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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
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Sometime later, I began to feel a dull ache spreading through my body from all over and was vaguely aware of the crisp scent of grass beneath me. Slowly, I opened my eyes, looking down into the soft emerald green of the meadow outside where Aku's fortress had once stood. I groaned softly and weakly pushed myself up onto my elbows and then my knees, looking around.

The vast, grassy field was quiet without the sounds of fighting, yet I knew that this was the place where the battle had been taking place just moments before. I staggered to my feet and looked around, hoping that the blast had not vaporized everyone when the castle crumbled. I was battered, but alive, so the others had to have survived as well.

Minion and droid parts littered the area just below the hill I had slammed into, yet I could not see what was left of those who had been fighting them while Chimitsu-chan and I had gone on ahead into the fortress. It was so eerily still that I began to fear that they had either perished or had left, thinking that Chimitsu and I had died in the blast that had taken the mountain fortress. I squeezed my eyes shut tight and quietly bowed my head, finding that the moment of knowing that Aku had been destroyed was not as happy a one as I had imagined it would be.

It just did not seem the same without Chimitsu-chan and the others to celebrate this moment with me.

Slowly, I raised my head and looked over to the side, finding that my katana had been flung out of the imploding fortress at the same time I had. Miraculously, it had survived intact, buried a third of the way up the blade in the dirt like some kind of road marker. I walked over to it and tugged it free with a soft grunt of pain, feeling the dull ache pulse along my arm from my broken left wrist up towards my shoulder.

My white armor had been torn apart by the blast, leaving the remaining hip guard hanging by a very loose hinge and the chestplates. Almost everything else had been torn clean off, baring the nasty wounds and shredded skin that had been left behind. The boots were intact, but one gauntlet had been completely destroyed, revealing two broken fingers on my right hand, although I hardly felt any pain from them.

I weakly held onto my katana since I knew the scabbard had been destroyed in the blast, looking around and trying to decide where to go now. The battle was over and this planet was free, but I had yet to find a way home when the demon who had sent me here was dead. Without a way home, I no longer had a purpose in this futuristic world and would be directionless until I found one or the other.

First I would need medical help in repairing my many injuries, but that was the furthest thing from my mind at that point. Even though I should have been overwhelmed with happiness and a feeling of triumph at my victory, all I felt was sorrow. So many people had given their lives in this fight that it did not feel like much of a victory to me.

All I could think about now was my beloved Chimitsu and how she had begged me at first to take up this fight for her as well as myself. She could not end it or avenge her sisters, but knew I could and wanted me to help her do what she could not do on her own. She had done so much to ensure this day would come and now she would never be able to see it.

A part of me wanted to cry in mourning for her death, to let out all the emotion I had been unable to release when she had died, but I could not find the will to do so. I felt empty and hollow inside, as if a vast hole had opened in my heart where Chimitsu-chan had once been. It hurt so much to think about how she had gone down fighting and died on the end of the same blade that had killed Aku.

It had been a freak accident, a skilled manipulation on Aku's part, but I still could not help but feel a bit responsible for her death. Instinctively, I wanted to commit seppuku and avenge her with my own life, but somehow, I could not bring myself to do it. When I had first arrived here, it would have been so easy to do it, but now I did not see any point to it.

I learned long ago that even death did not change what had been said or done, no matter how much I wished it to. Nothing would be gained with my death and it certainly would not bring my lover back from death. It would not bring any of them back and somehow, that hurt me much more than the losses itself.

With a heavy sigh, I hung my head again, too overcome with grief to be able to move onward, much less celebrate.

"By Jove, boys, look at this!"

Slowly, I opened my eyes and straightened, turning around towards the voice with its cultured accent. There was no mistaking it or the joy that it had carried. Despite the sorrow that weighed heavily upon my heart, I could not help but feel even a bit of joy at hearing such a familiar, friendly voice.

There, a few feet behind me stood what was left of those who had been fighting the droids and minions, with Rothchild at the head. All of them had been battered and worn from the long hours of fighting, but they were alive. I gave a weak smile upon seeing them, happy to see that they had managed to hold out as long as they had against all those minions and droids.

