The Noble Samuraiby The11thWonderChaptersIIIIIIILong ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku. The brave samurai fought viciously against the evil demon— dodging snapping claws, parrying black stingers, rolling, jumping, tucking and turning,he traded blows with the wizard of legendary evil, Aku. When the scorpion tail of one of the Master of Masters’ forms caught in the wall of his own lair, the warrior severed the vile appendage, causing Aku to fall into the bottomless well of blackness. Just as soon as he had disappeared, long, black tentacles gripped the walls and flung an octopus-like Aku back up to face the man. He lashed out, but the experienced samurai bobbed and weaved through the strikes, severing several dark, wriggling tentacles. While his other appendages preoccupied the samurai, one of Aku’s tendrils slithered onto the man's ankle and lifted him up above Aku’s mouth. Thinking quickly, the samurai severed the tentacle and plummeted towards Aku’s maw. He landed atop the demon’s bulbous body, and used it as a trampoline to spring himself to higher ground. His advantage did not last long, however, as Aku came charging at him in the form of a horned bull! Just before Aku slammed into the rocky platform he was standing on, the samurai leaped, and split the evil creature right down the middle. However, the slippery shape-shifter transformed yet again into a bird-like form, and once more descended on the noble samurai. The warrior knelt down and whispered the incantations which would spell the end of Aku: “Now, demon, with the blessings of righteousness, and the power of the sacred blade, I cast the back to the vile pit from which you came!” He flung his katana skyward towards the rapidly approaching Master of Darkness, and the Aku was impaled on the long blade. With a violent explosion, the foul creature’s essence was absorbed into the blade as it fell back down to its master, who expertly caught his sword and slammed it to the ground. Black ooze slithered out from the blade and prostrated itself before the formidable warrior. The evil being groaned and met the eyes of its better. “You might have beaten me now, but I will destroy you in the future,” it spat. The samurai lifted his magical blade to vanquish this evil once and for all, and purge its darkness from his home. “There is no future for you, Aku,” said he. “I disagree…” The wicked villain let out a rippling screech that formed white rings which rose above the samurai’s head. “What trickery is this!?” he exclaimed, and swung his blade as the rings descended around him. The rings formed a white cylinder around the brave warrior and began to shrink. He could only utter his evil adversary’s name before the base of the cylinder gave out and he was swallowed by the collapsing tube. “Do not worry, samurai. You will see me again, but next time you will not be so fortunate,” warned the Shogun of Sorrow. The portal he had been flung into twisted and pulled at the samurai's being with its spiraling depth, stretching him to the point of infinity, until there was naught but blackness. When the warrior awoke, he was no longer facing the evil shape-shifting demon Aku. No longer was he in the fiery lair of the demon fighting for his people’s lives and freedom. No longer was he in the land he called home. Rather, he was in a dark forest. He was on his feet instantly, magical katana drawn, ready to fight any demonic minions the Shogun of Sorrow would undoubtedly unleash on him. This place certainly had all the trappings of a forest, although altogether different from what the man had experienced of forests in his homeland. Perhaps Aku had flung him to some far-off land so the evil wizard could continue the devastation and enslavement of his land and people unperturbed. -WHOMP!- In an instant, the warrior spun around, drew his sword, and stood in a defensive stance facing the origin of the sound. It would seem Aku’s evil minions had finally caught up to him, and were about to make their move. However, what he saw was unlike any henchman of Aku’s he had ever seen. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure it was in line with Aku at all. What stood before him with fierce predatory determination in its eyes was a frightful conglomerate of beast, bat, and insect the likes of which left the man at a loss for words. The animal had large paws and teeth, an enormous furry frame, a long, slender, barbed tail that could only belong to a scorpion, and a pair of large, leathery wings of a bat. Every part of this nightmarish creature screamed apex predator, and every part of that apex predator looked as though it wanted to make him its next meal. The beast pounced with a speed that would have been unavoidable for any normal man. However, years of training ensured the samurai was no normal man. He quickly rolled to the side, and deflected the creature’s follow-up flick of its fearsome barbed tail. The predator surged forward once more, lashing out with its large claws, but he was able to parry and deflect each of the blows with some effort. The creature’s considerable size belied an awesome speed, as the beast unleashed a volley of attacks that even the experienced warrior had difficulty keeping up with. However, the creature was not very combat-minded, and occasionally left openings in its defense. One such opening arose as the creature had missed him with a swat of its mighty right paw, and he swung for the opening. However, the samurai had underestimated the monster’s speed, and before the blow could connect, the beast rounded on him and caught his sword between its paws! Each combatant struggled against the might of the other, and just as it had seemed the swordsman’s sword would slip from between the beast’s grasp, its sinister tail flung from behind it and struck him in the back and shoulder, and he was forced to jump back from the beast. Knowing that it had scored a dire injury, the monstrosity closed in for the kill. It lifted one terrible paw and swung with all its might, hoping to finally finish the noble samurai. However, it too had underestimated its foe’s speed and endurance, as the warrior had deftly rolled out of the path of a surefire death, and into the perfect spot to strike at the beast. The samurai swung his sword with a masterful aim that sent his blade directly into the creature’s right eye. The beast howled in pain, and swung blindly for the samurai, but these strikes were nothing like the previous onslaughts, and were easily dodged. Thankfully, due to its focus on its injured eye, the Manticore did not register the shaky gait with which the man carried himself as he advanced upon it, and ran for the underbrush before the odd creature it had tried to kill took out its last good eye. The samurai was glad the creature decided against continuing the fight, because in the waning moments of the battle, his hearing became fuzzy and muted, his vision blurred, and his head throbbed as the beast's venom coursed through his body; it was all he could do to stay on his two feet. Struggling, the samurai started to make his way to what appeared to be a clearing in the forest ahead. One foot in front of the other, he slowly, painfully staggered to the light ahead of him, summoning up all of his strength to carry on. He began to feel overtaxed as the difficulties of balancing, walking, and being mindful of roots and other obstructions became more difficult after each step. Seeing the foliage thin