• 1-2 in 1
• 2-The Walk Home
• 3-Dinner Manners
• 4-Name Calling
• 5-A Few Surprises
• 6-Kyo's Little Trick
• 7-Kyo's Deception
• 8-Trading Graves
• 9-My Other Half
• 10-Mistaken Identity
• 11-Afternoon Visitor
• 12-Creativity
• 13-Tying the Knot
• 14-Unexpected Shelter
• 15-Banishment
• 16-Changing
• 17-A Real Bargain
• 18-Wind Talk
• 19-A Hint of Silver
• 20-Curse of the Wolves
• 21-Golden Opportunity
• 22-Possessions
• 23-Winner Take All
• 24-Traditional Seduction
• 25-Engaged
• 26-Moon Song
• 27-Heart of the Fire
• 28-Freedom
• 29-The Wrong Moon
• 30-Friendly Persuasion

Sept. 11, 2004 NOTE: Oh my
gosh, school started on August 25^th, & I haven’t had much time
to write on chap. 30; I’m so sorry. I felt like I had to tell all of you
the reason as to why I haven’t updated since August 22^nd, so I
thought I’d just write this quick note for you. Chap. 30 is on its way, so
please continue to wait for me, I beg of you!

~Ookami-chan~

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

The Wrong Moon

“P-Pardon, Venita-san?”
Lunia asked, her voice suddenly timid.

The addressed Venita looked up from her hand, her icy eyes
showing disinterest in Tora and Lunia.
She turned her gaze instead to Kagome, who also froze at the sight of
the other woman’s eyes.

From Tora’s perspective, it was more than odd to see the
great Usu-Venita dressed in baggy jeans and a dark blue tube top, most likely
another one of his shirts transformed into something for her to wear. From the countless fights and assassination
jobs she’d taken, the clothes he’d loaned her got too torn so she’d cut and
trimmed them to something that suited her taste in clothes.

Uncrossing her arms, Venita began walking over to Kagome,
whose teeth began to chatter because of the icy gaze being fixed upon her. Inu-Yasha put his hands on her shoulders, as
though asking her to borrow his own strength if she needed to.

Soon Venita was an arm’s length away from Kagome, and the
latter wanted nothing more than to run awspanspan style="mso-spacerun: yes">
The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the obvious fact that
Kagome read in Venita’s eyes, ‘If you run, I shall follow.’

Inu-Yasha’s grip on her shoulders tightened, and it gave
Kagome enough courage to speak, “Venita-sama?”

The eyes that had been looking somewhere below her neckline
instantly locked on her own, and something like that of a growl could be heard
in her throat.

Tora was visibly shaking, for he had never before seen Venita
without the clothes of her father’s court, “So, this is the woman I would
have Mated with? Scary.... I just hope
Kagome-san knows what she’s doing. I’ve
heard that Venita-sama has been known to attack with little or no provocation.”

Wishing that the lump in her throat would disappear without
her having to gulp so much, Kagome’s courage swelled, “Tell me, Inu-Yasha:
after seeing what becoming a demon did to Kaji-chan, do you still seek that
same power?”

Everyone was shocked by Kagome’s sudden boldness, but what shocked
them more was this: even though Venita gave Kagome a glare that could have
frozen their very hearts in place, Kagome didn’t even flinch.

“All right,” Tora thought, fearing for Kagome’s life
even if Kagome herself didn’t, “where is she getting all of this strength
from? It can’t be Dog Boy over there
’cause he looks like he’s struggling to keep from wettin’ his pants.”

In truth, Inu-Yasha was debating with his instincts. Part of him wanted to help Kagome, but the
other part, the more sensible one that told him to get away from this strange
new Kaji, told him to run away and never set foot near her again.

“What do I do?” Inu-Yasha thought, feeling utterly
helpless in the battle between himself and himself, “I can’t just leave
Kagome here with this Venita lady, but if I stay, I might end up seeing Kagome
get hurt, and then I’d get involved anyway.”

Everyone watched as Venita lifted a clawed finger to make it
level with Kagome’s nose, which caused Kagome’s eyes to cross accidentally.

Venita’s lips were drawn in a fine line, but when she spoke,
her words seemed to bounce off everything around her, “The reason you speak so
boldly to me is because you think that by having my body around your neck, it
enables you to do as you please. Fear
not, Human, that body is no longer mine, for it was completely human and I am
not.”

Kagome’s hand had flown to the small blue jewel Kaji had
given to her while Venita had spoken.
The jewel held Kaji’s former body, and Kagome knew that what Venita said
was true. The body of the wolf Kaji had
‘borrowed’ was now her own body, and she didn’t need the jewel anymore.

The look in Venita’s eyes told Kagome that the other woman
knew what Kagome had just figured out.
A smirk tugged at her lips for a mere second, but it disappeared just as
the small jewel shattered and turned to dust.

Watching the jewel disintegrate into thin air, Kagome began
to grow visibly nervous, “What do you want from me?”

