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Stuck together in a strange land, our bond grew as we both learned to adapt. My master went by a new name, Samurai Jack, and I cut more opponents made of metal more than any other type of skin. It was a challenge to cleanly cut through it as I have with Aku's demonic flesh, but it was a challenge worth undertaking, and still preferable to human flesh.
My life of leisure before my master came back was long gone. Battle was never too far away. Sometimes it was a miracle if a day passed without an opponent, but this only strengthened the bond between my wielder and me. We came to know each other quite well, and I could predict and anticipate his movements in battle, making our actions smoother. We endured some rough battles and close calls, but the graveyard will haunt me forever. Such a thrill watching my opponent crumble to dust with only one hit as we fought the raised corpses. The sheer numbers worried me though; even if it took one hit to kill them, a thousand swings still took its toll. But that was nothing compared to the final undead zombie, a sentient being engulfed in blue flame. I tried to repel it, but instead it overwhelmed me. This was completely different then having hands around my handle, or a sheathe on my blade. This magic wrapped itself around my frame, dominating all my senses, choking me. It seeped into my steel and I was terrified it would travel further, find my soul, and try to erase my existence. Jack needed me, and I needed him. I was determined to be conscious throughout our entire journey and see him home safely to the past, with Aku long gone from this world, never to return.
Fortunately, it was satisfied with just penetrating my frame, somehow acquiring free motion. It pulled me out of Jack's hands, propelling me through the air. This freedom scared me. I didn't know where I was going or what was going to happen. I wanted the guiding touch of my wielder. When the magic dissipated, I was blind to my surroundings, just desperate to banish the ghostly feeling of such violating power. But in the end, what was worse: the magic or being wielded by Aku with the intent to kill my beloved master? I still don't know. I tried to fight it, to achieve free movement on my own, so I could fly back to Jack, but it was to no avail. No matter how my soul pushed against my steel, I could not move at all. Perhaps I would have succeeded if Aku didn't paralyze me with the frightening image of my master pinned to the ground, and me being thrust at the speed of lightning to penetrate his torso and end his life. Jack, I'm sorry! I never wanted it to end this way! I couldn't resign myself to the end like he did. All I could think of was how much I disliked tasting human flesh and blood, and how his would be a thousand times worse. But it never came, I bounced off of his skin like it was rock, repeatedly.
"How? How?!" Aku howled.
How indeed? I could cut through adamantium like it was butter, but Jack needed a boost in his strength to do so. The only thing I ever failed to cut was the Scotsman's broadsword, supposedly because of the Celtic magic imbued in the blade!
"Even l had forgotten that the sword was forged in purity and strength. It can only be used for good. ln the hand of evil, it can never harm an innocent and so, Aku, it cannot harm me but it can harm you."
DIE! I screamed, taking great satisfaction in cutting the demon to several pieces. This is it, this is the end! I gloated as Jack leapt and I cut my foe in half. But the coward escaped before I could make the final blow. Where Jack was calm and collected, I raged inside my frame, but I still couldn't move even the tiniest fraction of an inch.
Despite all this fighting, he still remained the sweet, polite boy I remembered him as. Kind and gentle to all he speaks with, social status and skill with the blade did not matter to him. He did not boast of his skill. Any time he mentioned it, it was a soft warning to others to not go against him, for the sake of their own life. I have seen so many of our opponents act as vicious brutes, like their skill with the blade entitles them to be arrogant and dominating to every person they met. Jack's skill certainly earned him this "right," more so then many, but he never acted upon it. I was blessed to have such a noble heart wield me in battle. I loved him so much, like a dog who loves its master. I felt closer to him than I ever did with the Emperor.
We were filled with hope that our quest would short. After all, we found our first time portal and our first chance at slaying Aku in the first six months. Both times our goals were thwarted, but we kept the faith that one day we would succeed. Years passed, and every opportunity to go home or vanquish Aku failed in one way or another. Though he rarely voiced these frustrations, preferring to act as if he wasn't bothered by this, I knew my master too well. I knew how much it affected him, and I could do nothing as I watched him sink deep into depression. He began to actively avoid settlements, wandering in the most remote regions of the planet. Battles were often quite short and Jack showed no little to no emotion during them, like he wasn't in the moment and only his warrior instincts kept him safe. His skill never wavered; if anything, it had improved over time, but how could I enjoy our fights if he was so distracted? Days were often spent in complete silence. I often called out to him, trying to engage in conversation, but he never heard me. How I wish I could be the perfect companion for him; he was certainly mine.
After another year of wandering aimlessly with no real destination, we discovered news of another time portal, this one on top of a mountain in a parched desert. I silently cheered when I heard, grateful that I did not have means of physical expression and therefore embarrass myself with such exuberance. I was supposed to be stoic and noble like my wielder. Maybe this was it, maybe this was our chance to go home, to end Aku's tyranny, and banish the darkness from my master's heart. Jack was not so ecstatic, tempered by years of disappointment, and had an honest but pessimistic view. "Aku has destroyed many. I worry that there are none left."
But we can at least destroy Aku and free the citizens of this land from his nightmare reign of terror. Isn't that a worthwhile goal?
