Crystal of Love

Chapter 1: The Spawn of the Darkness

RK and/or YYH don't belong to me.

Author's notes: Thank you to those of you who reviewed, but, no one guessed the name of the teacher yet! Why? Its quite obvious… my sister guessed right, or dose any one not read the author's notes at the bottom? Oh well… *sigh* I will give you one more try (to guess the name of the "teacher"), and the "prize" is most likely a small part in the story (even if I have to rewrite a chapter). Now, onward with chapter 1!

Warning!: This chapter, it's a little on the freaky side (and once again, Kaoru is a vampire of some sorts). This and the chapters onward are the main reasons why this chapter is a romance and a horror.

~*~*~*~*

The dark blob moved and shook as its worshipers bowed and chanted as they performed their ritual to their lord, the Lord of Darkness. It was finally time to have its child that would bring destruction to the world they lived on and bring out a new and better one where they lived supreme.

Women danced to the strange, throbbing beat of drums. The drums where ranging from small to huge, all being drummed by a drummer dressed in a dark cloth that covered their bodies in darkness. People chanted, bowing repeatedly to the mass as they continued to summon their master's child.

The mass started to come out at one side, forming the shape of a ball as the mass disconnected itself with its "mother" and floating to the ground with slender movements. It started to form together, and the form of a small girl came. Long flowing black hair, a creamy pale skin and large bluish-black eyes hidden beneath long lashes that stood out from her skin. The darkness formed around her, dressing her in a long black cloak that seemed to bury her in its deep hold, as if wanting to keep her in its tight hold forever.

She raised a slender hand, signaling for the silence that followed.

"Welcome, my followers, the child that we'll bring us from the depths of the underground and raise us to be the supreme rulers of the planet that those on the surface have destroyed with their petty hands!" Called a deep voice as the blob moved as if speaking, as the voice belonged to it. It was a voice that demanded respect. "She will lead us to the place we belong, and it is your job to raise her to become what she may!

"Teach her, and make her the strong woman and wife that I need by my side. The queen that will raise her above all the others who would want to step into her place. Bring in the one we caught at the surface!"

A small pathway came through the crowd, and a pair of cloaked men came, dragging a silver haired youko with them. She looked up at the blob and girl with pricing gold eyes as she was shoved roughly to the ground in a kneeling position, one of the men pulling her head up so she would look at the two in front of her.

"You! You will watch over my daughter-wife, and be her guardian until she has no more need of you! Do you understand?"

"Yeah," she muttered after getting a kick in the gut for not responding quickly enough. "Be a guardian to you child and bride…?" This part confused her; was he really going to marry his own child? Looking at the young girl, the youko noticed that she had a far off look in her eyes, as if she was there, but not really there.

"My daughter will one day rule over all of you, remember that bitch." The voice was gone with a rush of wind as the black mass vanished, and a soft light filled the cavern. A look of life came to the girl's eyes as she gazed about the crowd before her, not really knowing what she was doing here. The cloaked men let go of the youko as she walked slowly up to the girl, holding her arms out tentatively as she embraced the girl, lifting her into her arms.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, looking into the gold eyes with no sign of fear. "And who am I?"

"I am Kurama, and you are…" Kurama paused as she thought, looking at the people who surrounded them, they offered no name, expecting the youko to do so. "You are… Kaoru, named after my grand mother from long ago. I am your guardian fox, and these people are under your father's rule, they and I will take care of you."

Her eyes took in everything, noting the covered faces that seemed to be everywhere, as if they were trying to suffocate her with in their tight circle, holding her down. "What am I? What are they? And what are you?"

Kurama didn't answer as one of the men who brought her in poked her in the back. It wouldn't be right to not tell the young girl about what her father had said, of which the youko had heard among the drums and chants of the people (if she could even call them that). Kurama was forced to carry the child as the crowd left the room as the child continued to ask her questions until she finally cried out, "Why isn't any one answering me?! Put me down, I can walk on my own!"

Kurama admired the pride in the child as she let Kaoru slip to the floor only to get swept up by another person, as if disagreeing with the fact her feet where touching the cold floor. "Ku-yoikugakari…?" Kaoru reached a hand out towards her "nanny" as Kurama had now been dubbed. A feeling of possessiveness came to the youko, as she reached out and took the girl from the one who picked her up, glaring at the cloaked figure in distaste.

~*~*~*~*

No matter what Kurama did, the Narks, as those she and Kaoru lived with, would not let her teach the child anything she knew about the world above, unless they didn't see it. The youko didn't like it, but she did so any way, trying to undo the words of the Narks on the ways of the surface world. Kurama did so carefully, being there when the Narks taught her young charge, and redid the lessons at night after she knew what to teach the young girl.

Kaoru grew to enjoy the lessons her yoikugakari gave her more then those of her regular teachers, liking the way the surface really was, but one thing she did enjoy from her Nark teachers, was the fighting skills. She loved the way the blood surged in her skin, the way she could hear the blood—the substance thick and sweet—and the thrill of the blood pouring and covering the ground in a thick blanket.

She in fact remembered when she first tasted fresh blood, spilling from a fighter's body after she had slain him. It wasn't easy, he was a skilled fighter, but the sound and need of blood, for blood, ran through her veins like water does a stream. Before she had known it, she had him blocking her strong quick attacks. The blows soon brought her down as she plunged her sword through his throat, the blood spilling over. Taking her sword out, and licking the fresh blood from it. She didn't stop there, but continued to tear apart her opponent, limb-by-limb, drinking blood as it flowed from the ripped off body limbs.

