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The Electra Complex	By : DeniPie Category: +S to Z > Samurai Champloo Views: 13152 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
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Ok, well, I�m fucked. I don�t know if yahoo froze my account
or deleted it but I�m absolutely up shit creep minus 1 paddle. I haven�t been
able to get into my email account, every time I type in my user name and
password it won�t let me in, basically this is what its saying �this user name
is available, would you like 2 register it?� NO I DON�T WANT 2 FUCKING REGISTER
IT, IT�S MY USERNAME U ASS! I don�t kno wut I�m going 2 do because I�ve
had that email for almost four years now, it has all my stuff in it, saved
emails from and to my financial advisor for my college, saved emails from other
ppl, and just stuff I need.

Is this happening to anyone else? Or does anyone know what
to do? I�m prolly going to have to use my Internet explorer email (which I HATE
so very completely because I have no idea what so ever how to use or work it!)
and email yahoo to see what the deal is. Ya know, we seriously have to stop
trusting the Internet. I mean look at live journal for instance, I�ve seen
journals that have had like 6 years worth of entries, could u imagine if their
systems crashed or whatever and all that got erased?!

I would just like to say, I am so glad Y2K didn�t happen
because we, myself totally included, rely on the Internet way too much. Ya kno,
I have no idea why other countries r bombing our trade towers, and pentagon and
whatever. Personally, I had no idea wut the hell the trade towers even did
until like a year after 9/11, I�m being serious. If I wanted 2 cripple America
the first thing I�d go for would be the Internet. Its kind of like the �who
would survive a nuclear war� thing. I don�t think most of the poorer countries
harp on the Internet as much as we do so I�m pretty sure if we ever lost it
they�d go to supreme power so fast it�d blow our minds.

Yeah, and watch this actually happen in the next ten years
and the CIA, coincidently, somehow finds this author�s note.

P.S. I would like to thank Jenny for sending me the Abandon
song I�ve been looking 4. She is fucking awesome and I kiss her feet.

SPOILER WARNING!: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE
�SC� ENDING.

The Deni Pie

--------------------------------------------

T h e E l e c t r a C o m p l e x

--------------------------------------------

You make me satisfied

You only want to ride

But that's alright by me

We happen to be free

For what tomorrow brings

No peace and broken wings

It may have been so good

But now it's understood

'Twas just a night

If I could tear my heart

And keep it miles apart

From love of beast or man

And never give a damn

If I could learn to lie

And never show my pride

I'd be just like the rest

Be someone I detest

I'm always looking for the sun

I'm always looking for the sun to shine

Love...

Destroys the best of us

Then leaves the rest of us

Thinking perhaps we'll die

Yet still we stay alive

Lost in a hollow frame

With lonely tears remain

Not knowing our life's worth

Dragging around the earth

How false the light

You make me satisfied

You only want to ride

But that's alright by me

We happen to be free

And if we fall from grace

At least we had a taste

Of something more than this

Unresolved black abyss

I'm always looking for the sun

I'm always looking for the sun

I'm always looking for the sun

I'm only looking for the sun to shine

�Fall from Grace� � Gentle Waves

--------------------------------------------

That
morning she woke up feeling positively horrid, and Mugen�s ridicule and
childish �I told you so�s about her being up all night did nothing to help. It
was hard to keep up with them as they trudged down the road since she wasn�t
sure whether she wanted to scarf down anything remotely edible or throw her
guts up right there in front of them. Through the trip, the men seemed torn
between slowing their pace for her and their urgency to get to their
destination that much quicker. Even Mugen managed to restrain himself from
badgering her about how slow she was, she supposed that was his way of cutting
her a break.

�Slow down you guys, wait a minute.� Fuu puffed, leaning
down to support herself on her knees.

�We�re almost there.� Mugen said gruffly, but there was no
cruelty in his tone and it sounded almost encouraging. Almost.

�We are here.�

�What?� Mugen glanced at Jin who was looking down a ridge a
little ways from them.

�What? What�d he say? I didn�t hear.� Fuu coughed still
trying to catch her breath.

�Maybe if you weren�t wheezing so hard.� He grumbled,
walking over to Jin.

�What?! If you have something to say about me, then
say it to me, you little creep!� Fuu snapped.

Staring
over the ridge, he ignored her raving, more intent on seeing what the samurai
was talking about. �What do you mean �we�re here�? What the hell is this? This
isn�t Nagasaki!� Mugen gawked. �I swear, if you got us fucking lost again�.� He
warned.

�We have already passed Nagasaki.� Jin explained calmly.

�WHAT?!� Fuu shouted.

�You didn�t seem to have a hard time hearing that!�
Mugen hollered back to her from their point on the ledge.

�Our destination is Ikitsuki Island. It is just a little north of Nagasaki.� Jin
informed.

�So then
we have to take another ferry?� Fuu asked, coming to stand next to them.

Jin adjusted his spectacles against the bridge of his nose
where they�d slipped. �Yes, I believe we do have the money for it.�

Nodding her concurrence, Fuu agreed, cautiously starting
down the rocky crest.

�Hey!�
Mugen snapped, snatching the back of her kimono.

�Perhaps
we should find a path or road down instead.� Jin suggested.

�This
way will get us there quicker.� She protested. �And the faster we get down, the
more time we�ll have to grab some lunch.�

After a little hesitation, Jin
conceded, glimpsing at Mugen who still had Fuu tethered firmly to the peak.
�Fine.� The pirate relented, stepping down the decline, now grasping the girl�s
upper arm as they carefully descended the ridge.

Fuu stepped and twisted clumsily,
watching where she put her foot and trying not to slip. Though when she did,
Mugen had a tight hold on her and she only came out with a sore arm instead of
a broken body. �See, this isn�t so bad.� She rationalized. �And I-Aah!� She
squealed, slipping on a patch of damp moss and tumbling headfirst.

Luckily Mugen�s grip didn�t waver
and he was able to dig the heel of his geta into the ground to secure himself
in time to steady her. A few small stones continued plunging down the bone
shattering path her body might have taken, leaving her trembling and staring
after them, picturing her head following them in their plummet. �Ok, I lied.�
She squeaked, her eyes wide and frightened.

�Idiot.�
Mugen muttered, now hanging onto her with both hands, one clutching the back of
her kimono and the other still seizing her arm.

Her
little dodge with fate had her too paranoid to put up much of a fight against
his insults so she simply nodded and let him lead her along down the edge. If
she had been cautious before, she was absolutely skittish now, keeping her eyes
on her feet and scanning every patch of ground for hazards before stepping on
it. She jumped when she felt Mugen unexpectedly poke at her back.

�Stop
staring at the ground, you�re going to get dizzy and fall on your ass again.�
He chided.

Her ass would have been the last
thing she would�ve landed on but the constant shifting in the grass was
making her a little lightheaded, not that she would admit it to him. Rather,
she casually lifted her head, trying to make it look as if she�d done it of her
own accord.

Jin was the first to reach the
bottom, patiently waiting for the others to join him minutes later. Fuu
attempted hopping down on her own but was more or less lowered to the floor by
Mugen when he refused to release his hold on her robes until her feet touched
the road. He jumped off shortly after her and she gave him an annoyed look,
having to right her kimono after he�d pulled the folds out of place.

�Ok,
we�re down, lets eat.� He declared.

The little group traveled down the
streets, staring around the city, observing the clusters of people going in and
out of shops and homes. �Wow, this place is big.� Fuu breathed in awe. She had
only lived in a small village that was nothing compared to this. �Oh look! A
bakery! I bet they have this really good sponge cake there, Castillo.� She all
but drooled, spying the goods within as they passed

Neither of her companions seemed too
impressed with the sights, though their travels had probably led them to dozens
of cities just like this. �Hey, there�s a place.� Mugen pointed to what looked
like a small restaurant ahead to their right. �Lets go there.� He demanded.

Fuu wanted to look around a bit more
but Jin didn�t protest so she assumed both men wanted to eat now. Following
Mugen, they entered the traditional looking bistro, sitting down at the nearest
table. It wasn�t so crowded and a waiter was with them shortly after they�d
seated themselves.

�Can I
take your order?� He asked as they began scanning their menus with a bit of
confusion.

Peeking at him with a sideways
glance, Fuu noticed Mugen�s eyes running over the lists, reflecting in them
little recognition or comprehension. She supposed reading was still not one of
his stronger points. �What do you recommend?� She inquired.

�There
seems to be many foreign items on your menu.� Jin remarked.

�Hai, we
get a lot of foreigners coming through here. I believe you would enjoy the
Shabushabu.� He offered.

�I know
that dish! I think they�d like that.� Fuu perked up. Proud to have some
personal insight into such a big city.

The server bowed respectably and
wrote down their order. �It will be right with you.�

�Excuse
me,� Jin paused the waiter as he turned to leave, �would you happen to know the
whereabouts of the nearest ferry?�

�Of
course, its not far from here. When you leave, take a right and keep going
straight until you reach a vegetable stand, take a left and soon after you�ll
reach the pier. A ferryman should be somewhere along there.� He instructed.

�Thank
you.� He replied, absorbing the information.

Fuu let her eyes roam about the
restaurant. There weren�t many decorations on the wall but the simplicity of it
all gave it a certain air of hominess. Her attention settled on a decent sized
painting hanging near the entrance. It was of a new bride standing before a
temple. It was beautiful and she liked to imagine that was what her mother
looked like at her own wedding; dressed all in white, a long trailing veil with
precious head ornaments adorning it, face painted porcelain and lips smeared a
rosy cherry red.

