Chapter 27 Sins and Sorrows
{Original Title:Something of Which to Meditate On}
[A/N]: Tadaima! I had more computer issues, but luckily they're resolved…for now… So I've been juggling Final Fantasy, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear and Dragon's Dogma instead. I've also kind of fell into a weird state of mind after experiencing…events in two of my fandoms, both The Walking Dead and then Final Fantasy XIII-2. Deth and Soel forever. It threw off my writing for a while. XP
To guest reviewer Champloo Fan, YAY! Thanks! I do hope that the angst I provide hasn't been boring. I try to balance both angst and fluff to provide multiple facets to their developing relationship.
To guest reviewer that accidentally reviewed twice, I love that you love this fanfiction! Arigatou! I used to worry that it was developing too slowly. But the more I write, the more I've come to realize they have outside problems as well as personal struggles that need to be addressed before they can fully devote themselves to each other. Mugen especially has shut himself off from love since he's never felt such a thing before. And Fuu is trying to open him up to the kind side he really has. But it's hard, and I think it makes Fuu begin to doubt herself and feel helpless. The anime had a representation that Jin ad Mugen ran from their pasts and Fuu meanwhile chased hers. As for my fanfic, the journey represents that they can't run from each other or the uncertainty of the future. And from what I've seen, a lot of relationships that develop too fast end in failure. I think the reason for this is people haven't discovered themselves and are trying to fill that void by "loving another". I feel like a sense of intimacy and full understanding should develop before complete romance. A slow but sure relationship is better than a fast and crumbling one, right? ^.^
To guest reviewer lexy, I am seriously so sorry about my updates. It must be disappointing to want to know what happens next and then be stuck waiting for months. I wish I had unlimited time to just write nonstop. I appreciate your patience ^^ When I think of all the wonderful things you people write, it makes me feel worse about my horrific update times. DX
This can be treated as a standalone chapter but it still connects to the events of the Ise Bay settlement with Inuyama's death and Obaasan's scorn. Pretty short though!
This is already chapter 27?! Oh my! Well there's a lot more than 26 like the anime. A LOT more… Bear with me?
Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, Fuu, Mugen, Jin, Momo, etc. Seriously, I'd be working on Vol. 3 of the manga if I did! WHY ISN'T THERE MORE?!
Chapter 27 Sins and Sorrows
All that blood just keeps on pouring out, staining everything, evermore; even the ugliest or most beautiful of things. No matter what she does—no matter how hard her fitfully shaking hands press on the wound—its course cannot be impeded.
On the sword, the ground…her hands… Everywhere. Tears merge with the thick, bleeding mess, and soon they conjoin into an unending, unpreventable river. But then…
A pint sized squeak.
Her eyes shot open.
Stirring from the nightmare, the half-asleep Fuu awoke to be face to face with the button nose belonging to none other than an itsy bitsy flying squirrel. The animal continued to peer down expectantly.
"Momo…san…" murmured the bleary headed girl.
Emitting another consoling squeak, the energetic rodent hopped from her chest and scurried off and out of the moss swathed cave. Tired as she was laying in the barely alighted chamber, Fuu didn't possess any urge to get up and follow.
Seemed like tears even crossed over to the dream world… For whom these tears fell for, not even she could say. Perhaps this sorrow had been expressed for everyone: Obaasan left behind in the village whom lost a daughter to sickness: to Mumei the hermit who tried to live life anew in peace…and still died because of it: Inuyama whose blood dispensed from the fatal injury Fuu herself afflicted. Even Mugen too; who followed the path of carnage, who could be the next to die… None escaped the jaws of death no matter how fast or far they ran, and each day its teeth dug deeper into the living.
For the majority of that night, she had been drifting off the line of full consciousness. Finally after they found shelter, crying grew to be an inescapable action after holding it all in so long, as she tried with failure to muffle out the whimpers. The kimono clad girl thought sleep would remedy this physically painful ache that seemed to nest inside her head; it instead dogged her heels, transforming what should have been sweet dreams...into dreadful nightmares.
