Samurai Champloo Fan Fiction ❯ Twin Souls ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Intense sorrow. It filled the eyes of his enemy who was also his lover.

 

He could not kill her. He would not kill her. More than he'd ever loved anyone, even Shino, he loved her.

 

The crowd was upon him to finish her now. Chanting the words over and over. He leaned forward, his lips close to her ear.

 

“It's not going to be this way,” he said firmly. “Our destinies do not include having one of us die like this.”

 

In one sharp movement he was on his feet with her wrist firmly in his hand. Jin charged out of the arena and through the crowd, pulling Venom behind him. She did not fight the ronin, only tried to keep up with him.

 

“Jin!” Fu yelled after them, “what the hell are you doing? Don't forget your promise to me, Jin! You have to help me find the Sunflower Samurai! Quit running off with women you jerk!”

 

“Fuck the Sunflower Samurai!” Mugen wailed. “He's gotta kill that bitch so we can get paid!” Mugen wasted no time in punching crowd members out of his way as he bolted after the pair of fighters.

 

 

 

They made their way to the edge of town much in the same fashion as they had escaped their altercation the night before. Working together, one an extension of the other, Jin and Venom quickly and effortlessly dispatched every gambling boss, guard and disgruntled patron that got in their way.

 

The morning sun was warming now, and would soon be hot within the hour. A triple fork in the road led to the horizon on one path, while the other two pointed at adjacent forests and uncharted territory.

 

“As much as it pains me, I'm afraid it's a better idea if we split up for now,” Jin said. “I have an obligation to fulfill, and they won't be able to trace us as easily if we're not together. They will have reinforcements looking for us soon, if they don't already.”

 

Venom nodded, looking to the dense foliage and trees just off to her right. This would be her path. She had learned at a young age that Mother Nature provided excellent shelter and camouflage if you were wise enough to take advantage of it.

 

She felt the feeling of his hand on hers and looked into his eyes. Jin only smiled, and Venom felt cold metal in her palm instead of his warm caress. Disbelief and shock crossed her face as she beheld the ryu she had given him as payment, minus a small amount.

 

“This will more than take care of you until we meet again if you use it wisely,” he said. “When my journey is at an end and my time is my own again, rest assured, I will find you.”

 

Venom removed the ninja cloth from her face and gave him the warm smile he craved so desperately. “Thank you,” she whispered, and kissed him softly on the lips before darting into the nearby cover of the forest.

 

He stood motionless looking for any sign of her direction, but once she had the help of the trees to conceal her, she was invisible to him. Instead, from the corner of his eye, what his sight beheld was Mugen, almost out of breath and obviously furious, running up from behind.

 

“Did you kill her?” Mugen panted, not even having reached him yet.

 

“No, I let her go,” Jin replied.

 

“You did what!?”

 

“She's gone, Mugen.”

 

“Well, at least we still have what she paid you yesterday.”

 

Jin chuckled. “Not exactly.”

 

“What do you mean `not exactly?'” Fu asked, equally out of breath after catching up with them.

 

“I gave it back to her,” Jin explained.

 

“You're a fucking moron, you know that?” Mugen asked, his nostrils flaring.

 

“It was the honorable thing to do,” Jin said, and began walking down the middle path towards the rising afternoon sun.

 

“Yeah…well, let's see honor buy your next goddamned meal!” Mugen spat and kicked the ground walking behind him.

 

“Mugen, you still have money, right?” Fu whined.

 

“That's not the point!” he fumed.

 

 

 

In the distance, in one of the highest branches of an old and mighty tree, an equally strong warrior maiden was perched, smiling as the trio made their way on their journey.

 

“I promise you,” she whispered, the fire in her eyes focused on the beautiful ronin who had set her free, “I will not forget what you have done for me. Whether you will be aware of it or not, from this day forth, I will be your constant shadow.”