I DO NOT OWN SAMURAI CHAMPLOO or 'BUTTERFLY' by DJ MYSTIC

Breakdancing Butterfly

xXxXxXxXxX By some strange turn of events, shortly after the three went their supposed 'separate ways' at the end of episode 26, our threesome met back up and decided it was fate that brought them together... again. They are now traveling back to the region Fuu wants to live in, the two guys as her body-guards. XxXxXxXxXx

Chapter 3 – "I've Been Searching for a Man"

Fuu woke up, her neck aching. She groggily stood up and stretched. She looked from side to side. She was in a large room. The events from last night flew through her mind suddenly. She spun and looked at the bed to see Mugen still asleep, not even on the bed anymore.

She wrapped the blanket around her and crept by.

He was snoring loudly.

She continued by, until he stopped snoring, and she dared to look at him –and saw his eyes were open, and his head was propped up –much in the fashion he had done when she had first met him in the tea shop.

"Morning, darlin'." He said and she squinted.

She was about to make a snide remark, when there was a knocking on their door. "Breakfast!" Said a servant's voice from behind the door, and he began to slide it open.

Mugen reached forward and quickly grabbed Fuu by the arm and threw her on the bed and then rolled and fell ontop of her. She lost her breath under his weight and squirmed. She made some annoyed sounds and was about to scream.

"Shut up!" He whispered against her ear; as he did, though, his lips brushed against her lobe. She shivered involuntarily. What was wrong with her? She held her breath and complied, keeping up the charade.

The servant came in with the tray of food, but saw the two entertwined on the bed. "Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you. I'll just leave this here." He replied and set down the tray on the table and then quickly exited.

Mugen sighed in relief. But his relief was soon shattered when Fuu smacked him hard across the head. He was hit so hard that he rolled in the sheets and then fell off the end of the bed and onto the hard wooden floor.

"Mugen! Don't you ever do that again!" She exclaimed and hopped off the bed. She walked over him and straight to the food. She sat down, said a quick prayer and began to stuff her face. "I-shf meanf, whoof ya tink yous aresh?" She grumbled, her mouth filled.

He used his small knife to cut the sheets away from him and stormed over to the table as well. He collapsed to a sitting position across from her, and proceeded to stuff his face as well. "Welff, if mm, yoush wasshnet suff a bishh alff da timef, mayfee ye-"

"Dif you juss callf me a bishh!" She growled as she stuffed a bun into her mouth.

"Yeaff I callrd you a bishh!"

"Whaff!"

"Yoush hearf me!" He grumbled and finally downed it all with the jug of water that came with the food. Fuu snatched it away and drank some too.

"Don't hog it all!" She exclaimed, her mouth now clear.

"I'm thirsty!" He argued and snatched it back from her.

"Give it back Mugen!" She tugged on it.

"I won't!" He tugged it back.

"You will!" She pulled it.

"Make me!" Mugen exclaimed, yanking the bottle away towards himself again.

"My, my having a lover's quarrel?" Came a voice from in front of them, and they both looked up to see that Haichan was standing there.

Fuu panicked. "Ah! I mean, we're just being rowdy. Brings us back to our childhood, when we first met. Heh heh heh." Fuu replied, smiling, and finally shoving the bottle back to Mugen.

"Yeah." Mugen nodded, and poured Fuu some water, but it overflowed and spilled on her lap.

Fuu remained smiling.

Mugen smirked to himself.

Haichan nodded with a believing smile, and cleared her throat. "Well, I sent your cousin out to do some work." She began, and Mugen couldn't hold back a single huff of laughter. "And now, I must get you all cleaned up for your marriage portrait."

"Marriage portrait?" Fuu asked.

"Cleaned up?" Mugen asked right after Fuu.

"Yes, every married couple should have a portrait. And we have a very talented artist to do it for you. And yes, you must look your best if you want a portrait drawn. And right now, I'm sorry dears, but you're in terrible shape. The young lady not as much, but you..." She pointed at Mugen. "...you must be fixed. It's a wonder this girl even married you, with the way you look. Unless it was an arranged marriage."

"Yeah, it was kinda like that." Fuu gritted out. Mugen rolled his eyes.

"Anyway..." Haichan then clapped her hands twice, and in walked two elderly gentlemen. They were old, but they were massive, almost like sumo wrestlers. They snatched Mugen up in each arm and 'escourted' him out.

He went kicking and screaming of course.

Fuu was scared. She looked up to Haichan, who was now surrounded by three other women. They smiled sweetly, but then whipped out various weapons of beauty: brushes, combs, clips, clothes, sashes, back scrubbers, nail files, polish, makeup, soap, water tub... water tub?

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Jin stood out near the central fountain, simply holding his puppet and bucket. He felt so ridiculous. And to make matters worse... he hadn't made any money.

