Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Samurai Jack or Aku or any of the characters within except the Elementals. Also, the lyrics to "Itooshii Hito No Tame Ni" belongs to those persons who own the anime Fushigi Yuugi. The translation, however, was done by me. If you want to use it, give me an email, but otherwise, please do not use the translation used within this fic without my permission. Feel free to email me or leave reviews, but please no flames, 'kay? Enjoy!
Weightlessness and a heavy sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had never imagined it possible for man to fly amongst the stars, much less what it would feel like to fall back to Earth from them. Now I was experiencing it firsthand, rocketing towards the ground at a sickening speed with no way to stop myself. I would not survive the landing, that much was certain.
Think, Jack, think. You cannot die now. You are this world's and the past's only hope of defeating Aku. You must find a way to slow your fall, no matter how impossible it may seem.
I began to pass into the upper levels of the atmosphere and I began to feel unbelievably warm, hot even. Soon my skin felt as if it was on fire and the sweat began to sting. I felt sick. I could barely even move and my breath caught in my throat. I had to calm down and fast.
I took in a few slow breaths, trying to calm myself, even though I felt as if my heart was going to leap into my throat. I looked at the gauge on my suit's sleeve that told me how much fuel was left in the rocket pack I wore on my back. It was almost empty, but even a nearly empty rocket would do better than anything else to slow my descent.
The clouds began to rush past me and the ground rocketed towards me at a dizzying speed. If I failed to try now, it would all be over and this future would forever be Aku's future. I managed to flip myself around with my feet pointing towards the ground as I started up the rockets.
They did not have enough boost to bring me into flight, but after a few agonizing seconds, the ground seemed to be coming near me at a slower pace. I was still high above the ground, slowly coming in to land, even though the rockets struggled to keep up. The fuel tanks were almost empty now, most likely running on fumes.
Closer I came to landing, able to see trees and most of the landscape relatively clearly. If the rockets could hold out for a few more moments, I felt that I might actually make it. For a few seconds, it seemed as if I would indeed land safely. I was almost to the treetops now, so very close to returning safely to the ground.
*Sputter...hiss....*
Suddenly, the rush of air and heat behind me stopped and I resumed falling rapidly towards the ground. The rocket pack had run out of fuel and could no longer slow my descent. I was going to land hard and I could not land on my head or even on my feet. Even though I was not familiar with the science of this time, I knew that to land as such would cause serious injury. Not that I would not be badly hurt as it was.
I flipped about in the air, turning around a few seconds before I slammed into the earth on my back. I gasped and my lungs tightened up. The suit seemed to shatter around me, rocket pack and all. Perhaps it managed to protect me from worse injury, but it did not save me from being hurt.
Pain lanced through every inch of my body, head to foot, inside and out. A sickening feeling rushed through me and I felt as if I was going to choke. I could not move, even if I had been able to think about it. Nothing in all my years of training had ever prepared me for such pain. Nobody in my home time had ever imagined flight possible, let alone falling from such a great height.
I began to feel dizzy and I gasped, trying to suck in air enough to breathe with. I coughed and my eyes watered as I lay there, unable to move, barely able to breathe. A shadow passed over me and stayed and I looked up, trying to see what was there.
Slowly, a human face came into view. She was dressed in flowing green robes, her face framed by wavy golden hair like a halo. She knelt down next to me, brilliant green eyes filled with worry. She looked quite delicate, so delicate that I was not sure she was even real.
She reached in through the shattered opening in my helmet and lightly pressed a slim hand against my forehead. Almost immediately, I felt my body begin to relax and the pain, impossible as it would seem, began to subside. The sickening feeling in my stomach faded and I began to feel sleepy, my eyelids drooping closed.
"Rest now, samurai. You are in good hands..."
Floating. I was floating. Complete weightlessness, I could feel nothing but myself. No pain, no sickness, just myself. I was not sure if I was dead, but I could feel myself, which had to mean that I was still alive somehow. A dream, perhaps.
