Hoshi crouched at the bottom of the lake, slowly observing her surroundings. It had been about a few minutes since they'd reached the bottom and it was pitch black. Luckily for her, though, she could see clearly. The shadows of creatures swimming in the dark depths lurked in her eyes. But she worried for the young girl who could not see at all and she knew it frightened her, who was currently clinging to her back like a leech. The only source of light was the surface that was about a mile above, shining with bright yellows, whites, and blues. At least if the child grew greatly frightened there would be some reassurance with the sunlight above. Hoshi took a whiff of the scent of the water and didn't detect anything suspicious, at least not yet. But what she could smell was small whiffs of the frog demon that was currently not around this area. That was good. Otherwise, she only detected urine, fish, and unknown lake plants. She lowered herself until her belly was touching the bottom and slowly began to move with slow movements of her limbs, not wanting to catch anything's, or a certain someone's, attention.

'It's so dark,' Rin whimpered in her mind.

Rin was frightened, no doubt about that. She couldn't see, except the small light at the surface but it didn't help her at all. She clung to the demoness with all her might. But she wasn't totally frightened, knowing Hoshi was here with her and wouldn't let anything happen to her. She had been surprised at how fast they were able to descend, with Hoshi's powerful swimming strokes. The river had been helping them, at the start of the journey, but Hoshi seemed to swim just as fast without the help of the river's force. She felt the strong ripple of muscle beneath her trembling hands. Rin tried to look around again, but nothing was visible to her sight. She whimpered out loud.

Hoshi's ears perked up once she heard the little girl whimper. She felt a wave of concern go through her but she couldn't take Rin back to the surface. Not when they were so close! Rin would have to be brave. Hoshi regretfully pushed on. For a moment there was only the sound of water in her ears and the movements of other creatures in the darkness. Rin clenched her fist into Hoshiko's kimono tightly.

"Hisi," Rin questioned quietly.

"Ssh, Rin," Hoshi whispered trying not to laugh at Rin's attempt at her name.

Rin quieted and suddenly pointed forward. Hoshi followed Rin's finger to find a small light glowing in the distance. She wondered how she had not caught it with her powerful eyesight. Hoshi began to swim quickly to the source and it grew brighter as she came closer and she felt the child at her back relax slightly. Finally, looking down into a deep hole in the center of the lake and found to her surprise, an underwater garden. Tons of underwater herbs and berries surrounded a large cave. Glowing seaweed surrounded the whole area, being the source of the light, filling the dark depths of the center of the lake with light.

'The frog demons home," Hoshi grimly thought looking at the cave in the center of the garden.

"Hisi?"

"SSH!"

Hoshi clamped a hand over the little girl's mouth. Rin didn't struggle but was just wide eyed as they both stared in horror at the frog demons home. It was said the demon had extremely good hearing so he could hear approaching demons or such. Luckily, nothing happened, to their relief. Hoshi eyed the surrounding waters but saw no threatening creatures nearby.

"Rin," Hoshi whispered. "Stay here. Remain quiet and still."

Rin looked at her friend nervously before considering it. Hoshi just wanted her to stay here; it wasn't that bad was it? What if the frog demon attacked her? She looked at her friend and Hoshi sent her a sad look. She will protect me. I'll be okay. Rin nodded before letting go to swim slowly over to a rock to grab onto. Hoshi squeezed the little girl's hand gently before swimming down into the pit. Rin watched her friend descend and prayed she'd be okay.

Hoshi crept down the side of the hole before touching the ground gently. She crouched slowly, ensuring it was safe to go first, before creeping forward. The demon cannot know she was here, so she had to be completely silent and slow. Hoshi finally reached the garden and crept in the plants to hide her.

'Okay okay,' Hoshi thought. 'Slow and easy. Now, the berry…'

Hoshi remembered it's description in an old scroll she had once read so long ago; dark red with dark purple hues about the size of a cherry. She crept slowly, examining each berry she came across. Orange, pink, purple, red, blue; she couldn't find it! She began to grow a bit frustrated. This garden was utterly huge! She had to hurry it up, what if the frog demon came back or woke up? But halfway through the garden, however, she finally found it. She smiled in joy, forgetting her frustration. Rin would be so happy! Hoshi reached out and picked at least 7, before placing them in a small bag hanging at her belt. The demoness turned to leave before an herb caught her eye. Hoshi gaped. It was a rare herb, meant to cure another deathly illness. Hoshi pondered it for a moment. It would be helpful to have, and she might as well stock up on supplies while here. She picked it and put it into a bag before setting out for other useful herbs. Rin wouldn't mind. Finally, Hoshi was done and began her way out of the garden. Her belt bags were heavy with useful herbs and food.

