Me: Sorry, ff is being a douche, I can barely get on right now, but rather than being a good girl and updating Bite as I should be, I'm updating my baby. That's why this is going so slowly by the way, this story is my baby, and I refuse to write on it unless I can do it justice.

Edo: Look, you're sentimental we get it. But for Kami's sake woman, just write the story.

Miroku: Agreed, I'd like to be in this at some point.

Kagome: Frankly I just don't want anybody thinking I'm a prostitute.

Me: Fine, I own nothing.


"And so, you shall treat my intended with every respect you show me, as well as the same diligence in service. That is all."

And with that Sesshomaru made a small hand gesture and swept from the room, leaving the two demons behind him to lift the carefully designed liter, marching after him with Edo gripping discreetly to the side of his now sloshy pool. It had taken him approximately fifteen seconds to decide he hated this portable water…thing. It was cumbersome and it was shallow so that water wouldn't be splashed all over, which made it far too dry, and frankly, ningyo were not fond at all of being in the air.

"Here is fine."
"Hai Sesshomaru-sama. Good day Edo-sama"

And with that Edo was placed on the ground to sit irritatingly appropriately while the guards closed the door.

"Shall I lift you out, or just tip it over?"

"If you tip me over, I will crawl out of my pool, into your mat, in the night, and cut your hair off."

That awful smile. That little 'truly?' smile. Oh hoho, he was going to get it.

"The sooner I get you back into your pool the sooner I can come in after you." Sesshomaru's smile widened and became…..More.

"Just lift me out and be done with it, I forgive you for being testy when dealing with the demons by the way, I now understand."

"Oh, but as my intended, you'll need to deal with it forever now." Sesshomaru teased, lifting Edo from the pool, and walking fully clothed with him into the actual pool. "Ah, my formal intended, you look much better drenched to the skin."

Edo squirmed, tugging at the irritating kimono he'd been forced into. It was pretty, he supposed, blues and slivers, the blue fashioned to look like the ice crystals of the north, it was light, and very soft, and utterly infuriating to wear over dry skin. Now he felt like he was drowning in it as it was weighed down by water, clinging to his arms and torso. All he could really do was growl at it, as it was far too nice to be torn apart, and his fingers were too long to undo the obi himself without doing just that.

"Are you trapped, little one?"

"Bastard."

"I'll help you if you help me…" The sentence ended in a purr as the taiyouki pressed his face into the crook of the ningyo's neck, slowly letting the flavor sink into his tongue, as his hands fluttered around the sides of Edo's fins, not close enough to where he needed them, but so infuriatingly close that he needed to squirm and wriggle, wordlessly begging.

"Yes. Whatever you….want, help….you…touch….please."

Sesshomaru grinned into Edo's neck, delicately sliding a hand up to loosen the obi fastening the kimono to Edo's waist, (allowing the tails to fall around the fin) and helping him discard the now sopping material. The ningyo was having trouble communicating now, which was usually a good thing, rarely was Edo's lust so great that he couldn't handle full sentences.

Edo whined, high pitched as he leaned back and those wonderful fingers began a slow rub against his vent. He squirmed just a bit more before reaching out and looping his fingers through Sesshomaru's clothing as well, leaning back in to lay against the revealed chest.

"Hmmm, move so I can remove the rest?" Sesshomaru rumbled as he placed his drenched kimono next to Edo's on the grey stone next to the pool.

Edo whimpered, but moved. Sesshomaru wasted no time in removing his silk hakama, obi and then the thoroughly drenched boots from his person, and leaning back against the stone edge of the pool, Edo was back on him almost instantly, sweeping his scales carefully against a welcome addition to the water, enjoying the color raise softly into Sesshomaru's face.

"Hmmm, you're truly a being of magic my dear." The taiyouki rumbled, pushing the ningyo away, ignoring the confused look. He reached over to a small bowl under a light rock outcropping in the side of the pool, glad that the place remained dry, and sweeping his fingers through the fragrant oil within.

"Come here, sweet."

Edo shifted to place a kiss on the taiyouki's lips, as Sesshomaru pushed him away slightly and tuned the fin with his non-oiled hand. He stopped the awkward shuffling when Edo's head lay against his shoulder and the ningyo's back lay the length of his chest, fin slightly raised by the buoyant water, as well as the taiyouki's legs.

