An Unexpected Coupling

CH 6: A Time of Change


“May I sit here?”

Fuu looked up with considerable surprise, only to immediately stiffen upon realizing who it was. “Oh…it’s you” she mumbled, crossly looking away before continuing to dip her toes in the stream before her. “What do you want, Kohza?”

The Ryukyuan appeared to be considerably hurt by her reaction, yet nonetheless situated herself down beside Fuu with utmost determination reflecting within her eyes. “Look” she began, “I know that you hate me for what I’ve done, and I can accept that, but what I can’t accept is that you haven’t even given me a chance. I know I don’t deserve it, Fuu, but I honestly, genuinely like you. You’re a lot like me…we both love deeply and passionately, yet are easily hurt by those we adore.”

Fuu bristled. “What on earth are you talking about? How could you possibly know anything about my feelings?”

Kohza laughed as if she had just heard a wonderful joke, returning as if it were obvious, “God, Fuu, how dumb do you think I am? You wear your heart on your sleeve like a true prude – I’ll bet you’re still a virgin, too!”

“I am not, I-” Fuu gasped, immediately throwing a hand over her mouth. “How could you? Y…you’re disgusting!”

Kohza, on the other hand, appeared as if she had just been severely wounded. “You slept with Mugen, didn’t you?”

“What? I-”

“Didn’t you!?”

Fuu’s eyes widened considerably due to the unanticipated attack, yet she somehow managed to retain her composure as she nodded slowly. “Yes” she finally revealed, “I…I did.”

“I knew it” Kohza hissed, her fists tightening considerably at her sides. “So much for being the pure and innocent Fuu that we all know and love – I can’t believe I ever looked up to some recycled tramp!”

Fuu gasped. “But I…I didn’t mean for it to happen! Mugen seduced me, not the other way around!”

“Lies!” Kohza screamed, throwing her hands over her ears, “all lies! What in Buddha’s name would Mugen want with some titless twig when he could have a real woman like me!?”

Fuu flinched, yet she said nothing. Kohza was right – what did a man like Mugen want with a girl like her when all he had to do to get some experienced lover was go to the red light district?

Kohza took Fuu’s silence as a victory, the Ryukyuan only further pouring salt in the wounds as she added nastily, “I know you’d like to think so, Fuu, but you’re not the only one Mugen’s tried to seduce. He’s got a real nice set of abs, don’t you think? And then that exotic taste of his skin…it’s yummy, huh?”

That did it.

Releasing a loud, unbridled shriek, Fuu tackled Kohza into the dirt of the riverbank and socked her squarely in the nose, the Ryukyuan’s eyes widening once she lifted up a shaking hand in order to feel a think rivulet of blood trickling down from her left nostril.

“Y-you bitch!” Kohza snarled, only to receive yet another vicious blow to the face, “Get off me, get off!”

“Only when you take it back!” Fuu sobbed, feeling the Ryukyuan’s blood beginning to stain her fists as she continued to pound her. “Tell me it’s not true…tell me Mugen’s capable of loving a woman and not just using her!”

Kohza smirked, her busted lip leaking down her chin as she returned triumphantly, “I can’t, Fuu – you know that as well as I do. Mugen’s completely incapable of being tamed, so enjoy what little – excuse me, big part of him you can while he’s still interested in playing with you.”

“Stop it!” Fuu wailed, slapping her clear across the face, “Just stop it!”

“You’re nothing but a toy to him, Fuu” Kohza continued, ignoring the painful stinging in her cheek, “an insignificant little play thing. It’s better that you learn this now than later.”

Finally fed up with the Ryukyuan’s smug taunting, Fuu reached inside her kimono and unsheathed her pink-lacquered tanto, Kohza’s eyes widening greatly as she watched the girl run her thumb along its sharp blade.

“Hey…w-what do you think you’re doing with that?” Kohza demanded, the fear evident within her voice. “If you think that killing me will end your troubles with Mugen, you’re a lot more disturbed than I originally thought!”

Fuu ignored her, a wild, almost malicious glint reflecting within her dark irises as she raised the tanto above her head, Kohza gasping as the girl suddenly fell forward in a limp heap into her arms, a small blow dart embedded deeply within her companion’s neck like that of a marker on a treasure map.

Screaming, Kohza tried to move, only to release a strangled choke the moment a new blow dart whistled through the air and sunk deep into her flesh. She, too, succumbed to the world of darkness, her eyes rolling back in her head as she collapsed heavily amidst the dirt embankment and didn’t move.

