The Butterfly on a Flower by Vineyard

Prologue: In the Begining

The Butterfly on a Flower

by Vineyard

Prologue: In The Beginning

Night had descended. One by one, lanterns of all sorts, all colours were being lit and hung up high. The shrine's gravel ground was sprawled with numerous shadows that painted it blue and black. People filled every empty area, hopping on and off each and every stall. Kagome Higurashi folded her arms in the sleeves of her yukata and wandered around like everyone else, enjoying the small carnival her family shrine had organized for the festive occasion.

"Kagome-chan!"

Kagome turned around to find three of her classmates waving to her excitedly. She waved back and giggled as her friends tried hobbling towards her. Like her, Kagome's friends had each worn a simple cotton yukata and donned geta sandals. Unaccustomed to the traditional wooden sandals, her friends had a hard time approaching her. Finally, they reached her side and the three started groaning.

"These sandals are the death of me! I'm gonna take them off!"

"And walk bare footed?! Common Yumi, it's only for one night."

" Yeah! One night but many hours! Even more so if we count it in minutes!"

Together, the girls laughed and waved off the argument and began moving about the stalls slowly. The night was still young, the sky merely a shade darker, as the girls explored the little carnival. They amused themselves with the carnival games and marvelled at the intricate trinkets and lovely little ornaments. Once in a while, the girls would make inexpensive purchases to bring home or exchanged them as gifts. They had a delightful time spending the little they brought along on cheap brown candy and Kyoto sweets that came in all shapes and sizes.

Just as night had thoroughly fallen, the girls had wandered far into the back of the carnival and stopped outside a greyish brown tent. The narrow and faded canvas tent was tucked in a corner, hidden unless you wandered far enough to notice. There were lesser people around this area; the plain unattractive stall hardly caught the eye of any passer-by.

"Hey, is that a fortune telling booth?" one of the girls pointed towards a wooden board hung over the tents entrance.

The girls eyed the weary signboard curiously.

"Wanna go check it out? We can find out about our love lives!"

The four girls giggled and headed towards the tent. They stopped right outside and tried peering through the small slit of an entrance. It was dark inside; they could not make out anything.

"Hey Eri, why don't you go first."

"Why don't you go?!"

"Uh. You suggested it, so you go first!"

The squabble continued and one of them pushed Kagome straight ahead. Kagome gave a slight shriek and stumbled into the little tent. Her friends entered one by one, meekly peering over Kagome's shoulder. The girls gasped in astonishment. Odd, but the inside of the tent was brightly lit. Tall three inched candles covered the ground and made it look like a sea of white wax and fire. There was hardly space for the girls to move around and they had to tip toe carefully about the mazes of candles.

"Hey, let's leave." Kagome glanced around the empty tent, taking in its plainness and hollowing feel.

"Let's just look around a little more." one of them urged. "We might just find something interesting-"

"My, my, what a crowd." a soft lady like voice interrupted.

The girls immediately spun round, shock to be suddenly confronted by a woman at the entrance.

"Are you here for fortune telling?"

The woman was smiling at them cordially and removed her coat, hanging it on a silver cloak stand the girls had not noticed before. Without the thick coat, the girls could make out the thinness of the woman. She was lean, slightly bony and was petite and small. Her vivacious brown hair, framed her sculpted face in waves and curls. She was not beautiful yet more so gauntly elegant.

The girls stared at the queer and fascinating lady, moving oh so smoothly through the tiny pathways of candles.

"Come sit." The woman herself settled onto a stool. None of the girls moved, staring intently at the lady, taking in her mannerisms that do not seem familiar.

The woman smiled and tucked her hands gracefully on her lap. She gazed at each of the girls, her eyes lingering a little while longer on Kagome. Kagome observe the lady and saw a flit of unplaced emotions across the lady's face when their eyes met. It was hard to place a finger on that feeling she saw. Somehow, it made Kagome feel suspended, like she knew this lady, as if she was familiar with the woman here from a long long time ago.