'What's taking her so long,' Rin thought.

Rin's hands had began to hurt lightly because of her grip on the rock. The current down here was a bit strong, so she couldn't release her grip in the slightest or it might carry her away. She watched the beauty of the plants below her move in the water's current and all the bright colors. It distracted her from her discomfort. Finally, she saw her demoness friend creeping out slowly on her belly. Rin smiled when Hoshi held up thumbs up. She had found the antidote! Rin was so excited, she began to flail around a bit, but she accidently kicked a rock nearby. A dull thump echoed out before the rock rolled down into the pit, crashing into several rocks at the bottom. Hoshi and Rin froze in horror.

"WHO'S OUT THERE?"

Loud rumbles echoed from within the cave before a large toad appeared in the entrance. He was huge, almost brushing the top of the cave with his bulky head. He was a deep red with yellow spots, signaling he was poisonous. His bright green eyes searched his garden and around.

'Crap,' Hoshi thought in horror. 'Rin. . .'

Hoshi didn't even care if this was Rin's fault. She was in danger. But Hoshi knew better and stayed still, watching the little girl carefully. Rin had frozen as well, holding on to the rock and keeping quiet. At least she was wise enough to do that.

'This is my fault,' Rin thought. 'I disobeyed Hoshi to remain quiet and still.'

The demon swam out of his home and into his garden, looking everywhere. He could find no culprit. Did the erosion again knock more of the rocks into his garden? Suddenly, he spotted a dull green thing hanging on to a rock. He looked and he found a human girl clinging to a rock. He couldn't even muster the thought to how a human child had gotten down here without the ability to breathe underwater.

"A human? Pah! HOW DARE YOU DISTURB ME!"

He began to swim toward the girl with a roar. Hoshi panicked as the little girl began to scream in gurgles and tried to swim away but only resulting in her turning in circles. Hoshi bolted off the ground and swam toward the little girl with all her power. The demon was coming fast, but Hoshi was faster. The demoness grabbed the little girl and got her out of the way just a second before the frog demon's open mouth swam by. Rin scrambled onto the demoness's back as Hoshi crouched on the ground facing the demon. The demon turned around and his eyes widened before he chuckled. Hoshi despised the smug look in those beady black eyes.

"A demoness too? This will be quite the fun chase, don't you think, demoness?"

Hoshi bared her fangs at him not answering.

The frog demon roared before charging at her. Hoshi waited until the last moment and just as Rin panicked on her back, Hoshi kicked upward, using the frog's charge in the water to propel her higher into the water. Hoshi began to swim for the surface in powerful strokes. Rin even tried to help by kicking her legs furiously. It took the frog demon a moment to notice where they had gone but once he had, began to chase them in his fury. They would not escape!

"THIEF!"

Hoshi saw he was rapidly approaching, so she pulled out a dark gray ball and threw it downward. Thank goodness she had not forgotten to pack them when she was preparing for their departure. To Rin's surprise, it exploded despite the water sending a great mass of dark smoke into the water. Hoshi continued to swim, hearing the frog demon coughing. It would give them some time before the smoke disappeared. But it wouldn't last long.

"HO HO HO," Rin gurgled.

Hoshi sped up with more mighty kicks at Rin's command. Suddenly, she heard a furious roar and noted the smoke had disappeared. The frog demon, once he saw his prey again, sped up after them. Hoshi searched her belt and found to her horror no more water smoke bombs. Oh, she had only one left! The demoness sped up and looked up. The surface was only about 200 feet up! She'd make it! She sensed Rin's delight. Suddenly, she felt Rin let go of her and the girl's sudden horror.

"HISI!"

