CHAPTER 12

Back on Samurai Jack's ship, standing before the Earthrealm allies was Omi. But not the same one they knew, nor the revenant. No, it was Omi the fire god—complete with a new set of garb—as fire and electricity coursed through his system. All the heroes were stunned as they all gathered around Fire God Omi.

"Omi?" asked Foghorn almost in a tone of uncertainty.

Fire God Omi announced for all to hear. "I am—and I am not."

"What happened to Samurai Jack?" Boog inquired.

"He is part of me. Bound to my soul. He . . . made me a god. For now, at least."

Young Kimiko blinked, with a voice filled with awe. "A god? Incredible."

"Know what that means?" Raimundo whispered to young Timmy.

Young Timmy nodded. "Yeah. Now he's out of her league."

The yellow-and-black-clad Lin Kuei gave him a deadpan look. "Not quite what I meant."

Fire God Omi continued. "My revenant counterpart. I have absorbed his knowledge of the Keep, of Eris's plan. I know where to find the Hourglass. We can beat Eris."

Back at her Keep, Eris and Valerie looked down at the chains that once bound Omi.

"Out of desperation," Eris said, "comes invention. I had not thought it possible for Samurai Jack to surprise me. Our success is no longer certain. We must make haste."

The two Elder Goddesses approached the hourglass and started controlling it.

Meanwhile, back at the allies' ships, they found themselves facing a horde of demons waiting at the shoreline.

"Brace for impact!" the Grim Reaper called out.

They landed on the island of Eris and started fighting the countless demons.

Allies old and new alike (A/N: Including the ones who sporadically made cameo appearances in the earlier chapters) fought off the horde.

Even older Boog started fighting them off, side-by-side with his daughter and his younger counterpart.

"Does that mean you're back?" Julie smiled.

"It means I'm sorry, Julie," stated Boog before grinning confidently, "and heck yeah I'm back."

The commando father and his daughter shared a hug, before they went back to fighting alongside their allies.

Fire God Omi appeared in the sky, flew down, and crushed all the demons in one apocalyptic explosion.

After they and everyone saw what happened, both Ron and young Ron were practically slack-jawed as they breathed out in unison, "Whoa."

Young Kim blinked in disbelief. "Whoa, indeed."

Once the dust settled, Fire God Omi stood back up, as if it was no big deal.

Behind him, his allies cheered in victory before charging at the gate with Fire God Omi leading them.

After incapacitating a smaller band of demons blocking the gate with his electric powers, Fire God Omi called back to his allies, "Stand back." Using his fire powers, he blasted the gate along with the demons that stood behind it.

The Earthrealm allies continued their triumphant march to Eris's chambers.

Speaking of Eris, the Elder Goddess and her daughter were still busy with the hourglass before revenants Mary, Kimiko, and Timmy came running in.

"Is the battle lost?" asked revenant Mary.

Eris, meanwhile, was still busy with the hourglass as she spoke. "Victory is still at hand. The Hourglass is nearly ready." She then faced the three revenants. "You will prevent Omi's interference. But you will require more assistance." She then used some kind of frost magic.

Meanwhile within the Keep, Fire God Omi, young Kimiko, and young Timmy stood at the door.

"Whatever happens," said Fire God Omi, "I am honored to fight at your side."

Young Kimiko nodded. "Likewise, Omi."

Young Timmy placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Me too, brother."

A thin smile was on Fire God Omi's face. "May the Elder Gods protect us." He then melted the door with his fire powers, allowing the three to enter the room. However, as they were about to march up to the two Elder Goddesses and the hourglass, they were confronted by revenants Kimiko, Mary, and Timmy.

"Omi," stated Eris, "God of Thunder and Fire. Combining with Samurai Jack has the benefit of novelty. But it is also too little, too late."

As the Elder Goddess controlled the hourglass, time stopped . . . and started to go backwards.

Young Timmy and young Kimiko were slowed down when they tried running alongside their now-more-powerful friend.

"Kimiko! Timmy!" exclaimed Fire God Omi as he tried to assist them before his two friends were sent running backwards out of the room and the melted door was reset to its original state.

Fire God Omi whipped his head around toward the Elder Goddess of time, a scowl evident in his glowing eyes.

Back on the shore, the Earthrealm allies—with young Kimiko and young Timmy with them again—were sent rewinding back to their ships. Everything that happened did not happen.

Seeing Fire God Omi still standing before her, Eris came to a conclusion. "Samurai Jack's gift shields you from the power of the Hourglass. Regardless—your allies are gone, while mine remain to defend me." She then faced the three revenants. "Finish him."

Fire God Omi then started fighting the trio of revenants, only to be overcome by them.

After revenant Timmy kicked him to the floor, Fire God Omi then heard the voice of Samurai Jack: "Earthrealm's Jinsei flows within you. Let it fuel your fire."

Inspired, and with fire and lightning coursing through him, Fire God Omi let out a battle cry before fighting off the three revenants—even busting revenant Mary's staff in the process of incapacitating her—as he soon found himself confronting revenant Kimiko.

Fire God Omi scowled at her. "Now stand down. I have no wish to harm you."

"Harm me?! You already killed me!" snapped revenant Kimiko. "My fate was sealed the moment I joined you at Samurai Jack's side. It's a mistake I won't repeat in the New Era."

They fought. Since hearing the voice of Samurai Jack, Fire God Omi used the Jinsei to help aid in fending off and ultimately defeating the revenant Kimiko.

