Yo all! Comicx here! Yep! I'm finally back on track with fanfiction. Sorry about the year's hiatus. I've been busy with a couple of epics... which I am only HALFWAY through. Still, K'van persuaded me to put up the first chapter of one of them. This is my pride and joy, my baby of the past year. I'm publishing this under our shared name since I don't see the point in creating another account just for myself. Besides, K'van helped me with some of the research here.

To those who have followed 'Another Shot' and adore an authentic Sei-Su fic, this will be, I hope, one of the better long running ones. It IS an AU, I specialise in them, since Clamp tormented Seishirou and Subaru in canon.

This story is set in Ancient Japan, so it's a little different from my usual take on things. Plus, I got a little detailed with the descriptions. For anyone who wants to look, the glossary is at the bottom of the page. And, again, my apolgies for the long break. I hope you enjoy the story.

And for Heirs of the Clans readers, don't worry, the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it done... in about a month, provided school and work don't distract me too much!

Disclaimer: Would I be writing AUs of Seishirou and Subaru if I actually OWNED Tokyo Babylon and X/1999?

On with the STORY!

Sword and Shield

Chapter 1

The pale green leaves of spring fluttered in the cool morning breeze as the seeking sunlight stretched golden fingers over the horizon, touching every shadow hidden surface that faced it, chasing away the darkness of the night and informing the people of Edo of a new day.

As the sun's rays spread further west, past the nagaya at the outskirts of the city, just before the protective walls that repelled enemies and raced inwards, reaching for Edo Castle, the bastion that watched over the city. The beams of light touched stone walls and gleaming oiled wood of a large compound where the day's business had already begun, several servants having started their routine morning chores, polishing the pale wood of the floor.

As shadows fled before the growing spread of light, the golden rays penetrated the shoji-screens of a dojo, brightening the interior room, where a young man was busy practising a solo kata from his family's style with a shinai.

Sweat poured from the teen's brow as he struggled to finish the complicated kata perfectly, trying to ignore the strain in his muscles. He slid the shinai forward, as if in a defensive parry then twisted to slash the bamboo sword down in a graceful arc before twirling his weapon gently in another parry before finally lowering his sword and bowing, signifying the end of the kata.

"You did it!" The girl sitting at the back of the dojo, in a shadowy corner that was not lighted by the lanterns within, jumped up and ran to hug the soot-haired practitioner, the sunlight illuminating her features, showing them to be almost identical to the young man she hugged. "Subaru! You did it! I'm so proud of you!"

It was obvious that they were siblings now that their pale skins were highlighted by the sunlight, their almost-identical faces showing high cheekbones, framed by soft, charcoal-black hair, all of which brought out the main features of their faces; large, luminescent emerald eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes. Both were clothed similarly as well, in the white gi with dark blue hakama that was the usual clothing for those that had yet to come of age in the exalted Sumeragi Clan. They only difference was in their hairstyles, the girl having a thick plait that ran down to her waist and the boy with his hair cropped close to his skull, against fashion.

The one called Subaru smiled at his sister, pleasure at her praise making his facial features even more attractive. "It's nothing, Hokuto-chan." He demurred modestly, feeling that the kata he had finished was of no importance. "I'm sure Shishou will make me practice with him when he sees that I've finished this one."

"Mou! You're too modest, Subaru!" Hokuto answered, pouting at her twin. "I know Sensei has high expectations of you and wants you to be able to do all the kata well before your Genpuku ceremony but you should be proud of yourself! That was one of the hardest kata in the Sumeragi-Tate-ryu!"

Subaru shook his head, causing several droplets of perspiration to fall from his sweat-soaked fringe and scatter onto the floor. "I have to get all the kata right, Hokuto-chan. After genpuku, I will be a full samurai and have to take my place as one of the bodyguards of the Shogun. If I get them wrong now…"

The rest of his sentence remained unspoken, he did not have to say them since both of them knew what would happen if Subaru failed or was overconfident in his skills as a swordsman. The lifespan of a warrior-bodyguard of the Shogun was not long unless the bodyguard was of superior skills.

