�Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.�

--from William Shakespeare�s Julius Caesar--

�Lord Sesshoumaru! Look what I found!�

The called taiyoukai turned his head to the young girl of seven years. He said nothing, but waited for Rin to show him her discovery.

�Look!� she gasped in awe, although she already knew what she held in her grimy hands.

Sesshoumaru calmly looked down, seeing the small rock in her palms, although it took up hardly any space there. The rock, he admitted to himself, was peculiar, shaped like a star, although there was a small hole in the middle of it. It was delicately painted a dark blue color, the strokes of the brush undistinguishable.

Sesshoumaru held back a small gasp as he recognized the general insignia: it was an exact replica of the symbol on that mermaid's forehead, the one from the night before.

The mermaid� Even now, past midday, just hours after he saw her, he couldn�t get her out of his mind. There was something about her that he couldn�t pinpoint, and this frustrated him immensely. He wasn�t used to being confused, and he hated the feeling.

He was still wary, though, as he tried to convince himself that his sudden attraction to the mermaid was due to some sort of spell she cast on him. But could mermaids cast spells at all? And if they could, why did she cast one on him? Did this have anything to do with that strange barrier?

Speaking of the barrier, he was even more frustrated when, just hours after he left, he attempted to go back through it to see her again. Instead of letting him in, however, nothing happened at all. He merely walked straight into the clearing as though a barrier had not even existed. Did the barrier suddenly disappear because of his intrusion? Or was he not allowed back in after that one glimpse?

Whatever the reason, he vowed to make camp here in the clearing, even just for the time being. He would mask his scent so Inuyasha could not sense him there, and he would force his wards to remain here with him until he found out if he could visit through the barrier that night, as he planned before he left the mermaid to come back here.

�Isn�t it pretty, Lord Sesshoumaru?�

Rin�s voice brought his thoughts to an end, which he was thankful for. He didn�t want to think about this mystery anymore. He didn�t want to think about her anymore; he didn�t think he could handle it.

�Hai, Rin,� he answered the young girl.

�I�m going to put it on a string and make it into a necklace, right, Master Jaken?� She turned and smiled at the imp, who lay on the ground motionlessly, for Rin, in her excitement of her discovery, ran right over him on her way to see Sesshoumaru.

Jaken groaned, �Hai��

She grinned happily. �That�s right! I�m going to rip a big piece of thread from my kimono and put the stone through it, and I�ll wear it every single day!� She giggled and ran back into the forest with joy, again stepping on Jaken�s face.

Sesshoumaru watched her run away, nearly allowing himself to smile at her innocence. The thought stopped, however, when he realized what effect her homemade necklace would have on him.

Rin would, most likely, be traveling with him for a long while, and if she kept true to her word and wore that necklace every day, Sesshoumaru would be forced to look at it. That wasn�t a bad thing, exactly, but it didn�t comfort him to know that every time he saw it, he would be reminded of the mermaid he saw last night.

And he couldn�t afford that. He didn�t know how long he could stand the thought of her running�swimming�through his mind.

Even now he couldn�t believe the enormous amount of beauty she held in just a single characteristic. She was astounding, her radiance striking him with awe as he watched her swim gracefully. She would lean on that rock in the middle of the lake, holding a hand to her creamy stomach as she caught her breath after dancing in the water. Even that simple act made Sesshoumaru burn with a desire he did not understand.

Was it her beauty that lured him in? Was it her grace? Or was it just the fact that he had never seen a mermaid before, and he was just amazed at his findings? Or�was it none of the above? What was it that caused such stirrings in his chest, not allowing him to look away from her magnificence? Could it be that confounded spell he tried to believe she cast on him?

He mentally shook his head. He kept bringing up some sort of spell she could have used, be it willingly or not, but he was angry at himself for jumping to conclusions, something he rarely did. He refused to believe what he tried to convince himself, at least, he wouldn�t believe it until he knew for sure whether mermaids could cast spells or not. But who would know of such information that he had never found in any book or scroll?

