It was centuries ago, he wasn't there when his Great Grandfather Neptune confronted the infamous Deliverer of Darkness. But the written accounts by the scribes mentioned it in great detail.
After he and his youngest child bid the human warriors farewell, that same afternoon several ocean friends – Urchin, Simon and Little E had been returning from a trip each one describing encounters with Aku's forces before arriving to Atlantica. When they saw the damage they asked what had happened.
Triton gathered his daughters into the throne room with their friends present. There he read them the memoirs written centuries ago the first time Aku had tried to conquer Atlantica.
It had begun as an average summer morning, nothing unusual except according got eyewitness reports they spotted a dark manta ray that seemed a little off. Others claimed it circled the palace at least twice that was when the day of horror began. Granted, Neptune fought him off yet from that moment on, the merpeople had bigger reason to avoid the surface.
When Ariel didn't show up for breakfast he didn't think too much of it, it wasn't until her sisters told him no one has seen her since the previous evening.
This wasn't the first time Ariel hadn't come home. The first was when she'd gotten a human bracelet stuck to her arm, the second was after a heated argument and she'd rashly gone to the surface seeking to become human to prove him wrong; an entire year had gone by before they saw her again and it was under frightening circumstances.
Andrina suddenly came back with a sealed letter from Ariel, she said she found I on the bed. He opened it, the letter began with an explanation for what she intended to do and why the next part said that she would find some way to let them know she was safe.
No doubt he feared greatly for his youngest daughter's safety, but this time he would have to put his trust in her and that this Dark Spectre Queen would aid her.
Meanwhile, the two women kept on searching, even ending up at a rave, where it was revealed all the people there were, or were the kids, of teenagers once brainwashed by a minion of Aku. Even the DJ herself was one of the children.
The music played made Ariel dance to the rhythm, enjoying the sensation and forgetting her fear for a while. Though it was agony, and with no voice to cry out with Ariel kept dancing. Everyone was in awe of her movements, the grace and beauty of the motions were like a fish in the water. She eventually collapsed and Ashi had to help her up, and carry her for a while to relieve the pain in the ex-mermaid's feet.
As the two made their way further in their journey, Ariel was eventually put back down to her feet after an hour or so. Ariel thanked Ashi, and they continued.
They soon came to a large tropical glen, and there a waterfall fell into a large pool. Ariel sat down next to it, dipping her feet into the water. With relief she felt the aches and pains of her feet fade away in the water, as she did she looked up to see Ashi staring at her reflection in the pool with a haunted expression.
~Ashi?~ Ariel's concerned words appeared in front of her face, causing Ashi to snap out of it.
"I'm fine I..." She holds up her blackened hands. "I just...this isn't a suit. It's my own skin...charred by hot coals as a child."
Ariel looked sickened by Ashi's confession, and felt saddened by the poor girl's fate. As she thought of what she could do, she remembered the words of Vanessa.
"With the trident you can control water as your father does, you can even use the water to heal yourself and others of any disease or injury."
~Go in the water Ariel instructed her with her necklace.
"Huh? Why?" Ashi asked.
~I can help you...get rid of...this Ariel told her gesturing to her blackened body.
Ashi looked unsure at first, but the earnest expression in Ariel's eyes, had Ashi diving into the water.
Ariel pulled out her hair-pin, which transformed in a flash, and Ariel lowered it into the water, it began to glow with bright purple energy. And as Ariel stirred the water with the trident, the water began to sparkle and glow. Ashi looked alarmed, but a calm and relaxed expression came over her face, as she sank under the water. When Ariel stopped stirring the water, Ashi burst out of the water, laughing with joy. For the black substance was gone from her body.
Ashi emerged from the water, shaking her head and smoothing out her hair except she was in need of clothing. With Ariel's assistance, they both worked on an outfit made from the lush foliage around them. Now Ashi's life can truly begin.
Soon it was raining and the two girls arrive at a tavern to get out of the rain. When they ask the bartender (revealed to be an older Da Samurai) where to find Jack, he feigns hearing loss until Ashi blurts out the truth a little too loudly, causing all the tavern's patrons to gang up on them. To the girls' surprise, the customers only share their battle scars – many of them worse for the wear- and agree that Jack is the best warrior in the world then Da Samurai tells them the story of the time he met Jack and decided to change his ways afterwards, eventually becoming the bartender of the tavern where they first met.
Suddenly the door then burst open to reveal a nefarious looking being: the crown of his head bubbling like a black and blue lava lamp, with blue flames at the tip of his head and glowing blue eyes.