Mugen had once asked her if she wanted to get married. It
was a few months after they found out about her pregnancy. They were passing
through a town and Fuu had noticed a matchmaking in the process. The go-between
was introducing one mother to the other and Fuu couldn�t help but become
slightly nostalgic. Mugen obviously caught onto what she was staring at and
roughly asked her if she wanted to get married too as long as they were there.
Scoffing at the idea, Fuu commented that she was already giving him a kid, why
was he asking her to do more? Glaring at her, Mugen spat that he was only
asking so she couldn�t whine later that he never did; but if she wanted to stay
a whore that was just fine with him.

He never brought the subject up again but did however make
nasty jabs at her the next few days after. She didn�t need Mugen doing her any
favors. The idea of marrying him held the same merit as slitting her own
throat. To her, the two might as well be one and the same. Bearing his
offspring and marrying him were two totally different things. She wanted to
legitimize this whole thing about as much as she wanted to legitimize her
funeral. Standing next to him in a temple would be signing away everything she
held dear. She wasn�t� ready to give up her freedom, to give up her dreams, her
choice, her way out. She wasn�t ready to sign that all away.

The sickness in her
stomach returned. She would soon be going to her father�s home. There was a bit
of curiosity over what it would look like, or who would be there. If he was wed
to another woman and the father of other children she didn�t think she would be
able to stop at just punching him when she saw him. Would he know her when he
saw her? Would she even know him?

�So
what�s Shabushabu?� Mugen asked, nudging Fuu to get her attention.

�Huh?
Oh, it�s a dish where you get some uncooked beef and vegetables and a bowl of
really hot broth. You dip the meat in the soup, and then you dip the vegetable
in after. That�s how it goes.� She explained.

�Is it
expensive?� Jin questioned doubtfully, eyeing some of the other prices that
certainly weren�t the cheapest he�d ever seen.

�I don�t
know. I guess its different everywhere.� She said now noticing the prices too.
Maybe her choice had been a mistake�

A low rumble echoed around their
table and Mugen rubbed his stomach in annoyance. �So damn hungry�� He grumbled.

Fighting the urge to laugh, Fuu
merely smiled to herself. She wondered if Jin�s stomach ever growled like that.
It was a hard image to picture, the ever stoic and genteel samurai, the poster
boy of propriety and protocol with a rumbling stomach in a public place.
Raising a hand to her mouth she couldn�t help but giggle a little as the
picture came unbidden to her mind. It was too bad she never got the chance to
see such a scene in person.

And now it appeared that she never
would. Fuu sighed, feeling all the humor fade away. He�d asked her what her
plans were after she found the Sunflower Samurai. She was curious if he had any
plans himself. What was he going to do once this was all over? It would be at
least another two years before he could go search for his bordello woman. It
was a rapidly approaching future and she felt like she was the only one caught
off guard by it.

�Here
you are!�

The group looked up at the
announcement as the waiter returned with a large trey. Setting it down he
passed around the three bowls and the rest of the dishes. �I hope you enjoy.�
He said cheerfully.

Fuu and Jin nodded their thanks
while Mugen simply dug in, shoveling bite after bite like it was disappearing
off the face of the earth.

Unlike the other too, Fuu just stared
at her meal before her. It was quite possibly the first time any food of any
sort didn�t appear very appetizing to her. Twining her chopsticks through her
fingers, she played with the stew a bit before becoming bored and returning to
looking around the room and other faces in it.

�What�s
with you?�

She glimpsed up to find both Jin and
Mugen staring at her expectantly. �What?�

�Are you
eating or what?� Mugen asked, slurping down another bite of soup soaked meat.

Shaking her head negatively she set her
utensils down and sighed. �No, I�m not feeling too well today. You guys can
have it.� She offered, pushing her bowl between them.

Apparently �you guys� translated to
�Mugen only� in the pirate�s head and before Fuu�s hand even left the pottery
he possessively snatched it up, gaining a scathing frown from the samurai
across from him. �Since when do you not eat?� He slurred, pouring some of the
stew into his mouth straight from the container.

�Since
you called me a cow.� Fuu glowered at him.

�Basukyou
said it was not healthy for you to abstain from eating.� Jin reminded, picking
up a piece of vegetable.

�Well
Basukyou�s not here so-Mugen would you stop eating all the meat!� She snapped.

�What?�
He pulled his bowl closer to him, chewing another slice of beef and picking at
the rest.

�That�s
not how you�re supposed to eat Shabushabu!� She griped. �First the meat, then
the vegetable, meat, vegetable, meat, vegetable.� She instructed, pointing at
the respective food groups.

�What�re
you, the soup police?� Mugen jeered. �Quiet. You said you weren�t eating.�

�I guess
I don�t really have a choice now.� She groused, watching him finish the
rest of her meal with gusto.

Fuu rolled her eyes and watched the
men polish off their plates. It didn�t matter; she wasn�t lying when she said
she�d lost her appetite. She just hoped it didn�t come back later and she
forever regretted the day she passed her bowl over to Mugen. Her fingers slid
around her unusually still abdomen, the thumping inside her had been strangely
absent all day, not that she was complaining mind you.

Pouring the last bits of stew and
food into his bowl, Mugen emptied the remains down his throat, licking the
juice off his bottom lip and swiping his hand across him mouth when he
finished. He sighed pleasurably at his
satisfied stomach. �Ok, lets go.� He declared, rising to his feet.

Jin seemed to be done as well and
left some money on the table before following the others out the door.

As they walked down the road,
following the directions the waiter had given them, there was something in the
air that day. Hope? Anticipation maybe? Fuu wasn�t quite positive what it was
but it was as if it surrounded her, being everywhere at once but never touching
her. Mugen walked beside her, arms slung lazily behind his head, and a slothful
contentment about him. Even Jin appeared some how, lighter, like the feeling
one has after completing a hundred mile marathon.

But there was no lightness in her.
No satisfaction about her. If anything she felt as though a boulder had been
rudely thrown on her back. The vegetable stand came into view and they took the
appropriate left. Turning around the last building, the wide ocean spread and
spilled into sight. Her eyes wandered along the edge, scanning and settling on
a second dock where sure enough a ferryman stood on his boat waiting for paying
passengers. �Present!� Fuu yelped, jumping in surprise.

Both men stooped and abruptly
turned, giving her an odd look.

�I
almost forgot to buy a present!� She explained, hurriedly fishing out her
change purse before either companion could question her. �I want the Castillo
at the bakery. Both of you go get it!� She ordered, shoving the pouch at Mugen
and pushing them both along. �Go, I�ll haggle with the ferry fee.�

Mugen glanced sourly at the pink,
girly handbag she�d tossed at him. �What the hell�s her problem?� He
griped, thrusting the little purse at Jin. �Here.�

Fuu watched them go and smiled, her
attention diverting to her stomach as she placed her hand on it once more, the
smile fading from her face.

--------------------------------------------

They only got lost once, and
bantered only once about asking directions, with Mugen refusing and Jin calling
him a spineless idiot and on it went. But finally they reached and recognized
the bakery that�d caught Fuu�s attention and ambled in, searching around for
anything that looked like the cake she�d described. Well, Jin did most of the
searching, Mugen more or less waited impatiently in the middle of the room scratching
his chin uninterestedly.

�Is this
Castillo?� Jin inquired, pointing to a square, fluffy looking yellow pastry.

The shopkeeper came over to him and
beamed brightly at the prospect of a sale. �It is.� He nodded.

Jin knelt and examined the price.
�These are very expensive.� He mumbled underneath his breath.

�How
much is in the purse?�

The samurai�s gaze flickered to his
right where Mugen was kneeling beside him, apparently choosing to actually do
something beside laze about for once. �I am not sure.� He replied, opening the
pouch only to pull out a small pebble. �Hn?�

�What�s that? Where�s the money?� Mugen questioned,
looking over Jin�s shoulder as he continued to paw around the pebbles that
appeared to be crushing something.

�It�s a
letter.� He remarked, his normally calm voice tinged with surprise. Pulling it
out his eyes skimmed over the contents before remembering to read aloud,
knowing the pirate�s literacy was not the best.

�Farewell
is going to be painful, so I�m going alone. When we talked in front of the fire
Jin, you asked me where these past events fit into my plan for everything. I�m
answering you now: I don�t know. I didn�t think much past our journey. I
thought I would have all the time in the world, like this could last forever. I
wished that it would
continue forever.

But all of the sudden at that moment, when I started
thinking about it, I got scared. I began feeling that I might have depended too
much on Mugen and Jin. I�d always thought I would be fine by myself after the
journey ends, but then I wondered and started doubting myself. I thought about
it a lot. That�s why I�m going alone. I can�t have you guys with me forever. I
need to go on alone for my own quest to end. At last, you guys were saying that
the battle would be postponed until the end of the journey. I really don�t want
both of you to fight. The Castillo is my farewell gift. Please think carefully
while you�re eating them.

Till we meet again someday�

Jin had
barely finished the letter before it was snatched from him and vengefully
shredded to pieces.

�STUPID BITCH!� Mugen roared, leaping to his feet and making
a mad dash into the streets.

Stupid,
stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid bitch! He should have known she�d pull something
like this! Why the hell wasn�t he paying attention, why didn�t he see it coming
sooner?! Mugen raced wildly through the streets, he could vaguely hear Jin some
way behind him, but there was such a furious ringing in his ears he could focus
on little else other than the winding road in front of him. Idiot, he was going
to drag her back by her hair if he had to! He knew where she was going, she
couldn�t be that hard to find. She was heading to a fucking island for
Gods� sake.

