Chapter Text
The large cathedral was warm and toasty, providing the perfect environment for an extremely powerful demon to live comfortably. However, despite the comforting, homely temperature that lazily hung in the air, the demonic lord felt nothing but cold calculating spite twisting in his gut as he watched the vision mirror before him with narrowed, bulging eyes.
The Samurai was off and about again, STILL causing trouble, STILL wielding that holy weapon, and STILL being a problem. If anything, he grew to be a stake in Aku’s hide; a giant, splintering stake with a katana to boot.
He growled as he drummed his claws on the arm of his throne, baring his bent teeth at the magical screen. “That fool has been nothing more then a nascence to me! He has evaded me for far too long!” He brooded moodily as he stroked his long beard in thought, “I must think of another plan. Something to finally rid of my sword-wielding problem. Or something to make him suffer.”
He watched as the man in the mirror was but a blur as he slashed through the Mechanical Bandits with ease, his magic sword glinting unnaturally as it sliced straight through metal and wires. The demon growled loudly as his essence spiked up irritably, like an angry cat. “Samurai fool with his magic sword.” He sulked.
The near-God worshiped demon snarled and flexed his razor sharp claws as his arch rival finished off the last of the bandits HE PAID for. Good for nothing droids! They didn’t even leave a mark on him!
As the last of the good-for-nothing robots fell to the ground, a trio of the townsfolk ran towards the Samurai, grinning as they ran towards their savior with a hop in their step, eyes bright with a light that Aku wished to crush with his talons.
“If it wasn’t for you, our entire town would have fallen victim to the Mechanical Bandits!” The tallest one told him, stating the obvious.
“We are so lucky you were passing through.” The second tallest said as Aku scoffed irritably. Couldn’t they see it was obviously planned? “How can we ever thank you? We don’t have much. . . “
“There is no need.” The Warrior said, ever so the hero. “You are very lucky. . .but not because of me.”
At that, Aku sat up from his slouching position, perking up instantly.
“You are more than you realize. . . You have what I cannot. . .” Jack said as he turned and walked away from the confused trio.
Aku’s bulging eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed the Samurai, noting his slouched shoulders and the dark, empty look in his usually bright and determined orbs. The mortal seemed sad, with a darkness covering his usually bright and fearless person. He seemed. . . Lonely.
The demon lord slouched back into his throne as he frowned deeply, clutching angrily at his chest as the sensation of hallow, cold pain burrowed a cavity within him. He knew what it was like being alone, with nothing but your thoughts to accompany you and the occasional wail of wind and the merciful glimmering stars.
Before he became Aku, he doesn’t remember ever being lonely. If anything, he doesn’t remember thinking or feeling at all, just. . .knowing instinctively that he had one propose; to spread and devour, like some kind of ravenous disease.
It was when that damned Emperor gifted him consciousness and then imprison him in the form of a tree did he think. . . And think. And think. And wallow in his own stirring emotions that only grew in ferocity the longer he remained as a gnarled, stout excuse for a tree.
Aku slammed his fist on the arm of his throne as he shook his head violently to rid himself of those memories. He had more important things to worry about, namely his sword-gifted problem.
If the Samurai was feeling lonely, he could exploit that in some way, get close to him, then peal back the sugarcoated relationship carefully weaved for him and reveal the dark, malicious intent that was hidding underneath. His signature evil grin spread across his neon green face as he chuckled. He knew exactly how to use his enemies emotions to his advantage. He was going to play with his heart, just as he did with Ikra. But this time, he planned to get him on a more personal level. Ikra had only teased and taunted, stroking the fires of a school-boy crush. This time, he wanted the foolish Samurai to become closer to him, and bear his vulnerable heart just so he could rip it out and crush it with his claws.
“Samurai fool, I pity what is about to befall you! Ha! Ha! Ha!”
—————————————————
The man sighed and allowed his shoulders slump once he was out of sight of the prying eyes of the family that he had saved. His chest felt heavy with longing and an aching heart, almost as unbearable than the weight of responsibility weighing down on his broad shoulders.
