Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Jack and all of its characters. The only character I own is the Story-Keeper.
Story #1
A long time ago, an evil entity by the name of Aku had unleashed a reign of unparalleled terror upon Japan. One day, Aku was approached by a brave and noble samurai, armed with a mystical sword forged by the gods themselves. The samurai engaged the shapeshifter in battle and managed to overpower the demonic tyrant. Alas, before he could land the final blow, Aku created a hole through time and sent the samurai into the far distance, where the monster reigned supreme. The samurai then began a long quest to find a way back to the past and prevent this horrible fate from ever occurring.
The samurai, who was given the moniker of Jack by the locals, traveled far and wide in his search to return home. As Jack's sword was the only object that could slay him, Aku did everything within his power to end the samurai first. He sent minions, assassins, bounty hunters, even engaging Jack directly whenever he was certain the sword would not be a problem. But no matter what the evil entity tried, Jack always triumphed in the end, giving hope to those oppressed by Aku's reign. Sadly because Jack was unable to find a way back or slay Aku before he would escape, the two were trapped in a constant stalemate. Eventually, Aku decided to simply destroy all of the time portals, settling for having Jack die of old age. Unfortunately for the embodiment of evil, fifty years had passed since the portals were destroyed and Jack had not gotten any older. Apparently, when Aku sent him out of his original time, he unintentionally rendered Jack ageless. Faced with the possibility of his mortal enemy being around forever, Aku became a recluse, reduced to a withered down shell of his former self.
Unknown to him, Jack was not fairing much better. After Aku had destroyed the last portal, Jack had also lost his sword. No way home, no way to defeat Aku, with these losses went all of Jack's hopes, causing him to become as broken and downtrodden as Aku was. Then when he was at his most vulnerable, Jack was attacked by the Daughters of Aku; seven young women who were raised from birth by a zealous cult as a means of ending the samurai in the villain's name. Although the girls were skilled and deadly, managing to outmatch Jack in their initial strike, they were no match for his own superior abilities and countless years of experience once he was able to collect himself. Eventually, the Daughters were slain in battle until only one remained: Ashi. Forced into a situation together, Jack saw that Ashi and her sisters had been misled by the cult into believing Aku was a benevolent being. He then took it upon himself to teach Ashi the truth and, with much patience, he eventually succeeded. Ashi and Jack soon became close; she was even willing to slay her own mother, the High Priestess of the cult, to protect him. With Ashi's help, Jack not only regained his hope and purpose, he even managed to reclaim his sword.
Aku, who had been given, unknowingly outdated, information that Jack no longer had his sword, eagerly confronted his longtime foe. Although upset to learn that Jack had the sword after all; Aku noticed Ashi and revealed a shocking secret. Having come upon the cult some time ago, Aku had left behind a pool of his own essence as a reward for their devotion. The High Priestess drank from this essence and became pregnant; as such, Ashi and her sisters truly were the daughters of Aku. Using the essence within her, Aku controlled Ashi and through her, forced Jack into surrendering himself and the sword. Pleased with his victory, Aku chose to broadcast the samurai's execution for all to see. This rallied the many friends and allies Jack had made over the years to come to his aide. As his friends held Aku off, Jack's love for Ashi allowed her to break free of her father's control. Then, realizing that she had all the same powers that Aku did, Jack convinced her to open a portal back to the past. The two traveled back in time, right after Jack's past-self had been sent to the future. The Aku of the past was no match for the Jack he was now facing and the shapeshifter was slain for good. Peace was restored to the land and everyone was happy.
For a little while anyway.
Jack and Ashi were to be married but on the day of their wedding, Ashi suddenly collapsed. She revealed that since Jack had destroyed Aku in the past, there was no way for her to exist. All she was able to do was give her lover one last caress as she faded away into nonexistence, leaving a stricken, heartbroken Jack.
But what if, unknown to all, someone was watching all of this happen?
What if that someone didn't think it was fair after all Jack had been through?
What if that someone felt that Jack deserved better? That Ashi deserved better?
And what if that someone then declared…
"I don't think so!"
. . .
