Tanjiro was in awe at the huge machine that was called a train. By the time he'd reached the Station, the sun was going down. "So this is what the Crow was talking about. I think he mentioned about needing to buy a ticket to get on it" he said, looking around until he found the Ticket Office. At least he would only need one ticket, he couldn't exactly buy any for his Demon family members. As he got onto the train, he thought about who he was going to be paired with for this Mission. The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. He remembered seeing the man during his trial.
He was the one with the flame-coloured hair. He hadn't spoken up about killing his family, but he also hadn't spoken up in their defence. Tanjiro wondered what the man's actual opinion of his family was. Sniffing the air, he caught the other Hashira's scent further down the train. "Ta-an" Takeo whined from the box as it shook a bit. Nezuko made a noise as well. "I'll let you all out soon, okay? Just wait a little longer" Tanjiro reassured his little Brother softly, as he reached back and touched the box. Takeo huffed, but stayed silent.
As he came into one of the other cars, he heard a loud voice: "tasty!" Tanjiro sweat-dropped and walked further into the car. "Tasty! Tasty! Tasty!" the voice repeated, as he finally found the Flame Hashira eating Bento Boxes. "Um, hello Mr, Kyojuro, was it?" Tanjiro asked. The man turned to him, "tasty!" he cried. "Yeah, I heard you. The first 50 times" Tanjiro said. Takeo pushed the box again, making an annoyed sound. "Takeo, don't break the box. You all need them, remember?" Tanjiro said sternly.
"So it's you! Our newest Hashira" Kyojuro said, catching Tanjiro's attention again. "Yes, I'm Tanjiro Kamado. My Crow ordered me to assist you on this Mission" he explained. "I see! And you have your family in that box on your back?" Kyojuro asked, looking at it. "I have one of my little Sister's, Nezuko, and two of my younger Brother's, Takeo and Rokuta with me. Speaking of which, can we go to an empty car? Takeo is getting really frustrated at being stuck in this box with two of our Siblings, and I promised him that once we found you, I'd let him out" Tanjiro explained.
Takeo made an annoyed growl this time, "and, uh, I'm worried he'll break the box if I don't let him out soon" Tanjiro continued sheepishly. Kyojuro eyed him for a moment, before standing up, "very well! Come with me!" he said.
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Tanjiro was led to an empty carriage at the back of the train, and the Older Kamado set his box down, "okay, you can all come out now" he said, opening the door. Takeo crawled out hurriedly, practically already back to his normal size. Nezuko and Rokuta came out slower, with Nezuko growing back to her normal size while she held Rokuta. The toddler only grew a little bit. Even he'd had to shrink slightly to fit in the box with his Older Siblings.
Takeo grumbled at Tanjiro, words mixed in every once in a while: "*grumble* *growl* small! *growl* no room!" he reprimanded. "Well I told you that I couldn't bring all the boxes, and anyone who wanted to come would have to share the same box Takeo" Tanjiro defended himself. The grey-haired Demon boy crossed his arms and looked away. His Older Brother smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry Takeo. Are you okay?" he asked gently, placing his hand on his little Brother's head. Takeo huffed in reply.
Rokuta was looking around curiously from Nezuko's arms, and he made a noise. "This is what we're going to be travelling in Rokuta. Isn't it amazing?!" Tanjiro asked. His baby Brother giggled, and Tanjiro stroked his hair. Then he turned to look at Kyojuro, who was eyeing the three Demon's with an unreadable look on his face. The Flame Hashira snapped out of it after a moment and moved to a seat, "let's sit down now. It's dangerous to be standing when the train is moving after all!" he suggested. Tanjiro nodded, and the four Kamado Siblings all sat down. Takeo sat next to Tanjiro, glaring at Kyojuro, while Nezuko and Rokuta sat next to the other Hashira.
If Kyojuro felt any discomfort from having so many Demons near him in such a close space, he didn't show it. After putting the box in the luggage area, Tanjiro sat down as well. There was a moment of awkward silence, before Kyojuro spoke up, "so young Kamado! I hear you have begun learning Total-Concentration Constant!" he said. Tanjiro nodded, "yes I have. It hasn't been easy, but I don't care. As long as I can protect my family, I'll do anything" he replied.
