Luna glanced at each person in the room, then glanced at her choker, which was still in her hand. "We have a good group then... considering what we face."

"But what do we face? Naraku? Melbu? Melbu's pet?"

Luna glared at Inuyasha with a fierceness unmatched by anyone else he had ever met. "You wouldn't call it his 'pet' if you knew what it was... who it is..." Luna hesitated, trying to decide how to word it. "...who they are."

"They? Again with the secrets? You suck at hiding them... might as well tell us."

"As you know, the monster that Melbu was attempting to destroy the world with was torn in half..."

"Get on with it..."

"We're the halves, you baka!" Luna winced at how loud she shouted, but she was too angry to say that she regretted it. Calmly, she added, "The halves are complete opposites, yet the same. I know for a fact that I'm one, so the other would have to be the opposite of me."

"Well, Kagome acts a lot calmer and is more open about things than you..." Miroku spoke up.

"But we share too many similarities. We're female, have black hair, like boys with demonic blood. Too similar to be opposites."

"What about you and Sesshomaru?" Sango glanced from Luna to the demon in question and back.

"Personal interests too similar. Both of us enjoy blood and carnage. Both like music. Both use similar fighting styles."

"So, it is me then..."

"I don't really know of any similarities between us, but the differences are obvious. Silver hair against black. Golden eyes compared to silver-blue. Preference for red clothes as opposed to blue. Young versus old. Likes humans rather than demons. No markings..." Luna slid her sleeve up and revealed her arm, which was a pale peach color marked with black and plum tendrils, curling and swirling only to disappear under the clothes she wore. "And you're tall male, whereas I'm quite obviously a short female. The differences are there. And I bet you're stronger than the average demon too, aren't you?"

"He is. He's taken down a dragon by himself..." Kagome glanced at him and smiled.

"So what if I am?"

"You're going to need that." Luna put her choker back on. "Melbu will probably try to use us to destroy the world..."

"So... chaos and anarchy?" Inuyasha glanced at the girl on the bed, grinning.

"Business as usual." Luna glanced up at him, also grinning. "And don't even think of boasting. We want to lay low until I know for sure what's going on. Naraku has yet to reincarnate Melbu, so we all need to prepare."

Slowly, as everyone reasoned it out in their heads, they realized that she made sense. They had no idea of what to expect from them, but Luna did.

Luna, however, felt her confidence draining away as the silence dragged on. It was everything she could do to stop herself from hiding.

"You'll need to help us know what we're up against..."

Luna jumped. The silence had been so long that she had thought they weren't going to reply. "Sure."

"Could you give me some time alone with her?" Sesshomaru turned to everyone as he spoke. "We can't start tonight anyway. It's past midnight." Everyone calmly left the room, leaving Sesshomaru with Luna. "You could have just told me how old you were... it doesn't freak me out."

"Well, it seems like it would, since I'm old enough to be your ancestor..."

"But you don't look it. If you did, I might've been a little worried."

"Shallow, aren't we?" Luna giggled a bit.

"Not entirely. I never said what I would have been worried about... and no, it isn't that..."

"I remember back when you used to have those kind of troubles... You were so cute when you did that..."

"You're the only girl that wasn't disgusted about that..."

"I took it as a compliment... Then again, I actually knew why you were doing that, so of course I'd take it as a compliment." Luna smiled as she wrapped her arms around her abdomen and tried to make the movement unnoticeable. She failed, however.

"Something wrong?"

"...no..." 'Oh, please not now... Not this...'

Sesshomaru sniffed. The scent of blood caught his attention. "Um... do you want me to leave or..."

"Whatever you feel like doing..." Luna tried to suppress the pain sprouting from her abdomen as she spoke, managing to get her voice a little bit lower than a squeak.

Sesshomaru glanced at the sheets, then back to Luna. "I'd better step out then..." Without another word, he rushed out the door, closing and locking it behind him.

Luna simply sighed as she watched him retreat. Cautiously, she threw the blankets over herself and curled up.

Sesshomaru felt torn. Part of him wanted to stay with her, but the other half knew it was safer for both of them if he wasn't in the room. Without paying attention, he found himself on the couch... or, rather, his upper half was on the couch. His lower half was up in the air.

"I always knew boys thought with that brain, but this is getting a bit ridiculous..." Zakura grabbed his foot and pushed it, making him roll off of the couch. "Maybe next time watch where you're going?"

Sesshomaru sighed. He felt like kicking himself for everything he had messed up.

"What's troublin' ya, woofster? Ran out of bark?"

"Luna's in heat..."

"And you're out here emo-ing up my floor? Man the hell up and get your ass in there, fluffy! You know as well as I do that she's miserable... And I can tell your track record from your scent... it's non-existant. Don't worry. That bitch ain't fragile."

"And here you are, calling your sister a bitch..."

"Yeah. She calls herself a bitch. Now get in there, before I throw you in."

Sesshomaru decided that Zakura probably would hold up that promise, so he got up and approached the door.

"I'm not leaving until that door locks with you on the inside."

"I know..." Sesshomaru took a deep breath as he unlocked the door. 'Please, Luna, don't be angry...'

Authoress: I'm back... with five chapters!

Audience member: *faints*

Authoress: Um... ok then... See you when I get done posting... Someone call the ambulance!