Chapter Five

"Mom?"

Jin and Fuu stared at each other. Then they got up and went streaking across the road to Mugen's side. Fuu grabbed his arm, and Jin, not wanting to appear like a loser, grabbed the hilt of his sword.

Kana didn't look shocked, but she didn't look joyful, either. "Mom?" she repeated.

"Mom!" confirmed Mugen with hopeful enthusiasm. "It's me! Mugen!"

Kana looked him up and down. Then, suddenly, her annoyed sneer melted and she said, "Oh, Mugen! My little boy!" She opened her arms. Mugen lunged. Fuu and Jin cringed, expecting him to punch her in the face; instead, when they dared look, the two were clinging to each other like… well… long-lost relatives.

"You're… you're Mugen's mother?" repeated Jin, aghast.

Kana stroked Mugen's hair lovingly. "Yes," she said, her eyes hungrily taking in Mugen's general appearance. "He was only a baby when I had to leave... but I knew he'd find me, someday…"

"They didn't think I could!" whined Mugen, pointing to Jin and Fuu.

"What? I was the only one looking!" protested Fuu. "And—and I thought your name was Leiko!"

"Yeah!" said Jin with sudden ferociousness. "You told me it was Kana!"

"Hey, back off from my mom!" growled Mugen protectively.

"It's okay," said Kana quickly. "It's true. My real name is Leiko. But I've been going under an alias. I mean… you didn't really think Kana was my real name, did you?"

She and Mugen pointed and laughed at Jin. He seethed quietly.

"Oh, you've grown so much," sighed Leiko. "You must be… twenty now, right?"

"Yeah!" said Mugen eagerly. "And you must be….forty-one!"

"Ah-ah-ah! I'm thirty-seven, if anyone asks." She winked. Finally, she turned her attention on Fuu and Jin. Fuu was watching her in fascination. Jin's arms were crossed and he was glaring away.

"Are these your friends?"

"They're just people who keep bugging me," said Mugen dismissively, which was his way of answering yes. "That's Fuu, and that's Jin. I guess you know Jin."

"Why would you hang out with someone so boring?"

"I don't know," said Mugen truthfully.

Jin heaved an aggravated sigh. "Clearly, you two have a lot to catch up on," she said dully. "So, if you'll excuse me and Fuu…" He took Fuu's elbow.

"No, wait!" said Fuu. "Why don't we go buy lunch and you can tell us all about… um, yourself?"

"Sure!" said Kana (or, as she was now, Leiko). "That's a great idea! I'm broke."

"But we just saw you playing with money!" protested Jin.

"HEY! Are you callin' my mom a liar?"

Jin waited until Mugen wasn't listening to mutter to himself, "Yes."


"Tell me about when I was born," demanded Mugen eagerly. Leiko ignored him. She was wolfing down every scrap of food in sight. Jin looked disgusted by her table manners. Fuu was sympathetic—she knew how it felt.

"When you were born?" repeated Leiko. She had half a crayfish sticking out of her mouth. She bit down on it with a horrible crunch and sucked out the inside. "Oh. Well, I never meant to leave you, Mugen. It's just… I had places to be. And I knew you'd be safe in the workhouse. I meant to come back, but… things happened. It broke my heart to leave you. But I knew, when I left, it would all be okay again. The sun was shining brightly, like an omen that—"

"It was raining."

"What?"

"It was raining," repeated Jin. "Mugen was born in a thunderstorm, and you just said it was sunny."

"It was!" snapped Leiko. "It was raining when I gave birth, but then it stopped raining when I left! Do you have any idea how long it takes to birth a baby? Rain doesn't keep going forever, you know!"

"Shut up!" snapped Mugen, reaching out to hit Jin. Jin caught his wrist, but Mugen took advantage of Jin's raised arm to punch him in the kidney.

Then he turned back to Leiko. "How'd you escape from Ryuukuu?"

"Stowed away in a boat," said Leiko dismissively, stuffing her face.

"Wow," murmured Mugen in awe. "A boat."

Jin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Where'd you get the tattoos?" asked Leiko, gesturing to Mugen's wrists.

"Oh, these," said Mugen, rubbing them. "I killed a guy back in Ryuukuu. I was just a kid. Man! It took eight of them to hold me down, though!"

"My poor sweetheart."

Fuu saw Jin let out a disgusted breath through his nose, like an irate bull.

"Do I have any brothers or sisters?"

"No. You were the only one who survived," said Leiko. Her eyes watered up. Immediately, fuu leaned over to hug her.

"She can do that on purpose," mumbled Jin, but Fuu wasn't listening to him.

"Oh, Mugen, we have so much to catch up on," sighed Leiko.

"I'm—I'm so glad I found you, Mom! …I can call you Mom, right? Or Ma?"

"Ma makes me sound sort of old. Mom's fine."

"Great!" Mugen beamed.

"It's too bad I can't stick around."

:"What! Why not? Where are you going, Mom?"

"I've made some enemies, son. Some terrible enemies. Even as we speak, there are men out there, looking for me…"

"I'll protect you!" said Mugen immediately. "Stay with me! I'll kill anyone if they even look at you funny!"

Leiko's eyes teared up again. "Oh, Mugen, you're such a good boy. But I'd hate to impose myself on you. I don't want to get you in danger. It would be best if I left."

"No, Mom! Don't! Please!" begged Mugen. "I can kick anyone's ass, really! I'm unbeatable! And so's Jin! The two of us will make sure you're safe! I promise."

"Well…" Leiko sighed. "I just can't abandon you again. I'll stay."

Mugen beamed.

"I always knew my son would grow up to be the best fighter in the world."

Mugen drew himself up proudly.

Jin put his face in his hand. "I didn't agree to help protect her," he mumbled.

"Shut up, Jin. Come on… she's my mom."