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Chapter Text

Nezuko slipped the basket over her shoulders, it strained her shoulders because of the weight, so she adjusted it slightly.
It was her first time going into town alone, she couldn't help but feel a little excited.
"Nezuko!" Her mother's voice rang out.
Nezuko turned and her mother came over to her, "A young lady shouldn't have soot all over her face," she said, wiping Nezuko's face with a handkerchief. She paused, frowning at the snow that was falling, it didn't seem like it would be ending anytime soon. "Are you sure you want to go? It's snowing and it's dangerous, I know you're doing it for Tanjiro but—"
"Mom! I'll be fine!" She assured her worrying mother, "I've been to town before! With Tanjiro, but I know what to do! And it's not just for Tanjiro, I want everyone to have a good New Years. So I'll sell as much as I can, even if it's just a little."
Kie stepped back, studying her daughter, she smiled, "Thank you."
Nezuko smiled and nodded.
She adjusted the straps of the basket one more time but before she started to walk she heard a stifled cough.
She sighed and turned around, "Onii-chan, you're not good at being discreet. You should be resting."
Tanjiro chuckled...which quickly turned into a cough, "Sorry you have to go to town for me today."
Nezuko frowned, "Stop that! If you keep saying sorry I'm going to flick your forehead. Everyone needs time to rest, if you don't, you'll end up sicker than you already are."
"Fine, just stay safe okay?"
"I will."
Nezuko grinned, "I'll see you l—"
"NEZUKO! ARE YOU GOING TO TOWN TODAY?!?" Shigeru exclaimed, running towards her with Hanako and Takeo trailing behind him.
"I want to go!" Hanako said.
"Me too!" Takeo added.
"Me too!" exclaimed Rokuta who had just toddled up beside Hanako, tugging on her sleeve.
"Now, now," Kie said, scooping up Rokuta, "Nezuko isn't going to be taking the cart, so she can't pull you when you get tired and you can't walk as fast as her."
"Awwww." Hanako and Shigeru said in unison.
"I can go. Right?" Takeo asked, he looked so devastatingly hopeful, "I don't need the cart and I can keep pace with Nezuko."
"Tanjiro is feeling ill, so mom is going to need your help with chores today, " Nezuko said, feeling slightly guilty when her brother looked down at his feet, "Can you do that?"
"Okay..." He said.
The she turned to Hanako and Shigeru, "And I'll bring back some goodies and when I get back we can play some games together."
"Yay!" Hanako and Shigeru cheered.
Nezuko smiled, "I'll see you all later!"
"Bye!" They all waved.
Then she started on her way.

Their life wasn't easy, but they were happy.
But life is like the weather—it's always changing.
It won't be easy; the snow won't keep falling.
And when happiness ends, there's always the scent of blood in the air.

"Hello Nezuko!" A woman with her child came up to her, "Is Tanjiro not here today?"
Nezuko shook her head, "He's feeling unwell so I came to town for him today."
The woman smiled, "That's nice of you, I wish him well. Could I get some coal?"
"No problem!" said Nezuko cheerfully.
Nezuko and the woman traded the charcoal for money and the woman left with her coal, talking cheerfully with her son.
"NEZUKO!" a voice shouted.
She followed the source of the voice to a young man holding a broken dish, and an old woman holding him by the collar of his kimono.
"Your nose is almost as good as Tanjiro's right? Can you please tell her I didn't break this dish?" he asked frantically.
She nodded, bending down slightly to the plate's level.
Her sense of smell definitely wasn't as good as Tanjiro's but it was pretty good on a normal standard.
The itchy scent of a feline reached her nose.
"It was a cat." she announced.
The man gasped a sigh of relief when the woman released her hold on his collar.
"A cat? Oh, my." the woman mused.
"SEE?" the man exclaimed triumphantly.
Nezuko bit back a laugh as she started walking away.
She spent most of the day selling coal and helping the villagers with random tasks. She had sold all of it earned some extra money from when she'd helped out the villagers, even though she'd said they could keep their money.
They'd been sweet.
She had managed to buy a bag of fruity candy for her siblings and it sat in her pocket, it had taken all of her willpower not to eat some of them.
The day had been progressively been getting colder, her cheeks were red and she felt freezing even with all the layers she was wearing. She pulled her scarf tighter over her face as she started making her way back up the mountain.
She looked towards the sun, which was already setting.
She frowned.
She'd promised her mother that she'd be back before sundown, hopefully she wasn't worrying about her.
The snow started falling again, soft flakes that landed on her face and hair, she loved the snow, it made everything seem bright.
"Hey, Nezuko! You aren't going back up the mountain are you? It's too dangerous." a familiar voice shouted.
*Huh?*
She turned to see old man Saburo standing inside his home, looking through the window.
"I've got a good nose!" she smiled, pointing to it, "I'll be fine!"
"Stay here! Please! I insist." he said
"But..." she started.
"It's alright! You're welcome here! Please, just come inside!" he insisted. "You wouldn't want to run into any demons."
*Demons?*

"For ages, man-eating demons have roamed these woods after dark, so you shouldn't be out after sundown," old man Saburo said as he got out a futon from the closet. "So stay here, eat, sleep, and you can go back out early in the morning."
Nezuko frowned, biting her lip as she held tea that he'd made for her.
But she was thankful that he'd let her stay, she'd probably freeze if she'd been out any longer, so perhaps that had been a good thing.
She set her empty cup of tea down and stood up, "Thank you."
He nodded and spread out her futon which she then wriggled into.
Something in her stomach felt like she should take his warning seriously, he looked dead serious when he'd told her. Like he had seen it's horrors face to face. But these were just scary stories that parents told to keep kids from being outside at night, when her father was well, he'd told them.
But still...
"Can't demons get inside houses?" she asked.
"Yes. Yes they can." Saburo said, as he got out a cigar.
"Then why haven't they eaten everyone?" Nezuko asked, her eyelids fluttering with exhaustion.
"Because demon slayers cut them down. Have been for ages. And always will." he cut off like a dramatic book ending.
Her eyes fell shut.
Old man Saburo had been living alone since his family died.
It must be very loney—she couldn't imagine being in his position.
Maybe she should bring her siblings with her tomorrow and tell him, "There's no need to worry! There's no such things as demons!"
But just before she dozed off completely, the memory of her grandmother telling her stories of these "man-eating demons" filled her head.
*Be careful my little Nezuko-chan. The world is a dangerous place, demons are only there to prove it.*

"Bye!" Nezuko shouted, "Thank you for letting me stay!"
She waved goodbye and continued back up the mountain. It felt warmer than it did yesterday, she was thankful for that.
The snow crunched under her feet and her breath appeared in translucent little white puffs in front of her face.
Snow fell in soft delicate flakes, dancing across the the morning sky. Nezuko had always wondered what they looked like up close, from her books they told her they were incredibly detailed and there was never a single snowflake that had a twin.
She cupped her hands out, hoping a few would land in her hands but of course they disintegrated upon impact, dissolving into little droplets on her cold hands. She frowned at her cupped hands, she knew that would happen of course, but she had hoped the snow flakes would last just a while longer.
She paused, an irony smell reaching her nose.
*When happiness ends, there's always the scent of blood in the air.*
Panic bloomed in her chest.
She wasn't that far from her house....
She broke into a sprint, running as fast as she could.
*Please just be a dead animal!*
She screamed at the gruesome scene before her.
Tanjiro's body lay on the ground, covered in blood as he slumped over Rokuta like a shield. His face was wet with blood and his leg lay at an odd angle, there were deep slices in his mid section.
"TANJIRO! WHAT HAPPENED!" she exclaimed, running over to him, the charcoal basket slipped from her shoulders,"WHAT HAP—"
*No, no, no, no, no, nononono.*
Her mother hugged Hanako tight, but they're bodies were so mangled she could barely tell it was them. Takeo's body had been reaching for the doorway, his hand just barely made it. He was missing a leg. Shigeru laid just beside Takeo, his lifeless eyes stared back at her. Their blood covered everything like a fresh coat of paint.
Her knees went weak and she had to lock her jaw to keep from being sick.
*She couldn't imagine being in his position...*
Nezuko cried.

