blood covering his mouth and lips as he tossed aside the severed arm of one of his victims.

“It looks like my night has gotten even better! Not only do I get to have a feast tonight, but now I get to add a young girl to my collection!” he said with a maniacal laugh as he licked his lips.

“D-demon, you’re a demon aren’t you?” Fukuro could only shake in fear as she moved to back away. She barely even moved before she let out a scream as she was tackled to the ground.

“Ah! So the pretty girl has a brain. I like that! It will make you all the more delicious!”

Fukuro’s mind was whirling as she attempted to fight through the panic to find some way out of this mess. Do something! Anything! Just find a way out of this! Luckily the demon didn’t seem to think she would fight back since one of her arms was free. She took the opportunity to grab the closest thing to her and hit the demon with it, which happened to be her necklace that fell off. The demon let out a screech and she used that moment to push him off of her. Fukuro quickly got up and started running for her life.

“Holy crap! I can’t believe that actually worked! Thank you so much Gran Gran!” she muttered as she ran through the woods. She didn’t know where she was going, but she needed to get away now! She could hear footsteps behind her! Oh crap! He was following her!

“Don’t think I’ll let you get away after that stunt girlie!”

“I can’t believe it! Demons are actually real! This is amazing! And terrifying. Really, really terrifying! I wish I could ask him questions! No! Focus, Fukuro! You need to keep running if you don’t want to get eaten alive!”

Fukuro was lucky that she had amazing endurance or else she probably would have been caught by now. Most of her heavy breathing was due to sheer panic and not exhaustion. She was not sure how long she spent dodging trees and going over tree roots, so that she could get the demon chasing her off of her tail. But he was persistent. Fukuro’s luck couldn’t last forever because she ended up tripping over a tree root and tumbling down a rocky hill. She ended up losing her backpack and she could feel her clothes and skin tear as she tumbled to the bottom.

Fukuro tried to get up, but she let out a yelp of pain as she collapsed onto her needs. Crap! Crap! I think I twisted my ankle. Before she knew it she was pinned by the demon again, this time up against the tree. His claws dug into her shoulders to the point that they drew blood.

“You are one pain in the a** lady! It almost makes me not want to eat ya. I was going to give you a quick death, but I’m a bit annoyed right now. So how about we take this slow.”

The demon dug one of his clawed hands into each of Fukuro’s arms, creating a huge gash from the top to the bottom of both limbs. Fukuro let out a scream as she managed to move her wrist enough to stab him with her necklace. There was a button on the top of the charm that released a small blade, so it ended up sticking out of his wrist awkwardly.

Another twisted laugh pierced through the air as the demon simply shook off the piece of jewelry stabbed into him. “Nice try girlie, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to kill me.” He looked like he was going to try to do more but he suddenly stiffened. He let Fukuro go as he backed away and let out a scream of agony. “What the hell did you do to me b*tch?!” Fukuro could only watch before he kept squirming before he stopped moving, dead.

Fukuro quickly snapped out of her daze as she dragged herself over to where her necklace had been thrown. “Gran Gran was serious when she said that this necklace would protect me, huh?” She picked it up with her right hand and tried to get up. She wanted to get as far away from the dead body as possible. Fukuro only made it a couple feet before she felt dizzy and collapsed.

No no no! I can’t die yet! Not after managing to kill that demon! But Fukuro could feel sleep calling her. Before she knew it her eyes were closed. She heard the sound of footsteps before she completely lost consciousness.

***

Fukuro woke up slowly this time. She blinked slowly to let her eyes adjust. She quickly realized that she wasn’t in her bedroom or her office, which is where she usually fell asleep. Instead Fukuro saw an unfamiliar white ceiling. She was confused for a moment before she felt the stinging pain in her arms. The events of the previous night came rushing back to her. Alright so that wasn’t a dream then. I don’t know if I should be excited or terrified about it.

