Sorry for taking so long to update. Hope you enjoy what i have written here.
"Remember me?!"
The memory of having those words spoken to him flickered through the Samurai's brain like the footage from a faulty camera, bringing him back to the days of his recent arrival to the future and the days where his idealism was still maintained. His travels had him meet all sorts of folk, whether it was scientists manipulated into creating something they had no hope of stopping or cackling demons who wished to add him to their collection of warriors like some sort of trophy. Out of all these people, the Scotsman was the one who stood out to him the most. After their first encounter, where they fought off several bounty hunters out for their heads, Jack believed that he would've never meet him again. Little did he know, they would meet again in a tavern, one where bounty hunters attempted to take Jack's life once again due to his crime of existing.
The two fighters would meet again a couple more times under different circumstances. After that, however, they didn't see each other for years. As such, Jack was thoroughly shocked and surprised. During the chase, the man had a feeling that he wouldn't have been able to get himself and the Daughters of Aku away from the pursuing Beetle Drones, especially after he crashed the motorcycle. The quick save from those archers led to them being able to live another day. However, to discover that the man leading the archers was Jack's old friend, the Scotsman, left him speechless for a bit.
"You?" He spoke, breaking his silence, "How did you-"
Jack was cut off by his Scottish friend embracing him, catching him off guard. Despite the wheelchair bound man's age, he was still as strong as ever.
"HA HA HA!" He laughed, "IT IS GREAT TO SEE YA' AGAIN, LADDIE!"
"Likewise." Jack choked out, attempting to smile despite his current position.
After a few seconds of this, the Scotsman let Jack go, with the man taking this time to catch his breath.
"Aye, how long was it since we last met?!"
"Years, I believe." He replied, "You've changed, old friend."
"So, have you! I can see tha' you aren't wearing them wee pajamas of yours anymore!" Scotsman laughed.
Jack laughed as well in response to this comment.
"What happened to you?" The Samurai asked, referring to his friend's wheelchair.
"Ah, this?" He replied, "Well, you know, me hunny bun, had to… you know." The man chuckled.
"Oh." Was all Jack could say in response to that, "How did you get here?"
"Wha'? Laddie, do you realize where you are?"
"Not… exactly."
"The Highlands!" He shouted out, raising his arms to the sky.
"Oh… that's right." Jack stated, recalling the events of the two heading out to save his wife many years ago, "I apologize. It has been years since I have been here."
Noticing something in the corner of his eye, Scotsman turned his head to see seven pairs of eyes belonging to seven little girls, who hid behind their protector.
"Oh, my stars…" He said, "Those are your wee little lassies, aren't they?"
"What?" The Samurai asked, before remembering that the Daughters of Aku were still with him.
Looking behind him, Jack could make out the nervous and fearful expressions they were making. He couldn't blame them, as not a minute ago, they were being pursued by Beetle Drones sent to take them. He also knew that they never really had any interaction with individuals who didn't want to do anything besides hurting them and himself.
"Do not worry." Jack told them, "He may seem impetuous but nonetheless, he is a good man. He is also a very good friend of mine. "
"Aye! We've met long ago!"
The word "friend" meant nothing to the Daughters of Aku, since Jack never explained what it meant. Not his fault though, as there wasn't an instance when they were either exploring, training, or having their lives threatened, where Jack could show them what having a "friend" was like.
"Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
The girls gulped, clearly showing their nervousness. However, considering man in front of them had a friendly conversation Jack akin to those that they would have with him and that despite being a boisterous individual, he at least hadn't spouted out anything about him taking out the Samurai for Aku.
"I… I'm Ashi." She spoke, before slinking back behind Jack.
"I'm Aki…"
"I'm Ali…"
"I'm Ami…"
"I'm Amori…
"I'm Avi…"
"I'm Anzi…"
"Aye, it's nice to meet ya'!" The Scotsman grinned.
The girls only nodded, avoiding eye contact with the strange man and retreating behind the Samurai.