Tanjiro had been the only one still breathing, she hoped she could make it to a doctor in time.
Nezuko carried him on her back, he was so heavy.
The cold air pierced her lungs, every breath hurt.
How could this have happened!?
Possibly a bear that had been too hungry to hibernate?
*A demon?* a voice at the back of her mind asked.
But she pushed it back, it seemed to ridiculous of an explanation.
She nearly stumbled as she ran down the snowy path.
*KEEP GOING! YOU CAN'T GIVE UP NOW!*
*There's still a long way to town...you have to save him!*
"YOUR SISTER WILL SAVE YOU!" she shouted.
She heard a strange growling come from behind her and she jumped.
Was it the bear?
Her foot slid on the snow and she and Tanjiro were thrown sideways off the cliff.
She screamed as the wind whipped past her ears, unwrapping her hair from her styled bun.
She hit the snow at the bottom with a thud and the air was knocked out of her.
She looked beside her and Tanjiro wasn't there anymore, she shot up, looking around frantically.
She pushed herself up and he was standing in front of her as if he were a puppet that its puppeteer had gotten bored with, arms and head limp but still upright.
"Tanjiro!" She exclaimed, "You shouldn't be standing! I need to take you to a doctor! You need rest!"
His head snapped up, his teeth had fangs and his pupil's had turned to slits, and then he launched himself at her.
*OLD MAN SABURO HAD BEEN RIGHT!*
*A DEMON!*
*No! That couldn't be possible!*
His eyes and fangs said otherwise.
He pushed her to the ground and his teeth snapped at her as he climbed on top of her.
She kneed him in the stomach so he couldn't get closer.
*What had happened!?*
*He'd been human! For as long as she could remember! It couldn't have been him! He was protecting Rokuta when she had arrived! And there was no blood on his hands or mouth.*
"Please stop! Tanjiro! It's me, Nezuko! Remember!" She yelled, "*Please.*"
No recognition flared in him.
She extended her leg all the way, pushing him up to put as much distance between them as she could.
"Please Tanjiro! Fight the demon! I KNOW YOU CAN!" Nezuko yelled. "BE STRONG! DON'T GIVE IN!"
She was sure she was crying again, warm ran down her face but she was was too numb to make any sense of it.
*Was he getting...bigger?*
*AND STRONGER!*
She yelped as he tried to bite her. Her arms burned as she tried to push him back, her body shook with effort.
"ONII-CHAN! FIGHT THE DEMON!" She screamed as he continued to lash out.
He paused. Tears began to well up in his eyes and then dripped onto Nezuko's face.
"Tanjiro?" She breathed. "Are you there?"
The metallic sound of a blade unsheathing pierced her ears.
Nezuko screamed as a man in a black uniform lunged for Tanjiro. He tried to swing his sword but she rolled herself and Tanjiro over and his blade cut through her hair instead. They tumbled backards in the snow, her back slammed against against a tree and Tanjiro shrunk back to his original size in her arms. She pushed herself up and held her brother close.
The man looked at her as if trying to be menacing but looked really depressed instead, "Why are you protecting him?"
"He's my brother! My brother..." She said.
Tanjiro growled and tried to squirm from her grip.
The man raised an eyebrow, "*That* is your brother?"
Tanjiro snarled and kicked at the ground Nezuko held on to him so hard her arms hurt. The man ran towards her and then suddenly Tanjiro wasn't in her arms anymore.

Chapter Text

"No!" Nezuko screamed, quickly getting to her feet, "Let him go!"
"Don't move." the man said, he held Tanjiro's hands behind his back, somehow keeping him in place. "Killing demons is my job, so of course I have to take your brother's life."
"Tanjiro hasn't hurt anyone! I swear! There was another scent at my house, it wasn't him who killed them." Nezuko cried.
Her fingers ran over something wooden in the snow, she looked down to see it was Tanjiro's pocket knife in its case. It must've fallen out of his pocket.
She gripped it as she continued speaking, "The other scent must've killed them. I don't know what's making him act like this, but..."
"Easy," the man interrupted, "His wounds were exposed to demon blood, which caused him to turn. That's how man-eating demons multiply."
"Tanjiro would never eat a human!"
"Really? A MOMENT AGO HE ALMOST ATE YOU!"
"HE KNOWS ME! I'M SURE OF IT!"
The man pulled his katana and held it dangerously close to her brother.
"NO! STOP!" Nezuko screamed, "*Please.* He's all I have left. I can't lose anyone else," she sank to her knees and bowed her head, "Please. Don't take him from me. Don't take my big brother away."
Uncontrollable tears ran down her cheeks.
"I won't let him hurt anyone," she said, lifting her head, "I'll find a cure! I'LL MAKE HIM HUMAN AGAIN!"
The man looked at her with distaste and pity, "A human who is turned into a demon cannot go back. He won't get better."
"I SWEAR, I'LL FIND A WAY! DON'T KILL HIM! I'LL FIND THE MAN WHO KILLED MY FAMILY! I WILL DO ALL OF THAT...SO...so..."
"NEVER LEAVE YOURSELF DEFENSELESS IN FRONT OF AN ENEMY!" the man shouted, "IF THAT WORKED YOUR FAMILY WOULD STILL BE ALIVE! STOP BOWING SO PITIFULLY!"
She flinched at the anger that was now in his tone, she slowly made her way to her feet.
"How can such a girl, one who bows when it's time to fight, kill, or be killed, EVEN *FIND* HER ENEMY!? MUCH LESS FIND A CURE FOR HER BROTHER!? IF YOU WANT SOMETHING YOU MUST FIGHT FOR IT! THE WEAK HAVE NO POWER AND NO OPTIONS! THE STRONG WILL CRUSH THEM IN EVERY WAY! BUT DEMONS MIGHT KNOW A CURE FOR YOUR BIG BROTHER BUT NO DEMON WILL RESPECT YOUR WHINING AND BEGGING!
AND IN THAT MATTER I DON'T RESPECT YOU EITHER! THAT'S REALITY! BEFORE? WHY DID YOU COVER YOUR BROTHER? DID YOU THINK THAT WOULD PROTECT HIM? WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT ME BACK? THAT'S HOW I WAS ABLE TO GET HIM! I SHOULD'VE SKEWERED YOU BOTH!"
Nezuko couldn't make herself move.
He was right.
She should've fought, she should've done *something.*
She was weak, she had to get stronger. Otherwise...
She didn't want to think about the otherwise.
Her family was dead, Tanjiro was a demon. Every ounce of her wanted to give up and just die here, but she needed to keep going. Otherwise Tanjiro would never have a normal future.
The man lifted his sword and then stabbed Tanjiro in the chest, a sickening squelch came from the blade as it hit its target.
A guttural cry ripped from her throat, "NO!"
She found a rock and threw it, then she squeezed the knife and ran, she ducked behind a tree and threw two more rocks before quickly throwing the pocket knife, he would be focusing on the rocks, there would be no way he'd notice the knife. She didn't have an exact idea of what she was doing, just that she needed to get her brother away from that man, even if she got taken down in the process.
*She'd kill him.*
She charged at him, pivoting her hands to make it appear she had a weapon. She was barely half a meter away from him when he slammed his sword handle into her back.
The world then faded into oblivion.

Giyu frowned at the girl running towards him.
Did she really think that throwing rocks would work?
She had a weapon now though, he wasn't sure what, she hadn't had anything when she was fighting off her brother.
Relying on pure emotion for a head-on attack?
What a fool.
He slammed the pommel of his blade into her spine and she fell to the ground, her eyes fluttered shut.
The boy stopped struggling in his grip, staring down at his fallen sister.
*Wait...what had she been holding? Nothing was there.*
Something glinted in his peripheral vision, he looked up to a see a pocket knife soaring through the air, it's target would've been his head if he hadn't moved in time. His eyes widened as he stared at the knife embedded in the bark.
She'd thrown the rocks as a distraction... and then when she was behind the tree she'd thrown the knife and thrown a rock at the same time, and the ran towards him, pretending she had something. She'd intended to kill him after he'd struck her down. She'd known she wouldn't win...
This kid...
The boy growled in his grip, he got loose and kicked him away.
*Shit. He'd been distracted.*
The boy ran to his sister.
Gyiu slid back and braced his feet so he could stop.
*Dammit! He was too late!*
The boy reached for her, his nails sharp and ready to strike.
*HE WAS GOING TO EAT HER!*
But then...he turned, he shielded her, he looked at Giyu with fury and hunger.
*Tanjiro would never hurt anyone! I swear! Tanjiro would never eat a human!*
The boy lunged for him.
*She wouldn't be the first to say that and then get eaten anyway.*
Starving demons will kill and eat their own families because they need the energy. He'd seen it too many times to count.
There was no doubt this boy must be using a lot of strength to fight and heal his wounds right now and he'd just transformed, he was definitely starving.
But, he was directing all of his strength at him and protecting his sister.
These two may be different.
He drew his hand at the demon boy before him, he landed a blow with the side of his hand at his neck and he fell unconscious.
The boy fell in a similar fashion to the way his sister had. Gyiu picked him up and set him beside her.
They didn't look very old, the girl looked about twelve and the boy just maybe a year older. He felt some pity towards them.
*He* would know what to do.

