Fire

Mirai and Suki left before the sun came up. They needed to go to the market place for supplies then head back to the Shirogane territory since they have been away for three days already.

"Hey-sho!" Mirai lugged a sack of salt over on her horse then tied it so it wouldn't fall during the ride.

Suki placed a hefty amount of silver into the vender's hand then picked up another bag over.

"That's the last of it." Suki said as she tied the sack onto her horse.

"Well then let's head back now. If we hurry we should be able to make it home by in two days at nightfall." Mirai got up on her horse and held the reins.

"En." Suki nodded and did the same thing.

They pulled back on the reins and their horses went off down the road.

Just like Mirai predicted, the two arrived back in the Ito house by nightfall. When they entered their house the two busied themselves with unloading and organizing. By the time they were done the moon was already halfway in the sky and the two fell asleep without changing.

_________

"Young Master!" A soldier hurridely ran over amd knelt down in front of young man in blue robes.

"Speak." Without turning around, Mirai focused on the map in front of her.

"This is bad. The-the-." The soldier studdered to respond.

Mirai sighed and turned around to face the soldier.

"Speak!" She ordered.

"The-the palace is under attack from the Mugo clan!"

"What?!" Mirai dropped the brush she was holding and lunged at the soldier.

"Oi." Suki pulled Mirai back.

"My parents. The emperor and empress. What-" Mirai

The soldier looked up at Mirai with sad eyes.

"Please. You need to get there quickly." He pleaded.

Mirai took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"General Su, prepare the troops. We are heading back." She commanded and headed out the tent.

'Mother, father.' She pleaded for their safety as the troop made their way back to the palace.

___________

"Mother. Father!"

The troop arrived in time to fight but they were too late, as the palace was burning up in place.

Mirai ran up the stone steps and wanted to run in but soldiers stopped her.

"Ohim-Oji sama! You mustn't go in!" The soldier cried and he tried to stop the crying princess.

He underestimated how much strength she had, as Mirai thrust him away and ran in. The poor soldier fell to the ground and began crying as well. In fact, every soldier was crying as they watched their prince (princess) go up into the burning palace.

"Mother. Father!" Mirai cried out of the top of her lungs, hoping for a reply.

But no one did. She ran around, searching, careful for the falling wood.

Finally she arrived at the throne room where she saw two corpes lying in the sea of flame.

"No."

She ran over and to her horror it was her parents. Their throats were slit and must of been done only moments before because their blood was still flowing out of the wound. Both of their parents had this haunted look on their face mixed with surprise and anxiety.

"No. No, no, no." She knealt down her tears pouring out like waterfalls.

She looked at her parents and saw the shock on their faces.

'Why. Who' Questions burned inside her.

Then she noticed her mother's closed fist. She opened up her mother' s fist and to her confusion she pulled out a scrap of paper filled with black ink.

"What?" Before she can do anything the ceiling on top of her gave away and a long piece of fire log fell down.

Mirai looked up and saw the log as it fell down. She wanted to move but she had no strength.

"Watch out!" Suki threw a kunai at the log and pulled Mirai away.

"Mirai, you have to get up. You need to live." Suki's simple words gave Mirai strength but she still felt weak so Suki had to help her up.

They moved away just as another log fell down and onto the body of Mirai's parents.

"Noo!"

"Mirai we have to go." Suki pulled Mirai away and the two made out of the palace just in time before the entire building came crashing down.

_______________________

Mirai woke up with tears streaming down.

'Again.' She sat up and wiped her tears when she smell something burning.

'I'm not dreaming am I?' She rubbed her eyes and saw the orange light coming from outside.

She went over and slid open the paper door when she saw fire, a hint of panic flashed over her eyes and a bead of sweat dripped onto the floor. Fire was climbing its way up the building and outside the building a crowd of people were standing there. She squinted her eyes and saw a familiar disgusting face.

Yamano!

'He must of followed us here!'

Mirai went into the room to wake up Suki.

"Suki get up there's a fire!" Suki immediately opened her eyes and looked out the window to see the disgusting sneer on Yamano's face.

"That so-" Suki wanted to curse but Mirai held her hand over her mouth.

"Now is not the time to curse, we need to leave."

The two got dressed very quickly and quickly made their way to the secret passageways in this building. Along the way the two only took what they could get and needed, Suki was in charge of the weapons and money while Mirai grabbed some medicine and food.

"Let's go!" Mirai grabbed a box from the shelf and draped a cloak over her shoulders.

The two lifted a drawing to showcase the passageway behind it. Since this was once a ninja house there are numerous secret passageways around the house. The secret passageways are separated with a lining of concrete so the fire has not spread to this part yet. When they reached the end, Mirai opened a door and they were outside in the forest.

"Here." Mirai stretched a helping hand at Suki and helped her get up.

The two quietly took their horses out and climbed on. They were about to leave when they heard a snarling laugh.

"This is what you get for messing with me, the great and powerful Mugo Yamano. Ha,ha,ha." Yamano declared as held his chest up to brag.

"Mugo." Mirai grasped her reins tighter.

Mugo. The reason why I lost my parents. My house, everything. All of this was because the Mugo clan. They ruined everything.

'If it wasn't because of you. I would still have my family, my homeland, my people. All of that..' Suki felt the dangerous aura Mirai was emitting and knew exactly why. Losing her brother has already marked her childhood, but to lose everything else in one night has scarred her, mentally and physically.

Suki grasped Mirai's hand and shook her head.

"Mirai I know how you are feeling right now but not now. You may be able to kill them right now but remember even if you kill them, there would be another. To get rid of a clan like the Mugo you have start from the top and remember you still need to find your brother. Now listen to me, we need to live."

Live. The word may be simple but it was powerful. Mirai looked at the fat man once more time before they sprinted their horses into the forest.