Chapter Text
"Girls, will you be good and behave while we are gone?"
"Yes, mom!"
"Haha-ue," despite doing her best to hide it, Setsuna's lower lip was trembling. She didn't like the idea of her mother being in any danger, "you will come back, right?"
"Oh, dearest. We'll be back very soon, you won't even notice we were gone!" Rin laid her hands on Towa and Setsuna's heads, gentle fingers combing through her daughters' hair. "Your father and I need to make this little trip, so that every one of you can be safe. Do you understand?"
Setsuna nodded, firm.
"Setsuna." her father's deep voice spoke calm and resolute. "Do you think this Sesshōmaru would let something happen to your mother?"
Assuaged, the girl shook her head with vigor. It was true. Her mother was strong, and if something bad happened, her father would protect her.
"Good." Sesshōmaru's pelt started unfurling around him, "Rin. We fly."
After softly caressing Ah and petting Un's head, the dragon's chest rumbling with the attention, Rin leapt onto their saddle, adjusting the naginata in her back so it didn't hurt Ah-Un on accident during the flight. The whole ride shouldn't take them more than a few hours, if all went well.
"Jaken."
"Yes, Sesshōmaru-sama!"
The DaiYōkai lowered his voice so only Jaken could hear, "Something happens to my daughters, you perish."
Cold sweat ran down Jaken's back as he bowed. Satisfied, Sesshōmaru flew into the air, following Rin and Ah-Un's who were already ahead of him, high in the air.
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"Anata, are you sure it'll be alright?"
"The children will be fine, Rin. Do not worry."
"Actually, I am more worried about Jaken-sama..."
Sesshōmaru didn't understand the reason his wife would worry for him. He actually trusted Jaken to take care of them - he did it with Rin back then, after all -, he only acted intimidating as an incentive. But surely entertaining two little girls for a few hours couldn't be much of a challenge? Plus, their daughters had demonstrated time and time again to be way more mature than others for their age. There was no doubt that Sesshōmaru was a proud father.
Rin was staring at him as if she was able to read his mind, wondering if he did realize the fact that their daughters could be an absolute terror... whenever he was not around. The girls actually behaved very well in front of their father. No matter, they really needed to make this trip. Surely Jaken could survive a few hours without them.
Rin smiled, reassured, and focused on the mission ahead.
☽
With their shapes now disappearing in the distance, Jaken gripped his trusty Nintōjō with wrinkly fingers and turned around to address the two girls who were staring at him, eyes wide, expectant.
"Now then, Setsuna-sama, Towa-sama. Your mighty father trusted this Jaken to take care of you two! I expect the utmost-!"
"Oh, come on, Jaken-sama!" Crossing her arms behind her head, Towa grinned. "We are not babies anymore, we can take care of ourselves!"
"I am already taller than you, Jaken. Perhaps we should protect you." Setsuna remarked.
Perhaps taking care of the pair would end up being way more challenging that Jaken first thought it would. "Hush!" he cried, "I'll have you know, young lady, that despite you being slightly taller than this Jaken, I am way more powerful than half the demons in this country!"
"...Half?"
Smirking to himself, Jaken puffed his chest out. "Have you not heard the Tale of the Great Jaken? With my mighty abilities I helped defeat the powerful hanyō, Naraku!"
Towa didn't remember the story being like that. "I thought that was father and uncle Inu?" she stroked her chin, pensive. "... and aunt Kagome, aunt Sango, uncle Miro-"
"Ha! Without my superior intellect and my innumerable skills, it would have been entirely impossible for them to destroy him!"
Setsuna, who had been studying him the whole time, tilted her head and after a moment she nodded, resolute. "I see. I want to hear the story."
Surprised that her sister fell for it, Towa looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Tsuna? You know Jaken-sama always exaggerates."
"I do not!!"
The younger twin turned to her, "That may be. But Chichi-ue always skips the battle parts, and Haha-ue only tells the romantic ones." Setsuna was curious by nature, and every time she heard a story, she liked to memorize and later analize every possible detail her little head would retain. "Perhaps Jaken will tell everything... Even if he makes things up."
"Lies and slander! I'm the most faithful tale teller!!"
Towa puffed her cheeks. It was such a beautiful day, their parents weren't home and Setsuna wanted to go inside and listen to Jaken? No way! "Booooooring," the white haired girl complained, "I'll go play with the koi fish!" And without waiting for an answer, she started to run, racing for the gardens.
"Wait! Come back, Towa-sama! I'm supposed to watch over you two!" He began to follow her, but an insisting hand kept tugging at his sleeve.
"...Story."
Oh, well. He would go looking for her later. She would be fine, and... It was not common that he had the chance to exercise his impressive storytelling skills, after all.
"Very well! It all started when this Jaken abandoned his kingdom to follow in the steps of your lord father..."
Completely unimpressed, young Setsuna shook her head, interrupting him. "Jaken, if you start with a lie, people won't believe you..."
"How insolent! I'm most certainly not lying!!"
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Huge grin adorning her face and flowing hair tangled from the wind, Towa ran with all she had, happy she had managed to elude Jaken. She didn't want to sit and listen to a story; that's what bedtime was for!
It was only after she had to stop to regain her breath that Towa heard it: a faint howl, mixed with soft yelps and whines, that came from a pile of dirt and leaves in the ground, not too far from where she stood.
Intrigued, the silver haired girl got on all fours, kneeling before it, and started digging. Soon, her hand touched something soft and without warning, a fluffy white head emerged from the pile of leaves, a pair of coal black eyes staring back at her.
