Of Moonlight and Hanyous

By NaliniAqua

Author notes: I don't own Inuyasha or Sailor Moon. I do own this particular story.

Don't copy it!

The story now truly begins! :D The preview has been awaiting its completion for awhile. I apologize for the delay. *bows*

As promised, there will be much silliness. There are some highly exaggerated parts. Don't take any part of this tale too seriously or your brain will melt.J

This story is dedicated to the folks who've written all of the funny and thoughtful stories I've read over the years.

Chapter 1

"Take care, Kagome", Sango told her friend gently. "We look forward to your return," Miroku remarked as he contentedly walked beside Sango. Kagome looked at them and smiled. Shippou nestled into Kagome's arms as she gently carried the fox child. Cold breezes stirred the gold and russet leaves on the partially bare trees as they walked along the road to the Bone Eater's Well.

Sango and Miroku ambled down the sunny dirt path together. Miroku was still in mild shock that she would let him hold her hand. Sango figured this would be safer than leaving his hand loose to work its usual mischief. She gazed sideways at him. A dreamy smile danced on his lips as he daydreamed about what he hoped would be between them later. He squeezed her hand gently and stole a glance at Sango. Their eyes met. She smiled back at him and inwardly wondered why she hadn't thought of this sooner.

When they got there, Shippou bounced into the tall grass by the dry well and gave Kagome as stern a look as his cute little face could manage. "You be careful, okay?", he said firmly as he dug into his pockets and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in green leaves. Kagome knelt in front of him. Shyly smiling, Shippou placed it in her hand and asked her to bring him back "ninja snacks". Kagome smiled and tucked his gift inside her pack. "Thanks, Shippou. I won't forget your ninja snacks." He beamed and swished his fluffy tail as Kagome began to zip up the open backpack.

A crimson form flashed amongst the trees.

Soft pattering like rain on the fallen leaves told her Inuyasha was coming to see her off. She looked up to see Kaede swiftly marching up the hill. Inuyasha flitted out of the woods to Kagome's side as Kaede got to the top. The others turned to her wondering why she had come. Usually, she was busy caring for the villagers and didn't mind if they went the Well. She approached Kagome concernedly.

"Kagome, are ye sure ye should return right now?" As Kagome turned to speak with her, her medical kit slipped through the opening of her backpack. Inuyasha moved as though to pick it up, but Kaede shook her head very slightly.

"I do have a test to take and it won't wait for me. I should also refill my first aid kit before we chase down Naraku again." A small gust of wind puffed Kaede's long ponytail over her shoulder as she eyed Kagome for a moment, weighing her words. Her eyes flitted to Inuyasha's face.

At last, she murmured while reflexively pushing her pale hair back into place. "Child, since yesterday I have sensed ominous presences lying in wait for ye beyond the well. Right now, they are not present, but they could be back at any time. Promise me that you will be wary." Kagome blinked, a bit surprised. She was about to be even more confused. She started to speak but Inuyasha interrupted her.

"Ah, don't worry, Kaede-baba." Inuyasha grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "By now, youkai know better than to attack Kagome."

She looked at him. His expression was once again somber and strangely mask-like. He crossed his arms and tucked them into his sleeves. The only movement he made was his hair and clothes dancing in the cool zephyrs. His half-closed amber eyes, which were usually so full of fire, had little expression in them. He looked very much like his brother Sesshomaru.

"That's not like him," Kagome thought to herself concerned, "He usually protests whenever I leave…"

She gazed curiously at her beloved and shook her head as she thought to herself, "Maybe this is supposed to be his newest effort to convince me to stay? Whatever he is thinking, I still need to refill that kit and take that exam. He always acts weirdly, anyway. He might feel better if I asked him to come along."

She decided to ask him.

"Inuyasha, do you want to come with me?" He just harrumphed and looked away with his nose in the air.

She sighed and turned to Kaede. "I will be careful, Kaede." Kagome balanced on the edge of the aged Well and looked back. Shippou and Sango waved.

