—CHAPTER 16—
It was a beautiful spring morning. Birds sang from up in the blooming trees, filling the otherwise silent streets with sound. Pink and orange sunshine shone through the slits in the closed curtains of Jack's window. The scene might have been a pleasant way to wake up for anyone else; but for Jack, who had barely slept that night, the sunshine was instead a rude awakening.
Three weeks had passed since the breakup with Ashi, and Jack was not coping well at all. Only a few days into it, he was already trying to get in touch with her. He didn't care about AKu, or Ikra, or any of that; he just wanted to see her again, to hold her and tell her how sorry he was for making a fool of himself.
Jack tried all week to contact Ashi, but to no avail; his calls, texts, and voicemails all fell on deaf ears. He spent hours in front of her old apartment, hoping she might turn up, but she never did. There were a handful of campaign events she might've been at, but Jack would be stupid to try and get into those.
He actually did try to get into one of the events, but quickly abandoned the venture, fearing that it might be another trap.
Out of options, Jack resigned himself to his new single life, hoping it wouldn't be so bad. However, now in a familiar situation, he quickly remembered why he was so miserable before he met Ashi. Burg-eoise was another dead-end job, and without a second paycheck each week, Jack was financially stagnant.
He didn't even bother seeing if his friends were hiring, seeing how his name was all over the news once again; many of the people who had witnessed his episode the night of the gala had phones with cameras, and were more than willing to document the incident. To make things worse, a few news outlets recognized Jack, digging up old dirt on his first arrest. Fortunately, AKu stated in an interview that he would not press charges against Jack, saying that, "Having to live with such a hateful heart is punishment enough for the Samurai…"
Jack would normally be seething at such an outrageous statement, but his anger had already withered and burnt out. With nothing left to sustain it, he was back to being a shell of his former self; only this time, a bigger part of Jack was missing, and it filled him with despair. He eventually stopped going to work, and leaving the apartment all together; his personal care suffered greatly, including his eating, grooming, and sleeping habits; any alcohol he had left didn't last long.
If his life continued like this, Jack felt that he wouldn't last very long either.
/
The moonlit air was abuzz with the sound of owl hoots and cricket chirps. Several autumn leaves blew past Ashi on a cold breeze as she came to a clearing in the woods, and gasped at the sight in front of her.
There, bathed in an eerie green glow, stood a graveyard that stretched out into a dense fog. With some trepidation, Ashi pushed onwards. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing here, only that she could feel something inside her, calling her to this ominous place. Navigating the towering tombstones of the cemetery, she finally came upon a familiar face that she was elated to see. He was kneeling in an open area amidst the graves, eyes closed as if he were meditating.
"Samurai!" Ashi called out to him, but he didn't react. As she moved closer, she noticed the short blade laid down in front of him, "Jack…?"
Suddenly, a clopping sound caught her attention, and Ashi looked to her left to see the silhouette of a warrior on horseback trotting out from behind the tombstones. The warrior dismounted his steed without touching the ground, and floated over to Ashi, intimidating her with his impressive stature.
The floating warrior bellowed in a husky, deep voice, "You may witness, but you cannot proceed any further."
"Witness… what?" Ashi asked carefully.
"The end."
Ashi looked up at him in shock, realizing what was about to take place. Just then, four ghostly Samurai emerged from their graves, each gathered around Jack in a cross-legged position. The warrior turned away from Ashi to greet the apparitions.
"Great warriors of past, I welcome you," he moved in position behind Jack, drawing his sword, "This Samurai has failed his purpose, and has accepted his fate." The Samurai spirits watched silently as Jack slowly picked up the blade in front of him, while the floating warrior held up his own weapon in preparation.
Ashi's eyes widened as Jack turned the blade towards himself, grabbing the hilt with both hands, and steadily bringing it up above his head. She couldn't let him do this; without any further hesitation, she charged forward towards Jack, hand outstretched, and screamed—
/
"STOOOP!" Ashi shot up from her bed, reaching her hand out to…
She then realized that it was only a dream, and brought her hand in to palm her face in frustration. Ashi looked over to her nightstand to check the time, and upon seeing that it wasn't even nine, fell back onto her pillow with an exhausted sigh. That was the fourth time this week she dreamt about Jack, and it was the worst one yet.
After Jack's outburst at the gala, Ashi's Father pulled her aside to explain that he wanted her to break up with him, worried her association with him would hurt her reputation. She protested, but then AKu gave her an ultimatum: If she didn't end their relationship, then he would follow through with pressing charges, and make sure Jack was put away for a long time. Not wanting to see Jack go to prison, Ashi mulled the choices over in her head the entire ride home. Only after they had their fight, and Jack said what he said, did the decision become painfully clear.
The very next day, Ashi deleted Jack's contact from her phone; she couldn't bring herself to block his number, but his calls and texts over the next week were ignored, and eventually they stopped. She never went back to work at Burg-eoise, or even set foot in the establishment again, afraid she might accidentally see him. Having moved out of Jack's place, Ashi was now living in the hotel penthouse AKu was staying at the night of the gala. It was bought out indefinitely just for her, so she wouldn't be living in her old apartment. Ashi thought that was a little extreme, but her Father insisted; he didn't want her having any unwelcomed visitors. All ties with her now ex-boyfriend were severed.
Officially, Ashi was doing perfectly fine without him. She had spent the last three weeks busying herself as a full-time daughter of AKu. Always by her Father's side at campaign and press events, smiling and waving, "AshiKu" had become an honorary celebrity; she was now being mentioned along with her Father in every news report, and her social media accounts blew up overnight; she was now the second most well-known daughter of AKu.
Behind the scenes, however, Ashi's newfound fame did not reflect in her attitude. Now resigned to her fate, she no longer questioned her Father's actions, obediently following along with whatever he did or wherever he went. It was her duty, after all, to be a supportive daughter, and help with his campaign in any way she could. Her opinions didn't matter, even if thousands of people on Tweety apparently wanted to hear it. The part of Ashi that always screamed for independence had gone silent.
After lying there for another hour or so, Ashi finally dragged herself out of bed and into the shower. She took her time cleaning herself, savoring the sensation of the hot water pouring over her skin; it wasn't until her fingertips were wrinkled that she finally decided to finish up.
Ashi wrapped herself in her towel to remedy the chill she had gotten from getting out of the shower, drying her body starting at her feet, and working her way up to her drooping head of hair. Running the towel back and forth, she pulled it off the side of her head to reveal her dry but disheveled hair in the mirror, finding the messy look oddly appealing. Somehow, it felt more natural than the signature style she had worn her entire life, and she was tempted to leave it as is. But she reconsidered, grabbing a hairbrush and molding her hair into its usual pointed appearance. What would her Father think of such a drastic change?
Lazily, Ashi then put on her clothes for the day, and prepared to head over to her Father's office. She was now visiting him every other day at least, as it was only a short bus ride from the hotel she now lived in to his workplace. He would discuss with her the next political occasion she was needed to attend, what she would have to wear, what she would have to say, and to whom she would speak. Whatever it was, Ashi would do it without question. Father knows best, after all.
Once she was ready, Ashi instinctively went to grab her ladybug charm bracelet from the small table by the door, but recoiled her hand, stopping herself. With a sigh, she opened the front door and walked out into the hall.
/
Jack stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring blankly at his reflection. The man looking back at him had clearly been neglecting his appearance, as his long hair and beard have grown unkempt and scraggly. Picking at a few loose strands of hair, Jack closed his eyes and thought back to a time when he minded his untidy appearance:
"Jack, stop moving," Ashi lightly scolded, running the electric razor along the side of his face.
Jack giggled, "Sorry, it tickles."
After another minute, Ashi cheered, "Done!" and Jack looked up from the black hairs all over the sink to see himself. His long hair and bear looked noticeably cleaner, hanging down from his head with not a single strand out of place, and the conditioner she had him use gave it an impressive sheen.
