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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.

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The following morning, I awoke, feeling pleasantly strung out from the previous night's lovemaking. Chimitsu was curled up beside me, still sound asleep, her hair and wings slightly ruffled. I sat up and smiled, reaching over to brush a few strands of blonde silk out of her sleeping, contented face.

I felt so at peace and relaxed this morning, even though we had a great deal to do now. We could no longer delay in our efforts to stop Aku and his Dark Elementals, not when so many innocents were suffering. We had to go out, gather up the others, and see what we could do to end this war before it destroyed us all.

Yet, selfish as it was, I did not want to go. I wanted to stay with Chimitsu just awhile longer. I wanted to savor this rare moment of peace, but knew that I could not delay any longer.

With a soft sigh, I rose and searched for my clothes, finding my obi and kimono where they had haphazardly landed on the floor, but my fundoshi was nowhere to be found. I furrowed my brow and looked around, knowing that it could not have gone far. Eventually, I found it underneath a chair where I had apparently kicked it in the heat of passion the night before.

I sighed a little and picked it up with my kimono and obi, carrying them over to the table, folding them up before heading tot he bath.. I quietly shut the door beside myself and began to run the water before heading over to the closet to find a towel, which I set on the bench. Steam from the hot water began to fill the room and I realized just how tense I had been before last night.

Once the bath had been filled, I turned off the water and walked over to the shower, washing myself down. The hot water beating down on my back felt delicious, massaging the tightness in my muscles away a bit. I was almost content to stay where I was and let the water pound away, yet I knew the deep bath would be even more relaxing.

Finally washed down, I shut the shower off and turned to step into the tub, sighing quietly as I sank into the steamy water. I could feel myself instantly relax, although my mind was filled with what Chimitsu-chan and I would have to do today. No longer could we mourn and enjoy a night of passion in each other's arms.

The war outside was still raging on, despite how reports of the Dark Elementals had quieted some. I knew better than to think that they had given up on us. They would not stop until we had been crushed, every last one of us.

No, they were merely biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike.

I closed my eyes and tried not to cry at the memory of everyone we had lost at the hands of the shadow demon and his emissaries. We had done plenty of mourning in these last few days and there was no need to prolong it. If we continued to wallow in our loss, then I knew Aku would take advantage of it, exploit it, and make certain that we had been crushed for good.

In no way would my honor allow such a thing.

I sighed again and tried to relax, but with my thoughts drifting to the impending rebellion, I found that relaxation was quite difficult. I had faced Aku many times before and each time, he had eluded me. I would always come so close to finishing him for good, yet something had always prevented it, whether it was his escape or interference from another source.

Needless to say, I was not exactly eager to go to all this trouble, face all these losses, only to fail again. No, I could not fail this time. No matter what happened, I could not fail in the destruction of Aku.

Somehow, I had a feeling that he, too, was tired of failing to destroy me, the one person who had singlehandedly been keeping him from complete conquest of this world. Just as I planned to put everything I had into the final fight, I knew that he would do exactly the same. We were tired of this cat and mouse chasing each other around, toying with each other, running and fighting another day. The final battle was coming, I could feel it.

And it was coming soon.

With another soft sigh, I knew that it was time to get out of the bath and go see if Chimitsu-chan was awake yet. She had been sound asleep when I had come in here, an unusual act for her. I knew her to be the type who could beat even me up and I was usually awake shortly before dawn.

I chuckled softly to myself, knowing that the powerful sex from the night before had done us both in.

I reluctantly withdrew from the bath, wishing I had been able to completely relax, but knew it was impossible until this war was over. I drained the water and walked across the tile floor to the bench, picking up the thick white towel and drying myself off. Finally dry, I wrapped the first towel around my hips before finding another, using that one to towel my hair dry.

When I had finished, I sighed a little and draped the second towel over my shoulders, stepping out to see if Chimitsu was up. Indeed she was, sitting on a chair with her wings folded against her back, completely nude, running a brush through her hair. When she had usually kept it up, I had not noticed how long it was. At this angle, I could tell that it went almost to the floor.

I smiled, noting that she made quite a lovely sight.

"Ohayou, Chimitsu-chan." I said softly.

She wheeled around, startled to hear my voice, yet still managed to smile upon seeing me.

"Good morning, Minamoto-chan. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. And you?"

"Quite well."

She winked at me and I chuckled, heading over to the table to get dressed. I knew she was watching, but at that point, after last night, I did not care. After I had pulled my hair up into its usual topknot, I tucked my katana into my obi, sighing a little as I felt her embrace me from behind, feeling her bare breasts against my back through the fabric of my kimono.

"Going out to gather everyone up?" she asked.

