Broken Wings- Shinobu x Fem. Reader

Innocence

Running. Tanjiro felt desperate gasps of air escape his mouth as he sprinted to keep up with Shinobu. He raised his head to look ahead at her, she wasn't too far in front of him, but he could tell he was keeping her back, she could run faster. Suddenly she stopped and turned around, causing Tanjiro to stop with a halt, he threw his hands on his knees and began breathing heavily. They had been running for only a handful of hours, but their pace was fast. Much faster than Tanjiro has ever run before.

"We could've stopped sooner." Shinobu walked over to him, she was digging in a small bag that fit to her side snug. Tanjiro finally stopped gasping for air and met eyes with her. He was visibly struggling. He felt as if he was suffocating. Shinobu raised her arms and set them on his shoulder. Tanjiro prepared himself for the dismissal from the mission.

"Shinobu pleas-"

Before he could finish she pushed him down on the shoulders forcing him to sit. She took a small vial out of her bag, read the tag, swished the liquid around and opened Tanjiro's mouth forcing it inside. Tanjiro let out a surprised gasp as the liquid rushed down his throat. He was confused.

What was happening.

Fatigue overtook him. Everything blacked out. Shinobu set her hands on the back of his head, ensuring it wouldn't slap on the ground. She set his head down gently and with care. She sat down next to him, digging in her bag once more searching for water.

Tanjiro shot up. He frantically looked around checking his surroundings, hitting his body all over. The place seemed the same as when he left except one major detail was missing. Shinobu was gone. He stood up, all his stuff was still next to him. His head felt heavier. He felt around his head, and was met with long hair. Tanjiro opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. So many thoughts were racing through his head. Where was Shinobu? What did she do? Is she safe? Why did she leave?

There was rustling in the bushes near him, he glared at the tall, green bushes. He reached for his sword, preparing for anything, when two girls appeared. The first thing he noticed about them was their joy. He didn't think it was possible to smell the joy coming off of the two girls. Smiling. Laughing. Happy. Seeing them happy for a split second was enough for him to temporarily forget his current situation. The girls hadn't noticed him yet. They were both too involved with themselves to notice him across the clearing. He took a mental note of the girls' appearance. Black hair, lavender eyes, short, decorated with butterflies. Shinobu? When one of the girls spoke it confirmed his suspicion.

"Shinobu, come on!" The other girl tugged gently on Shinobu's haori. Making puppy eyes she looked at the girl, "We're gonna miss the sunset! Hurry up! We're nearly there!" He looked at Shinobu's expression. She appeared younger than her current age. Her face was full of love and appreciation. "We still have a solid hour or so, we'll be fine! Just quit tugging on me!". Tanjiro took one more good look at the other girl before they disappeared behind a tree. Her face was stunning. Her beauty rivaled none. Eyes pure and full of life. Her hair shined in the sun. The way she talked. The way she moved. It was perfect.Tanjiro felt his heart drop. There was only one person who he has ever seen who can compare to her. Y/n.

Tanjiro couldn't believe it. He found Y/n. But not the way he needed. This wasn't real. But maybe it was? He shook his head. His hair had grown long, and Shinobu no longer had the 'kiddish' look in her face. Tanjiro determined he was seeing a dream, or a memory from the past. That would explain his long hair and inability to speak and interact with the girls. He didn't exist in this timeline. He didn't know this place existed. He didn't know Shinobu. And he definitely didn't know Y/n. He turned away from the girls. The dream would end soon. Shinobu would be beside him. He will find the mystery behind Y/n. He will save Y/n's memory.