(To Mirandler: Constructive criticism is always welcome.)


Chapter Three

Fuu sighed, turning the corner to meet Mugen by the little fountain they'd passed hours earlier. She hadn't had any luck at all, and she sure was hungry.

Mugen was lying by the side of the fountain. He'd kicked off his geta, which were lying in the dirt beside him. He was on his back, staring directly at the sun, slowly rotating a straw in his mouth. It was obvious to Fuu he hadn't been searching at all.

"It's obvious to me you haven't been searching at all!" she snapped, storming up to him.

"Huh?" said Mugen. He turned his head toward Fuu, but all he could see were little red circles.

"You've been lying here all day, haven't you? I've been out there looking for your mother! And you've just been lying here!"

"It's hot," whined Mugen. "Besides." He heaved himself up and dangled his feet in the water. "It's my quest and I get to choose how to do it. And I didn't even ask for your help in the first place. No one's making you stay, girly! You can bite dust if you want to. Me, I'm gonna do whatever I want." He looked down at the ground suddenly, pushing out his lower lip thoughtfully and nearly dropping his straw. "And, look, we still haven't found her. She's probably still in Ryuukuu."

Fuu sighed and sat next to Mugen. "We've only been looking a few days, Mugen. It took us months to find my dad, remember? We'll find her. We just have to be patient." She patted his arm, but he wrenched away.

"I hate being patient."

"Well, maybe you should learn to be patient anyway," said Fuu primly. Her stomach growled loudly. She rubbed it and looked expectantly at Mugen.

"What? Oh, I get it now! You expect me to buy you food, don't you? That's why you came back and decided to help me! You little whore!"

Fuu was too used to Mugen's insults to be daunted. She stared at him pointedly. "You have money, right?"

"Where would I get money?" snorted Mugen. "You know I can't keep a job. I can't even get a job."

"Gimme a break, Mugen. You've got the stickiest fingers of anyone I know."

Mugen looked proud. "Well… I've got skill," he conceded. He heaved himself up and swayed, nearly falling before Fuu caught him. "Let's go!" he said, staggering toward a tree.

"Did you know you're not supposed to look directly into the sun?" asked Fuu, as Mugen got closer and closer to the tree. He finally smashed into it, falling onto his back dizzily.

From the ground, he snapped at Fuu. "What are you, my mom?"


Jin whistled as he entered the town. He'd been wandering days now. What a nice feeling. He'd forgotten the long, peaceful, still moments by himself. He'd forgotten how it was to really think his thoughts. He could run through whole training sessions in his mind without being interrupted. When he was hot, the breeze through his billowy clothes felt good, and when he was cold, the rays of the sun on his back warmed him.

He certainly wasn't having a perfect time, though. The last town, for example. He'd pulled his sword on a man he came across, who was beating his wife. The little worm ran, and Jin sheathed his sword and continued on his way. Then the man had come back, with a whole group of police. And they'd identified him as "that foreigner who's been ripping everyone off."

How dare they! He hadn't ripped anyone off! He'd been eating food stolen from windowsills, which certainly wasn't noble, but wasn't really ripping anyone off, either. Anyone who was wealthy enough to leave food lying on windowsills unguarded could do without it.

It wasn't until Kana reappeared that he realized who the "foreigner" was.

Fortunately, he had temporarily lost her again. Or, she'd lost him. He'd bribed her to leave him alone with some money. She'd skipped off ahead. Jin could have turned and gone a different direction, but he knew she'd find him. So he plodded on ahead, and when he reached the sunny little town, he allowed a smile to touch his lips. Some children were playing in a fountain. He swept past them; they paused to watch him.

"Wow! A samurai!" said one in a hushed voice. Jin smiled a little more. He found himself carrying himself with a little more dignity, and taking longer strides. He turned on his heel, intending to sweep down a side-street in a dramatic way, but ended up smashing into someone and landing solidly on his back.

Behind him, all the children burst into hysterical laughter, while Jin sputtered and looked up. Kana was standing over him, jangling money in her hand.

"Hiya, Jin! Pretty bad fall, huh? Okay? Didn't break your balls, did I?"

"No," growled Jin, while the children tittered. He rolled over and picked himself up, ignoring the outstretched hand Kana offered him.

"Yeah? You should watch where you're going. Kinda weird how you fell and I didn't, huh? Why's your eye twitching like that? Didja get something in it when you fell over?"

Jin brushed the long sleeves of his kimono indignantly while Kana continued chatting away. He waited for a pause in her speech before he said, as stiffly as possible, "I meant to fall over. If I hadn't fallen, you would have collided with me and fallen over yourself. And a samurai always sacrifices himself for a lady." The children watched attentively, eyes wide.

"Uh-huh," said Kana, unconvinced. "So you heard me coming?"

"Of course I did."