out ahead of him, he used the last bit of his adrenaline to rush to the edge of the forest. Finally, without a blanket of leaves covering him for the first time since he was thrown through Aku's portal, he lifted his head to the sun and felt it wash over him. He then looked out at the now spacious surroundings and saw what he believed could be an odd dwelling, surrounded by a few small animals. He started towards the hut, hoping that someone inside could treat his wounds. However, after the next few steps, all the previous events had caught up to him: the battle with Aku, tumbling through the shape-shifter’s portal, and the fight with the monster that had left him bloodied and poisoned. Exhausted and out of adrenaline, the last of the brave samurai’s strength left him, and he collapsed. Author's Note A thanks to my friend Kaidan for giving me a few pointers on how to get the ball rolling on my first story! And a VERY special thanks to the fabulous Idylia for his amazing guidance. If you all like it enough, I'll write up the next chapter! IIThe samurai awoke to the soft chirping of birds and the sound of a light breeze whistling through an open window. He raised his arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes, but much to his surprise his back and shoulders cried out in pain, and his arm was forced back down. He looked around. The man was in a small, cozy room with low ceilings and nearly-claustrophobic wooden walls, and he was laying atop a very small bed, one which only supported about half his body, leaving his arms and legs dangling awkwardly from the sides. He was propped up upon several soft, downy pillows, and there was a steaming bowl of soup by his bedside. He gingerly reached for the soup, allowing his arms time to get accustomed to the pain and stiffness caused by his injuries and prolonged bed rest, and took a tentative sip from the bowl. As he drank the delicious soup he could feel his pain ebbing away, as if the mixture had restorative properties. He could taste peas, carrots, and onions in a light broth that tasted of fresh celery. It reminded him of a stew that one of his village’s vendors made when he was a child. He smiled at the fond memory of his home, and continued to drink from the expertly-made dish. If I remember correctly, he thought, drinking his fill from the hearty soup, some kind stranger must have seen my distress and nursed me to health. I must find this person, and thank him for his kindness. He slowly, slowly got up and inspected himself, and found that he had bandages tied across his chest and shoulders, likely to dress the wounds on his back caused by the beast’s wicked tail. His jet-black hair was also out of its normal topknot that he always maintained, and was flowing down to his shoulders. He was also naked. After a quick moment of red-faced embarrassment, he rationed that it couldn't have been helped, his garments would have gotten in the way of dressing his wounds. However, the samurai felt very uncomfortable with his father’s sword, his one and only weapon, missing from his side, and went to look for it. Walking through the quaint abode, he found it to have a natural, peaceful charm that set his mind at ease, much like when he would meditate among the thickets of bamboo that were common around his village. After ducking through several small doorways, he smiled as he found his blade on top of a pile consisting of his underwear and sandals, and reached to reclaim it. “Thank goodness it was not difficult to find,” he said as his hand made contact with the hilt of the sword. Immediately afterwards, he heard a sharp gasp, and he reflexively unsheathed his blade and spun around to face the source of the sound. However, moving that quickly greatly agitated his injuries and he doubled over in pain, suddenly feeling very weak. “Oh no!” cried a soft feminine voice, its owner rushing to his side. “Are you okay?” He began to look up at his caring host, “I will be fine, miss…” However, as his eyes met the source of the motherly voice, it was his turn to gasp. “What manner of creature are you!?” he exclaimed, surprised to see a small, yellow being staring at him with large, pink eyes brimming with concern. “I’m a pony, mister, and I’m so sorry if I scared you, I was just surprised you could talk!” the yellow “pony” said. The samurai idly ran a hand along his chin in thought. “Hm... you bear close resemblance to a kind of animal that lived where I came from, but you are much more colorful, and have wings,” he said, perplexed by the foreign yet adorable equine-like creature he was talking to. “Tell me, are there any like you that lack wings?” “Yes,” she affirmed, “we call ponies like that ‘earth ponies’. And some ponies have horns; they’re called Unicorns,” she explained. “That all sounds… very confusing,” the diaper-clad man sighed. “Are you the one who found me and nursed me to health?” he asked. “Yes, one of my animal friends told me about an odd animal they saw near the forest that looked like it was in trouble. When I went to take a look, I found you on the ground and hurt very badly, so I treated your injuries and took care of you until you woke up,” she quietly explained. The noble samurai closed his eyes and knelt before his host, deeply ashamed. “Then I must apologize for drawing my weapon against you, kind stranger, I was frightened and I did not know where I was. Please, forgive me.” The small pony, Fluttershy, as he recalled, laid a reassuring hoof atop his shoulder. “Oh, it’s certainly no trouble, you only did what came naturally. I understand.” He raised his head to meet her smiling face, and smiled in return. Rising fully, he suddenly remembered his stark nudity, and scrambled for his underwear, not wanting to embarrass himself any further. Once his underwear was on and his sword sheathed in his hand, he looked back at his host, still with a few questions on his mind. “What exactly was the creature that attacked me? I’ve never seen any other of its kind before,” questioned the samurai. “"W...Well, I wouldn't know much just from seeing your would, but the way you tossed and turned in your sleep and, um, yelled out, I bet it was Manticore poison." She frowned. “And what are you?” she asked. “I’ve never seen an animal like you before, either, mister…” “I am called a human, and I am glad I escaped this ‘Manticore’ before it could make a meal of me,” said the man, smiling. “Where did you come from, mister?