NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND CHAPTER POSTED TODAY! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ CHAPTER 18, PLEASE DO SO NOW, THANK YOU!
xXx
Much to both Mitsuri and Tanjiro's relief, Tanjiro's eyes returned to his normal, human burgundy, with no slits or kanji.
His claws stayed.
She watched on warily as he stared at them for several seconds, his face unreadable, before he sighed and stood.
"Mitsuri-san," he said quietly, "can you take Nezuko? I'm going to get Akaza."
The Love Pillar blinked, taken aback. "What? Why are you getting him?"
Tanjiro looked at her grimly. "Because… something happened to him and I don't know what. Also, he's a Waxing Moon and has lots of Muzan's blood in him. I need to take him – and Douma's hand over there – to Tamayo-san.
"I also want to have her check over Nezuko."
Mitsuri opened and closed her mouth, so many things flashing through her mind that she didn't quite know what to say.
"Tamayo? Who's that? We need to go to the Butterfly Estate. They can check her over there and—"
"Mitsuri-san," Kamado stepped forward, looking her dead in the eye, "I can explain on the way, but for now, do you trust me?"
For a moment, she wasn't sure. She'd just seen him looking like a demon and fighting like a demon and he had a Demon Blood Art… but she'd also never met anyone so kind while also being so dedicated to taking down the Kizuki… and Muzan.
And, to be honest, if he had been in league with the Demon King, he'd just had the perfect opportunity to kill or capture her.
But he hadn't.
"Will you try and stop me from writing to Ubuyashiki-sama?" she asked slowly.
He blinked. "Of course not! Actually, please do. I have to send a letter home to my family and Urokudaki-sensei anyway."
She thought about it for a moment longer before nodding. "As long as you explain, then yes, I'll trust you." For now.
He looked so grateful to her in that moment that whatever doubt she had fled. He helped her to get Nezuko on her back, then hurried over to Douma's hand, picking it up with a wince. Then he paused, outright cringed and bent to pick up his own and wrapped both of them separately in some cloth he carried in the small pack he had on him.
Then he picked up Akaza, slinging the Waxing Moon over his shoulder.
Something was telling him to hurry.
"Come on," he said. "We need to leave… now."
"Huh?" Mitsuri asked, having reattached her own sword to her belt before using her constant concentration breathing to keep up with him. "What's wrong?"
Tanjiro bit his lip. "Something's coming… I don't know w—"
He cut off suddenly, eyes wide. "Muzan… he's coming!" he whispered.
"What?!" Mitsuri hissed fearfully. "How do you know?"
"I'll explain later. Run now," Tanjiro said.
She didn't need to be told twice, pushing herself farther and faster than she'd ever been able to before, flying across the country side in blurs. For now, she decided to follow Tanjiro's lead as he knew where this 'Tamayo' would be. He took a zig-zagging path that changed randomly, but to her surprise, Mitsuri had little difficulty keeping up. He wasn't going easy on her either. She allowed herself to feel some pride at that.
It took her almost half the night to realize they were heading to Asakusa.
At that point, she outright stopped him.
"Tanjiro, why are we going to Asakusa? That's a city and we have a Waxing Moon with us!"
The other Hashira stopped and blinked at her as if not comprehending why she would bring that up. "He's unconscious."
"And what if he wakes up?"
Again, he blinked. "He won't."
She wanted to throw her hands in the air, but they were still holding Nezuko on her back so she grit her teeth. "How do you know that?"
He opened his mouth, then paused without saying anything and looked to the side. After a moment, he closed his mouth and frowned, puzzled. "I… don't know."
Normally Mitsuri prided herself on being a happy, positive person. She knew that because of it she could come off as ditzy or even a little stupid sometimes, but she'd actually grown up in a relatively wealthy household and had a good education under her belt. She was also tired, cranky, very confused and more unsure of her traveling companion than she wanted to admit to herself, let alone him. So arrest her if she was a little difficult at the moment.
"That's… where we will find Tamayo," he finally said. "We have to go there. She's an expert on demons."
"Then why—" she started, but stopped after a moment and took a deep breath. No matter how cranky, sore and scared she still was, snapping at him wasn't going to help. She was still a fairly new pillar. Of course there were things she wouldn't know yet. And Tanjiro was from the future. That was one reason why she'd agreed to following him to begin with.
