Hello everyone! Welcome to my first M-rated fic!
I had a great idea involving Demon Slayer, so I'm here to put that idea into words! I hope you guys will read it, and like it, and... and... sorry. I get excited easily.
To give you an idea, I couldn't sleep the last few nights, because I've been thinking about how I'm going to do this. I think I finally know how, so Imma give a quick rundown.
1. No OCs. I will give SOME characters who are presented without names in the anime names, but zero OCs. I don't like em.
2. This is M-rated, so blood and swearing obviously.
3. This is not my main story. As of right now, my main story is A Heroic Impact. But I'll update this when I'm breaking from that story. A break from writing with more writing :').
4. I'm still trying out honorifics, so give me some time to adapt.
5. No lemons.
With that out of the way, shall we begin, reader?
Behold, the story.
"Nezuko."= Talking
"Nezuko."= Thinking/ Flashback/ Emphasis on a word.
"NEZUKO!"= Shouting
"Nezuko."= Whispering
The Breath of Forbidden Healing: Chapter 1
Many Years Later
"I don't understand."
"How did it come to this?"
These were the thoughts of a young man with tanned skin and an athletic built as he swerved away from another knife attack while running down the darkened, snowy mountain, his breathing harsh and rapid as he inhaled through his nostrils in a wild attempt to smell out where traps may have been lain. The currently-running male had black hair with burgundy tips, who had styled it into a short ponytail to show his bruised and bleeding forehead, which supported an old scar towards the top left of his head. He had a kind, but currently red and exhausted, face with hanafuda earrings on each ear, which were passed down through the generations of his family. He continued to run, his arms flailing wildly as he had lost all feeling to them a few minutes prior, mentally praying to any god that would listen so that his arms wouldn't fall off as he kept sprinting forward, his legs shaking with every single step as they were about to buckle. His goal was nowhere in sight, but that didn't matter. The pain he was going through, the lack of energy in his body, none of it mattered. All that mattered was that he got back there in one piece. For his family, for all the potential, innocent targets out in the world, for her.
"I... don't... care...!" The boy wheezed out every word to himself, his breath hanging in the air due to how cold it was. This was a costly mistake on his behalf as he already was lacking oxygen from being up so high on the mountain, but he continued to speak, every word he uttered was a great effort to say as snowflakes fell around him. "No one... wil-"
The boy was broken out of his temporary motivation as another *click* sounded from beneath his feet, making his heartbeat accelerate from panic and realization. He couldn't jump, it was too late, as the ground gave out beneath him and he was sent screaming, spiraling towards the ground. He landed on his back with a loud *crunch*, and then rolled onto his stomach, unmoving. There were no sticks beneath him, only snow. So that meant that the crunching noise was...
The male bit back a scream as pain flooded his body from where he had landed, the adrenaline that filled his body was now leaving him as well. He grit his teeth as he attempted to stand up, only for his legs to give out once more. His body collapsed once more as he gasped for precious air as he used his other, mostly numb arm to try and flip himself over, despite it being hard as it seemed at the current moment. He groaned as the rest of his body protested, his muscles and bones creaking, tearing, and breaking through overuse and through previous impacts with various objects. With the last of what little oxygen and energy he had left, he flipped himself around so that he was now lying with his back on the ground rather than his face as his dark red eyes gazed hopelessly up at the cloudy sky above, which had just started to darken.
"But how did it come to this?" The male thought to himself as he suddenly felt tired, his body demanding that he rest in order to heal and recover his stamina. His eyes began to close as the world around him began to dim, the only feelings he had left at the moment were ones of tiredness and hunger.
And he then closed his eyes, giving way to dizzying blackness as unconsciousness overtook him.
"Tanjiro."
"Tanjiro."
"Tanjiro!"
Tanjiro Kamado's ears twitched as he heard soft footsteps crunching through the snow, seemingly getting louder with every second that passed. He opened his eyes, and blinked some of the fallen snow out of his them to see more snowflakes falling from the cloudy sky above, a young voice having woken him up from his nap. He looked up and smiled at the sight of his mother walking towards him as he lay on the snow in front of their house. The cold barely seemed to affect him, strangely enough.
Tanjiro could best describe his life as a peaceful life, as he was currently living in the mountains with only his family. His mother had a noticeably light complexion, purple eyes, black hair, and a kind face as she raised an eyebrow at her eldest son before shaking her head, albeit a smile was on her face and her cheeks were flushed from the cold. The days of Tanjiro's life consisted of storytelling, good food, and activities which the whole family participated in together. There was no violence or bloodshed, something his father had said was truly a blessing, although Tanjiro didn't quite understand what he meant by it when the older man had said it years earlier, as the poor man was now dead. Tanjiro missed his father, but he knew that he wasn't the only one. But he was the eldest son. He had to be strong, for himself and his family.
The boy gave a tired yawn as he used his hands to position himself on the snow as he stumbled his way onto his feet before standing fully up, the basket of charcoal that had been sitting next to him while he had rested was now on his back as he dusted off any stray snowflakes from his black and green haori that he currently wore.
The grown woman sighed as she stepped froward and rubbed Tanjiro's head affectionately, one of her fingers tracing the scar he had gotten on his head through saving his siblings. "It's dangerous, with all of this snow you know. No one's forcing you to go."
"Well, I want everyone to be happy and content!" Tanjiro spoke enthusiastically, as he was always ready to help benefit for their family's wellbeing. "I'm going to town and I'm going to sell as much as I can, so everyone can eat their full on New Year's!"
His mom smiled at this proclamation from her eldest son, before embracing him with a warm hug. "Thank you. You're a very kind person."
"Nii-chan!"
The familiar voice that had interrupted his nap came from nearby as Tanjiro broke from his mother's embrace to look over at who was speaking. Three small kids, two boys and one girl, came charging from their house as Tanjiro laughed at the sight of them, competing to see who would reach him first.
"We're ready! Take us to town with you!" One of his brothers, Shigeru, exclaimed right as he was then pushed out of the way by his sister, who seemed to be just, if not more, excited than her brother. "We can handle it now!" He was able to mutter this last sentence out before he could make contact with the cold, bitter earth.
"I'm going with you!" His little sister, Hanako, all but demanded, her dark-red eyes glowing up at her eldest brother, not seeming to notice that she had almost injured her other brother in order to get closer to Tanjiro. Her peach-colored kimono was slightly torn from having gotten caught in fallen branches as she had rushed outside, eager to catch up with her eldest brother and to help him complete his delivery.
