HI everybody! ) So here it is one out of the last chapter of Already Together. Ps. I don't own Samurai Champloo…sometimes…I have dreams…and things happen in those dreams…..LOOOL

Enjoy!

Chapter Fifteen: Mori and Mugen: Ryuukuu

Mugen had paced around trying to think. Mizu's men had come back empty handed. But he took that as a good sign, it meant that Mori hadn't killed Fuu. Mai and Aki tried to calm Mugen's tense nerves with tea and food, but he kept rejecting it all. Finally, filled with angst and tired he stormed into Fuu's room. He thought that if he was around things that reminded him of her, he would feel better.

But it only made things worse. He wanted to cry, felt that he would if he didn't find her soon. He would give anything, anything, to get her back.

"Mugen." Jin interrupted. He walked in to find Mugen standing and staring blankly out at the world. He had never looked so helpless. Jin entered, shutting the door behind him.

"She'll be safe." Jin wanted to guarantee that. But he wasn't certain. He wanted Fuu back, the house seemed so quiet and empty without her laughter, her crazy questions; and her constant fights with Mugen. He felt insecure and unsafe in this place without those things in place. Mugen turned to him, his eyes closed and thinking.

"What the fuck does that woman want." He was grinding his teeth. Momo-san jumped up on to his chest, holding on to his clothes. Mugen didn't like the little creature, but he was too tired and too consumed in Fuu to brush him off. He squeaked a little but Mugen didn't react.

"Try to get some rest Mugen." Jin said leaving him to be alone with his thoughts. Mugen wasn't the type of man who would want to talk about his feelings, after all what would Jin do with it.

Mugen leaned against the wall, and sat down to the futon, Fuu's futon. He stared at it, remembering every time they shared together. He realized how empty and dark his world was without her. Before she stepped into his life, he wandered around the country, stealing and killing. But when he met her, he had a purpose, a direction to follow. He needed her to keep sane.

"Where are you?" He asked the futon, somehow thinking that it would answer. He laid down on it, keeping his eyes closed thinking of Fuu.

……………………………………………..

"What do you want! Who are you?" Fuu shouted. She was bound, both hands and feet. Mori was in the middle hovering over a fire boiling some water. Her wicked smile stretched from ear to ear as she watched.

"I should thank you. It was because of you, I was able to find him." Mori laughed.

"What are you talking about?" She shouted back to Mori.

"Mugen, because of you, I found Mugen." Mori smirked. It wasn't the same, but it was similar. Fuu saw it, the tanned skin, the rough hair, that smile. It was just like Mugen's.

"What do you want with him?" She demanded. Fuu didn't understand why she wanted to know what business Mori had with Mugen, but she couldn't help feel worried for him. These last few days had been hard on her, considering she didn't remember Mugen at all. Yet, she was drawn to panic for him the instant Mori said his name. She wondered if Mori was planning on killing him.

"You'll see." She said looking into the steaming water. Fuu sat back quietly, trying to understand why her heart was racing so badly. Could she be remembering her old feelings for Mugen, could he really be in danger.

'Mugen..' She thought.

……………………………………………..

He sat up gasping. He saw her, her eyes, her lips curl his name.

"SHIT!" He shouted getting to his feet and racing out of the room to the living area, where the rest of the family was eating. They turned and faced the frantic ruffian.

"Mugen-san, what is it?" Mai asked being the one sitting the closest to his quick entrance.

"I know where she is!" He shouted. The family's eyes widen in surprise as was Jin's.

……………………………………………….

Fuu was slipping to sleep. Whatever Mori had put into the water and forced her to drink, had made her fall asleep. She tried her best to fight it off, but slowly it was making her linger into slumber.

"Don't fight it child. My magic is too powerful to fight off." Mori smirked from the other side.

"Why are you doing this? What do you want from Mugen?" Fuu slowly and tiredly asked. She shifted trying to change position, but her legs and hands were still tied up tightly. She cringed at the pain on her wrists and ankles.

