The Ruins of Oz
Starring Samurai Jack

Story by
Mercutio Puck

Chapter Two.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jack told the voice behind him, still not turning around.

"Yeah, I've heard that before." said the voice. "I bet it's everyday that strange people fall from the sky into these parts. Nothing out of the ordinary. Now I'm going to tell you once more. Give me your damn weap..."

She paused. Jack started to wonder what caused her to stop threatening him. There wasn't anything in front of him or her that would cause her to hesitate. Still, Jack stood his ground.

"You're wounded." she said. "Were you shot?"

Jack let his head down. "Yes. But it feels like I've been stabbed in the back." He could hear the woman lowering her firearm. Even though Jack saw this opportunity to attack his almost-assassin, he regained his trust from the woman's concern. He stayed in front of he sign, his back toward her and his head down.

"You're probably going to need a medic." she said. "It looks pretty bad."

Jack thought about the offer. Physically, he was weak because of the gunshot. However, would this world be able to heal him, let alone the woman who almost killed him for his blade and gun? "That would be wise." he said reluctantly.

The woman stepped closer to him. She passes him on his left not making eye-contact. He wouldn't have seen her face anyway because his eyes were still looking at the ground. "Follow me." She said as she was passing.

Jack began to follow. In order to see where she was actually going, he held his head up again. He caught a glimpse of the person he was just beginning to trust. His eyes look at her feet first and noticed they were unusual combat boots. The platform gave her at least 4 inches in height and the unique red leather buckled to the top of her calves. She also had on a pair of black fishnet stocking that had some holes in them. One black knee brace supported her left leg. It was evident to Jack that she, too, is a warrior of some kind. Moving up, she was also clad in a checkered blue skirt that went from her hips and down to her upper thigh, decorated in black rectangular patches and large safety pins. It wasn't anything tight; it actually flowed well enough so that she could use her legs in combat. The skirt was held by one pair of black suspenders, which was also decorated with randomly placed safety pins. Under the suspenders was a white tank top that revealed a star tattoo on her lower back. The white top, though partially covered in soot, also accented a red koi tattoo on her right shoulder and a hibiscus on the back of her neck. She appeared to have a necklace as well. She carried her firearm across her back from right to left. Her hair was shorter than the women Jack has encountered in his past. It was short enough to reveal her flower tattoo in a bob-cut fashion and has been dreadlocked. It was a dark-brown in color, but it was hard for Jack to tell since it was at night; however, he does manage to see slight blond streaks intertangled within her earth-toned follicles. 'She has a very fit figure.' Jack thought. 'She could be a great help or a great conflict.'

After a short distance, Jack and the mysterious woman reached a certain building, after viewing all the other ones and noticing that the building they had reached looked a lot like the ones they have passed. Cylindrical in shape and placed on stairs, for some reason they had very small doors. The burnt grass on the road makes Jack believe they had straw for their roofs. Unfortunately, that was no longer the case. Some places were lucky to even have roofs out of tree branches, let alone to even stand.

The woman grabbed a torch that was hanging next to the door. She let herself in and gestured to Jack to follow her. Both figures had to crouch down to get inside.

"This way," she said as she turned around. Jack finally caught a look at her face simultaneously with the moment she saw his for the first time. Jack saw she was wearing a bandanna in a pattern that matched her skirt. It was tied around her forehead so that her unique hairstyle was still visible. Her eyes were round and a light gray with the fire's reflection in them.

After Jack noticed her face, he took a look at the room and there wasn't much place to go. The building was obviously meant a much smaller person than he. "Which way?" he asked. "I don't even think I can move much further."

"Forget it." she said, sort of chuckling to herself. "I'll get the medic." She went over, hunched, to the other side of the house and knocked a code on the floor.

Two knocks.

One knock.

Three knocks

One more knock.

She cleared out of the way and stood next to Jack, who at this point was sitting on the floor. The floor she knocked on began to unhinge and a panel opened like a secret door. It revealed a whole new level under the house. A man's head with an old-fashioned pilot's helmet with goggles peered what was in his house with a torch. He looks around and sees the two giants in his house.

"Do you know this man, Gale?" he asked, revealing his cantaloupe-size head and bushy red mustache.

"This man is wounded in the shoulder. He was shot." explained the woman. Jack caught the notion that she responded to the name 'Gale'. Jack didn't seem to think she looked like a 'Gale'; but then again, he doesn't look like a 'Jack'. "He promised me before he wasn't going to hurt us. Are you going to help him or not?"

The man in the panel scratched his head. "I don't know if I want to trust him."

"I am trusting that you could help me." said Jack. "Surely, you could return the favor."

