Don't own, don't sue.
This is my first Champloo fic, and I actually started working on it months ago, but life got in the way before I could post it. I can't promise fast updates on it, because I have several other WIPs right now, but this will be updated eventually.
Sweet Child of Mine
Chapter 1: Playing Daddy
There was so much blood. That was really all he could remember. Blood flowing like a river from their bodies. His own blood pooled with theirs as he fell to the ground beside them. He pleaded with God to let this all be a nightmare. This wasn't real, he told himself. He cradled his wife's head in his lap begging her to wake up. Reaching out, he held his daughters limp hand. A cry tore through him, and then like a miracle, another voice joined in. His son!
Rushing to the small cradle in the other room, a wave of relief flashed through him as his saw his son lying there unharmed. The baby waved his tiny arms and legs as though he knew something terrible had happened. Gathering the tiny bundle in his arms, he held his son tight to his chest, and began walking. He would not stop until he found a safe place for his child. After that, there would be hell to pay.
-
Mugen reached down and began his daily scratching routine as soon as he woke. The sun was already high in the sky, but he wasn't particularly in a hurry. Fuu and Jin would forgive him for being a day or two…or actually three late. He'd known them long enough that they didn't expect him to be on time anymore. In fact, they expected relatively little from the pirate. He showed up as he pleased, and rarely stayed long.
The path to their home was rather secluded. Jin was never the type to enjoy the busy city life. The guy actually enjoyed quiet…not that he'd get much of that with Fuu around. That woman never did know when to shut her damn mouth. She was annoying as hell, but he'd actually come to care about her now. She was like the kid sister he never wanted, and Jin….he guessed he could call Jin a brother. They weren't the kind of people you'd expect to see together, but they had a happy little life at the top of the hill.
Last time Mugen had come around, Fuu was fat with their second kid. The scary part was that she ate twice what she normally did, and cried constantly. Friend or not, Mugen wasn't hanging around for that shit. It had been about eight months since he'd been to see them. She'd have popped out the kid by now, so he considered it safe to go back. Hell, he'd even picked up something for his surrogate "niece." Ayami was a cute little brat. She had Jin's eyes and Fuu's big mouth. He wondered what the new one was going to look like. For Jin's sake, he hoped it was a boy. He didn't think the guy could handle another little girl braiding his hair and making him pretty--though Mugen thought it was funny as hell. Jin loved his daughter, but Mugen knew that Jin wanted a son to follow in his tight-assed Samurai ways.
About half way up the forest path, Mugen had a funny feeling. When a person lived a life like Mugen's, funny feelings meant a lot. He kept walking but cast suspicious glances out of the corners of his eyes. He didn't want whoever was following him to know that he was ready for them. He liked to see the surprise in the backstabbing son of a bitch's eyes when he gutted them. No one got the jump on Mugen. Whoever this fucker was, he was getting close. He would be making his move right about….NOW!
The kid about shit himself when Mugen's blade pressed up against his neck. He was maybe eleven years old, and not much of a threat. Mugen let the kid down harshly. "Just what the fuck do you think you're doing, punk?"
The boy's eyes were massive. "I….I…I wanted to see the ghost….I'm sorry."
Not this shit again, Mugen thought sheathing his blade. "Ghost my ass. My friend lives here and he's a hell of a lot scarier than any ghost. I wouldn't sneak around his house if I were you, kid."
"You mean the house at the top of the hill?"
Mugen had a bad feeling about this. "Yeah, what about it?"
Now, the kid looked more frightened than ever. Without another word, he turned on his heel and ran. Mugen would have followed, but something told him to go on to the house. Every step was torture. His hand never left his sword. For the first time in maybe his whole life, Mugen was honestly scared. He didn't want to know what he was going to find in that house.
From the outside, the place looked deserted. The windows had been boarded up, and the front door was caved in. He gently touched the wind chime hanging out front as he walked by. It was a gesture he had done so many times standing in this place. Deep in his gut, he knew that Fuu wasn't going to come running out when she heard it this time. Bad shit had happened here. The rooms were in ruins. The furniture was busted up. There were holes through the walls. Ayami's toys lay broken and discarded on the floor. What he saw next made his chest ache. Blood stains covered the floor in the back.
He felt numb as he walked out the back door. There just by the stream were two graves marked with stones. Only two. Mugen knelt down beside them. Fuu. Ayami. Rage burst through him and he let out an animalistic cry. "GOD DAMN YOU BASTARDS STRAIGHT TO HELL! I'LL FIND YOU! I'LL FIND YOU DAMN IT!" He didn't know who he was damning, but he'd soon find out. Grief was overwhelming to a man who had never honestly felt it before. He'd never cared about anyone enough to mourn them before, but now was different.
Two graves, he thought, where are Jin and the baby? They must have survived. Before he did any killing, he was going to have to find them. In parting, Mugen reached out and caressed the headstones one at a time. "I promise you, Fuu, I'll find them, and you know I make good on my promises. Ayami baby, don't you worry, I won't let them get away with what they did. "
If he'd scared the fuck out of the kid on the way up, it was a good thing no one saw him on the way down. There was no mistaking that look in his eyes. Mugen had never been exactly sane, but now he was truly crazy. Revenge was on his mind so strong he could taste it. His plan was simple. Find Jin, and then go killing. If Jin had already done that…well, then he'd find someway to get his licks in elsewhere.
