"SAMURAI JACK?!" Aku yells. Aku reveals himself, towering as high as the trees, before the duo.

"AKU!" 'Jack' yells and steps in front of Ashi to defend her.

Ashi eyes went wide in surprise as she looked towards the samurai. 'What are you doing? He could kill you!' Ashi thought. But then another thought struck her. 'Your name is Jack?'

Aku just stares at them for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand. "Could someone please explain to me why my pagoda is a mess, why my only living minion is in literal pieces, and or why my most formidable enemy is now back in human form?!" Aku shouted in annoyance. He then turned his attention towards Ashi and his eyes tighten. Seeing as she was the only human here that was covered in blood, oil, the smell of all those things plus smoke could all mean only one thing. He then points towards Ashi. "YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!"

The samurai readied his sword. "Your quarrel is with me Aku, not her!"

"Right... you," Aku said. "How in the name of darkness and agony are you still alive?" then Aku shook his head. "You know what, don't bother answering that. It doesn't even matter anyway. Look for yourselves." He motioned his hand towards the horizon at the low hanging sun. "In just a few more minutes the spell your worthless father put over the forest will be broken and I can finally begin to spread my evil all over this world."

Jack became infuriated but before he could start attacking he pulls Ashi closer.

"Run back to the cave and stay there until I return. I will stay and fight Aku." He whispers into Ashi's ear.

"I can't just leave you here." Ashi whispered back urgently.

"Don't argue just go." Jack said. He pushes Ashi away and charges for Aku. But Ashi didn't run like Jack told her to, instead she simply hid among the trees and watched. "Aku! It is time for you pay for all the suffering you have caused!"

"Oh honestly. As if you still have the skills to hurt me with tha–" Aku was interrupted Jack's blade piercing through his body. "AHHH" Aku cried out in pain. He looks down and sees a hole burning outward on his body and around the blade. Aku quickly moves away and closes the wound by pressing his hand over his body. "Bwaa I say! BWAA!" Aku yells and from his open mouth, came a sonic screech that sent the samurai at a tree but the samurai landed neatly on his feet and undeterred.

Aku yells in anger and then takes on the form of a giant black snake with flames on its back. His eyes glowed and a concentrated beam of light shoots out from his eyes and aims it for the samurai. But Jack was fast on his feet and was able to outrun the beams. Knowing this, Aku tries to run him over and even tried to catch the samurai in his coils but failed at each attempt. Aku then saw Jack make a run towards the forest. Not wanting Jack to get away, Aku changes back to his original form, raised his hand in the air, causing a giant wall to rise from the ground and block the samurai's path... but it didn't stop there. Jack and Aku were now surrounded by a giant wall of earth. It was too tall to climb but just wide enough for them to continue their fight.

"You won't escape that easily Samurai!" Aku yells.

Ashi saw the wall rising and tried to grab a ledge but she was too slow and was cut off from the fight. In a blink, there was a cry of pain but this time she recognized it as the samurai's.

"No... no no no no. Please! Jack!" Ashi cries out.

She then tries to climb the wall but it was too steep and there was nothing for her to hold on to. She heard a slash of the sword again and Aku's cries of pain– it gave her some relief but she wanted to see it for herself and tried again in vain to climb the wall. Suddenly she felt a cold touch on her shoulder and turned around but she saw no one. Then her attention moves downward and she sees the trail of fog again. The fog then started to fly up a nearby undamaged tree and off a tall branch closet to the top of the wall. Taking the hint, Ashi quickly makes her way up the tree, jumps off the tallest branch and just barely catches the edge of the wall with her hands. She dangles for a moment before pulling herself over the edge to see the other side.

Now the samurai's whole upper body was exposed as his shirt was torn to pieces now, his long black hair had come undone from its chonmage and just how well built he was. Ashi then also noticed the large scratch mark on Jack's back and Aku looked a little smaller than when the wall was raised. She can only imagine that Jack's katana must have damaged Aku greatly. Clearly confining the fight in such a tight space wasn't the best idea Aku has ever had. Jack jumps towards Aku again but Aku swipes him away and the force flings Jack against the wall opposite from where Ashi was. This time Jack looked like he was in real pain as he tries to get back on his feet. Aku smiles as he approaches Jack.

