Hoshi No Hikari~12

Persephone's Garden

-"There seems to be a traitor around here…" spoke Persephone in a nonchalant tone.

The queen was parading in front of a line filled with wailing souls being held in place by skeletons. Her intense red lips bore a dashing smile but her dark black eyes didn't reflect a hint of joy.

-"Now, now my dear guests if there is cooperation I assure you all that none of you will end up like this darling girl here."

In the covered poppy flower mountain there laid trapped in chains one of the souls with sewn shut lips. Her falling tears would caress the strings on her translucent dead lips making them much more noticeable. Upon her exhibition the rest of the spectral figures caused a screams uproar, which soothed Persephone and momentarily made her forget about her problem.

-"I am quite delighted with her; it is fascinating what a couple of chains can do for redecoration. Something to amuse me though she does seem quite sour. Oh no matter! Let her serve as an ornament for my garden and example to all my guests of what happens when you disobey me. This spirit happened to speak too much to a particular friend of mine who visits us often. I do expect she will be joining us permanently, but until then no speaking to her."

One of the guardians of the underworld seemed fascinated by Persephone's display of dominance with her dead subjects.

-"My q-q-queeen", it spoke in a guttural voice.

-"Aww yes my loyal pet…any clues about Amatsu's friend? I am certain it is with us at this moment." As she said these last words all skeletons trembled in fear but, none of them seized holding the specters.

Rin POV

The first thin blowing of rain caressed my skin it was a musky morning with stained grey clouds. The galloping of horses in the distance made the ground slightly tremble like a march to an upcoming war. There was a commotion over a soaring, dried out cherry blossom tree, many children with faces painted with ash clapped to an unsteady rhythm. I was perplexed by their actions but I can't deny that it awoke my curiosity. I stopped a few centimeters away and couldn't help but ask,

-"What are you children doing?

They were surprised by my presence it was reasonable; I was a complete stranger in these lands. So, I changed my question,

-"Do you know how far from here is the "Yume" village?"

A boy stepped up with a brave expression he seemed to be the leader of the group; he extended his hand to the right and turned back. The group of children that had turned mute at my appearance renewed their clapping.

It was a thirty minute walk from the children's tree and I can't deny that what I found shocked me. The village ground was completely covered in ashes and soot, it felt like walking into a pool of quicksand. It seemed to be completely deserted, I was afraid to be lost. The small wooden cottages appeared to have been abandoned for a really long time.

I made my entrance to the first wooden cabin I saw to my left; several glass shards covered the floors, it gave the impression of being a bar. Behind the counter on the floor there was a flight of stairs that lead to a sort of basement. It was filled with hundreds of barrels but after inspecting them, it stroke me that none of them had alcohol only water.

After not finding anything worth of importance I made my way forward to a two floor cottage. I took the stairs up, but as I made my way something gave me the impression I was being followed. Looking back there didn't seem to be anyone or anything out of sorts so I kept going.

The hut was quite small and there did not seem to be anything out of place. I opened a drawer and heard footsteps at the entrance but nothing had me prepared for who it was.

Sesshomaru was standing at the entrance far more serious than usual but, for some reason I couldn't think of any words, just to try and escape. I summoned hoshi no hikari and made it a dagger which I threw at him. I knew that he would easily evade it but it would buy me time to escape. Deep inside I knew that it would also provoke him, but it was not anger what took over him.

My acts of defiance had taken the last straw of his composure; his pride would not tolerate it. I could hear the light padding of his steps drawing near, leaving me cornered by walls. His body responded naturally by swaying me away to the corner, having him so close; holding me tight made me helpless in his grasp.

-"I will not allow this anymore Rin", his voice was possessive, husky.

His hand moved slowly down my chest and pressed lightly he felt that my heart rate had quickened. He drew me closer to his chest it was so tender that for a moment it felt as if I could forget all of my troubles and just stay in his embrace. But, I knew that this wouldn't last forever and that he only wanted to stop me so I resisted, did my best to separate away from him.

Sesshomaru smiled triumphant and seductively, he knew I was already at his mercy with a weak force took both of my shoulders and pushed me against the wall. I could feel his warm breath on my right shoulder, his lips delicately grasped my neck and when he came close to my ear whispered,

-"Breathe, Rin", he was softly smiling.

There was still a part of me resisting his taunting because he knew my reactions quite well.

-"No!, why do you play with me? I know you don't love me, please stop", I managed to blurt.

He abruptly stopped, shock took over his semblance his hand moved and grabbed my hand. Contemplating my hand he spoke with a kindness in his tone, one I deeply missed,

-"Rin, listen carefully for I will only say this once…when you came into my life I promised myself to protect you and nothing more. But over time as you kept growing, there came into existence something else, a powerful feeling that is conflicting for me. I am a demon and you are a human, it is what I told myself every day after seeing you. There will come a day when you will no longer be beside me, that is why I wished for you to part ways. However, this did not mean that I did not love you, as you like to call it. I admit it is a feeling I preferred to deny myself of, but it is more powerful than my restrain."