"Huh, not bad…" Jack thought out loud as he turned his head side to side for a better view, amazed at the huge difference made by such small changes.
Ashi stood next to him in the mirror, hands on her hips triumphantly, "See, what did I tell you? You look fresh!" she said with a wink and a thumbs-up.
"Fresh…?" Jack raised an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the expression.
"Yeah, 'fresh', like… new, or good looking. You've never heard that before?" she looked up at him inquisitively.
Jack touched his chin, "I have, but only in reference to food…" he gave her a playful look, "I guess that makes me, 'cool as a cucumber', wouldn't you say?"
Ashi stared blankly at him for a moment, before finally losing it, wrapping her arms around him from behind as they both laughed heartily.
Jack opened his eyes, and the vision of he and Ashi in the mirror faded back into the sad reflection staring back at him once again. With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes again and hung his head low.
"Pathetic!" a harsh voice startled Jack, and he looked up to see a different reflection looking back at him in the mirror. It resembled his Samurai persona, except it was a deep red in color, and had terrifyingly exaggerated features. "Your self-pitying nonsense disgusts me! How long are you going to just sit around and feel sorry for yourself!?"
"I-I, uh…" Jack stuttered in response, completely baffled by the interrogative questions.
"She's gone; so what? That girl was holding you back, distracting you from your true purpose!" the raging apparition leaned forward with a clenched fist, popping out of the mirror at Jack, "This is your chance to do what you were born to: Destroy AKu!"
Jack shook himself out of his daze, "What? No, that's what got me here in the first place!"
Red Jack crossed his arms and hissed, "So try again! You're still here, you can still fight! AKu must think you've already given up, now is the perfect time to strike back, and do it right!"
"You're wrong…" Jack leaned on the bathroom counter, looking away from his alter ego.
"That girl never believed in you, she was always one of AKu's pawns!" Red Jack pointed an incriminating finger through the mirror, "You'll be getting back at her, too!"
Jack shot back, "I don't want to get back at her; she didn't do anything! Everything that happened was my fault…" he locked eyes with Red Jack, "Your fault. You're anger, frustration; you are the reason we're alone again!"
Red Jack got in his face, "I have kept us alive! If it weren't for me, you'd have given up a long time ago!"
"No! I've let you consume me for far too long. You are not welcome here anymore!"
Red Jack scowled, "Don't be absurd, you cannot get rid of me that easily! Complain all you want, but no matter what you do, I'm all you've got…" Jack's glare collapsed as the words resonated with him, recognizing how truly alone he was.
A loud knock at the front door pulled his gaze away from the mirror, and when he looked again, Red Jack was gone. With a sigh, Jack stepped out into the hall and went to answer the door. In the back of his mind, he hoped Ashi would be on the other side.
But, of course, it wasn't.
"I got somethin' to say to you, ya bone-headed, snivelin', gutless sad sack!" the large Scottish man spat at Jack immediately after he opened the door. Scotsman was one of the first people to find out about the breakup, having called Jack right after seeing the news reports on him crashing AKu's gala. The news was a shock to him, and he immediately started working towards cheering up his friend, but it was no use; that phone call weeks ago was their last interaction, as their weekly outings had stopped all together.
Jack stared blankly at him, accepting that this surprise visit was an inevitability. "Hello, friend. Haven't seen you in a while," he greeted half-heartedly.
"No kidding!" Scotsman replied curtly, "Look, Laddie, I sympathize with what yer goin' through; If anything happened between me and my darling wife, I'd be a mess, too! Maybe not this bad, but…" he caught himself trailing off, "Anyway, you need to pull yourself together, and I'm here to make sure that happens! So, go put some clothes on, because you and me are heading out tonight; we're gonna find you a brand new bonnie lass to get you back on yer feet, just like last time! What do you say?" Scotsman asked, looking at Jack enthusiastically.
His depressed, half-naked companion looked away with a reluctant expression, finally shaking his head, "I'm afraid I have to decline… sorry. Not feeling up to it right now," he mumbled.
But Scotsman wouldn't have it; "Oh, no! I don't want to hear no whiny excuses! No more mopin' around, you're never gonna get over Ashi if you don't put yourself out there!" he insisted forcefully.
"What if I don't want to get over her? What if that's impossible because I'll never have what I had with Ashi again?" Jack shot back, raising his voice slightly, "Ashi was… everything I ever wanted. Every good thing that has happened to me in the last seven months has been because of her. She was perfect, and now she's gone. All because I let AKu manipulate my emotions. I thought vengeance was the answer, but it just led me into another trap. I'm right back where I started, only this time…" his head drooped, and he leaned against the door frame, "I had more to lose…"
Scotsman looked at Jack disapprovingly for a moment, who wouldn't meet his eyes. Finally, he let out a huff, "Fine! If you want to wallow in your misery, I suppose I can't stop ya. Maybe you won't come to your senses, but she might," he wondered aloud as he started down the hallway.
For a split second, Jack was about to call out after his friend in protest of his intentions, but then realized there was no point and stopped himself. Not like Scotsman would be able get in touch with Ashi anyway, right? Retreating back into his apartment, Jack closed the door and sealed himself off from the world once more.
/
The crowded bus rumbled and shook as it barreled down the street, causing Ashi to steady herself in her seat. Only recently had she started riding it again, having to get between her new abode and her Father's office, but quickly discovered that she didn't miss the experience. The only part of it Ashi enjoyed at all was being able to watch the scenery go by outside the window, yet the view was already becoming tiresome to her.
As Ashi stared absentmindedly out the window, a loud engine approaching brought her to attention. A motorcyclist was steadily passing the bus, and she gazed eagerly through the glass to see who it was…
Nope. Just a normal biker, wearing a leather jacket with a red and white bandana on his head. She sat up from the window in disappointment, only for a head of long black hair sitting a few rows in front of her to catch her eye. Ashi stared at the back of their head for a full minute, trying to get a look at the person's face, only for them to finally turn around to reveal a very… androgynous female, not at all who she was hoping to see.
Ashi sighed, twice now expecting to see Jack, only to realize how foolish she was for thinking he would be there. Why did she even want to see him? She had already accepted that their relationship was over, and she was supposed to have moved on already; and yet, Ashi couldn't keep him out of her head.
Her "bus" of thought was interrupted by a whiny voice three seats ahead, "Why do we have to see that place? We have an AKu building back home!"
The pair of tourists, a man and a woman, had been chatting loudly for a while now, but only caught Ashi's attention when they mentioned her Father's office. The man looked at her with a raised brow, and spoke condescendingly, "Yes, but the one here is the original, and arguably the most impressive. Plus, this is the best chance we have of seeing the Samurai."
Now they really had Ashi's attention. The woman continued to complain, "Yeah, right! Don't you watch the news? Everyone says he disappeared again after he assaulted AKu, nobody's seen him since."
Ashi obviously hadn't kept tabs on Jack after the breakup, ignoring his calls and messages; but from what she was hearing, it seemed that Jack was no longer communicating with anyone. It made her sad briefly, until she reminded herself that his well-being was no longer her concern, and went to fish out a pair of earphones from her purse to drown out the couple's gossip.
The rest of the trip was only long enough for a song and a half, as they soon arrived at Ashi and the tourist couple's destination. When they stepped off the bus, the tourists wandered around the plaza with their cameras, hoping to see the Samurai lurking around; meanwhile, Ashi made her way to the front entrance of the building, quietly doing the same.
Jack was nowhere to be seen, but still occupying Ashi's mind. It wasn't until the elevator doors opened in front of her did she abandon any hope of seeing him, stepping inside and tuning out the world once more.
Her meeting with her Father went smoothly—at least, that's how it seemed. Sitting perfectly still, Ashi was barely cognizant of anything. Her eyes wandered as her Father and his assistant bantered back and forth; their mouths moved, and their arms made grand gestures, but all Ashi heard was white noise.
