R&R

Next one shot is up like i promised! An intriguing one to hold you over until the next;)

ENJOY!

Oneshot 37: Flower Scented Stranger

by AshAnime

-Set Ten Years Before The Events of Samurai Champloo-

Mugen didn't like strangers.

In fact, he wasn't used to them at all. No one ever set foot in the penal colonies of Ryukyu. It was a place meant for prisoners after all. And this simple fact sometimes confused Mugen because he wondered if being born there automatically made him a criminal when he hadn't even done anything.

Anyways, Mugen could tell this man was a stranger the moment he stepped off his boat because of the color of his skin. He was clearly a man who rarely saw the sun, unlike most of the people on this condemned island, and a strange aroma wafted off of him every time the wind blew. On Ryukyu people usually smelled of the salty sea and a hint of rain, but this man… he had a flowery sent that was most unsettling.

Just what was his deal?

"Hello there!" the man called, waving to a startled Mugen who had been observing from atop a large rock. He already didn't like the foreign bastard. "Do you think you can point me in Yua's direction?!"

Yua? What the hell did this bastard want with Koza's mother?

"Fuck off, Old Man!"

The man raised his brows at this, clearly surprised to hear fowl language leave such a tiny body. Mugen puffed up his chest to make himself look bigger, cursing the fact that his growth spurt hadn't kicked in yet, even at the age of nine.

"I've come baring supplies," the man explained, walking across the sandy shore so that he didn't have to yell to Mugen anymore. "Yua's usually here waiting on the beach for me but I don't see her. I really am in a hurry. If anyone sees me-"

"Find her yourself!" Mugen spat, spit flying through the gap in his front teeth. He flipped a middle finger at the idiot foreigner and turned to leave.

"Alright then," the flustered man sighed, brows crinkling. "I'll try but if you see her please tell her I'm looking for her."

Mugen just kept walking without looking back.

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"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much these supplies mean to us!"

Mugen nearly gagged from where he lay hiding. Yua was too soft for her own good. Ryukyuans were supposed to be brash and dirty, not mushy ass-kissers. She was bringing disgrace on all of them.

"No problem at all, Yua. I will be here same time next month," the strange man announced, already climbing into his tiny boat. "Although I do hope I can get going a lot quicker next time."

Yua nodded her head vigorously. "I am so sorry for the inconvenience. I completely forgot you were coming today! And about Mugen-"

"No need to apologize. A child raised in this place is bound to act a certain way."

Mugen sneered at the man's condescending words. Just because he came from a place where the light hardly touched his porcelain skin didn't mean he had the right to go and talk bad about Ryukyu.

Yua gave the stranger a sad smile. "Yes. I suppose you're right."

Then the weird smelling guy pushed off from shore and disappeared beyond the horizon. Mugen thought he'd be glad to see the invader leave but for some reason he was itching to drag him back and sock him in the face… or ask a bunch of questions.

He wasn't really sure.

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"Ow!"

A month later Mugen was sure.

"Stay away from my island, foreigner!" he hollered, swinging his leg back for another kick.

"I'm bringing you supplies," the man argued, hopping away from the next kick as he held his throbbing shin. "You need these to survive and you're hurting me? That doesn't make any sense."

Mugen crossed his arms and pouted. "It doesn't have to."

The strange man with the sweet smelling scent sighed and limped over to unload the last barrel of food. Mugen didn't budge, continuing his ruthless glare at the man even as he talked with Yua.

It wasn't until the stranger had to board his boat and leave that he turned to Mugen and acknowledged him once again.

"I have a daughter only a little younger then you," he started, the corner of his mouth ticking up into a smile as he leaned down to meet Mugen at eye level. "She's just as stubborn as you are. Has a big mouth too."

"So?" Mugen growled, not at all liking the fact that he was being compared to some foreign girl.

The man's smile grew. "So… I want you to have this."

Mugen's eyes widened slightly as the man reached into his Yukata and pulled out a large yellow flower. It's middle was an ugly brown but the peddles stuck out like a sore thumb.