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely curious about this strange bipedal creature she had never seen before. It was very unusual for her to find a new animal; she had lived in the area for years and seen nearly every animal both from within the Everfree and without, especially ones as large as a “human”. The man figured it was best to start from the beginning, and he recounted his tale in its entirety to the curious little pony. He began by telling her of his father who bravely fought against the great evil sorcerer Aku that had threatened his land and his people years before he was born. He told of his father’s magical sword, a blade forged by the gods from the purity and righteousness within his father’s heart. He told her of how his father used this mighty blade to defeat Aku and sealed the wicked shape-shifter away, but after a decade Aku returned, and wreaked havoc on his people once more. He explained his father’s capture, and his mother’s sacrifice of sending her only child far away, where he would train for years to one day come back and free their people from the evil Aku. He told her tales of this training, of the dark-skinned masters of polearms, of the keen monks that were experts of hand-to-hand combat, balance, and swordsmanship. He told of the great bearded sailors with whom he sailed the high-seas and learned seamanship, and of the Arab master horsemen (this was especially confusing and slightly alarming for Fluttershy, given the uncanny similarity between the two species of pony and what the man had described as a “horse”. However, he assuaged her fears, and continued with the story.) He also told of the Greek wrestlers, and the European archer that taught him the fine art of archery. The samurai then spoke of his return to his land, where he found his mother once more and accepted his father’s blade with which he would carry into battle against Aku. He detailed their fight, all the way up until the conniving sorcerer cast a spell that transported the samurai to where he was now. He explained how he woke up in the Everfree wilderness and his brief time within, including his near-fatal battle with the ferocious Manticore. He wrapped up his recounting with the moments before he met Fluttershy, and the rest they both knew. “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “How awful! My friends and I have faced danger before, but nothing like what this mean Aku sounds like. Oh I hope everyone is okay…” “That is precisely why I must find a way back, so that I may confront Aku one final time, and end his reign of terror once and for all,” he said, an intimidating, focused scowl upon his face that made Fluttershy shrink back slightly. “Well, I don’t know much about magic, but my friend Twilight is one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria! I’m sure she could help you find your way home.” Fluttershy smiled slightly as her hopeful words softened the fearsome warrior’s features. “Then I must see this being at once.” The samurai looked around, and decided to follow-up with a much different question, but one that was still very important. “When you found me, was I not wearing a robe? I do not have any other clothes, and would much appreciate it back,” he said, polite as could be. “Oh, yes, you were wearing something,” said Fluttershy, “but it was torn up from your run-in with the Manticore, so I sent it off to one of my friends to have it repaired. I would have done it myself, but Rarity needed extra thread, so I gave her mine.” She smiled apologetically. “No worries, friend. And this ‘Rarity’ is the seamstress you speak of?” he asked. “Yes, I could take you to her shop in town if you want, I’m sure she’s finished your outfit by now, and then we can visit Twilight and see if she has any spells that can get you home,” Fluttershy said, body moving towards her front door. “I would greatly appreciate that, Fluttershy.” He smiled, but then hesitated. “Are you sure I am healthy enough to make the trip?” “Oh yes, don’t worry, I already removed some of the Manticore venom from your system and gave you medicine for the rest, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Fluttershy explained. “You have my thanks, kind one. Please, I would much like to meet these friends of yours, and to get back home so that I may rid my people of Aku’s evil once and for all.” He thought for a moment, “and I would also like to have my robes returned to me, my legs are getting quite cold.” The man smiled, following behind Fluttershy. Although he was still not fully healed, the samurai trusted Fluttershy and had confidence in his own strength, and so the two were off, bound for Carousel Boutique in Ponyville proper. He hoped this Twilight character would have the answers the warrior sought, as well as a way back to his world, one that would allow him to finally end the curse of Aku. Author's Note Once again, another HUGE thanks to the magnificent Idylia for his masterful advice. IIINot long after leaving Fluttershy’s cottage, the samurai and his kind yellow friend had reached a building that was unlike any the man had ever seen. Unlike the simple, square, alabaster buildings of his home, this structure was round, its walls covered in eye-catching patterns and embellished with ornate fixtures. To the humble man, this looked more like a palace than any shop he’d ever seen. Fluttershy approached the flamboyant purple door, and held her hoof up to knock on it. The curtains over these windows are drawn shut, the samurai observed, perhaps this friend is not here? When Fluttershy rapped on the door, it did not meet her hoof solidly as expected, but gave way and opened, revealing the shop to be dark and empty. “Oh my!” Fluttershy said, “maybe she went out to do some errands… Still, it is unlike her to leave her door open… We’d better make sure everything’s alright.” The samurai followed her inside while she looked around in the dark, and called out for her friend. “Rarity! A-Are you in here? Is everything oka-“ Suddenly, the room was filled with light as the curtains flew open, and something jumped towards the samurai from behind a table. Reflexively, the samurai’s hand went to the hilt of his sword, ready to defend himself and his new ally against whatever might have attacked her friend, but the blur stopped a few feet before it would have collided with him. “SURPRISE!” wailed a high-pitched, excited voice, coming from the pinkest thing the man had seen in his entire life. “Welcome to Equestria, Samurai Jack!” The samurai took a few cautious steps back, hand still resting on his sword, albeit not as tensely as it had been a few moments prior. For the first time since the room was suddenly illuminated, he had a chance to observe his surroundings. The eccentric purple walls were covered in all manner of colorful bits of paper and bulbous round objects that floated in the air. “W-What is this?” he asked, bewildered by the sudden onslaught of color and the exuberant presence standing before him. “It’s a ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party, silly! I made it just for you, Jack!” the pink pony exclaimed, wearing a smile too impossibly large for her face. “You… What? H-How did you… that isn’t-“ “-Your name? Of course it’s your name silly! You’re only, like, the crackalackinest, show-stoppingest, back-to-the-pastest samurai EVER! DUH! I knew you were you were coming when my Pinkie Sense started acting up! It started when my head bobbed, then my tail twitched, my legs kicked and my kidneys itched, and that could only mean one thing! Samurai Jack was in Equestria!” “Yes, and I’m afraid when she came over to tell me about it, I made the mistake of informing her that you, Fluttershy, dear, had dropped by and had given me a very large robe that was in need of a few repairs,” said a new voice, with a crisp, refined accent that the samurai was unfamiliar with. “I suppose she thought you would be picking it up shortly, and before I could even breathe a word of protest, my shop was filled with colorful streamers and Pinkie raced me under a table. One learns, after spending as much time around her as I have, to accept Pinkie Pie’s little tirades and wait for them to blow over. I apologize for her excessive fervor mister Samurai… erm, Jack, was it?” ‘Samurai Jack’ looked to the new pony, with a coat of alabaster, a royal purple mane, and a horn—a unicorn, he remembered— and gave her a calm smile, and bowed slightly. “It is no trouble, Miss. We are just