Desert Trial
The unforgiving rays of the sun beat down upon the inhospitable desert, lowering the already slim chances any life had of surviving in the blazing heat. Yet despite the burning rays of the sun and the fiery coal-like sand that burned at their hooves, two ponies walked through the blazing heat without slowing down. The hats that the both of them wore offered some protection from the star, but the samurai in his white kimono was fairing better than his partner. Heat he was used to.
What he wasn't used to was being so utterly confused.
"Alright then...is it that bush?" he asked Applejack with certainty as the pair passed by a withered bush with only a few green leaves.
"Sorry Jack, but that isn't it," she responded with a sly wink that made Jack's brow furrow.
"Very well...then how about that cactus that is resting on the dunes?" Jack asked once more as he nodded in the direction of the only cactus that could be seen for miles. He glanced at AJ with hopes that he was right, but with another smile she shook her head and deflated his hopes. "Then your eyesight must be far beyond mine, because I cannot see any other green all around us."
"Does that mean that the great Samurai Jack is giving up?" AJ asked with a smirk, getting a look from Jack. "Ah'll admit, Jack, that you've lasted longer than any other pony ah've played this with, but all fall to me eventually. It just took longer than usual with you."
"I am not giving up. There is nothing else green in all of this desert!" Jack pointed out with some heat while he motioned to everything around them and the emptiness that surrounded them. "I cannot possibly see what you would have seen that is green!"
"Does that mean you give up?" she asked him one last time with a coy smile, making Jack choose between his pride and finding out what she had seen.
"Yes...but only so I may learn of what it is you see," Jack finally gave in, ignoring the hoof pump that AJ did before she lifted a hoof and pointed at her eyes.
"See these two beauties right here? These were the green that ah see."
"But that is not in the rules!" Jack spoke up with hints of annoyance in his tone. "The rules clearly state that the object you have selected must be within your sight when you choose it! You cannot see your own eyes since they are a part of your face!" Yet all Jack's anger did was get a chuckle out of Applejack before she pointed down to his scabbard.
"Ah've been looking at mah eyes fer about thirty minutes now," she said with victory in her voice when Jack looked down to discover that his sword wasn't fully sheathed in his scabbard, meaning that a little of his ancient, and reflective, blade was sticking out. "Ever since ya cut down those skeleton warriors we met awhile back, as a matter of fact. Now will ya finally admit that ah win?"
Jack opened his mouth to argue, before sighing in defeat while he hung his head with a wry smile. "Very well Applejack, I concede this victory to you. You are truly far more clever and observant than I believed."
"See, that wasn't so hard," she playfully retorted before letting out a tired sigh and wiping her forehead on the back of her hoof. "Ah'm just glad ah managed to stump ya with that trick. If not, we would have had to go on to the advance rules, and then things would have gotten really intense."
"This game has advanced rules?" Jack asked with disbelief before he felt a breeze whip past him, a breeze that chilled him to his very core. Jack shivered as the sudden chill seemed to emerge from nowhere, yet a quick glance at Applejack showed that he was not the only one who felt that chill. "It seems that we have finally arrived at our destination. Applejack, the map."
AJ reached under her hat and drew forth the map that they had bought from Ratpack, hoofing it to Jack before he snapped it open and looked at their location. "Yes, it seems that we are finally here. If this map and the pony are to be believed, there should be a way into these secret chambers somewhere around...here."
As Jack said this, he drew forth his blade and walked over to a spot where the sand was a slightly darker color than the rest of the sea of desert. He took aim for the center of the sand with his blade before striking down with one skilled motion, embedding his weapon in the center of the sand. The moment the magical blade struck the dark sand the ground trembled with fury, while at the same time causing the sand around them to begin to spin like a whirlpool. AJ looked around with panic as she drew forth her lasso and began to look for an anchor point, yet Jack simply sheathed his blade and closed his eyes, knowing that they were on the right path.
The sand consumed the two ponies in a matter of seconds, tossing them around in its grainy maw while they were dragged further and further into the desert's jaws. Yet, just when it seemed the spiraling sand would crush the both of them, they both felt their hooves hit solid ground. Jack slowly opened his eyes upon landing and smiled while his eyes took in their new location.
The two ponies were now standing on a large, stone bridge in the center of a massive cavern, where at its end rested a large, open temple. Even though the temple was some distance away, Jack could see the divine glow from the piece of the heavens that rested atop a large staircase...as well as the massive, stone creature that sat on the ground at the bottom of the case.
"We have arrived," Jack informed Applejack, who had been too busy kissing the sweet ground to take in what was across the bridge.
"So, that's the titan that we have to fight? Doesn't look so tough," she said with a confident chuckle, yet when she glanced at Jack she found that his face was set with a determination that she had only seen upon his features once before.