"Look, I'm not comfortable taking a Waxing Moon – unconscious and captured or not – into the heart of a city. I've followed you this far and I do trust you, Tanjiro, but I won't put an entire metropolis of people in danger based on a feeling you can't even explain."
She took a deep breath and forced herself to soften her expression. "Please, Tanjiro, don't make me choose."
He looked pained, but eventually nodded, glancing at the forest around them where they'd stopped.
"You're right, I'm sorry," he said, bowing, even as he clutched at the demon on his own back. "I was panicking and not taking everything into consideration. I don't know why I know he won't wake for a while, but I can promise you that I am sure he won't. However, your worry is more than reasonable.
"Will you compromise at going to an inn on the outskirts of the city?"
She bit her lip. She didn't like going to an inn at all, but then again, she didn't like the idea of camping in the woods either. Not with Muzan himself potentially following them.
"Fine. But we have to find one near a field or facing a forest or something. Someplace open enough so that people won't get hurt if we have to take a fight there."
He grinned, looking relieved.
"That's an excellent idea. Thank you, Mitsuri-san."
She waved one of her hands in front of her and shook her head. "I told you, you don't have to use an honorific."
He just grinned at her. She smiled back, even though seeing those sharp teeth again took some of her own happiness and relief away. To be honest, she didn't know exactly what to do at this point except keep people as safe as she possibly could. So that was what she would do.
"We'd better get going," Tanjiro said, gesturing with his head in the direction they'd been going.
Mitsuri nodded tiredly and leapt after him.
xXx
They reached the outskirts of the city just before dawn and managed to find an inn to stay at for the coming day. One side faced a rice field. The idea of ruining a potential food supply didn't sit well with Mitsuri, but it was better than fighting a waxing moon some place more populated.
Besides, both she and Tanjiro were exhausted and Mitsuri had every intention of getting her questions answered now that they had someplace relatively safe to stay.
She was the one who went into the inn and paid for the room, as her carrying a still very much not awake Nezuko wouldn't draw nearly as much attention as Tanjiro carrying a very much not awake demon. Once she entered the room, she opened a window and called to Tanjiro, stepping aside as the boy appeared there seconds later. Between the two of them, they got Akaza inside, found some futons and got him situated (after taking care of Nezuko first, of course).
The window had curtains, which they closed and then both collapsed, bodies giving out after everything they'd put them through.
Eventually, though, Mitsuri sat up and faced her fellow Hashira, expression serious. "Tanjiro, I've trusted you so far, and I plan on continuing to do so, but… I need answers."
He glanced over at her and his expression fell just a little, but he nodded and sat up, facing her.
"Where should I start?"
"What was that back there?" she asked. "And how did you know Muzan was coming?"
His eyebrows drew together. "Honestly, it was just a feeling I got. I think because I…" he paused looking down at his clawed hands grimly, "because of this, I think I opened myself up to him too much. It was part of the reason why I didn't want to use that power to begin with."
A couple of moments of silence before Mitsuri asked, "Then why did you?"
He sighed. "One armed against Douma? I couldn't fight that, not while protecting you and Nezuko and I had to drive him off before he did something worse to her… and you. And I had to save her… I couldn't watch her become a demon again. Never again." He shrunk in on himself a little and shivered.
Okay, but that begged the question: "You opened yourself to him?" She needed clarification here.
Tanjiro sighed.
"He has a connection to every demon he's created. It's why they can't speak his name. He doesn't allow them to. It's possible to throw that curse off, but… this is a new experience for me – slowly turning into a demon. It feels different than it has in the past, but I could certainly sense him. I may need time to sleep again to throw it off."
Mitsuri bit her lip and glanced over at Akaza, wringing her hands. "How do you know we're not in danger?"
Tanjiro frowned. "I still don't know. I mean, there's the fact that it's daylight right now, but…" he glanced at Akaza. "There's something different about him… and I don't know what. I can just sense it. Right now, Muzan can't find him. And I can't sense Muzan anymore, which means he's either not looking for me or he's out of range… or both."
"What range?" the pink-haired woman stressed.
