The hallway opened in to a large room, and Rin was momentarily taken aback by the soaring ceiling that had a glass dome, which allowed streams of light to flow in to the white room in which she stood. Before her was an indoor garden and an ornate water feature, decorated with Greek gods and goddesses. The coins in the pool of the fountain glimmered like stars in the reflection of the sun light and the water made a pleasant, calming sound. Plants cast a green shadow over the room and Rin's anger lifted for just a moment, before she heard a voice.

'Not many succeed in assisting an escape, and live to tell the tale'

The tone was so chilling that Rin froze where she stood, wondering where on earth the owner of the muffled voice was. With the water and the beauty – it almost sounded as if some omniscient force was speaking to her from the fountain. Rin had not seen the circular mezzanine that ran along the perimeter of the room.

'Whatever you wish to do to me I will allow it, so long as you release the women in your imprisonment' Rin's voice even to her ears seemed not like herself, devoid of anything but cold determination.

'You'll allow?' There was a laugh that rang around the room. 'Don't think that I can't do to you as I wish and fulfil no demand of yours. Such cold hate in your voice, yet your eyes shimmer with greater sadness than the flowing water you regard so intently'

Rin looked up and hated the tear that shook from her eyes as she did so.

'Do not watch me and leave me to disadvantage by hiding like a coward!'

'That is enough!'

Rin did not see any of it happen, but she was encased in sudden darkness, then she could not speak or barely breath – and her sight returned, looking in to eyes mere moments from her face that were the colour of molten lava.

The hand over her mouth clamped hard and Rin's scream was muffled; her fists came up and fought for her freedom.

'Is it a gift of yours to have no fear in the face of authority?' The smooth voice ran like silk and hissed with poison – Rin looked in to the face of the Emperor.

He released her with a strangely impassive expression, his beauty enhanced by the fae glow of the garden around them.

Rin's soul seemed to disconnect from her mind a few moments, and not even her thoughts could be fathomed.

Her eyes beheld the Emperor, in normal clothes, but it was him nonetheless.

'What are you doing here?' Rin whispered, unable to move.

'Is it not obvious? Or you cannot admit it to yourself, Rin?'

The small young woman reeled with the revelation and had to hold her swimming head. The pieces fell together, and her spirit returned within her, bringing with it burning rage and spite.

'You – ' Her voice began as almost a whimper, but soon built to a low shaking tone of passionate eloquence.

'You, the Emperor of this country – the ruler of the most feared and awful gang in our time, the instigator of crime, the mind that orchestrates the ruin of girls too desperate, you! The one who is meant to protect and nourish, is the hand that destroys us! I will kill you!'

Breathing with such labour Rin lunged at the tall man in front of her and went for his throat with her out stretched hands, but she was easily stopped as the Emperor's hands locked both of her fists in to one of his own, brusquely yanking them down and to her side. With his other hand, Sesshomaru tipped Rin's trembling chin upwards to face him and her deep dark eyes bored with unadulterated hatred in to his piercing yellow gaze.

'Still blinded by your own prejudice. Your eyes betray nothing'
Sesshomaru's thumb stroked Rin's cheek and the girl turned her face away defiantly.

'Don't touch me' she spat with a low hiss.

'If I had not claimed you as mine from the beginning, many men would've taken you by now'

Rin struggled against his grip on her hands.

'You expect gratitude?' Rin was beside herself, laughing with slight mania. 'I will expose you for what you are, and take my life if you will – but everyone will know'

'Oh?' Sesshomaru watched her efforts to free herself with an enigmatic regard. 'Who do you plan on telling?'

Rin's eyes swung round to meet his again to reply, but momentarily she was caught off guard. His fine features were graceful and deceptively calm, yet the golden eyes were dangerous, gleaming like fire. The lies he told were undoubtedly endless, but a deep shame came like a wave within her soul as she remembered her night of unfulfilled desire, touching herself to the memory of his gaze.

