His lips part ever so slightly as a silent sigh escapes.
The sweet and comforting embrace of unconsciousness was slowly leaving him as his senses started to return.
He was starting to regain back his special ability of smell as well. The scents around him seemed ever so familiar… they filled his heart with warmth and a sense of belonging.
He could feel the soothing light of the moon fall over his face.
He tilted his head to the side as he exhaled the breath he apparently held on.
Remains of a sweet scent lingered wherever he was. It felt oddly dear to him. He could also smell a strong aroma of medicines and chemicals. They felt oddly recognizable to him. Was he at some doctor's place…?
He could hear a soft shift at his side. Along with some hushed words which were matched with equally quick footsteps which seemed to approach towards him. He could hear distant muffled voices which seemed to grow ever so loud. He felt like he heard someone call at him but was unsure. He could feel someone gently shaking him.
Was he asleep somewhere? Was someone with him? Did he get injured? Did he oversleep? Most importantly, how did he get here? Where exactly was here…?
He still wondered where he could be….In what ever place he was in, it felt comfortable. However he could feel he was forgetting something….
Something important.
Where was he?
What was he forgetting?
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It is something important.
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…No…it is Someone important…
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… Someone who he should protect at any cost…
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… Someone who is his only will to live…
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His only remaining family.
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Nezuko.
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Memories rush back to him as he recalls what happened. A demon caught him…They took his sword and disguised into him-
Nezuko wasn't there-
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He needs to wake up. Now.
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The strings of unconsciousness tugged at him, trying to lull him into her dark, blissful embrace. He felt tired…his body felt heavy.
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He needs to wake up. He can't lose her. Not after everything that happened …..He can't lose her like he lost his family, He can't let Muzan get his hands on her…He is sworn to protect her for he- he is her brother… He can't leave her alone…He can't…. HE CAN'T.
His eyes flutter open. His vision wavers and blurs as his mind yells at him to give in and accept the dark yet comforting offer of unconsciousness.
The room he was in was illuminated by the gentle light of the moon as the soft rays fell over his face. He stared at the full moon which seemed to give him a soft smile.
He felt his eyelids grow more and more heavier; sounds and scents going dim around him once more as the urge to fall sleep beckoned him.
He heard noises around him. He felt like he really should answer them. They gave off the scent of urgency, distress and worry…yet at the same time, a faint smell of relief.
As he tried to focus on his surroundings, he noticed the familiarity of the ceiling, the walls, the windows and the beds around him along with the familiar chemical scent of medicines ...an instant spark of recognition flickered through his eyes as his vision cleared.
He was at the Butterfly Estate.
"TANJIROUUUUU!!!!!" A shrill voice rings out as a tearful blonde reveals himself who practically fell on top of the poor boy who winced at the loud voice. "SO GLAD YOU HAVE WOKEN UP! YOU SCARED US SO MUCH"
"DON'T ALMOST DIE ON US AGAIN NEXT TIME…OR- I-...I WILL KILL YOU!" A tearful Inosuke shouted loudly as he fell on him in a similar fashion to Zenitsu.
"You MORONS! Give him some space AND STOP YELLING! Can't you see you are hurting him?!" A blue haired girl yells out making the other two finally take notice of their friend who squeezed his eyes shut with his face slightly curled up in pain.
A huff of guilt filled the air as the pair backed off immediately upon realizing. Tanjirou slowly peeled his eyes open as he gained his bearings back. Aoi quickly rushed to help him up as she saw him try to do so and fail miserably.
"Good to see you are back. Lady Shinobu should be here as soon as-" Aoi tried to earnestly reassure.
However he paid little to no heed to that. His eyes frantically scanned around the room, trying to find someone. Beads of sweat formed at his foreheads as panic rose in his being.
"Ne-…Nezuko! Where is she?!" He asked his eyes becoming unseeing as he tries to get off the bed himself only to be held onto tightly by Aoi as Zenitsu and Inosuke join the panic.
"You will tear open your wounds at this rate! Please calm down! Nezuko-chan is safe!!!" Zenitsu cried as he stubbornly clutched to his other arm as he tried to stop Tanjirou while being mindful of his injuries.
"As much as I hate to admit this idiot, HE IS RIGHT FOR ONCE! Stop getting so riled up, Gonpachiro! Your sister is right here and ain't going nowhere!" Inosuke joined in, trying to calm the poor boy.