Inuyasha was still being weird. His large amber eyes followed Kagome's motion as though to memorise it. They said ' I Really want you to stay but what can I do?' He twitched his ears agitatedly.

"Bye!" Kagome waved and jumped into the well.

Sango gave Inuyasha a curious look.

Shippou was exploring the tall grass at Sango's feet when he suddenly piped up, "Kagome left her medicine box!" Sango and Inuyasha looked down at him. He held it up to show them. Sango bent down. Shippou walked to her and gave it to Sango. Inuyasha quietly ambled over to her. "Hey Sango?" he softly queried. Sango turned to him. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

"She'll be back for that pretty soon. Can I be the one to give it back to her? When she comes back, I'm going to go with her this time." She looked at him. "Why didn't you go with her?" Sango asked.

Sango handed him the kit and asked him, "Are you planning to stay with her?" He demurred, "Yeah."

She shrugged and handed him the small box.

Kagome went home.

The late afternoon sun shone through the gate while her grandfather and brother swept away the many dead leaves a mild windstorm had blown all over the quiet courtyard. When the door to the well slid open with a soft clatter, they glanced up and smiled with relief when Kagome delicately stepped into the sunlight. They set their brooms down and hurried over as he saw Kagome walking over to him through the golden sunlit leaves. Grandfather Higurashi cheerfully called to her, "Welcome home, Kagome." She ran the rest of the way and gave him a big hug.

They all wandered into the house.

As she unpacked her bag in her room, Kagome noticed how surprisingly well her stuff was holding up to her journeys around feudal Japan. Even her yellow backpack showed only a little wear and tear. (which is miraculous considering what it has survived J )

She dug deeper into her amazing bag for her medical kit. When she didn't find it, she dug into the bottom of the bag, confused. After she emptied the backpack, she picked the bag up and shook it over her bed. Still no medical kit. She mentally retraced her steps and realized where she must have dropped it.

"Where are you going, Kagome?" her brother asked her. Her grandfather poked his head out of the family room and said, "You're not leaving again so soon?"

"I'll be right back." , Kagome promised.

Suddenly the neighbors' bushes shook violently. Two strong hostile auras suddenly assailed her senses. Kagome turned sharply and reached for her bow hoping she wouldn't need it. Just when she thought a demon was going to appear, her cat Buyo bounded out of the greenery. He ran down the slope to her. She knelt down and petted her silly cat. She looked up. The auras had faded.

She sighed and resignedly entered the well again.

A slender young man began to dash forward from his hiding place in some dense shrubbery when Kagome stepped outside the house. He'd only poked his head out before two white gloved hands grabbed his shoulders roughly and unceremoniously yanked him back into the bushes. He landed in the debris with a soft but indignant "oof!". His comrade covered his mouth. "Stay there and be quiet!", Nephrite hissed.

Kagome heard the rustling and looked up, clearly sensing their presence.

Nephrite sweated. He looked down to see a large cat marching past him. He breathed a sigh of relief before shoving the corpulent feline with his foot towards the shrine.

As the blond boy lay on his back, he gave his commander a glare. Nephrite, who silently knelt in the brush, did not see it. He shook his dark-maned head slightly and watched Kagome open the door to the well. The blond soldier sat up. He scowled fiercely while he carefully picked the leaves and twigs from his long mane. "I could've caught that girl, Nephrite. She couldn't possibly outrun me." The dark-haired man motioned for him to be quiet. The door to the well's soft clatter told him they were in no more danger of discovery. He turned to the young man. "Wait, Zoicite. She'll be back soon," he growled. Zoicite grumped, "How do you know?"

"When she abandons her backpack, she is never gone long."

When she got there, she started digging through the tall grass. She quickly found where it had fallen and started walking to the village. She didn't have to go far.