Seeing that family, smiling up at him as they embraced each other lovingly, made a long forgotten desire rear it’s ugly head. Longingly, he wondered what it was like having a family again, what it meant to have a stern, wise father and a loving, gentle mother once more.
What would it even be like having a family of his own? What would having a wife be like? What wonders and challenges are there to raising children? Would he feel unrequited pride as his children grew and learned the ways of the world around them? Would he and his wife share loving looks as they spent their life together? Would he ever find love?
Jack took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to force down those unwanted emotions that threatened to claw up his throat and burst. Yet, despite his efforts in trying to force these intrusive thoughts and feelings away, they suffocated him.
Slowly, he moved across the powdery sand, his sandals taking the bulk of the grainy substance before he reached a grove of palm trees that seemed to sag with the weight of the world upon them.
The man leaned a little against their spiky trunks, swallowing down the sad lump in his throat as he felt loneliness turn his heart into stone. “I am truly alone. . .” He sighed quietly, his words dying over the sudden whoosh of wind and the harsh sting of metal hitting his cheek.
In sheer surprise, he cried out and fell back, hitting the sandy floor with a thump as he wildly glanced around to spot his attackers. Once his vision cleared, he gasped at the sight of the droids he thought he had eliminated, beaten, torn, and convulsing as sparks sprang up from their exposed wires as they stood around him in offensive stances.
“Y-You left us—for scrap back in that there —low-tech 64-BIT town. An’ Robbe ‘ere is offline, permanently.” One of the bandits snarled as he held up the head of his fallen comrade, spite heavy within his mechanical voice as they hissed, “So we figured we could —show you our— handy hardware recycling program!”
The robots then leapt up into the air and barreled towards him as they raised their makeshift weapons, kicking dust up as they lunged at the warrior. “Hope you’re — ready for a hard reboot!” One of them cackled as they swung a metal foot, ready to strike him down.
Then suddenly, just as Jack was unsheathing his katana, a red blur shot past him and sliced two robots in half, causing everyone to pause to look at the new opponent. Jack’s eyes widened as the dust in the air cleared to reveal a woman, clad in red and gold robes with a white painted face, wielding two paper fans.
After a moment of pause, the woman leaped up again with surprising agility and threw paper fans into the nearest bandits mechanical eyes before leaping upon it to extract her weapons.
Unbeknownst to her, a robot reared up behind her and held up a robotic head, ready to strike her.
But just as she turned around, Jack sliced the droid in half with a warrior-like cry, defeating the last of the Mechanical Bandits and ending this fight with one last slash of light.
The mysterious warrior woman watched as the robot broke into halves and fell to the ground in a mess of metal and sparks with a look of surprise and awe on her painted face before she smiled at Jack and bowed in respect.
Jack smiled back at her and did the same. “I owe you my life!” He thanked as he straightened up and beamed at her. “What may I call you?”
The woman did not speak, and instead spread one of her fans over her mouth, almost shyly, tapping her ruby red lips to indicate to him; “I see- you cannot speak! But your grace and beauty speak volumes.” He praised, openly admiring her beauty.
She blushed a soft pink from his compliment and smiled as she offered her hand. Jack took her dainty palm into his own and studied her face as she gazed up at him with breathtaking amber eyes. “My name is Jack.” He said, placing a hand over his heart. “And I shall call you. . . Jill.”
The woman’s smile grew wider as she nodded in approval of the name, her eyes glittering with mirth like carnelian gems in the setting sun. “Well, a pleasure to meet you Jill.” Jack said with a small laugh as he gestured for her to follow him.
The woman did so, still donning a fan over her face bashfully as they walked towards the setting sun together. Jack watched her with open curiosity, studying her heart-shaped face and her slim figure as well as her bright red robes that reminded Jack vividly of his own time. Perhaps his culture did continue on in this future? He would like to think so, as slim as a chance that is.
The Samurai met the stranger-Jill’s gaze and turned away, realizing with a jolt that he was staring. “Forgive me! It is unlike me to be so rude. I just. . . Your attire reminds me of my own time. Well, not this time I mean, but a different time before Aku. And well, Aku had sent me here, er from the past to now!” He stammered as he tried to explain, his face flushing red in embarrassment.
