Chapter Text
.oO S.S Pov Oo.
“So, you’ve finally recovered from your mission with the Kamado brat?” Sanemi Shinazugawa huffs, “Took you long enough.”
“I suppose it did! That's what happens when you face the upper moons!” Kyojuro Rengoku laughed.
“Did you kill the thing?” Obanai Iguro hissed, from his perch way up in the tree.
“Unfortunately, he got away! The sun was rising and he ran; I was unable to give chase because I'd been injured! Tanjiro was able to throw his sword into the heart of the demon, but it was ineffective!” Kyojuro sighed
“Why, that’s not flashy at all.” Tengen Uzui said, strolling in
Sanemi groaned these idiots are going to be so loud... of only Obani could get out of that damn tree, maybe they could spar to pass the time.
“Welcome, Tengen, what a wonder it is that you are still with us.” Gyomei Himejima murmured.
“Yes, the loss of my hand and eye has been a struggle, but everyday I'm thankful my girls made it out alive!”
“Tengen! Kyojuro!” Mitsuri Kanroji yelled, running to join her fellow Hashira. “How are you both? I haven’t seen you since before my battle in the swordsmith village!”
“We are both doing well!”
“We’re just waiting on Kocho and Tokito.” Obani said.
“Umm... Where is Giyu?” Mitsuri puzzled.
“Oh... and him as well I guess...”
The six waited together, talking and catching up, eventually Giyu Tomioka showed up and stood silently to the side, then Shinobu Kocho did and started to annoy her friend.
“I’m starting to worry... Mui’s an hour late now!” Mitsuri fretted.
“Do not fear, Muichiro is a very capable swordsman, I’m sure he’s fine.” Gyomei assured.
“Did he forget? I fear for his memory, he’s recovered it, but we never know.” Obani said, they all knew he had a soft spot for the younger, hell, Sanemi thought he was one step away from adopting the misty brat.
Another ten minutes later and Muichiro Tokito finally showed up, he was bruised, bloody, and his clothes were ruined, and he was covered in something.
“Oh, my goodness! Muichiro! Are you alright?” Shinobu startled, rushing to the youngers side and inspecting his injuries without touching.
“I’m... I'm fine... just had a run in with a demon...” Muichiro mumbled
No shit.
“Many... children around three to seven years old... had to protect them from it... it was so big and slimy...” Muichiro’s nose shrivelled staring at the translucent goo all over him. “I... returned the children... to the village... but what the demon said... before I killed it was weird... it kept saying thirteen.”
“Might he have meant the number of children he’s killed?” Obani asked
Muichiro shook his head “I... found twenty-one... skulls.”
“The number of kids he had with him?” Mitsuri guessed.
“There... were eighteen.”
“What a foul demon.” Gyomei growled, “Targeting the innocent, I hope these children find their way home.”
“Just like ours found his way to us!” Mitsuri squealed, poking Muichiro’s cheek.
Ha, as if, Sanemi has seen this ‘kid’ cut down demons as if it was easier than walking.
But Muichiro put up no resistance, which... wasn’t right at all.
He and Obani shared an anxious look, and he caught Shinobu staring a little too hard at the kid. But they had no time to discuss it, because the master was here.
.oO M.T Pov Oo.
After refreshing himself of the weird goo and tattered uniform, Muichiro found himself sat in his normal place between Shinobu and Kyojuro. He found it extra hard to focus on what the master was saying, which infuriated him. He thought he had healed his amnesia! But no matter how hard he tried, all he could think about was taking a nice long nap.
“-Demon attacks have been rapidly decreasing-”
Humm, boring adult stuff, Muichiro was sure his fellow Hashira wouldn’t mind if he dozed for a bit, he was so tired, and this meeting was so boring. It’s not like he should have to deal with this; he’s just a kid!
“Oh! Muichiro! Are you alright?”
Urgh, why did such a warm pillow have to be so noisy?
“Oh my, Muichiro, I’m afraid you’re running a fever!” Shinobu gasped, pressing a cold hand to his forehead.
He really wanted that hand to stroke through his hair, maybe scratch his scalp a bit? The way his mom would after a nightmare.
“-uichiro!?”
Was that directed at him? Or Yuichiro? He couldn’t tell; his brother wasn’t in his line of sight. He liked that they matched, but he got annoyed their names were so similar sometimes.
