The Month of Love: Demon Slayer Oneshots

Flowers From Below (ZenitsuxNezuko)

Prompt: Nezuko finds herself in the Underworld after an incident; Zenitsu still lives in the world above (inspired by the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice)

She was curled up at the foot a willow tree, clad in a white, billowing out behind her. The field was desolate; empty from the plants that had decorated the fields back home. 

"You're new here." a voice muttered. There, leaning behind the tree, stood a man, cloaked in a dark uniform, stripes over his eyes, his pupils a strange, yellow color. He seemed tired.

She smiled warmly, something that lit up the darkness of the Underworld. His eyes widened for a split second, reminded of the aching memories that he had long buried underneath his facade of impassiveness. 

"Do you have enough to pay the fee?" he murmured, trailing a single finger over the brown, frangible bark. 

"The fee?" she tilted her head in confusion. He nodded. She shook her head. 

"I have no money." 

"There is no money required." he replied, strained. She frowned at the implication of his statement. 

"Your soul will do. Lord Kibutsuji will accept any form of payment." he muttered. She stood up and grasped his arm. 

"I am waiting for someone. Please, tell this Lord Kibutsuji, that I will come to the Underworld once I find my love." she pleaded. 

He looked at her once, reminded of the familiar face of his former beloved, now an aimless soul wandering around the premise of the Underworld. He nodded. 

The man disappeared without a trace, only the faint scent of wisteria brought her back to realize: she had interacted with a demon. 

She had come into contact with the tales of these demons before. Before escaping from the world of the mountains, she had lived with her elder brother,  in the snowy mountain side. Nezuko wandered around the field, the blades of grass; as what she now realized, were simply dark gray slices of shades.

"I wonder what you are doing right now, my love. I wonder... are you searching for me?" she tilted her head up towards monotonous, bleached sky, a sky with no color for her to get lost in. 

---

"Nezuko!" he wailed, cradling a body. Her long, gorgeous brown hair was displayed in a colorful rainbow, the tips touching the dirt like it was grasping life for the first time. On her ankle, two small holes marred her skin with the upmost ease. 

The poison had spread through her leg, painlessly and quickly. He had heard her screams for help, her pleas for him to rescue her. His eyes were filled with tears, his sight blocked by the feeling of the salty liquid. 

Her lifeless body was dead in his arms, no sign of life fighting, no sign of his love ready for his touch. 

"So this is her," a voice commented. His face was disfigured, scarred with multiple scratches, and dotted with drips of poison. His voice was dragged on, scratching and weary. 

Zenitsu didn't respond to his comment. His hands were clenched around her, holding her tightly. 

"Aren't you going to respond?" the voice demanded. He shook his head. The man bit his tongue. 

"Rui was right. She is pretty," he noted, grazing her arm with his touch. Zenitsu snatched her arm from his grasp, and the man chuckled. 

"You're pretty feisty. How'd you like to see your beloved again?" 

Zenitsu flinched at the offer. Not only would it give him what he desired, but he was weary of the consequences. 

"Who did this to her?" he demanded, his yellow eyes growing wide.