A note from the Hime no Argh herself–
More thanks and plushies to everyone who's been following the story up to now, I very much appreciate it. Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment. More on the way. Thanks again for reading! ^_^
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Chapter 4
The Empress of Shangri-La
Jack looked at Chisana. "Did you know?" he whispered.
She shook her head slowly, still in shock. "I knew there was a great power hidden somewhere in Shangri-La, yes. My mother told me of the treasure. But a mahou seishin–" Her voice trembled slightly, but she shook her head then as if to clear it and looked at the oracle. "Even if this treasure exists, Aku cannot possibly obtain it. He cannot even find our city, and he has tried throughout the ages!"
"It is true," said the oracle slowly, "that Aku has never before penetrated our defenses. However, this is only because the secret of Shangri-La is safe within the hearts of its people. There is someone among us with a black heart–someone who will betray us to Aku. I have seen it."
"Someone will open the gates to him?" Chisana gasped.
"That is what I have foreseen." The oracle looked at Jack. "Only members of the royal house can open the gates, thus lifting the magical protection on Shangri-La. Only royalty may invite outsiders into our city, as Chisana invited you. The princess has a great number of aunts, uncles, and cousins in the palace, all royalty by blood. Any one of these could be the traitor."
"And you do not know which?" Jack demanded.
"I do not. I am sorry to say I suspected Chisana herself for a time, just as you did."
"Me...!" Chisana cried, outraged, looking between them. "The two of you thought I the traitor?"
"Briefly," Jack admitted. "Before I spoke with you in the shrine. I knew then that you were far too dedicated to Shangri-La."
The oracle nodded. "When I saw the two of you at my door, I also knew that you could not be the traitor, not with Samurai Jack at your side. He may be a simple man–" the oracle ignored Jack as he cleared his throat, "–but he is so very honest, he would know the eyes of one who was not."
"Of all the foolishness," Chisana said grumpily.
"This is no time to hold a grudge," the oracle reminded her. "You must find the traitor before he opens the gates for Aku."
Jack and Chisana stood simultaneously, intending to begin the search immediately. "Thank you for your help, oracle," Jack said gratefully, bowing to her. "I promise to do everything I can to protect Shangri-La."
The oracle nodded. "Protect Chisana as well. She is, after all, our kingdom's only heir."
Jack nodded quickly in assent and took his leave with the princess.
"I cannot believe it has come to this," Chisana said in a low, frightened voice as they crawled through the tunnel of brambles. "One of my own family–well, I can only try to guess who it is. There are plenty of spiteful ones, certainly, but to align themselves with the greatest of evils–"
Jack tuned her out, thinking hard. There was something in the oracle's story that didn't quite add up, though he couldn't put his finger on it.
"–but I know the legends," Chisana went on, crawling headfirst out of the tangle of bushes, "and to even lay eyes on the treasure one would have to–"
She abruptly froze, still on her knees and halfway out of the tunnel. "What are you doing?" Jack whispered to her.
He heard her draw in a long, shuddering breath. "I could swear I felt an arrow brush by my cheek."
Jack didn't hesitate–he grabbed Chisana around the middle and hauled her back into the safety of the hidden tunnel. "Aku's minions are already here," he said, sweating.
"But that is impossible!" Chisana whispered, her eyes wide. "Even if the gates opened, Aku's robotic minions could not function within the city. There is too much magic in the air, it does not mix well with mechanized things–"
Jack thought for a moment. "What about human assassins? Living creatures? Could not they enter the gates with Aku?"
"That is a possibility," Chisana said hesitatingly.
"Then we must assume that they are already inside." Jack drew his sword from his sheath, and Chisana's eyes widened in reverence at the sight of it. "I will take care of them. Wait here until I return for you."
"No," Chisana said firmly, a strange gleam present in her eyes. "I will do what I can to help you."
"Do not be ridiculous," Jack told her impatiently. "You cannot fight."
