Taking Care of You
By the Alternative Source
Disclaimer: I don't own anything when it comes to Samurai Champloo. Except my story of course. Lol.
Summary: Fuu gets seriously injured when she saves Mugen during an attack.
Chapter 11
Previously on Taking Care of You………………
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Fuu looked at the note and frowned. It was a small cream letter that was folded. And somehow it had been slipped onto her things. Pulling her robe tighter around herself she looked around. Mugen was still looking around the bath with no results. He was searching every nook and cranny obsessively.
'There's no one here Fuu. Maybe it was Mugen,' Fuu said as she tried to reassure herself. But her reassurances were of no use because her senses were the one thing that she had to pay attention too.
Tentatively she picked it up and opened it. As she read the letter her breathe hitched and she stumbled back as she dropped the letter. As her things clattered to the floor Mugen headed her way quickly. Grabbing her shoulders he asked her if she was alright. But her mind was somewhere else at the moment. Her mind was on the note on the floor. When she gave him no answer he shook her again trying to get a response from her. But instead she looked around herself desperately and looked for anyone. Anyone who had entered the bath house while she wasn't looking. Anyone who had come and dropped off the note. Any evidence or opening that someone could get in. Anyone who knew why she was given a note that said:
"Be careful little one. I'm out for more than blood. I'm out for your life."
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Now on with the story!!!
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"Fuu! Fuu answer me damn it!" Mugen practically shouted at her.
When she didn't respond Mugen let go of her shoulders and tried to catch her eyes. Tipping her head towards him he finally caught her eyes. She was scared. She knew that he could see it.
"Fuu. What the fucks' wrong?" he asked in a calmer tone of voice.
Biting her lip she answered, "The note."
His brow wrinkled in confusion, "What note? You're not making sense."
When Fuu quickly glanced at the floor Mugen got the signal. Looking at her again quickly he looked in the direction and saw the note by her feet. Picking it up he read it quickly. She knew that he was done when he crumbled it up and cursed. Watching him she thought that he would jump into action immediately. But he was actually standing there. Just standing there and looking at the floor in concentration. Her fear started to edge away as she realized that he was thinking about what to do. Mugen had never done that before. He was always ready to jump into action at any time. At a moment's notice most of the time. So what was happening now had her confused.
Placing a hand on his shoulder she stepped towards him, "Mugen. Let's get out of here. Tonight."
"I know. Just…," he looked up at her, "Put your clothes on. We're leaving tonight."
Without being asked he turned around. And without being told twice she turned around and began to get dressed. She threw her clothes on as quickly as possible without bandaging her wounds. They were healing quite nicely and as long as she didn't strain herself too much they wouldn't reopen. When she was done she turned around and saw that Mugen still had his back turned to her.
'Strange. Would have thought he would have taken a peak?' Then the realization finally hit her. Mugen was worried.
"Mugen. Let's go."
He turned around and looked at her calmly. By the way that his lips were pressed together she knew that a fearful look was still etched on her face. Taking a step forward she took a hold of his hand. His fingers curled around hers instantly and he spoke, "Let's go." Walking towards the door Mugen disregarded the bathing supplies strewn on the floor and stepped on them as he made his way. Fuu followed him silently and stopped behind him as he slowly opened the door. When Mugen was sure that no one was outside the bath house he pulled her out with him.
"Stay next to me," he said in a stern voice. He kept scanning the halls as they made their way to their room.
"Mugen?" Fuu asked as she leaned closer to him.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Mugen momentarily looked at her and then turned towards the hallway again, "No problem. Now lets' go."
Three more hallways and a flight of stairs later and they were at their room. Mugen entered first and cursed at what he saw. Peeking around him she gasped. The room was trashed. Taking a step around him she saw the true extent of the damage. The balcony door was broken into pieces. Their futons were torn into shreds along with their supplies and clothes.
"Oh, god. Where's Jin?" Fuu said as she turned to Mugen.
He stepped into the room and looked around, "He wasn't here. Hate four eyes but I have to admit that he would have taken care of any intruder. " He was right. There was no blood or any signs of struggle. There was just a room that was trashed. And no sign of Jin. Just when she was about to walk further into the room Mugen blocked her way with his arm, "Let's get out of here."
"But our things and…" Fuu pointed to where her sword lay underneath her futon. Mugen had kept it hidden until she stumbled across it one day. And since then on she kept it underneath her futon safely. Close enough just in case.
"It doesn't matter. Let's go," Mugen turned and tugged on her to follow him but she wouldn't budge. He turned to her angrily, "What? Let's go."
"I want to take it with me."