The first thing that Ashi realized was that…she was. She gasped as she sat up, her heart racing. "W-what?" She looked down at her fingers, flexing them before running them along her face. "How-how can this be? How can I be? The last thing I remember was Jack-Jack! Where's Jack?! Wait, where am I?"
Ashi took in her surroundings. She was in a strange room with blue painted walls that definitely looked nothing like the ones in Japan. It took Ashi a moment to realize that she was sleeping on a bed; a mattress bed, not a futon. The covers and pillow were of a much lighter shade of blue compared to the rest of the room. "Somebody really likes blue," Ashi said to herself as she threw off the covers. Her eyes widened when she saw that she was wearing an elegant, emerald green robe. "Do I even want to know how this got here?" She made her way to the door and opened it, entering a crimson hallway. She didn't know where she was but Ashi was certain that she was not in Japan. Or at least no part of it she was familiar with.
As the young woman walked down the hallway, thoughts bounced in her head. "How can I still exist?" She asked herself. "Aku was killed. Has…has he somehow returned?" Her eyes widened in fear. "Did…did Jack bring him back?" She immediately shot that idea down. "No. Jack would never allow him to return."
She continued walking down the hallway and when she turned around the corner, her eyes widened yet again and her breath was cut short. She had found herself in a massive room. Actually, massive didn't quite sum up the room. It was enormous, colossal even. And it was filled with rows upon rows of large, towering shelves that seemed to go on forever, filled to the brim with books. Ashi immediately realized that she must be in a library. Jack had told her about his travels to such places. But the ones Jack told her about paled in comparison to this gigantic splendor that Ashi was seeing right now. But what exactly was she doing in a library?
"Hello, Ashi. It's so nice to see you."
Ashi's snapped to attention at the unknown voice. A stranger was making his way through the shelves. He was a short, dirty blonde haired man wearing a grey suit. "Although I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Now, I'm sure you have lots of questions. I'm gonna take a guess and assume your main ones are: where are you, who am I, how do I know your name, and how are you even here. Though something tells me I might have gotten the order mixed up."
Ashi tilted her head at the strange man. He seemed to know who she was and what had happened to her. But what were his intentions? She prepared to take a fighting stance in case the man was an enemy...
"First off, this place is the Aeviternus Bybliotheca. That's Latin for the Eternal Library," The man said, giving Ashi a curt nod, stopping the female warrior in her tracks. "I am its librarian, its caretaker. But, I prefer being called the Story-Keeper."
"The…Story-Keeper?" Ashi asked.
"That's right," The Story-Keeper smiled. "I like stories. They're one of the oldest and most powerful forces in all of existence, did you know that?"
Ashi blinked at the man, uncertain how to reply; stories, a powerful force? She admitted that stories were entertaining, and informative, like the one Jack told her about the stars, but how exactly were stories powerful?
"Your skepticism is understandable," The Story-Keeper said and Ashi felt herself blushing. "Sure, stories are entertaining but they also have a major part to play in life and civilization. Stories can be used to inspire, teach, persuade, encourage, discourage, why stories help shape the very multiverse itself." He spread his arms. "And I took it upon myself to create this library; dedicated to all the stories that are, were, or ever will be in all of existence."
"It's amazing," Ashi said, looking around the library before frowning. "But, wait. Why am I here? How am I here? And how can I possibly exist with Aku dead?" After a brief moment of consideration, she asked the one question she dreaded the most."He…is dead, right?"
"Ah yes," The Story-Keeper sighed as he put his hands in his pockets. "The elephant in the room." Ashi titled her head again. "Sorry about that, an expression. To answer your question, yes, Aku is dead, that much is certain." Ashi let out a sigh of relief. Then she looked up at the Story-Keeper and started to open her mouth but the Story-Keeper cut her off. "As for the reason you still exist…well, it's because I brought you back."
For the second time, Ashi's eyes widened. "You-you did?" She had considered that he might be responsible but to hear him actually confirm it was a different matter. "But how?"
The Story-Keeper grinned at her. "Stories may be the top priority of my library but it contains far more than just those. I don't know if you've ever heard the phrase "Knowledge is Power" but it's quite true and the Aeviternus Bybliotheca contains plenty of knowledge, including how to create incredible tools that can bring someone who was erased from existence back to life."
