All my reviewers are so Super-Coolio! Thanks guys for your reviews! It's nice to hear people like my story. It was tough for me to write, I just wasn't as inspired as I usually am when I write. So needless to say I was a bit anxious about posting this one.It had a lot of drafts and about 3 endings! Don't worry I will update quickly because it's already written.
Jin arrived back at the restaurant and saw no lights in the windows. He knew which room was hers since he and his friends had stayed in it. He was there for the box. He scaled the side of the building and slipped in through an open window. He pulled one of the floor boards aside and found her box. He pulled it out and made sure it had all its contents. He had a lingering suspicion that Mugen had taken the necklace, but he did not. It was still there.
He was walking back towards the window when he saw a neatly folded pile of clothing in a cabinet near the window. He put a hand on it and found it was a silk kimono possibly light green, but in the dark it was hard to tell. It was finely made and he was sure she'd miss it. He piled it on top of her box and wrapped her possessions on a large scarf. He felt embarrassed, but sifted through her other possessions. He found a bag of gold and put it in the scarf.
Jin's lithe form dropped out of the window and he ran off into the night. He arrived back at camp just before the sun rose. He placed Shiroko's belongings next to her sleeping form and went down to the river to wash up and get a drink.He leaned up against a tree and passed out.
Shiroko, was in fact, not asleep. She had heard Jin's panting and decided to give him a few moments to regain his composure. When he relaxed against the tree she rolled over and saw her things. She wanted to thank him properly, but he was already asleep.
The next morning came suddenly and they were off walking again. Fuu and Mugen didn't seem to notice that Shiroko now had a few meager possessions. They were too busy tossing biting remarks back and forth at each other.
Shiroko wanted to thank Jin, but he kept avoiding her. During the day as the group walked, Shiroko saw her chance to speak to Jin. She had learned a thing or two about flirting and decided she'd try her hand at it casually.
Shiroko walked up next to Jin and said "It's lovely weather. We're sure lucky to travel in such gentle sunlight."
He didn't look at her and only said "Mm."
Fuu turned a large brown eye over her shoulder and back on the road ahead of her. 'Good luck, Shiroko, Jin's been traveling with me for weeks on end now and he hasn't said boo to me!' she thought.
"I don't know" said Mugen from the front of their line. "I kind of like the hot sun. It energizes me for fightin'" he looked back and none too subtly eyed Shiroko up and down "and fer other stuff."
Jin then said "As I recall Shiroko, you too preferred the hot summers to the mildness of spring." Shiroko smiled, excited that Jin had remembered anything about her until he said "Your sister was more reasonable. Mariko, like I, appreciated the autumn."
Shiroko crinkled the corner of her mouth in aggravation. "Well, this is nice weather to travel in none-the-less" she said with finality. 'What else can I talk about?' Shiroko's eyes drifted around the field they were coming upon and thought 'Perfect!' "I've never seen such a wonderful collection of wild flowers. They're all so beautiful!"
"What are you talking about?" griped Jin "Your house was surrounded by them."
'Perfect opportunity here to speak about when we were young...' thought Shiroko.
That was until Jin said "What does it matter. They're all common flowers. None of them unique in any way."
Mugen walked at the head of the line with his arms up and hands resting on the back of his head. Though his eyes remained closed he joined the conversation saying "Who cares if there's a lot of it or not? If something's pretty it's pretty." He scratched his chin and cracked open an eye to peer out at his path. "You're making it too complicated, just enjoy them."
Jin, in a tone as cool as granite, said "Perhaps it is too complicated for you to understand, but for those of us with discriminating tastes these flowers are low."
Mugen stopped and Fuu felt a fight coming on. Jin stopped as well and put his hand to the hilt of his katana. Shiroko thought it best to keep walking and ignore the boy's squabble. She gazed out upon the field of flowers and said to Mugen "You're right. It would be foolish to ignore all that beauty."
Mugen took his eyes off Jin and looked her square in the eye. He said in a quiet voice "That's what I'm sayin'. Why ignore all that beauty?"
Shiroko definitely felt that Mugen was talking about more than just flowers and was surprised to realize she didn't mind at all.
Fuu definitely knew what Mugen was saying and was at a loss for words "Eeeeeh…" She felt a slight panic over take her but was not sure of what to do about it.
Jin took his hand from his sword again, but for some reason felt like killing Mugen more now than ever. 'Fool. Ignorant fool.'
Fuu found her voice and said "Maybe we should keep moving." Her eyes were darting around unsure of her own decision to invite Shiroko on this journey. 'What was I thinking?'
Mugen walked ahead, hands sliding back into place and allowing the setting sun to wash across his face. Shiroko found herself walking by Mugen's side now and left Fuu to walk behind with a slightly sulking Jin.
The next few days passed without incident. During this time Fuu explained where they were going and why. Shiroko was amused by the tales of their journey to find this mysterious Sunflower Samurai. She felt the dynamic between the three travelers and became slightly aware of how she was throwing it off.
Then one late afternoon the group came upon a section of river with a waterfall. They camped nearby and caught some fish. After they ate Jin walked off to a distance that ensured his solitude from the group and found a spot higher up on a craggy overhang covered in grass and moss. Shiroko decided to bathe down in the water.