Jill’s eyes crinkled with laughter as she shook her head at him, concealing her silent chuckles behind the safety of her pale fan.
Jack felt even more flustered as he watched tears bead at her eyes and roll down her smooth cheeks and watched as her smile grew a hundredfold in brilliance.
No time for his fluttering heart, however, Jack scolded himself. More insistent things pressed at the fate of the world, and if Jill was willing to fight by his side, then he was certain that he would finally end his lifelong quest and finally go home at last finally end it all with a final battle with his sworn enemy!
And so the two strangers set off, setting towards the horizon as they exchanged pleasantries, to the best of their abilities, and formed a bond that seemed unbreakable.
——————————————————————
A week has gone past since Jack and Jill met, but just in that short time, they have both formed a close friendship with each other, stronger than steel and mightier than the danger looming over the both of them.
Jack, for the first time in the long years he had been trapped here in this Hell, had felt as if he could allow himself to relax around her. Sure, he did unravel sometimes with his friends like the Scotsman, but with her. . . It just felt more intimate, more meaningful. He felt as if he could finally talk to someone, to share his woes with.
However, he’d sometimes have to remind himself that he couldn’t trust someone he’d only met a few days ago; one could never be too careful, and his messy past of failed assassination attempts should’ve only served to make him all the more paranoid of this strange woman.
But in Jack’s defense, Jill had crept her way into his battle worn heart and claimed a home there, becoming a source of soft affection.
He no longer felt the hallowing, lonely feeling that usually plagued his heart when she was with him.
He would never be alone as long as he had her.
—————————————————————
‘Jill’ smirked at Jack’s sleeping form as she sat in silence, burdened with the task of night-watch; a job which Jill neglected often due to certain demonic powers she possessed.
She watched him sleep with clever amber eyes that sparkled like the glimmering fire between them, full of mischief and cunning.
‘What a fool’, She thought smugly to herself as she listened to the mortal’s sleepy sighs, ‘He fell for it so easily! This ‘Jill’ persona was an excellent pick for this task!’
It was far too tempting to sink her claws into his exposed back, to watch with a sadistic, villainous smile as his face twists in pain and to listen to his wails as if it were music.
But no, the best reward comes to those who wait patiently, much like the hunter stalking it’s prey, gauging the right moment to finally break all the boundaries of trust and friendship built there, to attack the most vulnerable thing the fool possessed; his fragile heart.
Besides, there were perks to waiting. Aku had always found it best to keep her acquaintances close and her enemies far, far more closer. She also did not have to worry about the Samurai screwing things up, now that Aku could devote her time and attention to the foolish mortal.
And Aku could admit. . . It was nice, to be this close to someone. Even if everything was a lie, hissed between clenched fangs, it sometimes felt as if it was all real. The jokes, the playful nudges, the smiles, the strange aching warmth in her chest.
Sometimes. . . Aku couldn’t tell if she was acting or not.
Jill started as Jack shifted and inhaled sharply, his body tensing up in a way Jill knew all too well. Quietly, like the nightly breeze drifting through the pine forest, the cloaked woman slid next to the Samurai and placed a hand gingerly on his shoulder, to console him from his recent nightmare. Jack tensed even further and looked up at her with wide, fearful charcoal eyes, before he quickly calmed himself and settled against the makeshift pine-needle bed once more.
“Forgive me if I have startled you. . .” Jack whispered, looking away shamefully in a way that made Aku want to roll her eyes.
Jill sighed as she laid next to him, staring at his quivering back with a searching gaze. It was pathetic really, for this mortal to be so readily vulnerable around someone they’ve only just met. It almost made Aku feel sorry for him, this sad, lonely human plagued with night terrors. Sorry for him in a, ‘what a pitiful human’ way.
Impulsively, in an action out of unwarranted empathy, Jill scooted closer to the man and enveloped him in her warm arms, pulling him with surprising strength up against her slimmer form. Jack gasped in surprise and sat there, completely frozen in her sun-like embrace as he processed this impromptu loving contact.
Ironically, Aku was just as shocked as he was, her mind running a mile a second to process what she just did.