Fukuro sat up and looked around the room she was in. There were a few beds in the room, but they were all empty. There were a few small dressers next to each one. Other than that there wasn’t much to look at. Not that she could see much anyway, since her glasses were no longer in her face. Fukuro looked at her arms to see bandages and gauzes wrapped around them. She was also in different clothes, similar to what you would find in a hospital. Based on what blurry images she could make out, Fukuro guessed that she was in some sort of clinic. “Well at least someone found me. It looked like they did a good job patching me up too. I’ll probably have to ask for their phone if they have one so I can let Kenta and my family know that I am alright. I still can’t believe that I encountered a dem-” Fukuro trailed off from her muttering as her eyes widened.

“Wait a second, where is my bag! Did it fall off while I was being chased?! Crap! That had a lot of my research notes in it, as well as some of my favorite sources of information that I found! And where’s my Gran Gran’s necklace?! I can’t lose that!” Fukuro exclaimed as she quickly began to search through the blankets and attempt to leave the bed to find her stuff. But she forgot about her ankle and as soon as she put pressure on it her foot gave out and she fell with a yelp. She tried to catch herself but ended up just taking the blankets down with her, ending up in a tangled lump on the floor.

“My, my, it looks like someone’s awake. While the energy is a good sign, I would not recommend walking with that injury.”

Fukuro’s head shot up towards the sound of the voice, but all she could make out was a blurred figure. She could tell that the blurr was a person, most likely short, but that was about it. But by the sound of the voice she guessed that the person was a girl. “Have you seen a really big bag with a bunch of scrolls and notebooks in it? Or more importantly a golden necklace with a flower pattern? That necklace really means a lot to me!” Fukuro spoke so quickly and frantically that she would be surprised if the girl understood her.

The girl started to walk over to her. “No need to fret so much. The kakushi found the items you mentioned and I held onto them in case they were yours. I didn’t look at your notes either and everything was relatively intact. I’m taking a look at your necklace right now, but I should have it back to you by tomorrow. But I would be more worried about the predicament you are in right now.”

Fukuro’s face grew red in embarrassment when she realized the predicament that she was in. She frantically untangled herself from the blankets.

“Sorry! I just-” Fukuro quickly got back to her feet, once again forgetting about her ankle, and started to fall with a squeak. She tried to grab the nearby dresser, only to pull herself forward with too much force and slam her head into it. Fukuro immediately stumbled back into the bed, sideways, with a groan. “Owwww…”

Fukuro couldn’t see the girl, but she could hear her trying to contain her laughter as she spoke. “Careful now, we don’t want you to have any more injuries now do we?”

Fukuro let out a groan and adjusted herself so that she was in a proper sitting up position. “That would be preferred.” She squinted to try to get a better view of the person in front of her, but all she could make out now were some blurs of black and purple.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Fukuro blushed again out of embarrassment when she realized what she was doing. “Sorry. Do you have my glasses? I can’t see anything without them, and I’m kinda only seeing a human blob instead of your face.”

“Ah, yes! Sorry that they weren’t with you when you woke up, but they were damaged and I had to call a friend to get them fixed. They should be good as new now,” the girl said as she handed Fukuro her glasses.

Fukuro put them on her face, and blinked a couple times to let them adjust. She is finally able to see who is in front of her, and she’s probably the prettiest girl she has ever seen.

The girl was petite with a pale complexion and beautiful purple eyes. She had shoulder-length wavy hair that faded from black into dark purple, styled at the back of her head into a flat 'yakai-maki' bun, fastened with a white and purple butterfly ornament. She had center-split, ear-length, voluminous curtain bangs that flow down to frame the sides of her face, with two slightly thinner chin-length locks of hair in front of her ears below them. She was wearing a haori with a butterfly pattern over some sort of black uniform. There was a kind smile on her face, but it didn’t seem completely genuine.

“Oh wow, you’re really pretty.”

There was silence for a few moments.

F*ck I said that out loud!

The girl just let out a small giggle. “Oh! You’re quite bold. Already flirting with me and we don’t even know each other’s names.”

Fukuro turned almost completely red and looked away. “I um, sorry. My name is Fukuro Hitomi.”

