I don't own Sailor Moon nor do I own Inu Yasha. They belong to Takeuchi Naoko and Takehashi Rumiko respectively. Any characters that don't belong to these two manga-ka belong to me.

Of Wolves and the Moon

Chapter three: Welcoming Party

By Lance the Flamesniper

"The impression given by the wolf pack back when I first encountered Kouga was one of grim seriousness and hostility. It wasn't until many years later that I realized that the group I had encountered was what Kouga referred to as a "War pack". The best comparison I could offer would be that this was a patrol or military squad. Considering that Kouga had been embroiled in a conflict with the Birds of Paradise that description holds true. Later, Inu Yasha and I were guests at the Lunar Festival and it was then we saw the true nature of the Great Pack, It turns out that wolves enjoy singing, dancing, playing music and feasting as much as any human."

-Excerpt from the Memoirs of Kagome Higureshi

Usagi couldn't help but blink as seemingly endless streams of ookami youkai came seemingly from everywhere. Before a minute passed there were easily at least one thousand ookami youkai gathered in the cave's naturally carved assembly hall. All eyes were on Kouga and on the woman with him. Fortunately he had possessed the good grace to let her down off his back before the rest arrived. Still Usagi couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Alright listen up! This is Usagi Tsukino. She won't admit it, but she's a moonchild. For a time she will be staying with us!" Kouga called, and then paused as his pack cheered. "Now in honor of her arrival we are going to have a celebration!"

At this the pack cheered louder then rushed in various directions to prepare the celebration their Lord had ordered.

"Ano…Kouga-san? My being here isn't a happy occasion, not for me at least. I want to go home and see my friends," Usagi said to him.

"Gomen nasai Usagi-san. I know you might not understand what I'm doing, but let me try to explain. Both you and the pack have gone through a lot of suffering: You for being pulled from your friends and them from the loss of their leader. But instead of allowing that to consume you, you need something to ease fears and pain. So why not focus on celebration, not suffering."

Celebration, not suffering…. I like that idea! Usagi thought then offered Kouga her best smile. "Oh! I understand now. But really, you don't have to do this for me."

Kouga felt his cheeks heat up. At that moment he knew something for certain: he would move heaven and Earth if it would allow him to see that smile. "I know that Usagi-san, but I want to…"

"Okay then."

Kouga quickly recovered from his somewhat daze and decided upon a course of action. "May I show you around, Usagi-san?"

"Well, if I'm staying with your pack I probably should get to know the place," Usagi agreed as the two began to walk.

The tour took about two hours. Usagi found herself looking in awe at the caves Kouga called home. Family sized caves for mated (Usagi learned that meant Married) couples, large dormitory-like caves for single males and females, a large hot spring grotto with a crystal ceiling and indoor waterfall the massive cooking fire room; Kouga showed her everything. Finally they came to a large room in which there were two piles of deer furs.

"And this, is where you'll be staying, Usagi-san."

The room was spacious and had a private access path to the hot spring and clearly someone else's room.

"It's really a wonderful room, but whose room was it before I got here?"

"Well originally it was my father's and technically it's now mine. But I don't mind giving it to you."

"But then were would you sleep?" Usagi asked curiously, remembering that the male dorms she saw were full.

"Oh I'll be fine Usagi-san. I'll just sleep on the floor in the great hall or something," Kouga said in a tone that sounded like he was trying to pass it off as no big deal. "I'll give you a moment to get used to the room while I go check on…."

"Kouga-san wait," Usagi began, stopping the wolf prince as he was about to leave. Unfortunately, whatever she was about to say was aborted by a sudden invasion of gravity. As she stepped towards Kouga something caused the princess of the moon to lose her footing. Kouga tried to catch her only to fall with her. When the proverbial dust settled Kouga found himself on his back staring into the eyes of Usagi, who had landed with her legs straddling his waist. As the two stared at each other their cheeks slowly crimsoned as similar thoughts went through their minds.

Oh my god! I thought he was good looking but up close, he's beautiful… Usagi thought.

By the Kami! I always thought Kagome was attractive, but she pales compared to this beauty… What am I thinking! I need to be protecting her not, not whatever this is!

"Usagi? What was it you wanted to say?"

'Uhm well…" Usagi verbally fumbled as her blush intensified at what she was about to say. "There are two piles of blankets here. Why not share the room?"

"Would you truly be okay with that Usagi-san?"

"Please, call me Usagi. And no, I don't think I would mind sharing with you. As long as you behave yourself!" Usagi mock scolded.

"I can behave. And if I'm calling you Usagi, then please call me Kouga?"

"Deal!" Usagi said before they both heard a loud "Ah-hem!"

