An Eternal New Moon

Chapter One

"Inuyasha! I sense shikon shards!" said Kagome, looking to the east. The sun was just beginning to set behind the treetops of the forest. The boy with white hair perked up his dog-like ears, sniffing the air.

"Hmmm, I smell a demon." said Inuyasha, narrowing his eyes. "Be on your guard everyone, it's coming closer." he added, referring to the others around the campfire. Miroku the monk picked up his staff and rose to his feet, his eyes scanning the horizon. Sango the demon slayer put one hand on her hirakostu and the other on Kirara, her demon cat, who had just changed into her more fearsome form in a burst of flame. A low growl issued from her throat.

"Easy, Kirara." said Sango, stroking her ear. "Just wait." The young fox demon Shippo ran to Kagome, jumping onto her lap.

"Shippo, it's alright." she said, grabbing her bow and arrows. "We'll get this demon's shikon shards, no problem. Maybe you'll help fight this one?"

Shippo looked up at Kagome. "You mean it? You'll let me fight?" Kagome smiled.

"Of course. I mean, if it's okay with Inuyasha." Shippo jumped off of Kagome's lap and went over to Inuyasha.

"Feh. I don't know if a little guy like you should be fighting yet." said Inuyasha, looking towards the forest where he could smell the demon drawing closer.

"Oh, come on Inuyasha! I won't run away this time, I swear! Pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeeee?" whined Shippo. Inuyasha looked toward the forest again, then back at Shippo's pleading face.

"Hmph. Fine. Just stay near Kagome." he said gruffly. Shippo smiled and clapped his hands.

"Thanks Inuyasha!" said Shippo. Suddenly, a tremor shook the earth were the group was camping. Inuyasha jumped up, a hand on Tetsusaiga.

"The demon's here!" he shouted as a large shape crashed through the trees, roaring. "Time to get some shikon shards! The demon was huge, almost 30 feet long. It took the shape of a giant black snake with red eyes and fangs as tall as Inuyasha himself. Behind it was another snake, a deep blue one with soulless, black eyes.

"Two demons?" said Miroku. "Both with shikon shards? This might be tricky." Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga.

"Not for me. I'll take the black one, you guys can have the blue one." The response was a smack in the head with Miroku's staff.

"Hey, what did you do that for, you lecherous monk!" shouted Inuyasha. Miroku hit him again.

"For being foolish, Inuyasha. You cannot possibly think to take on a snake demon by yourself at this time in the month."

"Miroku's right," said Sango, mounting Kirara. "You do know tonight's the night of the new moon?"

That's right, thought Kagome. The night of the new moon is when Inuyasha takes on his human form and loses all his demonic powers. We'll have to defeat these demons before sunset if we even want to have a chance at beating them.

"Inuyasha, here they come!" said Kagome, putting an arrow to her bowstring. The snake's were traveling at an incredible speed. "Please hit!" She let the arrow fly, only to have it miss the blue snake by inches. It swung it's head towards Kagome, it's black eyes boring into her. Suddenly, it charged, opening it's mouth, exposing huge, white fangs.

"Kagome! Look out!" shouted Inuyasha, Tetsusaiga above his head. He swung, slicing it's back. The snake let out a shriek, circling back around.

"Ha! That wasn't so hard!" said Inuyasha, smiling, but his smile soon disappeared as he saw the cut on the snake's back heal in a matter of seconds. He snarled as the snake turned on Kagome again, who grabbed Shippo and tried to run.

"You stay away from her!" he roared, thrusting Tetsusaiga into it's tail. The snake flailed wildly, knocking Inuyasha backwards with it's head. Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku had the black snake cornered, far away from the camp.

"Hirakotsu!" shouted Sango, cutting off the snake's head. Miroku prepared to open his wind tunnel.

"Well done Sango!" he shouted as he slowly unwrapped the beads around his right hand, his back to the snake. Suddenly, the head fused back to the snake's body, lunging for Miroku.

"Miroku! The snake!" shouted Sango, but it was too late. The snake grabbed Miroku's arm in it's fangs, injecting him with it's venom. Kirara landed, Sango jumping off and running to Miroku, who had slumped to the ground, the snake poised for it's final blow.

"Sango! Get away! You'll be hurt as well as me!" shouted Miroku weakly. Sango kept running.

"No Miroku! I won't leave you!" she shouted back, stopping in front of him, raising her boomerang bone. She prepared herself for the blow, but it never came.

"WIND SCAR!" shouted Inuyasha, the snake, taken by surprise, was flung backwards.

"Thanks Inuyasha." said Sango, bending down to put Miroku's arm around her shoulders. "Miroku and I would've been in trouble if it weren't for—." The sound of a familiar slap echoed through the trees.

"You pervert! Keep your hands to yourself for once!" shouted Sango. "If you weren't as weak as you are now, you'd be in big trouble, monk!" Miroku smiled, his eyes closed.

"I was only...making sure...you were all right." he said, as Sango lifted him up onto Kirara, who had come running at the sound of her master's agitated voice.

"Yeah, right. You know that's not the reason." she grumbled as she got on Kirara behind him.

"Inuyasha! I'm going to take Miroku back to the camp and get him an antidote! Will you be all right without me for a few minutes?" shouted Sango as Kirara jumped into the air. It was only about 30 feet to the camp, but Sango didn't want to drag Miroku that far.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just hurry up!" he said, slashing at the black snake, who had recovered from Inuyasha's wind scar. Kagome fired another arrow at the blue snake, and missed again. Shippo jumped off her shoulder, his hands in front of him.

"Foxfire!" he shouted, blue flames engulfing the snake's head.

"Way to go Shippo!" said Kagome, getting another arrow from her quiver. Inuyasha used the wind scar on the black snake once more, just as the sun set behind the horizon. Inuyasha's claws shrank, his fangs disappeared, his hair turned black, and Tetsusaiga transformed back to it's original state.

"Damn, I'm human!" said Inuyasha, sheathing the now useless Tetsusaiga. "Kagome! You're our only chance to kill these snake demons until Sango gets back! Where's the shard in the black snake?"

Kagome looked at the black snake for a moment. "It's in it's head!" The serpent began to charge towards Inuyasha. Just before it reached him, he jumped out of the way, but not all the way, as the snake grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder, injecting him with venom.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome, shooting a purifying arrow at the black snake. It hit it in the back of the head, the shard popping out and landing at Inuyasha's feet. The snake itself roared, and disintegrated. Kagome ran to Inuyasha, Shippo at her heels, not watching or caring where the blue snake was. All she cared about was Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him. He clutched at his bloody shoulder. Black spots swam before his eyes.

"I don't know..." he said, shaking his head. He picked up the shard that had come from the black serpent and gave it to Kagome. As soon as she put the shard with the others, the blue snake came from nowhere, grabbing Kagome with it's tail, her arms pinned to her sides.

"Kagome!"shouted Inuyasha, trying to get back up on his feet. He fell forward, everything spinning like mad. He could hear Sango yelling for Kagome as well.

"INUYASHA!" shouted Kagome. Inuyasha's hurt, I can't leave him, she thought, wriggling like mad. The snake sensed her struggle and squeezed her, making Kagome black out and faint. Sango came rushing at the snake, but it knocked Kirara aside with it's head. Inuyasha lifted up his head, just in time to see the snake jump into the air and fly away.

Kagome, he thought. I must...save...Kagome. He felt a stabbing pain in his shoulder, then let the oncoming blackness engulf him.

Kagome, I will find you. I swear it.