�Inuyasha! Master Inuyasha!�

Sesshoumaru looked up from his spot under a tree. He saw a tiny speck hopping his way, and he immediately knew it was his chance to gain some information on the mermaid he saw.

From his sitting position, Sesshoumaru watched as the youkai bounced closer to him, amused with the fact that he did not notice the deadly taiyoukai beneath the tree. After another few hops from the flea, Sesshoumaru held his hand out and caught the bug effortlessly, squeezing his hand tight, as well as his catch, in the process.

�Nice catch, Lord Sesshoumaru!� Rin praised him.

He did not turn to her, but kept his gaze on his clenched fist. Moments later, a head popped out from the top of it, the flea�s eyes growing wide with recognition at the taiyoukai before him.

�Lord S-Sesshoumaru!� he squeaked. �Hehe�it�s been a while, hasn�t it? Um�� He cleared his throat nervously. �What brings you here?� He chuckled anxiously, cowering as much as he could, as he was still stuck in Sesshoumaru�s fist.

He stared down at the youkai in his hand. �Myouga, I have some questions for you.�

The said flea nervously twitched. �Eh�questions, you say?�

Sesshoumaru looked at him sternly. �Tell me, what do you know about mermaids?�

Myouga paused in his struggles, staring up at the lord with large eyes. �Mermaids? I know plenty information of that kind, but what has interested you enough to ask of them?�

He squeezed his fist tighter, making the flea squeal. �Answer my question.�

�What�what is it you want to know of them?�

He paused, thinking of his question, although he already knew what his number one concern was. �Tell me�do mermaids have the ability of casting spells of any sort? Are there abilities they contain that can affect those not of that blood?�

Myouga did not even hesitate to answer, a sign saying that he knew facts of what Sesshoumaru wished to hear. �Ano, mermaids � or any merpeople, at that � cannot perform spells, despite the magical blood in their veins. The magic they can perform is not based on spells or incantations, and they can only be done when they are completely submerged underwater. The magic they use is basically in forms of plants they grow in their underwater kingdoms that can emit desired affects, depending on the plant.

�There is also some magic merpeople can perform, also underwater, but it is not necessarily harmful. They sing with beautiful voices to lull another to sleep, but only if they so desire it. Above water, their voices sound just as lovely, but sleep cannot become of such; it is a only a siren's voice that can be deadly and lead to one's demise.

�Mermaid�s (not mermen�s) fingers also contain some magic within them, but I cannot think of a harmful thing this could cause, so I do not understand if this could concern you. When a mermaid�s fingers touch the surface of water, if they so desire, they can trace colorful images within it, but nothing more; a merman's eyes, though, can be telepathic if they are educated enough. However, this is all a mermaid can do with magic.

�So tell me, Lord Sesshoumaru, what could have possibly concerned you so much to ask this ungrateful flea about a mermaid�s magic when none of it is dangerous?�

Sesshoumaru did not respond, but merely stared at the captured flea. Mermaids could not perform spells, at least none that would seduce a man � or demon, in this case � to fall for them. So why was it that he was yearning for this mermaid so intensely?

�Myouga,� he drawled, �what do you know of a mermaid�s beauty?�

Myouga lit up at the question, ignoring the obvious change of subject. �A mermaid is said to be the most beautiful of species, even more so than a demon. No merperson looks alike, and twins are nonexistent in such a species; however, each merperson contains an indescribable beauty.�

�Then,� Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, �is it possible for a man to be so overwhelmed by such beauty than they become obsessed with it?�

�My lord,� Jaken spoke up, �what is causing such questions?�

Sesshoumaru glared at him, causing him to squirm obviously, before he turned back to stare at Myouga, waiting for an answer.

