Operation: DESCENDANT, Part 6

Demon Archives: Zeldora. Once a Demon Saint, he invaded the lost Avalaran kingdom, Liones 7,000 years ago. He was the father of two sons, Zeldris and Meliodas, whom were the top officers of his army. However, Meliodas was a kind young demon who disliked hurting mortals, and through fate, he fell in love with Liones' princess, Elizabeth. Together, along with a band of friends consisting of fairies and giants, they would rebel against Zeldora and destroy him. They gave birth to descendants, but as more wars dawned, Liones would fall, and traces of their lineage would vanish. Regardless, Elizabeth and Meliodas continue their love in the afterlife, and the former princess would become a beautiful Angel.

Part 6: Lonely Samurai

Samurai Jack showed Christina to his personal buggy, driving it into the gloomy Virginian Forest. "I hail from Japan, thousands of years in the past. In a time that was plagued with demons, Aku, the shapeshifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. We samurai trained to battle the darkness… but only I was chosen to wield the sacred katana, Ra-Rama. And thus, I rose to oppose him. But before I could deliver the final blow, Aku 'threw' me through a portal… and I soon found myself in the distant future. A world where evil is law."

"A world ruled by demons…"

"Demons and those who follow them. But, there are other evils, too… An army of men in suits and pig masks. I do not know their origins, but even so, they are just another of many evils in this world. When I first came here, I learned of the existence of time rifts that could send me back to my time, but Aku has ensured their eradication. Now, he merely hides in cowardice, knowing I hold the one weapon that can slay him. All I can do now is fight an endless battle, rescuing those who the demons and evil ones oppress."

"Hold on, hold on. You're SURE all the time rifts are gone? You SURE there ain't any left?! 'Cause I seriously need to get back home!"

"Home? …Where did you say you come from, child?"

"From the year 2061! I was fighting that Aku jerk and he threw me through a portal!"

"YOU fought Aku? But, you are only-"

"Ain't you ever heard of the Kids Next Door, dude?"

"I… heard stories of such a group once existing in this time."

"Well, I'm one of them! I beat up bad guys on a daily basis! And just now, I was fighting demons, too!"

"I did notice a mass of fire burning the horde of demons on my way there…"

"Well, check this." Christina lit a flame in her hand.

"So, you possess firebending. I suppose there is truth to your words then."

"Heh…well, would you believe I'm a Demon Princess?"

"I'm… sorry?"

"I'm descended from the Demon King. That's why Aku and his friends were chasing me. I didn't think THIS would happen though… What? You ain't suddenly scared of me, are ya?"

"I could never be afraid of a child."

"Pfft, I'm no ordinary child, bro. I beat up guys bigger than you! Probably tougher than you, too."

"And I do not doubt your words. But, you are still young. Young, and lost in a world you do not know. No matter how strong you think you are, children cannot survive on their own."

"Shows what you know. We were TRAINED to survive on our own. Me and my buds go on adventures all the time and we don't need no supervision."

"Are these 'buds' of yours here as well?"

"Tch…n-no…" Chris grit her teeth and tensed up in her seat.

"I am sorry…"

"Ugh! Just tell me if there's a way back! Anything!"

"I have searched for decades, but I have heard of no more time rifts."

"NO!" Jack decided to stop the buggy, hoping the lack of motion would ease the child. "I can't just stay here! They need me! I-I…It can't all end like this!"

"Hmmm…" Jack had long accepted the fact there was no way back home, accepted his new life in this era… but it was heartbreaking to see someone else, a child no less, have to suddenly experience the same thing.

"W-wait! I know!" Chris lit up. "Sector IC! They had timebenders! I bet you anything there'd be a time rift in Iceland!"

"Iceland? And… where might that be?"

"Er…we might need a map. And a ship! Is there any place we can get a flying ship or something?"

"It should… not be difficult, per se. With most of humanity falling to the demons, many aliens have migrated to this planet. Not that I understand why they would want to."

"Man, this place gets better and better!" Chris yelled in sarcasm. "So, let's find an alien and steal his ship!"

"I will help you reach Iceland if you wish, but I do not want you to believe in false hopes. There is no promise a time rift will-"

"Hey, you don't know! Just get me to Iceland and we'll find out for sure!"

"Before we do, I think you should rest."

"What?! I ain't got time for that!"

"You are injured, and I can tell you are weary from your experience. I have remedies in the buggy's trunk, but it would be wise to find a place to rest."

