Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this story from Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha. I only own my OC.

Fire of Hate and Love

A Stormy Encounter

I could clearly hear the screams of my people as they pled for their lives with their dying breaths. A group of murderous bandits had stormed the village, blood now covering their hands and the desire to kill, still in their eyes. "Leave no one alive!" The leader had shouted. For a moment I tried to think of the man's name, but realized that it was hardly the time for such pointless thoughts. I was going to be dead soon and I was going to die all alone. My parents had died years before leaving me, their only daughter, completely alone at the age of 13. It had been five years since then, but the loneliness still got to me sometimes.

I quickly ran and grabbed my mother's old sword and hid in the back corner of my room shaking in panic. My house was one of the few not yet on fire, but I knew better than to be hopeful. All of sudden my house was shook by a large impact. No later had I felt the shock, did I realize that my roof was caving in. I tried to run, but a piece of wood fell from the ceiling and pinned down my left foot. I screamed in pain and moved myself back into the corner using my hands, dragging the piece of wood on my foot. Fire began to close in around me and I almost blacked out, but I was kept awake when I noticed that there were others in the house. I opened my eyes slowly and saw a man that I almost immediately knew was the dreaded leader of the bandits. The only one with him was another man, whom I could have easily mistaken for a woman had I not known better. "Just let me die here in peace." I said in a half awake state.

The leader just smirked and lifted up his sword to rest on his shoulder. "Now why would I do a stupid thing like that?"

"Because…" I began as I smiled defiantly "…it's for your own good." What the hell was I thinking? Whatever little chance I had of dying in peace…or in one piece for that matter, just completely disappeared. The flame's toxic fumes were really starting to get to me.

With his next statement, it almost seemed as if he had read my mind. "You don't look like you're in the position to be saying that. But maybe if you beg, I'll kill you quickly." He gripped his sword and waved it in my face.

It sickened me that he was finding pleasure in dragging out my death. I just glared at him and replied with a curt, "Never."

He glared back and raised his sword. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, I picked up my mother's sword and swung it straight into his right leg.

"Damn you wench!" he shouted in anger and shock as he held his leg. He bent down and punched me straight in my stomach. I would have screamed had I not already been choking on the smoke from the fire. I fell on my side and grabbed my throat. "Jakotsu!" he yelled.

"Yes brother?" The man I assumed must have been Jakotsu replied.

"Take her back with you to the base…I'll deal with her later." He seethed.

"Are you sure Bankotsu?" Jakotsu questioned.

"Just do it!" Bankotsu yelled.

I saw Jakotsu come over to where I was and throw me over his shoulder, but after that I passed out. The last thing I remember thinking was "What the hell have I gotten myself into now?"