Chapter Text
The mission had started out awful, because of course it did. They went off without me. A shaky sighs leaves my mouth. And I know I'm pathetic and I know it's annoying to see me bawl like a baby but this is scary!
Warm tears well up in my eyes, staring down at my hands. Just the thought of getting closer makes my body tremble harder, curling in on myself. Rough chills run throughout my body, forcing my attention onto whats making it happen. I can hear everything coming from the forest and it's freaking me out!! My jaw aches at how hard I'm clenching it shut, chattering teeth mumbled by my lips.
WHY DID THEY JUST LEAVE ME- Something clicks, shooting off the ground. My body moves on its own, shouting out as my feet push into the ground, running head first into the dark forest. "NEZUKOOOOOOO-CHANNNNNNNNN!!!!"
She's just there being forced to follow along with Tanjirou!! My grip on my sword triples as my feet slam into the ground, bolting forward into the forest looking for nezu- my good friends. Chunntaro chirps trying to keep up as fast as he can. The forest is horrifying noises coming from almost every direction, taut strings, staring pounding. It makes my skin crawl. Why did I ever have to get involved with this!?
At no sign of their pounding hearts I have to force myself to shout again, "NEZUKOOO!!! TANJIROUUUU!?!? GUYSS..." My eyes shift around, staring at nothing but dull forest greens and the impending darkness.
A shudder consumes my trembling stance, holding my sword for dear life. "....INOSUKE! COME ON YOU GUYSSSS" My words echo throughout the forest.
The silence is almost deafening, blending all the sounds together in a odd harmony of scaryness. More shivers rush through my body, pushing myself to run faster down the dirt path. My ears ache at the speed at which the sounds are entering my ear drums, processing the winded information.
As I'm getting deeper into the forest these strange chattering noises scatter around the treelines. My heart drops so far it hurts, "IM HEARING SO MANY NOISESSS GAHHH!!"
Thankfully my voice echoes loudly enough that the sound fizzles out, running deeper to get away from it. Pain radiates throughout my neck from whipping it back and forth, attempting to keep track of my surroundings. The soft glow of the moon shines through the leaves, marking a pathway for me to follow, panting out loudly as more noise eminate from all angles. CHRIST WHAT IS THAT!?!
That soft noise gets louder the further my legs take me down the path, skittering little creatures are seemingly running around me. Ohmygod ohmygod what is that horrible noise! Why won't it stoppp!!?!? A shiver runs through my body, forcing me to trip up on a particularly wide root, catching myself before just stopping all together. My lungs aches and burn at the constant cardio.
At the ache my torso falls forward propping myself up with my arms with my knees. I have to force myself to take deep breathes, pushing past the burn under my lungs. But the longer I'm there the louder the noises get, creaking type noises coming from further down the path, ripping strings, and this strange eeiry quietness that isn't actually quiet. The air around me is a murky fog, blocking a lot of my visual distance.
Something pushes me to keep going, forcing my shaky legs to start running again. Why am I even doing this?! No one ever said anything about it being this scary!! My teeth chatter at how hard I'm clenching my jaw shut, keeping myself as quiet as possible while trying to keep my harsh footsteps lighter. All the blurred trees around me makes my head hurt, forcing my eyes shut to fully focus on the sounds of my surroundings. Just please let this be over with!!
As I get closer to the creaking sounds it seems like the skittering has tripled now, echoing from all around me. I cant bare to open my eyes, pushing forward even as pain radiates throughout my limbs. Until a harsh prick aches at my hand, rushing to a stop to rip my eyes open.
But all that there is are human headed mutant spiders. The words leave my mouth before the sight fully processes, "AHHHHHHHHHH WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS!???!?! UGHHHH WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS MOUNTAIN??!??!?"
The fear forces me to start running again, blocking out the disgusting noises as much as my ears can, panting louder on purpose.
Theres no use in blocking out the sounds as they get louder and louder, piercing my ears. "OHMYGOD!! OHMYGODOHMYGOD LET ME WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMAREEEEEEEAHAHHHHH!??!?!?" My legs burns at how fast I'm forcing them to move, rushing head first into the moonlight path.
But suddenly the thin path breaks off into a large clearing showered in bright moonlight. My eyes snap open to the surrounding area, gasping out. The visuals within the area sends chills down my body, instinctually grabbing the hilt of my blade. Transparent strings are littered all throughout the sky, clinging onto nearby trees, holding up a large house that seems to be broken apart and torn into.