"But if there is a time rift, it'll just disappear if we waste time!"

"We are bound to encounter more enemies on the way. Your resolve to keep going, despite your injuries, shows that you are indeed a strong child. But if you don't rest now, you will reach your limit too soon, and you may never make it to Iceland."

"Grrr…fine. But only one hour… no, half an hour."

"Good." Jack smiled. "I'm sure we can find a fair place to rest out here."

"Well, there were plenty houses to rest in back there."

"If the demons are after you, it may not be safe in that town."

"Ugh…wait. I know a place we can crash in out here. Maybe…"

With her guidance, Jack found and drove them up a road leading to a tall, decrepit mountain house. The home of Christina's friend, Ralph. Piles of scrapped metal littered the abandoned home. Even their beds were a crumbled mess, but the raggy blankets would at least be decent for sleeping on the floor. "If I knew anything about building planes, we could use one of them to fly to Iceland." She set her sandals aside and sat on the floor, legs arched as she prepared to pull the blanket over them. "Too bad Ralph didn't leave any intact ones. Even the treehouse hanger was trashed. Hmmmm…"

Jack looked in pity as Chris hugged her legs, pressing her chin to them in a tense manner. Her true feelings were taking shape. "I don't get it…" She whispered. "Did everything fall apart that bad 'cause of me? Was I… really that important? They really couldn't do anything to stop them…"

The samurai was unsure of what to say. He was already unsure if there was a way back, so he couldn't provide encouragement. "…You seem to treasure these friends dearly. Perhaps you'd like to talk about them?"

"Please. Most of them were pains in the neck. Not Jason though, HE was cool! He liked to get right into the action and he was fun to fight, too! Isabelle was awesome, too, I dug her wild style. But Laruta was always nagging us to exercise, even though she's a tubby little midget and I'm WAY stronger than her. Shimmy wasn't as annoying, but she could be kinda loud. I can't even talk to Trella… Silica's my bestie, but she can really piss me off sometimes. And she rarely changes socks… Ralph was pretty smelly, too; liked to burp near me just to be a prick. Ugh, then there's Mali. She's basically a giant toddler. Always makes the floor bounce when she walks, knockin' our stuff down all the time, and she acts like I'm a frickin' doll sometimes! 'Wah, I'm bigger than you, so I'mma make you behave!'"

"Ha ha! They seem like a delightful bunch."

"Yeah, then you try hanging out with them."

"Perhaps I shall someday."

"Mmm…" Jack could feel her lighten up a bit. Chris stretched her legs and pulled up the blanket. "You goin' or what? I don't wanna sleep with you watchin' me."

"I do not want to leave you alone."

"Just get the other blanket and sleep outside the room. But make sure to wake up in half an hour. We're gettin' to Iceland soon as possible."

"Very well… I will expect you in half an hour."

Jack lay to rest outside the room, smiling and knowing full well she wouldn't remember to wake up by then. Christina was strong and stubborn, but a child always needed the proper amount of sleep. They were always more tired than they realized. Already, he could hear her snoring. It was refreshing for Jack to have such warm company. He could only hope to lead her to a happy outcome.

Sector L

Madeleine was peacefully lain on the couch, covered by a blanky and a cold bag on her head. "You're safe and sound, Maddie." Nora smiled. "No demons'll hurt you now."

The others couldn't enjoy their victory. Not after Lyserg returned with the news. Both sectors were in distraught. "Christina's in the future?" Mack repeated.

"Indeed… and in that future, it's possible his minions are already preparing to trap her." Lyserg replied. "Her only hope is if we defeat these demons now, so they won't have a chance to…"

"Her only hope is if we jump through time and save her ourselves!" Laruta stated. "This is obviously a job for timebenders!"

"Then let's get Sector IC on the phone!" Ralph ran to the TV and attempted to contact the Icelandic sector. There was no response. "Don't tell me they're not home!"

"Ralph, call Perry instead!" Isabelle requested. "We gotta tell him, too."

"Good idea!"

As soon as Perry was onscreen, the ops recapped their sudden venture and Christina's fate. "I can't believe…" It seemed Perry already had a list of things to worry about, clear by the frustration on his face. "Ugh, this had to be planned. A bunch of sectors are dealing with demon attacks now… including Sector IC."

"Then we gotta head up there right now!" Jason shouted.

