The Dance of Spring Flowers

A/N: I dont own SC. The state nor the anime.


\"What are you doing up here?\" Fuu asked, climbing on top of the roof of the house. A few days had passed and Julian was settling comfortably in the security and stabilty that Fuu offered him. Jin and Mugen seemed to be flourishing as well, often sneaking off to the woods to make out and usually getting caught by Fuu or Julian, who also frequented the woods for make-out spots.

Jin offered Fuu his hand and scooted over to give her his warm spot on the roof. He was chewing on a blade of wheat from a field nearby and looked engrossed in thought. Fuu looked at him a moment and then smiled. \"Why aren\'t you and Mugen humping somewhere?\" Jin looked at the girl and smirked, his cheeks darkening. \"My ass is sore,\" He stated simply. Fuu feigned shock and they both laughed, watching the emerald stalks on the property flow in the wind. They were quiet for a few moments until Jin turned to her with a serious expression on his face.

\"We are being watched.\"

Fuu yelped and grabbed on to Jin\'s obi, nearly untying it.

\"Calm your nerves, girl. We aren\'t being watched at this moment, but we have had unwelcome visitors.\" Jin adjusted his katanas and sighed deeply. Fuu stared at him, still frightened.

\"But...how-how do you know?\"

Jin pointed to a tree closest to the house. On one of the high branches appeared a blue sash, perhaps the kind a female or Kabuki dancer would wear in her hair.

\"That sash was not here the first day we arrived. Nor the second, nor the third. That sash has appeared in the past few days, and I already asked Mugen about it. He knows not of its origin either.\" Jin shifted again and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. \"Honestly, Fuu, Mugen acted strange when I pointed the sash out to him. Almost as if he had seen it before. That\'s why I\'m up here, to give him some space.\" Jin sighed again, remembering when he showed his lover the sash.

>
\"Mugen, have you noticed anything strange around here lately?\"

Mugen was tracing Jin\'s navel with his tongue and looked at him wickedly. \"Yeah. Your stomach tastes salty. I wonder why?\" The brown pervert said evilly, licking Jin\'s belly again. Jin smiled and sat up, making Mugen moan in impaitence and annoyance. Jin pointed out the window at an electric blue sash with fringes at both bottoms. Mugen raised an eyebrow and his mouth parted slightly, but that was the only response Jin got from him.

\"It probably blew from the village,\" Mugen reasoned, turning away from the window and pulling down the shade. He turned toward Jin and uncharacteristically wrapped his arms around his lover. \"Hold me for awhile, Jin. Please.\" The hoarse voice sounded like it was borderline begging, and melted Jin\'s heart so. He held Mugen tightly and buried his face in the wiry black hair, noticing the man\'s skin had gone clammy and he was shivering.
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Fuu shrugged and stood to leave the roof. \"Maybe Julian or Oniwaka know where that sash came from.\" She patted Jin\'s strong but thin shoulder and eased her way down the side of the house, pausing to glance up into the tree to look at the blue intruder. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the sash was made from fine silk and had a blue swirl pattern on it with tassels on the end. It was a fantastic scarf and if no one claimed it, Fuu had first dibs. She stared at the scarf for awhile, contemplating the things she could wear it with. She was so engrossed in thought that she didn\'t notice the leaves crackling under feet behind her and screamed when strong arms embraced her from behind. Squalling, she turned around to punch the invader of space when she noticed the fire red hair.

\"Julian!\" She shrieked and fell into his arms. Julian laughed and rubbed her bony arms, holding her close. \"Did I startle you?\" His smooth British accent came across the back of Fuu\'s neck and she shuddered at his touch. Her eyes fluttered when Julian strategically moved her hair off her neck and kissed it, sending butterflies through the girl\'s body.

\"J-Julian?\"

\"Mmmhmm.\" The man was running his hands up and down Fuu\'s arms, the tips of his fingers rubbing the sides of her breasts. Fuu giggles seductively into Juilan\'s ear, turning around to face him and take his hands in hers. \"Julian, please remember what I said.\"

\"Ummmhmm.\" Julian kissed Fuu\'s neck and then her lips softly before sighing and stepping away from her. He was quite a few years her senior, and did not want to place her in an uncomfortable position. They smiled lovingly at each other and walked toward the house, the pointed star that flew from the woods barely missing Fuu.

\"Damn,\" The muffled voice muttered. The secret black clothed ninja looked toward the tree that held Hikari\'s favorite sash and nimbly moved toward it, unseen by all. Keeping a watchful eye on the front of the house, the ninja easily scaled the tree and snatched the sash, smiling under the mask. Lady Hikari had experienced many fits of rage over loss of her sash, even killing a few of her ladies in waiting for assuming they had stolen it. Everyone in the clan knew that Hikari didn\'t like the lady that was staying with Mugen, so killing the brat would have been the icing on the blue sash cake. \"Another day, little girl,\" The ninja hissed and jumped away, the only sound made was a branch that broke underneath the ninja\'s foot.

