Disclaimer: I do not own inuyasha.
and no sac religion intended. enjoy n.n
Jaken let out a long sigh, and cast a glance over at his currently sleeping lord
Jaken let out a long sigh, and cast a glance over at his currently sleeping lord. The sun was bright in the sky. And Sesshoumaru was going to be late for his own coronation ceremony. His father was going to be ticked.
"Then again" thought Jaken crossing his little arms and narrowing his eyes, "His father knew for the longest time, Sesshoumaru didn't want to be the lord of the Western lands. Humph, that's what he gets for daring trying to force Sesshoumaru, He out of all people should know better."
Jaken let out a long and slightly evil laugh. Thousands of people milling around, and the sweat that would pour from Sesshoumaru's father's face, as his face twisted in anger. Jaken shuddered. Sesshoumaru was most certainly the strongest demon around, but he wasn't quite ready to take on his father.
Jaken stood up, and poked him with his staff. And just like all the times Sesshoumaru didn't stir. Jaken gulped, it was now time to do the dangerous.
He leaned over, and his beak was nearly touching his lord's ear. He squawked. Sesshoumaru's eyes opened. A hand collided with Jaken's stomach. Jaken landed yards away form his lord.
"owwww" moaned Jaken
"Tch" Sesshoumaru had a hand over his ear, he glared at Jaken. He put his kimono on that had before been lying as a blanket across his body.
Jaken stood up, he had been expecting that.
"What do you intend to do my lord?" asked Jaken, "How are you planning on running away, because if you go back now Sesshoumaru-sama, your father will kill you!"
"OOF" shouted Jaken, he tumbled to the cave ground once again. Jaken picked the rock up that had hit him.
"What was that for?" asked Jaken.
"I Sesshoumaru am not running away, worm" sneered Sesshoumaru. "I simply will not allow myself to be chained to the pathetic"
"Well spoken m'lord!" Jaken said standing up, "But next time you throw a rock at me you should warn me! Your throws are so strong and sure, which is to be expected of a youki of your caliber, it really hurts! Or maybe perhaps you should soften you throws up a bit"
Jaken shuddered at the glare Sesshoumaru cast at him, "Or, not! I love being hit by rocks! And I'm honored that you would throw them at me!-So what are you planning on doing?"
Sesshoumaru frowned, deep in thought he brushed back his hair with his fingers, examining it before he put it behind his ear.
"We will leave this cave" Sesshoumaru said, he slipped his black boots on. "Come Jaken"
"What an excellent idea!" Jaken collected his staff, and followed Sesshoumaru out of the cave. "But now that we have left the cave, what do you intend on doing?"
Jaken sighed, when Sesshoumaru didn't answer. But that didn't make Jaken regret choosing his voluntary service for his lord. Nothing, no matter how much abuse or neglect he would face would ever make him regret his choice.
He had first seen his lord, years ago. He was the lead gardener for the evil Ryuukossei. Jaken admitted he didn't do a very good job at gardening before he saw Sesshoumaru, but that wasn't the point. Jaken remembered watching Sesshoumaru and his Father walk in at the gates.
Sesshoumaru's father quickly walked inside the castle, to handle whatever little problem, Ryuukossei and he were having, and he must have planned on it getting ugly, because he made Sesshoumaru wait outside.
Jaken remembered barely being able to move. Never in his life had he seen such pure and perfect beauty! Ryuukossei's lands were dark and grim and ugly. Sesshoumaru stood out like a glorious thumb! The only thing that moved was Sesshoumaru's lovely hair, in that whole hour. Yet, for Jaken, time seemed to flow quickly. Jaken felt his heart break, when Sesshoumaru's father came and grabbed Sesshoumaru by the arm, and lead him away.
Jaken never thought in his life he would see him again, surely an imp such as himself, would never get that lucky to see such beauty again.
However seeing Sesshoumaru must have been a curse as well. Because Jaken realized he could no longer be satisfied with such dismal surroundings. At first he just started writing poems in Ryuukossei's Zen garden. And every now and then he could hear Ryuukossei shout out
"Who's writing creepy poems in my Zen garden?"