Was she. . . HUGGING the Samurai? Comforting him? No no, this is clearly an attempt to draw the Samurai closer, to stroke the fires of desire within his mortal heart. Yes, yes, clearly.
It took a while before Aku realized that Jack surrendered to her embrace, the man sinking into her warmth like a sleep-deprived head against a pillow. Aku blinked rapidly, processing the strange moment, trying not to inhale too much of his disgusting human scent.
Was this a regular human thing? Was she doing this correctly? Did humans do this this frequently? Sure she had seen humans. . . cuddle, if that’s what one would call this, but Aku didn’t know anything about human cuddling rules! She barely even knew how demons comforted each other!
She was brought back to the present again as Jack sighed and clutched her arms with rough palms, keeping them both trapped against each other, both reluctant to let the strange, soft moment to end. . . Despite how Jill lied to herself.
“I- thank you.” Jack spoke quietly, as if he was afraid to shatter the delicate atmosphere around them. Jill simply pressed her face up against his back, squeezing his shoulders none-too-gently with her arms as overwhelming emotions she couldn’t care to mull over overwhelmed her.
After a long moment that felt as if it lasted for centuries, they departed, detaching themselves from each other to turn away awkwardly.
Jill wrapped her cloaked arms around herself, internally raging at the fact that she hugged her arch rival, of all the things of the world she could’ve touched in such a way! It felt so wrong, so. . . So provoking! The Great Aku did NOT HUG people! Especially humans, of all the most vile creatures in the universe!
She looked up as she heard Jack shuffle in his makeshift mat and met his eyes, both black and amber studying each other warily. They both became afraid to break the delicate silence that hung over them.
Jill was the first to look away.
She crawled back to her mat and curled up on its surface, embarrassment washing over her in waves.
Jack turned back the other way, sighing before forcing himself to sit up. Did he do something wrong? He hadn’t meant to hurt her. Maybe he gripped her arms too roughly, or maybe he made it awkward.
With one last glance at the red-cloaked woman he got up and settled for night watch, despite how tired he was. Maybe it was best that he wouldn't address this (like he knew how to anyway). Jill was merely a stranger to him, and the both of them were painfully unfamiliar with loving physical affection, that much was clear from this experience.
He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes, missing the comforting warmth that Jill offered. It has been so long since someone has held him like that, it almost made him sick to think about it. But he knew it was best that they avoided doing such things in the future to prevent situations like this.
Jill shifted in her mat and stared at the ground intensely with flame-colored eyes, feeling raw and vulnerable. Such unnerving and innapropreate feelings for a being such as her. She loathed feeling vunerable.
Briefly, her form shimmered, and if someone were looking carefully, they’d see that she dug giant claw marks into the damp soil below.
With what should be her heart locked safely away, back in its cold, protective shell, the demon glared at the trees around her and silently vowed to shatter the Samurai’s trust and love for making her feel this way.
—————————————————————-
Time passes, and the seasons begin to change, with winter turning the world white and grey.
Samurai Jack and Jill had traveled together for almost a year now, with time trickling away much more quickly than both parties anticipated. They fought almost every battle together and sat together every night in front of shimmering flames, with Jack telling stories and jokes while Jill smiled and laughed silently.
Jack felt most tranquil with her. He trusted her, and he felt in his heart that she trusted him as well. He couldn’t help the warm, aching feeling that made his heart burn whenever he was near her, or whenever her amber eyes glittered with inner fire and mirth.
When they fought together it was like they danced, and when they sat together the world seemed to still. It was like the world stopped just for them.
It was surprising to Aku that she had been able to tolerate J- the Samurai for this long. When she was Ikra, she could barely conjure up a convincing smile without trying not to snicker. But now. . . It was different.
This time they spent together had offered a nice change of pace from Aku’s usual toils; filing paper work, monitoring trade, barking at underlings, keeping her distant planets out of other dictators greedy paws. The usual Shogun of Sorrow thing that sometimes just became so. . . repetitive and bland sometimes.
And if Aku had any more courage and less of an ego, she could admit that being around Samurai Jack was nice and refreshing.