Her fellow Pillar bit his lip. "I… really don't know."
The female Hashira nodded, feeling both more worried and a little more at ease at his explanation. But then she glanced at the sleeping demon again.
"I'm still uncomfortable with having him here in this human filled inn."
Tanjiro nodded. "Outside, I told you that it would be fine; that he's going to remain asleep for a while." Then his frustrated expression returned. "I wish I knew how I knew that."
"How long is a while?"
"Days," Tanjiro replied almost instantly. "At least."
She studied his face for several seconds before relaxing with a sigh. "Obanai-san would kill me, but I still trust you, Tanjiro. You're like… the adorable little brother I never had."
He blushed so cutely and obviously, even in the dim light, that she had to withhold a squee, but withhold it she did. She still needed questions answered.
"So… Waxing Zero?" she said tentatively and felt a little guilty when Tanjiro winced.
"Yeah. Let me explain that."
So he did, speaking about how he'd wanted to infiltrate the upper ranks of the Kizuki, how he'd gotten all of his information about them, and how much he regretted it and why.
He didn't go into details on that last point.
She didn't press it.
"And Ubuyashiki-sama knows?" she asked once he'd finished speaking.
Tanjiro nodded. "You can write to him about it, if you want."
She most certainly would. She trusted her current companion, but there was a difference between trust and stupidity, and she felt she may have already crossed that line a couple of times that night. Or used it like a jump rope. She was too tired to tell.
"So why are we going to see your contact instead of Shinobu-san?" she said, bringing up her final point.
Tanjiro sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Tamayo-san is a demon who was turned by Muzan at least four hundred years ago. Unlike other demons, she absolutely despises him and has dedicated her life to bringing him down.
"In previous loops, she's been instrumental in being able to corner Muzan and has been one of my best contacts. She's very scientific and has even modified her body so she doesn't need anything more than a little bit of blood to keep her alive, and while she looks for a way to destroy Muzan, she's become a doctor to try and save as many people as she can to make up for the people she killed in her past."
Mitsuri blinked. "That's…" she started but faded off. She didn't know what 'it' was; overwhelming, enlightening, shocking, unbelievable… all of the above?
"So… how will you find her?" she finally asked, pointing out a potential flaw in his plan. "You'll have to go out and search for her, but we can't exactly leave a Waxing Moon alone, and I can't leave you alone."
Tanjiro frowned again. Then he smiled. Such a contrast. "I'm pretty sure she'll find us, actually."
Mitsuri bit her lip. The implications...
Eventually, she decided she was too tired to really think on it at the moment.
"I'm going to write to Ubuyashiki-sama, and then I'm going to bed," she said as she took out her writing implements from the pouch she carried around her waist and its accompanying waterskin that she liked to take with her when she traveled over long distances or for long periods away from home.
"Good idea," Tanjiro said. "I'll write to Urokudaki-sensei and Mom while you're at it.
Twenty minutes later, their crows each flew off and while she offered to stay up for watch, Tanjiro assured her that he was fine and he could do that easily, whereas she was tired and about ready to collapse.
She finally agreed and, despite a Waxing Moon sleeping not two futons over, she soon found herself drifting off.
xXx
Muzan's eyes narrowed as he searched the area of the fight between two of his strongest demons and two of the Demon Slayers Corp's Pillars. One of those in particular had been the brat he'd been looking for throughout the last year, and instead of getting glimpses of him and his fighting style through his demons, he'd been able to focus on it through his Waxing Moons and then receive a first-hand account from Douma.
The fact that they'd lost Akaza was initially acceptable if undesirable. However, he had arrived at the area long before the sun had risen, and now he wished he would have taken Nakime from her search for the current Ubuyashiki estate to get him here faster.
He hadn't thought he'd need to come. He'd sent his second and third strongest fighters and they'd essentially lost. They'd made that win hurt (at least they'd done something right) and gotten confirmation that the Kamado boy did, in fact, have a demonic form – one Muzan could even sense, if only in a much smaller capacity than he should be able to, but it was there. Douma had also recruited a hostage…
Except that Muzan could no longer sense any of the demons from that fight besides his Waxing Second. His target's absence was understandable, if frustrating. The girl's, less understandable but not particularly worrying. Akaza's, though…
And the most frustrating thing was that even though he could sense and track them, they were long-gone and he could already tell the trail wove all over the mountains. After his own inability to find the family when tracking previously, he knew he would be tracking until dawn, at least. And he'd have to be careful in case they split up or set false trails again. As of right now, he didn't have the time to do a thorough job before the sun came up.
