Chapter Text
Most artists would be satisfied simply painting or sculpting fruit for the sake of art. But the renowned artist Pferdinand DeCheval was far more complex in his ambitions. His medium was gemstones, and his take on the classic bowl of fruit took on a literal form. The whole piece consisted of a polished jasper bowl which contained a topaz banana, jade grapes that were strung together elegantly, a succulent ruby apple as well as a tiger's eye pear, and a set of oranges in citrine and amber. As a whole, they made the beautiful art piece known as The Fruit Bowl Gems, and they were sitting perfectly perched inside the Berlin National Gallery.
And that is where Arsène Lupin III comes in. The master thief was commissioned by an anonymous source to take the Fruit Bowl Gems into his possession. As he understood it, it was some rich person who wanted them for his mantelpiece or something like that. He wasn't in the business of asking questions, but he was in the business of taking valuable items. And for the hefty bounty he was promised just sweetened the deal even more.
First things first, Lupin had to get his most trusted partners together. He had no trouble recruiting the gunman, Jigen Disuke, as well as the samurai, Goemon Ishikawa XIII. Both men were more than up for the challenge, and even more intrigued by the reward they would receive. On paper, it seemed like an easy job, and they would be spending their earnings in no time!
Unfortunately, the femme fatale, Fujiko Mine had also joined them; However, she was there for her own selfish reasons. Upon hearing through the grapevine of the Fruit Bowl Gems being displayed in the most prestigious Berlin National Gallery, she knew that she had to have them for herself. So, like an opportunistic fox, she swooped in at the last minute and sped off into the night.
Jigen and Goemon were none too pleased that their efforts to hoist the precious gems had been thwarted, once again, by Fujiko. She didn't leave them anything! Not even a jade grape, or a topaz banana! In an effort to smooth things over, Lupin offered to pay for a much needed vacation for all of them. In his experience, bribery was the best balm for any hurt feelings.
“It'll be a good, old fashioned, boy's trip!” The thief promised, doing his best to ease the anger and tension that left him feeling very uncomfortable, “Wadda ya say? Just us three. No Fujiko, and… I'll pay for everything. Promise!”
The last bit of that sentence sounded like it had hurt to come out of Lupin’s mouth. Jigen and Goemon both scowled, but mulled it over in their minds. A vacation with all expenses paid? That was at least worth it to watch the thief squirm with how expensive their tastes could be. The two men exchanged a look, communicating to each other with their eyes that this could be a good apology. Not as good as cold, hard, cash, but at least they wouldn’t be paying for anything.
“I…guess a vacation would make up for this…”Jigen eventually muttered, breaking the uncomfortable silence,” where would we go? It's not like we're going to be able to stay in Germany for long…”
“You two can talk about it,” Lupin offered, sighing in relief as his olive branch was, at the very least, taken,“whatever you want to do, and we'll leave first thing in the morning!”
The thief left the two men to discuss things. Meanwhile, he retired to his room to check his finances and move a few assets around to pay for whatever kick in the wallet they had planned. He had a feeling they were going to rake him over to coals this time.
Throughout the night, Jigen and Goemon pondered potential vacation spots. Or rather, Jigen suggested places to go and Goemon would reject them for one reason or another. The gunman eventually realized that to appease the samurai, he would have to suggest something more to his liking. After a few semi-silent searches, Jigen turned around his laptop and showed the other man a vacation spot that he couldn’t refuse.
“An onsen?” Goemon asked, raising an eyebrow at the gunman.
“Yeah,” Jigen confirmed, pushing the laptop closer to the tech-adversed samurai,” It’s outside of Kyoto, they have private facilities, an inn, and the reviews claim it’s a truly traditional experience.”
“Don’t you think it will be overly westernized?” Goemon pressed further, looking at the pictures that featured many types of people. But he did have to admit, it looked quite traditional.
“Maybe a little…but look…” Jigen replied, skipping through a few more photos of duck-faced influencers, “It’s probably going to be a good time for us, we can relax and drink as much as we want, and…the price is very steep!”
