No Place Like Home
A Samurai Jack/ Wizard of Oz Fanfic by SJO
Note: I don't own Samurai Jack or The Wizard of Oz. That's a book written by L. Frank Baum. I think it's in public domain. It's about a century old, after all. This is based more on the book than it is the movie.
Chapter 1: The Accident
Jack would be crazy to stay out in weather like this.
His travels had found himself in a large forest in northern Tennessee, and it was storming. Rain was coming down like bullets, and lightning seemed to strike at every second. That last roll of thunder indicated that the lightning was striking very close. Jack ran through the forest as fast as he could, desperately searching for shelter.
Finally, he found a large log house that seemed to have been long abandoned. He ran in through the smashed glass doors in front. He panted as he watched the storm rage even harder. Suddenly, it started to hail. Jack covered his head in case the hail broke through the wooden roof. That didn't happen. Through his arms, Jack peered through to see the sky grow even darker. Through the high windows, he saw the clouds starting to move in a swirl.
"No. It cannot be a hurricane."
It got really quiet; then Jack heard something that sounded like a chugging motor. He wasn't acquainted with tornadoes, but Jack knew enough to understand that this was trouble. He hid in a tiny room with no windows. He could hear the wind howling and tearing the wood. Even as strong as he was, Jack was terrified.
Then he realized, his tiny room was rocking. He opened the door to see. No longer could he see forest all around him but dark clouds everywhere. Jack couldn't believe it! The hurricane had somehow lifted this huge house from its foundation and is carrying it to who knows where. It must be some sort of awful magic.
After some time, the house landed with a violent jolt. It knocked Jack down really hard and almost broke his nose. As he got up, he looked into the window, which miraculously were not broken. He was now in a different place. He could see huge flowers and trees of brilliant colors. He stood out on the lopsided deck to get a better look. This place was marvelous! He saw tiny houses of Easter egg blue, a clean brook, and such wonderful plants everywhere.
"I don't think I'm in Aku's realm anymore," he said to himself. "But I certainly am not home either. Where am I?"
At that, he heard a familiar chattering. He walked to the other side of the house to see those three same, strange beings he first saw when he came to Aku's future world. This time, though, they were dressed in funny, blue clothes and (if Jack wasn't mistaken) they were much shorter. Their slang hadn't changed, though. They were babbling about something Jack could not understand. "Excuse me," Jack said.
The three guys turned around and trembled in awe. Finally, the blue- skinned guy came forward. "We welcome you to Munchkin Country of the great nation of Oz, most excellent sorcerer."
Jack bowed and replied, "I humbly accept your greetings, but you must be mistaken. I am not a sorcerer."
The pink guy smiled. "And he's modest, for a wizard. That is admirable."
"I am not a wizard either! I am a samurai warrior. I do not know magic."
"You must be a wizard," the green guy said. "You wear all white. Only very powerful wizards and witches wear white."
"And you came from the sky!" the pink guy added.
"And let's not forget the important thing, guys," the blue guy said. "You have freed us all."
"I have?"
"Perhaps I should explain," a disembodied voice replied. In a sudden pop, a familiar friend of Jack's appeared.
"Sir Rothchild III!"
"Oh no, I am the Good Wizard of the North, and I have come to see what I have heard. Look here, great sorcerer."
The others moved aside as the true wizard showed Jack what had been done. Jack gasped! He saw two feet sticking out from under the house. He tried to pull them out, but their owner was quite stuck. Quickly, the body turned to dust. Jack bowed his head. "I have shed innocent blood."
"Oh, she was by no means innocent. She was the Wicked Witch of the East, and she held the Munchkin people in bondage for many years. When your house landed on top of her, her evil reign came to an end, and the people of this land are now forever free." The wizard looked down. "Let's see if it's still here. Ah yes, here it is!" The wizard pulled out a large torch. "The witch used this to conduct her spells. No one really knows its power, but in good hands I'm sure it will bring luck and protection. It is hereby yours."
"Thank you, but I have no need of it. You can make better use of it than I could."
"Very well. The least we can do is grant your every wish and make you the new leader of Munchkin Land."
"Thank you for the invitation, but I cannot. I am on a quest that I must continue. But if you truly know magic, could you please send me to my home, to my people, to my time?"
"You can't leave Oz, man," the blue guy said. "East of here is an impassible desert!"
"And the same desert is to the South," the pink guy added. "I hear that if any living creature touches it immediately will turn to dust."
"Same desert is to the West," the green guy continued. "Besides, if you even try to go there you'll become a slave."
"I'm afraid the same desert is north of my domain," the wizard concluded. "You'll have to stay with us." Jack bowed his head in resignation. "Unless . . . " The wizard took off his white hat, balanced it on his nose, and whispered, "One, two, three!"
Immediately, the hat turned into a sign which read, "Let Jack go to the City of Emeralds."
"Aha!" the wizard said with glee. "Is your name Jack, son?"
"Yes sir, it is," Jack nodded, wondering how a hat could know his name.
"Well, then, you must go to the Emerald City. Perhaps the great Wizard of Oz could help you."
"Is he a good man?"
"He's a good wizard. Whether or not he's a man, no one knows. He is more powerful than all the wizards and witches of Oz combined. If anyone can fulfill your wish, it will be him. The road is not hard to follow. It is paved with yellow bricks. There are many dangers on the way, though. Are you sure you do not want the torch?"
"I am sure. My sword should be all I need."
"Very well. I trust your judgment. Good luck!" With that, he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Jack found the road easily and started his journey.
