Samurai Jack: the Sword Awakens

Chapter 3: Two Destinies Intertwined pt. 3

Back in Neo Tokyo

A Week Later

Not far from the city of Neo Tokyo, a stranger rode on what appeared to be an Ostrich with a mix of horse in its genetic design. The figure was clad in black, with bits of dark gray armor, and wore a black cloak with the hood up. His build appeared to be lean and medium muscled, befitting that of a man wearing such armor. He rode the ostrich horse in over to the town over a rope suspension bridge, as they crossed to get to the other side. He took a water skin from his side and drank from it. However, it was bone empty. He put it back to his side, as he rode over to the horizon. His weary eyes viewed to the marketplace of Neo Tokyo, as he rode on in.

As he rode in, he passed several men dressed in samurai armor; some were custom to their own style and colors. Three of the four soldiers squatted down, while the fourth, wearing a green and black suit of armor, with dual battle hammers strapped to his side, watched over them, as they were playing their game. One of them was shaking a pair of dice, as he smirked, "Come on, show me snake eyes…"

Once the die was cast, it rolled into the circle, revealing two fives. The man with a bandanna on his head scowled, as the roller put his hands over his head in triumph, "Yeah! Two fives!" He then pointed to the snake eyes man, as he smirked, "In your face, loser!"

The lone samurai entered near the village, passing the men as he parked near a stall. The soldier standing looked to the samurai's direction; he didn't follow but he followed with his eyes, sizing up the newcomer. The black armored samurai walked up to a merchant's stall, seeming it favored to weary travelers and their steeds.

He put on the counter a few coins, and spoke with a kind and calming voice, "May I have some water, a bag of feed, and something to eat?"

The merchant looked at the coins, and shook his head to the traveler, "Not enough for a meal. Though I could get you water and two bags of feed."

The man looked down in despair, but he sighed, as he looked up, and bowed his head, "Thank you. That will suffice."

The gambling samurai just looked at him in the background, either scheming or laughing at his misfortune. At that moment, Mako was running down the way, along with what appeared to be a fat Caucasian with bowl-cut red hair, glasses, and wearing a red style of clothing much like Mako's. His name was Arthur, he was a sort of mix breed of Japanese and foreigner blood, and he was Mako's friend.

"Thanks for helping me get these rice bags to my home, Arthur," Mako sighed.

Arthur, who wasn't in the best of shape, wheezed out, as he looked like he was about to keel over, "No… problem…"

However, both boys crashed into the green armored samurai, who was about to walk over to the Black armored samurai. Both boys crashed on the ground, as they looked up to see the man, glaring at them both. Arthur quickly got up, and bailed, "Sorry, Mako! Gotta run!" And was out of there, looking terrified like crazy.

Mako was getting up, but was suddenly pushed down by the armored guy, as his friends started to circle around the boy, "Well, well. If it isn't the outcast fatherless freak, Mako. How's mommy doin' today?"

Mako glared at him, knowing him full well around town, "Better than you are, Gow."

SMACK!

Mako was thrown to the ground roughly, a bruise mark on his cheek, as Gow gently shook his hand from slapping the boy, "That's Lieutenant Gow to you, Freak! Didn't your mommy ever teach you how to respect your betters?"

"Did anyone tell you a samurai only strikes the wicked, and not the innocent?"

Gow and his men turned to the stranger, who was now paying furvert attention at them, with a scowl that could pierce the strongest armor. The men arched an eyebrow at this, as they left the boy be, who was stunned to say the least. This stranger, who had come out of nowhere, was defending him. Him, an outcast that was treated harshly by others, and only his mother treated him fairly.

Gow and his men surrounded the stranger, as Gow interrogated, "You got something to say to us, stranger?"

"Depends," the stranger replied. "Will you get the point afterwards?"

Gow pointed at the boy, "You realize he's considered the curse of this village. He's a freak of nature."

The samurai looked over to him and saw only a boy with a bruise on his face and concern for his wellbeing. He then turned to the soldiers, and replied, "He seems like a pretty normal boy to me. Perhaps with the way you treat him, you should not be samurai."

The merchant was back, as he placed a full water skin and two bags of feed on the counter, "Here ya go. Safe travels."

The Black armored samurai turned around to retrieve it, but Gow swooped in and took the two bags, and threw to one of his men each, "Thanks for your contribution. The Army of the Samurai appreciates your support." He then grabbed the water skin, and drank from it, and then proceeded to dump the rest in front of the Samurai. The stranger didn't bat an eyebrow, but watched at Gow smirked at this scene, as he finished it, "You better leave now. Penalty for staying is a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger." He made his point by tapping his war happens, "Trust me on that."