glad you are not hurt,” said Jack. Fluttershy walked up to his side. “Oh yes, when we saw that your door was open we were worried something had happened,” she said. “Well I’m very sorry to have worried you two, but some ponies,” she shot a look over to Pinkie, who gave a large apologetic smile, “simply must throw a surprise party for absolutely anypony that comes through town.” She gave an exasperated sigh, and her horn started to glow a soft, pale blue. The samurai was unsure what to make of this, until he saw a large mass of white cloth float from beyond his vision; the cloth was shrouded in the same glow as her horn. Interesting… she must me manipulating the cloth with her horn somehow, perhaps through wizardry? “I’ve finished the repairs to your robe, Jack,” she said, as the bundle of cloth floated over to him. He unfurled it and inspected the seamstress’ work. His robe looked better than it ever had; the robe was clean, the fabric was whiter, the holes were patched, and it felt sturdier than ever before. However, there was one detail that was starkly different: the grey trim that had lined the edges of his robe had been replaced with a deep purple trimming, the same as the seamstress’ own hair color, the samurai noted. “And I made a few alterations, I do hope they are to your liking,” said the mare. Not one to look a gift… robe in the erm… trim, Jack bowed once again, and thanked the seamstress for her exquisite work. The mare blushed ever-so-slightly at the samurai’s praise, made easily visible by her bright white coat. “I am very sorry; I have no way to compensate you for this, Miss…” “You may call me Rarity, dear. And perish the thought! I wouldn’t accept payment for the opportunity to work on such a unique garment, especially since you’ve only just arrived here. Consider this time to be ‘on the house,’ as it were.” Jack smiled, and thanked her yet again for her benevolence. “WAIT!” The shrill voice of Pinkie Pie came yet again, before she dashed back behind the table. The ponies (and human) in the store looked to each other, confused as to what set Pinkie off this time, when the overly-pink mare came rocketing from behind the table once more, stopping just before the samurai. In her outstretched hoof, she balanced a sizeable round box, wrapped, and with a bow on top. “I got you a present, Jackie!” He held out his hands and she placed the box on top of them. “Go ahead, open it!” All eyes in the room were on him, watching him expectantly. Feeling slightly uncomfortable accepting these hospitable creatures’ overwhelming generosity, he hesitantly undid the bow, and removed the wrapping paper. Also lending to his hesitancy was his weariness of this odd pink pony, not wanting another surprise. When he lifted the box’s lid, the samurai was dumbfounded. Inside the box was a round object made of woven straw that Jack immediately recognized as his preferred type of traveling headwear. Wherever he went, however many miles, over whatever kind of terrain, he always felt the journey went better with one of these straw hats atop his head. The stoic samurai was even further at a loss for words than normal. He smiled, it was a gentle, genuine thing, and felt a small tear well up in the corner of his eye. He was so struck by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this pony, he didn’t even think to ask how she could have known of his fondness for this type of hat, or where she even obtained it. It was all he could do to bow deeply, for what felt like the thousandth time this day, and profess his thanks for the gift. “Oh it’s no problem, Jackie! Your auntie Pinkie Pie always knows just what to get!” The pink pony hugged the man, which he readily returned. “Jack, would you like to go to Twilight’s now?” She looked to her friends, smiling sheepishly. “I-If that’s alright with you girls, of course.” Rarity nodded. “Yes that’s fine, dear. I should probably get back to work anyway, I do have several orders to fill,” she said. “But it was very nice to see you. And it was nice meeting you, mister Jack, even though we practically ambushed you. Again, sorry about that.” She smiled a reserved smile, as did Pinkie. “Yeah, it was nice meeting you Jackie! We should totally party again sometime!” said the ecstatic pink mare. “I will… keep that in mind,” said the samurai, none too excited about another surprise. With that, he and Fluttershy departed for Twilight Sparkle’s treehouse, eager to see if he would be able to return to his home and finish the fight with the Shogun of Sorrow. As they pair walked, they passed many unique and colorful ponies, which gave the odd-looking samurai a varied number of looks, ranging from questioning glances, to nonchalant gazes, to outright looks of disgust. However, there was one pony which inexplicably caught Jack's eye. He was an unusually large pony, near eye-level with the samurai. He had a white coat, and a flaming red mane. But what was most unique about this pony was that he was wearing some kind of garment that looked like a tartan skirt. Another unique quality about him was that he had facial hair, and a considerable amount at that. A large, bushy moustache stemmed from furry chops on the side of his head, all a bright red color. The stallion wore a look that Jack had seen on no other pony thus far: it was a look that only experienced fighters wore. A strong, focused stare that judged and analyzed as it saw. A look that was much like the samurai’s. As he watched this pony, the samurai was overcome with a feeling of familiarity towards the stallion; Jack felt as though he knew him, or SHOULD know him. The kind of association that one experiences with an unfamiliar-but-familiar face in a dream, a face that one is sure they have never seen before, but cannot rid themselves of their familiarity with it. The stallion looked over and, when he saw Jack staring, turned around to face him, and shouted "OI!" He spat as he spoke. "WHAT'RE YOU LOOKIN' AT, YE PAJAMA WEARIN' DAISY?!" Taken aback by the gruff pony's rudeness, the samurai shook his head to clear the odd feeling away, and hurried to catch up with Fluttershy, deciding it would be better to remain ignorant of someone so brash. When they reached the library, Jack was greeted with the first of two unexpected sights. He had expected the library to look different from buildings he had experienced, as were all of the structures in this town. However, what he saw before him was not a building, but a large tree, with a door, windows, and a balcony, growing right in the middle of town. How… strange. Surely there are better places to store flammable books besides the inside of a tree? Jack thought. Fluttershy went up and knocked on the door of the strategically unwise library, and a purple unicorn answered and ushered them inside, revealing the second unexpected sight: a large, white pony, at eye-level with the samurai. Her mane flowed gracefully in an ethereal breeze, and she was clad in minimal, golden regalia. Fluttershy gasped. “Princess Celestia!” she cried as she bowed. Jack saw this, and, figuring she must be their sovereign, knelt in reverence to the foreign ruler’s position. “That is quite unnecessary my little pony. And I see you have brought your new friend,” she said, voice bounding with motherly compassion. “Please, come in. There is much to discuss,” she said, gaze wandering to the foreign warrior. Author's Note Once again, Idylia should be showered in praise and roses for his wisdom and contributions!