Hokuto sighed. "I know. But why does Obaa-chan want you to be the Shogun's bodyguard?" She said in slightly higher tones, having been broken out of her habit of screeching when the Matriarch of the Sumeragi Clan proposed a marriage for her with the heir of the Kuzuki Clan, who was a notoriously reclusive and quiet scholar two years older than her. The marriage might not take place until she was a little older, but the engagement had already been finalised, and it was a bonus that both Hokuto and her future husband liked each other.

"It's not like I'm guarding Shiyuu Kusahiko-sama himself," Subaru answered absently, referring to the Shogun. "I'm still too inexperienced for that." He moved to set his shinai in its place on the wall. "Obaa-chan gave me the position at the side of Kusanagi-sama, his younger brother." He paused, trying to find words to comfort his sister. "And Kusanagi-sama is a scholar. It's not like he's going to be a target for assassinations."

"But you won't be home." Hokuto protested weakly, knowing the truth in her brother's words. The Sumeragi Clan were the Tate -'shields' of the Shiyuu Shogun. They were the personal bodyguards of the highest calibre, sworn to protect their designated master with their lives. Even their style of fighting, the Sumeragi-tate-ryu was based on that, defending another and merely disarming or disabling their opponents, concentrating wholly on protection. There had yet to be a fighting style that could break through the Sumeragi sword-fighting defense when wielded by a master. As such, there was always one Sumeragi samurai on duty with every member of the Shiyuu family at all times in case of an attack on their persons, a tradition that had begun ever since the first Shiyuu Shogun. And, contrary to the general belief that only men could be samurai, all the women in the Sumeragi clan were trained in the Sumeragi Tate-ryu as well, under the belief that anyone could be a protector but mostly it was to protect the women of the Shogun's family, even if they were not recognized as 'true' samurai despite their skills.

"Hokuto-chan… You know that you won't be at home either." Subaru pointed out, knowing that his sister had been assigned to protect someone as well, one of the Shogun's cousins who had been elevated to the status of hime or princess. Her duty would continue even after she was married, unless her husband forbade her from doing so, she grew too old to continue her duty efficiently or her charge was married off.

"That's not the point!" Hokuto argued. "At least I can take shifts at the castle. As the personal bodyguard of Kusanagi, you have to stay with him!" Then she froze as another thought occurred to her belatedly. "And you'll be leaving right after your ceremony!" This time, her words came out as a wail.

Unable to refute his sister's words, and uncomfortable with the emotion she was projecting, Subaru could only hug her back wordlessly, trying to comfort his emotional sister.

"All for that stupid…" What else Hokuto wanted to add was left unsaid as a servant interrupted them by entering the dojo and bowing, informing them that they were summoned to the ancestral hall in an hour and they had to be ready.

"We had better go then, Hokuto-chan." Subaru smiled at his sister and walked out of the dojo behind his grumbling twin. "We have to get ready for the ceremony."

While normally the coming of age ceremonies were held at different ages for both men and women, Hokuto had managed to stall hers by a good two years, dragging it out to be held on the same day that Subaru's was, on their sixteenth birthday, her reasoning being that they were twins and that twins should have one of the most important ceremonies of their lives held together, at the same time. And having caught their grandmother, who was the Head of the Clan in an indulgent mood, had gotten her way. However, the day was here at last, when Subaru would undergo his genpuku while Hokuto had her mogi and they would be separated after the ceremonies, moving directly to the houses of their assigned charges, where they would be guarding them day and night for five days out of every week to get them used to the duty, returning to the main compound only for more extensive training or on the days they were off-duty.

Hokuto grumbled all the way back to her room, where servants were waiting to bathe and dress her in formal clothing before she left for the ancestral hall.

