Jack And The Ronin
Part 1
A sole figure cover in dark blue robes walked towards the end of a cliff. His black hair was tied neatly into a bun and as he walked his face stayed fixated on his destination. All around him, flames burned brighter and brighter reaching towards the ceiling. The man did not falter in his stride as the flame's heat warmed his body to unbearable conditions. Once at the end of the cliff the man went to his knees, bowing his head, waiting.
The room shook as a pitch black creature roused from the fire below and began to take shape. The creature's body was still pitch black but now it had to arms stretch out inwards and ahead with a multitude of horns atop of it. Its face was human-like with the exception of green lips and eyebrow replaced with fire. The creature eyes were as dark as its body and teeth as sharp as any blade. A fire goatee finished out the creature's facial features as it finally looked down towards the man.
"You know why I have called upon you Ronin?" The black creature's voice echoed throughout the room making it sound as if it had yelled out the question. The man below, though, still had a calm aura around him even with the creature dwarfing him in both size and presence.
A sly smile could be seen appearing on the man's face once the voice echoed out of existence. "It would seem you'd have failed once again. How many tries has it been now, Aku? And you still haven't killed this samurai." The man insulted Aku, the shape shifting master of darkness and current ruler of all inside his domain. No ruler, no matter how merciful, would take such an insult. And Aku was anything but merciful.
"Listen here Ronin!" Aku screamed, slamming his fist only inches from where the man kneeled. "If you wish your men returned then you shall follow my law!" Aku's flames burned higher than normal as he moved his fist back. The man still did not waver. Instead, his face turned bored as he finally looked up at the Aku.
"Hand me the sword and I'll dispose of that samurai for you." The man explained, wishing to be done with this current exchange.
Lucky for him, Aku wished to end the conversation as well and pushed past his anger. Reaching down deep into the fiery chasm below, Aku brought up a brown container and place it before the man. The container was quite simpler looking with the only interesting feature being the marking on top. It pictured a multitude of human arms reaching out trying to escape a pit of which held them.
The man, or Ronin as he was being called, open the latches keeping the container closed and reached inside it. Gripping his hand around the item, Ronin pulled out a katana still kept in its quiver. His eyes turned determined as he pulled the sword out and into the open. A dark mist then filled the room almost blocking out the light from the flames. All around, voices could be heard from the mist and in a matter of seconds, the mist cleared revealing where the voices had come from.
Man, or more soldiers, now filled the room standing atop the cliff. Each one was dressed slightly differently but all had on armor with similar designs. It could not be mistaken, the armor was that of the samurai's. Admiring those around him, Ronin raised the katana above his head and once again spook to his man. "Soldier! We may now complete our master's orders!" All those around him yelled out in praise, bringing their own weapon into the air in agreement.
From where he stood, Aku smiled at his new pawns enthusiasm. Turning around, Aku looked into an orb that showed was that foolish samurai stood inside his wide Earth. Knowing, that maybe, facing off against those with similar skills as this samurai would finally bring about the end of this nasty pest.
Snow blanketed the ground leaving only a colorless white. The sun's light reflected off of this and would've blinded most normal man. For Jack, though, it was a minor inconvenience. His traditional straw hat blocked out most of the reflecting sunlight but even so, he would still be blinded if he moved his head up just a little. So, he kept his face down as he passed by snow covered trees and other vegetation.
Even with the handicap on his eyes, Jacks' ears worked to perfection and easily heard bushes being rustled. He never stopped moving but his hand was now next to his sword. Waiting to find out who or what hide from him. As he moved, the sounds of soft footsteps followed but then, it stopped. Jack's sword was now ready to be drawn.
From the trees, black powder flew up as bullets rang out towards Jack. Acting quickly, Jack jumped backward drawing his katana from its scabbard. He had avoided most of the shots but a few of the bullets still flew towards him. With his sword out this time, he quite seamlessly deflected the bullets of his weapon. Cutting some of the round bullets in half.
'Round bullets?' Jack question. Most of the time when he faced off against bounty hunters their guns shoot off either lasers or straight bullets, never round. They were easier for him to deflect yes, but this was still an out of place item.
