Woot, has it been crazy lately! Sorry guys for not updating in a while; with school starting and band and work and whatever the hell else gets thrown my way, I've barely had time to write and whatnot. Anyways, I know there has been some confusion with the way things are going now in the story, but I guarantee this chapter will answer ALOT of questions. That's how I write- you'll figure everything out in the later chapters. Anyways, this is one of my favorite chapters of the entire story, so I hope you like! Please review!
Chapter Seven: The Calling
Jin awoke just as the sun was coming down. He had woken periodically during the day and his tea kettle was empty now. He rubbed his eyes before grabbing his glasses from the nightstand and sat up gingerly. He checked his bandages- he'd only bled a little- and swung his legs over the side of the futon. He stood and pulled on a shirt, limping slightly out into the hall, using the wall as a support. Jin ran his hand through his hair, which was hanging in his face, and retied his ponytail. He was tired, still, despite the fact he'd slept all day. Perhaps he wasn't physically tired, though. It seemed that ever since Mugen had arrived, Jin had been more...
Uptight?
No. No, there was no way Jin could be "uptight". He couldn't really pinpoint what he was feeling. He actually felt a bit confused. Was that it? Anger maybe. Frustration. Definitely frustration. Mugen had always aggravated him, ever since the samurai had laid eyes on him. He was an arrogant, pompous bastard who never knew his place and who never shut up. He had no integrity, no dignity, no discipline or discretion. He was the most dishonorable, indignant, stubborn man he knew. He could go on and on about how much he hated Mugen.
Damn. No wonder he was Jin's best friend.
Despite the fact he couldn't stand him, Jin felt a certain loyalty and camaraderie to Mugen. And even though there was no way in hell he'd admit it, Mugen felt the same towards Jin. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum, totally opposite people. So, naturally, they would had a pull towards each other. The phrase "opposites attract" was the cruelest phrase in the world. Perhaps, though, that's why Jin put up with him. Why he hadn't killed him yet. Sure, they had tried to many, many times, but it never fell through. Actually, when they had parted ways, he could have hazard to guess that they had given up and made amends.
...Ha. Fat chance.
Yet, for now, he'd let Mugen slide by. And maybe even enjoy his company. Jin walked into his and Fuu's bedroom and sat down near the bed. He reached down and pulled up a loose floorboard. Inside, Jin pulled out slender wooden box, and he opened it gingerly. Lying on a velvet cushion was a small engraved dagger, the blade about five and a half inches long and polished to a dazzling sheen. The handle was engraved ivory, and where the blade met the stone, a jade pendant was set, the kanji for "unity" carved into the green. Jin lifted the knife out of its box as if it were the most delicate trinket in the world, carefully unwrapping the red tassel that had accented the ivory. Memories flowed back the second he touched the handle, and his eyes clouded over as he began to remember. He took himself back to that day...
Jin had drifted into the small town two years ago, much as Mugen at the beginning of the meeting. He didn't quite know where it was, or what had brought him there. He'd been following a strange voice, a strange instinct inside himself for weeks. He'd heard it months ago, teasing his senses and thoughts for a long time before he finally acted on them. Maybe he was really looking for them. Not outwardly, but subconsciously, like he always did whenever Fuu and Mugen got into a fight and stormed off to god-knows where. He knew something inside him desperately wanted to find them. He had gone for too long with them by his side, and there was a pang in his heart every time he thought about them. Of course, none of this was outward. He knew that, it Fate chose so, they would find each other again someday.
And that was when he saw her.
Standing about twenty feet away, looking bewildered by her surroundings and looking like she had just blown into town was Fuu. He froze, staring at her, his face slack. The people seemed to part, giving him a perfect view of her, a streamline straight towards her. He didn't move, even when she glanced over and finally spotted him, watching as her body when rigid. Their eyes locked, and for hours it seemed they simply stood and stared at each other. A split second later and Fuu had virtually tackled him, latched onto him and laughing loudly. Jin smiled himself and, strangely, returned her embrace just as enthusiastically.
She let go and her feet touched the ground again, the laughter still in her face and eyes.
"I knew something was here," Jin said, smiling slightly.