�Ano�� the flea chuckled as he hesitated, confused as to why Sesshoumaru became so sensitive at the questions he received. �A mermaid is not like gold to a man, and her beauty would have nothing to do with such greed, at most times. If a man should fall for a mermaid, it would be of his own accord, not of the mermaid�s. However, it is possible that a man could be attracted by such beauty, but, like how it would be between a regular man and woman, love cannot suddenly become of such an attraction, more or less.� Myouga raised an eyebrow. �Sesshoumaru, is it possible that you have seen a mermaid and became attracted to her?�

Sesshoumaru growled, controlling his inner youkai so his eyes would not glow red; such an action would be a dead giveaway. �This Sesshoumaru would never do such a thing. I was unaware mermaids actually did exist outside of a man�s fantasy,� he lied.

Myouga sighed. �I see� Now then, if that is all of your questions, I would very much like to be released now--�

All his questions? Of course it wasn�t, but Sesshoumaru refused to admit it to this lowlife flea. He learned what he needed to know the most, although he was not exactly thrilled about it. All he learned was that it was his own fault for being so absorbed into the beauty of that mermaid from last night. That, and he must�ve seen the most beautiful mermaid in the world, for he couldn�t possibly imagine a beauty as great as her own�

Sesshoumaru squeezed his hand tighter around the flea. �Before I release you, you must swear to never speak of this again.� His eyes darted to his wards. �You as well.� He turned back to the youkai in his fist. �Do we understand?�

Myouga, Jaken, and Rin all nodded ferociously in unison. �Hai, Sesshoumaru,� Myouga squeaked. �Now if you�ll excuse me�I must get to Master Inuyasha--�

Sesshoumaru said no more, but he gave a final squeeze to the flea before dropping him to the ground. Immediately, Myouga fled, hopping to the village faster than he was before.

Sesshoumaru watched him disappear from the corner of his eye. He wasn�t sure if this interrogation made him feel any better, but at least he had answers now.

And if all went well, he would get even more tonight.

He couldn�t wait.

�Inuyasha! Master Inuyasha!�

Kagome turned away from Shippou, who was munching on some strawberry Pocky happily. �Myouga?�

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow irritatingly. �Myouga?�

The flea leaped onto Inuyasha�s shoulder joyously. �Master Inuyasha! It�s fantastic seeing you again!� He leaned in to suck the hanyou's neck for the familiar bloody taste, but the inu-youkai wouldn�t stand for it. He raised his hand and smacked Myouga, ramming the flea into his neck and halting his bloodthirsty plans, no pun intended.

�Yeah, yeah, old man,� Inuyasha groaned lazily. �What brings you here? Coming to warn us about some kind of danger that you refuse to confront yourself?�

The bug youkai blushed with embarrassment at the assumption. �How dare you accuse me of such insolence! I am only a common flea!�

�Then what are you doing here?� Miroku asked, suspicious.

Myouga caught the look. �Hey! Can�t I just come and visit my dear friends every once in a while?�

�Give me a break!� Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

�Come on, Inuyasha,� Kagome sighed, although not convinced at all by Myouga. �I�m sure he does feel like just visiting every once in a while.� It was clear that her chuckle was forced through clenched teeth as she watched Myouga. ��Right?�

He scoffed. �Of course! I passed by Sango and Kirara just yesterday, and Sango told me she was going home for a while, so I decided to come visit the rest of you, as it seems like you�re on a bit of a vacation--�

�So,� Miroku assumed, �you�re �visiting� us because it's safe, and you'll be staying with us until some danger comes along, right?�

This time Myouga hesitated to answer. Not sure what to say, he hopped off of Inuyasha�s shoulder and onto Shippou�s head. �No one trusts an old man these days�� he muttered to himself.

Kagome sighed, her bipolar temper settling in. �How can we, with an attitude like yours?�

�Hey,� he cried, �what's that supposed to mean?�

Inuyasha leaned forward, complaining loudly and directly in Myouga's face. �It means that you need to become more responsible and mature, you damn pest!�

�You're one to talk,� Shippou muttered, crossing his arms, but Inuyasha naturally overheard.

�You wanna say that again, you lousy fur ball?�

�Osuwari!�

Thump!

�Wench, what was that for?�

Kagome sighed, easily irritated. �I might as well have said it now. In the end, I was going to make you eat dirt anyway.� She narrowed her eyes at him. �Why can't you ever leave Shippou alone, Inuyasha? He's just a child!�

He humphed. �He's a no-good annoying little twerp, is what he is!�

�Osuwari!�

Bang!