And with that, Gow and his men walked away, leaving the samurai to pick up the water skin and reattach it to his belt. The Merchant huffed, as Mako picked up the bags of rice, "Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the forces of Aku, but they're just a bunch of thugs."

"There is a term to describe them," the Black armored samurai stated. "Bandits."

Just as the samurai was about to leave with his ostrich horse, Mako ran up to him, handing him one of the two bags. The samurai arched an eyebrow, as he refused, "Oh no. I could not accept this."

"It's the least I can do," Mako replied. "You lost your bird feed and your water because you helped me."

"I appreciate the offer, but I do not think rice makes a good substitute for horse feed," the samurai politely declined. The samurai got back on his steed and proceeded to ride out of town.

But Mako grabbed the reins of the bridle, as he insisted, "Okay, then I can take you to my home. There you can feed your Ostrich Horse and have a meal too. I intend to repay the kindness you showed me."

But the samurai insisted, "Oh no, I am perfectly fine." However, his stomach said otherwise, as it roared inhumanly. He grabbed his stomach and looked away, embarrassed to say the least, as Mako smiled, and the Samurai replied, "Perhaps… maybe a meal or two."

Later On

Mako's Home

As mako led the hungry samurai to his ome, a rooster called out as they passed it, as the lone samurai arched an eeybrow at the site. But Mako smirked, as he explained, "The rooster's there so that way nobody can sneak up on us at night."

"I see," the samurai replied.

Mako continued to lead the ostrich horse as the samurai looked to his right. The rooster stopepd crowing, as Mako's mother stepped out, looking a bit dirtied from varnish cleaning from an antique piece. Once she saw the scene, she asked, "Are you a friend of my son's?"

Mako pointed to the samurai, as he answered, "This guy stood up to Gow and his men. By the end, they backed away before anything went down too deep." But then looked away, as he replied, "Of course, they took his food before anything could be done about it."

"Sorry to hear that," Asami stated, and then looked to the stranger, "Do you have a name?"

"Um, yes," the samurai stated. "But I do not wish to give it so easily. I do not wish to burden with details."

Asami bowed her head as she replied, "Well, nobody has to say who they are if they don't want to. Besides, anyone who can hold their own against Gow and his goons is welcomed here." She looked away, embittered, "Those men should be ashamed to wear Samurai armor." She looked to the black armored samurai who got off his ostrich horse and looked at her confused, as she explained calmly, "The real samurai are off fighting against Aku, helping rebel factions all around." She then gestured to her home as she asked, "If you'd like to, you could stay for dinner."

The samurai shook his head, as he confessed, "I shouldn't. I should be moving on."

"I could use some help around the home, while I'm working on a piece my client neede refurbishing," Asami explained. "If you can, help my son a little. He maybe seven, but he likes to help out as he can."

The samurai bowed his head, as he replied, "I will help in the best of my abilities, ma'am."

Sometime Later

The Samurai, now without his upper armor and his sleeves rolled up, sat atop the rooftop of the house alongside Mako. They were nailing new shingles on the roof to the frame. Mako stood at the top of the ladder, even though he was okay with helping him with the house repairs, though the samurai seemed insistent on doing the hard stuff. Things were a bit quiet, until Mako's curiosity spoke up, as he began to ask, "So… you don't seem like you're from around here."

"Yes," the samurai patiently replied.

"Though you seem Japanese," Mako stated, as he asked, "You from Kyoto? Okinawa? I doubt you're from Ryuku; that place is full of bandits and pirates. You seem more honest."

"I was around here… from a long time ago," the samurai replied, doing his best to focus back on the work.

Mako looked around, as he asked, "Where you headed now?"

"Not certain," the samurai answered.

"Mako, leave it be," Asami spoke up, as she was walking to the garage with a basket of laundry. "You shouldn't ask someone personal questions."

Mako sighed dejectedly, "I understand, Mom." And then for a few moments, he brighlty asked, "So does that beard itch? It looks itchy."

The samurai stopped, as his face looked surprised at that question. Though Asami scolded her son, "Mako. It's not nice to bother people about things they might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business."

Though the scolding was haulted, as the samurai calmly laughed as he shook his head. Mako chuckled at that as well, as he walked down the ladder, as he graciously took the laundry basket, and ran to the garage, "I'll take care of this, Mom."

Asami smiled, forgetting the questions spoke out, as the samurai finished the roof shingles, as he came down. "I do apologize for Mako's curiosity," Asami apologized. "It's been a while since anyone's come here. When it's not business-related."

"No, no. It is quite alright," the samurai assured her. "He must be quite an inquisitive young man."

The woman shook her head, as she smiled, "You have no idea."

"It must be hard to raise him by yourself," the samurai implied. But then the two looked, as they saw Mako do the laundry responsibly, as the samurai asked to break the silence, "Who is his father?"