Everything felt sort of floaty, like she'd been disconnected from her body. She heard the worried whispers of children, but her mind was too foggy to make them out.
A hand stroked through her hair, "I'm sorry we had to leave you behind, my daughter, take care of Tanjiro for me."
Her eyes snapped open, tears welled up in them.
*Mother.*
Her eyes widened as she noticed Tanjiro asleep beside her, he wore a bamboo muzzle and his haori was wrapped around him like a blanket.
*You're alright.
"You awake?" the man's voice from before asked.
She scooped up Tanjiro and sat up, she hadn't expected him to be there, although no one else was around to put the muzzle on Tanjiro.
Her knife hadn't gotten him...
"Go see an old man named, Urokodaki Sakonji, he lives at the foot of Mount Sagiri. Tell him that Tomioka Giyu sent you." the man—Giyu—told her. "Your brother should be fine since the sun isn't out today, but never let him into direct sunlight."
Then he vanished into thin air.
"What?" she muttered.
She looked down at her brother in her arms, his wounds seemed fine, not even bleeding anymore...odd, he'd been near death when she found him.
She hoped he wouldn't mind her waking him up, so she shook him gently until his eyes fluttered open.
"You alright? Are you in pain?" Nezuko asked him.
He seemed to understand and he shook his head.
"Can you walk?" She asked.
He gave a curt nod and pushed himself up to his feet, wobbling slightly as if he wasn't sure what feet were for. She pushed herself up as well and grabbed his hand.
"Okay onii-chan, " Nezuko whispered, "we need to go home."

She'd buried them.
She had a hard time doing it.
She'd felt numb by the time they were all buried.
After she'd gone inside to get a change of clothes, she felt very squeamish doing so, because the floor was still coated in their blood, and she'd needed a minute to be away from the graves, if she'd been there longer, she would have burst into tears.
*Be strong.* played like a mantra through her head, but she just felt like a weakling who barely managed to get her brother back alive.
Tanjiro probably wouldn't want to be in his bloodied clothes any more. She gave him the clothes and he knew what to do, but he had needed help tying the waistband, his fingers had fiddled uselessly with it.
She tied the waistband and the cradled his hands in her own, his hands looked different. His nails were black and sharpened to a point and the veins in his hands were more prominent. Her brow creased and she looked him in the eyes, "I will turn you back. I promise."
Some how it made her feel better to see him in his usual green and black checkered haori.
She had changed too, into a simple sage green kimono with a yellow and blue patterned obi and a black haori. She'd grabbed a few other pairs of clothes for her and her brother (including her favorite pink kimono) and stuffed them into a satchel and grabbed some food for her, just in case.
Nezuko then prayed at her family's graves.
She didn't think she would ever have to do this, it always seemed like a nightmare scenario, just something she'd wake up from and it would be over.
Well, the world sure liked proving her wrong.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you. Maybe if I was there I could've done something." She whispered, with her head bowed and her hands clasped together, "I love you all and may God bring you peace in heaven."
She opened her eyes and released her hands. She looked beside her to see Tanjiro staring at the falling snowflakes. She smiled at that, he looked like he'd never seen them before in his life.
"C'mon." Nezuko said, taking his hand.
She gave herself one last look behind her, her face fell into sadness, then she ran with her brother down the mountain.

"C'mon onii-chan!" a muffled voice exclaimed from outside Saburo's door, "We need to get down the mountain before the sun comes back out!"
Confused, he set down his cup of tea and slid open his front door.
Nezuko was holding her brother's hand as she ran, his head kept drooping as if he were trying not to fall asleep.
Why would she be going back out to town?
Then he noticed the strange thing Tanjiro-kun had in his mouth, it looked like a muzzle. And Nezuko-chan didn't have the charcoal basket, just a cross body satchel.
Nezuko stopped and turned to him, "Just a little longer, okay? Then you can sleep."
His head turned slightly, giving Saburo enough of a view to see that his eyes had changed, his eyes were red and his pupils had turned to slits.
His heart skipped a beat when he realized,
He was a demon.
Nezuko's face looked like she had seen horrible things since the last he'd seen her only a few hours ago, her cheeks red from tears and there were bags under her eyes. Her hair had also dramatically decreased in length, reaching just below her chin.
The demons had gotten to the Kamado family.
Turning Tanjiro into a demon as well.
He'd saved Nezuko...but not the rest of her family.
His mind briefly flashed to a memory of his wife and son smiling and playing in the sun.
His heart sank.
He briefly wondered if he could do anything to help, but there wasn't anything he really could do.
So he stayed silent, closed his door, and hoped the two would be okay.

Chapter Text

"Excuse me, sir," Nezuko asked, "Would it be alright if I took that basket over there and some straw and bamboo?"
A man with tired grey eyes looked up from what he'd been working on in his field, his eyebrows raised as if surprised by the request, "We don't mind, but the basket has a hole in it."
"That's fine," Nezuko assured him, "Could I pay you?"
The man shook his head, "No need, it's a broken basket."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's fine. Go ahead and take it."
"Well...thanks!" Nezuko said, not able to keep the surprise from her tone, "Have a nice day!"
Nezuko gathered the items, she paused before starting on her way. She fished a few coins from her pocket and set it where the basket had been, she figured it was the least she could do for their generosity.
She walked back to the cave where she and Tanjiro had rested for the night, the cave would be protection from the sun that was now pounding on her back, she wasn't sure why the weather had changed so drastically, there had been at least a foot of snow on the mountain.
She made it back to the cave and set the basket, straw, and bamboo down and looked inside.
Her heart tumbled over itself as she realized he wasn't in there, "Tanjiro? Where'd you go?"
His popped up from what looked like a hole, his red eyes filled with exhaustion and fear.
*He dug that hole?*
Suddenly an image of him digging up the dirt with his hands and then him scurrying into it like a rabbit, filled her brain and she couldn't resist a giggle.
But her smile fell as she noticed how weary he looked.
*He must really not want to be out there.*
"Hold on just a few minutes." She said softly.
She went back to the supplies she'd gotten and went to work repairing the basket. Her back ached as she leaned over the basket, the memory of the sword slamming into her back was a common reappearance when the pain flared up.
Her fingers wove together the straw and bamboo, moving with delicate precision that only came with years of experience.
When she was younger her mom taught her how to weave.
*Over, under, through.*
Then she had used that knowledge to make canopies out of grass and she would lay them over bushes and shrubbery making a fort, and she, Tanjiro, and Takeo would play make believe games with her forts. Mostly *House*, or they'd play games where they had to *survive* in the wild. There was one time where she, Hanako, Takeo, and Shigeru had gotten stuck in one of the forts because it had started to rain and they'd been a bit too far from the house, no water leaked through the canopies and they eventually just used the canopies as capes and made a run for it. Laughing as they finally made it inside, hair and clothes soaked.
Her heart clenched painfully at the memory.
Her fingers paused.
She let out a shuddery breath, pushed the memory out of her mind, and forced herself to continue.
After a bit, the basket was done. She grabbed it and went back inside the cave.
"Will you fit in here?" Nezuko asked her brother, "In the basket? I want to try to keep moving during the day."
He looked doubtfuly at the basket.
She frowned, pointing at the basket, "Basket...can you get in?"
Tanjiro pushed himself up into it...but only is upper half fit, and he gave up and just slumped there.
"You're too big..." she muttered, then her mind flashed back to when he was trying to attack her and he got bigger, it gave her an idea, "Remember when you got bigger? Can you try and do the opposite of that and get smaller?"
"C'mon Tanjiro, get smaller for me." she said, trying to coax him in.
He pushed himself up into the basket and ended upside down.
Nezuko yelped, trying to steady the rocking basket.
He kicked his legs, each time making himself smaller than the last, then he was settled in, now about the same size as tiny Rokuta was.
Her smile was a bit strained as she told him, "Good job! I knew you could do it!"
*Her brain must be against her.*
"Now, for the last part." She whispered.
She took off her haori and wrapped it over the basket, it managed to cover him. She slid the straps of the basket over her shoulders and started walking to Mount Sagiri.

