Author's Note: A little tidbit of drunk!Mugen and his drunk!plan. For Furousha, the Mu to my Jin.

Another Toll to Pay

The low moon cast long shadows along the beams of the ruins of the temple that the trio of travelers was using for shelter. Mugen crouched in the doorway, awaiting his prey. Soon Fuu would come, back from her job doing dishes in the tea shop in this crummy village where they were stuck until they had enough money to buy passage across the river. There was always another crummy village, another toll to pay. They'd probably never find that stupid sunflower samurai, so he'd decided it was time to charge a little fee of his own for ongoing yojimbo services rendered. He knocked back the rest of the sake he'd stolen earlier that night as at last he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. He chuckled low as a lengthy silhouette stretched around the corner. Fuu's hair was down…or was that her kimono? He cocked his head and wrinkled his brow, eyes a bit bleary from the cheap drink, then, as she at last came within reach, he leapt, pinning her beneath him as he forced his mouth upon hers.

He awoke the next morning face down in the mud, wrists tied behind his back. His head throbbed like a brass gong. He writhed and growled for release.

Fuu came out of the dilapidated shelter, yawning. "He think you were me again?" she asked Jin as she scratched her head.

From beside her, Jin grunted an affirmative.