"Ashi," her Father looked at her, "Did you get all that, dear?"
Ashi's empty gaze met his, "Yes. You have a conference tomorrow, eight o'clock. You want me to come with you to keep up appearances, and to answer questions at the end," she answered dryly.
AKu glanced uncertainly at his assistant, who shrugged in response. "Uh, yes, precisely! Just checking to see if you were listening," he explained, snapping his finger and pointing a finger pistol at her. "So yeah, that's all I had to talk to you about today, but…" he glanced at his watch awkwardly, "I still have about ten minutes… anything you want to… talk about, sweetie?" AKu gave a half-hearted grin, not sure what to say to Ashi in this state.
"No, that's okay," Ashi shook her head slightly, standing up, "I know you're busy, so I'll leave you to it." Grabbing her purse from the back of her chair, she moved around the desk to give her Father a quick hug, then moved to the elevator and stepped in without another word.
"So long, dear! See you tomorrow!" AKu called after her enthusiastically, but Ashi didn't react. Once the doors shut, he exhaled and fell back into his chair as his assistant moved to sit where Ashi was, across from his boss' desk.
"Sacré bleu, talk about a killer mood! That girl has some serious apathy goin' on, babe," Scaramouche mused with his arms and legs crossed in his seat.
AKu was resting his chin on his hands, "I know…" he said somberly at first, but then his tone became excited, and his hands landed hard on the desk as he leaned forward, "Isn't it amazing? All I wanted was to get her away from the Samurai; and now, not only is he out of my hair forever, Ashi is now the perfect, obedient daughter I've always wanted! Breaking them up was the best decision I ever made!"
"Sure was, babe!" Scaramouche nodded, uncrossing his legs but not his arms, "It's funny, you were so worried about their relationship at first. I mean, rebellious daughter falls for righteous vigilante; a Father's worst nightmare! But it turned out to be exactly the opportunity you needed! Shame she's so bummed about the breakup though."
AKu responded with a dismissive wave, "Eh, she'll get over it. This was an important lesson for her: Relationships do not last. It's all part of life's sweet sorrow. Now, she is free to focus on the things that are truly important," he remarked while pulling out his laptop and opening it on the desk. "It's like I always say: Break a woman's heart, and she's yours forever!"
Scaramouche stared inquisitively, "But… didn't Jack technically break her heart?"
"No, he…" AKu raised a finger, but it fell limp as he mulled over his response, "Okay, yes, but he wouldn't have it if it weren't for me; therefore, I broke Ashi's heart, and now she's mine," he explained triumphantly, while clicking something on his computer. A moment later, a recording of AKu's voice came up through the laptop speakers, shouting, "SURPRISE!"
"…You're watching it again, aren't you?"
"Don't you judge me…"
/
On the way out of her Father's office, Ashi sent a text to her sister to tell her the meeting was over. Aki offered to pick her up after the afterwards, as it was her last free day in Burlington, and she wanted Ashi to come hang out at the studio one more time. Her last show was tonight, then tomorrow Aki was on a plane to the next stop of her tour.
As Ashi made her way back across the plaza, she temporarily resumed scanning the area for any sign of Jack. Again, all she saw was the obnoxious tourist couple that was also looking for him. Ashi had given up the search when she got to the street, but quickly discovered that someone had found her instead.
"Afternoon, Lassie," Scotsman was leaning up against his police cruiser parked on the curb, arms crossed, with a displeased expression on his face.
Ashi grimaced, knowing what was about to happen. Three weeks ago, if she ran into Scotsman on the street, he would greet her with a rough pat on the shoulder, and some raucous, yet friendly banter. But now that she was on bad terms with his best friend, through whom she was acquainted with Scotsman, all Ashi expected from him was yelling and Scottish insults being thrown at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked cautiously.
Scotsman pushed off the vehicle and got close enough to look down at Ashi. "I'm here for an explanation," he spoke in his intimidating police tone.
"Explanation…?" she asked with more curiosity this time.
"Aye, an explanation as to why you haven't spoken to Jack since the break up! That man has been sulkin' day and night, all because you won't even give 'im the time'a day!" Scotsman explained, crossing his arms again.
Ashi looked away in shame, muttering, "That's none of your business."
"Yes, it is! Jack may not be my partner anymore, but he's still my best pal and comrade, and that means I have to look out for him! The same goes for you, Ashi; you're my friend, too!" Ashi looked up at Scotsman again, surprised by his sentiment. Her solemn gaze threw him off; with a sigh, he continued, "Look, I know the lad messed up, but I also know that the two'a you really do care about each other. You and Jack can resolve yer issues, but that's never gonna happen if you won't talk to each other about them!"
Ashi replied with a sigh of her own, "It's not that simple. I'm AKu's daughter, all of our issues are because of who I am. I thought Jack would be able to look past that, but I was wrong. We're… incompatible."
Scotsman's glare had returned, with an incriminating finger accompanying it, "Now, you and I both know that's malarkey! You been crazy about each other from the beginning! What changed!?"
"You don't remember? Jack didn't know about my Father until recently, that's what changed," Ashi asserted.
"Oh, I remember! I remember because Jack told me after he found out, that he was worried your Father would take advantage of your relationship; and from what I've heard, that's exactly what he did!" Scotsman bellowed.
"Okay, no! All my Dad did was schedule a press conference on Valentine's Day, that's it! I don't know what Jack told you, but I guarantee you he was exaggerating!" Ashi retaliated.
Scotsman crossed his arms again, "So, you admit your Father interfered?"
"…Yes, but not in the way Jack accused him," she corrected warily.
"And you don't suppose maybe your Father lied about it?" his eyebrow popped up again.
"No!" Ashi asserted, but then perceived the gaping hole in her argument, which she scrambled to fill, "I know he's been… dishonest about other things… but I'm his daughter, he's always told me the truth."
"So, you think Jack is lying, then."
"N-No, that's not what I said!" she stammered
Scotsman shrugged, "Well, you said that your Father wouldn't lie to you. If what Jack says is different from what he says, then that must mean Jack is lying. Do you think he's lying?"
"I… I don't know! Maybe he just… remembered things wrong," she turned away, arms crossed.
"You think so?" Scotsman mockingly held his chin in contemplation, "Well, that would make sense actually. After all, it's difficult to remember anything after being date raped."
Ashi immediately snapped back in Scotsman's direction, staring daggers at him, "Don't…"
"I'm just saying, it's the only reason Jack would be wrong, since you don't think he's lying about it."
"Scots…"
"But that still leaves the question of how he found out what happened to him…"
"No, it doesn't!"
"Sure, it does! I mean if your Father's not lying, and Jack's not lying, then maybe Jack just got molested by some random broad."
"Stop!"
"What? That just means that no one is to blame for this whole mess. No harm, no foul, am I right?"
Ashi covered her ears, tightly clutching the sides of her head.
"You should feel relieved; least it wasn't yer Aunt or anything…"
"SHUT UP!" she finally exploded, and Scotsman surprisingly obeyed.
Ashi turned away again slightly, covering her mouth and holding back tears. After a brief silence to regain her composure, she spoke up again, quiet this time. "Look… I don't know what Jack went through, and I'd like nothing more than to be there for him… but it just can't be that way! I have a responsibility to my Father—to my family. If I have to sacrifice my own happiness… then so be it," she affirmed, her voice wavering.
They stood silently for a moment like that, until Scotsman finally spoke up again, "You've got it backwards, Lass. Sure, sometimes you have to give up things you care about for family's sake; but this ain't one'a those times! If yer Father really cared the way you think he does, he wouldn't have a problem with Jack."
Ashi didn't respond, nor did she turn back to face her friend.
