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War Of Shadows	By : TurtleNinja Category: +S through Z > Samurai Jack Views: 3353 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Jack, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
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Heya all! Hope you're enjoying the story so far...because I've still got PLENTY of fun ahead for our beloved Samurai and Elemental. *EG* Wanna make one quick note here about the Scotsman and his wife. Couldn't simply keep calling the duo "Scotsman and Wife" so...gave them very unofficial first names of Duncan and Deirdre. Not sure if I'll throw in an unofficial clan name or not...still looking into a suitable one. Until next time...enjoy! - TN

Slowly, I opened my eyes, looking up at a stone ceiling lined with wooden rafters. My head pounded and my entire body ached, but somehow, I was still alive. I closed my eyes again, trying to remember what had last happened to me, why I felt so battered.

Mad Jack!

I gasped and bolted upright, looking around for my katana, feeling my heart pound when I saw that it was not at my side. Shit. I could not have lost it, not now, not in this hellish world and definitely not when my dark twin was alive and on the loose.

My panic doubled when I saw that I was alone in the room, knowing that Chimitsu would not have dared to leave my side for even one moment. I had been found, possibly even captured. I had to get out of here, wounded or not. Too much was at stake for me to stay put and wait for my captors to come back for me.

My ears caught the sound of the latch turning and I hurried to get out of bed to defend myself. What I had not counted on was the blankets being tangled around my legs and I quickly lost my balance, tumbling off the bed and to the cold, hard floor.

Instantly, the dull ache in my body doubled into searing pain, making my head spin wildly. I felt sick inside, knowing that my injuries had rendered me helpless, unable to defend myself. I softly swore to myself and tried to pull myself up, wanting to run when I knew I could not fight.

There was a shattering noise off towards the door and I heard voices and footsteps nearby. A split second later, two sets of hands were on me, trying to keep me from struggling. It hurt even worse to struggle, but there was no way I was going to go down without a fight. I kicked and thrashed, only to be forced back into bed by the stronger of the two.

"Yamero! Torihanase da!"[1] I cried.

"Calm down, laddie, we're not going to hurt you!"

I paused and looked up. That voice. I had not heard it in some time, but there was no mistaking it or the accent it carried. Instantly, I relaxed and laid back, feeling more than a bit ashamed of myself for letting my fear get the better of me for even one second.

"Duncan...it has been a long time."

"Aye, that it has. I see you still've got some fight left in ya."

"Where are we? How did I get here?"

"You're at the clan castle. Your little angel-lady friend brought you here about three weeks ago."

"Three weeks?"

"Aye. Y'were in pretty bad shape there for awhile, at least until we found a surgeon that could remove those bullets."

"Bullets?"

I furrowed my brow, trying to remember when I had been shot. I recalled a time awhile back when I had first met Chimitsu, but that had been taken care of in the village I had brought her to. It did not make sense. When in the battle with my twin had I been shot?

I sighed softly, finally putting the pieces together. The biker gang that had been with him. One of them must have shot me while he had been taunting me right before I had collapsed. Four pains. Four bullets. It made sense now.

The bed shifted and I turned to see Chimitsu sitting there next to me, smiling as she reached up to brush a few strands of hair from my face. Her gown had changed yet again, no longer the green Chinese print, but now a flowing, white dress that fit close at the top, then flared out at the hips. Her blonde hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders around her wings, making her look more beautiful than any other time I had seen her.

"Minamoto-chan...sameru wa. Yoroshii."[2] she said with a smile.

"It is good to see you alive and well, Chimitsu-san. Tell me, how did you know to come here?"

"I watched you for a long time, silly. Didn't know I was there, but I've watched you for awhile. I knew where to find the castle here."

I chuckled and then coughed, turning to press my face into the pillow until it had ceased. Itai...[3] I was still too badly wounded to do anyone any good, but it was becoming obvious that if we had been here three weeks, it would only be a matter of time before Aku found us. I could not allow that. So many have suffered already that I could not allow it to continue.

"We must leave..." I croaked once the coughing fit had stopped.

