What if?

The beginning.

The two crashed through the blanket of white, snow falling around them in every direction, mockingly beautiful despite the horror of what happened. 

"Hold on Nezuko!" the oldest, Tanjiro shouts. Trailing behind the thirteen year old boy, is another boy with maroon hair. 

"Takeo keep up! We have to move quickly, I know you're tired and it's cold, but we must hurry!".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The day before~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Kamado children were asking Tanjiro to take them into town with them, when Takeo hoists some charcoal onto his shoulder.

"You two are too young, we need to be back soon so we can't bring you!" Takeo scolds the two younger children.

"Your brother is right, Tanjiro and Takeo are the fastest, and with this snow they  cannot take the cart down." Kie chides softly. 

The two wave their good byes, and start the long trek down the mountain, the path much more dangerous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Watch your step Takeo, its very slick. Even I almost fell."

"Yeah yeah its barely sli- WOAH!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The villagers all asked Tanjiro for favors, and before the two knew it, evening had fallen over the mountain side. As the two begin their trek back up the mountain, a villager called out to them, telling them to stay the night and warning them about the demons.

Tanjiro catches the scent of wisteria flowers in the pipe, not knowing the true purpose of the flowers being turned into smoke.

"Tanjiro, do you think that there are actually demons that eat people out there?" Takeo asks quietly. 

"I'm not sure, but we should get some sleep, we have quite the trip in the morning."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two begin the journey back up the mountain, when Tanjiro tips his head up and sniffs, going pale.

"What is it?" Takeo asks.

"I smell blood..." Comes the shaky reply. Takeo pales, and the two begin to rush up the mountain, panic and anxiety driving them forward. Tanjiro see the blood splattered snow, and sprints towards Nezuko, who is on the ground. He turns his head only to find the rest of his family covered in blood, pale as a sheet, and stiff as boards. Dead. Blood everywhere.

Takeo finally catches up, and screams. Tanjiro realizes Nezuko is still breathing and warm, and shouts for Takeo, and the two start rushing down the mountain.

"We have to get her to a doctor!"

"Tanjiro wait I can't keep up!" 

Suddenly Nezuko jerks awake and Takeo sees fangs, before Tanjiro and Nezuko fall off the cliff side.

"Brother!"

The snow is mocking them as they fall. Beautiful despite the tragedy. 

By the time Takeo gets down to them, Tanjiro is being pinned down by Nezuko, and a man is running at them, before he slips and hits his head on a rock.