Luna's sword stabbed into the ground as she held onto it, panting hard as she looked up at Kuro. He stood but two feet in front of her, Tempest in hand. The blade was out now, as he had decided to give her the full treatment. After their mating session, Kuro and Luna had resumed their training. Kuro stood tall, without fatigue. His Tempest was shining and beautiful as Luna continued to pant. She growled competitively at her mate. He showed no signs of fatigue, and he just continued to fight. His Tempest had three shapes, the one he currently had, the staff that held an orb on each end, and it split apart and stretched to form dual blades who appeared when he said the name Wave, both of them shaped like his original blades.

She stood up, still panting as Kuro spoke.

"Do you wish to rest now?"

Luna shook her head, raising her sword. Kuro nodded, and raised his Tempest. He placed both of his palms in the middle of the staff, and it broke away into blue orbs. Luna charged forward, raising her blade. Kuro, now unarmed, ducked under the sweep of her blade. He pushed off into the air and flipped over, and then behind her, landing back down. He swept in place as she turned, and his palm struck towards her neck. She tensed, and stabbed forward. He caught the flat of the blade between his fingers with his right hand, his left holding two fingers beneath her chin. He pushed her face up to look her in the eye.

"You have fought hard. It is time to rest."

Luna kept her defiant gaze in her eye, but then her gaze softened and she fell forward, her sword dissipating. Kuro caught her and lifted her to his chest, carrying her bridle style. He walked from the clearing towards the lake, stepping onto the waters surface. He bent down and looked upwards. Ripples gathered on the water, emanating from his feet. He pushed off from the lake and a tower of water followed him in his path. He flew high, before flipping forward and beginning to sprint up the mountain side, his arms steady as the rest of him moved, Luna remained undisturbed in her resting.

He arrived upon the cave, jumping inside and landing down gracefully. He laid Luna down on the ground and brushed a strand of hair from her face and began a fire, pulling some of the fish they had gotten last night onto it. He stood quietly at the mouth of the cave, letting the fish cook. Luna rested quietly, rolling over in her sleep. Kuro turned to her, and smiled. She had been so understanding of his issue. Since he had become so encompassed in sorrow, he could not give life. He could not make a seed, since his aura assaulted any genetic strand other than his own and Luna's. She was his only, and his greatest, happiness. Otherwise, he was hollow for the rest of the world.

Not long after, Luna awoke yawning. She sat up, shaking the sleep from her head. Kuro stood by the fire, and held a fish out to her. She smiled and took it, and began to eat. Kuro ate as well, before sitting against the cave wall. Luna joined him, kissing his lips softly before snuggling into him and purring, enjoying the silence. He had no heart beat, and for some strange reason she enjoyed the comfortable silence, the only sound was the wind outside and the crackling fire. Kuro noticed a shape approaching the cave from the sky, and recognized it as Inuyasha, Sango, Kilala and Hatchi.

Luna stood up, walking to the cave entrance. Kuro followed her actions, and Inuyasha and Sango stopped just short of the cave. Inuyasha spoke, expression monotone.

"We shall split up. Sango, Luna and I will go and retrieve Kagome and Kouga. Kuro, go and retrieve Sesshomaru. Be swift."

"As you wish."

Kuro stepped forward, and leapt from the cave, vanishing in the air with tremendous speed. Inuyasha shook his head, and chuckled. Sango looked to Inuyasha, smiling softly.

"Are you sure about this?"

"It is not my decision. It is up to him now."

Luna blinked, tilting her head.

"What do you mean?"

Inuyasha looked to Luna, and nodded.

"Sesshomaru already knows. He wishes to test Kuro's fighting ability before he accepts him into the clan."

Luna gasped, and then growled.

"So what, reviving him from the dead wasn't enough!?"

"Once, long ago, Sesshomaru and Kuro had met before. Kuro was fighting an endless hourde, and Sesshomaru assisted him. Sesshomaru saved his life, for Kuro would have been taken prisoner in the huge magical barrier that had been lifted. They are just even now."

Luna sighed, shaking her head.

"You and uncle Sesshomaru are both addicted to battle, I swear."

Sango giggled.

"And you're any better?"

