Ok, so i got a bit carried away with the last chapter Sorry everybody! I didn't want to rate it an "M" because the story really isn't an "m" and that scene is the only kinda detailed part.And also, sorry for the weirdness, length-wise in the chapters...I'm not meaning for this to have tons of chapters, i'm just stopping where I feel is most appropriate. Sorry if it's annoying ' Anyways, this might be the last chapter for a while, but I'll update as soon as I can!

Chapter 5: Eternal Night

Mugen awoke about two hours before dawn. But it wasn't his usual slow, lumbering, half-asleep awakening. His body didn't move an inch, his breath had stopped, and his eyes opened with a tense, concentrated look.

He'd heard something outside; it had stumbled in through the fence and had stopped, apparently, somewhere inside the yard. With catlike grace and stunningly silent movement, he was out of bed and out the door, having grabbed his shirt and donned it as he made his way to the front door. He grabbed his sword which was propped up against the wall and slipped on his sandals, all noiselessly. Mugen walked in front of the door and grabbed the top of the frame, lifting himself up easily to poke a hole through the rice paper wall and glance into the yard. He saw a dark mound outside, lying strangely in a pile, bleeding. His eyes narrowed and he jumped back down.

He opened the door just enough to slip into the darkness, completely inconspicuous. He took cautious, quiet steps despite his steel-plated sandals on the stone walkway. He unsheathed his sword when he was nearly five-steps away from mound and his arm tensed, but his face went slack when he saw their face,

"Jin!"

He dropped down next to him. The samurai's face was blank, except for his eyes, which were closed very tightly. He was holding his side, which was bleeding onto the sidewalk. Mugen quickly sheathed his sword and felt around where Jin's wound was. He had two fingers lodged into his skin, deep, all the way to his knuckles.

"Uh...Shit." Mugen mumbled.

He took Jin's arm and swung it around his shoulders, lifting him up,

"Come on, Jin," he said, grunting, "I'm gonna get you all fixed up."

Mugen dragged his old friend inside, blood trailing behind them. Once in Mugen dumped him on the couch in the living room.

"Hold tight," He said, finding matches and lighting all the closest candles around him. Once done he dropped to his knees next to Jin,

"Sorry, but you're gonna have to lose the top," he said, ripping off Jin's shirt.

The samurai gave a slight smile, opening one eye slowly. He winced when Mugen quickly replaced his fingers with Mugen's own, plunging them deep inside. He wiggled them around a bit, feeling him out,

"Well, they missed an organ," he murmured, "..but they cut pretty deep. I'm gonna have to sew it up."

Jin glanced at him, wincing, "You..know how..to do that?"

Mugen smirked at him, "'Course. What did you think I did on the streets for all those years? Now you're gonna have to hang tight till I find all the stuff, so here,"

He took Jin's hand again and replaced his finger again before sprinting off to find what he needed.

He found a needle, thick twilled thread and a bottle of mirin. He grabbed a knife before setting down the items on the table next to Jin, before running outside in the backyard. He found an elm tree just outside of the fence, hopped over and jumped up, climbing the tree like a monkey and settling himself on a thick branch. He used the knife to hack away at a branch above him and lifted up a bowl to catch the sap. He waited until he had enough to cover just above the bottom of the bowl before he jumped up and over the fence, landed in the backyard, and dashing into the house.

Once by Jin's side Mugen took the needle, dipped it in the sap, sprinkled some mirin n it, then held the needle over a candle fire until the blade was white hot. He pulled in the thread, gave Jin a smirk, and plunged the needle into him.

"Here, lay on your side. Then maybe the bleeding'll stop.."

Jin gave him an incredulous look but laid down anyway, pulling his fingers out as Mugen sewed the wound. Jin was surprised- Mugen was sewing him together very tightly, very skillfully, which was uncharacteristic for the man. Once finished he cit off the string, tied it together very tightly, very skillfully, which was very uncharacteristic of the man. Once finished he cut off the string and tore a cloth to tightly wrap his side.

Jin sat up gingerly, holding his injured though newly repaired side. He looked completely worn out, his face gaunt. He took off his glasses and set them aside, rubbing his eyes. Mugen yawned and sat back, holding his hands behind his head,

"Alright then, Jin...What the fuck happened?"

The older man sat back carefully, leaning his head back on the couch, "I was out to do a job, take care of some men who were causing trouble in the eastern part of the village. I suppose I was being careless and one of them stabbed me. I...didn't kill all of them, I was hurt too badly. They might have followed me-"

No sooner had he said it then they heard a strange rustling outside. Mugen extinguished the four candlelight's with his forefinger and thumb and handed Jin his swords.

