Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Samurai Champloo. I adore the series though 3 and I am for the MugenxFuu JinxShino pairing.

"Hey girl. Where's my sake? Hurry up!"

Fuu scouled and got the man his drink. Maybe if she thought of Mugen when he'd be drenched in the scent of sake she could get by just a little longer. Hope is all one has in situations like this, faith too.

"Fuu, once work is over we want to talk to you. It's important."

Dear, what could be so important? I bet they're firing me. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. If I don't have work or anything tying me here I could try to find him. Another journey to find another man.

I worked for a few more hours until it was rather late and all of the drunks had cleared. Then I went to the back room where Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka were waiting.

"Fuu, this is hard for us but we've gambled everything away. We'd like your help."

Mr. Tanaka nodded to his wife's request.

"If you have no money, not even to pay me this week I don't see how I can help. I really have no money myself."

"Oh, but my dear you still can be quite helpful."

A sinister smirk crept upon Mrs. Tanaka's face and then someone slapped a cloth over my face soaked with chloroform. Everything turned to a haze… What were they going to do with me? Ship me off as a slave? Sell me to a brothel? I didn't care, I was just so miserable and alone.

When I finally started to come to I heard the click of hooves upon the ground. Once my vision cleared more I could see I was in a carriage. I popped my head out the window to see who was leading this little caravan of misfortune. It was some men I had seen a time or so at the bar. After inspecting them for a moment I looked behind the carriage; two men on horses followed close behind. Abruptly we came to a stop and one man came from the carriage seat and into the carriage with me. Once in he tapped his hand on the top of the door frame and we started to move again.

"I am Hiroyuki Moto. Now, princess, here's the deal. The Tanakas have sold you to the Kadima family to marry their son. To make this look legit there are some chests of jewels and gold as a dowry. The things is though once we are there we kill everyone. That way we lose nothing but gain everything."

Fuu's eyes widened. This was just sadistic. Was she to die as well? Either way how was she to pass as a princess? Fuu worked the lump out of her throat and sat up straight to seem brave.

"How do you propose I pass as a princess?"

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a mirror and held it up before her. Her hair was pinned up with many ornate pins; her face had been painted white, her eyes and lips crimson. She had on beautifully extravagant chandelier ruby earnings. She then realized she had on a vibrant red kimono with a pearl white liner. It was all so breathe taking and obviously of the best quality. They stopped at nothing to try and pull this off.

Fuu stared at herself some more in the mirror and raised her fingers to her lips to touch the makeup, to feel if it was her under it. She pulled her fingers from her lips and looked at the red print upon them. Then she turned her hands over to inspect them. Her nails had been painted red as well and there were diamond, ruby, emerald, and other jeweled rings decorating her frail fingers.

Fuu was finally done looking at herself and trying to piece it together in her head. It was just so much to handle. The man put the mirror back in his pocket and closed his eyes.

"There on the seat next to you is the bridal veil. Put it on, no princess about to be married would show her face to others. In the mean time I am going to sleep. Good night princess."

Fuu looked at this veil. It too was red and was to be draped over all of her hair pins. She picked it up and put it on to go to sleep herself. What else was there to do?

It felt like days had passed when I started to wake. I felt the cool night air creep in onto my skin. I could hear the rain as well. It had turned the sky black and grey. The thunder clouds rolled across the sky, like dark stallions stampeding through a desert. The claps of lighting lit the sky and danced through the night. It was really kind of beautiful and peaceful, I managed to lose myself in the night sky.

The ambience of it put me into a sleepy stooper so I closed my eyes. A few minutes later I awoke again, the man in the carriage made a noise that reminded me of the ones made by a man who had been stabbed. I leaned forward and lightly placed my hand on his shoulder and he fell over smearing a trail of blood behind him.

"Aaaaah!"

God, I'm going to die aren't I? I didn't want it to end like this. Just to see him one last time and then you could kill me or torture me in any manner.

I could hear the rush of other horses outside of the carriage, crossing sides of the carriage and surrounding it. Suddenly the horses pulling the carriage let out a loud whiney and I could feel them rise to their back hooves in retaliation. Seemed the carriage was being robbed.

Fearfully I poked my head out the window and saw a group of five behind the carriage and four more in front. The men who had been with me before were all gone, probably dead. Quickly I retreated back into the carriage and dropped to the floor. The veil on my face was now moist from the rain and clung to my face as I breathed heavily.

The carriage lurched forward and stopped throwing me against the dead man in front of me. I frantically pulled myself back against the other side. Everything sounded like it was rushing through my ears. I felt as if I was going to have a heart attack. I swore I could hear my heart pounding as if it were on the floor in front of me.

A man got off of his horse; I heard his feet hit the dirt and small rocks of the road. I then could see the dark figure approaching the door. I scurried back into the other and clumsily fumbled for the door handle. Once I found it I opened it and ran out into the rain.

I just kept running, everything was so loud I couldn't hear if anyone was close behind me. My legs were pumping so fast that it felt like acid was coursing through my veins. My efforts were in vain, I felt someone grab me around my waist and I just started kicking and screaming.

"Put me down! Let go off me!"

I was drug back by the others and placed on the driver's seat of the carriage. I started to sob; I was just so weak couldn't do a thing for myself. If they were still with me it'd be ok, he'd come for me. But I was alone… All of those other times I was saved when maybe I shouldn't have been would come to conclusion tonight.

Two men were just leering at me and one reached for the veil on my face. I slapped his hand away and backed up a bit. This outraged the man and he jumped there pinning my wrists behind me. The other was started to pull my kimono up and I flailed about. I was still a virgin and regardless I didn't want this. I kicked the mans face in front of me and raised my leg to hit the other in his groin.

I bound from the seat and started running up the road. There was one dark figure standing there but I didn't care. My chances were better fighting just one. I knew the others were fast on my heel; no way they would forgive me for that. If they caught me…God I don't want to think on what they'd do. I felt a hand grab for my veil and pulled it off as I still ran forward. Then I tripped. I was done for. My sandal broke and I fell into the man before me. I reluctantly raised my head to see whom I had crashed into. Just to see who would most likely kill or rape me.

It was so hard I could barely make out his features. I squinted to try and keep some of the rain out of my eyes.

"Give her to us! That bitch is going to pay for what she did."

The other bandit whom I had kicked in the face chuckled and the one I was still against stood there. Completely apathetic.

"Why should I?"

They both got annoyed by his response and just tried to pull me away so I screamed. He unsheathed a sword from his back and cut the mans hand off.

"Don't challenge my authority. Got it!"

That voice…I squinted again and a bolt of thunder lit the sky behind him so I could see him.

"Mugen? Is…is that you Mugen?"

I stumbled forward and let myself fall into his chest and just started to cry. I tried to talk and my words were muffled and choked by my tears.

"Mugen, where have you been? I needed you Mugen…I needed you."

I was stressed that I started to feel light headed and lose conscious. I could feel my body collapsing beneath me but I never hit the ground. An unanticipated wave of heat ran through me, I was close against him in his arms. I felt so at peace, like if I were to die this minute it'd be ok.

"It's ok Fuu…I'm here, I won't leave you again. I'm…I'm sorry."

A warm drop of water fell onto my face, I must have been dreaming. Would he cry for me? Next in my dream I felt his hand on my face lightly exploring my features. Had he missed me too?

Note: Okies I shall start the next chapter but I found this would be a good stopping point for this one. R&R if you wish.