Jakken as Santa?! By Fantasy Cat
Disc: I only own the deer youkai.
The days had gotten pretty colder. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the Wolf Moon. Sesshomaru's company had another run-in with Inuyasha, so of course a fight between two brothers would be in order. Jakken was too focused on his master's fight to baby-sit little Rin. She got bored and began to wonder off to a nearby shack. She heard someone citing…
"Twas the night before Christmas; and all through the house; not a creature was stirring; not even a mouse"
Rin opened the door and recognized Kagome and Shippou sitting inside. "Kagome?" asked Rin as she came in. "Watcha reading?"
"Oh, hi Rin. I'm reading about Christmas to Shippou while Inuyasha's off fighting. Come sit," Kagome patted the ground next to her and Rin came down to sit. Kagome read through the whole story. It seemed too childish for anyone but Rin and Shippou to hear. Rin loved every minute of the story that she became curious about if everything about "Christmas" was real.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night" Kagome closed the book.
"Is Christmas real?" Rin asked.
"In my time, Christmas is the biggest day of the year. Let's see, you run on the lunar calendar too. That means Christmas, here would be in…three days."
"Will you be here for Christmas, Kagome?" asked Shippou. "I wouldn't leave my family on Christmas," she replied. Shippou looked sad. "I tell you what. I'll come back the day before Christmas and bring you guys some Christmas goodies. That way you will know what it's like."
"YAY!" Shippou cheered. A large boom rocked the shack. "Uh-oh," said Rin. "That must be Lord Sesshomaru. I better go now." Rin walked away. "Hey Rin, you can borrow this book if you really want to know more about Christmas," said Kagome as she handed her the book. "Konichiwa!" squealed Rin.
Sesshomaru was in no mood to speak nor listen. He had faced another defeat at the hands of his brother. Jakken had warned Rin to keep her mouth shut as they were heading home. Everytime Sesshomaru would quietly turned his head, he saw Rin lost in the book Kagome gave her. Soon he became very annoyed. "Rin," he finally said. "What is that you're reading?"
"It's a Christmas book," said Rin. She scooted across the back of Ah-Un to show Sesshomaru the book before Jakken could stop her. "Ah! She's in for it now!" Jakken muttered to himself. "See, everything looks very pretty on Christmas and this guy in a red dress come and gives presents and treats." Sesshomaru turned his head away after a quick glance. "Complete rubbish," he said. "Demons would never celebrate such human traditions."
"KAGOME!" screamed Inuyasha.
"Calm down, Inuyasha," said Miroku. "Kagome, only went back for a day." Inuyasha began to strike at a few trees. "And she went back without telling me?!"
The sky rained down with snow. The hanyou looked up at the gray dead-like sky. Kagome was riding on top of Kirara and landed at Inuyasha's feet. He looked angry and Kagome was not surprised. "Kagome! You think you can just go off like that?!"
"I promised Shippou I would bring some stuff, and then I have to go back tomorrow." Inuyasha grabbed Kagome. "Oh no, you're not leaving again unless it's a serious reason!"
"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve! I have to be with my family!" Sango and Miroku dug through Kagome's bag of weird items. Miroku lifted up a strange piece of plant. "What's this?" Miroku asked Kagome. "That's mistletoe. You have to kiss the person who's under the mistletoe with you."
"Really?" Miroku crept the mistletoe over Sango's head but she proceeded in smacking him first. "Oh," Miroku moaned. "Such a new and wonderful tradition!"
They arrived in the northern lands to spend some time with a family of deer youkai. Some could walk and speak like humans. Their heads were even shaped like humans. What made them deer youkai were their antlers, their furry manes (their chest hair) and hooves for feet! One mature deer youkai came and greeted Sesshomaru in the foyer of his estate. "Lord Sesshomaru," greeted the family head Shika*. "Why do you choose to spend Touji* with us?" Rin peeked around Sesshomaru and Shika stood back. "Is that a human?"
"Yes," said Sesshomaru. "I had to find a group of allies who depended on other than human flesh for their food."
"Well, I hope you like bokusou* and kajitsu* because that's all we have to eat," said Shika.
"I can provide my own food," Sesshomaru sneered at the youkai. "Well, your Rin can play with my children. Kojika! Tonakai!" He called out. Two normal looking small deer with spots and antlers came down. "They grew up a lot since you last saw them," said Shika.
"Eek!" The small deer hid behind their father. Rin came up to them curiously. "Hey!" Rin took out the book that Kagome gave her and opened it. "You're the deer in my book!" She showed Kojika and Tonakai. Another deer youkai came into the room, but like her children she walked on all fours. "Children, I need to give you some Touji Pumpkin*," she said.