Asami's smile faded to a look of curious silence, as she finally answered after a small pause, "That's the strange thing about Mako. There was no father." The samurai looked to her, as Asami confessed, "I carried him, I gave birth. I don't know how else to explain it." She then smiled warmly, as she confessed, "But… I'm happy to have been blessed by such a beautiful and strong child as my son. Mako."

The samurai looked at saw Mako hard at work with switching from washer to dryer, acting like a responsible young adult in the act. The Samura smiled at this, "It does seem rare to find someone like that in a child."

Meanwhile

Elsewhere

The Daughters of Aku were making sure that their latest initiates grew into the best assassins possible. They had extensive records and understanding of the Samurai's combat capabilities and fighting styles. The children, still 'clothed' in the dark essence comparable to their Master, were taught first hand when 'donning' their outfits, to tolerate and work with physical pain. They tolerated each daughter adopting their own personal hairstyle, at least. It offered a way to distinguish the septuplets from one another.

After investing their childhoods on the scriptures and teachings of their Master, it was time to move on to mastery of all combat stances and techniques. Day after day, week after week, they were spent on rote memorization of a variety of parries, strikes, blocks, and other moves. They were routinely tested, despite their young age. Failure was often met with lashes and strikes upon their backs before being forced to repeat the exercise again. During a synced team exercise, the first born among the sisters, Ashi, who sported a flaming flip in her hairstyle, mistakenly threw her fist up instead of a high kick.

That was her first big mistake.

The High Priestess leapt forth from her observation cliff to Ashi, granting her misstep with a beating with her staff. "Any mistake is certain death," she taught as she looked down upon her. "And death is our failure." She leaned down to face her daughter, as she venomously hissed, "Remember that for the next time you fail."

The following day, their next task was to battle the strongest Daughter of Aku, a brute named Attila… who seemed more like a man in her bulk than a woman.. The exercise was to demonstrate the importance of teamwork against one foe, despite said foe outgunning the little girls by a ten-to-one margin. She roared at them, and they in turn feared their latest 'instructor'; her roar arose strong as she gave second doubts that she was a woman. The little ones' attacks were fruitless, as they were brutally tossed left and right around the testing arena. High Priestess stood from her high position, shaking her head, displeased with her daughters' lack of progress. Ami, Avi, Ashi, and Ari worked together to tackle the hulking brute, but to no avail. Attila merely swat them aside throughout the chamber as the others groaned and cried in pain, their pleas ignored by all in the court.

Ashi frowned. She didn't want to do this anymore. But what choice did she have; there was none. She'll do anything her mother asked her to do to just stop the pain, even if it meant she had to kill.

As she got up to battle with her sisters again, a ray of light showed itself. She never knew what this light was, for she only knew the eerie and dark glow of the torches that lit the Monastery's caverns and the soft candlelight in her quarters and the Altar. She admired it, stretching forth her hand to see what it would look like in her palm.

She was perplexed.

It gave little Ashi such joy. She looked on at her six other sisters barely able to fight this monster as Arya is thrown at the wall as three others struggled to maintain their position. She wanted to help, but the light from the wall intrigued her, and so she stepped forth into the crevice in the wall to see what was there. High Priestess took notice.

Squeezing between the jagged edges of the stalagmites that got in her way, Ashi stepped forth towards the light.

Her curiosity was more than her fear, as she wondered on where this light was coming from.

Her eyes widened at the sight that beheld her. For the first time in her life, she witnessed the beauty of what she would soon learn to be Nature. Outside the mountain fortress she was raised in, she saw the sun, lighting a marvelously sculpted valley, a river that lit up in the light around. Birds, birds that soared high in the cotton clouds cawed to one another. Valleys of green and structures that grew from the ground that was a mix of brown and green; those were trees. She could only give a genuine smile of appreciation at the sight before her. But her enjoyment ended quickly as from the shadows, the High Priestess appeared behind her, like a ghost haunting on her.

"Bask in the glory of what our master has created," she started. "Admire its beauty. But know that the Samurai is out there leaving a wake of devastation wherever he goes!"

As Ashi emerged, she couldn't help but look back again at the joy she would probably never experience again.

The High Priestess gently lifted her first born daughter's chin with her index finger, though forcing her gaze to meet her own, as she explained, "That's why, my sweet Ashi, the Daughters of Aku must stay focused." She then grabbed Ashi by the throat, startling her as the young girl knew what was coming next, "Never relent. Always attack!"

The High Priestess then threw her daughter back into the arena, sending her back into the fray, as the Bigger Woman looked down, and the sisters watched, as the High Priestess commanded, "Teach this one a lesson!"