"Yes. We cannot delay our efforts any longer. This war must be stopped and it must be stopped now."

She sighed a little, looking slightly disappointed, but nodded as I turned around to face her.

"I know. I don't want to think about it either, but we can't stay hiding here forever. He'll eventually find us and tear us apart if we try."

"Exactly. I want to get the others started on weapons to fight Aku's armies with while we deal with Aku himself."

"And the Dark Elementals?"

"We will deal with them as well. None of the others will be able to handle any of them, especially if Aku takes his Elemental form."

"How do you know about Aku's Elemental form?"

"I saw him in the dreams when I was in the coma. Tall, pale, dressed in black, hair down almost to the floor or in a topknot or braid?"

"Ohmygoddess. That's him. That's his Elemental form. Was he carrying a bisento?"

"Yes."

She looked absolutely pale and I wondered if I was going to have to keep her from falling to the floor.

"Jack, you don't know what those dreams mean." she said.

"What do they mean, Chimitsu-chan?"

"It means that the end has begun. It'll take a miracle to stop this war now with how much has been thrown off course. If this persists, if we don't stop it now, then he'll destroy everything."

"What do you suggest we do? I can get the others prepared for fighting droids and minions, but I do not know how to harness the power of the Star of the Elements. I only know that its power has been activated and that your sisters have all invoked their power within me."

"We will make the journey to Asagi's temple on Hyousetsu Mountain in the north. We'll be able to summon Light with the Star from there and she'll be able to tell you how to bring about the Star's full power."

"Very well. Get dressed, koibito[1], and I will go start getting the others ready. Then we can get going on our way to your sister's castle."

She nodded and turned back to pick up her dress. I watched her go for a second or two before forcing myself to turn around and find the others. Duty before any further pleasure.

I made my way down the halls, eventually finding Rothie and the others all gathered in the lounge with a large map spread out before them on the equally large table. I walked over to get a cup of tea, not exactly ignoring them, simply not wanting to interrupt. Yet it was not long before they noticed that I was there.

"Well, I'll be. Look who's finally come out of his room, gentlemen." Extor said.

I could hear the rustling of paper and clothing behind me, but did not turn around, focusing on pouring the cup of tea.

"We were beginning to worry, Jack, if you or Chimitsu were ever going to leave your rooms." Rothie said.

I chuckled softly and turned back to face them, my cup of tea in hand.

"There was never anything to worry about. We were in mourning, yes, but I did say that we needed recovery time." I said.

"And you have recovered?"

"Yes. Suffice to say, we have both recovered as best we can. Honestly, we have no choice anyhow. There may not be any word from the Dark Elementals, but I know they have not gone into hiding. They are waiting for us and while they wait, innocents will suffer. Have all the resistance forces been brought here?"

"As many as we could find. My dear boy, you have no idea just how difficult it is to covertly gather up people who were willing to risk themselves to help you. You've built up, well, quite a reputation."

"I am well aware of that. No doubt, Mad Jack is tarnishing what good there is left to my name."

"He doesn't matter, Jack. He's just a pawn in Aku's game, you know that."

I sighed softly, sitting down at the table with the tea still in hand. I sipped it quietly, staring at the map, thinking. It was true that Mad Jack and the Dark Elementals were all pawns, but I knew that they were dangerous pawns, ones who could cripple or destroy us all if we failed to keep on our guard.

"I know, but he has caused plenty of trouble. Look at what he did in Central Hub. I will never be able to go back there or face the wrath of the citizens because he appeared and killed their children, all while dressed and looking exactly like me. He may be a pawn, but he is still extremely dangerous." I said.

"That may be true, but not everyone has turned against you. We were able to find some who were willing to aid us."

"How many?"

"About one thousand."

"A thousand?! Against Aku's numerous troops?!"

I sank to the table with my head in my hands. Gods, there was just no possible way this war would be won by us. Aku's troops would simply massacre them while Chimitsu-chan and I took care of the Dark Elementals. I could not allow it. I could not bear to have any more lives lost on my account, on my soul.

"It is impossible to win like that. He will butcher you all." I said quietly, forcing back the cold dread in my chest.

"It may be impossible for us to win by directly fighting his troops, but we need not remind you that you'll be hitting the source. You and Chimitsu will both be going after Aku and his emissaries. If you two stop them, then the droids will be rendered completely useless."

"I know, but for you and all those people here to be nothing more than cannon fodder for them...it is unbearable."

"But it's a risk we must take. We must be willing to lay down our lives, to fight, if you're to have a chance to destroy the source."

"I am beginning to wonder if Aku's destruction is worth all these lives that have been and will be lost."