A Samurai Jack/ Wizard of Oz Fanfic by SJO
Note: I don't own Samurai Jack or The Wizard of Oz. That's a book written by L. Frank Baum. I think it's in public domain. It's about a century old, after all. This is based more on the book than it is the movie.
Chapter 1: The Accident
Jack would be crazy to stay out in weather like this.
His travels had found himself in a large forest in northern Tennessee, and it was storming. Rain was coming down like bullets, and lightning seemed to strike at every second. That last roll of thunder indicated that the lightning was striking very close. Jack ran through the forest as fast as he could, desperately searching for shelter.
Finally, he found a large log house that seemed to have been long abandoned. He ran in through the smashed glass doors in front. He panted as he watched the storm rage even harder. Suddenly, it started to hail. Jack covered his head in case the hail broke through the wooden roof. That didn't happen. Through his arms, Jack peered through to see the sky grow even darker. Through the high windows, he saw the clouds starting to move in a swirl.
"No. It cannot be a hurricane."
It got really quiet; then Jack heard something that sounded like a chugging motor. He wasn't acquainted with tornadoes, but Jack knew enough to understand that this was trouble. He hid in a tiny room with no windows. He could hear the wind howling and tearing the wood. Even as strong as he was, Jack was terrified.
Then he realized, his tiny room was rocking. He opened the door to see. No longer could he see forest all around him but dark clouds everywhere. Jack couldn't believe it! The hurricane had somehow lifted this huge house from its foundation and is carrying it to who knows where. It must be some sort of awful magic.
After some time, the house landed with a violent jolt. It knocked Jack down really hard and almost broke his nose. As he got up, he looked into the window, which miraculously were not broken. He was now in a different place. He could see huge flowers and trees of brilliant colors. He stood out on the lopsided deck to get a better look. This place was marvelous! He saw tiny houses of Easter egg blue, a clean brook, and such wonderful plants everywhere.
"I don't think I'm in Aku's realm anymore," he said to himself. "But I certainly am not home either. Where am I?"
At that, he heard a familiar chattering. He walked to the other side of the house to see those three same, strange beings he first saw when he came to Aku's future world. This time, though, they were dressed in funny, blue clothes and (if Jack wasn't mistaken) they were much shorter. Their slang hadn't changed, though. They were babbling about something Jack could not understand. "Excuse me," Jack said.
The three guys turned around and trembled in awe. Finally, the blue- skinned guy came forward. "We welcome you to Munchkin Country of the great nation of Oz, most excellent sorcerer."
Jack bowed and replied, "I humbly accept your greetings, but you must be mistaken. I am not a sorcerer."
The pink guy smiled. "And he's modest, for a wizard. That is admirable."
"I am not a wizard either! I am a samurai warrior. I do not know magic."
"You must be a wizard," the green guy said. "You wear all white. Only very powerful wizards and witches wear white."
"And you came from the sky!" the pink guy added.
"And let's not forget the important thing, guys," the blue guy said. "You have freed us all."
"I have?"
"Perhaps I should explain," a disembodied voice replied. In a sudden pop, a familiar friend of Jack's appeared.
"Sir Rothchild III!"
"Oh no, I am the Good Wizard of the North, and I have come to see what I have heard. Look here, great sorcerer."
The others moved aside as the true wizard showed Jack what had been done. Jack gasped! He saw two feet sticking out from under the house. He tried to pull them out, but their owner was quite stuck. Quickly, the body turned to dust. Jack bowed his head. "I have shed innocent blood."
"Oh, she was by no means innocent. She was the Wicked Witch of the East, and she held the Munchkin people in bondage for many years. When your house landed on top of her, her evil reign came to an end, and the people of this land are now forever free." The wizard looked down. "Let's see if it's still here. Ah yes, here it is!" The wizard pulled out a large torch. "The witch used this to conduct her spells. No one really knows its power, but in good hands I'm sure it will bring luck and protection. It is hereby yours."
"Thank you, but I have no need of it. You can make better use of it than I could."
"Very well. The least we can do is grant your every wish and make you the new leader of Munchkin Land."
"Thank you for the invitation, but I cannot. I am on a quest that I must continue. But if you truly know magic, could you please send me to my home, to my people, to my time?"
"You can't leave Oz, man," the blue guy said. "East of here is an impassible desert!"
"And the same desert is to the South," the pink guy added. "I hear that if any living creature touches it immediately will turn to dust."
"Same desert is to the West," the green guy continued. "Besides, if you even try to go there you'll become a slave."
"I'm afraid the same desert is north of my domain," the wizard concluded. "You'll have to stay with us." Jack bowed his head in resignation. "Unless . . . " The wizard took off his white hat, balanced it on his nose, and whispered, "One, two, three!"
Immediately, the hat turned into a sign which read, "Let Jack go to the City of Emeralds."
"Aha!" the wizard said with glee. "Is your name Jack, son?"
"Yes sir, it is," Jack nodded, wondering how a hat could know his name.
"Well, then, you must go to the Emerald City. Perhaps the great Wizard of Oz could help you."
"Is he a good man?"
"He's a good wizard. Whether or not he's a man, no one knows. He is more powerful than all the wizards and witches of Oz combined. If anyone can fulfill your wish, it will be him. The road is not hard to follow. It is paved with yellow bricks. There are many dangers on the way, though. Are you sure you do not want the torch?"
"I am sure. My sword should be all I need."
"Very well. I trust your judgment. Good luck!" With that, he disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Jack found the road easily and started his journey.