"I have some surprises lined up for him tomorrow. You should really fall asleep." Mori smirked again. This time she got up again with a bigger cup with more water. Fuu tried to shake her head from side to side, but Mori held on to her head.

"Stop this!" Fuu started. Disoriented and falling asleep, Fuu's body was giving up. Mori grinned forcing the water down Fuu's mouth.

"You get the fuck away from her!" Mugen shouted suddenly busting down the door. Mori fell backwards shocked to see him there.

"How did you find me?" She demanded. Fuu struggled to open her eyes to see shapes of two men at the door.

"Mugen…" She whispered falling asleep. Mugen dashed to Fuu holding on to her. But she had closed her eyes and started to dream.

"What the fuck! What did you do to her?" He demanded. Jin was close behind him reminding the old woman with his eyes that he would not hesitate to kill. Mori stood up, smirking at first, and than laughing. It only aggravated Mugen, turning him wilder.

"Shut the hell up you old bitch!" Mugen shouted holding Fuu closer.

"My my son. I never pictured you to be the affectionate type." Mori teased. Jin took a step forward to prevent Mugen from jumping into the air and killing her. First, they needed answers.

"What did you do to her?" Jin asked firmly. He kept his hand over his sword, sending Mori the message that this would turn bloody, if it needed to.

"I did nothing. I only put her to sleep. A sleep that will last forever." Mori laughed wickedly. Mugen's eyes widen.

"What the fuck are you saying?" He shouted unsheathing his sword yet again. Jin took another step closer to Mori, this time with his sword drawn. Mori was impressed, that Mugen was able to find her so quickly. She had other plans for him the next day, but this was just fine.

"It's pay back for leaving me, your mother behind." Mori shouted defending her actions.

"I didn't leave you bitch! You chose to stay!" Mugen shouted back. He wanted to get Fuu out of there, but he wanted answers as well. Jin looked back to Mugen, he recalled Mugen telling him he barely had any memories of her; which meant that he had detached himself from her when he was still young.

"I gave birth to you, you little selfish swine." Mori said back.

"Oy, Fuck off!" Mugen shouted back getting to his feet with Fuu in his arms. He didn't want to hear this any more, and was going to head for the door when Jin asked another question.

"What makes you think Mugen left you behind?" Jin asked. He wanted to know more about this situation. He had long ago figured out that Mori had been following them for awhile, long enough to know that Fuu and he were Mugen's companions. Long enough to know enough about them all to use against them. After all, it was with her magic in their minds did they run into mental problems.

"Well now that you asked me so polity." Mori smiled ego centrically.

"Mugen left, because he didn't think I was a good mother. But I was only teaching him the ways of the Island. He left me alone on that hell." Mori started her flashback, as Mugen and Jin listened on suspiciously.

"He was young, but he fled. That bastard fled. I didn't know where. But when I finally left Ryuukuu, the government offered me the perfect job. To find a young girl, who they were very interested in killing." Mori smirked looking over to Fuu's sleeping body, hanging in Mugen's arms.

"What the f-"

"Go on." Jin interrupted. His eyes had turned black, his breathing slowed to a smooth easy pace. He already could tell where the story was going.

"I went to find her, but to my good luck; there she was rescuing my son. The very bastard that left his own mother." Mori's expression turned cold and dark as she stared at her son.

"I never gave a danm about him, he was only a hindrance to me. Always dragging along with me as I served clients back on the Island. But nobody ever leaves me, until I tell them to go." Mori's voice had turned evil and low. Her tone was more old and mysterious. Jin's eyes narrowed, he had now figured out the extent of the abuse Mugen had seen in his past. He pitied him to be born from such an uncaring woman.

"I followed you three on your little quest to find the Sunflower Samurai, to lead the officials to your little Fuu and her father. For their deaths I would get paid handsomely. I also took that opportunity, to contact some of your old enemies; to lead you to them, so that I could find peace in your death." Mori's eyes had become cold black dots as her smiled turned devilish.

