Chapter 19: Train of infinite dreams, infinite nightmares
Notes: Part 2 of the Mugen Train Arc.
*peeks from over her Skulduggery Pleasant books, smiles apologetically and hides back behind them*
Tanjirou was back home. He blinked. He was sure he was…somewhere else.
"Tanjirou-nii's back home!" Shigeru and Hanako called out excitedly.
Tanjirou ran up to them and hugged them tightly, tears falling from his eyes, for some reason.
"Nii-san?!"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing! I missed you!" he cried.
"Tanjirou? Are you okay?" Kie asked, worried, as she entered the sitting room, carrying a sleeping Rokuta.
"He started crying suddenly." Hanako explained.
"That's weird." Takeo laughed, as he came in after their mother.
"Oh… You must be tired. You can take the day off and rest. Your father will understand."
"You're overreacting. I'm fine. I can help father."
"Really?"
"Yes! It felt like I was having a weird dream."
Suddenly a sheet covered his head.
"Waaaah!" Shigeru screamed, excitedly, trying to scare his big brother.
"Gah!"
"Stop that!" Hanako scolded their brother, "That's the laundry!"
They all laughed.
"By the way, where's Nezuko?"
"She went out to gather vegetables." Takeo said.
"Alright. I'll go find and help father, then." he said, picking up his axe.
He left their house and went towards the woods.
"Tanjirou?"
"Ah, Nezuko! Finished already?"
"Yes! I gathered a lot, too! You're going to help father?"
"Yes!"
"Don't stay out too long, both of you. It looks like it'll snow soon."
"We will be careful." Tanjirou promised and turned to continue on his way, waving back, "We'll see you at diner!"
Something fluttered, catching his attention briefly. He shook his head and turned back towards the woods. He had stalled long enough.
"Father?" he called.
"Tanjirou?" his father called back.
The man looked healthy. He was holding an axe and was waiting for Tanjirou. Tanjirou, for his part didn't know why that surprised him. He looked at himself, noticing for the first time he was dressed in civilian clothing. He couldn't understand why that, too, came as a surprise to him.
"Come. We need to cut enough wood to prepare coal for the winter."
'Coal?' Tanjirou thought confused, even though he followed his father.
The Kamado family was a well known family of coal burners, yes. But that wasn't their main job. Hadn't been for a long time.
And they hadn't worked with coal for a few years now, not since his father…
They passed by a stream and Tanjirou looked at his reflection. He was wearing his green-and-black checkered haori, but under it he wore a black uniform.
"Wake up! A dream! This is a dream!" his reflection was shouting at him, "You must wake up! You are under attack!"
'Oh…right. I am…on a train.'
"Tanjirou?"
He looked at his father, and realised. His father was ill. There was no way Shinobu, or Tamayo-san, would have let him go out in the winter to cut wood. And it wasn't even winter yet!
"What's wrong son?"
Tanjirou smiled sadly.
"I am sorry. But there is something I need to do. If things work as perfectly as I wish them to, then one day, maybe soon, we will take coal burning back up again."
The man before him smiled back.
Tanjirou turned his back to his father, his corps' uniform and nichirin swords appearing.
'I have to wake up.' he thought, determined, 'What's this? It feels like some kind of curtain. And this place smells faintly of demon everywhere. But I can't pinpoint the location. If everyone else is asleep, then things are bad. The fact my uniform and swords are here means I am slowly waking up. But how can I wake up completely? What should I do?!'
"Tanjirou. You have your sword. Draw it. There is something you must cut." Tanjuurou said from behind him.
'I think I understand what it is. But…what if I'm wrong? If events in my dream influence reality, then there's no taking it back.' Tanjirou nodded and reached for the sword at his side, 'Don't hesitate! Do it! Do it! Death inside the dream, leads to waking up in reality! What I have to cut…is my own throat!' he took several calming breaths, kneeling on the ground, and placed his sword at his neck. If he was wrong, this was it.
"I'll see you soon." he smiled at his father, even though the man couldn't see it, and cut his throat.
He drew in a sharp breath, standing up, screaming in shock and rubbing his neck.
'I'm okay! I'm alive!' he took deep breaths.
"Whew…" he sighed in relief, raising his left hand towards his face, only to see a rope tied on his wrist, 'What is this? It smells faintly like a demon. Is this connected to that dream? The last thing I remember before falling asleep… Oh! That's right…! My ticket!' he brought the piece of paper to his nose, 'Just as I thought! It smells faintly of demon, as well. Punching the ticket put us to sleep. This is a demon's work. Such a faint odor for such a strong Blood Demon Art…'
"Rengoku-san!" he looked surprised to find the Flame Pillar holding a young girl by the neck, while asleep, "Zenitsu! Inosuke!" he called to his friends.