"I guess it is our best option…" Laruta replied. "But Isabelle, I think you should stay here. You need rest."

"Hey, I can't just stay behind. I may not have enough strength to fight, but if there's a way to help Christina, I have to be there."

"YEAH!" Shimmy declared. "I'll stay up all night if it means bringin' Christina back!"

"M-M-M-Me, too." Mali bore a determined, yet nervous glare.

"Then set a course for Sector IC!" Jason pointed. "We'll bust up some demons, then it's time travel time!"

"All right. I'll leave it to you." Perry nodded. "Sector V, go back up Sector IC!"

"AYE-AYE!"

The sectormates raced back to the hangar, Mali following in the back. "Hey, Mali…" Laruta slowed down for her, stopping the giant. "I was wondering… are you sure you're up for this?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"You've been yawning a lot. It's getting pretty late. Are you sure you don't wanna stay and take a nap?"

"N-no… Christina needs us. Everyone else is going, I gots to."

"Mali, don't push yourself. Big girls need their naptime."

"I don't wanna!" Mali stomped, bouncing Laruta. "I don't wanna go to sleep without Christina!"

"Mali…" Laruta released a sigh, smiling. "Well, hopefully we'll have a chance to sleep beforehand. Let's go."

…

Perry sighed after ending transmission. "I guess this was a bad time to come." A soft, feminine voice said. Perry turned to Jennu, the monochrome-skinned Zathurian op of the GKND. "I guess we should've tried to find Star on our own."

"It's alright. Sector RT needed to know about this, anyway…"

According to Jennu, Star's mother, Nebula came to their school wearing a crazy new outfit. Jennu recounted the embarrassing event to Perry.

"Star, look at this crazy getup I found! Look at it! It's so wild!" Nebula exclaimed, drawing as much attention from students and staff as a planet draws gravity.

"M-MOM…!" Star couldn't believe she would wear such a surreal thing to school. Even for an alien school, it was out of this world, so much that the kids began to snicker at Star.

"Hey, I gotta show this to Gabe and Jerome! Come on, let's fly to Earth real quick, wanna?!"

"Nnnnnn…" Star neither wanted his cousin to see this, nor accompany her on this venture. But, he really didn't want to be in school right now either. "S-sure, Mom… let's go to Earth, and let's never come back to this school again…"

Team Jennu would later fly to Sector RT on Earth, asking about Star's visit with snickers. Their laughter fell short upon learning neither Star nor his mother made it here. The aliens flew to Moonbase and asked Perry if they were here. They had already confirmed Star was neither at his house or at H.Q., so it was then apparent the High Supreme Leader was missing. "This had to have been a demon trap." Perry deduced. It was the only thing that made sense. After all, Star was the same as the Unos. His father was the current Demon King after the fall of Malladus.

Underworld

What started as an embarrassing school day had turned into a distant memory. Not only did his mother take him somewhere completely different from Gabriel's neighborhood, he was knocked out by her spacebending, waking up trapped in a spider-web. "Daeahahahahaha!" A demon with the torso of a woman and legs of a spider stroked Nebula's cheek. "I crafted this outfit myself. Glamorous, isn't it? Had her completely under my spell."

"So, this runt is Lord Death's son?" a cockney accent asked. Star was approached by a tannish man in a dark reaper's robe, open to his abs, and a skull scythe slouched over his shoulder. He had black hair brushed back and a small beard. "Yeh, Oi can see the resemblance. Why don't I just gut him now?"

"It's because he's still alive that Lord Death won't be reckless." Mephisto stated. "So, don't be reckless yourself, Mumkhar."

"Yeh, yeh." Mumkhar shrugged. Hailing from Planet Mira, Mumkhar (from Xenoblade) was confined to the Underworld for betraying his people. Because he technically killed himself, he was ordered to become a Reaper, too. Any mortal who takes their own life for a non-noble purpose is made a Reaper, spirits who collect the souls of the departed and take them to be judged. The leader of the Reapers, known as the Grim Reaper or simply "Death," was also the current King of the Underworld. "You just uphold your agreement. Diablo becomes the Demon King, and I get Death's scythe and become the new Grim Reaper! It'll be fun to stick it to that perfectionist after all this time! You just better not get soft on them, Cydaea." He said to the spider woman. "They're your cousins, ain't they?"

"Please! I've always hated Velma. That arrogant girl got everything… even married into the throne. I just wish I could get back at the ones who vanquished my Azmy!"