Shit, how
long had she been planning this? He wasn�t joking this time, he was going
to put her on a leash when he found her. Women simply couldn�t be trusted, end
of story. His legs pumped harder, driving him feverishly down the road, not
caring who he bumped into or threw off in the process. Where the hell was that
vegetable stand?! The edges of his vision smeared in one fast blur, his mind
too angry to concentrate.

---flashback---

�Do you plan to stay with Mugen?� He inquired.

�Forever?!� Fuu squawked incredulously.

�You do not mean to stay with him then?�

�I don�t know. Forever is a really long time. I�d never
planned to stay with him at all.� She admitted.

---end flashback---

Mugen
dashed down the path faster, shoving past anyone who got in his way.

---flashback---

�They�re going to keep sending stronger assassins. What
happens when they finally send one that�s too strong?� She pressed, looking up
at him.

---end flashback---

Manipulative
whore. Acting as if she was concerned about him. She stopped that long ago, he
was an idiot to think different. There! There was the vegetable stand! Almost
skidding into said produce hut, he barely managed to make a hairpin turn at the
last minute. Darting wildly down the ocean edge, his eyes scanning for any
signs of a boat on the horizon. Bitch, she was nothing but a conniving, fickle
little wench!

---flashback---

�Fuu-chan must be happy.�

�Her?�

��she gets to be with you.�

---end flashback---

He snorted
bitterly. She was never fucking happy. She was�she was�.she was still here�
Mugen�s mad sprint came to a light jog as he spotted the same pier they were
given directions to. She was still there, her back facing him, staring out into
the ocean where the ferry was rowing off without her. He hesitated suspiciously
before walking over to her, surprised and curious to find her standing in the
same spot they�d left her in. Her profile gradually came into sight and he
stopped when he stood beside her. Her face looked impossibly tense, as if she
were trying desperately to hold off tears, and her fingers flexed awkwardly
over her swollen stomach.

Slowly she
turned her head to look at him, her eyes wet and glossy with sorrow, her lip
quivered as she tried to speak. �I can�t see him like this.� She whimpered as
the damn broke and she could beat down her tears no longer. Lowering her chin,
she wept against her chest, her shoulders trembling with each heart-wrenching
sob.

No, she was
never happy. Mugen rubbed his knotted shoulder uncomfortably, again feeling out
of place and inadequate when she cried. He looked over to see Jin standing a
few yards away from them, clearly surprised as well to see her still there. The
samurai could obviously tell she was crying and Mugen waited, watching, seeing
what he would do. Waiting for him to do whatever it was that apparently every
male besides him knew to do when females started bawling. He waited. A few
minutes passed, and then multiplied into more, and gradually became too long of
a wait.

He didn�t
know if the bastard was waiting for him to do something or if he knew just as
little as he did about the situation. Either way, Jin simply stayed where he
was, observing them from a small distance. Mugen snorted cynically. �Useless
asshole.� He muttered under his breath. Maybe there just wasn�t anything a man could
do when women were like this. Maybe it was like a storm and there was nothing
to do but wait it out. Still, he felt he should say something to her, something
that she would like to hear right about now. Unfortunately, when the only even
remotely affectionate things said to you were either �I beg of you, spare me,
I�ll do anything!� or �May the Gods show mercy to your soul� you were bound to
be a little inapt at the art of consoling.

�Hope derives from despair, but
it's difficult for people to live without hope, so the only choice is to live
with despair.�

That didn�t exactly sound like
something that was supposed to make somebody feel better. Mugen glanced at the
solemn voice to see a man at his side staring out into the ocean. He appeared
to be about middle aged, with a dark, thin beard lining his lips and chin. He
was clothed in samurai garb though the material looked bland and cheap with its
plain pattern and dun coloring. �Who the hell are you?� Mugen groused.

It was as if he hadn�t even spoken
at all and the newcomer disregarded him, looking right through him at the girl
hovering behind. �You are Kasumi�s daughter.� It wasn�t really a question.

Mugen
tensed at this, now beginning to take this stranger seriously. Jin had come
closer with the man�s arrival and stood next to Fuu, regarding the new arrival
carefully. Fuu tried to move Mugen out of her way, wanting to get a better look
at the strange man but he easily shirked her hand away, refusing to budge. �Do
you know Kasumi Seizou?� Jin inquired.

�He is a
criminal whose heart was stolen by a foreign religion and abandoned his
country.� He replied coldly. �I have heard that he escaped here to Kyushu and
was involved in the Shimabara rebellion.� He said glimpsing at the little
island. Fuu�s gasp caught his attention once again and he turned, his eyes
settling detachedly onto her. �He's the man the Shogunate most wants to erase.
We've known from the beginning about the daughter who was seeking him, and we
let her travel freely because we wanted to find him. I am Guard Commander
Kariya Kagetoki, I have orders to kill
Seizou-san�s entire family and followers once he is dead.�

Fuu�s
fingers clenched into Mugen�s back, her eyes going wide and frightened. Mugen
glowered fiercely, readying himself and unsheathing his sword. Jin�s gaze
narrowed but he remained as he was and simply studied the assassin.

�But,�
Kariya continued, �It would appear his following has abandoned him and I
already have the last of his family within my grasp. Therefore, if you�re the
daughter of a samurai, you should face your death bravely.� He said calmly
drawing his blade.

�You can
shove your orders up your ass!� Mugen snarled lunging for him.

The man evaded the attack with
Godlike ease and Mugen quickly leapt into a flip to keep from being taken off
balance. Diving in again his flurry of kicks and swipes seemed to pass right
through him with no affect. Back
springing onto his hands he kicked off his geta, bounding onto his feet and
slinging them at the stranger�s head. Using the given distraction Mugen dove
behind a load of shipment beans, yanking them up end first as the other male
was dodging the flying geta. Throwing the whole shipment into the air it came
raining down on his opponent like thick hale, providing a temporary screen for
him to lunge in again.

Fuu watched the battle, her mouth
open in horror. Mugen was loosing! He was actually loosing! Her heart pounded
in her chest and her hands were shaking against her.

Jin observed the adversaries, taking
note on techniques and styles through narrowed eyed. �Run.� He breathed almost
inaudibly.

Startled by the samurai�s sudden
command, she couldn�t quite make out what he said. �What?�

�Run!�
He whispered harshly, eyes still on the combatants.

She jolted in surprise but nodded an
affirmation and took off down the dirt road leading into the forest.

Once he was sure she was at least a
safe distance away, Jin mentally braced himself to face this new powerful
threat. His eyes followed Mugen�s swings and ducks and the other man�s
evasions. The assassin didn�t even seem interested in the fight himself.

Unbeknownst to them, a head of pale
blond hair poked itself out of its hiding place between more produce shipments,
his own dotted irises heatedly tracing the battle.

--------------------------------------------

Fuu dashed through the pines and the
foliage, nearly tripping over up-grown roots and stray limps. She wanted to
think about what the man had told her. But her mind simply wouldn�t allow it.
The only think her brain was pumping through her now was �faster�, �faster!�
�FASTER!� Swallowing some saliva down to her quickly drying throat she fought
against the pain in her side coming to play with her terrified dashing.

Her mind in such a panicked clutter
she stumbled, almost running straight into another person. She started back,
panting to regain lost breath. The man before her sat calmly in a wooden chair
on wheels, staring at her through glassy, inhuman eyes. �Hello,� she breathed,
her arm coming up to hug the pang in her ribcage, �could you help me? I need a
place to hide.� She pleaded.

�How
very sad.�

Her brow furrowed at the statement,
though the odd man�s lips never moved.

�You�ve
come such a long way. And for what?�

The voice was coming from behind her
and she looked over her shoulder to see another man. This one tall and tan with
a missing eye, leaning against a nearby tree, lazily examining what looked like
a scythe in his hand. �What do you mean?� She rotated to face him.

�All
this work, all this time for nothing.� He continued. �Are you too frightened,
or just too ashamed to complete your journey? Oh I know a lot about that.� He
twirled the butt of the blade through nimble fingers, his tone carrying
something akin to mock-sympathy.

Fuu stepped back fearfully,
carefully avoiding the other stranger behind her. �Who are you? How do you know
about my journey?� She demanded.

The man smiled deviously at her, his
lips turning up into a vicious grin. �Why shouldn�t I know all about it? I will
be the one to end it.�

Staggering away from him when he
began to advance, she cringed as her back hit another tree behind her. �You
can�t.� She beseeched. �I�m going to have a baby.� Fuu�s lip trembled as he
crept nearer, now observing her with a flicker of amusement, his eyes running
up and down her transformed physique. Her lids clenched shut tightly, feeling
his blade trail idly down her stomach when he came close enough to touch. �You
can�t hurt a pregnant girl! You can�t
hurt a pregnant girl! You can�t hurt a
pregnant girl!� She chanted in her head. �Everybody knows that!
Especially a young pregnant girl! You can�t hurt a pregnant girl!�

She could
now feel his breath blowing hotly in her ear. �This is his, isn�t it?� He
whispered, prodding her belly with the rapier.

�What?�
She tried to suck in her abdomen, not comfortable with the way the edge of the
scythe was resting on it.

�The
ryuukyuu-jin. Your Mugen.� His words were filled with a false sweetness.

Fuu shook her head furiously. �No!
It�s Jin�s. The other man�s, if you know so much about me.� She denied.

The man chuckled nastily, pressing
the blade further against her skin making her gasp at the coldness digging
through the material of her yukata. �Little liar.� He chided affectionately.

His fingers skimmed alongside her
cheek, and she winced at the pseudo warmth in the gesture.

