Please note:
I do not in any way own Inuyasha or any of the wonderful characters created in that delightful Anime. They are all the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am merely expressing my imagination on her wonderful tale. There are a few characters I have created that do not belong in InuYasha- they are mine, as is the imagination and story line I have superimposed.
Please do not make this a legal issue.
Note:
Well- I must allow that the last chapter was indeed shorter- and the reason was because it should have ideally been uploaded with this chapter when updated. However- I had to tinker with this a bit more, and had felt it appropriate to upload at least one of the chapters- since it had been a few weeks since any update had been posted.
Thanks to all of you who reviewed, I'll be getting back to you all individually soon- I am quite behind on that part, so forgive me.
I will be revising this story for a while after this update today. Seems it was nominated for the IYFFG award- and well- to be honest, it's about time I got around to correcting the spelling issues and stuff that I've been sitting on for a while.
Bear with me- because that means I am going to direct my energy that way till I completely revamp and spell check / grammer correct as much as possible. ( I am in no way strong in that area)- but alas, it really needs to be done before proceeding.
Jaken's appearance takes us into part three of this story- in which Kagome enters Sesshoumaru's world- and in which InuYasha learns what life is like without her. Occasionally I figure over the next month, when I am bored with the corrections bit, you will get updates.
Please do mail me if you note any spelling / grammer problems as I revamp this story… of if you would be interested in helping out. I could use some help.
Thanks.
Sesshaddict
Chapter 35: The Return of Jaken
Sesshoumaru's narrowed golden gaze followed the wind demoness through her ascent up above the forest's canopy. Once he felt her presence completely recede, indicating her departure, he turned a contemplative gaze upon the now wide eyed, dilate pupiled, tears streaming down face , incoherently wailing - Jaken.
This was completely unexpected.
Of course he had not forgotten in any way either his faithful servant nor Rin- but this had hardly been the time to reunite. It appeared that decision had been taken out of his hands.
Jaken's return was simultaneously a boon and a bane.
The toad was faithful to a fault, and also an extremely difficult being for a human to manage. Rin was different….she was a child. Kagome- with the complications of mating with him, would be viewed as an imminent threat by Jaken.
Sesshoumaru may torment his green faced servant- but in no way did he wish to lose him. Jaken had proven loyalty- an entity Sesshomaru knew was invaluable.
His mind turned this recent event in his mind as he contemplated the problems. As he did so, one thing stood out clearly : - Jaken was Kami's test.
For if Kagome could not manage to overcome the challenges of handling Jaken………a loyal and fiercely possessive friend, it did not reflect well how she would handle a court full of powerful Youkai lords in the Western Lands who were far less loyal and in no way friendly.
And that was the crux of his problem.
He had found something infinitely precious- something he wanted to keep forever if Kami allowed, only to find that his situation and Kagome's ability to handle it stood like an ocean between them.
He could not interfere in the challenges Kagome would face with Jaken.
Would she over come the first hurdle? - She had to succeed. Failure was not an option for either of them if there was to be any sort of future ahead.
Golden eyes stared at her hand for a moment- before forcefully hardening his heart out of sheer will and determination – he would not interfere in Jaken's interaction with Kagome. She would succeed. She would. He could not think of this in any other way……… and if he had no faith in her now- then there was no point.
With those thoughts upon his mind- Sesshoumaru prepared himself for what he knew would be a difficult few weeks ahead.
000
Jaken's eyes continued to water- vision blurring from both the tears that streamed down his face, his pupils enormously dilated as he wept. He could make out the hazy outline of his master- and was overwhelmed with the simultaneous emotions of happiness to see him once more and the immense sense of failure that he had not returned to his side as promised.
And Rin……… what had happened to the child?
Sesshoumaru Sama would behead him himself if a hair upon the child's head was harmed. Biting back a pathetic whimper- Jaken threw himself into entertaining the emotions that coursed through him.
It took a moment- but as he worked himself up into a full fledged moaned whimper- pathetic in it's very cadences- he was cut short of enacting it out to the fullest extent.
Cut short because belatedly, his senses finally picked up that there was someone else with his master.
Someone else? – Alive? – and with Sesshoumaru Sama?
Comically, his eyes blinked back to normal within a millisecond.
The tears dried instantaneously- as if they had never been.
Sharply, his gaze zoomed into focus first upon his beloved master- and as he did so- instantly found focus upon the distinctly human hand and presence behind him.
The world stood still for Jaken a whole second before it began to shake and crumble.
"Kami tell me it cannot be!" He thought to himself- his bulging yellow eyes slicing to arrest upon Kagome's face. "Kami- tell me this is not……" …..he formulated in his mind…………"Kami!" his mind sputtered to assimilate what it was seeing. Finally the shock gave way to one thought- " Kami!- …. This. Cannot. Be. InuYasha's. Priestess?"