"She just went to sleep a few moments ago-" Aoi added. "She has been at your side all the time! Please-"
As if right on queue, a soft murmur accompanied with a sharp scratch on wood could be heard leading to complete silence as all the inhabitants of the room silenced themselves. Tanjirou's eyes fell on the very familiar wooden box which had rested near one of the bed's legs.
Pushing one of it's doors open, a female demoness emerged from within it as she opened her eyes and scanned through the room, instantly finding him. Without wasting a moment, she jumps towards her brother at a speed others have never seen before; she lands on his lap directly as the others slowly loosen their grip and release him. The demoness watched the boy with her big pink eyes as she brought one of her tiny hands caressing his cheek. Specks of tear appear near her eyes as she embraces him in a tight hug.
"Nezuko...-" Tanjirou uttered as she lets out muffled cries, her grip tightening.
He immediately takes her into his own hug as he attempts to comfort her "Why are you crying, Nezuko…? Please don't cry! It's alright! It's alright! 'Ni-chan is here!! See?"
The cries didn't stop as she gripped him more tightly. Tanjirou rubbed circles on her back helplessly as tears appear near his eyes as well.
"I'm sorry Nezuko-" He whispered as tears escaped his eyes. He hugged her back tighter.
She must have been so scared…
The others were slowly moving away. They wanted to say something but at the same time, they knew better than to ruin such a tender moment. Aoi pulled the other two's sleeves to which; fortunately; both of them understood her sign instantly and slowly went towards the gate to exit along with her with no protests.
They should give them some space. After all the trauma they went through, they needed each other.
Aoi threw a final glance at the siblings with a small smile gracing her face as she slowly closed the door. She and the other two could always tell what transpired that night and how much Nezuko missed her brother, how many sleepless nights she spent beside him, how she tried to stay by his side even as dawn approached and begged her and poked at others signing them to close the curtains as she looked back at Tanjirou with a glimmer of hope as if her brother can awake at any moment even though she, herself, looked like she could collapse at any moment in exhaustion.
They can always tell Tanjirou how close he was to death, how they almost lost him after Shinobu gave him an antidote, how Nezuko threw a tantrum as she refused to let go of him and clung on to him tightly, how a demon impersonated him and almost killed her….or maybe they can exclude that detail. But regardless, they all had the time of the world to tell him what happened once he calmed down enough to listen to others.
Shinobu never felt more guilty and fatigued in her life than she felt at that moment. As much as she appreciated Ubayashiki-sama's Pillar Meetings, she truly wanted to go back to her estate and take care of Tanjirou and talk a bit more to Giyuu if she got the chance again.
Currently she sat in the typical room where all the pillars sat around waiting for Oyakata-sama to enter the room and for the Hashira meeting to begin. The room was illuminated by a lamp casting an orangish glow throughout. All the presently alive Hashiras were present save Giyuu. They actively chatted among themselves, not even bringing up his disappearance. In a way it did disturb Shinobu. But then again, she couldn't really blame their attitude much.
She was aware most of them despised him due to his introverted nature. She used to hate him as well until she got to know him better. She realized he wasn't out there trying to prove himself as "different from the rest" as most Hashiras anticipated him doing. He was just… introverted but possessed a caring and empathetic heart. He just showed his feelings and emotions in a much more different way than others. She would know because she was the one who interacted with him the most and enjoyed herself.
Her eyes soften as she remembers her last conversation with him at the Butterfly Estate. Her heart fills with guilt and sorrow as she once again remembers that she needs to have a talk with him once he is well enough.
Shinobu looks through the small clipboard containing the patient's reports concernedly. Giyuu hasn't woken up ever since he fell asleep. The last time she saw him awake was when he forced himself to write a letter to someone that too just keep himself awake enough for her to tend to Tanjirou whose condition was getting more critical by the minute. She didn't get much time to enquire of it's details as he slipped into a state of deep slumber.
She was no stranger to deep sleeps like these ofcourse; for after dealing with some particularly rough missions, she does end up sleeping for whole days herself.
So at the beginning she supposed this 'unconsciousness' might be due to fatigue and the physical trauma his body might have endured through the last mission and it needed some time of it's own to heal but as time went on and he stayed constantly unconscious for a whole week, throughout the said process scared her more than just a bit.
If she was being honest, she was starting to miss his small talks.
When she found faint traces of a lethal kind of poison in his blood, it raised her concern even more since that might be a possible cause of his state as well.