�You
have a demon growing inside you. Did you know?� His hand cupped the side of her
belly, trying to feel the life there. �I can�t help but think,� he added, �that
if someone had just done something about that screaming bitch of a mother he
came wailing out of, none of this would be happening.� He sighed, his breath
tickling her face. �My brothers and I would be still be in the Satsuma-han,
happily bettering ourselves through the ranks. And you,� His hand went from her
stomach to finger her chin �where would you be? The respectable wife of another
man? Working peacefully in a little shop somewhere? Or perhaps it would be the other
man�s child in here as you said.� He smirked �Instead of this hell spawn
residing in your womb now.� Fuu cried out when the scythe rubbed harshly
against her stomach. �Well, lets not make the same mistake twice.� He
whispered.

Fuu�s eyes followed the blade as his
arms swung up, bringing the weapon high above his head. Her panicked fingers
clawed at the bark behind her as through trying to dig her way through it
somehow. She gasped, mouth opening in an earsplitting scream as he brought the
scythe down on her head.

--------------------------------------------

The bastard was mocking him! Mugen
growled frustratedly, not being able to land a single hit on him. The other man
wasn�t even trying to attack, simply toying with him with his evasive maneuvers
and defensive swings. Mugen flipped, rolled, and keeled down, attempting to
lash the feet right out from underneath his opponent. But it was no use; the
man was lightning quick and leapt out of the way like child�s play.

Gritting his teeth, Mugen rose back
up, his mind working quick to think up another plan.

�Your
moves are skilled and unpredictable. But the reliance on instinct and reflexes
has its limits in the art of war. It
requires more intelligence.� Kariya said calmly as if speaking to an impatient
child.

Mugen snarled heatedly at his brush
off. �Stop bragging and fight!� He barked, rushing the assassin.

Neither got the
chance to blink as Kariya waited until the last minute to pivot out of the way,
Mugen�s momentum sending him stumbling past him with the unexpected lack of
resistance. Before the pirate could regain his footing, the other man was on
him, barreling him off the cobblestone ledge and into the sea.

Jin watched as Mugen came up sputtering, his fingers
searching the rocky edge for a hold. Kariya then coolly sat down, crossing his
feet and patiently waiting for Mugen to crawl back up the side. An unhinged
laughter exploded into the air, catching all three opponents� attention.

Heaving himself back onto the dirt ground, Mugen glowered
at the stocky blond man currently heckling them from his perch on a shipment
bin. He noticed the metal claw-like contraption that took up the better portion
of his right hand. �What the hell�re you?� He growled out, his hair and clothes
plastered to his skin.

The misshapen thing�s disturbed giggling died down and he
gave him a toothy smile. �Loosing your wife and your life all in the same day.�
He sing-songed, rocking side to side.

�What�re
you talking about?!� He rejoined irritatedly at being taken from combat.

The shorter man gave a merry laugh,
his fingers, both metal and skin digging into the wooden side of the crate.
�We�ve got your little woman, Mugen.� He taunted. �Better find her,� He mocked,
�before she�s torn to tiny pieces.� He giggled.

Mugen�s fists clenched furiously,
wanting to fling his sword through the ridiculing creature�s head. He had never
run from a fight before! What the hell was he supposed to do? He had to go to
Fuu but he couldn�t leave this asshole here!

Frowning as the blond man leapt
away, Jin came composedly forward. He eyed Kariya who was now rising to his
feet. �Go.� He instructed, never taking his attention away from the other
samurai.

Mugen balked. �You go!� He
snapped. He wasn�t letting the son of a bitch get a one up on him.

�Go get
Fuu, Mugen.� Jin said more firmly.

�Stop
wasting my time.� Kariya commanded. �Who is to be my opponent?�

The little bastard�s warning still
resounded in his head. He snorted exasperatedly. There wasn�t a chance he would
be able to concentrate on the battle now anyway. �You better not fucking die.�
Mugen rebuked, darting down the road Fuu had taken.

--------------------------------------------

Barely managing to duck the scythe
speeding down onto her, Fuu bobbed underneath his arm, the blade going straight
through the trunk itself. Jumping as the large pine tumbled into the earth with
a resounding crash, she dashed to her left, hoping she was taking the right
turn that would lead her directly into town if she kept going.

Fuu zigged and zagged, the blade
coming at her from all angles, clearing away whole bushes and trees. She urged
herself on faster, she had to get to the city, if luck was with her she would
be able to loose herself in a crowd somewhere. A sudden odd twinge ripped
through her lower abdomen and it felt as though a damn in her had broken and a
flood burst down her legs. The fluid puddled onto the grass, making it wet and
slimy and she cried out when her foot slipped on the trail, sending her face
first into the ground. She landed with a grunt and a groan, hurriedly regaining
her bearings and clambering to her feet only to be knocked back down when the
weapon sliced the air above her head.

Scrambling onto her back she
frantically tried to crab-walk away as he approached. Her lungs raped the area of
its oxygen, attempting to keep up with the adrenaline her brain was shooting
through her system. Everything in her was screaming to get up and run but she
was too afraid to turn her back on him again. The wetness between her thighs
seeped through the crotch of her robes, adding confusion and more fear to her
terror. What was going on?! Had she wet herself? It definitely wouldn�t
surprise her right about now.

He continued forward, his pace
relaxed and cool. �Come now, you�re doing the world a favor. This is for the
greater good, don�t you see?� His voice dripped with vicious kindness, making
her feel filthy and horrified at the same time.

Her hands were still covered in the
odd liquid now staining the grass, making the heel of her palm slide behind her
and her body fall backwards. She yelped, quickly yanking her sore wrist out
from under her, when a new pain seared up her back and through her stomach. Fuu
curled over herself, holding her abdomen. What was happening to her? Opening
her eyes, a pair of covered feet stepped in her line of vision. Jerking her
head up, she saw the weapon being raised over his head again. This time she had
no way out.

�Close
your eyes, and it will all be over.� He lilted.

Knotting her lids shut, her arms crossed over her face in a
futile attempt to block the blow.

�CLANK!�

But it never came. She peeked out
from over her arms in time to see Mugen�s sword knock the scythe away from her.
The pirate didn�t hesitate and instantly went on the offensive, lunging in with
a slash, catching the other man�s chest in a bloody swipe. The one eyed
attacker sprung back, evading the hit just enough to turn a fatal wound into a
bleeding scratch.

Mugen inched his feet apart in front
of Fuu, ready to attack again. �Get out of here!� He commanded roughly.

Fuu cringed, clutching her stomach
as another sharp pang shot through her, worse than the first. �I can�t!� She
cried.

�Yes,
let her stay, Mugen.� The man agreed.

�Who are
you guys?� He asked, blocking the other male�s path to Fuu.

�Don�t
be stupid!� He snapped. �Even if you�ve forgotten us, my brothers and I will go
to our graves with your memory.� He hissed. �We were Satsuhma-han on
that sugar ship you and your band of demons raided! We could�ve been officers
if it weren�t for you. Instead we were held responsible for your mess and
driven out.�

Mugen snorted frivolously. �I�ve
raided a lot of sugar ships.� He smirked. �They were never worth much. I
could usually spend my half of the loot in a night or so.�

�You-!� He bellowed, swinging the scythe at his head.

Easily side
stepping the strike, the blade went over him and severed another tree. The bark
groaned as it lurched forward, falling straight for Fuu. Mugen leapt down,
quickly yanking her away, now noticing, for the first time, the dark stain on
the front of her robes.

�I don�t know what happened.� She said, her voice hoarse
from crying and fear.

A low
chuckle made him turn, still keeping his stance between him and Fuu.

�After I take your head, I�m going to rip that abomination
out of her and show it to your dead carcass.� He grinned maniacally, advancing
on them again.

�Get out of here!� Mugen snapped.

�I told you I ca-!�

�NOW!� He barked shoving her away.

Fuu
stumbled with the force of the push but managed to stay on her feet and keep
running. The water dripped down her thighs, feeling sticky and gross caking to
her skin. She ran faster, wanting to block out the taunting sounds of the one
eyed man calling her back. Wheezing for air, she ignored her spleen�s protest
of abuse.

She felt
worn and heavy, her feet beseeching her for a rest. And this throbbing pain
running up and down her spine gave her the distinct ardor to lie flat on her
back. The town had to be close, she hadn�t gone very far, and the forest circled
the city, so pretty much any direction was the right direction to run in. Another hot pain speared her stomach and she
groaned agonizingly, knowing she couldn�t stop to take care of it. The aching
twinges were getting worse with time and she needed to reach help.

Frustrated
tears raced down her face. Of all the times for this to happen! It seemed
everything was coming at her at once. Two men wanted her dead, the shogunate
had used her to find her father, Jin and Mugen�s lives were in danger, and now
something inside her was damaged and causing her pain and she couldn�t risk
stopping to see what it was. She sent a silent prayer for her companions�
safety. Sniffling and blinking back the wetness in her eyes she focused on
getting farther from the danger behind her and reaching the safety of the city.

A light
filtered through the dense pine needles and tree limbs, spurring her on. Fuu
ran towards it hopefully, brushing back bushes and curious branches. Clearing
the last forest barrier she rested herself on her knees, panting to catch her
breath, looking desperately around at her new scenery. It looked like the
city�s market. Food and produce stands lined the roads and people crowded the
sidewalks and streets.

The jabbing
pain flared up again, and she cried out with the torture of it. Yes, they were
most definitely getting worse. �Help me!� She howled.