"Y'know, I wouldn't have taken you as tha' "settlin-down" type, laddie." He told his friend, raising his eyebrows up and down.
"I don't understa-" The man tried to reply, before getting the wind knocked out of him as the Scotsman slapped him on the back. Hard.
"HA HA, YOU SLY DOG!" The Scotsman laughed, "YOU GOT BUSY!" The man said, stopping his laughter after a few seconds, "So… who was tha' lucky gal tha' won tha' heart of yours, laddie?"
"What?" The Samurai questioned, coughing.
"Your wife! Who did ya' manage to …?"
There it was again. The misinterpreted viewpoint of Jack and his supposed seven daughters. It wasn't the first time it happened, given what the merchant and the latest bounty said of them. The man couldn't really blame anyone but himself for this viewpoint of him being their father coming up a lot. It had been years since he saw anyone he could consider a close friend and when they could only come to the logical conclusion.
"Oh no, I have not settled with anyone." He tried to clarify, "And these girls aren't my daughters, I'm merely taking care of them."
Scotsman was flabbergasted by his friend's response.
"What?! Ya' mean they aren't ya' wee lassies?"
"That's correct."
"Jack, may I remind you tha' Aku is still out there'." He told him, "And tha' he'll do anything to destroy you! So why would you, outta all people, try to take care of some chil'ren?!"
The Samurai recalled the events at the Cult of Aku's temple, the words of the High Priestess flashing within the crevices of his brain.
"They were meant to be the instruments of your destruction!"
"It is complicated." He admitted.
The Scotsman blinked at this response before shrugging his shoulders.
"I believe that you have your reasons."
The awkward turn of events led to the man wanting to change the subject, with Jack suddenly noticing the archers standing patiently by the Scotsman. If one thing was certain, whoever they were, nothing about them screamed "Scottish".
"Who are these people?" He asked.
"Recruits, laddie!"
"Recruits? What for?"
"What do ya' think?!" The Scotsman responded, "For finally taking out tha' blasted tree ogre, once and for all!"
Jack only raised an eyebrow in confusion, while the Daughters of Aku looked at each other, trying to see if any of them understood what the strange man said.
"Ah, I'll explain on the way back to tha' castle grounds!" He told them, "You will probably need a' rest, don't ya'?!"
"You would be right about that."
Picking up his crashed motorcycle, Jack motioned the girls to sit inside the sidecar while he wheeled it towards the main grounds, following the Scotsman and the archers. The endeavour only took a few minutes, with the oh-so familiar castle once again gaining the Samurai's sight, while the Daughters of Aku gazed at the structure with utmost curiosity.
The only difference now were the grounds around the castle. Compared to the empty grasslands that were left untouched last time Jack was there, there were shacks surrounding the castle, weapons and animals made for war, as well as training grounds, present instead. Jack then wondered if his old friend really was building an army to defeat Aku, or it was just the result of paranoia from an old man.
"Is all this for your recruits?"
"Aye!" The Scotsman replied, "If an army's needed to defeat Aku, they might as well have a' place to be!"
The more they went into the castle grounds, the more of their infrastructure became clearer. The Scotsman wasn't just running a army, he was running a force so massive that if Jack had any doubts about his sincerity, he wasn't having then anymore. Soon enough, the various training grounds could be seen, with the archers who had assisted them heading over to a shooting range, leaving the Samurai, the Daughters of Aku, and the Scotsman to themselves, the latter taking the time to show them around.
"So… what do you think, laddie?!" The Scotsman asked, stopping by a repair station.
"This force you amassed is quite massive." He replied, handing his motorbike to a repairman and motioning the Daughters of Aku to hop out of the side car.
"Ah well…" His friend paused, "I want to make sure tha' tree ogre will stay down for good!"
"Will you be commencing a attack soon?" Jack asked, a part of him hoped he wasn't.
"Ah, no! The way we are righ' now, won't be enough! We need to build it up a wee bit more! Then afterwards, that big baby will have no chance against us!"