“From you, Girl?
Nothing.” Venita said, her voice cold as she turned around and began walking
towards Kouga.

Kagura and Sango, whom were still pretty close to Kouga,
instantly moved even further away. This
caused Venita to smirk as she continued to approach him. As she reached him, she turned and locked
eyes with Kagome.

“Norquiodam, arn tao mera urena ne urela Shira. Jai wer kirn sowen deyu tao fro mer calra,”
with that said, Venita turned to Kouga and slapped him, earning her a surprised
look and a growl as she took his chin in her hand, “and so it begins,
Otama. Come. Follow.”

Venita ran off then, leaving a stunned Kouga behind her. He turned to Kaede, “What did she call me?”

“You should be gladdened she called you ‘Otama’,” Lunia
answered for the elderly woman, “it means ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’. You should go now, Kouga. She is the same as she was before; she just
refuses to show it right now. After
all, she has a reputation to live up to.
Now go, before she drags you off herself.”

Very curious as to what Lunia had told him and what Venita
had meant by ‘and so it begins’, Kouga raced after her, determined to figure it
all out by nightfall.

Turning to Lunia, who had been smiling ever since Venita had
spoken in the odd language, Kagome asked, “What did she say to me?”

Lunia, still smiling like the Cheshire Cat, beamed even
further, “You mean when she addressed you the second time?”

“Yes.” Kagome
said, wanting very badly to smack the goddess upside the head.

“She said, ‘No matter what, you are still my one and only
sister. I shall come to you whenever
thou dost call for me.’ See? It’s just as I told Kouga: she’s the exact
as as she was before the curse broke.
She just refuses to show it.”

“Why? I mean, why
would she act so mean? And what were
you saying about ‘reputation’ and stuff?”
Shippo suddenly asked.

Lunia sighed, “Venita-chan is always thought of as a cruel
and heartless woman. If her return is
to be feared, she cannot be seen as being a loving Mate or perchance a loving
mother in the future. She must
uphold the act whilst in public.”

“But we’re not public.” Kagome said, gesturing to those on the cliff.

“No, you’re not,” Lunia said as a large crow appeared being
held by its feet in Lunia’s fist, “but he is. This bird belongs to an old...... acquaintance of
Venita-chan’s, and it was because she sensed him here, she could not act as
herself.”

“Is it dead?” Kagome
asked.

Lunia looked at her as though she were stupid, “Think about
it, Kagome. This is Chan-chan we’re
talking about here. Or didn’t you see
the invitation to afternoon tea and cookies?
Of course it’s dead!”

Shrinking back from Lunia’s tone, Kagome placed her right
hand on top of Inu-Yasha’s left, which was still on her shoulder as was his
right. He removed his right hand, but
because Kagome’s hand was on top of his left, he did not move it.

Kagura took a step toward Lunia, “What did she mean when she
told Kouga, ‘and so it begins’?”

Severalds nds nodded at Kagura’s question, for it had
troubled their own minds as well.

Lunia smirked, “Don’t you know what time of the month it is?”

Inu-Yasha began to panic, but when he looked up, he saw a
full moon in the sky and breathed a sigh of relief.

“No.” Kagome stated
flatly.

s ths the night of the full moon,” Tora said, “a very
dangerous time if you happen to be a certain wolf demon named Kouga.”

“Actually any male would suffice, however since Chan-chan is
attached to him, Tora-san’s statement is accurate.”

Kagome had had it, “Would you two quit speaking in
riddles?! For Kami’s sake, just
tell us what’s happening already!”

Surprised by Kagome’s sudden outburst, Lunia spoke, “To be
blunt, Kagome-san, Venita-chan is in heat and has taken Kouga away to Mate with
him.”

Kagome was startled by Lunia’s bluntness, “She is?”

Smirking, Lunia nodded, “Hai. As you all know, the fuoon oon wasn’t supposed to appear in the
sky until three days from now, but what would have marked the end of the week
Kaji had left to live. Being the
meddler that I am, I moved the full moon up three days so as to force Kaji to
go into heat. I’m evil, I know, but I
wanted to save her life to help make up for when I didn’t take the chance to
save her brother’s life.”

“So you’re forcing her to...” Sango began, but she was stopped by Lunia.

“Yes, and since they’re both willing, I have no guilt.”

“But if that’s what they’re supposed to be doing,”
Inu-Yasha began a little nervously, “why’d she slap him?”

Lunia chuckled, “That’s how the Mating process begins, dear
Inu-Yasha. Venita-chan’s family has
seduced men the exact same way for thousands of years without telling each
other how they ‘snagged’ their man. They did it on instinct.
Even Venita-chan’s mother, a mere human, ‘trapped’ Usu-Maru the same as
any other Usu woman would have.”

“She slapped him?”
Shippo asked.