"I see! What are you going to do if you manage to complete your goal of finding a cure for your family while there are still other Demons around, and more importantly, Kibutsuji?" Kyojuro asked seriously. Tanjiro's gaze darkened. "That monster went after my family. He hurt and turned them into Demons. Weather he meant to do that, or kill them, I don't know. But if that Demon isn't killed, he could come after us again. That is something I won't allow. I'll kill him, so that my family can live safely and happily as humans again, and so that no one else has to go through what we did that day" Tanjro swore.
Kyojuro nodded in understanding, "an admirable goal to have! Well as long as you and your family help us with that goal, I don't see any issue with that!" the Flame Hashira replied loudly with a smile. Tanjiro smiled, 'he has a good heart. And I can smell that he has a strong sense of justice. This man is someone I would be happy to work beside' he thought to himself. His Siblings yawned, beginning to get tired. They had been awake for a while now after all. "It's okay. You all can get some rest. If there's a Demon, I'm sure you'll all wake up before I even notice" Tanjiro assured them, noticing their exhaustion.
Takeo and Nezuko sat back in their seats, falling asleep quickly. Rokuta lay down across Nezuko's lap and curled up. He then fell asleep like that. Their Older Brother smiled gently at his sleeping Siblings, while Kyojuro stared in interest, "I wasn't aware that Demon's slept!" he said. "My family sleeps instead of eating humans. In fact, they all slept for the whole two years I was training to become a Demon Slayer" Tanjiro explained. "Oh yes! I remember you saying that during your trial!" Kyojuro nodded in remembrance.
Suddenly the door to the car opened and an exhausted looking man walked in, "may I, see your, tickets please?" he asked slowly. "This man is going to check that our tickets are valid" Kyojuro explained, seeing the look of confusion on his fellow Hashira's face. "Oh!" Tanjiro said, as he handed over his ticket to the man. He slowly punched a hole in the ticket, then punched Kyojuro's as well, "Thank you, very, much" he said. Tanjiro blinked once, but suddenly felt too tired to open his eyes again. Before he knew what was happening, he had fallen asleep.
(Tanjiro's dream)
Tanjiro woke up that morning, confused. 'What, was I doing? Where am I' he thought. As he sat up in his Futon, Tanjiro looked around. He was in Mr Saburo's house, and the sun was shining faintly through the window. 'Oh, that's right. Mr Saburo insisted that I stay the night at his house because of 'Demon's'. Poor man, he's still so traumatized by the loss of his family' he thought. Tanjiro got up and began to get ready to head back home. Not long after, Saburo himself woke up and began to get ready for the day.
He cooked some rice for Tanjiro, who ate hungrily. Then he stood up, "thank you for your hospitality and the food. I have to get home now though" Tanjiro said gratefully. He pulled on his green and black-checkered Haori, snow shoes and picked up his empty basket from outside the door. "Be careful on your way home, alright?!" Saburo called out to him as he headed back up the mountain. Tanjiro waved back in reply.
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Soon he could see the smoke coming from their fireplace, and smell the breakfast his Mother was making. Tanjiro walked up to the door of his house and slid it open, "I'm home everyone!" he called, taking off the basket and leaving it in the genkan to be put away later. As he removed his snow-covered boots, Hanako and Shigeru ran over to him, "Tanjiro's back!" Shigeru called excitedly.
His younger Brother and Sister hugged him around the middle, as his Mother walked over to see him, Rokuta on her back, "welcome home Tanjiro. Did Mr Saburo have you stay with him last night?" Kie asked, knowing how cautious that man could be. At the beginning of Winter this year, when Tanjiro had gone down the mountain with Takeo and Hanako, Tanjiro had told her the next day that the older man had insisted the children stay at his house for the night, even though it had only just begun to get dark at the time they were returning to the mountain.
She appreciated his worry for her children, but sometimes she couldn't help but worry when they didn't come home on time. Tanjiro nodded, "yes. I came home as soon as the sun rose though" he replied, patting Hanako and Shigeru on the head, "it's good to be home" he said.