Kagome looked at the woman, who busied herself with the table. Yet, she was sure, so very certain that she had never seen such a woman in her entire life. She would remember if she had, the bright dark red and knowing eyes that penetrated her thoughts so easily.

"Do you wear contacts?" Kagome blurted.

Kagome's friends stopped their quiet argument of who should go first and stared at her. The woman looked slightly startled and glanced up. She smiled and reached under the table. From below, she retrieved a shallow bronze dish and placed it on the tabletop. Again, she went under and brought up a tall skinny jug.

"No. No I don't" the woman replied after awhile, tilting the jug over the quaint dish that took up one-third of the table space. Water poured generously into the wide bronze dish, licking against the kanji inscriptions that framed the edge of the dish.

"Why don't you go first?" the fortune-teller straightened herself and looked directly at Kagome.

Kagome broke her gaze with the woman and looked at her friends uncertainly. She opened her mouth to suggest her friends first but the three simply nodded vigorously at her. Kagome sighed and approached the empty stool. She paused, staring at the dish on the table. The tainted gold colour stood out peculiarly against the black cloth.

"Come, sit." The refined woman smiled, a soft smile.

Kagome settled into the stiff stool, her back straight and her body ready to bolt. The woman's eyes unnerved her. It held a glint, no it was not malicious, it was more urging like an unfolding revelation, but Kagome was still unsure.

"Well, shall we begin?"

Without waiting for a reply, the woman took a fan out from the right breast of her kimono. Kagome stared at the fan as the fortune-teller brandished it over the dish of water. In the beginning moments, nothing happened, the fan simply continued its route round and round the top of the dish. Then slowly, Kagome began to feel wisp of wind materializing, like a tiny tornado with its wind clashing and moving in swirls faster each time it circled.

"Girl."

Kagome jerked back at the woman's voice and faced her. The fan was now open; display an elaborate design of moving dragons and phoenixes. Kagome's eyes trained on the dancing fan, subconsciously noticing the sudden darkness of the room. She looked around, aware of her friends still watching intently. The greyish white wisp of smoke rising from the candles formed a dreamlike fog, casting a huge shadow upon them, yet queerly, Kagome could not smell the choking scent of smoke, instead, she could distinctively make out the pleasant fragrance of lavender and pomegranate.

Kagome whirled round and stared at the woman curiously, wondering what in the world is going on. Her neck was hot and sticky, only her face could feel the brushes of unearthly wind. The woman gazed at her and snapped her fan shut. The winds died.

"Girl, Kagome."

Kagome looked into the wine red eyes of the woman and wondered how did the woman know her name when none of them even mentioned names. Both at the table stared into each other's eyes. Stark red against the blues of the teenage girl.

"How do you know my name?"

The woman's smile widened but said nothing.

All the senses, right down to the pores of Kagome's skin was on alert. The raven-haired girl did not dare move, did not dare utter a word. It was like the woman before her was questioning with her eyes, challenging her. Kagome felt as if the woman knew something. Hell! She somehow knew her name!

"It was a long time ago," the woman suddenly began, her fingers lovingly tracing the lacquered wood of the fan, "a very long time ago, when it all began."

The woman stared into Kagome's eyes, her fingers pausing once it reached the tip of the fan. She smiled and looked away from Kagome. The smile was not cruel, but it was hard to tell what it was. The whole situation was like a veil Kagome could not uncover herself.

"Kagome." the mentioned girl felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder and found her friends looking around uneasily, rubbing their upper arms. Kagome had not noticed the sudden chill of the place and following the example of her friends; she started to ease the goosebumps on her arms.

"Kag. I think we should leave" Yumi whispered. Her friend sounded freaked and their faces urged her to make the decision to leave.

Kagome glanced at the waiting fortune-teller and back at her friends.

"It's okay." Inwardly, Kagome hoped she was right; her own confidence in her words was starting to falter.

Kagome needed to know, what the woman knew. Her past, her present, her future, all weighed heavily ringing out in this tent to her very soul.