Inuyasha, leaning against a tree, met her near the road to the well. He calmly stood up and walked over to her. "Hey, Kagome." He pulled the kit from his sleeve and held it out to her. "Here, you dropped this earlier." She accepted it. "Thank you, Inuyasha." Kagome bowed. "Hey, I've been thinking about what Kaede-baba said this afternoon. I'm going back with you this time."

"You don't have to, Inuyasha" Kagome gently replied looking into his eyes. Inuyasha took her hands in to his own and grinned affectionately.

He then turned to walk next to her and offered her his hand. She took it and they walked together for a little ways. He lowered her hand, smiled gently at her over his shoulder, and bounded swiftly for the well.

When she got there and looked around for him, he was nowhere to be seen. Kagome sighed and hefted her backpack before jumping in herself.

The two men leapt from their hiding place the second the door to the well slid open. As their boots hit the stone a flash of red and silver flew past their fingertips to the center of the courtyard. It faded to reveal Inuyasha standing there waiting for them. Grinning like a wolf, he drew Tetsaiga and crouched into his usual sword fighting stance . "So, you're the jerks who want to take Kagome!" Nephrite's eyes narrowed. Inuyasha beckoned to them with his free hand.

Nephrite slid his sword out of its sheath and ordered Zoicite to stand down. Zoicite protested, but Nephrite motioned for him to shut up. "Shall we dance, dog?" he laughed.

A harsh bark and a resounding metallic crash greeted Kagome Higurashi as she climbed out of the well.

"Hey! If you're so brave then face me like a man!"

She knew the owner of that voice. Inuyasha had apparently gone ahead of her this time- and had gotten into a fight. "What is he doing now?" Kagome wondered irritably as she cautiously slid the door to the courtyard open, expecting to need to order Inuyasha to sit. What she saw when she looked across the

courtyard unnerved her.

A tall unearthly man clad in a grey uniform was battling Inuyasha. He turned aside Inuyasha's blows easily – too easily. "You think you're so brave waiting to ambush a woman?" Inuyasha snapped. The other man grimaced slightly and snorted before replying. "Can you repel me, dog, with clumsy attacks and anger? If this is your best, then soon I will have the girl before my queen!" the dark-haired man taunted. "I won't let you take her!" Inuyasha growled.

During their deadly dance, another man sneaked up behind Inuyasha with what looked like a very large shard of ice clenched in his fist. Kagome strung her bow and fired her silver arrow at him. He leapt away… into a cloud of flower petals.

The stray arrow's clatter on the courtyard stones echoed unnaturally loudly in the sudden silence. The swordfight abruptly ceased.

Two pairs of eyes turned towards Kagome. At first the grey-clad swordsman glared at her. Then he glanced past her.

"I won't forget that, girl." The stranger snarled as he then turned on his heel sharply, strode irritably towards the stairs leading to the street, and vanished.

Kagome looked behind her. There stood three girls her age in strange sailor suits who were about to confront the stranger.

Inuyasha didn't notice them at first them. He was busy yelling at his erstwhile opponents.

"Get back here, cowards! How dare you walk away from a battle…!" He dashed to the stairs.

His frustrated shouts were getting louder with every word he bellowed. Kagome walked over to him and spoke softly to him, "Inuyasha, calm down. They're gone." Inuyasha quit barking. "Are you okay, Kagome?", he gently asked her.

As the cool wind caressed their backs, he sniffed it curiously and glanced behind her.

The three girls looked back at him. The raven-haired girl spoke first.

"Does he always do that when his enemy runs away?" she queried, her dark eyes following Inuyasha's irritable progress around the courtyard. "No, only when he can't find him.", Kagome wearily replied. She did a double take, turning sharply to face the girl. "W-what do you mean, always?"

The dark-haired girl asked, "Do you remember when your boyfriend rescued you from the evil Noh mask?" Kagome nodded, "Yes, but he's -" "We were about to step in when he turned up."

