Hero For Hire

cap'n coree

Chapter 8: Catalyst

Once again the balance had been thrown off. Fuu pretended Raharu wasn't there, and Raharu sulked most of the day. Jin was afraid that if something didn't change, they'd be ripped apart at the seems. Jin had been filled in on what must have happened by Mugen. Most of it was guess work, but Jin assumed that it must be accurate, he'd never seen Fuu in such a slump. Sometimes she would look so lost, and open her mouth as if she wanted to say something, to anyone, but lacked the words. Her trust, it seemed, had been broken. She no longer talked as much as before. Jin might have been glad for the end of such noisy disturbances like shrieks of girlish laughter, or the piggish laugh from Raharu, but he found whenever he did try to meditate all he could do was worry for Fuu. What could he do? He was never good at conversation, and whenever he approached Fuu, he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to talk about Raharu. It was none of his buisness, and he didn't even want her to know he knew. It couldn't do either of them any good. Mugen was taking the whole ordeal out on Raharu. He would spew every insult he could at her, whenever the chance came up, but she never fought back. She'd just smoke her pipe and stare into the fire, as if nothing was happening. This disturbed Jin just as much as Fuu, and he wondered how bad things had really been in that bathhouse. It enraged Mugen who was looking for an excuse to get into a fist fight with Raharu. Fuu didn't even pay any mind to the onesided fight, when before, she might have spoken up. Jin was uneasy sleeping out doors these days. Fuu had a nasty habit of sleeping too far away from them all, and slipping off in the night. It worried Jin. He was afraid something bad would happen if he let her out of his sight for too long.

Jin was glad when they had an inn to sleep in. He thought that the four walls would contain Fuu. She wouldn't be able to escape. And then she was forced to sleep close to them, where he could hear her every breath and assure himself that although she seemed defeated, she was yet alive.

Raharu had gotten into the habit of sleeping in a seperate room, but distance couldn't lessen the pain. She was sluggishly making her way down the hall to the bath when she ran into Fuu and Mugen in the hall. Fuu was training her eyes on the floor. Mugen was scowling in her direction. Raharu clutched the towel she carried to her chest. "Fuu."

Fuu didn't look up, but gave a slight "Hnn" in response. Raharu counted this as a good sign. She had in a way said something to her after all.

"I'm going to take a bath. I was wondering, would you mind-" Fuu looked up at her, her eyes flashing (with fear, or rage?) and shook her head.

"No, no. I'm going to take a walk, ur, outside. Go ahead and take your time Raharu." she said, and hurried away. Mugen looked torn between following Fuu and beating Raharu to a bloody pulp. Since he was more use to showing rage then compassion, he chose the latter of the two. Mugen whirrled on Raharu, slaming her against the paper screen that served as a wall. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he hissed between clenched teeth.

"Let me go." she whimpered, "Please- I just want things to go back-"

"Back before you fucked everything up, eh? Leave Fuu alone! I will fucking break your neck if I catch you-"

"Please-" she whinned, trying to push him off, "I just want to talk to her-"

"You've done enough damage!" Mugen growled, tightening his grip on her shoulders until it ached painfully.

"Because I did what you're too afraid to do!" Raharu bellowed, grasping his hand, trying to pull it off. Mugen fury increased ten fold, and he moved one hand off her shoulder and to her throat.

"I should kill you." He wrapped his hand around it, cutting off her air supply. "I should kill you right now so I don't have to look at you. So Fuu doesn't have to look at you." Raharu gasped and flung her limbs out in a flurry in an attempt to knock him off. They all fell with a weak "thud" against his chest and shins. Mugen was unaffected. She tried to call for help, anyone. Someone would have to come- but she couldn't breathe let alone talk.

"Thats enough." Jin put a hand on Mugen's shoulder.

"Mind your own, Fish Face."

"I said that's enought. Stop now, Mugen." He seized Mugen's hand and tried to remove it. "I will have to use force if you don't Mugen." Mugen's eyes flashed, and he scowled at Jin. 'How can you defend her when you know what she's done..'

"This won't solve anything." Mugen didn't release his grip. Raharu was turning blue. Jin feared any moment she'd pass out... Jin, although he didn't like Raharu, could not let this go on. His honor forbade it. He had no choice. He hauled off and hit Mugen with such force that it threw him off Raharu.