Angrily wishing he had someone there he could take his frustration out on, he knelt by a large area of blood that could only belong to Kamado Tanjiro. Then he frowned. Something felt… strange about the blood. It felt both demon and human… and something about it felt extremely off-putting. A weaker demon or a pathetic human may have said they were concerned, worried or even scared, but that was part of what set them apart as weaker beings.
Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't be wary. After all, the boy's appearance in general had changed slightly. Those hanafuda earrings, and the all-too-familiar breathing style… He wondered what that man would think, knowing his successor had somehow been corrupted by Muzan (even if the demon king didn't know exactly how).
He knew who to send after the boy the next time any demon caught sight of him. And Muzan would allow Kokushibo to kill him too. The boy was just too problematic to be indulged any longer.
The last thing he did before leaving the area was blow it up with as strong of a burst of destructive power as he could muster before he turned to head back to his current cover. He'd just have to make a couple of stops on the way to vent his frustration.
xXx
Ubuyashiki Kagaya frowned as he reread the letter he'd just received from Kanroji Mitsuri. Her description of the events were… troubling to say the least. It also worried him that Kamado Tanjiro seemed to trust this demon Tamayo more than the Demon Slayer Corps… and yet, he couldn't say he was surprised either. Just disappointed… more in the Corps than Tanjiro if he were to be honest. (And also with himself because he'd allowed the animosity to remain instead of trying to do something about it… he still wasn't entirely sure that forcing the Pillars into fostering relationships was a good idea though.)
He was also worried about Kamado Nezuko… and also very worried that his Pillars had brought an unconscious Waxing Moon to a populated city, even if one of them was positive the demon would sleep. Perhaps he'd allowed Kamado too much leeway when it came to demons and his demonic powers? He knew the boy sympathized – empathized even – with demons, but a Waxing Moon? Not killing one such demon immediately was a questionable decision at best.
Still… his gut told him to trust Kamado for a while longer. After some deliberation, he decided to follow that instinct. Betides, he doubted even a Waxing Moon would attack and destroy an entire city. That would potentially force the government to acknowledge demons which would give demon slayers more leeway and resources, something Muzan most certainly did not want. Kagaya would make sure to reassure Mitsuri and let her know his reasoning, if only for her peace of mind in this situation. She sounded like she needed it.
Then, as he moved to put the letter aside, something occurred to him. It only took him a couple of moments' thought to find a blank piece of paper and begin to write. Perhaps it was time for him to begin corresponding with this Tamayo himself.
xXx
Sakonji didn't want to admit his worry, especially not to anyone else. But with both Nezuko and Tanjiro at the Final Selection as well as them coming back with another Pillar, there was little reason for them to not be back within a couple of days afterward. If Nezuko had been on her own, he would have given her a week to get back as she likely would have had to rest and replenish her energy after seven days in a demon-infested forest as a new demon slayer. But that wasn't the case. Tanjiro and the other Pillar had been there to prevent deaths (something Sakonji greatly approved of) and they should be more than up to the task.
So where were they? The test should have ended at least three days ago. Even if they'd taken it slowly, they should have been back by now. He didn't want to think of what could delay a Pillar…
Sickness was the nicest thing he could conjure… which really said everything right there.
He kept watching the horizon all day, hoping to see them coming in the distance, but the path to his house remained frustratingly blank.
Then the crow came.
Tanjiro's crow.
Well, at least the boy was alive. Perhaps Nezuko had been injured and they needed help above their ability? He didn't like that idea, but it would make sense. Everyone makes mistakes in their first couple of demon fights, and those mistakes can be deadly.
He thanked the Kasugai crow and took the note tied to its leg. Then, when he began to read, he felt his heart stop.