"Well, I never thought of it that way. I will help you." The man, showing signs of his old age, groans as he gets out of the panel. He is clad in brown overalls and a white thermal. He is short in stature, as if the house was built just for him. He approaches Jack on his cane. "Where's the wound?"

"In the back of my shoulder," Jack explained, turning around. "behind the tear in my cloth."

"Ah, yes. I see." the tiny man examined. "Well, um, I'm sorry, lad. I don't believe I caught your name."

"They call me Jack."

"Well, it's certainly nice to meet you, Jack. My name is Thorn. I assume you and Gale already met."

"Yes, she has been most kind." Jack said looking at her with a smile. She returned the smile, completely forgetting that she once saw him as a threat.

"Well, Jack." began Thorn. "The first thing we'll have to do is extract the projectile. Then we will clean it out and from there, we'll patch you up. Does that sound okay to you?"

"If it must be done, then yes." Jack said.

"Very well. Now Jack, to make this comfortable for you, I'm going to ask you to ingest these herbs." Thorn said taking a bowl down from the shelf. "Once in your system, you will fall asleep and will be immune to the pain of the needle puncturing your skin, as well as the removal of the bullet." Jack looked at the bowl with a raised eyebrow, then back at Thorn. "Oh don't worry. It's an ancient Munchkin remedy. Our kind has been preparing it for generations now." Jack still looked suspicious. "Trust me."

"You can trust him." said Gale. "He's done the same for this." she showed Jack a scar next to her elbow. "And this." she said modeling a scar the size of a coin on her hip.

"Very well." Jack said.

"Just let me put some hot water in it." said Thorn as he deposits the steaming liquid from a teapot. The bowl of herbs emit a strong aroma of black licorice and mint. Jack assumed it would just be like drinking tea. Thorn handed him the bowl of medicine to Jack. "Take this." he suggested.

Jack took the bowl with both hands and proceeded to drink the herbs. It tasted just like it smelled to him. It was a little fierce to swallow, but Jack periodically finished the bowl and wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Now lie down, so that I can operate." said Thorn. Jack did so and could feel the effects of drowsiness from the herbs. Gale put her hand on his shoulder.

"You're in good hands, Jack." she reminded him. "I'll see you when you're all better."

Jack's eyelids began to fall. He accepted the sleep that was coming and closed his eyes on Gale, just as she was rubbing comfort into his skin.

Jack's eyes began to open. They closed again, but quickly attempted to open again. He was too weak to react, but he woke up to about a dozen people the size of Thorn, surrounding him in amazement.

"H-hello." Jack said with a yawn. This made every single person in the room gasp at the same time. They all mumbled to each other with astonishment and curiosity of their new visitor. There was a sudden hush in the room, and all eyes were on him. "I am Jack." he said with a bow. Again, all the tiny people whisper to one another, astounded that Jack is able to speak their language. They all fall to a sudden hush again.

"Give him some air, everyone!" Jack heard the familiar voice of the medicine man who treated him, as did his visitors. All the little citizens of the village backed up and made a path for Thorn to get through. "How is my patient?" Thorn said hobbling on his cane.

"I don't feel the pain anymore." Jack said with a grin. He then got a confused look on his face while looking at his lifeless arms. "However, I can't lift my arms."

"That's just the medicine, Jack." assured Thorn. "It's strong stuff."

"I can see that." saw Jack. This a made a group of three girls to his right giggle to themselves. Tiny as the rest of the crowd, Jack looked to see that they were all in tattered pink outfits with disheveled hair. The one in the middle was wearing a headpiece that elevated in height and curved in the front.

"Don't mind them, Jack." said Thorn. "They are the welcoming committee."

"Welcome to Munchkinland, Jack." said the hatted one in the middle with a fast, high-pitched voice.

"Yes. Welcome to Munchkinland, Jack." joined the other two in the same vocal style. They giggled to themselves again.

"You'll have to understand." began Thorn. "They haven't had a visitor here in a long time."

"Thank you, ladies." said Jack. "But after I regain movement in my limbs, I should be off. You have been very kind. All of you."

This made everyone in the house a little depressed, and sigh to each other.

"Out of my way, Munchkins!" Jack heard another familiar voice. "This soup is hot!"

"Gale!" many of the people, who apparently were known as Munchkins, exclaimed in excitement. The jumping from everyone made it difficult for herself a pot the size of her torso to get through to Jack.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." she said to Jack. "I made this soup for everyone like I do everyday, but I'm going to let you have some too."

"Gale has been taking care of us ever since she was a little girl." said Thorn. "She has been protecting us from evil outsiders, like the dreaded flying monkeys."

"Flying monkeys?" said Jack, intrigued.