He jingled the puppet twice and waited.

No one paid him any mind.

His eyebrow went up in frustration and he closed his eyes. This was crazy. These people weren't right, and Mugen and Fuu seemed to be oblivious. He had never heard of a town giving free room and board to married couples. That was just ridiculous!

And Mugen... he'd probably try and do something with Fuu, against her will. He couldn't allow that to happen, even if they were legally bound and it was a natural thing for a married couple to do... but even though they were married, it wasn't as if they really meant it.

And Fuu was still young... well, she was of marriage age, and okay, she was actually around the same age as Mugen... but still.

He rubbed his temples and threw down the puppet and stepped on it.

There was a giant, collective "Awwwwwwwww!"

Jin looked up to see that the people in the square were staring at him with pity.

Someone spoke up faintly "Aw, look at him, he's mad at his puppet."

"It's okay, sweetie, I'll help you out." Someone tossed a coin in his bucket. "What did the puppet do, honey?" She asked him, as if he was a little kid.

"He..." Jin looked around at the crowd that was now forming. "He..." He had to think of something a 'troubled' person would say. "He... he uhh, wasn't listening to me." He said, and everyone looked sad and nodded.

"Well, I'm sure if you try again, he'll talk to you." Said another person and dropped a coin in.

Jin blinked a few times as coin after coin was dropped in his bucket.

He smirked. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Fuu waited quietly in the yard, feeling very worn out.

After a thorough bath and cleansing, she was brushed and squeezed into a formal kimono. Her face felt like a layer of makeup was on, and the bitter taste of the lipstick was grueling. Her head was sore from all the brushing and tying up and things being jabbed in there.

And now she was stiff from all the silk spun and pinned against her. She was sitting under a blooming cherry tree and the painter was getting ready.

There was a commotion to her left and she forced her neck to turn and see what was going on.

There was a man struggling against two figures approaching her.

No. That couldn't be Mugen...

"Let go you two sacks of shit!"

It was Mugen!

They tossed him and he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance in front of Fuu.

She couldn't help but gape. This was Mugen, but it wasn't Mugen...

They had cleaned him and he smelled of tea leaves and musky spices. His once loose hair was actually pulled back into a small ponytail, with a few strands straying on either side of his face and in the back. His stubble was gone, and he was totally clean shaven. He was dressed in a formal men's kimono that was coming loose at the top slighty because he was struggling.

He took a good look at Fuu, and then reluctantly sat down next to her as the two sumo's gave him a scowl. He huffed and folded his arms and pouted.

Fuu was still staring at him. He looked so different! Mugen... clean.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked her, annoyed.

"Nothing! You just..." She paused, confused herself. She couldn't even believe she was even thinking it; that Mugen looked really handsome and a little... sexy –with his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"Spit it out, brat!" He growled, annoyed and impatient.

"You just... look nice." She finally said and looked away from him.

He sighed loudly. He coughed "You too."

"What?" She asked, not sure she actually caught that. Had he just said what she thought he said?

"Hauh... haiku –I hate haikus." He coughed again, and turned to face front.

"You don't even know what a haiku is!" Fuu argued, not letting him get away.

He twitched. "Of course I know what it is."

"Then what?" She prodded. She was going to find out what he said.

"It's a uhh... a book."

"Ha! It's not a book, it's a poem! Mugen... did you just say that I was pretty?"

"I didn't say you looked pretty, I said you looked good... shit!" He growled as he realized she had just tricked him into saying that.

She smiled, even though he cursed so loud it echoed through the garden at least twice.

"Quiet down! I am trying to paint!" Exclaimed their painter.

They settled down and continued to sit under the tree, the petals falling on their heads as the painter continued with the portrait. Fuu couldn't help but smile warmly. Mugen actually thought she looked good. Mugen had never said anything like that to her... ever.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Jin was pretending to strangle the puppet, when he heard a loud curse echo in the distance. He looked up and around. Must have been Mugen. No one else could be that loud and that rude at the same time.

A woman pointed at Jin. "Look at the poor fellow, he thinks he hears something."

"Must be those voices in his head."

"Let's go give him some change."

"Yeah." The two ladies walked up and dropped in a few coins.

Jin suddenly looked down and blinked a few times. The minute he stops, he gets donations. These people made no sense!

"Thankyou." He replied politely, even though in his mind he was having trouble comprehending his current situation.

This town was crazy!

A/N: Hello! I updated! Am I the only one who updates in this section? geeze! there are some good SC fanfics, but they never update, or it's a one-shot! oh well. so -did you like the chapter? I can tell this series is getting more popular because I'm getting more reviews -Thankyou so much by the way! I just got back from a convention in NC, and there were only a few people from SC -but I have a feeling next year it will be big. anyway, hope you all enjoyed, and i hope that you review again for me. it makes me so happy! bye!