"Why?" whined Kojika and Tonakai. "Youkai don't get sick." "It's tradition!" she said. Then she looked down at Rin. "Oh my, who is this darling creature?"
"This is Rin, Inutsuge*," said Shika. "She's Sesshomaru's." "That is so cute," Inutsuge said. At this time Sesshomaru wanted to barf. "Rin, should have some Touji Pumpkin too. You want her to be healthy this winter."
Everyone except for Sesshomaru and Jakken sat down Touji Pumpkin. Rin asked the young deer youkai if they could fly. "All youkai can fly," they said. Rin was happy and she was going to take full advantage of this new discovery.
Later that day, Sesshomaru strolled through the gardens outside for some fresh air and became furious at seeing Rin flying on the deer youkais' backs…like common animals! To Sesshomaru's relief Rin was getting along well with Kojika and Tonakai, but there was still the matter of the book. He despised Rin putting silly ideas in demons' heads and decided to put a stop to it.
Shippou and Kirara were thrilled at the amount of gingerbread and candy canes Kagome brought back. Their fur accidentally stuck to each other at one point. While Kagome tried to pull them apart, Inuyasha stared at the small pine tree Kagome decorated with ornaments and a glittery tail that wrapped itself around the tree…
…he didn't get it.
"Inuyasha, could you at least not be a Scrooge about it?" Kagome asked over him.
"What's a Scrooge?" Kagome sighed. "Never mind, you can just act like your brother about this, but I have a family that I never get to see and I can't let them down by ditching Christmas."
"Kagome, if you have to go back, then I'm coming with you."
"What?!" Kagome was shocked. "I don't know what this Christmas thing is. How do I know that you are not lying?" Inuyasha went around the camp gathering his items. "What about that stuff I got back from my time?!" The hanyou ignored Kagome. "Uh, this should be interesting," she thought to herself.
That night when everyone retired to their rooms, Rin ran ahead of Sesshomaru and Jakken to the guest chambers. She got on her bed reading the book and sighed. Sesshomaru arrived at her bed and found her happily reading that stupid book again. He had had it now. "Give the me the book Rin," Sesshomaru demanded.
"Lord Sesshomaru don't like Christmas?" she asked him. "I already told you that demons do not celebrate human festivities." He snatched the book from her. "And I won't let you put such stupid ideas in the heads of my kind!" He stormed away with the book failing to see Rin looking very depressed.
"An excellent move on your part, my lord," said Jakken as they entered the grand guestroom. Sesshomaru growled as he took a chair by the fireplace. He opened the stupid book that Rin had. Inside the cover was a crudely written message "propurrtee of Kagome". 'I knew it,' thought Sesshomaru. "Jakken, go check on Rin," he commanded his toad youkai. Jakken returned a minute later. "Well miserable, my lord," he told the Dog Lord. Sesshomaru was not listening he was already absorbed in the same book that Rin fell victim to.
"Jakken I want to speak to you about something."
"Lord Sesshomaru, you know I am here for you."
"I want Rin to believe that this Santa Claus person exists." Jakken dropped his jaw. "WHAT?! What happened to rubbish human traditions?!"
"You only need to do this for Rin and the ko youkai*. Tomorrow night I will give you certain instructions on what to do." Lord Sesshomaru rose from his chair and went to bed. "I'm scared about this strange mission…," said Jakken. "And all of this for that stupid girl!"
The next day Rin was sad because tomorrow would be Christmas and she wouldn't be celebrating it like Kagome and the rest would.
Kagome and Inuyasha sat down to Christmas Eve dinner with the Higurashis. It was a normal meal only well decorated and a strange new item was on the table. "Here, Inuyasha," Kagome prepared the slice of the strange food for him. "It's a fruit cake. We got it for free."
"I still don't get this Christmas deal. What's with all of the red and green? Are they supposed to symbolize blood?!"
"I dunno. Christmas is more of a commercial holiday in Japan"
"Ah-ha! I knew it! This holiday is a fake!"
"Inuyasha!" Inuyasha took his first bite of the fruit cake and…
That night Jakken reported to Sesshomaru. The dog youkai had a bag of strange items by his chair. Jakken peeked into a bag and found wrapped snacks and treats. He didn't see Sesshomaru wrapping an item in a valuable cloth. The item was dropped into the bag. "My Lord, why did you get this human food?" Jakken asked. Sesshomaru grabbed a small red robe and proceeded closer to Jakken.
"Lord Sesshomaru, what is the meaning of this?!" Jakken screamed. "Lord Sesshomaru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kagome knocked on the bathroom door. "Inuyasha? I'm sorry about the fruitcake. I didn't believe those stories about fruitcake being that terrible." Inuyasha came out of the bathroom. "Well it is! This day is freaking me out! I'm leaving! You think you can bounce back and forth between eras, fine! Do what you want, but I have shards to find!"