Two Waxing Moons…
Nezuko almost turned into a demon…
Tanjiro having to use his own demonic powers to get them out alive and giving himself away without a doubt to Muzan…
He was grateful they were all alive, and found it understandable that they would have to get checked up, but why were they heading to this 'Tamayo's' place? Tanjiro said she was an expert in demons but Sakonji was understandably wary…
However he trusted Tanjiro.
Once he finished, he reread the letter several times, then told the crow to wait for a response. Basically, it was a reminder to keep him updated, and that if he didn't, Sakonji would make sure he realized that just because the cultivator was an older man didn't mean he couldn't put the younger generation in their place. Demonic powers or no.
He may have gone a little overboard, but how did this blasted kid get into so much trouble? He'd only been awake two weeks!
With a sigh he turned to find Kie, who had gone up the mountain today. They needed to figure out what to say to the little ones so they were up-to-date, but not overly scared for their siblings. That would help no one.
xXx
Nezuko woke to the sound of someone moving around and breathing heavily. She felt so warm and comfortable, though, that she didn't want to wake up. And yet, she felt rested and her eyes half-way opened involuntarily. She looked around the small room she found herself in. A hotel room? She'd never been in a single hotel room before, used to the communal hotel room spaces her family had been able to afford when traveling to see Urokudaki-sensei that first time.
Beside her, she saw her brother laying in his own futon, face peaceful and calm. That made her smile and she relaxed into her futon again. But then the strange noises drew her attention to Mitsuri-san, who seemed to be doing pushups on her own futon a couple of places away, on the other side of Tanjiro.
She just watched the girl for a couple of minutes, admiring how dedicated she had to be to work out at a time like this.
That thought made her frown. Time like what?
Her stomach rumbling caused Mitsuri to stop and look over at her, eyes wide. Nezuko blushed, going to hide under her blanket. After a couple of moments, she peaked her head out again, utterly embarrassed.
"Nezuko?" Mitsuri asked slowly.
Nezuko eeped and nodded a little. "Y-yes, Mitsuri-san?" she asked, wondering why her body ached all over and it hurt to move. The last thing she remembered was… the Final Selection, and then Tanjiro had insisted on carrying her home and they'd taken their time so she could rest (so why was she so tired? And why didn't her leg sting where her wound had been?) and then she'd woken when… Oh… Oh!
She sat up gasping. There had been a demon fight! Two Waxing Moons had come for Tanjiro! She'd jumped in front of Mitsuri-san who had been fighting Waxing Two and then the demon had scratched her cheek (with that almost pleasant smile on his face, like he saw a cute street performance or something) and then squeezed some blood onto it… One of her hands came to her face and she felt for the blemish, but found nothing. She felt all over her body with her hands, searching for something different but once again, nothing. Not even the wound she'd gotten in the Final Selection… which honestly worried her more than anything else. Even her hands – they'd been so rough from learning and using her sword so much – looked completely normal and healthy.
Her stomach rumbling again caused her to gasp and her arms went down to cradle it. She was hungry… really hungry… but demon hungry? She didn't know. Then another thought occurred to her and she felt her teeth. Much to her relief, they seemed mostly normal… maybe a little sharper but that could also just be her imagination.
"Nezuko," Mitsuri said and she looked up, realizing the older girl had come to crouch in front of her, holding out a roll. She just looked at it for several seconds, and then back up to the pink-haired Pillar before her eyes went back to the roll. Cautiously, she reached for it, took a breath and then bit down into the softness.
To her relief, it tasted wonderful.
She nearly cried.
"It… it didn't work," she said. Maybe nothing had gotten in because she'd been bleeding?
She smiled up at Mitsuri, who didn't return it. Instead her eyebrows had drawn together and she looked pained. "Mitsuri-san?" Nezuko asked slowly.
The woman sighed. "Nezuko… it did work. You were becoming a demon. But Tanjiro used his Blood Art to burn it out of you."
Nezuko gasped and felt her insides go cold. Her stomach sank to her knees and she couldn't help but just stare.
"W-what?" she croaked.
Mitsuri sighed and pushed the roll to the younger girl's lips again. "Eat. It will make you feel better."
Nezuko nodded and mechanically began to tear off chunks of the roll and chew them. Funny, it had tasted so good before, but now it tasted like ash.
Nii-chan had used his power on her… to save her? The power he didn't want to use? The power that turned him into a demon the more he used it?