Almost an hour later, she was ready, her long hair carefully coiled into an 'approved' traditional style, wearing a formal kimono as she minced to the ancestral hall for the ceremony, finding the long, tight skirt a little restrictive for walking.

She halted before the polished doors of the ancestral hall, one of the few buildings in the Sumeragi compound that was built of stone, with doors of carved, lacquered, dark wood, waiting for Subaru, giving the two old uncles who stood before the door a smile.

Barely two minutes later, Subaru stood beside her, dressed as formally as she was, both of them in the pale blue and white of their family colours. Once they were both ready, their uncles smiled proudly at them and opened the doors.

For once, the ancestral hall seemed much more forbidding than usual, the dark wooden floor polished to a shine before the tatami mat began, the scent of sweet, smoky incense hanging in the air, the tablets of their ancestors along the wings of the main shrine, the central area being dedicated to the Sumeragi Clan's patron goddess, the sun-goddess Amaterasu. If that was not enough, the silent circle of people who sat before the shrine in full formal costume bore stern expressions, the flickering light of the candles in their holders along the walls of the hall causing shadows to dance across their face, giving an almost ominous feel to the simple yet important ceremony.

Subaru bit his lower lip as he walked forward, knowing that he was expected to precede Hokuto as a true practitioner of the bushido despite being the younger twin. Quickly, he made his way to the low table before the eldest male member of the clan, who would perform the ceremony for him and knelt.

Meanwhile, Hokuto mirrored Subaru's actions, only a few steps behind her brother, partly from what she was expected to do for the ceremony and partly because it was hard to walk quickly in her restrictive garments. However, instead of kneeling before the same person Subaru did, she knelt before the oldest female of the Sumeragi, the Sumeragi Matriarch and Tousen or Clan Head, her grandmother.

Both Lady Sumeragi and their distant uncle began the traditional speech that would tell them of what was expected of them now that they were full adults of the Sumeragi clan. The speech was given to each of them in turn, reminding them of their duties to their Shogun, what was owed to their clan and of the reminder to follow the ways set by their patron goddess. Then, the stern expressions eased into smiling faces filled with pride as the shutters to the ancestral hall were opened, letting the sunlight in as servants doused the candles, symbolising the end of their childhood and beginning of their lives as adults. The sunlight reflected off the carved, decorated mirror in Amaterasu's shrine and bathed both Subaru and Hokuto in the light for a brief moment before more light flooded the room, turning it into a sunny room, as befitting a shrine to the sun-goddess.

Now, the ceremonies continued and two sets of clothes were brought forward. The first set was a full formal man's kimono embroidered with the crest of the Sumeragi, a pentagram or five pointed star within a circle. This was handed to Subaru, with the pomp and ceremony accorded to one of those in the main bloodline of the Clan.

A kimono was handed to Hokuto as well, who received it as Subaru did, with both hands outstretched. It too was embroidered with the Sumeragi crest.

The ceremony was ended with a stick of incense offered to the shrine and blessings given by the Tousen before Subaru and Hokuto retreated, to be shown to their rooms and their wardrobes, which were stripped of their childhood clothing during their absence and replaced with new 'adult' clothing.

=SeishirouxSubaru=

Subaru tried not to fidget nervously as he tied his katana and kodachi to his waist, now in clothing that openly proclaimed him as a member of the Sumeragi samurai because of the Sumeragi family style of fighting – which called for the longer kodachi which was better for parrying, rather than the more usual, shorter stabbing wakizashi - if the colours of his dark green montsuki kimono did not do so. In Edo, only Sumeragi samurai wore dark green, like the leaves of oak trees in summer embroidered with the clan symbol on the left breast. He was now a full member of the clan, with adult responsibilities. While it was customary to change one's name after the ceremony, Subaru had stuck with his, finding that his name suited him.

The cousin who waited for him smiled. "First day, it's all right to be nervous." Takeshiro grinned at Subaru, who was looking a little miserable at being separated from his sister. "You'll do fine. Kusanagi-sama is an easy-going person; he won't bully you or ask the impossible."

