Blood and Steel by Red

Burning

          Alright, this is a AU, very AU. The world is this modern slash feudal world. Yokai and human societies co-exist. Where weapon technology is cutting edge but old weapons still play a big part. Things like transportation are still very primitive. Medical technology is still somewhat modern but relies more on the feudal herbs and powers of yokai and holy healing. In all, I basically made this world up as I went to fit my story's needs, great thing about AU. Hehe, enjoy. I don't own Inuyasha.

          Thanks to mle for all the beat work not possible without you.

Screams, blood, tears, those are the only memories Kagome had of that night. Had it not been for her personal guard Kagome and her brother surly would have died. They where well away from the remains of her home. She stood atop the hilltop watching as her childhood home burned. Kagome was no fool she knew almost all those who remained were more than likely dead.

        Fuck him. That bastard Naraku would surely pay for this injustice one day, Kagome cursed to herself.

        Her kimono was covered in dirt and blood. She turned back to face Sango,tending to her younger brother. At sixteen, Kagome was just coming into her own but her brother, at 12, was much less an adult than herself.

       "How does he fair?"

       "He is out cold my Lady, but I see no major injuries." Sango turned to face her lady. It had been Sango's skill and a bit of luck granted from the kami that had gotten them out.

       "Good as long as Sota lives Naraku cannot make a real claim to the land, not without, my brother's consent or death."

       "Yes, but he is little more than a boy. Not a leader." Sango moved to rest Sota against Kirara.

       "That I know. We should head north." Kagome's face was once again turned to the burning flames.

       "To your Uncle's estate, do you think he will take you in?"

       "I know he will. He is a man of honor and family." Kagome moved away her kimono to check the blaster strapped to her thigh- it still had a few rounds left. If that didn't stop her opponent a well placed holy arrow would. Kagome then climbed upon the fire neko, belonging to Sango, and held out her hands as her brother was placed into her arms. Yes, he was simply unconscious. It might be better for the boy if he didn't remember the horrid scenes of what they had just come from. Sango climbed behind Kagome and Sota, and they headed north. Kagome wanted to, just once more, glance behind but she refused to. The next time she would look at her home would be when her bother held Naraku's head as a trophy atop the ruins.

       It was a hard flight through the night to reach Kagome's uncle's. Sota was still out and Kagome had started to use a bit of her holy powers in an attempt to heal him. Kagome was still rather untrained in her powers. They seemed to be last on the list of things to be trained on as a princess- her role in life was to get married and provide a good arrangement for her family. Her eyes went to the steel gates of her uncle's estate. The fire cat landed. Sango dismounted first and took Sota. Sango spotted the guard from the tower, and pointed them out to Kagome.

       "Who are you, and what is your business here?" One of the guards shouted from the tower.

       "It is I, Lady Higurasha Kagome. I come with my younger brother, Lord Sota, and my personal guard, the slayer Sango. Our estate has been attacked by Naraku and we seek relief within my uncle's walls."

       It didn't take long for Kagome and her party to be quickly ushered in the gates.

       "Sango stay with Sota." Her guard nodded her head as she went with the healers. Kagome looked at the guard who had opened the gate. "Take me to my uncle."

       "Lady, please you have wounds yourself!"

       "Are you deaf? I said take me to my uncle immediately."

       "Yes." The young guard quickly bowed. But it didn't take long, as Kagome looked up to see her uncle quickly marching to her.

       "My Kamis, Kagome what happen?"

       Kagome moved across the open courtyard to her uncle, bowing respectfully as she could manage in her tired, ragged state. "My dear uncle, we were attacked by Naraku."

       "Who is left?"

       "As far as I know, only my brother, myself, and my guard Sango made it out by the sure graces of the Kami."

       "Then my brother…" his words trailed off with the thought.

       "Yes, I saw his fall as we escaped." Kagome was holding back the tears. She needed to be strong right now but it was hard. How could everything she had known and loved be gone in a few, short hours? Finally, Kagome's hand went to brush the tear away. She then felt strong arms wrap around her. She collapsed into those arms, burying her head into her uncle's chest, and cried. Everything let loose at once. Finally, she pulled herself away.

       "My dear niece, you need to get yourself clean and your wounds tended to. We will talk in the morning. The good thing is you and your brother survived."

       "But what if..."

       "Do not worry. It takes time to move any army. We have until morning."