�Kagome!�

�Now look what you've started, Myouga!� Shippou accused the flea atop his red hair, still chomping on his Pocky stick.

�Why's it my fault? I just came to visit!� he protested.

�Kagome, if you say that word one more time--�

�Osuwari!�

Crash!

Miroku sighed to himself, his hand up before his nose in a peaceful position. �I need new friends.�

It was nighttime again, and Sesshoumaru paced back and forth with anticipation. So far, the barrier continued to refuse his entrance, and he glared at the area in which the barrier opened for him the night before. He came to the idea that perhaps the barrier would only open at a certain time each night� or not at all, but he was not satisfied by the thought of that result� so he waited even longer to see what would happen.

He looked up at the moon to check the time, finding that it was nearly midnight. Impatient, he stopped his pacing and turned to his wards.

�Come,� was all he commanded them before walking away, deeper into the forest.

Rin followed, leaving Jaken to tend to Ah-Uhn. �Lord Sesshoumaru, where are we going?�

Like usual, he did not answer, but he continued to walk. Maybe his wards were the ones not welcome near the barrier, so he was leading them away as far as he could before he could return to the clearing. It was worth a try, wasn�t it?

He led the others to another clearing not too far off, but a good ten-minute walk away. Along the journey there, Jaken and Rin had begun to bicker as the imp scolded her for asking Sesshoumaru where they were going and why they just left after sitting there the whole day; Sesshoumaru just threw a glare back at Jaken, shutting him up and causing Rin to giggle and continue her picking of flowers along the path.

They arrived at the next clearing, Rin still with a large grin on her face, and Jaken with a scowl. Sesshoumaru paid no attention to this, for his mind was focused on something � or someone � else. If things worked out well with that confounded barrier, he would be able to see her again.

After that interrogation with Myouga, he continued to scold himself for falling for her beauty like some mere mortal man. He could control the evil in the Toukijin, but he couldn�t control the thumping in his heart as he watched or thought about the mermaid.

All the same, he couldn�t help but be impatient. He wanted to see her again, and he had no idea why. He wanted to watch her bathe herself with the lake water as she swam elegantly. But more than anything else, he wanted to confront her.

But he couldn�t do it, and he was disappointed in himself for his lack of confidence he usually had. He was nervous, yes, but he was also � dare he say it � scared.

He was scared that if he confronted her, she would frown at him and tell him that there was a mistake; that the barrier wasn�t supposed to let him in. He was scared that she wouldn�t be all that she seemed to be, with a bad attitude or a hatred for demons.

But mostly, he was scared that she would be kind.

If she was as perfect as he imagined her to be, it would be worse, for he knew he could never stop thinking about her for the rest of his days if she turned out to be so entirely idealistic; and it would be even worse if she turned out to be taken by another, most likely a merman, something he was not; or if she wasn�t taken, but she told him that he was not the one she wanted, that she was waiting for a different �certain someone� to come for her. But if she was kind throughout any of these possibilities, it would be harder for him to hate her like he would want to.

How in Kami-sama�s name would he ever forget about her then? As if his constant thoughts of her already weren�t annoying enough�

Sesshoumaru couldn�t take it anymore. Even thinking negatively about her or what could possibly happen was driving him towards her. He wanted to see her again, and soon.

His impatience again overcoming him, he threw his Toukijin on the ground next to Ah-Uhn, not bothering to give the warning he gave yesterday, for the others were sure to know not to touch it.

�Stay here.�

Rin and Jaken stared at their departing master, but they followed his orders and stayed put.

Sesshoumaru looked up at the moon hastily, checking the time to see how much time had passed.

Good, he thought, just past midnight.

He shook his head, unable to continue walking at the slow pace he usual walked at. This was no moment to take his time! Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, determined, and he broke off into a sprint back in the direction he came. The run seemed to help him calm himself down slightly, and he arrived at the first clearing within a few mere minutes. With his demon reflexes, his sprint halted sharply, which didn�t faze him in the slightest.

