Her inheritance

Ayame made a scoffing sound at this thought. "I don't think he fully understood what he pitted me against…"

"Sesshomaru's not all that bad, you just have to give him time…"

"He's like a thick rice paste, eat too much at once, and you'll choke on it."

"I don't want to know how you know that Ayame…"

"Besides," she continued, "as soon as you breathe the word 'betrothed', he's going to bolt. I really don't blame him. Hell, I tried to kill him the first time we met."

"You were under Ritsuo's spell, it doesn't count."

"Eh, semantics really. I'm sure he'll still think of it regardless. Who says I won't try it again if we were to be mated?" Ayame let a smirk show itself, and crossed her arms. Anyone who dealt with him at all knew he could be a cold-hearted ass.

Inu Kimi rolled her eyes in a rare display of the dramatic. "I can honestly think of no one else that would match him for wit and stubbornness. Though, you don't match his coldness at times, I'll give you that…"

"Inu Kimi, I saw that he carried Tenseiga. Where is Tessaiga and Si'unga?"

"The Inu no Taisho bequeathed Tenseiga to Sesshomaru, and Tessaiga to his bastard son, Inuyasha…" Ayame took a sharp intake of breath, she never knew if Inu Kimi knew the Inu no Taisho had a son out of wedlock. She had seen it in the vision that she had through the jeweled necklace, but would never hurt her by telling her. Inu Kimi waved a jeweled hand as if it was of no consequence to her anymore and continued, "I'll have to admit, it hurt at first to find out. But over the years, the pain has ebbed. Si'unga on the other hand, now resides in the underworld. Inuyasha tried to wield it, and it took control. The true one that can handle it, is the one that wants for nothing. Not power, nor fortune, or fame. It was originally left to you, but after his death, you were unreachable, so it was placed under the care of one of his retainers. After Inuyasha got a hold of it, the only way to make it stop, was to send it to the underworld…"

Ayame blinked, she was to inherit Si'unga? The demon sword was hard to handle, but she understood his reasoning on who he left his swords to. Sesshomaru would need to learn compassion, his bastard son would need a way to protect himself, and she wouldn't use the sword for evil or gainful means, thus leaving the demon inside dormant.

"I have to retrieve it. It's… it's a part of his legacy, that he left for me…"

Inu Kimi looked upon her with pride, but said with sadness, "Sesshomaru will not help you. He fought long and hard to bury the sword where it remains today, he will not understand if it is retrieved…"

"Will you help me find a way?"

"Not against my son's wishes. If he agrees, then I will help."

Ayame scowled in concentration, she had to find a way to the sword, it was her right. But thinking of Sesshomaru's unmoving ways, she felt discouraged.

"Come now, speak to him first before you give up on the idea, you never know, he might surprise you…"

After leaving Inu Kimi's chambers, she walked the castle corridors in the dark, watching her shimmering green kimono and gold obi sparkle in the moonlight cast through the windows, lost in her thoughts on how to approach Sesshomaru to get her inheritance.

Fidgeting with the end of her braid in nervousness, she found herself standing outside of the door to his study.

She felt like a child again for a moment, at the Lords door, told to let him know of her mischief after stealing sweets from the kitchen…

When the door suddenly opened, flooding the hallway with light, what was in front of her was not a father figure, but a handsome male that stirred something in her that no other was able to.

Taking in the sight of her, Sesshomaru moved to the side, one clawed hand still on the door, inclining his head in invitation to come in. Still keeping a hold on the end of her braid, she looked to the walls of the massive study. Remembering the lessons she was taught long ago as a child. Geography, where battles took place, even politics between demon kingdoms. Lessons reserved for the males of a noble family, but her rampant curiosity got the better of the Inu no Taisho, giving him a reason to set down his correspondence and give a lesson.

Sesshomaru studied Ayame with her back turned, taking note of the lost look in her eyes, not wanting to interrupt her trip through her memories and the sweet smile it put on her face. He silently followed her as she looked to each map, resting her fingers on places of past battles, knowing the history lesson she was taught, for it was taught to him as well.

He then noticed the jeweled clip within her hair, shaped like a crescent moon. His slight smile faded behind her, as emotions ran through his mind. He knew she went to see his Mother after her bath, so it was a clip Inu Kimi put into her hair.

It was a clip put in all the female's hair on their Mating day, a stamp of claim for the Lord of the West.

Ayame couldn't have known it's meaning, for he knew she wouldn't be wearing it around him.

But his Mother's message was clear, as well as his Father's last request of Ayame.

When she turned back towards the Lord, her smile dropped from her face, the look of anger on Sesshomaru's face gave her pause. "What have I done?" she couldn't help but ask in the barest of whispers, "would you like me to leave?"

"Why have you come here Ayame?" Sesshomaru asked, jaw clenched in obvious anger.

"I'm sure now is not the time…" her voice faded out; she knew better than to ask for his help with anything at the moment.

Dangerously, Sesshomaru stalked her around the study, not really sure of his own intent. The sight of her in palace clothes, the clip in her hair, was a proverbial red flag to a bull. The sudden thought to claim, along with the thought of betrayal flashed through his mind. She had known all along, but kept it from him. He felt his baser instincts winning the battle, his eyes starting to glow red.

Ayame fled.

She raced up to her room and barricaded the door. Quickly changing into her armor, strapping her weapons to her side, she left the expensive silks of her kimono piled on the floor. She sensed with instinct rather than her senses that Sesshomaru was not far behind. Opening the second-floor window, she stepped to the ledge, just as Sesshomaru shattered her fragile door, with one last look at him, she leapt.

Horror brought Sesshomaru to his senses and cleared the red fog around his vision.

"Ayame!" He bellowed to her falling form, ready to jump after her. Just before he leapt, she phased into her full demon form, missing the ground by less than a foot, and raced for the horizon, not really understanding where she had to go.

Forming a cloud at his feet, he gave chase. She wasn't getting away with running from him, he had questions he deserved her answers to. He became impressed with her speed quickly, finding it hard to catch up.

They came over a valley that rested thirty miles south of the palace within minutes. Using the updraft from the winds it carried, Sesshomaru shot to the sky and pulled Tenseiga.

Ayame looked back at the Lord and saw the look of intent on his face. 'Oh, so you want to fight?' she growled within her mind. Diving down towards the earth, she landed harshly on her feet, the ground dug up where the claws on her feet stopped her momentum.

Sesshomaru landed in the same manner, only a few feet from her. Ayame drew her wind and fire weapons from her side, for the first time in over a hundred and fifty years. The familiar feel of the worn metal in her claws making her mind clear, all except for her opponent. She phased back to her human form.

"Is this the only way to get a good conversation out of you Sesshomaru?!" she yelled to the Lord, breast heaving with her every breath from their flight.

"Females…" he snarled back as he swung with Tenseiga.