Epilogue: Ikinuku
In the days that followed, the Empire got about the age-old business of fading into memory. Communication systems had quickly been set up, using the central palace as a command center of sorts. Lovers, husbands and wives, mothers and children, friends and partners immediately began to use it and reach out to each other across the former Gunzai kingdom.
Within two weeks, they were meeting and uniting in small units. Families. Groups of families. Tribes. Villages. Communities.
Within three weeks, new settlements were being erected. Most of the materials were being obtained by dismantling the bases. The imprisoned soldiers at Tarrenko, Jilken, Spum, Filos, and Gorovi had, like the fighters on the field, happily regained their minds the moment Jack broke the Empress's staff. Once the battle was over they were eager to seek out their loved ones and help demolish the fortresses they had once guarded. Messengers were running every which way, spreading the news and trying to point people toward their new homes.
But the job of rebuilding would be very difficult, on many levels. Villages had been destroyed. People had been killed. There was grieving to do, and sadness to cast off, and lives to continue.
And Jack, with his quest to destroy Aku, could not stop to be a part of it for very long. He traveled with Sankra for a few weeks, helping her with the tedious task of finding the rest of her village. Fortunately, they had company on the hunt. They managed first to gather Kiki, Errol, Joinu and Kleigo. And when Ari had recovered more from finding her husband, Sankra gently offered to take the cat-woman with her and bring her into the village fold. Ari accepted the offer, on the condition that Unt-Ork would come with her. The little alien happily grabbed her around the leg. The newly formed band of eight headed off together down the road.
In the end, they only found 168 of the original 200 women. Most of the survivors were not in good shape. Some had been forced to be "nurses" like Ari, and while the cat-woman had escaped, others had contracted diseases. Sankra wasn't sure how much she'd be able to do for them. Those who had done hard labor had been worked to the bone and needed rest and care. Villagers who had survived with all their limbs and vital organs intact were able to help, but they would all be living in hide tents and eating Borko beans until their fields recovered.
Jack left on a blustery morning in late April. He was dressed in his white gi. He and Sankra were again standing in the road. Beyond Sankra, Jack could see the little shantytown of tents that had once been the mysterious, beautiful village of O-mashen-gril-yah-weh-dega.
They looked at each other.
"I won't ask you to come back again," she said, finally. All at once she looked tremendously old. "Anyway, if you defeat Aku and his magic sends you back to your own time, it'll be impossible."
"Yes."
She wiggled her moccasin in the dust and looked up. "I don't think I ever thanked you properly."
"For what?"
"For everything you've done for me and my village. For everything you've done for everybody in this world."
"It is my duty…"
"Oh, shut up about your duty. Nobody put a spear to your head, Jack. You do what you do because you're a good man."
Jack was silent. She stepped close to him.
"And just in case something goes wrong with Aku and you can't get home … well, I make a pretty good stew."
Jack smiled. "I will take that into consideration."
"Good. Here." She handed him a small bag of provisions, which he hooked to his obi.
Then she reached for her neck and removed her necklace, a simple leather string with a small pink bottle as its pendant. In one smooth motion she stood on tiptoe and tossed it around Jack's neck. It settled at his collar and she gently tucked the bottle into the fold of his robe. Jack reached for it to pull it off, but she took his hand.
"Sankra, I cannot take this."
"Of course you can," she said. "Uta's essence helped me even when she was gone. Maybe she can help you, too."
He nodded slightly, accepting the gift. His stern facade quivered.
"I believe this is goodbye."
"It probably is," she said. "Just know that wherever you go, or whatever happens … I love you."
Jack had the words inside him, but they wouldn't come. Instead, he caught her up in a fierce embrace.
Finally, they pulled away. Sankra wiped her eyes, then his, with a little laugh.
"Go on then, warrior. You have things to do."
She smiled. Jack smiled back, bowed deeply, and set off down the road. And once again, she watched him leave. The tears ran freely down her face, but she bit her lip and made no sound. It was better this way.
Disgusted, Aku slammed the flame curtain closed. This whole thing had been a disaster from start to finish, as far as he was concerned. First that impudent pest destroyed Gunzai, and now he was helping these remote villages rebuild! He had their support, now! Their very hearts! It was nauseating.
"Oh, my brave samurai!" he said, in a high hooting tone, clasping his clawed hands and batting his flaming eyes. "I love you! Don't leave me!" He snorted. "Blagh! Love makes me sick! It is the one thing in this miserable world that I cannot seem to destroy!"
He began to pace.
"But now, I see my chance. The Samurai believes he is stronger because he thinks he has the … love! The love of that idiot healer! Ha ha ha ha! FOOL! You will come to me, arrogant as before, and I will strike you down like your worthless father! For love protects no one from Aku!"
Lightning flashed. Thunder boomed.
And Aku flew into a wild fit of blood-freezing laughter.
THE END?
Dear Reader,
Ikinuku means "to survive (hardship), endure, or live through (a catastrophe)." This story has been a study in endurance for me. I left it dangling for a year at a midway point because I was not feeling inspired enough to finish it (very unusual), finally picked it up again this summer, and completed the tale, only to finish posting it in December of this year. In the intervening time my writing has been informed by things as disparate as the Sandman series and Harry Potter. Hopefully this hasn't affected my Jack style too much.
Thanks for reading (and reviewing, if you're so inclined). As always, it's a blast to write for this crowd.
Till next time …
Kiki