Fuu tried
her best to stand up and hobble into the streets, frantically begging for
assistance. �Please, I need help!� She wailed, grasping any stranger within
reach, only to be rudely brushed off, with the occasional cynical mumble of
�women and their hysterics� from a few passing men.

It was as
if she was screaming in a crowd and no one even heard her, literally. Fuu
slumped against a wall, sobbing defeatedly. She was in danger, in pain, and
alone and no one would help her. Suddenly, hands were gripping her shoulders to
balance her and Fuu looked into a pair of alarmed and worried eyes.

�Oh my, you shouldn�t be out like this.� The older woman
supporting her said, noticing the wetness marring Fuu�s yukata. �Dear me, your
birthing knots have broken, haven�t they?�

Wiping the
rawness away from her cheeks, Fuu sniffled piteously. �My what?�

Slinging
the smaller girl�s arm around her shoulders, she gripped her evenly around the
middle, guiding her down the sidewalk. �Now you come with me. We can�t have you
dropping your litter on the side of the street like a stray cat, now can we?�

There was
nothing left to do but nod pathetically and let the older woman drag her along.
She hadn�t understood a good portion of what was going on or what her
benefactor was trying to tell her, but she did comprehend the concept of �come
with me.� Which usually involved going to a place better than where she currently
was. �Ow!� She cried, her free arm coming to clutch at her side.

�No, no, we mustn�t stop.� The woman reproached
understandingly. �My home isn�t very far. My girls and I will get you through
this, don�t you worry.� She added reassuringly.

The idea of
walking anywhere wasn�t looking as good as it did ten minutes ago. The
ache in her lower belly threatened to rip her apart. The sharpness was becoming
harder, thicker, more aggressive. �I can�t do it!� Fuu sobbed.

The other
woman squeezed her hand comfortingly. �Yes you can. Now how about you talk to
me? Get your mind off of it.� She suggested.

Fuu moaned
achingly, wanting badly to lie down.

�There, there. Alright, tell me your name, then. Mine�s
Nuku.� She said, adjusting the young girl in her arm.

�I�m Fuu.� She replied, swallowing the thick lump of fear in
her throat.

�That�s a nice name. Can you tell me how old you are?�

�Fifteen.� Fuu tried to regulate her breathing, wanting to
find a pattern that helped the pain.

�I see, you must be a newlywed. Congratulations.� Nuku
praised.

�Please, I want to stop.� Fuu wailed, feeling too heavy and
hurting too bad to go any further.

�Of course, good thing we�re here.� Nuku leaned the heaving
girl into her, bringing her to a small door and tapping eagerly on it with her
free foot. �Kyoko! Yaru!� She commanded. �Open the door quickly!�

Almost
instantly the door slid back revealing a girl that looked a few years older
than Fuu. �What is it, kaa-san?� Chirped another girl that seemed to be only a
year or two younger than her sister.

Nuku
hurriedly staggered past them and into the first room. �Get some blankets! Lay
one out on the floor, now!�

The
daughters didn�t question the order and quickly went to work, darting in and
out and coming back with a few bundles in each hand. The youngest one unrolled
hers and swept it across the floor.

�Good girl, Yaru. Go fill a pale with water and some rags
and bring them to me.� She said, gently helping Fuu lay back onto the covered
ground. �Kyoko, help me get her robes off.� She instructed.

The oldest
pulled at the obi of Fuu�s yukata, while her mother peeled the layers back.
Taking the remaining blanket she covered the younger girl�s naked body,
bunching the bottom end up around Fuu�s hips.

�Is she having a baby, Kaa-san?� The oldest, Kyoko,
inquired, taking the sloshing pale from Yaru when she came back.

�She will be.� Nuku nodded, dipping a rag in the cool water
and pressing it to Fuu�s sweating forehead.

�I�m having it now?� Fuu�s asked weakly.

�Not now, but soon. It usually takes a few hours.� The older
woman corrected. �My husband and sons
should be back from work later, they can go fetch your husband if you like.�
She offered.

Fuu shook
her head tiredly. �I don�t know where he is.�

�He is on a trip?� Yaru questioned, kneeling beside her next
to her sister.

�Kind of.� She replied, wiping away water trailing into her
eyes.

�What kind of trip?� Kyoko pressed curiously.

�What kind of man would leave his wife alone in your
condition?� Yaru huffed, appalled by the notion.

�That�s enough you two!� Nuku snapped. �Don�t badger her.�

Fuu closed
her eyes as Kyoko pressed the wet rage tighter against her forehead, and sent a
mental thank you to Nuku. �Ah!� She gasped, everywhere below her bellybutton
felt like it was curling in on itself, sending throbbing aches jolting up and
down her back.

Moving to
the foot of the blanket, Nuku kneeled at Fuu�s legs, hiking them under her arms
and pushing them apart.

�What do you think you�re doing?!� Fuu exclaimed, blushing
furiously at the other woman inspecting the area she knew total strangers
weren�t supposed to be probing around in.

�You�re labor pains are coming closer together. You will
need to begin preparing for birthing.� She explained, propping Fuu�s legs up so
they bent at the knees. �Kyoko, get behind her.� She said, gesturing to Fuu�s
head.

Kyoko
obediently went to sit behind Fuu, adjusting her until she was spooned against
her chest. �I suppose you�ve already met us.� She giggled. �What�s your name?�

�Fuu.� She sighed, the pain fading temporarily, giving her
time to regain her strength. �You have brothers?�

The older
girl smiled. �One is twenty three, the other is seventeen, a year younger than
I am.� She explained. �Don�t worry though, Kaa-san won�t let the men come in.�

Well that
was a relief. She didn�t think she was ready for three more strangers to
see her with her legs spread wide open. �Thank you.� She said gratefully. Fuu
lay lax in Kyoko�s arms, happy to finally feel safe. The adrenalin drained from
her body, leaving her tired and wanting to sleep. �Oh Kami-sama!� She shouted,
the fierce pain coming back and tangling her spinal cord and organs into little
knots.

The lines
along Nuku�s forehead creased with worry as Fuu�s body went taunt. �I think it
is time.� She announced. �Yaru, go see if you can borrow another blanket from
the neighbors if we don�t have any.�

�What?!� Fuu squawked. �No, I�m not ready yet!� She
protested.

Nuku smiled
a little sadly, her eyes sympathetic and understanding. �You never are.�

--------------------------------------------

�How many other bastards have you spawned?� He mocked. �As
long as I�m exterminating the Queen I might as well get the rest of the nest.�

Mugen
sprung away from the chain scythe but couldn�t get out of its path fast enough
before it wrapped around his elbow, yanking him brutally to the ground. He
shouted through gritted teeth at the resounding snap echoing in his arm, his
sword dropping in the dirt.

The other
man giggled joyously, yanking the links back and jerking it at an angle to land
the blade deep in the pirate�s shoulder. �I�ll make you rot while you�re still
living!� He cried merrily.

Calloused
hands darted up, struggling to tug the scythe from the muscle and tissue it was
embedded in. Yet another strong yank and he was careening back into the ground.
Mugen was quick to regain footing but was shoved into the grass again as the
heel of a foot pinned his head to the floor. The butt of the scythe dug, twisted,
and grinded into the open wound in his shoulder, as he howled in pain.

�Do you know how wonderful this is for me? How long I�ve
waited to bring you to your knees? I�ll make your life a waste, I�ll make it
like you made ours.� The man sneered.

Breathing
through his teeth, Mugen winced as more tissue was torn and gnarled under the
pole. �Such a pussy..� He spat, blood seeping down his lip.

�What did you say!?� He snarled, the hand on his weapon
freezing at the other man�s gall.

Mugen
chuckled, more rivers of red spattering out of his mouth with the effort. �Its
survival of the fittest, you freak. If you don�t understand that then don�t
bitch!� He growled, with the blade no longer pinning him down he abruptly spun
onto his back, snatching the butt of the scythe and yanking it away as the one
eyed man tumbled to the grass beside him.

Taking the
chance now that his opponent was on the ground, Mugen swung the pole towards
him, the links following in suit and the blade barreling straight into the other
male�s side. With him shouting in agony, Mugen rolled for his sword, grasping
it from the dirt and twisting back to his feet to face him.

Unfortunately his enemy had now regained control of his
weapon and watched Mugen carefully through his one good eye. �Dirty little
trick.� He grinned. �But I�ve got dirtier.�

Mugen followed the blade as he swung
it over his head, round and round and round. The scythe circled through the
limbs and trees, all crashing to the ground with Mugen trying to duck and dodge
every one of them. Somersaulting to the side he barely managed to avoid a
tumbling pine trunk before it crushed him.

The asshole was going to bring the
whole damn forest crashing down around them! The entire wood came down on him
in a shower, the smaller pieces of bark and branch sinking into his skin while
he tried to evade the larger, more fatal trunks and treetops. Mugen skidded,
and flipped, scanning, calculating any sort of opening he could exploit. �Persistent little bastard.� He grumbled,
keeping his right side to him to guard his injured left.

There! Mugen�s eyes abruptly
tunnel-visioned the heckling man�s stomach, now a blaring open target with his
arms being used to swing the weapon overhead. Determinedly steeling himself, he
feigned to the right, dodging to the left to duck the scythe from clipping his
ear, and flung his sword straight into the mark.

--------------------------------------------

�Alright
dear, I need you to push!� Nuku urged, readying herself at Fuu�s open knees

�Push what?!�
Fuu shouted, wanting nothing more than to clench her legs shut from this agony
tearing through her insides like a ball of knives.

