"We're stopping here." Inuyasha said irritably.
"You're the one who insisted we get going immediately and not stop. I don't sense any jewel shards, or even a demonic presence."
"I said it's time to stop, so it's time to stop!" He growled.
"Whatever." Kagome sighed.
"Kirara and I will go see if we can find anything to eat."
"I'll come as well." Miroku offered.
"You can look after Shippo."
"Why do I have to go?" The little fox demon asked.
"You need to learn how to hunt. It may be the only chance you get to eat if Kagome's not around to stop Inuyasha from taking your share."
"Good point. Inuyasha is such a pig." Inuyasha's eye twitched at this comment, but he said nothing. "I am a growing boy, I need my food." Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara headed off into the woods in search of food leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome "Is something wrong?"
"Everything's fine." He insisted.
"Then stop pacing, it's driving me crazy."
"Something just doesn't feel right." Inuyasha said.
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked. As far as she could tell, everything was normal.
"I don't know." He said. He stopped pacing and leaned against a tree. "Thats just makes it so much worse. If I knew what was wrong, I could fix it or kill... the mangy wolf that's headed this way." He placed himself between Kagome and the direction the scent had drifted from, only to be knocked aside by a whirlwind that materialized into Koga the wolf demon. Koga leaned over Kagome, resting his hand against a tree. Kagome was forced to lean uncomfortably against the same tree rather than be pressed up against him.
"Evening, Kagome." Koga said with what Kagome assumed was supposed to be a seductive smile.
"Umm, hi Koga." She replied nervously as she glanced to where Inuyasha was regaining his feet.
"Get your mangy ass away from Kagome." Inuyasha warned.
"She's my woman, and " He leaned even closer to Kagome, "I'll get as close... as.. I..." He dodged as Inuyasha threw a punch at him.
"You'll stay the hell away from her if you know what's good for you." Inuyasha growled menacingly.
"I trusted you to keep my Kagome safe." Koga said, "But I think she'd be better off with me now." Koga cracked his knuckles and raised his fists, "And that means I can get rid of you."
"Koga stop. There's no reason for you two to fight." Kagome said.
"For once, I agree with Koga. There's plenty of reason to fight." Inuyasha began to draw his sword, but Koga kicked it out of his and and it embedded itself in a tree.
"You won't be needing that when you're dead."
"I sure as hell don't need it to take care of you!" The two canines began grapplin, but neither seemed to have the upper hand.
"Is this all you have, mutt?" Koga taunted, "I've seen puppies stronger than you."
"I'm just getting started." Inuyasha replied as he renewed his effort and began to push the wolf demon back.
"Koga, run away!" Kagome shouted.
"Don't worry, Kagome, I can take him." Koga told her.
"No, you can't... not now." Kagome said. Her voice hinted at fear.
"What the hell!" Koga looked Inuyasha in the eyes. The eyes which moments ago had been amber now looked at him maliciously in a frightening blue. The whites of his eyes were blood red and purple markings had appeared on his face. His claws were longer and sharper. They dug viciously into the back or Koga's hands and his fangs were bared in a bloodthirsty grin.
"Get him to wield the tetsusaiga! It keeps his demon blood from overpowering him!"
"Easy enough for you to say, you don't have to go through him to get to it!" Koga growled. He was not angry at Kagome, but he spoke harshly to cover the fear that filled him. Inuyasha's demon form was more than he could handle. He howled in agonized pain as a loud crack erupted from his wrist.
"Ko.. ga..." Hakkaku arrived in the small clearing.
"Are... you... alright..." Ginta gasped, following closely behind. He obviously wasn't. Inuyasha threw him against a tree and he cried out as ribs snapped.
"Sit boy!" Kagome tried to subdue him before he could kill Koga, but Inuyasha braced himself and resisted the command. "Sit boy!" Inuyasha turned to face her. "SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT! SIT!" She screamed fearfully as he advanced upon her, but it only slowed him down. Hit hand clamped over her mouth, muting further sits.
"Shut the hell up, bitch." He said calmly, but coldly. His eyes had reverted to amber, but looked different than his half demon form. They looked at her as if she was worthless. She couldn't stand it and tried to look away. That is when she saw it. The moon. It was partially covered in a blood red shadow. Kagome froze. Inuyasha's hand loosened.
"Lunar eclipse." Kagome whispered. She knew that the new moon drained Inuyasha of his powers and that they were the strongest during the full moon. The moon was full, so Kagome wondered what it could mean for Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked back over his shoulder.
"Blood moon." He said, "Tonight someone dies."
"Let her go!"
"We can't let you hurt her." Hakkaku and Ginta warned Inuyasha.
"So, stop me."
"Umm, shoo?" The wolfs said. Inuyasha growled and they ran to hide.
"Hiraikotsu!" Inuyasha was caught off guard by Sango's attack. The boomerang bone smashed into him and sent him flying. He did not stay down long. When he got up, his fangs and claws returned to their normal size, though his claws looked sharper and more refined. Sango caught her boomerang as it returned. He was standing up straighter as well.
"Hit him again!" Miroku said, "It looks like he's returning to normal."
"Don't be fooled." Kagome warned, "Look out!" Inuyasha rushed at the monk and demon slayer. Instead of attacking them with his claws like they expected, he halted in between them and spun around, lashing at them with a whip of demonic energy. They barely managed to block the attack.
"Sacred sutra!" The sutra was destroyed on contact, doing little damage. "His demonic power too far exceeds my spiritual power. I'm going to have to use my wind tunnel." He announced.
"Don't! We just have to get him to wield the tetsusaiga!" Kagome cried out desperately. Sango threw a small package at Inuyasha's feet. It exploded into a cloud of acrid gas. Inuyasha coughed and leapt out of the cloud. Its scent had been too strong for his sensitive nose. Kagome raced over to the tree where the tetsusaiga was stuck and pulled with all her might. The sword wouldn't budge.
Miroku was coughing. The smoke bomb had been an especially powerful one. He collapsed to his knees. He was barely able to breath.
"Miroku!" Sango was protected by the mask of her armor, but Miroku was feeling the full force of the fumes. She helped him out of the smoke cloud, swatting away the hand that gravitated towards her backside.
Kagome, meanwhile, was struggling to remove the sword without success. She saw Hakkaku and Ginta nearby. "Don't just stand there, help me!" She ordered. They shook their heads vigorously, running around the edge of the tree line.
"No mangy wolf is ever wielding my sword." Inuyasha's hand clamped over her own, helping her slide the sword out of the tree and sliding it into its sheath.
"Inuyasha?" She turned. The moon was now completely red, matching a blood colored crescent on Inuyasha's forehead. It looked almost like Sesshomaru's mark, only it was facing the opposite direction. His dog ears were gone, replaced with almost-human pointed demon ears and he sported a fluffy tail which hung over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." he said. "Are you injured?"
"No, I'm fine."
"I'm glad."
"You're a full demon, like your brother."
"I guess I am." He said.
"How long is this going to last? Will it end with the blood moon?"
"I hope so." He said. "I'll not let go of the tetsusaiga either way, just in case."
"I thought you wanted to be a full blooded demon. It looks like you can control yourself when you're like this."
"That was my dream, but you told me once that you loved me as a half demon."
THE END
This was inspired by the Lunar eclipse last night, though it looked more muddy than red to me.