"You know samurai, as strange as it is, I am almost glad you're back. I would have hated to miss seeing the look on your face when you realized that you have failed." Aku said.

Then Aku's eyes light up once more and aims the beam of light for Jack. Jack reacts quickly and the beams reflect off his sword towards Aku's direction. The beams didn't hit Aku however but rather at the wall behind him making the foundation crack, below the very spot where Ashi stood. The ground shook beneath her and before she could act, the section of the wall that was cut crumbled, she fell with it. Ashi screamed, which caught the attention of both Jack and Aku.

"ASHI!" Jack screamed.

Ashi saw the ground below her as she fell, she thought this would be her end. If the fall doesn't kill her surely the falling rocks would but then suddenly everything went black. Ashi suddenly felt constricted but she couldn't see a thing. Was she dead?

No, worse yet.

Suddenly she could breathe once more but this tight feeling around her never let up. She opened her eyes to find herself in Aku's grip and she also saw him smiling down at her evilly.

"Well now, look who's back." Aku said in a mocking tone. "How about a 'thank you' for saving your life." He shook her slightly, like a child playing with their doll.

"Unhand her!" Jack cries out charging for Aku with his sword.

"Na ah ah Samurai Jack." Aku replies. He tightens his grip over Ashi making her whimper in pain. Jack immediately stops in his tracks. "That's better."

"Let her go Aku!" Jack demands, trying to hide the shaking in his voice.

"Yes yes I know 'my quarrel is with you not her' but here's the problem. She is responsible for wrecking my pagoda and setting you free, is she not?" Aku asked.

"YES!" Ashi shouted in defiance, gaining the demon's attention. "I helped the samurai and I'd do it again too. Especially if it meant the end of you, you vile beast!" she then spits in Aku's face.

Aku's eye went wide at this. But he composed himself, swiped the spit off his face with his other hand and said smiling. "Sweetheart, I would have broken your back, toss your lifeless body into a roaring fire and watch you burn into ashes just for speaking to me like that. But seeing as you are probably more valuable to me alive than dead, I have something else in mind."

Aku raises his empty fist and punches a large hole in the ground next to him. When his hand comes back up, the hole begins to fill up with the black oil with which Aku is made of. He then frees Ashi briefly before using his index and thumb to catch her by her right hand. It pinched her hand greatly. He lets her dangle there for a moment before moving her above the pool of oil. Ashi's eyes widen at the sight.

'Just like in my nightmares.' She thinks to herself.

"I will give you a new choice samurai. Save the damsel or slay your enemy."

"NO! Don't do this!" Jack yells.

"We all have a choice in life. Now CHOOSE!" Aku declares and releases Ashi, allowing her to fall.

She screams briefly before being consumed into the pool of oil beneath her. She manages to pull herself out just long enough to hold onto the dry land but something seems to be pulling at her feet from beneath, trying to force her back down.

"Ashi!" Jack cries as he runs for her. He takes a hold of her hands and tries to pull her out only for the oily prison to pull her back. It was your basic tug–a–war.

"Well, that was easy and just in time." Aku said as he lowers the stone walls around them to see the sun begin it's decent. "I'll just get into position while you deal with this." He motions his hand towards them. "Just pretend I'm not here." And Aku moves away slightly.

"AKU!" Jack yells but doesn't let go of Ashi.

'"We all have a choice in life." That is what he said. I can't let Aku get away with this.' Ashi makes a choice of her own. 'There is no other choice.'

"Jack," Ashi said, gaining the samurai's attention. "Let me go, Jack!"

Jack's eyes widen in shock.

"Let me go and destroy Aku." Ashi said.

"Ashi?! No!" Jack said.

"You have to... it's the only way... you have to trust me with this." She said.

"I can't! I have to save you!" he said.