Kyoko
kneaded the smaller girl�s shoulders encouragingly. �You have to try to push
the baby out. Tense your lower muscles, that should help.�

Her body
was developing a thick sheen of sweat shining off her skin. Her hands shook and
balled up in fear and stress. She didn�t want to do this, it was too hard, her
spine already felt like it was being jabbed at by a thousand needles, what more
did they want from her? Taking a deep breath, her fingers clutched the fabric
of the blanket beneath her and she tried her best to tighten her inner-walls
and push against whatever they said she was supposed to push. �Aah! Kami-sama!�
She screamed, feeling something from within her move and tear at her.

�Do not stop! You must push!� Nuku compelled, gripping the
writhing girl�s knees to keep them separated.

�You push!� Fuu snapped back. �It hurts!�

The older
woman fixed her with a stern stare. �This child is coming into the world
whether you want it to or not. You do not have a choice. You can either suffer
a few hours of helping this baby out of you, or you can lay there and make this
the most agonizing and seemingly limitless time imaginable.�

Fuu�s lip
quivered and her chest shook with sobs. It hurt! What part of that didn�t they
get? It was slow, inevitable, and uncontrollable! It felt like she was watching
someone gradually skewer her through with a sword, watching the tip slowly
slide into her skin, going deeper and deeper and she was helpless to do
anything but lie there and take it.

�Here, bite down on this.� Kyoko offered, holding a piece of
twisted cloth in front of her face.

Still
sniffling back the mucus now dripping down her upper lip, Fuu opened her mouth
and let the other girl lift it over her bottom teeth. Another wave of torture
took over and Fuu�s jaw snapped shut, almost taking off two of Kyoko�s fingers.
She yowled in agony, her back going fixed and rigid as she fought to contract
her muscles like they told her.

�Good, Fuu, good.� Nuku prompted.

She was
burning from the inside! Everything in her was being pulled and ripped apart
like wet paper! It was unbearable and unstoppable and she could do nothing but
grind her teeth against the cloth and endure. The excruciating ache began to
taper down and Fuu was left weeping and breathless. She bawled uncontrollably
as Kyoko shushed and soothed her, gently petting her hair back.

�It will be alright.� She hushed. �Soon this will be over
and you�ll be able to hold your baby in your arms and that will take all the
pain away.� She softly comforted.

Nothing
could make this horror go away, Fuu�s mind rebelled. She had never felt agony
like this in her entire life and at that moment she was willing to bargain with
the Gods and simply be pregnant for the rest of her days if it only meant that
she would never have to suffer like this again. She cried out and tossed her
head back as her body surged with incomparable pain, making her toes curl and
her eyelids smash shut.

Nuku wiped
her brow, her mouth working in concentration. �Her hips are so small.� She
fretted worriedly.

�Perhaps you should have waited for your body to develop
more until you had a baby.� Kyoko advised, her own heart tensing in concern.

What a
wonderful idea. Well, she would certainly take her suggestion and shove this
thing back into her stomach and simply wait a few more years to let it out.
Despite her hospitality, Fuu would have given anything to bash Kyoko�s head
against the floor until she wasn�t angry or suffering anymore.

�This will be difficult.� Nuku muttered, gnawing at her
bottom lip.

Her insides
rocked with torture undeniably worse than the last bout. She bawled and
shrieked at the horrendous ripping and burning sensations brought on by the
terrible convulsing within her.

Kyoko held Fuu tight, not sure what
else could be done to comfort her through such an excruciating experience.
�Kaa-san, is she alright?�

The older woman held the sobbing
girl�s knees tight as blood began to flow from between her legs and stain the
white blankets beneath her. �Push girl, push!� She pressed.

Fuu whipped her head from side to
side, her feverish thrashing becoming harder and harder for the other women to
keep restrained. She could feel more wetness flush down the apex of her thighs
with every burning spasm in her back and belly. Her spine throbbed with ache as
she bawled and she longed for someone to sooth it away. Another searing
contraction tore through her body almost making her jerk right out of Kyoko�s
arms.

�I see it! It is coming!� Nuku announced. �Hurry Fuu, hurry,
you are almost there!�

There were
no more short periods to rest between the immense labor pains, now everything
was coming at her all at once and she couldn�t handle it nor could she make it
slow down or stop. Fuu wailed with Nuku�s urging encouragements and Kyoko�s
shushing comforts. There was something slipping out of her and tearing the skin
all around it and she screeched as she desperately fought to push it out.

A small bloodied head peeked its
way into Nuku�s view and her hands urgently went down to help it the rest of
the way. �We have it! One more push, Fuu, you are very close!� She exclaimed.

The burning pain didn�t seem to be
subsiding; rather it only increased and made her feel as though she were being
cleaved in two. Writhing against the blankets, Fuu panted and shrieked with the
effort to shove it out of her body.

Nuku laughed happily as she was
finally able to tug the now screaming baby out of its even louder mother.
�Welcome, little one!� She declared.

But no one else even so much as
glanced at the new life and Kyoko gasped in horror at the small girl still
wailing against her. �Kaa-san!� She screamed.

--------------------------------------------

The scythe was abruptly let go, the
chained blade sent hurling into another tree as the sword tore through his
stomach and vital organs.

Mugen smirked confidently, watching
his eyes go wide and blood gush down his lip as he tumbled convulsingly to the
floor. He breathed a weary sigh when his enemy lay unmoving on the ground,
wanting to drop to the floor right there; instead he hobbled tiredly over to
the fallen man to yank the rapier from his intestines. More wine colored drops spattered onto his
face and haori as he crudely ripped the blade out of its sheath of dead muscle
and skin.

The weight of his arm made his
shattered bones ache and he was desperate to make a sling for it. Shrugging off
the dirty red shirt he took it between his teeth ready to tear himself a new
hammock for his injured limb, only to hear an unhinged screeching come
barreling at him with the sudden weight pouncing on him from behind.

�You will take no more from me!� A high-pitched whine howled
in his ear.

A burning
sensation ripped through his shoulder as his new attacker�s weapon shredded
through his collarbone. He shouted with the shining metal now plunging out of
his tattered muscle. �Get the hell off me you little freak!� He roared,
swinging his sword over his head and into whatever had leapt onto him.
Sickening gurgles and grunts accompanied a red liquid spilling onto his already
leaking shoulder.

Mugen
growled and brought the rapier back down, slinging the stocky body across the
forest to slam against a nearby tree. It was the same blond, gargoyle of a man
from before. He slid down the trunk leaving a crimson trail in his wake before
landing on the grass with a muffled �thud�. Glaring at the unmoving form, Mugen
stepped closer, feeling spiteful towards the cowardly sneak attack. Snorting in
disgust he raised his sword ready to take out what was left of his vengeful
grudge on the immobile carcass.

The tip of
his steel never even touched the cooling skin, a sudden explosion of pain
ripping through his side. His fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword to
keep from dropping it again. Looking down, Mugen watched as a large spot of red
grew and seeped through his shirt, creating a morbid almost heart-shaped
pattern. He skimmed his hand over the
stain, bringing up more of the burgundy liquid. Twisting around he spied a
legless man, grinning sickly at him from his wooden chair on wheels, the arm of
his chair lifted to reveal the smoking barrel of a gun.

His good
arm, still clinging to his sword, wrapped protectively around the new wound as
he limped over to the culprit. �Fucking psycho..� he growled, lashing a kick
out to the chair, sending it crashing to the floor.

The wood
splintered into pieces, a stack of sparking dynamite littering out of a small
compartment in the bottom, killing any satisfaction he should have gotten with
the act. Mugen�s eyes widened and the crippled man sniggered madly.

�Damnit.� He swore, having no time to get away before the
chair blew apart in a grand explosion of flames, fire and wood.

--------------------------------------------

Everything
was gray, white, and black. He couldn�t feel his body, he couldn�t move, his
eyelids were too heavy to open. �This is it, this is the end for me�.� He
thought. It was a pretty shitty ending, but he couldn�t help being a little
relieved. He was just so damn tired.

�get up�.�

Her voice
was whispering to him, he could practically feel her breath on his face. Mugen
groaned and strained to lift his lids and see. There was no color around him;
the world was bleak and monotone. The recognizable faceless forms of men in
rags and pelts crowded around him. �You again.� He muttered. This was really
it.

�get up, Mugen�..�

And there
she was, the bright pink of her robes standing out in all the bland, colorless
hues of gray and white. �You�.�

Her honey
colored orbs seemed to be laughing at him. �get up, Mugen, get up��

Fuu, how
did she get here? Jin damn well better have beaten that Kariya bastard.

�Get up.� She ordered more sternly, her eyes no
longer amused.

He wanted
to tell her he couldn�t. He wanted to tell her to get away, get her ass to a
safer place, he didn�t know who was still out there. She glanced down sadly,
her little hand going to her belly where a wet ring of blood was spreading
through her kimono, some of it trickling red over her fingers.

�Get up, you idiot.� She commanded, her voice becoming
deeper, more masculine, yet still oddly familiar.

And he
could breath again. Mugen�s eyes shot open, his mouth contorting into hacking
coughs, fueling the searing pain already shooting through various parts of his
body. Wiping a trail of crimson off his mouth he looked up to see a weary and
battered Jin frowning down at him.

�It is about time, you imbecile.� He mumbled disgruntledly.

The samurai
looked positively ragged. His clothes were torn almost completely off his body,
his hair was down and unkempt, and he was bleeding from multiple wounds
scattered all over him. Mugen imagined he didn�t look much better.