The group, while still large, seemed smaller than before, with its remaining members showing various degrees of injury. One of Rothie's ears had been torn almost clean off and the Wildman was nursing what was obviously a broken arm. Several Woolies limped along, while others supported one another as they made their way over.

Seeing them all alive and in relatively good shape made me feel a little bit better, as if perhaps our efforts had truly been worth it, but I still felt pained to know that a good number of them would never see this. It was far from fair and I knew it, but it did not make it hurt any less. Even though I ached inside for Chimitsu and those who had been lost, I did not want to put a damper on everyone's celebration and forced a smile, hoping that I would be able to conceal my pain until I was alone.

They crowded around me, each wanting to hug me or at least touch the man who had just brought down the Shogun of Sorrow himself. Normally I would have only been mildly uncomfortable with the attention, but being physically wounded and emotionally drained, it was all I could do to keep from losing my temper. I could not understand what they were saying when they were speaking all at once like they were, but it was Extor who finally silenced them.

"For cryin' out loud, give the boy some breathin' room, huh? Can't you people see he's hurt? We all owe him a great deal right now, but he's been through a lot and needs time to recover. Takin' out someone like Aku's not the easiest thing in the world, y'know." he snapped.

Chastized, the group moved away from me, allowing him to approach without obstruction. I felt relieved and grateful for his intervention, happy that they wanted to thank me, but definitely needing my space considering the injuries that were making themselves known with a vengeance. Extor looked me up and down, noting my wounds with a quiet shake of his head, a look of amazement on his face.

"We need to get you back to my compound, Jack. It's a wonder you're still alive with all those injuries. I know you're probably anxious to begin your search for a way back to your home time, but you're not going anywhere for awhile, not until you're healed up." he gently scolded.

He pressed a few buttons on the computer mounted on his wrist, bringing over one of the few hovercraft that had not been destroyed in the battle and letting it come to a stop on the grass beside us. The hatch opened with a metallic whine and he led me inside to sit on a makeshift cot while Rothie drove. I reluctantly let one of the Canines take my blade and respectfully watch over it while I allowed Extor to inspect my wounds.

I hissed sharply through my teeth as he probed at my broken wrist, even though he had barely touched it. I did not have to be a modern medical expert to know that it was going to take a very long time to completely heal. He shook his head and inspected my broken fingers, cuts, and my ribs, determining that they were likely badly bruised and cracked due to the armor I wore.

He gave it a light tap and ran his fingertip along the scratch that had been left just below where the Star of the Elements rested, left there by Aku's katana. The Wildman had come over and sat beside us, staring curiously at the armor I was wearing. I gave another sharp hiss as Extor reached my right ankle, which I only now noticed had begun to swell within its boot.

"By all means, Jack, you should be dead. We saw Aku's fortress implode and the shockwave pass through the area. Nobody could have survived it without taking shelter and I can safely assume that you were right in the immediate area when it happened. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain it. You're a living miracle, y'know that, boy?" he asked.

"I think the only miracle would be this armor. You are right, I should be dead from the blast and my injuries, but I do not feel all that bad. Not like I should be after such a battle."

He gave my armor another light tap and traced a fingertip along the metal gauntlet that remained, his eyes curiously studying it.

"This metal...I've never seen such an alloy before. Where'd you get this armor, Jack?" he asked.

"I...it is hard to explain. It is not any kind of armor you could get anywhere in this world. It is an Elemental armor and, I suppose you could say it is a reflection of the strength of my heart."

"What do you mean?"

"The Star of the Elements. That is what its secret is. It reacts to its owner's heart and releases its power accordingly. To someone with a weak heart, it would seem powerless, but to someone with a strong, pure heart, its power is matched only by a true Elemental. That was why I was the one meant to wear it...I was the only one with enough strength and purity to bring out enough power from it to match Aku's natural Elemental strength."