My legs ache as the stop, skidding across the loose dirt. What the hell is that...!? Humans...turned into spiders?!! Beads of sweat come rushing down my face, looking up at a seemingly floating house in the middle of a forrest clearing. Two of the strings hold mutating bodies of people being slowly morphed into scarily fleshy spiders. But then the house begins to shake and rumble as a strange human face starts to appear from the darkness, revealing himself from one of the doors of the house.
Increasingly louder string like noises creak and snap as this face continues to slowly lower himself revealing a large spider body. IT'S HUGEEEE!!! I can feel my jaw drop, staring up at this half human half spider demon thing. What even is that thing?! Strange markings cover the mans face, resting upon its large spider body. The size of it sends full body chills throughout my body practically shivering at the sight of the demon.
It seems like he goes to say something but my voice cuts through his, "GAHHHH YOU KNOW WHAT I REFUSE TO TALK WITH ANYONE LIKE YOU!!!" My throat aches painfully at the grainyness of the scream. Chunntaro coos as my voice rings out, flapping his wings as he quickly hides behind me.
"You're already losing.." The demon laughs at me, unblinking as his eyes follow any kind of movement. "Take a look at your hands." His smile grow wider.
"HAHH?!?! What are you talking about!?" My eyes shift down on their own, looking around my body for any markings. What the...
"Its poison." The spider demons laughs again, "You got bit by a spider, right? In another 30 minutes you'll be my slave, crawling all over the ground!"
It's hard to understand the demon as my eyes stay locked on this strange growing welt on my hand. Raised purple veins stretch around the numbing spot on my hand, spreading down to my wrists. My heart sinks, staring at the pulsing orb, panting out aggressively as my hand starts to shake. Poison..? When did...that-
The demon reaches for something and pull out a watch, "By the time this long hand goes around once, you'll have become a member of the spider clan!." The clanking sound of the chain snaps me out of my thoughts, meeting the demon's crinkled eyes.
He starts to point to individual Kanji placed around the watches edges, "Here, you'll experience immense pain," His thin finger moves down the numbers, "Your body will start to shrink and you'll black out!" While pulling the watch up the demon starts giggling, gliding down the clear taunt string.
My head stays still where the demon was before, processing everything and all the implications. And all my brain can think to do is scream and run away, forcing my legs to move.
The demon slyly shouts out, "Running away is-"
A groan leaves my throat, cutting him off, "Is futile. I KNOW, ALRIGHT! I GET IT!!" My head spins, running around trying to find somewhere to go, finding only trees to climb up. Ugh fuck this is too familiar...
Fear takes over, helping me to climb up the tree, flinging myself onto a branch once I've climbed high enough. "SHUT UP. JUST SHUT UP!!!"
"Theres no need to be afraid." The spider demon smiles wickedly.
Just the way he sounds as he talks makes my heart beat faster, clinging tighter onto the tree harder until it hurts. Everything in my chest aches under the intensifying hyperventilating that I can't fight against. The demon's heartbeat is beating so loudly it makes my ears rings, shying away to the best of my ability. It doesn't feel like a long time before my head starts to feel lighter, trying to force my lungs to breathe normally.
"Get ahold of yourself!"
Ji-chan's gruff voice rings out from around me, forcing my attention over to where I could hear him. But it feels like I'm in my own memory, looking down at gramps face as he shouts at me, holding a more familiar feeling bark.
He's waving his cane around as he shouts, "Stop crying! Stop Running away! Doing that won't get you anywhere!"
Suddenly he starts walkng up to the tree, "You won't die! Not from this level of training! Come down from here you little moron!!"
My mouth moves on its own shouting, "IVE HAD ENOUGHHHH!!!" An enormous strike of lightning crashes down right where I was hiding on the tree.
This huge bellowing clap of pure yellow surges through the tree before slamming into my body, leaving this sickening cracking noise in its wake as my body falls to the ground.
My body aches at the memory, holding onto the tree for dear life. How tragic is my life anyways? A forced chuckle leaves my chest, pulling my eyes away just enough to look around at myself. I got hit by lightning. I hate myself more than anyone else. I have to force my eyes shut, curling away from the impending danger that is surrounding me.
I want to change. It feels like a desperate plea, thinking to myself. I want to be competent person. A groan leaves my mouth, hitting my head against the bark. "SO, WHY DO I HAVE TO END UP GOING BALD AND TURNING INTO A MONSTER?!?!" It hurts as my head starts to throb, pushing myself away from the painful bark.
