Oh my freaking god, I am so sorry, you guys. I was held up again! Also, I forgot to mention how the previous chapter was slightly altered from my original version I wrote; I always write a rough draft in a spiral or something so I can give a story a shot and edit it from there. Anyway, I lost the papers for a few hours, of course finding them after I had posted the chapter from memory. LOL! But, you guys seemed to enjoy everything, and I am very thankful! Y'all deserve a pat on your back! Review, please!

Disclaimer: Do you really enjoy reading my torture? I don't own the song that this fic is based on or Samurai Champloo and the characters.

Chapter 3- Bloody Return

I kept tossing and turning during the night thanks to my muscles in both my legs and my arms, so sleep granted me a very small visit. When I awoke, I was exhausted and hungry, and I knew I had to look like a wreck. My arms were sore to the point to where if I moved them anywhere close to the position they had been tied in, they would explode with pain. I cursed my captor's name several times in just the morning as I wandered from my room.

Immediately I noticed the quiet throughout the temple. Mugen had obviously left for reasons unknown, leaving me behind and knowing I was still his captive. In times like these, I wished that I were a stronger woman so that I could do something instead of always being the one to be captured. It felt humiliating!

I paid the kitchen a healthy visit and decided that while Mugen was gone, I might as well take the time to explore my surroundings a little more. I found that many of the rooms were unoccupied due to broken rooftops or debris. There was hardly anything here, let alone a place that could be considered a shelter. As I discovered this, I suddenly felt guilty for the rogue. Here he was calling a run-down temple home, whereas I lived in the city under protection of samurai, and yet I complained.

I had explored the southern tip of the temple where the empty rooms were, and noted a total collapse in the eastern wing. The south was the bathing area, or what was left of it, and the north contained my living quarters along with the kitchen, the front doors, and the room at the end that I guessed to be Mugen's. Speaking of which, I paid his room a visit as well, thinking it was a bit of payback for capturing me.

His door was surprisingly intact, and the first thing I saw were the boxes and crates piled on one wall in the back. Of course, this was the biggest room in the temple, having once belonging to the head preist. Ironic, isn't it? His futon was worn over in the corner away from the window, and trash and debris littered that side underneath the windowpane. Somehow, even if I hadn't known this room was his, I would have been able to figure it out. The room screamed his name, and also lightly smelled of him. A mixture of sweat, blood, and the strange bit belonging to man.

For some reason a smile crossed my face as I peered into his room. I left, feeling I had been there too long. I suppose this was because it was his room and he was clearly humane enough to own a safe room. A place of comfort. My place of comfort was far from here, but maybe it would be okay... to see everything else first. It was hard to explain.

Making my way back, I had just passed the great doors when Mugen burst through carrying a few bundles of fish and a bag. He saw me with those steely eyes, but no words came out of his mouth. His eyes flitted to his door, now closed, and just as quickly made eye contact with me, but nothing to be said. He disappeared down to the kitchen, returning with the bag and tossed his head for me to come here.

I carefully obeyed, eying him suspiciously. He untied the bag, "Arms out."

Just as I did, an assortment of silky colors fell into my arms. My nose was invaded with the stench of heavy perfume, obviously very expensive. I studied them, ignoring the stench to examine the clothes he had given me. They were beautiful women's kimonos, high-quality and...

"Is this a joke? "I asked harshly, "These are prostitute's clothes!" I almost dropped them in pure disgust. "I'm not wearing these for your enjoyment, so no thanks."

He snorted, "Oh, yeah, like that's ever gonna happen. There's nothin to enjoy, lady. Ya got the figure of a wooden plank. Be thankful I even bothered to get those."

My cheeks flared in both embarrassment and anger, "Well, EXCUSE me for my corcern about myself."

"No prob. If they're not good enough for ya, go wash em in the place back there. Oh, and, you might wanna wash too." There was a snicker at his crude joke, and I stuck my tongue out as a lame comeback. I knew it was true, so I didn't say anything.

I turned on my heel and stomped off to where the smartass behind me had told me. He was still there, watching me to see what I was doing. The washroom was very dusty inside, and I opened all the windows inside to let out the steam of the water I boiled to wash. It was hard work, especially since this was the first actual work I had done on my own. I scrubbed the kimonos several times to rid them of the smell, and then after two or three tough hours, I soaked my tired muscles in steamy water. There was a beautiful view of the mountains just outside the windows, giving everything a romantic atmosphere. It was just too bad that there was noone to share the view with. As I bathed, I thought about Mugen's words from earlier, feeling that there was a meaning inside his meaning. "Fear. That's how you fall." It was almost philosophical and beautiful. Almost.

Afterwords, I dressed in one my new kimonos, the silk soft and fluffy and comfortable. They didn't smell of perfume, and I knew that every second of my labor was worth it. My previous kimono was dirty and torn now, and I desperately wanted to fix it as it was the the last gift my mother had given me before her death. I left to find that Mugen was gone once again and I was by myself. Curiousity at his constant absence flitted into my mind, but the eastern wing was more of interest to me at the time. It's amazing what you're tempted to do when you're by yourself and bored.

I wanted to see if maybe there wasn't something beyond the debris. Anything at all. My hopes were up, but the possibility of getting past was very slim. I followed the hallway anyway, stopping in front of the mountain to peer up like an ant. Light filtered through from the other side in a feeble way, the morning still fresh and turning quickly into noontime. Now that I was closer, I could see the marks made from the rafters and wood planks on the floor as though it had been recently moved that way. I tested a purtruding rafter and sure enough, it was still loose. I pulled, dust and dirt sprinkling down on my head. Soon, the rafter came down, more following to create a small hole I could possibly crawl through. I did so and came out in the other side after only a few feet. I stood up shakily to see an explosion a flowers covering the remainder of the wing eroded away from a landslide, or so it looked. The aromas drifting from the buds and blooms were sweet as candy, and the sight was breathtaking as the morning light filtered through the holes and flowers above. I felt as though a patch of heaven was right in front of me, and as I turned to my right, a flock of bluejays flew from the roof. I approached the flowers to guiltily push them from their positions and to look out in between. From the side, I could see the front just befroe the twin doors outside. When Mugen came back, I would be able to see him.

I sat on the ground, surrounded by the scenery, and a sense of peace fell over me. My eyelids started to droop, thanks to my lack of sleep and my hard work from earlier. Soon I was aslepp, unable to deny myself the chance in such a nice surrounding.

The thunder from the clouds above woke me and rain pattered through the spots bare on the roof. I stood sleepily, wondering how long I had been asleep. When another sound rolled across the mountains, I mistook it for thunder, until a twin shot followed only seconds later. It was a gun being fired. I shot to the sides of the wall, peering out fearfully to the front doors. It was pitch black outside, but a flash of thunder illuminated everything for a few seconds so I could see the figure staggering across the front to the doors. I knew who it was without even seeing his face.

It was Mugen, and he was dying.

A/N:Dun-dun-dun!!! Aw, man, such a cliffhanger! LOL! Well, once again, I used one of my favorite lines; can you tell? Until then! Sayonara!