It was almost night now.
Her legs burned and her eyes kept fluttering on her.
She didn't bother to rest though, she knew if she did, she'd be plagued by nightmares.
So essentially she was running on sleep deprivation and hope.
Nezuko spotted a woman ushering her child inside, she wore a yellow kimono and she had raven black hair that cascaded down her back.
Her hair used to be that long. Now it brushed her neck weirdly.
"Excuse me ma'am!" she called out, she quickened her pace.
The woman stopped and turned to face Nezuko jogging up to her.
"Yes?" the woman asked, her green eyes looking at her with concern, her little boy peeked out from behind her.
"Could you tell me how to get to Mount Sagiri?" Nezuko asked, channeling as much politeness she could muster into her voice.
Usually being kind came easy to her but she was just so *tired.*
"To get to Mount Sagiri, you have to cross that mountain." she pointed vaguely behind her, "The sun will set soon, and you're carrying a large load, are you sure you want to go? It's dangerous."
Nezuko gave a friendly smile and bowed, "I'll be alright, thank you for your help!"
She winced slightly as her back hurt and quickly stood up regularly.
She waved and started walking.
"People do really disappear there! So don't get lost!" the woman called out.
Nezuko frowned as she continued walking.
*Could it be demons?*

When the sun went down, Nezuko had let Tanjiro get out of the basket, she figured he would want to walk around after being cramped up in there.
He seemed more awake now, he looked at everything with curiosity.
Crickets chirped in the distance the and air smelled crisp, like it would before snow.
Lights shone in the distance and Nezuko gasped, "Oh! It's a way station! There's lights! Someone must be in there!"
She grabbed her brother's hand and started to jog.
She then paused, a scent reaching her nose that came with memories that she didn't want to think about.
"Blood." she forced herself to say, her voice barely audible.
She pulled Tanjiro so hard it forced a little grunt out of him as she started sprinting, "Whoever's in there might be hurt! We have to help them!"
There was another scent too.
One that didn't smell quite human and of death.
She shoved the way station's doors open, "ARE YOU ALR—" her voice trailed off as she viewed the grotesque scene in front of her.
Three bodies were scattered on the ground, life had fled from them. The blood covered everything, the scent of iron was so overwhelming it made her dizzy. A human-esque form hovered over one of the corpses, grasping their arm in it's hands.
A strangled sound left her throat, her lungs refused to take in air.
The person turned towards her, madness in his eyes, "'Ey! This is my turf! Get outta here!"
Tanjiro stood as still as stone beside her, but she could feel his hand shaking in hers.
*A MAN-EATING DEMON!*
The man licked the blood off of his hands, Nezuko resisted the urge to vomit, "Something isn't right here... Are you two human?"
The demon lunged for her and sent the two of them crashing through the door, she quickly pulled out her pocket knife and cut a slit in his neck and then kicked him to the ground.
*Since when could she move that fast?*
She was sent crashing to the ground, knocking the air out of her lungs.
The demon stood up on wobbly legs and started...laughing, "A knife? Nice twist. But a wound like this will heal in no time! See? The bleeding has already stopped!"
She screamed.
*WHAT. THE. HELL!?*
She saw Tanjiro still standing at the door, drool dripped from his muzzle.
"FIGHT IT, TAN—GAH!"
The demon slammed her against the ground faster than she could blink, holding her down by her neck.
"If you do that again, I'LL SNAP YOUR NECK!" the demon shouted.
Then his head went flying off.
Nezuko screamed and looked up to see Tanjiro staring at the head that had fallen to the ground.
*Did he just-*
"Tanjiro!" She exclaimed, her body sagged in relief.
Her eyes widened as the hand from the body reached for her face, Tanjiro kicked the body before it could get near her.
She yelped and quickly shoved herself to her feet.
*DID HE JUST MOVE AFTER BEING DECAPITATED!?*
"WHY YOU..." the head shouted, "I KNEW ONE OF YOU WAS A DEMON! A HUMAN AND A DEMON WORKING TOGETHER!? OUTRAGEOUS!"
*HE'S STILL TALKING!?*
The body picked itself up and lunged for Tanjiro.
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Nezuko roared, she swung the pocket knife, not expecting it to do much but just wanting it to distract the demon.
In her peripheral vision, she spotted the head flying at her.
*DAMMIT! WHY DO THINGS HAVE TO BE SO HARD!?*
She swung around to the head and the knife got jammed in his temple, blood spurted from the wound.
*Sorry Tanjiro, just hold on until I handle this demon.*
Arms were gripping her shoulders so hard the nails pierced her skin, blood started to seep through her clothes.
*HIS HEAD GREW ARMS!?!*
"GET OFF OF ME!" Nezuko yelled.
She slammed his head into the ground, using the knife to keep his head in place.
*Gah—if only she had Tanjiro's headbutt!*
She did it again, slamming his head harder into the ground causing his grip to slip. She spotted rope beside her foot and grabbed it. She slammed the demon into a tree and bound his weirdly short arms to it so the demon couldn't attack anymore, then she pulled the knife out of his head.
*That...was lucky,* she thought, panting as she glanced at the demon restrained to the tree before her.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU BRAT!" the head shouted.
She paid him no attention as she ran off to help her brother.
"Onii-chan!" she screamed, seeing the body overpower him, kicking Tanjiro to the ground.
Tanjiro held his hands over his head protectively.
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Nezuko cried, slamming her body into the demon's.
The ground disappeared beneath her feet.
*She was falling.*

Chapter Text

*A CLIFF!*
Just as she was beginning to fall, a hand grabbed hers, and the demon's body fell down, landing with a sickening SPLAT!
Nezuko's chest heaved as she looked up, Tanjiro was grabbing her hand, she squeezed her eyes shut, too afraid to look down as Tanjiro pulled her up.
Once she was back on solid ground, she pulled him into an embrace and thanked him.
"HEY, GET BACK HERE IS YOU DAMN BRAT! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" an obnoxious voice yelled.
*Oh, right. The head.*
She pulled back out her knife as she walked over to where he'd been restrained.
Her hand shook as she removed the cover.
*She stabbed him just fine before, why couldn't she do it now?*
Because now, she was actually trying to kill him, not just hold him back.
The demon deserved it.
He had probably killed and eaten several people, she'd seen the corpses of the people he'd eaten in the way station.
Their lifeless eyes flashed in her mind.
She drew her hand back, her arm more prepared than she was mentally.
*DO IT!*
But then someone stopped her, grabbing hold of her wrist before she could move. She jumped, thinking it was the demon's body that had somehow made it back, but when she turned around, the person behind her was human.
"That's not going to kill him," an old man said, he wore a strange mask  and a haori that resembled the day sky.
"Then...what will?" she asked, hating how much fear had seeped into her voice.
She imagined him looking at her with distaste as he said, "Can't you figure it out yourself?"
Nezuko turned back to the head, it thrashed uselessly against the ropes. She put the knife back in its case.
*If the knife didn't work...would destroying it entirely work?*
A shaky breath escaped her.
She looked around for something to use.
A rock.
That would do it.
She picked up a particularly large one and turned to face the demon once more.
Her arms turned to stone and she couldn't make herself move.
*Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it.*
Her brain then picked that moment to show her a grotesque image of what the head would look like after it was destroyed.
She couldn't do that.
Not even to a demon.
That was too cruel.
*But he's hurt lots of people! He could be helping the man who killed your family!* her brain argued.
She gripped the rock tighter.
*I can't.*
Light then pierced her eyes like needles, she winced.
She looked at the sky in horror to see the sun rising, "While I was wasting time morning has come!"
"NO! YOU BRAT!" the head screamed, "YOU MADE ME GET STUCK HERE AND NOW THE SUN IS—"
He paused mid sentence as the sun reached him, the head lit on fire and he shrieked in pure agony.
Nezuko dropped the stone and stumbled backwards.
*This is what would happen if Tanjiro got caught in the sun?*
She gasped, "TANJIRO!"
She ran to find him hiding in his basket inside the way station, using her haori as a shield. She let out a sigh of relief.
"You're okay," she whispered.
Nezuko turned to see the man praying.
She'd forgotten he was there.
He'd been burying the demon's victims.
How kind.
"Um..." she started, not wanting to interrupt his prayer but he'd gotten up before she had even said it.
He turned towards her slowly, "I am Urokodaki Sakonji. You must be who Giyu told me about."
"Y-yes." she answered, not expecting him to be so straight forward, "I'm Kamado Nezuko, my brother is Tanjiro."
"Tell me Nezuko...what will you do if your brother eats a human?"
She froze. The question had caught her off guard.
Stupidly, she hadn't thought of that before. Because the stupid naive side of her presumed he would never do that.
But he wasn't human anymore, there was no telling—
Pain slammed into her cheek, bringing her away from her thoughts.
He'd slapped her...
"You think too slow!" he exclaimed, his hand still drawn back.
She cradled her cheek, shock bringing tears that stung her eyes.
"You overthink the simplest decisions! You couldn't even kill a demon before morning! Why couldn't you answer that question immediately!? You're too soft! When your brother kills a human, there's two things you must do: kill him and then slit your own stomach and die! *That* is what it means to travel with your brother who has become a demon! But it is your sacred duty to ensure this never happens. Your brother must *never* take the life of an innocent person!" Urokodaki's voice was sharp and dark, it hit harder than the slap did, "Do you understand me!?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her fists clenched at her sides.
"Very well then. I will test you to see if you have what it takes to become a demon slaying swordsman." he said calmly, as if he hadn't just been yelling a moment ago. "Shoulder your brother and follow me."