Fuu grinned brightly, "I can't believe it! I just can't believe it- this is so amazing!"
Jin nodded, "I don't know what brought me here. Something inside me told me to come here.'
Fuu's eyes widened, "You're kidding! I was traveling just around this area. I was told this was the closest town. This is so weird!"
Jin nodded but smiled again, "How strange that we would be called here, to this town, at the same time."
Fuu stared at him, "Fate.." she whispered, her eyes lighting up.
"I think I have to agree with you, Fuu."
She smiled at the samurai, "Well, if it's Fate, we can't just overlook it now can we?"
"I suppose not. And in any case I don't think you'd stand for it if I refused to spend the next few days at the inn with you-"
"-in no less than the town where Fate brought us together," Fuu said, finishing Jin's last thought. He smirked, a subtle movement, "Lead the way," he told her s he followed her bouncy figure all the way to the only inn in town.
The lodge was relatively small- a restaurant on the ground floor and rooms on the second. Fuu and Jin sat down at a secluded, private table and ordered their food. While they waited for their meal they were given a pot of tea and two bottles of sake. Fuu poured herself a cup of tea and sprinkled just a bit of sake into the tea as well.
"Learned it from Mugen," she said, her eyes twinkling. Jin smirked.
"...Have you seen him?"
Jin glanced at her; the question seemed like had been blurted out. He thought it strange, and surveyed her before answering, "No, unfortunately, I have not."
"Hmm..." Fuu's eyes seemed distant. There was a long silence, "I hope he's alright."
The moment the words left Fuu's mouth she saw something flash in her mind's eye- a man with a sword, another, all-too familiar one in a loose red coat. Searing pain. Blood splashed across the ground.
Fuu clutched her chest and gasped as the image left her- it had only been a blink, a split-second long.
"Fuu, are you alright?" asked Jin in a concerned voice.
"I..I'm fine," she said, wiping her brow which was now dotted in bead of cold sweat.
A waiter came into sight and set down their orders. As Fuu and Jin began filling their bowls they talked animatedly and happily about the past year since they'd parted. Well...if you could say Jin cold talk animatedly. The conversation consisted mostly of Fuu's ramblings and Jin's occasional 'hmm' or 'yeah'. Although, Jin was filled with a content nostalgia- ever since he'd set eyes on Fuu he felt his mood rising. He smiled more now, more than Fuu had ever seen of him. She felt giddy.
Jin also realized how much Fuu had grown up. Their adventures together had greatly matured the fifteen-year-old girl. Now at sixteen, Jin could easily see how she could pass off as a thirty year old. On the inside, of course. On the outside, her stunning beauty had taken Jin aback. Her mind hadn't been the only part of her that had matured. They talked until it was nightfall, and when went to purchase a room.
It was a one-bedroom with a bed and mat in one corner. Jin set his swords down by the nightstand and lit some candles to light up the room in golden warmth. There was a balcony outside with wide, open doors. Fuu stepped outside where the sky opened up; a deep indigo that melted into cobalt blue and every now and then a star would twinkle. Fuu breathed in the air deeply, savoring the taste in the wind and the smell of the village and nature. The silence was broken when she heard, "So Fuu, what have you really been doing since we left?"
"Huh?"
She turned and Jin was standing beside her, leaning forward with his arms on the rail in front of them.
"I told you, I've just been wandering around…"
"I don't believe that," said Jin simply, "I know you too well. Tell me.." he added, almost gently.
Jin? Gentle? Caring? Ha. Fuu didn't really buy it. But for some reason she found herself telling him what had really happened in the past year…
"After we left each other that I day I headed northeast until I found a town to work in. I worked and stayed at a tea house for about four months. It was nice pay; I got free lodging and food, and the old man who worked the house was really nice. He reminded me of my grandfather. I stayed there…until They came. Some men- I don't know if they were a gang or what- were starting a brothel in the town. They thought they could bring in some decent money if they had something to attract people. The town was small, so it was really the only thing they could do to make a good profit- if the whorehouse was good enough, that is. They scalped the village for all young women- threatened to kill their families if they resisted, and promised to share the profit if they complied. They came while I was working one day and took me. I went kicking and screaming of course, " she added, a mischievous twinkle in her eye that even Mugen would have been proud of.