"But–"
"Do as I say," Jack ordered. "I have sworn to protect you, and that is what I will do. So wait."
Chisana sighed impatiently, but Jack was already crawling past her and out of the tunnel.
The palace was eerily silent, the gardens around it quiet and deserted–or so it seemed. Jack stalked silently over the grass, sword in hand, his eyes seeking any movement or even a sign of life. It was strange that none of Aku's minions had leapt out to engage him in combat–normally they wasted no time. Something was not quite right here; still, it was a nice change of pace to be the hunter rather than the hunted.
The thought crossed his mind a bit too soon. A soft whistling sounded in his ears, and Jack reacted without thinking. His free hand flew up, two fingers snapping together to trap the arrow that narrowly missed his right eye.
Jack dived beneath the canopy of a willow tree and examined the arrow in his hand. It was short and thin, more like a dart than a real arrow. He sniffed the arrowhead and recognized the scent of a powerful tranquilizer. Then this arrow was meant to stun, and not to kill? Whom did Aku want stunned? Surely not him.
It came to him then, and the final piece of the puzzle slid into place.
"Chisana," Jack muttered, leaping to his feet.
He burst out of the willow's cover and darted across the palace grounds, heading for the tunnel that led to the oracle's hollow. A dark shape appeared in the corner of his eye, running, drawing level with him... Jack yanked his sword from its sheath and struck, cutting the attacker down. He did not even stop to look at the unfortunate creature's face, but ran on.
The hollow came into view, and the glimmer of gold that was Chisana's silk butterflies. Jack skidded to a stop. Chisana stood surrounded by a dozen of Aku's minions, men dressed entirely in black, their faces covered by black silk masks.
"Leave, samurai," said one of the men–Jack didn't know which. "We have no business with you."
Jack did not move. He met Chisana's eyes, and something in them made him start. He noticed that her fan, normally closed and thrust into her obi, was open in her hand, covering the lower half of her face. As Jack stared, she drew the fan away from her mouth, and amazingly she was smiling.
Something in that smile–he was never sure what–made him slide his sword back into its sheath.
"Good," said the masked attacker, satisfied. He turned to Chisana. "Now–"
Chisana struck, faster than lightning. There was a flash of steel and the man stumbled back, clutching his throat. Blood spilled between his fingers, the same blood that dripped from the edges of Chisana's fan.
Jack yanked his sword from its sheath and leapt into the midst of the surprised attackers, taking down a pair with two quick slashes. Chisana whirled and sliced a man lengthwise, opening a long, deep gash in his chest, as Jack cleanly beheaded another. The two found each other in the fray and pressed back to back, fending off their foes with vicious cuts and slashes. The attackers soon learned a healthy respect for Jack's sword and Chisana's razor-edged fan.
When all but three were dead, their remaining foes broke and ran, but had barely gone a few steps before they were engulfed in black flames. Jack and Chisana watched in horror as the men burned to death before their eyes, shrieking in agony.
"The fate of those who desert Aku," Jack said softly as their foes withered away to ashes.
Chisana shuddered, her face pale, but her hands were quite steady as she held her fan beneath the running water of a fountain, washing it clean of blood. Jack stared at her.
"Chisana-Hime, how...?"
Chisana looked at him, smiling her mysterious, cat-like smile. "Do not believe the tale your eyes tell you, samurai, for they deceive you." She flicked open her fan, holding it to her face so that only her eyes were revealed, and for the first time Jack appreciated the fine workmanship of the delicate fan, with its thin steel spines and pattern of gold butterflies.
"It is called a shukusen," Chisana explained, snapping the fan shut. "A fan with a steel spine and sharp edges, so that it cuts when open. Much more discreet than carrying a weapon, as you can see." Her lips curved into a smile again. "It is beautiful and deadly...just like its wielder."
Jack couldn't help but smile back.
