Samurai Champloo and its characters do not belong to me. Doiji Akira and Doji Sakura do belong to me.
A/N: Well I'm in the process of revising all my chapters and this is the chapter I worked on first. I don't know, I have this sudden urge to fix all my mistakes. Oh well as always enjoy and review.
With Broken Wings
Chapter Two: Powder Blue Demon
She ran back and fourth, serving tea and bringing out soups and food, she hated working during the lunch time, but she had no choice, she had to work and she would love it, or she would go hungry tonight.
"Hey Fuu, I need you to serve the Daimyo's children, they're sitting at the table by the window." The old man poked his head out from the back room, his black beady eyes following Fuu.
"Alright." Fuu ran a thin arm over her forehead, the heat was killing her. She knew that must have looked like a poor sweaty little girl that played in the sun for too long. She knew that all the people looked at her with a tinge of disdain. But she couldn't let that bother her, she was a hard working girl and she had to get her life on track.
She wiped her hands on her kimono, and looked over to the table the old man spoke of.
That's the first time she met them.
He sat silent, he shaggy brown hair pulled back into a pony tail, he wore the finest powder blue and white hakama and haori, but the thing that stuck out best about him were his sad ice blue eyes. He always kept them downcast. Never looking up.
Her, on the other hand, she sat next to the sad boy and talked up a storm. She was beautiful, what would be considered a perfect Japanese girl, her flowing black hair tied back into an ornately decorated bun, her lips painted to resemble the freashest roses. She too wore a beautiful powder blue and white Kimono, tied with a gorgeous silk obi. Like the boy that sat next to her, she also had the most striking eyes, but unlike the boy that sat next to her, her eyes where filled with venom and hatred.
Fuu gulped heavily and slowly made her way over to the table, "Uh… what can I get you guys to drink?"
The girl snapped her head in Fuu's direction, fire ice meeting simple maroon, "How dare you address us like commoners, do you have any idea who you're talking too?"
"Now Sakura-chan, it's not her fault she doesn't know, she's new here." The boy's voice barely carried past the table.
The girl turned her head to him, giving him a slight pout, "But Akira-kun, she's but a mere waitress, she should have more respect then that."
Fuu bit her lip, she tried her hardest not to blow up and give the girl a good right hook.
The boy looked up at Fuu, noticing her frustration, "I think we would like to start out with some tea."
Fuu nodded and walked into the back, cursing the powder blue demon.
Never in all her life had she met someone like that girl, Fuu felt a red hot heat rising in her, she knew that this girl was going to spell trouble for her.
With all the costumers gone, Fuu sat in the back room. She looked around at the dirty little Kitchen, the plates and pans scattered about, the sack of rice slowly tipping over. She smiled at all of it. Even though it looked nothing like the kitchen at her mother's house, it still had the smell and feeling of it. She felt warm and content with it. Even though she hated her job, she loved coming into the back room every night and helping the old man's wife, whom she called Oba-san, clean up the mess. It gave her a feeling of belonging and happiness.
The old man was the first to wall in, pushing the sliding door over and puffing on his pipe. Fuu coughed a bit at the putrid smell, but she gave the old man a kind smile. He nodded at her and sat down on a worn brown mat. Fu speculated that this mat was older then her.
The sliding door opened once more and an old woman walked in holding a blue ceramic bowl. Like her husband, she was bent over, but unlike the old man, she had a mirthful smile on her face. Fuu looked at each wrinkle on her face, knowing that this woman had been threw a lot in her day, and that when she was young, she was probably as strong as an ox.
The old woman sat down on the mat next to Fuu and handed the girl the bowl to the girl. Fuu eyes the rice hungrily, feeling her stomach twist with hunger pains. He old woman looked at her and smiled, "Go on child, it's hard to have you working with no food in that small stomach of your."
Fuu smiled and took the bowl out of the older woman's hands, "Arigato Oba-san."
The three of them in silence for the longest time until Fuu decided to break the silence, "So what's the big deal with those kids that came in here?" Fuu shoveled some rice into her mouth
The old man shook his head, "They are the Children of Doji Naresu, the girl is Doji Sakura and the boy is Doji Akira."
Fuu shrugged her small shoulder, "So?"
"Gods, don't you know any thing?" The old man sighed, "They are the grand children of the Emperor."
Fuu almost spit out her rice, "WHAT!"
The old man nodded, "Watch out for Sakura, she's a demon showered in jewels. She is very protective of her brother, some say that she even loves him."
"Loves him?" Fuu wrinkled her nose.
"The way a woman loves a man."
"You don't mean…the way woman a LOVES a man right?" Fuu held the bowl close to her chest, her heart beating rapidly, she knew that she didn't want to hear the answer, but she also knew that she would die if she went threw life not knowing.
Present Day
"Will you Fuu-san?"
Her head felt light, she thought she was going to pass out. In fact she was sure of it, this was going to be the place where she died.
She found the energy to talk, her throat, dry and raspy, "I…I… I don't know Akira-san, I need more time to think about this." She forced another smile out.
Her face was burning up, yet she knew that she must have looked like death. She looked around her tea room. All the fine furniture and tapestries that decorated it. She knew that her hard work had brought her all of these goods, yet she knew that of she where to die there, all of the fine things that she bought would be naught. She looked back at him, his blue eyes burning a hole into her; she couldn't give him an answer, at least not now.
He nodded understandingly, "of course, take all the time you need, I will not rush you."
He got up and looked at awkwardly, as if he didn't know how to part. He nodded again and took his leave. Fuu stared at the rice paper door, hoping that her life would end.
Urg, why do these things always happen to me.
She fell back onto the thick rug and closed her eyes, hoping this was all a dream.
A/N: Kinda short….ehhh…. wasn't in much of a writing mood today. Well I've come to the conclusion that I'm gonna write this fic in present time, while using flashbacks from one year ago for back up info…. Well review and as always…love
Celest no Tenshi