"What the hell is this?" the small Ryukyun demanded, snatching it out of the man's hand and cringing at the sent. So this was where he got his flowery smell from.

"It's a sunflower," the man explained, staring at the plant fondly as Mugen held it away from his body. "I used to give one to my daughter every day, but now…" he trailed off, a sad flash of something flitting across his features. "The point is I want you to have it. Even though you can be quite mean sometimes seeing you has been the highlight of my trip, Mugen. I would kind of like to think of us as friends."

Mugen snorted. "Me? Friends with you? You wish!"

The sunflower man laughed and stood up to his full height. "Maybe one day I can show you a few sword moves. Would that change your mind?"

Mugen frowned. The guy had definitely got him there.

"Maybe," he grumbled, receiving an amused chuckle in return.

"See you around, Mugen."

"Whatever."

The sunflower man boarded his boat and Mugen stood next to Yua as she waved goodbye.

"Thanks again, Kasumi!"

Oh, so that was his name.

"What do you have there, Mugen?"

Mugen startled out of his unwavering gaze towards the horizon, suddenly remembering the flower in his hand.

"It's some stupid plant called a sunflower," he answered, looking up at the smiling women. "Really ugly if you ask me."

"Oh I wouldn't say that. It looks rather beautiful."

Mugen sneered at the offending flower in his hand and shoved it in Yua's direction. "Well if you like it so much, have it. I aint accepting no flower from an old man."

Yua stared at him in surprise before carefully taking the manhandled flower out of his rough hands. "Thank you. Mind telling Koza dinner will be ready soon?"

Mugen shrugged and turned to leave. "If I feel like it."

As he walked away he had hoped that the horrible sunflower smell would have left him already, but when he told a dirty Koza who had been playing in Mud that dinner would be ready soon, she wouldn't stop sniffing him every five seconds.

"You smell good Mugen!" she giggled. "You smell like flowers!"

"Shut the fuck up and go eat your dinner."

Koza ran off in a shriek of laughter and Mugen was left with no other choice but to head towards the salty sea water and see if he could wash out the smell. There was no way in hell he was going to walk around Ryukyu smelling like that. In fact, he didn't want anything else to do with that Kasumi guy.

Although he did like the idea of sword fighting.

Mugen shook his head and lowered himself into the shallow water. He'd deal with the bastard when he returned.

And Kasumi did return a month later, and the month after that, and the month after that. It was six months later and he was showing Mugen a few sword fighting stances before he had to take off. The small Ryukyuan would never tell him, but the days when Kasumi came were some of his favorites. A steady routine quickly developed between the two. One full of banter, fighting moves and the scent of sunflowers.

Until one day… he just stopped showing up.

And Mugen tried to not make it so obvious that he happened to be sitting on the shore around the time the foreign man usually appeared. He tried to quell his disappointment when, after three months of no supplies, a different man appeared on shore, bringing supplies for all of them.

Mugen tried really, really hard not to care but it was useless.

He did.

He did care.

Because once again someone had betrayed his trust.

Awww poor fetus Mugen, lol. How did you guys like the way I incorporated Fuu's dad into this? The idea just popped into my head while I was writing the "Too Far" one shot and I was like "omg what if Mugen met Fuu's father before he met her!" and then this was born! I hope you guys arn't mad that Fuu isn't in this, just mentioned. Also, did you notice that I mentioned Koza? The chick from the show who was the sister of the guy that Mugen used to pirate with? The one who double-crossed him in order to be with that guy and Mugen cut him down, walking right past her even when she begged to be killed? Yeah... that girl. lol. I made up a name for her mother since they never say in the anime.

Anyways thanks for reading guys and giving me feedback on the QOTD. I'll keep the rating as T ;) Thank you for the input.

Fuu: Oh my god you knew my dad!?

Mugen: Yeah... so?

Fuu: SO?! Mugen during the entire anime I was looking for my dad and you never thought to mention that you KNEW him?

Mugen: *shrugs* It didn't seem important at the time.

Fuu: *stares in disbelief* You're impossible!

SORRY FOR ANY AND ALL MISTAKES! SEE YOU NEXT ONE SHOT!