"You'll have revenge for Azmodan, yet." Mephisto said. "On all parties responsible… including that stupid dog."

Iceland

Demongo's beasts scattered and moved to invade the town, Sector IC rushing to intercept them. A mummy ninja threw shurikens at Loki, who dodged and threw his magic cards in the same manner. The cards would burst into Sectumsempra spells, white slashes that would dice the mummy up. Lucina Stork gnashed her vampire fangs at a blue tiger-like warrior, while reserving Spank Hands for an obese, green monster that looked like a shell-less Ninja Turtle.

Each slain monster would transform into black mist and flow into the gaps on Demongo's torso. The flame-headed demon flapped his cape to block the slashes of Hiyuki King's scythe. Juki Crystal cast a wave of ice, but Demongo poofed and reappeared in the air. The demon threw skulls from his torso and spewed lightning at them. The skulls morphed into a large Goomba, a sharp-toothed Zora with a sword, a four-armed warrior in Egyptian clothes, and many other creatures. "I have collected the souls of many warriors, kidnapped from both the Spirit and Underworlds!" Demongo sneered in his pitched voice. "Their essence returns to me until they are ready to fight again. Soon, you will tire, and I will-"

Behind and beneath him, Ruford Stork seized Demongo in his timebending and tried to will him to Rewind. Hiyuki contributed her own chi, spinning her scythe counterclockwise so Demongo warped back to their level. The albino girl slashed him down the skull armor, and Juki topped his fiery head with a giant snowball. "Ice Cream SPLOSION!" Juki made the ball explode into flurries, Demongo quickly flying from any follow-up attacks.

"You don't seem like a good fighter on your own!" Ruford said, shooting Chrono Beams at some of the warriors while Hiyuki slashed others.

"Bet ya he just likes to make his warriors do all the fighting!" Juki skied after him and willed the snow to rise as a giant hand, reaching for Demongo, who simply poofed to her level and kicked her off the hand.

"And soon, I'll have YOUR souls fight for me, too! Mongogogogogo!"

"Why are you attacking us?!" Ruford demanded. "Do the demons just wanna destroy all the KND and you were assigned to us? Or is there some other reason?"

"I only do as my mastah says! And Mastah says the timebenders must go!"

"So, there IS a reason…"

"And I smell a particularly troublesome timebender around here…"

Ruford gasped. "Mom?!"

…

Several Demongolians made their way to the Stork House, sensing a strong, spiritual presence. Those warriors were easily extinguished by the lady of the house, MaKayla Stork. Tall and thin, the chest of her busty, light-blue top read "MK" in thick, darker-blue letters. She wore tight blue jeans and a purple open cloak, her long hair a pinkish-white. "Perhaps this is a bad time for a trial run." A voice said behind her.

Even for the Keeper of the Great Clock, the device which balanced all time in the universe, it was rare for MaKayla to have such a unique guest in her home. A majestic and ethereal man with fiery-gold, gem-like hair, adorned with gold feathers. His robe was white with a similar fiery color. "Hmm…" MaKayla closed her eyes, holding her Chrono Staff closely. Her eyelids shone blue, and in her vision, she saw Sector V landing to help fight the demons. "Strange… Christina isn't present… I know this demon invasion centers around her… Sector V must be coming here for a reason, not just as backup. And it could be why these demons are invading our town to begin with."

MaKayla faced the guest. "Temvum, I know you said the Daemonis were here to aid Diablo… but there must be more to why they agreed to. Someone's been interfering with the timeline for a while. I can't help wonder if this whole crisis could be connected to that somehow."

Any other person would think she were jumping to conclusions, but Temvum shared her sentiment. He was the High Priest of Time of the Phoenios, the race that oversaw the outside multiverse. Their main duty was stopping their natural enemies, the Daemonis, from interfering with the events of a universe, but whenever an interdimensional crisis took place, they were often around to hear about it. And he feared this universe was headed that way again. "So, what would you like to do? I'm not allowed to help you do anything about these demons."

"I know. I have faith that our kids can prevail, anyway. But… I have an inkling I know where your Daemonis is hiding." MaKayla set her staff aside. "Let's begin the trial now."

