Forgot about the ficcy!
Was going to put up some fanfic in first entry, but forgot. Mind like a sieve. Have learned to live with it, write many things down. Only problem is when I forget to read later... or write down in first place. Ack. This is newest fic I am currently working on.
fandom: Inu-Yasha
title: Hunter's Moon
Pairing: Kouga/Inuyasha
Wind stirred the treetops, the steady invisible rush lifting fine strands of long silver hair as the hanyou turned his face into the breeze. His sensitive nose took in information beyond human senses, the scents carried to where he perched at ease in the branches of an old maple, high above the ground where his human companions rested.
The acrid tang of smoke from the cooking fire, the mixed scents of the mortals he knew, the less obvious smell of the young kitsune and the fire neko… all were as they should be. No enemy scent reached him.
Yet…
The delicate hairs on the back of his neck lifted, a sense of alarm spreading through his system. He scented the air once more, a dread promotion taking root in his gut. The wind suddenly seemed heavier than it should be.
He reached out with his othersense, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease. He caught just a hint, and strained to pinpoint it…
Darkness… Chaos… A complete loss of self… A call to surrender to the pull of your blood… The thrill of the hunt… The glorious joy of facing down all challengers and taking what was right fully yours… Primal ecstasy…
Oh shit.
Heart pounding like thunder he wrenched himself out of his immersion in his senses, vaulting to his feet and leaping to the top of the tree. His hunter-gold eyes searched the late afternoon sky, locking onto the faint crescent of the moon in the clear blue expanse.
This was bad.
They had four days. Four days to get back to the village. They might not make it.
He inhaled and shuddered as his blood hammered through his veins. Determination welled up in him as he looked down at the small group resting at ease under his protection, molten gold eyes hardening in reflection of an iron will. All of them were his responsibility, his… friends… his pack.
They might not make it… but they had to try.
He leapt from the branch, dropping swiftly to the ground below.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
It had been three days since Inuyasha had dropped abruptly into the camp during one of their rest stops, breaking his usual habit of maintaining solitude and standing as sentry. Three days since the half-demon had forced them to break camp, making them eat on the march, only letting them slow for water breaks. Pushing them to travel from sunup to sundown back towards the village they now called home.
Several times Kagome had tried to cajole the surly hanyou into slowing, but each time she was rebuffed. The frighteningly intense expression on his normally scowling face silenced the majority of their protests. Even Shippo had noticed that Inuyasha wasn’t acting normally.
Kagome had fallen midway through the second day, loudly exclaiming that she as unable to walk another step. Instead of yelling at her as he had on many previous occasions, Inuyasha had simply shouldered her pack, dumped the girl onto Kirara’s back, and marched on.
There was worry, and yes, even fear in the young hanyou’s glitter-bright eyes. It was this alien fear that had stifled their outcry for the last three days. Even so, the miko from the future was exhausted nearly past her endurance by the hard pace, and she was not used to being denied her comforts. Especially by the silver haired half-demon she was partnered with.
“Inuyasha, would you please slow down?!”
The molten-metal eyes didn’t even glance her way as the pale hanyou lead them home.
“We’ve only got a little bit further until we reach the village, Inuyasha. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can tell us now. Is it because the new moon is tonight? Is that why you’re so nervous?”
Conversation between the members of the little group had been strained, their weary bodies demanding rest more than talk. Now though, they were fed up with the silent treatment their half-blood friend had given them, and they wanted answers. Miroku quickened his pace to come up on Inuyasha’s other side.
“Indeed, you are not usually so timid about being away from the village during your time.”
Instead of provoking Inuyasha’s temper as the wayward monk had intended there was a long stretch of silence until Inuyasha finally broke it with a question.
“Tell me, houshi, what do you know about ‘Ryoshi no Tsuki’?”
To say Miroku was startled was an understatement. The situation was graver than he had imagined if Inuyasha was ignoring the attack on his pride. Sango was the one who answered the question while Miroku was still blinking.
“I’ve heard of it, my father taught me from the records of our clan. ‘The Hunter’s Moon is a time of unfettered carnage among demonkind. For the span of nights from the new moon until it waxes again to fullness, youkai slaughter each other indiscriminately.’ I don’t know what triggers it, but there are normally very few demon attacks for the two or three years that follow.”
“Feh.”
“Inuyasha, does Ryoshi no Tsuki have something to do with why we’re returning to the village early?”
A single, sharp nod answered Miroku’s question. The companions exchanged looks of mingled concern, confusion, and the dawning of horrified realization behind the hanyou’s red-clad back.
“… Tonight is the start of the Hunter’s Moon. Normally humans are pretty much ignored, but you all smell like me, like demon… and that puts you in danger.”
“Danger? What…”
Inuyasha continued speaking, cutting Kagome off as if he hadn’t heard her question.
“Ryoshi no Tsuki is the youkai mating season. It occurs once every fifty years.”
Again he ignored the startled exclamations and the beginnings of questions.
“Most demons seek out mates or opponents. Any two demons will fight to the death once they get started, especially if a potential mate is involved. Those potential mate’s fight back just as hard, they will kill any suitors who are weaker than them, and the suitors who are too weak to take them alive either end up killed by another demon or kill the one they’re after. Those who are already mated aren’t at as much risk of dieing; they usually hole up someplace safe and come out of the Moon time with a new brat on the way. Kids like Shippo, who’re too young to be affected, are ignored as long as they stay out of the way. Unless you’re of breeding age, you remain unaffected by the Call.”
“The Call?”
“The Call is what drives the youkai crazy during Ryoshi no Tsuki. The Call to mate, to breed, to fight.”
Another round of glances were exchanged, a wide-eyed Shippo going ignored as he leapt onto Inuyasha’s shoulder until the little spirit fox leaned over to peer suspiciously into the hanyou’s face.