Chimitsu and Duncan both shared a look before glancing back at me.

"Jack...you're in no condition to go anywhere." Chimitsu said.

"Aye. You could hardly get out of bed! How could you expect to go very far from the castle?" Duncan added.

I sighed softly, knowing that they were likely right, but still felt that it was extremely urgent that we leave as quickly as possible.

"We cannot stay much longer. Aku will have his minions looking for us and with his reach across the world, it will not take him long to find us if he truly wishes it. I will not have my friends in danger on my account." I said.

Duncan looked mildly insulted at this, but showed it for only a moment.

"Come now! Do you really think we're just gonna sit 'ere and let that nasty demon overlord have 'is way with ye?"

"He will only kill you for aiding me."

"Let him try. Friends never walk out on each other and after all you've done for me, you're practically a kinsman. If defending ye means our lives, then so be it. It is more than worth the price to see you free to bring that monster down."

I sighed heavily, knowing that he would not allow me to argue with him. It was so rare to meet anyone in this world with such a strong sense of loyalty and friendship that I could not refuse. It was as close to the loyalty of a fellow samurai as I would get here to know that he would defend me to the death as I would defend him and I would greatly dishonor us both by refusing to allow him to keep watch while I recovered.

For this, I would be forever in his debt.

"Arigatou gozaimasu." I said softly, smiling faintly through the pain at them both.

Duncan looked to Chimitsu, the confusion written clearly on his face.

"I certainly hope that was a thank you." he said.

"It was. A very polite thank you, actually. It means that he is forever in your debt for your help."

"Aw, now there's no need for that. Friends carry no debts. It's just what we do."

"Yes, but still. I will never be able to repay you and your clan for your help and protection." I said.

"Bah! All debts will be repaid tenfold when ye destroy that demon. That's more than enough."

I sighed and laid back on the pillow, feeling exhausted and aching all over my battered body. Chimitsu reached over and gently caressed my face, smiling that benevolent smile of hers the entire time. Even though I felt worn, felt that we should be on the move again as quickly as possible, she made me feel like everything would be all right, even if Aku's minions and Mad Jack came for us again.

She turned back to Duncan, who had started for the door, pausing to note the shattered tray and bowl and glass on the floor with scattered silverware.

"I'm sorry about the dishes, Duncan-san. I panicked when I saw him fall out of bed like that." she said.

"Don't worry about it."

"But your wife will surely be angry about it."

"Ah, Deidre will get over it. Better a broken dish than to lose our friend's life."

"Still..."

With a gentle sweep of her hand, the dishes were once again repaired. I watched as he picked up the tray and set it on a table, giving Chimitsu a strange look.

"Don't go drainin' yourself again, little angel. Dee wouldn't mind a broken dish. She'd be more angry to hear that you strained your magic to fix it instead of savin' it for the lad." he said softly.

Chimitsu said nothing as he turned towards the door, reaching for the handle.

"Matte..."[4] I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

Duncan paused and turned back. He may not have understood, but he waited nonetheless.

"Give my regards to your wife, eh?" I said with a weak smile.

"Of course, laddie! Now get your rest. You'll never heal if you keep moving around like that."

I gently shook my head, smiling a bit as I watched him leave, chuckling to himself good-naturedly. I sighed and laid back, trying to keep my emotions under control. How was it that I had failed to see it? Mad Jack...my dark twin...an Elemental...

The bed shifted again as Chimitsu sat beside me, pulling me up to rest my head in her lap, lightly massaging my jaw and chin. I looked up at her and tried to smile, but it quickly faded with a sigh. Her own smile faded a bit, but her expression still remained quite benevolent.

"Doushita no?"[5] she asked.

"I was such a fool."

"You, Jack Minamoto, a fool? Now, how is that possible?"

Clearly, she had attempted to make a joke, but it fell flat.

"I should have known something was amiss when I saw him."

"Your twin, huh?"

"Yes. I destroyed him. He disappeared when I came to terms with my emotions, my darker half. Now he returns after nearly a year, stronger than ever, and brings me to within an inch of my life. I should have realized that he was an Elemental sooner."

