I do not own any of the characters seen here. I saw them first in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 series, which is also the inspiration for perhaps this entire story along with the Usagi Yojimbo comics, and the Christmas story itself.

"Christmas?" Gen asked.

Usagi stared along with his big friend. "What does one do at Christmas? How does one celebrate it?"

The Daimyo continued. "Apparently there will be other guests along with Splinter's family attending, and feasting and games, and there will be an exchange of gifts."

"Gifts!" Usagi's ears stood on end. His eyes widened. He then fell silent in thought for a moment before looking back up at the Daimyo. "Will the guests be expected to bring a gift?"

The Daimyo looked down at him a moment his tone going from joviality to gentle reassurance. "I have been told bringing a gift is allowed, but unnecessary."

Usagi frowned. If bringing a gift was expected at all, he must do it! He would not show up to his friend's home empty-handed to a celebration that involved an exchange of gifts! His friend's generosity in hosting him would not go without notice, thanks, and a token of appreciation from him. But what to give the son and brother of Battle Nexus champions who lived in another world? A sword! A sword would be the perfect gift for Leonardo! But …

Usagi's form deflated, his ears almost going flat atop his head. Swords were expensive. Good ones were. And he could not give Leonardo a gift any less than that, but how to afford it?

The Daimyo's gentle voice came over his head again. "I fear I must go back to my friend with an answer soon, Usagi san."

Usagi had turned to the messenger with an open mouth, when a throat was cleared behind him. "Usagi?"

The Samurai turned toward Gen, who motioned him with his hand to follow him. In curiosity, Usagi turned back to the Damiyo and bowed. "I fear, my friend, Gennesuke, appears to have something important to tell me. Could you possibly excuse us for just a moment while I go and speak to him before delivering my reply to you?"

"Of course, but please do not take too long."

Usagi bowed with a tense smile. "Of course not." As he turned to follow his rhino friend a ways away his thoughts were not so relaxed. Gen, if you are not quick about this …

Thankfully, he was. They stopped only a few yards away and the rhino bowed down at the waist to whisper in his friend's ear the way he had upon telling him about his bet in the Battle Nexus. "Usagi, these friends throwing this celebration … they are the same ones you told me of?"

"Yes."

"The ones who told you they live under a big city between underground rivers which carry away the above populace's … filth."

"Yes …"

"The ones you say admitted to you that at times they've subsisted on … garbage."

Usagi crossed his arms and glared up at his friend. "Yes."

The rhino straightened and continued in a voice between a growl and a whisper while rubbing his chin. "But they 'are' great warriors: all of them."

Usagi was now glaring up at Gen. "Yes, Michelangelo won the Battle Nexus Championship after all, and his father won the last one, and Leonardo 'might' have won it all had he not been poisoned."

Gen seemed to stare into space a moment before looking down at him and whispering. "How mad do you think they will be with me if I refuse their invitation?"

Usagi gave a sad grin before bowing and shaking his head. You will never change Gennesuke. He looked back up at him then. "Since they politely and calmly took my refusal of their offer to return home with them and join their family, and then invited me to stand with them and Michelangelo afterward when he received his trophy, I imagine all will go well if you refuse this invitation. But 'I' intend to accept mine."

Gennesuke nodded with a relaxing of his form Usagi knew meant relief from him. "Ah very good." He slapped him on the shoulder and then bent down to whisper once more in his large ears. "I'll try to have a nice inn room and meal for you when you return along with a tub of hot water."

Then the rhino turned and strode back to the Daimyo. He stopped just a few steps from him and cleared his throat. "Eh-hmmm. Most Honored Daimyo, I fear there is a savage killer on the loose I'm hunting almost alone now, with just my friend Usagi here. And he's, uh, very slippery, might take a long time to, ah, hunt, and then carefully transport back to where he performed his most vicious killing of a most honorable personage whose family and lord should receive justice through his execution. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience commit to attending this most joyous event with these most honored hosts you represent while I still have this job to do. Please send my sincerest apologies to them."

Usagi had to grip very frimly onto his self-control to not roll his eyes at his friend's side. The Daimyo looked to the rabbit next. "And you, my friend?"

"Despite the 'danger' my friend describes himself in, I personally think him very capable of surviving this new quest he is on without me for however long this holiday is likely to last …"

"Splinter and Leonardo say it is to be held in twenty-eight days, and is usually celebrated the night before, when we shall arrive, and into the next day especially the morning. By the evening of the next day we may leave."

Usagi grinned. "Then I think Gen can survive, hunt, and transport without me for just that short span of time." He glanced sideways at his companion. "Don't you, Gen?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. I suppose with one of us to take up and continue the hunt, and there being only one of them, and him likely to be weak from hiding away so long, I can get him myself."

The Daimyo bowed. "I shall then be on my way to take back your answers to our friends. Farewell, warriors, live with honor."

He disappeared in a flash of blue. Usagi and Gen stared at the empty space he had occupied for a moment. Then they went for their horses. The bigger of them spoke. "So, you truly don't think they will be mad about my refusal?"

"Oh Gen, with such important work of justice as you have to do, how could they be anything but honored to have even invited you in the first place?"

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes