A/N: Hm. Revisions made as of July. Enjoy!
As Fuu stepped out of the teahouse, she caught sight of a man with two katanas at his side, wearing a blue kimono.
"Jin!" She called, running happily to him.
He turned around and looked at her quizzically. This man wasn't Jin. He was too gaunt in the face and a few years too old to ever pass as the sleek and slender Jin she knew.
"Oh. I'm sorry," Fuu said, bowing, and he resumed his walking.
I keep forgetting it's over. The journey's over. Although we parted our separate ways, it seems I can't go down my road. I can't forget them and I can't stop missing them. They've grown to take up my heart, leaving no room for anything else. Oh if only I could have had more time with them.
She let her arms droop to her sides as she walked along the dirt path. Fuu kicked a pebble along her way. Where was she to go? She didn't exactly have a home, although she had enough money for a hotel…
Fuu went to the nearest hotel at the edge of the city. At least she was clear of the red light district. Or so she thought until she saw a woman dressed quite…provocatively- Low neckline, open kimono, undershirt half revealed, overdosed makeup, etc, etc.
As she entered, she was greeted by an older woman.
"Ohayo!" greeted the woman, bowing. Though this was a well-to-do hotel, Fuu could see that the woman didn't make much money. Her purple kimono started to fade at the knees from all those years of bending. Holes were beginning to form at the seams.
"Ohayo," Fuu replied, returning that bow.
"How may I help you, miss?"
"I would like to stay for a couple of days. Can I pay you now?"
"Yes, yes. Certainly." The woman smiled with a smile that literally reached her ears.
Fuu was shown to her room and left there. As the sun set, she changed into night clothes and sat upon the window sill, staring out into the fading orange and pink.
I wish we could have stayed as a group. Everything was so much more lively then. I'd give anything to be with them again.
"Anything" She said aloud, confirming the thought.
As she tucked herself in, she repeated the wish once more, in high hopes of it coming true.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jin sat in the dojo, legs crossed, deep in concentration.
If he strikes here, then I dodge and blow here. No, here, no wait, here.
All these strategies racked his brain. He didn't need to even think of strategies because his body did things out of pure instinct. He just needed to get his mind off of the journey. It seemed that when he finally found friends, they had to go off to their separate roads.
Yes, the journey was great, but if only it were longer…
I need to calm down and stop thinking of the journey. It causes me to lag behind in sharpness and performance. I will go on a journey to the South Falls. I will set out tomorrow…
He thought of the things he had meant to say to Fuu that night at the riverside and also at their parting.
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Mugen lay in the fields of wheat, staring up at the moon. With a piece of straw hanging out of his mouth, he chewed in great haste. Why couldn't he forget them- his companions of no matter? He'd grown attached, that's why.
Maybe I should just wander around some more, like I did the other times of my life. It's a good way to get my mind off of things. Who knows how long it'll take? But then again, the longer the better.
With that, he got up and walked through the waist-deep field and went to the nearest tree. Mugen picked up his sword and slung it around his back, securing it.
That night, he dreamt of the time when Fuu was at the riverside crying and Jin was there to comfort her. She rarely cried, so it was an awkward moment. So much he could have said to her, but nothing ever came. All he could do was watch from the bushes.