"Daddy, when are we going to get there," Rin questioned.

"In only a few minutes time," Sesshomaru answered not glancing back.

The little girl began to jump up and down in An-Un's saddle in excitement squealing happily in joy. She had been waiting for so long to go to Lord Sesshomaru's castle and spend time there with her father, and now finally here was her chance! Secretly though she had always imagined herself as a princess. But this would be so much fun, either way!

"Yay!"

"Quit pestering Lord Sesshomaru with your questions you brazen child! He has no time to answer unnecessary or worthless questions," Jaken yelled at the human child, waving his staff of two heads around.

WHACK!

Rin turned around in the saddle to see a angry Hoshi standing over a fallen Jaken, her fist shaking lightly in anger and her narrowed eyes focused on the imp. How dare he speak to her pup like that? Sesshomaru had even glanced back at the unexpected sound. He was a bit amused by the sight of his 'loyal' servant taken out by the hybrid demoness.

"Don't speak to Rin like that," Hoshi growled lightly.

"H-Hai!"

Jaken slowly rose back to his feet rubbing the back of his head wincing lightly at the pain. He didn't dare yell at her because man she didn't hold back any of her strength like Sesshomaru probably had when he'd hit him. She hit harder than the dog demon ever had! He heard Rin trying her hardest not to laugh at him but a few giggles escaped past the hands covering her mouth and her eyes were twinkling with amusement. He glared at her, but made no move to yell at her again. Hoshi felt a sense of contentment when the imp obeyed her command but when he noticed her gaze was on him, he just looked away.

"Let's keep moving, the castle is only a short time away," Sesshomaru stated.

The dog demon began to make his way down the path again not even showing an ounce of concern for Jaken, which wasn't a bit surprising. He'd been in worse conditions. The group quickly hurried after Sesshomaru, not wanting to waste any unnecessary time just standing there in the middle of the road.

'This path looks so familiar,' Hoshi thought as she examined her surroundings wonderingly.

Hoshi had the sense she had been before in the past. Was that possible she'd been here long ago? As her gaze continued to remember things from a past memory she couldn't really remember herself she was soon sure she'd been here before. How was that possible? When had she passed this way? Usually in the past she'd avoided any place with humans or demons alike, so why had she been here in the past? She was a bit confused. Why couldn't she remember?

"We are here."

Hoshi's gaze went up to the castle on the side of the mountain at the sound of the lord's voice and her eyes widened in wonder. It was huge! The castle itself was one of the largest she had ever seen, being as it was she'd seen a couple in her past journeys, and was one of the fanciest by far. Who would have known he lived in something that grand? Rin gasped in shock as she also gazed at their home for a couple weeks. It was even better than she had ever imagined!

"Daddy, it is sooo huge and pretty!"

"Hn."

Suddenly, Hoshi remembered when she had been here before as all the pieces fell together. The castle.. Sesshomaru, lord of the western lands.. his appearance.. She felt her face go pale in horror. No it couldn't be! Sesshomaru couldn't possibly be..! Hoshi cringed as agony ran through her chest. How had she not realized this before? She was such a baka! Tears began to fill her eyes as she stared at Sesshomaru's back, his silver hair swinging lightly in the breeze as she remembered everything. NO! IT COULDN'T BE POSSIBLE!

'Sesshomaru can't be…,' She screamed in horror in her thoughts.

Sesshomaru stilled lightly at the scent of tears in the air that was rapidly growing stronger and glanced behind him to see who was in tears. Was Rin crying in joy or something? But to his deep shock, the demoness was in the one in tears. Hoshi was gazing at him with horror and agony written on her face and deep in her eyes. Sesshomaru was confused. What had gone wrong?

"Hoshi," he questioned.

Rin whirled around to look at her mother when she heard a light note of concern in her father's voice. Was something wrong? But when the little girl saw her mother's tears she had to stare in shock. She hadn't seen Hoshi cry for almost 3 months now!

"Momma?"

"Would you excuse me for a moment," Hoshi cried ignoring Rin.

Without another word the demoness bolted and left the others in a flash of wind leaving confusion in her wake. What on earth had come over the demoness? Sesshomaru immediately looked at Jaken.

"Look after Rin."

Before the imp could protest at his master's command the dog demon was gone too, obviously going after the crying demoness. Jaken grumbled lightly but made no move to follow. He knew better than that! Rin gazed worriedly in the direction her parents had disappeared. Hopefully they'd return quickly.

'It's like he's haunting me from the dead,' Hoshi groaned in agony in her thoughts.

How had she not realized who Sesshomaru was? All the clues had been right in front of her face but she hadn't noticed it at all. Of course! She had forced herself to forgot everything about him so she wouldn't always be in pain but now.. she couldn't escape anymore. She'd been running from the past so hard so it wouldn't come back and stab her in the back, but here she was stuck right in the middle of it and not able to run anymore. It was like he truly had come back from the dead to haunt her.

'Why did he have to die, why!'

The day the demon who had raised her died protecting his mate from an unknown enemy, she had almost died inside. He had been her only friend, companion, and ally. He had left her alone again! She was completely aware he had done it for the people he loved and had wanted his mate and their newborn child to live. Though she'd acted it was nothing the last time she had seen him, it had almost torn her in two to see him run away to protect his one love. He'd gone, and died. He had not just left her, he'd left his mate and his child without a father. The stupid baka had been wounded badly too and had still gone with the words.

