Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I'd be making this into an episode as opposed to a fiction ;). I own Jou and Ash and Fluffy. Well, not Fluffy. Anyway, here it is!
Cold Shoulder: Chapter 3
A sharp command woke Jou from his deep slumber. "Filthy human, Sesshoumaru-sama demands your presence in his recieving room!" Jou rolled over, mumbling, "Mom, turn the TV down...." The small toad-like youkai at the door growled and scuttled over to Jou, whacking him with the Staff of Heads. "Get up! You must get properly attired!" Jou sat up instantly, rubbing his eyes. "Jaken-sama?!" He blinked owlishly, poking Jaken in the head. "This can't be real. I'm in Sesshoumaru-sama's castle?"
Jaken wrenched himself away from the young man, scurrying back to the door. "Of course it's real, you baka! Get UP and put on your kimono!" Jou looked at the end of the elegant four-poster he lay on, noticing for the first time a handsome dark-green kimono embroidered with blue blossoms. He stood, stretching. "Hai, Jaken-sama. If you'd be so kind as to shut my door, I'll be out in but a moment." Jaken gave a curt bow, closing the door. Outside, he muttered to himself, "Wow...he certainly has respect for a human..."
A few minutes later, Jou opened the door, where Jaken had begun tapping his foot impatiently. Jou's hair was neatly parted in the middle, deep blue eyes complementing the kimono wonderfully. He nodded. "You said Sesshoumaru-sama wanted my presence?" Jaken moved down the hall, saying over his shoulder, "Yes, he did. Hurry along, we can't keep him waiting." Jou moved quickly after the toad-youkai, a small grin on his face. 'Wow,' he thought, 'I'm about to meet Sesshoumaru!' After a five-minute mad dash down four hallways, two staircases, and through a great ballroom, they slowed at a large double-door. Jaken rapped once on it with his staff. The doors creaked open slowly, and the pair walked in.
Sesshoumaru stood in the center of this beautiful room, one wall had several bookcases, while the opposite was nothing more than one giant window, providing view of the lush green palace grounds. As he saw the two enter, he drew himself up regally. "Good morning, Prophet. I trust you slept well?" Jou bowed humbly, then nodded. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. However, I humbly inquire as to why you call me a Prophet?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "My fortune-teller referred to you and your friend as Prophets, ones who know much about this world and those in it. I had retrieved you both near the Village of the old hag Kaede, but that damned hanyou brother of mine took your friend."
Jou gaped a moment. "Hai, my lord, I do indeed know much about this world. For example, I know you have in your care a small human child named Rin, who constantly annoys Jaken." Jaken did a facefault as Rin stepped out from behind a visibly perplexed Sesshoumaru. "You are indeed a Prophet, then! Will you side with me and assist me in my conquest of this land?" Jou thought about it a moment, then bowed humbly. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, you have my unwavering loyalty." Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "Very well. The room you awoke in is now your own. Should you need anything at all, simply call for Jaken or a servant, and they will surely assist you."
He raised his hand in a dismissive gesture, but as the pair turned to leave, Rin dashed for Jou. "How did you know Rin was here? Rin is happy, Rin has a new friend!" Jou grinned at this, turning back to Sesshoumaru for a moment. "My lord, may Rin accompany me back to my quarters? I would surely enjoy her company." Sesshoumaru looked as if it was out of the question, but saw the pathetic pout from Rin. He sighed in defeat. "Very well. I expect you both in the Dining Room in approximately three hours for lunch. Good day, Prophet...what is your name?" Jou bowed yet again. "My name is Joujin, Sesshoumaru-sama, but most call me Jou." The lord nodded. "Good day, Prophet Jou."
Jou grinned as he took Rin by the hand and he, Rin, and Jaken walked out together. "Yes it is indeed," He muttered under his breath, ecstatic he was in Sesshoumaru's castle, would live in it, and serve the lord himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Later, in the northern of the four large gardens surrounding Sesshoumaru's palace, Jou and Rin were playing hide-and-seek with Jaken, at the girl's insistance. Jaken kept grumbling about how he was a valued servant, not some common playmate for ratty humans. Jou turned and gave a heart-stopping smile. "Come on, Jaken-sama, it's not that bad!" The smile quickly turned to a look of surprise as Rin jumped up on his back. "Rin gotcha! Now Rin and Jaken-sama hide, and Jou-sama count!" The toad youkai's face managed to brighten a bit, and he and rin ran off behind some azaleas as Jou counted.