Now, all she could do was stare at the ceiling; the ceiling comprised of rock… That's right…they'd slept in a cave.
By nightfall the coastal climate had dropped by some degrees, although not enough to provide distress. Without any other place to go, it was Mugen whom had cautiously led them back down towards the beaches, into an alcove more remote than the Ise village. Every sparing moment, he'd looked back to see if samurai followed. Along a stony cliff trail, the exhausted pair marched upon the granite ledges until they reached a hollow cave that overlooked the ocean. It stood at a slightly higher elevation than the beaches, so there needn't be worry of tides flooding their designated sleeping grounds. The winds, crying louder and longer as time passed on, blew out towards the sea rather than inland. Snow had sparsely fallen after their departure. That was something to be immensely grateful for.
Thanks to their fire—forged from striking flint against a block of driftwood—heat lingered within the curious abode they shared. Morning hadn't yet come, revealed by the small measures of light in the cave originating only from the modest campfire.
Upon those same lasting flames, a fair number of fish nicely roasted to a golden crisp; this staggered Fuu when briefly glancing right. 'When did he…go fishing?' She reached out to one of the faintly charred morsels, afore stopping to realize…she would be eating alone. Anxious eyes dragged quickly around the entirety of the campsite, where not a remnant of Mugen's company remained. As for rest of the blankets stolen from the village storehouse, all had been draped across her sleeping figure.
"Mugen?" voice coming out louder than normal, the rickety echo bounced around the den walls for several seconds, before dying away into the surrounding sediment.
Not a sound after that.
Immediately Fuu stood and slipped on both zori faster than ever before. Hesitation didn't stand as a factor when she darted from the warming grotto into an unpleasant outside, where the sudden and unexpected change in temperature felt as if she'd ran straight into a barrier of ice. Truth be told though, she shouldn't have been as cold as she felt. ...But being stuck alone in the night made a frosty grip eat at the body—and mind even more.
Straight ahead furled the ocean, as far as could be seen; just behind stood the jutting cliffs watching over the activity of the rolling body of water. Waves upon endless waves reached for these craggy hills, though never making it more than a few feet on the sands below. Nowhere in this scenery indicated the color red. She jogged to the left where the rock face led down to the beaches.
By the time footing stood firm on the sand, the restless girl gasped for air after running. Nearby, the relics of fishnets were scattered about in moldy heaps with barnacles growing along the lines, forever forgotten by their makers.
"…Mu…Mugen? Mugen!" Again and again, the mounting calls carried on…alas with not a single answer. The gushes of the sea worked against her voice, suffocating the shout into a dismal whisper.
"MUGEN!" Soon they grew to an unsteady level, far more desperate than before. Bordering frantic by now, she practically screamed out in the surrounding darkness where little else could be distinguished besides the alighted gems overhead. Only these stars watching from the heavens must have heard the pleas.
Mugen left after all.
Strength perished without warning. Frozen, worn out muscles gave in all on their own, her knees falling hard on the russet sand that stung her fingertips upon the coarse contact. 'No way…He wouldn't…'
All along, he'd planned to leave…she finally realized a moment too late; that's why he'd tried so hard to avoid her in the village…lingering along the beach or docks whenever she'd come by. That's why.
Thoughts racing, heart pounding, the lone woman so distraught, probably hadn't even realized that sobs escaped trembling lips. God, Fuu grew so tired of crying when the whole damn world never cared for such sorrows. And Mugen must not have cared much either. She'd never been scared of being alone…but here and now, she felt almost as vulnerable as the time Kasumi Seizou died.
She actually thought he'd stay.
Fuu knew that it was no obligation that bound him, nor did she want it to be. It scared her all the more that his reason for the unexplained departure was to "protect her", leaving so the shogun's samurai would not find them. But she didn't care about the danger! All she wanted was to remain by his side for a little longer…that's all. And…
"Who's makin' ya cry this time?"
Fuu nearly jumped out of her skin.