       This time Kagome allowed herself to be taken by the three servants. She followed them blindly, going though the movements like a zombie. The servants brought her to the bathhouse where Kagome hesitated. She looked down at her bloody clothing. How much of this was her own blood, and how much of it where that of her friends, family and even enemies? She wanted to cling to it, to have it as a banner.

       Finally, she slipped it off and demanded, "Save it!"

       "My Lady I doubt this could even be cleaned, and if that, to mend it would be near to impossible."

       "Did I say I wanted that? No, it to stay the way it is."

       The servant backed off slightly. The cold stare that Kagome gave them told the message all should stay clear. She was not to be messed with at the moment. The servants took the kimono as Kagome stepped forward and down into the bath. It was warm fed by a natural spring and much nicer than the artificial heaters. Instantly, the water eased her tired muscles.

       One of the servants came to help her wash but Kagome spoke. "Leave." She could hear the words of hesitation forming on their tongues.

       "I do not need help, I'm no babe. Leave me now." This time Kagome only heard the shuffling of feet as she was left alone in the bathhouse. She had no idea how long she was in there when her she heard the screen move.

       "Did you not understand the first time? I require none of your assistance." She simply wished to left alone. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with her memories. Alone in her pain.

       "I'm sorry my Lady."

       "Sango, I didn't realize please stay it was you. Come and bathe with me."

       "Yes, my Lady."

       "Sango cut the 'my Lady'. We're alone."

        A smile crept across Sango's face. She had been worried about her friend. She remembered her own memories of when her village had been attacked. She was still unsure the culprit, at least her Lady and friend knew those responsible. Yes, of course it had been a swarm of yokai that had brought down her village but Sango had her own thoughts, something had to be behind their attack and she wanted to know who was the one that pulled the strings. Her village was only now starting to rebuild itself. Those who survived had either been away, or like herself and her own younger brother, hidden very well by the adults. It had been shortly after that when Sango became Kagome's guard.

       Sango and her brother both where haunted by memories and each choose a different path. Her brother had set out to find the one responsible. Sango just left and hired herself to the first disaster she came to. That had been Kagome. She had been 13 at the time and Kagome 10, but the two bonded instantly. Kagome's father had wanted someone low-profile for his daughter, and no one would suspect a young female such as herself to be so deadly. It had taken but one attempt on Kagome's life that word spread about princess's protector.

       "Is my brother alright?"

       "Yes, he actually woke and was speaking with your uncle when I left to check on you."

       "Speaking to Uncle? What more could he need? I told him everything and he cut me off. Yet he talks to my brother who has just woken up?" Kagome arms went up to wrap around her chest, as a deep scowl formed across her brow.

       "Kagome, he probably figured it was better for you."

       "Better for me how, Sango, because I'm female? Tell me, who was it that carried my brother? Us!" As she spoke her pitch steadily increased as she pointed now at her friend.

       "I know that, and he saw that, but it is our curse as women."

        Kagome shook her head, "I wish to know why." Very few females held tittles, men simply thought women where either too weak or too stupid to own and run land. Hell, it had been the reason her father had been able to get land. Her grandfather had only had her mother, and wished not to pass on the land to a female. So when her father married her mother, Grandfather had adopted him as his son and heir. It wasn't right and Kagome knew changing the way men thought in this world would be hard. It was the work of dedicated women that would not back down. Kagome also knew those women who held titles faced many onslaughts as men saw them as easy targets. Shaking her head she would never understand why, who was it that defended the home when men were at war? Women that's who! Yet men still continued to believe their daughters were to become wives and bear sons. Kagome knew she was living in a time of change as she saw the yokai females, and some humans, were proving their worth as leaders. But they fought tooth and nail for it.

       Her eyes turned to watch her bodyguard sink into the water. Sango was in much of the same mess, but Kagome could see the old battle scars. Some had come with Kagome's protection others Sango had brought with her. Kagome knew Sango's story and worried about her friend. Not many watched two of their homes burn in less than five years.

      "Kagome, I understand, but we all do are best with what we are born in to."

      "Maybe that's not good enough for me."

      Kagome and Sango continued to talk of things that were and things that would  be. They both came to the conclusion that tomorrow might bring them face to face with what they both wished to never acknowledge but for tonight they would be friends and allies. During the bath, Kagome broke down again. This was not like with her uncle. This was an opening of the flood gate of rage and sorrow that Kagome could only share with a friend. She was not ashamed and not trying to be strong now. It was Sango who finally helped Kagome out of the water and back to her strong exterior. Sango helped to dress her, comb her hair and led her to bed. It was also Sango who watched over her in her sleep and nightmares.