Sesshomaru moved his head to the side, lips lightly touching one long pointed ear. "I think you'll enjoy this, love. By your leave?"

Edo would have cocked his head if he didn't feel like movement would make him fly into a million pieces, Sesshomaru was getting very sweet, using pet names and endearments instead of his name or species, he had no idea what the oil was for, they'd never needed it for their encounters before, with Sesshomaru falling into courting mode, he'd just assume that it was a treat, much like whatever his lover wanted now.

"You know we cannot…"

"There are other ways."

"…okay, whatever you feel like, I'm curious."

Sesshomaru placed a firm kiss on Edo's jawline. "I figured."

Sesshomaru, gently slid one hand down to toy with the swelling vent, causing the ningyo to chirp, and blush harder than before, then slid the oiled had slightly lower to…..He'd never needed oil for that before…

Slowly coaxing the muscle to give way, Sesshomaru slid one long finger into the new opening, slowly….Edo absently twisted his fin slightly to rub the soft scales on the back of his fin against his lovers need, he was rewarded with a slow hiss. All the while Edo wondered what exactly Sesshomaru was doing, until it felt weird.

Arching the fin slightly when he felt his lover go deep, another finger following, never this deep before, he thought detachedly, never sure if….

And then it was three fingers, a hand still absently toying with his vent, firm hard strokes into his body and light touches on the swelling…..His head slid back over Sesshomaru's shoulder, a long slow keen sliding from between his lips, his long fin thrashing in the water, upsetting the surface and drenching everything nearby. The keen grew higher pitched, he could feel soft laughter in his ears, as his intended began to nip his neck, lapping up any blood that was drawn.

Finally he felt Sesshomaru still as a liquid heat flooded underneath him, and then with the sound of his mind breaking, he felt himself fall apart, the world fading into blackness.


"Are you okay?" He looked worried…why was he worried.

"Edo?"

"Mmmmm?"

"Oh, thank Kami, you've been out for a while."

"Huh?"

"You…fell unconscious after our….activities."

Edo stopped to wrack his brain. He was laying on his side, in the shallow ledge area of his pool, Sesshomaru laying, holding him against him, they were covered in a nice blanket, made by an elder demon friend of Inutaisho's for a name day of Edo's somewhere in the past, waterproof naturally, he'd even gotten pillows. He felt oddly boneless, which wasn't abnormal, Sesshomaru was, as far as he knew, a very creative and skilled lover. But rather than the pleasant tingling he usually felt in his fin after their play, he felt a pleasant and deep ache. It was wonderful. He couldn't wait until they found the third if this is what one clawed hand could do.

"It was wonderful, ignore that moment of weakness please."

"Oh, I don't think I will. I think I'll hold that close for the rest of my life."

Edo huffed at him and slid back into dreamland.


The water was red, it was iron-ey..It was oddly arousing and tasty smelling, but Edo was more worried about Sesshomaru's leg. It had been cut open by some piss-ant demonling while his intended had been on patrol. Slowly Edo coaxed the skin and muscle to knit together.

"You are getting very good at this, you are already a better healer than most in the palace."

Edo blushed. He was, but it wasn't like he'd ever get the chance to put it to use. He was just glad that rather than the standard ningyo powers, ice and water, he'd manifested healing from the water as well. Maybe someday…If his old tutor was right, he'd have legs on occasion, then maybe he wouldn't be relegated to a stream while his intended ran into the woods to check something out.

"All done, go-"

"Easy on it, it's still tender?"

Edo glared, Sesshomaru smiled.

Edo liked being alone with Sesshomaru, he was cold and indifferent to his subjects and any others, with him, he was happy, and soft, and sweet, and just a bit mischievous.

"I'm going to look for Tetsuaiga."

"WHAT?!"

"I can use it, to defend you, myself, anybody really, do you think Inuyasha would be able to?"

"Maybe, if you taught him?"

"I'm going. My father left me a useless sword to defend his claim. I need a stronger one to defend what I have, and will acquire."

"But…It's supposed to be his."

"And I suppose he has a reason to need it? I suppose Inuyasha has the energy to even work with Tetsuaiga?"