* * *
They charged into the palace, which was eerily quiet and deserted. Chisana peeked into a room and recoiled in horror. Bodies lay motionless on the floor, eyes wide and staring.
"Aku sent death through this palace," said Jack with quiet fury, bowing in respect to the dead.
"Father," Chisana muttered, and she took off toward the throne room, geta clacking against the wood floor. Jack followed her at a run, skidding to a stop in front of the great double doors. Chisana gazed silently at the two armored guards lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, then reached a hand to open the doors.
"Wait." Jack grabbed her arm to stop her and gave her a meaningful look. "Let me go first." Chisana nodded and stepped back as Jack drew his sword. He raised his foot and kicked the doors open, then leapt inside, ready to fight.
Hajime stood alone, gazing at the mural of the dragon with his hands linked behind his back. Chisana pushed past Jack, crying, "Father!"
Jack slid his sword back into its sheath as the emperor turned to look at his daughter, eyes weary and ringed with dark circles. "So you have come, Chisana. I hoped you might escape Shangri-La before it was too late."
"Too late?" Chisana demanded. "It is already too late, Father! Aku has entered the city! He is after the treasure of Shangri-La!"
"He will not obtain it," Hajime said wearily. "Not without help."
"But he has help!" Chisana cried. "Someone raised the gates!"
Her father held up a hand. "Do not you know your legends, Chisana? The treasure cannot be obtained without the true ruler of Shangri-La."
Chisana blinked. "Of course. I had forgotten. The oracle must have forgotten too, for she thought the treasure was in danger–"
"The treasure is in danger, Chisana," Hajime said earnestly. His eyes flickered to Jack. "The samurai has figured it out already."
Chisana stared at Jack. "What have you figured out?"
"Aku's minions were trying to capture you," Jack said simply. "You are the true ruler of Shangri-La."
There was a silence as Chisana stared between Jack and her father. "I...am the true ruler?" she said at last, stunned. "But–but this cannot be! My mother told me she found the treasure! What it was, she never said, but–"
"Your mother did indeed find the treasure," Hajime interrupted. "Rather, she found the place in which it is located. She could not see it, nor command it, for she was not the true ruler. When your mother was born, the oracle said, 'it is the daughter.' That is why I married her, you see. We all thought the true ruler was the oracle's daughter, your mother."
Jack blinked and looked to Chisana. The oracle was Chisana's grandmother?
"However, we misinterpreted the oracle's prediction," Hajime continued. "She meant my wife's daughter, Chisana. She meant you. You, Chisana, are the True Empress of Shangri-La."
Chisana was silent for several long moments. Jack could see she was struggling to absorb all she'd learned.
"Then...we are safe, are we not?" she said slowly, hope growing in her voice. She looked at Jack, eyes gleaming with excitement. "I can use the treasure to protect Shangri-La, if we may find it before Aku..."
Hajime slowly shook his head. "Aku is already here," he said hoarsely. "Aku is here with me."
"Aku is here?!" Jack gasped, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
The blood had drained from Hajime's face, and he swayed where he stood, gazing at his daughter. "Father?" Chisana said, frightened.
"Forgive me, daughter," whispered the emperor. He slumped forward, falling to the floor with a dull thud.
"Father!" Chisana cried as a sick black glow appeared around Hajime's motionless body. She darted toward the throne, but Jack seized her around the middle and dragged her back. "Father!" Chisana shrieked, struggling to break free. "Father!"
"Stop it, Chisana-Hime," Jack said sharply, holding her firmly in place. "He is beyond help."
A pitch-black shadow was rising from Hajime's body, taking shape as it grew taller and taller. Horns grew; arms extended with wicked claws. A wide mouth stretched in a terrifying grin, displaying enormous, jagged teeth. Cruel black eyes, surrounded by a halo of fire, focused on Jack and Chisana as the evil grin widened.
"Aku," Jack whispered, gazing into the hellish eyes of his mortal enemy.
* * *
Continued in Chapter 5.