"I'm… fine." Subaru answered, doing his best to look calm.

His cousin nodded and directed him towards southern end of the main road. "We'll head that way after Keiji joins us." He said, referring to his older brother who was delayed, talking to the Tousen. It was already around ten in the morning. "We should be at the Shogun's dojo in under a half hour."

"All right." Subaru nodded, not really paying attention to what his cousin was saying, too busy fighting the urge to adjust the string that bound his swords to his waist. It was odd, he decided, having to feel the difference in holding a shinai and a true katana. Other than the weight difference, which he was used to, thanks to lead weights shaped like his swords that his Shishou insisted him on wearing throughout the day, but there was a subtle difference now. What he had by his side was a live weapon, capable of injuring people. Any mistake he made while fighting would end up killing someone, whether it was an enemy or the person he was supposed to protect. Either was unpalatable. He did not like the idea of killing someone, or even hurting people, which was why he excelled in the most complicated version of the Sumeragi kenjutsu. The Sumeragi no Mamoru - the Crown Defense, which would disable any opponent without truly harming him while protecting his master.

A short while later, they were standing before the dojo within the Shogun's castle. Subaru was confused, as to why they were there rather than at the house that Kusanagi, his new master, occupied.

"Keiji-san, why are we here instead?" Subaru voiced his confusion as the older cousin who was in charge brought him to one of the rooms off the dojo and told him to change into a bogu set, for protection in a match while Takeshiro waited outside, in the dojo itself to represent the Sumeragi. "And why am I putting this on? Is Kusanagi-sama here to evaluate my ability to protect him?" He asked nervously, putting on the chest plate, fumbling with the ties at the back.

"No." Keiji shook his head. "You're here to be matched to your partner in protecting Kusanagi-sama."

Subaru swallowed. "Matched? Partner? I thought I would be working in a group."

Sumeragi Keiji shook his head, the nineteen-year-old confirming his words of earlier. "You may be working in a group but all of the Sumeragi samurai are paired up with a particular partner. Just as the Sumeragi are the tate, there must be a ken,a sword to accompany the shield. And you will be working with him for your entire career if it is a suitable pairing."

Subaru swallowed, seeing what his cousin did not mention: that his skills were being evaluated, by someone else, if not by his master, to see if he was capable enough in his family's style to protect his master.

By the time he left the room, fully dressed in the protective gear, there was already an opponent waiting for him, equally bedecked in a bogu, the protective mask firmly over his face, leaving his identity unknown, holding his katana and wakizashi-shaped bokken by his side, his hakama a blue so dark, it was almost black. In fact, he was dressed completely in that single, solid colour without a visible family crest, not even showing the white of the under-kimono that all samurai wore, which coupled with the black of the bogu, made him stand out in the sunlit dojo, looking like an ink stain against the golden backdrop of the building.

Keiji handed him, not his real katana but a pair of shinai, both the same lengths as his preferred weapons, which he held to his side just as if they were hanging from his waist, knowing the custom for an evaluation was to make it as similar to the real situation as possible, imitating his silent opponent, who appeared to be sizing him up, trying to guess what he was capable of.

Subaru thanked his cousin and turned to his opponent, realising that there were a good half dozen people here, all watching and anticipating the fight. Taking a deep breath to calm his nervousness, he nodded his readiness to the man standing opposite him, then bowed to his opponent as tradition called and waited for the call to start the bout, knowing that his slight stature did not look impressive, his body structure more suited to that of a scholar rather than a member of the samurai class, belying what physical strength he had.

"Hajime!" Even before the referee finished saying the word, Subaru's opponent had taken running steps forward, moving far faster than Subaru had thought was possible, the longer bokken drawn, rising up in an arc to slash downwards at an angle, aiming at his upper torso, followed by an upward slash that could be changed in angle, a cut that would to stun him if it hit low and knock him out if his opponent aimed high.

