A Double Edged Sword (Discontinued)

Chapter II

I start to regain consciousness as I hear rushing footsteps crunching in the snow. I'd know that scent anywhere, it's Tanjiro's, the scent of a campfire but there's something bitter in the smell as if he is in fear. The memories of last night came rushing back to me. I rise and run to Tanjiro, wrapping my arms around him, tears flowing.

"Dead... they're... dead," I cry out in sobs. "Wait, I still smell Nezuko." I run over to her and check for a pulse, she has one. "Brother, Nezuko's still alive," I cry in a sigh of relief.

"We need to get down the mountain to get help. You're covered in blood, I'll carry Nezuko."

***

As we're running down the mountain Tanjiro asks, "Did something happen to you?"

"Why?"

"Your scent, it's different. It's a very strong sweet scent, similar to the other scent at the house. I could tell that person murdered the rest of our family."

"True but also, Nezuko's scent is stronger but different at the same time."

We continue down the mountain at a fast pace. We're on a cliff edge when Nezuko starts to convulse, causing him to slip and fall. I was relieved when the snow cushioned his fall. I look for Nezuko. She's standing still as a statue by the trees when the wind blows our mother's light purple kimono off her, I notice that the ends of her hair are now orange. I look at my hair and realize that it has gone from being black and red black and red to white gradient. What happened to our hair?

Tanjiro run's towards Nezuko, but she starts to attack him. He grabs his axe and uses it as a barrier between him and her mouth. I can hear that Tanjiro's saying something, but I can't make it out. I hear crying as I smell another scent running towards us. I spot someone with a half red and half cubic patterned kimono. He has spikey black hair. He's running towards Nezuko when he draws a sword.

Tanjiro notices it and pins Nezuko underneath him. The man cut off Tanjiro's hair that was pulled up. I feel all my senses heighten and I hear my hand crack, making the same sound as when you crack your knuckles. I have to protect them! I jump down off of the cliff in between them.

"Why are you protecting it them?" the man asks Tanjiro.

"She's our sister," Tanjiro and I both say at the same time.

"And she's they're my sisters," Tanjiro says and I feel as if it were directed at me. "We we're going to get help," Tanjiro says, his back against the tree and Nezuko in his arms restraining her no matter how hard she tries to get away she can't.

"How do you call them your sisters?"

"Don't. Touch. My. Family. Again," I say, the only emotion in my voice is anger. He draws his sword disappearing. He was here one minute gone the next.

I look around for him and turn around, seeing Tanjiro crouching over the snow. "Where is she?"

"I don't know, she was here one minute gone the next." 

I slowly turn around to see him further away holding Nezuko's arms behind her as Nezuko is struggling to break free.

"What are you doing with her?" I shout.

"Don't move another muscle. It's my duty to kill any and all demons. Like you and your sister. Which means I'll have to decapitate you and your sister."

How did we become demons? Ah! It was when that man gave us his blood. Could he have been a demon too? "Let her go."

"Don't kill them! They've never hurt anyone! There was another scent at my house, that was the killer! I don't know why they've change into that, but they would never harm me," Tanjiro shouted.

"It's very simple really. Their wounds were exposed to demon blood, that's how the man-eating monsters multiply."

"They would never eat humans. I won't let them hurt anyone. I'll find a cure."

"You must be kidding me, if I haven't come when I did your sisters would have devoured you."

"You're wrong Nezuko would never."

"And I wouldn't either. He's our older brother," I say. "I'll never hurt anyone. I'll protect them."

"I'll turn them back into a human!" Tanjiro shouts.

The man stabs Nezuko. Tanjiro charges ahead, taking his axe aiming for the man. I charge after him. "I told you to not touch my family again!" I shout as the man blocks Tanjiro's attacks, pushing him back.

Tanjiro gets up and towards the man and then behind the trees. The man didn't notice that Tanjiro had thrown his axe in the air. Tanjiro comes out from behind the trees, charging towards the man. The man's scent changes, he smells confused. He looks up and realizes that Tanjiro had thrown his axe into the air. He moves out of the way and knocks Tanjiro unconscious. Nezuko breaks free of his grasp and we both run to Tanjiro's side. Nezuko crouches down to check if Tanjiro's okay. I smell his scent, I'm reassured when I smell that he is just unconscious. "I said not to touch my family," I say and out of instinct, I flip my palms up and vines come out of the ground and wrap around the man, tight enough to hold him but not tight enough to hurt. I did not know that I could do this. I don't want to hurt you. Just don't hurt my family," I say as I let him down on the ground.

"Why aren't you hurting anyone."

"Didn't I just say that I don't want to hurt anyone?"

"What about your sister. Why isn't she eating him? Why's she protecting him?"

"I don't know? I'm not her, but she would never harm anyone."

The man rushes towards us and everything goes back. Not again.

A special thanks to:
ShiroKagura60, Zat_otaku, GachaMayUwu, princesslosi, and GuatamBoro

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