"I Demongo, have come to collect the souls of..." Demongo is cut off when Ariel makes her way through the group.
She looks stunned to see Demongo, and he as well to see her.
"Oh...my dear, Little Mermaid. It's lovely to see you again," Demongo looks her up and down. "Although, not a mermaid anymore, are you?"
The other customers whispered to one another in either shock of disbelief at the word 'mermaid'.
~No, and I'm happy to see you free. Are you happy?~ Ariel asked, her magical subtitles startling Demongo a bit.
"Oh yes, quite happy, and...seeing someone. I'd ask if you and the Samurai were still together," Demongo stares at her necklace. "But if you were, you wouldn't be trading your voice to certain Sorceresses, would you now?"
Ariel put her hand up to briefly touch her charm, but when she looked up, Demongo had already turned and left the tavern.
The Bartender let out a low whistle, "We got some straight up freaks coming to this place."
"How did he know you?" Ashi whispers to Ariel, not noticing how the patrons and even the bartender were curiously trying to listen in.
~It's a long story, I was once...imprisoned by Aku, and Demongo was a fellow prisoner. I soothed him with my singing and company even for the short while I was there, and I hoped he had escaped~ Ariel explained to Ashi.
Fortunately, the letters that appeared were gibberish to them, but clear and understandable to Ashi.
"I see...and why was Demongo imprisoned?" Ashi asked.
~He told me he'd failed in his mission and was at first banished but during his time in exile...he'd gone against his nature because he'd fallen in love with a mortal.~
Ashi blinked. That WAS extraordinary.
The girls then left the tavern when something beckoned them from the long grass. It was dark, but whatever called out to them had large eyes and tells them they can find Jack by traveling north.
Quickly, they headed to where they'd been instructed, through the forest finding themselves going down stone steps until they reached a graveyard. Tensely, they walked in, glancing left and right to be prepared for anything. That's when they saw him.
Ariel had felt her heart soar on seeing Jack, but was startled when her path and Ashi's was cut off by a mysterious figure.
"You may witness but you may not proceed any further."
"Witness what?"
"The end."
They were shocked at the sight of the un-dead warrior, and even more by the sight of the ghostly samurai's. Spirits of long dead past warriors, and when the undead warrior hovered behind Jack slowly pulling out his sword.
"Great warriors of past, I welcome you. This samurai has failed his purpose, and has accepted his fate." The ghostly warrior declared as he held the sword up as if to strike Jack.
But even more alarming, was when Jack picked up a tanto dagger laid out before him, and looked ready to stab himself with it.
~JACK, NO!~ Ariel's horrified words flashed brightly in front of Jack, but his eyes remained shut, and without her voice he could not know it was she.
"Stoooooooop!" Ashi's voice was the only one heard. And she jumped forward to stop Jack, but the warrior slapped her back, sending her and the words of Ariel away.
Ashi fell crashing into a gravestone, Ariel rushed to her side, despite the pain of walking, and the stones on her bare feet.
"This does not concern you," warned the Ghost Samurai.
"~NO~"
The ghost Samurai stopped when both Ariel's word and Ashi's word cut through the gloom and silence.
"Hope lives." Ashi said.
~It's everywhere~
"We've seen it, everyone you have touched." Ashi reached out beckoning to Jack. "Is Ariel not proof enough, if she would come all the way here to save you, all the way from the sea?" She cried out.
Jack's eyes snapped open in shock, and gazed at the beautiful red head in disbelief. She looked almost the same as when they parted ways, but her eyes showed the wisdom of the years gone by. It took his breath away.
"A-Ariel?" Jack asked, voice rough from not speaking for days.
Ariel wanted to scream out to him. The pain in her legs didn't help.
The Ghost Samurai, seeing Jack falter and open his eyes, lunged at Ariel and Ashi. Ariel pulled out her hair pin-trident, and blocked several blows, and Ashi delivered several kicks, and encouraging words.
"Don't listen to him, Jack. You're being misguided, I've seen it. Ariel and I both have, you've saved countless innocents. And most of all, you showed ME the truth!"
The phantom managed to knock the trident out of Ariel's hand, and it flew, the blunt side striking Ashi in the head. She flew away, and Ariel went to help her, but the ghost samurai grabbed her by the hair and tosses her against a gravestone, knocking her out cold.
"You do not deserve her. Death follows in your wake..." The apparition tormented Jack, "Men, women and children..."
Jack closed his eyes in grief.
"Yes, all those children dead because of you!"