Unable to do anything but respond to the attack, Subaru's body moved as he had been trained to do so for years. As if he was moving in a kata, Subaru had drawn both shinai, the shorter sword blocking his opponent's attack, plainly surprising his opponent with his strength even as he whirled the longer weapon, forcing his opponent to step back or risk being hit.

His opponent did move back, but came back, renewed, this time his blade sweeping at eye level, making Subaru's eyes widen in shock, seeing the killing move for what it was having never been attacked in such a deadly fashion before in his life. Fortunately, like before, his body reacted to what he saw before his mind could make sense of the action and he blocked again, using his shorter weapon to block and the longer one to try to disarm his adversary. Only for his well-meaning tactic to spare the man injury to fail when the other man twisted his body to evade the blade and used his momentum to slam the hilt of his sword against Subaru's shoulder, sending Subaru stumbling back, shocked by the deviation from proper form and 'polite' combat. To make things worse, he knew, when he looked into the shadowed depths of the mask, that his adversary was capable of much more, that what had just happened was a mere taste of what the other was truly capable of.

His ki sense told him nothing when he tried to read his opponent's aura, finding nothing but a swirling maelstrom that was his adversary's ki, which was to be expected, since there was no doubt that he was a skilled warrior, fully capable of hiding his intentions in his ki.

However, Subaru was not one of the best in his family's style for nothing. Even as he staggered back, his hands remained locked in position, leaving no openings for his enemy to exploit, something which, he saw, earned him a nod of respect from the other. And the 'unacceptable' action in 'polite' combat was certainly possible in true combat. So he learned from what his opponent had done, taking note, trying to make sure that did not happen to him again. What could be done is a spar now, could certainly happen for real, and in combat, he might not survive a fight if he did not anticipate everything.

His reprieve did not last long as immediately after the nod, his adversary darted forward, coming in low, at a speed that Subaru struggled to match. He ignored a feint that his opponent made and barely managed to intercept the blade in the real attack, not blocking but rather, deflecting the rapid slashing attacks, only to yelp in surprise as that was used to his opponent's advantage as he spun and jumped, delivering another deadly slash at Subaru's back, one that if it did not incapacitate him outright, would certainly have left him operating under a handicap.

Subaru gasped, panting hard as he ducked the assault, stabbing with his shorter blade to distract his opponent, using the moment to gather himself and figure a way of fighting that would incapacitate the man who had already deflected his attack, if it could be seen as such, and landed in another stance. As if to stress on the difference between their levels, Subaru's opponent did not even seem winded, while Subaru was breathing hard. And Subaru had drawn both weapons from the beginning of the match - even though that could be disregarded since the Sumeragi always used two blades, when the other man still has his wakizashi at his waist, having relied only on his katana so far.

Subaru trained his eyes on his opponent, trying to see the tiny muscle movements on his opponent's body, doing his best to predict how the other would attack next. His effort was rewarded when he saw him tense, and dash towards him once more, his blade in a stabbing position. Even as he moved his own swords to block, to his horror, he saw his opponent draw his wakizashi…

"Enough." The referee called the end of the match, seeing that the two opponents were in a deadlock, the longer bokken resting lightly on the junction of the Sumeragi's shoulder and neck, the other slammed to the ground by Subaru's longer shinai, even as the shorter was pressed up to the bottom of the mask, against the Sumeragi's bokken-wielding opponent. A mutual kill.

The spectators were eagerly discussing the show in skill of both duelists as they were walked forward to bow to each other, remove their masks and introduce themselves.

Subaru was trembling slightly with exhaustion as he fumbled at the catches of the mask, unused to dealing them with the thick gloves on. Having already handed his shinai to the referee, he finally got the mask off to look at his taller opponent in the eyes, to stare in shock. The opponent who had nearly proved his skills as insufficient, who would probably have injured his Sensei in true combat, was looking at him face to face… and he was young, only a year or two older than Subaru himself, with clearly defined cheekbones, and a strong chin. He bowed nervously. "Ha…Hajimemashite, boku wa Sumeragi Subaru desu. Dozo yoroshiku."