Although the amount present in his blood was absolutely harmless as of now but it's presence itself was worrying her to no end.
She did question Zenitsu and Inosuke once they were well enough to reply on what kind of attacks did the demons subject them to and they eventually revealed that one of the demons subjected them to a poison laced needles attack only for Nezuko to burn away the fatal effects of the poison, leading her to believe that it must have left behind a faint and harmless variant of it in their blood which would gradually run out of their systems naturally.
She wanted to know more but they were hesitant and felt uncomfortable discussing about it, leaving her no choice but let go of the topic for the time being.
The week had been nothing but tough for her. She almost killed Tanjirou due to a medicinal dosage mistake which resulted in his breathing and heartbeat stopping temporarily. She could remember the guilt, regret, sorrow and feelings of worthlessness and self-anger pulsating through her. She could still remember the grief stricken Nezuko's tearful face who clung to her 'Ni-chan, growling violently at the mere suggestion of letting go. She can still remember how the Kiyo, Naho, Sumi, Zenitsu even Inosuke begged her, wailed at her, hysterically cried and prayed to her to do something to save him. It was genuinely a miracle that the boy pulled through. She truly hoped he would gain back his consciousness soon as well and recover fully. He was way too young and pure to die such a horrible death.
I̶f̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶t̶h̶f̶u̶l̶,̶ ̶N̶e̶z̶u̶k̶o̶'̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶l̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶m̶i̶n̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶s̶e̶l̶f̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶K̶a̶n̶a̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶d̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶e̶f̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶.
She shook her head as she suddenly almost bumped into a wooden door. Realization hit her; she had reached the room Tomioka rested and had been staring at the wooden gate for God knows how long.
She sighs silently. Preparing herself mentally to yet again face the dead silence. She had been splitting her time in giving company to Tanjirou and mostly Giyuu while balancing her work. She was really exhausted. While Tanjirou always had his friends surrounding his side, Giyuu seldom had any visitors and it was mostly just her, tending him.
As she opens the door, her heart skips a beat. The water hashira sat unresponsive but awake on his bed, breathing softly, rhythmically. He stared at the big full moon which was visible from a nearby window.
She barely somehow controlled her excitement and happiness as she approaches him.
"Tomioka-san! Glad to see you are awake" She genuinely smiled.
However she was met with dead silence.
"Tomioka-san?" Her lips curl up in a small frown as she approaches closer.
"Is he in some sort of trance?" Shinobu pondered to herself as she checked his pulse.
"No, he's fully awake-" She thinks to herself as she spots everything normal with him. "Is he purposefully ignoring me…?"
She then notices a distant look to his face and eyes. A look he gives off only when he thinks something deeply.
"Tomioka-san? Earth reaching to Tomioka-san!" Shinobu clicked her fingers and waved her palm in front of his face in hopes of getting some response.
After a few seconds, Giyuu shot her a tired look to which she smiled brightly at. She successfully gained his attention and now was sure he really was awake and alright! Now what?
"What is it, Kocho?" Giyuu asked softly.
"You have been unconscious for a whole week, Giyuu" She gave him a sad smile. "You had me very worr-"
"Is Tanjirou alright? What about the others?" He asked tensely.
"Yes, he is now…he is resting currently so are the others but Giyuu, are you feeling alright? You haven't been awake for a whole week" Shinobu asked concernedly.
"Kind of" He softly answered after a pause. "My limbs feel sore. I suppose that's because of the injuries"
"I see" Shinobu replied. "May I check?"
After receiving an affirmative nod, she gently lifted his sleeve to remove the bandage of his arm and see how much the injuries have recovered. Surprisingly they recovered much better than she even expected. It must have been just muscle fatigue then.
"You seem to be recovering much faster than I initially assessed" She remarked as she re-wrapped the arm with a new bandage.
However she received no response.
"Kocho?" He softly started, turning her attention to him.
"What is it, Giyuu? She gently enquired, binding the bandages end into a knot.
She didn't accidentally tie the bandages too tight, did she?
"Do you…" He paused for a moment. "Do you really think people hate me?"
The question caught her by a surprise. She wasn't expecting him to ask that question of everything.
He continues to stare at her as if waiting for her to answer. Her eyes soften.
"I don't really think so, no." That's what she wanted to answer but somehow found herself asking another question instead.
"Why are you asking such a question, Tomioka-san?"