(Meanwhile, in the real world)
The Conductor ran through the train, past all the sleeping passengers, before he finally burst through a door and collapsed to his knees, "as ordered! I've put them all to sleep Sir! Now do the same to m as well, won't you? Let me be reunited with, my dead Wife and Daughter." He sobbed, bowing his head. "Please! I beg of you!" he pleaded desperately. A hand fell from somewhere and stood on it's fingers. It had an eyeball that read 'One' and a mouth.
The mouth grinned, "you did a fine job. Now sleep forever!" The mouth spoke, and a wave of energy came from the mouth, hitting the Conductor and making him fall asleep. "Dream that you are with your family again" the hand said. "Excuse me?" a tired voice asked, and an exhausted-looking girl and boy knelt down on the floor behind them. "What would you like, from us?" the girl asked. The hand turned around, "those who are sleeping now, will fall even deeper still. For now stay here, until they have. You both want peaceful dreams as well, don't you?" the hand asked. "Yes" the two replied at the same time.
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"We're supposed to tie their wrists, right?" the girl wearing the green Kimono asked. The pale boy nodded, "that's what he said" he replied. He glanced nervously at the three sleeping Demon children on the other seat, "are you sure those Demon's won't wake up? They're not under his Spell, right? What if they attack us?" he asked. "Apparently they don't attack or eat humans, so we should be fine" the girl in the green Kimono waved him off. "Okay, let's hurry this up. my whole body hurts. I want my pain-free dream" she said impatiently.
The pale boy nodded, sitting in the seat behind Tanjiro. "Take a slow, deep breath, and count back from 10. Do that, and you'll fall asleep" he muttered, but couldn't help looking over the three Demon children. They seemed so young. He couldn't help feeling sorry for them. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, the young man fell into his sleep.
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(Tanjiro's dream)
The Kamado Siblings ate some Rice Crackers that their Mother had made for them. Tanjiro looked around at his family happily. As he watched his younger Siblings, he realised that someone was missing, "hey, where's Nezuko?" he asked. Tanjiro was sure he'd seen her when he got home. "She went up the mountain to pick vegetables for dinner tonight" Takeo replied. "In broad daylight?!" Tanjiro asked, startled. Hanako looked confused, "is that wrong?" his youngest Sister asked. "Uh, no, it's fine" Tanjiro replied.
Rokuta walked over to him with his arms held out, wanting to be held. "Tanjiro, after you finish eating, can you get the bath ready? I still have more to do here" Kie asked, as she looked back at the dinner she was busy making. "Sure" Tanjiro replied, standing up. "Can we help? I can carry the pale down for you!" Shigeru asked, standing up as well. "Actually, can you three help me with dinner" their Mother asked. "Okay!" Hanako replied, as she, Shigeru and Rokuta went over to her.
"Rokuta, can you hold this bowl for Mama?" Kie asked, handing the three-year-old the bowl. Rokuta giggled, taking the bowl with his tiny hands. "Hanako, Shigeru, can you get the other vegetables from the ice box?" "Okay!" the two replied in unison. "I'll get some more firewood" Takeo offered, heading to the back door. "Oh, thank you dear!" their Mother said gratefully. Tanjiro smiled, before he left the house to go get the water. The boy who had tied himself to Tanjiro was shown to be watching from a hiding place in the trees. He looked sad.
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'I wonder why I've been so confused lately. Maybe I've been working too hard' Tanjiro thought to himself as he walked down to the river. As he travelled through the quiet forest, he saw a cart with three wooden boxes in it out of the corner of his eye. Tanjiro stopped and turned to look at the cart, only to find it had vanished. "It's gone. Was that the cart we use to take big loads of Charcoal to town in? But why would it be in the middle of the forest?" he asked himself. Tanjiro reached the pier at the river, "I must be tired or something" he told himself, before kneeling to collect water from the river. Before he could touch the surface though, his reflection spoke to him: "wake up!" reflection Tanjiro cried. The other him reached out and grabbed his checkered green and black Haori, before pulling him into the water.