“Who were you with the last time this happened?”
The frozen silence expanded in the wake of the boy’s question as the other three travellers levelled curious looks at the silver dog. The almost visible snapping of Inuyasha’s carefully checked temper was a relief on some parts.
“I was pinned to that godsdamned tree you little bastard!”
Shippo went flying under the force of the smack he wasn’t fast enough to avoid.
“And before that I was too young to be affected! For fuck’s sake it starts on the night of the new moon, human’s aren’t affected by the Call of Ryoshi no Tsuki!”
The reappearance of Inuyasha’s shouts and scowls seemed to herald a return to semi-normalcy, as the group laughed and trailed in the hanyou’s stomping wake. Still, there was a profound sense of relief when the village came into sight a few minutes later, with several hours left until sunset.
They hurried to Kaede’s home to let her know what was going on, and then they dispersed to prepare for the coming night.
The old priestess nodded gravely after the explanation and gave Inuyasha a shrewd, questioning look.
“Tell me, child, is there else of this Hunter’s Moon that ye have yet to tell us of?”
The exiled demon prince flicked his hair out of his face and rolled over to face the fire.
“Not much, the purpose of the Hunter’s Moon is to wean youkai population levels, like cleaning out the chaff, and to produce children. Other than that, just some old legends… they say that those mated during the first night of Ryoshi no Tsuki are fated to be together, that the instinctive Call to one another is undeniable and unbreakable. They also say that any offspring of a first night mating will be more powerful than most demons.”
Kaede looked curious, idly turning the arrow she was fletching over in her hands.
“Is this truth? Do more powerful demons truly come of these pairings?”
Inuyasha shrugged, stretching out on the floor, one ear flicking as he listened to the humans going about their business outside. He and the old woman were the only ones in the room, the others were all out warning the villagers and putting up wards on the houses and around the village borders.
“… I can’t say for sure, but Sessoumaru and I are both children of the first night.”
“I see.”
Inuyasha flipped to his feet after a few minutes of silence. Waving away Kaede’s questioning look as he left.
“I’m going to scout around a bit before my powers fade, and I need to tell the demon hunter to let her cat out before it starts getting dark.”
“Good luck to ye, child.”
“Feh.”
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
“Oi, Hunter. We need to talk.”
Inuyasha explained that Kirara needed to be taken away from the village before the Call started to affect the neko youkai; otherwise people were going to end up hurt.
Sango looked torn, but nodded slowly and handed her precious pet over to the silver haired dog demon. Inuyasha didn’t look at her as he turned to walk away, but his voice was gruff as he spoke without casting a glance in he demon hunter’s direction.
“She’ll most likely come back here during the day to rest and eat until she finds a mate, or the whole thing blows over. If she gets too badly hurt you should be able to ward her in without endangering her or yourselves, there are enough humans here that her scent’s pretty well masked. If it comes to that, burn incense around whichever shed you decide to hide her in.”
Sango looked over at Inuyasha to thank him, but he had already left.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
As he raced back towards the village after dropping Kirara off a small distance away, Inuyasha sighed. He’d obviously been worrying over nothing, he still had a few minutes to get back to the village before the sun set, and the entire population was burning the scent covering incense under Kaede’s instructions.
Pausing as he landed on one of the Go-Shin-Boku’s huge branches, Inuyasha let his head fall back against the trunk as he leaned against it. Imagining he could feel four days worth of tension escaping into the rough bark. He took a deep breath, taking advantage of the quiet moment to revel in his demon senses before they vanished with the sun.
Wolf.
Gold eyes shot open and the lithe form sprang away from the giant tree before Inuyasha had fully processed the actions. The scent of a demon wolf was strong in his nose, young male, strong, healthy… and familiar.
It was Kouga. The scent was a mix of earth and wind and pine and dominance, the heavy musk of an alpha just reaching his prime. It was a scent more familiar to the hanyou than many others.
Racing through the woods towards the origin of the scent Inuyasha’s single thought was to turn Kouga back. The only reason the ookami prince would come to the village on this night was to take Kagome, and there was no way the girl was going to be that assholes mate. The human girl was a member of Inuyasha’s pack, as sad and sorry as it was to claim a pack of ningen and misfits, they still belonged to him.
Just the thought of Kouga laying claim to one of his people made rage boil red-hot in his chest, pulling a snarl from his throat as he leapt from one tree to another.
Dried flowers and mint, sugar-sweets and the fizz-sparkle of purity… Kagome.
Frantic, Inuyasha somehow pushed more speed into his legs, heart in his throat. She had probably decided to go back home, to let her family know that she had a full half moon break from shard hunting… damn it, someone should be with her, but her scent was alone.
Oh Kami, please… don’t let it be too late.
Inuyasha burst into the clearing around the Bone Eaters Well in a flurry of leaves, shooting out into the air above the meadow in a rush of wind. Kagome was tiredly trudging towards the well, her depleted pack hanging from her slumped shoulders. Her head lifted at the sound of Inuyasha’s entrance, and her eyes widened at his panicked expression.
“Kagome! The well! Hurry!”
No time to ask questions, for once just do as you’re told girl, Kouga was only moments away…
“Go! Don’t come back until I come for you!”
Some benevolent god must have heard the hanyou’s desperate pleas, because the young woman wasted no time on questions, just leapt forward into a sprint.
Perhaps it was the habit of lunging for the well in an attempt to escape an argument with Inuyasha, maybe it was the urgency in the half demon’s scream, it could even have been to dust cloud she spotted out of the corner of her eye. Whatever the reasons for her compliance, Kagome vaulted down the well mere seconds before Kouga’s entrance ripped up furrows in the sod.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
Arms shaking Kagome hauled herself up out of the well in her native time, throwing her bag to the floor as she turned to stare down into the shadowed depths of the old portal. For a moment she considered returning to the past, her stubborn nature insisting that Inuyasha may need her help.