Jigen scrolled to the top of the page and showed Goemon the price of the experience he was offering. Exclusive amenities and all made it very clear that Lupin would feel it deep in his wallet for a long time. The samurai was quiet for a moment, considering the options. Jigen, on the other hand, prayed that they could end this conversation and call it a night.
“Very well,” Goemon eventually responded, causing Jigen to give a deep sigh of relief,” The onsen it is. Shall we tell Lupin now?”
“Nah,” Jigen responded, shutting the laptop and yawning loudly,” We can let him sweat it out for the night. We’ll tell him in the morning.”
With that, Goemon stood with a nod and a grunt of understanding as he left the common area, turning off the light as he left and going to his own room. Jigen stayed behind, having made himself at home on the loveseat as usual. The gunman kicked off his shoes and propped up his knees on the arm of the smallish sofa, pushing his hat over his eyes to block out any light that might find him.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast to clear out all of the contents of the kitchen, Jigen showed Lupin the vacation spot they had decided upon. Naturally, the thief looked at the price and tried to back out, but a stern look from both men made him change his tune quickly. After a speedy clean up, they gathered their things and left the hideout.
Many hours and layovers later, the three men arrived at the international Airport of Kansai. Tempers were high and energy was low; however, after getting their luggage (and Goemon’s Zantetsuken) they caught a ferry off the runway island and made their way to the rural hot springs. By the time they arrived, the three men had been awake for at least 24 hours and were very pleased to be at their destination.
After a night's rest, they were ready to relax and enjoy the amenities that were available. Jigen and Lupin had no trouble getting into the mood, drinking Japanese beer and wine, gorging themselves on sushi and dumplings, and ogling at the beautiful women who had come from all over the world. But there was one holdout…
“What do you mean it's not what you expected?!” Lupin loudly asked the samurai, who was moping and looking out the window at the falling snow, “this place is heaven!!!”
“It is exactly what I was afraid of,” Goemon responded calmly, letting off a defeated sigh,” this place is overrun with tourists, and everything is catered to them. This is not a traditional onsen. It is a bastardization of everything that I hold dear.”
“Che…You're being overly critical,” Jigen added, finishing a frothy pour of a beer into a large frosty glass, “Lupin’s right! This place is great! You just gotta relax a bit…we've only been here for a day. Come on! Have a beer!”
Lupin huffed and sat next to Jigen. The two men were dressed in loose-fitting yukata and little else. Even though it was cold outside, they were snug inside next to a decently-sized heater. Goemon, on the other hand, was still dressed in his traveling clothes and was the shining opposite of relaxed. Normally, he might have joined the men in their merry making, but he was so disappointed that he felt depressed.
He missed the truly Japanese experience of going out into the mountains and sitting in a natural hot spring. Surrounded by snow and steam, watching the young monkeys playing in the trees while others relaxed in adjacent pools. Having light snacks and sake to enjoy afterwards! That was what he had been expecting, but he also knew that experience was far too niche for the thief or the gunman. Or anyone in this day and age.
Goemon opened his eyes after what he thought was a short while, only to discover it had been hours. The mountains were dark, covered in fresh snow, and beckoning him to venture out into them. He turned his head to look out into the room, but he couldn’t see or hear anything. Presumably the others had retired to their rooms, or had left to pursue more debauchery.
Upon turning back to the serene mountains, the samurai noticed something interesting, making him squint to get a better look. Steam was rising from behind one of the slopes, meaning that there may be a natural hot spring nearby. As he got up from his lotus position, he made a note to check it out when daylight came.
Goemon awoke the next morning as a man with a mission. After getting cleaned up and putting on a fresh hakama and robe, he set out to find information on natural hot springs in the area. Fortunately, the inn also had a decent library. His quest took a few hours, but by the time he arrived back at the room his mind was fully made up.
“You're going out into the mountains…At this hour?” Lupin asked, a confused look on his face that was mirrored by Jigen. The two looked up at him as though he had told them he was leaving for good.
“That is correct,” Goemon replied with a nod, his face gravely serious as he began to pack a modest bag with mandarins, onigiri and sake,” I found a secluded hot spring that is not too far from here and I intend to go to it.”