"Or, think of it this way: When did you and Jack start having problems? When Jack found out about AKu, or when AKu found out about Jack?"
Just then, a pitch-black limousine rolled up next to them. Ashi moved to open the limo door, and took one last glance at Scotsman, who watched her solemnly; neither of them said another word as she stepped into the vehicle, which drove off as soon as the door was shut.
"Hey, sis!" Aki greeted, pulling Ashi into an enthusiastic hug that she tried her best to reciprocate. Aki glanced out the rear window at Scotsman, now walking back to his police cruiser, "What was that about? Did you get into some kind of trouble?" she asked.
"No, no," Ashi shook her head, "That was… an old friend. A mutual friend, that I haven't spoken to since Jack and I broke up."
Aki perked up, "Oh! Let me guess: He told you he had a crush on you, but he was always holding back since you were dating his friend?" she laughed, "That shit happens to me all the time!"
Ashi looked at her incredulously, "What? No, he… he wanted me to talk to Jack again, try and work things out… but, I just don't see the point in that."
"Well, the point is up to you in that case. You could talk to him just to see how he's doing, make sure he's okay; or maybe you're hoping he isn't…?" Aki said hesitantly, trying to coax an explanation out of her sister.
"No, not at all! I just… I don't think Jack and I are really compatible anymore, is all," Ashi explained, turning to look out the window.
Aki scowled at her sister's unconvincing response, feeling she might have given Ashi too much credit as a liar, "That's too bad, you guys were good together."
"Things change, it just wasn't meant to be…" her sister muttered, as Aki turned to look out her own window.
"Yeah, I guess not."
/
Scotsman dropped the thick stack of papers onto his desk, plopping into his seat with a huff. It was now quarter to midnight, yet he still had a mountain of forms and paperwork to fill out.
After failing to convince both Jack and Ashi to get in touch with the other, Scotsman had spent the remainder of his time on duty performing the police equivalent of grunt work—speeding tickets, parking violations, and fender benders were not the ideal way to spend his afternoon, and now his evening had to be spent reporting all of it.
He was about a third of the way done with filling out his reports when the telecom on his desk buzzed, and the voice of the station's receptionist came through, "Hey, Scott. Someone's looking for you up front."
That's odd, Scotsman thought; he didn't get many visitors on the job, especially not at this hour. "Alright, tell 'em I'm comin'," he responded dryly, standing up wearily from his desk. A quick stretch, cracking his own back, and he headed for the reception area of the station.
On the way there, Scotsman wondered if maybe Jack had finally snapped out of his depression, and wanted to talk to him about their next move. Alternatively, maybe Ashi changed her mind about seeing Jack, but wanted to speak to Scotsman about it first. At this point, either possibility was welcome.
As he passed through the doors into the reception area, however, a familiar face awaited him, but with an unfamiliar twist. The girl looked like Ashi except for her hair, which reminded him of a horseshoe instead of an onion. If this was some sort of disguise, it wasn't a very good one.
Scotsman approached the uncanny stranger, "So… what can I do for you?" he asked suspiciously.
The woman looked at him with a serious expression, "I hear you're a friend of the Samurai…"
/
It was half past two in the morning, according to the green glow of the digital clock on the nightstand. Sighing, Jack rolled over so that he was facing the bedroom wall. He shut his eyes tightly as if it would put him to sleep faster, but he knew it was in vain; as exhausted as he was, Jack was in for another sleepless night.
"Look at you..." Jack could hear his own voice behind him, and suddenly Jack felt a presence standing over his bed. Looking up groggily, another twisted Samurai stood there looking down at him disapprovingly. This one was blue, and calmer than the last, but even more distorted. It pointed a wicked finger at him, "You've survived worse. Are you just going to lie here forever?"
Jack didn't respond, instead turning back over to face the wall again.
The blue Samurai sat at the foot of the bed, "Oh, what a shame. The only person you have left is yourself, and you won't even talk to him," the apparition lamented.
"You are not me," muttered Jack from under the covers, muffling his words.
"No, but I was," the twisted Jack smirked, making grand gestures with his hands, "You used to be a hero, a noble warrior that put honor and righteousness above all else. It was your destiny…" then he held his forehead in frustration, "But you became careless. Distracted. You let lust cloud your judgement, and now it has stripped you of your dignity."
"It wasn't lust!" Jack sat up angrily, "I loved Ashi… but I put my pride first, and look where it got me! I thought being the Samurai was the most important thing, but it means nothing to me without her…" his head fell into his hands.
Blue Jack stood up again, shrugging, "So, what will you do then? Are you going to reclaim your destiny; or just mourn this loss for the rest of your life?"
"I… don't know," Jack sighed, hugging his knees.
There was a brief pause, then his twisted alter ego crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "Hmm, how unfortunate. Well, do what you must. I can't stop you…" he said blankly, as Jack fell back onto his bed, finally starting to doze off.
"But I will say this:" the blue Samurai's words echoed in Jack's head as his eyelids fell, and he drifted off to sleep, "If you can't accept failure, maybe you're better off dead…"
/
Scotsman's eyes went wide, "Oh, so you were the one who tried to pass of as Ashi; Jack told me all about that. I actually thought you were her when I first saw you."
As she stepped through the front doors of her Father's office building, Aki was reflecting on the conversation that took place the night prior between herself and her sister's ex-boyfriend's friend, "Scotsman" (she couldn't believe he actually called himself that).
"So, why should I trust you then? Maybe yer just tryin' to get with Jack now that he's single!" he crossed his arms, looking down at her judgmentally.
The man at the front desk greeted Aki with his usual phony enthusiasm, influenced by her status as both a celebrity and his boss' daughter, directing her to the main elevator. Without another word, she stepped in and pressed the button for the top floor, her Father's office.
"I don't care about that, this isn't about me," Aki asserted, "This is about my sister; I care about her, and I want her to be happy. That's how you feel about your friend, right?" Scotsman was taken aback, but nodded in agreement.
Aki took a few deep breaths, anticipating the elevator to complete its ascent.
"Whatever my Dad did to Jack, I want to help make it right."
At last, the doors opened, and Aki stepped out onto the bright red carpet. Her Father sat at the end of the room, smiling at her with his hands interlocked. "Aki, darling, it's so good to see you again!" he gushed, "After the gala last month, I thought I'd have to wait at least half a year to see you again!"
Aki gave a plastic smile, "Yes, well, I am a busy woman, after all."
AKu chuckled, "Of course, of course! I know you keep a very strict schedule, just like your Father! I actually have much to do in preparation for my conference tonight, but I'm always happy to put time aside for you, dear."
"I know you are, Dad…" Aki said as she took the seat across from his desk.
A hush fell over the room for a moment, as the two of them stared blankly at each other. AKu was the one to finally break the silence, "So, er…" he tapped his desk awkwardly, "Is there something you wanted to talk about, or…?"
"Why yes, actually!" Aki perked up, "I have a question for you…"
"What we need to do is get a confession out of my Father, and show Ashi that he's been playing them both the whole time. I think I can get it out of him, but I would need some help getting a recording of it. That's where you would come in," Aki pointed at Scotsman.
"Did you have anything to do with Ashi and Jack breaking up?" Aki asked her Father earnestly; she could see his eyes widen ever so slightly, a telltale sign of his guilt that she had caught onto long ago.
"Well…" AKu's eyes rolled back mischievously, touching the tips of his index fingers "I… may have pulled a few strings, here and there…" then waved his hands dismissively, "B-But, it was only out of concern for her well-being! I knew the Samurai wasn't right for her, so I merely… sped things along!"
Scotsman thought for a moment, "Well, if it's a recorded confession you want, one already exists according to Jack. That's what drove him into that frenzy at the Gala! AKu probably got rid of it by now, though."
AKu looked at his daughter pleadingly, "You understand, darling, yes…?"
