Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. However, the story concept is entirely mine.
Jaken stood outside Rin's bedroom, heavily leaning against his Staff. He was definitely beginning to feel his age. The past week had shown him just how dependant he had become upon Lord Sesshoumaru's protection. Without him, he was all but vulnerable. He could even be bested by a human girl now! Oh, the shame of it all. He would never ever be able to live that one down.
He looked over to the closed door and grumbled. The damned child was taking forever to get dressed. It wasn't like they were going anywhere. By the Gods! They were only making a trip outside into the garden. Why dress up for that? Honestly, females simply had no sense sometimes.
"Child! Hurry up!" He loudly knocked his Staff against the door. "My feet grow weary from all the waiting!"
The door squeaked open only an inch, a small face peering out. "Rin almos' ready!" She flashed him a gap-toothed smile. "One more minutes!" She said, holding up a finger.
Jaken rolled his large, orb-shaped eyes, an impatient sigh escaping from him. He turned his back to the door and leaned against it. Who would've ever thought that by him becoming Sesshoumaru's servant, he would one day end up being a babysitter of a human child. That certainly wasn't something to boast about to other demons! What would he tell his tadpoles about back in the days of his serving the Demon Lord of the Western Lands? Well, that is if he ever had any.
The door behind him swung open, poor Jaken having no other option but to pinwheel his arms as he crashed backwards, landing first on his butt and then onto his back. He peered up into Rin's amused face. The filthy brat. She was actually smiling!
"Jaken is so funny!" She giggled, stepping over his tiny body. "Come on! Rin wants to go to the garden now!" She hopped from foot to foot, barely controlling her excitement.
Jaken groaned, crawling back up to his feet. He was pretty sure he had just broken his butt. And now she wanted to drag him off to the garden so that she could obsess over the pointless beauty of flowers? Damn her to the Seventh Realm of Hell! Damn her!
Jaken hobbled after the leading Rin, her skipping and humming threatening to make him want to empty out the contents of his stomach. It really was sickening. How could anyone be so cheerful and energetic all the time?
Rin's squeal of delight alerted him that they had reached the garden, and she was now currently busy frolicking amongst the many flowers. Jaken uneasily walked out into the garden, paranoia seeping into him as he warily eyed each individual flower. He was quite sure that there was a bee hiding somewhere in one of them, just waiting to come flying out and sting him once more. He unconsciously rubbed his back to normal nose.
As Jaken was busily peering into a particularly large rose, Rin began to run circles around Jaken. "Jaken's scared of flowers! Jaken's scared of flowers!" She sang happily.
"Bah! Cease your chattering at once, child!" When she didn't stop, Jaken began to get angry. "I am not afraid of flowers!"
Rin continued to run circles around Jaken, but accidentally got to close to his Staff and bumped it with her foot, knocking it out from under Jaken who had been leaning on it. He tumbled to the ground for the second time that day. He simply lay there for a few minutes, his face planted solidly into the ground.
"Is Jaken okay?" She asked worriedly.
That was it. He had had it! "No! Jaken is not okay! Unless you think I actually enjoy eating dirt!" Jaken huffed angrily, pushing himself up off the ground. "Child, I am sick of you antics! You need to learn how to be mature! Why, back in my--"
Rin snatched Jaken's Staff, an impish grin on her face. She skipped a distance away, stopping only when she reached the very edge of the garden, which was right next to the surrounding forest.
Jaken wildly waved his arms about, jumping up and down angrily. "How dare you! I can't believe you jus' did that!" He began to storm over towards Rin, a scowl on his face. "When I get over there, I'm going to teach you some manners!"
Rin simply giggled, completely unaware of the shadow that was approaching her from behind. "Rin!" Jaken began to wobble his way towards her as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. "Rin! Get away from the woods! Now!"
Never in a million years did he ever think he'd actually be trying to save her. Truth was, the brat was starting to grow on him. She might annoy and anger him to no ends, but without her, what would he do to fill his long days?
Rin turned around, a muffled gasp leaving her mouth. She dropped the Staff where she stood, frozen in place by terror. Jaken finally reached her and placed his small body in front of hers, before hastily picking up the Staff.
The shadow emerged from the tree line fully, stepping into the sun's rays. It was just a lowly demon, but still posed a very real threat. "Rin, I want you to run back to the castle." She pushed her away from him. "Now!"
At the point that Rin began to run away, the demon breathed out, casting fire outwards from its mouth. The unlucky Jaken was caught square in its attack.
"Aaaagh! It burns! It burns!" Jaken forgot all notions of trying to fend the demon off. He was too busy running in frantic circles, a torch with legs so to say.
Rin spun back around and ran back for Jaken. "Drop and roll, Jaken! Drop and roll!"
Jaken immediately took her advice, flinging himself onto the unforgiving ground, and rolling about in the dirt and grass as if his very life depended on it. Which it did. But still the flames raged strongly, unyielding and unwilling to give up their victim.
Rin ran up to the rolling Jaken and began to stamp furiously on his flaming body. "Ow! Brat! What're you doin'?!" She ignored him, continuing to stamp on him.
Unbeknownst to Jaken, Rin's stamping was putting out the fire. Unfortunately, he was trading burns for bruises. Either way, he was screwed.
15 minutes later...
The last of the flames finally died out, leaving behind a charred and bruised Jaken.
"Rin didn't know Jaken was so flammable!"
Jaken groaned miserably. "Neither did I, Rin. Neither did I."