--

Kuro dashed between the trees and boulders, leaping over rivers, merely a silver blur as he flew across the land. His nose searched and eventually found Lord Sesshomaru's scent. He tracked it for many miles which he crossed in mere minutes. He arrived upon a huge crevice in the earth that seemed limitless in depth. Pillars of stone jutted from the ground, some larger than others. Sesshomaru stood in the middle, all alone. On the other side of the crevice was a beautiful young girl with long black hair, wearing a white and red kimono. Next to her was a little and probably annoying imp.

The girl couldn't be much older than twenty. She wore little makeup, and was looking at Kuro with interest.

"He's pretty. And evil. He reminds me of Sesshomaru!"

Kuro leapt from the other side of the cliff and bounded from pillar to pillar, before he was just one away from Lord Sesshomaru. The dog demon watched as Kuro spoke.

"Lord Inuyasha has sent me to request your assistance in slaying a demon named Naraku."

"Yes, I know. I shall come. But first, I wish to test your strength. To be in my clan, you must be strong. Are you prepared, Kuro?"

Kuro simply blinked, before nodding just once. Kuro spread his hands outward and spoke.

"Tempest."

The long blue staff formed in his hands, and it sparkled and glittered in the sunlight. Rin made a soft 'ahh' sound, eyes sparkling as a blush came to her features. Jaken rolled his eyes at her, making a comment about her female hormones. Kuro spun the staff as the long blade whistled through the air, Sesshomaru drawing his Toukijin. He raised the medieval sword and aimed it at Kuro, speaking.

"Pressure Pulse."

Long needles of pressure shot from the tip of the blade, and flew at Kuro. Kuro raised his staff and spun it in front of him in a rapid circle, and the needles were parried aside. Sesshomaru used this time Kuro was using to block, and leapt into the air swiping his whips of light at him. Kuro brought his right arm back and slashed forward, speaking.

"Silver Storm."

Two long whips like Sesshomaru's whips of light excluding the long spikes that jutted from them flew from Kuro's fingers, clashing with Sesshomaru's whips. It was a very dazzling scene for Rin and Jaken, two demons clothed in silver, whips glowing silver and gold dancing about the battlefield as they elegantly avoided one anothers moves. Sesshomaru raised his Toukijin, and sheathed it. His eyes glowed red and his nose began to bulge outwards, his fangs lengthening. Not long after, the Great White Dog stood before Kuro, chuckling at him. Kuro closed his eyes, trying to transform himself.

But it was to no avail. Kuro had not yet possessed enough power to transform. He looked up and Sesshomaru chuckled, speaking telepathically to Kuro.

'It seems that you are unable to change. Interesting. Perhaps you are not as strong as you say.'

Kuro growled low and raised his Tempest as Sesshomaru slashed at him. Kuro raised his weapon, and caught the huge malevolent paw on the staff. But something unexpected happened, and his Tempest...shattered. Kuro flew backwards, slamming into and through three trees before catching himself, and stopping before his knee touched the ground. He would not kneel to his opponent. His Tempest...Sesshomaru laughed as Kuro returned to the battlefield, bloody and bruised. Inuaysha and the others had now just arrived upon the battle, Luna behind Inuyasha.

Kuro panted as Sesshomaru spoke out loud this time.

'Your weapon has been shattered. It would seem it was not the true weapon for you to wield. We must invoke your power. You are weaker than whence I fought alongside you many ages ago. Now then...'

He sniffed the air, and saw that Kuro was mated to Luna. He looked knowingly to Inuyasha, and Inuyasha nodded. He looked to Luna and spoke.

"Assist Kuro."

Luna nodded without hesitation and began to run to Kuro's aid. Kuro saw her, and looked away, ashamed to need assistance. Sesshomaru slashed at her, and she summoned her Sanguine, catching the paw on the blade and holding it against her shoulder. Sesshomaru saw that was her true weapon, and so raised his head, opening his jaws. A white orb of energy, slashing with pink lightning formed in his mouth, and he released it straight at Luna. She looked to the orb, unable to protect herself, and screamed. Kuro's eyes popped open, and they both glowed a deep black as white stripes formed over his body.

The huge white orb would envelope Luna, except for the silver blur that was suddenly beside her, hands raised...