“No need to apologize. My name is Shinobu Kocho and you’re in my estate. You’re lucky that I found you when I did, or else you probably wouldn’t not have made it. You’ve been unconscious for over 24 hours.”

“Oh! That was you? Thank you so much!” Fukuro put her hands together and bowed as best she could in her sitting position. Almost immediately after she perked up as she realized something. “Wait a second you said kakushi earlier right? If I remember correctly they’re members of the demon slayer corps. Does that mean that you’re a kakushi member or are you a demon slayer? Or are you a doctor that works with the corps? Were you-“

Shinobu cut Fukuro off by putting a hand on her shoulder and using the other to make a shushing motion. “Oh my, that’s a lot of questions you have. Slow down and I might be able to answer them. I’m a medical expert, but I am also a demon slayer. In fact I’m one of the current Hashiras. I’m surprised you even know about us. Most people are not even aware that the corps or demons exist.”

Fukuro took a deep breath and shook her hands slightly. “Sorry. I tend to ramble a lot when I get excited. I’m a historian and I have done a lot of research on the possible existence of demons. My great grandmother was a kakushi so I grew an interest. I always thought that the existence of demons was possible, but I never knew for sure until I was attacked! I never thought I would ever find proper evidence, much less meet an actual demon and demon slayer! I mean I thought the corps had been disbanded a long time ago,” she said. Her words got quicker as she went, causing her to ramble again.

“I don’t think that encountering a demon is something you should be excited about, but I guess it’s good to have an optimistic look on things.” Shinobu grabbed one of Fukuro’s arms and started to change the bandages.

It looked like she was going to say more but she was interrupted by a loud bang, and the shouts that followed.

“I told you! You need to do it the proper way. Now look at the mess you made!”

“But my grandfather taught me to do it this way!”

“This is the Taisho era not the Meiji era! Just do what I told you to do and there won’t be any problems!”

The arguing continued but Fukuro couldn’t make out any of it. Her mind was suddenly in a wreck trying to process what had just been said.

Shinobu put Fukuro’s arm down with a small huff. It was the only way to tell she was annoyed because she still had the same smile on her face.

“I’m sorry Hitomi, I’ll be right back. I need to remind some newer slayers that this is a clinic and that they shouldn’t be yelling so loud. Try not to move too much. I still need to change the bandages and clean the wound on your other arm,” she said as she walked out of the room to deal with the noisy people arguing in the halls.

To be completely honest Fukuro did not hear a word that Shinobu had said. Taisho era? It can’t be right? This is some kind of cruel joke. It has to be! It’s true that I wanted to prove the existence of demons, but I didn’t want to actually go back in time! This isn’t some isekai fantasy! I have a life back home! My job, friends, family! Will I ever see them again?

Fukuro felt a surge of overwhelming panic. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt painful. She felt like everything was spiraling out of control. Everything felt hot. Too hot! She was burning! Fukuro started to mindlessly claw at the bandages on her arms, to the point that she was starting to draw some blood by reopening the wounds. Her stomach was twisted in knots. She felt like she was going to throw up. She couldn’t breathe! She felt like she was going to pass out as she hyperventilated.

“Hitomi? Can you hear me?”

Fukuro’s head shot up in a panic as she looked at Shinobu with tears in her eyes.

Shinobu had a completely calm look on her face. She was still smiling, but this one was much softer and gentler. “It’s going to be alright Hitomi. Is there anything I can do to help you?” she asked with a very gentle voice.

Fukuro attempted to respond, but she only hiccuped in response. “I-I d-demons and f-family and…” She trailed off, not being able to form a proper sentence.

“It’s okay Hitomi, I’m not going to leave unless you want me to. Am I allowed to touch you?”

Fukuro let out a whimper and nodded. Physical contact was what tended to ground her and make her feel safe. It was how her parents, grandparents, and Gran Gran would comfort her all the time. “Hug. Please?” she whispered.

If Shinobu was surprised then she didn’t show it at all. With no hesitation she wrapped her arms around Fukuro, and put her face next to her ear. Fukuro quickly returned the hug with a death grip. Fukuro didn’t even realize she was shaking until she was in Shinobu’s firm, but gentle grip.