“No, Shippo-chan.
They initiated a battle. Both of
them will be covered with cuts, scratches, and each other’s blood by the time
everything is finished, but it gets their blood pumping. Knowing that Kouga’s pride cur curiosity
would get the better of him, hence why he followed, Venita-chan smacked him to
get his attention. Once she reaches her
destination, she will begin to dance, and that shall lure him further into her
trap.”

“And if I may contribute to this conversation,” Tora began,
“Lunia-sama isn’t forcing them to do anything. She merely started a chain of eventst
nt
not even Venita-sama is strong enough to resist.”

Kagura, who had been paying enough attention to the
conversation to know what was going on, looked over at Lunia, “You do realize
that your plan may take a turn for the worst, don’t you?”

Lunia turned, “What are you talking about? My plan is foolproof!”

“It is? Look up at
your full moon.” Kagura said, pointing
upwards with her fan.

Determined to prove the wind sorceress wrong, Lunia and
everyone on the cliff looked upward.

A full moon did loom over them, and there was only one
problem with it that Lunia had not foreseen.
A problem that would cause her plan to stray most violently from her
original intentions.

The full moon was the wrong color for Mating under the stars.

“The moon,” Tora began softly, his eyes wide, “it’s red. It’s the red full moon.”

“No shit, Idiot!” Lunia exclaimed, “You think I can’t see
that for myself?!”

“What’s so bad about the red full moon?” We have to stop the both of them before they hurt themselves!”

Lunia nodded to Tora, signaling that she was all right, “If
she follows Usu tradition, then she is leading him towards a beach of some
kind. Are there any lakes or oceans
around here somewhere?”

Tora looked about to say something but he quickly bit his
tongue. This could be seen for a small
trickle of blood made its way down his chin.

Kagome looked at him, “You know something, don’t
you? Well? Out with it!”

“Seriously, does Kagome-san know just how much like
Venita-sama she is?” Tora thought as he swallowed, “There could only be one
place Venita-sama would be heading during the night of the Blood Moon.”

“And that place is?”
Everyone demanded at once, scaring each other.

Tora seemed to shrink underneath their demanding gazes, “It
doesn’t have a specific name, but most call it Dragon’s Lake.”

“And why is that?”
Kagome asked, determined to learn everything she could.

Gulping, Tora continued, “It is called Dragon’s Lake because
many years ago, it was said dragons used to go there to drink. However, that is not how it got its’
name. One day, an enraged demon trapped
two dragons, and it is said that because he bhe battle that took place for
their capture, the dragons’ blood flowed into the very pool that helped sustain
their lives.”

“So it’s a pool of...”
Inu-Yasha began.

“Dragon’s blood.”

“So the Blood Lust is drawing her there?” Lunia asked thoughtfully.

“Hai.” Tora said
meekly.

Kagome clenched her fists in front of her, “Then what are we
waiting for?! We have to stop them
before they hurt themselves!”

Lunia and Tora shook their heads, “We can’t.”

“Why not?!” Kagome
demanded.

“No one knows where it is.”

“Then how does Venita know, eh?” Lunia demanded, knowing how much Kagome and
the others wanted their friends back, safe and sound.

“Then how does Venita know, eh?” Lunia demanded, knowing how much Kagome and
the others wanted their friends back, safe and sound.

Swallowing the large lump in his throat, Tora stated, “She’s
the one that made it.”

A/N: Well? How was that? I could have
stopped it at, “Dragon’s blood,” but I felt like being nice and giving you 115
more words to read. :) Aren’t I
generous?

Anyhow, (don’t hold me to this), but
I’m planning on putting that darned lemon in the next chapter (#30!), whose
name I can’t quite plot out yet. Ah well, I guess I’ll have to wait and see
just like the rest of you, huh? Thanks for all those that reviewed!

~Kagome2691--- I apologize for being
mean and leaving #28 on a cliffy…

~Why?What?Shutup--- I’m not quite clear on your review….

~LT--- thank you for telling me it’s
up to me when I update; my mother says otherwise, for she too reads this darn
thing… in fact, she’s supposed to catch my mistakes, but I usually post before
she gets to read…. then she gets so ‘involved’, that she forgets to edit!
::grumbles:: Which then leaves me to edit about 3 weeks after I post it…

~Fantasy-Seal---
I hope more people are glad that I was wrong! ;)

I got a review saying that Kaji-chan was beyond believable, but
there was confusion in the review; for clarification, here you go!

Name (current): went from Kaji to Venita

Age: unimportant

*Race: 1/2 wolf demon & 1/2 human*

Height: 5’ 3”

Weight: what? You think she’d tell? 

*~Kaji was cursed to be human by Lunia (the moon goddess). The curse broke, and all of a sudden, she’s a full demon; I will explain this.~*

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-earlier, Kaji told everyone that she had “leveled up” to a full demon 

& it has the same effect as the Shikon Jewel would on Inu-Yasha. Demons from the Other Side don't need a jewel, they can simply gain enough strength & “evolve”.

-if Venita, (once Kaji), becomes weak enough, her body forces her to return to her 1/2 demon state, thus preserving her energy.