But alas it wasn't enough. Jaken soon began ordering exotic trees, and flowers, even if it meant sacrificing his own pay. With the image of Sesshoumaru in his mind, he would arrange the flowering trees, to look like Sesshoumaru if you flew over head at the right time of year.
And the flowers he carefully arranged. Soon before Jaken knew it, the gardens he was in charge of were more beautiful then any other garden in the world. Even to the point Ryuukossei started to brag about his gardens. But it wasn't enough. The beauty of his gardens didn't even compare to that of Sesshoumaru.
Then on a slightly cold and chilly day, with the fine flowers turning brown, Jaken was stunned to see the cause of his great inspiration, Sesshoumaru.
Jaken all along had been thinking, if he ever got the chance to see Sesshoumaru again, what he would say to him. He had thought of thousands of quick and witty things that would surely impress him, but on seeing him again… the things rushed out of his head, like water through cupped hands.
Jaken watched him again, he watched his eyes wondered over the decaying plants and he blurted out,
"If you've come to see the beauty of my gardens, then perhaps to your viewing pleasure you should come in the spring, I'll be more than willingly to give you a tour!"
Sesshoumaru glanced at Jaken, in between a smirk and a smile he replied "I see" and turned and left.
The second Sesshoumaru disappeared from view, Jaken started hyperventilating. He could hardly breathe. He was going to come back in the spring!? He knew he didn't have much time. He could no longer afford to buy plants anymore. He would have to talk to Ryuukossei himself!
Jaken gulped, he started up the long stairway, to Ryuukossei's office. He paused to catch his breathe. He gulped once more, and looked at the end of the stare way in a hard resolve; he would do anything for Sesshoumaru!
Jaken was so fixed in his mission that he didn't see the snake youki until he bumped into him.
"Hey watch where you going! You fool!" shouted Jaken stepping back. The snake youki looked at him and shrugged his nonexistent shoulders,
"Ryuukossei wants to see you"
Jaken gasped! Why did Ryuukossei want him? Him out of all people? Maybe, just maybe Ryuukossei had found out he was the one writing poems in his Zen garden! What if Ryuukossei wanted to kill him? How could his soul ever rest if he didn't get to create a beautiful garden for Sesshoumaru?
"Why does he want me? Am I in trouble?"
The snake youki shrugged and slithered down the stairs.
'Maybe he could beg Ryuukossei, to spare him, so he could create the gardens for Sesshoumaru.' Jaken sighed 'their was simply no way Ryuukossei would spare him just so he could create a garden for his least favorite person's son. But maybe if he just saw Sesshoumaru he would understand? But Ryuukossei was no great lover of beauty.'
Shaking Jaken knocked on the door. From inside, he heard the deep voice of Ryuukossei, "Enter"
When Jaken entered the room, he smiled at him, "Just the person I wanted to see, you are the head gardener are you not?"
"Uh, I am!" said Jaken.
Ryuukossei chuckled cruelly. "I've noticed the abrupt change in the gardens this year" he said "and so has that disgusting dog. For the first time the beauty of my grounds completely annihilated his. Ryuukossei smiled, "of course it's all thinks to me, after all I was the one who paid for it."
Jaken wisely kept his mouth shut, he didn't dare disagree with him.
"And so, that loser dog has hired more professionals, to beat me this upcoming year. So imp can you make sure my gardens once again prevail over his? Or should I hire someone else?"
"Um I can do it myself, lord" Jaken said, for some reason he was unable to bow, bowing down to someone such as him would be wrong when his heart belonged to Sesshoumaru "but I'll need much more money! Without it I can't afford to buy any more plants at all!"
"So be it" he said "I'll increase the ground funds 10, that should be enough"
"WHAT!?" exclaimed Jaken just 10, 10 wasn't at all what he needed. How could he express his heart with just a 10 increase "I'll need at least 100! How on earth can I create any wondrous garden with just a 10 increase? It would be impossible!"