The tiny creature shook its head... and sneezed.
"Aww. Hello, little one!" Towa exclaimed. "Are you lost?" The pup started padding towards her, legs wobbling, and pressed its snout to her extended hand, curiously sniffing it.
Towa laughed in delight, petting the soft fur on its head. Soon, she grinned, eyes shining with mischief, an idea starting to take shape in her mind. "Oh, Tsuna is going to love this."
☽
When Towa found them again, Jaken was in the middle of explaining how they took down one of Naraku's barriers. The red-eyed girl scoffed. Did Jaken truly think her sister was that easy to fool? There were a whole lot of barriers in that story... too many to be true!
Before she could put her plan in motion, she first needed to make a quick detour. Arriving at the room where several weapons and trinkets were stored, and careful not to let anyone catch her, Towa looked around for a familiar lacquered box with the taijiya symbol on it, and once she found it, emptied its contents in her sleeve.
Her mother didn't let them enter into that room, she said it was dangerous... but Towa loved looking at the weapons in display. One day she would have her own sword! Father had promised, and he always kept his word.
After bribing one of the servants to distract Jaken, Towa approached her sister, and told her about her masterful plan.
☽
"...and then we'll pretend that I can change into my dog form, like father does!"
Lips pursed and brows furrowed, the dark haired twin didn't feel as confident. "But Towa. When Chichi-ue transforms he goes poooof and fwooosh. You cannot do that. Yet."
Towa grinned in response. "That's why I got this!" she exclaimed, extending her hands towards her sister, a small sphere in them. "Ta-da! This is Uncle Haku's smoke ball!"
"...Smoke bomb?"
The white haired girl hummed, inclining her head to the side. "Hm... Yeah! I suppose he called it that too. Anyway, with this we can fool Jaken-sama!"
Setsuna didn't look so sure. "I don't know... wouldn't that harm the puppy?"
Towa shook her head. "Nope! That's the thing! Uncle Haku said it only harmed big strong demons! So it will be incocuos to the puppy!"
"Innocuos."
"That!" Before Setsuna could ask, Towa added. "And before you say it, it won't hurt Jaken-sama either, since he is a small demon!" After all, that's what Grandmother always said.
Setsuna pursed her lips and stroked her chin with a tiny hand. After pondering it very seriously she nodded at her sister, eyes shining with childlike resolve. "Okay. I'm in."
☽
It was not a surprise for many that Jaken loved sweets. He had never tasted them, at least not until he spent some time in Kaede's Village - begrudgingly, of course -. He had to admit the sugary orbs called 'dango' were his favorites. Jaken didn't think it strange, not even for a second, that a servant randomly came up to him and suddenly offered him a plate full of them. Jaken was a very respected individual, of course it should be common for him to get gifts from time to time!
"Jaken."
"Ah, Setsuna-sama." picking up a napkin, the kappa cleaned his beak. "Forgive this Jaken, I was just resting for a moment, proper food and rest is key to tell a good story! Are you ready to hear the rest of it?"
"Actually, I just spoke with my sister." Setsuna fidgeted, as if she didn't know whether to keep talking. "She claims she discovered the secret to transform like Chichi-ue does."
"What?!" Jaken squaked. "That's entirely impossible! Only a pure-blooded yōkai possesses the necessary means to do that!" Jaken knew the twins would probably end up being powerful hanyōs, but to turn into a giant InuYōkai? There was simply no way. "If you don't believe me, look at Inuyasha. Despite sharing the same father as Sesshōmaru-sama, his transformation was never complete!"
Setsuna shrugged. "I don't know... She was very excited to show you." Looking dejected, she added, "I can tell her you don't believe her..."
Jaken suddenly felt a rush of sympathy run through him. Perhaps he had always been too hard on their education, and the little girl felt the need to prove her worth... Ah. Jaken could understand her. Being surrounded by extremely powerful people - like Sesshōmaru-sama, Inuyasha... himself - could certainly be daunting. "Poor thing." It would be extremely unkind not to humor her, he supposed... and Jaken was nothing but kindness personified!
"All right, all right! Bring her in. Let's see what she's got." Jaken started mentally preparing himself to comfort the child later, when her demonstration failed.
Setsuna appeared shortly after, with Towa in tow. For the trick to work, Setsuna would have to be the one throwing the smoke bomb, without Jaken noticing her... but that was going to be easy, apparently, for Jaken was looking at Towa, focused, eyes strangely moist.
Shooting a glance at Setsuna, Towa winked, and her sister threw the smoke bomb near Towa's feet, making a cloud of smoke that made her disappear from sight.
In the ground, just in the same place Towa had been mere seconds ago... was an adorable white puppy.
Jaken stared at the pup, utterly stunned. He couldn't believe his eyes. She did it. She actually did it! True, it was not the enormity of a dog her father and grandmother could turn into... but it was a dog nonetheless! And a very cute one at that! Oh! Just wait until Sesshōmaru-sama and Rin came back! And this happened on the day - the one day! - that they left Jaken completely in charge. Oh, how he would be praised when they returned! Perhaps this would be enough to finally grant him that great position in Sesshōmaru's future Empire!
Lost in his daydream, Jaken didn't notice young Setsuna carefully studying him. Satisfied with Jaken's expression, Setsuna moved her left hand slowly behind her back and made a gesture of victory. Hidden in the bushes, Towa grinned.
Their plan was a complete success.