"You..."
"Hah?"
"YOU TOTAL JERK!" Sand and fragmented shells struck the bastard's chest after being viciously whipped from the infuriated brunette's balled fists, that even afterwards still clenched as if readying to deliver a fast punch.
Some of the grainy particles clung stubbornly to Mugen's haori after an attempt to swipe them off with the back of his bandaged hand didn't work too well. "The hell's your problem, woman?!"
"I thought you left! God, you're such a MORON!"
Tears still fell, and upon this realization, the waitress grudgingly dried them on kimono sleeves …He blinked back nervously. Trailing a few feet behind him, was Momo, who ran and jumped into Fuu's collar as if telling her that he'd been the one who brought the pirate to the lonely shoreline
"I was just checkin' around. Makin' sure nobody followed us… Damn, I thought you woulda' stayed asleep." It after all, playing heavily on his thoughts…that Fuu may have told Obaasan of where they were headed. More officials would find them if that had been so. "So…what did ya say to that old bi-" For one of the few moments in his existence, the rogue quickly corrected the cuss, knowing it would not only offend…but truly hurt Fuu. Most of the time, that wouldn't be such a problem. With what happened…it was something Mugen—as much as an asshole he could be—wouldn't dare say. "What did you say to your …grandma 'fore we left?"
"I told her I was leaving with you. That's all. Not where we were going, not about Jin. Nothing."
"…That's all? You didn't even say that you were her granddaughter?"
"How could I?!" she shouted up at him; the man appeared to have swayed back to avoid the brunt of the shrill squeal. "That would only hurt her more…"
"It wouldn't have if ya stayed."
She still wondered if that's what he wanted: for her to stay.
"It's better for her not to know. I…hurt Inuyama. You know how much of a pacifist she is."
Too many complications… Family was supposed to be family no matter what; at least that's what the ryukyuan had assumed. But Obaasan was not such a woman that could handle knowing such a truth. He gave an audible groan, and decided on taking a seat by the woman who he knew had some serious emotional baggage to overcome.
Together, they attuned themselves to the noises of the night. The background resonance of the waves created a rhythmic hymn. Periodically, foamy swells crashed into boulder formations poking up from the sea floor and the sprays of salt continued to corrode their sharp outlines. From some distant place, the faint cry of an owl cut through the tranquility as its talons swooped after a unfortunate rodent. Against the waitress's bosom, Momo seemed to stir restlessly.
It was Fuu who broke their lack of speech first, "When I hurt Inuyama, everything sort of went blank in my head. I saw you there, and the sword on the ground, and before I knew it I hadn't even registered what I'd done." When he didn't reply, she continued on, "Has it ever been like that for you? Has there ever been a moment where your mind went blank while fighting?"
"Couple a' times." he wished to avoid that topic. "Reason being, I was usually too plastered off a' sake to remember much." Perhaps the statement was a way of bringing some lightheartedness to the subject. Still, it was just far too grave for jokes… Both travelers knew that.
"Does it…does it hurt always?"
"What."
"You know: taking a life. I always thought it would be so natural for you and Jin, like you've done it so many times that it didn't matter anymore."
"It don't."
"…No?"
"You just…get immune. You swing a blade 'cause you're ready to win or lose. You kill 'cause you know it's either them or you. There ain't an in-between. On the battlefield, if you hesitate, if you regret for a second, you die. That's all there is to it." His whole life he'd abided by those simple rules of bloody, scarring battle. Miyakoshima—the Ryukyuan penal island—must have been what forged this brutally morose mindset. Rather...that remorseless place should be named Hell itself for creating such a dark code to follow.
"I see…"
"You ain't like that, girlie. You're never gonna be like that. Me an' Four-Eyes were just…born and bred different." he said. "Same with Inuyama. That bastard had what was comin' to him. He got off on fighting. He was wanderin' the world for someone who could take him down… It just so happened to be you. If anything, ya did him a favor."
