Prologue
The days since he had assumed the throne had been peaceful for the citizens of the Empire. The strange foreign woman he had chosen for his wife had adapted well enough, despite the earlier trials. They were indeed in love, and now had two sons to show for it. It was an idyllic time for the man once called "Samurai Jack," and this morning he was quietly drinking his tea, reveling in the beauty of the early light.
"KAI! What have I told you about playing ninja in the hall?!"
The emperor half winced, half smiled. His first-born was indeed a handful. Sophie strode into the open parlor, robes aflutter, an irate expression fixed on her green face. Her fine dark eyebrows were drawn together as she glared at her dearest husband. Kai sullenly trailed after.
"He's your son, you talk to him." Sophie crossed her arms. Kai made sure to look properly abashed before his father.
"He is your son as well, I'm afraid." said the emperor calmly, setting down his cup. He gazed at his wife and son, remembering again the fear their very appearance brought out in his people; they called her "demon girl," for her dark green skin and large, sharply pointed ears marked her as distinctly inhuman. Her long black hair was bound up in a shaggy bun, never seeming to behave when she wanted it to. Kai was more like him, sharing his strong jawline and intense stare. His own sharp ears twitched, listening carefully as he continued to lower his gaze respectfully. "Kai, did you disobey your mother ?"
"Yesfather, Ihumblyapologizeitwillneverhappenagain," mumbled the little Kai. Being the eldest of the emperor's children wasn't easy for him, especially as Kai's younger brother unwittingly proved himself more docile and proper. He resisted the urge to scowl, thinking of how the little goody two-sandles was probably meditating right now.
The emperor took another slow sip, ignoring Sophie's exasperated sigh and Kai's anxious fidgeting. He opened his mouth to admonish his son.
BOOM! CRUNCH!
The ceiling now had a small gaping hole some feet to the left of where the emperor sat, his mouth hanging open in shock. Kai blinked a few times, and one of Sophie's hands flew to her mouth. Below the gaping hole floated a tall, caped figure, the sun at his back obscuring his form.
Sophie blinked once, then her eyes widened in recognition. The caped figure moved out of the glare, revealing a shark-like grin. It directed its next comment to her.
"Hey kid."
She blinked again, hardly daring to believe it was him. "D-Dad?"
"Yeah. Finally found you." He raised one broad green and pink arm towards the hole, and a beam of bright light shot from his fingertips. "Just sending the message to your mom." The emperor stood up, staring as confusedly at this new arrival as Kai did. His eyes questioned Sophie's.
"Jack, this is...my dad!" Her eyes filled with happy tears, she began to explain. Kai merely listened and watched, wondering just what the hell WAS going on. "D'ya remember what I said before, that night...?" He nodded, directing his gaze back to the green man.
The emperor noticed more, now that the light was no longer blinding; this strange man did look a great deal like his wife, with the green skin, impossibly large ears, and distinct fangs. The large turban hid any possibility of hair, and the dark purple gi was loose around bulging musculature. He was indeed a warrior, an old veteran by the way he carried himself, and it would explain a lot about Sophie if he was her father. As he pondered this, a small, child-sized blur zipped down and through the hole, running straight into Sophie with enough force to knock her down. Kai yelped and hid behind a wall hanging. The blur began jabbering in a thick, sobbing alto.
"Oh my baby! We found you! Finally! After all these years and all the searching and all the hard work and..." Sophie was aghast. It was her mother as well! She couldn't help but smile, hugging back in the fierce embrace, smiling back to her father. Her mother abruptly trailed off.
"Damn! You're taller than me too." Sophie laughed.
"Isn't everyone?"
The green man shook his head slowly. "Kalifla, you really need to learn some manners. First time since she was little that she's seen us and you knock her on her ass like an idiot." Kalifla responded by sticking her tongue out at him and letting her arms cut off the circulation to Sophie's neck. Sophie gacked and gingerly removed herself. Kai watched the exchange in awe. Who WERE these people?