ILong ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But, a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law. Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku. The brave samurai fought viciously against the evil demon— dodging snapping claws, parrying black stingers, rolling, jumping, tucking and turning,he traded blows with the wizard of legendary evil, Aku. When the scorpion tail of one of the Master of Masters’ forms caught in the wall of his own lair, the warrior severed the vile appendage, causing Aku to fall into the bottomless well of blackness. Just as soon as he had disappeared, long, black tentacles gripped the walls and flung an octopus-like Aku back up to face the man. He lashed out, but the experienced samurai bobbed and weaved through the strikes, severing several dark, wriggling tentacles. While his other appendages preoccupied the samurai, one of Aku’s tendrils slithered onto the man's ankle and lifted him up above Aku’s mouth. Thinking quickly, the samurai severed the tentacle and plummeted towards Aku’s maw. He landed atop the demon’s bulbous body, and used it as a trampoline to spring himself to higher ground. His advantage did not last long, however, as Aku came charging at him in the form of a horned bull! Just before Aku slammed into the rocky platform he was standing on, the samurai leaped, and split the evil creature right down the middle. However, the slippery shape-shifter transformed yet again into a bird-like form, and once more descended on the noble samurai. The warrior knelt down and whispered the incantations which would spell the end of Aku: “Now, demon, with the blessings of righteousness, and the power of the sacred blade, I cast the back to the vile pit from which you came!” He flung his katana skyward towards the rapidly approaching Master of Darkness, and the Aku was impaled on the long blade. With a violent explosion, the foul creature’s essence was absorbed into the blade as it fell back down to its master, who expertly caught his sword and slammed it to the ground. Black ooze slithered out from the blade and prostrated itself before the formidable warrior. The evil being groaned and met the eyes of its better. “You might have beaten me now, but I will destroy you in the future,” it spat. The samurai lifted his magical blade to vanquish this evil once and for all, and purge its darkness from his home. “There is no future for you, Aku,” said he. “I disagree…” The wicked villain let out a rippling screech that formed white rings which rose above the samurai’s head. “What trickery is this!?” he exclaimed, and swung his blade as the rings descended around him. The rings formed a white cylinder around the brave warrior and began to shrink. He could only utter his evil adversary’s name before the base of the cylinder gave out and he was swallowed by the collapsing tube. “Do not worry, samurai. You will see me again, but next time you will not be so fortunate,” warned the Shogun of Sorrow. The portal he had been flung into twisted and pulled at the samurai's being with its spiraling depth, stretching him to the point of infinity, until there was naught but blackness. When the warrior awoke, he was no longer facing the evil shape-shifting demon Aku. No longer was he in the fiery lair of the demon fighting for his people’s lives and freedom. No longer was he in the land he called home. Rather, he was in a dark forest. He was on his feet instantly, magical katana drawn, ready to fight any demonic minions the Shogun of Sorrow would undoubtedly unleash on him. This place certainly had all the trappings of a forest, although altogether different from what the man had experienced of forests in his homeland. Perhaps Aku had flung him to some far-off land so the evil wizard could continue the devastation and enslavement of his land and people unperturbed. -WHOMP!- In an instant, the warrior spun around, drew his sword, and stood in a defensive stance facing the origin of the sound. It would seem Aku’s evil minions had finally caught up to him, and were about to make their move. However, what he saw was unlike any henchman of Aku’s he had ever seen. In fact, he wasn't entirely sure it was in line with Aku at all. What stood before him with fierce predatory determination in its eyes was a frightful conglomerate of beast, bat, and insect the likes of which left the man at a loss for words. The animal had large paws and teeth, an enormous furry frame, a long, slender, barbed tail that could only belong to a scorpion, and a pair of large, leathery wings of a bat. Every part of this nightmarish creature screamed apex predator, and every part of that apex predator looked as though it wanted to make him its next meal. The beast pounced with a speed that would have been unavoidable for any normal man. However, years of training ensured the samurai was no normal man. He quickly rolled to the side, and deflected the creature’s follow-up flick of its fearsome barbed tail. The predator surged forward once more, lashing out with its large claws, but he was able to parry and deflect each of the blows with some effort. The creature’s considerable size belied an awesome speed, as the beast unleashed a volley of attacks that even the experienced warrior had difficulty keeping up with. However, the creature was not very combat-minded, and occasionally left openings in its defense. One such opening arose as the creature had missed him with a swat of its mighty right paw, and he swung for the opening. However, the samurai had underestimated the monster’s speed, and before the blow could connect, the beast rounded on him and caught his sword between its paws! Each combatant struggled against the might of the other, and just as it had seemed the swordsman’s sword would slip from between the beast’s grasp, its sinister tail flung from behind it and struck him in the back and shoulder, and he was forced to jump back from the beast. Knowing that it had scored a dire injury, the monstrosity closed in for the kill. It lifted one terrible paw and swung with all its might, hoping to finally finish the noble samurai. However, it too had underestimated its foe’s speed and endurance, as the warrior had deftly rolled out of the path of a surefire death, and into the perfect spot to strike at the beast. The samurai swung his sword with a masterful aim that sent his blade directly into the creature’s right eye. The beast howled in pain, and swung blindly for the samurai, but these strikes were nothing like the previous onslaughts, and were easily dodged. Thankfully, due to its focus on its injured eye, the Manticore did not register the shaky gait with which the man carried himself as he advanced upon it, and ran for the underbrush before the odd creature it had tried to kill took out its last good eye. The samurai was glad the creature decided against continuing the fight, because in the waning moments of the battle, his hearing became fuzzy and muted, his vision blurred, and his head throbbed as the beast's venom coursed through his body; it was all he could do to stay on his two feet. Struggling, the samurai started to make his way to what appeared to be a clearing in the forest ahead. One foot in front of the other, he slowly, painfully staggered to the light ahead of him, summoning up all of his strength to carry on. He began to feel overtaxed as the difficulties of balancing, walking, and being mindful of roots and other obstructions became more difficult after each step. Seeing the foliage thin out ahead of him, he used the last bit of his adrenaline to rush to the edge of the forest. Finally, without a blanket of leaves covering him for the first time since he was thrown through Aku's portal, he lifted his head to the sun and felt it wash over him. He then looked out at the now spacious surroundings and saw what he believed could be an odd dwelling, surrounded by a few small animals. He started towards the hut, hoping that someone inside could treat his wounds. However, after the next few steps, all the previous events had caught up to him: the battle with Aku, tumbling through the shape-shifter’s portal, and the fight with the monster that had left him bloodied and poisoned. Exhausted and out of adrenaline, the last of the brave samurai’s strength left him, and he collapsed. Author's Note A thanks to my friend Kaidan for giving me a few pointers on how to get the ball rolling on my first story! And a VERY special thanks to the fabulous Idylia for his amazing guidance. If you all like it enough, I'll write up the next chapter!