Somewhere in the distance, I could hear singing. A soft, lilting song in my native Japanese. It was almost too faint to hear, but I could hear it. Someone was singing to me from somewhere. A woman. My mother, perhaps, but that was impossible.
Itooshii hito no tame ni ima nani ga dekiru ka na?(What can I do now for my loved one?)
Kanawanai yume wa nai yo! Massugu ni shinjiteru(It is not an unfulfilled dream! I believe in what lies ahead...)
Densetsu ga ugokidashite(The legend begins to stir)
Hontou no watashi ga hirogeru(And the real me unfurls)
(Tooku hibiku "wo ai ni") anata ni michibikarete((Distant echoes of "wo ai ni") lead me to you)
(Mezamete yuku tamashi) hikaridasu mou hitotsu no sekai((My awakening soul) shines going into this other world)
Itooshii hito no tame ni ima nani ga dekiru ka na?(What can I do now for my loved one?)
Kanawanai yume wa nai yo! Massugu ni shinjiteru(It is not an unfulfilled dream! I believe in what lies ahead...)
Ten to chi no aida ni aru(To have a relationship between heaven and earth)
Mekurumeku bouken ni muchuu(To turn the page and be absorbed into adventure)
(Egao misete "nihao ma") anata ni mimamorarete((A smiling face shows "nihao ma") watching over you protectively)
(Ai wa hikaru seiza) omoidasu mou hitotsu no kiseki((Love is a shining constellation) remembering in this miracle)
Isshou ichi to no da ai tamashi ni kizan de ne(Throughout one's life one time's meeting engraves in the spirit)
Donna toki datte ai wa sukuidato omou kara(Even if that time love is rescued from a memory)
I looked up, seeing a faint beacon of light high above me, shimmering as a pond would. The singing seemed to be coming from there, if only I could get to it. I had a feeling it would lead me back to reality or consciousness, one or the other.
Out of the shadows, I could just barely make out the form of a rock formation, perhaps a cliff. I hurried over and began to climb, pulling myself slowly up the steep side towards the light. Suddenly, the rock began to shift beneath me and I was thrown back down the few feet which I had climbed as the cliff began to take another form.
"Poor samurai, lost in his own consciousness." the form taunted.
Aku! It was impossible for him to be in my mind! He towered above me, almost tall enough to block out the light above me. My heart pounded and I reached for my faithful katana, only to find it was not hanging at my hip as it usually did. Had I lost it in space?
"What's the matter, samurai? Lost your sword?"
"I can defeat you, with or without the sword, Aku." I said.
"I don't think so. You are nothing without that sword. Just a human, a weak human who can't even touch me."
Black talons lashed out and I rolled out of the way, feeling them rake painfully down my back. This was all wrong. I never left my sword alone for a moment, not even while I was in a bath. It could not be stolen from me, either, I would have known. Nor could Aku have touched it, not without being harmed by the white magic of the blade.
"You will never regain consciousness, foolish one. So long as you are without your sword, you cannot touch me, even within your own consciousness."
For a moment, it might have seemed true, except that he doomed himself with his own words. If it was true that I was within my own consciousness, my own mind, then I was the one who was truly in control. Of course Aku could not be in my mind, this was all just a dream, a reflection of my own thoughts and fears.
"You are wrong, Aku, for you see, I can touch you. You are within MY mind, MY consciousness, where I alone am in control." I said.
He began to laugh and I steeled myself, reaching to my hip once again, this time finding my katana there waiting for me. I drew it and sprang forward, striking the center of the demon before he could recover and realize his folly. The blade shown brightly and the white magic within it vaporized Aku into mist before surrounding me in its brilliance. Slowly, it drew me towards the source of the light above, pulling me back to myself.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, feeling safe and warm. I did not recognize where I was, finding myself in a bed in what appeared to be a stone castle. Sunlight shimmered through the window, illuminating the white and green decor of the room. Through a nearby window, I could see that I was high above the clouds, perhaps on a mountain somewhere. There were a few trees and a shimmering waterfall in the distance.