Fuu did her best to keep Mugen occupied in order to keep him from peeping at Shiroko. The brush was heavy around the water, but the distance to camp was not all that far. Fuu was not concerned about Jin trying to steal a peek since he had already distanced himself from the group in order to meditate. Also, Fuu thought to herself 'I wonder what he has a bug up his butt about. He's been kind of snippy since we encountered her again.'
As Jin tried to drown out Mugen and Fuu's bickering he closed his eyes and focused on the sound of the waterfall.
Shiroko decided to do some meditating of her own in the cold water below. 'This sure as hell isn't a hot spring. Ah well, cold water is good to cleanse the soul and harden the flesh.' Shiroko stepped under the cold stream and immersed herself in the thundering bath of fresh water. She visualized it washing away her shame and the filth of her secrets.
The white noise of the waterfall drowned out all else, until Jin could hear his soul whispering to him. He opened his eyes and gazed over the thin rim of his glasses. He allowed his gaze to fall softly upon the waterfall.
Jin noticed a fair skinned form standing in the curtain of water. The stream from above crashed off her shoulders and sprayed out. Her long black hair was sleek down her back. It clung to her shape and made obvious the curves of her body. 'Shiroko?' Jin felt a stirring as he gazed at her body. Her slender limbs snaked their way through the water and back around her waist. Jin could almost hear music in the sound of the water slapping her skin.
As Jin's eyes took in the moment his ears caught wind of Mugen's coarse voice. "HEY!" screamed Mugen "WHY DOES JIN GET A PEEK, HUH? WHY NOT ME?" This snapped him out of his spell, however his eyes were still drawn to Shiroko in the waterfall.
Fuu turned around and spotted Jin propped up higher on the landscape looking down towards the direction of the waterfall. Air caught in Fuu's throat and she let out a "Ugh!" sound. Fuu's eyes bugged and her hands went into the air and performed a spastic dance expressing her alarm. Her shock and bizarre noise caught Jin's full attention. He then snapped his sight down to Fuu and Mugen. Fuu looked horrified and even a little disappointed. Mugen on the other hand was glad he had foiled Jin's enjoyment and smiled to himself.
Jin calmly stood, sliding his swords into place on his belt and deftly slid down to his traveling companions. He decided to ignore them. A few awkward and silent moments passed. Jin went and stoked the fire and Shiroko returned from her bath. "What was all the yelling about ?" she asked, fully dressed and drying her hair with a small towel.
Fuu slapped her hand over Mugen's mouth since he was more than eager to tell Shiroko what he was yelling about. Fuu spoke in his place. "Oh, nothing" she said nervously. "My, what a pretty kimono" she said trying to deflect any comments.
Shiroko knew something was up, but figured she would figure it out if it was important. 'Mugen was probably trying to catch a glimpse of me' she thought. She was totally unaware that it was Jin who had spotted her.
The next day the travelers came to a ridge that gave them a view of the town they were seeking. Fuu was secretly relieved that their extra friend was going to be left behind here. "Well, there it is!" said Fuu with cheer. "Looks like another days journey and we'll be there!"
Mugen had caught on to a strange phenomenon during their journey with Shiroko. Jin did what he could to ignore her, even push her away, yet Jin's black warriors eyes burned with seething anger whenever Mugen gave her attention, of any kind. It didn't happen when Fuu would chat with Shiroko, only Mugen. 'I don't understand it, but it does give me an opportunity for some fun.'
Mugen dropped from the front of their group back down to Shiroko's side. She had picked some flowers along the way and was trying to arrange a small bouquet. They were all white, except for the last one. It was red. She held the red one in her other hand mulled over where it should go. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked doing his best to sound like he didn't care.
"I can't figure out where this red one should go. It just sticks out where ever I place it."
"Is that bad?" he asked.
Shiroko smiled and said "It's a beautiful flower, but it throws off the balance of the rest of the bouquet. It's size, its shape—"
Jin walked past and glared at Mugen as he said "It's smell." The two men glared at each other until Jin passed and caught up with Fuu.
Shiroko ignored them and went back to focusing on her bouquet. Mugen focused his energies back to Shiroko knowing it irked Jin to no end. "Well why not just toss all the white ones?"
"I, well…it wouldn't be much of a bouquet if I didn't have all the others would it?" she replied.
"Then keep a white one, and a red one, and screw the rest" Mugen grabbed her handful of flowers, randomly selected one and tossed the rest aside. "Here" he handed her a single white flower and said with a smooth voice and seductive eyes "Sometimes you only need two."
Shiroko was continually surprised by Mugen during their trip. She noticed he was spending more and more time with her. He would talk mostly about nature and what they could eat and not eat. Shiroko found this to be useful knowledge and always thanked him for sharing it with her. He would immediately say "I'm not doin' it for nothin' but me" then Fuu would smack him with her shoe or Jin would "Mmn" and the strange moment would pass.
As they walked down the road Shiroko took one last glance on the other flowers then back at the one Mugen had chosen. She took it from his grubby hand and brought it together with the red one. She was surprised to see that they looked more beautiful together than all the rest combined.