Ashi felt her knees grow weak. Incredible felt like an understatement to what she had just been told. She doubted that even her father was capable of such feats. And this man was in possession of such creations? It was amazing to say the least. But then she frowned. "Why though?" She implored. "Why would you do this for me?"
The Story-Keeper's smile turned gentle, affectionate. Not affectionate in the way Jack smiled when they were together, more but like the smile from a dear friend, or a family member. Ashi remembered Jack's parents giving her such smiles. "Because…well, I know this might sound ridiculous but I feel a connection between myself and the people whose stories I collect. Even though many of them don't know me and some of them probably never will, that doesn't change the way I feel. I care about all of you and would do something, anything, to help any of you in your times of need. You and Jack deserved a real happy ending." He frowned. "I couldn't just sit by and allow your story to conclude on such a bitter note."
"So you brought me back," Ashi stated rather than asked.
"That's right," The Story-Keeper said firmly.
Ashi felt her eyes beginning to water. She wanted to be suspicious, she wanted to believe that this Story-Keeper had some kind of ulterior motive but yet, somehow she just knew that there was no deception, no hidden agenda. He truly helped her from the goodness of his heart. "I accepted my fate the moment Jack asked me to return him to the past. But, now that I am alive," She bowed politely. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Ashi," The Story-Keeper said warmly. "Believe me when I say I was more than happy to do so."
"I can't wait to see Jack again," Ashi said happily, feeling lighter than she had been ever since she woke up. "How do I go back home?" Here the Story-Keeper's smile slipped again and Ashi felt an unsettling feeling in her stomach. "Is…something wrong?" She asked hesitantly.
The Story-Keeper sighed as he rubbed his neck. "About that…"
"What?" Ashi practically demanded, fearing the absolute worst.
"The device I used to bring you back has its drawbacks. You exist outside of time now but you only have a physical form while in this dimension."
"This dimension?!" Ashi cried, her mind reeling from this unexpected revelation.
The Story-Keeper nodded. "The Aeviternus Bybliotheca exists in a pocket dimension and since I made the device rather hastily, I could only get its range to cover so far. If you were to go back to your own dimension now, nobody will be able to see you, hear you, feel you, or smell you. You'll be less than even a ghost."
"So, you mean…I'm stuck here?" Ashi felt despair clutch her heart. This was the price of existence? To be confined to one place for possibly the remainder of her life? Surely the Story-Keeper wouldn't bring her back just to resign her to such a cruel fate?
"Only for the time being," the Story-Keeper quickly reassured her. "Even if by some chance my library doesn't have something that can properly stabilize your existence, the multiverse is full of other powerful items that we can use instead. I just need some time. But I promise you this, Ashi. You and Jack will be together, you have my word that I will do everything within my abilities to make that happens."
Ashi stared into the eyes of this mysterious stranger. He was willing to do so much for somebody he barely even knew and yet, she could tell that when he said he would do everything within his power, he honestly meant it. At least there was hope.
"Thank you," she said again.
"In the meantime," The Story-Keeper added. "While you may not be able to return to Jack, there's no reason he can't come to you."
Ashi gasped, her spirits rising again. "You mean…"
The Story-Keeper laughed. "That's right. Samurai Jack might be taking a new interest in libraries."
…
Jack had a soft smile on his face as he watched the ladybug fly off his finger. Jack had his memories of Ashi and he would treasure them, and the memories of all his friends. Jack wasn't certain if he could age once more now that he was back in the past. If he could, then he would hold these memories till the day he died and if he did not age, he would hold the memories for all eternity.
Still, Jack's smile fell. Despite this restored hope, the pain did not immediately go away. Ashi had been his first true love and the loss of true love is not easy to move on from. He would not let his sorrow consume him, however, Ashi would not want that. Yet, it would take time to heal. Time. It seemed that was all Jack's life was truly about.
"So, at long last, your story has come to an end, eh Samurai Jack?"
Jack spun around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. Standing nearby was a man with clothes that clearly indicated he was not from Japan. In fact, his clothes closer resembled those he saw people wear in the future. Not only that, but he had been addressed as "Jack", something that nobody except those from the future could have known. Jack narrowed his eyes and his hands reflexively went to grip a sword that was not there. Jack frowned that he had forgotten this but was undeterred. If this man proved to be an enemy, he was confident that he could defeat him, weapon or not.
