Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha

X

Totosai Had been engrossed in his latest masterpiece; so engrossed that he failed to notice the sound of footsteps approaching or the distinct smell of dog. So it wasn't surprising that he jumped nearly a foot in the air when the youkai in question addressed him. After pulling himself from his fire he turned to look at his visitor. It was none other than the Inutaisho, Sesshomaru himself. The old man shuddered before him. Sesshomaru didn't look like he was in a patient mood. The young lord was a fearsome creature, even more so than his father.

"I need a sword." Blunt as always.

"I told you I'd never make you a sword! You are too-!" Totosai spat at him, previous fear forgotten at the male's arrogance.

"The sword's not for me." Totosai blinked in surprise.

"It's not? Well I suppose it's for that pure bred son of yours." Totosai spat haughtily, aggravated.

"It's for my daughter." Totosai narrowed his eyes.

"You don't have a daughter." He called out the blatant lie.

"If you recall, my first born was a girl. She was the hanyou born from my first wife, Rin." His expression darkened slightly. Of all the nerve, as to use his own dead child to get a sword out of him.

"That girl was killed as a pup." Totosai snorted. Disgust filled every vein in his body.

"She is alive. She needs a sword. You will make one for her. I will not have my seed die because her weapon was manmade. It would tarnish my pride." Totosai nearly fell backwards. The hanyou pup was alive? Since when? He had heard from Jaken that the human mate of Sesshomaru had died with her hanyou pups. It had been half a century since anyone had even spoken about the bitch. Once he moved past the blatant lack of empathy on the part of the father and the news of the daughter's survival, he managed to spit out another attempt at insult.

"Feh, selfish as ever." Sesshomaru didn't even bat an eye.

"That's fine. My daughter, her sword."

"Why on earth should I do it?" Totosai asked, swaying his head, sitting cross-legged by his fire. He swung around to face it.

"You are fond of my half-brother, are you not?" Sesshomaru asked, poking through Totosai's defenses.

"Not as much of an insult to your father's memory as you." Totosai replied going back to work on his project.

"My daughter is hanyou, and she protects her little brother as well as other hanyou. She lives up to her name and does nothing but struggle to protect the same humans that scorn her. She is the child my father would have wanted. She needs a proper instrument to carry your late master's will." Totosai stared at him for a long time. The inutaisho had a point, if Sesshomaru couldn't fulfill his late father's will, Azami could. He remembered the pup, vaguely, healthy and rambunctious with an affection for her parents.

"I will make it. It was take two weeks. It will serve only those of her blood who have human in them. I will need her fang and yours." He held out a knurled old hand, years had been hard on his joints.

"I know you got them already." Sesshomaru plopped his daughter's fang in his hand. He then reached to his face and wrenched out one of his own. He dropped the tooth and a chunk of dark rock in the old master's hand. Totosai cocked his head, trying to examine it from all angles.

"The stone is metal ore, I don't recognize it. They say it came from the moon." Totosai examined the metal again with an expert eye.

"This will make a fine sword." Sesshomaru nodded and turned to leave.

"You will be compensated." He said, without looking at him.

"Just know, I'm doing this for your daughter, not for you." Sesshomaru was already gone. It hadn't occurred to him until hours later, he had never asked about the status of the other pup.

X

"Poor Nee-san, who did that youkai think he was, punching you!" Ichiru wailed clutching at his big sister's robes.

"It's nothing to worry about; a new fang will grow in a matter of hours." Despite her words, she was pretty pissed. Her brother could tell that from her flattened ears. It had always taken a lot to truly piss off his rather stoic big sister. Frankly, it was pretty scary. Ichiru sniffled and pressed a wet cloth to her swollen cheek. It was all he could do for his Nee-san, wasn't fair they he could protect her at times like those.

"You act as though you were the one hurt by the youkai bastard." Though her words were cold, Ichiru giggled. She was teasing, the way she could. Then one of the things Sesshomaru had said came to mind. Ichiru looked down, his ears drooped.

