Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, or any of its characters. I've gathered Vampire facts around the web so therefore I take no credit on that part, but I do own the plot.
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Chapter One
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The sun shone its bright and glorious face above the red soil of Earth and its happiness brought hope for the remaining humans on the planet, along with the Vampires whom thought what their own species were doing to the humans was wrong.
It seemed as if it had been an eternity since the sun last revealed itself from the darkened clouds, for its last appearance had been on the day that Lord Battousai had taken the throne and took full control of the world.
It has only been mere centuries since the last of the Royals was killed in the year 2225 on New Year's day. It was now the year 2652 and Battousai's reign has gone on longer than the Royals' by centuries. Still, after all these years, no one has ever dared to go up against him. After all, going up against Battousai was immediate death, because the Vampire possessed the power to control the Pendants of Akuma and Amaterasu, the weapons which could easily destroy the entire planet if its owner chose to.
As the years went on under the new control of the Elders and the Vampire Lord, things regressed as the world became less technical and more dependent on the creatures' strength. It seemed as if Time was starting over, starting over until the people were acting like they had when Vampires were first discovered by the humans, however, this time the Vampires were in the daylight and the humans were trapped in the shadows. Though due to the fact that the sun rarely came out anymore, the Vampires didn't get a chance to become immune to the daylight. So on this sunny day, the streets were empty and the places quiet as the Vampires retreated to the darkness of their homes.
Instead of the tall buildings of brick and cement that were seen every where in the 21st Century, it was now made out of wood or stone like those created in the olden days. The homes were aligned or scattered around in single areas and were back to being called villages instead of cities. It seemed that instead of become futuristic as most scientists of the past had predicted, mankind was literally going back in time as the years went on.
Everything that once created pollution had been destroyed only a few years after the Vampires' reign of the world. There were only so many creations left from the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Centuries, but because of this, the Earth was once again becoming beautiful while its people dulled.
The way of life has indeed gone downhill, but still some people held hope in their hearts that one day their lives would be just as good as it had been when the Royals were in charge. Anyone who was striving to create a better world remembered the Royals and remembered that to get rid of the darkness they had to bring back the light. But the only problem was that they didn't know how, for as long as Lord Battousai controlled the Pendants, no one was willing to try anything and risk the lives of billions of other innocent beings.
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"I can't remember when it was so hot," said an old man with a grey beard and mustache as he walked along a river bank. Tall, luxuriant green grass surrounded the calm and gentle water source.
Dressed in a gray and white kimono for men, the man walked easily in his geta sandals.
Shifting the basket on his back, the old man bent down and picked the dark green shrub by his left foot. He dusted the herb's roots of dirt before he threw it into his basket with the rest of his supplies. He had to make sure that he got the right ingredients for medicine, otherwise the people of his small village were going to suffer when winter came along again.
Tired from the long day's walk, the human sat down near the river's edge and smiled as the sun's light reflected off of the water. It was the first time that he had ever witnessed the sun's yellow glow and its warmth. The warm sensation was so different from the cold he had lived in his whole life.
Placing his slightly heavy basket beside him, the old man placed a hand into the river and splashed the nice cool water on his face happily. Before he could take a sip of the water, the cry of a baby pierced through the air, causing the man to jump in surprise.
"Is there someone there?" asked the man loudly as he picked up his basket and secured it on his back, following the cry of the baby.
His only response was the crying of the newborn.
"I'm Doctor Genzai and I can help you if you're injured or in pain," reassured the doctor as he walked faster toward the voice of the baby. He could tell that the baby had just been born from the way it was crying, he had similar cries so many times from delivering the babies in his village that he knew someone had just given birth to a healthy child.
Doctor Genzai ran toward the sound of the toddler when everything fell silent, fear etching onto his face when he thought that something might have happened to the baby. He knew that the child couldn't have died so quickly, not after just crying and taking its first breath, but he still couldn't help worrying for the child's life.
Looking around the grassed area for any sign of a body, Dr. Genzai stopped in his tracks when he saw a little baby soaked in blood in a basket near the river. He bent down and saw that the baby was staring at him with deep sapphire orbs, its frail body wrapped in a blue blanket that had turned dark red from the blood of its mother.
"Is anyone there?" repeated Dr. Genzai as he looked around the area once more, hoping to catch the baby's mother.
He looked back down at the baby and smiled when he noticed that it was a girl.
