Chapter 13: Long Foretold, Soon Unveiled

Sesshomaru watched Higurashi's fleeing form with veiled interest. Flicking his gaze to his father, he was surprised to see him also watching the girl. Inu no Taisho stared, his corners of is lips turned down and his eyes blazing with internal fire. The room filled with sound as courtiers began eating and drinking, but the monarch remained stiff and silent in his seat. Eventually Inu no Taisho shifted his gaze to his eldest son, who met him head on.

"Sesshomaru…" Inu no Taisho began, his voice a soft murmur lost to the noise, his eyes scanning through the assembled humans and demons, "We must talk."

"Hn."

The meal dragged on for Sesshomaru. The newest girl to arrive at the palace sat across from his brother, engaging him in excessively polite conversation. Every so often, she would make a soft comment or ask a question. She was exceptionally skilled with people, subtly leading the conversation and drawing in attention from all sides. Izayoi and Inuyasha talked excitedly with the girl, occasionally dragging his father into the conversation. The strange girl even met his own gaze a few times throughout the meal, her coy smile falling short of reaching her eyes.

When the meal ended, Sesshomaru followed his father out of the dining hall. The silent pair made their way through the sprawling palace towards their family's private residence. The hallways were empty here, and gratefully free of the many perfumes the women vying for his attention wore. Sesshomaru quirked his eyebrow when his father entered the war room, sliding the door shut with a neat snick. The maps detailing the past attacks surrounded them, red blotches indicating the extent of their unknown enemy's damage.

Then Inu no Taisho was pushing them away, revealing the polished wooden table underneath as maps, brushes, and pages fell to the ground with a soft clatter. From his haori he produced a small scroll, gingerly placing it on the table as he met Sesshomaru's questioning gaze. A cursory sniff revealed that the scroll was old, the crackling paper stiff and fragile with age, but no scents lingered on it save his father's.

"You asked if I kept something from you," Inu no Taisho started, then paused. "I have." He gestured to the scroll on the table. "That scroll details how our empire falls." Sesshomaru's eyes widened slightly, and he looked at the scroll with renewed interest. Glancing back at his father, he received a curt nod of permission before picking up the scroll. With delicate precision, he unrolled the scroll to reveal a short verse, the once-black ink faded to a soft grey.

The Sparrow's Requiem

In the time of the General, united by race and with sons soon engaged,

One face shall decide the fate of the nation, twin parts bearing wills of good and ill.

Youkai eyes deceived and human hearts confused, falling heavens whisper truth.

One to destroy, one to raise, the younger to save lest the elder be razed.

Draw to her with gentle soul, Joy of the sky, and burn away fear.

Let not Emptiness chase away what content would reside caged within reign.

Confuse them not, lest the empire fall in silken chains,

The verse ended suddenly, and Sesshomaru looked back up at his father, his eyes narrow and sharp.

"What is this?"

"A prophecy." Inu no Taisho's voice was grim and soft.

"When were you planning on telling me?"

"When the time was right."

"Why?" Sesshomaru asked, a hint of anger coloring his words.

"Why did I wait, or why now?"

"Either. Both. Explain yourself, Father," Sesshomaru snapped, red seeping into his eyes.

"You are familiar with Higurashi Kagome?"

"What of the girl?"

"And you saw the newest arrival, Miyamoto Kikyo?" Inu no Taisho pressed. He stared into his son's eyes, and saw the sudden flood of comprehension.

"Twins," Sesshomaru said, his voice hollow. He glanced back down at the scrap of paper between his claws.

"So it would seem." The Emperor's lips pressed together in a harsh frown. Silence enveloped them as Sesshomaru read through the verse once more. His father went to the side of the room and opened a small cabinet to produce a bottle of sake and a few cups. Bringing them back to the table, he sat heavily and began pouring. He placed a cup in front of Sesshomaru, then took a long drink from his own.

"How long have you known?" Sesshomaru asked, picking up his own cup.

"My father told me right before he died. He passed this scroll to me and told me that my grandsire met a yosuzume in the mountain passes as he fought in the south. The bird told him he'd establish a strong and powerful kingdom to last generations, but one day his line would face a decision. He handed this," Inu no Taisho said, picking up the small scroll once more, "to Inukouji and flew off into the mountains."

"Hn." Sesshomaru sat for a minute, his mind working through the different possibilities to understand the prophecy. "We cannot simply kill them both?"

"No. From what I understand, if we kill them both or kill the elder, the empire perishes." Inu no Taisho sat back, taking another long drink. "The elder will destroy the kingdom given the chance, the younger will save it…if Higurashi and Miyamoto are truly separated twins, we must determine which is the elder."

"Have there been no other twins in the entire empire?"

"Very few. For centuries, elder twins have been branded and cast out." Inu no Taisho paused, swirling the sake in his cup. "When my allies began calling me 'taisho', I remembered the prophecy."

"Hn…."

"I did not want it to be true. But now I suppose my own folly stares me in the face."

"So what can be done?" Sesshomaru asked, looking expectantly at his father. The older youkai stared into his cup for a moment longer, then met his son's eyes.

"I need you to investigate. Find out which girl is the eldest." Inu no Taisho said, setting his cup down. He rubbed his eyes, then met Sesshomaru's gaze once more. "I want you to watch Higurashi. From what I understand," he said, lifting an edge of the scroll once more, "the younger twin is gentler, but the elder will confuse us, try and trick us."

"And what of Miyamoto?"