Tears well up in my eyes, looking around the tree for a way out. "IT CAN'T BE TRUE, RIGHT? IT SO CAN'T BE TRUEE." Slowly my eyes shift down to the ground surrounding the thick tree. "OH CRAP!! Don't climb up HEREEE!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE FOR A MINUTE!"
Those mutant spiders are trying their best to climb up the tree. My hands move on their own grabbing my hair and pulling as words continue to stumble out of my mouth. But as I pull my hand away to look back down to the spiders my eyes immediately lock onto thick yellow and orange chunks of hair littered against my palm. My hair's falling out already...
Just the sight of it makes my breathing pick up even more, pushing past the lightness around my head until my whole body starts to tingle. Spots form in my vision, turning my head to look at the demon, blurring as more tears fall from my eyes. Why couldn't I have just gone with them...
I wouldn't be stuck like this if I did. It feels like my eyes are being hollowed as I get one last look at the demon's blood lusting eyes.
And then there's nothing.
It feels like no time passed before suddenly I can feel my body slamming against a hard surface, laying out across it.
My whole body is aching but the sensations are strangely fading in and out. Theres this loud gurgling sound that pulls at my senses, coughing uncomfortably as my body is laid out across something. It feels like something is pulling at all my limbs, pushing against the numbness. Why does it...feel so weird? My eyes fall shut, breathing deeply to try and keep myself together.
But when my eyes blink open next the moon is in a completely different spot, settling just right above where I am. My heart feels light in my chest, trying to take a deep breathe but there's just something stopping me, settling on just taking in what I can manage. Did I pass out again..? Why does everything feel so wrong in my body... My eyes shift around, looking at anything my head can allow. But as I'm looking over to a tree my ears starts ringing, pulsing loudly while blocking out any other sounds.
Is it dead? My finger twitch painfully, trying to force my arms to move around. But for some reason my limbs won't respond to me. Am I- ...The poison...right. A sigh tries to leave my throat but suddenly a painful cough rips it's way past, aching up my throat as blood spills out past my lips. The sound of my body gurgling sends chills down my body, trying with everything to turn or flip my body over. But the only thing that happens is my head tipping to the sigh, spilling blood out all around my head. Another stream of coughs forces its way from my chest while more hot tears continue to rush down my face, burning the cuts and burns.
The taste of the blood gags me, pushing more red liquid out from my lungs. Finally theres a break in the coughs my body relaxes against the wood again, taking air in rapidly. It hurts but the relief forces more tears to fall. Great...I don't even remember anything. But it's dead..somehow. My eyes flutter open, burning at the brightness of the moon and stars, blinking back more hot tears to stare at the sky. The poison going through my system seems to be moving faster now. All the feeling in my lower body has fully faded off, feeling numb to even the pain that was disabling me. And the second I thought it started to slow down everything up to my arms slowly starts to fade away too.
Is this really how my life is gonna end? I can feel my eyes widen before dragging my eyes to look at my surroundings. Huh...at least Chuntaro is here. It looks like he's chirping at me but the sound isn't registering for some reason. But as I'm staring at him my mind starts to drift, thinking back to Nezuko, Tanjirou and Inosuke. My heart aches at the thought, stuttering on my next intake of air. Why did I just sit there. Warm tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision before dripping down and burning along my cut up cheeks. Why did I not follow my friends...If I just listened to them and wasn't so damn pathetic. A sob wracks my body, squinting to my eyes at the strain and soreness filling my chest.
Every small movement pulls at something that hurts within my body. The ache forces groans out of my mouth but even the vibrations in my throat don't process, feeling almost numb in a way. My vision starts to get hazy, staring up at the bright moon. Everything is making me think back to my master, seemingly staring him dead in the face as my breathing starts to slow and my heart tries to bump blood.
The shock of seeing his eyes forces a gasp to leave my throat, "I...I'm sorry.." I have to force my lung to bring air in, sighing out gramp's name. "Ji-chan." Saying it hurts, imagining his disappointment in me.
A bitter laugh leaves my throat, crying out as my body slowly becomes more numb. I should've trained harder ji-chan...Christ why did I never listen to you. It's like I can hear the orchard, listening to the calm and gruff nature of gramps heartbeat. Even though it should be calming there's a hint of regret in the sound. Why did I make things so hard for you. It hurts to cry out but it's all my body wants to do, shaking violently against the wood loudly, hearing it over feeling it.