*This guy is fast!* Nezuko thought.
Her lungs burned and her feet ached as she sprinted after her him, she could swear he was making no sound while running.
How does one have that much stamina!?
Dispite the chilly air, she was sweating profusely and the cold air hurt her throat.
"Hold on Tanjiro. It'll be rough." Nezuko said, gripping the handles of the basket.
*But then again, you're used to that kind of thing, right onii-chan?*
He'd essentially became their father after their dad had passed. Doing all the hard work, taking care of her and her siblings, helping Mother.
*"Onii-chan, why don't you ever rest?" She'd asked one time before he headed to town.*
*He'd simply smiled and answered, "This makes me more happy than anything. If I can help people, that makes a day all the better for me and the other person. So I'll keep doing it, everything is worth the sacrifice if I can make everyone happy." *
Nezuko smiled at the memory.
*This time, I'm going to be the one who helps you.*
That pushed herself to move faster.
*I will turn you human again! NO MATTER THE COST!*

"D-did...I...pass...the...test?" Nezuko asked between gasps.
Urokodaki shook his head, taking off his hood to reveal short cropped white hair, "Follow me."
She bit her lip, feeling frustrated, she'd ran the entire day! How was that not the test?
She followed him regardless, he led her inside what she hoped was his house — it would be strange if it wasn't. It was small but cozy, just enough for one person and guests if needed. He led her to a room with no windows and pulled out a futon and laid it out.
"Your brother can stay here." he said, looking at the basket on her shoulders.
She slid it off and set it carefully down, she unwrapped her haori off the top and found Tanjiro sleeping inside. She smiled softly and picked him up, gently laying him down on the futon.
"Sleep tight, Tanjiro." Nezuko whispered, pulling the covers over the sleeping boy.
He grew back to his original size shortly after being put down. He looked so delicate while sleeping.
"Love you onii-chan," she said, "see you when I get back."

"Your test begins here." Urokodaki said, stopping once he'd reached the top of the mountain, "Get down the mountain alive. I won't be waiting until sunrise this time."
He then vanished into thin air.
"What?" she asked to nobody in particular.
*How did people keep disappearing like that?*
Fog covered the ground around her like a blanket, the fog in the air was thick also, she could barely see three meters ahead of her.
"Ah, I see." Nezuko muttered to herself, "He thinks I'll get lost in the fog. I just need to get down by sunrise, that won't be too hard! I already have his scent memorized!"
Evergreen needles and oak.
He seems like a person who loves hikes...probably why he could run all day and not get tired.
She shook her head, *We're getting off track.*
She started running to where his scent led, then her foot got caught on something and she fell, face slamming into the dirt. She winced, sucking in air through her teeth.
She quickly got to her feet and that was when she was pummeled with rocks. One struck her nose, causing it to bleed.
*What on earth!? Who is throwing rocks?*
She wiped her nose and stumbled backwards, the ground slipped from beneath her feet and she fell into a hole, her back crashed into the ground, knocking the air from her lungs.
*A covered pit!*
"I get it," Nezuko muttered, pulling her aching body from the pit, "this mountain is rigged with traps!"
Her hand snagged a string and she quickly pulled it back, "Not again!"
Something slammed into her back, she yelped as she went crashing back into the dirt.
She groaned, pulling herself back up to her feet, her lungs attempted pulling the air in but the thin air couldn't sustain her.
*The air...is so thin. Much thinner than the mountain that we lived on. That's why I'm so dizzy and tired...*
"I keep setting off every trap...at this rate...I will...never...get to the...bottom by...morning." Nezuko murmured between breaths.
She needed to get back.
All she needed to do was control her breathing and sniff out the traps. She took a deep long breath and stood up straight.
*All I need to do is sniff out the traps.*
Just a meter in front of her, A string had a human's scent on it. She started sprinting and leapt over it.
But knowing they're there didn't grant her the ability to evade at all! A shot of bamboo slammed against the ground in front of and behind her.
She landed on a crouched position, breathing rapidly.
*Just keep going. Don't give up now.*
As she ran a blade swung just by her head, cutting one of the ribbons she'd tied in her hair. She gasped and forced herself to move faster.
*My little Nezuko-chan, you can do anything you set your mind to.*
*Just believe and it will happen.*

Nezuko slammed open Urokodaki's front door, just barely holding herself upright. Her lungs hurt...well...everything hurt actually. Her body was battered and bruised but dispite it all...she managed to make it back just before dawn.
His head snapped up from where he'd been sitting beside Tanjiro, she couldn't see his face because of the mask but she imagined he must be surprised.
"I...made...it....back...Urokodaki-san." she muttered, just before her body collapsed.
"Kamado Nezuko, I accept you as my student." was the last thing she heard before everything faded into black.
She fell asleep smiling.

***

Dear Urokodaki-san,

I have sent a girl your way. Her family was slaughtered by demons and her remaining brother has been turned into a demon but he refuses to hurt humans.
I'm sensing there is something different about these two.
And like you, the girl has a strong sense of smell.
She could be worthy of carrying on your traditions, please train her.
This is a selfish request, I know. But please forgive me.
I hope this finds you in good health and good spirits.
Sincerely,
          Tomioka Giyu

Chapter Text

"There are a few hundred members of the *Demon Slayer Corps.* The organization isn't officially recognized by the government, yet it has existed since the days of old and still hunts demons to this very day. However the identity of the leader of the *Demon Slayer Corps* is shrouded in mystery.
Demons are dangerous, horrifying creatures. Their staple food is humans, they kill and eat them to satisfy their hunger. It is unclear where and when they first appeared. They have impressive physical abilities and their wounds heal quickly. They can even regrow severed limbs and reconnect severed flesh. Some can change form and others possess strange powers. The only way to kill them is putting them out in the sun or decapitating them with a special sword. They also have a weakness to wisteria blossoms.
The *Demon Slayer Corps* fight demons face-to-face. They are humans, so their wounds heal slowly and severed limbs are lost forever. Nonetheless they fight demons to ensure ordinary people's safety." Urokodaki explained.
Nezuko followed closely, making sure she remembered every word.
Today was her first day of training, they stood in the wooded area behind his house, the sun shone bright upon them. The air was still cold, since...it was winter, but it was manageable. Her body was sore from the events of the night before but she ignored the pain, excited to start training. In her excitement, she'd worn her favorite hemp leaf patterned pink kimono, it gave her confidence. Kind of like a good luck charm.
Urokodaki cleared his throat and continued speaking, "I am a trainer. And just like it sounds,  train swordsman. There are many different trainers, all using different training methods. In order to join the *Demon Slayer Corps* you must survive *Final Selection* at *Mount Fujikasane.* I decide whether or not you attempt *Final Selection.*"