The Brutish woman obeyed, as she began to beat Ashi to a pulp as a display of discipline for the other sisters. Even as the mother simply watched it all, holding firm and zealot to her convictions. This show of torture and less mercy for the girls would continue for a decade or more, as they would be brutalized and pushed further with even more deadlier trials and tribulations to turn them into the perfect Killing Machines to end Samurai Jack.

Nighttime

Antique Store

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, Mako was wide awake. He was even more curious about the stranger, as he didn't really say much about himself. And so, getting dressed and quietly out his window, he crept over to the barn to which the samurai slept in. He easily crept in as he snuck closer, seeing the samurai asleep in a bale of hay. He carefully snuck in to be quiet as he carefully took the Samurai's sword, and quickly ran outside. Though this didn't go unnoticed, as the samurai's eye cracked open, seeing the boy rush outside.

Once he was at the side of the barn, he plopped down on a crate, as he huffed like crazy, and then examined the sword. Though it was a bit on the strained side, as he tried to lift it with one hand. He groaned, as he huffed, "This is nuts. How does he lift this with one hand?"

"Usually, you lift a sword with both hands."

Mako jumped out of his seat, nearly causing the sword to falter on the ground. Though with much managing and clumsy moves, Mako caught it without getting cut by the blade, though was in a wide-eyed expression of shock. He slowly turned to see the samurai wide awake, and looking at him with his serious gaze. Mako looked away in shame as he resheathed the sword, and offered the sword back, as he explained, "Sorry. It's just I've always looked at my mother's antiques when others come by to have them refurbished or auctioned on price. But I never get to see them all in detail. Most of that stuff is samurai armor or weapons. So…"

The samurai's gaze seemed to soften a bit, as he concluded, "You wanted to see and touch one in real life. Am I correct?" Mako nodded in shame in response. But the samurai, instead of forcefully taking the sword, put his hand on the young man's hand. "If you wish to have a solid and strong grip on a katana, you must use both hands." He then took the sword out of its sheath, and began to demonstrate movements of battle for the boy, "A sword is an extension of yourself. Do not think of it as just a weapon, because it is not. It is merely an extension of you."

"Like a second head," Mako asked.

The samurai blinked in a bit of surprise and confusion, but composed himself, as he replied, "More like an extended sharp part of your arm, but close enough."

The samurai then gave Mako the unsheathed sword, and carefully showed the boy how to hold it with both hands. When he took a few steps away from the samurai, the young boy began to practice in the same moves that he had done. And even though he had just seen them, he mimicked the movements perfectly, like he was born to be a samurai. The samurai folded his arms, as he looked at the boy practice with an uncharacteristic smile on his face.

Mako chuckled, but stopped, as he asked, "Could you ever hold it with one hand?"

"Possibly," the samurai replied. "But one would have to practice hard and for years to simply wield two katana with both hands."

Mako sheathed the man's sword, and looked to him in hoping, "You think I might be able to if I trained just as hard?"

The samurai thought on it, and nodded, "If you put your heart and soul into it." But the samurai then asked, "Why do you ask?"

Mako looked away, almost embarrassed or ashamed to say, but said it anyway, "Well, I'm hoping to one day be a samurai myself." He looked to the samurai as he explained in a hastened hurry, "Not like Gow and his goons, but…" and then blushed in embarrassment, as he looked to him, "Maybe more like you."

The samurai seemed to be surprised by that, but turned away, ashamed for some reason much to Mako's confusion, as he mumbled, "That would be an unwise idea… I am not a role model to fashion yourself from… much to my failure." Mako looked confused on that, but the samurai then asked, "Why do you wish to be a samurai?"

The young boy sighed, as he sat back on the crate, and looked up, "So that everyone can stop bullying me or treating my family like they're nothing. Every day, my mom's taunted and teased or ridiculed for being a witch, giving birth to a fatherless child. And I'm treated like a plague, used as a punching bag or a scape goat by all the other kids who are in the high life." He sighed, "Maybe if I was a samurai who served, they might see things differently."

"Is that why you were bullied earlier this day," the samurai asked. Mako nodded, looking hopeless. The samurai thought on it, as he came up with a thought, "Well… it might be a while for me to repay my debt to you… but if you would like…" and then smirked, as he finished, "I could train you on what I would know."

Mako went wide eyed on that, as he looked up to him and asked, "Really?"

But the samurai stood up seriously as Mako hopped off the crate, "But I should tell you. I can only start you on your training. The rest you must do on your own; experience and further building can help shape you on this."

Mako nodded, "Okay then."

"I should also tell you I'm a difficult taskmaster," the samurai warned him. "I will not go easy on you when in training, and I expect nothing but excellence from you on it as well."

Mako bowed his head, "I understand. I'll do my best."

The samurai then bowed, as he replied, "Very well then. My pupil."