I closed my eyes again and sighed, enjoying the comfortable warmth of a soft bed, even though my body still ached a bit. I wondered how long I had been unconscious. A few days? Weeks? Months? Longer? How long would it take for a person to recover from such injuries? However long it had been, the pain was at least tolerable for the most part now.
I began to become aware of a warm tingling feeling that ran over every inch of my body. It was odd, but not uncomfortable, feeling not unlike how I did when I was in a hot bath, only I was not wet in the least. I realized then that I had been stripped down to my fundoshi and that I was not alone. There was someone there next to me in the bed.
I slowly turned my head, shifting my weight as little as possible as to not disturb whoever was there, taking a look. I was not sure what I had been expecting to find, but it was not what I found. Curled up on the large, soft bed next to me was the woman I had caught a glimpse of before I had slipped into unconsciousness.
She was curled up close to the pillow, long, wavy, golden hair spilling out behind her on the green blankets. Her arm was draped over my chest and she looked as delicate as I had first thought. She was not a dream. She was real and she was here. She was also very naked.
My face heated up with a fierce blush and I tried to distentangle myself from her, wondering just what she would be doing lying next to me like that. I wanted to let the woman rest, but found it difficult to move as I had wanted to, the pain increasing as soon as I moved away from her. I gently took her hand in mine, trying to lift it off my chest, only to receive a bit of a shock as soon as I did.
The moment my hand wrapped around her slim wrist, I felt an increase in the warm tingling that had been washing over my body when I had awakened. It did not seem possible, but it was apparent that the warm tingling had been coming from this woman. The question now was...why? I lowered the hand to my chest again, hoping that I had not disturbed her.
A soft moan came from the woman and I froze, watching as her eyes slowly opened and blinked at me. Her eyes were definitely green, a brilliant, piercing, emerald green that seemed to delve into my very soul. She stretched a bit and sat up, reaching over to brush a few strands of hair from my face. The warm tingle followed her warm touch, sending a warm shudder through my body.
"Welcome back, samurai." she said softly.
I felt my face heat up again and respectfully looked away.
"Thank you, miss."
The bed shifted, followed by the sound of clothing rustling. I looked over and saw that she had pulled on a white robe of silk trimmed with green. She sat back down next to me, running her warm, soft hands over my face, shoulders, and chest, soothing the pain away. I allowed myself to relax under the warm touch, looking up at her.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Better, thank you. And hungry."
"Of course."
She smiled and went over to a fireplace where a kettle hung over a fire. Something bubbled inside of it and my nostrils caught the warm scent of meat and noodles and vegetables. She picked up a bowl and took the ladle from the pot, pouring what looked like stew into it. My stomach growled loudly as she brought it over, handing it to me.
"Thank you." I said.
She smiled again and gestured for me to go ahead. I picked up the spoon and took a bite, finding it delicious. Warmth spread through my body as I ate, trying to enjoy each bite even though I was very hungry. She sat back down next to me on the bed, watching me as I ate.
"Who are you?" I finally asked.
"My name is Chimitsu and I'm the elemental of Air. I apologize for my appearance. You were badly injured and I had to use every bit of my healing powers to keep you alive."
"Why did you help me?"
"I couldn't let you die in that crash, Jack. The one who possesses the ability and the blade that can destroy Aku once and for all...I just couldn't."
I sighed and looked into the soup bowl before taking a few bites. Even the elements themselves had heard of me and had faith in my abilities, yet I could not help but feel as if I might not ever defeat Aku. I had been trying for months now and I had still failed.
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"I have been hunting and fighting Aku for almost a year now. Our paths have crossed many times, but each time, he eludes me. I am not certain that I can destroy him and I cannot return to my home time unless I do."