His opponent smiled, sweat dripping from his charcoal black bangs as he returned the bow, his lightly tanned skin covered with a thin layer of perspiration, amused eyes glinting amber. "Yoroshiku. Boku wa Sakurazuka Seishirou."

Glossary of Japanese Terms

Amaterasu – The sun-goddess, patron goddess of the Sumeragi.

Arigatou (gozaimazu) – Term. Thank you.

Bakufu – the Shogunate or Shogun's dynasty.

Bogu – Protective gear for sword-fighting or sparring.

Bokken – Wooden sword.

Boku – 'I', only for men, usually for the younger generation.

Daijoubu – Common phrase. 'I'm fine. / Are you all right?'

Daimyo – Feudal Lord, warrior-governor of a prefecture.

Daisho – Paired swords, katana and wakizashi.

Dojo – formal training room for martial arts.

-Dono – Polite term, indicating someone of superior status.

Dozo – Formal language. 'Please'.

Genpuku- Coming-of-age ceremony for boys from 13 to 16 years of age.

Gi – traditional clothing worn for martial arts.

Hai – Yes.

Hakama – Traditional Japanese clothing. Pleated, loose trousers.

Hajime – Begin.

Hajimemashite – Traditional greeting, literally 'First time meeting you'.

Hime – Princess.

Kami – God.

Kata – sword dance, either solo or paired.

Katana – Curved Japanese sword at least a metre in length.

Ken – Sword.

Kenjutsu – Sword-fighting techniques.

Ki – Aura, detectable by experienced fighters.

Kimono – Traditional Japanese clothing.

Kodachi – 'Short sword', short dagger less than two feet in length.

Konban wa – Greeting. 'Good afternoon'.

Machiya – Town house, like the current terrace houses.

Mamoru – Defend, defense.

Mogi – Coming-of-age ceremony for girls from 13 to 16 years of age.

Montsuki kimono – fighting kimono.

Nagaya – Row houses.

Obi – sash worn with kimono.

Ohayo gozaimasu – Greeting. 'Good morning'.

Ryu – Style of martial arts.

-Sama – Polite term, indicating one's master or lord.

Samurai – Sword-bearing warriors, usually servants of a Lord.

Satsujin-ken – The 'sword that kills'.

Sayonara – Term. 'Goodbye'.

Seiza – formal way of sitting in Japan, legs under thighs, their behind resting on their heels.

Sensei – Formal term of respect. Usually applied to teachers or doctors.

Shinai – Bamboo sword.

Shishiou - Formal way of refering to a Master by an apprentice.

Shogun – Generalissimo, in charge of Damiyos.

Shoji – a door or screen made of paper with a wooden frame.

Sumimasen – Excuse me / Sorry.

Tabi – Socks worn by samurai. Designed for straw sandals.

Tatami – woven straw mat

Tate – Shield.

Tousen – Clan Head.

Wakashudo – 'Way of Youth', refers to relationships of the young.

Wakizashi – 'Side-arm' Japanese sword, about two feet in length.

Yoroshiku – Greeting. Literally 'Nice to meet you'.

Here's the first chapter. Done! Yay! (Comicx dances about on her toes, then accidentally stomps on K'van's.) -A pause as K'van chases after Comicx with a sledgehammer.- I hope you readers liked the fic, even if I got a little carried away with the japanese terms. (A little? Try A LOT! -K'van glared at a wilting Comicx)

I hope that you readers will appreciate this story and review, telling me ways to improve it. Thanks for putting up with us. By the way, if you think there is a way to make this fic better, by all means comment about it. But if you flame it... beware... I'll... I'll send the Dark Kamui after you!