"What is it, Otouto?" She questioned, running her hand through his black hair. He didn't answer immediately. Azami leaned over and licked one of his ears, grooming him. When Ichiru made a noise but still didn't talk, she licked his other ear a few times. His fur was getting pretty shiny now. He still wasn't talking and Azami was getting irritated. She went as far to groom Ichiru's human toned face. Licking was something she had done for as long as she could remember. Azami did it to groom him, but not as much now that they lived in the manor. She didn't do it often for it was an animalistic or perhaps demonistic thing to do. It made humans look down on them. But her otouto liked it, especially when they were little. Now she only used it to get things out of him that he wished not to say. Finally he broke.

"That youkai, he said that he knew Otou-san." There it was, the conversation Azami so wished to avoid. She looked away, her ears flat, now for a different reason entirely.

"I heard him." She replied stonily. Ichiru stuck out his bottom lip, and nudged her shoulder.

"Was he lying, Nee-san?" He prodded further.

"I don't think so." She answered with a slight shake of the head.

"Does that mean that Otou-san really wants us back?" Azami looked away.

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"But why would he send for us!" Ichiru yelped, tugging at his sister's heavy sleeve. Tears were budding at the edges of his eyes.

"Perhaps he wants to eliminate any knowledge of his affairs with a human woman. Hanyou are shameful to their demon parents. I have no doubt that he wishes to erase anything regarding the two of us." She whispered coolly, she was hiding her own hurt and desires. Ichiru wasn't being as realistic.

"But, maybe he really wants us back! He must!" He whimpered, pulling on her sleeve. The desperation was clear, one tears leaked from his eye and trickled down his cheek.

"Ichiru." She snapped coldly, a little more harshly than intended. He flinched and lowered his ears submissively.

"Please, don't make this difficult. I only wish for your safety. I'm not saying we should ignore him entirely, just be hesitant. Father is a youkai, we can't be sure of his intentions."

"Nee-san….."

"I want you to be safe, Otouto. I said those things to Sesshomaru-sama in anger and to show we are not to be trifled with." She tried so hard to use a soothing tone, but found it much more difficult than she had imagined. He still wasn't convinced, avoiding eyes contact as his gaze drifted to the corner, the wet cloth clenched in his hand on his lap.

"Am I not enough family, Ichiru?" Startled by the statement he shot his attention back to her. For the first time, she appeared, hurt? Her ears drooped and her tail lying frighteningly still. Her head cocked ever so slightly and her eyes lowered.

"No Nee-san, no! I didn't mean that!"

"Then why are you so determined to bond with our father." He glanced to the left corners of his eyes in thought. One ear twitched as was his habit.

"It's just, it would be nice to have a parent, to protect us and love us."

"Youkai cannot love, not as humans or you know it."

"You don't think Otou-san would ever try to hurt us, right?"

"I don't know. Things are complicated and I'll do my best. You will be able to live in peace, I promise."

"What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"You're always looking out for me, Nee-san, but I want you to be happy too."

"That is unnecessary. My happiness is your happiness."

"Neh, Nee-san, shouldn't you be saying that to your future mate?" Azami started at the audacity of the question. Ichiru retained an innocent expression, watching his sister's ear twitch with some barely disguised amusement. Suddenly she stood up, pacing a bit, her tail back to its hyperactive movements, sweeping the ground like a broom.

"Don't be ridicules; I have no interest in a husband, a mate or a lover. My duty is be your older sister and the sister of my other little ones." Ichiru relented but didn't look convinced. Noticed it put off expression Azami knelt back before him. Then, with much awkwardness, she ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry for your nee-san so much, your hair will turn as white as mine." After getting over the fact that the stoic female had made a joke; Ichiru laughed a little but didn't offer other response. The door slid open and in came her Lord, still dressed in his event clothes came in. He told the guards to stay outside and closed the door behind him. His gaze settled on Azami with affection and some sympathy. He approached her slowly and planted his strong, firm and on the top her head.