"Maybe not."

"Then I'm going."

"Fine, I will as well. Ditch me in a lake nearby, with STREAMS thank you very much. And you'll come back for me once you have it. And you will not kill him."

"I might kill him."

"No."

"He is the reason your adopted father is dead."

"I….no he is not. he is not. is he?"

'Indirectly, but, I'll not make any overt attempts on him."

Edo squirmed, but reluctantly agreed.


Sesshomaru was very very late. Edo fretted, doing yet another lap in the lake. He was VERY VERY LATE. Several days in fact. He'd gone to confront his brother, but hadn't returned. Edo felt sick, surely Inuyasha wasn't strong enough to hurt him? He had felt horrible pain the day before last, but…..Sesshomaru got hurt all of the time….Perhaps he'd simply gotten lost? Maybe he'd listed to that moronic toad Jaken and gotten lost…Yes….yesyesyesyesyes he's just gotten lost…lostlostlostlostlost. He'd go find him. Yup. Find him.

Focusing carefully Edo launched himself against the current and began to swim upstream of one of the streams, he'd follow it until he found his poor intended. And then he'd heal him if he was hurt. Then he'd lengthen his fin into the water dragon he could be, wrap him in his coils and never let that foolish man leave his sight again.

The scenery passed in a liquid blur, Edo no longer really saw or smelled anything, it was mainly sheer luck that he wasn't banging off the sides of the rivers and streams. In truth he wasn't even sure where he was anymore, which direction he was going, he wasn't getting close enough.

On the fifth waterway he tried, the tangy scent and taste of blood touched his face. Launching himself into the current with a vengeance, blindly charging at the scent. It wasn't until he got close enough to actually see the object of his panic that he knew in all actuality that it wasn't Sesshomaru. He'd known it wasn't, if he was honest with himself. Whoever it was, was bleeding from the torso, some of the blood was flowing into the river, the head halfway into the water, black hair being pulled one direction, as well as what appeared to be a sleeve.

Coming somewhat out of his hysteria, Edo managed to muster up some modicum of concern, though most of him simply wanted to leave, continue swimming, and find his intended. That large vocal part of him was fully willing to let this ningen bleed and die as was his due. The other, miniscule part of him, the part that Inutaisho had nurtured, the part that his tutors had hammered home, the part that Akimitsu would have hoped for, understood simultaneously that he couldn't let a visitor or citizen of the Western Lands die so callously, and that he couldn't just wander around ignoring other creatures suffering at all times.

Mentally steeling himself to at least look at the damaged ningen, and not rip his throat out with his fangs to remove the obstacle in his search, Edo swam the short distance to the surface.

It appeared to be a houshi. He wore black and purple robes, he wielded a long golden staff. And one of his hands was odd smelling and loosely covered, though the hand showed faint signs of usually being tightly bound. He had….minor injuries….for a standard demon. Unfortunately, being a ningen, he was bleeding out.

Tucking his head underwater for a breath, just in case, Edo then wearily crawled onto the slick grass, disliking every second of crawling through ningen blood. They just didn't smell right. Something told him to leave the hand alone for now, so the ningyo peeled back some of the shredded robe and began to pour energy into the wounds, part of him hoping that his power wouldn't kill the ningen, the rest not giving a damn.

The ningen was lucky, and he healed quickly. Much more quickly than Sesshomaru, was it the poison? Or simply the demonic physiology?

Soon the ningen stopped bleeding, Edo leaned over and tucked an arm behind the ningen, and began to slide him to the side, as Edo wriggled like an inept snake to lay beside him, mainly to get him out of the Kami damned river. When there was finally and Edo buffer between the Houshi and the river, the ningyo decided to investigate the hand. He was finding it harder to focus on his hunt now that he was slathered in another man's blood. He'd never be able to work out how anybody found this enjoyable, he found it sticky and wet in unnatural ways, and very itchy when dried.

Looking closely the ningyo noticed a little cut on the hand covered by the cloth, but when he reached to remove the cloth, the hand pulsed like it had an aura of its own. It had its own scent, and it was utterly vile. Baring his fangs in disgust, Edo lowered his hand to the ningens again, ignoring the positively nauseating pulse of energy, and let his energy go again, he saw the visible injury vanish, and even felt what seemed like the slight closing of a larger wound, but whatever it was, it made Edo sick to his stomach, and the man wasn't bleeding, so his duty was done.