The two turned their heads in unison and found themselves staring at a pair of feet clad in white fur. Their eyes trailed up the the toned legs of to a pair of feminine hips in a white fur kilt then further up over the red and black armor that adored her chest finally stopping at a pair of green eyes under a mop coifature of crimson hair. At the moment those green eyes where looking…angry.

"Just what the Hell do you think you're doing?" Ayame snarled.

"Usagi, I'd like you to meet Ayame… Ayame, this is Usagi and it's not what it looks like," began Kouga cautiously.

"Oh really? Because it looks like she's got you pinned and about to kiss you," The she wolf responded.

"Yes really! She and I were just discussing her sleeping arrangements when she fell. I promised her no harm would come to her and that includes falling onto the hard floor if it can be avoided!" Kouga snapped as he slowly helped Usagi to her feet, getting to his own in the process. "But it is a good thing you've shown up, I did need to speak with you about something important."

"Oh?"

"Yes," Kouga stated grimly. "But not here. Forgive Usagi but I need to speak with Ayame. I'll send someone to get you when the celebration begins. Please feel free to rest until then."

At Usagi's nod Kouga offered her a small grin and walked with Ayame out of the room.

The way she was looking at us… is she Kouga's girlfriend? Great going meatball head you've only been with the pack a few hours and you're already causing Kouga problems! Usagi mentally groused before sitting down on the furs and following Kouga's advice.

Ayame scowled at Kouga once they finally stopped walking. "What is it Kouga? Can't make up your mind? First you agree to be my mate when I was younger, then it's Kagome and now this…"

"Ayame, this isn't going to be easy but you're going to have to hear me out. I can't be your mate," Kouga said all the while steeling him self for what was coming. He didn't have to wait long.

"What!" Ayame shrieked. "You'd better have a very good reason for this!"

"Oh I think it's pretty good. It's something I learned recently and I'm betting you don't know it either, or you wouldn't be so hell bent to be my mate."

"What is it Kouga?" Ayame asked in concern.

"It seems we share a father Ayame, you're my sister."

Ayame shook her head in denial. "My mother told me…"

"…That your father was killed in battle before you were born. It was a better story than saying your mother had bedded with someone else's mate."

"But, who told you…?"

"The Great Pack's Secret keeper told me. All the pack leaders appoint one. Upon the death of the pack's leader, the Secret Keeper tells the new leader all the secrets the keeper feels that the new leader and his chosen Keeper needs to know. So, sorry, little sister, I can't mate with you."

Ayame stared in shock at what she just heard. She knew Kouga wouldn't lie to her, not about something this important but still. "This is going to take some time to get used to," She mumbled dazedly.

"No kidding," Kouga deadpanned. "Also since you are my sister, if something happens to me before I can produce an heir or before any heir I have is old enough to lead you'll become leader."

"Yes, yes of course," Ayame mumbled.

"Good!" Kouga said with a smile as he began to walk away. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to go oversee the preparations for the celebration."

Tokyo, Modern Era Early Afternoon

Rei Hino was starting to wish she could get away from this "family outing" and not just to help Usagi. The trip to the airport wasn't too bad, but from there they had gotten on an airplane with other shrine families all bound for Hokkaido. That wasn't too bad though her grandfather was starting to act odd. The only words he'd said to her before boarding were "Keep alert not everything is always what it seems."

So Rei did what Rei did best: she yelled at her grandfather then obeyed anyway. Almost as soon as she allowed herself to receptive to her spiritual/ extrasensory abilities she felt something was off. It seemed to her that several of the other people in the airport had a strange sort of… shimmer to them. Why are they shimmering like that? And the feeling I'm getting off of them… it isn't a presence of evil, but it's definitely off. However she couldn't get any answers out of her grandfather despite her best efforts. Then they boarded the plane.

"What you saw in the terminal, Rei, was part of the reason we have to take this trip. It's something that maybe half of the people we're traveling with even came close to noticing which really and truly is a shame. I can't tell you more than that until we get where we're going."

After the flight came another car ride that Rei passed by first fighting with the radio then failing that staring out the window at the people they passed, some that shimmered and more that didn't. It was early evening before they made it to the debarkation point for the next part of the journey, this being via an old sailing junk.

"Tell me Rei, when you look toward the horizon, what do you see?" Old man Hino asked as he heard some of the other young adults complain a trip into the open sea.

Rei, having ignored the others her age looked toward the horizon. She saw an island with what looked like a small well lit village on it, though it was hard to tell because it was quite a distance away. "I see an island with a village on it. However, judging from what others are saying it's not there."

