Time's A Mess (kny applyfic)

Chapter 0.2

Smiling lightly, he thought the mark actually looked cool! It was artistic enough, not bad! Not bad at all!

Maybe he even looked a tinier bit similar to his Sensei!

Standing up and brushing off his knees after splashing his face in a hopeless attempt to achieve cleanliness, he turned back around to walk away, but then-

Splash! Splash!

Something fell into the water! No, two somethings!

And then the sounds of drowning came... and Toujuro jumped right into the water, not even thinking it could be a demon and its trick.

Thank God it was not a demon.

∆∆∆

Kyoujuro had never thought hard on the concept of death and afterlife, of reincarnations and rebirths, which is stupid considering the business he did, and how many times a day he brushed with death.. and even did die!

To so many, reincarnation was a blessing, a dream of a life where things might just, just be better than the hell they lived in, free to actually be who you'd always dreamed to be, rather than pick up swords for utter manslaughter (even if they were demons).

Even while dying, he was peaceful with the knowledge that he had done a good job, completed his duty. He thought, as he stared at the fading figure of his mother (or was it his vision that was fading?) that now he could finally rest and hide in his mother's arms, a peaceful afterlife.

So yes, he had not thought much further than that, not at all about what afterlife would be like.

Which is why it was so shocking to realize that afterlife was so WET!

Water was everywhere, in his mouth, his eyes (eyes?), his ears, his clothes, his skin-

He felt like he was drowning, drowning, drowning, drowning.

What was he being punished for? Was there something he did wrong, someone he hurt unjustly, someone he missed to save?

Could he not even die peacefully? After everything?

Quickly boxing his spiralling thoughts, Kyoujuro unconsciously started breathing, his arms reaching out to grab something, anything to anchor him.

He grabbed ahold of something alright..

Another drowning person to be exact!

Wonderful! He could barely save himself and now there was another miserable person in this predicament.

A young voice, gasping and choking, oh it was a boy he held in his arms!

Afterlife or no, this sort of trauma was unacceptable for little kids!

With his eyes (one should be gone, should hurt like hell, but it felt okay, did afterlife heal your deadly wounds?) shut tight, he struggled to swim up, hands almost wild as they swung. He had never been gladder to train with Tomioka than before, he thought as he screamed at himself 'become one with water, flow flow flow!' Water and fire were naturally not compatible, yet desperate times called for desperate measures.