"You tell that I'm hated by everyone, pretty often" He quietly answers. "I just…Sometimes I feel like admitting that…perhaps you are right… that I feel that about myself too"
This shocked Shinobu. What?
"There is…most probably someone more deserving of the position I hold….I don't think…I deserve to live anyway…my life is worthless-" His eyes slowly start to droop down. "...people who threw away their own lives to make me live deserved the chance at life more than I ever did…"
Shinobu could feel her heart shatter as she hears his words. At this point she wasn't sure if Giyuu was in a trance, out of his mind or delirious or sleep talking or just confessing his self loathing but she knew she needed to say something in this matter.
Sure she has more than once teased him or joked on how no one liked him and such but she never meant it. She never had a clue that Giyuu really loathed himself. She never intended or wanted to make him feel more bad about himself.
"Giyuu-san, you have it all wrong! I never truly meant it!" She replies desperately as her eyes lock on to him. She sighs softly.
"Giyuu…you underestimate yourself- you may have countless doubts about yourself ….you may not see it but there are many people who look up to you and care for you deeply and… I'm one of them. I can understand why you may think you are hated but know that it is not true. Giyuu-san, sometimes it is hard to see what impact we have on others…your selflessness and determination is something that has inspired countless people…you must never again even consider you are worthless. People who sacrificed their lives for you….they believed in you. You must live on to carry on their legacy and honor their sacrifice…As for your position, you became a hashira because of your strength and pure dedication." She holds his hand into hers. "Please stop belittling yourself, Tomioka-san!"
However it doesn't take her much long to see the Water Hashira has yet again drifted off to sleep, he breathed gently. It was definitely one of the rare moments where he let his guard down and was at his most vulnerable.
"Please don't belittle yourself, Giyuu…you are not alone. I'll always be there for you" She whispered as she tends to his other wounds and gently tucks the blanket on him, giving him a soft, gentle yet sad smile as her eyes soften.
She then notices two birds perched up on the window pane, who seemed to be observing the pair. It was her Kasugai crow, En and the Water pillar's kasugai crow, Kanzaborou. She could notice a similar piece of paper tied to their legs.
She fights the urge to sigh as her lips curl up to a small unnoticeable frown.
"Heh, so that pissant didn't show up!" The Wind Hashira laughed loudly, breaking Shinobu out of her musing. "Typical Giyuu. Running away from his responsibilities and sulking at some corner. Urgh, I wish the Master was here already. It would be much more optimal if we started without him"
A vein bulged on Shinobu's forehead. The wind hashira and her relations were….neutral. They didn't hate eachother but there wasn't much liking either. Even when her sister and he were somewhat close, she was always wary of him.
But right now, it was taking every string of will within her body to not throw back a hurtful comment. Normally she'd stay neutral or ignore his words but today, after seeing how vulnerable Giyuu has been, how much pain he has been internalizing…. She really wanted to throw back a snarky remark in behalf of him but at the same time, she knew better than to go directly at the offensive.
"Shinazugawa-san; Tomioka-san was gravely injured during his last mission and is currently recovering in the Butterfly Estate. I believe he has informed the Master of the reason for his absence." Shinobu smiled.
"Whatever. He's just slacking off while using the shitty excuse of being sick and shit" Sanemi grumbles.
The rest of the Hashira chose to stay quiet. Picking any side would yield disastrous results when a hashira meeting is about to begin at any minute now.
Shinobu frowns slightly. "You shouldn't be that inconsiderate of your fellow comrade. He has always been sincere towards his work and his reason for absence for today is genuine which as his doctor, I can testi-"
"Comrade? My ass!" Sanemi spat out. "That irresponsible fuck doesn't even train properly. Always looking for ways to shirk duty! Today's no different."
"Don't you think you are being a bit too unfair?" Shinobu asks in a low voice.
"No, not at all!" He smirked. "Infact, from what I heard, considering he is a hashira who got sent to a normal mission along with 3 Kanoe level slayers, he shouldn't have been this badly injured in the first place! He's unworthy of the position, I tell you. Instead of arguing about him, why not ask the Master to kick hi-"
" Watch your tongue, Shinazugawa-san. You have no right to judge him or be that disrespectful. He has proven his prowess countless times on the battlefield. He only sustained great injuries due to his determination to save a fellow slayer. Your words only state your lack of willingness to even understand the situation" Shinobu stated viciously.
Sanemi frowned and opened his mouth to retaliate but was interrupted.