"He wasn't an Elemental before?"

"No, not to my knowledge. The last time we met, I had a bad day, lost my temper, and Aku had taken the opportunity to use his magic to create Mad Jack from those emotions, to personify them. Without the emotions, the dark magic had nothing to solidify or create a person from, and he disappeared."

"But that didn't happen this time, did it?"

"No. Controlling my emotions did not help, even if I had the dark emotions needed to bring him around in the first place. Since meeting you, I have had no reason to lose my temper or be angry. Perhaps at myself at times, but nothing that would have brought him around like before. Aku has done something else to create him this time."

Her brows furrowed for a second before her eyes widened and she paled.

"Oh my goddess...."

"What?"

"My sister. Metal."

"What about her?"

"Each Elemental carries a distinctive energy signature, a scent of their respective Elemental magic. You may not be an Elemental, but you have potential, hence your ability to use that sword of yours. When I came out of the oasis after dealing with my own evil double and found you laying on the sand barely alive, I used a bit of power to keep you alive....and then dealt with your double and his gang. When I was tangling with him, I could smell both Metal's and your energy signatures all over him."

"What do you mean?"

"Magically and Elementally, he "smelled" just like you and Metal. Like your essenses had been fused somehow into his being. Because he looks like you, your signature was stronger, but I could clearly smell my sister's signature all over him."

"What could it mean?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know this was possible. I've heard of fusing Elemental magic into inanimate objects like your sword before, but never into a person. But...I suppose if Aku's powers now include timewarp magic and creating an evil double of you from simply your darker emotions, then I would have to say that his finding away to fuse an Elemental's signature with your double's isn't exactly a surprise."

Her wings drooped a bit. I could tell that this was not news she wanted to hear or think about, but my double being an Elemental compounded our problems greatly. Last time, he evenly matched my strength and skill to where neither of us could get the better of each other. Now, he had proved that he could easily tear me apart and kill me if he wanted to.

"This is not your fault, Chimitsu-chan...Aku is cunning and dangerous. He will hide what illegal knowledge he has gained from everyone, including his own minions. When it comes to me, he will only show such powers when they are necessary to be shown and can give him an upper hand." I said, reaching up to lightly wipe away a few tears.

"I know, but I'm still partly responsible. An Elemental always knows their own, knows what they are capable of. I should have been more alert, more aware to how dangerous he was becoming. Now I fear he is getting out of hand. We can't let this continue or we'll never be able to stop him."

"We will stop him...or we will die trying."

She looked at me, her emerald eyes darkening with sorrow. She looked as if she was going to cry.

"Minamoto-chan, please...don't say that. If you die...then all hope is lost for the world." she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

I slowly sat up and reached over, gently tipping her chin up so she could look at me and I could gaze into her eyes.

"We will destroy Aku and restore order. I swear it."

"You know that I can't do anything to destroy him directly. It is forbidden by Elemental Law for me to do anything of the sort. You're the only one who can destroy him forever. Without you, without your pure bloodline, there won't be anyone left to wield the sword. Nobody who has the skill of the ancients like you do. Anyone else would quickly fall to the demon and his minions."

"And the Star of the Elements?"

"It was meant for you to have when its power is needed. I don't think there's anyone left in this world that it would accept but you, samurai."

Her wings trembled a bit as she struggled to hold back a sob. She could be cheerful, yes, but it was clear that it was hiding what lay beneath the surface. A deep sorrow that weighed heavily upon her heart, threatening to break her if she allowed it.

"Chimitsu-chan..."

"I will do the best I can to finish healing you."

"Finish?"

"Yes. I'm afraid I wasn't able to do it all in one shot. Most of my energy was spent keeping you alive until the surgeon could arrive and in regenerating my own injuries on the way out of the oasis. I've only been able to do healing for you in small chunks of time instead of all at once like I've been doing."

"I see. That is what Duncan meant when he scolded you for repairing the broken dishes. He did not want you spending your power on little things like that when you could save it and spend it on healing me."