Aku knew so much more about the Samurai then she ever did before. She knew his favorite meat was shrimp and that he hated eating chicken, she knew his favorite color was green, she knew his favorite animal was crickets, she knew that he was painfully honest, she knew that he was passionate, and. . . She knew that he was far more devoted to murdering her than she thought prior.
It was rather pathetic to Jill that Jack didn’t have much of a life outside of getting to a time portal and defeating her. It was depressing, really. He never truly experienced the joys life has to offer him. Of course, she didn’t help things. It was also pathetic how readily he opened up to her. It was like a dam broke; all of these emotions and woes that he could no longer bear alone. His past, his worries, his dreams, his wishes, she knew them all. Their relationship was becoming far too intimate for her comfort if you asked her.
Jill was pulled out of her musings by Jack tugging on her sleeve, indicating that it was time for them to leave. With one last glance to the smoldering campfire they built, she got up and dusted snow and dirt off of her fire-red robes and smiled up warmly at him, deeply contrasting the cold that hung around them.
He smiled at her, his face becoming bright, before his onyx orbs hardened and shone with playful determination, a promise of fun. With a laugh, he bounded off into the forest, disappearing into the mist. Jill smirked before doing the same, leaping after him as quick as the wind.
They chased and scrambled down the frozen forest path, laughing and smiling at each other as Jill gained more and more ground. The wind lashed at their faces and tore at their clothes, but they could care less when all that mattered in the world was the world was them and their game. Soon enough, the woman caught up with the Samurai and leaped at him, landing on his back and causing them both to tumble to the ground, flinging snow up into the air as their playful chase drew to an end.
They laughed, their chests heaving as they fought the cold to fill their sore lungs with air, their cheeks and ears burning from the cold as smiles split their faces.
Once they calmed down, their eyes met, dark coals with flame, caught again in each other’s gaze. Jill couldn’t stop staring at his face, adorned with by old and new battle scars, yet gifted with eyes that were kind and bright, regarding her with trust. No one had ever looked at her like that before.
No.
He was looking at Jill that way, not her. Not Aku. This is not the true way he looked at her, he was only looking at a lie with such fondness. The Samurai looked at the real her with hatred, with real fire inside of his dark irises, with such dark rage she oh-so craved to see every time they battled face to face. The loathing in his eyes was so real. But this… This was just fake.
With a shove, Jill stood up and offered him a pale hand, which he took with a breathless laugh a grateful smile.
“Thank you.” Jack said, brushing off his battle-worn gi and straightening his hair. Jill gave him a small, forced smile in response and tilted her head to the side, towards the snow caked path.
The Samurai nodded in understanding and followed her, walking in silence that was disrupted occasionally by the crunch of snow and the singing from birds that stayed to brave the harsh winter months.
‘This is all a lie, nothing is real. Your feelings aren’t real. They’re Jill’s feelings, not yours. He would never look at you that way if he knew who you were.’ She told herself, staring down at the snow strewn path before her.
‘Would he look at you in such a way if he knew who you were? That you lied to him? That every moment you spent with him was a trick?’ What was she having a moral crisis now? The Samurai’s good morals was rubbing off on her.
“Jill?”
She looked up, blinking owlishly at Jack. His frost bitten face was full of concern and caring, a face she grew to despise. “Are you alright?” He asked in a gentle tone, a tone he’d never use with the real her.
She nodded, painting her face with a fake smile. Jack, however, did not look fooled. “What is wrong?” He pushed further, his brows furrowed slightly, a stark contrast to the usual scowl that twisted and darkened his features.
She waved him off, shaking her head to assure him that everything was, indeed, fine. Yes, fine.
He stared at her for a good while as they went their way through the snowy forest, thoughtfully silent as he studied her. Yet Jill simply looked ahead, ignoring him, until he finally relented and looked away to instead watch as a few flurries began to fall. Jill allowed her shoulders to relax a little.
A few hours past before they were able to find a village, which possessed a cozy sort of look, complete with a market where a few shopkeepers tended to their stands while villagers huddled in their coats and went inside houses and inns to escape the cold. Jack and Jill’s fingers and cheeks had begun to numb by the time they made it inside of a rather welcoming inn, supplied with a few run-down tables and woodsy decor. The pair sat down at the table closest to the window to admire the soft softly drift down to blanket the ground with another coat of white.