“But it's the middle of winter,” Jigen interjected, looking confused as to why the samurai would do this. However, he was quite used to Goemon being so damned stubborn. He continued,” you'll freeze to death out there.”
“Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to come along,” Goemon informed the two men, but in reality he knew he would be the only one who would go on this journey,” but I suppose you both lack honor and respect for tradition.”
“No…” Jigen continued, lighting up a cigarette and taking a long drag from it,” I just don't want to catch pneumonia in some dumb farce for ‘tradition’. It's far too cold out there for me. I'm staying right here.”
“I'm not going out there either!” Lupin agreed, sitting next to Jigen with a bottle of whiskey,” we're quite content here. You can go off and lose all your toes for all I care! Some gratitude for bringing you here and spending so much money. My money, might I add.”
The samurai realized that he was alone on this venture. Instead of arguing with the other two men, he decided to finish packing and head out. After one final try to talk him out of it, Jigen and Lupin let him leave. Knowing how stubborn Goemon could be, they knew they were wasting their breath to do otherwise.
“What do you want to bet he comes back before he even gets to that hot spring?” Jigen asked Lupin, pouring himself another finger of whiskey.
“Oh, I think he'll get there,” Lupin replied as he relaxed on his back, his feet hovering over the heater, “But I’m willing to bet his things get stollen.”
“It’s a bet,” Jigen snickered, his big crooked smile peeking out from below his hat. The two men clinked their glasses together and chuckled heartily, drinking to their bet. They couldn't wait to see which one of them would be correct. But, secretly, they both hoped he came to his senses.
Meanwhile, Goemon made his way out of the hotel and out into the snowy cold. His steps crunched as his geta met with the powdery snow, but he was a man on a mission. He would not be slowed by the ice and snow, or even the strange looks that followed him as he stormed down the street and out of the small town. Soon, he had gone far enough that none of that mattered.
Since it was winter, the sun didn't linger in the sky for long. Almost half way to his destination, Goemon noticed that the sky was turning a brilliant orange and pink color. The thought crossed his mind to turn back, but it was quickly brushed away by the thought of Lupin and Jigen making fun of him. His pride would not allow him to give up so soon and he trudged onward.
As luck would have it, the moon was large and provided ample light for the samurai on the last leg of the journey. By dusk, he had rounded the final corner and was standing a few yards away from the steaming hot spring. It was a beautiful sight to behold, especially to a nearly frozen and stubborn samurai.
Without much delay, Goemon approached the hot spring and began to disrobe. In no time, he stood buff before the steaming pool. After neatly folding his clothes and putting his refreshments within arms reach, he found the edge of the water and slowly stepped inside. The samurai felt his cold extremities melting like candle wax, and he could finally relax.
“Ahhh…this is perfect,” Goemon sighed as he sank up to his neck in the hot water, his eyes closed,” this is truly the only way to bathe.”
In time, Goemon opened his eyes and looked up at the sky. He saw millions of twinkling stars against the dark blanket of space above him. A shooting star passed above him, prompting him to close his eyes again and make a quick wish for a peaceful evening. With a contented sigh, the samurai opened his eyes again, but gasped in sudden surprise as he saw a figure staring at him from the other edge of the spring.
Across the pool from him was a small white Japanese macaque. It looked back at him, giving a curious hoot as it cocked its head to the side. Goemon froze, not wanting to excite the monkey too much, or frighten it away. The two simply looked at eachother, neither expecting the other to be there.
Just as Goemon was about to make a move to shoo the little creature away, the sound of another macaque came from the left. The first monkey turned and shuffled over to it, as though they were going to have a conversation, but soon began to chase one another. The samurai watched the interaction intently, having not expected entertainment for his relaxing soak.
While the man was distracted by the two macaques a band of others congregated behind him. They quietly began to rifle through his things, doing their best to not be detected. When it was all said and done, all of the monkeys had left in various states of dress, or carrying something small with them, leaving nothing but a few footprints.
Seeing that the rest of the troop had completed their heist successfully, the two distraction macaques quickly departed. They ran off together through the snow as though nothing had happened. Goemon watched for a moment and chuckled when they had long gone, wholly unaware that he had been robbed blind.