Scotsman chuckled a little bit after that statement.
"But now, with you here…" He paused, "We'll have a' chance, laddie!"
"How?"
"Have you forgotten?! Your sword! With it and our army, Aku won't stand a chance!"
Jack grimaced, the memory of his rage filled killing off the innocent valley goats flashing through his brain like a cracked streetlight, as well as the subsequent loss of his sword acting as mocking reminder of his failure at that current moment to head back to his past.
"About that…"
Words that Scotsman didn't wish to hear came to light, his eyes scanning Jack's attire. Besides the obvious removal of the Samurai's trademark white robe, his selection of weapons were different. Besides the discarded machine gun he previously had, the man possessed a pistol, electric whip, trident, and throwing knives, with the clearly identifiable katana being absent.
"I… I no longer possess it."
"WHAT?! YOU LOST THE SWORD!"
There was no use denying it and Jack simply focused his eyes elsewhere, not wanting to witness his friends' disappointment and shock towards him, as he'd been getting it from himself for quite a while. The girls looked concerned at their guardian's current disposition, thinking to themselves that the sword must've been important. As for the Scotsman, he couldn't find the ability to say anything besides the initial outburst. Here he was thinking that Aku would be defeated sooner than he thought, before the reality of Jack's unfortunate situation promptly crushed that belief. Usually, he would've lambasted him with a series of insults for this mistake. However, Jack's downcast expression showed to him that he wasn't comfortable with this fact either.
"Ah, I'm sure tha' you'll get it back, laddie! Don' worry about it."
Jack nodded, but the reassurance didn't do much to quell his doubts about him actually managing to get it back.
"In tha' case, Aku can wait for us till we are ready!" He told his friend, "When you get the sword back, we'll take the fight to tha' tree ogre then and ther'!"
"If you say so…" The man sighed.
Jack didn't want to stay despondent for long, especially in the presence of his friend and after the words that were said to him. A change of subject was needed and thankfully, the Scotsman was ready to provide it for him, despite the earlier incredulity which he had towards Jack's revelation.
"We can deal with this later." He said, "I got somebodies that I want ya to meet!" Scotsman told him, turning his attention to the quietly standing Daughters of Aku, "I believe they'll be more ya' type, lassies!"
"Huh?" They all replied.
"Who are we meeting?" Jack asked.
"Me bonnie lassies!"
"You have daughters?"
"I do! Didn' I mention it back ther'?" Scotsman questioned, referring to where the two reunited after dealing with the Beetle Drones.
"Somewhat…?"
Following the Scotsman towards a separate training ground located by the castle, Jack and the Daughters of Aku eventually gazed on approximately twenty-nine identical looking teenage girls wielding swords and shields fine-tuning their combat skills against several wooden dummies. If these were the Scotsman's daughters, they clearly had fire in their hearts to become true warriors akin to their father in his prime.
"They grow up so fast…" The Scotsman said, a happy smile on his face, "I know tha' they will be true fighters when they are older." He added, wiping away happy tears that sprung up in his eyes.
"Are those your daughters?" Jack asked.
"Aye!"
"There are so many of them." He said, making the obvious observation.
"That certainly explains the wheelchair."
"HA HA! You're right abou' tha', laddie! Want me to call em' over?"
"If you wish, but you don't have to do it yet if you want. They seem to be invested in their training." Jack replied, "And I do not wish to disturb it."
Jack's experience with many bounty hunters throughout the years, whether they were Aku's personal henchman or independent goons wanting to get a easy score, gave him awareness about how important training for battles was, especially if someone didn't know how to do it. The situation in his life where this rang true the most was when he helped the Monkey Man and his ape brethren learn to defend themselves against the apes who had been harassing them for the longest time. As such, the Samurai did not wish to take them out of their focus.
"It's alright, laddie. There'll be more time." Scotsman told him, "I'm certain tha' they'll be excited to meet you!" He paused, "Girls! Come over here!"
