Chapter Two: Remembrance

"Sup kid?" Mugen's harsh voice sent a tremble down his spine. Tomio's eyes became broad with fear. He breathed in and out deeply as Mugen crept closer to him. He still held on to the money that rested in his red filthy shirt. Tomio's little eyes lay on Mugen's razor sharp sword; that was grasped tightly in Mugen's right hand.

"You stole my money…I want it back." He demanded to the child.

Tomio still held on to the money and did not say a word.

"No." he finally said trying to sound tough like Komaru. Tomio kept his head down low and held onto the money even tighter.

"Whatever soot yourself." Mugen said with a sneer, he quickly pulled out his sword and raised it high above the boy. Tomio saw the shine from the blade and quickly prepared himself for Mugen's strike. He closed his eyes and flinched ready for the pain.

Mugen swung his rapier down quickly.

"CLING!" Metal hitting metal sung to Tomio. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his small body and saw no blood.

He looked up and saw "sister".

"SISTER!" he cried with joy. He smiled widely as she held her blade against Mugen's.

"TOMIO! GET OUT OF HERE! FIND KOMARU!" she shouted over her shoulder trying to hold Mugen back.

"But sister I can't leave you!" he shot back.

"Leave! Now!" she shouted again pushing Mugen back. He slid against the dirt ground catching himself from falling. After a little dirt cloud cleared Mugen made a charge for Tomio.

"Come here you little…" "Cling, Cling" The woman blocked his hits. Tomio saw a way out and ran with the money still in hand. Mugen and the woman became locked, their blades between them.

He locked his eyes onto hers and almost became entranced. Her eyes were violent yet loving. Sad yet beautiful…and he thought to himself "I have seen those eyes before, where?"

She smirked and showed no sign of struggle. She pressed back harder sending Mugen flying again.

He lost his balance that time and fell backwards. He saw her coming straight for him her weapon by her side. She held it high above her head and swung down but was blocked by his foot.

He kicked her back and made her slide across the dirt; he leaped up off his back and onto his feet. He came at her this time his sword behind him and he slashed the sword forward at her. She bent backwards barley dodging his strikes. She finally was able to stand up straight, and then she charged back at him with powerful force. Again they were locked.

"What afraid of a girl?" Noticki questioned with laughter in her voice. Jin had beads of sweat from fighting his opponent. Jin was taught by the bushido code that he should never battle an unarmed woman, yet this woman didn't look a day over 14. She still held her youth and Jin was uncertain if he should take it away from her yet.

"Cat got your tongue, Samurai?" she joked. "You're all the same…think you're higher and mightier than the normal people." She stated in an angrily voice.

"No, it's just that you're a child and I can not kill a child." He explained.

"I'm not a child…children shouldn't have to grow up at the age of 10." She said still with a fuming voice. "If it wasn't for the samurai, my sister and I might still have our parents." Her voice became a little softer and her eyes became a little sadder.

Jin suddenly realized samurais killed her parents, nonetheless. Jin lowered his weapon and saw the sadness that hung over this child. He did not know what to do.

Noticki raised her head up and swung around her sword. She charged at Jin with it, she slammed it down, but it just clashed against Jin's sword. He didn't know how long he could keep this up. Jin took his sheath and tripped the girl as she made her way for another hit. She slid across the ground.

"Almost got it." Fuu tried to pull out the arrow that still laid in her kimono sleeve. She finally got it off of her sleeve. "Hey I got it!" she said with a playful smile. She ran down the empty alleyway. At first she saw Jin standing over the girl.

"Jin!" she called to him, taking his attention away from the girl. When he looked away the girl pulled out a small black dagger and tried to thrust it into Jin's calf.

"Jin watch out!" cried Fuu. Jin quickly jumped out of her way. She stood up and went after Jin, with dagger in hand. Fuu covered her eyes as the young Noticki got closer to Jin. He just stood there like she wasn't a threat. As she was in front of him Jin took her wrist and stopped her from stabbing anyone. She was in shock that he did it so fast. He threw the dagger next to Fuu. Noticki had a confused expression on her face.

He then looked at her calmly…she too looked at him but with surprise. She saw gleaming glasses looking back at her then felt a sharp pain as he slapped her across the face.

"All samurais are not the same…do not mistake me for a mercenary." He said with no expression at all not even in his voice. He let her fall back down to the ground.

The metal sung in an off-tuned melody. Mugen was trying to keep up with her speed. She wasn't holding back this time. Mugen dodged most of her strikes, but every time he did her moves became faster.

Mugen saw his moment he ran to a corner of the building and jumped from one corner to another and slashed her arm.

"Ah!" she said quietly as she held the bleeding arm. Mugen landed gracefully on his feet. He turned back around to see the beauty holding her arm. He almost felt bad for hurting her. She smiled slightly and said "You're good…no one has ever made a hit on me in a long time. I almost forgot what pain feels like." She said not even looking at Mugen.

Mugen this time got a good look at her…she was as beautiful as a deity. Her long black hair and slender physic, she was almost too beautiful to have Mugen in her presences.

Mugen became lost in her beauty…he had seen her somewhere once before but he couldn't remember where. He tried to remember…but then stopped for his head hurt too much to remember.

