...I don't own rights to Samurai Champloo...

He crushed her hand in his as they ran. Yeah, it hurt, but she wasn't about to complain. How many times had he saved her now? Too many to count.

When they came to a sudden halt she caught sight of the blood; so much blood. It was soaking through the white shirt he wore. Her fingertips grazed the wound, causing Mugen to hiss and swat her hand away.

"Mugen…" Fuu's eyes couldn't be torn away from the blood-soaked spot.

"Cry about it later." He refused to look at her face.

Then they took off running again.

Fuu's eyes fluttered open to the same light that shone in her eyes every morning for the past two years.

She looked at her 17 year old body in the spring waters. When she looked at her reflection she wondered if she had any noticeable changes. She didn't look any different to herself. Fuu glared at her breasts and cursed them before submerging herself in the water.

After the end of their journey, she'd settled in a town that wasn't too far away. She worked in a tea house, fixed-up a dilapidated hut she found, and let her life drift into every-day monotony.

Fuu had even let herself begin a courtship with a young man…. A rich young man.

"I'm not after his money!" She had explained to her reflection. "It's just… Nice to be wanted, I guess."

She had, at first, made excuses to others as to why she refused Kai's attentions.

"He's too old!" Except that he's only twenty-five….

"He doesn't love me!" Except he had told her a countless number of times that he had indeed fallen in love with her….

"He doesn't know anything about me!" Then again, no one in the village really did… Kai had told her once:

"You are a mystery, my Fuu, but I don't care. Keep your secrets, for having you would be more than enough."

"I don't love him…" Now this one she had kept to herself. In their day-in-age did her loving him really matter? A girl her age needed to be married and of good status.

In the end she gave up. She allowed Kai to spend time with her and even returned his affectionate gestures at times.

However, whenever he asked for her hand, she always declined and asked him to wait.

"Yes, Fuu. I will wait." He said each time.

She burst out of the water and wrapped her drying cloth around her body.

"Today I will say yes." She knew she was lying to herself, but she heard that if you say something enough times it will come true.

He woke up to the smell of cheap perfume and hair stuck to his face. The whore was fast asleep on his chest.

Mugen groaned and pushed her off. Another day, another whore.

Since their departure, Mugen held pretty much the same schedule… Rarely had money for food or women and seemed to always be fighting for his life while drifting from town-to-town. The only change was that he only had to look out for number one.

He found himself aching for the sea eventually. It started when he passed through a fishermen's village.

As he stared out at the water he was reminded of the good and the bad; mostly the bad. He remembered both times Mukuro set him up… He thought of Kohza and when she asked him to run away with her. He reminisced of Fuu running happily into the sea, kicking and splashing as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Fuck." He hissed under his breath and ran a dirty hand through his tangled hair.

He frequently thought of his former… What would he call them? Friends? No, none of them were ever friends. Maybe Jin and Fuu were, but Mugen was never included in that. He snorted at the memory of their embrace at the river. He snorted at the thought of having friends.

It was after these thoughts he decided to take up sailing again, and that's what he had been doing since. The ship gave him the excitement, isolation, and divergence he craved. Not to mention every port promised women, booze, and a good fight.

Jin felt the cot shift, and he knew Shino was awake. He listened to her dress and smiled into his pillow.

"Are you going to get up?" She pressed her lips to his untied hair.

"Soon." He said nearly inaudibly.

When the trio split, Jin wasn't quite sure what to do next. After walking for days, he came across a remote location where he finally stopped. He spent the first year in seclusion there, spending his time in spiritual and physical training. He did his best to keep his mind from wandering elsewhere, but he couldn't help but think of his Shino and what troubles Fuu and Mugen might be getting into.

Satisfied and realizing almost 3 years had passed since he had seen Shino last, he set out. Finding her was easy enough, her being in the temple she was meant to be in.

His eyes finally opened and he sighed in contentment. In just a few short months they could be together legitimately. They had been living like man and wife for months now, and it was about time they actually became that.

Shino leaned over to him and brushed her lips against his. "Jin…" She breathed.

This is tranquility. Jin saw it in her eyes. He had seen many things in people's eyes before… Fear, death, anger, hatred, sadness… But never had he seen peace.

...More to Come... =]