"Oh no you're not!" Their mother huffed, one of her hands on Hanako's shoulder while the other helped the fallen Shigeru. "You're not as fast as Tanjiro, you would never keep up! You're staying here."
Hanako looked crestfallen before her brother spoke up again, now having recovered from his fall. "But mom-"
"He also won't be able to use the cart today, so he can't give you a ride if you get tired." The mother pointed out, so now that both twins looked rather sad, much to Tanjiro's alarm.
"Don't worry!" The black-haired boy spoke up, determined not to leave with having saddened his siblings. "I'll make sure to get you all a ton of goodies! When I come back, we're going to have a wonderful feast!" He promised them, causing the young kids' eyes to widen and smile excitedly. "And Hanako," He looked over at the girl and smiled. "I promised to read to you when I get back as well."
The young girl's eyes widened even further. Storytime with brother was the best! He told the best stories! Sometimes about dragons, sometimes about legends, even stories that revolved around creatures she never heard before! They were so exciting, she could hardly wait already!
Now motivated by the thought of her brother reading to her when he would return, she nodded energetically, the head on her hair swaying as she did so. "Okay, but make sure it's a good story!"
Tanjiro smiled at the sight of his beaming sister before a new, small voice interrupted the conversation the two siblings were having.
"W-Well, I was hoping we could cut wood together big bro..." The small voice of his other younger brother, Takeo, reached Tanjiro's ears as he turned to his other younger brother, smiling sympathetically. Tanjiro then heaved the charcoal in the basket over his shoulder, huffed, and trudged over to Takeo, who looked down at the ground and was now slightly more saddened at the fact his brother was leaving than his other siblings. As Takeo continued to stare downwards, he felt a roughened hand land on his head and pat him. He moved his gaze upward, landing on Tanjiro's face as, in response to this, Tanjiro smiled.
"We can do that soon! But it'll be okay! " Tanjiro then got on one knee before moving his hand to Takeo's shoulder. "Since I'll be gone, you have to take care of everyone. So make sure everyone is safe, okay?"
Takeo's eyes widened before jumping back from his older brother's touch, his cheeks red as he coughed and nodded rapidly, much to his siblings' amusement.
"S-Sure, you leave it to me, nii-chan!" Takeo nodded rapidly again as Hanako began to snicker at her brother's actions.
"You're blushing Takeo!" Shigeru chortled as his brother proceeded to grow an even brighter shade of red in response to this teasing comment.
"S-Shut up!" Takeo stuttered as he shoved his brother into the snow. A moment of silence passed before the family broke into laughter, even the embarrassed Takeo giggling a bit at the dumbfounded look his white-coated brother was giving him from where he had landed on the ground, as he was now covered in snow.
"Right! I'll be off!" Tanjiro announced, stifling another chuckle from his younger brother's actions. His family beamed at him as he turned around and began to walk in the direction of where the nearby town was.
"G-Good luck!" Takeo called after his older brother as Hanako called out after him only a moment later, "Sell lots of charcoal!"
Tanjiro huffed as he began his trip, his shoulder slightly aching underneath the weight of the coal. It was a wonderful winter day, the large snowflakes falling from both the sky and trees as the snow crunched under his feet. Right as he was about to continue onward out of his house's range, he was interrupted by another familiar voice.
"Onii-chan!"
Tanjiro stopped in his tracks and turned towards the figure calling his name, smiling, as he already knew who it was based on her voice. Nezuko Kamado, his younger sister, was making her way cautiously over to him, trying to keep their youngest brother Rokuta asleep on her back while trying to avoid slipping on any stray ice. She was easily one of the most beautiful women of their hometown. Her hair was tied back so that no stray hair could make its way onto her graceful, calm face and block her sight while she held Rokuta. Her eyes, a shade of pale pink, widened with surprise as she saw the load her brother was carrying as she stopped, her pink kimono swaying in the cold breeze.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro happily acknowledged his sister's presence with a kind smile before frowning at the sight of their youngest sibling on her back, who was shivering from the weather. "Is Rokuta doing well?"
"I was actually going to put him down for a nap. I'd knew he would make a scene if he saw you leaving." A light giggle bubbled in the back of her throat before she looked off into the white-topped trees. Clearing her throat, she continued, but was notably more sober than before. "He misses Dad a lot since he..."
"We all do." Tanjiro consoled her as he maneuvered his way through the snow over to her. Upon reaching her, he proceeded to extend his arm over her and pat the cold boy on the head, whose shivering seemed to slightly cease upon his touch. "It's hard, but we'll manage. We always do."
"Everyone will follow you, no matter where you go." Nezuko stated sternly, but kindly, as Tanjiro gave his sister a sweet smile at the compliment before withdrawing his hand and turning his body around again.
A quiet moan from the back of Nezuko seemed to alert her of her other brother's current condition. "I'll see you later!" Nezuko called out, before hurrying back towards where Tanjiro had left, the snow crunching under her feet slowly gettting quieter and quieter until she had disappeared from his line of sight. He smiled at his sister's care of her family before shaking his head, causing some snow that had fallen onto his head to fall onto the white-coated ground below. He turned around again and, with a huff, began to trudge towards town.
"Our life wasn't necessarily easy, but it was peaceful."
"But life and weather are related. Both shift and move on. It could never stay forever sunny."
Tanjiro wheezed as he felt a slight pressure on his stomach, managing to crack open one eye. He was able to make out the silhouette of a figure that seemed to have holstered him over their shoulder. He was unable to identify who, as his eyes gave way to darkness once again. He was now alone with his thoughts and memories once more. He gave a slight shudder before he fell completely limp once more.
"And whenever the sun goes away, the smell of blood soon follows."
"Tanjiro! Oh Tanjiro!"
"Hello Tanjiro!"
"Tanjiro! You must come over some time when you're available. My whole family is getting worried, you haven't seen them for a while, you know!"
Tanjiro beamed as the villagers sent their greetings his way as he passed them. He was well-known in the village for his hard word and kind attitude towards the others who resided in the village. Ever since his father had died, most of the people in the village acted as though Tanjiro was the head of his family. He couldn't reprimand them, as their thoughts were not far off from the true scenario. Tanjiro's mother worked hard at home, and his siblings were too young to help him. The only exception was Nezuko, but she was too busy taking care of their siblings! If only he had an older sibling... someone to help him with his partial leadership of his family...
"Tanjiro! Can we get some charcoal over here?"