"Inuyasha will watch her closely. She seems perfectly content to follow him around. Higurashi, on the other hand…" Inu no Taisho sighed and stood, pacing around the war room. "Higurashi is very different. She has training with a bow. She maintains close acquaintance with my advisors, my captain of the guard. Even you saw how quickly she captured Inuyasha's attention. My advisors all seem quite taken with her, though she seems perfectly ordinary to me. Childish and ill-fit for palace life, perhaps, but not dangerous. Not until now," the Emperor growled lowly, his back to Sesshomaru. "Find out if she is the eldest, Sesshomaru."

"What then?"

"Then… we will deal with her as any other threat to our nation."

"Hn."


Sesshomaru roamed the palace grounds after leaving the war room, his thoughts reeling in light of recent revelations. His feet led him through the palace until he found himself out in the open, roaming through the gardens. The sky stretched out above him, the final rays of the setting sun disappearing behind the clouds. Leaves whispered along the ground as a soft breeze carried a now-familiar scent to his nose. Testing the air, Sesshomaru continued down the garden path, closing in on his unsuspecting prey. Pushing through the hanging branches of the wisteria, Sesshomaru caught sight of Higurashi once more, a dark figure by the side of the pond. She twirled a flower in her hands, a finished chain of blooms resting on the ground by her side. Higurashi turned, sensing that she was no longer alone in her haven.


"Ohayo, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome said, bowing her head. "I did not expect to see anyone out here." Throughout the garden, crickets chirped, their songs a welcome diversion from forced conversation. She turned back to the pond, fiddling with her flower. "Will you come sit with me?" she offered, glancing over her shoulder at the inuyoukai.

Wordlessly, Sesshomaru came to her side, but did not sit. He stood, his eyes fixated on the skies. Kagome followed his gaze, watching the stars glitter and shine far above their heads.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

He looked down at her, their eyes meeting in the dim light, and wondered how she could possibly affect the entire kingdom, with her small hands and innocent eyes.

"Arigatou-gozaimasu, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome continued, her eyes slipping back down, "for lending me your haori the other night. I…" her voice trailed off, and she looked at the stoic demon beside her. He was so calm, so unaffected by the turbulent world within the palace. The pair sat in silence, each lost to their own thoughts.

"Why are you here, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome's voice was quiet among the sounds of the garden. Sesshomaru looked away from the sky for just a moment to observe the girl at his feet.

"Why are you, Higurashi?"

Kagome giggled, her cheeks flushing softly. A brief puff of pride swelled within him, pleased by his ability to elicit such a response from her.

"You may call me Kagome, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome responded lightly, a teasing edge to her voice.

"Hn." Acutely aware of her playful tone, Sesshomaru turned back to the sky. Beside him, Kagome gave a quiet smile to the second flower-chain forming at her fingertips.


From the palace, Inu no Taisho watched the young woman and his son, unable to hear their stilted conversation. They made a striking pair from this distance, a perfect contrast of dark and light. From what he observed, Higurashi Kagome attracted people to her like flames attracted moths. His own son was impressive, but lacked the same inherent warmth Higurashi so easily wielded in her interactions with others. Inu no Taisho's eyes narrowed, focusing on the couple in the garden. Tentatively, he sent a tendril of his youki outward to test the girl's presence, to see how she would react, or if she even noticed.

The response was near instantaneous. Sesshomaru turned his head sharply towards the palace, his own youki flaring up in return. A second energy swelled up as well, and Inu no Taisho's youki rushed back, a shiver running down his spine. His youki tingled where it touched the second energy, and he fixed his gaze on Higurashi. Strangely, the girl had not even looked up from her flower plait. If the second surge had originated from her, she would surely have reacted. As it was, Higurashi merely glanced up at Sesshomaru before languidly returning to her task. Curious.


Sesshomaru stared up at the palace, then at Kagome, confusion clouding his face. His youki flared to meet his father's, but another brushed against it as well. The corners of his lips turned down slightly, his eyes darkening.

"Is something wrong, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked, cocking her head to the side. Before he could answer, she gasped and sprang up, pointing at the sky in excitement. "Look, a shooting star— quick, make a wish!" Kagome said, before squeezing her eyes shut.

The youkai twisted his head, catching sight of the star's trail. What does a falling bit of heaven have to do with making a wish, he wondered, momentarily bemused by her antics. Now that she stood, he could feel her next to him. She stood still, her eyes closed, hands up like she was praying, and lips moving without forming words. He waited, then watched as her eyes blinked open, a wide smile crossing her features.

"Did you make a wish?" she asked, her eyes bright in the darkness.

"This Sesshomaru does not engage in such childish affairs."

Kagome pressed on, her excitement only slightly tempered by his surly response. "Mama said that stars fall when the kami are looking down on us. She said when you see a shooting star to make a wish for the kami to hear."

"Hn."

"I've only seen a shooting star once before tonight, and, well, I guess I can't tell you what I wished for, but I think—"

Sesshomaru turned abruptly towards her, his imposing height suddenly filling her view. She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his, words suddenly failing her.

"And what do you wish for, Kagome?"


Important Note: I am revising and editing the completed chapters and cross-posting to AO3 and Dokuga (currently posted through chapter 2, which includes a chunk of FFN's chapter 3). The content for chapters is being rearranged in this revision, so please do not be surprised if the chapter numbers change or the total number of chapters decreases. I do not know what deleting chapters will do to the comments, so I am waiting to published the fully revised version to FFN.