�Get up, we must leave quickly.�

Smoke was
everywhere, killing any oxygen left in the area. Mugen began hacking again,
trying to sit up. What was left or still standing of the forest was on fire,
every tree, bush, and blade of grass set aflame. He moaned and grunted, finally
making it up. Feeling somewhat out of place and naked he noticed that his sword
was indeed missing and doubted it would even be worth finding now.

Jin stood,
using his own blade as a crutch, as he waited patiently for the other man to
stand on his own. �Where is Fuu?� He asked.

Mugen
clutched his gunshot wound and started walking, a limp handicapping his step.
�She ran this way, other than that I have no idea.�

Nodding,
Jin chose to focus on both of them getting out of there alive, staying away
from the larger flames and the falling limbs and trees. �The town is near, she
must have gone there.�

The vision
of her terrified form quivering on the ground came to mind and Mugen felt his
stomach clench at the image of the stain on the front of her kimono. �I think
something was wrong with her.�

Jin�s lips
set in a grim line. He doubted this kind of stress could be good for a girl in
her condition. �We will find her.�

A low roar
of voices could be heard as they drew closer; obviously they weren�t the only
ones that had taken notice of the enflamed woodland. Several able bodies darted
past them carrying full buckets of water, hardly noticing the two injured men
wobbling through the fire-encased forest. Both were too worn to care.

Finally
making it over the last foliage boundary separating the city from the woods,
they limped into the streets, a crowd already lined around it to see the
horrible flames engulf their trees. Jin was the first to attempt getting one of
the onlooker�s attention. �Excuse me, we are looking for someone-�

�Not now! Can�t you see what�s happening?!� The stranger
snapped, pointing to the blazing forest before turning back and pointedly
ignoring the two.

There was
no time for this shit. Snapping his good hand out, Mugen snatched up the man�s
collar, yanking him to his face. �We�re looking for a girl, young, short,
pregnant-�

�Are you talking about Fuu?�

Whipping
his head to the side, Jin spied a young girl observing them curiously, a small
bundle of blankets cradled in her arms. �Do you know her?� He asked.

The girl
nodded affirmatively, adjusting her burden in her hold. �She�s with us. Kaa-san
found her on the street having her baby so she took her in. I�ve been trying
all day to find some sheets for her.� She explained.

Mugen
abruptly dropped the man from his grip and moved over to the young girl. �Well
where the hell is she?! Lets go!� He ordered harshly.

She said a
quick confirmation and began to jog in the direction she had been going before
stopping to question them. �Follow me!�

Running
hurt like hell but thankfully the adrenaline started to spur through him and
dull the pain. She was having the kid. She was having the kid and she was
alone. Shit. He sprinted faster, trying his best not to jostle the useless arm
too much.

�It�s just down this way! C�mon!� She urged, waving to them.

They took a
quick a left and saw what appeared to be three men waiting idly by a door a few
yards in front of them.

�Tou-san!� She called, rushing up to the oldest looking man.
�You�re back! What happened?�

The man
that was obviously her father shrugged. �Your sister told us what happened and
your mother said no men were allowed in for now.� He replied.

�The hell we aren�t.� Mugen growled barreling into the door.

The other
men quickly took hold of him and tried unsuccessfully to restrain him but he
easily shoved them back and burst through the door, leaving Jin to keep the
three away.

She was the
first and only thing he saw going in, and it felt like every organ in his body
dropped to his feet. He couldn�t breath, couldn�t make air go into his lungs
and chest. She lay lifelessly in a pool of scarlet, tangled in sheets that he
could only guess had once been white. But now they were nothing but drowned
rags of burgundy and bright red. The swell of her stomach was gone and a
blanket had been haphazardly thrown over her naked and bleeding body. She was a
sickly pale, sweat plastered locks of hair to her face and the rest was more
knotted in her chopsticks than held up by them.

He only
made it a few steps before collapsing to his knees beside her. �Get up.� He
muttered, though it was so low he wasn�t even sure he had said it at all.

There was
no more pain, not in his arm, not in his shoulder or side, nothing. He was
numb, totally and completely numb. The only thing he could feel was the bile
rising in his stomach. �Get up.� He commanded again, taking hold of her cold,
naked shoulders.

Blood was
everywhere. It stained everything. Blood, blood, blood, blood. �I said get up!�
He ordered, giving her a hard shake.

�Who are you? What are you doing here? Who let you in?�

He could
hear an elderly voice jabbering behind him but couldn�t make out what she was
saying. It was all drowned out by a deafening roar of silence in his ears. Her
head only fell limply back as he shook her, loose tendrils of hair falling away
from her placid face.

�Stop that! What do you think you�re doing?!�

This time,
worn, feminine hands grasped at his arm, trying to tug him away from her, but
he barely felt it. Mugen gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing as he drew his
hand back and brought it slamming across her face. �I SAID GET THE FUCK UP!� He
roared, Fuu�s head snapping to the side with the force of the slap.

�OW! What?!�

Mugen
froze, his hand still in midair as her bloodshot eyes jerked open to glare
furiously at him.

She had
been put through total physical and mental hell, and when she finally gets to
rest of course he would ruin it. Her cheek stung and reddened from his abuse
and at the moment she wished she were strong enough to retaliate appropriately.
Fuu wanted to berate him and get him away from her, but stopped when her
attention settled on him at last. His own eyes were wide with the pupils
constricted wildly, his hands and knuckles were trembling, though it didn�t
look like he even knew it. His mouth opened and closed and it seemed, for the
first time, he was speechless.

Her anger
started to subside and she let the sting in her face gradually fade. �I�m
alright. I made it.� She weakly announced, her voice high and scratchy from
screaming.

Mugen began
to relax, his hand coming down but he couldn�t tear his gaze away from her. All
this blood. There was so fucking much. And she was okay. �Shut up.� He
grumbled, moving behind her into the same position Kyoko had been with her.

�Fuu, do you know this man?�

Tenderly
turning her head, she saw Nuku scowling disapprovingly at the man behind her.
�He�s the father.� She murmured, wanting desperately to go back to sleep.

�Knock it off.� Mugen growled, pinching her when she went to
close her eyes again.

Fuu sent
him a grudging glare but did as he said. She was in no condition to defend
herself if he didn�t want her to do something.

�I see.� The older woman said, still frowning condemningly
at Mugen. �Would you like to see your sons, then?�

�My what?� Mugen asked glancing up at that.

Another
young woman came up beside what he could only guess was her mother, holding two
small bundles in her arms. She knelt next to him and Fuu and presented them
with two identical faces staring up at them.

�You are very lucky.� She said, smiling impishly.

Twins. He
had twins. HA! He bet Jin could never do that! He grinned proudly down at the
two as they gazed up him. The two women had obviously cleaned them up, and now
two full heads of tousled black hair could be seen, as well and two pairs of
stone colored eyes.

�You were out almost instantly after we took the second
one.� She informed Fuu. �It was a bit of a surprise. Though I think they�re
very hungry after such a journey, we will give you some privacy for feeding.�
She said handing them over and standing up with her mother to usher the four
arguing men away from the door.

Her arms
were weak and Mugen had to help her support the two. The blanket concealing her
fell away as she adjusted them against her and they needed no encouragement to
eat. Fuu cringed as they practically hooked themselves onto each breast and
suckled ravenously. After a few minutes she became used to the queer feeling
and looked down at the two newborns. She waited for her �whole body to go numb
and her whole world to center on the little bundles snuggled against her�, or
for �all the pain to go away� now that she was holding her babies. She waited
for a flood of warmth and sunshine and puppies and whatever else it was every
other mother said she would feel on this day.

But
nothing. None of it came. There was no river of maternal devotion and instant
unconditional love flowing through her like she had never felt before. There
was nothing that everyone described. She still hurt, she was still in pain, she
was still battered, torn and bloody. The babies hadn�t taken any of that away.

She sighed
disappointedly and leaned back against him. Maybe Mugen was right. Maybe she
was a defective female. �Do you have to watch?� She inquired a little
annoyed with his intent peering down at her breasts.

�Damn right I do.� He mumbled absentmindedly, his eyes never
leaving the sight below him.

Rolling her
eyes she grumbled irritatedly under her breath and decided to let him be and
instead study what exactly it was that nine months of pure torture had
produced. She scanned them over, thick mops of unruly black hair peppering
their scalp, dark gray eyes half lidded with sleep, fat little fingers eagerly
grasping and clutching their respective meal ticket. She tried but could see
next to none of herself in them. Though both identical faces were pudgy and
bloated now, she could practically see the facial features that would one day
become angular and harsh like their father�s. No, they would definitely be no
majestic, masculine beauties in their adulthood.

The
disappointment in her heart deepened. Nothing of her lineage appeared to have
passed on. One of them let go and yawned, taking his attention away from his
first breakfast to look up at her. He seemed to be studying her face much like
she was studying his own.

Their skin
wasn�t dark. That was possibly the only thing their bloodline rejected from
their paternal side. It was pale, like hers, like her mother�s had been. She
wondered if it would darken later on in life. If it didn�t, it may give them
the chance to be average looking at best.

�Got any names picked out?�

It was
funny that she actually did. Not that she had ever planned names; they just
sort of instantly came to her when he asked. �Jin.� She said. �And Shinsuke.�

Mugen
glowered at the top of her head. �Any other names?� He rumbled
unpleasantly.

Fuu turned
her nose up arrogantly. �When you can push two living human beings out of your
womb, then you can name them anything you want.� She rebuked.

Frowning,
Mugen gazed down at them, one still suckled hungrily but the other was now
sleeping against her breast, thump popped pleasingly in his mouth. Obviously
this was going to be a family that played favorites. Well he had already picked
his.

�You�re bleeding.� She said.