Something within those words appeared to have been deeply unsettling. Shown was this, especially after she pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing elbows there while leaning sluggishly against frost bitten hands. If it were not for the bad lack of lighting…Mugen could've more accurately confirmed that a stray tear may have brimmed on those long lashes that cast even longer shadows. They hid a slew of thoughts that he wished to read—though he'd certainly never admit to desiring to know whatever went of women's minds. "…Is that what you're looking for too?"
Like an ingrained reflex, his gaze immediately shot her way; perhaps it withheld shock. To his apprehension, Fuu refrained from turning to face his astonishment, brown eyes searching over the ocean's swaying mass mirroring the darkness of the skies. Whatever she searched onward for hadn't seemed to be found amidst the gloomy horizon. What she searched on for…was more light. More hope… Lately there seemed to be less and less going around.
"Are you looking for someone to kill you eventually, Mugen?"
What a question…
Always, the snarky bastard could whip up a comeback or a retort without much effort that could have even the greatest, most cultured lords feeling utterly dense. Here and now with such an honest question, the ex-pirate squirmed within his own skin. Her glance was quick, but it caught sight of the way his jaw set stiffly and the way his eyebrows scrunched together. The question unnerved the man greatly, for it probed into his head…a place she knew he didn't want anyone to ever tread. For a moment, it seemed there would be no answer…until short syllables did form, connecting one by one.
"I just…I used to lived for the day to day. Fought 'cause I had to; ta' survive. And when I got so used to it, I forced myself to like it. After awhile…it began to feel like that was all I lived for: to prove myself with the sword skills I made up."
Fuu didn't bother to comment, slinking another unknown expression further behind the ridges of her knees.
"Every day I used to ask myself: 'Will this be the last day I lie in the sun?'. To tell ya the truth, I'd always been ready to die."
"So what changed?" Her casual tenor masked an overwhelming curiosity. Maybe he'd chosen to ignore the fact that the body beside him scooted faintly closer, erasing inches of space, yet not getting too close for it to be something of which to point out aloud.
At the beginning of this crazy goose hunt—months ago though sometimes feelings like a few days —she'd asked him why exactly he'd decided on accompanying her to find Jin. At that time, Mugen altogether avoided the issue, chasing Momo after losing a rice ball to the creature. Maybe it was just an excuse to avoid answering. Walls were closing in fast and soon the unanswerable had to be answered…no longer could it be avoided.
"It's like…I had somethin' to do. Something I left unfinished. Before you an' Four-Eyes, I'd wandered aimlessly, killing anyone stronger than me…or any asshole with the balls to cross me. Maybe I was waitin' around for someone that I knew I couldn't beat. Otherwise, I'd just keep on goin' without a reason. Maybe I really did wait for that moment I'd just have to give up 'cause I couldn't move anymore… There wouldn't be anything to worry about. I'd have nothin' to leave behind and I could just die with no regrets." He sucked in a mouthful of February air, subsequently blowing out a thread of steam. "But it ain't like that anymore."
"Why?" inquired the girl once more.
"You're just there, right when you're not supposed to be!"
As the ship explodes and his immobile form sinks lower and lower into oblivion…he outstretches branded arms.
He can't die. Not yet, even when water fills the last corners of his bursting lungs, and the final images of the surface blurs…until there is nothing.
And then the criminal is taken…taken back to memories of sin. Of betrayals, and lies, and all that he wishes to forget; a past never to be shaken free from the boundaries of his soul stained such a hideous black.
Eyes shining in flecks of gold, through them he sees the beings donning cloaks of death form a circle, surrounding their victim, overpowering him… But he still believes he's not yet ready to die.
Not here. Why is this so?
Why is there so much light…when he should still be falling into darkness? Why is the sky below, the ocean above, and he unable to move in the purgatory between? He doesn't beg the dark robed adjudicators for forgiveness or freedom… No. He demands his life back. And to his surprise, the beings oblige that request as they fade from sight one by one into the core of that austere whiteness. They toss the lifeless body back to the waters overhead without a word, and give only that one indication that it is not time to leave this world.