IIThe samurai awoke to the soft chirping of birds and the sound of a light breeze whistling through an open window. He raised his arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes, but much to his surprise his back and shoulders cried out in pain, and his arm was forced back down. He looked around. The man was in a small, cozy room with low ceilings and nearly-claustrophobic wooden walls, and he was laying atop a very small bed, one which only supported about half his body, leaving his arms and legs dangling awkwardly from the sides. He was propped up upon several soft, downy pillows, and there was a steaming bowl of soup by his bedside. He gingerly reached for the soup, allowing his arms time to get accustomed to the pain and stiffness caused by his injuries and prolonged bed rest, and took a tentative sip from the bowl. As he drank the delicious soup he could feel his pain ebbing away, as if the mixture had restorative properties. He could taste peas, carrots, and onions in a light broth that tasted of fresh celery. It reminded him of a stew that one of his village’s vendors made when he was a child. He smiled at the fond memory of his home, and continued to drink from the expertly-made dish. If I remember correctly, he thought, drinking his fill from the hearty soup, some kind stranger must have seen my distress and nursed me to health. I must find this person, and thank him for his kindness. He slowly, slowly got up and inspected himself, and found that he had bandages tied across his chest and shoulders, likely to dress the wounds on his back caused by the beast’s wicked tail. His jet-black hair was also out of its normal topknot that he always maintained, and was flowing down to his shoulders. He was also naked. After a quick moment of red-faced embarrassment, he rationed that it couldn't have been helped, his garments would have gotten in the way of dressing his wounds. However, the samurai felt very uncomfortable with his father’s sword, his one and only weapon, missing from his side, and went to look for it. Walking through the quaint abode, he found it to have a natural, peaceful charm that set his mind at ease, much like when he would meditate among the thickets of bamboo that were common around his village. After ducking through several small doorways, he smiled as he found his blade on top of a pile consisting of his underwear and sandals, and reached to reclaim it. “Thank goodness it was not difficult to find,” he said as his hand made contact with the hilt of the sword. Immediately afterwards, he heard a sharp gasp, and he reflexively unsheathed his blade and spun around to face the source of the sound. However, moving that quickly greatly agitated his injuries and he doubled over in pain, suddenly feeling very weak. “Oh no!” cried a soft feminine voice, its owner rushing to his side. “Are you okay?” He began to look up at his caring host, “I will be fine, miss…” However, as his eyes met the source of the motherly voice, it was his turn to gasp. “What manner of creature are you!?” he exclaimed, surprised to see a small, yellow being staring at him with large, pink eyes brimming with concern. “I’m a pony, mister, and I’m so sorry if I scared you, I was just surprised you could talk!” the yellow “pony” said. The samurai idly ran a hand along his chin in thought. “Hm... you bear close resemblance to a kind of animal that lived where I came from, but you are much more colorful, and have wings,” he said, perplexed by the foreign yet adorable equine-like creature he was talking to. “Tell me, are there any like you that lack wings?” “Yes,” she affirmed, “we call ponies like that ‘earth ponies’. And some ponies have horns; they’re called Unicorns,” she explained. “That all sounds… very confusing,” the diaper-clad man sighed. “Are you the one who found me and nursed me to health?” he asked. “Yes, one of my animal friends told me about an odd animal they saw near the forest that looked like it was in trouble. When I went to take a look, I found you on the ground and hurt very badly, so I treated your injuries and took care of you until you woke up,” she quietly explained. The noble samurai closed his eyes and knelt before his host, deeply ashamed. “Then I must apologize for drawing my weapon against you, kind stranger, I was frightened and I did not know where I was. Please, forgive me.” The small pony, Fluttershy, as he recalled, laid a reassuring hoof atop his shoulder. “Oh, it’s certainly no trouble, you only did what came naturally. I understand.” He raised his head to meet her smiling face, and smiled in return. Rising fully, he suddenly remembered his stark nudity, and scrambled for his underwear, not wanting to embarrass himself any further. Once his underwear was on and his sword sheathed in his hand, he looked back at his host, still with a few questions on his mind. “What exactly was the creature that attacked me? I’ve never seen any other of its kind before,” questioned the samurai. “"W...Well, I wouldn't know much just from seeing your would, but the way you tossed and turned in your sleep and, um, yelled out, I bet it was Manticore poison." She frowned. “And what are you?” she asked. “I’ve never seen an animal like you before, either, mister…” “I am called a human, and I am glad I escaped this ‘Manticore’ before it could make a meal of me,” said the man, smiling. “Where did you come from, mister?” Fluttershy asked, genuinely curious about this strange bipedal creature she had never seen before. It was very unusual for her to find a new animal; she had lived in the area for years and seen nearly every animal both from within the Everfree and without, especially ones as large as a “human”. The man figured it was best to start from the beginning, and he recounted his tale in its entirety to the curious little pony. He began by telling her of his father who bravely fought against the great evil sorcerer Aku that had threatened his land and his people years before he was born. He told of his father’s magical sword, a blade forged by the gods from the purity and righteousness within his father’s heart. He told her of how his father used this mighty blade to defeat Aku and sealed the wicked shape-shifter away, but after a decade Aku returned, and wreaked havoc on his people once more. He explained his father’s capture, and his mother’s sacrifice of