His mind froze on that thought- for an instant he thought perhaps the wind demoness had cast a spell upon his vision and perception. It was then his mind fully oriented to take in that a human hand rested upon his master's upper arm.
Fury came swiftly. This! This is what had happened!
Dear god.
It was beyond comprehension.
What he was seeing crashed into reality and time restarted- as his mind assimilated what he was seeing- and what it could mean. – It was then that he realized with his youkai sense that she had been mated.- by….Oh dear.
Sesshoumaru -sama would lose everything if it came to this.
This is why he should have never left……. The human would be his lord's very down fall- just as Izayoi had been for his father ages ago.
No.
Never.
Not on his watch.
He was going to save Sesshoumaru samma from himself- even if it killed him to do so. This girl did not belong here- regardless of anything! Jaken vowed to himself – in the mere moments it took for his mind to assimilate the implications of what he was seeing.
One thing was for certain.
The girl would have to go.
000
Kagome took a moment after Kagura's departure to feel relief. She was glad she was gone. It was only then that it struck her that Kagura had left behind Jaken.
The toad.
The toad that followed Sesshoumaru.
The toad that was one of the most idiotic, unbearable, stupid creatures Kagome had ever met.
The toad that if anything hated everything and every one except Sesshoumaru.
Great.
Phenomenal.
Had she done it on purpose?- was it possible that Kagura had enough insight to do such a thing to merely spite her?
Oh god!- Kagome groaned to herself. She was losing it. She had never been so paranoid and possessive. She would have to work to rid herself of this self destructive worry. She could not go through life tinting everything with suspicion. IT would destroy the very being she was.
Ok then, she thought. Kagura returned Jaken because …………….. well, she likes Sesshoumaru-
There.
Much better.
Let's not think too much on that thought either – she decided.
I am seriously going to become a nut case if this lasts much longer.
Loving Sesshoumaru was like smoking cigs. It was going to kill her- one way or another.
In the few seconds it took to contemplate these thoughts- she realized the toad had stopped sniveling, and had stiffened- an expression of comic horror upon his face, as his eyes eerily zoomed in at her.
She suddenly wondered why he seemed so astute by his gaze – a thing she had never noted before.
An instant later there was blatant dislike fill his gaze, as he contemplated her- hardening in resolve as he focused upon her hand.
Her hand upon Sesshoumaru.
It finally occurred to Kagome that the action of placing her hand upon Sesshoumaru had caused more contemplative unfriendly gazes this whole day that ever before.
Belatedly she realized perhaps it had not been so wise to show externally to others their relationship by such a telling physical contact.
Belatedly Kagome began to dully perceive that had she been wiser- she would have kept her body language unreadable to both Kagura and Jaken. It would have likely saved her the dislike, and Sesshoumaru the discomfort as well. Though he had not commented on it at all.
Kagome suddenly wished she was not old enough to have realized such insight. But she was very much afraid this was the beginning of many such grown up realizations to come.
Her hand gently fell from its grasp upon his upper arm. She stood forward at his side- and viewed Jaken.
The toad demon's hardly hidden dislike shimmered in his gaze and across the air between them.
Sesshoumaru was yet to move. "Jaken" he merely stated.
It was then that Kagome saw the bindings. Magic bindings that by each second seemed to tighten. They were literally slicing the wrists of this wretched creature.
Hate him she may. But she barely knew him well enough to ignore that he may lose his very hands- and to be honest, he had never harmed anyone greatly...
"His hands……" she hesitantly started. Sesshoumaru looked at her- his golden eyes suddenly unreadable. " Those bindings will dismember his hands." She said very softly.
Sesshoumaru merely looked at the bindings from where he stood- and nodded.
Jaken writhed, his eyes full of hateful dislike directed her way as he struggled to remove himself from the binding- which only sliced further in response. She saw that behind his shimmering hate was the dull look of pain he somehow seemed to be hiding. She had never thought much of him- but just looking how his hands were already half cut off- it had to be formidable pain he was feeling.
Kagome had never been sensible about helping those in need.
She had not motive other than to help, when she hesitantly stepped out from behind Sesshoumaru – gently making her way towards Jaken- with great uncertainty in each step. She had no idea what she wanted to do- there was just this instinct that there was something she had to do to try to help.
Jaken thrashed with fury as she came closer. It was obvious he wanted her no nearer.
Ignoring him and his wants for the moment- Kogome held him, and touched her hand to the bindings- a flash of pink light clashed with blue light form the bands.
The bands fell off.
Sesshoumaru watched, surprised within- but not a single thought showed up on his cameo face.
Jaken was stunned to feel the binding that had been burning like the seven hells through his hand stop. His hands had suddenly turned numb. He felt lightheaded from the pain and its sudden release of him as its prey. Then he wathched in a haze as the priestess gentley tore some strips of some cloth and tied his wrists.
