Rin burst through her front door, wiping obsessively at her mouth to rid her lips of his scent and taste, burning up with disgust and shame, tears coursing down her flushed cheeks.
How had she let that happen?
How had that ghastly predator so easily over-powered her and caused her to feel things no self-respecting woman should feel?
No one taken advantage of should then desire their attacker to keep overwhelming them.
Sick with the knowledge of her mother's state, and what had just happened, she fell into her Okasan's bed and cried herself to sleep, beyond troubled that a deep throbbing remained persistent in her innermost core at the memory of Hakai's harsh hungry lips demanding her own submission.

She slept poorly that night, seemingly haunted by a spectre of lust that had awakened within her. But, even more curious, even more mysterious – Rin's subconscious mind took her travelling to a time she did not know of.

There; she was surrounded by forests – great ancient trees long gone in the modern landscape she now lived in. Through thick mists she saw a figure ahead of her, - he was either very tall, or she was very short; perhaps both.

This figure had sweeping long white hair that reached down to his lower legs; the long slim muscular limbs encased elegantly in a kimono of a style centuries old. Even from the back, this person was incredibly beautiful, and he seemed to be in command of a cold strength and power that made a mockery of any other creature.
Rin appeared to follow this man or creature through these woods in her dream, and such a sense of wonder and love filled her as she stared at the being that she cried.
The white beacon of a powerful existence that she trailed stopped and turned to face her, but his face was glowing so brightly she could not make out a single feature – and a loud ringing noise intruded her ethereal vision to pull her back to the present rudely, reminding her of the journey she had to now undertake.

The abasement and filthiness she had felt after Hakai's kissing and groping was almost replaced with the beautiful dream she had just had; followed by fear and uncertainty.

Rin had never been kissed before, let alone with such passion and intensity; she went a deep red remembering how he had massaged her breasts and pinched her nipples till they became long and hard; - her chest burned with the heat of the memory and a warmth pooled between her legs.
Hakai had stolen her first kiss in such a lewd and lustful way without permission - and Rin suddenly wished that it had been the calm and beautiful creature in her dream who had kissed her, who had given her such an overwhelming sense of love and security; not the arrogant and murderous new student.

Readying herself hastily, Rin packed some essentials in a backpack, throwing on a skirt, shirt and jacket, before rushing out of the house, ensuring everything was well locked up, and the cash in the safe was in her purse.

It was cold in the early hours of the morning, and still dark, the stars the brightest before the first light of dawn. The bus would take her to the train station forty minutes away, then she would board the train for Tokyo. Rin prayed under her breath for Okasan's safety – hoping that the abuse she had suffered last night would quickly be erased from her mind so she could focus on her mother.

If only Shippo were with her for company and encouragement – she would dearly love another family member to be there with her.

Little did she know, her assailant from last night followed her noiselessly from behind, keeping the demons of the dark from attacking her as she made her way to the bus stop.

~!~!~!~!~!~!

'About my earlier request, I have some things to add. You'll make sure my work given to the hospital is not paid in wages, but pays off Mrs. Urihara's hospital bills'

Akihiro looked up in wide eyed odium as Hakai was before him.
The college student had made his way home from the dinner with Rin, her friends and the fearsome demon when he was faced with the very thing he dreaded, standing right by his door. How had he known where he lived - ?
The creature had given no opening remark – but had appeared before him in the quiet hallway as Akihiro went to open the lock to his apartment door, only alerting him to his presence with the above abrupt remark spoken with a voice so deep and chilling that Akihiro froze.
It was not only the fiend's voice that arrested his attention, but very soon everything else about the evil spirit.

'Y-you're – h-hair – claws – eyes - !' Akihiro pointed a shaking finger at the demon, his horror and mortal fear choking him up at what he saw with his own eyes.

For instead of a youthful adolescent schoolboy called Hakai, Akihiro saw something entirely different.
The face held the same set of features, but it was greatly enhanced; more refined, calm, mature.
The eyes blazed a burning amber gold, as though set alight by an inner furnace; he was taller, his hair like a silken blanket of woven moonlight.
The claws like small daggers glinted on the tips of his long fingers, he had strange markings on his face – tattoos or birth marks of some kind. He wore the same clothes as earlier, but the student knew he was looking upon a truer form than he had yet.
Akihiro fell to his knees.

Sesshomaru's fingers ran through his long hair nonchalantly, his claws glinting under the fluorescence of the complex ceiling. After slaying so many beasts to protect Rin, the Dog Demon's form had maintained itself for longer even after the killings.
He was leaning against the wall, waiting for the boy to show up; the demon had just ensured Rin was home safe, and he had calmed down by some degree, before appearing in Akihiro's quarters within a flash of time.

'Get up' the Demon Lord ordered, nonetheless pleased that the weasel of a human had realised some of the extent of his being. The Lord of the future West was no one to trifle with.

Akihiro with great effort raised himself to his feet; the young man had immediately realised that this spirit was no one to take lightly, and he could not speak offensively to it. His appearance now reinforced even more strongly his supernatural origins; Akihiro had not seen such beauty on earth.
'You are – no ordinary – demon' the medical student spoke in shaken tones, his voice greatly altered.

'You will know about me in the future, but this is immaterial for now. You will do as I say' Sesshomaru's voice cut like ice; his demeanour toward Akihiro changed in his truer form – he was not prey to the pettier passions and turns of phrase as in the human form.

'Of course,' Akihiro bowed; he recognised a timeless power in the demon's voice that the student had not before heard, the creature spoke as one who was above any jealousy or rage unless stirred or provoked over time to a well-earned wrath.
This being was truly powerful, far more than Akihiro had initially thought.

'You will give me a position in the Cancer research institute attached to your father's hospital.'

'W-what? But you need to have completed a decade's study at least to - '

But Akihiro's stumbled phrasing was interrupted with a wave of the beast's hand.

'I have lived for over five hundred years. I could contribute such technology to your so advanced medical team that they'd not even be able to comprehend the algorithms I know' the great Yokai countered taciturnly.

Akihiro had to lean himself against the wall for support.

'Half a millenia – ' he shook his head in utter disbelief 'who are you?'

Sesshomaru did not deign to alleviate the stress of revelation that Akihiro was suffering.

'And one last thing. Mention a word of any of this to anyone and I'll destroy you'

'My Lord' Akihiro stuttered, feeling such an honorific was only natural for such a god-like being.
'I will do as you say. May you listen to some questions I have? I won't take long' the student dared not look up to gauge the demon's reactions.

'I permit one but I promise no reply' was the freezing response.

Akihiro battled for which singular question he wished most to ask; but not wanting to look up to find the apparition gone, his mouth blurted out before his mind agreed;

'Why does such a high demon wish to help an ailing mother of an unremarkable girl?'

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly, his still gaze on Akihiro's bowed head as the man refused to look up at him.

'I am repaying a debt' was his enigmatic response.

Just as the medical student looked up, he found that the space the striking spirit had occupied was now utterly empty, and he fell to his hands and knees on the ground, his soul drained as though the creature had possessed such life force that he couldn't stand to save himself.

~!~!~!~!

For Sesshomaru had only been re-gifted his memory after he had kissed Rin, and the dream that the girl had experienced that night was no coincidence.

~!~!~!~!

Author's Note:

Sorry just a short update in between work trips! I have so many plans for this fic I am so excited.