Three Day Deal

Fading Laughter

     Tegen did his best to spend the rest of the day with his wives, trying not to think about Tanjiro and the blades waiting for him by the door.
     Makio had been upset indeed and he had to apologize three times on his knees before she let him eat at the table with them.  Hinatasuru had kept the situation light with her soft laughter while Suma had clung to Tegen's arm concerned for his health and fearing for the worst.  He assured her repeatedly and ate his fill, thanking Makio again for the food, she huffed and reached over the table to ruffle his hair before shoving at his head and sitting down again, he grinned at her through his now tangled bangs as Hinatsuru giggled.

---

     He feels bone tired as he walks to get Rengoku for their meeting with Ubuyashiki-sama.  The two meet up outside his estate and Rengoku, for once, looks exhausted and miserable.  His smile is weak but he makes an effort.
     "How has your day been?"
     "Nice.  Spent it with Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma.  Took a nap after I got back from, y'know..."
     "The situation is pretty draining isn't it." Rengoku chuckles.
     "I- Nevermind..."
     "Uzui?"
     "I had a dream.  But, it's not important."
     "Ah, I see."

     They arrive at the Masters estate, knocking and bowing to the First Lady before following her to the meeting room.
     There is tea prepared and Ubuyashiki-sama sits with his hands in his lap, smiling as kindly as ever.
     "Master."  They speak in unison as they bow deeply.
     "My children, the crows told me you would be coming, sit down and have some tea."

     When everyone is seated with a warm cup of tea in their hands Rengoku starts.
     "There is a Demon Moon that ranks even higher than Upper Moon One.  A secret weapon.  A last defense."
     Immediately the room is tense.
     "I see... this is, unexpected.  Though I suppose it should have been, Kibutsuji has always been a cautious man."
      "Kibutsuji is a coward." Tegen huffs looking into his tea and picking his next words carefully.  "This demon is called the Final Moon.  And he does not eat humans.  He sleeps to gain energy and sustenance."
      "He?"
      Tegen flinches and catches himself, right, demons are its, "It, apologies Master, a slip of the tounge.  It sleeps rather than eats human flesh making it quiet the outcast amongst the other demon moons."
      "Four days ago, we were sent into the woods, east of here because a crow had spotted a possible upper moon." Rengoku explains carefully.  "This uppermoon shooed off Upper Moon Two as if he was no more than an annoyance and was openly disrespectful of Kibutsuji.  It also sensed us immediately."
     The Masters brows furrowed but his smile does not change.
     "It proposed a deal to us.  For three days we would meet it at dusk, no violence would be committed or suffered by either party until the end of these three days.  Each day an Upper Moon of our choosing would be revealed in the greatest detail the demon could manage."
     "And what did the demon receive from this deal?"
     "It wanted simply to learn about humans and our world.  It asked of our favorite foods and their tastes, our upbringing and families.  It loved the idea of festivals and the thought of fireworks fascinated it."  Tegen wants to throw up, everything is heavy.
     "On the second day, this demon revealed itself to be the Final Moon, stronger than any of Kibutsuji's other creations."  Rengoku says this carefully and they both watch the reactions closely, Master straightens and the First Lady's face twitches almost imperceptibly.
    "The final part of this contract, was that on the fourth day, today.  If the demon had not convinced us to spare him, he would let us slay him without interference."
     "That is why we have come Master.  On the second day, the Final Moon said he- it.  Said it, would be willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps and fight against Kibutsuji if it was accepted.  On the third day.  It gave us this."
     Rengoku lays out the scroll kept safe in it's wooden case.
     "A scroll." The first Lady murmurs, taking it and opening the case with care, able to tell the ancient thing was fragile.  She begins to skim it most likely planning to read it outloud to the Master but her eyes widen in shock.
     "My lord..." she mutters.
     "Dearest?"
     "It was written by Kibutsuji, this is from when he was human.  It's a document logging his findings about his own illness.  This is how he became the first demon."
     The Master looks back to his children, face as unreadable, as always, "The Final Moon gave you this?  For what?"
     "Because the Final Moon says it is betraying Muzan."