Ryuukossei looked stunned, at Jaken's rude outburst, not to mention a bit ticked, he thought about killing him, but "If you can make me a garden that will crush that dog's then I will give you more than a 100 increase, in fact I'll let you have as much money as you want, your funds will be unlimited. However if my gardens are less then his, you will die"
"That's perfect!" Jaken blurted out, with unlimited funds, he would be able to express ever little desire in his heart, he would be able to create the best garden for Sesshoumaru.
Under Jaken's direction, that winter the entire of Ryuukossei's landscape changed. And thousands of orders for all types of flowers, trees, bushes, vines, and fish were placed. Jaken ordered lakes, pools and ponds, to be filled, and fountains, patios, and benches to be built.
Later on in the year, thousands upon thousands of plants were added to the landscape. Poetry was painted on perfectly cut rocks, all of which created by Jaken.
Youki and human alike came from miles around to see the landscape. Yet still no Sesshoumaru. Youki and humans alike still kept coming, and coming, and coming, to the point of which the entire beauty of the garden was threatened. And Ryuukossei, after spending all that money was not going to allow a bunch of villagers ruin it for him.
And so the gates were shut. And Jaken felt as if his very heart would break.
For how could Sesshoumaru see his gardens, he built for him, if he wasn't allowed inside?
But one day, while Ryuukossei was admiring the trees, not that he really about the beauty of the trees, he was just overly thrilled that they looked better then his rivals trees.
When from outside of the gate, Jaken could hear the guards telling some poor visitor to go away,
"Leave, visitors are no longer allowed in the gardens'
"This Sesshoumaru has no intention of leaving, step aside"
Jaken's heart nearly burst with joy.
"Now isn't Sesshoumaru that idiot dog's son?" Ryuukossei smirked, and called out to the guards "Now let him in, he has obvious come to see how my gardens are much superior in all ways compared to his father's"
The gates opened, and Jaken gasped, Sesshoumaru entered casually with such naturally grace, that made Ryuukossei seem to walk like a drunken and dying pig.
"So have you come for a tour of the gardens?" Ryuukossei asked.
"I have" yet Sesshoumaru's eyes were looking at Jaken.
Jaken's eyes filled up with tears! He couldn't believe it, Sesshoumaru would rather have a tour from a lonely servant like him, then the mighty lord Ryuukossei.
"Oh it will be such an honor to lead you on this tour, Sesshoumaru-sama" Jaken was on his knees bowing, and he peeked on a bit nervous "if I may call you that?"
Sesshoumaru smiled "I don't have all day, hurry up"
"Of course" Jaken jumped up, "ah this way!"
Ryuukossei followed behind, as he watched the little imp give Sesshoumaru a tour. It was easily the oddest thing he had seen in his life. Sesshoumaru, whom he had heard from rumors hardly talked, and when he did it was nothing good.
But,
Jaken would point out a certain flower or gracefully shape tree, and Sesshoumaru would approve of it, and Jaken would beam and they would do it over and over again.
Ryuukossei, as the sun started going down, felt as if he had wasted his whole day, and Sesshoumaru still hadn't seen the whole garden.
"Hmm" Sesshoumaru slightly tilted his head and looked at the setting sun, "I must leave, now"
"Wait, please don't leave, not yet! I have to show you the bridge That crosses over the pond, with the red of the setting sun and the white lilies reminds me of you."
"What?" said Ryuukossei, "What do you mean reminds that pond reminds you of that idiot dog's son"
Jaken trembled he had never seen Ryuukossei look so angry before.
"Don't tell me" said Sesshoumaru in a clear easy manner, "you didn't realize this whole garden was decanted to me."
Jaken had no idea how Sesshoumaru knew considering he didn't tell him, yet. But then again with all the white and red flowers, and the poems featuring him, well maybe it was a bit obvious. And there was no way Ryuukossei was going to be overly thrilled about spending all that money, for Sesshoumaru.
"Imp!" the very ground shook at his words, "Is that true, you didn't make this garden as some shrine to him! " Ryuukossei pointed a scaled finger at Sesshoumaru.
'How dare he just point a finger at Sesshoumaru, in that manner!' thought Jaken, 'and Sesshoumaru doesn't like it either!'