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When Mugen returned to camp from his bath in the hot springs, he noticed Jin hunched over something around the man-made fire he’d created, his stony features completely unreadable, yet appearing to be none too pleased.

“What’s up, Four Eyes? Get dumped by your boyfriend?” Mugen jeered, perambulating over toward the ronin before realizing that now wasn’t the time for jocularity. “Hey” he tried yet again, “What’s got you so pissed off? Did Fuu wash your hakama without permission, again?”

Jin wordlessly lifted a small note in answer, Mugen anxiously swiping the parchment from his outstretched grasp before raising it up to his eye level at an attempt to read its message. Although he had most definitely learned to read the written word, some phrases were still out of the realm of his comprehension.

“Uh…travelers” he began, scratching his head, “I am writing with the hopes of reaching some sort of…erm…something or another, so I regret to inform you that we have your two women and plan on…doing something-something if you do not cooperate. You have until sunrise to come and…um…blank. Most humbly yours, Tanaka Ichiro of the Yakuza.”

Frustrated, Mugen immediately turned his attention back over to Jin, demanding earnestly, “And what the hell does that all mean? That guy’s so frickin’ eloquent I’m surprised I could even understand any of it at all!”

“He has Fuu and Kohza” the ronin stated simply, casting his gaze down toward his bare feet as he noticed Mugen stiffen out of the corner of his eye. “He says he’s willing to negotiate their lives in exchange for ours, but we must do so before sunrise because they cannot ensure their safety and survival. If we move swiftly, we will reach the Yakuza-owned brothel in which they’re being stationed in about three hours.”

Mugen leered suggestively. “Well it’s about time! I haven’t gotten laid in God knows how long…think you could get your ass movin’ so we can hurry up and get some action?”

“You mean…you care nothing for Fuu and Kohza’s well-being?” Jin demanded, absolutely incredulous. “I find that to be very hard to believe.”

Mugen rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest before returning defensively, “Look, Four Eyes, can’t I enjoy myself and save those whiny chicks at the same time? It’s only fair since I have to put up with them day in and day out.”

“And must I remind you of Fuu’s feelings?” Jin continued to press, inwardly hoping that the vagrant was only shielding his true intentions.

Mugen immediately soured, his tone clipped and straight to the point as he retaliated, “And must I constantly remind you that I don’t give a damn? Get off my back!”

With that said, the pirate tromped off to begin packing, Jin completely unable to prevent himself from feeling that Mugen’s sudden aggression had stemmed from something much deeper…

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Fuu awoke to find herself beaten and bloody, either wrist bound sloppily behind her back and securing her tightly to a small wooden chair that left her with next to no comfort.

When she tried to speak she found that it was utterly useless, her mouth so dry that she felt as if she had been eating nothing but sand for the past few hours.

With a quick once-over of the room, Fuu soon discovered that Kohza was bound to a similar chair in the far left-hand corner, the girl’s eyes wide with terror as she desperately tried to wriggle free of her rope bindings and escape.

“Don’t bother” Fuu rasped, finally finding her voice, “We’re stuck here pretty good. There’s no use in wasting your strength when you might need it later.”

Kohza appeared to be absolutely incredulous. “What, so you’re just going to give up? If we work together, we might be able to get out of here!”

“And what good would that do? We both hate each other’s guts, remember?”

Kohza opened her mouth to reply, only to immediately close it, her visage reflecting her hurt as she returned, “I never hated you, Fuu…I said what I did out of jealousy. I know it was a cruel and hateful thing to do, but…well…I just couldn’t stand to see Mugen care for another woman more than he’s ever cared for me.”

Fuu immediately looked up. “Y-you mean it? Do you honestly think that Mugen cares about me?”

“Of course I do” Kohza returned, nodding. “He’s an odd sort of man, yes, but I say this because he shows little to no interest, whatsoever toward the people he actually loves.”

“But why-?”

“Just trust me on this, Fuu” the Ryukyuan pleaded, her bottom lip protruding ever-so-slightly as her eyes shone with earnest. “If we try to escape, you can ask Mugen how he feels yourself, but if you give up like you are now…well…” Kohza gave a helpless shrug, trusting her companion to fill in the blank.

Finally putting two and two together, Fuu began to struggle and squirm for everything she was worth, Kohza releasing an elated sigh of relief before she, too tended to her bindings.

After a few fruitless minutes of struggling, however, both immediately came to the unfortunate conclusion that mindless tugging wasn’t going to get them anywhere.

“Kohza” Fuu called, thus causing the girl to look up in an instant, “do you see the candle over there by the door on that crate?” When she nodded she continued, “Scoot your chair over there until you reach it, and when you do, tip your chair back and try to burn your ropes.”