Silence, as usual. Not even a subtle twitch or tenseness from his body. He didn't hear me. He never heard me. If my metal could bend, I would slouch on his hip in despair. My optimism faded away to almost nothing as we started our ascent, an easy walk along a long established path carved into the mountain. If the portal did exist and managed to elude Aku for so long, wouldn't the mountain be as remote and treacherous as Mount Fatoom? Wouldn't he know the portal existed if humans could easily reach the site? I ignored our four-legged "guides" that followed us, three tiny but awfully cute mountain goats. You do your species a disservice calling this mountain home. A child could climb it—by the gods, a time portal! Blessed be the hardiest of mountain goats! At last, we were going home! Jack ran as fast as he could, and I wished I had legs myself, anything to help us get into it faster. The lightness in my master's heart as we descended, I haven't felt such joy from him in a very long time. I committed it to memory. How was I supposed to know it would quickly become an instrument of torture?
Of all the ways to be cheated out of using a time portal, being physically dragged out of it was easily the worst. We were so close! But Aku did us a favor, throwing us away like garbage. It snapped Jack out of his shocked stupor. He wasn't going to stop us this time, we are going home!
"Phew! That was close! I didn't think you'd get here so fast." Aku was gloating, making light of our situation. He dares mock us with his humor so close to our goal? Jack, why are you hesitating! Go, go, go!
Jack tried again, not wasting anymore of our precious time on the demon, but less than one foot away from the portal's edge, it was destroyed forever by Aku's blast of magic. What if we reached it a moment before? Would we be safe in the vortex or die in the explosion? Would it be better if we did?
"Fool! Oh, fun fact that was the last remaining time portal in existence!"
No! Jack, he's lying, he has to be! Why would you trust our greatest enemy, he's trying to break us! There is always hope!
But Jack believed him wholeheartedly, and his body shook uncontrollably with rage. I felt his anger before, his desire to lash out at nothing just to ease the tension, but never this. I've never felt anything like this, not even when Aku used my master's anger to create Mad Jack. It was terrifying.
"Ooh, so angry! Be careful, Samurai, so much stress will give you a heart attack. Ooh! What am I saying? Please continue! Never mind what I said!" Aku sneered, taking such delight in my master's torment.
Monster! How dare you encourage this! My spirit struggled against my physical form once again, desperate to gain my own free movement. I was going to attack Aku myself, make him pay for everything he has done to ever hurt every human I have ever loved. Jack held me too tight to move, much too tight. This is not a proper swordsman's grip. He wasn't thinking, he was flailing, too caught up in his own emotions, going against everything he was taught. You're going to get us killed!
"Ho, ho! Not so fast, Samurai. I know better than to mess with that sword," Aku warned, easily dodging the haphazard slices. I wanted to wipe that smile off of his ugly face with just one cut. Even if we didn't succeed in finally bringing him down, I wanted just one painful cut to remind him that we were to be feared.
Jack paused, perched upon a flat stone structure, staring menacingly at Aku.
Sure, you listen to your worst enemy and not me! Should I ever achieve free movement, I am going to smack you!
"But before I go, I'll leave you someone to play with." With a flash of light from Aku's eyebeams, the cute little mountain goats became giant, ugly bullish brutes. Yes, they charged us; yes, their intentions were clear: they wanted to hurt us, but it was not self-defense that made Jack sink my blade deep into the brute's brain. He did it out of malice, out of rage, out of spite. This was not the first organic brain I ever penetrated. I was often used to end an animal's life as quickly as possible so Jack may eat it and continue his survival, a noble sacrifice as nature intended. But this…this was cold blooded murder.
Still reeling from the shock of the first kill, I entered the brain of the second animal before I knew what was happening, and this time I was forced to stay there for far too long. Jack was enjoying this far too much, this power to end a life just because he could. Buried to my hilt, my blade was surrounded by blood and flesh, every sense I had knew nothing but this animal's innards. Panic filled me, I wanted out. I slammed my soul against my metal frame as hard as I could, as often as I could manage. The blade moved a fraction of an inch. I did it! But my efforts to free myself was in vain as I had only managed to cut more brain, reliving the initial horrifying cut that brought me here. Jack! Get me out, get me out!
He obeyed, and I numbly tried to process what I had just experienced. The open air that passed over my blade as I was swung around was a blessing, a reminder that I was free of the nightmare I had just endured.
Or so I thought.
I wasn't paying attention to what was happening. I was so focused on my own self-care that I didn't realize I was once again buried into the third animal's brain, and this was the longest one yet. I can't, I can't do this. Something inside my master snapped. What is he now capable of? Who will be his next victim when this rage overtakes him, a man, a woman, a child? I can't take that chance. I will no longer be a part of the senseless slaughter of innocents!
The animal changed from a hulking brute back to the small, cute mountain goat it once was, snapping Jack out of his stupor. He clearly regretted what he had done, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't trust him anymore. I would not spend my days in fear, hoping and praying he wouldn't enter such a rage again, and be helpless to do anything to stop him. Jack dropped me of his own accord, and through a combination of momentum and my own power, I moved several feet away, stopping at the very edge of the hole that was our way home to the past, now to be my grave as I hid from my beloved master. Do I really want this? 17 years I spent in darkness, developing a strong fear. Who knows how long I would be down there, or if I could ever escape? Jack was staring at his hands, horrified at what he had done. Yes, yes I do want this. In the dark, I would be the only one who suffers. With him, those I may murder and their families would suffer.
The weakened stone slab that fell wasn't enough to force me over the edge. That was my own movement, my own choice. Our gaze met for a half-second before I took my fall, his horrified expression matching the sadness deep within my soul. I love you, my prince. Come back to me when you are whole, please. I never took my gaze off of him until the darkness swallowed me whole.
Jack...