"Oh but it is there. In fact that island and the village on it are one of the secrets I can tell you about. The village is called Ookamimachi. It's protected by old enchantments. Only certain people can see it and sometimes only to certain degrees. Those with no ability will not see it at all. Some will look toward the island and see nothing but mist while others will see the island and believe it to be nothing but a craggy mass of rocks. The image you see however is the true one." He grandfather said.

"Why would someone go through so much trouble to hide a village?" Rei sniped, knowing for once not to dispute what she was being told since it was clear that the elder Hino was telling the truth.

"You'd have to ask him. All I know is that Ookamimachi was once closer to what is now Tokyo, then sometime during the feudal era he had instructed the village to come here and that the barrier magic was to be set up."

"He?"

"You'll meet him soon enough. I will tell you that he is one of probably five beings that I know of that are absolutely not to be trifled with to the point that not even the emperor himself would go against them."

Who in the name of the kami could hold that much power? The senshi of Mars wondered as she boarded the junk idly noting its name: the Ookami no Mizu. To calm her mind she focused on trying to figure out a way to contact the other senshi to find out what was going on in Tokyo as well as get the answers to whatever was going on with this gathering of shrine families.

Early evening, Feudal Era

The smell of food, more accurately roasting meat that brought Usagi from the nap she decided to take before the celebration. She sat up and stretched marvelling at how soft the blankets had actually been. Judging by the yummy smells the party would soon be starting.

After about ten minutes of waiting the red haired she wolf from earlier came to get her. "I hope you rested well Usagi-san?" She asked trying to be cheerful despite still feeling internally shell-shocked.

"Oh!" Usagi started after feeling a pang of regret. "Yes I am. Ayame-san, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to cause problems between you and Kouga. I'm just well… clumsy I guess."

"You needn't worry Usagi-san. In reality I over reacted. There's not really anything between myself and Kouga, nor can there be."

"Oh?" Usagi asked. "Why is that?"

"Seems he and I share a parent and didn't know it until recently. I'm not sure about humans but it is generally frowned upon by the ookami youkai to pursue one's brother."

Usagi for her part was trying her best no to blush at how direct the she-wolf was. "I see."

"Now that that's out of the way, let's start again shall we? Hello, I'm Ayane."

Usagi giggled then offered the female wolf her best friendly smile. "I'm Usagi. Wanna be friends?"

Ayame smiled back. "Yes!"

It was then that the duo entered the great hall. As Usagi expected there were still several hundred if not several thousand wolf demons in the hall. She noticed right away the absence of cubs as well as that several of the wolves she'd seen earlier were not in attendance. Both facts she asked her guide about.

"Oh that! The cubs are all either asleep or playing somewhere. The wolves that aren't here are either on cooking duty, guard duty or cub watching. All of which are important jobs within the pack."

"I see," Usagi said. Before she could continue the heard the sound of music, though not the usual she was used to. Heavy drum beats accompanied by lively flute trills were the order of the day and along with all of that was a high lilting sound.

"Ah, I see they've convinced him to play tonight."

"Got who to play?" Usagi asked.

"The boss," A wolf with white hair styled into a mohawk responded. "He plays the ocarina."

"Yes," The wolf's partner, sporting white hair with a tuft of black in the front. "He plays it rather well but doesn't usually do so in front of the pack."

"Usagi, these are Kouga's Lieutenants or as I call them lackeys. The one with the Mohawk is Ginta. The other one is his cousin Hakkaku."

Usagi bowed. "It's nice to meet you both."

The duo returned her bow then Hakkaku responded. "The honor is ours Usagi Moonchild."

"Please, just Usagi will do."

The two looked at each other then joined the group in dancing as Kouga led the gathered wolf musicians through several lively tunes. Usagi stared at the leader of the wolves, his eyes closed as he focused on his playing.

I can see why they'd want him to play, he's really good! Usagi thought.

After many hours of dancing and playing the hour began to draw late. A strange lull had come over wolves, it was coupled with a feeling that something was going to occur. Kouga opened his eyes and Usagi noticed right away a change. His stormy blue eyes were heavy lidded and his gaze was distant, almost dream-like. He put his ocarina to his lips and began to play. The song he played was one Usagi knew Kouga couldn't have known, a song he couldn't have heard. Kouga couldn't have heard it, simply because she didn't have the lunar locket with its haunting, sad melody with her. Still there he stood, trace-like playing it his distant gaze locked on her. The time-displaced princess only had a jumble of thoughts on this situation: What is this? What's going on here? Kouga, how do you, how could you, know the Lunar lullabye?

TBC

Author's note:

I should apologize for how late this submission is. However lately life, especially focusing on summer college had been both tedious and in the way. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this.