Demon Slayer Swap AU

Chapter 2: The Stranger

"I beg your pardon, but may I take that basket, and a little straw and bamboo?" Nezuko asked, pointing to a broken basket and bamboo.

The sun was out now, and the snow had melted. Nezuko had decided that to be able to travel during the day as well as night, then she should probably create a makeshift basket to carry Tanjiro in.

"We don't mind, but the basket has a hole in it." The farmer replied.

"That's alright. Can I pay you?" The least Nezuko thought she could do was pay them.

"No need, it's an old basket." The farmer said.

"Please, let me pay." Nezuko insisted.

"No, thank you. You can have the other stuff, too." Replied the farmer, shaking his head.

"But I want to pay!" Nezuko shouted. She wasn't angry. She just wanted to give the farmer something for letting her have the basket. It was the least she could do.

"We don't want it!"

"What a stubborn kid!"

Nezuko got out some coins and slammed them into the farmer's palm. "Just take it! It's only a few coins anyway!"

"OWWW!" yelled the farmer, clutching his wrist in pain.

"Thank you very much!" Nezuko shouted as she walked off with the basket, bamboo and straw.

....

"Tanjiro.." No reply. "Hmm? Tanjiro!" Nezuko peered into the cave Tanjiro was hiding in, but he wasn't inside, and only a hole remained. "He's gone!"

Tanjiro popped his head out the hole, his face all scrunched up. "There he is!"

"Did he dig that hole?" Nezuko thought, staring at Tanjiro with a confused expression. "My brother is like a mole now. His face is scrunched up. He must really not want the sunlight to hit him."

"Just wait." Said Nezuko, as she prepared to fix the basket.

....

Soon enough, the basket was fixed. The basket's holes were all covered up with bamboo, and the shoulder straps were made of straw.

"Will you fit in here?" Nezuko asked, holding the basket in her hands. "I want us to travel during the day. I'll carry you."

Tanjiro just stared at the basket, remaining in the hole with his face still scrunched up.

"Get in. Here. The basket." Nezuko spoke, pointing to the basket and speaking slowly so he'd understand.

Tanjiro attempted to get in, but only his head and shoulders fit inside. He just lay there on the ground with his head and shoulders in the basket while Nezuko just stared.

"You're too big." She said before smiling softly. "Wow. Sometimes I forget how big Tanjiro is. Compared to me, at least." Nezuko thought before suddenly remembering something. "Hmm? Tanjiro, you're as big as an adult. Can you reverse that and get smaller?"

Tanjiro didn't respond nor move as he lay flat on the ground. Nezuko gently pet his back, trying to get him to shrink. "Smaller. Tanjiro. smaller!"

"Ah!" Nezuko shouted in surprise as Tanjiro suddenly flipped forward. "Yeow!" He was now sitting in the basket, now perfectly fitting, and had a blank expression on his face.

"Oh! Good!" Nezuko said, grinning as dhe pet his head. "That's perfect! Well done, Tanjiro! I'm impressed!"

....

Nezuko was now carrying the basket, which had a large sheet covering it in order to block out the sun from Tanjiro.

The sun was starting to set now, and Nezuko had briefly stopped in front of a bungalow where a woman and her son lived to ask for directions.