Her legs buckled, sending her to her knees, and she quickly changed her mind.
“This once… just this once… I’ll listen to you, Inuyasha… So you’d better be okay after all this is over. I’ll be waiting for you to come and get me… Don’t be late.”
Dragging her body back to its feet by her grip on the edge of the well, Kagome left her bag lying on the ground as she stumbled out of the shrine into the red-washed courtyard. The heavy globe of the sun was hanging low on the horizon, and Kagome hoped that the hanyou had made it back to the village before his change.
“Kagome-chan?”
Her mother opened the door to the house, took one look at her daughter and dragged her inside. Welcome thoughts of a two-week vacation filled with hot baths, regular meals and a warm bed banished all other matters from the schoolgirl’s mind as she leaned into her mother’s arms.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
Skidding to a halt on the far side of the clearing, Kouga growled when he realized that Kagome was nowhere to been seen. He’d been so focused on getting to her before the sun went down that he hadn’t noticed the shift in the wind that had carried his scent to his rival.
Inuyasha landed heavily, the relief at seeing Kagome disappear back to her own time draining him of the energy that had allowed him to reach her ahead of Kouga. The hanyou stumbled against a tree, panting as his legs trembled. For once he didn’t bother trying to hide his weakness from Kouga, too exhausted by the last four days to do more than keep watch over the alpha wolf’s movements.
Kouga was utterly bewildered, Kagome’s trail lead right up to an old well that stunk of dead demon, and then it just… vanished. Cut off like she had fallen from the face of the earth.
“Where is she Inukuro?”
Getting in Inuyasha’s face was a sure way to piss him off, and when the dog got angry, he liked to talk. Like so many times before, Kouga ignored the little, nagging voice in the back of his mind that was trying to tell him he’d forgotten something important, and crowded Inuyasha up against the trunk of the tree the hanyou had been using for support.
“She’s gone. And she won’t be back until the Moon stops Calling. Leave Kouga, there’s nothing for you here.”
Inuyasha tried to keep his temper; he had to get Kouga to leave the area before nightfall, the wolf was too strong to let loose around the village, especially under the influence of Ryoshi no Tsuki. It wasn’t safe for anyone, Kouga had already indicated an interest in humans, and who knew what sort of state his mind would be in, he might go after anybody despite what wolf instinct told him.
Taken aback by the flat tone, Kouga pulled back a little before pressing forward again, the nagging feeling growing stronger.
“What? Gone where? I’m not leaving without Kagome, my dear pup. You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’d let you have her during Hunters Moon!”
Snorting, Inuyasha felt some of his control slip as he pushed the ookami back.
“Moron! I don’t want her, at least not until she’s ready to be wanted! What the hell gives you the right to force your attention on her like this? She doesn’t want to take a mate yet, moron!”
“What…”
Kouga was suddenly hauled in by a tight grip on his breastplate as a cranky, irritated Inuyasha vented his pent up frustrations.
“You never stop to think about Kagome’s feelings about this ‘mate’ business do you? Does she look like one of your submissive little wolf girls? I’m not going to let you hurt Kagome, wolf crap! You need to learn to take no for an answer!”
Kouga squawked, unable to get a word in edgewise as the silver dog demon ranted, occasionally shaking the wolf for emphasis. Despite himself, Kouga found that he was listening to what Inuyasha was saying, the argument about respecting Kagome’s wishes very different from the hanyou’s usual line of curses and sputtered denials.
“I’m fed up with you! Get out of here before you end up hurting someone, you idiot wolf!”
Inuyasha went to push Kouga back but froze, hands pressed against the wolf’s chest, eyes flying wide as he gasped loudly and stiffened. Surprised, Kouga reflexively caught the pale hanyou by the upper arms when he began to collapse.
“Oi, what’s your problem, mutt?”
Kouga gave Inuyasha a little shake, causing the silver crowned head to fall back limply so the wolf could look the dog in the face. Inuyasha’s slit pupils were thin lines of black, barely there in the molten-gold pools of his eyes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Kouga began to feel the first stirrings of worry as Inuyasha shuddered, panting for air and tightening his hold on the breastplate of Kouga’s armour. Torn, but achingly aware of the deepening shadows, Kouga couldn’t decide whether to leave Inuyasha and hope he could get back to the village on his own, or stay and try to help. Either way left Inuyasha vulnerable to any rampaging demons that might come along, including Kouga himself.
Briefly Kouga wondered why he was so concerned about keeping the half-breed alive, and then he thought about Kagome’s reaction to discovering that her protector was dead. The wolf prince was unable to face up to pain in even an imagined set of pretty grey eyes. Apparently Inuyasha’s lecture had some sort of effect on the wolf chieftains thinking.
“Fuck it, I don’t know what the hell is going on Inukuro, but I need you to tell me!”
Inuyasha whimpered, a high-pitched whine of pain rising in his throat as he swayed on his feet, Kouga’s grip on his arms the only thing keeping him upright. He would have answered the alpha wolf’s demand for an explanation if he’d been able to make his throat work, but all he could do was make another hurt noise.
It felt like even the smallest parts of his entire body were being torn in two. As if his blood, even the air in his lungs, was being ripped in half. Tetsaiga was burning at his hip; the pulse beat so strong it jarred his whole frame. Over Kouga’s shoulder Inuyasha was dismayed to see the last streamers of light from the setting sun fade from view.