He won't die. But why?
The last things he sees before fading from consciousness…
…is an old friend on a beach who betrays him.
…then a man he promises to kill.
…and finally, for just an ephemeral moment, there's the face of a scolding girl. What unfinished business do they possibly hold?
Sunflowers. A journey to find sunflowers. A task with many questions…and one with not a single answer. A journey that will likely reap little to no rewards.
Why must he come back then?
Because she'd be there, scanning for the sight of red clothes and listening for clogged steps. On the shore bathed in gentle morning radiance, she'd be waiting, like always, blinking back sorrow for the sinner. Little did the annoying wench know…
…that night, it is her who calls back his soul.
"You got in the way every fuckin' time I'd almost lost…almost given up. And even though it ain't true that I want to give up…it's like I don't got no choice anymore because you're always getting in the frickin' way!"
Was this his way of saying he had a reason to live?
He meant this both physically and as a deep confession of the times when life faded and he only saw her, heard her...which escaped the woman's understanding.
"Ever since we looked for your sunflower samurai…I had a motivation; a purpose. I used ta' think ya didn't need a reason to fight."
They held each other's stares, and that steel gray in his owned a force that none other possessed. As a shiver passed through her body, it wasn't the cold, rather that same intensity digging into the windows of the girl's soul that revealed to be the true underlying cause.
"And I used to think that no one could ever care if a jerk like you died." she said, voice faltering low enough that the vagrant barely heard the weak giggle. "But then…I did." Even when their eyes stayed on each others, smaller fingers slipped closer, and enclosed around the hand that's been cut by Inuyama. Immediately the grip caused his gaze to move to where Fuu forced the injured palm open, winding fingers between his own. Neither party made any move to separate this contact. "You always, always put yourself through hell to protect me. I never thanked you for all those times." Likewise, Mugen never thanked her for bringing his psyche back from the verge of the bleak afterlife: drowning because of Mukuro and Koza's treachery…with Sara standing overhead…and so many other instances where the crows came by and were shooed off with just the resonance of his name.
"Tch. It's what bodyguards do, ain't it?"
"No. It's what you did. For me." Just slightly, Mugen felt a squeeze on that same hand, nowhere near enough to cause pain, but providing a reassurance without words that she was showing a form of appreciation.
She however, didn't dare test limits too far and decided that it be better to retreat her hand back to the side of her hip; to that action, Mugen seemed to have found a sense of relief.
"It scares me, you know. One of these days…I'm afraid you won't win. But I know that fighting is what kept you alive all this time. So I know you can't and won't stop… But a part of me wishes you'll stop fighting for me and Jin like you did today. I want you to live for you. Not for us. And that's why…that's why I did what I did today."
"I ain't gonna die." laughed the ex-criminal. "Have some faith in me, will ya?"
"…That's not the first time you've said that."
Another long silence returned to their conversation. Strangely, the individuals resting side by side didn't mind that. This quietness grew comforting lingering between the pair, not holding any trace of tension, much unlike the fishing village hours prior… On this secret beach, each felt miles from the encroaching shogunate, and the fear that the government group would likely bring.
Mugen especially grew to value silent times the same as these. Somehow, it formed a balance to the man's everyday life, where he both induced and found trouble; for the mere sight of his cerulean markings rang loud to all observers. "Criminal. Theif. Murderer." the tattoos would scream to all. Where only the elegy of the sea faded in then out, it calmed his bundled nerves, relaxed the arms always steeling for battle, legs preparing to dash. Every muscle usually pulsated with the need to take action, readying for the sword to be drawn. Sure he loved those days too when his blood pumped, and the frenzy of battle was a euphoric high...but calmness had its own comfort as well. Perhaps after fighting Jin so many times without winning, created this developed appreciation for peace. Around the samurai, many times he'd wholly dropped his guard (though he'd never let the samurai know) knowing that no one would attempt to slit his throat while he slept.
In the presence of the woman who sat at his side, who now made little figure-eights in the sand with a thumb, she too always provided that ease.