The woman smiled at Kagome; somehow Kagome had a notion the woman knew that she was going to stay. So be it, Kagome steeled herself against her unease and doubts. She straightened her back and stared at the fortune-teller. Holding her breath, she gave a small nod. The woman's smile widened.

"I was sure you wanted to know about yourself, Eienjuu." The woman whispered; Kagome barely caught her words.

Who's Eienjuu? Kagome thought and opened her mouth to ask the woman.

The woman paused as Kagome prepared to speak. Yet before the curious girl could get her questions answered, the strange fortune-teller reached her hand out and placed her palm flat down against the water surface of the basin. All words died as Kagome allowed herself to be remarkably amazed by the suddenly glowing water.

" It was prophesied that a day the humans would over take, a day where youkai would be driven into hiding. For the humans, it was salvation. For the youkai it was pandemonium. It was when it all began, seven hundred years ago. Seven hundred years of awaiting change."

The dish of water was sparkling, as if someone had tipped multi coloured glitter into the water. Its shimmer blinked at Kagome in thousands every time the woman's finger swooshed the water.

"Seven hundred years before today."

"It is acting like a double edge sword. Already we have the prophecy to handle; now this rumour has set the land into a bloody massacre!"

Mummers roused at the comment made by the lord of the Eastern lands. Indeed the situation was disastrous, the Lords of the four respective lands and their advisors had gathered at the Western citadel because of the alarming matter. Head clashes between the youkai race and the humans were on the rise, and the Lords were worried about upsetting the natural balance of things.

"The lower youkai have been attacking humans, afraid of the prophecy. I do not blame them; the matter is serious, a proclamation of such magnitude is utterly bold and if true, perilous." Rayerth the Lord of the South reasoned.

"However," Inutaishou the current Lord over the Western lands raised his hand to silence the chatter, "however right sounding a reason the youkai may have, it was unwise for such an uproar. The humans have begun to retaliate. Both sides are diminishing quickly. Worst of all, this fresh talk of the mikos are sending more to their death."

Sesshoumaru listened to his father speak. True as his father had said, times now were filled with foolish conflicts, judgmental and uncalled kinds of antagonism. For centuries each side had been tolerant, each side keeping their wrath and hatred at bay, the prophecy had broken that thread of tolerance and holding back.

Demons attacked human villages and humans sent their mikos, houshis and taijiyas to return the favour. As if things aren't bad enough, the situation had taken a turn for the worse. New rumours had begun to emerge; they were either true or stemming from human's fears and superstition. The word spread that a drop of sacrificial blood from women with spiritually high powers could slay and cleanse a thousand. Many villages now practice such cultic ways to the horror and distaste of the lords.

"The tables have turned on the humans." Inutaishou held the attention of the room. "The strong belief they have in this new perverse way of salvation is slaying them slowly. We have to stamp out this phase."

"Why can't we just leave the humans to die?" a coy voice interrupted. It was no secret that the Levee, the Lady of the Northern lands held great contempt for the human race. "In this manner, they weed themselves out, and the prophecy would be void. Wouldn't this be better for us?"

The other lords considered what Lady Levee said advantageous and began voicing agreements. Inutaishou ignored the frivolous suggestion of Lady Levee, a bat youkai. She was still young and inexperienced. Her widowed mother had passed on the month before, leaving the lands into her daughter's hands.

"Kami had placed both youkai and humans on this land for a purpose." Inutaishou's stern steady voice cut through all solitary conversations. "It is not our choice or decision to make seeing who fits to remain living in this land.

There is a balance we have to upkeep; disregardful of how much we do not like the other party. I am sure all the Lords are certain of nature's order. Aren't we all?"

Neither lords were willing to go against Inutaishou's words nor did they dare question Kami's actions in placing both youkai and humans together.

"For now, all we can do is send our scouts around the villages and cities to root out such miko sacrificial practices. We will deal with this one step at a time. Our concentration shall be placed on the obliteration of the heinous occult, then we shall discuss again the handling of the prophecy."

"Are there any other suggestions then?" Inutaishou was aware of the bitter expression Lady Levee worn. He was slightly amused at the fact that she was so utterly narrow minded in her ruling whereas her mother had been wise, proficient and accommodating. Though so, he kept this amusement silently to himself.