"But why would you need it…"
"Because I want to take it with me," Fuu said while trying to tug her hand out of his. He kept a firm but gentle grip on her hand.
"You don't need it."
"Yes I do."
Mugen took a step as lowered his head towards hers, "What? Why do you need it? Don't think I can't protect you…"
His words were cut off as Fuu firmly placed a hand over his mouth, "Will you stop shouting at me? What is it with you and protecting me? You have to calm down. You know that I can protect myself. So tell me. What is it?"
Mugen kept silent as she retracted her hand. Fuu questioned him again, "Huh? Tell me. You saw what I can do so what…"
"Because I got you hurt," Mugen said.
"What?"
His face remained close to hers and his voice was gruff and angry, "Because I got you hurt. I was supposed to protect you. Not the other way around. You tricked me to be your body guard and I can't even do that. I can't even do that for the person that…"
"Look," Fuu said with a sigh as she raised her hand to stop him, "We can't do this now. We've talked about this before and it's ok. It's really ok. For all the times that you have rescued me don't you think that for once someone should save you? Let's just call it even, Ok?"
Fuu leaned her head against his and heard him sigh. This was difficult for him. This was part of Mugen. He was the one that kicked ass while Fuu got kidnapped. And she could tell that it was different for him. But he had to realize that time changes people. All the time that she spent with them had changed her into someone who was sick and tired of being kidnapped and wanted to take care of the ones around her. And she wanted him to be ok with her taking care of him for once.
"So?"
Mugen looked down at their hands and looked back at her, "Ok. But not again. I get to kick ass. Ok?" Fuu nodded and smiled before they both leaned in and kissed tenderly. A second later Mugen pulled away and pulled his sword out while turning around.
Shocked Fuu tried to see what was going on when she saw Jin standing in the doorway.
"Damn four eyes. Make yourself known next time," Mugen grumbled as he lowered his sword.
Jin shook his head for a second and took a step into the room, "I went to speak with the owner after you left to bathe and came across his body."
"What?" Fuu asked in shock, "His body."
Jin nodded, "Everyone's dead."
"What do you mean dead?" Mugen asked as he went over to Fuu's sword and threw the futon off of it. Grabbed a piece of cloth he ripped it into a long band and tied it around the sword. Walking back over to Fuu he helped her strap it to her back.
"There is only one definition for dead Mugen," Jin said as he looked at the room, "It was to quiet. Went to check out the other rooms and I came upon the bodies. Their all in their rooms just lying there. I think they've been poisoned."
"What? But that's crazy. How could they all be poisoned at the same time?"
Something fell in the inn and both Mugen and Jin became tense as they listened. After a couple of seconds of nothing Jin continued to talk in a whispered voice as he listened to their surroundings, "Even though there was a lot of blood in the home of the farmers it seemed as if they were poisoned too. They had a weird smell emanating from them when I studied them briefly as they were taken into town to be buried."
"So what kind of problem are we dealing with?" Mugen asked as he finished strapping the sword on Fuu in a comfortable position where it didn't compromise her shoulder or back wound.
"I don't know. But it's got to do with us. I'm sure about that. We need to leave this village before others get hurt."
Fuu was again surprised when Mugen just stood there for a couple seconds thinking before heading towards the door.
'He's changing.' Fuu thought with a soft smile.
Stepping out into the hallway Mugen stayed in front of Fuu while Jin walked behind her. As they made their way down the hallway Fuu noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet. And there was also this sour smell in the air. Jin had been right. At this time of night things would begin to calm down. Every man and woman would head to their rooms and the hallways would quite literally be empty. But there was still some noise here and there. Sometimes it would be a woman arguing with her husband or lover. Some would be in the throes of passion. While others were just laughing and making a ruckus after a night drinking. They would not all happen at the same time but every night you were bound to hear something going on. There was some sort of life. But tonight there was nothing.
Mugen noticed the abandoned and still hallways also. While walking he kept one hand on his side ready to attack and the other would be tightly holding Fuu's hand. Hallway after hallway they walked in silence. While the streets outside were catering to the people going home on their carriages and on foot the inside of the inn was deathly quiet.
*SMASH*
They all stopped and tried to figure out where the noise came from. Fuu's heart started beating harder as she listened. There was someone out there. There was someone out there waiting for her. Gripping Mugen's hand harder she pushed him forward.
'We have to get out of here.'
Mugen stumbled back a little and when he looked down at her he knew it was time to go. Fuu didn't want to face this now. Things were piling on them too quickly. The murders of everyone in the inn were evident from the smell in the air. There was someone out there who had gone through some trouble planning this and they were planning on succeeding.