"Don't move," He mumbled to him, "I'll take care of them. If one of them gets inside use these-" he indicated his weapons, "- But I don't think you'll have to worry about THAT happening. Anyway, I wouldn't move if I were you. Is there a way onto the roof?"

Jin nodded, "In the guestroom."

Mugen smirked and walked down the hallway and into his room, hands in his pockets. Once inside he looked up and saw a small door on the ceiling. He jumped up and pulled down on the ringed handle, hopping up and lifting himself onto the roof. Moonlight streamed into both the front and back yards. Mugen glanced down and saw about seven or eight men climbing over the fence and advancing towards the house. Mugen dropped down off the side of the house and into the bushes. He watched, his eyes alight, and waited until the nearest man was nearly eight feet away before dashing out and silently slipping his knife into the man's side, covering his mouth to stifle his scream a moment before he fell unconscious.

He pulled out,letting the man crumble to the ground, and continuing on to the next three, unnoticed. The third, however, gave a yell right before Mugen slipped his knife in. Cursing, Mugen grabbed his sword and ran around the house to the backyard. The men, already alerted to his presence, and charged him with unsheathed swords.

Mugen dodged a futile swing from the first and drove his sword up and into the thug. He slipped out and charged the next two, slicing one's arm off from the shoulder. As he fell and the other took the fallen one's place, Mugen jumped forward onto his hands and performed his trademark breakdance attack spin-kicking them to the ground. But Mugen was already back on his feet, as as the two fell, he swung wide and chopped off one leg each from the knee down. They lay on the grass, moaning, screaming, and bleeding.

Mugen rolled his eyes before sheathing his sword, "Quit whining," He said, spitting next to the nearest, writhing man.

"Now sit tight. I'll be right back." And he swept off into the night.

Thirty minutes later the police were carrying off the men. Mugen was talking to the head chief, "All the guys are alive just like you told my, um...boss. Well, except that guy," he jabbed his thumb in the direction of the half severed body and he smiled, "But anyway...I'd like the reward money now, thanks. And you'll find some more guys near the eastern part of town; I don't know how many, but I'll take the money for them too."

He held out his hand, in which a large coin purse was dropped.

"Alright, thanks, bye. Oh, and take their arms and stuff with you too. I'm sure my..boss wouldn't want to clean that when he wakes up," Mugen mumbled, counting the gold pieces and turning to walk back into the house.

Once inside he walked over to Jin and tossed the bag onto the table.

"Here. I took care of it," He took a good look at Jin, his face contorting, "You look god-awful. Want some tea? Wait, I don't know how to make tea...Want some sake?"

He left and came back with several bottles, "You and I BOTH need a drink."

Jin nodded though drank unenthusiastically- by the time he was half-way through with his first bottle, Mugen was on his third. He laughed,

"What I wouldn't give to see you shit-faced, Jin...Too bad you can't hold licker at all, hic.."

"So I trust you didn't kill ALL of them?" Jin replied, ignoring Mugen's comment and eyeing the heavy coin bag on the table.

"Nope. Well, except this one guy, kinda cut 'im in half..But just one. The rest I just knocked out or cut their arm or leg off or whatever.."

He now had a gurgly look about him. Jin rolled his eyes and finished his bottle off, now feeling extremely drowsy. He'd lost a good amount of blood and the sake didn't seem to be helping his fatigue. He set his bottle aside,

"Mugen, I'd like to sleep..."

He tossed his own bottle down and hopped up off the couch, "Alright, here we go," and helped him off the sofa, arm around his shoulders, "Wanna sleep in my room?"

"Yes, actually, that might be a better idea."

"What, Fuu still thrash around in bed?"

"Yeah. She's hit me pretty hard in the face a few times. That and I don't want to wake her."

"Sure thing."

They'd reached Mugen's room, which now had a musky sort of smell hanging around in the air. Mugen felt the blood drain from his face,'Oh shit..' he thought.

Jin sniffed and grimaced, "Mugen, could you at least have the decency to do that outside or while you bathe? If and when you feel the need to do it at all?"

Mugen set Jin down on the bed, his insides slack with relief, and he laughed,

"You know me Jin. When there's no one around, gotta do it yourself sometimes. Or all the time, you know, whatever works."

He smirked at the look of disgust that was thrown back at him and rushed out of the room, "Well, I'll be on the couch, bye!" Mugen threw over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him. Jin rolled his eyes before gingerly lying down and succumbing to sleep.