Demon Slayer; Kyameron Kamado

Chapter 33.

"She can't wake me. . . crap, she can't wake me!" Kyameron thought, "What the hell am I supposed to do?!" His mind racing, he barely noticed Tanjiro sprint out of the room. The others ran after him, leaving Kyameron sitting on his knees, "Shit. . ." he thought, running after everyone else. Thanks to his size and athleticism, he managed to catch up with Tanjiro quickly, "Tanjiro!" he shouted.

His younger brother turned to face him, "No time, just follow me!"

"No, that's not what-"

"No time! Just talk as we go!" Tanjiro shouted, running down the trail.

Grimacing and gritting his teeth, Kyameron ran off after him as his other siblings came outside. He soon caught up to Tanjiro and immediately began to talk, "How do you have your uniform? Do you think you're waking up?" he asked.

"I think so! Those flames that burst around me were Nezuko's blood demon art, and I could smell her blood, too!"

"Wait. . . you could smell Nezuko's blood in a dream? Just how good is your sense of smell?!"

"Not the time, but I guess training?" Tanjiro replied, chuckling.

"Alright, whatever, but how can I wake up, then?"

"I don't know. . . when I find a way to wake up, I could get Nezuko to do the same to you?"

"I guess so. . . but would that work? My nose is strong, but I can't smell her blood inside a dream."

"That's true. . . don't worry, I'll figure something out once I wake up," Tanjiro said, smiling.

The two kept running, searching for the demon making them dream. After a few seconds, a familiar voice rang out, "What are you two doing?" Both boys stopped dead in response to the girl's voice, "I picked lots of veggies from the mountain. Aren't you hungry?"

Kyameron was the first to turn, seeing Nezuko. Dressed in her favourite kimono, the one the real Nezuko always wore, "N-Nezuko. . ." he muttered as Tanjiro's eyes began to water.

The rest of the family soon came running over the hill, "Over there, Mother! They both just ran off!" Shigeru said, accompanied by his mother and other siblings.

"Tanjiro? Kyameron?" their mother said, "Are you two alright?" she asked.

Kyameron covered his face with his arm, turning back towards Tanjiro, who was fully crying now. He then began to speak in a shaky tone of voice, "Yes, mother. . . we're. . . fine."

"You're obviously not, Kyameron! And Tanjiro, why are you dressed like that?"

"We wish we could stay," Tanjiro said, "Really, we do. How it was supposed to be, us as a family,"

"If we weren't screwed over by that demon. . ." Kyameron said, forming fists in his hands, "Nezuko, you'd be able to see the sun,"

"Shigeru. . . I'd get to bring you those sweets I promised you," Tanjiro said, looking to the second-youngest brother, "Hanako, I'd get to read you that story," he wept, looking at his youngest sister through his tear-filled vision.

"Takeo, I'd get to chop wood with you again," Kyameron said, smiling at his little brother.

"If it was that way. . . I'd have never picked up a sword. I'd be here, selling charcoal. How it should have been," Tanjiro said, clenching his fists tight.

"I would be here, too. I'd get to be that older brother I always wanted to be. I'm sorry I was here that day. That night that. . . " Kyameron said, his blood starting to boil, "That night Muzan Kibutsuji showed up," he snarled.

"But now. . . you're all gone, and I can never go back!" Tanjiro said, running away once again. Rokuta screamed for him to come back, trying his best to chase him. But, of course, it was in vain. The youngest Kamado tripped and fell face-first into the snow, crying as Tanjiro faded from view. Looking up and seeing nothing but the winter landscape, Rokuta began wailing in anguish. Shutting his eyes in grief, he cried into the cold snow.

Kyameron felt caught in Limbo. In one direction was his brother, Tanjiro, and by extension, reality. But in the other direction, the family he dearly missed. After much mental pain and torment, he made his choice. Walking over to the distraught Rokuta, he lifted him into his arms. The boy's tears seemed contagious, as seeing him like this almost made Kyameron tear up. Pulling his brother into a tight hug, he took him back to the rest of the family, "I'm sorry, everyone. . ." he murmured.

"Wait, Kyameron. . ." Takeo said softly.

"You're not. . . leaving too, are you?" Rokuta asked.

In a shaky and almost broken voice, Kyameron replied, "I'm sorry, Rokuta, but. . . yes, I have to go, too,"

Hanako and Shigeru immediately broke down into tears, running at Kyameron and hugging him tightly. Rokuta buried his face into Kyameron's sleeve, bawling his eyes out. Takeo stood still, unable to accept what was happening. Nezuko dropped the veggies she was holding and covered her mouth. His mother was still, her eyes watering as well.

"I'm sorry, everyone. But this is goodbye, for now," Kyameron said weakly. He quickly looked to Takeo, "You're the man now, Takeo. This is what I trained you for," he said, half-joking and half-crying. Takeo subtly nodded in response. He then looked down at the two siblings holding onto his legs, 'Hanako, Shigeru,"

"Please, Kyameron! Don't leave!" Hanako cried.

Forcing back his already flowing tears, Kyameron replied, "I want you two to be happy, okay? Be glad you got to see me now. I promise it won't be the last time, okay?" he said.

"P-promise?" Shigeru muttered, looking up at him.

"I promise, cross my heart," he said.

The two siblings let go, allowing Kyameron to step to his mother. Her face was quivering and full of tears, the latter of which Kyameron swept away with his thumb, then bringing his mother into a tearful embrace.

"Kyameron. . . just, promise me one thing," she said.

"Anything, mom,"

"I. . . I don't know where you're going, but. . . take care of Tanjiro for me?" she said through sobs.

"Of course, mother. I promise I won't let anything happen to him,"

Holding his mother tightly for the last time, she kissed him on the cheek before breaking apart. Only one goodbye left to make, and it was the one Kyameron dreaded the most. He walked over to his oldest sister, the one he might never see like this again, Nezuko. She wasn't crying like the others, she simply seemed to be in utter shock.

"Nezuko," Kyameron muttered.

"I know. I'll miss you, too. But we'll see each other again, right?" Nezuko said, beaming.

"Quicker than you know. Where I'm going,  you've forgotten about me,"

"Forgotten you? How?"

"Where I'm going, you became a demon. You lost most of your memories, including everything about me," Kyameron said, his tears becoming harder and harder to hold back, "I may never get to talk to you again. I might. . . lose my younger sister," he said, the tears finally breaking through.

Nezuko pulled the much taller Kyameron in for a hug, trying her best to hold him tightly. Kyameron bent down and returned the hug.

"I might not know about what you're going to do, but I do know this," she said, looking up at his face, "I know this won't be the last time we speak, Kyameron. I know it with all my heart,"

Nezuko's warm words caused Kyameron's tears to boil away as he hugged her as tightly as he could, "I'll miss you, Nezuko," he whispered.

"You won't, you'll see ME soon enough,"

His final words exchanged, promises and goodbyes given, Kyameron let go of Nezuko and ran off after Tanjiro. Looking back one final time to see his family waving him off, putting a bandaid on his bleeding heart.