The previously focused teenage girls, upon hearing the voice of their father, stopped what they were doing. Confused as to why they were be called back, their eyes gained sight of the father being next to someone in samurai armor, someone who they haven't seen before. If they had to guess, they were to meet this person.
"Yes father?" His daughter, the one whose name was Flora, asked as she and her sisters walked up to him.
"Girls, I wanna' let you meet the man tha' I told ya' all about when you were little wee lassies!" Scotsman grinned, "Samurai Jack!"
The Scotsman's daughters initially reacted in shock and awe at the fact that the man their father repeatedly talked about was now standing amongst them. The bearded man in the samurai armor, the one who was practically the beacon of hope for the oppressed populace around the world, was right there.
"It's really him?!" She smiled.
"Aye, in the flesh!"
"I am honored to meet you all." Jack greeted, minus the bowing which he usually did.
"Wow." The daughter named Nora remarked, "I can't believe tha' this is happening!"
"Well, you all better star' believing it!" Their father laughed, "Because this laddie righ' here will be the one to finally take out that blasted tree ogre, once and for all!"
Jack shot his friend a look. The revelation of him having lost the sword long ago was overlooked, the Scotsman making it seem like he had the means to destroy the Shapeshifting Master of Darkness, even though he clearly didn't. His intuition, however, showed that his friend was either trying to provide a cover for him so the girls didn't suspect of him not actually having a means of defeating Aku or that he was simply referring to the point where he would finally get his sword back. During Jack's thoughts about this, Flora noticed seven identical girls standing behind Jack, blinking at them.
"Aw… are those your wee little lassies?" Flora asked, echoing what her father said earlier.
Once again, Jack looked behind him to see the Daughters of Aku standing silently. At least they weren't hiding behind him in fear. Amusingly, the ensuing comments of their cute appearances from the Scotsman's daughters led to the girls blushing, not being used to getting the attention they were receiving.
"At least they aren't frightened."
"What are their names?" A daughter named Bonnie asked.
"Oh…" Jack stuttered, "This is Ashi, Ali, Ami, Amori, Aki, Anzi, and Avi."
"Hi." They shyly greeted.
"Lemme introduce me lassies for you." The Scotsman cut in, "That's Flora, Maeve, Isla, Bradana, Murdina, Alana, Oban, Ardbey, Fiona, Assie, Bonnie, Lorna, Mawina, Shona, Nora, Piesil, Shanath, Euspeth, Edme, Freya, Gilbartha, Gesha, Grizela, Innes, Dawntha, Cora, Davina, Kina, and Aina."
With the introductions out of the way, something was made clear to the Scotsman's daughters. Not only did was their father's friend standing in front of them, he also had approximately seven, ten year old daughters along with him. That opened up another question on their minds, however.
"Aye, where's your wife?" Edme asked.
"I'm sorry?"
"Ya, if you hav' girls, where is your wife?" Davina asked as well.
"This is becoming tiring." The man inwardly sighed, "Oh, these aren't really my daughters. I am merely taking care of them."
That explanation only ended up confusing them. As for the Scotsman, he began to think about his friend's explanations whenever asked about the little girls with him. Every single time, he seemed to be dodging the true reason why they were with him. The explanation, "It is complicated" wouldn't be enough for the Scotsman, who was going to find out why Jack had bothered to take these seven girls under his protection.
"Girls, I'm going to talk with Jack inside tha' castle. Why don't ya' show his little lassies what the Highlands has to offer?"
"Okay, dad!" Flora smiled, "Come with us. We'll show what we have in this wee place of ours." She told the Daughters of Aku.
They seemed nice enough but there was certain doubt in the girls' heads about going someone. As such, they hesitated.
"Don't worry, lassies!" The Scotsman said, "They won't hurt you!"
Still, the girls looked at Jack for confirmation.
"It is alright." He said softly, "Go."
Slowly but surely, the girls walked over to Scotsman's daughter, who took them by their hands and began to start showing the various things located within the castle grounds.