That is, until he began to crave the sake he had brought with him. Goemon had been looking forward to drinking it all day, having bought it from a local shop where the inn had been. It was the kind that was meant to be served ice cold, and having chilled in the snow all this time it would be the perfect temperature.
Goemon turned around and began to reach out for his bag, but felt nothing. Curious, he turned around and instead of seeing the neat pile he had set on a nearby rock, the samurai only saw snow and his own outstretched hand. Just a few fading footprints, that almost looked human. But they were far too small…
“What the…” Goemon muttered as he looked around, thinking perhaps he might have placed them somewhere else. He saw nothing but white snow and black rocks stretching out before him. Cautiously he stood up, looking around for any other signs of where his stuff might have gone, but nothing was there. Not even his Zantetsuken! As he began to realize everything was gone, a gust of cold wind blew across his body, making him shiver and duck back down into the hot water with a splash.
“V-very f-f-funny g-g-guys,” Goemon called out between chattering teeth, looking for signs that Lupin or Jigen had perhaps followed him to play a cruel trick,” L-Lupin? J-J-Jigen?”
Nothing. Dead silence and wind whistling over the white wasteland of snow and rock. But, just as Goemon began to let it all sink in, he saw something on the horizon. A white something billowing in the wind. He waded over to the other edge of the hot spring and gazed out into the snow, seeing it again. He also saw something gray, like his hakama. And some faint red faces. And one was carrying Zantetsuken! That's when the anger began to build inside of him.
“Those goddamned monkeys!!!” Goemon growled with rage, anger beginning to boil deep inside him. He fumed for a moment, his face turning red with anger and embarrassment. Suddenly he opened his eyes and burst out of the water, leaving it behind in his pursuit of the macaques. It wasn't long before he began to feel the chill of the winter around him.
“Must…transcend it…gotta get back…Zantetsuken…” Goemon muttered as he began to trudge determinedly through the snow, which was so deep that his knees were below the powdery surface. He kept going, following the tracks that the small monkeys had left behind. As he drew closer, he saw that there was a group of them, each sporting one of his articles of clothing. A few more yards of power walking and he saw some discarded mandarin peels, which fueled his anger and made him soldier on.
~°~°~°~
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Jigen was looking out the window. He had watched Goemon leave and had made note of where he had gone, even though he thought it was foolish to go. Lupin noticed this, detecting worry in the gunman's actions.
“He's going to be fine,” Lupin called from his lounging position, causing Jigen to jump ever so slightly,” he might be chilled to the bone, but I think he's strong enough to do whatever his stubborn samurai heart desires.”
“It’s just dark out,” Jigen replied with a sigh, turning away from the window and walking back over to where the thief sat, plopping down next to him as he scratched his beard in a worried way,” and it's snowing again. I'm worried something happened, or he got caught up in something.”
“You worry about him too much,” Lupin quipped back, shooting the gunman a side-eye look,” he's made of some legitimately tough stuff. And anything that happens to him is his own damn fault.”
~°~°~°~
“HACKT'ISH!!!!”
Goemon stopped momentarily, paused by a loud sneeze that ripped out of him and echoed around the hills. Either someone was talking about him, or his fortitude was waning. He hoped it was the former, as he was slowly beginning to realize how cold he actually was. His hair was blown back, frozen from the wind and snow, as well ice had formed on his face, which he brushed away out of frustration. Hugging himself and rubbing his shoulders, the samurai started his journey once again.
Just as he began to walk forward once again, the samurai spotted a tan object in the snow. He drew closer, seeing that it was one of his sandals. Tentatively he picked it up, looking it over as if it could offer him any clues. Sadly, it only left him one shoe richer and still freezing.
With a sigh of exasperation, the samurai kept pushing forward, determined to not turn back in an act to save his honor. He could see the scene clearly in his mind if he chose to go back: Jigen and Lupin taking one look at him, frozen, holding one lone sandal and bursting into hysterical laughter. It made his blood boil to imagine such an outcome and he cried out at the top of his lungs:
“ARGH!!! STOP LAUGHING AT ME!!!”