'I cannot lose her nor my child,' he had said to her during their last moments together.

What had he meant? Despite his words he did lose what he had been fighting for, he had died! She'd seen his mate once after his final battle and to her shock, the woman hadn't shown any misery but instead had been in mourning silence. Hoshi felt another wave of agony ripple through her body at the thought of him. His name even brought tears to her eyes! When would this pain ever end? Tears dripped from her eyes like endless rivers down a mountains side. He was gone, but now he had come back to her in a way. Why! Why did she have to run into Sesshomaru and Inuyasha of all people plus all their friends and family? WHY!

The rain began to fall masking up the demoness's tears as she just ran from the pain she couldn't escape. Sooner or later, she'd now have to face the past without a choice in the matter. Hoshi had been chained in her past from the start, though at first unknowingly. But now that she was, she wanted to escape and run from it. The wind yanked her hair from its braid and it flailed around her like it had a life of its own but she just continued to run up the mountain. Why wouldn't the agony go away?

Hoshi suddenly cursed and slammed her feet into the ground at the edge of the cliff almost falling from the overhang. She'd just been so careless! The demoness fell into the mud at her feet letting loud sobs overtake her already shaking body. Why couldn't he just stay in the past? She looked up at the storming sky with anger, agony, and a deep sadness in her usually sparkling eyes.

"WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME," Hoshi screamed to the sky. "DO YOU PLAN ON HAUNTING ME FROM THE DEAD THROUGH THEM!"

Only the rumble of thunder was her answer. She clenched her teeth tightly knowing what the truth really was under the pained mask. Hoshi was angry at him for leaving her, consumed by a deep sadness at her new aloneness in the world and how he was no longer there, and the agony of having him gone knowing he was never coming back. Just like her parents. But deep down, she loved him as her own father. He'd been the only one to show her a families love, care, and protection. He was gone now. He would never come back, but he had come back to her through them. Before she realized what she was doing, she felt the ripple of power rip through her body and her true form was revealed to the world once again. She felt the agonizing keen erupt from her maw as she threw her head back to the sky continuing to let the painful cries come from her throat in her agony.

Sesshomaru flinched lightly as the screams of agony reached his sensitive ears. He immediately recognized the cries of the demoness though they were now a deeper pitch but he'd know her anywhere. She was in her true form. But why? Why had she cried the second she had seen the castle and why had she stared at him with horror in her eyes? He didn't understand. Did she had a past memory that involved his castle or the people around here? He slowed his pace once he saw a large form beyond the trees and walked to the cliff to see a large dragon like creature screaming in agony to the sky. He knew who it was. He listened to her cries and realized.. she was in mourning.

"Hoshi," he stated softly.

At first she didn't respond and continued to mourn for the lost unknown demon for a long moment. Sesshomaru could see large tears dripping from those dark red eyes. He patiently waited for her to get a grip on herself.

'I will wait for her as long as she needs it.'

The second she heard the dog demon speak behind her a new agony had been torn from her maw at his voice. He would haunt her, the dead demon, through them. She wouldn't be able to escape them but honestly deep down, she didn't want to. They were her new family. She let a few more cries rip from her throat in misery before closing her jaws, clenching her sharp teeth together. Her large head lowered lightly as she stared at the ground. She needed to let go. Let him return to her though it was painful in his own ways. She slowly turned around to face the waiting demon lord and watched him. Why had he come?

Sesshomaru returned the gaze of the heartbroken demoness that had unknowingly to her sent a pang through his chest at the look in her eyes. Never had he seen such agony or deep sadness in anyone's eyes. Other demonesses were never like this, but this made him realize how different Hoshi truly was. Her head swung away from him and she stared down at the view from her perch, completely silent. But he could see the shaking of her shoulders as she tried to control sobs and the tears that still ran down her silver cheeks. He'd never seen anyone in such a lowly state.

Hoshi felt the throbbing pain running through her veins, but forced herself to ignore it. She needed to let go and instead let the past come back to her teaching her the lessons she wouldn't ever forget. She focused on her power and found herself shifting back to her more human form. Once she did however, the grief in her veins forced weakness upon her and her knees seemed to lose all strength and she began to fall down to the wet ground when a arm wrapped around her waist. Without a thought, she turned in the dog demon's grasp and wrapped her arms around him, crying. Little did he know how much she needed this comfort.

Sesshomaru froze when the demoness hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder. He honestly didn't know what to do. He had rarely comforted people in the past and to have the demoness clinging to him like this was.. different. He was forced to crouch down being as it was the demoness wasn't trying to stand on her part and slowly slid his arm around her in comfort. He felt her grip tightening on him as though if thinking he'd leave anyhow. But she was wrong. He wasn't going anywhere.

"Don't go," she whispered softly in his ear. "Please don't ever leave me."

Sesshomaru was quiet but instead tightened his grip on her, resting his cheek on her soft hair. Little did she know, he had vowed a long time ago never to leave her side. He wouldn't break her heart like the unknown demon in her past. Never would. For a long time, the two demons clung to each other in the rain as if afraid if they let the other one ago, they would vanish into thin air and never return.

Poor Hoshi T.T But yay, Sesshy comfort! LOL enjoy and review!