The two of them gave each other a look before glancing back at me with a thoughtful look in their eyes. They had seen the Star of the Elements around my neck before we had gone out to battle, but it had lost its necklace form and set itself into my breastplate when I had donned the armor. It would be a simple matter of will to allow the battered armor to return to its place within the Star and allow the Elemental amulet to revert to its usual form.

I closed my eyes and with a soft sigh, I allowed myself to finally relax and felt the armor begin to disappear in a soft, warm aura. It melted away and left me in only my fundoshi, the Star of the Elements cool and slightly weighted against my broken collarbone. Without the Elemental powers sustaining me, I began to feel the full extent of my injuries and gave a whimpering moan, feeling every movement bring fresh pain to my raw nerves.

Within seconds, both Extor and the Wildman were helping me to lay down on the makeshift cot, pulling a blanket up around my shoulders to keep me from getting too cold. I felt a little bit better laying down, but I still ached from the beating I had been dealt at Aku's hands. Extor brought over a first aid kit and began to patch up some of the more minor wounds as best he could, trying to keep me comfortable until we could reach his compound where he could administer better medical care.

My body hurt so much that I barely even acknowledged the light sting of a needle pushing into my arm as he injected a painkiller into my system. I was doing all right without it, but as exhausted as I was, I welcomed the numbing feeling that swept through my body, deadening the ache I was feeling. I knew I was a mess, but now that the war was over, I could finally take the time to relax and heal completely.

I lay there quietly without protest as Extor stitched and bandaged me up, feeling the hollow pain of sorrow return with the deadening of my physical pains. I tried to stay quiet and remain expressionless, to keep them from knowing how much I hurt inside so they would have plenty of reason to keep celebrating their freedom, but I just could not do it. I did not cry, I never cried in the presence of others, but neither of them had missed the sorrowful, defeated look in my eyes.

"Why Friend look sad? Big demon gone. Friend have much to celebrate. Shouldn't be sad when so much to be happy about." the Wildman stated.

I did not answer and quietly closed my eyes in defeat before the tears began to fall again. I could not say anything, much less scold him when I knew it was not his fault that he did not know what had happened to Chimitsu, but it still hurt. I did have a lot to be happy and celebrate about, we all did, but I did not feel like celebrating with Chimitsu gone.

"Is Friend angry with me?" he asked.

I slowly turned and looked at him, quietly shaking my head.

"No. I am not angry with you. I simply do not feel much like celebrating, that is all." I replied.

A puzzled look crossed his face and he looked to Extor, who had paused for a brief second before taping down a bandage on my shoulder. He looked at me for a moment before I saw that he realized that we were missing someone. I did not know if he realized why Chimitsu-chan was missing, but I could see in his eyes that he noticed that she was gone.

"Jack, where's Chimitsu? She went into the fortress with you, what happened to her?" he quietly asked.

I swallowed hard, having dreaded this moment from the very second I had been reunited with them. I did not want to have to tell them, but if I did not, then they would figure it out sooner or later. It was best to tell them now than to have them ask more painful questions later.

"She...did not make it." I murmured quietly.

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I know how much the two of you tried to get through this fight alive and what she meant to you."

I refused to look at him, gazing out the window at the open landscape passing us by. Extor took the hint and continued with his work, although I could sense him glancing up at me every so often. The Wildman did not say anything, knowing exactly what I had said and could not find anything to say that would make me feel better, even though I knew that Chimitsu's loss weighed heavily on him as well.

They were all fond of her, almost as fond of her as I had been. She had taken care of all of them while I had been unconscious in that month before the war had begun to snowball into this very moment and they had all been comforted by her compassion and kindness. I knew they would all miss her, but I was not entirely sure they would ever understand just how painful it was for me to lose someone so special.

"If I may...what happened to her?" he asked.

I did not look at him, swallowing back the tears that stung at my eyelids before answering.

"She was struck down in the fight." I replied quietly.

"Aku?"

I slowly closed my eyes, feeling absolutely ashamed of having to tell him that it was not the demon that had struck her down, but me.

"No. I did."