"Even better! If I know my Dad, he's definitely got a copy of it still. Probably watches it to stroke his ego," Aki said with a smirk, "If he's got it, I can get it from him."
Aki smiled brightly, "Of course, I do. You're right, they weren't a good match. I saw it right from the beginning, that relationship was doomed to fail."
"I am a daughter of AKu, after all."
AKu smiled at her response, "I knew you would agree, Aki! You were always the brightest of your sisters, and your career success is a testament to that!"
"Oh, I already knew that. But thanks, Dad!" Aki replied, slipping comfortably into her façade, then tactfully shifting the subject back, "Although, now that the Samurai's out of the picture, Ashi could end up pretty successful herself! Speaking of which, I'm dying to know: How did you do it?"
Her Father gave her a cheeky look, swiveling his chair around, "I'm sorry, I cannot reveal to you my methods! I have to keep some secrets, you know!"
Aki batted her eyes at the audacious response, then turned up the charm as she pressed further, "Come ooon~! How am I ever going to learn from you if you won't even show me your ways? I tried this whole 'doppelganger thing' on Jack at Thanksgiving, but it didn't work out; how'd you finally get him to crack?" she asked inquisitively.
AKu chuckled as he spun back around to face her again, "Oh yeah, I heard about that! Good stuff, by the way. Now, what I did was three years in the making. I pulled a fast one on him a long time ago, and the fallout of that night ended up being the key to my plan. The night of the gala, he found out that—actually, you should just watch this!" he cut himself off to take out and open up his laptop, logging in excitedly, "I lured the Samurai into the hotel, and once I had him right where I wanted, I played this for him…" he clicked play, turned the laptop around to show Aki, and lounged back into his chair as his own voice boomed from the laptop computers deceptively powerful speakers, "Surprise!"
There it was. All of it. Every little thing AKu did to spite Jack being recited by the man himself; a rare moment of honesty from the mouth of a liar. Although Aki barely flinched at any of the things her Father was proudly admitting to, she knew how wrong they were. It took her until recently to realize that she had always known what was wrong, but only now did she actually have the guts to choose the opposite.
Once the video ended, Aki looked up to see her Father staring at her expectantly. "Can you imagine the Samurai's face when he saw this!? Not getting to see it was literally the only complaint I have with how the whole thing went, couldn't have gone better!" AKu boasted.
"Definitely, this video is…" Aki searched for the right words, not to describe how she felt about it, but to get the right reaction out of her Father, "…is a work of art! Yeah, I don't think I could ever pull off something like that!" she gushed.
"Sure, you will!" AKu scoffed, "You're my daughter! It's just a matter of taking advantage of trivial things; like love, and loyalty!"
"What about lust?" Aki added.
"That too!" AKu snapped his fingers and pointed, then added with a laugh, "Basically, any L word is fair game!"
"You know, you're right!" Aki declared, standing up in faux determination, "I just have to be more like you, manipulating anyone foolish enough to succumb to their pitiful emotions! It's just like in the music industry—nobody wants to hear another bleeding-heart crooning about break ups! They just want a shallow, upbeat earworm they can dance to! People are just cogs in a machine where there's no room for feelings!" she turned around, holding her arms out dramatically like she had seen her Father do numerous times.
"Yes, exactly!" AKu cheered proudly, enchanted by his daughter's manipulative spectacle.
Aki turned back around, "So! I should probably get going, the next stop of my tour awaits! But before I go, do you think I could get a copy of that video? It's simply too good to not have, you know?"
Her Father nodded, "Oh, of course! One moment…" he then pulled out a flash drive from his desk, plugging it into his laptop before spinning the computer back to face him. After a several clicks, AKu disconnected the drive, and held it out for his daughter, "Here you are, dear!"
Aki snatched it enthusiastically, "Thanks, Dad!" gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and practically skipped to the elevator. She turned around after stepping into the elevator, and waved goodbye to her Father as the doors closed. Once the car started descending, she clutched the flash drive close to her chest and let out a deep sigh.
Her limousine was waiting outside for her as she exited the building, and she quickly opened the door and got inside. "I told you I could get it," she said to the large Scottish man sitting beside her, dropping the flash drive into his hand, and then starting to remove the recording device hidden under her shirt.
"Aye, well done, Lassie!" Scotsman cheered, removing his headphones before taking the wire from Aki, "With all this dirt, we can finally expose that scoundrel for the liar he is! The whole world's gonna know the truth!" he said as the limousine started moving, headed back to the police station to drop off its extra passenger.
"Oh, no. Nobody else is going to hear this. Just Ashi," Aki replied casually, already looking at her phone.
Scotsman looked at her dumbfounded, "Wha… Are you mad, woman!? People need to see this! I thought you wanted to stick it to your Father? This is the way to do it!" he held up the flash drive
With a sigh, Aki broke her gaze away from her phone, "Listen, I made it clear from the beginning that this was only about Ashi. I'm trying to help her out; nothing more. This whole, 'resistance' thing you got going on, that's your business. I, for one, am not trying to get on my Dad's bad side."
"Oh, really? And how do you think you're Father's going to react to finding out that you told Ashi the truth, huh? I'm sure he won't be too happy about that," Scotsman remarked.
Aki didn't look away from her phone this time when she replied, "You act like I don't have a plan for that, too."
Scotsman scoffed, "You really are AKu's daughter."
There was a brief silence before Aki spoke up again, "Yeah, I am..." Scotsman's remark had hit a nerve.
Although Aki tried her best not to show it, Scotsman picked up on her reaction. "Lass, I… I didn't mean it like that."
"No, you're right. As much as I hate to admit it, my Dad and I are a lot alike," Aki admitted quietly. "That thing I said earlier; about people not caring about important things? I wasn't just playing a part, I was speaking my mind. The way my sisters and I were brought up, feelings never mattered. Our Dad was always touting the importance of money and things, and that's all we've been brought up to value. My entire career has been built on that! I'm not a musician, I'm not an artist, I'm a businesswoman, I sell people what they want to hear," her voice had gotten progressively louder as she ranted, "Not Ashi, though. She was always… different, somehow. She never bought into our Father's teachings; she wanted more out of life, and to find her own way. I mean, that's how she found Jack. She follows her heart, and… I always wished I could be like that," she said wistfully, staring out the window.
Scotsman's hand landed on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look at him as she said with a smile, "It's never too late, Aki."
Aki smiled back softly, "Thank you."
"Besides," he held up the flash drive again, "You're off to a good start…"
/
The sound of raindrops on the window at the end of the hall were the only thing amidst the deafening silence of the apartment, as Jack shuffled from the kitchen into the bedroom.
After a lackluster dinner consisting of instant ramen noodles and a piece of toast, he was planning to lay in bed for the rest of the night, even though it was only eight thirty; but as he passed the doorway into his bedroom, Jack found himself gravitating towards a particular pile of clothes on his dresser, the only organized stack in the otherwise disastrous room. It was a pile of all the things Ashi had forgotten when she moved out: a couple shirts, some socks, and a few unmentionables were the only trace of her left in the apartment.
Suddenly, Jack remembered one other memento she had left behind, the drawing she had made for him back in November. Ashi's original character, who she intended to tie into Jack's Samurai persona, resembled her enough that Jack considered the illustration to be his only physical picture of her, placing it down on his nightstand as he sat on his bed. He stared at it, motionless for a full minute, before snatching the drawing again, opening the nightstand drawer and shoving it into it.
Jack was about to close the drawer when a gleam caught his eye; curiously, he reached in to investigate, pulling out a pair of scissors. Having been buried in the back of the drawer for ages, the stainless-steel sheers were rarely used, as sharp as the day he bought them. Almost hypnotically, he wandered over to the mirror above his dresser; staring himself in the eyes, he lifted the scissors up to his neck, gently pressing them against his throat. If he wanted to, it would be so easy to…
Snapping out of his trance, Jack dropped the scissors abruptly, stepping back from the mirror in shock. He wasn't paying attention to the nightstand behind him, accidentally backing into it; his whole body was shaking, so he turned around to steady himself on the furniture.