"I only wanted to kill Mugen, but couldn't say no to getting paid so well for the death of a Christian lover and his daughter." Jin felt like he wanted to swoop to her and slice her for the pain she had caused them while on their journey.

"If it wasn't for me reporting to my boss's, you're little trip would have been a lot cozier." She laughed obnoxiously. Mugen's face had twisted into rage, he wanted to let Fuu go, and charge at his mother and kill her; but he had waited patiently to have Fuu back into his safe arms.

"You bitch!" He shouted clutching on to Fuu's body, reminding himself that she was his number one priority. Jin closed his eyes.

"I see. It was because of you, we found so many interruptions while on her journey." He said it calmly, and it angered Mugen to see that Jin was so collective about the matter.

"How else do you think they were able to find you so easily. It was because of me and my magic. I only did now, what I had to do when they were not able to finish off my son. I didn't want to involve you all, but it was clear to me; that somehow the cold dog that I had birthed, had changed-"

"You shut the fucken hell up you old bitch!" Mugen had enough of it. He didn't know if he had really changed, or if he was always a good man inside, and that Fuu had brought the best man out of him. But something did happen to them.

"Oy. Take her." Mugen said. Jin turned around confused. He saw Mugen's determined eyes planted on Mori, ready and willing to do whatever it took to rid of her.

"What?" Jin replied.

"It was because of me we went through so much shit…almost got her killed." Mugen's eyes were hidden behind the bangs of his messy hair. But Jin could tell, that Mugen was intending on fighting this alone. He wanted no one else involved. This was his battle, and he wasn't going to risk Fuu or anyone else he cared for.

"Take her." Mugen demanded. Jin sheathed his sword and took Fuu into his arms. Mugen looked down to her face as Jin collected her and started to walk away. He wasn't sure if his feeling was right, but it felt like this would be the last time he'd see her. Yet, he wasn't completely sad, he was slightly happy, that now she would be peaceful in her life.

"Aw, how sweet of you to save the woman you love." Mori teased.

"I'd be more concerned with yourself." Mugen barked when he saw Jin leave the small shabby hut. It was the one of the first places Mugen took her to love her, it was a place they could come and relax when they wanted to be alone. But Mori had turned this special place to a hateful destination.

"You shouldn't fight me, you won't win." Mori smirked pouring herself another cup of water from the pot. Mugen watched her actions, he didn't feel right. But he couldn't walk out now, no matter what the outcome; he wasn't going to let Mori live.

……………………………………………

"JIN! I brought-"

"No, no one can go in there!" Jin shouted. He demanded that Mizu call his men back. Mizu looked down to Fuu, wondering if everything was fine.

"Where is Mugen?" He asked the tall silent samurai.

"Call back your men!" He shouted looking back to the run down hut. Mizu did what Jin ordered and made his men return. They stood still watching the hut from a far.

"Jin, what is going on?" He asked in a small whisper. He looked down again to Fuu, she seemed to be sleeping. Jin gripped on to her tighter, knowing that this time, Mugen might not return.

Suddenly, the hut lit up, an intense light claiming turf over the dark forest. It was a creepy place, the fog was always lingering there, neither sun light or moonlight ever made it to the ground. The earth seemed to be shaking as they heard Mugen's blood curling scream. Jin's body seemed to freeze as the powerful light continued to blind him and Mizu.

"What's going on Mizu-sama?" One of Mizu's men cried. They were all trying to conceal their eyes, hoping that the light would fade. But the energy only seemed to be pushing them back. They heard swings of a sword hitting wood against the base of the light's energy. Jin looked up, trying to make out the hut, but saw nothing but white.

"Mugen!" He shouted.

OH WOW…yes, this is crazy dramatic! LOL but wait, there's another chapter….

See you guys in the next chapter, the final installment of Already together.