Energy surged from Tetsaiga, locking every one of Inuyasha’s muscles into a full body cramp. The hanyou struggled to breathe, distantly aware that Kouga would soon be a danger that his human form couldn’t handle. Another burst of energy and the sword subsided to a soft hum, leaving the silver dog wrung out and panting. Inuyasha rested his head as he fought the urge to just lie down and sleep. Absently he wondered if the Hunters Moon affected magical items made from demon parts, maybe that was what was going on with the Fang.
A glint out of the corner of his eye made him force his heavy lids up.
Gleaming silver stands fell over Kouga’s lower arms up to the wolf’s elbows.
Inuyasha stared dumbly for a moment until his mind finally made the connection.
His hair was still demon-silver, not human-black. He hadn’t changed.
Inuyasha blinked, shocked into something closer to full awareness. There was a low growl thrumming under his hands.
Oh, he was also leaning on Kouga like a swooning maiden. His head was on the wolf’s shoulder, and his claws were leaving scratches on the ookami’s chest plate.
And Kouga still had a good grip on his upper arms.
Well crap.
=^-^=
It seemed that Inuyasha was over his fit, the keening whimpers and full body shudders had stopped at last. Kouga could feel the hot, quick little bursts of Inuyasha’s breaths washing over his collarbone. For some reason the hanyou’s nearness wasn’t bothering him, despite that fact that they were practically embracing.
The Call had started up; it was too late for him to leave now. In the twilight the siren call urging him to let go was faint, but it would grow stronger as true night fell. A low growl started rumbling in Kouga’s chest as Inuyasha stiffened in his hold.
Moving slowly to prevent Kouga from getting upset, Inuyasha drew back as far as the wolf’s hold would allow. Narrow blue eyes blazed as he carefully met the other demons gaze, a strange heat growing stronger with every beat of his heart. There was an odd cloudiness to his mind, making it hard to think.
Kouga raised one hand from Inuyasha’s arm to delicately trace a line over the hanyou’s cheek with a heavily clawed finger.
“Did you know you have stripes on your face?”
The wolf’s voice was deeper, rougher than usual, less human and more of an animal rumble formed into words.
“What?”
Inuyasha jerked in surprise, prompting Kouga to tighten his grip. The wolf prince tilted his head to one side, studying the silver dog demon with unnerving intensity.
“It looks… good, you look good.”
“What the hell are you talking about, wolf?”
“I… don’t know. Hmm…”
For a moment it looked like Kouga struggled with something, then he shrugged as if it didn’t matter, leaning forward and breathing deeply.
“Mm, you smell good too.”
Fucking hell, Kouga had finally cracked. The influence of the hunters Moon did stranger things than he’d been told. Smelling him and touching him and telling him he looked good.
The stripes looked…
Stripes?
How could he have stripes? The only time he ever got stripes on his face was when he lost the Tetsaiga and went into full youkai berserker mode.
The Tetsaiga?
The burning, the pain… had the Tetsaiga’s purpose somehow reversed in reaction to the Call? Had the Tetsaiga somehow subdued his Human blood? Was that why he hadn’t changed into a ningen when the sun had set?
Inuyasha’s whirling thoughts were halted as Kouga gripped a handful of the dogs silver hair and wrenched his head to one side. Inuyasha froze as Kouga bent in further, the wolf’s teeth grazing his throat. The confused hanyou couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped and prompted a growling chuckle from the looming alpha wolf.
A sudden surge of furious heat in his blood scattered the inu’s attempt at coherent thought. Seemingly on their own accord, the muscles in Inuyasha’s neck relaxed, baring more of the hanyou’s throat to the ookami prince’s sharp teeth.
Rational thought was screaming in indignation behind the fuzzy haze caused by the disorienting heat as Kouga gave an approving growl and pulled Inuyasha closer. The hot, wet swipe of a tongue made Inuyasha moan, the rapidly dwindling coherency making shocked squeaky noises. The wolf’s strong, sharp fangs settled over the tendon in Inuyasha’s neck and began to bite down.
It wasn’t much.
But it was enough.
With a wordless cry of rage Inuyasha tore himself out of Kouga’s grip, scrambling away from the crazy wolf chieftain as he clung to his rationality with all the stubbornness he possessed.
Surprised by the sudden resistance, Kouga was pushed back enough for Inuyasha to get away from the tree he’d been trapped against. Reaching up, Kouga caught the tiny trickle of blood that escaped from his mouth, licking the red liquid from his finger as he gazed predatorily at Inuyasha.
“Sweet.”
Inuyasha clapped one hand to his neck, feeling the wetness leaking from the small tears made by Kouga’s teeth.
“Fucking hell, you’ve gone crazy.”
“Sweet little puppy, don’t you want to play?”
The rough, primal growl of Kouga’s voice sent a disturbing thrill up Inuyasha’s spine.
What the fuck was the wolf talking about? Play? Was this what the Hunters moon did? His human blood must why h could stay in control of himself, but he was having trouble thinking…
Inuyasha backed up when Kouga began to stalk forward, baring his fangs as he snarled.
“Stay away from me, wolf. I’m warning you.”
“Going to fight me, dear pup?”
Inuyasha wavered; knowing that if he started fighting his tenuous control over his actions would slip. Once he entered a battle his instincts would take over, and he’d loose himself to the Call of the Hunters Moon. Yet if he didn’t fight, Kouga would probably take that as permission to do who knew what.
Torn, Inuyasha stared at Kouga for a long moment before he took the only option left to him.
Even as the dark ookami leapt forward, the silver dog demon whirled around and ran in the opposite direction. Hearing the howl of the wolf rising behind him, heralding the beginning of the hunt.
“So it’s to be a chase then! So be it!”
The declaration spurred Inuyasha to even greater speeds.