"Azami-sama, how are you faring?"

"I'm fine milord. I only lost a fang." She replied, averting her eyes casually. Ichiru was draped over her lap childishly, staring at the lord. A grin spread over his face, as if he saw something the two of them didn't.

"I'd like to see that smile." The cocky voice of the dragon hanyou seeped into the room like a pungent odor. How the overgrown snake had gotten into the room without notice was anybody's guess.

"Leave Ryuumaru." Azami stated. Ryuu chuckled; she was so cute when she tried to imitate a basilisk.

"Such a cold voice, just like that tai-youkai." Ryuu stated flippantly, throwing one hand in the air. Less than a moment passed in dead silence. He barely dodged the block of wood she hurled at him.

"So harsh, I was just trying to see how you were feeling." He tsked, grinning like an idiot. Then he did something so stupid, even Ichiru was questioning his sanity. He came close to the inu-hanyou and grabbed her chin. Ryuu smiled, pressing kiss on her moon marking.

"Are you alright my darling?" He inquired in mock concern. Oh, that glare was pure venom, and not the one from the hanyous. Those were only diluted venom… Wait what?

"I'm fine." She insisted, her tail swaying dangerously. Her message rang loud and clear, get out before you lose something you'll miss greatly. Ryuu held up his hands as a sign of surrender and left the room. After the storm had passed a bit Okumoto turned back the hanyou pack leader.

"You seem to bump heads with him often Lady Azami." His eyebrow was twitched, and forcing a pleasant expression.

"He challenges my authority, as the Alpha, I can't tolerate that." Azami flipped her hair nonchalantly.

"But isn't there always an alpha male as well as a female." Okumoto asked. Azami opened her eyes and considered his words deeply.

"Yes that's true. However, I do not need someone who constantly challenges me." She replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Perhaps that is exactly what you need." She spun back so quickly, Ichiru would swear she got whiplash.

"If we constantly fight then the pack would be in a permanent stalemate." She answered.

"Forgive me, Azami-sama. I know he irks you but perhaps it's what you need. Like your dear brother said, perhaps you need a mate, not him though." Okumoto coaxed gently.

"I need no such thing, My Lord." She insisted harshly, Ichiru pulled away. He was not getting in the middle of this issue.

"You're ever an insistent young lady. Remember Azami-sama, you are not invincible, emotionally or physically." He mumbled, sympathy flooding his gaze. His hand drifted back to the top of her head. Her ears flattened indignantly.

"Emotions mean nothing to one with demon's heart." She spat, swatting away his hand. Okumoto looked hurt, for a bit, then countered.

"If that were true, why do you care so deeply for your brother?" Azami didn't answer. For a bit, she looked as though she were thinking through her answer thoroughly. She glanced at Ichiru who smiled. Then she stood on her feet, moving to return to her rooms.

"I have enough human in me to care, but not enough to give him the love he needs." She whispered, looking disappointed her own shortcomings.

"Ichiru-san does not feel that way." Her lip twitched.

"He doesn't know better, soon he will. He will grow, fall in love, and have pups of his own. I will be forgotten, much alike a mother whose young have left." She insisted going the door.

"You really a stubborn one, Azami-sama." Okumoto chuckled. Azami looked over her shoulder at him, a hint if smile on her lips.

"There's no need to refer to me as a Lady."

X

Almost two weeks after the party incident occurred, Azami was sitting on the estate walls. Her tail swayed back and forth as she kept her senses keen on her surroundings. She pulled her legs up to her chest, relaxing as no immediate danger was there. Just as she began to closer her eyes for a much deserved nap, her nose picked up a faint scent. Out of the hanyous of her pack, Azami had the best nose, due to being an inu-hanyou. Azami recognized the scent immediately. Sesshomaru. A growl rumbled in the back of get throat in frustration. What on earth did the damn youkai want now? She hopped to her feet.