"They took me anyway. I lived there for months. Never paid. Forbidden to leave. They whored us out ten times a day. And they could do anything to you…"
She rubbed her arm involuntarily, "I worked there for seven months before I could escape. I don't know how I did it. I just…ran. With a customer one night. I knocked him unconscious, and slipped out the window and fled. I got out two weeks ago and traveled south."
Her head lowered and her hair fell down to shadow her eyes, "..I hated that place. They'd never stop. No matter how much you cried or screamed. Some even liked it when you did, and just kept on, harder and harder till it hurt. I cried every night…"
Jin could see the tears falling down her cheeks. She rose her head to look at him with unblinking, crying eyes, " I cried every night…Because when we were together, you or Mugen would always come. Maybe not always to save me, but I knew you'd come. I cried for you to save me from that place. Old habit, I guess…"
Jin stared at her, not breaking their gaze, his face blank but eyes full of disdain. Then, slowly, he turned and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in to his body and warmth, "I'm sorry Fuu," he said softly, "I'm sorry I didn't come. I was too far away to hear you."
"No.." Fuu whispered, her cheek against his gi, "You heard me. You're here right now, after all, aren't you?" She looked up at him and smiled, "You're just a little late."
People were rushing by, running, almost a panicked frenzy inside a darkened building. Two or three people came running in, carrying a dripping body- a man with messy black hair and a huge gaping wound across his chest. Voice created a cacophony. They slammed the body on a table, the people crowding around, trying frantically to save this dying man. More movement. White-hot blades, needles, all being carried to the table. One of the faceless men raised a fiery knife to bring down on the man's wound when his eyes flew open- wild, stray dog's eyes.
"Mugen!"
Fuu bolted upright in her bed, sweat pouring from her face and the remnants of her dream still echoing in her head. She was panting, not realizing she had screamed her old companions name into the night. Jin rose from the mat in the corner- she could barely make out his dark form before he lit and candle, the light searing through her sensitive eyes. She rubbed at her face and eyelids until her sight adjusted.
Jin had sat down beside her on the bed, "What's up Fuu?"
The girl shivered, bringing her knees in to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself, "Just a dream…" she mumbled, her face still full of distraught.
"Let me get you some tea, " said Jin, moving to rise.
"No, it's alri-" But the look on Jin's face stopped Fuu from finishing her sentence. She sat quietly and Jin disappeared through the door.
It was Mugen in her dream, she knew it. She could never forget his face or his stone-like eyes. But they were so full of pain…She had felt his pain. Something horrible had happened to him. She knew it, she felt it. She could only pray that he was all right. Fuu stood wearily and walked back outside to the balcony. The wind whipped around her; a cool, gentle breeze that carried the scent of water. There was a long pause before Fuu took a deep breath and shouted his name, willing the wind to carry her sound.
If she called to him, he would come. Jin had come. It had taken him seven months, but he came.. He heard her…She knew Mugen would hear and would come to find her. She yelled again before gazing out at the sky and she turned to go back inside. Jin was standing right behind her, for how long, she didn't know, but for some reason she knew he'd heard her. Blood rushed to her cheeks, "Heh. Sorry. It's foolish, I know."
Jin gave a small smile, "Not really."
He set down a steaming pot of tea, pouring her a cup and then himself one. They sat on the bed, drinking in mutual silence, until, "Could I hazard to guess that you dreamt about him?"
Fuu looked down at the sheets and nodded, "…He was dying."
Jin's face was impassive, "..If it's any consolation, I don't think he's dead. If he was…I'd know," he said simply.
Fuu eyed him, "Oh yeah, that's right. If one of you dies the other goes ballistic, " she said coolly.
Jin closed his eyes, "Something like that. Are you feeling better now?"
Fuu, taken slightly aback, nodded, "Yeah…Thanks Jin."
The samurai nodded and, much to Fuu's surprise and shock, leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead before walking over to extinguish the candle. Fuu smiled softly and settled back into bed, where sleep immediately took her and she slept a dreamless sleep.