Ashi had been crawling out of the rubble while Ariel groaned and her eyes shot open just hearing the phantom's words. The children they'd saved, he thought they died? Is that what this was all about?
"No, the children..." Ashi cried out, "They're alive! You saved them!"
The phantom had had enough, "No more words!"
~Ashi!~ Ariel's eyes widened seeing the ghostly apparition lunge towards her.
"You made me so much more then what I was, the hope you gave me saved my life!" Ashi cried out as she turned her head expecting the blow.
To her shock, the strike never came, and when she looked up, Jack had block the sword strike with the dagger he held before. He rebuked the apparition, and fought it, and soon sliced in half. And the spirit was gone, disappeared. The four other spirits took their leave, slowly sinking back into their gravestones.
Jack turned back to look at Ashi, surprised by her appearance, though not as much as he had been by Ariel's.
"I...like your hair, and dress." Jack complimented kindly.
Ashi smiled back at him, and stood to her feet. Jack quickly looked around and spotted Ariel, trying to stand but still disoriented. And the 'walking on knives' sensation wasn't helping any either.
"Ariel..." Jack gasped in awe. He rushed to her side, and swept her up into a tight hug, spinning her around.
And though Ariel couldn't laugh, the joy showed on her face, and she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. Ashi watched, a little awkward around such displays of affection, but recognizing the action from the two horned creature and the hornless one in the forest. Was this a sign of loyalty, of this 'love?' It confused her, but she couldn't help feeling happy to see it. And that gentle smile on Jack's face as well, it left her breathless.
"I did not think I would ever see you again." Jack whispered into her hair as he held her to himself. "But..."
He pulled back and looked down at her body clothed in a simple blue kimono, and her bare feet on the ground.
"How...how did you come to acquire legs again?" Jack asked.
Ariel smile and opened her mouth to say, ~Oh, Jack. I couldn't stand not being by your side...~
But when Jack's eyes widened on seeing the gold letters appear, instead of hearing Ariel speak, she put a hand over her throat with a sad expression. Remembering her deal with Vanessa. I was worried sick the few times I caught a glimpse of you on the surface. ~ Her words explained ~Then when you were attacked and had fallen wounded into the river...
"That was you?" he'd gasped.
She nodded.
"I thought I had been dreaming in my delirium." The Samurai admitted quietly.
"So...she saved Jack when he fell into the river." Ashi said softly to herself.
"But...you have legs, and what are these words that appear, why do you not speak to me?" Jack asked concerned and worried.
Ariel looked down, and tried to look away, but Jack gently cupped her chin and turned her to look at him.
"Please...tell me, I have had enough worry, doubt and sadness. Do not make me worry more." Jack pleaded gently.
Ariel shut her eyes, and pressed his hand to her cheek, and rubbed her cheek against his palm, before sighing.
I had to get to you. So, I went to the Dark Spectre Queen of the Ocean, an immensely powerful sorceress.Ariel explains.I traded my voice to her, so I could have legs once again.
Ariel's words, which appeared as Kanji to Jack, cause him to gasp in shock. She gave up her voice, Jack was never to hear her speak his name, or hear her sing beautiful melodies again?
"Oh Ariel, you should not have...I am not worthy." Jack said taking her hands in his own with a sad, heartbroken expression.
Ariel shook her head, and placed her hands on his chest.
~Yes, you are. You're the most honorable, great, sweet, kind, loving and noble soul I know~ Ariel told him. ~My voice...it meant nothing, if it meant I could not be with you.~
"I do not understand this...love. But I do know she is devoted to you, Jack." Ashi spoke up in Ariel's defense. "She never wavered in our search to find you."
Ashi looked down at Ariel's feet rather guiltily. "Even though, Ariel told me she was warned that every step she took, would be like a knife stabbing up through her foot." Ashi said bluntly, without realizing Ariel didn't want Jack to hear that part.
What Ashi mistakenly revealed made Jack feel as though he were drenched in icy water. He couldn't even imagine the pains she went through to find him.
"All of this...just to find me," Jack said kneeling to pick her up bridal style. "I know, it's a long journey. But at least part way, since you've shown such devotion, and put up with such pain. Let me relieve of it for a little while."
Ariel blushed, but held onto Jack, and Ashi looked at them with a warm smile.
"I've never thought I would know joy again. Despite... how you did it, having you here in my arms once more fills me with hope." Jack said looking determined.
"And what will you do with your hope?" Ashi asked.
Jack shut his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"It's time to find my sword," Jack stated determinedly.
To be continued…