"You have come close to destroying him before."
"Close does not mean I am able."
"Only if you give up, Jack. You're a warrior, which is more than I can say for myself. As the Elemental of Air, my abilities lie more within the defenses of the elements. Defenses and healing. My fighting skills are only minimal. But you can fight. You have had Aku at the brink of destruction at least once now, despite his cleverness."
"Once out of how many times he and I have met?"
"It does not matter. You are still the best man for the job. You know Aku's treachery and tricks better than any man alive."
"And yet I still have fallen for them."
"Because you are only human. You are not an omnipotent Elemental, you are just a man and evil such as Aku is very clever. And when he was not being clever, he was extremely fortunate."
"I let my guard down that time I had him. That was not fortune, that was foolishness."
"You made a mistake and you have learned from it. That is not failure."
"Perhaps, but it could take me a long time before I find his castle again."
"It does not have to be a long time."
"How?"
"There is a way for you to find Aku without any interruption or tricks, to catch him unaware and to return yourself to your own time."
I looked at her and thought about this. If what she said was true, then I could not pass it up. It always took a very long time for me to find Aku's castle and I always needed to rely on others who were not always very trustworthy.
"What must I do?"
"All you need to do is to prove you worth to myself and my sisters."
"There are more of you?"
"Of course. There are four more Elementals like myself and the Great Elemental. Myself and my sisters each guard an Elemental gem, five total. When the five are joined together, they form the Star of the Elements and can bring forth the Great Elemental who can help you if you are worthy enough."
"How can I prove myself?"
"We each test you in different things."
"When will I be able to be tested?"
"Soon, Jack, after you have healed. I have been able to repair most of the damage done to your body, but you are still not fully recovered. You need to rest and recover and when you are ready, you will be tested."
I nodded and finished my stew as Chimitsu walked over to the window, looking outside. I watched her as I ate, seeing how delicate and frail she appeared to be. But perhaps appearances were deceiving. She was an Elemental and she did say she had some fighting ability. She even managed to bring me here, wherever here was, from that meadow I had crashed in from space. No, she was not as frail as she appeared to be, that much was certain.
Perhaps she only looked frail because she had used so much of her power in healing me. I was not sure how much power an Elemental had or if they even had limits in the first place, but if they did, I had a feeling that repairing such injuries would have taxed whatever power she had. She continued to look out the window and somehow, she seemed a little bit sad. I was not sure why, but I did not wish to disturb her.
I carefully pushed the blankets aside and slowly swung my feet over the edge of the large bed, intending on bringing my empty bowl over to the table for her. The stone felt cool and soothing beneath my feet and it was only now that I noticed that while my skin did not hurt as much as it had when I had landed, it was still very red, like a bad sunburn. I slowly stood up, my legs shaking with the effort. I stood there for a moment, trying to get a feel for balance, only to have my legs give out beneath me and I collapsed to the floor hard, the bowl and spoon clattering against the floor beside me.
I groaned and tried to pull myself up to my feet again, my muscles and body aching and protesting as I moved. Immediately, Chimitsu was at my side, helping me up and back into bed, running her soft, warm, magical hands over my body. I began to relax as the pain subsided, sighing softly.
"I am sorry." I said softly.
"Don't be. It's all right. I'm not too surprised you collapsed on your first try with how long you've been out and recovering."
"How long?"
"A little over a week. Rest now, dear samurai. You'll be ready to take up the tests soon enough."
I sighed and nodded, curling up again under the warm blankets, relaxing in the softness of the mattress and pillow. Chimitsu walked around the edge of the bed, singing the same tune from before as she drew the drapes closed and lit a few candles. I felt the bed shift behind me and felt her warm arms wrap around me once more, the warm tingling returning.
Slowly, my eyelids slid shut and I drifted off to the sound of her singing and the feel of her healing energies enveloping my body. Soon, Aku would see defeat and I would return to my homeland and the past from which I came.