“I want you to focus on 5 things you hear. Can you do that for me? It’s okay, take as much time as you need.”

“I hear your voice,” Fukuro muttered almost immediately and flushed in embarrassment.

“Good. Can you hear anything else?” Shinobu asked softly as she started rubbing small circles into Fukuro’s back.

“Birds chirping, I think I hear running water, some footsteps, and the floors creaking.”

“You’re doing a great job. Now how about 4 things you can see?”

“You, butterflies, beds, and dresser.”

“How about 3 things you can smell? Don’t feel stressed. Give your answer whenever you are ready.”

Fukuro had to pause to think for a second. “I think I can smell something cooking. I smell the rubbing alcohol that was put on my wounds earlier. I also smell you. You smell really nice.”

“Aren’t you a charmer. You’re almost there Hitomi. I promise this will be over soon. 2 things you can feel?”

“I can feel the fabric of your butterfly haori and the soft fabric of the blankets.”

“Last one. What is one thing you can taste?”

“The desert that is my mouth,” Fukuro said, which was true. She was incredibly thirsty.

Shinobu backed out of the hug, but she kept one of her hands in Fukuro’s. She used the other to grab a glass of water that she must have brought during Fukuro’s panic attack. She brought the water up to Fukuro’s lips. “Drink this.”

Fukuro drank it without much objection, finishing over the entire glass in a matter of seconds. She realized that she felt a lot better now. Still a little shaken, but in a much better state than before.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, thank you and I’m really sorry that I freaked out like that,” Fukuro said, not being able to look into Shinobu's eyes due to shame and embarrassment.

Shinobu grabbed one of Fukuro’s arms and started redoing the disinfectant and bandages after all the damage that had been done to them. “There is no need to apologize or feel ashamed. You went through a very traumatic situation recently. You might’ve lost some people you care for too. No matter what you can always come to me if you need to talk, okay? Even when you’re not my patient anymore.”

“If you don’t mind I would rather keep this information to myself for now,” Fukuro said. I don’t need you thinking that I am a crazy lady.

“That's more than okay too. Let’s talk about something else. Do you have any other hobbies not related to your work Hitomi?”

“Fukuro”

Shinobu looked up from Fukuro’s arm and tilted her head, which was as close to a questioning glance as she was going to get. “Pardon me?”

Fukuro looked off to the side when their eyes met. “I don’t really like it when people call me my last name, so I want you to call me Fukuro.”

“Alright then Fukuro, what are your hobbies?”

The two girls continued talking for a while about simple things. There were still a lot of questions to answer and problems to solve. But those could wait for a short amount of time.

***

This was a lot longer than I thought it would be. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun making it. This is my first time writing Shinobu so hopefully she stayed in character. I am more than open to critique though so please let me know your guys’ thoughts.

I once went to my college’s cafeteria and I had just gotten some rice. Afterwards I went to another area that had fries. When the server asked what I wanted I blurted out rice without thinking. He stared at me for a solid minute before I realized my mistake.

I worked with toddlers and pre schoolers for three years. Sometimes I accidentally slip and tell a friend to say bye to an inanimate object (“say bye bus!”) & occasionally they unthinkingly just do it.

My experience in high school

“ummmmm ur bra strap is showing :/ ”

Hgnn,,, thinkin about some kind of AU where Alya and Nino have the Miraculous instead and Marinette and Adrien are just tryna lead a normal life.

But here's the main idea I had.

Mari is head over heels for Kagami (hell yeah it's gay!) and when Kagami is threatened by idk let's say either Lila (mhm yup she's still a bitch here) or someone else I'm not sure yet- Mari is so overcome with rage that she's akumatized into “Knight Justice” and akuma which, whoa no surprise here, is a knight.

(Princess Justice is good n all but her being a knight just sounds so much cooler like- give Marinette a sword already c'mon)

And her goal other than to retrieve the Miraculous, is to protect Kagami, aka her “Princess” at all costs.

Idk honestly I just thought it was cool idea lmao.