To Make Things Right Again

Chapter 1: Two Times I've Been Here

Muzan Kibutsuji POV

Death has finally come for me, and I feel the sun tearing at my skin, pulling me apart. Why, why when I should hate those who killed me, while I should shun them from my grave, do I hate nobody more than myself? I feel emotion tug at me, something I let go many eras ago. I feel sad. Guilty. Wrong. Regretful. My eyes flicker one last time and I see for a second those around me I killed. I see the fallen bodies of Hashira, kakushis, demon slayers, and the demons I created who I never once cared about. All I ever brought to this world was harm.

Light. Blinding light consumes my field of vision and I pause. I should be dead. So why, WHY, am I still breathing, thinking, and praying?

"Because your time is yet to come," speaks an angelic voice from above me. I turn and open my eyes, confused by the sight.

"Where am I? This looks like what I imagine heaven would be. But I do not deserve this," I admit to her, but more to myself, "I deserve to go to hell."

A light smile plays at the corner of her lips, "This, Kibutsuji Muzan, is neither," She pauses, contemplating, "Think of this as a mirage between life and death. A thin line before your fate is decided."

"What other fate remains for me but the gates of hell? I can't imagine an ending more deserved by the progenitor of demons himself," I state calmly.

"I'm not saying you should go to heaven" I look at her confused, "I believe you should try again. Reincarnate, if you will. Up until your death, the angels who watched above believed you were destined for hell based on your actions, but in the split second before death you came to an understanding of what you had done. You knew somewhere buried in your heart that you had walked the wrong path. And I believe now, that you should have a chance to walk the right one."

"I-I... thank you," I say in awe, "I will try my best to fix the sorrowful world I created."

"It will not be easy, to say the least. You will not be born as a child, but simply yourself 2 years before your death," she states with a pained smile, "I know I will pray for you along with many others, hoping you can save yourself and many others whose fate you can change. We cannot reach the realm of the mortal, but we can hope you are capable of fulfilling our wishes. Do what you believe is right, and we will bet everything we have that you have changed. We have decided to give you two tries at life after death, so please do not waste them. Now, I grant you access back to Earth, Kibutsuji Muzan."

With that she disappears leaving me stunned, and confused. Suddenly, my vision blurs, and my surroundings shift. I find myself sitting in the infinity castle, three days after I murdered Tanjiro Kamados family, the boy who ultimately led to my destruction. Shit. I realize suddenly that I can't save Tanjiro's family. That's certainly a setback in my plan of living. Despite my stupid past self, I know I cannot live with no help, and I hate to admit but I'll need allies. Who can I turn to? Everyone is either trying to kill me or trembles in fear of me. Would I turn to the demon slayers, I would end up in a fight that at this time I could win. But if I'm trying to change, I can't do that. On the other hand, I could turn to the demons. The issue with that is they would be too afraid to speak their mind because of the way I have made them fear me. I know that no option is safe, but I have to do something. Every day I sit by and wait is a day that the future draws closer. I have to act. And I think I know who to turn to, even though they may be the one person who could kill me even now. Tamayo.

I'm realizing now this may not have been the most solid plan. Tamayo essentially killed me in my past life, and I know she is very close to being able to do so again. I'm not going to try to manipulate her or play my cards strategically, I just need someone who has no respect for me and isn't yet close enough to the demon slayers to create an all out war like last time. Someone who hopefully, if all goes well, I can confide in.

I wasn't supposed to arrive at Asakusa until a year from now, after I created a fake family and confronted Tanjiro. But now, I am going for different reasons than I thought I ever would. I am not going to try to kill Tanjiro or call Susumaru and Yahaba but to look for honest help. Additionally, Tamayo does not know that any demons know the location to her hideout so I doubt she placed any precautions around the border seeing as Susumaru and Yahaba passed through easily.

I walk down the crowded streets under the bright lights and bustling shops, pushing my way through to a gap in the buildings. I walk through and see a small ramen stall, now certain I am on the right path. I turn left down a desolate road and see a plain brick wall. I press my hand to the wall and it passes through, never once making contact. Bracing myself for the worst, I step through the wall, and continue forward. I see a large home that belongs to Tamayo and Yushiro, and cautiously, I knock on the door. I hear voices inside, using my demonic power to overhear.

Tamayo: "Yushiro, someone's at the door."

Yushiro: "That's impossible Tamayo. Nobody could possibly know where we are."

Tamayo: "Yushiro, I thought that too, but someone is at the door. We hid ourselves well but possibly not well enough."

Yushiro: "Ah, possibly a human walked through on accident when they were drunk? There tend to be quite a few people who walk out back through the tavern."

Tamayo: "Yes that must be it...I'll get the door and try to get them away, though I might need to remove their memory if they are conscious enough to remember. And Yushiro. Just as a precaution can you go upstairs? And don't come down until I say you can. In case it's not just some unassuming drunkard."

Yushiro: "But Tamayo...!"

Tamayo: "Please, Yushiro."

I hear footsteps walking away and I hear the doorknob turn. Tamayo stares at me with a shocked expression because hell, I probably look terrifying.

Tamayo gets a dark look in her eyes and glares at me, rage practically simmering over her skin, "Muzan Kibutsuji, you bastard why the hell are you here. Come to kill me have you? Well good for you. I hope you know if you kill me your death is ensured and I will wait in death until you burn in the depths of hell," she yells indignantly, trying to provoke me, "So go ahead and kill the traitor if you must but I will not go down without a fight, and I will kill you if it's the last thing I do."

Normally this would anger me and I would kill her in a second. I wanted to for even a second but... I'm trying to change.

"I'm not here for your life, Tamayo," I can tell by her startled expression she wasn't expecting that, "please, allow me to have a conversation with you because I fear there's quite a bit that I need to explain."

"I suppose so..." she says warily, and I see her grab multiple vials of her medicines, dangerous ones, into her kimono. 

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! My chapters will be on the shorter end, but I tried to update all at once! Please Tell me if you have any feedback, and excuse my bad grammar! If anyone has a story they'd like me to write, I'm always happy to write it! Thank you to anyone who read this!