"It is finally within my reach," he whispered to himself, Applejack not sure if he was talking to her or not. Then he drew forth his blade and muttered a few words that she could not hear, before the samurai began to walk towards the titan. "My quest is at an end."
"So...what's our game plan to take this guy down?" AJ asked Jack as the two marched across the bridge, but her face fell slightly when Jack shook his head in response.
"I will face him alone. I do not wish for you to aid me in this battle," Jack stated, but he shot her a look to cut her off before she could argue. "Remember what Ratpack told us. Only whoever can defeat the titan can have their wish granted. If you aid me in this battle, then it is possible that the star may not grant my wish. And I must have my wish granted at any cost."
"But what if he's too much fer ya to handle alone? What if he kills ya?" AJ asked with concern, but the concern turned to horror as Jack looked at her with eyes she had never seen before.
"At any cost," he repeated before holding out a hoof to stop her at the ruined temple's entrance, giving her one last look to make sure she understood before taking a step into the temple. The moment his hoof touched down on the other side a blue light emanated from the titan, causing its whole body to shake as sapphire blue eyes came to life and the creature slowly raised up onto its two feet.
"Who dares waken me from my slumber?" Its ancient and powerful voice reverberated throughout the temple as it turned its eyes down onto the samurai, who gazed back up at the stone guardian with no fear in his eyes.
"Noble guardian, I have heard that there is a piece of the heavens here, a star that will grant whoever defeats you a single wish," Jack began as he bowed to the creature with respect. "Yet, I ask that I do not have to fight you. I wish to peacefully receive my wish without having to come to blows."
"Your respect and desire for a peaceful solution has been noted samurai, but the rules are clear," the titan responded with a shake of his head before he clenched his fists, his eyes changing to a crimson red at the same time. "If you desire the wish, then you must go through me to get it."
"Then so be it." In a flash Jack drew forth his blade and lunged at the stone titan, latching onto its leg before leaping up onto the titan. Yet just as Jack was reaching its chest, the titan clapped its hands together and created a shockwave that blasted Jack off of his body. Jack crashed into the solid stone at the titan's feet, where he grimaced with pain before looking up to see a giant foot over his head. With one quick push Jack managed to roll as the foot crashed into the stone, yet the shockwave generated by the impact hurled Jack into a stone pillar.
"JACK! Get out of there!" AJ yelled from the sidelines while Jack had to roll once again to avoid a mighty fist that turned the stone pillar into dust. Jack ignored her words as he leapt into the air with incredible height, managing to reach the titan's head with a single leap. He slashed down with all of his might as he passed by the titan's head, sparks flying from his blade as his sword cut into the titan's body.
"That...is most interesting," the titan muttered as it held a hand to where the blade had cut it, looking down at where Jack landed while his eyes focused on his sword. "It seems that you possess a magic that is far superior to any that tried to claim this wish before. You may finally be the warrior that is worthy of the heavens. But that also means that I will no longer hold back."
Jack's eyes went wide as the stones around him began to float into the air, floating up to the titan's chest before they began to circle him in a ring pattern. Then the titan pointed at the samurai and the stones hurtled towards him like bullets from a gun. Jack sliced through the first stone and managed to deflect the second one, yet the speed of the stones was too great and the third caught him in the chest. He felt the air leave his lungs as he was hurled across the ground, his chest roaring in pain as he clutched at it with both hooves.
'Yet if I am using both of my hooves, then...my sword!' Jack realized before suppressing the pain, glancing up to see that his blade was resting on the ground next to the bridge where Applejack stood. He forced himself to his hooves and hurled himself towards his weapon, yet his path was blocked when the titan's mighty foot slammed down in front of the samurai.
Jack looked up just in time to see the titan's fist come down and slam into him, driving the samurai into the stone floor with enough impact to shake the chamber. The titan pulled back his fist to see the pony imbedded firmly within the stone, clothes ripped and blood on his face as Jack struggled to remain awake.
"You fought well. I will remember this battle samurai," the titan said with a respectful nod before cocking his fist back all the way, preparing to end the battle. But before he could deliver the final blow, he felt something slash at his foot, something that caused him to stagger slightly. He then glanced down again to see an orange pony that was pulling Jack out of the stone, with his magic blade held in her mouth.
"Applejack...what are you doing?" Jack weakly asked as AJ wrapped one of his hooves around her shoulder and started to move him away from the battle. "This is...my battle...I asked you not to interfere."
"It's like ah said before, Jack. Ah'm not the kind of pony to stand back and watch as one of her friends is about to be killed," Applejack replied with a ferocity that Jack had never heard in her voice. "And it's clear that this guy's too much fer ya alone. That's why we need to work together!"
"Her words have wisdom in them, Jack," the titan agreed as he lifted both of his hands over his head. "For the only way the two of you stand a chance to defeat me is if you combine your skills!" He then slammed his fists into the ground as he said this, creating a shockwave that cracked the stone temple and hurled the two ponies across the floor. AJ hit first and the pain from her landing forced her to release Jack's sword, which skidded over to him as he landed on his hooves.
