Fic for the prompt 3 of Watson woes: “From Gods, Heroes and Pirates.”

[ariadne_chan]

Title: “From Gods, Heroes and Pirates.”
Author: ariadnechan
Rating: G.
Fandom: Sherlock BBC
Characters: Sherlock Holmes and John Watson
Summary: John was an educated and brave man who didn’t look for an outsider comfort. There must be a trick in Religion that let a person like John Watson, a conductor of light in a dark world, fall for it. This would be a scientific study for the ages, The Improbability of Religion and Doctor John Watson.
Warnings: Not Sherlock or John are really religious persons on here so I hope if you are you don’t mind. Hindu religion is beautiful I hope no one felt hurt with this fiction.
Word Count: 740 approx.
Author's Notes: watsons_woes Prompt #3:
Sacred spaces: Incorporate the religion or philosophy of your choice into today's story, in whatever manner you choose.

Beta: my wonderful friend trista_zevkia




Sherlock didn’t count himself as a religious person. He thought that he would never fall for a trap like that. Religion, after all, was a comfort for the weak and illogical, uneducated masses.


Faced with John’s ‘God let me live’ Sherlock had been speechless. John was an educated and brave man who didn’t look for an outsider comfort. There must be a trick in Religion that let a person like John Watson, a conductor of light in a dark world, fall for it. This would be a scientific study for the ages, The Improbability of Religion and Doctor John Watson.


This was not a pressing study, as it involved as singular an individual, so Sherlock from time to time asked a couple of questions about it to John and other people around him.


John owned a religious Hindu book The Ramayana. So Sherlock decided to read it, and found it was bed time stories for kids. It was about a hero expelled from his kingdom for fourteen years. He went into the jungle with his wife and brother to live as a monk. Without aid he confronted the demons who lived nearby. He had finally lead a war against the demons after they had kidnapped his wife. The demons all had supernatural powers and he fought only with monkeys, yet he returned triumphant. After annihilation of the demon king he reclaimed his throne, with his wife, brother, and his monkeys. The idea of a religion that worshiped a conqueror was strange.


Digging around more Sherlock found that John also owned the Mahabharata. This was a short book about another ancient war at India. The hero about to fight against his enemies, but confused about if he must kill part of his extended family who was on the side of the enemy or not. The entire story is about Krishna, the Master, teaching Hinduism to Arjuna, the hero, and how he must fight because it is his duty to exterminate evil.


For a generally peaceful people, Hindu had a lot of war in its religion. And John own entire books about it, about Krishna as a child and other things as well.


Sherlock wondered if John was Hindu. But in that case why he was not a vegetarian? And Sherlock never had seen John meditating or singing or things like that.


One day he decided to ask. “John?”


Interrupted, John nodded while still reading his book.


“John, are you a follower of the Hindu religion?” Sherlock said with little inflection; he didn’t want John to know how much he wanted to know.


“No. Why are you asking about Hindu religion all of a sudden?” John asked, looking at Sherlock a little perplexed.


“No reason really, but I had noticed that you favored those kinds of religious books in your collection.” Sherlock tried to look interested in the paper that he was not reading.


“Oh, those are my mother books. She was some sort of almost hippie, you know. There’s not really such a thing as a British hippie, but I suppose my mother was close to being one. She left school to study art, and then came back. Studied to be a Spanish teacher and had all these strange ideas about upbringing. She sang to us in other languages as babies, I still remember “Era una gotita.” Also she was a religion tourist; she changed sects and religions like you change your socks. As a child I loved her stories about heroes, demons, monkeys who can fly long distances, gods and all.”


“So when she passed away I ask for her Hindu books as a memento, Harry has her paintings.” John got a smile or two while lost in remembrance, and Sherlock found it fascinating.


Sherlock could understand that John found these stories inspiring as a child, making John want to be a war hero. Sherlock could imagine little John listen with unfading attention to his mother’s tales.


“That sound like a very interesting and fun childhood to remember. Mine was lonelier, but I used to fancy myself a pirate when very little.” Sherlock thought it was polite to share, and he smiled.


John smiled with him. “What a pair we could have been?” He started to laugh and Sherlock felt warmer as he laughed too.


Maybe religion was not as dull as he thought if could bring people together. Heroes, pirates, and childhood dreams were religious in their own way after all.


Note: “Una Gotita” exists and is a Spanish song from the 70’s.”