Day & Night

The Nightmare

Tsukie's POV

I was slipping and sliding toward the girl on the wall, feeling urgency. Getting closer, the eyes looking at me was my own. The face that looked at me had similar features to mine... Keiji.

"No," I whispered, covering my mouth.

He looked at me. "You were too late," he said, and I looked up to see Senjuro hanging from the rafters. Tears were running down my face, a scream trying to escape. The thud behind me snapped my body from Senjuro's back to my brother, who was now taking his sword cutting into his stomach.

"Keiji! Keiji No!" I screamed, and I was too late. My brother's dead eyes stared at me.

"Tsukie!"

Darkness was engulfing me, swirling around like shadows ready to take me under. My screams were filling my ears.

"Tsukie!"

My body was ripped away from the horror and to the darkness of my room with golden-red eyes meeting mine.

"Hey, baby, I'm right here," Kyojuro's voice filled my ears. I looked around, taking everything, and I felt myself shaking from fear and confusion. I was in my room at home.

That's right, my parents went on missions, and Keiji was at Oji and Oba's house for the weekend, leaving me to look over the house on my own. I had invited Kyojuro over, so I wasn't alone, and I thought the nightmares would stop. "Tsukie, baby," I looked back at Kyojuro. "Let me get you a warm bath, and you can tell me all about it." He kissed my forehead before getting out of bed to put on his pair of boxers-briefs and made his way to the bathroom.

Touching my skin, it didn't feel right. Cold and sweaty, just like... I couldn't go down that road. It's been a month since the incident, and the nightmares weren't easing up. I sat up, looking out the window, escaping to my thoughts again. I went to the funeral for Rini to pay my respect and learned that her family was killed by demons, hence the reason she became a demon slayer. Seeing her friends being a demon's food source was the final straw for her. At least from what I gathered. Final selection was also coming up, and I hadn't talked to anyone, especially Kyojuro and our brothers.

Lips pressed to my temple, bringing me back from the darkness of my thoughts. Kyojuro took my hand and brought me to the dim light of my bathroom and the warm water of the bath. Pulling up a stool, Kyojuro sat there looking at me, concerned.

"What happened, my precious flame?" He asked as I looked at him.

"I've been having nightmares since the incident in Nikko. Whenever I get anywhere close to where Rini was, either Senjuro or Keiji's eyes are staring back at me. Telling me, I'm too late. The same goes for bodies hanging from the rafters. It's always one of them there. Kyo," I brought my fist up to my mouth, taking a knuckle between my teeth. "Final selection is coming up for them, and... we made it through, but what about them? They're our sweet brothers, and what if fighting demons are too much and they commit seppuku while on a mission? What if a demon kills them, and we aren't there to protect them? Aren't you worried?" Tears found their way down my cheeks.

Kyojuro cupped my face into his hands, wiping the tears away. No smiling, just watchful eyes. He leaned in after a few moments, kissing my forehead before releasing me.

"Of course, I'm worried, but they'll have each other just like we did. You need to remember who trained them. I fear a demon-killing them as much as I fear one killing you. Have you talked to Keiji about this?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"I don't want him to think I don't believe in him. Our parents gave us a choice, and he wanted to be a slayer just like our parents and me," I said, dipping into the tub more.