The emperor stepped forward. "So you are Sophie's parents. I have heard some things about you. I had never expected to meet you, though."
Kalifla grinned, "We never expected to find her again! But we're so glad we did. I'm Kal, and this is Piccolo. Her father. But you knew that! And who are you? Who's that behind the painting? Do you have a--" Piccolo cut her babbling short.
"Just shut up already." Kal frowned, brushing some shaggy blond hair behind one ear. The emperor cleared his throat softly.
"I am her husband." He turned to the scroll painting, motioning for his son to come out. Kai shyly complied, staring at the strange intruders to his palace. He would've been more annoyed if it weren't for the raw power they exuded. After all, the tall man had yet to actually touch the floor with his feet. "And this is our son, Kai."
There was a long, awkward pause.
Kal broke the silence with an excited squeal that made everyone jump. Piccolo's eyes rolled up in his head, and he fell right into gravity's clutches with a resounding THUMP.
Kalifla's mouth was off and running again. "I'M A GRAMMA! Oh, this is wonderful!" Her smile, if at all possible, was broader than ever. The emperor blinked.
"This...comes as a surprise to you, I would imagine. It has been a long time..." He walked over to the dazed green man, glancing down at him worriedly. "Will he be okay?" Kal turned her manic grin on him.
"Oh, he'll be fine. But ya gotta tell me how this happened! How you met, when this started!"
Sophie sighed, pulling Piccolo into a more comfortable position. He groaned. Kai made is way over, curiously staring with his dark, dark eyes. The emperor looked kindly at his odd new audience, and, seating himself again, prepared for the story to be told. Kalifla sat cross-legged in midair, expectantly. Sophie looked at her husband as she propped up her recovering father. The emperor folded his arms in his wide sleeves, and began his tale.
"Long ago, in a distant land, Aku, the Shape-shifting Master of Darkness unleashed a great evil. But a courageous samurai warrior, wielding a magic sword, stepped forth to oppose him..."
The days since he had assumed the throne had been peaceful for the citizens of the Empire. The strange foreign woman he had chosen for his wife had adapted well enough, despite the earlier trials. They were indeed in love, and now had two sons to show for it. It was an idyllic time for the man once called "Samurai Jack," and this morning he was quietly drinking his tea, reveling in the beauty of the early light.
"KAI! What have I told you about playing ninja in the hall?!"
The emperor half winced, half smiled. His first-born was indeed a handful. Sophie strode into the open parlor, robes aflutter, an irate expression fixed on her green face. Her fine dark eyebrows were drawn together as she glared at her dearest husband. Kai sullenly trailed after.
"He's your son, you talk to him." Sophie crossed her arms. Kai made sure to look properly abashed before his father.
"He is your son as well, I'm afraid." said the emperor calmly, setting down his cup. He gazed at his wife and son, remembering again the fear their very appearance brought out in his people; they called her "demon girl," for her dark green skin and large, sharply pointed ears marked her as distinctly inhuman. Her long black hair was bound up in a shaggy bun, never seeming to behave when she wanted it to. Kai was more like him, sharing his strong jawline and intense stare. His own sharp ears twitched, listening carefully as he continued to lower his gaze respectfully. "Kai, did you disobey your mother ?"
"Yesfather, Ihumblyapologizeitwillneverhappenagain," mumbled the little Kai. Being the eldest of the emperor's children wasn't easy for him, especially as Kai's younger brother unwittingly proved himself more docile and proper. He resisted the urge to scowl, thinking of how the little goody two-sandles was probably meditating right now.
The emperor took another slow sip, ignoring Sophie's exasperated sigh and Kai's anxious fidgeting. He opened his mouth to admonish his son.
BOOM! CRUNCH!
The ceiling now had a small gaping hole some feet to the left of where the emperor sat, his mouth hanging open in shock. Kai blinked a few times, and one of Sophie's hands flew to her mouth. Below the gaping hole floated a tall, caped figure, the sun at his back obscuring his form.