"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome grabbed Inuyasha by the shoulder. "Here, I have something for you." Kagome grabbed a wrapped box and placed it in Inuyasha's hand. "What the hell am I suppose to do with this?" he asked. "Open it!" she said. Inuyasha realized that the paper was a covering so he tore it up. It was a small shiny charm. "You can put that on your sword."
"Why are you giving this to me?" Inuyasha asked her. "In the Western World, Christmas is a major tradition and its focus is on giving to each other. Well, you better get going if you're gonna find those shards." Inuyasha walked away a little bit surprised. Was that why she brought all of those strange things to the feudal era?
"Giving?" Inuyasha thought to himself.
Jakken was strolling across the gardens in his strange red robe. Sesshomaru even made him wear a beard! He was pulling Ah-Un behind him. Both dragons had tree branches sticking out of their heads. "Do exactly everything like the book says!" Jakken mocked his master. "Never in my life have I ever been stooped to such humiliation."
Rin was sleeping in her guestroom. Jakken was looking down the smoke hole that led to her room on the rooftop of the estate. "Ridiculous!" He said to himself. Ah-Un howled. "No you can't come down! I have to go down by myself with the bag." Jakken grabbed the bag and tried to fit himself through the smoke hole. He got in okay with the bag, but halfway, problems ensued.
Jakken couldn't see anything. It was of course squishy and dirty and the worse part came when Jakken looked down for the first time. It was a long way down. "AHH!" he screamed. The scream woke up Rin. Jakken began to struggle downwards again. Meanwhile, Rin was searching her room for the source of the strange grunting noises.
Jakken didn't realize that the smoke hole got wider near the bottom and he suddenly fell with a loud thud. Rin turned around and found ashes whirling in her face. Then she saw the strange small figure in a red robe with a bag in his hand. "Who are you?" she asked. "I'm Santa Caus…I mean Claus you stupid child," said Jakken in a deep voice (although his personality remained the same.)
"Really?" Rin walked up to the disguised Jakken and stood over him. "You're a lot shorter than I expected. Heehee. You look like Jakken-sama!" Jakken threw the bag at Rin. "Take the stupid bag, my job is done!" And he proceeded to storming out of the room, through the door.
The next day in Feudal Japan was like any normal day. Kagome noticed this as she came out of the well and sighed. "Next year maybe, they will be ready to understand Christmas," she said to herself. "Kagome?"
She turned and saw Inuyasha walking through the melted mud and snow. 'Eugh' he said to himself. "Anyway, I wanted to give you something." Inuyasha put in Kagome's hand and unwrapped doll made of straw. The tiny doll resembled that of a dog! "Kaede was making some and she let me take one for you. You know, it's that giving thing."
"I understand," said Kagome and she smiled. "I came back as soon as I could, so we can go jewel hunting." Inuyasha lifted Kagome onto his back and they sped off.
"Mommy! Daddy! Look what we got," cried Kojika and Tonakai. "Some strange creature came and gave us these weird treats. But they taste like kajistu and they're really good!" Shika and Inutsuge approached their children and took a bite out of the strange cake. "Mmm," Shika said to himself. "I think I could learn how to make this stuff."
Sesshomaru couldn't take living here another minute. These deer youkai were too nice…almost like humans. Immediately he grabbed Rin and Jakken and went straight onto Ah-Un. "Jakken, remind me to never stay with those youkai again."
"As you wish my Lord," said Jakken. "And everything went accordingly last night?" Sesshomaru asked him. "Yes…unfortunately."
"What went 'ccordingly last night?" asked Rin. "It's nothing of your concern!" Jakken told her.
"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin went on. "I know you don't believe in Santa Claus but he really came last night, and look what he gave me. He gave me snacks and this." Rin waved a small bracelet in her hands, then she put the bracelet on. (The necklace was only strung youkai hair with a small jewel inside.) "It's really pretty! You should've seen Santa, Jakken-sama. He looked just like you." Jakken groaned at this comment.
"Rin?" "Hmm?" Rin turned to the dog youkai. "When we return, you may have your book back."
"Konichiwa. Meriikurisumasu Sesshomaru-sama!"
Please don't hold me liable for any errors to the following…
*Shika=deer
*Touji=Dec 22, winter solstice in lunar calendar (eat Tooji Pumpkin and you wont get a cold)
(270th day on the Lunar Calendar)
*bokusou=grass
*kajitsu=berries
*Kojika=fawn
*Tonakai=reindeer
*Inutsuge=holly
*Touji Pumpkin=It is believed that if you eat this on Touji, then you wont catch a cold all winter
*ko youkai=young demons
*Meriikurisumasu=Merry Christmas (although, that should've been a no-brainer!)