Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo…and never ever will. It's sad, but true, so don't sue me.
Story Two: If Only
Years had passed.
Horribly long years full of pain and suffering and the thought of what could have been; what should have been, if only…
The more that she looked back on that time, the more her heart longed to forget. But forgetting the thing that had helped shape her into what she was today seemed much harder than anything…besides the day that she left them at the fork in the path. Unfortunately, she would have to move on. Mugen and Jin were never coming back, no matter what they had said on that day. It would do her no good to wait and waste her life away.
Oh, but if only…
She had loved him; loved him more than she ever thought she would love a person again. She knew then and even now that loving the two of them wasn't such a good idea, but there was nothing she could do to change the way her heart ached in the afternoons when she walked to the same path, and waited for those same faces, only to never see them.
Sometimes, she wanted to know why. Why did things turn out this way for her? Why didn't he turn around…why didn't she turn around? But wondering why would help her now, in fact, wondering about things never did her any good. She sighed and leaned against the door frame, waiting for the next customer to walk into the small tea house she had managed to open. She closed her eyes, needed to rest for a moment; needed to get rid of the grief and misery.
The bells above the tea house's entrance rang softly; her eyes remained closed.
"Hey you," a gruff voice called. She heard the shuffling of clothing, the clanking of metal against the wooden table's legs. "Can you hurry it the fuck up? I'm thirsty as hell."
She moved away from the door frame and grabbed the pitcher of water from the counter beside her. "I'm coming…calm down, would you?"
She tried her hardest not to look at the customer as she poured him a glass of water. "Water's all you get for free…water and something small to eat, if you're hungry."
"That's fine," he said. "Say, girlie…do I know you?"
Well, this is it, girlie. Don't cry…maybe we'll cross paths again someday…
She had tried her hardest not to look, but now it seemed that looking was inevitable. She turned her head and glanced at him, her brown doe-like eyes sparking for a moment before dying quicker than a stray ember. It wasn't him; she knew better than to hope that it would be.
"I don't think so," she whispered, and a tear escaped her eye, ran down her pale cheek. She turned away from him and set the pitcher onto the table.
They would probably never cross paths again. But hoping gave her a reason to wake up in the morning; a reason to live each new day was good for her.
"Are you sure I don't know you?"
"I'm sure," she said.
She walked back into the kitchen and wiped away at the tears. It hadn't been Mugen, and she had been stupid to ever think it would be.
Oh, but if only…
A/N: Here's another one, as promised! =] Remember, review! I'll try to make the next one a little longer.
---- BeastsMadlyInLove