Goemon then began to dash forward once again, fueled by a new source of anger and embarrassment. He blocked out the cold around him and focused only on trying to catch up with the macaques. The samurai kept pushing through the snow until he came upon a rock face. It was then that he decided to pause for a moment, looking for more evidence that the troop had been there. It wasn't long before he came across another clue: his second sandal and more orange peels.
The samurai picked up the other sandal and looked it over. Just like the other, it was perfectly intact, as though it had purposely been left there. With an annoyed sigh, he looked around for more clothes, but saw nothing until he happened to look up. On a branch, halfway up the rock face was the sash for his robe blowing in the breeze like a flag. Looking past it, he saw for a brief moment a little red face looking down at him, but as soon as they locked eyes, it gave a playful hoot and scampered off.
“Grrr…stupid creature…” Goemon began to mutter as he looped his geta on his fingers and readied himself to climb the slope. His fingers found purchase easily in the rocks, but it was hard to maintain his grip with his freezing digits. As he reached for the sash, he felt himself slip briefly, but grabbed onto the branch just in time. But it didn't hold for long, and just as the root base gave way, he grabbed onto a rock at the last second. After a moment of silent prayer, allowing his heartbeat to calm down,he began to climb again, muttering to himself about what he would do to the macaques when he caught up with them.
“Monkey katsu…monkey dumplings…sake and mandarin braised monkey…”
Finally, Goemon reached the top! He pulled himself onto the even surface, resting for a brief moment. He also thanked the gods that he had made it while he caught his breath. Sitting up, he got his bearings before standing tall over the rock face. To his annoyance, he saw a slope that would have been an easier climb. He hung his head, cursing himself for not checking first. Clearly the cold was beginning to affect his judgment. Not wanting to linger for too long, the samurai looked around once again, looking for more clothes or even a sign of the macaques.
Goemon soon saw the backside of a macaque, heading straight for a moderately sized cave opening. He might not have even known it was a cave had he not witnessed the little primate walking inside. When he approached for himself, he saw his hakama, fluttering from a stalagmite that was jutting from the ground just at larger macaque height. The samurai stepped inside, cautiously taking possession of the pants.
As Goemon began to put on the hakama, needing the little warmth they provided, he wondered why the macaques had led him to this cave. It wasn't so odd that they had stolen his things, but they had deliberately left behind traces so that he could follow them. Instead of the anger that had propelled him before, now Goemon was burning with curiosity. When he finished tying the knot on his hakama, and putting on his geta, the samurai pressed further into the cave.
Parts of the cave were tight, and Goemon had to crouch down so as to not bump his head; However, for the most part he was able to traverse the path comfortably. And he began to feel a bit warmer as he went inward. Hoping it wasn't the start of hypothermia, he pressed onward until he reached the end of the passage and was greeted with a moderately sized chamber.
The chamber was roughly the size of a living room, and was, in a rustic way, set up like a hideout. There were some other stolen goods, like bedding and clothes that were clearly not his. There were even a few crudely made tools and materials, which had been hoisted from the nearby town. And on the far side of the room was a rock, which the monkeys were resting on. To his astonishment, he could see a bit of steam rising from it, perhaps from being close to an underground hot spring, or even a volcanic vent.
Before Goemon could make any more movements, one of the macaques spotted him. It screeched softly to a bigger macaque with long fur around its face, which looked at the samurai as though it had been expecting him. The man froze, hoping the clearly elderly macaque wouldn't attack him,but to his amazement she didn't approach him. Instead, she slid off the rock and ambled around behind it, emerging once again holding his light-colored robe as well as Zantetsuken.
The macaque laid the hakama on the ground, and the precious katana on top of it, backing away to indicate that the samurai could have them. Goemon cautiously approached the items, never taking his eyes off the old monkey even when he knelt down to pick them up. He grasped Zantetsuken first, pulling it close to himself, almost comforting it like it had been more traumatized than he had by this whole ordeal. Afterwards he picked up his robe, putting it on sloppily over his hakama.