Barely did their silence last long…when Fuu again turned to face him, ready to dish out another question. But that hadn't bothered him either… Because unlike complete silence that Jin represented, or the complete loudness that he'd always provided…Fuu somehow stayed in between both as the balance that could calm chaos or bring energy to a lack of motion. Perhaps even more than the silence and chaos, he found fulfilled solace in that ideal equilibrium.
One minute, she healed him, another pissed him off. One minute she cried, another smiled… Always the same sense of balance. Maybe he enjoyed it all.
"Back when we first started this journey…do you remember you said that you might believe in fate?"
"Why ya bringin' this crap up now?"
"Because I'm starting to." As he picked at his ear, and stared out to sea, the girl nudged his shoulder to regain attention. "Think about it! You found me again: all the way back in Edo when we parted ways outside of Nagasaki. Out of all the places we could've ended up, we ended up there and reunited under circumstances that saved me…just like when we first met. And then…I met my grandmother out of all the places in Japan."
"What are ya trying to say?"
"Maybe we're fated to do something together."
"An' that would be?" half laughed the man, whose lascivious smirk seemed to grow and stretch from ear to ear.
That damn gape pinned her down like a startled doe, and while blushing, she soon realized how completely—mistakenly—suggestive the previous statement may have sounded. "I-I mean we…we were meant to find Jin, right?"
"Listen, if ya decide to find Four-Eyes, that's your decision. Don't try to pin everything on fate. It only goes so far."
She pouted, "So then…you don't believe in it?"
Fate defied everything Mugen believed in. If destiny controlled how the future would end up, what purpose existed in making one's own choices? It all chalked to a bunch of bullshit to him; something he believed people said to romanticize, and hyperbolize stories with such a magical word: fate. Yet, neither could he deny that their star crossed encounters were unquestionably often, nothing short of strange. Divine intervention, perhaps? …Funny he even considered such a thing either, when the topic of a god always avoided his mind beforehand, since he could neither figure if he believed in one or not. The way Mugen lived, he always assumed that if God was up there on a throne in the clouds, they'd just stay out of each other's way. …Seemed like God got in the way first with that so called "fate" concept…
"All I can say is if there's a God up there somewhere and fate's in his hands, that bastard got one helluva sense of humor."
"My father would turn in his grave hearing you say that." remarked Fuu, remembering the complete devotion Kasumi Seizou possessed for his faith. "Well, if you don't believe in fate as an "excuse" to find Jin…then do you still want to find him if it's our decision? Because I want to find him. To the very end. No more uncertainty. We need to warn him about the government. And…I need to give these back too." From the depths of her kimono, Fuu retrieved the samurai's half cracked glasses. Through these travels, the frames seemed to have grown further worn ; soon the left lens would crack altogether and would have to be replaced.
The object in hand drew attention, and his amusement formed just a half curve of a smirk. "Wasn't that the plan all along?" His eyes rose to meet hers, whose brightened in the dark, surely.
"So, you will accompany me?"
"Better get some sleep. Tomorrow we're headin' towards Osaka on the way to Hiroshima. And it's a long way, girlie."
For the first time since leaving the village, Fuu's mouth managed to form a smile. "Thank you Mugen."
The girl stood first, followed by her ryukyuan bodyguard that still appeared to be scanning over the general vicinity for any signs of life other than their own. Countless battles made one learn to never be too careful. On the other hand, Fuu seemed no longer on edge, feeling perfectly secure in the convict's presence. As far as she was concerned, no danger would come tonight.
A lukewarm current of air seeped in from the east, and with it, carried along the sharp aroma of sea salt. Momentarily, she stopped on the sandy beach, looking to the sky and breathed in that nostalgic air. After that, they walked onward to the rising cliffs, hoping to find a warmer rest in the sheltering cave.