An older darker-haired man had called this out, surrounded by his wife and children, all of whom were shivering from the cold as they stood in the doorframe of one of the many houses in the village. As Tanjiro turned to give the man what he had, another voice made itself known.
"Just wanted to say thanks for the help with my doors from the other day, Tanjiro! My mother would've killed me!"
Another man, this time an older black-haired teen, was nearby chopping smaller bits of wood on a tree stump, having taken a break from his job as he addressed Tanjiro while wiping his brow free of any sweat. Another voice quickly entered the fray before Tanjiro could even respond to the hard-working boy.
"Tanjiro, perfect timing!"
A boy, with small trails of blood leaving his mouth and nose, came running out of a house holding a bundle of something Tanjiro could not make out from sight alone. A grown woman came out shortly after, the displeased look on her face hiding itself almost instantly as she laid eyes upon the burgundy-tipped boy. The younger boy quickly got to his knees before placing the bundle in front of the older boy, a look of pleading adorning his face.
"I've been accused of breaking this plate! Could you-"
"Sniff it?" Tanjiro finished the boy's sentence as a look of surprise crossed the boy's face, before morphing back into the pleading look he had previously worn as he nodded.
"I'd really appreciated that!"
Tanjiro stifled a huff as he maneuvered the basket of coal off of his back onto the snowy ground below. He then leaned down, and gave the wrapped up remains of the plate a sniff as the boy of whom had brought the wreckage wiped his mouth onto his sleeve, in order to clean it of any stray blood.
"This isn't the scent of the boy." Tanjiro thought to himself as the boy looked on anxiously, ignoring his angry mother coming up from behind him."This is the scent of..."
"What do you think you're doing, bothering Tanjiro like that?" The mother berated her son as many travelers stared at the strange sight of the growing teen sniffing the plate, while regulars chuckled and continued to walk. Little known to the travelers, Tanjiro had the best nose in the whole village. He could sniff out an injured person from a mile away from the smell of blood alone. While it shocked many of the villagers at first, they all soon took advantage of the situation and asked the young boy for help locating their lost valuables. Tanjiro didn't mind, he was happy that he could help everyone! "You should just own up and-
"A CAT!" The young boy with the amazing nose exclaimed, startling the mother, the child, and the small crowd that had gathered, diverting all attention towards himself without knowing. "I smell a cat on this!"
"Oh, so it was a cat?" The mother's eyes became less sharp as she now looked slightly guilty, knowing as well as every other local that Tanjiro's sense of smell was never awry. "Well, try to avoid being at the wrong place at the wrong time in the future, okay?"
"Just listen to me more in the future!" The boy huffed in annoyance as the crowd clapped at the astonishing nose of one Tanjiro Kamado. Tanjiro merely blushed at the praise before the young woodcutter of whom he had conversed with previously called out to him again.
"Sorry Tanjiro, could you give me a hand with all of this wood?"
"I appreciate the help Tanjiro! Sorry for keeping you..."
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad I could be of use! Enjoy the charcoal!"
Tanjiro then waved to the black-haired woodcutter before walking away, as the man happily waved back at the boy. The sun was now starting to set, casting a glow across the snow, which seemed to glitter in response to the beautiful light from above. From the opposite direction of the sun in the sky, a darkness began to settle across the land.
Tanjiro sneezed from the cold as removed the basket from his back to look how at how much coal he had managed to sell. To his great surprise, it was almost completely empty! It was more than enough! He couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride from this, knowing that he had not let his family down.
As Tanjiro maneuvered the mostly empty basket onto his back again, a new, matured voice interrupted his actions. "Tanjiro! Are you headed back to the mountain now? At this time?"
Tanjiro turned to the man who had addressed him. He had sharp, brown eyes and curbed hair as he stared worryingly at the delivery-boy. "I'll put you up for the night. Think of it as payment from when you fixed my window. Now come here. You don't know what kind of creatures come onto that mountain at night."
"But Saburo-san..." Tanjiro trailed off, realizing that the old man was not taking any kind of refusal. Stifling a disappointed sigh, he trudged over to the sallow-faced man who nodded in apparent satisfaction at the boy's actions. Saburo opened the door and strode inside, beckoning Tanjiro to follow suit. The burgundy-tipped boy took one last look longingly toward his goal before following the man into the house, closing the door behind him.
"Delicious!"
"Hmph, I'm glad you find it tolerable."
Tolerable wasn't the first word when it came to Saburo's cooking. It was amazing! Tanjiro's empty belly was quickly satisfied as dish after dish became empty. The aged man only watched with disgusted fascination as Tanjiro practically inhaled his meals, tired out after a long day of dragging charcoal around the village and helping others.
Tanjiro slammed his bowl down with a loud *clunk* as he exhaled from the wonderful food he had been given. A few moments passed before his cheeks slowly reddened, realizing the lack of manners he had displayed doing so, as he had been so hungry that he had forgotten about all other present company.
"Tanjiro, I've told you about the man-eating demons that come at night, correct?"
"No Saburo-san!" Tanjiro replied quickly, a blush still on his face, eager to change the topic from his terrible manners. "What are these demons like?"
The grown man cast a weary look in the boy's direction before continuing on. "I'm almost sure I've told you this before, but alright. These demons prowl on the land after nightfall. It's one of the reasons I invited you inside, aside from the kindness you've dealt to me in the past. You should never stroll around after nightfall. After all, my family...
Saburo trailed off as Tanjiro cast his gaze down to the floorboards below, the scent of grief now coming from the man that sat opposite of himself. He couldn't meet the older man's gaze. He had lost his entire family, and yet no one knew what had caused it! Saburo claimed demons had eaten his family, but no one believed the poor man. Even Tanjiro didn't fully believe him. After all, he had been outside at night before and had been perfectly fine! It made more sense to believe that the man was simply still in shock or was unable to get a good look at the animal that had mauled his wonderful family.
"Well," Saburo spoke up again, although his voice seemed slightly more strained than it had been prior. "it seems as though I have lost track of time. The futon's off to your right. Time to get some sleep."
Tanjiro nodded and began to try and move his dirty dishes, only for Saburo to speak up in protest as he got up from where he had sat. "No need. I'll take care of it when you leave tomorrow. For now, get some rest. You have quite the trip to make tomorrow."