Looking away with a blush that made her despise herself, Rin said:

'The government. The media.'

'That would be scandalous, if they already did not know'

Rin met his eyes again, this time in shock.

'Oh yes, they know' his voice seemed to purr. Rin's blush faded to a pale hue.

She felt as though she were drowning in this deceit and evil; surely this man was something from times long past – a thing of fear and dread. A cold memory pierced her mind, but her pride was strong, and anger ran hot in her veins.

'What is it that runs through your mind – your eyes are flickering with many thoughts'

Rin shut her eyes and averted her face.

'Please, do not study me so closely. I will not tell you my thoughts'

Sesshomaru's molten eyes had seen her blush before, and now he again caught the flourishing red under her cheeks. He felt her ardent rage like a fire encasing him, yet underneath there was a vulnerability that she had toward him, and from that source he knew came the pretty blush. In his mind he remembered her spread legs and naked body as she touched herself that night….

Rin's breathing was shallow and her thoughts foggy, she became light headed; the passion of her enraged feelings overwhelming her.

'Let – go' her voice was pleading.

Without a word, the Emperor released Rin and the small woman stumbled back, rubbing her wrists; she saw his long fingers marks around her fore arms.

'Y-you did not credit my ideas for gang regulation – because you are the worst of them' Rin whispered. The demon merely stood still as an ancient tree, watching her.

'How is morality ever to be seen, if this is how it is?' Rin looked with hopelessness around the beautiful room, that was now washed in the shades of dusk.

The demon's eyes glowed faintly in the gathering twilight.

'My reason for my study – my career – was to see to this – ' Rin motioned vaguely with her hand.

'What do I do?' Rin asked out loud, then her eyes came around to meet the Emperor's, her tone despite her anger the epitome of helpless.

'Who are you?' She whispered.

There was silence for a few moments as the demon, still as a cat, stared in to the little woman's brown gaze, glazed with tears.

The demon's eyes slanted as he turned to his side, keeping his eyes on Rin the whole time, then the glowing orbs slid away to study the sky above.

'I have lived for a thousand years' he said so softly, in such an altered tone, that Rin barely heard. From that faraway, time hallowed tone, the ethereal man turned back to Rin and took some steps closer to her; Rin stepped back again.

'The downfall of the world is ever imminent' his tone seemed to change – it was now cold and unforgiving; his eyes bored in to hers with the same force that seemed to push her backwards at the conclusion of their first meeting.

'Ignorance is ruthlessly destructive – and a little girl like yourself speaks of morality. Ha' He sneered and laughed without humour.

'To many men just a hundred, two hundred years ago – me fucking you right now without a word of consent would be considered morally sound'

Rin gasped and went bright red, stepping back a few times more as the demon advanced again toward her. His eyes seemed to be deepening in colour and Rin felt true fear slice through her as the room darkened more, and she realised just how alone she really was with this – this – non-human.

Rin backed in to a hard surface and squeezed her eyes shut as her body became frozen to the spot.

'Morality would dictate that I do this – ' Rin cried out as the demon's hand began to lift her skirt, and brushed against her inner thigh, leaving a trail of heat as his tongue licked her neck, biting it, his lips warm and insistent against her pulsing throat.

'No!'

Rin snapped in to action and slapped his hand away, pushing him, running from underneath his figure that bent over her.

'If you do not like that morality which others enjoy, Miss Urihara, then who are you to dictate the laws of this world?' Sesshomaru's voice was laced with lust and desire.

Shuddering with fear and ire Rin found herself saying with a shaking voice; 'Disrespect in debauchery is not a standard of morality, and never was! Honouring each life with love is all I desire! I knew you were a heartless demon when I first saw you, like a white washed tomb you stun and seduce with your appearance but within you are nothing but a void and utterly dead'

That's when she ran.
She ran until she could no longer breathe, and her legs gave out beneath her.

The pillar against which Sesshomaru had touched Rin so gently turned to nothing but rubble from the force of his fist.