Sophie blinked once, then her eyes widened in recognition. The caped figure moved out of the glare, revealing a shark-like grin. It directed its next comment to her.
"Hey kid."
She blinked again, hardly daring to believe it was him. "D-Dad?"
"Yeah. Finally found you." He raised one broad green and pink arm towards the hole, and a beam of bright light shot from his fingertips. "Just sending the message to your mom." The emperor stood up, staring as confusedly at this new arrival as Kai did. His eyes questioned Sophie's.
"Jack, this is...my dad!" Her eyes filled with happy tears, she began to explain. Kai merely listened and watched, wondering just what the hell WAS going on. "D'ya remember what I said before, that night...?" He nodded, directing his gaze back to the green man.
The emperor noticed more, now that the light was no longer blinding; this strange man did look a great deal like his wife, with the green skin, impossibly large ears, and distinct fangs. The large turban hid any possibility of hair, and the dark purple gi was loose around bulging musculature. He was indeed a warrior, an old veteran by the way he carried himself, and it would explain a lot about Sophie if he was her father. As he pondered this, a small, child-sized blur zipped down and through the hole, running straight into Sophie with enough force to knock her down. Kai yelped and hid behind a wall hanging. The blur began jabbering in a thick, sobbing alto.
"Oh my baby! We found you! Finally! After all these years and all the searching and all the hard work and..." Sophie was aghast. It was her mother as well! She couldn't help but smile, hugging back in the fierce embrace, smiling back to her father. Her mother abruptly trailed off.
"Damn! You're taller than me too." Sophie laughed.
"Isn't everyone?"
The green man shook his head slowly. "Kalifla, you really need to learn some manners. First time since she was little that she's seen us and you knock her on her ass like an idiot." Kalifla responded by sticking her tongue out at him and letting her arms cut off the circulation to Sophie's neck. Sophie gacked and gingerly removed herself. Kai watched the exchange in awe. Who WERE these people?
The emperor stepped forward. "So you are Sophie's parents. I have heard some things about you. I had never expected to meet you, though."
Kalifla grinned, "We never expected to find her again! But we're so glad we did. I'm Kal, and this is Piccolo. Her father. But you knew that! And who are you? Who's that behind the painting? Do you have a--" Piccolo cut her babbling short.
"Just shut up already." Kal frowned, brushing some shaggy blond hair behind one ear. The emperor cleared his throat softly.
"I am her husband." He turned to the scroll painting, motioning for his son to come out. Kai shyly complied, staring at the strange intruders to his palace. He would've been more annoyed if it weren't for the raw power they exuded. After all, the tall man had yet to actually touch the floor with his feet. "And this is our son, Kai."
There was a long, awkward pause.
Kal broke the silence with an excited squeal that made everyone jump. Piccolo's eyes rolled up in his head, and he fell right into gravity's clutches with a resounding THUMP.
Kalifla's mouth was off and running again. "I'M A GRAMMA! Oh, this is wonderful!" Her smile, if at all possible, was broader than ever. The emperor blinked.
"This...comes as a surprise to you, I would imagine. It has been a long time..." He walked over to the dazed green man, glancing down at him worriedly. "Will he be okay?" Kal turned her manic grin on him.
"Oh, he'll be fine. But ya gotta tell me how this happened! How you met, when this started!"
Sophie sighed, pulling Piccolo into a more comfortable position. He groaned. Kai made is way over, curiously staring with his dark, dark eyes. The emperor looked kindly at his odd new audience, and, seating himself again, prepared for the story to be told. Kalifla sat cross-legged in midair, expectantly. Sophie looked at her husband as she propped up her recovering father. The emperor folded his arms in his wide sleeves, and began his tale.
"Long ago, in a distant land, Aku, the Shape-shifting Master of Darkness unleashed a great evil. But a courageous samurai warrior, wielding a magic sword, stepped forth to oppose him..."