Kaoru shook the thought out of her head in disgust; it was a thing she didn't like to think about, all the useless killing.

But, she couldn't stand the need for blood, the way she craved for it as it spilled upon the ground after she killed her opponent. The way it was offered to her in the skull of a fresh surface dweller—she hated blood—it was as simple as that. Suppressing a shudder, the small girl of 6 picked up the goblet of the thick red "wine" and took that hateful sip, feeling the blood burn on its way down her throat.

Or, at least that what she expected, but, this time, it was more timid and not as hot, or fresh, but a strange new taste, like the owner was free and unbound from the chains of life. She wanted to drink more, but didn't when she caught the look her yoikugakari gave her, and she put down the cub, understanding what it meant. This blood wasn't human, the kind Kaoru was supposed to drink only, but instead, it was animal, or some kind of mythical beast… maybe even her nanny's blood! Though, now that she thought about it, it couldn't have been, her nanny wasn't human, but she had no animal part to her… or did she?

It wasn't time for thoughts like that, ones that would keep her thinking about something that wasn't important or at hand. Sighing, the young princess, as it seemed she was, put the goblet down, looking at those eating at the head table, dressed in furs and leather, hers being the very best. While they all wore this, her nanny wore cloth from the surface, believing in silk and cotton tunics more then the fur and leather that everyone else wore.

Taking up her chopsticks, she picked at her food, the spider legs and meat, mixed with other things, like the eyeball that sat atop of the meal. Taking something up, she ate it, hating the way it crunched in her mouth as she chewed it all up. She wanted to be free of meat and blood—to be a vegetarian instead—so she would never have to stand this type of crude food ever again! It would be grand!

Kaoru shot a look at Kurama at knew that she too wanted to get out of here just as much as she wanted to. That was it! They would leave this world to the surface they wanted! She would first have to get her yoikugakari to agree, but that wouldn't be too hard, she hoped any way, and then they would have to get a plan started… it wouldn't be easy, but they would do it!

~*~*~*~*

It wasn't hard to get Kurama to agree; her love for the vibrant flowers and the fact none were here made her despise for the place. But the way out, a portal in at an archway decorated with the Nark language, was trickier. It was heavily guarded, and the only time it was left was at midnight, when the Lord of Darkness was supposed to be worshiped.

Sneaking along the walls, staying in the darkness of the tunnel as they made their way to the archway. Soon enough they did, making it too the long stretch of twisted land that led to the portal. "Here's where we have to make a run for it," Kurama whispered into Kaoru's ear and the girl nodded in reply. "Remember, what ever you do, don't look behind, just look towards your destination and just that."

Kurama looked back at the retreating guards, who were walking in a strict silence. "Now." With that word, the two started to run, heading towards the archway, not looking back as the small bags they took with them banged against their legs and backs as they ran. The guards finally noticed the noise, and looked back, and soon followed, yelling at them to stop. Kaoru suppressed the urge to stop, to go back to the world—her world—but continued on with only a second of hesitation, remembering all the things she wanted to get away from was here.

The girl slipped once, catching herself before she fell, and continued on, Kurama grabbing her hand when she felt the her charge starting to fall behind. She didn't want to leave Kaoru behind; the girl was like a little sister to her. Soon, they reached the archway.

The heavy metal like doors opened by to them, a rush of wind coming at them. They didn't stop, the wind raising them of their feet, bringing the two inside the doors as they closed. The guards and any one else coming after them being shut out.

The wind tore at them, piercing their bodies like hundreds of ice knifes, all at once. Kaoru had to hold back her screams of pain and fear as the wind carried her along, her hold on Kurama long sense gone as the youko was forced back into the tiny for of a kit.

A voice, high and shrill spoke out of the wind, hurting her ears but she still didn't cry out. "Why do you wish to go to the surface? Nothing good comes out of it."

"I want to be free! Away from people who don't even let me breathe on my own!"

"You know you are over exaggerating?"

"I know, but I don't care! All I have wanted is to get away from the way of life they sent me to! Having to drink the blood of creatures I don't even know if they deserve the fate I am supposed to give them! I want to free of all of that! To live, and…"

"Love? You want to make your destiny by falling in love with the man who is supposed to destroy your father and you? You want that to happen?"

"I don't care! At least I've had the chance to do something I can actually do even if I die for it! I'll always believe in it!"

"Then so be it."

The wind stopped, and Kaoru found her self floating in the portal air, a small silver kit in her arms, all curled up in a ball and asleep, a second bag appearing on her body. Kurama didn't remember what her first trip in the portal was, so she didn't know what to expect as she curled in a ball her self, and closed her eyes as she waited for what ever to come.

The next thing she knew, was the impact of her body hitting the ground, hard. Her back scraping against the ground as she skidded to a stop. She curled closer together, hearing the sound of feet vibrate through the ground as some one came closer to her.

Opening her eyes, she saw those of the most beautiful violet.

~*~*~*~*

Author's Notes: A cliffhanger, I think… oh well. The first chapter, it explains about what the Spawn of Darkness really is and her kind want her to do, even if she doesn't want her to do. And this is NOT the first story on the Internet where Kurama is a girl (sadly, it is true) I forgot the name of the story in which Kurama is turned into a girl, and I have no idea if there is any more out there.

Yoikugakari means nanny in Japanese.

Please review, I enjoy reading them (and if any one else does… see the one by Eliz… I am quite proud of that one. ^.~ )

And, something I should have asked before, if any one wants to proof read any of the chapters for this or the new chapters for Resident Vampire, tell me, and I would like it (my family is a option, but I am VERY afraid of what they already know about the gory details of my writing ^.^).

Thanks!