The blonde odango-haired girl put her hands to the sides of her face, closed her large cerulean eyes, and sighed, "He looked so cool!" The black-haired girl rolled her dark eyes, shook her head, and groaned softly at her companion's behavior, "Aw, she's doing it again. Anyway, I guess we'd better introduce ourselves. I am Sailor Mars. The lovesick goof over there is Sailor Moon." Sailor Moon made a face at Mars. "and our friend is Sailor Mercury. Sailor Mercury, did you find anything?"

The blue-haired girl, who had been busily typing into a handheld computer and pointing it at parts of the shrine as she pensively ambled around the courtyard looked up. "Those two were definitely from the Dark Kingdom. Their presence indicates-" She turned towards her friends. Sailor Mercury's computer, which had been softly twittering a moment before, suddenly began beeping wildly. She glanced bemusedly at its screen and looked up into Inuyasha's face. The first things Ami saw were his furry ears and golden eyes.

Inuyasha, grimacing, clapped his hands over his ears and hurried away, shaking his head at the noise. He groaned.

Kagome sighed. "Could you quiet your computer, please? Inuyasha has very sensitive ears."

Mercury blushed and apologized. She silenced her computer (Mercury put her hand over the speaker) and gave him a curious look. "Aww, thanks. That's a lot better," Inuyasha sighed.

Mercury wondered how best to ask him what he was.

So far, only youma had set her computer's alarm off. She had a new mystery to solve.

"Bye bye!", Sailor Moon happily called out behind her as she left with her friends. Kagome waved back as they ambled down the long stone stairs. A soft chirp of "Hey, let's go to the arcade! We could get some icecrea- Mars, you meanie!" drifted up the stairs as the girls neared the street. Soft-spoken words floated up the stone steps to Inuyasha and Kagome as they watched their visitors wander away.

"Feh. Those girls are strange.", Inuyasha remarked while he watched the girls continue to bicker as they meander down the sidewalk. Kagome turned to him, "They were different." Inuyasha continued, "Why did that girl Mercury want to hear about my past so badly?" Kagome wondered that too. She sat down on the stone stair and motioned for Inuyasha to join her.

Kagome and Inuyasha sat quietly together watching the sun set. The soft rumble of the traffic on the road faded with the aurora. Kagome's mother came out to call them into the house. She saw them sitting at the top of the stairs together watching the stars come out.

A few hours after dinner, Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting in her room. Kagome was trying to study for her math test.

Inuyasha sat on her bed with his knees tucked loosely against his chest, staring out the window and unconsciously hugging his sword. With every leaf skittering across the courtyard and gust of wind his ears twitched. His nose was keen for the scent of the Kagome's would be attacker.

Even though he was being quiet and mostly still for a change, Kagome still found it difficult to study near him when he was guarding her. For a moment, she considered talking him into going back to the others. She discarded that idea because she knew he would refuse to leave her side for awhile after the attack that day.

Kagome knew that Inuyasha's over-protectiveness did stem from love. She glanced over her shoulder at him. He was sniffing the air and looking around from his perch on her bed. He could not bear to leave her vulnerable to someone who might hurt her.

After struggling with her algebra for a few hours, she finally stopped for the night. A small smile creased her face. She was relieved to feel she had a good grasp of the knowledge she'd use tomorrow. She closed her books. As she slipped her textbooks into her book bag, she looked over at Inuyasha. He stared out the window as though to a far away time. Her motion woke him from his reverie. Inuyasha turned to her. "You're done, right?" he asked her concernedly. "Yes", Kagome sighed "I'm not getting any farther along tonight."

Inuyasha slid to the floor near the window as she left for the bathroom to change her clothes. His troubled amber eyes watched her concernedly as she settled in her bed.

Kagome's attackers stood in a cave-like room glaring at each other. The blond Zoicite crossed his long legs, folded his arms, and scowled as he floated near a tall window. He flipped upside down, drifted down to where Nephrite sat, and complained, "How could you not have already finished that boy off? He was no match for you!" The boy floated backwards a little and glared while Nephrite determinedly stared at the dark glossy wall behind him and harrumphed, "I nearly had him. You didn't need to butt in."