Looking at her handy work- and pleased that Jaken had not resisted after the initial few moments- Kagome lifted off the knot that kept his gag in place. As she placed it to her side- she suddenly felt and heard the sound.
"Snap"
"OH!- Ouch." She gasped- to turn suddenly to see what had so suddenly caused her other hand so much pain.
Her eyes could not believe what she saw.
Jaken had bit her.
BIT HER.
The….. absolutely …….wreched ……….toad.
She tried in vain to shake him off. Instead she felt his beak sink deeper- the pain spreading like fire down her arm.
Jesus. IT hurt like hell.
Attempts to pry him off were no more effective. If anything her arm started to bleed.
There was nothing short of it she could do- she felt her emotions spike from the pain and the frustration that the being she tried to help would do this.
Sesshoumaru felt her energy spike.
He had been incredulous that she would wish to help Jaken.
No one helped Jaken.
Sesshoumaru was of the belief that Jaken's looks and person made it impossible to endear himself to anyone.
Yet this foolish child woman had tried to help him.
It was oddly touching she was so kind- so very foolish.
Then he saw what Jaken did.
Jaken. He had never done anything like this before. His beak snapped onto her forearm with the force of a hunter's snare- and dug in only deeper at her attempts to disloge it.
Shaking himself out of the sensation of unreality- and noting the hate in Jaken's eyes and the spike of Kagome's spiritual powers- Sesshoumaru strode forward finally.
"Jaken."
Then toad focused his eyes upon his lord- though his bite held on Kagome's arm.
" Let go of her." Sesshoumaru voiced. Ice and command- with warnings of pain behind the words. " NOW".
Jaken hesitated a second- before his beak unclamped.
Kagome scooted away quickly- holding her now bloody and bleeding arm. The sting of tears was about her- as she tried to control them and her pain.
"Sesshoumaru Samma!" Jaken cried happily. " I beg you forgiveness my lord!- I was unable to come to your side in time as promised. The wind demoness seemed to have some ability to know of our plans. She accosted me after I had left Rin in the protection of the half demon you requested." Words of explanation tumbled out in haste to explain it all- to find out what was going on…..
"Hn." Sesshoumaru said.
"Please please my lord, forgive this humble servant for failing you in this!"
Jaken then turned his worshipful gaze from Sesshoumaru towards Kaogme. His eyes iced over. " What is InuYasha's ………woman …….. doing here with you my lord?" he finally asked. Kagome almost shivered – something about he way he eyed her and asked that question seemd to different.
" I do not answer to you Jaken. Remember that." Sesshoumaru stated.
" Wreched human- what have you done to my lord!" Jaken finally turned fully to upright himself – thrusting his face into Kaogme's as he asked.
His hands still oozed his odd smelling blood. It's smell along with the pain was making Kaogme light headed.
Sesshoumaru noted this- and knew that he had to help her- she looked ready to keel over. The bite of a toad demon was rare- but known to be extraordinarily painful and on occasion poisoness. Frowning- he stepped past Jaken – inbetween him and Kagome. He gently knelt down beside her- and took a hold of her hand- it was getting discolored.
He turned his head to gaze staight at Jaken. His eyes did the rest of the talking. Jaken had poisoned her with that bite. Sesshoumaru's disbelief and fury radiated towards the toad.
Jaken knew- it was as he feared. Bravely he notched his head – " I would do so again my lord- if only to save you from yourself." He quietly stated. His voice, the look of assurance and stance - ones very different from his usual demeanor. Icy golden eyes grew colder. Jaken held down a gulp as he faced his possible death.
Sesshoumaru merely turned away back towards the priestess- he bit into her hand- fangs growing to puncture the site lightly- and as he sucked out the poison- and her hand stopped its rapid discoloration and swelling. Then she fainted against him.
Sesshoumaru held her against him gentley- then withdrew his bite- turned to the side and spit out the toad poison.
"He made even that action acceptable somehow, done so reagally" - Jaken thought. Gathering courage- he finally asked " What has she done to you- Lord Sesshoumaru?"
Sesshoumaru, for the first time known to Jaken, did not seem to know how to anwser back. His Lord's eyes managed to meet him only for a second, before looking away down at the priestess who lay in his arms. Gentley, Sesshoumaru lifted her in his arms and continued to walk forwards- indicating he was moving on with his journey.
This was not a good sign, Jaken thought as he scrambled after his lord after a few seconds...
Not a good sign at all.
ooo
These last two chapters are filler/ step over chapters to transition into the next section of the tale, which has a lot of stuff going on. I Hope you like it. And like I said, Ideally this and the last chapter were meant to go together as far as updates.
Till next time my FF friend-
Seshaddict.