That day, she had to descend the mountain once again, the traps were set up differently so they couldn't be predicted. Different ones too.
Nezuko had decided to write a journal for Tanjiro, retelling the events of her training. She wasn't sure wether it was selfish or not, but she wanted this record of her hard work in order for Tanjiro to see how far she had gotten. For him.
Day after day, she went down the mountain, her nose was sharper and she had gotten better at avoiding traps. But that meant the traps got *much deadlier.*
*I think he's trying to kill me!* she thought wearily after narrowly dodging knifes that had meant to skewer her.
After awhile of this, she'd started going down the mountain with a katana in hand. But it *really* slowed her down. Weird that something as simple as holding a sword could get her caught in more traps. But it did. A lot more.
She'd accidentally be dragging the sword when it would catch itself on a trip wire, triggering another trap. In which she would almost die for the thousandth time since starting training with Urokodaki.
After going down the mountain she would practice swinging the katana. He would make her do it until her arms felt like they'd fall off. She wasn't even sure how she had the energy to write in the journal every night.
The first thing he'd taught her was that katanas break really easily. It's strong against forward force but weak if it comes from the sides.
"You must attack straight ahead," Urokodaki had said, "When you swing a katana, the direction of the blade and the force you apply must be exactly the same."
Furthermore he said "if she damages the sword, he'll damage." meaning: if she were to break the sword, he'll break her bones.
Nezuko became slightly scared of him after that.
That day, she did nothing but fall down.
He was teaching her to fall down safely and get up quickly. Dispite her "safe falls" she was still covered in bruises. She would face Urokodaki with the intent to strike him down and he'd stand against her unarmed. But he was absurdly strong and easily threw her to the ground...
Then she learned basic breathing techniques and some standard forms. She tried several stances and apparently she was breathing *wrong.* If she didn't do it right he would hit her in the diaphragm which would cause her to burst into a coughing fit.
"It's been six months since you fell asleep Tanjiro." Nezuko whispered as she sat by his bedside one night, "Urokodaki-san called a doctor to check on you but he found nothing wrong. I was scared I'd wake up and find you dead one day," Nezuko admitted, resting her head on her knees, "I still am."
She would go further up the mountain where the air was thinner, many times, she thought she'd die.
But she kept going.
*For Tanjiro.*

***

"I have nothing more to teach you." Urokodaki told her.
A year had passed since she first arrived here.
"What?" Nezuko muttered.
"It's time to bring your skills to the next level. But that is something you must do on your own. Do you think you can manage?" before Nezuko even could answer, he said, "Follow me."
Urokodaki led her down a path up the mountain, until they reached a small clearing with a massive boulder, it must've been five times Nezuko's size.
"If you cut this boulder in half, I will approve your entry into Final Selection." he said, his tone sharp but there was a hint of uncertainty.
Nezuko turned to face the boulder.
How on earth does someone *cut* a boulder? Much less slice it in half?
Her sword would break without a doubt.
Urokodaki started to walk away.
"Wait! What am I even supposed to do!?" she asked.
And...he didn't answer.
And ever since that day...he hadn't taught her anything.
She wasn't sure of what to do so she just continued doing what she had been doing for the past year. And yet...half a year later...she hadn't gotten anywhere.
So she pushed herself harder, to the brink of collapse. And still. It. Did. Nothing.
"YOU DAMN ROCK!" she cried, "JUST SPLIT!"
She dropped her sword and kicked the boulder out of rage.
"SILENCE!" an unfamiliar voice exclaimed.
She jumped backwards, fumbling for the katana she'd dropped.
"A warrior wouldn't whine. It's unseemly." a boy sat on top of the boulder. He had strawberry blond hair and he wore a fox mask, with a white haori and a green and yellow patterned shirt.
Her eyes widened, she didn't even sense him. Where had he come from?
"Whatever the suffering may be, bear it in silence." he said harshly, her brows furrowed, she'd learned that a long time ago but she hadn't really had anyone she needed to be presentable for, "If you're a woman. Or are you still just a little girl?" he said tauntingly.
The fox-faced boy jumped off the boulder with a wooden katana, Nezuko blocked him with the handle of her sword and when they met the blades replused, the boy then took the free space he had to kick her to the ground. She gasped as her body smacked against the dirt.
"You're slow, weak, and immature." the boy said, facing her, "You'll never become a Demon Slayer."

Chapter Text

"What are you doing?" the fox-faced boy snapped.
*"Riding a horse."* said Nezuko flatly, making sure her voice dripped with sarcasm, "Where on earth did you come from?"
The boy scoffed, ignoring her question, "Get to your feet. Take a stance."
She scowled, already annoyed with this boy's attitude. What was his problem?
But still, she stood to her feet. Making her stance steady. Core and feet firm.
"Now attack." he said, raising his sword.
She did the same, holding her sword steady, but she paused as she studied his sword, "But, my sword is real and yours is wooden."
She didn't care too much about hurting him, not with the way he was acting, but it wasn't a fair fight. It didn't seem right.
Then he started laughing.
*Laughing.*
A cruel laugh, full of amusement as if she had just announced she was a rock. She blinked, assessing the boy before her.
*Was he well?*
He sighed, his laughter ceasing and before she could blink, his blade was pressed against hers, "Bless your poor, kind heart. Thanks for being worried about me, but I seriously doubt you can do anything to hurt me. I'm stronger than you after all, I've already split my boulder!"
Her eyes widened, "*You?*"
"Yes *me.*" he exclaimed before slamming her to the ground, "You haven't learned *anything,* have you? All you've done is memorized the information. Your body doesn't know what to do with it. If you had, you would already known the *Total Concentration Breathing* taught by Urokodaki."
Nezuko grimaced, pushing herself up to a sitting position on shaky arms.
*Was he a student of Urokodaki as well?*
"BEAT IT INTO YOUR FLESH, YOUR BONES, YOUR MARROW, YOUR CELLS! MORE! UNTIL YOU BECOME EVERYTHING THAT UROKODAKI HAS TAUGHT YOU!" he shouted, striking his sword at her, which Nezuko just barely managed to block, quickly getting to her feet.
"I DO! Or at least I'm trying to! Every damn day! I do it over and over!" she shouted back. "Yet I've gotten nowhere."
"That's the problem!" he struck again, "You're simply repeating the motions! You're not actually learning anything, DON'T JUST *TRY.* DO IT! THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE IS TO LAY DOWN AND DIE! SO *MAKE* YOURSELF PROGRESS!" he growled, attacking relentlessly, "SHOW ME YOUR STRENGTH! DON'T HOLD BACK! ATTACK!"
Nezuko charged at him, blade ready, moving with fury but his blade moved too fast to follow, hitting her underneath the chin, snapping her head backwards and her body slammed against the ground, going limp. Black spots swarmed her vision before taking over entirely, she drifted into unconsciousness.

"I'll leave things to you."

***

When she came back around, a girl was hovering over her. She had shoulder-length wavy black hair with bangs that covered her forehead just perfectly. Her big turquoise eyes scanned over Nezuko with curiosity. She had a similar mask as the boy, but it resided on the side of her head with flowers on the side instead of a jagged mark like the boy's. She was also wearing a pink yukata with blossoms and a sleeveless navy blue haori. She reminded Nezuko of a fairy.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her tone soft and calm.
Nezuko snapped upright, "Did you see that!?"
The girl simply tilted her head to the side, looking like a confused puppy.
"The way he attacked!" Nezuko exclaimed, too mystified to even be mad at him anymore, "It was brilliant! Breathtaking even." she turned to the girl with a smile painted on her face, "I want to learn to fight like that!"
The girl smiled, "I'm sure you can. I'll watch over you."
Nezuko flushed and rubbed the back of her neck, she hadn't even asked the girl her name, "Uh, sorry. What's your name?"
"My name's Makomo and the boy you just fought is Sabito." the girl—Makomo—replied.
Makomo practically floated to her feet and held out her hand for Nezuko to take, "C'mon. It's time to start your first lesson."
*Maybe she was a fairy...*
Nezuko took her hand and rose to her feet, grabbing the katana that she'd dropped when she'd gone unconscious.
"Show me the fighting stances Urokodaki taught you." Makomo said.
Once she had made it into the stance, Makomo looked over her with a quizzical expression, "You're too stiff. You need to be sure you're steady but you also need to be able to move and dodge quickly if needed. Your arms are also positioned oddly, hold them out in front of you, not bowing out to the side."
Nezuko raised her eyebrows and then looked down at her arms, they were kind of positioned weirdly, so she moved her arms out in front of her and forced her muscles to relax slightly.
"Better!" Makomo said cheerfully.