Zoicite grumped as he flipped himself right side up, "How rude! That girl was mean, too! What kind of nice girl carries a bow around?"

Nephrite shifted himself on the dark velvet couch and glowered. He sighed, "That one is a warrior, my obnoxious friend. You do know that if you hadn't tried to stab the boy in the back, she would not have shot at you, don't you?"

Zoicite drifted to the window with his back turned to Nephrite.

Several minutes passed before either of them spoke again.

Eventually Zoicite growled to himself, "Most girls like me! They tell me I'm cute…" Nephrite disgustedly shook his head. "No woman is ever going to call the guy who attacked her boyfriend 'cute'. "

The green-eyed blond cut angry glances at him for five minutes. His chin trembled. Nephrite growled warningly, "Don't even try it." Zoicite huffily shot to at darkened corner of the ceiling, bumped his head on it in his haste.

The dark-haired man stood up and headed for the heavy wooden door across from him. "Hmph! So you're going to run away now?" Zoicite called to him. "This means war!"

Nephrite ignored him. As he reached for the ornate handle, the door swung open.

A blond man sauntered into the room, apparently unbothered by the frosty atmosphere. The sound of his boots stamping on the stone floor drew the annoyed Zoicite down from the ceiling. Jadeite's narrow blue eyes glinted maliciously as he strode over to him and laughed, "The queen should have sent me instead. I'd have had the girl out of there before dog boy noticed she was gone." Zoicite snapped, "So what would you have done? Vamped some poor youma girl into doing your job, as usual?"

"Oh, and you would've let him damage your oh so perfect hair?", Jadeite sneered as a large grey spider peered blankly at him from its precarious nest. The last shreds of its web had gotten caught on Zoicite's head. His vicious grin widened as a truly wicked prank occurred to him. "Don't make me laugh. We both know that a smart man knows when to run and when to fight."

"Jadeite, what is it?", Nephrite wearily interrupted.

He turned to examine one gloved hand as Jadeite replied smugly, "The queen commands you both to come to her at once." Nephrite's head snapped up.

Jadeite knew the queen would wait for a little while, but he also knew she always got very angry if one of her generals approached her while looking anything less than his best for her court. He inwardly chuckled at the thought of her reaction to normally vain Zoicite.

Nephrite looked at Zoicite. The spider bobbed its head and wore the dusty web like a cape. His mouth dropped open as he also realized that the problems they were going to face had just compounded. Zoicite just looked at him questioningly while he rubbed his head. The spider scuttled away from his busy fingers.

Nephrite rubbed his temples and sighed. He just knew he was going to have the Grand Poobah of headaches before all was said and done.

"You both have failed. Therefore, you both will be assigned to other tasks. Zoicite, you will go search for the Silver Crystal. Nephrite, you will try again. This time, you will work with Jadeite to capture the girl.", Queen Beryl proclaimed as she glared at Nephrite. Jadeite looked thoroughly satisfied with the orders he and Nephrite were given.

Zoicite tried to sidle behind Nephrite, trying to surreptitiously scratch his head. The motion drew his queen's eye.

Beryl turned to Zoicite and did a double take. Nephrite stepped aside. Jadeite accidentally let loose a small snerk when she slid to the front of her throne, leaned forward, and glared at the spider waving its furry forelegs at her from the tangle of his mane. It ducked under a stray lock to escape her terrifying gaze.

Zoicite blushed and stammered.

Beryl's eyes blazed with fury at the young man's apparent disregard for decorum. Her cold voice made the assembly shiver. "Zoicite, your hair looks like a bird's nest. Never appear before me so slovenly groomed! Go clean yourself up and come back for your new assignment.", she snapped at him.