Sesshoumaru watched the three play from a high window, eying Jou thoughtfully. "The boy has manners, knowledge of his surroundings....and a strange charm, it seems." He muttered to no one in particular. "Even I couldn't've made Jaken 'play' willingly. Who's there?!" He whirled to look at a shadowy corner of the room. A figure stepped out of the shadows. "Kukukuku....Sesshoumaru-sama, have you found yourself another servant? And a Prophet to boot?! My, you've been busy. How on earth did you manage to get him here without the use of the Shikon no Tama?"
The youkai lord snarled, a guttural noise deep in his throat. "Naraku, get your mangy hide out of my palace and off of my lands before I hang you with your own pelt." The shrouded demon shrugged. "Well, you can't blame me for asking. If the Shikon no Tama catches the attention of the lesser demons so easily, your Prophet will easily draw the attention of the larger ones." With that, he disappeared in a cloud of Miasma. Sesshoumaru worked quickly, opening the windows to let the poisonous stuff disintegrate in the atmosphere. Before the Miasma got halfway out, a gust of wind blew it right back into his face, slamming the windows shut. Sesshoumaru choked, dissipating the nasty gas with his Tenseiga.
A blur of white and red zipped across his window and flew down towards Jou. Sesshoumaru saw a white feather. "Kagura!" It looked as if she was upon Jou, about to bear him away, when a terrific gout of flame enveloped her. She fell to the ground, stunned, then flew up and away as fast as she could. Jou's recuer stepped forward; the toad demon ushered them inside. "Quickly, before she returns!" Jou was in shock as he jogged, carring Rin. "Jaken-sama...?!" Jaken simply looked at Jou. "I could not let her take our guest, could I?" A glint of humor ran across his bulbous eyes. Jou nodded, chuckling, as they entered the palace, sealing the doors behind them.
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Well, looks like Jou is doing pretty well in Fluffy's palace, eh? And I think this is the first Jaken rescue I've ever seen, and I wrote it :P. How you like? R&R! :-)
Cold Shoulder: Chapter 3
A sharp command woke Jou from his deep slumber. "Filthy human, Sesshoumaru-sama demands your presence in his recieving room!" Jou rolled over, mumbling, "Mom, turn the TV down...." The small toad-like youkai at the door growled and scuttled over to Jou, whacking him with the Staff of Heads. "Get up! You must get properly attired!" Jou sat up instantly, rubbing his eyes. "Jaken-sama?!" He blinked owlishly, poking Jaken in the head. "This can't be real. I'm in Sesshoumaru-sama's castle?"
Jaken wrenched himself away from the young man, scurrying back to the door. "Of course it's real, you baka! Get UP and put on your kimono!" Jou looked at the end of the elegant four-poster he lay on, noticing for the first time a handsome dark-green kimono embroidered with blue blossoms. He stood, stretching. "Hai, Jaken-sama. If you'd be so kind as to shut my door, I'll be out in but a moment." Jaken gave a curt bow, closing the door. Outside, he muttered to himself, "Wow...he certainly has respect for a human..."
A few minutes later, Jou opened the door, where Jaken had begun tapping his foot impatiently. Jou's hair was neatly parted in the middle, deep blue eyes complementing the kimono wonderfully. He nodded. "You said Sesshoumaru-sama wanted my presence?" Jaken moved down the hall, saying over his shoulder, "Yes, he did. Hurry along, we can't keep him waiting." Jou moved quickly after the toad-youkai, a small grin on his face. 'Wow,' he thought, 'I'm about to meet Sesshoumaru!' After a five-minute mad dash down four hallways, two staircases, and through a great ballroom, they slowed at a large double-door. Jaken rapped once on it with his staff. The doors creaked open slowly, and the pair walked in.
Sesshoumaru stood in the center of this beautiful room, one wall had several bookcases, while the opposite was nothing more than one giant window, providing view of the lush green palace grounds. As he saw the two enter, he drew himself up regally. "Good morning, Prophet. I trust you slept well?" Jou bowed humbly, then nodded. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. However, I humbly inquire as to why you call me a Prophet?" Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "My fortune-teller referred to you and your friend as Prophets, ones who know much about this world and those in it. I had retrieved you both near the Village of the old hag Kaede, but that damned hanyou brother of mine took your friend."