Jack cast a worried glance at Applejack, who was struggling to push herself back up, but with a shake of his head he accepted that she had entered the battle now. He would have to protect her while fighting the titan. With a cry of power Jack lunged into the air, sword raised high. The titan caught the attack and swung one of his fists towards the samurai, yet right before his fist connected the samurai swung down with all of his power...carving clean through the titan's fist.
The titan staggered back in surprise as his fist split in two, with one piece falling to the floor while the other fell off to the side and into the water far below. Yet he barely had any time to register his injury before the samurai was lunging at him again. This time the titan grabbed hold of a stalagmite and prepared to crush the entire samurai with his attack...before he looked up to find his weapon was being restricted by a rope.
"Sorry pal, but there's two of us now!" AJ snarled through gritted teeth as she pulled against the titan's colossal strength for all she was worth. If she had been forced to hold the titan back for more than a few seconds, she would have quickly been overpowered by the elder creation. Yet a few seconds was all the samurai needed.
"HHHHIIIIIYYYYYYIIIIIAAAHHHH!!!" Jack roared with fury as his sword flashed once more, cleaving through the titan's shoulder and separating his left arm from his entire body. The titan staggered back as his arm crashed to the floor of the temple, before tipping over the edge and falling into the river below. The titan collapsed to his knees as he looked from his missing hand to his missing arm, then down to the samurai who pointed his sword at his face.
"You are beaten. Surrender. There is no need for this to end in bloodshed," Jack demanded, but the titan shook his head once more.
"The ancient rules are absolute. This only ends with the end of one of us." Jack narrowed his eyes at the titan, yet Applejack, who was off to the side, was the only one able to notice that the half of the titan's fist that had remained in the temple was slightly rising into the air...and taking aim at the samurai.
"JACK!"
Jack turned his head just in time to see an orange blur tackle him out of the way and to the ground, where he glanced up at AJ with confusion...right before a large chunk of fist slammed into her and drove her into one of the walls with a sickening crunch.
"NO!" Jack cried out as the fist slumped to the side, revealing the broken mare who also slumped to the ground in a lifeless fashion. Jack's eyes were filled with horror as he gazed down at her, staring at the motionless corpse that had been a pony that believed him, that had trusted him to win. Just like his people. And now he had failed her as well.
"It is as I said. Only with the end of one of us. Now strike me down...before I strike down you."
With a scream that was a mix of both wrath and pain, Jack turned and unleashed all of his fury into one swing that decapitated the stone titan. The moment the deed was done, Jack stood with a cold fury as his breath shook his body, not even glancing at the titan's head as it slammed into the ground next to him. But as the rage changed into self-control, he turned his head towards the motionless mare with guilt gripping at him. He walked over to AJ and placed a hoof to her neck, eyes filled with pain when he felt no pulse. With regret constricting his heart, Jack gritted his teeth while he bowed his head to her...before he felt something behind him.
'Congratulations warrior, you have managed to best the titan,' a radiant light said to him when he turned to face it. 'And as it was written, I shall grant you any wish that your heart desires. Just speak it to me and it shall be done.'
For a brief moment Jack saw his family and his home, long before Aku had destroyed it, flash before his eyes. Once again he had his chance, his chance to return to his past and undo the future that ended in Aku. But as he glanced down at the lifeless Applejack and thought of how she had given her life for his, how she had a family awaiting her back at her home, he knew that there was only one wish that he could make...no matter how desperately he wished that he could make the other.
"I wish that a healthy Applejack would live again."
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GODDAMNIT AJ THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS HAPPENS EVERY FUCKING TIME
6627202
Once more, it is fated that Jack journey hasn't reach it's end.......yet.
We shall see the aftermath.
Wow, I feel bad for Jack. He and AJ have a hard battle against a guardian yet Jack must sacrifice his wish. You truly know how to make plot twists.
Oooh...so close...
Wonder how AJ will handle the news when she wakes up?
***Just for curiosities sake, how would Starlight Glimmer react to seeing Jack, an adult pony with NO cutie mark?
Well, Jack... you're committed. Might as well have proposed to her.
that is you do anything even knock someone out to keep the out of a destiny fated fight because this happens
Yet again fate is cruel to the samurai
And that's what makes Jack a noble character
, but seriously univeres give him a break
Dang it, every time eh Jack? Every bucking time you get close to the finish line, something happens that forces you to give up your chance. Either stopping a laser from blasting your human friends trying to leave earth in a space ship, or finding a magic well that grants wishes...at a cost.
But got to admit that is why I love Jack and the show, it proves that no matter how much you want something. If a way to achieve your dream comes at too great a cost, then a true noble soul will turn it down and find another way.