He picked his swords from underneath his seat, then walked behind Rengoku-san towards Inosuke and Zenitsu and inspected all their tied wrists.
'Our wrists are tied together. Who are these people? Hmm… I have the feeling that cutting the rope with my sword wouldn't be a good idea.' he thought, 'I'll cut their tickets and then untie the ropes.'
Mumbling apologies to his friends and Rengoku-san, Tanjirou gathered their tickets and cut them with his sword. Then, he carefully untied the ropes from his and his three companions' wrists.
"Zenitsu! Inosuke! Rengoku-san! Wake up!" he shook them, "It's no use. They won't wake." he cursed.
Suddenly, the girl that had been tied with Rengoku-san attacked him.
'Huh? Is she controlled by the demon?' Tanjirou wondered, avoiding her attack, 'And how did she got free? Wasn't Rengoku-san holding her? Is he awake?'
A glance at the Flame Pillar told him that the man was still asleep.
"Don't interfere! Because of you…he won't let us dream!" she accused him.
'She's doing this willingly?!' Tanjirou was shocked.
The girl sitting opposite of Zenitsu got to her feet, as did the boy sitting behind the still asleep blonde.
"What are you doing?!" the first girl shouted, "If you are awake, help out! I don't know about your tuberculosis or whatever…but if you don't do your job properly…I'll tell him so he won't let you dream!"
Tanjirou saw a boy standing from the seat behind the one he had vacated.
'So, there's more of them. Was he the one tied to me?' he thought, 'Tuberculosis… He's sick… Poor guy. That demon is unforgivable. It's taking advantage of people's weaknesses!'
"I am sorry." Tanjirou said seriously, "But I have to go fight."
In the blink of an eye, he had knocked the three children out, laying them carefully down on their seats.
"You wanted to stay in a happy dream, didn't you?" he said softly, "I understand. I wanted to stay in mine, too." he said sadly. Then he looked up at the other boy, "Are you alright?" he asked him.
"…Thank you." he said, with a warm smile, "And be careful."
"I will." Tanjirou smiled back, "I know two great doctors. I'll take you to them. At the very least they'll find a way for you not to feel any more pain." he promised. He turned to go, but then he looked back, "Can I ask you for a favor?" he asked sheepishly.
"Yes."
"Can you try to wake up my friends? I need to locate the demon, so…" he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I will."
"Thank you."
Tanjirou ran to the car's door and opened it, quickly being overwhelmed by the strong scent of the demon.
'It really reeks! The demon's stench reaches here even with this wind!' he thought, leaning out and looking ahead, 'How could I fall asleep with this? The passenger car was sealed off, but I can't believe how careless I was! The demon is upwind. In the front car?'
He took hold of the car's roof and flipped himself up.
Not too long after, he saw the figure of the demon, standing calmly atop a car, turning to face him upon noticing Tanjirou.
"Oh, you're awake? Good morning." he smiled, waving his hand, "You should have staid asleep."
He was dressed in a western suit, Tanjirou noted briefly, taking his stance, ready to strike him down.
'It's him…'
"I showed you such a good dream. You should be thanking me – I could've showed you your family being slaughtered." the demon said, "Next time, shall I show you your two other sisters, both alive and well?"
Tanjirou's anger rose in his chest.
"You can't thoughtlessly go trampling on people's hearts and dreams! I won't forgive you." he said, unsheathing his sword, 'Sun Breathing; Eleventh Form: Solar Halo Dragon Dance!'
The demon raised his left hand. On the upper side, there was a mouth.
"Go to sleeeep…" it whispered.
Tanjirou faltered, and fell asleep, quickly cutting his neck and regaining consciousness.
The demon was surprised.
"Sleep… Sleep…" the mouth whispered again and again, "Sleep… Sleep… Sleep!"
Each time he slept, Tanjirou saw his family criticising him. Each one worse than the previous, calling him useless and selfish, that he left and had been doing nothing but enjoying himself, instead of caring for his family and taking his responsibilities as the family head seriously. The demon even dared to use Shinobu and Kanae-nee's images to call him a failure, unable to keep a simple promise.
And each time, his anger rose and rose, almost past it's breaking point.
"My family…would never say that!" he shouted, enraged, "Do not insult…my family!" he swung his sword down and cut off the head.
Immediately he realised something was wrong.
'I hardly felt anything. Is this a dream too? Or is he weaker than Rui was? Even though he is marked as Lower One?'
"I truly understand…how my master felt when he ordered me to kill you…in addition to a Pillar." the demon was saying, "Your very existence, grates on my nerves."
