Disclaimer: Okay, I finally own it, yes I do! and if you believe that, I've got beach front property to sell you in arizona cheap! for the idiots out there, that means I don't own it...I can't believe I have to put that there...
Neon Genesis Champloo
Episode 2: We're broke, and this is just the beginning of our trip!
Water; calm, cool and collected, yet quiet, cold and unforgiving. Never acting, only reacting to the motions of the earth and moon.
Fire; violent, horrifying yet passionate and beautiful when not threatening the lives of creatures big and small.
These two forces oppose one another, yet without both life would be impossible on this harsh, unforgiving planet. Yet we must remember that we can never truly control this two opposing forces, and that with one wrong move, our lives could be over.
Something Shinji should try to learn as soon as possible…
"Listen, BOY! If you don't stop looking at my breasts I'll sever them!" Asuka warned, continuing the supposed 'death march' that they had begun the night before, trying hard to put as much distance between the village and them.
"How can I not? You don't cover them with anything but bandages! They just…jiggle…when you walk" Shinji tried hard not to blush as he stared back down at his feet, trying hard not to meet the redhead's gaze.
"If you both don't mind, I would like some peace and quiet, please?" the blue haired girl spoke softly, never looking towards the other two as she continued on at a slow pace, her face never showing weakness.
But she had a hell of a poker face.
"I haven't had anything since… great, I don't remember when I eat last" Ayanami thought to herself, keeping her eyes hidden with her hair as she sped up, moving up ahead of the group by a small margin.
"Why can't we stop and eat? Shinji was supposed to give me a hundred dumplings and never did! So that means I haven't eaten in forever… why the hell does that witch need to be so stoic and calm? Even I know she's weak from hunger" Asuka thought, taking up step a few feet away from Shinji.
"If you don't stop looking, boy…" Asuka warned Shinji once again, catching him as he peeked over at her from the corner of his eye.
"I wasn't looking at your chest!" Shinji complained, starting up a fight between the two travelers while Rei tried very hard to forget where she was at the moment.
As the three walked up a small incline, they spied a small shack at the top and, after searching their persons for any loose change, decided to stop and get something to eat before going on.
"I hope they have dumplings!" Asuka drooled, rubbing her stomach as it decided to growl at that precise second, "Eheh, then it's settled then! We are stopping!"
After the three ordered some dumplings with the few coins they had, they all took up residence on the outside bench while they decided on their next course of action, only a few seconds passed before Asuka stood up and walked back over to the shady looking chef, punching him and demanding her change back.
"What are you doing Asuka?" Shinji gaped, looking on as the girl walked back with a smug look on her face.
"He was the one who tried cheating us out of our change back! I knew that we were supposed to get-" she held her hand open to show the change resting in her palm, "This much back, and he only gave us half! If I'd let you buy the stuff without me watching, then you'd of let him get away with it, Shinji!"
"I…I am amazed, Asuka! I kinda had you figured for an…well…idiot, actually" Shinji spoke, unsure of himself as the girl glared at him.
"Well, I can't think on an empty stomach, and before this meal, I hadn't had anything for two days besides plants! By the way, they held absolutely no flavor, whatsoever" she said, glaring harder at the boy as she continued, "But, you should be apologizing to me! Calling a beautiful woman such as myself an idiot? The nerve of you, boy!"
"…"
"Well?"
"I'm sorry, Asuka" Shinji spoke, his mouth turned into a shy smile as he watched the girls face lighten up before looking over at the more stoic member of the group.
Who just then plopped the last dumpling in her mouth, with the other two getting only two each before the argument started.
"He who hesitates is lost" Ayanami spoke calmly, walking past the two before turning to the travelers walking up the opposite side of the hill, coming from the direction that our group had decided on the night before while ignoring her fellow companions gaping mouths.
"That-that-that-" Asuka kept repeating herself, replaying the event in her head as she tried desperately to understand what had just happened.
Shinji was, likewise, doing the same.
The group was just about to leave when an older traveler stumbled up to the small stop, leaning on a walking stick for balance as he made his way closer to the three, passing them and wandering over to the small bench, his skin covered in bruises.
"What the hell happened to him?" Asuka asked aloud, not trying in the least to hide her curiosity.