Suddenly Chuntaro pecks my cheek the feeling hardly registers but I can feel as he retracts his head. He looks sad as my eyes fall back onto him. As he's chirping and jumping around my ears start ringing louder fully blocking any other sound out. But Chuntaro keeps going before out of nowhere he flaps his wings, flying off. Watching him go makes my heart drop, staring out in the dark forest as he slowly fades from view. Oh...was it that pathetic? I know I'm weak but...I think I killed it.. More tears fall from my eyes.
Honestly I'd leave me to rot too...I hope someone more competent is his next slayer. A choked sigh leaves my throat, gagging on more blood. As my thoughts turn more self depreciating my eyes fall shut, keeping my breathing up as much as my body can handle. It feels like the blackness is consuming me, staring into the lightly colored shapes, moving around under my eyelids. Then the next time my eyes blink open is when there's some movement around my body, knocking me out of whatever daze my body is being drawn too.
It's a struggle to keep my eyes open, blinking rapidly to try and force them to catch up. Combined with the blinding brightness of the moon my head starts to throb violently. But as I'm trying to calm down there's a peck on the side of my head, drawing my attention away from the pain. I can't move my head but there's a long enough pause in the painful ringing in my ears that I can just barely pick up the sound of what's near me. Chuntaro! I thought you had left me... A small smile pulls at my checks. Pain flares up through my cheeks but I'm too happy not to smile, crying out softly.
As I'm crying suddenly there's this sound, fluttering from above me. Slowly my eyes shift around, locking onto a purple blob that seems to be getting closer to me now. It...it sounds like butterfly.. Something in me is screaming to move my head, shaking as my neck muscles strain to make any movement. But finally the back of my head is resting against the hard ground below me. My neck almost immediately starts twitching once my head is steady, squinting my eyes at the ache, forcing the ringing in my ears to come back.
After a few seconds my eyes peels apart as the sound of that fluttering has gotten progressively louder until suddenly stopping. Everything is too blurry to make out but there's some sort of person getting closer to me, coming down from the sky. Slowly they touch down somewhere around me out of my view. It feels like forever before something happens but I still can't see anything as they seem to be walking over.
The sound of their strengths pushes past the ringing in my ears, watching as this person gets closer and closer to me. It..it seems to be- Suddenly their face comes into view. Oh...a hashira...great. I can't even see anything properly. It looks like she's saying something but the sound of it is so muffled now I can barely make our her steady heartbeat. But if I look carefully enough one of her sentences kinda made sense, saying something about killing the demon.
It hurts to nod but my body moves on its own, nodding at her questions without moving any other part of my body. It doesn't matter anymore I'm not going to survive...if only I had paid attention. I can feel myself fading, hearing as my blood struggles to pump through certain organs, gurgling on blood at each breathe. It's hard to even think properly, cursing myself for every little mistake I ever made. If only I could just go back and slap myself.
Tears fall down my face, staring into the bright moon. ...God I'm sorry everyone... Everything is even more blurry than before as it starts to get darker around me. Tanjirou, Inosuke, Nezuko...If only I could've been stronger like you guys... As my body continues to slowly fade, listening as the blood pumping through my body slows, getting colder and colder the longer my eyes stay open.
As the moon starts to fade out all I can think about is gramps, hoping he wont be too disappointed. My heart aches thinking about him, thinking back to my entire life. Ji-chan I just wanted be better.
It feels like my whole life is playing out infront of me, watching it feels humiliating. Why couldn't I be better...And gramps eyes burn so brightly in my vision, saving me from my past. ...For you..
Shinobu's pov..
I have to move carefully, walking over the broken planks along the house. But my feet work quickly, rushing to the boys side as his bird jumps around his head.
It leaves my mouth before properly thinking, "Boy? Helloo are you alright?" My eyebrows furrow at his blank stare. "Hmm...boy? You killed the demon, yes?" It's silent for awhile as he continues to stare up at the sky.
But then he slowly nods while never losing focus on the sky. A sigh leaves my chest. My body moves quickly, crouching down beside him while reaching out to feel his heart beating along his throat. Poor thing his heart rate has slowed significantly. He's going to pass on soon. And there's nothing here fast enought to save him.. The look is his eyes pulls at my heart painfully, shifting over to his bird. Poor thing in nestled in the boys hair, rubbing along his temple. ...how unfortunate...
My hand moves on it's own after placing his back down, reaching up to gently close his eyelids. The boy's eyebrow twitches and furrows before relaxing into the darkness.
"Oh my...how depressing and such a short life. I do hope your next will be..easier on you." A saddened sigh leaves my throat before turning to jump down from the building.