Tanjiro stared at the other Tanjiro, taking in his dark brown Uniform with golden buttons, and a black Haori with dots of gold on it. He also had a sword on his hip. "This is a dream! We're in danger, so you have to wake up now!" the reflection Tanjiro demanded. 'A dream? That must mean I'm still, on board the train!' Tanjiro realised. "Wake up and fight! You have to! You have to fight!" Reflection Tanjiro ordered, before the water pushed them away from each other.
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Tanjiro gasped as he found himself eating dinner with his family. "Hey, give me your pickled radishes!" Takeo said. "Now hold it right there Takeo, that's so not fair! Why are you always taking food away from Tanjiro, huh?" Hanako demanded to know. "Mind your own business!" her Older Brother replied. "And you just had seconds!" his little Sister added. 'I'm still here. Even though I know it's a dream now. What do I do? How do I wake up?' Tanjro thought worriedly.
(Real world)
Nezuko and Takeo slowly woke up, sitting up more in their seats. They looked around. Tanjiro and the other Hashira were asleep, with Kyojuro holding a girl by the neck. "What?" Takeo asked in confusion. Nezuko placed the still sleeping Rokuta back down on her seat and walked over to their Older Brother. "I have to wake up" Tanjiro muttered in his sleep, scrunching his face up.
Nezuko tried to shake him, and get him to rub her head, but he stayed asleep. She frowned, before reeling back and slamming her head into Tanjiro's. "Nezuko!" Takeo yelped in shock, waking Rokuta, who blinked sleepily. When Nezuko stood back up, her forehead started to bleed, making the Demon girl cry in pain and confusion. Why wouldn't big Brother wake up?! In frustration, Nezuko slammed her still bleeding head back down onto Tanjiro. Her blood ignited into the hot pink flames of her Blood Demon Art, engulfing their Older Brother.
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(Tanjiro's dream)
As Tanjiro sat in front of his Siblings, his wrist, and then his whole body became enveloped in hot pink flames. "Big Brother! What do we do?" Hanako cried in horror. "Tanjiro!" Takeo yelled worriedly. "This scent! I know it!" Tanjiro said in realisation as he quickly stood up, "Nezuko! It's Nezuko!" he said. Tanjiro was engulfed in a tornado of pink flames this time. When they cleared, Tanjiro was wearing his Hashira Demon Slayer uniform again, along with the Haori Mitsuri had given him, with his Sword on his hip.
'My Uniform! My Sword! I'm starting to wake up!" Tanjiro muttered. He looked down at his younger Siblings. His human Siblings, who'd never had to experience the horror of being killed and turned into Demons by Muzan. But his thoughts returned to his current family. Although they were all Demon's, they were all alive. That was infinitely better than the alternative. He looked down at his worried Siblings again and steeled himself, 'they'll be there when I wake up' he thought to himself.
"I'm sorry. But I have to go" Tanjiro said softly, before turning to run out of the house. "Tanjiro!" Shigeru called, "wait!" Hanako added. "Where are you going?!" Takeo demanded. Tanjiro ran through the trees and snow, 'I can smell the Demon, but just barely. The problem is that the scent is everywhere now that I remember what to look for, like a blanket, I have to find the Demon whose showing me this dream quickly! Hurry! I can smell that Nezuko's injured. She, Takeo and Rokuta may be extremely powerful, but finding and fighting the enemy while protecting everyone on the train would be too much for them alone! And if Kyojuro is asleep too, we're in real trouble!' Tanjiro thought.
He looked around, 'how do I get out of here?' "Tanjiro" a voice called. Tanjiro gasped, recognising the voice. His Father's Spirit appeared, floating in the air behind him, "what you must cut, is within your reach" Tanjuro said. He had disappeared by the time Tanjiro looked behind him. "What I must cut, is within my reach? Does that mean-" Tanjiro said softly, grabbing his Sword, "I think I understand" he said. Tanjiro drew his blade and stared at it. 'I have to! It's the only way to get out of this dream!' he knelt in the snow, his Sword held to his neck.
'Just do it! Don't think about it! do it!' Tanjiro screamed and sliced into his neck. There was a flash of pain-