"Very well." Temvum raised a scepter of his own, topped with a gold diamond and huge feather, with a tail spiraling down its white shaft. MaKayla grabbed the scepter… and Temvum morphed into a light that flowed into her body. A tremendous flow of chi coursed within her as MaKayla sat cross-legged. Millions of rivers of time spanned beyond her vision… and MaKayla began to skim them for their target.

Future

Christina's slumber spanned for more than half an hour, as Samurai Jack predicted. He himself was only in half sleep, back sat against the wall. He couldn't afford to drop his guard, not for himself nor his new companion. But it seemed Christina was still at peace.

Her dreams were plagued by fire. As soon as she felt the heat on her skin, Christina knew to look up. "You have forsaken those you love… and now, their days as heroes have come to an end."

"W-wait, I didn't forsake them! I was captured and taken away!"

"You undertook this revenge venture without waiting for them. You only brought the Nimbi into the Underworld. If only you knew that would be the last time you see them."

"It won't be! I'm gonna get back to the past and stop those demons! No one will die! The KND won't fall apart! I'll go back home and save the world!"

"It's too late to make such vows! History has already been set in stone. The future has been decided. You just arrived in it a bit early. All because you didn't LISTEN!"

Malladus snatched Christina in his claw, raising her. The demon's claw morphed into a huge, pudgy hand, and Malladus himself became a giant, shadowy version of Laruta. "You ran off on your own AGAIN! You got trapped, just like we knew you would! Why didn't you just stay put and listen to us?!"

"We had to save the stupid kid, right?! And I was obviously the best person for the job! My firebending hurts these demons! I woulda brought them if I knew we'd be on another demon hunt!"

"You should've waited for us, anyway! But you didn't! You don't even care about us! You just think I'm annoying, that I'm only good as a Gas Cannon! You didn't think Mali would be helpful! You didn't let the rest of us try to help! And because you left, Perry's dead!"

"SHUT UP! Y-You all gave up because you didn't have me! So, I really was the best person for the job! I was the only one who could do it! I was the only one strong enough!"

"And you couldn't even beat K. Rool!"

"AAAAAAAHHH!"

Jack shot awake. He sensed a darker presence in the room. "Christina?!" A hand on his hilt, Jack peeked inside-

A smallish being encased in fire blasted forth, Jack barely blocking the charge as he flew backward. Recovering, Jack saw that it was Christina. Her teeth were sharpened, and the fire shaped small horns over her head. Her orange eyes seemed to glow. "Christina…" Jack was a second from drawing his sword, but hesitated. The child shot fire, Jack dodging, but as Christina lunged at him, he left his sword sheathed and swung it to push her back. "It's dangerous to fight in here. If you want me, come and get me!"

Jack jumped out a window and landed on the pavilion, Christina leaping after him like a comet. Seeing the eye budding on her forehead, Jack thrusted two fingers up, past her fist, and tapped her forehead, tanking the fiery punch as a result. Jack rolled backward and used his sheath to slice her fireballs and block her direct attacks, all the while tapping her arms and chest. By the time Christina leapt to deal an overhead kick, Jack was able to grab her ankle without getting too burned. "RAAAAAH!" Christina vehemently threw upside-down punches that Jack blocked with his other hand, her teeth receding to a human shape. "Huff…huff…you… How long was I asleep?!"

"I estimate five hours."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you wake me up?!"

"Because you needed the proper amount of rest."

"WE WASTED TIME! That portal could be gone by now! Put me down, I need to get going!"

"You need to calm yourself."

"How can I be calm?! I need to get back home or my friends won't win! And now I'm being handled by some old stranger! You don't got a clue what I'm going through, now put me DOWN!" Christina pushed with enough force to escape Jack's grip.

"Do I not?! When I landed in this time, I found my home destroyed! I can hear the voices of my family and people in despair, claiming I abandoned them! That I failed them! And I have!"

"That doesn't mean it's too late for me! Now move aside, I have a ship to find!" Chris tried to march around him.

"Christina, I believe you should rest more." Jack grabbed her arm.

"I rested enough! Now, let me go!"

"Not until you calm down and listen!"

"UGH, you sound just like…like them! Tellin' me to calm down, that I shouldn't be angry, not gettin' how I feel! My dad was captured by Diablo, and now he's probably been eaten, and they expect me to be calm?! I don't care if you've already given up, that doesn't mean I have!"

