Eternal wishes

Reality and dreams

"You were under Ritsuo's spell child, there was not anything you could do..." Inu Kimi tried to soothe Ayame, knowing there wasn't much she could do but give her time to adjust. Sesshomaru had walked away from the scene and sat with his back to a tree, wearing a look of boredom on his face, but his mind raced with the reactions his Mother had to Ayame being free, as well as his own when he looked upon her human form.

Ayame stared into the distant wood line, seeming to block out the screams of her victims of her past. That was the difference between Sesshomaru and her, he surmised, he didn't hear the screams anymore. One question remained that he hadn't asked his Mother, why wasn't she by Father's side the night she was captured? It seemed that she left him to die. No, there was something else, his Mother wouldn't champion her if that was her intent. He would find out for himself from the woman, without his Mother being present.

He waited to see if she would accompany him on his journey against Ritsuo, vengeance was in order for the both of them, and he was ready to have more than Jaken as a traveling companion. With Rin living in the human village, starting a relationship with a certain fox demon under Inuyasha's eye, his pack had shrunk considerably.

Done with the scene and its pity, Sesshomaru stood and walked towards the two women. He stopped just short of them and cocked his head to the side as he looked at Ayame.

When she finally brought her eyes to his from her seated position, he asked "Are you done feeling sorry for yourself, or are you ready to fight?"

Ayame shot him a look of disgust, while Inu Kimi let a puzzled look spread across her face. She read him better than anyone else still alive, and she saw behind his sarcasm. He was bothered by something out of his control.

"And who the hell are you?" Ayame asked while coming to her feet, stretching to her full height, which was just to the middle of his chest.

"You reached out to me just a minute ago, and you do not know who I am?"

Ayame let hatred start to fill her eyes, while a blush crept to the tops of her cheeks. It's what he wanted, to build a wall and let him set the boundaries.

Ayame turned away from him without a response and thanked Inu Kimi for freeing her. "...I need some time to think my Lady. I will come to see you as soon as I am able, and Ritsuo needs to be dealt with as well." Ayame gave her a shallow bow and started to take her leave, where she was going, she didn't know, just anywhere away from the insufferable dog demon. She didn't know exactly who he was, but knew he had something to do with the nobility in the house, from his looks and his aristocratic manner.

"Ayame...wait." Inu Kimi softly called to her retreating form. Ayame turned to the Lady of the West, her gaze falling softly on the aging demon's face with affection. Inu Kimi had always given her advice on how to stand on her own in a male dominated world, almost as if she was her own mother. "I had hoped that my son and you will work together to destroy Ritsuo and his army in the East. It would give me more peace of mind, to know you fight by his side, just like you did his Father..."

Ah, so that was who he was. Sesshomaru. She hadn't heard very many nice things about the demon before she was captured, but then again, she hadn't been in the best of company these past hundred and fifty years either...

"What would be the difference between the tyrant I just forcibly served, and him?" she asked with narrowed eyes pointed at the Lord.

"The difference is," Sesshomaru drawled to her," I am letting you choose."

Ayame's face was wiped clean from expression. He had a point. On top of it, all she knew was to serve the West. But in her heart, she knew she only thought of it as serving the Inu no Taisho, and Lady Inu Kimi. Gazing at him, she thought in silence. She didn't look forward to dealing with a demon such as Sesshomaru, his language and manner spoke of nothing but calculating coldness. She knew he had learned this behavior from his parents. But on the other hand, once they learn to trust and care about you, they showed a little warmth. So, it would be like starting all over. She was ready for a new start, but had to take Sesshomaru down a peg, that would be a sight to see.