"Come on, Jack." Scotsman said, rolling towards the castle, "We hav' to talk."
Jack sighed, having an idea on what his friend would question him about. With no other alternative, he followed the wheelchair bound man into the castle that was familiar to him.
The Castle
Stepping inside, the memories of the first time he arrived at the Scotsman's home was once again brought back into his mind. Jack remembered how his friend's fellow clansmen responded to his arrival, judging his appearance, demeanour, and overall person. However, the Scotsman's reprimanding to his fellow Scottish brethren and Jack's victory in the challenge quickly shut down any doubts that had about him.
That was years ago and now, the previously packed table filled with men eating haggis and playing bagpipes was currently empty and quiet.
"Ah, you remember this place, laddie?!" His friend grinned.
"I do. It has been years."
"But nothin' changed as much as you think, huh?"
"I suppose not." The Samurai responded, sitting down in one of the many seats present, "You wanted to ask me about something?"
"Aye." The Scotsman said as he rolled up on the side adjacent to where Jack was sitting, "Quite a few things."
"Okay. What do wish to know?"
"First, how did you lose tha' sword of yours?!"
The man grimaced, the old memories rewinding inside his troubled mind. Shortly after returning a baby he had been protecting to its family, Jack realized that he couldn't keep up the routine of just helping everyone who needed help, as it didn't bring him closer to the goal of getting back to the past. To make the matter of getting back home even more precedent, areas where Jack was supposedly sure that a time portal existed there, didn't have it. The only logical conclusions were that he'd been duped or that Aku was playing dirty by destroying his enemy's only means of defeating him for good. Assuming the latter, Jack wasted no time trying to find another time portal.
And find he did. As Jack trudged up the path of a mountain, he managed to find the time portal, probably the last in existence, thanks to three little goats which helped point him in the right direction. There wasn't a dramatic walk towards the end of his journey, rather a mad dash to finally achieve what he had long fought for, which was the defeat of Aku in the past. Jack even managed to get inside the portal but much to his dismay, Aku had caught up to him in time and promptly pulled him out.
"Whoo. That was close." Aku remarked, wiping his "forehead", "I didn't think you'd get here so fast."
Even if he'd been pulled out, Jack wasn't willing to let his nemesis get the last laugh on him and attempted to re enter the portal. Unfortunately, Aku achieved that last laugh when he promptly blew up the portal with his eye beams.
"Oh, fun fact." The Demon mockingly stated, a malicious grin on his face, "That was the last time portal IN EXISTENCE!"
The Samurai couldn't believe it. He had been so close to winning, so close to finally defeating Aku and wiping his tyranny from existence. And it had blown away within the time span of thirty seconds. Normally, the anger would've been boiling inside, with the only indication of this emotion being his trademark look creeping onto his face. Not this time.
The vexation of this misfortune overridden any possibility of Jack thinking clearly. Instead, he let his emotions take over, causing him to attempt a neutralization of Aku, right then and there. However, the Shogun of Sorrow anticipated Jack's reaction and promptly made his escape, but not before mutating the innocent little goats into feral beasts, who promptly went after the Samurai.
Even if these were the same goats that had helped point Jack to the time portal not a minute ago, it didn't matter. The man wanted retribution for the destruction of his only means of getting home and in the span of thirty-five seconds, ended their lives with his blade. However, death returned them to their normal forms, giving Jack a cold reminder that his latest enemies weren't the latest bounty hunter of the week, but rather creature forced to fight him thanks to Aku's sadism and his wish to inflict pain and suffering on others.. Dropping to his knees, thoroughly shocked and disgusted with what he had done, the Samurai didn't notice his sword, which he dropped, rolling towards the giant hole where the portal used to be. At the last second, the man attempted to grab it before it fell down the hole. However, Jack was too slow and his weapon, the only thing in existence capable of slaying Aku, fell the bottom of the hole which had been once been Jack's only way of getting home, serving as a mocking reminder of his failure for years to come.