"My dear boy, there's no choice in the matter. You know as well as the rest of us do that if you don't destroy him, all those who've fallen will have died in vain. His continued existence brings only suffering and pain."

"Right."

I sighed heavily and rubbed at my temples.

"We have long since passed the point of no return. Lives have been lost, the war has been started, and we must finish it, regardless of the cost. We are all that is left to stand between Aku and his total dominance of this planet. I cannot force any of you to not lay down your lives for me, for the sake of his destruction, but I will pray that we will not lose a one of you, even if it may be too much to ask of the gods." I said.

"It's the price one must pay for peace."

I sighed again and nodded, finishing the last of my tea before taking a closer look at the map. It was very detailed and showed the entire globe. I recognized a few places, noting that what was once Nihon[2] had merged with another of the continents, hence why I was able to get to Edo without realizing it. There was no ocean to cross to get from China to Japan anymore.

"Have you located Aku's fortress? We cannot proceed until we know where his fortress is. Searching for it will cost us more time and thusly more lives and I am not willing to do such a thing." I said.

"I can answer that."

I looked up, seeing Maeven there, smiling.

"Good morning, Maeven-san. Good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, Jack. Good to see you feeling better, you and the Lady."

She fluttered over, giving me a kiss on the cheek before hovering over the map, looking carefully. I could tell she was concentrating, not used to using maps, but her own knowledge of the lands. Finally, she landed and pointed at a spot somewhere in the middle of the European Alps. From what I knew, it was close to Chimitsu-chan's castle. Dangerously close.

"Here. Here's where Aku's fortress lies. He has numerous ones lying about the lands, but this is his central fortress as far as I know. The others simply relocate themselves, scattering about the planet to throw people off to where his central lair is truly located." she said.

"How is it that you know which is the real one and which one is just a decoy?"

"The shadow demon may be able to hide himself from mortals and even the Lady, but he can't hide himself from the planet itself. The planet and its living creatures and elements know everything, see everything, no matter where he'll go. He can't escape the circle of Elements, none of us can. We hear it on the wind, in the flames, in the water, see it in our meditations. He can't hide from those of us who live in harmony with the planet."

"I see. So this is where Chimitsu-chan and I should head."

"We'll all go. If you and the Lady go alone, he'll send out his troops and you won't be able to fight your way through them all to get to him. Not if you want to keep your strength for him. There may be casualties, but we're willing to lay down our lives if it means that you and the Lady get through to the demon."

I sighed a little, not liking the thought of more friends dying, but it had to be done. I would not be able to fight my way through and still have strength left to fight Aku, particularly if he took his Elemental form. Still, they would need help somehow. Chimitsu could not harm Aku herself, but she could certainly keep him and the Dark Elementals at bay while I did the fighting.

"If there are only a thousand of you, how will you fight? How will you defend yourself against his droid armies? There are so few of you and he will have an endless supply of them at hand." I said.

"Leave that to me, Jack." Extor said.

Maeven and I looked up, more than a bit surprised.

"How?"

"There's a number of mechanics among us. If we work around the clock in shifts for a few days, we'll be able to provide cannons and weaponry for everyone here. If we use artillery and keep them at a distance, we'll have more of a chance of surviving than in close combat."

"Aku's forces also have artillery."

"But they don't have shields."

"Shields? What good will a little shield do against a cannon?"

"Not a handheld shield, Jack. Forcefields, magical shields. They'll realize they can't hit us with their artillery and will simply keep moving forward to get us in close. While they're doing that, we fire upon them until we run out of ammo. Then we'll have to fight them in close combat, but until then, we'll have a space of time in which to get you and Chimitsu into the fortress. After that, it's in the hands of the gods."

I sighed and nodded. It was the only card we had to play. We would just have to play it and play it good.

"If we have a few days, that will give Chimitsu time to get me to her sister's temple to help me figure out how to use the Star of the Elements. It has been activated, but I do not know how to use its magic or if it is automatic or what I must do. We should be able to get there and back in the time it takes all of you to supply us with weaponry." I said.

"When do you and Chimitsu plan to leave?"

"Immediately." Chimitsu's voice rang out.

We instantly turned around, seeing her standing in the doorway in her Chinese print dress, her hair back up in its clip. I quickly stood, surprised to see her looking so serious. It did not suit her any more than sorrow did. She was more suited to lively cheerfulness.

"Chimitsu-chan..." I began.

"We're out of time, Minamoto-chan. I can make the teleport to my sister's castle while the others work on the weapons. There's no telling how long it'll take to summon Light and figure out how you need to use the Star of the Elements. We need every second we can get."
-------------- [1]koibito= sweetheart
[2]Nihon= Japan
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War Of Shadows