"I'm sorry I'm not strong enough to finish the job."

"It is not a matter of being strong enough. Your are doing your best, trying to do better than your best by overextending your powers to the point of exhaustion. It is more than enough. I am awake, I am alive, and we will get through this just fine. It would not be the first time I have narrowly escaped with my life."

"I know, Minamoto-chan, but this time it's do or die. Tomorrow isn't a given anymore. You're not going to get up and fight bounty hunters tomorrow, you might wake up and fight Aku and his stronger minions, or you might not wake up at all. For you to not be at your best is unforgivable, especially if I'm at fault for not making sure you stay in good health."

She hid her face in her hands and I sighed softly, gently pulling her close so she could cry on my shoulder. She was putting so much on her shoulders, blaming herself for things she had no control over in order to ensure that my quest to destroy Aku went through as intended. She even refused to allow herself to mourn her sisters or feel sorry for herself, putting on a happy, cheerful face to keep me going, yet all the while, her own heart was torn from her own brushes with Aku's treachery.

I held her tight, being careful of her wings, letting her cry. We were alone and it was no longer necessary for her to hide her heart behind a mask of cheerfulness, although I had to admire her stoicism a little bit. Even I would not have been able to face so much were I in her place.

I would have crumbled long ago to face the loss of four sisters and narrowly escape a subsequent attack on my own life. No wonder she fought so hard to see to it that I lived long enough to see my quest through to the end. It was all she had left to live for. Not only would Aku's death avenge my parents and my people, restore my honor, but it would also avenge the deaths of her sisters, deaths that she could not avenge herself.

"Shh...Chimitsu-chan...you are doing more than is necessary to help me. Please...rest and make sure you keep yourself in good health. With your energy reserves drained, you cannot heal me, and I cannot keep myself in good health and recover from injury as quickly. If we are to see Aku destroyed, then we will both have to keep ourselves healthy." I said softly.

She paused and looked up at me, crystalline tears shimmering in the twin pools of emerald. She quickly blinked them away and lowered her gaze, not quite in shame, but not in sorrow, either. Her expression was difficult to read now, although it almost seemed like she was contemplating something.

"You're right. I can't lose myself in my sorrow. I need to stay strong, keep my spirits up, keep us both healthy. Arigatou." she said, looking up with a wistful smile on her face.

She lightly trailed a fingertip along my jaw and chin, gently flicking a stray strand of hair out of my face again.

"Rest now, Minamoto-kun. I'll see you in the morning and do what I can to heal your wounds then." she said, her hands gently cupping my face.

A second later, she leaned up, lightly kissing my forehead. With her so close, I could smell a scent radiating from her, reminding me of a breeze like the kind that came after a spring rain. If only we could stay like this...for just awhile longer.

"Oyasuminasai."[6] she whispered softly.

"Oyasumi."

Quietly, she rose from sitting next to me on the bed and disappeared out the door, leaving me alone in the room. I sighed softly, wondering just what I was going to do until I had fully recovered, not wanting to be so useless. She had wanted me to rest, but I did not quite feel like sleeping again.

I briefly glanced to the pillow she had been half sitting on, noticing a single white feather laying on top of it. I reached over and picked it up, carefully inspecting it. It had to have come from Chimitsu's wings when it was as large as it was, yet it felt so light. It was almost hard to believe that something so delicate was strong enough to lift her into flight.

I smiled softly to myself and set the soft feather on the table beside the bed before laying back down and curling up, deciding to go back to sleep.
--------------- [1]"Yamero! Torihanase da!"= "Stop! Let me go!"
[2]"Minamoto-chan...sameru wa. Yoroshii."= "Minamoto-chan...you're awake. Good."
[3]Itai= It hurts. Here, it's more along the lines of "That hurt..." Also means "Ouch!"
[4]Matte= Wait
[5]"Doushita no?"= "What's wrong?"
[6]"Oyasuminasai." = A polite form of "goodnight." The shortened "Oyasumi" is also "goodnight." Same principle as the earlier notation of "gomen nasai" and its shortened variant of "gomen."
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War Of Shadows