Slowly they began to move forward again. Fuu was closer to Mugen as they walked and they only began to walk faster when they heard soft footsteps following them. Someone was definitely there. Fuu was almost pressed against Mugen's back as she pushed them to go faster. They were almost running at a point until they came upon a hallway that was destroyed. The floor was completely gone and the walls were broken to pieces.
"Who the fuck is doing this?" Mugen said as he looked around. He was tired of trying to get out. He looked around and shouted, "Who the fuck is out there? Why don't you come and fight like a man? Huh? Come on?"
The hall was silent and Fuu's heart filled with love for Mugen. He was protecting her the only way that he knew. Sure at first he had tried to keep her away from it but now he knew that the people that were trying to trap them were serious. They had come for more than Fuu's blood. They had come for her life and Mugen wasn't going to let that happen. Her stubborn attitude should have prompted her to tell him that she could protect herself but the truth is that she couldn't. And Mugen was there to protect her anyway. Grasping her necklace in her hand yelled, "Come out. I know your there."
Another smash was heard as soon as she spoke. Both Mugen and Jin looked at Fuu in surprise and Mugen mumbled, "Shut up girl."
"No," Fuu said in a loud voice, "I'm ready." Fuu turned around and started shouting again, "You've gone too far this time. Hurting innocent people. Now how did you achieve that?"
As soon as she stopped speaking she heard soft footsteps approaching. They all looked around and tried to determine where the sound came from. Soon another pair of feet could be heard following the first and they began to get closer. Mugen and Jin stepped closer to Fuu and kept her in between them. Pulling out their swords they became ready for the impending fight they knew was coming. Fuu placed her hand on the backs of both men as they came closer to her while thriving in the protection that they were providing her in her wounded state.
The steps kept on getting closer by the second and then they stopped. Silence ensued for a couple seconds until a light flickered at the end of the destroyed hallway. Smoke billowed out of the tip and the tip flared as the person took a drag out of the cigarette. (Author's Note: Not quite sure if they had cigarettes back then but let's pretend for my stories if they do. Brownie points to whoever can give me the answer!)
Mugen took a step forward and a snarl appeared on his face. Fuu tightened her grip on his shirt and prayed that he heard her thoughts.
'Relax Mugen.'
"Who the hell are you?" Mugen shouted at the mysterious smoker. The person took another drag of his cigarette and laughed, "What the fuck are you laughing about? Huh? Instead of just standing there why don't you come here and fight me? COME ON!"
That last comment must have got to him because his laughing ceased. They all stood there tensely and waited for the person to make their move. Fuu could sense the ticking seconds and knew that things could get really bad really fast. Lifting her arm she tried to reach for her sword just in case. Her fingers barely touched the handle when the pain in her shoulder and her back made itself know.
'Damn.' Wincing she pushed on forward and wrapped her fingers around the handle. After a couple of seconds the pain lessened and her grip became steadier.
"Look at you," the mysterious person said as he walked forward, "so little and so powerful."
For some reason Fuu knew that he was talking about her. Slowly she began to pull the sword free as the man came closer. She knew that he was coming for her.
"Huh. What a surprise right? Thought you were all safe and sound. Didn't think that what you did would come back and haunt you Fuu." A chill ran down her spine as he spoke her name.
'That voice?' Fuu thought as she closed her eyes. 'That voice.'
"Hey. You leave her the hell out of this! If you want to fight anyone you do it with me!" Mugen yelled as his grip became tight on the handle of his blade and his knuckles turned white.
"Now why would I do that? When the person I want is the murderer of my brothers," the stranger said in a mocking tone as he came nearer to the light streaming through a door way.
'Shit.' Fuu thought as her eyes opened wide and she looked into the eyes of her pursuer. The man had finally come into the light and he was staring at her with scorn and hate evident in his eyes. She knew this man. This happy and clumsy man. A man that she thought was harmless.
A man with short brown hair named…..
"Juro?" Mugen said in disbelief, "You little shit!"
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To be continued…..
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Author's Note: So….Tell me what you guys think. I was extremely nervous with this chapter and I think that I might have been moving a little fast in this chapter but that's how it is in Samurai Champloo. They often get into crazy situations quick!!! Plus I miss writing action and adventure so tell me what you guys think.
Also VERY IMPORTANT TO BETA!!! I deleted my inbox messages and I can't remember your name!!! I feel so bad but if you could beta this and send it to me that would be great. Then I can repost it! Sorry again.
Please review guys! The stories wrapping up and I need some ideas for the ending!!! So give me your ideas and give me some reviews. And if you see any mistakes send me a message. This is the rough draft copy that hasn't been beta-ed yet.
REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, AND FINALLY……PLEASE REVIEW.