Kohza looked as if she might object, yet the moment she thought of her unforeseen fate she panicked, her chair making several creaky groans of protest as she began to scoot toward her desired destination in a frenetic succession of graceless hops. Upon reaching the wooden crate, the Ryukyuan shifted her weight forward and pivoted her chair around so that her back was now facing the candle, beads of sweat beginning to accumulate along her brow as she tipped the chair back and sought the small flame with her wrists.

“C’mon” Kohza whispered, squeezing her eyes tightly closed, “Come on!”

Click.

The two girls froze in an instant, Kohza frantically vaulting herself forward so that she was a decent distance away from the candle as the iron-clad door swung wide open with a stiff and rigid groan.

Breathing heavily and clenching her fists, Kohza watched on with frightened eyes as a robust man in about his early 40s emerged from the shadows, a large sneer filled with gold teeth gracing his wormy lips as he released a tremendous laugh and clapped a hand roughly down upon her shoulder.

“You ain’t thinkin’ of escapin’, now are ya, girly?” he demanded, his grip tightening to the point of pain as he gave the Ryukyuan a menacing look.

Kohza immediately shook her head, tears forming behind her kohl lashes as the man allowed his hand to drift down further and fondle her left breast.

“Well good” he cooed, giving her a firm squeeze, “cause good ‘ol Boss Ichiro’s lettin’ me rough you two up real good before those no account swordsmen show up.”

Fuu gasped. “You mean…Mugen and Jin are coming for us?”

“Yeah, why shouldn’t they? Ain’tcha their whores?” the man fished nosily, thus causing the two young girls to blanch.

“We are not their whores” Fuu hotly shot back, her bottom lip trembling due to her tremendous ire. “Just because you’re a sniveling, drooling baboon doesn’t mean that it’s not above your brain capacity to show a woman a shred of respect!”

The man opened his mouth to reply, only to immediately close it, his dark eyes bulging along with the thick veins on his head as he sprung forward and seized Fuu viciously by the throat. “You’re gonna regret that one, wench” he hissed, his fingers digging roughly into the column of her throat. “In fact, screw the orders! I think it’s time for a good old-fashioned torturing!”

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“Mugen…behind you!”

The dark-haired pirate grunted as he dove forward into a graceless somersault, the katana which had threatened his very existence slicing precisely where his head had been only moments before.

Grinning due to the adrenaline rush over nearly losing a limb, Mugen flipped back up and onto his feet, his eyes fiery and burning with a mad passion as he sprang forward and embedded his blade deep within the chest cavity of his attacker. With a tremendous burst of scarlet, the Yakuza’s blood painted the Ryukyuan’s face with its thick life-bearing sustenance, a pleased smirk forming along Mugen’s lips as he darted past the deceased and moved on to the next assailant.

On the other side of the brothel portico Jin seemed to be faring just as well, if not better, his dark eyes cold and steely as he thrust his daisho behind him and into the solar plexus of his opponent without so much as the blink of an eye.

Sensing the presence of another adversary, the ronin spun about and raised his weapon in order to block the stalwart blow, Jin’s eyes narrowing upon his gaunt face as he delivered a kick to the Yakuza’s gut and decapitated him in one full sweep. The disembodied head rolled across the wooden planks of the floor and came to a dead stop at Mugen’s feet, the vagrant grinning a Cheshire grin as he scooped it up to rest against his toes before launching it into his opponent’s face with one fluid kick of the leg.

Crying out due to the horrific diversion, the Yakuza barely even had time to register his fear before he, too was dead.

Glancing up into the dark western sky above them, Jin clenched his jaw once he realized that it was only mere moments away from sunrise – they had to do something, and fast.

“Mugen!” he called, grunting once another Yakuza came charging at him from the side, “Go and get the girls – I’ll stay here and fight them off!”

The pirate balked. “What? No way, Four Eyes! You go and do the pansy rescue job while I stay here and fight!”

“Fuu needs you” the ronin immediately objected, delivering a perfect swipe to his foe’s torso before returning his attention back over toward the vagrant. “If you leave now, there still may be enough time.”

Releasing a growl full of utmost frustration, Mugen cursed Jin’s very existence for stealing all the fun, his brows drawing inward as he took off at top speed for the entrance of the brothel. This time, however, he wasn’t a customer…

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Coughing up her own blood, Fuu weakly turned her head away from the man’s searching gaze (he had finally revealed himself to be named Kenshi) and fought off tears as he struck her yet again.

