Important announcement :

This is the last chapter that I will be uploading on , but not the end of the story. The story will be updated regularly on Archive of Our Own, where it's published under the same story name but, for now, different author name. I have a ton of reasons for doing so, but the most important one is that it's way easier to read - which is nice for all of you - and easier to make edits - which is nice for me. Also the site is run by fan donations and not by advertisements on the site, which kind of ties in to the whole 'fanfiction should be free' belief most of us have.

If necessary, you can still reach me through PM's or reviews on this site, since I won't be deleting my account.

Wishing you a pleasant day,

|Fifteen Years Earlier|

"Where Lord Aku leads, we follow. What he demands, we supply. Our lives are his. Our knowledge under his command. We follow, always," the group of children pledged in their chilly classroom. Their instructor nodded sagely, before gesturing for them to sit.

"Very well, acolytes. You know what day today is?" Their breath was visible in front of their face.

They all nodded, and Rue had to swallow to keep the vomit down. Standardized test day. If they did well they would be allowed to continue their studies. If they failed, a life as a soldier would be the best option. Anything would be better than becoming a test subject. Her memories turned back to their practical biology classes. Everything better than that.

"Then please memorize your texts. You have fifteen minutes."

Rue turned over her paper, finding a detailed history of trading records with a by-gone planet. At once she set to reading, committing everything to heart. It came naturally, but the intent of these tests was to see just how much they could memorize. This was only the first text she would have to reproduce over the course of the day. If she failed to get at least ninety percent correct… no, deep breaths. She read and read, the words burning inside her. She could do this.

And so she did. Text after text came. Her hand hurt from copying it all out by hand. The room was cold, almost freezing. Slowly her toes and the tips of her fingers became numb. It didn't matter. If she failed nothing would ever matter again. And so the children continued their test. By the time they were done Rue's head swam and her fingers were cramped up.

She hardly slept that night.

The next morning she repeated her pledge to Aku. Those words were deeply ingrained in every single one of them. No matter how unfit for service someone was, they could always follow. They would follow.

There were children missing. Four of them. Rue hadn't known they would remove the others before class. But perhaps that made sense. This way there was no need for a scene, no tears to be shed. Now she knew why her mother had been so placid the evening before. She wondered how the other parents had reacted, about the children who hadn't made it.

"You've all proven to be of a superior genetic material," their instructor smiled. The creature was not one of Rue's kind, no matter how diversified their DNA was by now. Her people had been so interbred over the generations no two looked remotely the same. That Rue looked like that long-extinct human race was purely coincidence. But they all recognized one another nonetheless. It was the eyes. They all held a timeless sheen when seen in the correct light. "The other samples have been disposed of. I'm certain your parents were all extremely pleased."

Her little group smiled uncertainly. This was only the first periodic test. Others would follow. Their mental prowess was the main reason they were kept on. They formed a living library for Lord Aku. Every piece of knowledge memorized, available on demand whenever he asked. Many lived and died before Aku had need of them, their knowledge instead given to the following generations. They were the clerics, the brain that kept his reign organized, kept Lord Aku's gluttony from imploding on itself. From their ranks came a variety of services rendered, but their main purpose was to know. To know so Lord Aku did not have to.

Other tests would follow. Fertility tests, to determine which ones of them would be most likely to have fruitful offspring with one another. Which ones of them would need to be crossbred with new species. Which ones would spend their lives watching over the children others bore. And among the girls, who would spend their life carrying life after life to supply Aku's armies with fresh soldiers.

Psychical tests, to determine who would likely live to an old age and who would die young. It would dictate which area of knowledge they would spend a lifetime tending.

Psychological examinations. Every sign of betrayal, every speck of mental imbalance would be rooted out. If one failed those tests they would be shipped off to medical facilities where scientists would determine what had gone wrong in genetics. If the disease was considered interesting enough possible siblings were tracked down and experimented on.

Only failing on the last sort would now spell a painful death. All the other tests would merely decide how her life would be influenced, arranged by others of her kind in a way that would most benefit Lord Aku.

The instructor turned her eyes on Rue and two other girls standing near her. The white, lidless eyes were one source of nightmares. "Girls, you've been selected for a special program. Lord Aku has taken a special interest in you three."

They fell on their knees at the mention of the name, the cold flooring sending a jolt through tiny limbs. "We thank Lord Aku for granting us life," they chorused.

