Chapter Four: Explosive Reunions

Getting back to her feet, Fuu flailed her arms about as she screamed: "What are you doing here? Are those men after you? What kind of trouble are you into now?"

"Would you shut up?" Mugen growled as he spun about. At the sound of distant voices, he raised his sword. Blood oozed down the blade.

Hiroko retreated, drawing a hand over her mouth as horror was painted in her eyes. "Please, just leave," she whispered, backing up against the wall. A little gasped escaped her when she could not completely escape the snarling figure.

Stomping her foot, Fuu roared, "Are you listening—"

"Is there a back way out of this place?" he demanded as if not hearing her as he stormed through the small shop and past bags of dried beans and small barrels of other goods.

Nervously Hiroko pointed toward the curtain-draped door at the back. "Please," she begged. "I don't want any trouble. Just leave." Her dark eyes flitted to Fuu who was fuming as Mugen continued to ignore her.

"You idiot," she screeched, "can't you do anything without getting in trouble? Why do you always have to pick a fight?" Frowning, she watched him tear through the shop and out the door. There was no hesitation in her movements as she raced after him into the little room that she had called home for several weeks.

His geta banged against the door, sending it flying off its supports as he marched out into the falling rain.

Fuu squeaked when she saw five swordsmen gathering around him and more coming up the road.

"Kill him!" One of the men barked.

Retreating, Mugen nearly stumbled over her as he ducked back into the shop. She twisted and chased after him. Grabbing Hiroko's hand, she pulled the woman out of the doorway and knocked her to the floor behind the tall counter as swordsmen clamored to push their way into the small shop.

"Not five minutes," Fuu growled as she raced toward the front of the shop. Swords clattered together behind her and Mugen's elbow caught her at the back of the neck and sent her tumbling to the floor between rows of sacked beans and rice. Mugen bound over her, bouncing off the barrels as he traded slashes with the first two men into the shop. "Not five minutes," she repeated, "and he's trying to get me killed."

A wild cut from one of the samurai's sword sliced open a cloth sack spilling red beans down on Fuu's head. She cried out in surprise and skittered away just before the man fell dead at her feet. A pool of blood quickly spread out from beneath him.

She screamed as she crawled away from the gore.

"Is that all you got?" Mugen barked as he threw himself at two more men.

Over the clang of metal, Fuu snarled as she leaned back, pressing her feet to a squat barrel sitting at the edge of one of the rows. "I guess…I have to…do..everything!" She pressed with all her might, knocking the wooden barrel over. More beans spilled out, coating the floor.

The gray dressed samurai slipped and slid over the beans as they struggled to keep their foot and out of the way of Mugen's attack.

With every crossing of blades, Fuu flinched as she tried to stay out of the way of the fighting but the shop was so small that there was no safe spot.

Suddenly the men were on the defensive as Mugen cut through them in a flash of red. His last attack missed as the final man bounded over the bodies of his comrades landing easily. He deftly countered Mugen's strikes, driving the wild haired man toward the corner.

"Hey!" Fuu cried out as she shrank down as Mugen leapt past her. She reached to the barrel at her side, grabbing up a scoop full of rice. Flinging the wooden handle toward the samurai, she pelted him with flying grains. "I just got this place cleaned up!"

Batting away the small projectiles, the samurai snapped, "You little bitch!"

Mugen's metal-soled geta thudded across the tops of several barrels as he took as stab at the distracted man but his attack was rebuffed.

"They're in there!" a muffled voice from outside called out. Three more armed men pushed in through the wide-open front door. "The magistrate's attacker! Get him!"

"Back off!" Mugen growled as he came down on one of the men's chest before bounding on top of a stack of filled sacks. He somersaulted over rice flour bags, grabbing one as he went. Landing with a hard thud near Fuu, he looked to each of the men that had him cornered. A dark look bled across his face as he launched the sack.

poof

Fuu sank to a damp log under the shelter of a leafy tree. Rain thumped against the foliage and battered the road just a dozen paces away. She lightly patted her pale pink kimono, and tried to knock loose the wet rice flour caked to her clothes. "Eww," she groaned as she reached up and felt the stuff in her hair. "I'm covered in goo." She let her hands fall back to her lap.

Everything had happened so fast, she was thinking about her past and the next thing there were men and swords and flour and running. She sighed. "I didn't get anything." Maybe she should be more careful what she wished for, she had wanted a little excitement, just not quite as much as she got. And to top it all off, she lost her job, the nice place to sleep and steady meals.

Looking up, she stared into the road where the rain showered down on Mugen who just stood there, allowing the flour to wash away. "You did this," she said. Rising to her feet, she pointed at him, "You! I had a life and a bed and food! I was saving money. I was going to—"

"Like you had a plan," he said in a low tone while picking his nose.

"At least I was trying to do something! Instead of wandering about picking fights wherever I go." The fury faded almost as quickly as it had bloomed and she sank back down. "I—"

The words died on her lips.

The truth was, no matter what she told herself, she didn't know what her plans were. She had just been biding her time, hoping…she slowly stood up and walked to the muddy road. Out from under the shelter of the trees the rain was cold as it pelted her, sinking into her thin kimono. It felt strangely good. "Now what do we do?"

"We find food and some place that it ain't raining," Mugen said, rubbing his stomach as he started down the road.

Fuu's own stomach growled and she clutched her belly. She was going to miss the steady meals at the shop. She turned to look down the road they had fled from, toward Kanmon. After she had distanced herself from the village, she decided that she would write Hiroko to thank her and apologize for the mess.

When she looked up, she realized that Mugen was a fair distance ahead. "Hey, wait up!" she called as she raced after him.

Thank you roterritter, meow, poornmiserable, and Elementary Magpie. I truly appreciate your reviews and am happy to know that people are enjoying my story. I've been really worried about it. :) Hope this is a quick enough update for you, meow! Not to worry (too much) about Jin, Elementary Magpie, he'll be showing up soon.
Next Chapter - Past Lives. Death on the river.