"Mmmmph."

Edo decided that whatever spirit was watching him had a serious attitude problem.

"Oh. Why hello."

Edo really didn't understand his tone of voice. It was almost, flirtatious? He was a half man half sea creature demon, covered in blood and glaring, and the Houshi was flirting? Ningen were weird. Bad weird.

Suddenly he felt a slight touch on the back of his fin. Apparently he realized this at approximately the time that the Houshi realized, one, that he was groping scales, two, said scaled being wasn't responding, and three, said unresponsive scaled being was male.

Edo's eyes bled blue as he snarled, raising on his fin to curl his hands into deadly claws.

"I'm truly sorry, my good man! I was delirious, I've been injured you see!" The monk rushed out, touching the torn fabric to show the creature in front of him, and finding only unblemished flesh.

Edo noticed that the monk had immediately wrapped the odd hand up.

"I…I..I was injured."

"This one knows." Edo offered warily, it was true that the Houshi had grabbed him inappropriately, but he had lost a great deal of blood. He was possibly delirious.

"Oh. Then do you know who healed me? A beautiful maiden, perhaps?"

"Do those walk through the forest with regularity?"

"I can only hope!" Then the Houshi became serious "I imagine you were the one to heal me then."

"Your imagination is accurate."

"Then please, my name is Miroku, I'm a Houshi by trade, is there anything I can offer? I live a meager existence, but what I have is yours."

"This one needs nothing."

"Okay then. Might I know your name?"

"You might. Though this one would be surprised."

"Ah, not a talker eh? And a noble? Your speech betrays you."

Edo was becoming thoroughly bored of this human. "This one is called Edo. This Edo has more pressing matters ningen. Is there anything else?"

"Eh? Ah, no, My Lord. Please, I'll take no more of your time. I thank you again for the healing."

"Hn. This one would tell you to take care of that disgusting hand, it has a foul aura."

And with that, Edo flipped leisurely into the river and began his race anew.


When Sesshomaru woke for the first time in days, he felt, for lack of a better term, crusty. The blood of his severed arm had congealed over most of the left side of his body, cracking and flaking when he tried to move. His father's fang inflicting more pain than that of a standard sword. In short, he hurt. He managed to bring up his right hand to scrape at the blood caking his face, and set to work slowly, painfully peeling the dried blood from his body, then he settled back to rest, allowing his mind to wander, mainly, allowing his mind to tie itself into knots worrying about the ningyo he'd left in a lake an unidentifiable time ago. Edo was probably beside himself. When he could move, he would find a decent stream or river to help out.

When Sesshomaru woke again it was because there was something nearby. Food. Water. A little girl. And he made it his mission to make her leave him alone over the next few days. Until she turned up bruised. Sesshomaru didn't think he'd been this angry before in regards to a human, for a moment he toyed with the idea of taking the girl with him when he left. Edo would be pleased, she seemed sweet and determined. She didn't even smell bad for a ningen. Almost with a scent of regret, Sesshomaru acknowledged that the child had a family, and that his ideas for a family would wait.


"What do you mean, gone!?" Jun snarled, fangs on full display, eyes red and reptilian voice lowered to a deadly hiss.

"Begone, snake!" The wolf growled "Whatever deal you made with our Alpha doesn't matter now that Koga is in charge! And Koga and most of the pack are out right now!"

"Koga? That little upstart?"

"Don't you dare insult Koga! Snake, I'll peel off your skin and make a chew toy for the pup-!"

The wolf looked down at the clawed hand in his abdomen. Jun wasn't a fond of quick deaths when the victim was chronically stupid. So he crushed the stomach let the acid pour in, retrieved his arm, and simply leapt from the cliff. Leaving the clan of wolves, and an unfortunate soon to be corpse on the edge.

"Urgh, leave for a few hundred years and the whole pack hierarchy changes. Fucking wolves."

Eventually finding himself several miles away, watching the sun set. Maybe he'd just wander around for a while. Maybe he'd just go to the west and work under Lord Sesshomaru's banner. Maybe maybe maybe if if if.


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