"Now, now, let us not quarrel and jump to conclusions. Bickering won't solve a thing. We must be respectful to each other for our main goal is to defeat demons. We must have trust in one another." Gyomei says sternly.
"And…I think it is really okay for a Hashira to get hurt! I get hurt all the time-" Mitsuri chimed in shyly.
"If I recall correctly, Tomioka-san appears to be stoic but I feel like he would not lie about his injuries" Muichiro softly added.
"Perhaps we should stop this little discussion on Giyuu and save our energies for the upcoming meeting." Obanai commented after staying silent all this time.
Sanemi gritted his teeth, clearly not done opened his mouth to argue more but before he could, the two twin girls showed up with a man with his hands on their shoulders, seeking support from them as they guided his path. They unanimously declared,
"The Master… has arrived"
All the Hashiras went quiet instantly as they bowed down respectfully.
A man appeared who beared a kind and radiant smile which resembled the one of Buddha.
"My Beloved Children…" He gently greeted.
"I wish you all a pleasant evening. I'm greatly honored that everyone made it in to the Hashira meeting in such a short notice"
"I fervently pray for your continued good fortune and good health" Sanemi said respectfully.
"Now then, let us make haste and discuss why this meeting was hosted today" Ubayashiki-sama said as he settled down.
"I believe it is worth noting that one of my children, Tomioka Giyuu was gravely injured during his last mission and thus he couldn't attend his meeting." The master continued.
"However he has shared some interesting Intel with us…that I wish to share with you."
This gathered everyone's attention.
What information?
"So the letter was to Ubayashiki-sama?" Shinobu deduced quickly.
"The information I'm about to let off must strictly remain between us for the moment." The Master said neutrally. "For the mere essence of it outside can cause conflict within the Demon Slaying Corp."
This led to all the Hashiras silently gulp as they listened attentively.
"We always had a clue that Muzan employs his demons to look for something but we didn't have adequate information on what he has been searching for." The master paused for a second as the gears in the Hashira's head turned.
Where was Master going with this? Could it be…?
"However in a recent mission where four of my children, Kamado Tanjirou-" This was what made everyone stare at him in surprise. "... Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibira Inosuke, Tomioka Giyuu…they discovered what Muzan has been looking for centuries. To conquer the sun."
A wave of unsettlement ran through the pillars as they unconsciously leaned forward.
" Blue Spider Lilies." The master completed.
The some pillars gasped at the information along with all of the other Hashiras showing varying levels of shock.
"Master… blue spider lilies? Aren't they all red? Is this some other specimen?" Shinobu asked, forgetting to conceal her surprise and shock in her tone.
"Yes Master! And is this really true? If it is, then it is horrible! If the demons get it then the world would be doomed!-" Mitsuri panicked.
" Namu-Amidabutsu…. I believe Kanroji-san is correct, Master. I have never heard the name of such a flower. Please, what must we do?" Gyomei asked as his usual tears flowed down his cheeks.
"Master, I apologize for intruding but if it is the mean through which Muzan can attain immortality…How come we or he didn't find it yet? How do we destroy it? How do we track it's whereabouts? How does it even look? I have never heard about or even seen such a flower in my life!" Sanemi barged in.
"Master, Sanemi is right. What must we do?" Obanai asked, a glint of panic evident in his tone.
Ubayashiki-sama raised his finger to lips, signaling and successfully making the others quieten down immediately.
"I believe I don't have answers to all your questions, however…" He continued as he could feel everyone listening to him with full attention. "It seems that one of my children has seen it more than once in his life and has witnessed it first hand."
This shocked everyone.
Who could possibly-
Before anyone could even ask anything, the master answered them. "Kamado Tanjirou has witnessed those flowers himself twice in his life."
The Hashiras went completely silent as shock overtook then fully. Their eyes widened.
Kamado Tanjirou…
Tanjirou-kun…
"But how do we know if he really saw it?! He could be falsely bragging for all we know!" Sanemi accused.
The Master maintained his smile as he answered, "Sanemi…it wasn't him who confirmed it."
He continued, "In the last mission, they encountered five demons. One of them had the power of looking through memories and making them relive through it. The demon himself confirmed that Tanjirou has seen them twice and known about them since a young age even before he joined the Corps and the account has been confirmed by the other two of my children as well."