“Ahh, that feels so much better,” Goemon sighed, feeling the warmth of the cotton against his skin,” thank you…”
Goemon looked back at the macaque, who looked up at him and gave a nod, as though to say “you're welcome”. The samurai felt strange, having spoken with a monkey like it was a person. Especially one who had stolen his things and brought him here. But that made him wonder further…
“Exactly why did you and your family take my things?” Goemon asked, feeling another pang of stupidity. Did he really think that the old monkey would answer him? But, to his surprise, she scampered over to the far wall, hooting and motioning for the samurai to follow her. He followed her over, seeing a crack in the wall that was just small enough for a macaque to squeeze through.
As he looked inside the crack he saw artificial lighting. Cold and clinical white light shone through the brown rock, clashing with the surroundings. Goemon kept looking around and eventually saw what looked like cages, and inside those cages were even more red faced macaques. Slowly, it began to dawn on him…
“That's why there aren't many macaques around here,” Goemon muttered, half to himself and half to the elder macaque,” they've all been captured…and you few escaped.”
The old macaque blinked her eyes slowly, stomping her foot against the dirt in a show of how correct the samurai was. She then pointed at his sword, hooting softly as if asking him to help them with it. Others began to approach as well, joining with a chorus of soft screeches and hoots, begging the man for his assistance.
Goemon nodded, understanding what had to be done. Without a moment of hesitation, he got into position, sliding into a charging stance as he studied the wall. He then closed his eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath to center himself in preparation for his next move.
“KYAHHHH!!!” Goemon shouted at the top of his lungs, opening his eyes in an instant. He charged forward simultaneously, unsheathing Zantetsuken like a flash of white lightning. He made a few precise cuts before jumping back and sheathing the sword once again, at which point the rock fell away in a neat pile.
When the final rocks had crumbled away from the new opening, the macaques began to pour into the well-lit room. Goemon followed as well, realizing that this wasn't just any room. It seemed like a holding area, and the cages barely had enough room to house one macaque comfortably. Even though there were a few cages that contained frightened mothers and their equally frightened babies.
The free macaques began to go to the cages, rattling them as if to tell the captive ones that they were going to be free soon. Goemon observed the scene, making the best plan to free all of the monkeys. But, just as he began to get into position, a door on the far end flung open. In the doorway stood a man, catch-pole in his leather gloved hands.
“Who the hell are you?” The man asked in a stern voice, getting into a defensive stance,” and what are you doing here?”
Goemon broke his stance, looking over at the man with the same contempt one might reserve for a cockroach. He knew this man was at least one of the culprits of the containment of the wild macaques. It made him more angry than the theft of his possessions.
“I should ask you the same,” Goemon replied, his eyebrows narrowing as he mean-mugged the man, “but I think I have an idea. Did you capture these macaques?”
“That's right,” The man called back in a cocky tone, looming triumphantly in the doorway, “I caught them and put them in those cages. It was remarkably easy! They're so trusting of humans.”
The free monkeys gave screeching hisses at the man, barring their teeth at him. Goemon scowled, wanting nothing more than to cut this man into multiple pieces. However, he knew there was probably a better solution.
“These macaques are quite valuable,” the man continued, taking a step forward and twirling his looped cane,” science labs, circuses, even private owners…they all come to me for these beautiful creatures. And I'm just giving the people what they want.”
“You're a cruel man,” Goemon growled back at him, his eyes narrowing as his anger rose, “these creatures deserve to be free…not some commodity. They're an important part of the town and ecosystem. They're more valuable in the wild!”
“Oh spare me that bleeding heart crap,” The trapper mocked, rolling his eyes and flapping his hands in a condescending way,” I've heard it all in my career: ‘Don’t hurt them!’ ‘They're wild creatures’ ‘They don't belong in cages’ blah blah BLAH!!”
The man shouted the final ‘blah’ like a disgusting horn blast. The monkeys cowered at the sound, but Goemon stood firm. He was observing the man, looking for him to make the first move.
“But, I'll be willing to forgive you and let you leave,” The man continued, readying his catch rod and a net from the wall next to him, “if you'll help me catch these rogue macaques and put them in their cages. I'll even give you a reward for finding them. Wouldn't that be nice?”