"But not in the way you wanted. Or hoped for," The man continued, completely unfazed by Jack's defensive reaction towards him. "I'm sorry about what happened, Jack. It was cruel and unnecessary," The man raised his head and looked Jack square in the eye. "You and Ashi deserved better. So I decided to do something about it."
Jack was going to demand the stranger's identity and intentions but his words stopped the noble warrior cold. "What?" Jack asked quietly.
The man snapped his fingers and suddenly a portal of swirling colors opened up behind him. Jack gasped and took a step back. Was this what he thought it was?
"No, it's not a time portal," The man said, seemingly predicting Jack's thoughts. "It's a dimensional portal."
"A dimensional portal?" Jack asked, taking his eyes off of the colorful vortex and towards the man who conjured it.
"That's right. The portal will lead you to my place. Ashi is waiting for you there."
Jack froze. "What? Ashi?" Hope filled his heart but he managed to stop himself in time. "How can I trust you?" He demanded, pointing at the man.
"That's a fair question," the man conceded. "Sadly, I have no proper means of proving my honesty. I won't go into some speech about taking a leap of faith, but you have my vow, my oath, my word of honor that Ashi is through that portal. And once you two are reunited, the two of us can explain everything to you."
Jack was torn. What he wouldn't give to see Ashi again but yet for all he knew this was some kind of trap. The man said he would not talk about taking a leap of faith, but Jack wondered if he was supposed to be taking one regardless. Taking a deep breath, Jack steeled himself. He would go through the portal and see what lay ahead. If it was a trap, again, he would face it. No matter how bad a situation became, he would find a way. He always did. "Very well."
The man smiled. "Let's go." He walked into the portal first, with Jack right after him.
. . .
When the Story-Keeper left to get Jack, Ashi decided to spend her time wandering through the library. She was amazed at how many books there were but like the Story-Keeper had said, these were stories from across the multiverse. Ashi had needed to steady herself as the Story-Keeper gave her a brief summary of universes. It was incredible and terrifying, the thought that she, and her world, were so small compared to the big picture that was existence. How would Aku have felt if he learned that he was just a big fish in a tiny pond? Ashi wanted to read the books, but her mother had not bothered teaching her and her sisters about reading and writing. Jack had managed to teach her a few things though, plus the Story-Keeper had offered to help. Considering that she was going to be here for a while, she needed something to help pass the time.
Just then a portal opened up in front of her, briefly startling the young warrior. Was the Story-Keeper coming back? Did he see Jack? Was he able to convince him to come here? Her pondering ended when the Story-Keeper himself stepped through the portal. She smiled and was about to ask how everything went, only for the words to die on the tip of her tongue the moment Jack came through the portal. His eyes landed on her the moment he completely crossed over.
"Ashi," He whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
"Jack," Ashi whispered back, her own eyes watering.
The two lovers ran to each other, throwing themselves in a tight embrace. They did not fight the well of emotions building up inside them.
"Ashi," Jack cried as he held her. "It's you. It's really you."
"Yes," Ashi said as she lay her head against his chest. "It's me."
"But, but how?" Jack wondered.
"It's all thanks to the Story-Keeper," Ashi told him, turning her head in the direction of the Story-Keeper himself. The Story-Keeper smiled and nodded. "He has great knowledge and power, which he used to bring me back."
Jack wiped the tears from his face, though his eyes were starting to water again. He hugged his beloved tightly before looking at the Story-Keeper. "Thank you, Story-Keeper."
"Jack, wait," Ashi said abruptly. "The Story-Keeper was able to bring me back, but I'm stuck in this dimension for the time being." Jack's eyes widened. "It's okay though, the Story-Keeper believes he can find a way that will let me return home. But he doesn't know how long it will take."
"I will wait as long as I have to," Jack said without a second thought. Ashi stared at him for a moment before smiling and hugging him once more. "Story-Keeper. How can I repay you?"
"Don't worry about that, Jack," The Story-Keeper said, leaning against one of the shelves. "I didn't do this to put you in my debt. As I already said, the two of you deserved a happy ending, and I was going to make sure it happened. I'm sorry it's not a complete one though but I do promise to make sure that will be."