"They why did you knock into me in the first place? Geez. You're a terrible samurai. Actually, you're not a real samurai. You're a ronin, right? I mean, you haven't got a lord or anything, obviously, otherwise you wouldn't have to keep stealing your food."

Every single child behind Jin snorted audibly. Jin finally lost it; he unsheathed his sword indignantly and brandished it at Kana. "Shut your mouth, woman!"

The children, with the sword in view, went back to being awed. Kana gave Jin a wicked look, a playful glint in her eye. Then she unleashed her secret weapon.

"WAA-AHHH," she sobbed. "You're threatening me? I thought you loved me, Jin! WAA-AHHH! Why are you always so cruel? WAA-AAHH! Why won't you take care of our baby!"

"What!" cried Jin, overwhelmed. The children watched in horror. Their parents, summoned by the commotion, had come out and were watching the scene as well. Jin hated scenes. He sheathed his sword and awkwardly tried to comfort Kana, but she was inconsolable.

"WAA-AAHH," she wailed.

"Stop crying!" hissed Jin, patting her back weakly. "Please! Calm down! I wasn't really threatening you!"

"WAA-AAHH," she cried. "Samurai make the worst husbands! All you ever do is go out and fight and get drunk and leave me at home with the baby, and then you threaten me! WAA-AAHH!"

"Disgraceful!" mumbled one of the people watching.

"Despicable!"

"That guy should be ashamed!"

"Please!" begged Jin. "You're causing a scene! Please—I'm sorry!" He grabbed her into a massive hug, smothering her face into her chest. "Please—dear. I'll come home right now and help with—with little Mitsu right now!"

Kana stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and looked up at Jin. "Really?" she asked quavering.

"Yes! Just… stop… crying!"

Kana smirked. "Will you buy me dinner?" she whispered.

"What?"

"WAA-AAHH!"

"Yes! Yes, I'll do anything, just shut up!"

"Give me a kiss."

"What?"

"WAA-AAHH, you won't even give your own wife a kiss!"

Jin dipped her toward the ground and clamped his mouth over hers, keeping his lips tightly sealed. She threw her arms around him; when he straightened, she remained latched on. "Carry me," she demanded.

Angrily, Jin carried her away from the street, while a crowd watched him, shaking their heads. The moment they were a good distance away, he dropped her onto the ground.

"Pretty good acting, huh, Jin?"

"You… you dishonest wretch! Why are you still following me?"

"Cause you're easy," she answered dismissively. "Cute, too! So… how about dinner?"

"Buy your own," mumbled Jin, stalking away. He couldn't have bought her any, even if he'd wanted to; she'd stolen all his money again while he was carrying her.


"…and she probably looks a little like me," said Mugen. He was bowing his head bashfully, explaining to a ground of old women leaning on canes who he was looking for. "Because, you see, she is my mother. And I've been looking for her for a long time."

"Aww," said all the old women at once. "That's so—"

"SO I CAN PUNCH HER IN THE FACE!" yelled Mugen enthusiastically.

"Oh, my."

Fuu was in the street, making inquiries as well. She walked over and grabbed Mugen's arm. "Mugen, can I speak to you…?" She dragged him to the side. "You can't tell people that."

"What? Why not? You told me to be honest!"

Fuu sighed. "Well, be honest about her being your mom. That'll make people sympathetic. But don't tell them about punching her. No one likes people who punch their mothers."

Mugen stared at her with a blank expression.

Fuu sighed again. "You need some serious social skills."

"Hey! I have social skills. Watch this…. HEY, CHICK! NICE RACK!" he yelled.

A girl, passing with her two friends, turned deep red and crossed an arm over her chest protectively. One of her friends called, "PIG!" The other shouted, "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"See?" said Mugen, turning back to Fuu. He cracked all his knuckles, looking satisfied. "I'm plenty social."

Fuu shook her head. If Jin were here, he could explain it… she thought. She winced when she remembered Jin. She definitely wouldn't see him again, not as long as she was helping Mugen. But at least she and Mugen were getting along. And she had to admit, it was pretty exciting, being all alone with this roguish pirate who could do anything to her and she'd be so helpless and sweet and pretty and defenseless and—

"Hey, ugly!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry," said Fuu quickly. "Well, maybe it would help if I knew her name."

Mugen looked embarrassed. "I think it's Leiko," he said. "I mean… I'm not sure. I'm pretty sure it's Leiko. That's what they told me."

Fuu felt sorry for Mugen suddenly. She reached out and put her hand over his. "Don't worry. We'll find her."

"Yeah," said Mugen quietly. Then he quickly yanked his hand away. "Not that I care. I just wanna punch her in the face!"

Fuu rolled her eyes. "Well, we'll never get anything done on an empty stomach, so let's get some food, okay?"

"Sure," said Mugen. "Give me two seconds and I'll just get us a little cash." He glanced at the people on the street, zeroed in on one, and got up to stalk them. Fuu frowned, and looked away. She hated being all criminalistic and stuff, but… well, food was food.