Have jumped on "demons go into heat" bandwagon. Has been used, yes, but is still fun to write. =^-^= mew!
fandom: Inu-Yasha
title: Hunter's Moon
Pairing: Kouga/Inuyasha
Wind stirred the treetops, the steady invisible rush lifting fine strands of long silver hair as the hanyou turned his face into the breeze. His sensitive nose took in information beyond human senses, the scents carried to where he perched at ease in the branches of an old maple, high above the ground where his human companions rested.
The acrid tang of smoke from the cooking fire, the mixed scents of the mortals he knew, the less obvious smell of the young kitsune and the fire neko… all were as they should be. No enemy scent reached him.
Yet…
The delicate hairs on the back of his neck lifted, a sense of alarm spreading through his system. He scented the air once more, a dread promotion taking root in his gut. The wind suddenly seemed heavier than it should be.
He reached out with his othersense, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease. He caught just a hint, and strained to pinpoint it…
Darkness… Chaos… A complete loss of self… A call to surrender to the pull of your blood… The thrill of the hunt… The glorious joy of facing down all challengers and taking what was right fully yours… Primal ecstasy…
Oh shit.
Heart pounding like thunder he wrenched himself out of his immersion in his senses, vaulting to his feet and leaping to the top of the tree. His hunter-gold eyes searched the late afternoon sky, locking onto the faint crescent of the moon in the clear blue expanse.
This was bad.
They had four days. Four days to get back to the village. They might not make it.
He inhaled and shuddered as his blood hammered through his veins. Determination welled up in him as he looked down at the small group resting at ease under his protection, molten gold eyes hardening in reflection of an iron will. All of them were his responsibility, his… friends… his pack.
They might not make it… but they had to try.
He leapt from the branch, dropping swiftly to the ground below.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
It had been three days since Inuyasha had dropped abruptly into the camp during one of their rest stops, breaking his usual habit of maintaining solitude and standing as sentry. Three days since the half-demon had forced them to break camp, making them eat on the march, only letting them slow for water breaks. Pushing them to travel from sunup to sundown back towards the village they now called home.
Several times Kagome had tried to cajole the surly hanyou into slowing, but each time she was rebuffed. The frighteningly intense expression on his normally scowling face silenced the majority of their protests. Even Shippo had noticed that Inuyasha wasn’t acting normally.
Kagome had fallen midway through the second day, loudly exclaiming that she as unable to walk another step. Instead of yelling at her as he had on many previous occasions, Inuyasha had simply shouldered her pack, dumped the girl onto Kirara’s back, and marched on.
There was worry, and yes, even fear in the young hanyou’s glitter-bright eyes. It was this alien fear that had stifled their outcry for the last three days. Even so, the miko from the future was exhausted nearly past her endurance by the hard pace, and she was not used to being denied her comforts. Especially by the silver haired half-demon she was partnered with.
“Inuyasha, would you please slow down?!”
The molten-metal eyes didn’t even glance her way as the pale hanyou lead them home.
“We’ve only got a little bit further until we reach the village, Inuyasha. Whatever it is that’s bothering you, you can tell us now. Is it because the new moon is tonight? Is that why you’re so nervous?”
Conversation between the members of the little group had been strained, their weary bodies demanding rest more than talk. Now though, they were fed up with the silent treatment their half-blood friend had given them, and they wanted answers. Miroku quickened his pace to come up on Inuyasha’s other side.
“Indeed, you are not usually so timid about being away from the village during your time.”
Instead of provoking Inuyasha’s temper as the wayward monk had intended there was a long stretch of silence until Inuyasha finally broke it with a question.
“Tell me, houshi, what do you know about ‘Ryoshi no Tsuki’?”
To say Miroku was startled was an understatement. The situation was graver than he had imagined if Inuyasha was ignoring the attack on his pride. Sango was the one who answered the question while Miroku was still blinking.
“I’ve heard of it, my father taught me from the records of our clan. ‘The Hunter’s Moon is a time of unfettered carnage among demonkind. For the span of nights from the new moon until it waxes again to fullness, youkai slaughter each other indiscriminately.’ I don’t know what triggers it, but there are normally very few demon attacks for the two or three years that follow.”
“Feh.”
“Inuyasha, does Ryoshi no Tsuki have something to do with why we’re returning to the village early?”
A single, sharp nod answered Miroku’s question. The companions exchanged looks of mingled concern, confusion, and the dawning of horrified realization behind the hanyou’s red-clad back.
“… Tonight is the start of the Hunter’s Moon. Normally humans are pretty much ignored, but you all smell like me, like demon… and that puts you in danger.”
“Danger? What…”
Inuyasha continued speaking, cutting Kagome off as if he hadn’t heard her question.
“Ryoshi no Tsuki is the youkai mating season. It occurs once every fifty years.”
Again he ignored the startled exclamations and the beginnings of questions.
“Most demons seek out mates or opponents. Any two demons will fight to the death once they get started, especially if a potential mate is involved. Those potential mate’s fight back just as hard, they will kill any suitors who are weaker than them, and the suitors who are too weak to take them alive either end up killed by another demon or kill the one they’re after. Those who are already mated aren’t at as much risk of dieing; they usually hole up someplace safe and come out of the Moon time with a new brat on the way. Kids like Shippo, who’re too young to be affected, are ignored as long as they stay out of the way. Unless you’re of breeding age, you remain unaffected by the Call.”
“The Call?”
“The Call is what drives the youkai crazy during Ryoshi no Tsuki. The Call to mate, to breed, to fight.”
Another round of glances were exchanged, a wide-eyed Shippo going ignored as he leapt onto Inuyasha’s shoulder until the little spirit fox leaned over to peer suspiciously into the hanyou’s face.
“Who were you with the last time this happened?”