He paused. "Yes. It is the same boy who encountered Muzan after several centuries… I have also received a report that the boy has been getting targeted by Muzan himself ever since he saw him in person…and once this piece of information reaches Muzan's ears which I fear has happened already….Tanjirou's life and safety could be further threatened… for Kibutsuji would grow desperate to gain knowledge of the flowers capable of granting him immortality... In fact, these five demons he was forced to encounter in his last mission, were solely sent after him."
"Thus I put forward a request to everyone to protect him. If possible, train him to become stronger. For his knowledge can be of critical use for us and turn the tide of the war. Should we properly analyze it, we may really find the true weakness of Muzan and defeat him once and for all. His safety is paramount to the Demon Slayer Corps."
The master said something else but Shinobu couldn't hear it, her mind went completely blank as she processed the information.
That explains everything doesn't it? Why Giyuu seemed so out of it…Why Tanjirou was in such a critical condition…Why Zenitsu and Inosuke had been acting odd and being uncharacteristically clingy to Tanjirou's side…Why Giyuu was more concerned for Tanjirou than his own well being…
She should have questioned them about what was wrong. She should have asked them more about their last mission… Shivers ran down her spine. Everything was starting to fall in place now. Everything was starting to make sense now.
"Would you all assist? I won't force any of you for it would be at the end, your choice. Do you volunteer?" The Master asked earnestly. There was no layer of deceit or a hidden message in his words. It was a simple, pure question.
"I would fully assist in this noble cause, Oyakata-sama" Shinobu replied confidently as she bowed respectfully.
"I would also help, Master! Even if it means training or protecting!" Mitsuri said cheerfully as she bowed. "I won't let anything happen to Tanjirou!"
"I shall do as you command, Master. I shall defend Tanjirou with my life, if necessary, train him as well" Obanai politely stated as he bowed down respectfully.
"I, too, humbly accept your request to it's full terms with no opposition" Gyomei said as he bowed his head down in respect.
"I'm willing to train and protect him at all costs." Muichiro says respectfully as he bows.
Sanemi gritted his teeth. "I shall also accept your appeal, Master. But with all due respect, don't expect me to go any easy on him"
The Master smiled pleasantly. An aura of calm emanating from him.
"I expected nothing less from my Children. Thank you."
"But Master…" Shinobu started.
"As we ask him more and more about this flower…he may grow suspicious over time and why it may be of significance…" She paused. "Are we allowed to tell him what the flowers are capable of at the very least?"
The Master smiled kindly at the question as he lowered his head, deep in thought.
"I believe…" He began.
A strum of a Biwa cord rung as all the Upper Moons looked bowed deeply with tension, stress and a sense of fear making the air heavy.
Time seemed to lose itself as whispers of a forgotten conversation drifted through the air; fading in the ever stretching, Infinity Castle; a realm untouched by the laws of physics, where gravity danced around at the whims of a single man who stood in front of the Upper moons. This man was no other than the progenitor of demons himself, Kibutsuji Muzan. He stared down at the lowly creatures with a scrutinizing eye.
The Upper Moons remained silent, head still bowed in submission and trepidation. Even the most arrogant ones felt tensed and uneasy as drops of blood fell from their eyes and mouth, dripping below silently.
"I may have been lenient at your failure today but I want Kamado Tanjirou alive. I will not accept any failures next time" Muzan growled.
"Yes Muzan-sama" The Upper Moons said in unison as their voices slightly quivered.
A twang of Biwa cord was heard again and with that all the Upper Moons instantly vanished.
The demon king made his way into the 'lab' section of the castle and took up one of the glass tubes and stared into it's blue-ish green contents filled with small black bubbles with his crimson eyes.
He clenches it hard making the glass shatter into a million pieces, lacing his fingers with the liquid.
Kioku….
If he was not that incompetent at following simple instructions ….he might have had the damn boy at his hands….he might have had the blue spider lilies at his hand…
A smirk creeped up his face as he grins ear to ear.
He may not have the boy right now but he knew he would in the near future. The corps cannot hide the boy forever from him. He will find him and he will conquer the cursed sun. He will get that wretched flower which slipped from his grasp. every. fucking. time.
"Kamado Tanjirou…" He mutters to himself. "From the day I first saw you…I knew you were cursed….just like that monster and now…it is only a matter of time….till you are mine."
A slow yet sinister chuckle emerged from his lips.
Tanjirou held his sister in his arms. She had finally stopped crying and calmed down. He patted her back affectionately as he looked at her with a gentle smile.
Although she had calmed down, she still refused to let go of him. But even then, she couldn't escape her brother's observant eyes who could see how desperately she needed to rest.