"It's time to end it, don't you think?"
Looking up from the nightstand slowly, Jack turned around to see yet another Samurai phantom staring back at him from the mirror. This one was blue, but unlike the previous iterations, his proportions were completely normal.
Speechless for a moment, Jack quickly picked up the scissors and put them back in his nightstand, as he replied quietly, "I don't know what you're talking about." He shut the drawer and turned back around, only to be startled by his alter ego standing right in front of him, no longer separated by a mirror.
"Don't deny it!" the phantom demanded, "There's no hope, there's nothing to fight for! How much longer can you keep this up?"
Jack sat down on his bed with a sigh, "There's nothing to 'keep up'! This is just…life; I'm living."
The blue Samurai scoffed, "You call this 'living'!? You are merely existing, subsisting on some false hope that things will change; but we both know that isn't going to happen."
"I can't just give up on the people I care about," Jack shook his head, "What about Scotsman, and my parents? What about Ashi…?"
"Oh, so now you care about giving up? You've already abandoned them," the phantom counted off each finger, "Scotsman reached out to you and you shut him down; your parents couldn't rely on you anymore, so they learned to get by on their own; and Ashi…" he knelt down, looking straight on in Jack's face, "You think she would even care if you were gone?"
Jack clutched his head, "Quiet!"
"NO!" his hallucination refused, getting even closer to Jack's face, "I won't spend another minute in this pathetic state!"
"What do you want from me?" Jack quietly pleaded.
The Samurai bowed his head, answering just as quietly, "I want it to end…" he looked back up at Jack with a despairing look, "Aren't you tired? Wouldn't it be great to be free from all of this? If your friends and family knew of your suffering, they would want you to end it." As the alter ego spoke, Jack reopened the nightstand drawer to his left, stared at the scissors for a moment, then moved them aside to see Ashi's drawing again. The Samurai went up next to him, "And Ashi… would she even find out?"
Jack looked up at his alter ego's words, then noticed his cell phone sitting on top of the night stand. Picking it up, he scrolled through his contacts to find Ashi's name, and hesitantly hit the call button.
"You're wasting your time, she won't answer," the Samurai scolded.
"I have to try," Jack answered confidently, putting the phone to his ear. Expecting a response, he turned for a moment, only to find that the Samurai had vanished. Alone again, he took a deep breath as the line rang, only to be greeted by Ashi's voicemail. Even though she didn't pick up, it felt good to hear Ashi's voice, telling him that there was still a chance she might hear his words if he left a message.
It was a chance he had to take. After the beep, Jack held the phone away from his ear to take a deep breath through his nose, then brought it back and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Ashi, I…"
/
"You're on in fifteen, Miss Kurosawa. Can I get you anything while you wait?"
"No, thank you," Ashi blankly dismissed the stage hand who had poked her head into the dressing room where she was waiting. The conference had started at seven thirty, and it was about an hour in by now. She was scheduled to come out and answer questions herself at the halfway point.
Sitting in front of the lighted mirror, wearing her family's traditional black dress, Ashi was sifting through notecards her Father's campaign manager had given her to study; no matter what the press might ask, she was to say no more than what was written on the cards, which was all generic comments on AKu's character and policies. Ashi didn't really care, as long as it meant she didn't have to think about what she was doing.
Suddenly, her phone sitting on the countertop beeped, telling her that she had a new email. Ashi dropped the notecards down and lazily picked it up, scrolling over to the mail app. Her sister, Aki, had sent her something.
Curious, Ashi opened the email and quietly read to herself, "Hey, sis! Wish you were able to see my final show in Burlington last night, I couldn't have asked for a better closing performance! I got one of my roadies to record the final song, I think you should check it out when you get the chance! That's all for now, talk to you soon! Love, your favorite sister, Aki." Ashi playfully rolled her eyes at the closing line, and clicked on the video attached to the email. It looked short, so she figured she would be able to finish it before the conference started. After a brief loading screen, the video popped up:
"SURPRISE!" her Father's face abruptly appeared on the screen, startling Ashi; not at all what she was expecting. Did Aki send her the wrong video or something?
"Poor Samurai, always falling for the old 'fake plans' trap! You obviously have learned nothing from those poor goats you slaughtered," her Father taunted. Wait… Samurai? Ashi was now even more confused, watching the bizarre video with her mouth agape.
"Not only that, you have once more been deceived by the clever tactics of the wily Ikra; I have employed her services to yet again exploit you like the foool you are!" Now she was beginning to understand; this video must have been intended for Jack to see. Had he already seen it? And why was Ashi seeing it now?
"But it gets better… 'Ikra' is not her real name. Her name is actually 'Isabelle Kurasawa'! That's right, Samurai! You lost your virginity, not to my daughter, but to my sister! You and Ashi's first time wasn't special after all!"
Ashi's face went pale, as everything suddenly clicked in her head. This video was the reason Jack snapped at the gala. Everything he had told her—about her Father, her Aunt, and what she did to him—was all too true. AKu had lied to his daughter's face, and she bought it completely. Jack was right all along about her Father, and what he said next erased any doubt in her mind.
"Oh, and by the way: Everything else that happened—the jobs, the play, the reservation; all me! You were right all along, but no matter how hard you argue with her, Ashi will never believe you; I have her wrapped around my finger, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
The cell phone fell to the floor as Ashi felt like she was going to throw up, hunched over while clutching her abdomen. A torrent of emotion had swept over her: anger, sadness, frustration, guilt, all swirled about in her head. Instead of butterflies, furious wasps were buzzing about in her stomach.
All this time, Ashi was trying so hard to be a good daughter, and her Father was using that to turn her against Jack. He had been manipulating her from the very beginning, and though the evidence was right in front of her all along, Ashi willfully ignored it.
She finally sat up again, catching sight of the note cards on the counter, and her reflection in the mirror. Ashi was ashamed to see that she had become exactly what her Father wanted her to be: a tool to improve his image. Wearing only what he suggested, regurgitating everything he wanted her to say; she had completely forsaken her hard-won independence. Ashi was no longer looking at herself, but a mere puppet, and AKu was the one pulling the strings. Everything about him that Ashi valued, and everything that she thought he valued meant nothing to him. All of it was simply leverage he had over her, and now she had become his "perfect daughter".
The more she thought about it, the more the anger within her overtook the sorrow. All she wanted to do now was confront him; tear into him about what an awful, manipulative person he was. After furiously ripping up the cards, Ashi marched out of the dressing room and down the hall, and found herself in the stage left wing, looking out onstage at the podium where her Father was speaking.
Before she could angrily step out from behind the curtain, a stage hand pulled her back. "Miss Kurosawa! It's not time for you to go on yet," the stagehand whispered.
Ashi was about to protest, but then she realized: If she went out there right now to confront him, she would be exposing his personal affairs to the press—nay, the world. If she did that, would she be any better than those political opponents he warned her about, trying to ruin his reputation? Maybe he deserved it, but enacting vengeance like that would only be giving into her own reputation as his daughter. Reluctantly, Ashi decided to be the bigger person in all this.
A reporter in the audience then threw out the next question, which caught her attention: "AKu, what's your take on the Samurai's disappearance? Your nemesis is considered Burlington's most famous resident, and yet he hasn't been seen in weeks. Why do you think that is?"
AKu chuckled, "To be honest, I haven't given him much thought since the incident. I've said before that the shame he must feel for his actions is all the punishment he deserves, and I haven't changed my mind about that! The poor Samurai must've crawled into a hole somewhere, ridden with guilt and embarrassment; I certainly don't blame him! Perhaps one day, he might atone for his crimes…" Ashi's eye twitched as she listened to her Father talk about Jack.