“Stop cryin’, bitch!” he growled, only to shake her roughly by the shoulders. “All you’re doin’ is makin’ this much harder on yourself, so shut up an’ suck it up!”

Miserably biting her lip, Fuu squeezed her eyes tightly closed and tried her best to ignore him, Kenshi irritably taking her by the hair before forcing her down and to her knees in front of an old wooden bucket. In a flash, he dunked the poor girl’s face into the water as she kicked and thrashed about, her high-pitched screams garbled and muddled as she tried her damndest to resurface.

“Hold still!” Kenshi growled, pushing Fuu down even further into the water so that it sloshed precariously over the sides. “If you don’t cut it out, I’ll be forced to do something far worse!”

Rationality, however, was one thing that Fuu had absolutely zero of at that given moment, so she did what any smart girl would do: with one reckless swipe, she sent the bucket barreling off to the side, her lungs burning as she opened her mouth up wide and inhaled the precious air with a desperation that she never knew possible.

“You little slut!” Kenshi snarled, seizing Fuu and pulling her up by the collar so that she could now meet with his burning gaze. “Because-a that little maneuver I’m really gonna letcha have it, now!”

Whimpering, Fuu let out a cry once he threw her back down to the hardwood floor and withdrew a dull and rusted hook from within his pocket, his lips forming into a devilish grin as he jovially ground out, “Let the games begin!”

Kohza, meanwhile, was still bound to the chair in the far left-hand corner of the room, her doe brown eyes wide and fearful as she desperately sought to free herself. Fuu needed her help, yet she couldn’t do a single thing about that until she was out of the bindings. During her earlier attempt with the candle the Ryukyuan had actually managed to weaken the rope fibers, but they still weren’t showing any signs of giving out.

“Come on, now” Kohza cooed, wriggling desperately about, “I said, come on!”

With an exultant gasp, the Ryukyuan felt the bindings snap directly in half, yet just as she leapt up from her chair with the intention of saving Fuu, a red blur entered the room like that of the mad dashing of an inmate escaping prison.

“Mugen!” Kohza exclaimed, her eyes wide, “You actually came for us!”

The pirate ignored her, for his blazing eyes were currently resting upon Kenshi trying to hang Fuu by the skin of her back onto his trusty hook. Her arms and legs were already badly scratched, the dark hollowness within her irises reflecting her true fatigue and defeat as she slowly raised them up in order to lock eyes with her savior.

“Mugen” she whispered, completely doubting what she was seeing, “you…came…”

Kenshi moved to grab his tanto, but Mugen was far too fast for him. With a series of frenzied swipes, the vagrant disembodied each of the Yakuza’s limbs before plunging his katana deep within his stomach with a sickening twist of the blade.

Wincing as a fountain of blood sprayed upward and decorated Mugen’s wild and scruffy features with its gruesome makeup, Fuu felt herself beginning to cry as she still tried to assure herself that Mugen did come for them and that it wasn’t just some wild, crazy dream. She had been so sure that he regarded her and Kohza as nothing but worthless loads, and yet here he was…weary, beautiful, and at their very disposal.

Finally removing his katana from Kenshi’s bloodied torso, Mugen wiped it clean and sheathed it, only to release a pained groan and clutch at his stomach amidst a sudden aggrieved delirium.

“Mugen?” Kohza questioned, her bottom lip trembling with uncertainty, “A-are you alright?”

Grunting miserably in answer, Mugen staggered forward into Fuu’s tiny form before grasping her feebly by the sleeves, his legs giving out beneath him once his pupils began to dilate to a frightening degree.

“Fuu” he rasped, his hands frantically grasping at her waist, “help…me…”

“Mugen!” she screaming, shaking him frantically by the shoulders, “MUGEN!”

He didn’t respond, his eyes rolling back in his head as he lifelessly fell forward into the security of Fuu’s arms and didn’t move.


A/N: Yep, I’m evil, huh? :) I hope you guys enjoyed it, though, and I also hope that it was well worth the long wait. This chapter took me SO freaking long, and I have no idea why – I guess because when I have fight scenes I typically slow down, as well as with love scenes. And since the LEMON is in the next chapter, guess what that means? :-P lol

I found myself wondering why this fic sucked, and I realized it was because there was no fighting! So there, I gave you guys some action…and then there will be a very DIFFERENT kind of action in the next chapter, haha. I hope I’m keeping Mugen in character, too – he’s a pretty darn hard guy to nail when he’s falling in love. Tell me if I’m ever slipping!

Requests: If you ever have requests, complaints, or some suggestions, I’d be more than happy to hear them. After all, I’m writing this for YOU! ;0P