---

     They walk to the forest at dusk, heads low.  The hair is held gently in Rengokus left hand his right holding his cape over it so the dappled fading sunlight can't come close to those precious forgotten memories.
     They wait in the feild as the sky darkens, Tanjiro walks out of the woods, eyes kind, smile welcoming, fangs sharp.
     Tegen lowers his gaze, he feels awful.  He feels guilty and disgusting.  Tanjiro does not hold a blanket for them.
     The oni notices and crosses the rest of the feild, touching the men's biceps tenderly, pulling them back to the present.
     "So?  Your choice?"
     Tegen can't speak.
     "Under orders of Master Ubuyashiki.  And by Demon Slayer Corps regulations.  Tanjiro, Final Moon, you must be executed..."  Rengoku's words are not loud or brazen, they fall from his lips like dead leaves, skittering along with sad empty rustles.
     Tanjiro hugs them.  Wraps his arms around the two hulking men to the best of his ability and smiles into their chests.
     "Oh dear, thank goodness...  I had feared for a moment they would send someone else to execute me, but if it's you two...  What a pleasant way to go..."
     Tanjiro laughs gently, his voice wet from coming tears, Tegen feels his own eyes burn and water.
     "Tanjiro..." he mutters, holding the other man as close as he can, chasing an untouchable dream.
     "Uzui-san..."
     "Call me Tegen."
     "And me, Kyojuro."
     Tanjiro seems startled by this sudden leap in address but nods and smiles warmly up at them, before guiding the trio into the grass and sitting back looking at them with prideful adoration shimmering in his wet eyes.
     They kneel as if it where another day but Tegen begins to unwrap his blades and Kyojuro forces himself to unsheathe his katana.
     "I love you two so much."
     The very Earth seems to freeze on it's axis.
     "P-pardon?" Kyojuro actually stutters.
     Tegen is sitting in awe, on his knees in front of the second most powerful demon on Earth.
     "I love you two.  You are kind and well meaning, strong and brave.  With open minds and hearts.  It was my greatest honor to help you in moving forwards against Muzan."
     Tegen can feel his heart in his ears, it's just like when he started courting Hinatsuru, then Makio, then Suma's elder sister.  The thundering war drum of love pounding at his brain.
     "That's a cruel thing to say to the men about to kill you," he finally chokes out.
     Tanjiro's face softens even further, Tegen didn't know this was possible, "I know.  I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm so selfish and cruel.  This was a horrible thing of me to do from the very beginning, ask you to befriend the thing you must inevitably execute.
     But I am a selfish creature.  I wanted to know what it was to love.  To befriend.  To enjoy the things around me."
     Kyojuro has tears running down his cheeks as he raises his blade placing it ever so gently against the beautiful oni's neck, "I.  For one, am disgustingly grateful that you are so selfish."
     Tanjiro's eyes widen.
     "These have been the most enjoyable cruelties anyone has ever caused me.  It was a pleasure knowing you, Tanjiro.  I'm certain you were a lovely person."
     The demon sobs quietly another one of his radiant smiles pulling across his face, gathering tears in the corners as a gutter gathers rainwater.
     "Tanjiro.  We love you too."  His blade is settled against the oni's neck and he can feel the wet streaks of tears down his cheeks.
     The demon gasps softly inbetween quiet sobs, "Oh!  Oh- oh my... I-I'm so sorry..." But there's till a shaky smile setting his face aglow.
     "Don't be.  It's a beautiful feeling."
     Kyojuro nods and shifts himself. They are going to do this.  They have to.
     "Goodbye, Tanjiro..." the voices are in sync as their blades bring blood and suffering to all three men.
     He catches his own head as he starts to disintegrate slowly, placing it back on his neck purely for comfort and looking at two men he loved so dearly.
     "Goodbye, Kyojuro, Tegen.  I'll miss you so."
     Tegen can't help himself, throwing his blade aside, disgusted, he brings the man into a bone crushing hug.
     "We'll miss you more.  I'll miss you so much.  You never got to see a festival, or fireworks, or-"
     Tanjiro gasps and starts crying heavier, "Oh I remember... I had five siblings, five of them!  Nezuko, Takeo, Hanako and Shigeru, and little Rokuta.  I remember my Mother and Father.  My job was to sell the charcoal we made...  I lived on a snowy mountain farther east from here."
     Kyojuro has joined the hug with his own warm hands and arms, holding the fading oni tight, "That sounds lovely."
     "It... it was... They're waiting for me... on the other side..." There is a moment, a second of fragile clarity in Tanjiro's clouding eyes and he looks up to them with that same warmth.  "I'll wait for you two.  I promise."
     "Please..."
     "Please do..."

     He laughs, soft and musical as it fades into the wind with his ashes. Tegen holds Rengoku tight as they cry, blades bloodied by the life of the man they loved.

     Tegen hears rain approaching.