Samurai Champloo(c)Shinichirō Watanabe

A/N:This will be a short story. Also, the ending is coming soon!

Epilogue. Part Four

Stop. I change my mind. The younger Fuu begged in her mind. I don't want to know. She felt like a child listening to Jin's story.

It terrified her, but at the same time, she knew it was always going to end up like this.

She poured Jin another cup of tea and held unto her feelings of sadness, letting Jin continue his story. Fuu realized she was crying so much that Jin stopped and looked at her with worry.

"Maybe," she sniffed, "you should lie to me. Maybe, you shouldn't tell me." Her voice was barely a whisper.

Jin regarded her, and shook his head, "You never would forgive me." And she knew in her heart that was true.

"I looked back and watched your backs leave…" Fuu admitted, "no one looked back, so I thought that was it."

She rubbed her swollen eyes, "I was going to call out, but I thought that was selfish."

Fuu remembered that day they all parted ways. Though their initial goal was complete, it felt odd to separate. She turned around after a few minutes and saw Jin and Mugen walk confidently away from her. She very much so wanted to scream for them to come back. There was so much more for them to do, so much more to experience… but she was scared they would not feel the same way.

But it seemed they didn't feel the same way. Had she monopolized them? She always thought. If she really did call out for them to come back, would she be taking away someone else's adventure?

She knew now that she wasn't going to, because Mugen and Jin were not meant for anyone else but her. And she was not meant for anyone else but them. It was selfish thought, but she just knew it was the right path.

A silence hung between them and the sounds of the market close by started to fade into the buzz of cicadas. The sky darkened, and Fuu lit a lamp, illuminating their faces in a warm orange glow.

"What happened to you?" Fuu asked, a finger gently touching the lightened scar.

Jin adjusted his glasses, "Mugen didn't want to go without leaving me a gift."

Fuu felt a certain comfort in knowing that even after years, Mugen and Jin would always pick up where they left off.

"We met at a crossroad," Jin chuckled, "and immediately we drew our swords at each other."

"How was he then?" Fuu asked, listening intently.

"His hair grew… he's stronger and faster." Jin was smiling at the distant memory. "When he cut me, he stopped and greeted me like nothing has changed."

But nothing has changed…Fuu insisted. We've just aged.

"That was the first time I saw him in years," Jin said, taking a sip of his tea. "The last time I saw him…" he trailed and looked at Fuu in an expression she has never seen before. Despair. She noted.

"I'm listening." Fuu assured him.