Recovered Honor
Jack had been running as fast as he could but he could not contend with the speed of the avalanche. He leapt upon a nearby boulder to escape. Now, that he stopped running he had time to reflect. Had his experience with Ikra changed him so much that he had forgotten his samurai code of honor? He despised himself for what he had done. Then he decided: No matter who Yoshiko really was he would help her because that was who he was!
Jack jumped over other rocks and ridges like skipping stones, to where he left Yoshiko. He suddenly skidded to a halt. She and the Yeti were gone! The samurai then noticed that the Yeti had left tracks in the fresh layer of snow. With his heart pounding in his chest Jack, wrought with panic, followed the trail.
The trail led to a cave burrowed into the mountain-face. Quietly he snuck inside. He did not hear a sound. He was becoming worried. As he rounded the next corner he saw the monster. The had Yeti raised it's clawed paws and was about to bring it down upon her when the side of the samurai's foot came in contact with it's face. The creature was momentarily stunned. When it regained it's composure it began to chase Jack. The Samurai ran out of the cave and towards the edge of a nearby cliff.
Jack turned and faced the monster. (Now comes one of Mr. Tartakovsky's famous pauses) Jack looked at the Yeti, it looked back at him and their eyes locked. It was almost like a stare down. For what seemed to be a minute they stared, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
Yoshiko, in the meantime, began to try to quietly slip past the Abominable Snowman. Jack caught sight of her and the Yeti followed his opponent's gaze. Before Yoshiko could react it lunged at her and caught her in it's grasp. At the same time, Jack had leapt at the snow man who, then, dodged him. Jack tried again and again. He was so determined to rescue Yoshiko that he wasn't paying attention to where the monster was accidently heading as it was avoiding him.
The samurai summoned all his strength and jumped as high as he could, kicking the Yeti in the face. The dazed Yeti lost it's balance and toppled down the mountain side, with Yoshiko still in it's grasp. Jack jumped forward and tried to grab her, but he just missed.
"No!" He gasped. The prince fought down the wave of hysteria that coursed through him as he crept up to the edge of the cliff. To his overwhelming relief, as he peered down, he found that Yoshiko had grasped a root that had been growing out of the side of the mountain. Jack quickly pulled off his sash to use as a rope. He kneeled on the edge of the ledge and lowered sash down to Yoshiko. Jack felt a tug on it and began to pull the sash up.
Soon Yoshiko was hauling herself up over the precipice with Jack lending a hand.
"You came back?" She exclaimed with surprise.
"I had to," Jack replied, "It would have been dishonorable to do otherwise."
Yoshiko nodded her head in understanding but as she did she noticed his undone kimono. She diverted her eyes and blushed in, at least, a hundred different shades of red. Jack, at her reaction, suddenly remembered his kimomo and, with a red face and his back to her he made the adjustment.
Jack had been running as fast as he could but he could not contend with the speed of the avalanche. He leapt upon a nearby boulder to escape. Now, that he stopped running he had time to reflect. Had his experience with Ikra changed him so much that he had forgotten his samurai code of honor? He despised himself for what he had done. Then he decided: No matter who Yoshiko really was he would help her because that was who he was!
Jack jumped over other rocks and ridges like skipping stones, to where he left Yoshiko. He suddenly skidded to a halt. She and the Yeti were gone! The samurai then noticed that the Yeti had left tracks in the fresh layer of snow. With his heart pounding in his chest Jack, wrought with panic, followed the trail.
The trail led to a cave burrowed into the mountain-face. Quietly he snuck inside. He did not hear a sound. He was becoming worried. As he rounded the next corner he saw the monster. The had Yeti raised it's clawed paws and was about to bring it down upon her when the side of the samurai's foot came in contact with it's face. The creature was momentarily stunned. When it regained it's composure it began to chase Jack. The Samurai ran out of the cave and towards the edge of a nearby cliff.
Jack turned and faced the monster. (Now comes one of Mr. Tartakovsky's famous pauses) Jack looked at the Yeti, it looked back at him and their eyes locked. It was almost like a stare down. For what seemed to be a minute they stared, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
Yoshiko, in the meantime, began to try to quietly slip past the Abominable Snowman. Jack caught sight of her and the Yeti followed his opponent's gaze. Before Yoshiko could react it lunged at her and caught her in it's grasp. At the same time, Jack had leapt at the snow man who, then, dodged him. Jack tried again and again. He was so determined to rescue Yoshiko that he wasn't paying attention to where the monster was accidently heading as it was avoiding him.
The samurai summoned all his strength and jumped as high as he could, kicking the Yeti in the face. The dazed Yeti lost it's balance and toppled down the mountain side, with Yoshiko still in it's grasp. Jack jumped forward and tried to grab her, but he just missed.
"No!" He gasped. The prince fought down the wave of hysteria that coursed through him as he crept up to the edge of the cliff. To his overwhelming relief, as he peered down, he found that Yoshiko had grasped a root that had been growing out of the side of the mountain. Jack quickly pulled off his sash to use as a rope. He kneeled on the edge of the ledge and lowered sash down to Yoshiko. Jack felt a tug on it and began to pull the sash up.
Soon Yoshiko was hauling herself up over the precipice with Jack lending a hand.
"You came back?" She exclaimed with surprise.
"I had to," Jack replied, "It would have been dishonorable to do otherwise."
Yoshiko nodded her head in understanding but as she did she noticed his undone kimono. She diverted her eyes and blushed in, at least, a hundred different shades of red. Jack, at her reaction, suddenly remembered his kimomo and, with a red face and his back to her he made the adjustment.