The macaques looked up at Goemon. They obviously didn't understand, but they knew that the trapper was trying to reason with the samurai. The elder macaque came up to the young man, tugging at his robe. Goemon looked down at her, meeting her eyes with a nod.
“I cannot do that…”Goemon muttered, looking back up at the man with rage in his eyes.
“WHAT?!” The trapper called out, looking outraged that his offer was refused.
“I said: I WON'T DO THAT!!!”
Like a flash of lightning, Goemon got into position and charged for the trapper. He made a few precise cuts, before dashing away from him and back into the holding area. Then, with the same flash of speed, he made more cuts to all of the steel cage doors that held the macaques inside. When he sheathed his Zantetsuken once again with a loud click, all of the bars fell away in a shower of perfectly cut metal, and the trapper was left with nothing but a pile of what used to be his tools and clothes. He was left completely naked, and he instantly covered himself with his hands.
The liberated macaques spilled out of their cages, their feet hitting the floor with rhythmic slaps behind the samurai. Goemon opened his eyes and looked at the frightened man, who was beginning to weep, shivering on the cold concrete floor.
“Please…don't hurt me…” The disarmed trapper sniveled, shaking as the confetti of his old clothes fell through his fingers.
“I'm not going to hurt you,” Goemon replied as he turned away coldly, walking toward the opening he had made earlier, “ But I cannot say for certain what the macaques will do to you.”
With that, the samurai left the scene surrounded by multiple macaques that followed him and the elder monkey to safety. However, a few of the large males stayed behind. They began to gang up on the naked trapper, their large teeth barred as they hissed and screamed at the terrified man. Sounds of monkey violence soon followed, but was slowly drowned out by distance and time.
After a short rest, Goemon offered his goodbyes to the large troop of freed macaques. As he left, a few followed him like a grateful parade, dropping off as they found their old homes in the rocks and trees. The samurai felt a sense of accomplishment, happiness and pride fueling him now as he marched back to the town and the inn, which now didn't seem as bad as he had initially thought.
~°~°~°~
“No, Lupin, it's been too long,” Jigen muttered as he began to pull on some thick boots and his heavy jacket, “Something's gone wrong. I can feel it in my feet!”
“Oh fooey! That's probably athlete's foot,” Lupin reasoned, pouting in his yukata as he watched the gunman dressing for what seemed like an expedition to the Alps, “ Goemon probably decided to camp in some cave…the stubborn fool…or he's on his way back now.”
“My feet don't lie…” Jigen replied, pulling on some thick gloves over his hands,” and it's not a fungus. I'm going out there to find Goemon, and if you don't come along…well…that's on you!”
Jigen opened the door and was standing face to face with Goemon, which caused him to jump out of surprise. The samurai was pale and shivering, dripping with melting snow and ice. He looked as though he had walked through a snowstorm for miles. Once the gunman had gotten over his shock, he stepped out of the way and allowed the shivering samurai to come inside before shutting the door behind him. Almost instantly, Goemon fell to the ground, fainting out of exhaustion from his long journey.
“See?!” Lupin cried out, feeling vindicated in not worrying about the wellbeing of the samurai, “I told you he would be fine!”
~°~°~°~
A short while later, Jigen had gotten Goemon changed into a dry yukata and wrapped in a warm blanket with a steaming cup of tea. Lupin had gotten the samurai to sit down on a cushion by the heater, cranking it up to warm him up faster. While the gunman checked him over for frostbite, the thief began to probe him for information.
“What happened, Goe-chan?” Lupin asked in a condescending tone, stepping away so that Jigen could do his examination, “did you find your traditional hot spring?”
“Come on, Lupin,” Jigen muttered to the thief while he worked, “don't tease him…it looks like he's been through enough as it is…”
If he hadn’t been so cold and weak, Goemon might have laid out the thief with a punch to the face; As it was, he could barely speak and was definitely in no condition to retaliate. Instead, he huddled under his blanket, holding his cup of tea close, and allowing the warmth of his good deed to soften this blow to his ego. He could beat the crap out of Lupin later.