For the next few days, Jin and Fuu stayed together at the Inn, venturing out into the town, shopping the market, exploring nearby woods and forests. That's how they found the lake. They had set out one day in the late afternoon and found the trail outside town that lead into the forest. After twenty minutes the lake opened out in front of them, sparkling in the fading light, waters perfectly still. Fuu sat and Jin stood, back against a tree, and watched the sun disappear behind the mountains.
Fuu thought about many things. Jin had returned to his distant self and seemed to he shutting her out. Maybe Jin had always been like that and Mugen was the one that had balanced out the samurai's emotionless behavior. It hurt Fuu. It hurt her so much more than she thought. She looked over at the quiet samurai, "What are you thinking Jin?"
He was silent, his eyes unmoving. Fuu waited, and with each passing second of silence, she felt hot, angry tears well up in her eyes. Finally, she stood and stalked off back down the trail, Jin following her with a bewildered look. Neither of them spoke, even when they reached the room at the Inn. Jin didn't know why Fuu was angry, even though he saw her tears and something inside him wrenched in pain. When he closed the door behind him Jin asked, "Fuu, what's going on?"
The girl rounded on him, fists clenched, "'What's going on?' What do you care Jin?"
The samurai furrowed his brows, "What do you mean Fuu? Of course I care."
"Well you sure have a funny way of showing it!" she spat. Jin stared at her, a frown on his face, but his eyes full of concern and anguish. This only made Fuu more furious and all she wanted to do was throw something at that impassive, blank face..
"I opened my heart to you and all I ever wanted was for you to do the same to me! All I want is for you to open up to me! But instead, you're always this cold, distant, emotionless person and I never know what you're thinking! You've always been like this. I don't know why I thought it would be any different."
She turned around, sobbing softly to herself, a raw pain eating away at her. She didn't know why this heavy panic was falling over her. She was scared. She was scared she was slowly losing him. She didn't ever want that to happen again. There was a long silence and Fuu gave a hateful laugh, "See. Even now you don't say anything. I was stupid to think you might actually talk to me or even act like you even knew me let alone thought I mattered."
She turned to him, her voice now soft, "It's hard…Loving two people who act like I don't even exist. Do you really care, Jin? Or is it just 'old habit'? When I'm with you, I remember our journey, and how happy I was…And then we parted, and I was all alone. I was torn apart every night, every night, and no one came. And then when you did come…I was so happy. But you acted like you always did. And it broke my heart…"
She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth and tears squeezed through the corners of her eyes, "Who are you Jin? Why are you still here?" she yelled.
Jin suddenly rushed forward and seized her shoulders, his face and eyes full of anger, and he kissed her roughly. She wrenched her arms free and threw them around his neck and he wrapped his own around her waist and lifted her off the ground. A wind blew through the open balcony door and blew out the candles, leaving them in blissful darkness. Fuu wept when their lips parted, and he gently lowered them both to the bed.
They made love for hours, by the moonlight, illuminating their porcelain skin. Soft, intimate, lingering touch, they lovingly caressed and cherished every taste and sensation. Fuu had never felt such gestures and feelings- she had lost her virginity to the brothel customers and had never experienced 'love'. It was always sex, meaningless fuck and violence and screams. This was the first time anyone had ever made love to her. Later, as Jin slept and held her close to him in his arms, Fuu had found her nook and inhaled him deeply. He was so gentle, so loving, even as his arms were wrapped around her protectively. She felt like nothing could touch her, nothing could hurt her as long as she was with him, as long as she was in his arms. Fuu smiled softly.
She now knew why Jin was so silent. She understood him now. She realized it while they were together, while he kissed her and felt her so gently and smoothly. Now, he didn't nee dot say anything. Fuu knew what he was thinking by what he did, not y what he said.
And she knew that he loved her.
Jin stirred and slowly opened his eyes; he ran his hand through her hair delicately and kissed her forehead.
"Jin," Fuu whispered, "Let's stay here. Together."
Then maybe Mugen will come..
Fuu didn't need a response from Jin, because she knew he was smiling.
Wonderful…