Inutaishou nodded sternly at the Lords' silent agreement. "It shall be done thus forth then."

There was a pregnant paused before Inutaishou gave a curt nod. Sesshoumaru mirrored his father's action in courtesy and followed his father out the study. A step behind his father, Sesshoumaru strode across the wide corridor, passing by the family portraits he had seen all his life. He paused slightly at the recent one hung up, his younger half brother's painting aligned next to his.

"Sesshoumaru." the older youkai's baritone voice brought Sesshoumaru's attention away from the picture.

The older man had paused and gazed at the same picture that Sesshoumaru had previously been looking. The younger pup noticed his father's claws reach out slightly to the picture, but quickly withdraw his hand moments later.

"I need you to travel to Inuyasha's forest."

Sesshoumaru remained stoic and averted his gaze from his father's face and trained it back to the picture on the wall. His younger brother Inuyasha, his younger half brother.

"It was reported that a miko is being sacrificed, so as we speak. I do not know the extent of this matter, however if possible, I would like to miko saved, and the village people spared Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru nodded at his father's compassion, silently uncomprehending his father's grace. He too agreed somewhat with Lady Levee; the humans do not deserve to live. Their own wayward ways have simply brought judgment upon themselves.

"I will leave now father."

The white steed fidgeted as the village within Inuyasha's forest came into view from the hill drop. Sesshoumaru could feel the tangible spiritual presence in the air. It was too powerful to simply be that of a village miko. Perhaps there was more to this than a thoughtless sacrifice.

Sesshoumaru noticed the setting sun and signalled to his troops to halt. Sesshoumaru's soldiers were slightly nervous; their musky smell of sweat permeated the air. The strong overwhelming spiritual energy was discomforting and they remained absolutely quiet, worriedly quiet. The forest was reciprocated their silence with an abyss of deafening blackness, only the muffled thumps of horses' hooves softly echoed.

"Aii." Sesshoumaru's low voice summoned his commanding general.

A second stallion rode up as far as the cliff, it was equally anxious and neighed its unease. A hand stroked its mane tenderly and the horse quieted.

"Sesshoumaru-sama. There is something wrong."

The stoic youkai remained silent. The winds picked up slightly as evening began its unhurried descent. Sesshoumaru cast another glance at the seemingly normal village and steered his horse away from the cliff's edge. He faced his general.

"Stay here with the men. Do not move into the village before the sun sets. I will return before then."

The female youkai bowed with her right hand across her left breast in respect. Sesshoumaru nodded and dismissed her. As his general rejoined the troop, Sesshoumaru kicked his steed slightly and began quickly heading towards the depth of the forest.

Many thoughts raced through Sesshoumaru's mind, each trying to find an explanation for this high peak in spiritual energy that only seemed to surround the village and areas of near proximity. Sesshoumaru's horse raced into a clearing and his thoughts stopped short.

A hard tug at the reins slowed the horse. Sesshoumaru calmed his horse with his hands, and gazed coolly around the clearing, his eyes taking in the surrounding before settling upon a figure pinned to a large god tree.

His jaki is still sealed.

Sesshoumaru dismounted his steed, one of his suspicions rendered void. His younger brother was not awakened. Sesshoumaru used his claws to strip the vines that had crept and coiled and twisted up his sibling's form.

Then why is there such a high amount of energy from this place?

Sesshoumaru raised his hand to the arrow that had pinned Inuyasha to the god tree. The arrow cackled where Sesshoumaru had touched. The youkai pulled his hands away from the arrow, his fingers burnt. The energy from the arrow was similar to that coming from the village. Sesshoumaru turned to leave and was about to mount his horse when a rustle in a far end bush made him pause. He could smell a ningen, a human.