“Getting cold out there, innit?” A gruff voice said behind them, prompting them to turn around to see a tall wolf-looking humanoid adorned with an apron and a simple white linen shirt. “Yes, it is rather cold.” Jack agreed, giving a small smile to the wolf-man.
He grinned back, showing off his crooked teeth. “Yep. I nearly froze me tits off going out there last night, let me tell you. Now, what can I get you lovely couple? Date night, hm?” The wolf-man said, grinning knowingly while he waggled his eyebrows.
Aku was appalled.
“Oh! No no! Er, we are simply just friends.” Jack quickly explained, his face turning almost as red as the flame decorations Aku had back home.
“Oooh!” The wolf-man said, his yellowed eyes now as wide as saucers. “Oh dear, didn’t mean to assume or anything!”
“Oh no, it’s quite alright.” The Samurai assured him, giving him a quick awkward smile as the wolf-man apologized again and left them to see to another customer.
Jill looked out the window, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Jack as she silently vowed to come back one day to burn this inn to the ground for this moment of such insolence.
The Samurai simply sealed his lips shut and nervously drummed his fingers on top of the wooden table, turning to watch the other customers within the inn go about their day.
Just friends? They weren’t just friends, Aku thought to herself as she glared down at the battered wood in front of her. They were arch nemesises, they hated each other's guts for the Gods sake. Jack had been trained from a young age to kill her and Aku knew from brith that her destiny would be to rule the universe. They were on the opposite sides of a war, the complete opposite of friends if-you-don’t-mind. The hatred they felt for each other were unlike any other, so cold it burned. Aku could hate nothing and no one else so much. Their bond was so much more then a mere friendship! They were the farthest from- from whatever that damned mutt thought they were!
Jill looked back up at Jack, watching as he shifted uncomfortably under her piercing amber gaze. Did he feel the same way? Did he hate her with as passion as she did him?
She bit the inside of her cheek and looked out the frosted window. No, she can’t think of such things, not when she had a goal to achieve. Being around the Samurai was making her go soft, making her act stupid. She needed to leave and get the job over with already.
They were both brought out of the incredibly tense moment when an outburst outside caught their, and the entire inn’s, attention. As quick as weasels, three thieves rushed past the inn window with arms full of fruit, followed by a distraught cat-man yelling and waving his arms while he frantically tried to catch up with them.
The pair’s eyes met, and the both of their faces broke out in smiles as they jumped up from their chairs to rush out of the warmth of the inn to chase after the three like wolves after rabbits.
Maybe she could wait a little longer.
——————————————————
The desert was bathed in blue hues and shadows by the chilling night, with stars twinkling ominously above, watching over the world with silent judgement.
It had been weeks since they’ve left the inn, and Jill had still not finished the task she assigned herself, giving excuse after excuse to reason with herself why she should stay a little longer.
She sat close to the Samurai, so close that she could feel the heat coming off of him if it wasnt for the warmth of the fire. It casted their shadows upon the jagged cliff wall they were leaning against, and Jill looked up at hers to see her twisted shadow dance as the fire flickered.
She looked back down at Jack to catch him staring at her, his face adorned with a soft smile. A face no one would ever direct at her if they knew who she was.
“I have spent so much time trapped here in this future, away from everything I know. . .with no one share my thoughts and feelings. I thought I would be forever alone.” He began, his voice as soft as his smile.
“And then I met you. And for the first time since I was sent here, I feel like this future is bearable.”
She smiled back up at him, while underneath her mask her mind waged war on itself. She can’t keep making excuses. Things were becoming dangerously intimate and she couldn’t handle that. These feelings she felt for him were nothing more then a lie constructed by this Jill persona, fake and . She can’t keep this up any longer.
But she wanted to stay, she wanted to keep lying. She wanted Jack to look at her like she was the world, she wanted his soft smiles and his comforting touches.
But it was all fake.