For a moment, the shock was so thick in the air that it almost choked me. Silence permeated the room for a few seconds before Extor returned to his work in setting my broken fingers. I did not protest at all, even though it hurt like hell, not even bothering to open my eyes to look out the window.

"You? Why on earth would you kill Chimitsu?" he asked.

"It was a terrible, freakish accident. Aku cast an illusion on us so that we saw each other as him and we fought. He was hoping we would simply finish each other off, but it was Chimitsu who fell first and died upon my blade."

Neither of them spoke for the longest time after that, understanding now why I was so distraught over her death. It was one thing to watch your dear lover fall in battle, but it was a completely different matter when they died upon your weapon at your hands. The only comfort I could take out of the whole situation was knowing that at least Chimitsu herself had known it was an accident and had forgiven me moments before she died.

I choked back an inaudible sob when I realized that I had not told her I had forgiven her for attacking me, but knew she had to know. She had to know in her heart that I did not blame her for attacking me when it was Aku who had manipulated us both. At least he finally paid in spades for the hell and torment he had brought upon this world and its innocent people and in a way, that, too, was a small comfort to me.

My family had finally been avenged after so many centuries and honor was restored to me. I could once again call myself Minamoto Genji, but somehow, after all this time here in the future as Jack, the name had grown on me. I had forbidden people from learning my real name for so long that it was almost easier for me to answer to Jack than Genji now, even if Minamoto Genji was the name I had been born with.

I sighed softly and turned my head to stare up at the metal ceiling of the hovercraft, no longer feeling like crying for the moment, but I knew that the moment I was alone, I would indeed mourn. Until I was alone, I would have to distract myself somehow, not knowing how long it would take us to reach Extor's compound again. It had not seemed like long when we went out to fight, but it could have easily been several miles.

There had been so many of us when we had left, but when I had been reunited with the group, I noticed that their numbers had clearly diminished. I knew of Maeven's death while I had been battling Fuki, the Death Elemental, but I had no idea of the number of casualties we had sustained. There were bound to be some, but I had no idea just how many had fallen while Chimitsu and I had been fighting our way up into Aku's fortress.

"Extor, how many did we lose out there?" I asked quietly.

"Jack..."

"How many? I know we lost Maeven, but who else fell?"

He sighed heavily and set aside the roll of medical tape before reaching up and scratching his head nervously.

"About a thousand of us went out there...and...the unofficial headcount is under four hundred upon return." he finally replied.

I squeezed my eyes shut in frustration and tried to keep from losing all control. Six hundred lives had been lost in that last fight and while they had not died in vain, it still seemed to be more than the end result was worth. So many people's lives cut short, fighting for freedom, but dying before they could see it.

"Such a waste of life..." I whispered.

"They fought because they wanted to, you know that. They haven't fought and died in vain. Because they and you fought, Aku was defeated and the goal we've all hoped for has become a reality."

"I know. I know that this is war and casualties are expected and I know that they died fighting for what is right, but they should not have died at all. All of them had something to live for, families, jobs, things that they will never be able to do now."

"Jack, they didn't have much to live for under Aku's rule. They had families and jobs, but they didn't have the one thing that we all cherish and they fought for it. None of us forced them into this, they came of their own free will to fight alongside you and Chimitsu in the hopes that they'd be a part of something big enough to end the demon's rule."

"If only there was something I could have done to help them..."

"There isn't anything you could have done to stop it! If we didn't fight today, if they hadn't died now, then Aku would've killed them later for something less honorable than fighting to restore peace. You couldn't stop them from doing what was right and none of us could, not when we were all doing the same thing."

"If there had only been a way..."

"Let it go, Jack. What's done is done...there's nothing you or any of us can do now."

Without another word, he retreated to the cockpit of the vehicle, leaving me and the Wildman alone with only our thoughts. I sighed heavily and closed my eyes in an attempt to sleep, even though I knew that it would not come easily to me no matter how tired I was. Perhaps I could not do anything to bring those lost back, but there was still something I could do to honor them.

Unfortunately, it was going to have to wait until I healed...
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War Of Shadows