Before he could think more on it, arrows rained down forcing him back behind a tree. Jack had a good guess where those archers stood but couldn't get a fix on them thanks to the sun beaming at him from on high. Though, he still could see the stumps of tree's that most likely held those archers.
Going on instinct. Jack ran from cover and sprinted towards his new target, dodging arrows as he did. Once near, his sword showed its full strength as it cut through wood bark like butter. Bringing the tree's down to earth with said archers along for the ride. With the threat now gone, Jack turned around facing the damage he had caused. There now stood his enemy as well as perfectly cut lumber.
With the sun no longer protecting these 'bounty hunters' from his view. Jack could see the five archers still gripping their bows. "Yumi's" Again, Jack question the weapons his opponents used, seeing clearly the kind of bows he himself had used. They were a product of his home and as he looked closer he saw the clothing of his enemy were from home as well. A range of white and gray hakama was worn by these bounty hunters not that different from his own. It gave Jack pause seeing such familiar things that had seemed so lost to him in this new world that he didn't notice the archers readying their bows once again.
He was able to stop the first arrow but the second one grazed his shoulder, drawing blood. Luck though was on Jack's side when the next three arrows flew towards him. Missing him only slightly as he moved his body to avoid them. With no other arrows closing in for his head, Jack took his chance and closed the gap between him and the archers. His first target tried to fall back but was sliced through without a second thought. Black smoke came from the man's body as he slowly turned completely into ash.
'These are Aku's personal puppets then,' Jack noted after his first target disappeared from existence. It was a common trait among Aku's soldiers meaning Jack wouldn't need to hold back on this cursed creations. 'But why warriors similar to home? Is Aku trying to mess with my mind?' Jack asked himself ready for his next opponent.
Gunshots then again ranged out and Jack knew he had to move. As he did, the archers took their chance to retreat deep into the woods. With their white clothing offering perfect camouflage as they ran. Once the bullets passed by, Jack tried to follow but without being able to hear his enemy it was nye impossible to know where they went off to. Without the archers, though, Jack could now focus on where those gunshots came from.
Turning around, sword held close to his side, Jack found his new target welding weapons he thought had long passed from this world. Tanegashima's. Old flintlock rifles used by foot soldiers from when he was a child. Behind them stood more soldier all of which wore armor belonging to Samurai's and weapons similar to his own. These opponent were also Samurai's and brought nothing but sadness to Jack that he'll have to face such an opponent like this.
After taking a deep breath, Jack looked into the eyes of his enemy and spoke. "I do not know what curse was placed on you. But I shall free you from it." Jack ready his blade for the fight but before any blades cross. Laughter filled the air.
On his left, Jack found the laughter's source belonging to a sole man dress in a dark blue hakama wielding a katana in his left hand. It didn't take a brilliant tactician to realize this man was the leader of these men. But, Jack was brought more sorrow knowing these samurais were controlled by one of their own and not one of Aku's 'special' commanders like Demongo. Jack, though, was sure this man was just as powerful as that demonic creature.
"So, I finally meet the prodigal son himself." The man laughed at his own words all wall Jack stared the man down. "Scary face you got there. Seemed your father forgot to teach you manners when meeting new people." Jack's face went into shock when the man mentioned his father. Immediately, he demanded answers.
"What do you know of that?" Jack's question only brought an even wider smile on the other man's face. Before the man made any response, Jack saw out of the corner of his eye the man's right-hand squeeze slightly. He had let his guard down.
A sword had already fallen down onto his back but, with luck being on his side once again, didn't cut deeply into his skin and more importantly his spine. Jack rolled forward and with only a glimmer being seen from his sword. Turned back around striking back at his attacker in lighting speed. After the black dust cleared from the air, Jack stood ready for the battle that had already started.
All those in armor surrounded Jack as those with rifles took a step back into cover. Two of the armored samurai's rushed in swords gleaming in the sun's light. Jack evaded to the right, out of the way of the first strike. Swinging upwards, he struck at the second assailant only to find the full protection of the armor. He'll have to be smarter with his attacks from now on. These weren't a group of incompetent bounty hunter, Jack had to remind himself. These were once true warriors and will have to be fought as such.