Darkness was suddenly cast across the room as the lights flickered out, as Saburo turned off the lights. Tanjiro blinked rapidly as his eyes began to adjust to the sudden change in light as he rolled over and grasped through the darkness for his futon. His hand landed on the soft bedding as he pulled it towards himself. After pulling it from his right, he crawled on top of it and stared up at the ceiling above as Saburo walked over to his own futon, his footsteps making the wooden floorboard creek below. The young boy closed his eyes, trying to sleep, but more thoughts entered his head from the conversation that he had with the black-haired man moments before.
"I can't imagine living alone like Saburo-san." Tanjiro thought somewhat mournfully as he heard the man positioning himself into his bed. "I'll bring my brothers and sisters next time and say, "You don't have to be scared. There are no demons. You're safe."
Tanjiro sighed as his arms flopped out onto the sides of his futon, so that his hands were now on the wooden floor. "But didn't Grandma say the same thing when she was alive?" He shook his head as he began pulling his arms back towards himself. "I should focus on getting sleep. Like Saburo said, I'll need it for sur-"
Tanjiro's thoughts were cut off as sudden pain flowed through his left hand. His eyes shot open upon the uncomfortable feeling as he bit back a yelp before immediately retracting both hands. He squinted in the darkness, but was unable to make anything out. The scent of blood suddenly filled his nostrils as he gagged, running his opposite hand over his injured one. He felt out a scrape mark from dragging his hand on the wooden floor, but that was it. There was blood on his hand. Strange, he could've sworn he smelled more...
Tanjiro stretched as he positioned himself in his futon, closing his eyes once more. This time he began to drift off, finally beginning to fall asleep as an owl hooted outside. It was time for him to sleep.
The same owl that Tanjiro heard was perched on a branch. It stared alertly into the night as it hooted louder under the moonlit night sky.
As the owl was about to hoot once more, a crunching noise was heard from somewhere underneath. In response to this sudden noise, the owl flew away. It flew into the sky to try and get away from the noise, as the loud crunching indicated that a rather large thing had been approaching.
A few moments passed as the owl continued to fly. Then suddenly, while in mid-flight, it fell. Its wings were still spread out as it spiraled towards the ground. When people would find the owl in the future, they would think that a fierce predator had gotten to it and had ripped it to shreds. After all, according to the people, what else could it have been?
The owls entire face had been removed in an instant.
"You be careful now, Tanjiro!"
Saburo waved the boy goodbye as he closed his door. Tanjiro let out a content huff as he began his journey to his house, his footprints trailing behind him in the snow. After waking up and eating a quick breakfast, he had quickly started walking again. He had a long walk until he reached the mountain, so Saburo made sure that he had eaten a lot before leaving!
Tanjiro still felt slightly guilty about the conversation about demons he had asked about the night before in an attempt to divert attention from his poor manners. He didn't want the old man to relive terrible experiences! But there was still the matter of what had killed his family. Tanjiro had to be on high alert when he got back home. He didn't want his family to share the same fate as Saburo's poor family!
After a walk that was so long that his legs were aching, he finally saw the mountain that he and his family resided on. He smiled to himself. They would be so happy when they saw how much he had managed to sell!
"Father, I hope you're happy with me." Tanjiro thought to himself as the mountain drew seemingly closer and closer with every step he took towards it. The snow blew around him as he continued to walk towards the mountain as he trudged through it, causing him to become more exhausted with every step he took.
And then, like a flip of a switch, it happened.
The putrid, horrible scent of blood filled Tanjiro's sensitive nostrils. The smell made the boy stop, his eyes widening and watering at the sudden terrible smell. He quickly gazed left and right, fear filling his eyes as he knew what this probably was...
"A bear attack! I knew I should've brought the axe!" A bear was most likely in the area, and had recently killed something, maybe a fox, or another smaller creature. He had to get out of here and return home quickly!
He began to sprint towards home as fast as his body would allow him to run. His breath became quicker and shallower as he continued on, due to the lack of air on the mountain. Was it just him, or was the smell getting...worse? In fact, he could smell it more clearly now. It wasn't the smell of fox or bear blood. It was the smell...
Of human blood.
"No."
The only word that could come to Tanjiro's mind was this. He finally saw it, his home. The place where his family would be waiting for him. The place where his mother was going to tell him how proud she was. The place where Hanako would beam up at him as he told her fairy-tails. The place where he and Takeo would cut wood together, laughing at each other's failed attempts at slicing the bark. The place where he would play with Rokuta while talking to Nezuko, who would smile at the sound of his voice.
The place that was now covered in gore and blood.
"No."
Tanjiro couldn't think properly. Where was his home? What was all this? This couldn't be his home. There was too much blood. There was too much gore. Where was his family?
"Find them."
Tanjiro stumbled towards his bloodied home as he absentmindedly let the basket fall off his back onto the ground, so that the little coal that remained spilled out onto the snow. He took a shaky step towards the structure, passing by where he had been sleeping a day earlier. Was that really one day ago? It felt like a lifetime ago due to the problems he was facing now.
Each step taken felt like an eternity. Deep down, he knew what would happen if he went inside his house. He knew what he would see when he would open the door that he passed through hundreds, if not thousands, of times prior. But he couldn't believe it. He wouldn't believe it. Not until he saw them.
Hanako, of whom he promised a story that would have her raving for the rest of the day.
Takeo, of whom he would chop wood with.
Shigeru, who wanted to help with his delivery.
His mother, Rokuta, and...
Nezuko.
He stopped in front of the blood-covered door. In a horrified trance, he managed to pry it open.
He saw her there, on the floor. She wasn't moving. Why wasn't she moving? Why was she covered in blood? What was that shrill noise? It sounded like... a scream? He moved his hand to his face, only to feel his mouth open.
Oh. He was the one who was screaming.
All at once, reality harshly returned to Tanjiro as the terrible smell of blood wafted throughout the room and into his nostrils. Tears filled Tanjiro's terrified eyes as he dropped to his knees at the door, unknowingly covering them both in blood. He could finally hear the horrified screaming he was emitting, and yet it barely scratched the surface of how he truly felt.
Because his sister lay dead in front of him.
Blood covered the surroundings in the room, so much so that he could no longer make out the flooring from beneath the red liquid below. There were cracks in the structures as well, indicating that their had been a struggle. But Tanjiro could barely take in his current surroundings as he knelt down in front of his sister, his whole body shaking from his sobs as bile rose in the back of his throat.
He grabbed his sister by her kimono and, swallowing the disgusting puke that had rose in his dry mouth. He pulled her close, hugging her body as he continued to weep. Blood now covered him as well, but that was the least of his worries. Why? Why his sister? Where was the rest of his family? And... what was that strange scent that seemingly wafted throughout the room?