He had nudged her several times to go back to her slumber, to recover her lost energy but she had chosen to adamantly stick by his side.
He knows Nezuko isn't very clingy to him often and only does so when he gets injured badly but he has never seen her so… anxious before…
He wondered what might have happened as he could only remember the part where he was fighting the demons and….Nezuko wasn't there-
"Thank you for helping 'Ni-chan, Nezuko." Tanjirou said tenderly to which Nezuko snuggled next to him.
A twang of guilt and sadness passed through his soul as he continued to gaze at her innocent face.
He was useless as a brother to her. He was way too weak. He wasn't even strong enough to protect someone dear to him… he never was.
"I'm sorry for being weak, Nezuko…" A drop of tear fell from his eye as he looked at her. The demoness looked up to him, her face filled with worry. "I'm your older brother but I still fail to keep you out of harm's way…I'm sorry…" He said as he choked back tears.
Nezuko moved herself away as she sat in front of him. She shook her head in disagreement. Her eyelids were starting to feel all the more heavy but she can't just leave him like this. She almost lost him recently and now…he was drowning in self guilt which broke his heart into a million pieces.
"I'm sorry for being human, Nezuko…" He mumbled. "As the years pass…I'll grow old and eventually pass away and you'll be here…alone and lonely because of my failures…it is my fault…I'm really sorry-"
She shook her head vigorously.
She wished she could tell him just how wrong he was. She wished she could scold him to stop blaming himself. She wished she could say something to easy his pain. She wished she could just do something other than just helplessly watch. She was way too weak of a demon to even formulate words out of her mouth. She was just so… dependent and weak…unable to even comfort her own brother.
She gripped his hand as she cuddled next to him and mumbled whatever unintelligible sound she was capable of making in a desperate attempt to stop him, fortunately, this seemed to break him out of his trance. He looked down at her as he pats her head, tightening his grip on her.
"I'll become stronger." He said as his eyes shined in a glint of determination. "I'll keep my promise and I'll definitely turn you into a human! No matter how long it takes…I'll keep fighting till I can't any longer…till I find the cure to turn you back into a human" He smiled warmly at her as his eyelids grew heavier by the second. "I'll see you again bathe under the blessing sunlight"
Relief overcame her accompanied with the sudden yet urgent need to fall asleep which didn't escape his eyes this time either.
"You must have had a tough time staying awake for this long, Nezuko." He cooed as he shifted to accommodate enough space for her. "Sleep well, Nezuko. Onii-chan will always be there for you."
This time however she didn't fight her urge to rest as she curled up next to him in relief. She felt secure.
Her brother was safe and that's what only mattered and as darkness overtook her senses, she made sure she never let his hand go.
She would never lose him, no matter what.
Unknown to the pair, four familiar people of what consisted of a Blonde, a certain boy with blue-ish hair, a girl wearing pigtails and a certain kakushi peeked through a narrow opening of the door with tears threatened to spill from their eyes along with a soft smile gracing on some of their faces. They were only here to check if everything was okay and were worried about the pair since after sometime the sound of crying stopped only to be replaced by silence. What they were not expecting was to witness such a heartwarming yet personal scene.
They slowly close the door.
A/N: *Slams that symbolic hammer one more time*
AAAAANNDDDDD that's it! Woo, this has been one heck of a journey alright.
You have NO idea how many times this chapter got scratched and re-written LOL
Originally, I was going to incorporate the 5 demon's origin story but it just…never really worked out satisfactorily besides who would care for an Antagonist OC's backstory lol . So I just removed it from the chapter, re-wrote it accordingly, and voila! There ya have it folks~
These four demons are definitely my first ever OCs which were human (err…well demon-) and played some role in the story unlike all the other ones which are all either irrelevant background characters or aren't that significant to the plot lol
(I may post the background story if y'all want!~ )
This fic was posted on AO3 by me (@SylvieSerene)! You may check it out if you want :)
But this was a wonderful journey for me and writing this fic was equally as fun hahaha
You may have found the story today or maybe you have been following it since day 1 but…Thank you for being a part of this
It really means a lot to me! ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ
Seriously though, thank you for taking your time and reading this!
Thank you to all the people who supported me throughout the running of this book
Thank you to all my readers who gave this story a shot!
Who knows if I feel like it I may really make this new plot divergent AU fic into a full blown series? :D
See you all next time!