Chapter 1: Extended Hand

After days of going after a giant mutant monster on top of some ice cold mountains, Jack could swear, walking into the city, that it had just gotten even colder.

His journey had forced him to return to the enormous urban center, the very place in which he first appeared. Knowing that the city contained many who would be out for his head, Jack quickly hurried in search of a place to eat. Walking through the streets was no easy task. It got very cold, very quickly, and Jack, no matter how much he tried to escape this torment, could not hold his Gi tight enough.

The people walking on the sides of the streets were wearing clothes much warmer than his, and he had to admit that he was a little jealous in that moment. Even his straw hat was on the verge of blowing away. A nearby restaurant soon appeared, so he quickly opened the door in order to escape the biting cold.

The restaurant itself had a nice, quaint appearance. The walls were made of a nice dark wood, and the place just had an overall friendly feel to it. Quietly, Jack approached the counter and saw that a rather short man was working the bar. "What will it be?" The man asked.

Jack took a second to look over the menu. "Um...I will try the miso soup, please."

The man nodded. "Good choice."

While he went to the back, Jack found his mind wandering. The restaurant was virtually empty, aside from a couple of people sitting at a corner table. The inside of the joint was actually really warm, a welcome contrast to the harsh cold of the outdoors. Jack actually found himself smiling due to the sheer atmosphere of just one tiny little place. In fact, he almost started to feel...at home. Okay, so it wasn't exactly like his old home, but it was something.

"Here you go." The man said as he sat the bowl down in front of him.

"Ah, thank you."

Slowly, after blowing away some of the heat, Jack ate a bit of the soup, and instantly fell in love. He hadn't had miso soup in such a long time, that he had almost forgotten what it had tasted like entirely. His memory flashed back to his mother, and how she would always make it for him when he was sick. She would show up in his room with a kind smile and a nice, steaming bowl. Smiling, he savored every last bite of the soup, until he finished the entire bowl.

Jack got up, paid for his meal, and left the restaurant without another word. This time, he was in a much better mood than he was before he had entered. In fact, he managed to notice things about the city that he hadn't before. Lanterns were hanging outside shops, brightening the streets. People seemed incredibly cheerful as they walked along in their warm jackets. "I have never seen the city quite like this before." He uttered to himself.

He started walking up the street, maybe hoping to find a place to stay that didn't involve freezing. He had to admit, however, that the townspeople were really putting him in a good mood, just because of the vibes they were giving off. Whatever had happened to the city, it was...a nice change.

Behind him, he could have sworn that he heard a gasping sound. This suspicion was confirmed when a quiet yell of "Samurai Jack!" came from behind as well.

Once Jack turned around, he was actually surprised to see two very familiar faces. They were a boy and a girl about the same age. The girl had purple hair, the boy was wearing geta sandals, and both were of Japanese decent. Jack remembered these two very clearly. "You are...Kuni, and...Mr. Tengu's son." He was rather surprised to see both of them in the same place.

The boy realized something. "Oh, that's right. I didn't really introduce myself last time. My name is Kanba."

Jack smiled, trying to collect himself. "Um, so what are you two doing out here?"

"She's my cousin. Her and her family are visiting from out of town."

This certainly was news to Jack. To think that two different kids he had met on two different occasions would actually turn out to be cousins. "We came out here to get ingredients for the celebration." Kuni added.

Something clicked in Jack's head. "Wait, celebration?"

Kanba nodded. "Yeah, every year during winter, the whole town likes to celebrate by decorating their homes and making big meals for the entire family to eat, and not to mention, presents."

Jack took a second to take it all in. "And...Aku is okay with this?"

Kuni shrugged. "He never seems to mind. Our celebrations usually go uninterrupted."

Kanba added, "Yeah. This year, we're going to be inviting a lot of our family and friends." It was then that Kanba had an idea. "Jack! Why don't you come celebrate with us!"

The samurai was taken aback by this. "I-I do no-"

"He's right!" Kuni remarked, "You should join us!"

Jack tried his best to decline. "N-No, really, it is your celebration. I would not want to impose."

"You won't be!" Kanba jumped up. "It'll be great. There'll be a tone of food! And I know my parents would like to have you back! Please!?"

Kuni nodded. "Yeah, would you please join us for dinner?"

In the end, Jack knew he wouldn't be able to tell them no. "Alright, I will join your feast."

As expected, the kids cheered in happiness. "Thank you so much, Jack! Now we've gotta go and finish the shopping, but just come by the repair shop tomorrow, okay?"

At this, Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright. Be safe on your way home."

"We will!"

As the two of them ran off into the distance, Jack's smile faded. He felt a sort of dread in his stomach. There was still a sort of doubt that clouded his mind. "What if Aku finds out?"

Jack knew that the demon could be watching him at any minute. He could have even been watching him in that moment. There was no way to know for sure, but Jack couldn't bring himself to break his promise, especially not to those kids. Sighing, he moved along, still looking for somewhere to sleep for the night.

Throughout the show, Jack has reacted to a lot of things. And with Christmas coming up, I asked myself, "How would Jack react to Christmas?" And thus, the idea for this story was born. This will basically be a short seven-chapter story, but I hope to do my best with it. This is also my first Samurai Jack story, so hope you enjoy.