***

Makomo did a lot more of that and for that Nezuko was greatful.
She corrected her bad habits and unneeded movements and pointed out defects in her style.
Nezuko had asked a couple of times where she came from or why she was helping her but she never answered.
"We just really love Urokodaki." she'd said while making a flower crown. "We just want you to reach your greatest potential!"
And she was. She was getting significantly better with Makomo's instruction.
Makomo had told her that she and Sabito weren't related, just orphans that Urokodaki had taken in and trained, and there were lots more of them too. She claimed that they were always watching.
It kind of freaked Nezuko out with the way she worded it but she knew she meant well.
She said things strangely, she had a way of drawing an image with her words, it sounded weird at first but it all made sense when someone would need it.
"*Total Concentration Breathing* accelerates your blood flow and heartbeat and your temperature rises significantly!" Makomo explained while sitting on the boulder and fiddling with the rope of her fox mask, "You're still human but you get strong like a demon! Your lungs expand and it brings lots of oxygen into your blood. Your blood gets excited and your bones start to thrill! You get hot and strong!"
She said this with excitement and Nezuko couldn't help but feel it too even though her explanation was confusing.
"How can that be?" Nezuko thought aloud.
"You must train so hard you almost die," Makomo said, "that's really all you can do."
It kind of scared her how calmly she said that.
Nezuko pushed herself as hard as she could, so hard she thought her limbs would come off and her heart would explode. Her hands would bleed after swinging her sword so much, they left calluses that hurt for weeks afterwards.
And still...
She couldn't beat Sabito.
Hadn't been able to during those previous months while training with Makomo either.
He was just too good.

***

Though, that all changed a few months later.
"Today, I'll beat him." Nezuko whispered to herself.
She said this a lot, but this time the words felt true on her tongue.
Cold wind blew, occasionally blowing her now shoulder-length hair in her face and snowflakes fell gently.
The game was simple. The faster, stronger sword won.
This time Sabito had a real sword, "After half a year, you finally have the face of a warrior."
She nodded curtly and raised her own sword.
They charged at each other. And the fight was over in an instant. This time it was Nezuko's sword that hit first. She didn't understand it really, but while running at him, she felt a strange tug that brought her to the target, and it sliced his mask in half.
She stepped back, her eyes widening, that mask was important to him...wasn't it?
He looked down at the ground, but slowly his head raised and he was smiling at her, a sad smile. His face was gentle, he had a beautiful pair of ice blue eyes and a scar on the side of his face that matched his mask.
"Win Nezuko, against *him* too." Makomo and Sabito said.
And then they disappeared in the fog.
When the fog cleared, she had cut not the mask.
She had split the boulder.

Chapter Text

Thanks to Makomo, Nezuko had learned to see something called *The Opening Thread.*
When she could strike, a thin thread would come from the tip of her blade to the intended target, that's how she had won the spar with Sabito. When the time was right, the thread would tighten and it would pull her towards it. And that's where her blade would cut.
She couldn't make herself move.
*She'd cut the boulder.*
How could that even be possible?
"Nezuko..." a voice said softly.
She turned to see Urokodaki standing beside her.
*How did he do that?*
"To be honest, I never intended to send you to *Final Selection.*" admitted Urokodaki, slowly turning to face her, "I didn't wish to see another child die and I didn't expect you to split the boulder. But you did well." he put a hand on her head, "You're an amazing child Nezuko."
She couldn't stop the tears that flooded her eyes, "Thank you." she whispered, her voice choked.
He pulled her into a hug, it felt safe and warm, like her father's had been, "Go to *Final Selection.*But be sure to return alive. Your brother and I will be waiting here for you."

***
Nezuko sat with a mirror in her lap, fixing her hair into an elaborate ponytail. Her hair had been too short until recently to do so, so she was glad that she could finally do something with it. She tied her hair with a blue ribbon, and when she looked in the mirror, it wasn't her face she saw.
It was Mother's.
*You've always looked like Mother, Onee-chan!*
She blinked hard and shoved the mirror away. Taking a deep shaky breath, she tied the ribbon tighter.
*Shut up, stupid brain!*
"Nezuko, can you come here for a moment?" Urokodaki asked.
She sat up and walked over to where he stood near a drawer. Glad to have a distraction from her thoughts.
He pulled out a fox mask from the drawer, similar to the ones Makomo and Sabito had been wearing. But instead it had flowering vines that curved around the cheeks.
"This is a warding mask, it will bring you protection from evil," he said, putting it in her hands.
"Woah...it's beautiful." she breathed.
He tilted his head, Nezuko assumed he was smiling...since...she couldn't see his face.
"Now then," he said, moving over to a pot with food simmering in it, filling the house with a delicious smell, "since you finished your training, lets celebrate."
Nezuko grinned, racing over to the pot. For a minute, she felt like a kid again.
It felt nice.

***

Today, it was time for *Final Selection.*
Nezuko wore a yukata with the same pattern as the haori that Urokodaki always wore along with a navy blue hakama with black tabi socks and black sandals with navy blue straps. She wore her hair the same as the day she finished training, a pony tail pulled back with a sky-blue ribbon with the warding mask that sat on the side of her head.
Like Makomo's.
"Today is *Final Selection.*" Nezuko said to her brother, who was still sleeping, "It's been two *years* since you fell asleep onii-chan. I'm worried. I can't take you with me, so Urokodaki-san will be taking care of you until I get back."
She didn't bother to voice what else worried her.
That's why she didn't say "if".
*If* she got back from *Final Selection.*
If she didn't make it back...what would happen with Tanjiro? Would Urokodaki take care of him?
*Don't think about that.*
But her mind kept spiralling anyways.
"Just stay safe onii-chan," she said, placing a hand over his heart, "I love you. See you later."
She pushed herself up and grabbed her sword, giving herself one last look at her sleeping brother before quietly shutting the door.
It had been a couple months since she'd completed her training, *Final Selection* took place during spring so all the people didn't freeze to death in the winter. She had still done some training though to keep up her healthy physical condition and her sword fighting skills.
It was just the right temperature, not too cold and not too hot. A gentle breeze blew and pink petals rained down. The air smelled like cherry blossoms. The sky was bright blue with only a few fluffy clouds.
"Stay alive, okay?" Urokodaki said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Nezuko smiled, "I will...I'll see you when I get back."
She started running down the path.
*If.*
Her smile faltered slightly but she forced the smile back on her lips as she paused, turning back to him, "Say hi to Sabito and Makomo for me!"

***

Sakonji stared in shock at the girl as she continued down the path, clearly not knowing at all what she had just said.
Makomo's quiet laughter filled his head along with the teasing of Sabito.
*Impossible...*
Still the girl did not turn, practically floating down the path.
"Tell me, Kamado Nezuko," he whispered to himself, "How is it you know the names of the dead?"

***

Nezuko didn't reach *Mount Fujikasane* until nightfall. It was a beautiful place. From this mountain it appeared that one could see the whole galaxy above, there was wisteria blooming all over the mountain, the purple seemed to glow at night.
"Woah," she breathed, holding a blossom in her hands.
There was a large staircase, it looked like it ascended into the heavens. Once she reached the top there was a clearing where people from teens to adults waited. The wistera ended just ahead, there the forest was dark and bland, hiding the dangers within.
"Greetings everyone," two voices said in unison, their voices in an odd delicate monotone.
Nezuko's eyes widened, there was two small girls each wearing matching purple patterned kimonos and flower hair pieces and holding lanterns, they looked like twins, the only difference being their hair, one's hair was black and the other's was white.
There was something odd about them, it creeped Nezuko out slightly.
"Welcome to *Final Selection.*" the black haired girl  continued, "Thank you for gathering here tonight. *Mount Fujikasane* holds demons captured alive by Demon Slayers and trapped here."
They appeared to be switching off because the white haired girl spoke next, "The demons hate wisteria blossoms which blooms here even out of season. They cover the foot of the mountain to all the way up to half the slope."
"However from that point on the wisteria does not bloom. So demons roam free." they spoke together now, "You must survive here for seven days. If you do, you will have passed *Final Selection.* Now go." the girls bowed and then everyone took off into the woods.