He was being shook by a tall man, who kind of looked like an owl, then lifted by one who ruffled his hair like a monkey. He was placed next to a man with something purple covering his eyes, it looked painful. As if he’d summoned it by thought, a sudden shoot of pain shot through his bones.
He might have screamed; he wasn’t quite sure.
He squirmed in place, everything was too hot, no, it was too cold. His bones felt like they were being crushed, so did his mind. He spasmed, gasping for air he wasn’t getting, stretching his arms for help that wasn’t coming.
But it should! He could see faces all around him, but their hands were hovering over him like they didn’t know if it was safe to touch.
He didn’t care if it was safe.
He just wanted it to stop.
He couldn’t cope.
The pain was suffocating.
Someone said something, doesn't matter, not while he’s dying.
Is he dying?
He feels like he is, he doesn't really want to die, he’s a bit young for that. Yuichiro would be so upset if he died.
but right now, his bones are being torn apart and the only thing he can do is scream.
Is it just him... or are the faces getting bigger?
Is it just him... or does everything seem less... important?
He really feels like taking a nap right now, but he’s being picked up and cradled against a chest.
The pain is finally gone.
Thank goodness.
Maybe Yui would make him some Furofuki Daiko, he always did when Muichiro got hurt.
Then they could fold some origami!
Maybe they could ask mama and papa if they wanted to fly paper aeroplanes, that would be fun, it feels like a while since they’ve done that
.oO S.K Pov Oo.
Shinobus hands hover over her younger comrade, she’s a Doctor God dammit! She should know what to do!
But Muichiro’s squirming, gasping for breath, he looks too hot, no... he looks too cold.
God fucking dammit!
Then he screams, and Shinobu breaks, he’s clawing at the air, thrashing around in pain.
But she doesn’t know what to do... she’s so useless, another loved one will die, she can’t save him, there's nothing she can do.
“Hey, he’ll make it through this,” Giyu said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Another scream tears through his throat as he writhes around.
Shinobu couldn’t bare it.
“I’ve got water.” Sanemi said, dipping a cloth in the bucket and laying it on the mist Hashira's forehead.
“What’s happening to him!?” Mitsuri sobbed.
“He’s... is he... shrinking?” Obani gasped.
He was... Muichiro Tokito was shrinking. His cheeks were growing a bit chubby, his limbs shrunk into the clothes he wore, and his hair was being sucked into his head.
They all stared as their youngest... became even younger.
“Thirteen.” Shinobu whisperd
No one should have been able to hear that, but they all did
“Thirteen?” Mitsuri questioned
“He’s regressing, thirteen years. Muichiro said he found children, what if they were core members? But they’ve been shrunk thirteen years.”
“Of course.” Obani hissed “It was probably that goo that was all over him!”
“Damn demon... can you return him to normal, Shinobu?” Sanemi asked, staring at her with an odd intensity.
“I-I don’t know.” she stuttered, staring at the squirming baby on the floor, she picked him up, bundling him in his shirt to retain his modesty. “When that Agatsuma kid was being turned into a spider, I turned him back, but it took weeks of work.”
“So, we’ll be down a hashira for the time being.” Gyomei said, “We must work diligently to ensure the safety of humanity, and our young comrade.”
“My children,” Kaguya called, speaking for the first time since Muichiro’s shrinking. “I did foresee this event; however, I have also foreseen that Miss Kocho comes up with a cure, and that this experience will enlighten you all, I wish for all of you to spend time with our young Tokito.”
“When you say all-” Sanemi starts
“Yes, you to Shinazugawa.” The master confirms.
“But master, with all due respect, if I'm working on a cure, Muichiro’s... like this, and one of us is with him, that leaves us with only six hashira.” Shinobu argues.
“If you’ll recall, demon attacks are less frequent than any other point in history, and I have measures in place to ensure the safety of humanity.”
“So, who gets the flashy little tyke first?” Tengen asks, after a pause
“Humm, how about we let Mui decide?” Mitsuri suggests.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s not much of a talker right now.” Sanemi huffs
“-Ot –ue!” Muichiro babbles. He’s staring at them all with those big teal eyes, looking mightily frustrated at his lack of full sentences
“-An -alk!”