~Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters (including Sesshomaru and Rin), I do own Shiawase,Onryō, Fushoujiki, Persephone who is loosely based in the poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne The Garden of Proserpine , Amatsu and the rest of the demon lords. I do not make any money from this fan fiction!

Once again my apologies for having taken so long to update, I started my master's degree and with the classes and my research it became really hard for me to write. However I want you all to know that I will not abandon this story.

I thank all of my readers for their continued support it really means a lot to me!

~~HNH~~

Rin POV

The winds embrace only complimented the majestic feeling by crossing the skies in Sesshomaru's arms. Yet I could feel his anger and restraint in his hold it gave me the impression that he thought I could escape from his hold in any moment.

The cave he took me was deep in a forest I did not know of. Sesshomaru regarded me warily and never leaving the exit while I was standing in the middle of the cave. It didn't look like he would be starting a conversation any time soon, the way he was staring at me made me feel as if I were a study subject, it made me anxious. To break the ice between us I carefully walked towards him,

-"Sesshomaru", It took all of my courage to not call him "My Lord" he's not my lord anymore and look at him straight in the eyes. "I can't seem weak, I have to prove that to him…"

I defiantly maintained my stare but this didn't seem to work the way I expected. It seemed that Sesshomaru took this gesture as an insult, "Oh no his eyes have specks of red…I didn't want to make him mad"

Sesshomaru POV

Rin was staring at me defiantly and it frustrated me, I hadn't felt like this with any other living being with the exception of that wretched half breed. Now it was clear for me that Rin's disappearance had taken a toll on me, I was not being able to maintain my calm composure.

"Rin you will answer my questions, where have you been? And where did you get that weapon?"

I knew that she was feeling anxious around me which is how she should feel after defying me and my orders, yet she was staring at me with those eyes trying to provoke me, "why does it annoys me so much?"

"It is no weapon Sesshomaru it was a gift…"

"A gift? What kind of gift?"

I could clearly see that she was hiding things from me but even though she was acting in this irritating way, it was refreshing to know that my Rin was still there, hiding in that bothersome shell.

-"Sesshomaru didn't you want to find me a suitable husband while you went on in your quest for power with your mate? That is not the kind of live that I want, I have discovered myself I'm no longer the weak Rin. Ironically the chance that I needed in order to grow was given to me by Persephone"

"Persephone…ah yes I remember now Hadesu's mate, how long has it been since I hear from some mischief caused by that god…"

It was 300 years ago when I was still a young demon hungry for power and chaos. I forcefully made my way to the Underworld; I wanted a fight with Hadesu to see who was stronger.

He had a peculiar weapon that I wanted to try. I defeated him in a matter of minutes, it was so boringly easy that it was pathetic but when I took the weapon from the ground it disintegrated into thin air.

I still recall his horrid laugh when I stared at his figure on the ground and the weapon was once more in his hands. After that he defeated me effortlessly it was one of the reasons why since that day I trained much harder to become undefeatable.

That's when Hadesu for the sake of loyalty that he owed to my father explained to me the secret for his weapons strength; yes it feed itself from the souls of the Underworld…specially from those in agony and regret…

-"Rin show me your weapon now", She looked perplexed for a moment which infuriated me now even more, at least now I know who is the culprit behind this new attitude. When she summoned her weapon, it took all of my strength to keep my calm… yes it was that same weapon.

With one look at her I knew that she had no idea what that weapon was doing to her. Just when I was going to explain to her what I knew about the weapon I hear her voice which spurred emotions that I until now I was not aware of.

-"Sesshomaru I thank you for everything if it not were for you I would not be here at this precise moment, over the years you became my support, educated me and made sure that I would have a comfortable life.

In my ignorance I harbored feelings for you and caused trouble without understanding the meaning behind different species. But after all I've been through

I have learned what it means, now I just want to prove myself and seize being the weak Rin…" she walked next to me without looking me in the eyes and stared at the horizon "I must go now".

Seeing her walk away with such confidence reminded me that I needed to be social every once in a while and visit my dear old friends in the Underworld…yes Persephone and I had a lot to talk about…

~~HNH~~

Rin POV

I needed to clear some things with Persephone about the Hoshi No Hikari, after seeing Seshomaru's expression when he saw the weapon, gave me a feeling that perhaps there was some information missing from the weapon.