Hoshi looked down and found the demon had shot his tongue, wrapping it around Rin's leg. Hoshi dove back down immediately. Rin would never be harmed! Rin was crying out now in panic and the second Hoshiko's hand grabbed hers, she felt so much relief it made her cry harder. The demoness slashed at the demons tongue and heard the whine of pain as the tongue immediately released its hold on the child's leg. Hoshi began to swim upward again when the demon's face appeared only about 10 feet away. He would hit them; there was no time before she could move. Hoshi did the only thing she could. She threw Rin with all her might to the side, getting the girl out of the way.

"GO UP!" Hoshi screamed.

Suddenly, a blazing pain ripped through the demoness's body as the impact sent her flying through the water. The demon charged at her, opening his mouth full of sharp little teeth, before slamming it down on Hoshi's leg. Hoshi screamed in agony as she felt the bone snap and the teeth rip into her flesh. The demoness in a panic slashed at the demon but he didn't let go, only tightened his grip. Blood filled the water around them. Hoshi summoned up her ice element and sent a volley of ice shards into the demon's soft underbelly and his eyes. The demon howled in pain and let go. Hoshi felt her eyes begin to glow a bright red. Her true form's blood began to pump through her veins in defense. How dare he?

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ATTACK MY PUP!"

Hoshi felt her fury run through her and sent even more ice shards at the writhing demon. He howled in pain at the attack and began to swim down to his home. She coughed at the strong stench of blood around her and the foulness of his scent. Finally, he was gone. Then something occurred to her as the frog demon disappeared into his safe cave. Hoshi stared after him for a long moment before truly realizing the weight of her words.

'I called Rin my pup,' Hoshi thought in wonder. 'Is that what I think of her as? My pup? Oh lord..'

Hoshi looked up before slowly swimming upward to the surface. Her demon blood had faded back to normal almost but her senses were still on high alert. Her leg was in agonizing pain, making her hiss every time it moved. She forced herself to ignore the scent of her blood in the water. Finally, she reached the surface and began to slowly swim to the beach.

"HOSHI!"

She looked up to see Rin running toward her in the shallow water. The girl tackled her in her joy and Hoshi yelped in pain.

"Hoshi! Oh no…"

Hoshi looked down to see her leg was a mess. It made bile rise up in her throat at the utter sight of the wound. Bone prodded from the raw flesh that was once her leg the muscles completely torn from their correct places. Blood filled the water around them. The wound was bubbling and she suddenly remembered the frog demon was poisonous. She was poisoned, too. She turned away from the wound and felt the grasp of the child wrap under her armpits. Rin began to drag Hoshi to the shore, hating every groan and yelp in pain from Hoshi. Once they reached the shore, Hoshi just lay there.

"Hoshi, you got to get up!"

"Rin, I don't think I can," Hoshi murmured.

"HOSHI! I can't leave you! GET UP!"

Hoshi just stared at the girl as she began to cry. Hoshi tried to heave herself to her knees but her leg screamed in agony sending her into the sand with a scream. Rin clutched at her friend in a panic. She could tell Hoshi was beginning to die. Not just from blood loss, but from poison as well. She couldn't walk either, her leg being totally torn apart and broken. What could Rin do? She couldn't leave her friend!

"Hoshi, I'll be back for you! I'll get some help!"

"Rin, who would want to help a demon?"

Rin stared at her friend in horror, seeing the life beginning to ever so slightly leave her friend's eyes. She couldn't die! Not after what she had done to not only protect her but so save Sango's life!

"I'll be back, Hoshi! Wait for me!"

Hoshi stared at the little girl with just a deep sadness. She knew she was dying, but Rin was so determined to save her. No. .

"Rin, go home. There was a village up the river just up a ways. Find a way to get back to your village with this money with the antidote to save your friend and her baby."

She pushed the small bag of money she had into the child's trembling little hands. Tears spilled down Rin's cheeks.

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"

"Rin, please go. Don't make all of this in vain. Go."

"I'll be back," Rin vowed before racing away.

Hoshi stared after the little girl in surprise at her retreating figure. She was so determined to save her. But she might be too late. Hoshi closed her eyes, promising herself to cling to life as long as she could. For Rin. But she doubted she would last long, with the poison beginning to flow through her veins. . .

No one expected that, did they? LOL the drama… Let's see if Hoshi can hang on.. in the next chapter! Hope you are all enjoying the story! I think this is a suckish chapter, though. .