Jack said nothing and merely looked her in the eye. Though she was still tense in his grip, he felt her struggle dwindling. The fury in her eyes slowly dissipated… and tears welled to cool the fire. Christina glanced up at Ralph's house, the top floor growing consumed by the flames she had started. "Ralph…sniff…" She lowered into a squat, Jack softening his hold. "Were you all really that useless without me… Was I really that important…sniff…"

"Christina… we must go somewhere else. We cannot rest here… and the fire may alert our foes."

"No…no, we can't go. Th-this is Ralph's house… it's all that's left of him. W-we can't…"

"The only thing that can save this house now is rain. But we cannot expect-"

"N-no, no…" Chris pulled away from him and approached the house, Jack reaching for her. As she watched the fire steadily consume her friend's home, the structure morphed in her vision… changing into a burning marshmallow…

Christopher Uno put the flaming mallow into his mouth and calmly consumed it. "Whoa, it was still on fire!" his 6-year-old daughter beamed, roasting her own over the fire. "So, if things are on fire, we can eat 'em?!" She tried to eat hers.

"Not without training, you can't." Christopher swiped her stick away. "That was just to show you. It's called Dragon Style. It's an art where you can consume fire directly and even blow it from your lungs. Eating fire will boost your chi until you burn it out. But the fire has to be from other sources; if you eat the fire you put out, it'll only partially restore you. I guess it's like re-eating food you barfed out."

"Ewwwww! Okay, then teach me ta eat fire!"

"It's not time, yet. If you try to and it fails, you'll wind up without a tongue. That's why I like to serve you hot meals, to get you started. We're gonna strengthen your tastebuds a little at a time. Those breathing exercises I teach you are important, too."

"But then when can I do it?"

"When I say you are. I think I was about 11 years old when I was able to do it. But you know, Christina, eating fire isn't something that was taught by Malladus, or even something he properly learned. I'm sure he might've been able to eat fire at some point, but this is supposed to be a peaceful art. It was something the dragons learned and taught. You have to have a calm heart before you try to attempt this."

"And then I can spit fire at people, haha!"

"Ha ha…but it's only after you abandon that desire that you'll be able to actually do it."

"HUH?!?"

"For now, just stick with my training."

Over the years, during their exercises, Chris would surround them with torches. Tina tried to mimic her father, softly breathing in, out… in… out… Christina coughed in the smoke during some attempts, but simply being a firebender prevented any unwanted side effects. The father eased her into it a bit at a time, slowly adapting her lungs to the heat.

Christina remembered always being impatient during those sessions, only following along in the hopes it'd make her bending stronger. She felt that the more action-packed training was more effective. But, as her desire to save Ralph's house rose… her father's advice rang in her head. Not just his… but Jack's and her friends'…

"…" Trusting her self-control, Jack tapped her at different angles. Christina felt her muscles loosen and her chi resume flow. She took breaths, trying to forget her impatience and her fear. Calm down… was it really that simple? Was it really the trick? Was she ready? "I…I will get home… I will save them… I…I…I'll try to put up with Laruta's nagging, and… Silica's smell, and… I don't wanna be alone… without them…"

"Christina!" The child marched into the home at a half-fast pace. She made it up to where the flames were burning. She opened hands forward and called some to her. Thinking about it, she could try to disperse them like this… but she had to try. Chris breathed and calmed herself… and she opened her mouth and bit the flame. "CHRISTINA!" Jack exclaimed.

The fire flowed down her throat. She tensed up from the heat, like swallowing a steak fresh off the grill… but her insides were otherwise okay. Jack was agape as she called the rest of the flames toward her and consumed them. She put aside wanting to get home and focused only on saving this house… she set that as her sole desire and focused on it calmly. "Gulp…gulp…gulp…"

The upper floor was black in ashes, but the flames had died. Jack led her downstairs as Christina gasped for breath. "Bleck…eatin' your own fire… is gross…"

"Christina… that was Dragon Style."

"You know what that is?"

"I trained at a Shaolin temple. They had some benders, and they practiced this art. An art learned from ancient dragons. Where did you learn it?"

"M…my dad. He taught me, but… that was my first time putting it to practice."

"I am impressed. You are a prodigy warrior. But, that aura from moments ago… it did not feel like your own."

"Yep. That was my great granddad. Malladus. …No, great-great granddad? Ugh, I don't care. The thing is, lately, he's been showing up in my sleep. I've been able to talk to him… and I'm trying to take his chi. If I had it, I can be stronger… Strong enough to beat Diablo and…and any villain!"