With a plan already forming, Jack waited for his opponents to make another strike for him. He didn't wait long as the two assailants followed through with another similar attack as the last one. Again, Jack evaded the first sword but this time he angled his katana under the second attacker's arm. It took no effort for him to drive his sword through the man's unprotected armpits and into the man's body. Another pack of black dust flew into the air and then disappeared.
The first assailant had retreated back to the group still surrounding Jack's position. Taking this quick chance of calm, Jack looked back towards the leader to find him, 'drinking tea?!' Jack screamed inside his head, confused by the leader's actions.
"Archers!" The man in blue yelled out, raising his arms up and then right back down. Arrows once again rained down towards Jack but this time he had nowhere to take cover. Instead, he did the only thing he could in this situation. And cut down each arrow that got close to him. Well distracted, another one of the armored samurais moved in close only to find an arrow that Jack had dodge. The armored warrior fell to the earth as another soldier took his place ready to strike Jack from behind.
Through all of this, Jack took note as well as the man in blue sending out hand signals for both of those soldiers. 'He's sending his man into the middle of this?' Jack grew furious. This man in blue, a samurai who represent all warriors of good, had just thrown his men's lives away as easy as flipping through a book. Jack was still questioning even if this man was a samurai as he evaded the strike from behind and tried to escape the incircle meant.
For his efforts, Jack was pushed back and earned an arrow that found its way into his sword arm. He grabbed the arm in pain for but a second until he brought his arm back up and quickly disposed of the armored soldier still inside the circle. He had angled his sword into the only layer of fresh skin he could find, the neck. Once finished, Jack went back to deflecting arrows and tried desperately to find an escape.
He did, seeing a slight gap that could allow for him to rush through. With now a set plan, Jack made his attempt and just barely placed through two soldiers. Running right into the blue man. With almost no time to react, the man's sword swung diagonally across Jack's chest. Jack fell to the ground and rolled a few inches from the man but the damage was clear. Blood soon covered the ground all well Jack held his chest in pain.
"Surprising, you're still conscious." The man in blue again laughed at the pitiful position Jack now laid. "For all that strength, it took me distracting you with those husks and then giving you that opening you so desperately needed. Heading right to where I was waiting." The man explained all well Jack stayed close to the ground. "It was all too easy. But now, it's time I finish this," He brought his sword up and aimed in down towards Jack's exposed back.
Before the final strike could be made, Jack had gotten a complete grip on the handle of his sword and turned its blade onto the blue man. Cutting through the skin but only slightly. His attack, though, had served its purpose. Giving Jack time to make a retreat into the woods behind in. As he ran, gripping tightly on his bleeding chest he turned his head backward to find the man in blue already recovering from his wounds.
"KILL HIM!" The order ranged out throughout the snow covered trees. The samurai's from before, who still stood quite during the 'exchange' now moved once again. Rushing for Jack in hopes of completing their orders.
Jack knew it was only a matter of time until they caught up to him. He could only run for so long with the wounds he had obtained during the fight. The man in blue had outsmarted him and now it was more than likely Jack will fall this day. But, during his sprint turn light jog, Jack failed to notice that the ground wasn't there. And fell into a dark chasm below.
As the sun's light disappeared from his vision, Jack didn't know whether to be happy he escape or feel pain as the ground once again appeared. Jack's eyes slowly closed with the last thing he saw being a child rushing over towards him.
Izzycity: This will probably only be a small three chapter story that I plan on finishing maybe a month from now. Updates will most likely be slow but I do hope you enjoyed the read. I loved Samurai Jack since I first saw it as a kid and though I don't have the best knowledge of the "full" story, I will try my best to be lore friendly.
Other than that, again, I hoped you enjoyed and please leave me a review telling me what you think. Until next time.
Samurai Jack is owned by Cartoon Network and created by Genndy Tartakovsky. Please keep supporting the official release.