The reporter continued, "And what about Ashi? In videos taken of the incident, it appeared that she was concerned for the Samurai's well-being. Do you know why that was?"
"Oh, yes…" AKu rolled his eyes dramatically, "Well, you know how daughters can be: rebelling against dear old Dad by… canoodling with some street punk. But, I assure you, that night was the last they will ever see of each other. After witnessing his incorrigible behavior firsthand, Ashi came to her senses and cut off all ties with the Samurai." Ashi's fists clenched as he waved his hand dismissively, "After all, it was merely a misguided infatuation, nothing more!"
Fuck being the bigger person, Ashi thought, this was long overdue.
"Liar!" she shouted, causing the entire auditorium to go silent. The stage hand's face fell in shock as Ashi stepped out from offstage.
AKu stiffly turned to address Ashi as she rapidly approached him, "Um… what was that, darling?" he said with artificial sweetness.
Ashi got up close to him and sneered, "I said you're a liar, Dad."
Taken aback by her boldness, AKu glanced out at the cameras and reporters looking on with baited breath. Eager to safe face, he leaned down slightly and whispered to Ashi, "I don't know what you heard, Ashi, but do you think we could discuss this somewhere a little more private?" He reached out to touch her cheek, but she slapped his hand away with a resounding "NO!", causing the crowd to erupt in murmurs and camera flashes.
"I've let you deceive me for too long! This time, you're going to listen!" Ashi demanded, driving AKu away from his podium with her index finger to his chest. "I vouched for you! Jack thought you were going to try to break us up, but I said you knew better! I really thought you would respect what I wanted for once, instead of trying to make things go your way like you always do!" AKu was backing upstage slowly as his daughter tore into him, "And I really believed that Jack was to blame for how things went! I really thought you cared about me, that you valued our family like you kept saying you did, and so that's what I chose: family! I chose you!" his back hit the solid campaign banner behind the podium, preventing him from retreating further, "But you know what? I chose wrong!"
"Ashi, please! I-I can explain everything!" AKu pleaded nervously, holding up his hands guiltily, "Just, please! Don't say anymore in front of the cameras!" he begged in a harsh whisper.
Ashi was dumbfounded. Her Father didn't care one bit that he had ruined the happiest relationship she had ever had, only that his image might be tainted by her accusations. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she had a realization, and with a stoic expression, turned around and walked up to the podium AKu had ditched.
Taking a deep breath, Ashi looked out upon the seemingly endless crowd, and spoke into the microphones: "My Father lied to you. The Samurai isn't a criminal, and what he did isn't normally like him. He's actually a great man; a hero who's helped so many people, myself included. But my Father… AKu… he's been tormenting the Samurai for years. He used our relationship to make him look like a criminal, but AKu is the real criminal!"
Scaramouche, who was standing in the opposite wing, gawked anxiously, "Oh, man…"
"He's lied to me, he's lied to all of you, and he'll continue lie so that you'll put him in office! Don't let him deceive you, do not vote for…" before Ashi could continue, AKu finally snapped out of his frozen shock, and charged up to the podium, pushing her aside.
"D-Don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she's talking about! Uhh… it's just her time of the month, y-you know how it is, they blow up over the smallest things…" AKu trailed off as the crowd remained quiet, not buying his frantic explanation. They had, after all, just witnessed him rudely shove his daughter to the floor.
Meanwhile, Ashi calmly got back up, brushed herself off, and walked offstage the way she came, ignoring the reinvigorated crowd shouting questions at her. After gathering her things from the dressing room, about to exit the convention center where the conference was being held, the double doors of the auditorium swung open, and AKu stood there panting angrily.
"A word, Ashi!" he barked, but she simply upturned her nose and walked away, ignoring him. His aggravated growling was interrupted by a stampede of reporters and cameras, clamoring to hear more of what Ashi had to say.
Not looking to answer any questions, Ashi started sprinting out of the building into the heavy rainfall outside. She saw a taxi coming down the street, and flagged him down by waving her hands in the middle of the road. Sure enough, the taxi stopped with a sustained honk of his horn, and she quickly went around to get inside.
The driver turned to look at her, annoyed, "What the hell's wrong with you, jumping in front of me like that!? Especially in this weather!"
Ashi huffed, "I'm sorry, but can we please get going already?" She could see the paparazzi pouring out of the building, noticing the stopped taxi.
"Didn't you see the light on? I'm off duty, get lost!" the driver pointed out his window with his thumb, refusing to budge an inch.
Groaning, Ashi quickly pulled a stack of bills out of her purse, showing it to the man, "I'll pay you double, just drive!" she demanded. At last, the taxi sped off before the invasive crowd could surround it. Ashi fell back into the seat with a huge sigh of relief.
"So, where am I taking you exactly?" the driver asked.
Ashi suddenly realized she had no idea where to go. Having just told off her Father on live television, renouncing his campaign, she didn't feel comfortable going back to the hotel, or even to her old apartment. "Just… head downtown," she replied, disheartened. The only place she wanted to go was her other old apartment, but she knew she was no longer welcome there. Somberly, Ashi dug into her purse for her phone, feeling more lost than ever.
There was a notification on her phone about a missed call, from a number Ashi didn't recognize at first. The caller left a voicemail, and her heart skipped a beat as she realized who it was.
Jack.
Now that she knew the truth, Ashi felt ashamed about everything Jack had went through because of her. She was expecting him to still be mad about it, and probably tell her off in his voicemail. Ashi wasn't sure if she was ready to hear that, but out of fairness to Jack, decided to face the music and hear him out. Hesitantly, she played the message:
"Ashi, I know you probably don't want to hear from me, but… I have to get this off my chest…"
Here it comes, she thought anxiously.
"I'm sorry."
Wait, what?
"What I did was unforgivable; it didn't have to be that way, but I gave in to my temper, and made a fool of myself. I never meant to drag you into my hatred, and for that, I'm truly sorry…"
Unbelievable. After all this time, Jack hadn't held any grudges against her, only blamed himself for what her Father did. How could she have thought anything bad about this man?
"I know that this apology is too little, too late, but I needed you to hear it, and to hear this:"
Her breath was becoming more and more shallow.
"Ashi, I love you. Fully and completely. I was lost for so long, but you helped me find my way again. I was happy just being with you, and I wish things could be like they used to. But, even if I never get to see you again, the time we spent together… I will cherish it for as long as I live. I can only hope that, at some point, maybe you felt the same… Goodbye…"
"Uh, Miss? Everything okay?" the driver spoke up, dragging Ashi out of the trance she had been in since the voicemail ended moments ago.
Looking up, she realized her vision was blurry and her face was wet. Ashi was sobbing right there in the back of the taxi and didn't even notice. Wiping her tears with a sniffle, Ashi smiled softly, "Y-Yeah, I just… I finally decided where I want to go…"
"Well, that's great and all," the driver remarked, "But it's gonna take a while to get anywhere with this traffic."
Ashi then realized the taxi wasn't moving, and glanced ahead to see a line of cars and brake lights stretching out into the rainy horizon. She wasn't initially concerned, but then remembered Jack's voicemail, and the finality of it. The nightmare she had recently popped back into her head. What if this was his last attempt at salvation from his despair, before taking his fate into his own hands? What if he couldn't bear his loneliness and shame any longer, and was already seeking to end it?
What if it was already too late?
Without a second thought, Ashi took two twenty-dollar bills from the stack she used to persuade the driver, threw them into the front seat, and dashed out of the taxi into the pouring rain.
/
Well, so much for that.
Jack lay on his couch like a lifeless doll, lamenting his last-ditch effort to get Ashi's attention. He poured his heart out into the phone, and Ashi wasn't even going to hear it; she probably deleted the message as soon as she saw it, he thought.
If his colorful alter ego were here, he would probably tell him to grab those scissors and get it over with, but Jack didn't even have the motivation to do that.