The Start of the Week

Day 1

In Mako's house, later that day, both master and student stood in front of a table. On it was a calligraphy stationary, which confused Mako on this. The young boy looked to him, as he asked, "What's this? I thought we were gonna practice swords?"

"A true warrior practices a variety of arts," the samurai explained as he flattened out a piece of paper on the table in front of Mako, "To keep his mind sharp and fluid." He then stood away from the paper, as he presented it to the young boy, "The first you will learn is calligraphy. Write your name."

Mako sat down, and delicately grabbed a brush, though he messed up the bristles with his thumb. Skeptically, he wasn't sure on this, as he looked to the samurai and asked, "How is writing my name gonna make me a samurai?"

The samurai took the brush and positioned it correctly in his hand, "When you write your name, you stamp the paper with your identity. You must learn to use your sword to stamp your identity on a battlefield." Mako looked back at the paper, and gently dipped the brush into the in and prepared to write his name, until the samurai spoke up, "But remember, you cannot take back a stroke of the brush, or a stroke of the sword."

Mako's hand quivered as he sweat nervously. The brush barely an inch above the paper as he wanted to make sure the mark was right. He scratched the back of his head and placed the tip of the brush on his chin, thinking hard about what to do.

"You are getting ink on your face," the samurai spoke up.

Mako went wide eyed on that, as he asked, "I am?" he looked at the brush, and blushed in embarrassment. But then a thought came to him aloud, "I am." He then looked to the samurai and asked, "So this is about putting my identity on the page, am I correct?"

The samurai nodded. Mako smiled, as he proceeded to brush into over his face, much to the samurai's confusion. Then Mako pressed his face onto the paper and rolled his head around on it. Mako picked up the paper and showed it to the samurai, as he smiled proudly and cheerfully. On the paper was a large inkblot which vaguely resembled a face. The samurai simply arched an eyebrow, thinking on this identity.

Day 3

The samurai led a blindfolded Mako through the countryside, as he explained, "Landscape painting teaches a warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind." He then stopped the boy, turned him to face left and then pulled the blindfold off, "In battle, you only have an instant to take everything in."

Mako's eyes adjusted a little as he rubbed out the irritation, and then his eyes grew wide as he smiled with excitement and amazement. Before him and the samurai, they stood before a majestic view of a mighty river flowing into a series of waterfalls from a green field, littered with powerful and mighty trees, framing the site before them, as the waterfalls dropped into a canyon. Then suddenly, the samurai turned Mako away, making him sit down in front of a table with a piece of paper, paint, and paint brushes.

"Now, paint it." Mako gasped in disbelief. He turned to look at the waterfall again, but the samurai turned his head back, "And no peeking."

The samurai walked away, as Mako took a brush and began to paint the intricate view he had only a moment to see. For a while, it seemed like silent moments passed between the two, until Mako called out, "Finished."

The samurai walked over to Mako, as he presented the finished painting. It was very childish and colorful, though it matched the landscape almost perfectly. Though only one thing beared little resemblance: it included a rainbow which wasn't existent in the scene before them.

The samurai arched an eyebrow, as he stated, "You added a rainbow."

Worried, Mako asked, "Is that okay? Or was it unnecessary since light reflects on water creating a colored spectrum?"

The samurai said nothing, as he simply handed the painting back to Mako, as he replied, "It was… accurate in your point of view."

Day 4

Both Mako and the samurai sparred with bamboo swords, while his mother was preparing a cup of lemonade for them both. In truth, she was a bit worried about Mako wanting to learn swords, but so far, it didn't seem too bad. The samurai seemed to do everything possible not to hurt her son. Mako made a thrust strike towards the samurai, and they began their practice fight. Mako fared better than expected. He grunted, as he parried a strike and attempted to swing his sword down, but then…

"Mako, sweetie?"

Mako looked over to her, giving the samurai the opportunity to circle behind him and kick him in the back, causing a slightly painful fall to the ground.

"Lesson in this, Mako: concentrate on what you're doing."

Mako frowned, as he dropped his head, giving both the samurai and his mom a half-hearted thumbs up, while his mother whispered a 'sorry' to him.

The samurai replied to him, as he slowly got up, "Remember, any mistake you make in battle will result in your death. And there are no restarts in this." But then he softened, as he knelt down to be at Mako's eyelevel, as he gently made the boy look to him, and placed a reassuring hand on his head, "But remember on why you fight. It is either for survival, to protect any ideals you believe to be the right way… or to protect those you care for. Anything else of self-interest or resulting in sacrifice is meaningless."

Mako took that in, as he nodded, "I understand."

Day 5

Both Mako and the samurai were to the top of a stairway leading down an empty, tiled area. A small statue of a lion turtle came into the foreground, as the samurai began the lesson, "Rock gardening teaches a warrior to manipulate his surroundings and use them to his advantage."