"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama was my inspiration for this garden, when he stepped in the grounds over a year ago, everything was dark and dreary! It was so depressing, and then Sesshoumaru-sama came, and never have I seen anyone like him! His own beauty still surpasses the garden still. If I didn't express the deepest desires of my heart, I would die a horrible death! And will you stop pointing your finger at him!" Jaken said and was very surprised to see that Ryuukossei wasn't angry anymore, instead he looked creped out.
"I suggest Sesshoumaru; you leave unless you want to witness the death of this disgusting imp."
Jaken shuddered, and fell to the floor.
"You're ridiculous" Sesshoumaru said.
Jaken didn't know who he was talking to, was it him or Ryuukossei? Or was he calling both of them ridiculous?' Jaken didn't think he was being ridiculous, he was about to die, what else was he suppose to do but fall to the ground?'
"Oh am I?" said Ryuukossei barely moving his lips, "what else am I suppose to do when one of my servants no matter how lowly betrays me?"
Jaken shuddered again 'He was being killed for being a traitor?'
"You claim he betrayed you?" Sesshoumaru smirked, "How ridiculous"
Sesshoumaru turned around and began to walk away. Jaken say Ryuukossei's eyes glow bright brilliant red. He clicked his claws. His knees bent. His eyes narrowed on Sesshoumaru's exposed back
"NOOOO!!" Jaken shouted out, as he jumped. He grabbed Ryuukossei's arm. He didn't stop his arm from moving. It slowed him down just enough to stop Sesshoumaru from receiving a deadly wound.
Ryuukossei's claws scraped Sesshoumaru's back, and he whipped around. Sesshoumaru's claws turned bright green. Ryuukossei took a step back.
"Do you wish to challenge me dog?"
"I have no wish to fight a fool" said Sesshoumaru.
"You're the fool" Ryuukossei once again struck out at Sesshoumaru. But Jaken's small extra weight slowed him done again.
Ryuukossei's throat was slashed. A small line of blood, quickly healed. "Do you really think you could hurt me?" He grabbed Jaken off of his arm.
"WAAHHHH" screamed Jaken. He felt strong hands catch him. Jaken stopped breathing it couldn't be possible! Sesshoumaru was holding him! If he wasn't going to die, this would be the best day of his life!!
"So, Ryuukossei, you no longer want this imp huh?" Sesshoumaru held Jaken out stretched still.
"Why would I want that creepy imp?" asked Ryuukossei.
"Then you no longer want him as your servant?" Sesshoumaru slightly raised one eyebrow.
"No. I. Don't." said Ryukossei, cracking his knuckles.
"Hmmm" said Sesshoumaru, once again he looked at the sun, he then looked at Ryuukossei, "Be thankful I must go now"
Jaken felt himself being pulled closer to Sesshoumaru's body. Jaken gasped he was touching Sesshoumaru's chest!! This was too much! He was being held by Sesshoumaru and touching his chest. Being killed or not this was easily the best day of his life!
Jaken could barely feel as Sesshoumaru gently landed on the grassy bank. However he did feel it greatly when Sesshoumaru dropped him.
"OW!" Jaken flipped over, and stood up. There was no more Ryuukossei or the lovely garden he made.
"Um where am I?" Jaken looked around, but all he saw was Sesshoumaru slowly heading a way.
"Wait! Please don't leave me Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken ran after Sesshoumaru.
"What do you want, imp?" asked Sesshoumaru.
"Ah I dunno" admitted Jaken slightly embarrassed. He looked at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru looked back at him, looking slightly bored.
"Is that so." Said Sesshoumaru.
"Well," said Jaken scratching his round head "I know I don't desire anything from you at all, and it may be wrong to ask you, not to mention someone as wonderful as you properly has many servants already, but please allow me to be your servant!" Jaken bowed down low "It would be the highest honor if you would let me serve you, to be able to call you 'my Lord' would mean more to me than anything, in the world!"
"Do as you wish" said Sesshoumaru walking away again.
"You mean I can be your servant?" Jaken hopped up, and followed Sesshoumaru.
"Yes, you can"
Jaken gasped in amazement, he looked up at his lord and he couldn't believe it! How on earth did he get this lucky?