Embarrassed, Zoicite gingerly patted his curly hair. He finally encountered the hairy spider. A look of dawning horror crossed the vain boy's delicate features when he examined the fragments of dusty web clinging to his gloved fingers. His large narrow green eyes widened considerably as he looked up to see the spider glaring back at him between two soft blond bangs. Soft rumbles of amusement floated through the dark throne room. He jerked his hand away with a disgusted snort.

The court burst into laughter. He turned and gave the chortling assembly one last dirty and look before vanishing on the spot.

Beryl motioned for silence.

Beryl then leaned forward on her throne and eagerly asked, "Now Jadeite, how do you plan to perform this task?" Jadeite bowed gracefully, almost sweeping the polished floor with his gloved hand and replied, "I have studied the girl's habits. There is a place she goes where he does not dare enter for fear of her wrath." Beryl said, "Oh, so where is this place?"

Jadeite stood up. His smirk grew marginally. "Her school, my queen. I plan to infiltrate it. It will be very easy to bring her here without her guard there to stop me."

Nephrite rolled his eyes. "Famous last words," he thought to himself. He thought of how well Inuyasha would react to Jadeite's efforts to court Kagome. Oh, that would be a sight! A small wry grin twitched at the corners of his mouth.

Jadeite did not see Nephrite's expression. He was too busy laughing to himself, "This will be such an easy job. Human women cannot resist charm and devotion from a handsome man. The girl would surely prefer me to that clumsy dog-" His train of thought derailed when Beryl gazed into his eyes as though she could peer into his heart. He stared back haughtily into those amber depths, unaware that she could easily guess his thoughts. "She likes me, she really likes me! What a windfall!," Jadeite inwardly crowed. He tossed his head and gave her a flirty smile as he got ready for her command to go forth.

Beryl leaned back on her throne and looked away with amusement dancing in her eyes. She thought to herself, "This foolish boy actually thinks I fell in love with him. He will soon learn better! If that girl is who I remember she was, then she will not want him either. She won't be any match for him in battle. At last, my rival will die!"

She smiled cruelly at the thought, looked him in the eye again, and cocked her head to one side. Her blazing red mane fell like a waterfall over the armrests of her dark throne.

Something in her smile should've warned him that he was in for it. It had a predatory edge that made the other remaining generals back up a step and the court susurrus like dry reeds on a blustery autumn night.

"Very well, Jadeite. Go ready yourself for this task. Bring me victory."

Jadeite bowed and saluted his queen.

The last things the court saw of him as he vanished were his lingering smile and blue eyes glittering as if at a cruel joke.

Little did he know the joke was on him.

J

I've been watching Sailor Moon again to get an idea of how Jadeite behaves. I really felt sorry for both the Sailor Scouts and for his youma by the time he was sealed away. He is such a jerk.

The other interesting thing about him is that he is not always very aware. A few times, he tried to salvage a plan after it failed.

I don't think that the bad guys would treat each other well unless they could benefit from it. I could easily imagine Jadeite being a little too forward with his Queen and getting stuck with an awkward job because of it.

Nephrite comes off as being gruff if he doesn't like you and suave if he does. Seriously, he was gruff toward Zoicite and Sailor Moon in the anime.

Zoicite seems to be the type of guy who loves to be told he's cute by, well, anyone really. He kinda had a spiritual cousin in Ayame from Fruits Basket. He tended to show off for folks of both genders in the anime. In spite of his relationship with Kunzite, he did pose for his intended victims as well as the Sailor Senshi.

Keep in mind that I am very much exaggerating the characters.

This chapter was going to start with the battle. However, it seemed like a good idea to start from the beginning.

I also wanted to have Kagome admit that Inuyasha does have a sweet side. He just doesn't express it well conventionally. He writes his love poems with Tessaiga. His love song to her is the battle cry he roars to the sky as he rushes to protect her. Dark Kingdom, beware!

It's not a perfect way of expressing affection, but it works for him. Lol

He does express his love in much less violent ways though, such as making some amazing medicine to give to her when she's sick and carrying her when she's tired or in trouble.