Jin frowned at the black figure moving stealthily from the house. A confrontation was definitely in the works, but now was not the time. More information from Mugen was necessary in order to assess the enemy.

***************

\"Erisa! Where have you been?\" Mamini, one of the clan elders yelled upon seeing the narrow girl. No one liked Mamini; mostly because Haota listened to everything the old bat said, despite the truth factor. If Mamini said the sky was black, indeed, the sky had to be black. If Mamini was in any way disrespected or discredited...ask Naruaki. Wait, no, nevermind. Naruaki died from that tanto to the back of the head. It happened one night when Naruaki called Mamini an \'old haggard beast\'. When he turned his head, Haota threw the tanto and it landed deep inside of Naruaki\'s head. No one has disrespected Mamini since.

Mamini looked at Erisa, the sash, back to Erisa and \'humphed\'. The girl had only been with their clan for about a year. She was picked up on the side of a rickety road, bone thin and plauged by dysentery. All the members thought Haota was a fool for bringing her along, but something about the girl tugged at his sensitive side, and she seemed to be a pro at rational and sensible thought, despite the fact she was only thirteen years old. She was also in training to become an assassin, which made her useful for protection as well. She quickly became a favorite among most of the clan members, including Lady Hikari. The two were close as sisters and were often spotted together.

\"I see you found Lady Hikari\'s sash.\" The words were spit at Erisa like sharp nails as the beady-eyed old woman examined the young girl\'s stoic face. \"So where was it?\"

Erisa shrugged. \"In a tree.\"

Mamini pointed a wizened finger in the girl\'s face. \"Don\'t you sass me you young imp! I asked a serious question and I demand a serious answer!\"

\"She did find it in a tree. Thank you, Erisa.\" A soft voice called out to them and the form of Hikari came out to the courtyard where the two women stood. Both women quickly bowed and paid respects. Erisa shyly offered the sash to Hikari, who smiled genuinely. \"Come, we must talk about your experiences.\" Hikari patted Erisa and together they walked off toward the sitting area, leaving Mamini to grumble and shuffle about to help the other ladies prepare for supper.

**********************

\"Jin, can I talk to you a moment?\" Mugen fidgeted uncomfortably as he stood near the stream. Jin was on the banks meditating, and even though Mugen felt bad about interrupting the ronin, he wanted to come clean about the other night and about the blue sash.

\"Umhmn. It\'s phrased \'may I talk to you for a moment\',\" Jin corrected, eyes closed and his legs folded. His eyes opened when he felt Mugen\'s strong hands on his shoulders from behind and bit his lip at the massage he was getting.

\"Wow...you\'re almost as tense as I am,\" Mugen lightly joked, stroking the man methodically. Jin\'s eyes began to haze over as he almost fell forward. He knew Mugen was trying to distract him, but for the moment he was allowing it it happen.

\"What are you doing?\" Jin asked, his voice thick. Before they started their relationship, he had spied Mugen rubbing his own sore muscles expertly and always wondered what the Ryu-Kyuian man was doing. Jin\'s flesh seemed like it was going to melt and fall off of his bones under his beloved\'s touch.

\"Loving you,\" Mugen whispered, leaning down to suck on one of Jin\'s ears. Mugen\'s fingers crawled up the base of Jin\'s neck and invaded the land of the ebony silk, gently scratching and rubbing at the man\'s scalp. Jin could hardly contain himself, and both men were surprised when he was hard and touching himself. Mugen gasped lightly at Jin\'s sudden lack of control and just watched amazed over the ronin\'s shoulder at the reddish-purple shaft and pearly head. \"Beautiful,\" Mugen whispered in Jin\'s ear again and leaned forward to turn the man\'s head and give a passionate kiss.

Both men shuddered at the intensity and fire of the kiss. Jin licked his dry lips and stared deeply into Mugen\'s eyes. \"W-Why did you come look for me?\" A dream hazed melodic voice struck Mugen\'s ears and he felt himself drown in the symphony that was the sound of Jin. He pulled the ronin into an ackward hug and buried his head in the raven hair, unable to bring himself to tell Jin about who the sash belonged to and what it meant. He didn\'t have the heart to tell Jin that at the end of the week, he would rejoin Haota Noriyuki and crew. He didn\'t have the strength to tell him that the blue tattoos were marks of a different kind of slavery, a sexual slavery. He didn\'t have enough esteem to confide in his lover that he was once no more than a pet, a whore to be used whenever, wherever, and with whatever. No, Jin need not know those horrors at this junction in time. Mugen was content in holding Jin by his narrow shoulders watching time slip over the mountains.

Jin stopped touching himself and lay back in the grass, clutching on to Mugen as if he already knew he was leaving. Mugen held him back just as tightly, promising himself not to cry until Jin was asleep. The ronin heard Mugen\'s soft sobs later, and vowed to kill whomever it was that brought his strong and proud lover to such a low. Tomorrow, Jin would get all the answers he needed, no matter who had to die.