Feeling surprisingly at ease, she strolled into the forest, one hand on her blade. Azami had to admit, he was very good at concealing himself. He later proved this point when he managed to get behind her without her knowing. She started and spin into her ready stance. However, he did not return the gesture. He merely stared at her.

"Why are you here?" Her tone seemed half-irritated. Without saying a word he tossed her a bundle. Azami caught it with her free hand and scrutinized it irritably. Something long and thin, wrapped in purple silk.

"What is this?" She demanded.

"A gift from your father." He replied simply. Azami's expression darkened. She threw the bundle to the ground.

"I don't want it."

"You shouldn't snub generosity to one such as yourself." He replied. Azami backed up when she saw the aggression in his eyes. Her ears flattened instinctively. After he broke her gaze she regained her courage.

"I don't give a damn. I don't need anything from that man. If he even cared a whit about me, he'd come for me himself. I have no interest in him, I told you this." Her tail bristled.

"I'm no messenger." He replied.

"And yet, you're playing delivery boy." She snapped. Sesshomaru didn't reply, though his eyebrow twitched a little.

"So take your 'gift' and leave." Azami picked up the bundle and tossed it at him. Sesshomaru caught it. Though neither was openly emotional, anyone could feel the solid tension between the two. Sesshomaru frowned at her.

"Your father has no use for this blade. It was meant to used by you." He held it out to her.

"I don't care." She crossed her arms and refused to accept it. She was the very image of an obstinate teenager.

"Take it. Your father believes that his kin part human or not, should be strong enough to hold their own. The sword you wield is human made, not suitable. The fact that you've survived this long is a testament of your skill; however, you still need a demon blade." Azami glanced back the weapon.

"So, it's a sword." She mumbled.

"Yes. It's in your best interest to take it, yours and your little brother's." Azami's eyes sparked at his words. Sesshomaru approached and held the wrapped sword to her. Azami eyed it for a few moments before snatching it from him.

"I don't trust this weapon; know it will be checked….." She trailed off glancing away. One ear twitched uncomfortably.

"If it is safe, I would like my father to know my thanks." Azami told him, holding her head up high, but not making eye contact.

"I am no messenger, but he will know this." Azami stared at him, cradling the weapon in one arm.

"He must be one hell of a youkai to have one as powerful as you as a subordinate." Sesshomaru smirked.

"You have no idea."

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Princess: So lots of stuff in this chapter. It was a whole page longer before the revisions. Originally the whole conversation between Ichiru and his sister wasn't there but I added it in. The whole licking thing might weird some out, but remember, they're dogs too, and dogs lick their young to groom them. It's not meant to be something sexy, though I know all of you are thinking it. Dirty minds all of you. Azami cares for Ichiru as she would her own puppies. I imagine Ichiru finds it instinctively calming, I bet Rin never groomed them like that, maybe Sesshomaru did. Wow this going to a really weird place… Anyway, there's more Sesshy-Azami interaction. He tries to be all sweet, how nice. Ryuu flirts some more with his favorite hanyou in the place. He nearly looses a very important organ in the process, or maybe his hand; it's hard to say with Azami. The minor Hanyous have no screen time, is that what you'd call that in a story on the computer? Oh well. Oh yeah and Totosai now knows the older pup is alive, but no news on the male. I can picture puppy Azami, can't you? Reviews inspire me! (Goes off to dance in a golden field of flowers)

Reviews: More than one, what?

Icegirljenni: Okay, Rin will not be in the story, except for maybe a flashback. She's dead. As for you question, patience.

ImmolationPiggieofDoom: Thanks for the critique, to be honest, it's hard to edit your own work, no matter how many times I go over it, I always miss SOMETHING. Thanks for the complement and the example. Don't worry about misspelling Azami, the typo demon is strong on the internet.

Orna: Oh yeah, he loves her. As for Aza-chan, no one's quite sure, not even her.