The frozen silence expanded in the wake of the boy’s question as the other three travellers levelled curious looks at the silver dog. The almost visible snapping of Inuyasha’s carefully checked temper was a relief on some parts.
“I was pinned to that godsdamned tree you little bastard!”
Shippo went flying under the force of the smack he wasn’t fast enough to avoid.
“And before that I was too young to be affected! For fuck’s sake it starts on the night of the new moon, human’s aren’t affected by the Call of Ryoshi no Tsuki!”
The reappearance of Inuyasha’s shouts and scowls seemed to herald a return to semi-normalcy, as the group laughed and trailed in the hanyou’s stomping wake. Still, there was a profound sense of relief when the village came into sight a few minutes later, with several hours left until sunset.
They hurried to Kaede’s home to let her know what was going on, and then they dispersed to prepare for the coming night.
The old priestess nodded gravely after the explanation and gave Inuyasha a shrewd, questioning look.
“Tell me, child, is there else of this Hunter’s Moon that ye have yet to tell us of?”
The exiled demon prince flicked his hair out of his face and rolled over to face the fire.
“Not much, the purpose of the Hunter’s Moon is to wean youkai population levels, like cleaning out the chaff, and to produce children. Other than that, just some old legends… they say that those mated during the first night of Ryoshi no Tsuki are fated to be together, that the instinctive Call to one another is undeniable and unbreakable. They also say that any offspring of a first night mating will be more powerful than most demons.”
Kaede looked curious, idly turning the arrow she was fletching over in her hands.
“Is this truth? Do more powerful demons truly come of these pairings?”
Inuyasha shrugged, stretching out on the floor, one ear flicking as he listened to the humans going about their business outside. He and the old woman were the only ones in the room, the others were all out warning the villagers and putting up wards on the houses and around the village borders.
“… I can’t say for sure, but Sessoumaru and I are both children of the first night.”
“I see.”
Inuyasha flipped to his feet after a few minutes of silence. Waving away Kaede’s questioning look as he left.
“I’m going to scout around a bit before my powers fade, and I need to tell the demon hunter to let her cat out before it starts getting dark.”
“Good luck to ye, child.”
“Feh.”
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
“Oi, Hunter. We need to talk.”
Inuyasha explained that Kirara needed to be taken away from the village before the Call started to affect the neko youkai; otherwise people were going to end up hurt.
Sango looked torn, but nodded slowly and handed her precious pet over to the silver haired dog demon. Inuyasha didn’t look at her as he turned to walk away, but his voice was gruff as he spoke without casting a glance in he demon hunter’s direction.
“She’ll most likely come back here during the day to rest and eat until she finds a mate, or the whole thing blows over. If she gets too badly hurt you should be able to ward her in without endangering her or yourselves, there are enough humans here that her scent’s pretty well masked. If it comes to that, burn incense around whichever shed you decide to hide her in.”
Sango looked over at Inuyasha to thank him, but he had already left.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
As he raced back towards the village after dropping Kirara off a small distance away, Inuyasha sighed. He’d obviously been worrying over nothing, he still had a few minutes to get back to the village before the sun set, and the entire population was burning the scent covering incense under Kaede’s instructions.
Pausing as he landed on one of the Go-Shin-Boku’s huge branches, Inuyasha let his head fall back against the trunk as he leaned against it. Imagining he could feel four days worth of tension escaping into the rough bark. He took a deep breath, taking advantage of the quiet moment to revel in his demon senses before they vanished with the sun.
Wolf.
Gold eyes shot open and the lithe form sprang away from the giant tree before Inuyasha had fully processed the actions. The scent of a demon wolf was strong in his nose, young male, strong, healthy… and familiar.
It was Kouga. The scent was a mix of earth and wind and pine and dominance, the heavy musk of an alpha just reaching his prime. It was a scent more familiar to the hanyou than many others.
Racing through the woods towards the origin of the scent Inuyasha’s single thought was to turn Kouga back. The only reason the ookami prince would come to the village on this night was to take Kagome, and there was no way the girl was going to be that assholes mate. The human girl was a member of Inuyasha’s pack, as sad and sorry as it was to claim a pack of ningen and misfits, they still belonged to him.
Just the thought of Kouga laying claim to one of his people made rage boil red-hot in his chest, pulling a snarl from his throat as he leapt from one tree to another.
Dried flowers and mint, sugar-sweets and the fizz-sparkle of purity… Kagome.
Frantic, Inuyasha somehow pushed more speed into his legs, heart in his throat. She had probably decided to go back home, to let her family know that she had a full half moon break from shard hunting… damn it, someone should be with her, but her scent was alone.
Oh Kami, please… don’t let it be too late.
Inuyasha burst into the clearing around the Bone Eaters Well in a flurry of leaves, shooting out into the air above the meadow in a rush of wind. Kagome was tiredly trudging towards the well, her depleted pack hanging from her slumped shoulders. Her head lifted at the sound of Inuyasha’s entrance, and her eyes widened at his panicked expression.
“Kagome! The well! Hurry!”
No time to ask questions, for once just do as you’re told girl, Kouga was only moments away…
“Go! Don’t come back until I come for you!”
Some benevolent god must have heard the hanyou’s desperate pleas, because the young woman wasted no time on questions, just leapt forward into a sprint.
Perhaps it was the habit of lunging for the well in an attempt to escape an argument with Inuyasha, maybe it was the urgency in the half demon’s scream, it could even have been to dust cloud she spotted out of the corner of her eye. Whatever the reasons for her compliance, Kagome vaulted down the well mere seconds before Kouga’s entrance ripped up furrows in the sod.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
Arms shaking Kagome hauled herself up out of the well in her native time, throwing her bag to the floor as she turned to stare down into the shadowed depths of the old portal. For a moment she considered returning to the past, her stubborn nature insisting that Inuyasha may need her help.