Jaken smiled as he remembered the early days of serving his Lord, getting to know him better only made him like him more. If he thought highly of Sesshoumaru before it was nothing to compare to how he thought of him now. He quickly learned that Sesshoumaru's beauty was hardly the part of Sesshoumaru that made him great. Even if he looked exactly like him, Jaken,' Jaken gagged at the thought of a Sesshoumaru Jaken 'he would still be great!'
Jaken followed behind Sesshoumaru, he wanted to ask him where he was headed. But there was no point. Sesshoumaru wouldn't answer anyway. And their was no point of getting hit by a rock or stepped on for nothing. He did know where Sesshoumaru wasn't going. And that was to the Western lands to be coroneted.
Sometimes Jaken couldn't but help that think, that somehow someway Sesshoumaru had simply created himself. For how could someone as crude, loud, big, and oh so un-Sesshoumaru-like possibly have anything to with the glorious and great being in which he traveled? And so the mysterious of the world continue on…
"Jaken"
"Yes M'lord?" Jaken perked up and looked at his lord, who, sadly, wasn't looking at him.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Huh?" the question caught Jaken off guard, could he tell Sesshoumaru that he had been thinking about him creating himself? No that would be so embarrassing!
"Uh nothing m'lord" said Jaken waving his arms a bit, and swaying side to side. "Uh what are you thinking about?"
Sesshoumaru didn't answer but Jaken had a feeling he was thinking about his father's reaction to his refusal to the throne, and what he was going to do now. It was odd but sometimes Jaken felt as if he was close to Sesshoumaru at times, as if knowing in entirely what was going on in his head was only a step away, yet other times it felt as if he would have to travel miles upon miles to even begin to phantom what Sesshoumaru was thinking.
And sometimes every now and then, like just now, Jaken had a feeling Sesshoumaru felt the same way.
Sesshoumaru stopped, and slightly cocked his head. Jaken seeing his lord, stopped as well and listened intently.
It sounded as if a large group of people were congregating together, and….Jaken strained his ears more, he could hear broken words.
"Come…be….in the….and save your Very Soul from….Be Saved!'
"What on earth is going on?" asked Jaken.
Sesshoumaru didn't answer but continued to walk in a slow analogizing walk toward the noise.
"Enter in to the straight and narrow gate! Ye wicked people, save your souls from the grasps of hell that well utterly destroy your soul''
The man got louder as they plotted along through the forest. "Sesshoumaru-sama, it seems to me as if they're gathering by the river.'
The forest they were going through lightened up, and through the trees Jaken could see a rather large group of about 30 people standing around, and a man reading from a big black book. He was a big old man, and had a very commanding voice.
"Enter into the waters! Be saved!"
Jaken looked down at the river, and sure enough a man like the man preaching was standing in the water beckoning people to come to him.
One a young girl, fully dressed ran into the water. He took her by the hand. At first Jaken for a breath second thought he was trying to drown her. But he lifted her back up. She was smiling as she came out of the water. She ran and hugged her other wet companions.
"Uh, Sesshoumaru do you know what's going on?" asked Jaken looking at his lord.
"If ye be not saved, ye will burn eternally in the fiery pits of hell! There are no exceptions. Your soul will burn everlasting! Save your soul and be baptized!"
Sesshoumaru emerged out of the forest, sighing Jaken followed along.
The man preaching looked at Sesshoumaru, "Have you come to be saved?"
"UH!" shouted Jaken, the nerve of that man! " Sesshoumaru-sama, doesn't need to be saved!"
"Everyone needs to be saved" the man, even though Sesshoumaru was standing within a foot of him, he still did not lower or change his voice in anyway. "If ye do not, your soul will burn for all eternity"
"How would you know that I would need to be saved" said Sesshoumaru, his eyes slightly narrowing.
Jaken let out a cruel little giggle, this foolish idiot was only moment away from death!
"Have ye never sinned?" the man said looking with out fear or tremble back into Sesshoumaru's eyes.
"Tch" Sesshoumaru turned his back and began to walk away.