"Hey, Mr. Samurai, want another drink?"

"Shh!" hissed Jin, who was hunched low over his drink in the crowded teahouse. "Don't call me that! My name's… Mr. Shi."

"Okay, Mr. Shi, whatever. Want another?"

"Yes, yes, sure," snapped Jin, glancing over his shoulder again. He was looking for two things. One, of course, was Kana. The other was a trouble-maker. He didn't have any money. But maybe the bartender would allow him to pay by throwing out some trouble-makers. Hopefully someone would start causing trouble before Jin was asked to pay the tab he was running up.

"So what's a samurai like you doing in a place like this?"

"Shh! Don't say 'samurai' so loud!"

"What? You hiding from someone, Mr. Shi?"

"Never mind! Go away!"

The bartender shrugged and left. Anxiously, Jin glanced around again. No sign of Kana. Nor of trouble-makers. He might just have to slip away without paying the bill.

Then, for a split second, he thought he wouldn't have to. A man entered the teahouse, and if he didn't look like a trouble-maker, Jin didn't know who did. He had tan skin and wild hair and tattoos and… and a red kimono… and…

Jin dropped his drink as Mugen and Fuu walked into the teahouse together.

No. It couldn't be. Not them. Not together. Sure, Jin had been going in the right direction, but he hadn't actually expected to find Mugen. And with Fuu?

He rubbed his eyes, but they were real. He jumped up and crossed the room.

Seated comfortably on the floor, Fuu was helping Mugen decipher the menu; he wasn't the best reader in the world, even though he'd had a few lessons while he was with her on her quest. She was leaning over and pointing out things to him, and he was actually listening.

Jin barged in, forcing the two apart.

"HEY! What's your problem, you big—Jin?"

"Jin?" repeated Mugen. "What the hell? Jin?"

"What are you two doing here?" asked Jin.

"What are we doing here?" asked Fuu.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Mugen. "You went north! I went south!"

Jin looked embarrassed. "I choose to change directions." His resolve stiffened. "And I was here first!"

"I'm so glad to see you!" cried Fuu. She threw her arms about Jin's waist and squeezed him. Jin jerked back, horrified by the girl around his waist. Mugen crossed his arms and pouted.

"I bet you wanna fight me," he sulked. "You probably came all this way just to try to beat me, right? To prove you're the best, even though you're not?"

"You came to find me, right?" asked Fuu, blushing.

"No. I'm… I'm on the run," said Jin.

"On the run?" whispered Fuu eagerly, leaning forward. "From who?"

"FROM ME!" yelled the bartender, looming over them. "You gotta pay, you know!"

"They'll pick it up for me," said Jin quickly.

"What! No we—"

"—absolutely will!" finished Fuu. Mugen slouched angrily. The bartender left, satisfied.

"Well? Who're you on the run from?" asked Fuu eagerly.

"A woman," whispered Jin.

Mugen snorted into the tea he was drinking and nearly choked. Jin eyed him with disgust as he wiped his chin on his sleeve. "A woman? You're running from a girl? Ha-ha, what a wimp."

"Girls can be tough!" protested Fuu.

"I always knew you were queer," said Mugen, nudging Jin playfully.

"Both of you, stop it! You haven't met her! She's awful! Like a plague! I'd do anything to rid myself of her!"

"Just kill her," said Mugen dismissively. "And leave us alone."

"No, no, no, don't!" squealed Fuu. "Stay with us! You can help us on our quest!"

"Fuu!"

"What quest?" asked Jin.

"We're on a quest now to find Mugen's—mmph mmph mmph!"

"To find… find myself a whore," said Mugen quickly, while Fuu flailed her arms helplessly, one of Mugen's hands clamped firmly over his mouth.

"Fuu's helping you find a whore?" repeated Jin cynically. "Do I look stupid to you, Mugen?"

"Well… yeah," he confessed.

Fuu finally managed to pry Mugen's hand from her face. "He wants to find his mom!" she said in a hurry. Mugen cuffed her on the side of the head.

Jin smirked. "You want your mommy?"

"Shut up!" said Mugen. "One more word and I'll kill you! For real this time! I mean it!"

"Aw, Jin, don't," said Fuu, grabbing his arm. "I think it's a good thing that Mugen wants to find his mom."

"What makes you so sure you can?"

Mugen glared at him and mumbled something about getting a drink; he stalked away. Fuu shook Jin's arm.

"Jin! Why did you say that?"

"I'm being realistic," said Jin stiffly.

"But I think it's great! Don't you think Mugen needs a motherly influence in his life? Maybe it'll make him a better person."

"Nothing can make him a better person," said Jin.

"So, you're going to stay and help us, right?"

"What choice do I have?" sighed Jin. "She's out there, after all."

"Who? Mugen's mom?"

"No. Kana."