"Jack? Jack?!" Scotsman said suddenly, snapping him out of the memory, "Get a' hold of yourself, laddie!"
"Huh?! What?!"
"You just went off into your own wee world!"
"Oh." He sighed, "I apologize."
"No need to get worked about tha', laddie." His friend reassured, "If you don't want to talk abou' it, we don't have to."
"No, it is alright." Jack sighed, "It is just that the memory… is not one I am comfortable with. But… this is what happened."
The wheelchair bound man leaned forward, anticipating the retelling of the event which resulted in his friend's loss of his valuable weapon.
"It was many years ago." He started to say, "I had almost succeeded in achieving victory over Aku, as I had found the final time portal left in the world."
The Scotsman nodded, being aware of the Samurai's overall goal, having been briefed on his overall objective many years ago.
"Three goats had pointed me to it and… I had made it inside. But… Aku had managed to catch up with me and threw me out."
His friend raised an eyebrow at this detail.
"Then… the portal was destroyed. With my only way home gone, I… lost my way." He admitted, "I couldn't contain my anger and I wanted to make Aku pay for what he had done. But… he had anticipated this response from me."
The next detail caused the normally stoic man to display a troubled expression, but nonetheless, he continued.
"The goats were transformed into feral beasts, forced to fight me against their will. I was blinded by my rage, my sword being used to end their lives." Jack explained, shaking his head, "It was there, in the realization of my mistake, where the sword had fallen into the whole which had once the time portal."
Jack shut his eyes and sighed.
"And so, I was not able to find it again."
"The weapon rejected you, didn't it?"
"I suppose it did." He replied, "If I hadn't acted like a fool, I wouldn't be like this, helpless against the possibility of Aku attacking again."
"Laddie, it ain't your fault for that mistake of yours! That blasted tree ogre wanted to get you there because he too much of a wee baby to take you on directly! All he wants to mess with your head."
"Then he has succeeded." The Samurai thought, if his hallucinations could be attested to anything.
The Scotsman paused for a second before continuing.
"But did you try to head down tha' hole to get the sword back?"
"No." Jack shook his head, "It appeared to head down for miles."
"Well, do you think it's still there?!"
"If nothing has changed at the mountain, then I suppose it has."
"I know tha' you'll get it back, laddie." He said, repeating what he told Jack earlier.
"Thank you."
"At least there is some belief in me still left."
The two paused their discussion for a brief moment, as Scotsman tried to remember what else he wanted to ask his friend about.
"What is it?"
"Ah, I've meaning to ask you about them wee little lassies of yours!"
"What do you wish to know?"
"Just how did you meet em'?" The Scotsman said, "If they aren't really your wee little lassies."
"This is what happened."
He could remember the what went down at that temple as if it happened the day before. For forty years after the loss of his sword, Jack had just been wandering the world, helping whoever needed help and fighting whoever wanted the bounty on his head, just like he'd always been. Compared to previous idealistic hero the Samurai was previously, Jack was not a cynical shell of his former self, haunted by his failure of not making it to the past when he could. Plus, being in a future where he had no hope of getting out of degraded his mental stability. However, coming across a cult of Aku worshippers led to the Samurai's life being changed forever.
"It was during my many travels. After the loss of my sword, I merely traveled, as if that could make my failure less noticeable." He explained, "Then one day, my eyes gazed upon an ominous structure in the distance."
"Where them girls were?"
"Yes, and along with them, were a group of Aku worshippers, training them for combat and for the eventual task of ending my life."
The Scotsman was speechless, not making any of his usual remarks, as the idea that there were people in the world who worshipped the demon who laid waste to the world shocked him.
"Through a crack in within the temple walls, I saw the girls being… hurt by those women." Jack continued, "I couldn't let it happen any longer and I made my way inside."
Jack shut his eyes in pain at the memory of him realizing that the Cult of Aku were flesh and blood, which had forced him to do something he didn't want to do for the rest of his life. Take a life.