The village wasn't far from their home. He made it there in less than an hour's walk. From what he learned from the little punk on the way up, it was no secret what had went down up there. Surely someone could tell him about it, and if no one would talk willingly, he had his ways. The villagers all stared at him as he walked by. A few even scurried off. He walked into the only inn in the place, and found the owner. The old man looked suspicious and a bit nervous, but he managed to keep his cool. "May I help you?"
"I dunno that yet. What can you tell me about the house at the top of the hill?" Mugen slapped down a few coins on the counter.
Pushing the coins away, he shook his head. "Young man, a tragedy happened up at that home. A swordsman and his wife lived up there. They had two young children--a girl about five or so, and a newborn son. About three months ago, a group of samurai came into the village. They claimed they were looking for someone who had wronged them. The whole village was in quite an uproar about them. They didn't say exactly who they were looking for, but they didn't seem to mind harassing everyone who crossed their path. That's when the swordsman stepped in. He never did raise his voice, but I swear I have never seen a man more intimidating than he was that day. He killed one of them before I even had time to blink, and warned the rest to move on. After that, the samurai left this village. Life went on peacefully for about a month. One night, the swordsman came down carrying his infant son. He was bleeding so badly that no one thought he would survive, but he would not allow anyone to tend his wounds. Last anyone saw of him, he was limping off into the forest like an injured animal. Some say he committed suicide and that his soul roams the woods stalking evil doers. Others say he lived, but that doesn't seem likely."
"Jin's alive," Mugen said quietly.
The innkeeper's eyes widened. "You knew him?"
"He was my friend," Mugen told him. He needed to know more. "How many samurai were there?"
"Eight, I think, but I could be wrong."
"Know anything else about them? Names? Where they came from?"
The old man shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't. Might I ask you something, young man?"
Mugen nodded. "Seems fair."
"Do you intend to take the child?"
Mugen was shocked. Somewhere along the line, he'd gotten so caught up in vengeance that he had forgotten about the kid. "I'm not good with kids. Where is he?"
"With my wife. We have cared for him since that night."
"Can I see him?"
Mugen followed the geezer to the small house behind the inn, and inside where an old woman sat singing to the child in her arms. His mouth went dry. This was Fuu and Jin's kid. Ayami's little brother. His "nephew." The innkeeper told his wife who Mugen was, and all the while, Mugen just started at the little bundle. "Would you like to hold him?" she asked.
As soon as he boy was in his arms, memories came flooding back. Mugen had come around just after Ayami was born. He had never thought much of the squealing little shit factories, but he had to admit that she was kind of adorable. Fuu had just finished feeding the baby, when she caught him staring. "Want to hold her?" she asked grinning.
"No, why would I?" Mugen scoffed. He'd die before he admitted that he did.
Fuu began to pout. "Oh, c'mon. You know you want to!"
"Do not. You may have gotten Jin to settle down, but I am not holding a baby."
"Whatever, you just are scared." Over all the time they'd known each other, Fuu had learned just how to bait him.
"Give her here," the pirate commanded roughly. He reached out to pick her up like he was reaching for a sack of rice.
"No, you have to be gentle with babies, Mugen. Like this," she instructed moving his arms to cradle her tiny head.
It felt kind of nice. Ayami was almost weightless in his arms. She was just so fragile. It was a little weird holding something that weak, but it kind of made him feel protective of her. Mugen would have never let anything happen to her if he could stop it.
Like a knife in the heart, Mugen was thrust back to reality. Ayami was dead, and so was Fuu. The couple was looking at him like he was crazy.
The little guy opened his eyes and stared up at Mugen as soon as he was moved. Already the kid had attitude. He didn't cry, just looked up at the man holding him. He seemed to be saying, "who the fuck are you?" Mugen had to smile. Then it dawned on him. "What's his name?"
The old woman frowned. "We don't know. No one really knew the swordsman and his family, and he didn't tell me when he gave the boy to me. I've been calling him Tsugiri….after my son."
Mugen looked at the boy thoughtfully. "Tsugiri, huh?'
"So you'll be taking him?" the old woman asked. Her eyes were full of hope.
"I can't take a kid."
The innkeeper stepped up looking crestfallen. "I'm afraid my wife and I are too old to raise him, and there is no one in the village to take him. The only place that will is the orphanage in the next town, but we have heard horrible things about the people there."
"I don't know nothing about babies," Mugen grumbled.
"You seemed to know something from the way you held him," the woman said with a note of optimism.
"Fuck, I'm telling you I don't know shit!" Mugen's yelling made little Tsugiri start screaming, and Mugen didn't know the first thing about getting him to shut up. "Hey. Hey, I'm sorry, dude. Shhhhhh. Let's be quiet now."
Within second's the innkeeper's wife took the boy from him and began bouncing him gently.
Guilt washed over Mugen. "Can I decide this tomorrow?"