Mako stepped up a bit, and then placed a hand on his chin, and thought carefully, "Hmmm, manipulate them to my advantage, eh?"

The young boy rushed in, as the samurai watched him go to work. Mako then rolled a huge stone across the ground, as Mako groaned in the strain of it. He rolled another rock over next to it, and groaned in the same show of strain. He then examined a sheet of moss lying on a rock, and then examined the texture, before taking it and running back to the rocks. He then threw the moss from one stone to another, and placed rocks atop them, keeping the moss in place. He then grabbed two sticks of equal height, and then pitched the flopping part of the moss not pinned to the rocks. He then crawled in the space, and sat down, smiling.

"I made a rock hut," Mako smirked. "A makeshift tent in case you lose your stuff in the forest."

He tapped his chin in thought, as the Samurai arched his eyebrow, silently impressed about the creativity.

The Last Day

Morning

The week was over, and much had been done. Mostly with Mako's training and the samurai helping around the house. But now it was time to go separate ways and continue to the path ahead. The samurai was getting on his mount, as both mother and son were present to see him off. Asami handed him a package, "Here, for everything you've done. It's not much, but it will help you get through a few meals."

The Samurai dismounted, as he graciously took the package, "Thank you. I shall not forget this kindness."

Mako bowed to him, "I won't forget what you've taught me either, Sensei."

The samurai smiled, "Please, it is…"

But before anything else could be said, a sound was heard in the distance, as the three looked to see dust rising down the road. Then clearing away, they could clearly see Gow and his men riding hard towards them.

Asami got in front of her son, shielding him, as she asked, "What do you think they want?"

The samurai scowled, as he answered, "Trouble."

The rogue samurai, if they could be called that, road hard towards the three. They stopped just in front of the samurai and the family, as Gow gloated, "Well, well, well. Isn't this a touching site. The bum of a Samurai, the Witch, and the Fatherless Freak. You three make a perfectly messed up family."

Asami frowned, as she asked, not wanting their company, "What do you want, Gow?"

"Just thought someone ought to tell you, another Samurai battalion got captured," Gow smirked, as he looked to his men. "You boys hear what Aku's forces did with the last group of rebel prisoners?"

One of the soldiers replied, "I heard they dressed them up in Aku Minion uniforms and put them on the frontline unarmed, way I heard it." He then spat near the samurai's feet… who didn't seem amused by this. "Then they just watched as they got slaughtered."

The third soldier looked to Mako, and smirked, "Might wanna leave here before the Army begins to recruit ya, Fatherless Outcast. I hear your kind are perfect cannon fodder."

"You watch your mouth," Asami screamed out in anger at them.

"Oooh, what a mouth on you, Witch," Gow taunted, as he moved his horse forward to the family, "Maybe the right kind of man should show you how a whore like you should use it." But the samurai stepped forward, blocking his path, causing Gow to frown, "Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs?"

But all the samurai gave them was a scowl that could pierce through metal. Gow backed away slightly, and then he and his men turned around to leave, and bolted out of there, leaving another dust cloud.

The samurai was about to mount his steed, but stopped as he thought of something. He turned to face Mako, as he approached him, "Mako."

Mako stood up straight as a board, as he almost replied with a soldier's tone, "Um, Yes, Sir?!"

The samurai arched an eyebrow at the boy's attitude, but shook it off, as he began, "When I first met you, it felt like you were unsure. You even seemed down on yourself." Mako lowered his head, remembering that feeling all too well, until the samurai spoke up, "But I saw something in you right away that no one, aside from your mother, saw in you. I saw a heart as strong as a lion's, maybe twice as big. And as we trained, even for a short time, it was not your skills that impressed me. No, it certainly was not your skills."

Mako raised his head, arching his eyebrow, "Okay…"

"Instead, you showed me something beyond that," the samurai replied, as he held out a Shinobi-sized katana, not effective in long range but still just as capable. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence, strong-willed… these are the traits that define a great samurai. And these are the traits that define you, Mako." He then knelt down and gave it to Mako, who graciously took it, "You were once unsure if you were worthy, but I believe in time and more practice, you will become more worthy than any one I have ever met."

Mako examined the sword, its black sheath and gray rope that you could put around the belt, the black and gray hilt with a silver emblem on it. The emblem appeared to be a circle or square of sorts, with four lines on all four sides. Mako looked at it, and asked, "What's this symbol?"

"It is the crest of my clan. My homeland," the samurai explained, though looked away as he got on his steed. "Sadly, it was wiped out by Aku long ago. It was the first of many kingdoms to be enslaved by his tyranny." He looked to Mako, as he offered, "There's an inscription on the blade."

Mako took the small katana and unsheathed it, and there was an inscription on it, as he read it aloud, "It says, 'Made in the Empire'."