"Where are them she-dogs now?" His friend asked, his tone of voice showing that he was angry.
Jack didn't reply but he didn't need to, as his silence gave the Scotsman clear indication of what became of the cultists during their battle with Jack.
"I… I sometimes wonder if I could've saved those girls without resorting to bloodshed." Jack spoke, "Without having to take a life."
Unexpectedly, Scotsman slammed an arm down the wooden table, startling the Samurai for a second.
"There was no other way of doing them she-dogs in, laddie!" He said, "You shouldn't beat yourself over it! They got what they deserved!"
"I suppose…"
"If me lassies were the ones them cowardly she-dogs were pummeling, you would know tha' I would've taken them out the same way too!"
After Scotsman's mild rant, the two sat silently, not knowing how to continue this discussion of theirs.
"That is why them wee lassies of yours is with you, isn' it?"
The man thought about what was said to him, realizing that it spoke the truth about his new circumstances and the new responsibility which had befallen him that day.
"Yes." He nodded, "It is my fault for why these girls exist. I suppose that my undertaking to care for them is a sort of apology for the horrible way they have been treated."
"I am sure tha' the wee lassies appreciate what you did for them."
After having to go back and explain two points in his life where nothing but terrible things occurred, either done to him or committed by him in self defense, Jack needed a change in subject. And what better change in subject than the "Aku Resistance" that his Scottish friend has built up?
"About this resistance…"
"Hmm?"
"When do you think you will be ready?"
"Ah, probably not for a couple of years." The Scotsman admitted, "After all, me bonnies need to finish tha' training of there's before they can fight alongside us!" He explained, "Also, no point in going after Aku without your sword."
'Alright."
"Take all the time you need, laddie." His friend smiled.
Meanwhile
While their father and his newly arrived friend headed into the castle to talk about something which appeared to be of utmost importance, the Scotsman's daughters took it upon themselves to show the Daughters of Aku what the Highlands. This proved to be a good idea, as not only was the curiosity of the little girls sated but they gradually grew more comfortable within the presence of somebody who wasn't their guardian. The Scotsman's daughters didn't have a clear idea for why these girls were nervous to be around other people, although they ended up chalking it up to not having many opportunities of being social.
"What's that?" Anzi asked.
"Tha's where Dad keeps all the weapons!" Nora replied.
"What's that?" Ali asked.
"Tha's where Dad keeps the munitions!" Bonnie replied.
"What's that?" Ashi asked, pointing to a decently sized building.
"Oh, tha's the personal quarters tha' Dad made for us!" Flora replied, "Want to see inside?"
"Is it okay?"
"Of course, you wee lassies." The teenaged woman.
Heading over to the establishment, the Scotsman's daughters opened the front door, allowing the Daughters of Aku to head inside and get a good view of the surroundings. The home which housed the Scotsman's family was certainly massive, but that was to be expected when his number of offspring amounted to precisely twenty-nine daughters.
"It's big." Amori commented.
"Yeah, Dad wanted to make sure tha' we could sleep in that same house without needing one of us to sleep outside." Innes stated.
"Girls! What are you doing back here?!" A voice yelled from another room in the house, "Ain' you supposed to be training?!"
"Dad said we could stop for now and show the wee lassies of his friend around!" Oban yelled out.
A few seconds later, the girls could hear footsteps coming closer, as if the mother, at least what the Daughters of Aku though, wanted to see them for herself to see that her daughters were telling the truth and not trying to skimp out on their training. A very round, old lady suddenly came into view. To the Scotsman's daughters, it was merely their mother and nothing more. However, for the Daughters of Aku, the large size of the woman brought back memories of their forced training by their mother and the brute she sicced on them.
"Get ready for your next test."
The subconscious fear of the assault from the brute, even if she and the girls' mother were clearly different people, resulted in the frightened little girls hiding behind the Scotsman's daughters. This caught the attention of both the older girls and the Scotsman's Wife, being overall confused by this reaction.