Suddenly, a knock on the door. With a sigh, Jack forced himself to stand up and trudge the few feet it took to get to the front door. As it was the first Saturday of April, Jack expected the guest to be his landlord, looking for the rent he wasn't even sure he had. Lazily, he opened the door.
It was Ashi, standing there in a little black dress, holding a pair of heels, and soaked from head to toe.
Their eyes met, and they both froze. Ironically, Ashi was shivering a bit as she got to Jack's door, but now she no longer felt the cold. Similarly, Jack had recently stopped caring about wearing little when answering the door; but right now, wearing only a white tee and boxers, he was feeling very underdressed.
"H-Hi…" Jack stammered.
"Hey…" Ashi answered.
The two went silent again. After about half a minute of averted gazes, Jack finally spoke up again.
"What are you—OOF!" he was cut off when Ashi ran into him with enough force to knock him down, sending them both to the floor.
Landing on his back with Ashi on top of him caused Jack to flinch, yet he still held her in his arms, having instinctively held her tight as they fell. The slight pain was quickly replaced by a strange rhythm on his chest, which he looked up to see Ashi' face buried into it. Her shoulders twitched and breath hitched on each irregular beat, and her drooping wet hair perfectly complimented her crying.
"I'm so sorry, Jack…" Ashi sobbed into his chest, slightly muffled. She finally looked up at him, "I'm sorry I chose him, even for a second! I couldn't accept the truth, even when it was right in front of me, and you suffered for it! I let him use me to hurt you—I never wanted to hurt you! I was so stupid, you must think I'm awful…" she whimpered as her face fell back into his chest.
Jack propped himself up on his elbows, and ran his hand over her damp head, causing her to look up again. "I was never angry with you, Ashi…" he wiped a tear from his own eye, "I was mad at your Father, and at myself for letting him come between us. I lost my temper, and you because of it. This whole thing was my fault, I'm sorry…"
"No, stop it!" Ashi put her hands on his shoulders, "You know that's not true, it was all because of me! You told me what would happen and I didn't listen! I'm sorry!"
"Forget it, no more apologizing. You're here now, that's all that matters to me," Jack pressed his forehead against hers, "I love you, Ashi."
Ashi smiled through her tears, "I know. I love you, too…"
Finally, they brought their lips together for the first time in too long. They kissed on the floor for about a minute, until Jack opened his eyes, feeling all of the moisture covering Ashi dripping down onto him. He broke the kiss and looked at her, "Um, why are you so wet?"
Ashi then remembered the strands of wet hair hanging in her face, "Oh, well I ran here from the edge of the hill section in the rain," she said calmly.
Jack's eyes widened, "You ran all that way!? You must be exhausted!"
"Well, now that you mention it…" she yawned, laying her head down on his chest, this time treating it like a pillow.
Before she could doze off, Jack sat up all the way, forcing her up as well. "You should dry yourself off first, or you might get sick," he warned, getting up while helping her to her feet.
"Good point, let me get out of this dress…" Ashi remarked, beginning to slip out of the soaked garment before Jack stopped her.
"Y-Yes but, you should go dry off in the bathroom," he said nervously, "I'll get you a towel and some dry clothes."
"Okay…" Ashi quietly relented, shuffling off towards the bathroom. She turned on the light, then back to Jack, who was closing the front door they had left open, and asked, "Um, is it okay if I take a hot shower?"
He looked at her in confusion, "You don't need my permission, Ashi…"
"I just figured I should ask, I mean… I don't live here anymore…" her statement caused another moment of silence, which Jack finally broke.
"Take a shower, Ashi," he said with a smirk.
Ashi smiled back, "Thanks," and retreated into the bathroom.
Once she closed the door, Jack went into his room and gathered a few pieces of clothing from the pile Ashi had left behind. Realizing not much of it could be considered bed clothes, Jack had to improvise using his wardrobe. He also removed his own shirt, which was now wet as well from Ashi laying on him.
Meanwhile, Ashi had finally peeled off her wet dress, turned on the shower head, and stepped into the tub. The hot water felt much more pleasant than the cold drops bombarding her during her marathon sprint. As Ashi cleaned herself, she heard the bathroom door creak open; but before she could poke her head out of the shower, the door shut again, and all she saw was a neatly folded towel and clothing on the counter.
Minutes later, Ashi turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel Jack had left for her. Drying herself off, she ran the towel side to side on her head, and looked in the mirror to see her hair how it always looked after a shower. Ashi found Jack's hairbrush and was about to style it back into its usual look, but then she realized:
That hairstyle was a testament to her status as a Daughter of AKu. It represented the old Ashi. She wanted to change that, and this change involved keeping her hair as it was now—slightly messy, but natural and free.
She then picked up the clothes Jack gave her to wear: a long green tee shirt that hung past her waist, matching knee-high socks that she had forgotten to pack when she left, and a pair of Jack's own boxer shorts. Ashi smiled, realizing that Jack remembered how she liked to dress before bed.
As for Jack, he was sitting on his couch in the living room, completely dumbfounded at the events that had just taken place. He had given up hope of ever making amends with Ashi, and yet she had come back to him herself, begging his forgiveness. But Jack was telling the truth when he said he never blamed her for anything.
Speaking of, Jack heard the bathroom door open, and Ashi walked out from the hallway in her new dry clothes. As she stood there, holding her right arm, as Jack stood up and approached her.
"Your hair…" he pointed at the new do, trailing off.
Ashi turned pink, and brushed a lock of hair behind her left ear, "I-I thought I'd try something different. What do you think…?" she asked nervously.
Jack stared for a moment before smiling warmly, "I think it looks… fresh."
Her eyes began to well up again, and she leapt into his arms again, wrapping hers around his neck. Jack was more prepared this time, able to keep himself steady while holding her up.
"I missed you…" Ashi whispered.
"I missed you, too," Jack responded just as quiet, "So much."
They stayed like that for a few moments. Jack savored Ashi's scent as his face rested in the crook of her neck, a sensation he had never thought he'd experience again. He could feel her soft breathing, and she finally spoke up, "You know, I could fall asleep like this…"
Jack chuckled lightly, "Well, that won't do. Let's get you to bed." Holding her tightly, he made his way back down the hall and into his room. He lowered her into a standing position, holding her upright with his right arm, and lifting the covers on his bed with his free hand. Carefully, Jack hooked the back of Ashi's legs and lifted her up, bridal style, before placing her down gently into his bed.
Ashi's eyes were closed as Jack covered her with the blankets. He turned to walk out of the room, planning to sleep on the couch, when he felt his left arm refused to follow along. Ashi was holding onto his wrist, eyes half-lidded as she looked up at him.
"Please…stay…" she murmured.
Jack looked down at himself; wearing only his boxers, he was already dressed for sleeping. Not even ten o' clock yet, it wasn't like he had anywhere to be. Ashi managed to roll over a bit as Jack joined her in his bed, then rolled back into his open arms.
Ashi was asleep in mere minutes, breathing softly into his chest, as Jack closed his eyes. Warily, he peeked to see if any hallucinations were still hanging around.
Nothing, not a Samurai in sight.
With a sigh of relief, Jack closed his eyes for the last time that night, and slept better than he had in weeks.
—END CHAPTER 16—
/
Hey, it's me! The author!
I know it's been a while since I've updated, but I've made good use of that time (concerning this story, at least). I went back and fixed all of the glaring grammatical errors infesting the existing chapters; each and every one meticulously reread and edited in their original file, and posted on here, fresh(haha) as new!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this latest update; I actually think it's the best so far, but that's for you to judge. Feedback of all kinds would definitely be appreciated, and the kind words you've already offered have helped get me this far in the first place!
There's quite a ways to go before this story's over, so I hope you'll stick it out to see it through with me! Love ya ;)
-Skippy