"We have all sinned, no one is perfect nor required to be, which is why ye must enter into the waters of salvation." This time, yet only slightly did the man lower his voice, "The sin of jealously, disobedience, lust, envy, strife, and hate, can all be washed away under the waters of baptism. If not your soul will be harrowed and shrunken in the furies of the deepest pits of hell."
"Are you saying the feelings of those things will disappear?" Sesshoumaru stopped and looked at the man.
"No, only the sin itself" he said.
Sesshoumaru 'tch' once more, and Jaken followed him back to the woods were they entered. Jaken was slightly disappointed; he had hoped to see Sesshoumaru utterly annihilate that fool.
"Why take the gamble? Think of the frustration of how ye will feel, when ye are eternally burning, of knowing you could have been saved. When ye see the enemy's who have passed wronged you enjoying the brightness and glory of heaven and mocking you for your misery. They will hold cups of crisp cold water, water you in your state of burning will never be able to touch! And they will laugh at you!'
Sesshoumaru stopped. Jaken stopped walking as well.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, what if some of the people you killed, what if they had been saved?' Said Jaken, he could see it. And somehow he knew Sesshoumaru could see it too.
Thousands of people laughing and jeering at him, 'hahaha' one would say, as he drunk clear cool fresh water, 'you may have killed me, but who's got the last laugh now? hahaha'
The thought made Jaken shudder, "you don't think-eh what are you doing Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru's armor was now untied, and it hit the ground with a soft sound of metal hitting metal. He carefully took off his beautiful outer kimono, and slipped his shoes off.
"Jaken watch my things"
"What!!" Jaken dropped his hat after on top of Sesshoumaru's things and took his outer kimono off, like heck he was going to watch Sesshoumaru things while he went off to be saved! Jaken didn't want to be either!
Jaken ran after his lord, "wait for me m'lord!"
"You're suppose to be watching my things, Jaken" said Sesshoumaru.
"With that guy preaching about burning souls, I don't think anyone will steal it"
"If it is stolen you will die" Said Sesshoumaru, he paused before he put his foot in the water, for two seconds he looked unsure. But the beckoning man, waved him on.
"Step into the waters of baptism and be saved, such a chance as this could never happen again!"
Sesshoumaru hesitated, and Jaken could take it no longer.
"Save me!" he shouted swimming toward the guy, "I don't want to burn in hell." Jaken knew Sesshoumaru was going to be angry as this guy was confused, but he grabbed his waist and hand, and baptized him anyway. Jaken felt himself being completely submerged underwater. He came back up gasping for air.
"Have I been saved?" Jaken asked breathing heavily still.
"You're saved" said the man, carefully letting go of him.
To Jaken's surprise Sesshoumaru, looking annoyed was already there, standing waist deep in the brown water.
"Hurry and watch my things Jaken before I kill you" said Sesshoumaru moving to the man. Who was looking very confused and nervous. He hesitantly grabbed Sesshoumaru's wrist. The man held his hand in the air for a second before putting his hand behind Sesshoumaru's back. Jaken watched his beautiful master dunked under the water. Unless Jaken was imaging things, it seemed as if the man was holding Sesshoumaru a lot longer than had anyone else.
Yet finally Sesshoumaru was lifted up. He walked back to the bank, where Jaken stood there waiting for him.
"Congratulations, my lord you've been saved!" said Jaken walking behind Sesshoumaru.
"Be quiet Jaken"
They made it to the edge of the forest and in the background, the man was still preaching and others were getting baptized.
Sesshoumaru picked up his shoes, sword, shirt and armor. He smirked, "It seems now, I am unable to go to that coronation ceremony huh. "
"Well at least you won't go to hell for not going" said Jaken, folding his arms.
"And now that you have been saved, you must constantly strive to redo your wrongs, to correct your mistakes and to live with love and compassion for all mankind, and then only then will you have truly been saved. '
Sesshoumaru had a slightly annoyed look on his face, "It's not worth it"
"Maybe" thought Jaken "I just might see that guy fry after all…."
n.n n.n n.n
A brief history lesson:
And yes Christians were in Japan during this time, it wasn't until later were they booted out of Japan (because they caused too much strife among the Japanese people)