Jou gaped a moment. "Hai, my lord, I do indeed know much about this world. For example, I know you have in your care a small human child named Rin, who constantly annoys Jaken." Jaken did a facefault as Rin stepped out from behind a visibly perplexed Sesshoumaru. "You are indeed a Prophet, then! Will you side with me and assist me in my conquest of this land?" Jou thought about it a moment, then bowed humbly. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama, you have my unwavering loyalty." Sesshoumaru nodded curtly. "Very well. The room you awoke in is now your own. Should you need anything at all, simply call for Jaken or a servant, and they will surely assist you."
He raised his hand in a dismissive gesture, but as the pair turned to leave, Rin dashed for Jou. "How did you know Rin was here? Rin is happy, Rin has a new friend!" Jou grinned at this, turning back to Sesshoumaru for a moment. "My lord, may Rin accompany me back to my quarters? I would surely enjoy her company." Sesshoumaru looked as if it was out of the question, but saw the pathetic pout from Rin. He sighed in defeat. "Very well. I expect you both in the Dining Room in approximately three hours for lunch. Good day, Prophet...what is your name?" Jou bowed yet again. "My name is Joujin, Sesshoumaru-sama, but most call me Jou." The lord nodded. "Good day, Prophet Jou."
Jou grinned as he took Rin by the hand and he, Rin, and Jaken walked out together. "Yes it is indeed," He muttered under his breath, ecstatic he was in Sesshoumaru's castle, would live in it, and serve the lord himself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Later, in the northern of the four large gardens surrounding Sesshoumaru's palace, Jou and Rin were playing hide-and-seek with Jaken, at the girl's insistance. Jaken kept grumbling about how he was a valued servant, not some common playmate for ratty humans. Jou turned and gave a heart-stopping smile. "Come on, Jaken-sama, it's not that bad!" The smile quickly turned to a look of surprise as Rin jumped up on his back. "Rin gotcha! Now Rin and Jaken-sama hide, and Jou-sama count!" The toad youkai's face managed to brighten a bit, and he and rin ran off behind some azaleas as Jou counted.
Sesshoumaru watched the three play from a high window, eying Jou thoughtfully. "The boy has manners, knowledge of his surroundings....and a strange charm, it seems." He muttered to no one in particular. "Even I couldn't've made Jaken 'play' willingly. Who's there?!" He whirled to look at a shadowy corner of the room. A figure stepped out of the shadows. "Kukukuku....Sesshoumaru-sama, have you found yourself another servant? And a Prophet to boot?! My, you've been busy. How on earth did you manage to get him here without the use of the Shikon no Tama?"
The youkai lord snarled, a guttural noise deep in his throat. "Naraku, get your mangy hide out of my palace and off of my lands before I hang you with your own pelt." The shrouded demon shrugged. "Well, you can't blame me for asking. If the Shikon no Tama catches the attention of the lesser demons so easily, your Prophet will easily draw the attention of the larger ones." With that, he disappeared in a cloud of Miasma. Sesshoumaru worked quickly, opening the windows to let the poisonous stuff disintegrate in the atmosphere. Before the Miasma got halfway out, a gust of wind blew it right back into his face, slamming the windows shut. Sesshoumaru choked, dissipating the nasty gas with his Tenseiga.
A blur of white and red zipped across his window and flew down towards Jou. Sesshoumaru saw a white feather. "Kagura!" It looked as if she was upon Jou, about to bear him away, when a terrific gout of flame enveloped her. She fell to the ground, stunned, then flew up and away as fast as she could. Jou's recuer stepped forward; the toad demon ushered them inside. "Quickly, before she returns!" Jou was in shock as he jogged, carring Rin. "Jaken-sama...?!" Jaken simply looked at Jou. "I could not let her take our guest, could I?" A glint of humor ran across his bulbous eyes. Jou nodded, chuckling, as they entered the palace, sealing the doors behind them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, looks like Jou is doing pretty well in Fluffy's palace, eh? And I think this is the first Jaken rescue I've ever seen, and I wrote it :P. How you like? R&R! :-)