"Do it for me!" she shouts. "Hurry before it's too late!"

Jack's face was cringed with uncertainty and his eyes started to water. Ashi saw this and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Go." She said softly. Jack could feel her hands loosen. "Go" she repeated.

He places her hands on one of the fallen stones from the wall crumbling to give her some leverage. "Try to hang on. I'll come back for you." He promises.

She grips on the rock with all her might. Then the force of the pool came back but she holds on and Jack charges for Aku.

Meanwhile, Aku, who didn't take notice of the duo's touching scene together, watches the horizon as the sun gave one last sliver of light before disappearing entirely. Then he turns his attention towards the moon as it rises. The moon then starts to turn red slowly.

"YES! This is it. Turn red you wretched moon and set me free!" Aku exclaims.

As the moon continues turning red, Aku could see the whole sky above him begin to ripple like water. Suddenly a bright blue dome of light began to form from above but then the very top of it turns red and starts to disintegrate like burning paper. Everything started turning red along with the moon.

"YES! YES!" Aku exclaims in delight.

"YAHHHH"

But then Aku felt a horrible pain at his side and howls. He looks down to see a huge burning gash at his side and the samurai!

"No, Wait!" Aku said loudly. Jack doesn't listen and slashes at Aku again, making the wound much deeper than it already was. Since Aku was still wounded from the fight they had earlier Jack had the greater advantage.

Ashi in the meantime continues to pull herself out only to be pulled deeper into her prison until she can't even feel her legs anymore. The oil gave a slack for a moment before giving one big pull and Ashi was ripped away from her rock and down below before she manages to paddle her way up again only for her head to reemerge. She gasps for air and tries to bring her arms up only to find, to her horror, that she can't move those anymore either. Ashi takes one more deep breath before her head was swallowed up. There were bubbles popping where Ashi's head was once but then they stopped and the pool grew still.

Aku in desperation transforms into large ram–like creature and charges for the samurai. Jack was ready for this because when Aku got close, Jack used his sword to split the demon in half. Jack then cuts the left side of Aku's form again and again until nothing remained. The other half of Aku tried to flee but the samurai was already chasing after him. Jack ran quickly then jumps towards the top of Aku's small halved self. As Jack falls back to the ground, he positions his sword downward right over Aku and then the sword pierces right into Aku's eye. Suddenly, in a flash of light, Aku whole form was absorbed into Jack's sword until the whole blade turned black. Two little eyes opened within the sword and blinked twice. Jack raises the sword over his head.

"NO MORRRRRRRRE!" Jack cries out and strikes the ground with his blade.

From the blade, the floor around Jack turned black and a high–pitched sound could be heard. Jack runs away, taking the sword with him, and ducks for cover behind a tree. An explosion comes that racks the nearby trees, Jack grips tightly around his hiding place and then... silence. With the blast gone and the evil demon was gone, the moon changes from red to its white glow once more.

"Ashi!" Jack said urgently.

He runs to where the pool was and saw that Ashi wasn't in sight anymore. He drops the sword and plunges his arms into the oil but felt nothing.

"No please." he said urgently. "Don't be gone."

Suddenly the moon shined a beam of light onto the sword and the sword began to float in midair. It floated over the pool before it dropped, blade first, into the pool. Jack tried to grab for it but the sword went in too deep. The pool of oil then glowed brilliantly and then suddenly Ashi's head rose out of the pool. Seeing this, Jack takes hold of Ashi by the waist and pulls her out.

"Ashi... Ashi" Jack said desperately.

Her face was clear of the oil but Ashi did not respond. He raises her body and held her head up to him.

"Ashi wake up! Ashi... ASHI!" Jack pleaded.

Still no response. He places a thumb over Ashi's wrist.

Nothing

His eyes swell with tears. One tear went down his face as he holds her close.