"It looks like he was injured during a fight" Ayanami said after looking at the man.
He stumbled by the three teens, making his way over to the bench that they had been sitting on moments before, placing his walking stick at his side as he rested from his ordeal. After watching the man for a few seconds, Rei took the initiative and walked over, striking up a conversation with the man.
"So, you're trying to take this path to your destination?" the old man asked, his face covered ever so slightly by rogue strands of hair, although the majority was held back by a small tie, "You'd be better off trying to find another way of passage, young lady."
"We do not have the time, nor the money to take such ways. As such, we must take this path" Rei replied, her voice emotionless as she spoke, "However, I would like to ask just why this path is dangerous?"
The man turned to her, catching sight of the weapon at her side, "Hm, well, the rumors are that there's a giant going around these mountains, killing off travelers and anything else he can get his hands on, quite terrifying if I do say so myself!"
Asuka and Shinji watched as the girl nodded along with the man's words, not quite sure what they were really talking about. "What is she doing? She better hurry if she knows what's good for her" Asuka spoke, not trying to hide her growing impatience, "First she steals our food, now she's holding us up! Come on Shinji, we're leaving!"
After saying her goodbyes, Rei caught up with the other two, taking up stride on Shinji's right while Asuka took up the left.
The early morning. (actually, it was still dark out)
"Those brats! I'll show them, I make them pay for what they did to my hand!" Ryujiro spoke, keeping out of sight as he made his way up to the holding cells, catching sight of a massive hill of rags inside the final cell at the end of the corridor.
"Oh pariah! I have a job for y-you" he drug the 'u' out for as long as possible, the mass of rags slowly getting to it's feet and revealing a, what many would describe as, horrifying face.
"What…do you…want form me?" the hulking giant ask, looking down at Ryujiro as the shorter man stood outside the cell, jiggling keys in his hand, "What I want is to 'help' you. You see, these nasty brats were making fun of how you look, and I know that what they said wasn't true!"
Ryujiro continued to lie his as off, "But also, you're the Pariah, are you not? Those brats should learn to respect your power! So, if I let you out, then you should hunt them down and teach them the errors of their ways, understand?"
The massive hulk nodded his understanding, watching as the shorter man unlocked the door and took hold of his hand, leading him out of the holding cells and out into the world, "I'll kill them" the pariah spoke, following the man into the night.
Okay, back to the present!
"…"
Ayanami and Asuka looked behind them, noticing that Shinji had stopped to look at something.
"Hey! Why the sudden holdup?" Asuka shouted back to the boy, watching as he turned to her and waved for them both to come over, "why the hell do you want us-"
The girl stopped speaking, noticing that there was another, slightly older, yet regal and beautiful, lady walking down the opposite path, her kimono sporting a blue color, dull to some yet easy on the eyes.
The three had watched as the lady had caught sight of them, suddenly bursting out in a small run so that she could reach them before they left.
"Excuse me!" she shouted, watching as Asuka stretched out, yawning widely as she waited along side Shinji and Rei, "I'm so sorry for the wait!"
Rei looked at the woman, inspecting her before deciding to speak, "It was not a problem. However, I would like to know why you wanted us to wait" the blue haired girl spoke, still not showing any more emotion then necessary.
"I apologize for the wait, you see-"
"Well? Speak, goddammit!" Asuka said, interrupting the woman before she had a chance to explain herself.
The woman sighed, "I'm very sorry, Miss..uh"
"Asuka" the redhead replied, tapping her foot on the ground as Shinji tried to find something to look at that WASN'T jiggling up and down, "and if you don't stop staring at my chest, SHINJI, I will remove them!"
Shinji gulped, turning a brilliant shade of red before the lady continued.
"My name is Hotaru, and I live nearby"
A/N: Okay, I know this was short, but I have run myself into a, well, writer's block of sorts. the story will continue, but I first need to get some idea as to what I'm gonna do. this chapter was short, I will say that much, and until I can get this idea fleshed out, the chapters will remain shorter then most are use to, so that I won't have to worry about writing myself into a corner.
Because I hate writing myself into a corner.
And as for this episode and how this one played out in Samurai Champloo; I know it was different in many regards, but it well follow 'certain' episode points. So, until next time... See ya!