Also I do hope AJ becomes at least a little infatuated with Jack, I mean the guy DID give up his dream just to save her. Damn good way to see how awesome a guy a person is. Be kinda funny if AJ gets defensive about anyone talking about Jack in a negative way.
could've wised for 3 or more wishes, i think?
So not to be a dick or anything, but is Jack ever gonna end up in Ponyville. I mean I enjoy the wandering around thing but still I'm kind of wondering if they'll ever end up there.
i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/Ryo242/4531-animateddoing_it_wronghardheadbangpartyparty_hardpianoscootaloo.gif
How To Make AJ Feel Guilty 101: the death wish
6627430 You and me both man.
S'why Jack'll always be a favorite of mine. Just always so close to the finish but... just out of reach.
Ahh poor Jack, he never catches a break, even when he wins! Though it's not with in his character to let someone who died to help him accomplish his goals stay that way if he can change things. And yea eventually Ponyville is going to be their final destination, it clear to me (and other readers I'd think) that Twilight Sparkle is really who Jack needs to find, and I think AJ will want to kick herself when she realizes "Awwwh sewt! One ah mah best friends were what we needed all along!"
The ending reminded me of the episode with the wish-granting fairy and her magical prison.
6627667 That one was 110% Jack's fault for being a shit and killing him without even hearing her out
Applejack or going home? I say that Jack made the right choice, however i do belive that AJ is gonna feel Mighty bad once she learns SJ gave up his wish for her.
Saw it coming the minute I read wishing granting star piece. Oh Jack, how noble you are, it makes me cry. I'm kinda of hoping that Jack will finally tell Applejack everything and they head back to Ponyville to ask Twilight and the Princesses for help.
You know by now the rumors.news of the Samurai Pony with the magical sword should have gotten to them and with AJ no doubt gone for who knows how long, last seen with said pony, I kind of expect Jack's reception being rather eventful. cough Dash cough.
And after rewatching some episodes I want Jack to meet with Luna and he tells her about his battle against darkness, when Aku infected him. But unlike her he won.
6627430 I gotta admit I agree with this. I totally ship these two now.
6627202 But if she hadn't interfered, Jack would've died.
6628152 I admit it would be nice to see Jack and Luna talk about that, but in Luna's defense she didn't have what Jack did.
Jack relied on the strength that he gained from all the friends and allies he made in his journey to finally fight off Aku's infection. Luna sadly was feeling unloved, not appreciated, and all that...so she didn't have much to draw upon will wise to help fight.
Also Jack is like 99.99% sheer force of will with an .01% of blood and bones. That guy is mankind's indomitable will personified.
6628735 The fairy? Because Jack ignored both the fairy and the gargoyle going 'Oh shit don't kill that nigga' until it was too late
Jack was always one of my favourite heroes, he made had choices and prived time and again that he was selfless and noble. I really wish there had been a final episode because if anyone deserved a final victory, then it was him.
6629247
True but it would still be an interesting encounter,
6627240
I think surprise needs to be involved to call something a twist. This? It was painfully obvious from the moment the star and the guardian were mentioned what was going to end up happening. I'd just call it annoying.
A real twist would have been Jack actually getting his wish.
Next time AJ will find out that Jack used the wish to save her BUT she also demands that he tell her just exactly why his mission was so important that the higher risk to his life was worth the better chance of getting his wish.
AJ is the element of honesty but can she handle the full Truth?
God, that's gotta be disappointing for whatever granted him the wish. Someone finally gets it and it's wasted on fixing something the trial itself did.
All that time and when it's finally over it doesn't even really grant the person's wish.
Oh the laughter that sentence brought me.
Awesome work.
I believe I said this before, but you manage to make some of these chapters look exactly like part of the original series. This could easily be an episode of the cartoon, well done. 
If I had any doubts about this before, I don't now. A Samurai Jack episode true and true.
While I wasn't particularly surprised what the Samurai's wish was going to be, it is still almost frustrating and sad that every time he has a chance to return home, fate keeps putting him in a position where choosing the right thing means post-poning his ultimate goal. *Sigh* At least the Apples will not suffer a loss from this.
I remember from one episode of the show: Jack found the way to go home, but was denied, being told he was not the one. And then the audience was shown a vision of the one: an older Jack.
Until such time as Jack has learned all he needs to know to defeat Aku, he cannot go back to his time to defeat Aku.
I wish for aj and I to be sent to our homes, alive, safe and healthy. Wish done.
was fairing better than his partner
1. Faring.
I'm really surprised somepony hasn't posted something like this yet.
Absolutly like Jack to give up his chance to complete his quest for the well being of another. Well done
This is definitely something Jack would do. Sacrificing his own gains for the benefits of others
When Applejack sacrificed herself, I immediately knew what Jack's wish was going to be.