�What?�

�You�re bleeding against my back. I can feel it.�

�I�ll be fine.� He said grudgingly.

Fuu scoffed mockingly. �You�re darn
right you will. I�m not doing this all on my own.�

Before Mugen could stop her she had
already cupped a hand to her mouth. �Nuku!� She called hoarsely.

On cue, the old woman came through
the door, all other occupants peering in curiously behind her. �Did you need
something, dear?�

�My friends need help.� She said.

Nuku nodded
glancing behind her. �I could see that, Yaru and Kyoko are already bandaging up
your dark haired friend out there.�

�He�s hurt too.� Fuu gestured to Mugen behind her.

�Yaru! Kyoko!� Nuku called, the other girls filed in,
pushing their father�s and brothers� faces out of the way. �Yaru, get some more
bandages and help me with this one. Kyoko, you stay with the other one, we will
bring him in here shortly.�

--------------------------------------------

Finally.
They could rest. The girls helped wash up Fuu, though she insisted she could do
it herself. Mugen�s wounds were tended to, and he even stayed quiet, with the
exception of the expected grunting and wincing, when they pulled out the
bullet. Jin was brought in and given a place to sleep off his injuries with the
rest of them. They even agreed to care for the children while Fuu regained her
strength.

�We�ll be out by tomorrow. I promise.� Fuu said feeling
quite guilty as the old woman tucked her in for the night. This was a big
family and it was such a small home for three, now five, strangers to be taking
up more space in.

Nuku�s
smiled amusedly at her, her eyes sparking knowingly. �Of course.� She agreed,
watching the smaller girl as she fell exhaustedly to sleep.

And they
did sleep. And sleep. And sleep. And sleep. Almost two weeks past, and the men
went to work and the women tended to the children and the wounds as the other
three occupants slept on.

On the
ninth day, Fuu woke. She yawned and stretched, feeling better than she had in a
long time. The sun shined through a small window and reminded her of the insane
dream she had. She dreamt she had given birth, to Mugen�s
children, and twins at that! Fuu laughed and shook her head, scratching
her neck and briefly searching her surroundings for any indication given to
where she was.

�Good morning!� A feminine voice giggled.

Looking to
the side, Fuu saw an older girl walking towards her, two familiar faces peeking
eagerly at her from her arms. Oh.

�You�ve been sleeping quite awhile. Though after all this I
would too.� She said handing to two writhing little creatures over to her. �I
know two boys that have missed you greatly.� She laughed. �Don�t worry. We�ve
been feeding them, although that�s not an easy task to do when the provider is
unconscious.� She said mischievously. �I don�t think they�re hungry now though.
We also redressed you, with all the men in the house we didn�t want you to wake
up embarrassed.�

Fuu nodded
and thanked her gratefully, looking down at the two tiny boys that now seemed
intent on a game of chicken, both demanding more room that her small arms
simply didn�t have.

�We also gave them some of the boys� old baby clothes.�
Kyoko informed.

�Wow, I missed so much.� She said awestruck.

�It hasn�t been so long. Your samurai friend is up as well,
he only woke a few hours before you. Perhaps you�d like to see him?�

�Hai, I would.�

Kyoko
gently helped the younger girl to her feet with babies still in hand. �I have
to go help Kaa-san stitch some more clothes, but I�ll be here if you need me.�
She said hurriedly going to help her mother.

It wasn�t
so sore to walk. A fact that surprised her. Though she had slept a good deal
and this shouldn�t be so shocking. Stepping out, she slid the door shut behind
her with her heel, looking around for the familiar ponytailed form.

�I see Mugen�s genes are as dominant as the imbecile
himself.�

Fuu turned
around and there he was, gazing at her with that same cool collected stare he
always had. He glanced down from her face to the two wrestling boys, their
chubby limbs kicking and meshing together. She suddenly felt ashamed, but tried
hard to press it down. �I named one Jin.� She murmured, not able to look him in
the face.

�Which?�

Oh, that�s
right. Her attention darted between the two for a moment and one of them seemed
to sense her internal distress and glimpsed up at her inquiringly, the other
using the distraction to get a good kick in. �This one.� She announced, lifting
the one now reaching for her hair. �I hope you don�t mind.�

Jin shook
his head, moving closer to her. �I do not mind.� He said quietly, observing his
new namesake. �I am sure he will need all the head start he can get.�

Fuu giggled
agreeably. Had stoic, stony Jin just made a joke? Well, it was more of a
statement of facts. But still.

�And the other?� He questioned, glancing at the other
aggressive baby.

�Hm?�

�What have you named the other one?�

�Oh. Shinsuke.� She replied.

He was
quiet for a little while before speaking. �I take it, you have decided not to
carry on your father�s name.�

She frowned
and hiked the children up more comfortably against her. �I don�t even know if I
have the right anymore.� She said.

Accepting
her answer he looked back up at her face. �They are good names, nonetheless.�

After all
they had been through, it was amazing how wonderful a smile he could bring so
effortlessly out of her. �I think so too.�

This is the
way she would always remember him. Smooth, pale, flawless face, dark eyes
gleaming into hers, shining raven hair pulled back. He would forever remain
unchanging and ageless in her mind. �You�re leaving, aren�t you.� It wasn�t
really a question.

Jin didn�t
answer, but rather continued to watch her face unmovingly.

Fuu looked
down, not sure she could keep her emotions in check and look at him at the same
time. �I understand.�

She felt
soft, masculine fingers cup her chin turning it up towards him, and her lids
slid shut at the feelings he could still evoke within her.

�We each have our own paths we must follow.� He all but
breathed.

Opening her
eyes she marveled at his touch. When had Jin ever willing touched another
person in affection? This was what she had always wanted. This look, this
moment. Why was he giving her it now of all times?

�I only regret,� He started, �that ours were never meant to
intertwine.�

And for 15
seconds she was lost. She couldn�t stop herself from closing her eyes; from
reaching on her tiptoes and touching her lips with his. It wasn�t a passionate
kiss, it wasn�t heated and lustful. It wasn�t eager and hopeful like their
first. This one was soft, sorrowful, and full of images of what might have
been. It was a gentle pressing of lips against one another. And those 15
seconds seemed an eternity. An eternity much too short.

Fuu
tenderly let him go and lowered back to her feet, her eyes staying closed until
her heels touched the ground, not wanting to wake up from the dream she so
badly wanted. Their eyes opened together and this time, this time she knew he
had closed them too. He looked the
same, but his gaze was softer. And she wondered if she would forever remain
this way in his thoughts as he would in hers.

So many
questions. So many. So many questions of why? Why now? So many she couldn�t
bring herself to ask. Not when the answers didn�t matter anymore.

It was too
late. They both knew. Perhaps it had always been too late. Maybe now she was
just realizing what he had known long before her. At that moment she felt a
little piece of her die. �Will you go to that other woman?� She asked.

Jin still
stared emotionless into her face as he answered. �Yes.�

She closed
her eyes at the admission, but the hurt wasn�t as sharp as it would have been
months ago. �Will you keep thinking of me?�

�Yes.�

Somehow,
that stung more than if he had said �no.� She would have been so happy with
him. �Don�t forget me.� She whispered.

�You are not someone who can be forgotten.� He replied.
�Tell Mugen it seems we will not be dueling in this lifetime. I will not kill a
father in front of his children.�

Fuu nodded,
not having the courage to speak anymore.

Jin gave
her one last look; as if he were searching her form for any feature he had
overlooked to commit to memory. Once satisfied that nothing had been missed, he
turned to leave.

Watching
his back as he walked serenely down the road she couldn�t help feel as though
she were five again. He was leaving her again. His outline growing smaller and
smaller into the horizone. And it appeared, this time too, she could not run
after him.

The samurai
was out of sight long before she heard the door slide open. Mugen trudged out,
his hair even more of a wrangled mop than usual from sleeping on it wrong for
so long. His chest was bare and she could see all the bandages they�d wrapped
his wounds in. Scratching behind his ear he walked over to her, still not fully
awake.

�What�re you doing out here? Where�s fish-face?� He
inquired.

She noticed
his arm was finally in the sling it needed. �He left.�

�Where the hell�d he go now?� He yawned.

�I don�t know. He�s not coming back.� She said. He wasn�t
coming back.

�What!?� Now he was awake. �That fucking coward!�

Fuu frowned
at him. �Would you at least use lighter swears around them? I don�t need
their first word being the big one.�

At that,
Mugen took the time to glance down at the twisting burdens in her arms. They
were back to kicking and pushing one another much to Fuu�s chagrin.

�What do we do now?� She asked looking up at him.

Mugen�s arm
slung loosely around her shoulders and he held out his good index finger around
her for one of the babies�s to grab. Though neither of them seemed that
interested in breaking up their wrestling match to snatch at a finger.

He wasn�t
on his own anymore. He now had more than himself to protect and it was a
strange feeling of putting someone else before him. She may not like the things
he did or his own techniques for survival, but they were the same techniques
that would take care of them. And she would see that eventually. Not that he
was giving her much of a choice. �Don�t worry about it. I�ll take care of it.�

--------------------------------------------

Okay well that�s it kiddies! Was anyone predicting twins? I
noticed a lot of people don�t use them in stories. What you guys thinking? Boy
or girl or what? Just curious. R&R ppl! And if u r one of those guys that
just reads a new chap and doesn�t review, now would b a good time to finally
take the time to do it since this is the end.

P.S. Fuu�s farewell note is this fic is almost the exact
same one she wrote in the series. I just had to modify it a little so it fit
the fic.
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The Electra Complex