Our Bond Can't be Severed by Anyone!

19 - The Strength of Blood

They were young. So very young, and innocent, and unaware.

She was chasing Tanjiro around the house, both of their giggles filling the air. He was older than her and naturally faster but she was determined and so when he looked back to laugh at her she forced her pudgy little legs to move faster, launching herself at him so that they both went tumbling to the ground in a pile of laughs.

"What are you two doing?" their mother scolded gently as she came to the threshold of the house.

"Playing!" Tanjiro chirped.

"I caught Tanjiro!" Nezuko boasted proudly as she sat up, still pinning Tanjiro to the ground.

"Get off!" Tanjiro ordered playfully, pushing her off before scrambling away with a  grin on his face. Nezuko rolled in the dirt for a minute before laughing and taking chase once more.

"That's not fair! I caught you fair and square!!" Nezuko cried, a grin still on her face.

She was so happy. This is how it was meant to be, Tanjiro and her, under the warm sun with the grass under their feet. No worries or cares. 

She chased Tanjiro through the trees - she knew this mountain like the back of her hand. The rocks in the ground were familiar obstacles and the roots were old foes trying to trip her steady footing. She laughed as she brushed them all aside and kept her eyes trained on that checkered haori that flew behind her brother like a signal flag.

Tanjiro slipped through a thick bush and disappeared from Nezuko's eyes for a moment but only or a moment because Nezuko's quick feet carried her through that bush and into a clearing full of - 

Snow.

It was snowing.

Nezuko panted from the exertion, her eyes narrowing as she took in the confounding change in weather. Small clouds built up with every exhale and floated into the cloudy sky that had been golden and bright not a few seconds ago. Nezuko felt that she was taller and looked down to find she was grown now - she was...

Why did this feel right?

Her hand dropped down to her side to find her sword - but it was not there. Where was it - Where was it!?

Why did she need it?

Her panic faded as she furrowed her brows. Why would she need a sword?

Her feet were growing cold in the snow as were her fingers.

"Tanjiro!?" she called, looking around the clearing in confusion. Where had he gone? There were no footprints - no sign that her brother had even come this way. "TANJIRO!?"

Her voice echoed on the side of the mountain, ringing back to her own ears but going unanswered in this sea of white and cold.

She closed her eyes and tried to tell herself it was fine - she must be imagining things. It couldn't be winter - it couldn't be snowing.

Snowing meant blood and silence and death and - 

She clamped her hands over her ears in an attempt to stop the thoughts - she didn't want to hear those things. She didn't want to think about it.

Don't think about the broken door and the walls stained with red and the frosty air that clung to the back of her throat with the smell of iron and blood. Don't - don't.

The memories were a terrible rush of pain through her trembling mind and she nearly screamed as they returned. She didn't WANT them. She didn't want to remember these things - she wanted to go home and hide in her mother's arms, crying her eyes out like the child she was - the child she wanted to be.