Staring at the space where the barrier would be standing, Sesshoumaru began to become nervous, something he had never remembered feeling before, and because of it, he had an even worse case of anxiety that affected him greatly� although he refused to show it, even though no one was here.

He could sense the barrier again.

He wanted to smirk to himself for coming to the conclusion that it was Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Uhn who weren�t allowed at the barrier, but he was too nervous to do so. Gathering up his excessive amount of courage, Sesshoumaru took a step toward the barrier, which again formed an entryway for him to enter through.

He took a deep breath through his nose before walking, seemingly calm, into the barrier.

Again he found himself far behind lush green trees. He took more steps� too many, in his opinion � until he heard a splash larger than the one he heard last night. Inching his way closer, he leaned against the same large tree as before, moving his head to the side to see the mermaid he came for.

But he couldn�t see her.

Where was she?

He grew frustrated, at what, he was not sure, but he rushed here to see this girl, and now she was gone. Was that splash even caused by her at all, or by another merperson from underwater?

Sesshoumaru�s thoughts halted as he watched a picturesque maiden emerge from the water, her soft dark hair flinging back over her head and onto her back, seemingly dry and not wet. The glitter on her body shimmered brilliantly, the moonlight bathing around her, adding to the effect.

It was her: the mermaid.

Sesshoumaru�s thoughts were wiped out as he lost focus on all but her. Her beauty stunned him, and he froze. He had waited all day to see her and again skipped another chance at swiping the Tetsusaiga; and all for her, and she still didn�t even know he existed.

That shall all change tonight, he assured himself.

But he couldn�t be so sure. He was still so�terrified by the beauty, even more so now than before as he watched her swim on her back, her hands beneath her head.

But Sesshoumaru persuaded himself. He would speak to her today, and she would know of his existence. He would make sure that she thought of him long after he left, and he would win her attention, no matter how much of it he gained.

He vowed to make his presence known by her. He had rarely ever been scared, as he was usually the one causing the fright, but now that this mermaid stirred up such fear within him by merely being, he forced himself to sober up. He refused to bow before a maiden he did not even know merely because she was so beautiful. No, he would overcome this terror and confront her tonight; he promised he would.

Later, he procrastinated. He stalled, refusing to admit to himself that even though he swore to meet her, she still made him nervous. Later�

So he waited even longer, drowning himself in the sensations he felt as she flapped her tail gently against the water and how she rested her head on that rock when she grew tired. Her beauty and gentle nature soon filled him with the inspiration to confront her. He took a silent breath, a determined look in his golden eyes, and he moved to walk up to her.

�Princess!�

Sesshoumaru stopped himself just in time. He again hid himself behind the tree trunk, watching as another lovely mermaid swam out from below the surface.

Princess�? Sesshoumaru gazed adoringly at the mermaid of his attentions. He had mentally scolded himself for aiming for a mermaid in general, but he was unaware that he was attracted to a hime! Was there even more than one princess of the underwater kingdoms?

A melodious voice rushed into Sesshoumaru�s pointed ears, halting his thoughts once again. She was speaking.

�Oh, Nayida!� she cried out, surprised. �You startled me!� She held a hand to her heart, emphasizing her point.

The other mermaid, Nayida, smiled beautifully, although Sesshoumaru was sure that his mermaid�s smile would be ten times as magnificent.

Nayida was beautiful, as all mermaids were, according to Myouga. Her hair was stick straight and an orange so dazzling, it seemed red.

In fact, her whole self reflected those colors. Her eyes and lips were of the same color, as well as the cloth covering her chest and the glitter adorning her body. The symbols across her skin were of the hue as well, but they were not as beautifully placed on her as they were on Sesshoumaru�s object of affection. Her tail was completely orange as well, red glitter adorning it gently.

In Sesshoumaru�s opinion, she was no doubt too bright to be allowed. All the same, the brilliant colors made the princess stand out even more, not the other way around, as it would seem. No, his mermaid held a grace unlike Nayida�s, and there were obvious differences between the two.

