It's been so long and there is no excuse for it. This story popped up when I was transferring files to a new computer and I started working on it again. Here's a short chapter with more to come hopefully later.

I don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo or Samurai Champloo.

"The Mebu Clan? What do you know about them and where the hell did you learn about them?" Kyo asked, turning on his heel to face Mugen. Fuu had backed away from the man and was scrunching up her face as if she was mad about the way he had shoved her to the side. Jin stood stoic and looking rather pissed by the whole ordeal.

Mugen was pulling one of his favorite poses. Hand thrown behind his puffy hair, don't give a shit look covering his face, but Yuya could see beyond that. His eyes weren't on Kyo. Instead he was watching her when he answered, "Some white haired dude was watching my fight with the guards. When I took off he ran after and told me to tell ya that the Mediu are coming." Dark eyes drilled into Yuya as she felt Kyo tense up. A dark aura engulfing the air around them. "And he knows about Yuya."

Her heart fell and the air left her. This wasn't Mugen's normal tone. Even when he wasn't making jokes he still had an uncaring tone. This time his voice was hard and Yuya had only seen him get that way a handful of times before. Whoever had sent the message was planning on using her, and that was one thing Mugen didn't stand for. No one but himself could use his friends. "There isn't anything to know about her. She's a worthless flat chested dogface," Kyo declared, turning away from the group.

Yuya wasn't even given time to argue with his insult before she was being drug out of the clearing and back into the woods. She stared after Mugen, but let Kyo lead her away. Once they were out of sight, Yuya gave her hand a tug and asked, "What's going on, Kyo?" His pace didn't slow and in Kyo fashion he completely ignored her. Rolling her eyes, Yuya dug in her heels and yanked her arm, trying to pull it from his hand. He didn't let her go of course, but she nearly went flying when he didn't stop walking either. "Kyo, damn it, talk to me."

Kyo spun around and stared down at her. Angry red eyes focused his complete attention on her. He still held her hand in a death grip, but at least he was looking at her and had stopped marching through the woods. "Stay close to me and don't leave the blade behind again," Kyo said holding out the tonto Bon had gotten for her.

Taking the blade from him, Yuya let out an aggravated sigh. "I can't carry the tonto. There's only so much room in a girl's kimono," she said, staring back at him. "I want to know what's gotten you so angry."

Ignoring her concern, Kyo smirked and suddenly moved. In typical Kyo fashion he suddenly behind her with one arm wrapped around her waist and a hand down the front of her kimono. "If your kimono is so full how come my hand fits down the front?" he asked, squeezing her breast.

Her eyebrow twitched with anger and Yuya nodded. "Good idea. If I carry the tonto your hand won't fit anymore," she said with a confident nod and started to look for a way to conceal the tonto in her clothing along with the rest of her weapons.

"Stay close to me and I'll carry it," he said, suddenly in front of her again. The blade had vanished from her hand and Kyo was tucking it next to tenor. "Now, let's get back to those idiots."

As Kyo turned and heading back towards camp, Yuya stomped her foot. "Kyo, we're not done. Who are the Mebiu and what has gotten you so angry?"

A firm hand dropped on her shoulder and Yuya turned, ready to let her anger out on whoever was interrupting them. Her anger dampened when she saw it was Mugen standing beside her. His eyes were on Kyo but his words were pointed to her. "The Mebiu is a ghost clan. They run Japan from the shadows and are ruthless in their control."

A ghost clan ruing Japan? That sounded something that the Sanda Clan would do, but they had been defeated. "Mugen, that's crazy. Japan is ruled by the Tokugawa clan. They would never allow another clan that much power."

Mugen's dark eyes finally turned to look at her. "I want you to travel with us. It's too dangerous if the Mebiu are after Kyo. You shouldn't be traveling with them."

Shoving his hand from her shoulder, Yuya boiled with anger. "Mugen, you can't tell me what to do. I'm traveling with Kyo for a reason."

"I don't care. Ye'll end up dead if you stay with them," Mugen yelled, his own frustration spilling out.

"Your job is to keep Fuu safe, not me."

Mugen bowed his head and ran his hands through his hair furiously. "Auuggg. I'm just tryin' to keep ya safe."

"Would she really be any safer traveling with you?" Kyo asked, reminded them both of his nearby presence.

Slowly turning, Yuya felt fear grip her as she set eyes back on Kyo. He was standing with his hand on the hilt of tenor, staring at them with a look that he saved for only the weakest of opponents. How could she let herself forget that Kyo was standing there? "Of course she'd be safe with me," Mugen stated matter of factly and straightened up to sneer at the man.

"You sure? The Mebiu don't like people like your little friend," Kyo said, staring back at Mugen. Yuya could feel a charge in the air and cut her eyes back at her fluffy headed friend. "Show her what else you found."

Mugen tossed something at her and Yuya just managed to catch the little white bead. Looking at the skull in the palm of hand she thought it looked familiar. "What's this?"

"That Mebiu prick was looking at it when I showed up to save Fuu. Someone snatched it off her tonto," he answered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "It doesn't mean their coming after her. They're after this guy here."

Yuya rolled the little skull around her palm. She had no idea what the thing meant to the Mebiu or what Kyo and Mugen understood about it. Clenching the bead, she shot a look at Kyo and asked, "What is it?"

In a flash Kyo was standing in front of her and had snatched the skull out of her hand. Then he held the skull up to her eye. Yuya stared into the empty eyes of the small charm. The inside was dark, but she could just make out the shape of a cross. Her breath caught. "Is that what I think it is?"

"The Mebiu wiped out the Christians that came to Japan. They won't let it start to spread again," Kyo answered sternly.