"The other one," the samurai corrected, which earned a chuckle from Asami.

Mako flipped it over, as he read it aloud, "Oh, it says, 'Hope is the Light that guides us through the Darkness'."

"Whenever you feel like you did before the training, look at that, and remember what it means," the samurai said.

He then put his steed into a gallop, and went fast as he receded into the distance. Mako watched as did his mother, as she placed her hands on his shoulders, as they both watched the samurai disappear from sight.

They weren't the only ones, as hiding in the bushes, Gow and his men smirked, seeing an opportunity.

Moments Later…

Not Far from Town

The samurai had not gone far as he and his steed were making their way to the border of New Tokyo. He turned around, wondering if the family would be okay or not. But he had been with them, and knew that they were strong. They had each other, even if there was no one else. Bu the had a long journey ahead of him. He couldn't waste more time as it was. Though… training the boy… it didn't feel like a waste of time for him. But even if he stayed with them, no matter how nice they were… they would learn the truth about him later on.

However, before he got further…

"Samurai!"

He stopped his steed, as he turned around, seeing who it was that was approaching him as fast as they could. It was Asami, on what appeared to be one of the samurai's steeds, speeding right to him. When she got close enough, the samurai could tell the look on her face. She was distraught.

She stopped her steed, as she was close enough to be face-to-face, as she pleaded, "You have to help. It's Mako."

The samurai went wide eye, as he asked, "What happened?"

"It was right after you left," Asami explained. "The thugs from town came back; it looked like they were waiting in the shadows. They ordered us to give them food, but we refused, so they proceeded to ransack the whole place and steal everything. But Mako rushed in, and…"

"He used the sword on them," The samurai asked, worried and horrified.

But Asami shook her head, "No, he didn't. He kicked one of them in the groin, but Gow knocked him from behind. He noticed the sword. And… " she was now beginning to cry, as she finished, "They took him away. They said that if he was old enough ot fight and to carry a sword, he was old enough to join the Samurai Army." The Samurai looked in shock of this, as she wept, "I know we barely know each other, but I don't know what to do…" But then noticed he was heading into where she came from, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"To go save your son," he replied, as the Samurai rode fast, back into town.

Back in Town

The sun was setting as it casted a golden hue over the city. The samurai rode under a tall gate that looked like it could be straight from a western. There in the center of the area, a struggling Mako was trying to get free as he was tied to a post. From the looks of burns on his arms, he had been struggling longer than before the samurai arrived. Mako huffed, as he stopped to catch his breath, but then stopped as he saw the samurai enter town.

At first he was happy to see him, but then remembered, "DON'T, THEY'RE WAITING!"

After he got off his steed, the samurai noticed that Gow and his men coming out of the shadows. Still silhouetted by the light of the sunset, the samurai took off his helmet, and then tied his hair back in a small ponytail. Both the samurai and Gow faced off, the latter backed by his men, while the samurai was only backed by his weapons, and a slowly creeping scowl coming up on his face.

The samurai then spoke up in a threatening tone, "Let Mako go, and leave his family and this place alone."

Gow just merely laughed at this, and then spoke up in an equally threatening tone, "Who do you think you are? Telling us what to do?"

"It does not matter who I am, but I know who you are," the samurai replied, as he tossed his gaze at them. "You are not soldiers. Nor are you even samurai. You are not even close to being ronin. You are nothing but bullies. Thugs. Freeloaders who are abusing the power that was given to you. Mostly over helpless women and children. You don't want Mako in your army. All you and your men are to me are nothing but sick cowards, toying with a family who have done nothing, but are hated simply because they're different."

After a small pause, Gow gained a glare of his own, and then spoke to his men, "Are you going to let this nobody stand there and insult you like this?"

The soldier to Gow's left brandished a spear and walked forward. The samurai pulled back as the soldier lunged, then drew the handle of his sword right into the stomach of the charging thug. The soldier was knocked backwards, and then got back up, as he ran off in fear and defeat.

Another solider ran at the samurai with a spear, but he blocked and then brought him to the ground with a palm blow to the forehead. This thug was knocked out, and stayed on the ground. The last pawn charged at the samurai with another spear, but the samurai broke it in half with a blow. The thug dropped the remains and ran running for his life. Mako blinked in surprise at this show of skill, as he whispered, "Whoa…"

A small crowd gathered at this scene, as Asami broke through, along with Arthur, who was among them. She was amazed at what she had seen.

Gow, made of sterner stuff than his men, drew his two war hammers and adopted a stance. The samurai in turn, drew his own sword. Gow slammed the ground with one hammer, and then ran forward, striking at the samurai. The samurai managed to meet each strike with his blade, parrying the blows as best he could. Gow repeated the move twice in rapid succession. The samurai blocked and parried one blow, but was hit in the gut by the other hammer. He recovered at runs at Gow with his blade.