"Pesky little things." she said. "But this soup will be very good for you. It should get you up in no time."

"Thank you." said Jack.

"While you're eating that soup," began Thorn. "why don't you tell us what brings you Munchkinland?"

"Yes! Tell us!" encouraged the welcoming committee.

The crowd all joined in to hear the story from Jack. He took a sip from his soup that was given to him in a bowl from Gale. Then he put his head down. "My story is certainly a long one." he explained. "And I'm afraid to say that it is not yet finished."

"Tell us!" the crowd said eagerly.

Thorn put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "You might as well tell it anyway," he chuckled. "It's gonna be a long time before you could move again."

"Very well." Jack conceded. Jack started with his early life after he acknowledged his father for defeating Aku with the sword he currently wields. He told the Munchkins that the second time Aku and his father met, his father wasn't successful as the first time. So as his foe took reign over his land, Jack trained with every warrior in all corners of the world before he returned to use the very sword. He went on to describe his own battle with Aku and how he was thrown into the future: away from Jack's time and where Aku's reign was supreme. He described his quest to defeat Aku and return to the past where he can undo the evil when Aku took over. He told them the friends he met, the pains he had to endure, and how Aku has tried very hard to destroy him. The Munchkins were all eager to hear what happens next in his fascinating tale. He ended his story with where he began in this new world. His listeners began to weep when they heard about how he was shot in the back, right before being kicked into the portal.

"So now I must continue my quest." concluded Jack. "To find my way back to my own time and undo this travesty and save the future from Aku." By the time he finished his story, the Munchkins stood in amazement with their jaws to the floor and Jack had finished his soup. "Thank you, Gale. I feel much better now. Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."

Jack stood up with ease, but hit his head on the ceiling. He must have forgot that the house wasn't big enough for him. "Where will you go?" Gale asked.

"I don't know." answered Jack, rubbing his head. "I am certainly not accomplishing anything by staying here. Is there anyone or anything I should seek that will help me on my way?"

The room looked around, silently thinking to themselves on anything that might help. "You should take Gale with you." Thorn said. "She knows Oz very well."

"What is Oz?" perplexed Jack.

"What is Oz?" reassured Thorn. "Jack, you're in Oz. Just the Munchkin Territory of Oz, of course. But Oz, none the less."

"But Thorn..." began Gale.

"Gale," said Thorn. "You have truly been a savior to our kind for more than enough time. We can not even begin to thank you for your assistance. However, our new friend Jack has a greater cause than we. He needs all the help he can get."

"But..."

"We can fend for ourselves. You have taught the women to cook and the men to defend and fight. And if anything was to happen to any of us, I can heal them. You must aid Jack in his quest.

Gale looked at Thorn in sadness. She couldn't believe that her great friend is actually telling her to leave the Munchkin Country. On the other hand, she would probably be saving Oz and her loved ones who lived there. It was a rough mix of emotions running through her soul. "Okay." she finally spoke softly, with a hint of regret.

Jack waited outside with the Munchkins for Gale to come out of her stay. He was ready to embark on his quest and was almost a little impatient. He doesn't recall agreeing to have Gale along his side, but he was in sync with Thorn when he said he needed all the help he could get. He stood next to Thorn, who was also waiting for Gale impatiently. Though sending Gale was his idea, he knew he and his people were going to miss her. But something in Thorn's side let him know through the story Jack has told him that it was for the best of his people.

The door finally opens. Everyone outside turns their attention to Gale, who emerges from the house with two survival backpacks. She wore one and handed the other one to Jack. Jack put the Scotsman's gun inside after rearranging a full canteen, a compass, and an amount of homemade flares. Jack could only imagine what was in Gale's backpack. She walked down the stairs and straight to Thorn to kneel down and give him a hug. The embrace between the two was that of two best friends saying goodbye for the last time and had lasted for at least fifteen seconds.

"Be careful out there, Gale." said Thorn.

"I will." she replied and kissed his cheek. "Farewell." She walked back to Jack, holding back a single tear in the corner of her eye. "Are you ready to go, Jack."

"Yes." he answered. "Thank you, Gale. And thank you, everyone. I will never forget your kindness."

Everyone in Munchkinland had a heartfelt moment hearing them part from their country.

"Well, go on then!" shouted Thorn. "Go save the world and God Speed."

They both nodded to Thorn and headed out of the village and into the orange sunrise and black clouds along the rusted red path. What lies ahead of them is unknown, but Jack was ready and Gale as well.

"I wish you could have been here earlier, Jack." said Gale. "This road used to be yellow."

The characters Samurai Jack, Aku, The Scotsman, and The Scotsman's Wife are all property of Genndy Tartakovsky.