"Huh? Are you okay, lassies?" Flora asked.
The girls couldn't respond, as their minds kept the flashbacks of them getting beat up by the brute going, as the Scotsman's Wife unintentionally triggered the traumatizing memory. Thanks to some quick intuition, the teenaged girls managed to deduce that their mother was what set them off.
"Oh, don't be afraid." Isla told them, "Our Mom might seem a wee frightening but we promise, she's very nice!"
"Aye! I'm sorry for scaring you wee lassies. I just wanted to see the ones who got me daughters out of training." She smiled.
There it was, the reassurances that everything was fine and that their fears of an never coming retribution were just the result of some terrible memories and childhood experiences. Within a short time, the girls were back to their normal selves, for the most part. However, the Scotsman daughters wanted to know why their mother sent them into such a fearful state, as more had to be at play.
"Um… lassies..." Fiona asked, "What was the alarm?"
They didn't know, obviously. They weren't there when Jack saved them from their horrible living standards and thus, didn't know the real reason for any panic attacks that might occur. Looking at each other, they debated even explaining what happened through the looks on their faces. In the end, however, Ashi sighed and spilled the truth behind the reasoning for their fearful states, albeit with just enough detail so they could understand. By the end of it, the Scotsman's Wife and daughters were horrified by the treatment they underwent in the cultists care.
"Oh, you poor wee bairns." The Scotsman's wife said upon hearing this story.
To make the girls feel better, especially after they were forced to explain the what had happened to them when in the cultists' care, she took all of them into a tight hug, as if the silent consolation would be enough to the will away the painful memories. The girls smiled, appreciating the act of kindness, while also being glad that people who possessed the same kind qualities as their guardian existed in the world.
Meanwhile
After discussing the events which led to Jack losing his sword and discovering the Daughters of Aku, as well as going over a sort of plan to make the Scotsman's Aku Resistance army even bigger, with the general consensus being to recruit even more people who wanted Aku destroyed. And since Jack had helped out many people throughout the years, many who owed their debt to the Samurai, now seemed about the right time to call in some favors. Once the discussions ended, the two men exited the castle grounds.
"You know, laddie." The Scotsman started to say, "I'm aware tha' you should head and recruit more to the cause… but why don't you stay here for a while?"
"I'm not sure that my presence here would be a good thing." Jack replied, "What if Aku realizes I do not have my sword anymore? He might come here and-"
"Ah, I doubt tha' miserable tree ogre figured tha' out. If he had, you probably wouldn't be standing here righ' now."
"Right."
"So, why don't you make yourself at home, at least for now?"
"Sir." A recruit called out, walking up to the two.
"Huh? What is it?"
"We spotted something that looked like some sort of robot."
"I'll be back." The wheelchair bound man told the Samurai, following the soldier.
Watching the two walk away, in the back of the Samurai's mind, he thought about the offer of staying at the Highlands. Seeing as this was practically the safest place in a world that wanted him dead at every turn, Jack decided that this was practically the best place to raise the Daughters of Aku, as the possibility of their lives being threatened was minimal.
"What interesting places you bring us too."
Recognizing the voice, the man narrowed his eyes in annoyance and turned around, the familiar, mocking apparition of his every judgement standing right behind him.
"What do you want now?" Jack asked.
"I'm just here to remind that even if you think you're safe, you're not!"
The Samurai continued to stare at his hallucinatory self.
"Just because you ended up where no bounty hunter can possibly get to you or those girls, that does not matter about Aku! It ranted, "The moment he learns that you have no sword, there will be no stopping him!"
"And may I remind you, Aku doesn't know and he hasn't shown himself in years."
"Maybe not now. Maybe not for another few months. But the time when he learns this will come. IT WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL!"
"Maybe you should realize that these unfortunate circumstances can be resolved." He replied coldly, "Or do you choose not to consider all possibilities."
Honestly having enough of his hallucinatory self judging his actions, Jack simply walked away, his new focus being to find the girls.
Check back for more.