Years later Rue would come to realize she'd been chosen by Lord Aku's administrators on that day. That her entire education had been meant to raise her as a possible assassin, or a spy to be sent into enemy camps. That day all she knew was that breathing was hard in such short quick gasps. It was fear, the possibility to be introduced to Lord Aku before she was ready. Her muscles had cramped in anticipation and fear, her hands scraping her knees through the fabric of her rough pants.

"We follow Lord Aku."

And so she did. She sat through examinations and tests, choked down medicine and followed hour after hour of classes. At home she said little, but so did her mother. So did the neighbors. Lord Aku's face was everywhere. Everyone working at his lair received complimentary cell phones and computers. They had to be able to like Lord Aku's short messages where he praised pineapple pizza after all. Billboards and posters surrounded her at every moment, her Lord's voice ringing inside her ear with every second that passed. Merchandise was released and they were expected to acquire at least part of it swiftly. Her bedroom was decorated in black, green and red, her pillow cases menacing eyes, her study books bound in dark leather with red stripes.

The other girls she'd been transferred with disappeared after a fashion. She didn't ask questions when the first one went, only shared a look with the remaining girl. When that one disappeared as well, Rue realized she'd never even known their names. Their names hadn't been important enough to share with her.

On the day she turned sixteen she was assigned an official number along with her department. She was to spend her life as a living repository for Earth cultures, memorizing maps and customs. Her freely chosen department was ancient lore. Each day she began by sinking on her knees in front of one of the giant Aku statues in the castle, chanting 'We follow Lord Aku.' Each day she ended by thanking Lord Aku to have allowed her life for one more day.

At one point stories about 'the samurai' emerged. It started as whispers among the guards. Soon the scientists could be heard muttering the title, driven to exhaustion by Aku's demands for better, stronger robots. The ones responsible for weapons research, the war recordings and others of their like were called almost weekly for discussions. Rue herself often had to draw on maps where spats had occurred. She spent years, filling in spots on a map where the Samurai had been sighted. Wanted posters appeared everywhere, radio programs broadcasted he should be killed on sight. She retreated into her cubicle, occasionally shouting at the coffee bot. She took up researching basic robot anatomy to get it working better.

One morning her supervisor came to her as she headed out for a lunch break. "You are expected in a meeting this afternoon, Rue. Our great Lord Aku needs to speak to you about something."

She inclined her head, her heart beating a staccato drum. "Understood, sir."

"Don't worry, it's a group conference. I highly doubt he will speak to you personally."

Relief surged through her. "Understood." And then, in unison, they concluded their conversation. "We follow Lord Aku. From the dawn of time until the universe ends, we serve."

|Ancient Japan|

"One day, my son, you will be the one protecting our people," the Emperor said, placing a large hand on his son's shoulder. In a rare moment where the man was not occupied, he had joined his son near one of the ponds. They sat, watching the koi circle around one another in hopes of obtaining food.

The boy nodded, though the set of his mouth betrayed his doubts. "What if I'm not good at it? What if I don't do the right things?"

"I had much the same doubts as you did," the Emperor confessed, tossing the koi a few grains of rice. The large fish quickly moved in the water, splattering droplets over the two humans at the edge. "But our task in life is to obtain knowledge to make sure others are safe. There is never a guarantee that your people will prosper under your care, but a wise ruler knows when to prepare for these things."

The Emperor wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder, pulling the child close for a few seconds. "That is what we are teaching you. You will not go into this unprepared. And just like me, you will have your advisers and, Amaterasu be willing, a good wife who will tell you when you are behaving unwisely."

"I have never seen you do foolish things, father."

"That is because he doesn't dare to disappoint the two of us," a gentle voice behind them sounded. The Empress walked near, dressed in one of her simpler robes and lacking jewelry. Tonight was an evening where the two would retreat and simply enjoy each other's company.

"If I remember correctly, your parents threatened to move into the palace if I ever dared disappoint you," the Emperor replied in laughter. "When I vied for your mother's hand, son, I had to go up against three other suitors. Three! No other woman in our lands had attracted that many men." When the Emperor looked back at his wife, it was with soft eyes and a smile. "I thank the gods every day for my good fortune."

"Oh hush," she said, but it was clear from her smile that she enjoyed the compliment. "Dinner will be served soon."

"We will attend," the Emperor said.

The young prince followed. "Father…" he started, thinking back on the discussions he had overheard from the ministers. "What is the correct use of power? Minister Miyaki said that we should be wary of those with too much power."