That was it for me, all of the emotions that had pent up inside me exploded in a burst of tears. He was taking away my tears with his fingers in a tenderness that I had yearned. It was the same warmth that he portrayed when I was hurt, sick and sad. He raised my face so I could look him directly in the eyes,

-"But, t-t-the things you said to me before…", That is when I felt a subtle kiss on my forehead. It silenced and mesmerized me; his lips and touch at that moment made me realize that it had always been like this, his care for me was always genuine.

-"My Rin, you have become quite stubborn, disobeying me; you have caused me so much trouble. But, it was all of those things that have made me confess all of these feelings to you."

There were no words left to describe this sole moment in my life, I was completely mute. He brought me closer once again and this time I was sure that I didn't want to let go, this had never happened before,

-"Sesshomaru, why this all of a sudden?", his grasp became even tighter, I couldn't see his expression but I did hear his accelerated heartbeat.

-"Because if I don't say stop you now I might lose you forever, you have made a treaty with something that is beyond me. I have swallowed down my pride just to tell you this, Rin, we need to work together in order to stop a possible war and a power that could end up with your life."

-"W-What do you mean?", He knew something that I didn't I could feel it.

-"That weapon you carry is feeding from you." Sesshomaru promptly swapped to his old usual self.

Realization hit me this must be the reason or the jewels each of the weapons had one encrusted to it. The jewels were the power source or else they would feed from the user…

-"Sesshomaru the jewel! I stole that map from Tōtōsai it has the location or the jewel."

Judging by his surprised expression I could tell this was news to him, yet he startled me in return with his malicious smirk.

-"Yes but there is a much better plan my Rin…"

We heard a noise outside which made me alert and Sesshomaru overprotective who automatically posed in front of me. Whatever it was had fasten its pace and was coming towards this hut.

Shiawase POV

There was something hidden in this base that I knew It was far more malevolent than what Onryō dared to tell me there had to be a way to destroy this base.

"Yume" seemed on the outside like a completely abandoned village but it was much more than that, underground was the real thing according to the scrolls. Farmers nearby told many rumors, there were several mysterious deaths that coincided with the arrival of Amatsu. Many others were like puppets following his every command, but there was something else. Onryō said that Amatsu gained power from those he commands and he used something to gain that power it has to be accessible to everyone, but what?

So far I have searched every cottage in this village and have only found broken bottles, there is only one left!

The hut was deteriorated yet it was the sole cottage surrounded by grass it seemed to belong to the once leader of "Yume". Yet it was so cramped that I doubted anything could be hidden there.

There were noises coming from the inside with all the courage left in me I dared to open the door.

-"WHAT THE HELL!?"

-"Rin!", miracles truly exist I hadn't seen her in such a long time.

-"Gosh, I have heard all sorts of crazy things about you! Some say that you joined a gang of rebels, others refer to you as a hero, but most importantly Fushoujiki is looking everywhere for you, he wants to kill you!"

-"Well that is not exactly news", there was Sesshomaru at my right but I completely ignored him, after all the things Rin went through.

-"Hmrpf", the stoic demon has spoken I stare at him bewildered it didn't seem like he was mad more like annoyed.

-"How did you end up here?"

Well it is just like Sesshomaru to cut right to the matters of business just like at his domain when Rin was injured. Hence, I calmly explained what had happened to Rin and the stone hearted demon. How I had ended seeing Onryō and he hid me in the forest, the way I burned the small house and took his scrolls.

-"Shiawase…I knew you had feelings for him…", Rin was apologetic, it was like her to feel remorse for these kind of silly things.

-"Oh Rin! He crossed the line when he messed with you, besides there is a thin line between love and hate. I managed to make the most of it by acting as if we were still a thing and fooling him."

Sesshomaru seemed to be irritated by my love and hate phrase but instead focused his attention in the scrolls surrounding my hips,

-"These are the scrolls I stole from Onryō, but so far I haven't been able to find what he's hiding."

-"All the nearby rivers have been marked, do you know the reason? Also, there are several numbers each one representing a location here…the number of this hut is located left to the entrance."

Lord Akihito (Lord of the South) Lair

In a throne laid Lady Zen addressing her father's soldiers in a cynical tone,

-"I believe by now you have all noticed my father's declining health, every day he grows weaker."

Many of the demon soldiers commenced to mutter in disapproval but were quickly silenced by Lady Zen,

-" Silence! Each day that passes by we fall behind many of our fleet are taking orders directly from Lord Amatsu. But, I say we should not trust Amatsu! We are still strong so I say that we stand up and seize to follow Lord Akihito! With me at command we shall not fail in our plans, we will rule all the lands!"

Shouts of approval echoed through the mighty mountain…