It was hard growing up in a dysfunctional family. My father loved me. My mother hated me. My parents hated each other, but put up with one other for the sake of the lands and our people. Nothing that I ever did was right in my mother's eyes. My only escape from her was with the decennial meeting between my father and the Lord of the Western Lands, Inutaisho.

Lord Inutaisho was…great, to say the least. He treated me like his own and I adored his son, Sesshomaru. He and I did almost everything together. Well, Sesshomaru absolutely loathed me, but once I told his father, he did whatever I wanted him to do. Like now, for instance.

"Lord Inutaisho! Sesshomaru won't play with me!" I wailed, stomping my tiny little foot on the ground. The death glare coming from my friend was enough to send even the greatest taiyoukai running for the hills. But not me; I know his weakness. "LORD INUTAISHO!"

"Silence, girl," Sesshomaru seethed, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards my garden. A triumphant grin made its way across my face with a satisfied 'humph.'

Taking over, I lead Sesshomaru over to my rose bush, forcing him to sit down in front of it. His glare was still directed at me, but I could see the curiosity lurking behind the murderous look. I took my time straightening out my kimono until a low growl rumbles through my friend's chest.

"Okay, okay," I chuckled, plopping down next to him. With a sigh, all playfulness is gone and a heavy silence settled upon us.

"What is wrong?"

Stunned, my head snapped up to look at Sesshomaru. His golden eyes bored into my own turquoise ones, all traces of his glare gone. Instead, he looked worried. Well, as worried as a stoic person can look.

"Oh, um," I mumbled, turning my eyes to the ground. "Nothing is wrong. I was just… Um…"

"Spit it out, girl!" he snapped, growing impatient.

"I wanted to show you something, but Mother says that I shouldn't because people could find out about me and try to hurt me." I turned my gaze onto Sesshomaru. "But you wouldn't hurt me, right?"

With a sigh, he replied, "No."

A smile creeps its way across my lips and I bounced in my seated position. "Okay, then, watch this!" I held out my hand, palm upward. "Come on, don't be shy," I cooed, leaning forward slightly. A small tremble shook my rose bush before tiny vines covered in thorns began making their way towards me. "See? Aren't they pretty?" I peeked up at Sesshomaru to see his bewildered expression. My eyes widened and the vines hurried back to their bush. "Please, don't tell Mother!"

"She already knows."

Faster than lightning, I'm on my feet, spinning around to face the intruder. My eyes widened even further. "F-Father?"

Father stood there with a grin on his face, Lord Inutaisho right behind him. "You know your mother has eyes like an eagle and ears like a bat. Besides, with as much youki as you were letting out, anyone within a 3-mile radius would know what you were up to." I could feel the tears welling up just imagining all the things Mother would say and do to me. Honestly, I didn't mean to upset her. I just wanted to show my best friend what I could do. I just wanted to prove that I wasn't as weak as he thought me to be. Father kneeled down to my level, pulling me into a tight hug just as Mother came around the corner of the palace.

"What is going on here?" Mother hissed, her eyes trained on me.

"Now, Hitomi, it's not what you think," Father pacified, standing to his full height with me on his hip. "I asked her to show Lord Inutaisho and his son just what the Ryuu Clan is made of."

Mother's eyes narrowed into slits. "You spoil her too much, Ryuusuke. You know as well as I do that her youki spiked long before you made your way out here!" she sneered, not caring about the guests. Father rolled his eyes, a lazy grin on his face as Mother bitched him out. "Are you even listening to me?! You don't take anything seriously, do you?!"

Father's face fell, a cold look replacing his smile. "Yes, I take my daughter and my people seriously. That's all that really matters, isn't it?"

Mother huffed in anger before her glare returns to me. "You can't protect her forever, Ryuusuke." And with that, she stormed away, back into the palace.

"Eh, don't worry about her, Ayame. Just swat her if she gets too close!" Father joked, laughing along with Lord Inutaisho. I couldn't force myself to laugh. I knew that once Father left to go patrol later that Mother would extract her revenge. I just prayed that Father wouldn't take too long. If he did, I probably wouldn't survive the night.