*Survive.*
*Survive* was the only thing in her head. All she had to do was survive seven days. No problem.
Except for the fact that man-eating demons who were likely starving were trapped here.
No problem at all....
She had already had a plan, she would sleep and gather supplies during the day and then she would be awake and well rested when nightfall came.
Her shoes smacked against the damp dirt and the cool night breeze blew in her face.
"HEY! GET LOST! I'M GONNA EAT THIS KID!"
"IT'S MY TURN!"
Nezuko paused, unsheathing her katana.
*Two demons already?*
A horrid stench came from them as they appeared, they were very snake-like, scaly and damp.
"SHE'S MY MEAL!" a demon with a split tongue and horns yelled lunging at her.
"SHUT UP!" yelled the other demon who looked vaguely like an eagle.
Her eyes focused on them, waiting for the *Opening Thread.*
"IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE TASTED HUMAN FLESH!" the horn demon giggled madly.
*Total Concentration,*
"I'LL BE THE ONE WHO EATS HER!" the eagle demon exclaimed.
*Water Breathing,*
THERE'S THE THREAD!
The pull felt magnetic, pulling her to the target. The thread tightened.
*Fourth Form: Striking Tide!*
Her moving felt like a dance, her blade thrummed with energy as the water flowed off the tip of the katana. The sword cut easily through their necks, their heads fell to the ground.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the bodies disintegrating before her.
*She'd done it.*
*She'd defeated a demon. Two, actually.*
"Thank you, Urokodaki! Without your training, I wouldn't be where I am today." Nezuko whispered.
She looked again at the bodies, almost gone.
"I'm sorry you were turned into demons. When you get reborn, I hope you come again as humans." she said.
She didn't feel regret, if they tried to kill her, they'd get killed. She only felt bad for the circumstances, they'd been turned into mindless monsters controlled by their urge to eat human flesh.
They'd been human. Once.
But they'd given in to their desires when they became demons, they weren't *them* anymore.
She needed to keep running.
Before she got caught.
There was never a safe moment here.
An overwhelming scent caught on her nose and she almost choked.
*What was that awful smell?*
A scream pierced through the air, she jumped, pulling her blade.
*You can't afford to be scared right now.*
A boy who looked about fifteen years of age ran past her, panting heavily, eyes wide with panic, "There's a weird deformed demon over there! I've never seen anything like it!"
A torrential crack echoed through the forest, like the snapping of trees.
*Holy...shit.*
A green demon stomped around a wall of trees, hundreds of arms wrapped around his body, he didn't even have feet, just hands that acted as feet. One of the hands gripped a boy by his neck, his eyes stared lifelessly into the distance. One of the demon's arms launched out, grabbing the running boy by his ankle, dragging him upwards.
"DON'T HURT HIM!" Nezuko screamed, suddenly filled with rage, it took a moment for her limbs to move, frozen before from shock. Anyone who hurt people should have to suffer consequences.
*WATER BREATHING! SECOND FORM: WATER WHEEL!*
The demon's arm came off and the boy fell to the ground, she stepped in front of him, shielding him from the demon.
The demon looked at her with his strange eyes, pupils shaped like pointed crosses, "Well, well, well, it looks like another one of my dear foxes has come."

Chapter Text

"Tell me Fox Girl, what Meiji Emperor sits upon the throne?" the hand demon asked, fiddling with his many fingers.
Nezuko raised an eyebrow, confused by the question, "The imperial family is Taisho."
The demon stared at her, as if contemplating all his life choices, that made her move a bit closer to the boy she was guarding.
The hand demon started throwing a tantrum, "GAHH! I'VE BEEN HERE SO LONG THAT DYNASTIES HAVE RISEN AND FALLEN!? AGAIN AND AGAIN! ALL WHILE I'VE BEEN TRAPPED HERE! UNFORGIVABLE! DAMN UROKODAKI! DAMN HIM!"
Her eyes widened, "You know Urokodaki?"
"Yeah, I know him!" the demon practically screeched, "He was the one who trapped me here! Back when he was still a Demon Slayer. Back in the Edo period...in the Keio Era. FOURTY-SEVEN LONG TORTUROUS YEARS!"
"You're lying!" the boy behind Nezuko yelled, "No demon has ever been alive in Final Selection that long! They only put demons in here that have only eaten one or two people!"
"But *I* have survived for many years in this prison of wisteria blossoms. I have eaten fifty of you brats!" said the demon, giggling oddly.
*"Remember, demon's strength comes from the amount of people they eat." Urokodaki had said.*
*This demon must be crazy powerful compared to any others in here!*
The demons started giggling harder and counting on his fingers, "Twelve....thirteen... and you'll be fourteen!"
*And crazy in general...*
"What are you talking about!?" she exclaimed.
"I have decided to eat all of Urokodaki's students! That's how many I've eaten!" he giggled, "Yes, indeed! Thirteen of Urokodaki's brats. There's two I won't forget, one was a boy with peach coloured hair and a green and yellow jacket! He was the strongest by far! And a girl with a pink flowered kimono, she was small and not that strong, but she was very agile."
A strangled sound left Nezuko's throat, she couldn't breathe. How could they be dead if they'd trained her?
"You killed Makomo-chan and Sabito-kun?" she breathed, struggling to contain her anger.
*Anger is a weakness, it's easy to be used against you.*
"Yes, YES! I recognise you all with those damn fox masks Urokodaki carves!" he seemed to enjoy laughing at her discomfort, "Did he call them warding masks? Because THAT'S how I ate them all! Pretty idiotic if you ask me. It's like he feed them to me! They're all in my belly now!" the giggling turned into mad laughing now, "The girl-brat wept when I told her! Then I tore her apart limb by limb!"
"Run." Nezuko told the boy behind her, he scrambled off without hesitation and then she launched herself at the demon.
Her breathing was erratic, if she didn't control it she could never do the breathing forms properly!
*Let anger be your motivation, not your guide. Anger blinds those who take it too far.*
Urokodaki had told her that. It was engraved in her heart by now.
The demon's arms sprang at her, she cut them with ease but a pained cry ripped from her throat as a punch hit her in the side from her blind spot, her body slammed into a nearby tree and everything went dark, her mask crumbled.

A pair of hands shook her shoulders frantically, "Please onee-chan! Please wake up! IF YOU DON'T YOU'LL DIE!"
Nezuko's eyes snapped open and she managed to dodge the demon's hand before he could get her.
*Shigeru. He was talking to her.*
Angry tears came and she launched herself back at the demon. Blood dripped down the side of her face, getting in her hair and lips. She cut the hands coming her way but every time she would see more coming at her.
*A strange smell was coming from the ground...*
She jumped up as a hand burst from the ground beneath her.
*That was a close one!*
Another hand came at her stomach and she kicked it away as hard as she could, flipping onto the demon's arm.
She couldn't do that before, she felt as light as air now. She sprinted across the arm, it felt like running on a weirdly hard pillow.
She lept, her eyes widened as she saw the Opening Thread.
*She was so close!*
*Total Concentration. Water Breathing!*
"FIRST FORM: WATER SURFACE SLASH!" Nezuko screamed.
The blade had little difficulty cutting through the neck. It was like when she ate a soft candy and there was a hard part in the middle, but her sword managed the pull through, leaving a trail of water in it's wake.

***

That sound.
He'd heard that sound before.
It was like the winds of a hurricane, raging, wild, and untamed.
The girl's face seemed to morph before him, turning into the person he hated most.
*UROKODAKI!*
The sword pulled through his neck as easily as if it were made of clouds. His body collapsed sending his head tumbling to the ground, right in front of the girl. Her head was turned. He couldn't stand the way she'd look at her, full of glee and relief.
*Dammit! Stop! Stop disintegrating!*
He didn't want to see her, but he couldn't exactly move at the moment. But when she turned, there was no joy, no relief he'd been slayed, just anger and grief. Tears slipped down her cheeks but she angrily wiped them away, as if trying to appear strong in front of him.
*"Why? Why did I bite my big brother and kill him?" a child's voice sobbed.*
He knew that voice.
Who's was it?
*Him. It was him.*

***

Nezuko stared at the hand, it crumbled away slowly.
She felt mad at herself.
Crying made her feel weak and exposed.
And now she was crying in front of the demon who killed her friends.
But...he seemed sad too. His eyes were distant, as if trying to remember something he just couldn't reach. She sighed and held his hand, giving him a sad, tired smile, "I'm not going to grieve you, you killed my friends and mentors and I can't forgive that. But, I hope, when you're reborn again, you come back as a human. So you wouldn't have to live this cursed life anymore. Please God, bring him peace."
The demon's eyes were filled with tears while he looked at her. He crumbled away completely a few moments later.
"Rest in peace." she whispered, then took off running so she wouldn't get caught.

***

Makomo sat near the boulder, where she'd spent months training Nezuko. She weaved dandelions together making a flower crown.
She and Sabito sat in thoughtful silence, along with other slayers Urokodaki had trained who had also perished to that demon, all waiting for the news that Nezuko would have defeated him.
She had great faith in Nezuko, she was stronger than she thought she was.
She finished the last of the flower crown and sat it upon her head along with her warding mask, she looked at the night stars, it was odd to believe such a beautiful sky could be the time where the Earth was filled with so many dangers.
Suddenly, she felt a great weight release from her chest. Her eyes widened and she had to refrain from jumping for joy.
"Sabito!" she said, rushing up the boulder next to where he waited. "She did it! She defeated him!"
He took of his mask, it rested on his chest like a necklace and he smiled at the night sky, "Good job Nezuko, I knew you could do it."