sending her only child far away, where he would train for years to one day come back and free their people from the evil Aku. He told her tales of this training, of the dark-skinned masters of polearms, of the keen monks that were experts of hand-to-hand combat, balance, and swordsmanship. He told of the great bearded sailors with whom he sailed the high-seas and learned seamanship, and of the Arab master horsemen (this was especially confusing and slightly alarming for Fluttershy, given the uncanny similarity between the two species of pony and what the man had described as a “horse”. However, he assuaged her fears, and continued with the story.) He also told of the Greek wrestlers, and the European archer that taught him the fine art of archery. The samurai then spoke of his return to his land, where he found his mother once more and accepted his father’s blade with which he would carry into battle against Aku. He detailed their fight, all the way up until the conniving sorcerer cast a spell that transported the samurai to where he was now. He explained how he woke up in the Everfree wilderness and his brief time within, including his near-fatal battle with the ferocious Manticore. He wrapped up his recounting with the moments before he met Fluttershy, and the rest they both knew. “Oh my!” she exclaimed. “How awful! My friends and I have faced danger before, but nothing like what this mean Aku sounds like. Oh I hope everyone is okay…” “That is precisely why I must find a way back, so that I may confront Aku one final time, and end his reign of terror once and for all,” he said, an intimidating, focused scowl upon his face that made Fluttershy shrink back slightly. “Well, I don’t know much about magic, but my friend Twilight is one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria! I’m sure she could help you find your way home.” Fluttershy smiled slightly as her hopeful words softened the fearsome warrior’s features. “Then I must see this being at once.” The samurai looked around, and decided to follow-up with a much different question, but one that was still very important. “When you found me, was I not wearing a robe? I do not have any other clothes, and would much appreciate it back,” he said, polite as could be. “Oh, yes, you were wearing something,” said Fluttershy, “but it was torn up from your run-in with the Manticore, so I sent it off to one of my friends to have it repaired. I would have done it myself, but Rarity needed extra thread, so I gave her mine.” She smiled apologetically. “No worries, friend. And this ‘Rarity’ is the seamstress you speak of?” he asked. “Yes, I could take you to her shop in town if you want, I’m sure she’s finished your outfit by now, and then we can visit Twilight and see if she has any spells that can get you home,” Fluttershy said, body moving towards her front door. “I would greatly appreciate that, Fluttershy.” He smiled, but then hesitated. “Are you sure I am healthy enough to make the trip?” “Oh yes, don’t worry, I already removed some of the Manticore venom from your system and gave you medicine for the rest, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Fluttershy explained. “You have my thanks, kind one. Please, I would much like to meet these friends of yours, and to get back home so that I may rid my people of Aku’s evil once and for all.” He thought for a moment, “and I would also like to have my robes returned to me, my legs are getting quite cold.” The man smiled, following behind Fluttershy. Although he was still not fully healed, the samurai trusted Fluttershy and had confidence in his own strength, and so the two were off, bound for Carousel Boutique in Ponyville proper. He hoped this Twilight character would have the answers the warrior sought, as well as a way back to his world, one that would allow him to finally end the curse of Aku. Author's Note Once again, another HUGE thanks to the magnificent Idylia for his masterful advice.
IIINot long after leaving Fluttershy’s cottage, the samurai and his kind yellow friend had reached a building that was unlike any the man had ever seen. Unlike the simple, square, alabaster buildings of his home, this structure was round, its walls covered in eye-catching patterns and embellished with ornate fixtures. To the humble man, this looked more like a palace than any shop he’d ever seen. Fluttershy approached the flamboyant purple door, and held her hoof up to knock on it. The curtains over these windows are drawn shut, the samurai observed, perhaps this friend is not here? When Fluttershy rapped on the door, it did not meet her hoof solidly as expected, but gave way and opened, revealing the shop to be dark and empty. “Oh my!” Fluttershy said, “maybe she went out to do some errands… Still, it is unlike her to leave her door open… We’d better make sure everything’s alright.” The samurai followed her inside while she looked around in the dark, and called out for her friend. “Rarity! A-Are you in here? Is everything oka-“ Suddenly, the room was filled with light as the curtains flew open, and something jumped towards the samurai from behind a table. Reflexively, the samurai’s hand went to the hilt of his sword, ready to defend himself and his new ally against whatever might have attacked her friend, but the blur stopped a few feet before it would have collided with him. “SURPRISE!” wailed a high-pitched, excited voice, coming from the pinkest thing the man had seen in his entire life. “Welcome to Equestria, Samurai Jack!” The samurai took a few cautious steps back, hand still resting on his sword, albeit not as tensely as it had been a few moments prior. For the first time since the room was suddenly illuminated, he had a chance to observe his surroundings. The eccentric purple walls were covered in all manner of colorful bits of paper and bulbous round objects that floated in the air. “W-What is this?” he asked, bewildered by the sudden onslaught of color and the exuberant presence standing before him. “It’s a ‘Welcome to Equestria’ party, silly! I made it just for you, Jack!” the pink pony exclaimed, wearing a smile too impossibly large for her face. “You… What? H-How did you… that isn’t-“ “-Your name? Of course it’s your name silly! You’re only, like, the crackalackinest, show-stoppingest, back-to-the-pastest samurai EVER! DUH! I knew you were you were coming when my Pinkie Sense started acting up! It started when my head bobbed, then my tail twitched, my legs kicked and my kidneys itched, and that could only mean one thing! Samurai Jack was in Equestria!” “Yes, and I’m afraid when she came over to tell me about it, I made the mistake of informing her that you, Fluttershy, dear, had dropped by and had given me a very large robe that was in need of a few repairs,” said a new voice, with a crisp, refined accent that the samurai was unfamiliar with. “I suppose she thought you would be picking it up shortly, and before I could even breathe a word of protest, my shop was filled with colorful streamers and Pinkie raced me under a table. One learns, after spending as much time around her as I have, to accept Pinkie Pie’s little tirades and wait for them to blow over. I apologize for her excessive fervor mister Samurai… erm, Jack, was it?” ‘Samurai Jack’ looked to the new pony, with a coat of alabaster, a royal purple mane, and a horn—a unicorn, he remembered— and gave her a calm smile, and bowed slightly. “It is no trouble, Miss. We are just glad you are not