Tanjirou turned to see the head attached to the car with a fleshy extension of sorts.
'He's not dying?!' he thought, shocked and disgusted.
"There it is! That's the lovely expression I wanted to see!" he laughed, "You want me to tell you why I didn't die even though you cut off my hear, right? Very well, I'll tell you, since I'm in a great mood right now. It's so simple, even a baby could understand!" he chuckled, "Because that was not my main body anymore! The same goes for what's talking to you right now. It looks like my head, but it isn't! While you were deep asleep, snoring peacefully…I fused with this steam train!"
Tanjirou realised what that meant, and why the scent was so strong the moment he opened the door.
"This entire train…has become my blood, flesh and bones!" he laughed, "Your face! Good, good! Do you understand? So, in other words…all 200 passengers on this train are all food for further strengthening my body! They're my hostages. Can you protect them…all by yourself? Can you slow…me down? This entire train is teeming with squirming humans from one end to the other, so…won't you leave them for me to eat later?" the 'head' laughed.
Tanjirou slashed it, but it dissolved onto the car.
'Now what? What should I do? Two cars is the most I can cover! I can't guarantee the safety of more than that!'
"Rengoku-saaan! Zenitsuuu! Inosukeee!" he screamed to the top of his lungs, "This is no time to sleep! Wake up! Please!"
Suddenly he heard a very familiar cry and the roof of the car he and his friends were burst, as Inosuke leapt to the sky.
"Follow me, minions!" he called out excitedly, "Headlong…rush! Inosuke-sama's comin' through!"
"Inosuke! There's no safe place on this train anymore! Protect those who are still sleeping! The whole train is now a demon! Can you hear me? The whole train is a demon!"
"I knew it. Then I was right! And I lack nothing as a boss!"
He watched as his friend jumped back inside. He then proceeded to enter the car he was on and focus on defending the passengers on it and the next one.
Suddenly he heard lighting.
'That sounds like lightning striking… From the car behind me? I don't know what's happening. Are Zenitsu and Rengoku-san awake?' he glanced behind him for a second, 'All I can do is to protect the people right in front of me! But this is bad. What should I do? We can't work together. Are the passengers in the rear cars safe? Dammit! It's too narrow to swing my katana!' he thought, frustrated, 'Ah.' he glanced at his side, remembering and quickly switching his katana for the wakizashi, 'Slightly better.'
Suddenly a loud crash echoed, shocking the car Tanjirou was on, making him lose his footing, stumble and roll from one side to the other.
'What? A demon attack?' he wondered, worried, as he righted himself.
"Kamado, my boy!" Rengoku-san appeared before him in a flash.
"Rengoku-san!" Tanjirou exclaimed, surprised.
"On my way here, I managed to land some precise slashes…so I think the demon'll need some time to regenerate… But there's no time to waste, so I'll make it quick! This train has eight cars. I'll protect the last five. The yellow boy will protect the next two. Boar head boy and you will keep an eye on those two and he will protect the last car, while you search and go for the demon's head!"
"It's head?! But right now, the demon is…!"
"Whatever shape it takes, as long as he's a demon, he'll have a neck!" Rengoku said, enthusiastically, bringing his face close to Tanjirou's, "I'll be looking for it as well, while I fight. Now, get fired up, my boy!"
And with these words, he was gone in a flash.
'Whoa…! He disappeared! I didn't even see him! That tremor from before, did Rengoku-san made the train shake like that with his movement?' he sat up, still kneeling in awe, 'He sized up the situation and made a quick decision. And he's protecting five cars all by himself…' he thought, in awe, before slapping his cheeks, 'No time to stand around gaping impressed, moron! I gotta do what I gotta do!' he charged, slashing at the demon flesh, going for the front, 'The demon's scent is getting stronger! Hurry!'
Tanjirou ran.
"Inosuke!" he called, "Inosuke, where are you?!"
"Shut up or I'll kill you!" came his friend's voice from above him.
"Up there?!" Tanjirou was surprised.
"That guy with the wide, staring eyes gave me an order! But somehow, he's kinda…sorta…so amazing! And that pisses me off!"
"Inosuke! Keep an eye on the first three cars as you–"
"I know! Greaah! And I've already found it! With my full-focused seventh form! This lord's…vital spot!"
"Really?! So it's…up front?" Tanjirou asked, surprised by Inosuke's speed.
"Yeah, up ahead! In any case, something isn't right up there!"
'The strong wind dispersed the smell and made it hard to tell…but if Inosuke says so, I believe him!'
"It's where all the coal is?" Tanjirou asked, as he slashed at the flesh.
"Right!" Inosuke replied.