He’d never look at her like that, or touch her gently and share his thoughts with her. He’d never if he knew what she was, who she was.
His morals messed with her head, his warm words made her feel emotions she shouldn’t feel. She didn’t know how to deal with feelings like this, this aching feeling in her chest that made her want to wail in agony and hold him close while her claws dug into his back.
He cursed her. He cursed her with these strange feelings and compulsions. He muddled with her mind and made her act idiotic and foolish. She can’t keep this up anymore.
“I feel like I have a reason to stay.”
She couldn’t bear to hear him speak any longer. So as the rough pad of his thumb stroked her cheek, she allowed her illusion to fade. So as his digit stroked over the curve of her cheekbone, the white paint gave away to reveal the ethereal black void that was hidden underneath.
All color drained from the man’s face as he stared at her, and all the warmth in the air was sucked out as dread settled in. The illusion had been broken like glass and only jagged shards of realization had been left behind.
“No. . .” He drew away, like he was burned, and she finally laughed after a year of silence, her voice taunting and cruel as the demon burst from his restraining form to loom over the Samurai. Jill’s body shredded to ribbons that drifted away in the desert wind and faded as the last of the comforting lie was replaced by the terrible truth.
“Aku!” Jack shouted, his face devoid of all warmth prior as anger replaced it. Aku welcomed it with a smile.
“Where?!” He cried, looking around frantically in mock fear before his act dissolved as laughter overtook him.
“Why. . .? Why?!” The Samurai cried, crystalline tears beginning to pool into his dark eyes as he glared up at him with that delicious rage Aku craved.
This was real, this was reality. It wasn’t sickening sweet with love sick eyes and gentle words spoken during the night, sugar coated and fake. It was hard cold hate and endless rage that a being could feel for another, it was claws and burning cuts and gnashing teeth.
“Because I am the master of your destiny!” Aku replied, looking down at the human with a triumphant smile. “And as such I wanted you to understand an important lesson. . .”
His form shimmered and lifted up into the air as his body unnaturally forced itself into shapes that shouldn’t be made by a living being. Just as the demon felt the tug of his magic trying to teleport him away, he gave the Samurai his answer.
“You’ll always be alone! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!” And with that, he disappeared, leaving the Samurai to cry out in pain and anger as he collapsed onto the sand, his mortal body shaking with the force of his emotions. His hand curled into a fist as he repressed the urge to wail, to damn the world for the pain that Aku caused.
He can’t believe he fell for it again, so easily. He was so desperate for love, for companionship that he ended up falling for an illusion configured by his worst enemy.
Star-like tears fell onto the cold sand below him as he forced himself to stand, his eyes closed as he stood there and listened to the wind cry quietly as it drifted across the sand, soothing his burning face with the cool breeze.
He was such an idiot, a stupid idiot for falling for his trickery. He thought that maybe this time, he had found the love of his life. He was prepared to stay within this twisted reality to be with her. He was prepared to leave his time, his people, his parents, his legacy to be able to stay with her.
But all it served to be was nothing but a lie.
He has to carry onward. He can’t allow himself to succumb to this yawning cavity in his chest that ‘Jill’ once occupied. He had a mission, and that was to find a time portal and destroy Aku. That what his one purpose in life was.
He can’t allow himself the comfort of another’s affections.
He can’t allow Aku to win.
—————————————————————-
Aku watched with uncharacteristic solemness as Jack slowly wandered the vast desert, his silhouette outlined with silver from the moons faint light, captured with incredible detail in his mirror.
His claws gripped his chairs armrests as he grew painfully aware of the hollowness he felt in place of his usual triumphant joy that he would feel after a win over the Samurai.
Gods was this what regret feels like?
He was a mess. He felt sore and emotionless and so tired. He didn’t know what this strange longing was, or this weird pit in his stomach, or the way his eyes stung and his throat constricted.
But one thing was for certain, and it was something that he noticed almost instantly since he retreated back into his cathedral. . .
He didn’t feel as lonesome anymore.
The Overlord observed the warrior from his throne, and as he dug his claws into his chest, he muttered to his empty chamber;
“. . . But I’ll never be alone. . . As long as I have you.”