"You have already done so much for us," Jack said kindly.
"One more thing," The Story-Keeper said, holding up a finger for emphasis. "While Ashi may be forced to stay here for now, you can visit her whenever you want."
Jack had a wide smile upon his face. Then he shocked both the Story-Keeper and Ashi by kissing his love firmly yet tenderly. Ashi froze from the sudden action but recovery and eagerly reciprocated.
The Story-Keeper coughed into his hand. "Um…would you two like me to have a room prepared for you two?"
The lovers quickly parted, their faces a light pink, and they laughed awkwardly. The two parted from each other and turned towards the Story-Keeper.
"One thing I don't understand though," Ashi said. "If you have all these resources and you know so much about us, why did you only intervene now? Why not help us defeat Aku?"
Jack blinked as he realized that was actually a very good question. The Story-Keeper seemed prepared for that. "Sadly, I'm not omniscient," he said remorsefully. "And trying to record stories for every single universe can really draw away your attention. I'm sorry. I was so focused on other worlds at the time that when I had finally gotten to yours, you guys had managed to overcome everything on your own. It wasn't until I saw the consequences of ending Aku in the past that I saw where I could step in."
Jack closed his eyes. "It was a long journey. A long and hard one, full of sorrow, pain, and loss. But it was also a journey of hope, joy, and friendship. Perhaps you could have made my journey easier. But at the same time, I would like to believe that I still came through this a much better person."
The Story-Keeper patted Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't have done more for you, Jack."
"I am content with what you have done," Jack said kindly, sharing smiles with Ashi.
"Well," The Story-Keeper said. "Since your wedding was cut short, if you want, you two could always have it here. Or would you rather wait until Ashi can return to your world?"
"Oh," Ashi looked at Jack. "What do you think, Jack?"
"I would be happy with either," Jack said, caressing Ashi's cheek. "But, we do not want to be an inconvenience…"
"Oh nonsense," The Story-Keeper waved his hand dismissively. "Now, you don't have to host the wedding here, just now that it's open if you can. This place is more than enough to accommodate all of your friends and loved ones if you wish."
"How big is this library?" Jack asked, finally taking in his surroundings.
"Big enough," was all the Story-Keeper said, earning looks of both irritation and amusement from his guests."
"Again, I am grateful to you, Story-Keeper," Jack said. "But I would like to wait until Ashi can come home. Is that alright, Ashi?"
"Of course, Jack," She gave him a chaste kiss. "As long as we can finally be together."
The two held each other again.
"If that's what you want, Jack, then by all means," The Story-Keeper said.
"I must return," Jack told Ashi. "My parents would be overjoyed to hear this." He laughed. "No doubt they will start preparing for the wedding all over again."
Ashi giggled at the thought. "Better be sure to tell them everything."
"I will," Jack replied.
"Well, if that's the case," The Story-Keeper said as he reached into his pocket. "You'll need one of these." He pulled out what seemed to be a small, golden card. Jack and Ashi looked at it in puzzlement as the Story-Keeper handed it to the samurai. "This is one of my special Library Cards. It will allow you to access the library on your own. All you need to do is hold it in your hand, think of the library, and it will create a portal to take you here."
Jack stared at the card before clenching it tightly. "Thank you yet again, Story-Keeper."
"And yet again, I say you're welcome," The Story-Keeper replied. "Now, you can also use that card to send yourself back, but I'll do the honors for you today." He created another portal with a snap of his fingers.
Jack looked at the portal, then back at Ashi. She gave him an encouraging smile. The two embraced each other once more time and shared a deep parting kiss. When they separated, Jack made his way to the portal. Before he stepped in, he gave the Story-Keeper one last deep bow to show his appreciation. The Story-Keeper returned the bow. Then Jack stepped through the portal. It vanished once he had passed through.
For a moment Ashi just stared at the spot where the portal had been before taking before sighing happily.