Jin and Fuu stood over Noticki who still lied on the ground.

"Jin…are you alright?" asked a concerned Fuu.

"Yes…I am fine." He said. Fuu looked down to the quivering Noticki. Fuu went over to her side and with sympathetic eyes touched her shoulder.

"Hey are you okay?" she asked kindly.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Noticki shouted, she grabbed a hand full of dirt and threw it at both Fuu and Jin. The coughed from the dirt…when the cloud disappeared Noticki was gone.

"Where did she go?" asked Fuu.

She ran quickly down an alleyway. She ran in the direction that Tomio had gone. Noticki stopped to catch her breath. Silence was all around her, she thought of Jin's words…and how much they hurt. She touched her cheek that still stung; she fell to her knees and began to cry.

"Mom, Dad…why did you have to die?" she said clenching her fists in the dirt.

She heard metal clashing together…around the corner. She walked slowly to the corner and peered over slightly. It was "sister" being pressed against a wall with a sword at her neck.

"ZARIE!" cried Noticki…she ran from the corner with another small stiletto in her hand. She slid in the dirt slicing Mugen's calf.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Mugen shouted in pain.

"Noticki?" Zarie's (sister) eyes became wide with shock…Mugen fell to the ground holding his calf. Noticki grabbed Zarie by the wrist, and ran down the alleyway. Leaving Mugen on the ground…

"COME BACK HERE YOU BITCHES!" he shouted on the ground…he picked himself up from the ground but couldn't step on his leg.

Out by a mountainside…Zarie and Noticki walked away from the village.

"Why did you help me? I could have killed him on my own." Zarie explained to Noticki. Noticki lowered her head.

"I'm sorry sister. I just saw you in trouble and reacted…please forgive me." She said in an ashamed voice. Zarie's angry look faded away from her face.

"You were just trying to do the right thing…I'm sorry for getting angry." Zarie said kneeling down to her level.

Noticki hugged her sister touching her upper arm. "Ah." Zarie flinched. Noticki quickly withdrew her hug and saw the wound on her arm.

"What happened?" she asked examining the cut.

"He actually cut me…" she said with a laugh. Noticki stood there with a sort of revelation on her face. Noticki bent down on her knees and ripped off a piece of her short kimono.

"Guess I'm a little rusty." Joked Zarie. Noticki tied the cloth tightly around her arm. Again making Zarie flinch. "Thanks." She said with a smile.

"No problem." She responded.

Footsteps came from up ahead…it was Tomio, Komaru, and Goshino.

"Sisters! Sisters! Are you alright?" asked curious Tomio. He stared at the bleeding cloth around her arm.

"I'm fine," said Zarie standing up "Why where those people after you Tomio?" she asked angrily.

"He took their money…it's enough to last us a couple of weeks." Stated Goshino.

"Yes we did not know the girl had two men with her." Said Komaru.

Zarie clenched her fists tightly…and punched Goshino in the stomach.

"You let that samurai make a fool of you!" she shouted. Goshino laid on the ground holding his stomach.

"Please sister don't be so harsh." Said Noticki. Zarie held her arm and walked away from the group.

She walked up a trail that lead into trees, the trail finally came to a dirt patch looking out over the ocean and a dying sun. She always came here to think…or when she wanted to be alone…no one ever came here with her unless she wanted them too. She sat down near a cliff and felt the warmth of the sunset. She breathed in deeply and thought for a moment. She closed her eyes…remembering him, his face, his body, and his kiss.

FLASHBACK

"This is where me and my sister come to get away from everything, no one knows about this place." A younger Zarie explained. She led a boy through the thick bushes.

"Wow." Said the boy under his breath. He was a strong boy, 16 the same age as her. He wore a ragged white shirt and khaki shorts. He was muscular and tan. His hair was short but wild. His eyes showed no fear of anyone. She liked that about him.

"Are your wounds feeling better?" she asked with sympathy in her voice. His ragged shirt was slightly opened, revealing bloody bandages wrapped around his waist. He touched his stomach and grunted a little.

"Their feeling better now, thanks." He said his voice was raspy and sweet at the same time. She smiled and looked out over the water…waves crashed against the rocks below. A cool breeze blew by every now and then. She sat down by the edge of the cliff and dangled her feet over the edge. The boy stood there looking at her, her face, her hair, her body…everything about her wanted him to make her his.

"Before my parents died, my dad would always take me and my little sister out here. We would stay out here and play and talk till it was too dark to see the edge anymore then we would go back home." She said with her quiver in her voice. The boy sat down next to her and didn't say anything.

Zarie looked away from the boy and wiped away her tears for a moment. She felt something hold her hand…she looked down and saw his warm hand resting on hers. She looked at him with surprise. His eyes told her everything she wanted to know…and everything he felt. He kissed her lips and stroked her cheeks. And for once in many years…Zarie felt okay.

"Zarie I-I…I think…I love you." He said. She looked into his violent eyes and answered him in one simple kiss.

END FLASHBACK

Zarie lifted her head; she smiled as his name rolled off her tongue.

"Mugen…"

To be continued…

Hope you like the second Chapter...PS: I do NOT own Samurai Champloo