Peering around the room with red eyes from crying, he didn't see any other bodies around the room. But all of this blood... There was no way that only Nezuko was the one bleeding due to how much of it covered the room. What had caused this? A bear? But... weren't bears supposed to hibernate around this time of year?
He dipped his head down again has he embraced his bloody sister. He would never again hear her laugh, see her eyes light up at the sight of him, or smile whenever he would please her. He would never see her again. All he had left was her warm corpse.
...
Warm...?
He embraced his sister once more, but there was a noticeable amount of heat emitting from her dying body. But that meant... that she was alive!
Not even waiting a moment, he threw the dying Nezuko over his shoulder as he nearly broke the door off as he viciously opened it, grabbed the axe that lay against the house with one hand, and began to run as fast as he could towards town. He wanted to look for his family. He wanted to make sure that they had escaped. They had to, right? But there was no sign of the attacker in the house, which meant that the attacker...
A groan from Nezuko dismissed these thoughts swiftly as Tanjiro let out a wheeze of terror as he began to run twice the speed than the pace he was running at previously. She was still alive, but she wouldn't last long with her wounds! And if her wounds didn't kill her, than the cold temperature would!
The eldest sibling resisted the urge to stop as his lungs burned from the sudden intakes of icy air as he continued to sprint forward, so that now he was on an elevated part of the path. He had to hurry! He wouldn't let his sister die! He was her older brother!
"I-I'm...going..." Tanjiro gasped for air as he continued. "To... save-
"URAAAAA!"
Tanjiro's blood went cold from the noise his sister made as he felt two sharp-nailed hands grab his shoulders. What was she doing? Was she having a seizure? How did she wake up? She should have been unconscious at the very least from the amount of blood that she had lost!
Before Tanjiro could scream to his sister, wondering what she was doing, he felt her feet swing into his lower back. All the wind left him as he gagged, his feet leaving the ground as he was thrown off the path down one of its steep sides. A scream and a blood-curling shriek echoed throughout the clearing as they both tumbled down the hill, Tanjiro's flesh and clothes getting sliced up by the brambles and branches as he tumbled downwards.
After what felt like an eternity, Tanjiro tumbled onto the cold ground below. He rolled onto the snow, so that his hair, clothes, and face was now all covered in snow, which was beginning to turn red from his blood. The place on his face where his tears were stung from the sudden cold. For a few moments, he stared up at the cloudy sky above, gasping at the icy air to regain his breath. His brain was still trying to process the events that had just occurred in such little time. His eyes widened as he laid eyes upon his sister, who strangely seemed to have sustained no injures in their tumble downhill. Her head hung low as she swayed, alarming her older brother.
"Nez-"
Tanjiro was unable to finish uttering his sister's name as she raised her head. He broke off in horror at the state of his sister. Veins popped around her face as she glared at her brother, giving no sign of familiarity as they stared each other down. Nezuko growled as she opened her mouth and hissed at Tanjiro. What little color that Tanjiro's face had left paled as she lunged at him, her sharp hands reaching towards him as they both hit the ground.
"There's no way! That's impossible! She can't be..."
Tanjiro used one hand to push his sister off her, only for her to push her face closer to his, snapping her mouth as she tried to rip his face off. He grasped to his right, hoping to find something. Anything.
A wooden handle landed in his grasp as the boy gasped in a mix of terror and relief as he realized what he had found. With a solid swing, he swung his axe between them, so that her snapping mouth was caught on the handle. Her slitted eyes narrowed at this as, with another growl, she pushed harder.
"She's... a demon."
An overwhelmingamount of despair overcame Tanjiro as he held his sister back with his axe, his stomach churning. This... this was his fault. If he had been home, he could've prevented this! His family wouldn't have vanished, and he would still have his sister. This was completely and utterly all his fault.
Nezuko suddenly trembled while gritting her teeth harder into the axe, catching Tanjiro's attention. For a moment, he somehow hoped that she had regained her senses. But instead, her size began to slowly increase, causing the shocked Tanjiro to wheeze under the sudden added weight as Nezuko's clothes began to tear from the sudden growth she was displaying.
"S-She's gonna c-crush me..."
Tanjiro began to push weakly back against the axe that separated he and his sister from each other."Not yet... I-I have to help my f-family."
"I-I'm going t-to save you, N-N-Nezuko."
He looked up at the results of his actions, as she snarled at him through the axe in her mouth. No sign of familiarity shown in her changed eyes, yet it made him all the more determined.
"I'M G-GOING TO SAVE YOU!"
"RAGHHHH!"
With a shout that held strength that the boy had previously lacked, he pulled the handle closer to him, causing it to fall out of her teeth. Both Nezuko and Tanjiro moved at once, her clawed hands slashing his face as he kicked both his feet forward into her stomach.
Both siblings fell over as all the air left the boy, causing him to shout in pain from both this and the injury he had sustained. He inhaled shakily through his mouth as he put a hand on the side of his head before retracting it, examining it carefully. A small, cold comfort it was when he saw the amount of blood on his hand.
"Thank god. It's not bad! Look's like the cut was shallow-"
"Gaghhh... Agh..."
Pained, familiar groaning reached his ears as he saw Nezuko looming over him. Terror filled him as he bit back a scream because of her sudden freedom. He kept his eyes shut as he grasped frantically for his axe, waiting for her to swing her claws down at him to end his life.
Yet it never came.
Tanjiro continued to grope around with his free hand while keeping his eyes on Nezuko, who was now staring up at the clouds above, as though caught in a trace. Her face was blank as she continued to gaze upwards, fulling Tanjiro with a mixture of apprehension and hope.
The hope he felt was quickly extinguished, however, as his sister opened her mouth. For a fleeting moment, he thought that she was going to say something. Perhaps she would be able to return to her senses?
And then, she let out a pained shriek.
Nezuko's hands flew onto her head as she stumbled, as though she had a migraine headache. She grit her teeth as she slowly began to forcefully shrink back into her normal size, screams and growls accompanying the sudden transformation. Due to the sudden action, Tanjiro immediately switched his gaze to the clearing around them, wide eyes moving frantically as he looked for the item of which he had lost.
And there it was, laying in the snow. He darted over to the axe as he wrapped his hand around it, feeling a bit safer than he had previously.