"Well," The Story-Keeper said with a clap of his hands. "I guess I'd better start researching. You're more than welcome to join me if you want. Of course, if you'd rather wait, you're also welcome to all the other books in my library. I have plenty of tools to help you read them. Or, if you want, I do have some audio versions or you to listen to. Or, I can tell you a few stories myself while I work. I'm not the best story-teller in the world but I muddle through."
"I'll help you," Ashi told him. "Though, I wouldn't mind a story or two."
"Well then, my dear," The Story-Keeper started walking down the aisles. "Let's begin!"
Ashi couldn't resist a laugh as she followed the Story-Keeper. As she did, her eyes roamed over the many shelves. "By the way, your library. How big is it?"
The Story-Keeper laughed. "You know, I honestly forgot how big it is. I really should get to measuring it some more. And starting with this room right here should be a good place to start."
Ashi came to a halt as she did a double take to the Story-Keeper's words. "What?"
The Story-Keeper turned around, pausing when he saw that she wasn't following. "Something wrong?"
"Did you just say room?" Ashi inquired hesitantly.
"Of course! You didn't think this was my entire library did you?" He grinned. "This is just the front lobby! I know, I know, having a lobby seems a little redundant since this place is in its own dimension but hey, I wanted to make this place be as authentic to every other library as possible. Besides, I have considered making this place open to other dimensions but that's still in the planning stage right now."
Ashi blinked like an owl and her jaw hung slightly open. If this sea of bookshelves was just a room, the lobby, of the library, how many rooms were there? And just how big was the library after all? These were the thoughts that were spinning in Ashi's mind as she processed what she had just learned.
The Story-Keeper smiled at the astounded look on her face. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to overwhelm you. Perhaps it would be easier if I gave you the grand tour of the library itself first. That way you're not caught off guard by any sort of surprises if you ever want to walk around."
"Y-yeah," Ashi mumbled. "I think that would be a good idea."
"Alright then," The Story-Keeper said cheerfully. "Now, let me see, where should we start first? Ah! I know, let's start with the children stories. I know it's a bit tacky but hey, I'm a sentimental fella and I grew up on a lot of those stories."
The Story-Keeper started walking off again and Ashi hurried to catch up with him. Despite how dazed she was, Ashi was curious. The Story-Keeper, his library, and the whole notion of a multiverse had her attention and she found herself eager to learn more, something she had a strong feeling the Story-Keeper would be pleased about.
Besides, Ashi was alive. Alive! She had been given a second chance and she was going to make the most of it, starting with making sure that she and Jack could finally be together.
. . .
Jack rode back to the palace, with the happiest smile upon his face. When he returned, the servants stared at him in bewilderment as they moved out of his way.
"Mother! Father!" Jack shouted as he burst into their room, startling his parents.
"My son, what is it?" His mother asked, running to his side.
The Emperor rose, fearful that something worse had happened to his boy, but paused when he noticed the sheer joy his son was showing.
Jack took a moment to calm down, pulling out the Story-Keeper's Library Card. He looked at it fondly before smiling at his parents. "The most amazing thing has happened."
The End
I've decided to put my one-shot ideas into different categories instead of placing them all in one section. These one-shots right here will all be about different events leading to The War of Tales, the remake of my previously attempted multi-crossover story The Snow Queen and the Winter Knight. Here, you'll learn a little bit more about the Story-Keeper, his library, now named the Aeviternus Bybliotheca which I would like to thank my pal Blazorna Ibara for finding the name for me, and quite possibly the origins of his rivalry with the mysterious Shrouded Queen.
Again, I would like to thank many of my friends for their input: Nerfherder97, Incredible Muffin, Diablo Ex Machina, and Animeguy1101, who helped me take my story in, I believe, a far better direction than what I was originally doing. So thanks again, guys! Really appreciate it.
As you all can see, this particular one-shot deals with the aftermath of Samurai Jack and my personal dislike for the ending. Seriously, Jack goes through Hell and high water to finally get back and even when he returns home, he can't be completely happy. Since I have no idea if the actual writers plan on doing anything, I decided this was a perfect situation for the Story-Keeper to tackle. And don't worry, it probably goes without saying but the events here will have a key part in The War of Tales.
I'm afraid that's all I really have for this one. Hope you all enjoyed this one-shot and will stay tuned for more stories from The Chronicles of the Story-Keeper. Take care!