A few moments after his encounter with the Target Plant, Jack finally reached the cavern that the guardian told him about. As scary as this cave may seem to him because of the pitch black darkness it had inside, Jack knew that that would not stop him. He courageously continues on.
He stepped into the cave, lowering his guard for only a moment. He was unsure of what lied inside and what this cavern contained, but the guardian of the forest claimed that it was not meant for anybody to see. But only meant for the eyes of a true warrior.
The samurai looked around, seeing that the walls of the cavern were a reflective surface, like glass or ice. He stared at his reflection for a moment, wondering why that was the case. Looking at the glass also reminded him of that time he found himself in a cavern where reflections of himself came out of the walls and tried to kill him. He knew that if this was anything like that, he will need to be ready.
As he kept looking at himself, his reflection began to change as did the surface. Flames began to appear in the walls as a loud burning noise rang in his ears. He was right. This cave wasn’t as different as the one he thought of.
Memories flooded back in his head.
But when he was able to pull his head up to take a glance at what the wall showed him once the flames died out, he saw something that utterly astonished him.
He saw his home. His time period. But what caught him off guard was the child being shielded by his parents from the dark entity forming and towering over his own home and city.
‘That is me... When I was young.' Jack realized, 'This is certainly unexpected. Why is this cave showing me this?’
It was there, the samurai watched the dark entity form as a voice echoed in the caverns...
‘Long ago...in a land of plenty and peace... Aku, the shapeshifting master of darkness, unleashed an evil that enslaved an entire village, and took away many lives...’
Flashes of Jack's training in his youth flashed on the walls, detailing every moment that he spent preparing himself for his greatest battle. The samurai watched the memory of him holding the sword needed to defeat Aku for the very first time, saving his parents of royalty, and freeing his village from the wrath of the demon.
'But a young boy was able to escape the demon’s wrath, and become a heroic samurai warrior. With a magic sword in his hands, he bravely stepped forth to oppose him...'
The very first battle between Jack and Aku was shown on the wall now. The dark tyrant's power of shapeshifting was demonstrated as well as the samurai's skills in combat. The two dueled for moments within the cave he resided in, until finally, Jack had been able to beat the villain.
It came to a halt once Aku was lying on the ground, his shadowy figure helpless to the eye.
‘But, before the final blow was struck...’
The walls by then show Aku opening a portal as his sword was raised, preventing him from destroying the being, and causing him to fall inside of it.
‘...the tyrant tore open a time portal, and flung the samurai into the future, where his evil reigns throughout the entire planet.'
'Now the hero seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is ruled by Aku...'
At that moment, a blue spirit appeared before the samurai, taking his own form as the reflection of Jack.
“Greetings, warrior from another world,” he calmly greeted, and raised a hand in a friendly gesture. "I am the guardian of the Cavern of Reflection."
Shaking his hand, the samurai remained silent for a moment before responding, "Why are you showing me my past, guardian? For what purpose is this?"
"It is to determine if you are a warrior worthy to cross this path. Those who come shall be tested based on their actions to declare if they are to be deemed as such."
Furrowing a brow, the man asked, "Worthy for what?'
The guardian closed his eyes, "We know all about why you are here, samurai. We know of you seeking out the Chronos Compass. For the sake of your quest, we can only aid you to reaching Ponyville, which is where you will seek answers. This is a journey you shall discover for yourself. But first we must determine if you are ready to wield such power."
On the wall showed many of Jack's countless journies. With his arrival he immediately aided an excavation crew in defeating Aku's forces, freed an all-powerful race from abuse and slavery, helped a couple of humans in escaping the planet, sacrificing his own shot at travelling back in time for their safety. Jack's eyes widened at his many deeds and heard the guardian.
"You have shown great courage and sacrifice. That is to be commended,” the spirit admitted, "But of course..."
An image flashed on the wall. It appeared to be Jack, but his hair was down and unkempt, his eyes were red and his kimono was black instead of white. The samurai immediately recognized who it was, despite not seeing that form for a very long time. It was Mad Jack.
"Every hero has flaws. Yours being your inner warrior, which Aku had manifested into a true form, a side you wish to keep calm and collected through a stoic nature and have matured through."
More images appeared on the wall, showing Aku and Jack fighting countless times. Whether it be in person, or through an assassin such as Demongo, dark magic and manipulations such as the Blind Archers, or even taking the form of another being to fool him, like the mercenary in the desert soon after he arrived.
"You have made an enemy in Aku, the very being you seek to end. You have never stopped in fighting him, and seemingly never will until he is gone."
"Correct." Jack stated.
"You have given up many opportunities for the sake of others. You seek to return home. You continue to fight despite the odds being seemingly against you. That is commendable as well."
"Thank you.” said the samurai.
The spirit's formed changed to that of a pony, "But there is something you lack, samurai. Allies. For most of your time wandering the world in which you have been stranded, you have been fighting alone, and with only a few allies, which have never stuck around with you for reasons."
Images appeared on the wall of those that had helped Jack: the village he aided when he arrived, the gorillas that taught him to jump good, and of the man he could rely on the most when it came to combat against Aku's forces: The Scotsman.
"You have no one to join you in your quest unless your paths cross. Here in Equestria you have allies who can join you. You seek to reach Ponyville, but I will give you an option." the spirit gestured to a fork in the cavern, "There are two paths, the left will take you to a nearby town with a train station, from which you will reach Ponyville in a single ride. The other will take you the same way, but you may get a vision of your future. You have earned the right to enter should you seek what you will undergo."
Jack shook his head, and walked in the left path, "Thank you, but I do not need to see my future. For now, I will determine my own path and return home."
The spirit bowed his head, "Very well. Best of luck, Samurai Jack."
And so, Jack left the cavern, his goal to Ponyville getting ever closer. The spirit glanced down at the right path, looking at the clear reflective wall. "Wise choice. His future..."
Images of Jack's future appeared. He appeared aged, yet he did not at all. A beard was on his face and instead of his kimono he wore protective armor. To be noted was his lack of his sword, instead choosing to use various weapons like guns and spears. He was back on his world, sitting in a campfire, and was speaking to no one, pleading as though he was talking to the ghosts of his past. That he had lost hope.
"Fifty years later...a lost sword...and no hope..." the spirit whispered, "He may be able to prevent it."