"Bastard." Mugen bellowed. Raharu was running for the door, cluthcing her throat. Her legs pumped, although a moment ago she didn't have the strength to work them, and she didn't know where she was going, except she was running after Fuu.

"How could you do that, Jin." Mugen growled, standing up "You know she deserves it."Jin shook his head.

"She just did what we were too cowardly to do." Mugen clutched the hilt of his sword.

"I'll kill you-" Mugen threatened, "Don't fucking test me." Jin regarded him coldly.

"Somehow I doubt it Mugen-" There was the sound of steel sliding out of the sheath, and in a moment they were tangled together in a blur of blue-red-and silver. Vases were broken, the paper walls were sliced apart. Occupants of rooms shrieked and searched for an escape as they bounded from room to hall to room, breaking anything in their way. Suddenly, however, a familliar shriek out-shrieked all others, and both men were disarmed.

"Fuu." Mugen growled, turning away from Jin, who followed, leaving her customers, and innkeeper, astounded, confused, and a little frightened.

Raharu heard the scream, and her legs, though weary as they were, worked harder to reach the cry of distress, and her throat, though sore and spent as it was, managed to call out her name. 'Fuu, this is all my fault.' She didn't know what could be wrong, but her mind raced with what could be happening to her at this instance. She weaved in and out of the trees, leaving the path. Soon, a group of burly men came into view between the thick wood trunks, they were semi-circled around something that gave them great amusment, and the stench of sake rolled of them and uphill.

"LET ME GO!" Fuu screamed as one of the larger men pushed her against a tree, her back arching painfully as a limb dug into her back.

"Give us some sugar hon," he called sardonically, leaning forward. Raharu's stomache lurched, but she realized she had left her bow and arrow at the hotel. She was useless.. Suddenly there was a howl of pain as the man flinched away from the girl, his hand to his mouth. Scarlet flooded his fingers and Fuu spit out a chunk of skin from his lip.

"Your gonna pay for that you little cunt!" he howled, trying to stop the blood flow. His friends advanced, and he drew a knife from his pocket. "We weren't gonna hurt yeh, much, but now.." Raharu's legs were once again propelling her down the hill towards the group, and she knocked one or two down before coming to stand before Fuu right before the knife struck home-

It buried itself deep into Raharu's side and she her vision blurred. She heard Fuu calling her and trying to hold her up. Raharu tried to steady herself by leaning against Fuu, still protecting her by using her own body as a shield. She was loosing blood fast, and the man was pointing the knife at her again.

"Git the fuck outta here, bitch, this ain't none o' your buisness." Raharu fixed him with a threatning glare, but she was seeing double and didn't know which one was the real thing-

"Don't you touch her." He was putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to throw her out of his way, blood pouring down his chin.

"I'll fucking kill you if you don't leave." He was reaching for Fuu, and Raharu used the last ounce of her strenght to seize his arm and twist it the wrong way. Bone's cracked, and he howled again. He lifted his knife again, ready to burry it in Raharu's eye. There was a flash of silver- a spray of blood. The man fell to the ground, the hand with the knife missing its target and just barely grazing Raharu's cheek.

Mugen wiped the blade of his sword clean and returned it to the sheath. Raharu looked up at him weakly, and fell face forward into the dead body on the ground. He smelled like blood, and piss, and sake, but Raharu couldn't move. Fuu was weeping, shrieking her name. That was the last thing she heard before she faded out.

Mugen and Jin sat by the door of the small hut they found abandoned at the edge of town. They had just got back from the hotel, the owner was too afraid to stop them from packing their things. Jin admired his common sense. Fuu was in the hut, the door closed. She was working on Raharu's injuries. Raharu hadn't woken at all through the past night, and then day, and Fuu was distressed. She had smeared salve and sewed the gaping wound in her side. A little sloppy, but it wasn't leaking blood as it had been before. She had yet to leave her side, afraid that if she did the life in her would escape. Mugen and Jin slept on and off, concerned for Fuu. Jin had offered to take over, but Fuu wouldn't leave.

Eventually Raharu did wake. She opened her eyes to find Fuu hovering over her, eyes half open, drooping with the need for sleep. "Fuu," she whispered, gently brushing her cheek with her hand. Fuu's eyes opened completely.

"Oh Raharu! You're awake!" she cried, and squashed the longing she had to hug the girl tightly. Her wound wasn't healed completely.