"So, that was the power of the Demon King. As small a fraction as it was. I cannot say I understand your circumstances… but do you truly need such dark power?"

"It's not dark! It's… I mean, fire is pretty bright, isn't it?"

"When you were using the Demon King's fire just now, you were vengeful, malicious, unreasonable. But as a human, you are stubborn, but willing to learn; rude, but kind; impatient, but calm. And I believe you can go farther with your own power than relying on the king's."

"…Pfft, man, your wise old man talk is SO dated!" Christina broke into a mock smile, boasting loudly. The samurai knew she was masking her flattered feelings. "Xiaolin is right, you're a real kung-fu master. Look, old guy, we gonna get to Iceland or what?"

"Well, you seem wide awake now. I suppose we can go."

"That's more like it!" Christina began her first step with a spry jump! "Watch out, Diablo, I'm changin' his—TAAAAAH!" She smashed through the floor and plummeted.

"CHRISTINA!" Jack quickly jumped after, falling down a dark shaft. He grabbed the child, but landed safely on a pile of ancient pillows.

"Ow…" Chris picked some splinters out. "Man, is this Ralph's basement? Dude needs a better… floor?"

As she lit her hand for light, they discovered a large dome with a mechanical border. There was a two-man plane inside. Curious, Christina studied the device and saw a hand shape on a screen. Christina put her hand to it… and the screen greenlit her. The dome opened and the border lowered… but a TV rose from it.

A blonde man who seemed like an older Ralph appeared. "Hey, Christina! I don't know if you'll ever see this, but… well, I made an airplane for you. Things kinda went to shit after you left, and one by one, we kinda gave up the KND… but I wanted to make this for you. I got some guys to help make this underground chamber, and this protective bubble. Here's hopin' the demons don't find this place, hehe. If you're wondering how I designed the handprint thing, it's from that art project we did in kindergarten. I programmed it to accept whoever had a grown-up version of that texture, so… hopefully, you didn't hurt your hands too much. I don't know what good this'll do you, but maybe it'll help somehow. And if you do… well, good luck, Chris. Glad I could help."

Christina couldn't even make up a good remark. She never expected such a thoughtful gift from Ralph. She didn't think… her friends could help her now, but… "Some friendships can even transcend lifetimes." Jack smiled.

"Heh…hyeah…" Chris smiled weakly, brushing the plane.

"Do you… know how to fly a ship?"

"A plane? Oh yeah, totally. We have dogfight battles sometimes, I kill at them! I mean, Ralph's better, but I'm no stranger. So, let's start this bad boy up!"

"Very well."

Chris took the pilot's seat and Jack the back. As she started the craft up, the wall opened to the outside world. "Hey, a built-in digital map, too. Let's look for Iceland and… there it is! Let's blast off!"

The plane took flight into the dark sky, soaring to the horizon with hope in their hearts.

Aku's Lair

The Shogun of Sorrow glared, his magic TV showing the plane in the distant sky. "Hmmmm…Samurai Jack. I did not expect you to be in this area. And just where are you heading…"

The screen changed to static. A pig's icon faded in, then out, showing a round-headed silhouette with a crown. "Aku… what has become of the Uno girl?"

"It seems she has teamed up with the foolish samurai, Pig King. And I have a feeling where they're headed. I will make sure they remain trapped in this time… if Christina truly is one of the 'Purehearted Ones.'"

"You know yourself that one of the Seven Needles is under Diablo's keep. Diablo's plan is bound to bring Christina there… and when she arrives, she will pull it. That must not happen…spankety…"

"Do not worry… I've already enlisted the help of those multiverse demons, the Daemonis. They await the Axolotl's arrival as well. Even if I must kill Christina and finally grant Diablo's wish… at least her fate will be sealed."

"For your sake… it must be. Or else… I'll never be your friend again! Spankety…spankety…spank!"

"And I guess that's my cue to get to work." A woman spoke. Aku faced a being with purple hair and horns, wearing a black robe with golden rim. "I hope you'll send me back after this. Alternate timelines are too stuffy."

"It shall be done." Aku glared. "IF you destroy the Uno… AND the samurai."

"I was only hired for the girl." The Daemonis smirked. "Don't make me clean up your personal problems."

"We must eliminate both! Let us go, Torrelasell. We will make the Axolites' dreams a reality…"

W-WATCH OUT!

Back to the past! Back to the past, Samurai Jack!