Her legs buckled, sending her to her knees, and she quickly changed her mind.
“This once… just this once… I’ll listen to you, Inuyasha… So you’d better be okay after all this is over. I’ll be waiting for you to come and get me… Don’t be late.”
Dragging her body back to its feet by her grip on the edge of the well, Kagome left her bag lying on the ground as she stumbled out of the shrine into the red-washed courtyard. The heavy globe of the sun was hanging low on the horizon, and Kagome hoped that the hanyou had made it back to the village before his change.
“Kagome-chan?”
Her mother opened the door to the house, took one look at her daughter and dragged her inside. Welcome thoughts of a two-week vacation filled with hot baths, regular meals and a warm bed banished all other matters from the schoolgirl’s mind as she leaned into her mother’s arms.
=^-^=^-^=^-^=
Skidding to a halt on the far side of the clearing, Kouga growled when he realized that Kagome was nowhere to been seen. He’d been so focused on getting to her before the sun went down that he hadn’t noticed the shift in the wind that had carried his scent to his rival.
Inuyasha landed heavily, the relief at seeing Kagome disappear back to her own time draining him of the energy that had allowed him to reach her ahead of Kouga. The hanyou stumbled against a tree, panting as his legs trembled. For once he didn’t bother trying to hide his weakness from Kouga, too exhausted by the last four days to do more than keep watch over the alpha wolf’s movements.
Kouga was utterly bewildered, Kagome’s trail lead right up to an old well that stunk of dead demon, and then it just… vanished. Cut off like she had fallen from the face of the earth.
“Where is she Inukuro?”
Getting in Inuyasha’s face was a sure way to piss him off, and when the dog got angry, he liked to talk. Like so many times before, Kouga ignored the little, nagging voice in the back of his mind that was trying to tell him he’d forgotten something important, and crowded Inuyasha up against the trunk of the tree the hanyou had been using for support.
“She’s gone. And she won’t be back until the Moon stops Calling. Leave Kouga, there’s nothing for you here.”
Inuyasha tried to keep his temper; he had to get Kouga to leave the area before nightfall, the wolf was too strong to let loose around the village, especially under the influence of Ryoshi no Tsuki. It wasn’t safe for anyone, Kouga had already indicated an interest in humans, and who knew what sort of state his mind would be in, he might go after anybody despite what wolf instinct told him.
Taken aback by the flat tone, Kouga pulled back a little before pressing forward again, the nagging feeling growing stronger.
“What? Gone where? I’m not leaving without Kagome, my dear pup. You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’d let you have her during Hunters Moon!”
Snorting, Inuyasha felt some of his control slip as he pushed the ookami back.
“Moron! I don’t want her, at least not until she’s ready to be wanted! What the hell gives you the right to force your attention on her like this? She doesn’t want to take a mate yet, moron!”
“What…”
Kouga was suddenly hauled in by a tight grip on his breastplate as a cranky, irritated Inuyasha vented his pent up frustrations.
“You never stop to think about Kagome’s feelings about this ‘mate’ business do you? Does she look like one of your submissive little wolf girls? I’m not going to let you hurt Kagome, wolf crap! You need to learn to take no for an answer!”
Kouga squawked, unable to get a word in edgewise as the silver dog demon ranted, occasionally shaking the wolf for emphasis. Despite himself, Kouga found that he was listening to what Inuyasha was saying, the argument about respecting Kagome’s wishes very different from the hanyou’s usual line of curses and sputtered denials.
“I’m fed up with you! Get out of here before you end up hurting someone, you idiot wolf!”
Inuyasha went to push Kouga back but froze, hands pressed against the wolf’s chest, eyes flying wide as he gasped loudly and stiffened. Surprised, Kouga reflexively caught the pale hanyou by the upper arms when he began to collapse.
“Oi, what’s your problem, mutt?”
Kouga gave Inuyasha a little shake, causing the silver crowned head to fall back limply so the wolf could look the dog in the face. Inuyasha’s slit pupils were thin lines of black, barely there in the molten-gold pools of his eyes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
Kouga began to feel the first stirrings of worry as Inuyasha shuddered, panting for air and tightening his hold on the breastplate of Kouga’s armour. Torn, but achingly aware of the deepening shadows, Kouga couldn’t decide whether to leave Inuyasha and hope he could get back to the village on his own, or stay and try to help. Either way left Inuyasha vulnerable to any rampaging demons that might come along, including Kouga himself.
Briefly Kouga wondered why he was so concerned about keeping the half-breed alive, and then he thought about Kagome’s reaction to discovering that her protector was dead. The wolf prince was unable to face up to pain in even an imagined set of pretty grey eyes. Apparently Inuyasha’s lecture had some sort of effect on the wolf chieftains thinking.
“Fuck it, I don’t know what the hell is going on Inukuro, but I need you to tell me!”
Inuyasha whimpered, a high-pitched whine of pain rising in his throat as he swayed on his feet, Kouga’s grip on his arms the only thing keeping him upright. He would have answered the alpha wolf’s demand for an explanation if he’d been able to make his throat work, but all he could do was make another hurt noise.
It felt like even the smallest parts of his entire body were being torn in two. As if his blood, even the air in his lungs, was being ripped in half. Tetsaiga was burning at his hip; the pulse beat so strong it jarred his whole frame. Over Kouga’s shoulder Inuyasha was dismayed to see the last streamers of light from the setting sun fade from view.