"Got it!" Tanjirou started running again, "Okay, now, let's go forward! To the front!"
'Rengoku-san is covering five passenger cars. Inosuke found the enemy's weak spot and is taking care of one car. Zenitsu is fighting hard, defending two cars. I have to be useful as well. I've got to defend everyone!' Tanjirou thought, nearing the engine car.
"Greaah! Weird! Something's suspicious around here!" he heard Inosuke's voice.
"Who are you? G…Get out now!" another voice, presumably the driver's, said.
"The demon's neck! His weak spot!"
Tanjirou appeared from behind the coal cart in time to see hands forming and grabbing on to Inosuke.
'Sun Breathing; Tenth Form: Shining Ray of Grace.'
He cut the hands that were holding Inosuke, landing between him and the driver.
'It's directly below! The demon's scent is strong right under here!'
"Inosuke! The demon's neck is below us!" he turned to his companion, shouting over the noise of the engine.
"Don't order me around! I am the boss here!"
"Okay, fine!"
Tanjirou watched Inosuke use one of his attacks on the flooring, revealing a bone.
'The bone…! His neck bone!' Tanjirou realised, taking his stance, 'Sun Breathing; First Form: Waltz.' he struck, only for the demon hands to block the attack, 'It blocked me! The wound is closed! It regenerates fast! And using full-strength attacks to reveal the neck bone will take all I've got! I have to cut its neck.'
"Inosuke!" he turned to his friend, "Let's match our breaths and perform a combo attack! One of us will slice the flesh and the other will sever the bone!"
"Got it! Good idea! You have my praise!"
"Thanks! Let's go!"
Suddenly, eyes appeared on the flesh guarding the neck.
'A Blood Demon Art! It got…us! It'll put us into sleep.' Tanjirou realised in seconds, "Inosuke, cut your own throat in your dream! That'll wake you up!" he called as he fell asleep.
He fell asleep, then he woke up, falling and catching himself on one knee.
'It's fine! It's all right! Even if it gets me, I can break the spell.' he thought getting ready to attack again.
Only to fall under the spell again.
'How stupid of me! I have to close my eyes when I wake up, or I'll get caught by his spell again!' he thought, 'Good…I woke up.' but he saw the demon's eyes again, 'Aaah! The moment I wake up, my eyes always meet one of the demon's somewhere. I gotta wake up with my eyes closed! With my eyes closed! It's no use, it doesn't work! Wake up! Cut my throat fast and wake up! Wake up now!'
He brought his sword up to his neck, only for Inosuke to catch it, stopping him.
"This is no dream! It's reality!" he called out, "Don't fall into its trap! Don't die in a foolish way!" he said, cutting the demon flesh away from Tanjirou, "Gah ha ha ha! I wear the hide of the Lord of the mountain…so I'm too scary to look right in the eye, right? You puny eyeball thing!"
'Oh, right! It's hard to tell which direction Inosuke's looking!' Tanjirou realised.
A slight movement caught his eye, and as he turned, he saw the driver going for Inosuke with a sharp awl.
"Inosuke!" he called out worried, 'Oh, no! It's too cramped and the footing is bad! The only thing I can do is get between them.' he thought as he put his body between the driver and Inosuke, receiving the stabbing meant for his friend.
"Don't interfere with the dream!" the man shouted, desperate.
Tanjirou caught he man's hand, stopping him from pushing the tool further in, or pulling it out, and then proceeded to knock him unconscious.
"I'm all right!" he quickly reassured Inosuke, "If we don't cut the neck right now, Zenitsu and the others won't last long! Hurry!"
Inosuke opened up the floor, revealing the bone once more.
'Father…give me your strength. I'll sever the bone with this one blow.' Tanjirou thought, 'Sun Breathing; Second Form: Azure Heaven.'
The engine got severed from the car and the Lower Moon One started screaming.
'They're some terrible death throes! Everything's shaking!' Tanjirou thought, covering his ears, alongside Inosuke.
"You cut off his head, so it's thrashing around! Terrific!" Inosuke exclaimed.
"We're gonna flip! Inosuke!"
He pushed Inosuke to a safer spot.
"Is…is your stomach all right?" Inosuke manages to ask.
"Protect the passengers!"
What was left of the engine car jumped and Tanjirou was flung off it. He landed on the ground a little ways away and everything turned black.
Notes: Enmu never introduced himself, so his name doesn't appear anywhere but on this li'l note.
Also. If you want, I can try and write an AU one-shot of the dream Tanjirou was made to watch, with Kanae and Shinobu in it. It'll either appear as a stand-alone story, or as part of a mini multi-chapter collection of one-shots.