LES: Why am I not jumping on the band wagon and frantically writing a story so that Ashi survives and lives a happy life with Jack in the past? Well, I suppose besides the fact that there are all ready dozens of stories on this site alone dealing with that, it's because I'm not pissed off at how the show ended. One of my high school English teachers taught me that an ending does not need to be happy to be satisfying. Yes, the ending was very sad for those who, like me, shipped Jack and Ashi together, but that doesn't lessen the impact of the ending in my mind. I'm fully convinced that the fifth season as a whole was a masterpiece and the final episode cemented that. I ship one other couple that suffered a similar fate (one of them fading into non-existence at the end of their quest), but that was a video game couple that I'd literally spent well over a hundred hours with. Genndy Tartakovsky got me to be just as invested in Jack and Ashi's relationship in a little under five hours. So much so that I just about cried at the end. He did something really magical with the fifth season, so I want to write a story about that.

Chapter 2: Reunited with the Emperor

When it came time to leave, both Jack and Ashi were a little shocked to see an animal trotting towards them through the settling dust of the destruction of Aku's tower. Ashi tensed up, ready for another fight. But before she could attack, Jack calmly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait. I don't think that's an enemy." He said, keeping his eyes on the approaching animal.

But even Jack was shocked when the animal became fully visible. A steed with a nearly-white coat pranced into view, tossing his head proudly and quickly moving closer to Jack.

The samurai recognized the animal at once: the same horse that had carried him into his first battle with Aku. It had been over fifty years since Jack had last seen this horse, but it had only been about two hours at the most from the horse's perspective. So it only made sense that the horse had waited for him.

It took Jack some time to remember the horse's name. But then he smiled and gently pet the horse's muzzle. "Daisuke, I should have known you'd wait for me."

"Is he your horse?" Ashi asked, slowly moving forward to pat the horse, while still a little nervous of the large animal.

"I suppose if you want to be technical, he is my father's horse." Jack said. "But he is the same horse that first carried me here all those years ago. Now he'll carry me back home again." Jack said, turning to Ashi. "Have you ever ridden a normal horse?"

Ashi shook her head. "I've never ridden on an animal this small." She said.

Jack smiled. "It will be fine. I'll help you up."

Ashi stared at the horse in confusion. It seemed far too small to be able to carry two people. "Are you sure it can carry the two of us?"

"I'm sure." Jack said, picking her up by the waist and lifting her up until she could sit on the horse with both her legs hanging down one side. Once she was seated, Jack easily pulled himself up on the Daisuke's back, sitting down behind Ashi.

Ashi was a little shocked when the horse could support both her and Jack, and seemed to not be bothered by the extra weight at all. With Daisuke's thin legs, they should have buckled like twigs. But the horse was obviously stronger than it looked.

But she stopped wondering about the horse when Jack wrapped his arms around her to take hold of the reigns. The young woman blushed at the intimate contact and, from a glance back towards Jack, she could see that he was blushing lightly as well.

He cleared his throat nervously. "Shall we?" He asked.

Ashi nodded and held onto the only thing she trusted: Jack's arm. With the slightest command, Daisuke set off at a pace a little faster than a walk.

Due to Jack keeping Daisuke at a slow and even pace, it took longer than the couple of hours that Jack took on his original journey towards Aku's tower for him to make it back to the mines where he left his father and his people.

In fact, it was the next morning when the mine came into view. Ashi stared around in shock as Jack directed Daisuke through the mines. As the people saw him, they all began to bow towards him. Jack had told her once that he was the son of an Emperor, but it was hard to believe until this moment.

A wave of sound washed over them, dozens of voices calling that the prince had returned. Ashi lowered her head, trying to make herself less visible. These were Jack's people, people that she'd nearly stolen him from. How could she really face them after what she'd done?

But, to Ashi's shock, Jack seemed to be just as nervous as she was. He hunched his shoulders and only rarely made eye contact with anyone.

Truthfully, Jack was ashamed. They had no idea, but the last fifty years were weighing heavily on his heart. To them, it had only been hours, but to Jack he had been failing them for years. Even now, in success, he couldn't forget the years of failure.

The crowd parted, and Daisuke followed the path until the path ended with an older man waited for them at the entrance of the mine.

Jack slowed Daisuke to a halt and lowered himself off the horse. He paused briefly to help Ashi down before he stepped forward to the old man. To Ashi's shock, Jack promptly knelt down before the man, bowing with his forehead touching the ground. And then Jack looked up and met the older man's eyes. "Father."

To Ashi's shock, the Emperor wasted no time in joining his son on the ground and pulling him into an embrace. Jack stiffened in shock before he relaxed in his father's arms. For several long minutes, no one moved as the Emperor welcomed back his son. Finally, he pulled away from his son and asked. "Aku?"

"Aku has been destroyed, Father." Jack answered. "We are free at last."

"Then you have fulfilled your destiny. I couldn't be prouder of you, Masahiko."

Jack blinked in shock. Masahiko. Yes, that was the name his parents had given him. He had not heard it in over fifty years and had almost forgotten what his true name was. It felt a little strange to be called his true name again after all these years.

"Who is Masahiko?" Ashi asked.

Once everyone was looking at her, Ashi blushed nervously again.

Jack gave her a small smile. "Masahiko is my real name." He told her.

Ashi stared at Jack in shock. "Then why did you let everyone call you Jack?"

"It's a long story." Jack said.

"Masahiko, who is this young woman?" The Emperor asked, staring at Ashi in confusion. His son had left to fight Aku a less than a day ago, and now he was back in the company of a strangely dressed woman and speaking to her as if they had known each other for years.

"And that… is an even longer story." Jack said. "Father, I'll tell you everything. But we should return home and send for mother. Then I'll tell you everything that happened while I was gone."

The Emperor didn't understand what was going on, but he could tell from the serious look in his son's eyes that something life-changing had happened when he went to fight Aku. So the sooner that they got back home and reunited with his wife, the sooner everything would be cleared up. "Very well. Just give us some time to prepare to travel. Some of us have suffered more in Aku's mines than others."

The mine had a very limited supply of beasts of burden, and a few horses and donkeys. One of the horses was immediately given to the Emperor, while Jack made sure that the weak, sick, old, and young were given the priority for the rest of the animals. There was not enough animals for everyone to ride, so the healthier villagers would have to settle for walking.

But no one complained. Many of the former soldiers and guards who served the Emperor even elected to carry those who needed help after all the animals had been claimed.

It took several hours, but the former slaves were ready to go back home. Ashi understood that the Emperor and Jack… Masahiko (she was sure it would take a long time for her to get used to calling him by his true name), were given horses because they were royalty. But she was nothing of the sort. She was even less than the lowest ranked member of Jack's village. She wasn't even really human. Aku's powers had left her, but he was still her father. So she was fully prepared to walk with the rest of the able-bodied villagers.

But before she could join them, Jack rode up and pulled her into his lap once again. Ashi let out a gasp of shock and blushed with embarrassment. "I really shouldn't..."

"You should." Jack insisted. "Trust me, Ashi, you belong here now."

Do I really? Ashi wondered, but then pushed the thought away.

But she still blushed nervously when she saw Jack's father watching them.