The innkeeper nodded. "And you may stay here, if you wish. I can't say I knew Jin and Fuu well, but they seemed to be good people, and I wish to honor their memory. I hope you can find it in you to take him. I'd hate to think of a child in a place like that."
Mugen knew all too well what happened to kids in rough situations. The hell that he'd lived through had made him stronger, but it had probably fucked him up too. But who was to say the kid would have it easier with him? It wasn't like Mugen was a good guy. He could see Fuu's ghost having a shit-fit that he was taking care of her kid, but then again maybe not. Things were complicated.
That night, Mugen didn't sleep at all. He still couldn't believe they were dead. They were the only friends he'd ever had. Now, they were gone. No, he reminded himself, Jin is still alive. I know that fucker's too tough to die like this. Eight samurai may seem like a lot to some people, but Jin was the badest son of a bitches Mugen had ever met….besides himself. The two of them had taken on odds worse than that a hundred times and come out on top. These guys weren't just your average samurai. To take on Jin and win wasn't something that happened, especially not when Fuu and his children were on the line. No, these weren't punks. Something bigger happened here, Mugen was sure of it.
The sun was up before Mugen was ready for it. He'd heard the old woman and the kid get up a few times last night. She hadn't been lying when she said she was too old for this. But fuck, could he really just dump the kid in an orphanage? No, he couldn't. He may be a heartless bastard, but this was his friend's son. This boy was as close to blood as he had.
He found the old woman preparing breakfast in the kitchen. "I'll take him on one condition," Mugen said leaning on the door frame.
"And what is that?" she asked with fear in her eyes.
"Teach me how to handle a baby," Mugen said, silently swearing to himself. Never in his life did he think he would be playing Daddy.
Over the next few days, the old woman, Kayora taught him how to care for Tsugiri. All the while, Mugen kept wondering how something so small could be so much damn work. And talk about stink! The kid made enough toxic waste to drop an elephant.
"You'd better appreciate this, you little snot machine," Mugen said to the baby after changing a dirty diaper. The infant just smiled at him and made gurgling noise. He latched onto Mugen's fingers, and bit down. "OWWW! Maybe I should dump your ass off at an orphanage!" That didn't go over well with Tsugiri, who broke out into sobs. Mugen rolled his eyes, and put the boy on his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. You know I wouldn't do that. Boy, are you going to owe me for this though. Someday you are definitely going to buy me a drink for this. Hell, you'd better even throw in a good hooker with that. When your older, I'll tell you all about the times your old man and I went to the brothels."
"Ahem, I hope his is MUCH older when you do that," Kayora scolded from the doorway.
"Geez, I didn't even know you were there! Ya mind not sneaking up on me," Mugen grumbled.
"You've got to be careful what you say. Babies might have little ears, but they use them quite well." Kayora sat down beside him, and touched Tsugiri's hair. "My husband tells me you will be leaving soon. Are you sure that's wise?"
"Can't stay around here forever," he said with a shrug. "I think I can make the next town over by nightfall. I know some people there, and I might be able to hitch a ride with a guy who owes me."
Kayora looked nervous. "And then what, Mugen?"
"Damned if I know. I'm going to find Jin somehow."
The old woman shook her head. "I saw Jin. I know there is no way that poor man survived. If the wounds didn't kill him, infection did."
"Listen, I'm sick of hearin' that. I know Jin. Jin wouldn't die…not yet anyway. I'm going to follow the corpses to him, and give him his kid back!" Mugen was through talking about it.
From the set of his jaw, Kayora knew there was no hope. "When were you going to leave?"
"Tomorrow at dawn." Mugen handed her Tsugiri. "Could you keep an eye on him for me? I want to go up to the house."
Along the way to the house, Mugen gathered what wild flowers he could find. He knew certain flowers meant certain things, but he didn't know what. That kind of thing had never interested him. Fuu would forgive him if he left the wrong kind. She'd forgiven him for worse. He also brought along the little doll he'd bought for Ayami. He offered these things to their graves as he sat down beside them.
"Well," he began, "I've got the kid. Wish I knew what his real name is, but Tsugiri will be safe with me. I know I'm probably not your first choice for babysitter, but you're just gonna have to deal. Jin's out there somewhere, and I'm gonna help him get revenge. Shit, this isn't what I pictured I'd see when I got here. I just never thought you'd be dead. Look, I know I should have said this a long time ago, but I love you. You guys are the only family I've ever had, and I'm not gonna forget that." He looked up at the sky, and told himself that his eyes weren't stinging. "You know, this is the second hopeless mission you've sent me on. I guess this is goodbye. If I can, I'll come back someday."
Mugen cast one last glance over his shoulder before going into the house. Saying goodbye hadn't been the only thing he'd come for. He had a good idea where she kept it. Opening the top drawer of the little desk in the bedroom, he shifted things around a bit until he found what he was looking for. Fuu's dagger. It was a girlie looking little thing, pink with all sorts of little charms hanging off of it. He shoved the knife in his waist band, and went into what had been the kids' room. Taking a small blanket, he filled it with a few things for Tsugiri and tied it. This was it. He was really going to do this.
Who would have thought Mugen would end up playing daddy?