The Music in my Heart | Various! Demon Slayer x NB reader

Should Have Been

Living with Mother was peaceful. You woke up from slumber as the sun rose the mountain and through your sliding doors to your room. Once you were awake, you and your mother would prepare breakfast and enjoy a meal together.

Taking a small walk down the mountain was an everyday event for you. You lived high enough up the mountain where you were cut off from the nearest village, but not enough to experience any frigid weather. Your instrument was the second most important thing in your life, right behind your mother. For much of the day, you spent plucking and scratching the strings of the guitar, with enough skill to attract a crowd and earn income. It wasn't much, but enough to keep you going.

You watched small glimpses of another life when you would space out every now and again. It felt strange, something completely removed from yourself. Something about swords and demons, a silly fairytale your mother would tell you as a child. You caught yourself reaching for a sword on your hip or trying to put stuff into the top of your guitar even though there was no slot to set something in there. It was strange, but you ignored the thoughts and focused on your mother.

She had been sick, she had always been sick for as long as you could remember. Your mother could fend for herself while you left to go off to the nearby village without having to worry about her, but you did most of the heavy lifting.

Heading back up the mountain after another long day, you adjusted your guitar's strings. It was a meticulous event you did nearly every day to keep it in the best condition. As you twisted the tuning knobs ever so slightly back and forth, you listened to the slight variations of sounds until they sounded just right to your ears.

A few exploratory strums to the sweet-sounding strings made you smile. Another one made a foreign noise.

Confusion filled your head as you strummed again, and the noise was there once again, but louder. You tilted your head to the guitar to pinpoint the sound. Was it the wood? Was there something faulty in the sound hole?

One more movement of your hand on the strings made the sound clearer. Something mechanical, a rumble and high whistle looming louder...or closer.

Suddenly the rumbling didn't come from your instrument but rather from the trees around you. Leaves swayed frantically to whatever was rapidly approaching. Panicked cries screaming your name emerged from the wind and called from behind.

Turning your body to the panic revealed a dark looming monster chugging along straight at you. On instinct, you yelped and covered your face for some sort of protection. Thankfully (and strangely), it never hit you. As fast as it came, its wheels carried it off somewhere else you could not see, but hear.

"A train?" You questioned while out of breath from the sudden rush of fear. You had seen that before, where had you seen it before?

You gasped, remembering your recent arrival and travel on a train. Tasked with defeating a demon on the Mugen Train, you went with your companions to meet Rengoku, the flame hashira.

You ran home as quick as your legs could carry you up an incline. You called your mother and threw open the sliding door. The sudden noise startled your mother, who clenched the article of clothing and needle in her hands that she was working with.

"My dear, what is the matter? You frightened me." Mother let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was her child.

You set a hand on your forehead. The memories filled your brain of the past few years – of your job as a demon slayer, training with your sword and instrument, and...