A Samurai Jack Fanfic
By Laura McDaniel
Bound by the Sword
"How are you feeling, Jill?" a quiet voice asked.
Though her thoughts were still jumbled, Jill recognized the voice instantly. "Jack..." She saw him kneeling next to her, opposite of the wall the mattress was against. Smiling faintly, she tried to sit up and talk to him, but the bandage that was tightly wound around her waist inhibited her movement. She moaned again and let out a loud sigh.
"Take it easy," Jack said. "The monks say that their magic will help the wounds heal faster, but it won't be instantaneous, so you should be still as possible. "
Jill nodded slightly, and shifted her weight some. "I'm not feeling that bad," Jill replied, her voice a near whisper. "Still a little dizzy, though."
Jack nodded. "That's understandable. You did lose a great deal of blood yesterday."
"The only blood shed during the test was my own. I'll tell you more about it later when I can think straight."
"All right. There is no need to rush."
Jill slowly sat up slightly. "I know this is going to sound like a dumb question, but did you get a look at my sword?"
Jack shook his head. "No, the monks wouldn't let me see it yet for some reason." He blinked and then asked, "Does that mean you haven't seen it?"
Jill shook her head slightly. "No. I was too intent on completing the test that I didn't really think to stop and look at it. In the end, the blood loss was affecting me so much that I probably couldn't see it if I tried to."
"I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. After all, I saw the position you were in."
Jill blinked. "You saw me being strangled by that octopus? Were you there?"
Jack shook his head. "Unbelievable as it may sound, the entire time you were in The Chamber of Trials, I felt your pain."
"You felt my pain? Like when I tripped at the beginning and when the robotic lizards were tearing at my skin?"
"If that's what happened. The only time I actually saw you was at the end. That's why your sword appeared then. I talked the monks into letting you have it."
"I don't know how that was possible, Jack, but thanks for looking out for me."
At that moment, the three monks emerged from the door to the mountain's Inner Sanctum. Ichi carried nothing, but Ni carried a tray that held a small teacup, a bowl of water, some mortars and pestles, and fresh bandages. San carried what looked like a black sword sheath on a red silk pillow.
"Ah, she's awake!" Ichi said when he walked over to the girl. He knelt next to her and said, "Jack kept watch over you the entire time you were unconscious!"
"We were just coming in to apply fresh poultices, but it's good to see you're awake." Ni said, setting his tray next to Jill. "Good thing I brought some tea just in case." He adjusted the pillow Jill was lying on so she could sit up more, and after she scooted up, he offered her the teacup. "Please, drink this."
"What's in this tea?" Jill asked as she examined the liquid.
"Oh, secret recipe, I'm afraid," Ichi said, his eyes twinkling.
"Then, what's it supposed to do?"
"Well, in addition to speeding up the healing process, it should help calm you down some and stop the dizziness...if you're still dizzy, that is. I promise it doesn't taste bad," Ni said.
Jill nodded, and sipped the tea. It didn't taste much different than the green tea she'd bought herself from time to time in the past.
"Do you have any questions about the test?" Ichi asked.
"Um...did I pass?" Jill asked.
Ichi just chuckled in reply. "Well, San here has your sword if you'd like to see it."
"Oh, yes! Please?" Jill exclaimed.
"I am curious to see it as well," Jack said.
Realizing that Jill would probably have a difficult time unsheathing the blade, San unsheathed it for her. He placed it in Jill's outstretched hands and then sat down with the other monks.
Jill carefully examined her sword. It looked exactly like Jack's, with a yellow and black hilt, but it was slightly lighter and smaller so she'd have an easier time wielding it. When she looked at it closer, she noticed a strange symbol engraved in the blade. It was a circle that enclosed a diamond-looking shape with slashes on each of the angles. "What does that mean?" Jill asked, having never seen the symbol before.
Jack caught a glimpse of the symbol, but he couldn't believe it was what he thought. "May I see your sword for a moment, Jill?" he asked.
Jill nodded and carefully handed the sword over to him. Jack's eyes widened when his suspicion was confirmed. It was the symbol he'd seen many times in his past, carved into the walls of the palace, flown on banners, and he'd even worn it while he was in training. But what was it doing on Jill's sword?
"Uh, Jack," Jill asked, sounding impatient, "what does that symbol mean? I'm assuming you recognize it from somewhere."
"It is the emblem of my family!" Jack exclaimed.
"What?" Jill gasped. She was so startled that she tried to sit up all the way, but she quickly returned to her previous position. She turned to the monks and asked, "Does that mean Jack and I are somehow related?"
"Not by blood, no," Ichi said. "You see, Jack," he said, carefully taking the blade in his own hands. "This might have symbolized your family in the past, but here in the future, it is strictly your symbol. Finding it on Jill's sword proves what I was beginning to suspect when you were feeling Jill's pain yesterday: it was not pure chance that brought the two of you together. Though you've only known each other for a relatively short amount of time, it's perfectly clear that the two of you share a mystical bond unlike I have ever seen before."
"But what does that mean?" Jill asked.
Ichi shook his head and sighed. "That is hard for me to say. As I told Jack in his vision, my colleagues and I are immortal but not omniscient. Only time can tell the extent of your bond and it might only become apparent after the two of you are physically separated. All I can tell you is that it is such a bond that is to be cherished and respected."
"I guess he was right: we're not as different as I thought," Jill said.
Jack smiled softly and nodded. "You were fearful when you entered The Chamber of Trials, but you are now officially my equal."