hurt,” said Jack. Fluttershy walked up to his side. “Oh yes, when we saw that your door was open we were worried something had happened,” she said. “Well I’m very sorry to have worried you two, but some ponies,” she shot a look over to Pinkie, who gave a large apologetic smile, “simply must throw a surprise party for absolutely anypony that comes through town.” She gave an exasperated sigh, and her horn started to glow a soft, pale blue. The samurai was unsure what to make of this, until he saw a large mass of white cloth float from beyond his vision; the cloth was shrouded in the same glow as her horn. Interesting… she must me manipulating the cloth with her horn somehow, perhaps through wizardry? “I’ve finished the repairs to your robe, Jack,” she said, as the bundle of cloth floated over to him. He unfurled it and inspected the seamstress’ work. His robe looked better than it ever had; the robe was clean, the fabric was whiter, the holes were patched, and it felt sturdier than ever before. However, there was one detail that was starkly different: the grey trim that had lined the edges of his robe had been replaced with a deep purple trimming, the same as the seamstress’ own hair color, the samurai noted. “And I made a few alterations, I do hope they are to your liking,” said the mare. Not one to look a gift… robe in the erm… trim, Jack bowed once again, and thanked the seamstress for her exquisite work. The mare blushed ever-so-slightly at the samurai’s praise, made easily visible by her bright white coat. “I am very sorry; I have no way to compensate you for this, Miss…” “You may call me Rarity, dear. And perish the thought! I wouldn’t accept payment for the opportunity to work on such a unique garment, especially since you’ve only just arrived here. Consider this time to be ‘on the house,’ as it were.” Jack smiled, and thanked her yet again for her benevolence. “WAIT!” The shrill voice of Pinkie Pie came yet again, before she dashed back behind the table. The ponies (and human) in the store looked to each other, confused as to what set Pinkie off this time, when the overly-pink mare came rocketing from behind the table once more, stopping just before the samurai. In her outstretched hoof, she balanced a sizeable round box, wrapped, and with a bow on top. “I got you a present, Jackie!” He held out his hands and she placed the box on top of them. “Go ahead, open it!” All eyes in the room were on him, watching him expectantly. Feeling slightly uncomfortable accepting these hospitable creatures’ overwhelming generosity, he hesitantly undid the bow, and removed the wrapping paper. Also lending to his hesitancy was his weariness of this odd pink pony, not wanting another surprise. When he lifted the box’s lid, the samurai was dumbfounded. Inside the box was a round object made of woven straw that Jack immediately recognized as his preferred type of traveling headwear. Wherever he went, however many miles, over whatever kind of terrain, he always felt the journey went better with one of these straw hats atop his head. The stoic samurai was even further at a loss for words than normal. He smiled, it was a gentle, genuine thing, and felt a small tear well up in the corner of his eye. He was so struck by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this pony, he didn’t even think to ask how she could have known of his fondness for this type of hat, or where she even obtained it. It was all he could do to bow deeply, for what felt like the thousandth time this day, and profess his thanks for the gift. “Oh it’s no problem, Jackie! Your auntie Pinkie Pie always knows just what to get!” The pink pony hugged the man, which he readily returned. “Jack, would you like to go to Twilight’s now?” She looked to her friends, smiling sheepishly. “I-If that’s alright with you girls, of course.” Rarity nodded. “Yes that’s fine, dear. I should probably get back to work anyway, I do have several orders to fill,” she said. “But it was very nice to see you. And it was nice meeting you, mister Jack, even though we practically ambushed you. Again, sorry about that.” She smiled a reserved smile, as did Pinkie. “Yeah, it was nice meeting you Jackie! We should totally party again sometime!” said the ecstatic pink mare. “I will… keep that in mind,” said the samurai, none too excited about another surprise. With that, he and Fluttershy departed for Twilight Sparkle’s treehouse, eager to see if he would be able to return to his home and finish the fight with the Shogun of Sorrow. As they pair walked, they passed many unique and colorful ponies, which gave the odd-looking samurai a varied number of looks, ranging from questioning glances, to nonchalant gazes, to outright looks of disgust. However, there was one pony which inexplicably caught Jack's eye. He was an unusually large pony, near eye-level with the samurai. He had a white coat, and a flaming red mane. But what was most unique about this pony was that he was wearing some kind of garment that looked like a tartan skirt. Another unique quality about him was that he had facial hair, and a considerable amount at that. A large, bushy moustache stemmed from furry chops on the side of his head, all a bright red color. The stallion wore a look that Jack had seen on no other pony thus far: it was a look that only experienced fighters wore. A strong, focused stare that judged and analyzed as it saw. A look that was much like the samurai’s. As he watched this pony, the samurai was overcome with a feeling of familiarity towards the stallion; Jack felt as though he knew him, or SHOULD know him. The kind of association that one experiences with an unfamiliar-but-familiar face in a dream, a face that one is sure they have never seen before, but cannot rid themselves of their familiarity with it. The stallion looked over and, when he saw Jack staring, turned around to face him, and shouted "OI!" He spat as he spoke. "WHAT'RE YOU LOOKIN' AT, YE PAJAMA WEARIN' DAISY?!" Taken aback by the gruff pony's rudeness, the samurai shook his head to clear the odd feeling away, and hurried to catch up with Fluttershy, deciding it would be better to remain ignorant of someone so brash. When they reached the library, Jack was greeted with the first of two unexpected sights. He had expected the library to look different from buildings he had experienced, as were all of the structures in this town. However, what he saw before him was not a building, but a large tree, with a door, windows, and a balcony, growing right in the middle of town. How… strange. Surely there are better places to store flammable books besides the inside of a tree? Jack thought. Fluttershy went up and knocked on the door of the strategically unwise library, and a purple unicorn answered and ushered them inside, revealing the second unexpected sight: a large, white pony, at eye-level with the samurai. Her mane flowed gracefully in an ethereal breeze, and she was clad in minimal, golden regalia. Fluttershy gasped. “Princess Celestia!” she cried as she bowed. Jack saw this, and, figuring she must be their sovereign, knelt in reverence to the foreign ruler’s position. “That is quite unnecessary my little pony. And I see you have brought your new friend,” she said, voice bounding with motherly compassion. “Please, come in. There is much to discuss,” she said, gaze wandering to the foreign warrior. Author's Note Once again, Idylia should be showered in praise and roses for his wisdom and contributions!