Another scream from his sister then removed any piece of safety he had felt. He looked back at her, both confused and terrified of the sudden events occurring. She was now on all fours on the ground, steam leaving the hand that had slashed Tanjiro's face, that was still covered in his crimson blood. The snow that landed on her back melted instantly, dripping onto the snow below. Tanjiro, losing all train of thought of what had just happened, began to stumble towards his sister, horrified.
Was she... melting...?
Nezuko let out a final inhuman shriek on the ground before she groaned and fell still on the snow below. Tanjiro, gasping for breath, held his axe with a shaky hand and slowly started to tread over to where his sister lay. Her hair had fallen out of its previous style, so that it now fell loosely around her on the snow. She was on the ground face-first, so that he could no longer see the pained, bloodthirsty expressions she had wore before. She had also stopped steaming, a fact of which he did not know what to make of.
An unwelcome red color suddenly filled one of his eye's vision as he wiped his eye clean of the blood that dripped down into it from the wound his sister had given him. Rather than staying away from her, however, he began to maneuver even faster towards her than before. He needed to get her... Where would he bring her? Who would help his sister, who was now a demon?
Thoughts for later, as he had finally arrived at the unmoving Nezuko. He immediately moved his head down and, without thought of what might happen if she woke up, positioned his head to her chest so that his ear could hear any kind of heartbeat. He didn't care if she was going to eat him, he needed to help her! He closed his dark red eyes, praying for any sign of life.
*Ba-bump*
Relief washed over Tanjiro as he retracted his head from the unconscious form of his sister, who's kimono was now stained with Tanjiro's blood from his face. Relief he hadn't felt since he had arrived back at his home. He knew not whether his family lived or not, his sister was now a man-eating demon, and he was bleeding from the head, but he still welcomed the sense of relief of his sister being-
*shing*
Alive...
The sharp scent of metal suddenly filled Tanjiro's nostrils as he quickly threw himself on top of his sister, hearing the *rip* of his kimono as the sharp object missed him by an inch. A sudden crunching in the snow caught Tanjiro's attention as he craned his head over to where he heard the noise, all the while staying on top of his sister.
"Why are you protecting it?"
The man called over to him in an emotionless tone as Tanjiro was finally able to get a good look at the man who had just tried to kill them. The man was young and tall with a pale complexion.Unruly black hair that stuck up in tufts fell down into a ponytail, and his bangs fell over his forehead in an uneven fringe. The man seemed to be wearing some sort of uniform underneath his haori, which was split down the middle to differentiate the two different patterns on each side, the right side a shade of red, and the left side geometrically patterned with orange, green, and yellow squares. Sharp, stoic sapphire-blue eyes narrowed down upon the boy who was guarding his sister, a sword held ready in his right hand.
"Who is this man? Why does he have a sword?" Tanjiro wondered to himself as the swordsman addressed him once more.
"I asked you a question. Why are you-"
"She's my sister!" Tanjiro yelled over to the aloof man while Nezuko let out a groan as she shifted on the ground below him. Unnoticed by Tanjiro, his sister's hand, which had been covered in his blood, was now clean. "She's my family!"
"You would call that... thing... your sister?" The black-haired man questioned the boy cooly as Nezuko whimpered from underneath him, but did not awaken. The man tilted his head slightly to get a better look at the demon Tanjiro had under himself. "My job is to slay demons. It should go without saying that I'm going to cut off your sister's head. But it seems you've already made my job easier-"
"NO!" Tanjiro yowled getting shakily up off the body of his still sister so that he was now facing the man down from across the clearing, his axe held in his shaking right hand. "Back at my house, there was a smell I couldn't distinguish! Nezuko didn't kill anyone! She wouldn't! I don't even know if my family is dead or not!"
The man stared all the more impassively at the desperate boy before speaking up again. "Your family is dead. No normal person survives an encounter with a demon. Your sister's wounds were exposed to demon blood, so she became a demon. This means that there was another demon there. If she didn't kill your family, then the other one did."
"N-No..." Tanjiro gasped out before remembering what he saw more clearly. "But there were no bodies-"
"Regardless," The swordsman interrupted him again, "It's time I cut off her head. Please move away from her."
"I'll turn her back!" Tanjiro declared to the man, as nothing else seemed to be working. "I'll return her back to the way she was-"
"No demon can return to humanity after becoming a demon." The long-haired man's eyes narrowed as he flourished his sword back into a ready position. "I'll give her a quick death, so worry no-"
"PLEASE!" Tanjiro screamed, falling onto his knees as he smashed his head against the cold snow below and lay his hands out before him, truly begging for his sister's life. "Please, I beg of you! She's everything to me! Don't do it!"
The man stood there, sword raised, and, unbeknownst to the begging Tanjiro, showed emotion for the first time since his arrival. He snarled. "Stop that pathetic groveling!"
Tanjiro paused and raised himself from where he lay, looking at the angry swordsman with terror and confusion as the swordsman began to rant.
"Why are you giving her the chance to murder you? The weak have no rights or choices! Their fate is to only be crushed by the strong!" The swordsman stopped to breath as Tanjiro looked on at him, transfixed yet confused and afraid. He started up again. "The demons might know how to cure your sister, but do you honestly think a demon will ever help you? Don't make me laugh! A demon would never respect your wishes, just as I have no respect for you! That's reality!"
Tanjiro's breath hitched as the swordsman's grip tightened around the hilt of his blade. "Why is it that you threw yourself over your sister mere moments ago? Was that your way of protecting her? Why didn't you swing that hatchet then?" The man pointed towards the axe in Tanjiro's hand with the tip of his sword. "With a blunder like that, it's no wonder that your family is dead, and your sister is a demon!"
Tanjiro would've tightened his grip on the handle of his axe, but resisted, knowing that it might snap underneath the anger that boiled in him. He knew what he had to do. This wouldn't end well for him at all, but he had to protect what remained of his life. He had to find his family, and he would bring Nezuko as well.
They were going to be a family once again.
"Feel that anger? That rage boiling up inside of you? Use it."
Tanjiro moved his left hand to the bottom of the hilt on the axe as his right hand slid up the hilt. He was now holding the axe in two hands as he gave a shaky breath. The man had begun to run towards him, getting ready to decapitate his sister. Despite his nervousness, however, Tanjiro's glare intensified as the man raised his sword and jumped.
"Use your anger. I know you want to scream. I know you want to cry. I get it. But now, fight. Fight for your family! Your fragile resolve can't do anything! You can't protect your sister or your family! So, at the very least..."
The man was now behind Tanjiro in the air, and he swung his swords downwards towards his sister. Tanjiro, smelling where the man had suddenly vanished to, swung his axe with a backhand swing.