So it had been a choice between her and him. And of course he'd choose to sacrifice himself. Her stupid, wonderful, awful, amazing, terrible older brother.
This time, she did cry, feeling tears come to her eyes and begin to drip down her cheeks. She tried to hold in her sobs, but it got harder with every second. After several moments, she felt arms come around her and Mitsuri held her close, rocking back and forth as she hushed Nezuko, who just cried harder and clutched at the other girl's uniform.
"Hey," Mitsuri said after a couple of minutes, leaning back and holding Nezuko's cheeks as she looked the other girl in the eye. "We need to make sure there weren't lasting effects. Can you concentrate for me right now?"
Nezuko took in a shuddering breath, but was able to nod as she finished off the last morsel of bread. She actually really appreciated being able to focus on something different.
"Okay, let's start with the basics. Demons often forget their names and history, so can you give me your name and the names of all your family members?"
Blinking and wiping her tears away with her sleeve, Nezuko nodded. "Kamado Nezuko, Kamado Tanjiro, Kamado Kie, Kamado Tanjuro, Kamado Takeo, Kamado Hanako, Kamado Shigeru and Kamado Rokuta."
Mitsuri smiled warmly. "Good. Your teacher's name?"
"Urokudaki Sakonji."
They continued in that vein and while Nezuko's recollection wasn't perfect, she didn't feel she'd forgotten anything abnormal. Mitsuri agreed.
"Good," the Love Pillar said, beaming happily after her last question. "Your brother either got to you in time to save your memories or was able to undo whatever Muzan does to destroy said memories to begin with. He'll undoubtedly still have to speak to his 'Tamayo-san', but I think you're pretty lucky."
Nezuko deflated just a little at that and looked over at her brother, noticing the claws on his hands for the first time.
"Yeah," she said.
"Hey," Mitsuri said, voice quiet again, "It'll be okay."
Nezuko really, really hoped so.
Then all of the other girl's previous words really registered and she looked up at the Love Pillar in confusion. "Who's Tamayo-san?"
Mitsuri looked a little unsure at that, then sighed. "A demon that Tanjiro knows and trusts. She knows more about medicine and demon vs. a human body than anyone, according to your brother. He says she'll be able to look you over and we're also taking him to see her." She nodded to the futon on the far side of the room that Nezuko hadn't really noticed before.
Then she gasped in fear. A sleeping demon lay there – one of the same two that had attacked them the night before. She looked over at the other girl, who had a grim expression.
"M-mitsuri-san?" she asked shakily.
"Your brother says he'll be out for a while and is therefore safe for now. He also said that he needs to take him to Tamayo-san because he has much of Muzan's blood, which could help them make the cure for demons."
Nezuko blinked at her, then turned and studied the sleeping Waxing Moon, then looked back at Mitsuri.
"You… don't sound like you really believe that."
The Love Pillar shook her head and sighed. "I don't know what to think right now. I am very much trusting your brother at this point. We likely won't get a response from Ubuyashiki-sama before tonight and there are just so many things that have gone wrong."
She suddenly looked very tired as she rubbed a hand over her face.
"Maybe you should sleep?" Nezuko suggested.
Mitsuri smiled at her – a shadow of her normal smiles – and shook her head. "I just woke up, actually. Your brother watched over us all morning. Then I realized… he looked so tired. He didn't want to go to sleep because he thought he'd sleep a long time, but I couldn't just let him exhaust himself, so I eventually talked him into trading places. If he has to rest a couple of days, that's nothing I can't handle. I… think that's why we haven't woken him up with our discussion." She sighed, but then shook her head.
"Before he went to sleep, we discussed a couple of things – like you'll have to be the one to go out and look for someone named Yushiro or Tamayo herself because I have to stay here and keep an eye on them. We also made sure he can still go in the sun by sticking his arm out into it. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any problems. So there's that at least. And—"
"Mitsuri-san," Nezuko frowned, staring at something that had caught her attention. "There's a mark… on your neck."
The other girl blinked, obviously not having known that. "A… mark?"
"Yeah. It was covered by your shirt, but when you moved just now I saw it. It looks like two hearts… and leaves, I suppose."