"Fuu, could you get me some food and water?" she whispered meekly, and Fuu obeyed. They had to stay there for quite sometime. Almost a week. Fuu cared for Raharu, often disregarding her own needs to do so. Mugen and Jin sat by idly. Jin and Mugen wouldn't admit it, but they both respected Raharu alittle more after the incident. She had thrown herself infront of Fuu. Something both had done, but her skill was no where near either of theirs, and she had no weapon. She had thrown herself infront of Fuu, knowing that she might die for it, and probablly would have had it not been for them. Mugen wondered if he would have done the same. So did Jin. When they watched her sleeping uneasily by Raharu, waking almost every hour to check on her, as she did for them on several occassions, they knew they would. The fact that Raharu would to- well it wasn't enough to make them like her, but Mugen no longer desired to rip her throat out.

Raharu had healed enough to the point where she could walk, and do things adeptly for herself. She knew they'd have to leave soon. They started making plans already. She packed her things along side Fuu, every now and then wincing from the strain of her injury.

"We're going to have to rest alot more." Fuu said, watching her.

"Hm." Raharu avoided Fuu's eyes.

"Whats wrong?" Fuu demanded. They were on fairly good terms now- but there was still a strange tenseness between them."Nothing Fuu, just thinking." Raharu replied, forcing a smile.

The next morning they gathered outside the hut, ready to depart. Raharu stood stiffly, her eyes cast in the other direction as the trio started walking. Fuu turned around.

"RAHARU?" she called, "Are you coming?" Raharu remained rooted to the spot. Fuu looked at Jin and Mugen for help but they were both looking casually at the ground. She jogged back to her.

"Is it your wound? Are you not ready to go?" Raharu shook her head. "Then what is it?"

"I can't go with you anymore, Fuu." Fuu blanched, confused.

"Why not?" Fuu asked, hurt. She was just starting to get her friend back-

"I can't and you know why." Rahary said kindly, looking Fuu in the eyes. "I love you, and thats not going to change. And I understand that you can't love me. But- I can't change the fact that it hurts."

"Have you ever tried not being.." Fuu's voice lowered a knotch, "a..you know.. a homosexual?" Raharu laughed, clutching her side, afraid it would split her carefully healing seam, doubling over. Fuu looked at her, concerned.

"You can't be something you're not." Raharu said, placing a hand on Fuu's shoulder. She drew the younger girl into a careful embrace. "You were my first best friend." She whispered into her hair. Fuu tightened the embrace wrapping her arms around Raharu's waist and wept into Raharu's shoulder while laughing all the while.

"You were my only girlfriend," Fuu hiccuped. Raharu smiled, grateful, and touched her lips gently to Fuu's. Mugen started to approach, but Jin stopped him.

"Let them say goodbye." Jin said calmly, grabbing Mugen by the collar. They did however,start walking towards them.

"You know they're in love with you, right?" Raharu said, eyeing Jin and Mugen over Fuu's shoulder. It was Fuu's turn to laugh.

"Raharu, don't joke about that!" She said, giving Rahary a gentle shove on the shoulder, "Mugen and Jin? Honestly." She chuckled and bit her lip. Raharu sighed. 'Fuu's as blind as usual.' Raharu shook her head and shrugged as they approached, Jin putting a hand on Fuu's shoulder to guide her away. It was kind of comforting. Atleast it meant that neither of them would be winning anything anytime soon.

"So it's all between you two now." She said to Mugen and Jin, "Don't let her go." Mugen snorted and spit on the ground, pretending he wasn't listening. Jin "Hmm'd" Raharu turned, but called over her shoulder.

"If you ever change your mind Fuu, come find me."

"Who knows," Fuu laughed, "With these two? I'm pretty sure they'll drive me away from men forever if something doesn't change! Especially Mugen!" Raharu laughed.

"WHATS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN?" Mugen snorted.

"That you're disqusting." Fuu replied calmly as they walked away. Mugen cursed and threatned her.

"You think your such hot shit?"

"Atleast I don't smell like shit! I bathe!" Fuu replied. Raharu watched them for a moment before turning away. She was headed to Yuki's. Perhaps her offer still stood...

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AN Thats not the last chapter. I have an epilouge in mind for it. I'm open to anyone who voulenteers to read over my work and correct it. Much thanks would be given. The epilouge should be up quick, maybe even within today. I wanted it to be longer, but I could think of anymore fillers without avoiding the plotline completely.