"Ashi..." Jack sobs, "I love you"

Jack didn't notice that he had an audience. The moon shined another beam a short distance behind Jack. A purple flower sprouts from the ground under the moon's light and from the flower a figure emerges. It was a woman with skin as pale as the moon, with flowing long indigo hair with pink and sky–blue highlights. It was the spirit of Ashi's dream and when she heard the samurai confess his love, the spirit smiled. She then blows a kiss, that turned into a white glowing ladybug that flew to towards Ashi. The ladybug fades into Ashi's back and then...

Ashi's eyes opened wide and she coughs up some oil out of her mouth. Jack was startled when he felt movement and moved Ashi's body so she was facing him. Her eyes flutter for a moment until she can clearly see Jack with his eyes wide and staring back at her.

"Jack...?" she said still a little dazed. "What happened? Did you beat Aku?"

"Yes," he said with a smile growing on his face. "He will never hurt anyone ever again."

"Jack, I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier. It's my fault for almost getting killed before." She said looking down.

Jack then hugs her. "That doesn't matter now. All that matters is that Aku is gone and we are finally free."

Ashi smiles as she hugs him back greatly. When she opens her eyes again, however, she sees the glowing woman watching them. Ashi gasps silently, not enough for Jack to notice, and stares back at her. The spirit notices this and motions for Ashi to remain silent. Ashi complies before mouthing a 'thank you' to the spirit. The spirit nods and then sinks back into the ground until she was gone. Jack gets up on his feet and helps Ashi to her feet as well. They just stared at each other for a moment until Ashi broke the silence.

"Before Aku... interrupted us, I was just thinking about something." Ashi said.

"About what?" Jack asked.

"Well, you might laugh." Ashi started. "But I was thinking about our time together and just how much I loved it. Even the times when we argued."

Jack couldn't stop himself from giving a small chuckle and Ashi laughed a little too.

"I love you." Ashi said with her cheeks bright red and her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

"And I love you." Jack said.

And they sealed their pledge of love for each other with a deep and tender kiss.

As they kissed the whole area around them began to change. The ground sprouted fresh green grass and flowers, the hole where the pool of oil once was changed into a lake of clear water, some of the water from the lake traveled to the crater and changed it into a moat, and lastly, Aku's pagoda transformed into an imperial palace worthy of an emperor. Some of the trees disappeared as humans fazed out of the trunks. Once the humans were out, the trees that stayed rapidly grew small and thinner in size. From there, the branches bloomed with hundreds upon hundreds of cherry blossoms. Soon all traces of the dark forest had faded from existence. The people rejoiced as they were finally free from their prisons and gathered around the man they recognized as their prince as he continued to kiss his princess.

It had been severely months since the event of Jack's victory over Aku. Much of the people's time was spent trying to rebuild their village, with the assistance of the prince of course. Finally, the kingdom was restored and Jack was crowned as the new emperor but that wasn't even the best part.

On this autumn Sunday afternoon, the guests gathered at the religious temple in the village with great anticipation as the bride and groom stood before the shrine. Jack invited his friends and teachers from his childhood to the wedding and they came from all over the world. Men and women from Africa, Arabia, Russia, Greece, Rome, etc. and one burly musclebound Scotsman with a peg leg came to celebrate. Jack was wearing a Montsuki and Ashi wore a shiromuku, traditional Japanese wedding garments. They stood before the shrine and placed their Tamagushi on to the small table before them. Clapped their hands twice simultaneously and bowing one last time before the shrine thus concluding the ceremony. Everyone at the wedding rejoiced and as the newly wedded couple walked down the aisle together, some of the guests threw rose petals over their heads. A little bit later Jack and Ashi made an appearance before their subjects and all people cheered for the emperor Jakku (Jack) and his empress Ashi.

Despite the overwhelming happiness Jack was feeling, in the back of his mind he was sad that his parents weren't alive today to be a part of the wedding. But he also knew that, in a way, they were here even though he couldn't see them, this thought made him feel better. Ashi had never imagined that she could be this happy, there were times when she feared that she would wake up and find all of this was just a dream but that day never came.

Jack and Ashi's love for each other grew stronger and deeper with each passing year and they lived...

Happily Ever After