Mitsuri just blinked at her. "Hearts… and leaves?" She put a hand to her neck. "But… I've never gotten a tattoo…"
She looked so distressed Nezuko felt bad for bringing it up. "I'm sure it's nothing, Mitsuri-san," she said gently. "We can ask Tanjiro when he wakes up if he knows anything. Maybe his fire gave it to you."
The Love Pillar blinked, and then forced a smile. "Yeah, you're right."
Nezuko didn't really know what to do to get that sad look off of the other girl's face, so she went to stand up.
"How about I go get us some food?" she asked. "Judging on what time it is there should be some stalls I can go to! I know there are Ramen carts and Udon carts and meat skewer carts and I saw something called Taiyaki that I'd like to try…"
And suddenly the older girl looked as if her birthday had come early and she practically drooled.
"Oh, Nezuko-chan, would you?" she asked, stars in her eyes.
Nezuko smiled. She hadn't really meant to garner that reaction, but she'd count that as a mission accomplished. "Sure! What would you like?"
"Everything!" Mitsuri said with an enormous grin.
The newly minted demon slayer blinked, taken aback. "E-everything?"
Mitsuri sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Well… I was born unnaturally strong, you know? And so my body seems to require more food because of it."
Nezuko blinked again, but then relaxed and smiled. "I don't know how much I can carry back here, but I'll get us a bunch of food."
"Oh, here!" Mitsuri said, pulling out a small coin purse stuffed to the brim with cash, Nezuko noticed once she opened it.
She gasped. "Mitsuri-san, I can't take this!" she said softly.
"You're buying me food, and I know how much I can eat," the Pillar waved Nezuko off. "Just promise to bring back as much as you can and we'll call it even. Oh, and make sure to get some of that Taiyaki.* I've had it before and I think you'll like it."
Nezuko thought about protesting again, but eventually decided she'd better not.
"Thank you, Mitsuri-san."
The other girl beamed. "You can drop the honorific and just call me 'Mitsuri'. I already feel like I'm kind of your big sister right now."
Nezuko returned the large smile, feeling warm inside despite the rather horrible week she'd had.
"Okay, Mitsuri," she said with a quiet giggle and began to wave her hands through her hair that must have fallen out of its usual bun. Normally she'd put it up again, but it would take a little bit and she wasn't sure if she had the right…
Her eyes caught on something unusual and she paused, grabbing her long locks and holding it up so she could examine the ends. They were brown – almost orange…
"W-what's this?" she asked.
Mitsuri shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it was because of the fire? I think it looks really cute though."
Nezuko wasn't sure she agreed, but after a moment, she decided she did not want to deal with it at the moment. So she just let it drop (both metaphorically and literally) and nodded, hoping she sounded more sure than she felt.
"Yeah. Tanjiro's fire. That's what it has to be. Anyway, I'm off!" she said over her shoulder, waving as she turned to walk away.
"Be safe, Nezuko!"
Nezuko grabbed her sword and placed it so it was hidden under her haori. "I will," she assured, then hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She stood there for several seconds, her head resting on the cool wood. She forced herself to breathe evenly, not wanting to think about her strange hair-color or Tanjiro using that power of his or the fact that they'd brought a Waxing Moon to an inn in a fairly large town (or at least near a heavily traveled road from the sounds of it) or how her brother had just slept through their rather emotional conversation…
So she eventually just stood straight and strode out, determined to accomplish her task.
She came back almost an hour later with several baskets full of food and she'd only had to stop one pick-pocket, so she'd call it a win.
xXx
AN: *Taiyaki was invented in 1912 if I recall correctly, so it wasn't quite the staple it is now. LOL
So yeah. This is the second chapter. I almost didn't post it because I kind of wanted to let the last chapter sink in, but I'm already late on posting, so yeah. I hope this doesn't let anyone down. (Chapter 18 is probably my favorite chapter of the story so far... with chapters 31 and 5 being close contenders... so yeah.)
I do feel like this dragged out a bit, but questions needed answers! Thoughts?
Hope you enjoy it! Hope it answered questions!
Thanks to TimeLordTim, Found and Quathis for their help on this!
Discord: discord. gg/TQxEBuhVjK (without spaces)