Nearing the top, Mugen decided his new guard post should be remaining outside that cavern, ensuring no trouble would befall them this night. While the ex-criminal sat back down, positioned at the forefront, his companion planned to return to the bedroll inside. Yawning and stretching out, he seemed to have flopped onto his back, crossing tattooed arms behind his head. "I'll keep watch for another hour or so out here."
"Okay. Goodnight then.
"Wait." his guttural yanki accent cut in suddenly, reverberating into the stone walls.
Fuu stopped quite awkwardly due to the unforeseen callousness within the tone, only somewhat turning back. He hadn't looked her way, instead continuing to focus on the outside ridges of the cave's entrance and to the swirling violet vortex beyond that. "I'll help ya find Four-Eyes to the very end… but you gotta promise me somethin' first."
'A promise…?'
Usually it was always her begging for him to fulfill whatever promise—ones most oft unpredictable—she threw his way. On the other hand, the ex-pirate established the fact quite clearly that he wasn't good at keeping such pledges, which only furthered this oddity that he of all people desired for such a thing to be fulfilled.
It practically came out as a full command. "You coulda' got killed today and you did somethin' you shouldn't have had to do. Don't pull some stupid shit like protect me. …Don't ever get in the way while I'm fightin' someone again."
As much as Fuu wanted him to live, Mugen realized it undoubtedly wasn't what fate—if it happened to exist—had planned. People whether good or bad underneath just weren't forgiven, absolved…and most certainly not saved if they'd led a wicked life. Anarchic beasts couldn't be veered from the straight path leading to all encompassing death. But Fuu…she could be. Because of that, he'd be the protector for as long as need be… Until he wasn't needed. Until they found Jin.
"Whatever you do…don't try ta' save me." his words persisted…as did the subtle pain spreading inside Fuu's chest. Her fist rose to clench the pink kimono fabric there until each knuckle couldn't possibly lose anymore pigment.
The girl nodded slowly, though Mugen failed to see. "Alright." she somehow—barely— managed to get out from between pursed lips, prior to hastily retreating to the awaiting blankets that promised to provide the warmth the outside…and Mugen seemed to suddenly lack.
When the cotton fibered covers reached to the bridge of her nose, eyes fogging to a misty brown once more, Fuu failed to break off a stare from the ceiling of their private cavern. Up above, the flickering fire light cavorted with the shadows in a capricious dance on the smooth stone, contrasting each other, then blending again; light and dark…one that cannot exist without the other. Sleep did not prevail. Not this night, not when the somber traveler couldn't prevent re-contemplating the weight of her bodyguard's request.
"Whatever you do…don't try ta' save me."
Honestly…Fuu didn't know if she'd be able to keep that promise.
~To Be Continued~
[A/N]: Not much going on this chapter…Sucky and short. But I hope you enjoyed some aspect of their conversation. Their relationship has expanded by a lot since the beginning and lately the storyline has taken a more serious turn. Don't worry, I'll be sure to include some fluffiness really soon ;]
Jin: I must ask…
Me: Yeah?
Jin: Why have you been including Shino and I in so many ending skits as of late? Is this your way of covering for not including us in a chapter? Because if so, I am disappointed in your efforts.
Me: Awww, sounds like someone wants to be in a chapter!
Jin: Hmm…
Me: Well, if you're going to be like that, I guess I won't write about you, Mr. Onlybeeninonechaptersofar.
Jin: *fidgets*
Me: Those who want their way should speak up.
Jin: …You really should. *fixes glasses nervously*
Me: What? I can't hear youuuu.
Jin: WRITE THE CHAPTER OR SO HELP ME- *BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP*
Shino: Jin feels as though he has been reduced to a side character. Please refrain from mistreating him. Like I said before, he's quite a sensitive man. *bows*
*Somewhere far, far away*
Mugen: Did you just hear something? Like Four-Eyes yellin'?
Fuu: Jin, yell? Yeah right! Must be your imagination.
You know what to do! Please review any and all thoughts! Love you guys with all the love my fangirl heart can give X3 Until next time with a new chapter all about a completely new side character and an old friend! Stay tuned :D
End of Chapter 27