"FIGHT!"
And Tanjiro's hatchet met the man's sword. Upon his axe meeting the sword, Tanjiro knew he was at an immediate disadvantage. This grown man was stronger, smarter, and had more endurance than he did. It came no surprise to Tanjiro as he was suddenly repelled, as the man had countered his attack and swung downwards. He had failed. His sister was dead.
And the man's sword missed it intended target, all because of the boy's swing that had managed to slightly move his blade.
The blade skewered the ground near Nezuko's head rather than the demon herself. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he landed nearby, nearly falling into a ditch as he skidded across the snowy dirt below. Coming to a stop, he stood up straight again, only to see the boy charging in at the man with a ferocious anger.
"A straightforward attack driven solely by emotion..." The swordsman grit his teeth as he raised his sword into the air, aiming the back of the hilt towards the ponytailed boy's back. "You fool!"
And then, a small rock barreled into his side.
The black-haired man's face, which had been mostly impassive upon his arrival, showed genuine shock for a moment as he felt the sharp object make contact, although it caused him no pain. The average person would've probably begun to bleed, as the rock had been thrown with much force. But because of his relentless training, the rock didn't even leave a mark. Instead, he stepped effortlessly outside of Tanjiro's wild swing to his face as he turned his attention in the direction of which the rock had been thrown.
As he turned his head, however, a second rock was already traveling towards him. But with a simple flourish of his sword, the rock was cut cleanly down the middle and the two halves landed with *thuds* behind him. Who exactly was doing-
"STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!"
-this?
Tanjiro's breathing halted as he stopped moving completely, his axe still held ready above his head, as he had been preparing for another swing. He craned his head in the direction of the voice, hope starting to fill the empty void that had been his heart ever since he had found his family gone and sister on the verge of death.
And there, standing breathlessly with her hair falling over messily onto her back and face, was the angry and terrified form of Nezuko Kamado.
She was here. Where was here? She didn't know. What was happening? What was going on? Why was she alone? Why was everything dark?
Why did her hand hurt so much?
"Is that all?"
A cool voice entered her head. Upon hearing it, she clenched her head and growled. Why did it hurt so much?
"I cannot make a demon that can easily conquer the sun. But perhaps..."
"RUN SIS!"
Memories flashed before the confused Nezuko, yet she could not decipher them. Who were those people again?
"No one of any importance."
...true. If she couldn't even remember who they were, obviously they couldn't be anyone of her interest. The voice was right. The past didn't matter. Neither did the future. Only the present mattered. And in the present, she was hungry. Very hungry for human-
"Nezuko."
Upon hearing this voice, the pounding in her head ceased as she gazed around in the darkness, a strange emotion flooding through her. Who was that? That voice sounded familiar. Had she heard it before? Where had she heard this soothing voice?
"Let's go home Nezuko."
The girl shook her head tentatively as the voice spoke again. She wanted to know who that voice belonged to. She needed to know. It sounded so calm, so peaceful...
"Are you going to throw away the gift that I so generously bestowed upon you?"
Nezuko's face contorted into a frown upon hearing this voice speak up once again. Gift? What gift was it talking about?
A painful sensation flooded her skull starting at the points at where her fingertips dug in to her hair. With a yelp, she pulled her hands back. Why had it hurt so much? Her hands appeared to be fine. Clawed and completely unscathed.
...clawed?
Nezuko's face turned into one of shock as she held her hands before her, examining them. Her hands could no be mistaken as weapons as each nail was clawed. This... wasn't normal! What happened to her? Where was she? Where was mother and her siblings?
"Your family is dead. You killed them~"
Terror and anger filled Nezuko's entire body as it felt as though her blood had been replaced with the ice that she had treaded on earlier that day. She couldn't have killed them! She wouldn't! She remembered what happened! A knock at the door, the door opening without any of the family's consent, and then...
...what happened after that? She couldn't remember! The door had opened... what had happened next? Where was her family?
"REMEMBER!"
Despite being alone in this world of voices, Nezuko screamed this to herself as though the word on it's own would somehow benefit her. As the word left her mouth, however, she gasped and immediately clasped a clawed hand over it. Was that... her voice? It couldn't be! It sounded terrible, worse than any rasp she had ever uttered in her life! Was this... the gift that the voice had talked about? She didn't want this!
"You don't have a choice in the matter. Now go and eat. Eat humans, and be satisfied. Do this now!"
The voice, now much more stern and foreboding than it had been previously, attempted to command her, but to no avail. Nezuko was now running her claws hands through her long hair, becoming even more hysterical when the voice spoke to her as tears filled her slitted eyes. Eat humans? Why was this happening? What had she done to deserve this? She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go home and see her family!
"You can no longer do this! You have nothing left, so let me show you what you can become!"
The masculine voice now sounded more agitated and angered than he had spoken as Nezuko began to growl again with her sharp fingernails digging into her skull as her hands clutched it. He was right. She had nothing left. Her family was dead. Her siblings and mother were dead, and it was all her fault. All of it was her doing-
"NO!"
Nezuko's head shot up upon hearing this voice. She knew now, she remembered that voice. But... hadn't he died? Why wasn't he dead like the rest of their family?
"Back at my house, there was a smell I couldn't distinguish! Nezuko didn't kill anyone! She wouldn't! I don't even know if my family is dead or not!"
The tears that had filled her eyes had begun to run down her cheeks as she heard the voice. The voice of her sweet brother. The voice of the boy who worked so hard just to provide for their family. Was she going to let him suffer alone?
The burning sensation that flooded her hand seemed to increase. Hissing in pain, she brought it up to herself, only to gape in astonishment. Her hand was steaming and felt as though it was burning, but that wasn't what made Nezuko stare. She stared at her hand, hope filling her as she stood alone.
Her hand, although red, burning, and steaming, was now unclawed. It had been completely restored. The burning sensation slowly began to wash across her arm, heading towards her torso. Raising her head and spreading out her arms, she had no doubt how strange she must look if someone saw her do this. But she didn't care. She welcomed this pain. This pain was good.
"Stop it! That's an order! Don't you dare listen to that voice, you stupid girl!"
Nezuko had indeed stopped listening, but rather to the other voice, much to the other voice's fury. The sensation continued on spread until it finally hit her torso. The moment the feeling reached her torso, it spread across her body in an instant. Through the burning sensation, she could feel her whole body, from each tip of her clawed toe all the way to her neck as she closed her eyes.