"Well," Ichi said, "it's not exactly official because she hasn't taken the Oath yet. I don't want to give her the Oath until she can stand up again and once she's certain that she wants to live a life by the sword."
"I know that such a life will be difficult, but I think I'm up to the challenge now," Jill said. "Or at least, I will be once I'm healed. I don't mean to be a nag, but could you reapply poultices like you said you would? The effects of the old ones are definitely starting to wear off and my wounds are really starting to hurt...especially the one on my waist. Of course," she added with a smirk, "that's mainly my fault for trying to sit up all the way."
"We'd be glad to do that," Ichi said. He then turn to Jack and said, "Well, it's clear enough now that Jill is fine. So why don't you get some sleep? As I told you earlier, we've put a mattress out for you on the other side of the room."
"Well, all right," Jack said with a yawn.
"San here will take your sword," Ni said.
Jack unstrapped his sword sheath and handed it to San, who carefully hung the sword on an empty hook in the center of one of the walls.
"Could you take Jill's as well?" Ichi asked while he sheathed the blade again.
San nodded and hung Jill's sword on a hook next to Jack's so that both swords were crossed. He then walked back and helped the other monks tend to Jill's wounds.
"I guess I'm going to get some rest, Jill," Jack said.
"OK, Jack," Jill responded. "I'll be fine. Sleep well!"
Jack did not doubt that Jill would recover under the Yamabushis' care, but he didn't want to leave her side because he knew how much she hurt. He finally left when the sight of his sword crossed with Jill's caught his eye. He swallowed hard and stepped closer to them. The swords met in the middle even though they started at different points and then continued in opposite directions. It reminded him of how his path had crossed with Jill's and made him wonder what was to become of the two of them once he helped her free the captives from the Pit of Hate. Unless the key to Aku's destruction lay within the Pit, her quest would come to an end but his wouldn't. The thought of leaving Jill behind made Jack feel uneasy, but he'd already begun to realize that no distance would truly separate them. For the time being, he decided to rest with that assurance. He slowly walked over to the mattress and lay down.
Ichi turned back to Jill and quietly said, "Let's have a look here." He lowered her pillow so she could lie down again and then rolled down the sheets on that covered her. Next, he rolled up part of the bottom of the pale green robe the monks had given her to wear while she was healing. He carefully unwound the bandage around her waist while Ni started preparing a fresh poultice.
Jill lifted her head up a bit and looked at the wound, "Man, that octopus got me good."
Ichi nodded. "Well, it was a lot worse last night. Thankfully, it's healed quite a bit already and the bleeding has stopped."
"I'm finished with the poultice, Ichi," Ni said.
"Good. Please help me place it on her. Could you lift your back a little, Jill?"
"Sure." Straining a little, she lifted her back off the mattress. She patiently waited while all three of the monks applied the poultice and a fresh bandage.
"There," Ichi said once they finished.
Jill lay back down and then Ichi rolled her robe down again. "That was the most difficult one to bandage. The rest of the wounds are, thankfully, less extensive, but most of them are still deep."
"I'm sorry Tonchiki did that to you," Ni said while they began to unwind another bandage. "He wasn't even supposed to be there!"
Ichi nodded. "We let him study with us because he's distantly related to San. While we generally kept him under careful supervision, we decided to let him explore the Chamber of Trials alone because it's an empty cave when nobody is being tested. He was excited when he heard you were coming and wanted to see how it worked, but during the test, the only way to see it in its entirety is to be tested or to be a challenger. I told him I'd think about letting him participate, but I decided I'd rather let the mountain do as it wished. I told San to let him know of my decision, but he never did. Now, San is under a vow of silence."
"And what happened to Tonchiki?"
"We sent him back where he came from him and erased his memory of all that happened here, deciding that it was the best course of action."
"Well," Jill said, smiling a bit, "I must say that the spell he cast was actually quite impressive. He just needed to realize that there are times when manifesting somebody else's deepest fears isn't always a good idea."
"Why exactly are you so afraid of Aku?" Ichi asked.
"I'm not sure," Jill said quietly.
"It's just that you're probably going to see a lot of him in The Pit of Hate," Ni said.
"Well," Jill said with a laugh, "I already saw him with multiple heads. How much more Aku can I see? And besides, The Pit of Hate is an abyss, right?"
"Do you really think Aku is that uncreative?" Ichi asked.
"Actually, a couple of chambers in The Pit of Hate lead to nothing but abyss, but not the one you'll probably have to get to," Ni said.
"Could you elaborate?" Jill asked.
Ichi smiled. "I could. But I won't. You wouldn't believe me if I told you!"
"He's right, you wouldn't!" Ni laughed.
San started laughing as well, which made Ichi scratch his beard and ask, "Does laughter violate San's vow of silence?"
"Well, we'll let him off the hook this time," Ni said with a smile.
"OK...so you won't tell me what The Pit of Hate looks like, but you will tell Jack and I where it is?"
"Of course," Ichi said. "We will show you the way once you've healed."
"We just won't tell you what it's like!" Ni added.
"Sheesh, the way you two are talking about it, you're almost making me look forward to it. Almost!" Jill exclaimed.
"Well, it's better to look forward to it than to fear it," Ichi said.
"I guess you're right."
Ni said, "I will tell you one thing, though: the area of The Pit of Hate you'll need to go to isn't nearly as dismal as The Chamber of Trials, but it's still evil."
Jill just blinked at that. She didn't have much else to say while the monks tended to her wounds. All that she knew for certain was that she couldn't wait to get up again!