An old man from the crowd, shouted, "Give him a left! A left!"

His wife gently nudged him, as she scolded, "It's not a fist fight."

"He can use his left hand for his sword, can't he," the old man asked.

The samurai continued to rush his opponent, as he chopped at the stone warhammers, but was once again thrown backwards by one powerful strike. He staggered, trying to regain his footing, not noticing Gow making the next blow.

But Mako did so, as he shouted, "Look out!"

The samurai managed to look up, but then the thug leader alternated his hammers, as he smacked the samurai hard in the face. And then smashed him in the gut with the hammer. Finally, with a mighty blow, Gow smashed him, sending him flying into the ground, as the Samurai skidded on the ground. The crowd gasped, as the samurai fell into the dust with an expression of pain on his face.

Gow chuckled, as he slowly made his way, savoring the soon-to-be victory, "You know, guys like you have always made life hard for guys like me. I'm gonna put it to hand end." And then slowly raised his hammers high up.

Mako, unable to take this, screamed out, "SAMURAI, GET UP!"

His shouting echoed over to the samurai, as a new voice took over, "Get up, my son."

The samurai looked up groggily, seeing far behind Gow, standing next to Mako, was a new figure, that didn't seem to be noticed by anyone else. He looked like an older version of himself. He had a rectangular head, hair style; his hair was gray, eyes, and he had a mustache that was gray as well, and his nose seemed different. He had a more light hearted expression that was compared to his stern look. He wore what appeared to be an imperial getup, something suited for an emperor.

The samurai blinked, "Father?"

"You cannot give up in this fight," his father spoke up. "Even if you have lost the sword, you must not forget your purpose. Or… are you willing to forsake everyone? Forsake this boy?"

The samurai steadily slowly started to get up, and Gow noticed this. "Oh no you don't."

Suddenly, the samurai shot up, and screamed in a battle fury cry. He spun as he got up, using both sword and sheath as weapons, knocking Gow back. However, the samurai pushed forward, as Gow was preparing to strike… but the samurai used hilt and sheath, striking his wrists, smashing them. Gow cried out in pain, as he dropped the hammers, and the samurai kicked him hard, sending him skidding to the ground.

Gow slowly recovered and got back up, as the samurai stood in front of him, almost wanting him to continue. Gow tried to move his hands and fingers, but to no avail, as he panicked, "What? I can't move my hands! My fingers!" he angrily glared at the stranger, as he seethed out, "What did you do to me?!"

"I spared your life as a human being, but not as a swordsman," the samurai replied, as the people and everyone else got out, as Asami ran to her son and untied him, as the samurai explained to the defeated thug, "I shattered the bone, and tore the ligaments from the blow. You'll never be able to hold a sword again properly. And even replaced with cybernetics, it will be a while before you can master it."

He then walked always, leaving the defeated thug to cry out in anguish and defeat. Asami and Mako looked to him as he approached, as the mother bowed her head, thanking him, "Thank you again."

But Mako looked down in shame, as he said, "I'm sorry I dragged you back like this. I thought I could protect my mother, but I ended up being taken prisoner."

The samurai knelt down, and patted the boy on his head, as he assured him, "It was your first battle. You cannot win the first time. All you can do is learn from it." Mako looked a little bit assured of himself again, but still felt like he had failed. The samurai sensed this too, and spoke up again, "There is also one lesson I forgot to teach you before I left: the decisions we make, and the actions that follow… they are a reflection of who and what we are. And yours say that you are someone who never gives up, and cares for others, even when they do not care back." He then stood up, as began to leave, but finished, "No one can hide who they are."

But as he started to walk away, something in Mako's mind suddelny pieced everything together. The training, the symbol on the hilt, and how the samurai's hair was put up in the battle. It all clicked in him, as Mako had guessed something. Asami looked to her son, as she asked, "Mako?"

Mako pulled away from his mother, and ran towards the Samurai, but didn't go further, stopping 20 feet between then. His back turned to the boy, Mako didn't hesitate to ask, as he called out to confirm if he was right or not, "You're Samurai Jack! Aren't you?"

The samurai stopped at the question, but didn't turn around. For what Mako didn't see, was that the Samurai's face, was a look of shock and disappointment. Not at the boy… but at himself. He sighed sadly, and only turned a fraction to Mako, replying in a whisper that only the boy could hear.

"Not anymore."

And with that, he hopped on the Ostrich Horse, and rode off, leaving all to watch him leave, never knowing the truth of who this stranger was.

But Mako, who had heard him reply, sadly smiled, his hope rekindled that the hero of legend was alive, "I think you still are."

Next Chapter: Two Destinies Intertwined pt. 4