Energy surged from Tetsaiga, locking every one of Inuyasha’s muscles into a full body cramp. The hanyou struggled to breathe, distantly aware that Kouga would soon be a danger that his human form couldn’t handle. Another burst of energy and the sword subsided to a soft hum, leaving the silver dog wrung out and panting. Inuyasha rested his head as he fought the urge to just lie down and sleep. Absently he wondered if the Hunters Moon affected magical items made from demon parts, maybe that was what was going on with the Fang.
A glint out of the corner of his eye made him force his heavy lids up.
Gleaming silver stands fell over Kouga’s lower arms up to the wolf’s elbows.
Inuyasha stared dumbly for a moment until his mind finally made the connection.
His hair was still demon-silver, not human-black. He hadn’t changed.
Inuyasha blinked, shocked into something closer to full awareness. There was a low growl thrumming under his hands.
Oh, he was also leaning on Kouga like a swooning maiden. His head was on the wolf’s shoulder, and his claws were leaving scratches on the ookami’s chest plate.
And Kouga still had a good grip on his upper arms.
Well crap.
=^-^=
It seemed that Inuyasha was over his fit, the keening whimpers and full body shudders had stopped at last. Kouga could feel the hot, quick little bursts of Inuyasha’s breaths washing over his collarbone. For some reason the hanyou’s nearness wasn’t bothering him, despite that fact that they were practically embracing.
The Call had started up; it was too late for him to leave now. In the twilight the siren call urging him to let go was faint, but it would grow stronger as true night fell. A low growl started rumbling in Kouga’s chest as Inuyasha stiffened in his hold.
Moving slowly to prevent Kouga from getting upset, Inuyasha drew back as far as the wolf’s hold would allow. Narrow blue eyes blazed as he carefully met the other demons gaze, a strange heat growing stronger with every beat of his heart. There was an odd cloudiness to his mind, making it hard to think.
Kouga raised one hand from Inuyasha’s arm to delicately trace a line over the hanyou’s cheek with a heavily clawed finger.
“Did you know you have stripes on your face?”
The wolf’s voice was deeper, rougher than usual, less human and more of an animal rumble formed into words.
“What?”
Inuyasha jerked in surprise, prompting Kouga to tighten his grip. The wolf prince tilted his head to one side, studying the silver dog demon with unnerving intensity.
“It looks… good, you look good.”
“What the hell are you talking about, wolf?”
“I… don’t know. Hmm…”
For a moment it looked like Kouga struggled with something, then he shrugged as if it didn’t matter, leaning forward and breathing deeply.
“Mm, you smell good too.”
Fucking hell, Kouga had finally cracked. The influence of the hunters Moon did stranger things than he’d been told. Smelling him and touching him and telling him he looked good.
The stripes looked…
Stripes?
How could he have stripes? The only time he ever got stripes on his face was when he lost the Tetsaiga and went into full youkai berserker mode.
The Tetsaiga?
The burning, the pain… had the Tetsaiga’s purpose somehow reversed in reaction to the Call? Had the Tetsaiga somehow subdued his Human blood? Was that why he hadn’t changed into a ningen when the sun had set?
Inuyasha’s whirling thoughts were halted as Kouga gripped a handful of the dogs silver hair and wrenched his head to one side. Inuyasha froze as Kouga bent in further, the wolf’s teeth grazing his throat. The confused hanyou couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped and prompted a growling chuckle from the looming alpha wolf.
A sudden surge of furious heat in his blood scattered the inu’s attempt at coherent thought. Seemingly on their own accord, the muscles in Inuyasha’s neck relaxed, baring more of the hanyou’s throat to the ookami prince’s sharp teeth.
Rational thought was screaming in indignation behind the fuzzy haze caused by the disorienting heat as Kouga gave an approving growl and pulled Inuyasha closer. The hot, wet swipe of a tongue made Inuyasha moan, the rapidly dwindling coherency making shocked squeaky noises. The wolf’s strong, sharp fangs settled over the tendon in Inuyasha’s neck and began to bite down.
It wasn’t much.
But it was enough.
With a wordless cry of rage Inuyasha tore himself out of Kouga’s grip, scrambling away from the crazy wolf chieftain as he clung to his rationality with all the stubbornness he possessed.
Surprised by the sudden resistance, Kouga was pushed back enough for Inuyasha to get away from the tree he’d been trapped against. Reaching up, Kouga caught the tiny trickle of blood that escaped from his mouth, licking the red liquid from his finger as he gazed predatorily at Inuyasha.
“Sweet.”
Inuyasha clapped one hand to his neck, feeling the wetness leaking from the small tears made by Kouga’s teeth.
“Fucking hell, you’ve gone crazy.”
“Sweet little puppy, don’t you want to play?”
The rough, primal growl of Kouga’s voice sent a disturbing thrill up Inuyasha’s spine.
What the fuck was the wolf talking about? Play? Was this what the Hunters moon did? His human blood must why h could stay in control of himself, but he was having trouble thinking…
Inuyasha backed up when Kouga began to stalk forward, baring his fangs as he snarled.
“Stay away from me, wolf. I’m warning you.”
“Going to fight me, dear pup?”
Inuyasha wavered; knowing that if he started fighting his tenuous control over his actions would slip. Once he entered a battle his instincts would take over, and he’d loose himself to the Call of the Hunters Moon. Yet if he didn’t fight, Kouga would probably take that as permission to do who knew what.
Torn, Inuyasha stared at Kouga for a long moment before he took the only option left to him.
Even as the dark ookami leapt forward, the silver dog demon whirled around and ran in the opposite direction. Hearing the howl of the wolf rising behind him, heralding the beginning of the hunt.
“So it’s to be a chase then! So be it!”
The declaration spurred Inuyasha to even greater speeds.
Have jumped on "demons go into heat" bandwagon. Has been used, yes, but is still fun to write. =^-^= mew!