There was a sudden padding of footwork. Sesshoumaru's hand smoothly reached the hilt of his sword. A figure bounded into the clearing and Sesshoumaru eyed her. It was a girl, a young teenage girl. The human girl froze on the spot when she saw Sesshoumaru. She fearfully stared at his tall form before recognition took over. Her eyes widened and she stared back and forth, looking from Inuyasha to Sesshoumaru, Sesshoumaru to Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru could sense no malice from this human girl so he relinquished the hold on his hilt and mounted the steed. He backed out of the clearing, and his steed started to trod slowly back to his troops. Sesshoumaru knew that the girl was following him and quickened the speed of his horse. The girl started running to keep up with him, the distance between them drew apart. Abruptly, the girl fell, her knees grazing the rough forest floor. She cried out and Sesshoumaru halted. The smell of her blood reached his sensitive nose.

The youkai wanted to leave; instead he urged his horse towards the crying girl. With an arm, the youkai lifted the girl and placed his behind him. Scowling, the youkai began his ride back to his troops knowing that his father would be unhappy if he left the girl.

The girl had stopped sobbing somewhere along the way and began talking.

"I clean his face everyday."

Sesshoumaru ignored the girl and used one hand to push away her arms that tried circling his waist.

"I'm Rin."

Sesshoumaru continued to pay no heed to the girl as he reached his troops.

"Aii." He called out.

The female inuyoukai was surprised when she saw a young woman peeking from Sesshoumaru's behind. Her steed approached her lord and she bowed her head reverently.

"You have returned my lord."

"Take the girl and leave her somewhere safe."

The girl started to protest as she was lifted off Sesshoumaru's horse. Aii sensed that the girl did not want to leave and pitied the girl.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, there is no place safe here. If you will permit, I would like to keep the girl beside me."

Sesshoumaru glanced at his general, without saying a word, he turned away and rode towards the cliff.

"Aii, we're leaving soon, just as the sun sets. Get the men ready."

Sesshoumaru steeled himself against the stench of burning and dead flesh. His troops had stormed the village. The villagers had initiated an attack. Many of Sesshoumaru's men were down. He growled at the unexpected turn of events. All of the villagers had displayed high tendencies of spiritual energy, attacking and wounding his soldiers without hesitation. It seems that all the villagers were either mikos or houshis.

The youkai troop had barely managed to push the villagers back. Many of humans fled towards the far end of the village where Sesshoumaru spotted a shrine. The youkai ordered the remaining of his men to surround the shrine. The villagers had made a human barrier around the shabby temple.

"No one is to enter the sanctuary of Kami's maiden! Especially you of tainted blood!" the man facing Sesshoumaru spat.

The villagers who were still alive chorused the man's intent. Somehow, Sesshoumaru sensed the spiritual energy of the villagers had died and could feel a collective gathering of huge amounts of unexplained energy from inside the shrine.

Sesshoumaru ignored the man and kicked his horse hard. The steed leapt and the man toppled to the ground. Sesshoumaru's heavy stallion landed on the ground, above the fallen man. The man's piercing screamed made the villagers flinched as the hooves of the horse crushed both his wrists.

Surprisingly, none of the villagers reacted with the purifying power they had displayed earlier. Sesshoumaru's men seized the village people easily this time causing him to wonder what this was all about.

Perhaps the shrine has some answers after all.

Sesshoumaru left his horse to Aii and lifted the cloth covering the entrance. It was dark and an overpowering scent of burning incense blocked out all other smells. The strong incense of rosebay seemed to be hiding something. It covered the whole shrine, masking the walls under its sweet-smelling influence.

Sesshoumaru ordered his men to light torches inside the shrine. One by one, sticks of dry wood went ablaze with flaring reddish orange flames. The sight brought to light was horrifying; Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as his spotted the gruesome altar. The Western Troop soldiers gagged at the sight, through and through disgusted by what they saw and could not smell previously.

"Sesshoumaru-sama." the mentioned youkai heard Aii call him and before he could respond a scream pierced the dead of the night.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this ;) Anyways, updates here will be significantly slower than the updates on fanfic.net. It is easier to upload my chapts there. so bear with me ok? But i shall place the link to my profile on fanfic.net if you wanna read ahead. Do review ;) and tell me how it was. Suggestions and critiques are welcomed