The Emperor considered these words for a few seconds as they walked toward the main building, the pebbles grinding underneath their sandals. "Minister Miyaki is a wise man, but he forgot to add a nuance. Power is like a blade. Of itself, it is harmless because it cannot take action without a hand to guide it. It is the man handling the power who decides if the blade will cut, and how much damage it will do. Power in the hands of a good man who has thought about his actions is seldom to be feared. But power in the hands of a selfish fool is something that will cut deep and hard in the flesh of the people. This is why we teach you, my son."

They stopped for a second outside the double doors. The Emperor placed his hands on his son's shoulders, kneeling on one knee. His slanted eyes were fond but serious. "Remember, my precious child, that you are born to lead. But you have been born to lead others in a way that benefits all, not only yourself. A wise ruler knows how and when to wield his power."

"I understand, father." The boy smiled, shy but also with a hint of confidence. "I will make sure to become a son you can be proud of. I will be a man who leads our people with care for their needs. I promise!"

"Dinner is waiting to be served," the Empress intoned from her seat next to the head of the table.

The Emperor laughed. "That is our cue. You will do well, my son. I am certain of it."

|Future|

Jack opened his eyes at the moment a bird in the tree above him burst into song. As was his habit he peered from underneath his eyelids, scanning the camp for possible danger. The only variation on the sound of the surrounding forest was that of an iron kettle moved on the fire. Looking to the side he saw miss Rue, brushing her long hair behind one ear as she blew gently on the embers of their campfire. When he moved she looked up, the smile on her face shy and half-averted. "Good morning."

"Good morning, miss Rue," he replied, sitting up straighter. To his great pleasure, he was handed a cup of warm water only moments thereafter. "How was your watch?"

She rummaged through her backpack, pulling out remnants of snake and monkey wrapped in a peculiar kind of foil that kept food fresh for indefinite times. "It was okay, actually. I mean, the owls were really loud sometimes. But animals tend to stay away from the fire, so yes…" she glanced up with a quick smile. "It was okay. Monkey or snake for breakfast?"

"I believe I would like to have the monkey," Jack replied.

Rue reached behind the rocks and pulled out an egg the size of his hand. "I had to take care of some… business this morning, and I found this. It's edible, I promise! It's an Ostran egg. They lay their eggs haphazardly in forests, so I didn't raid any nests. I just found it. And brought it back."

The way she rambled proved she was nervous about her find. He accepted the packet of breakfast and said in a reassuring tone, "You did well, miss Rue. I believe you've been picking up quite a bit from my humble lessons." His words resulted in a deep blush covering her cheeks and ears as she practically hid her face in her own snake breakfast.

"Thank you," she mumbled, hardly audible. When he asked about their future route she became a bit more animated, having ventured into an area of conversation that she felt far more certain about. Early on he had come to the discovery his shy traveling companion had learned a number of maps by heart, though most did not contain much detail. As long as he was able to point out north and south to her she was able of saying where they were in relation to which areas. "If we keep going north-east we should eventually come to one of the main traffic cities. From there we can take a train to anywhere on the mainland."

They finished their breakfast, Jack enjoying a cup of tea while miss Rue preferred lukewarm water over the unaccustomed bitterness. She'd politely tried a sip once before quickly shoving the remainder in his hands. "As long as you wish to see if the mirror had a point about you, I have no qualms about traveling in that direction."

Miss Rue nodded, cocking her head slightly to the side. By now he'd come to recognize that particular gesture as a strange way of expressing gratitude, even though she hardly ever spoke while doing it. The sunlight caught her eyes, making them glint amethyst. Startled she blinked and straightened, frowning as she looked up at the canopy. "Well, shall we go then?" she asked, packing the kettle back in her backpack.

He rose, taking a moment to brush the leaves from his gi before helping miss Rue to her feet. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, moving with him to rise from the ground. For a moment she swayed toward him before catching her balance and tilting back again. The instinctive grin she flashed him in that moment was slightly disconcerting; it brought back memories of Aku when he posed as Ikra. But she had no such memories, instead setting busily to brushing the dirt of her clear blue pants and the back of her cream shirt. Her hair, flowy and catching the first light morning breeze, bounced and fluttered around her as she moved. When Jack recovered her senses she gestured to the deer track they'd be following that day. "Well, lead on then, sir samurai."

Jack adjusted his sword and glanced at the track in front of him. Looking at miss Rue with a smile he remembered another lesson his father had once thought him, not too long before Aku had arisen from his slumber. "Actually, a road is often best walked with a friend, side by side."