"Our bond," said Fire God Omi, "was no mistake."

He was immediately confronted by the revenant Timmy.

Revenant Timmy stood ready to fight, anger evident in his eyes. "Your ego knows no bounds."

Fire God Omi denied. "I did not ask for it. It was thrust upon me."

"It should have been me, Omi, from the beginning! Thanks to Eris, it will be."

Not long after the first fight, a second fight began. In the end, however, it ended just as quickly with Fire God Omi left standing, before he turned around to face the Elder Goddess of time.

Anger was evident in Eris's voice. "Still, you are alive."

Fire God Omi walked closer to her. "Yes, Eris. You were right to fear mine and Samurai Jack's powers combined."

"A demi-god's power cannot rival the power of an Elder God. Valerie!"

The Elder Goddess of nature appeared to have had her green coloring replaced with red. "As you wish, mother." She started attacking Fire God Omi, only to be at a stalemate. "You match me step for step."

With one final strike by Valerie, Fire God Omi counteracted it and reflected it back on the Elder Goddess of nature—easily defeating her. "Because your heart is not in the battle, Valerie. You fight for your mother's vision. But as a goddess of virtue, you know that her desired balance is folly."

Eris hissed. "Heed me, Valerie. He lacks our vision and wisdom."

Fire God Omi tried persuading Valerie. "Please. No virtue is served by condemning the Realms to endless war."

Valerie looked back to see her mother still glaring at her, now being forced to reluctantly fight the powerful Earthrealm ally. "The greatest virtue is abiding my mother's will, Omi. I cannot fail her."

So started the fight. Valerie was powerful, but her head was not entirely in the fight as she was defeated soon enough.

Fire God Omi shook his head at her. "Your heart betrays you, Valerie."

Valerie was still on her knees as she looked up at her mother with a defeated look. "I have failed you."

"Dearest Valerie," Eris smiled, "you have done admirably. Yet there is one final service to perform."

". . . Yes, Mother. I understand."

With a cry of agony, Valerie disappeared as she offered her essence to her mother.

Eris absorbed her daughter's essence. "You will be exalted in the New Era, Valerie." She then deflected a blast from Fire God Omi before angrily blasting him with her sand power and tinkering with the hourglass. "And you Omi, have failed! History rewinds, giving way to the New Era!"

"NO!" exclaimed Fire God Omi, before he and Eris were sent back to what appeared to be a primitive time—to the age of prehistory.

Eris's eyes glowed with rage. "The Realms as you knew them are undone. Erased. You cannot save a future which no longer exists! There is only the New Era!"

The fight was on. Fire God Omi and Eris were evenly matched. The fight raged on until Fire God Omi was able to finally defeat the Elder Goddess of time.

As he waited for the Elder Goddess to pick herself back up, Fire God Omi approached her. "The Realms will not fight your endless wars."

"Fight me further," Eris hissed, "and your friends are lost. They have no future unless I create it."

"The future you offer is not worth living. It will not come to pass."

The final battle! Much like the previous fight, Fire God Omi was evenly matched with Eris in a stalemate before finding a proverbial open window of opportunity. Fire God Omi was able to get in a few more strikes. When Eris was down, he unleashed his fire and lightning on her before, in a fiery flurry, he turned her into a crystal statue.

Fire God Omi then approached the crystal statue and smashed it—first one hand, then the other, then the head, and finally he tipped the rest of it over as it shattered into pieces.

It was over—it was finally over. Fire God Omi closed his eyes and regained a sense of inner peace. But then, he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around and, to his pleasant surprise, it was Samurai Jack. But there was something different about him. His eyes, they didn't look like the eyes of a god. . . . They looked mortal.

Samurai Jack looked up at his old friend, a thin smile on his face. "Our work is finished, Omi."

Fire God Omi slowly approached him, not sure what to think. "Samurai Jack."

"I am merely a mortal, now. You have proven worthy to take my place as Earthrealm's new Protector, Lord Omi."

The two bowed to one another in respect.

"Where do we go from here?" Fire God Omi asked.

Samurai Jack set a hand on his friend's shoulder. "The Sands of Time are yours to shape. You must return the Hourglass to the dawn of time and sculpt a new history. A better one."

"The fate of all Realms in my hands? . . . Samurai Jack, I cannot do it alone."

"Yes. You will need a partner with who you can share the eons."

There was a thin yet blissful smile on Fire God Omi's face. "Kimiko."

Samurai Jack nodded. "Your destinies have always been intertwined."

"We are far in the past, but not so far that I cannot reach her."

"Return with her to the dawn of time. Sculpt the Hourglass's sands to forge a better future. I look forward to meeting again, in the next timeline."

"Then I will not say goodbye."

After he and Samurai Jack exchanged a nod in agreement, Fire God Omi approached the hourglass.

Fire God Omi was somewhere on an asteroid deep in space with the hourglass . . . while holding hands with Kimiko—no longer a revenant, no longer a mere Edenian mortal, but now immortal.

"Are you ready?" asked Fire God Omi.

Kimiko nodded. "Yes. But no matter how we sculpt the Sands, we cannot plan for every possibility. Mortals will make their own choices. New evils will arise."

"Each Realm must choose its own destiny. Whatever those choices, we will face them together."

And as the two kept on holding hands, they would face whatever was in store for them.

And now with the main story at an end, it is time to wrap things up with commentary. See you in the final chapter, everyone!