However even though I did the same thing I usually did to appear in Persephone's garden I ended up in some other place. It was an eerie place filled with silence although I knew there was air since from time to time I could feel the breeze caressing my hair, but even the wind made no noise. It was a terrain of death. The only reason I could see the road was because the place was covered by a pale blue glimmer.

As I slowly start to move forward I notice faint laments that can be heard from afar but even though I struggle to know where they come from, I cannot point the place. I only hear them with each step I take as the wind carries the distant cries mercilessly into the vast distance.

There were several trees on each side of the road but from the branches hanged several silver threads that made low chiming sounds. As I stopped to look at the threads I notice behind the trees a stream. "I am sure that it is the same stream that passes through Persephone's garden…"

I noticed that the road goes up to what it seems to be a mountain and far away I could see in the sky a red glow, similar to that in Persephone's garden, "If I follow that trail I will reach the garden"

Just as I prepare to keep walking she sees from her right a girl sitting on the ground facing the stream. Her brown head buried in her lap, strands of hair carelessly moved with the wind, "I am sure that those were the cries I heard earlier…"

-"Excuse me, is everything all right?" I asked fully conscious of how silly that question must have sound to a ghost after all it was obvious she was not all right. I breathed deeply and held my breath taking a few slow steps forward.

Her head rose, revealing an ashen, thin face with big teary black eyes and thin lips. She regarded me curiously and after sniffing lowly she answered,

-"You must be new around here"

I could only nod, my intuition was telling me that she was safe so I seated, I noticed that he put her hands in the stream and washed her face and drank a bit from the water. I couldn't help my curiosity so I asked,

-" Is that water ok to drink?", I knew that she being a ghost it could not really harm her but the stream just seemed so eerie.

- "This stream is made from the tears of anguish and hatred from the souls in this entire place…" she looked at her hands sorrowfully "you know before I died I-I lived in a really peaceful village but one day a young man arrived from a village nearby and he seemed so kind, he was so handsome…" the girl gulped loudly as if trying to swallow her pain "I fell in love, oh I still remember his name…Onryō"

"Onryō I can't believe it! Did he kill her?..."

I tried to sound calm but my nerves were betraying me,

-"What did he do to you?"

Her tears were falling to the ground but I noticed how the stream attracted the tears as if magnetically.

" hmm he was nice to me… but one day he suddenly changed and started being mean to me and everyone else, from that day on it always seemed as if he was carrying some dark secret and he would always be carrying some flasks filled with water"

"What kind of water?"

"Huh? Well I don't know but he only drank water from the flasks, said a friend of him had given them to him and that they would make him stronger…"

I couldn't contain the anxiety that I was feeling from this revelation so I abruptly stood up,

" By any chance you wouldn't happen to know what would happen if a human drank from the water of the stream?"

"What a strange question… I don't think that could ever happen from what I know no human could ever be here and get out to tell the tale and the waters from the stream are protected by the guardians of this place…"

The girl then looked into the distance and stayed silent for a while,

"My grandmother was a priestess, she once told me that the waters from the stream of the dead could be lethal to humans killing those of pure hearts and turning the tainted ones completely dark… ohh grandma, I still remember how she was murdered, Onryō's friend killed her… and after her he went after me!"

-"Fushoujiki…"

-"HUH!, how do you know his name?" the girl stared at me with panic in her eyes, she stood abruptly,

- "You are with them! AHHHHHHHHHHH!" her high pitched scream resounded through the whole place and it felt like knives for my ears.

I started to run but the grounds were trembling from the girl screams lowered my speed and as I look up I saw a black figure which resembled a gargoyle crawling down the mountain at immense speed and as if looking straight at me it jumps and lands in front of me.

It was a horrifying figure with sewn shut eyes, half of its face rotten and some of its skin falling off .

-"W-W-WHAAT A-A-RE YOU DOING HERE? Q-QUEEN IS GONNA BE MAD, W-W-HY YOU NO IN G-GARDEN!?", its voice made my hairs sprawl up and from his mouth came this putrid stench, I was trying to move but I was petrified and could not make my legs move.

Without leaving me time to defend myself that thing moved its clawed hand and in one swift movement pierced my chest. For some reason Hoshi No Hikari was not appearing and I was not being able to move, it was as if I were completely petrified. My last image was of that frightful creature smiling with its sharp teeth and after that everything went black.

~Authors Note: ~ At the end of this chapter the priestess mentioned is also mentioned by Fushoujiki and Onryō at the end of chapter 5.

~For fans of Hoshi No Nikari chapter 10 is almost finished so it will be published soon. Thank you everyone!