Although all she could feel was the burning feeling throughout her body, Nezuko never noticed the drastic changes her body was going through. Both her hands were now unclawed as well as her feet. The pain had finally begun to creep into her head, and slowly spread upwards until it felt as though her whole body was now aflame.
"Come back here this instant! I command you!"
"No."
Nezuko spoke for the second time upon her arrival in the pitch-black realm as she opened her eyes. Her voice, much to her hidden delight, had returned to its original state. She opened her eyes and stared upwards, her eyes back to their original color and hair returned to its original color as she began to walk through the pitch-black area. The voice suddenly spoke again, although this time Nezuko heard a hint of desperation among its cruel words.
"I own you! I have your family! Don't you want to see your family again?"
"Let's go home Nezuko."
The voice of her beloved brother echoed through her ears as a hand suddenly burst through the shroud of darkness. A familiar, roughened hand was held out, as though awaiting her. Not even hesitating a single moment, she lunged at the hand as though it were her lifeline and grasped it with her hand, the hand that still ached terribly. The hand, feeling her touch, slowly began to retract into the darkness and bringing her with it. She was going back, no matter what it took.
"...You've chosen death over servitude."
Nezuko's eyes squinted as light began to obstruct her vision, protruding through the eternal darkness that had previously surrounded her. The hand pulled, and she had not let go hearing these words. She would save her family and her brother. She would remember.
The light got so bright that she closed her eyes completely. She would remember.
Whatever it takes.
The swordsman stood there with his sword drawn, staring up at the girl in surprise as Tanjiro stared at his sister for a moment, nothing but blank shock shown as his jaw hung open at seeing his sister standing there, well and unharmed.
And then, he began to weep. Cold tears ran down his cheeks as he dropped the axe that he had held above his head with a loud clatter. Then, placing his head into his hands, he began to sob, falling to his knees upon seeing his sister. Nezuko, in response to this, gasped and dropped the rocks she had been holding, running to her fallen brother. The black-haired man continued to stand there, his gaze and face as stoic as it had been before as he watched the girl embrace her brother.
"N-N-" Tanjiro sobbed even harder feeling his sister's warm touch again, as she hugged him. "N-Nezuko..."
"I'm here Onii-chan." Nezuko whispered into her brother's ear as their hug tightened. "I promise I won't ever worry you again. I'm sorry, Tanjiro."
Before Tanjiro could either wipe his tears or possibly cry even harder than before, footsteps were heard crunching towards the siblings. Nezuko moved out of the embrace and pushed her brother behind her, eyes widening at the armed man who was approaching them. The man stopped before the duo, staring down at the with his sword drawn. Although he appeared to be void of any emotion, he felt unsure of what to do.
So, he did what he believed to be logical.
"I was aiming to kill you, you know. Give me a good reason to spare your life, demon."
Nezuko shivered under the icy gaze of the swordsman who stood above her and her crying brother, yet she didn't budge as she spread her arms out in an act of protection. "You won't hurt my brother! I won't let you!"
For a fleeting moment, the girl could've sworn she was something flicker behind the cold man's eyes. As though he had left reality temporarily and had entered a world in which only he could see. She wasn't sure, as the man's eyes returned to their previous state as he stared down at the two of them. He then spoke up once again, but this time rather tersely.
"Look at me."
Both siblings complied with this order, gazing obediently and fearfully up at the man. The boy still had tears streaming down his face from his red, swollen eyes, and right hand was covered in blood from having clutched the wound on his face, yet he stared up at the man all the same. But the swordsman paid the boy no heed. He focused, however, on the eyes of the boy's beloved sister. Eyes that had been slitted and full of bloodthirsty rage that the armed man had seen in action.
Eyes that were now round, scared, and completely human-looking.
"Is this her blood-demon art?" The man questioned to himself as he took another loud step forward, causing the snow underneath his feet to crunch loudly and making the girl wince back, but she didn't cease her defensive position. "No... she's genuinely frightened. She isn't acting, not after how she behaved as a demon... what did this boy do?"
Tanjiro wiped the tears off of his cold face as the swordsman stood before them menacingly. He still had his axe, but he couldn't beat this man! He was older, stronger, faster, smarter... He would have to distract him!
But as Tanjiro made to get to his axe, it was too late. The man was already over them, although there was something different about the way he looked at them now. He now gazed at the two with... what was this smell?
"Interest? Hope?"
Tanjiro could not decipher the smell, as it smelled quite different from any other emotion or thing that he had smelled prior. The swordsman then leaned down towards the two, causing Nezuko to flinch and Tanjiro to grab his sister by the shoulder, ready to throw her to the side so he could take the attack.
"Go see an old man named Sakonji Urokodaki who lives at the foot of Mt. Sagiri. Tell him that Giyuu Tomioka sent you two."
The black-haired swordsman, who's name had been revealed as Giyuu, sheathed his blade as he began to walk away from the two cold, confused, and scared siblings. Tanjiro called out to him, although his voice was very strained from his weeping. "W-Why? Where a-are you goi-"
He trailed off as Giyuu turned around, unsheathing his blade again. For a wild moment, he thought that he was about to attempt and attack them again. But rather, he pointed the tip of his blade at Tanjiro as a cold gust of wind blew throughout the clearing.
"I don't let potential go to waste. You should remember that." And with that, he sheathed his sharp blade once more before moving his gaze up to the cloudy sky above. "I'd recommend leaving now, before nightfall."
And with that, he vanished into thin air, giving the impression that Tanjiro had been talking to a spirit rather than a man. But, even through the scent of the snow, he was able to smell that the man had moved some distance away. But this was the least of his worries as he continued to hug his sister, his only family member. All that he had left.
Nezuko, meanwhile, continued to gaze off in the the direction of where the man had vanished as she shivered, but not from the frigid temperatures nor from Giyuu's actions. The truth hit her hard. She couldn't remember what had happened at the house, and her whole family had vanished, and here they both were, injured, hurting, unsure if their family was still alive or...
Tears had finally began to leak out of her pale pink eyes as she hugged her brother, now using him as support as she clutched onto his haori, holding onto him as though he would vanish from her grip at any moment. Her lips quivered before she wailed, her cry echoing throughout the snowy clearing. Both siblings would rise above this and find their family.
They would become strong.
But for now, it was proper of them to mourn.
Done. Phew.
I hope ya'll enjoyed the chapter! Something changed in my schedule, so I think I'll be able to write more often. Both this story and my other!
Later!