Nayida looked a year or two younger, her skin paler under the fluorescent colors. And while her eyes contained a hyper nature, his mermaid�s contained a gentle and loving laughter, a calmness and beauty flowing out from them. The colors she was bathed with were not all the same, as was with Nayida, but the light touch of shades surrounded her with a pure light, magnificent and stunning.

And her markings� Sesshoumaru noted the differences: Nayida�s symbols glowed like the fire in her eyes, but they were only placed on her arms and neck, not on her face or stomach like the mermaid from last night�s. Was this with all merpeople and their markings, or was it merely a sign of rank that made them stand out differently? After all, his mermaid was a hime.

�My apologies, princess,� Nayida bowed her head in a friendly formality with a light giggle. �But it was you who have startled me, as well as the others in the kingdom who have noticed your reappearance.�

Sesshoumaru�s brow furrowed as he leaned in closer, eager for information of this maiden. Reappearance? Did she go somewhere?

�Oh�� was the reply. �My apologies; I did not think to visit the kingdom again.� She sighed.

Nayida laughed kindly, �You did not think, hime? But surely you would�ve remembered to come visit me and your other friends, not to mention your father, ne?�

The raven-haired mermaid rolled her eyes. �Hai, I did think of visiting you all, but I�d like to avoid Otou-san as much as I can.�

�Avoid?� Nayida frowned. �I am aware of his protectiveness of you, but surely this isn�t enough to lure you away from him?�

�No,� was the reply, �that�s not all. I merely don�t want to remind him of her. Once he�s reminded, she�ll be all he talks about, and I�m not exactly in the mood to put up with it right now.�

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. She? Who was she?

�I�ll come down to visit later, though, not to worry.� She smiled. �I rarely get to come here anymore, and I�d like to see all of you before I have to leave again.�

Leave? Surely she wasn�t going to leave soon, was she? Sesshoumaru held back a disapproving growl. No, he had just discovered her, and he refused to let go of her so easily. He would somehow convince her to stay. But first, he had to find out why she was so keen to leave in the first place.

Nayida smiled softly. �Hai, of course.�

�Now,� the hime�s smile turned down a bit, �you should go back down to the kingdom. You are a full-blooded mermaid, and you can�t remain above water for so long or you�ll surely dehydrate and suffocate yourself.�

Sesshoumaru stared. But his mermaid always remained above water. Thus, she couldn�t be a full-fledged mermaid, could she? Was she a hanyou in the sense that she was half-mermaid? Was her other half demon or human�or something else?

Or was she merely noble enough to have the capability to remain above water? Was that why she had to leave as well? Because she was of royal blood and different from all the other merpeople? Hai, that must be it. Mermaids could not possibly hanyous, could they? Hanyous were half-human and half-demon, and mermaids were not included in such a web.

�Oh,� Nayida frowned disappointedly, �you're right. I must return to my husband, as well. Newlyweds, you know?� She placed a hand on the princess�s upper arm. �Stay safe, heika, and come visit soon.�

�Hai,� she smiled, �I�ll be sure to do that. Make sure to tell Otou-san and the others that I�m alright.�

Nayida turned, preparing to dive back into the water. She moved her head to smile at the noble girl again, accompanied with a wave. �Ja ne, hime!� She dove elegantly into the lake, her tail flapping in the air with the movement. The princess above the water waved her hand at the spot Nayida disappeared into, saying nothing more.

Sesshoumaru leaned closer to the beautiful mermaid. His eavesdropping taught him a bit about her � although he did not fully understand this new knowledge � but he still drowned in her angelic voice. He became even more intrigued with her, and his yearning for her became stronger as he desired to solve her mystery himself. He was so enchanted with the now-alone princess, he didn�t notice until it was too late that he had stepped out from behind the tree trunk � albeit, still in the forest � as he stared longingly at her.

The mermaid turned away from the water and looked up, only to cry out in surprise.

Her warm blue eyes met his cold golden ones.

And all was silent.

--TBC--