Repeating his question, Dr. Genzai frowned when, yet again, not a single sound was heard. He was certain that the mother would be around, especially since women, after going delivery a child, tended to become very weak, even Vampire females.
Scanning the area around the baby, the doctor frowned when he noticed that there weren't even footsteps near the area. He frowned when he recalled that he hadn't heard the mother's grunts or screams either. It seemed as if the baby had just appeared out of no where.
Shaking his head at the thought, Dr. Genzai bent down beside the quiet baby.
"Let's get you cleaned up," said the doctor with a smile.
Picking the baby out of the blood-filled basket, he moved over toward the river and used his own handkerchief to wipe the baby clean of blood.
The baby slowly dozed off while he cleaned, allowing him a few moments of silence to think things over. He only shook his head when he realized that this baby's mother had left her to die just right after she had been brought into the world.
His thoughts were broken when the child yawned after he cleaned her lavender locks, the child's big blue eyes staring at him innocently as he stared at her mouth.
Finally remembering something, Dr. Genzai opened the girl's mouth gently with his index finger. He smiled in relief when he realized that the baby didn't have any fangs like all Vampire children did when they were born.
"You're going to need a name," proclaimed Dr. Genzai as he took off the gray bandana on his head and wrapped it around the child's small body, shielding the baby from the blowing wind.
The baby only smiled, seeming to agree with the older man.
"Lavender hair, beautiful smile, drowning ocean depths, and completely innocent...I think that I'll call you Kaoru," declared Dr. Genzai with a smile. "You're named after a wonderful young lady, Kaoru. She was a princess and the kindest of the Royal Family." He chuckled at seeing the baby smile in agreement to the fitting name. "I know that you'll grow perfectly into your name, young one."
Looking back one last time just in case Kaoru's mother decided to return, the doctor slowly walked back toward his home, which would forever change because of the bundle of joy in his arms.
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"Through the darkness there's a light so bright that it'll shine through the shadows and hold me tight, it'll remain with me forever as long as I hold onto hope and fight for what's right," recited the voice of a 17-year-old dressed in a plain dark blue and white kimono, her lavender hair flowing in the wind in a wild dance as she walked along the same river bank that she had been born on.
Her bright smile was just was beautiful as the sun, her movements as graceful as the river beside her, and her elegance made up for the poor clothing that she wore.
Holding her head up high, she looked out toward the crystal-clear water and took in the refreshing scent of nature.
Smiling up toward the dark sky, her sapphire orbs seemed to glow when she saw the first strike of lightning and heard the pounding of the thunder. Her blue eyes sparkled with laughter as the soft patting of the rain tickled her smooth, milky-white skin.
Ignoring the fact that she was getting soaked, the teenager walked back toward her village, singing the lullaby that she had known since she was young.
Moving along the path that she had used since she could walk, the girl held up her kimono and ran in her wooden sandals, giggling when the wind seemed to race against her to get home first. Face lighting up as she played in the rain, she fell silent when she reached the outer edge of her village home.
Her breath caught in her throat and she immediately stopped when she saw ten tall men covered with black cloaks in the center of her village, their emotionless eyes staring at the Village Leader as they kept calm hands on the hilt of their swords.
Following her instinct, the 17-year-old moved back and ran toward her home as fast as her legs would carry her. Something had to be up if the Crimson Guards of their Vampire Lord were at their small village.
After knocking on the back door of her home for the past seventeen years of her life, the teenager was hauled in by the elbows when the same old man that had saved her years ago pulled her in.
Worried eyes greeted her as the doctor shook his head at her state and pushed her behind a screen to change into a new clean set of clothes. There was a stern look in his eyes that left the girl confused as she obeyed the silent order and quickly dressed.
"Grandpa Genzai, what are the Crimson Guards doing here? Is it Collection Time already?" asked the teenager from behind the blue screen.
"They're collecting all right, but not money," said Dr. Genzai, his voice barely above a whisper as he handed her a towel from the other side.
"Then what are they collecting?" asked the girl as she took the towel to dry her drenched hair.
"Don't ask questions, Kaoru, it's not our place to question His Majesty's actions," said Genzai seriously to his adoptive granddaughter.
Kaoru only looked at her grandfather questioningly as she cocked her head at him. A shudder went down her spine as a deep voice from outside resonated through their thin wooden walls.
"All women of the ages 16 through 18 are to follow us back to the Castle where they'll be meeting Lord Battousai. Those that do not pass the exam will be sent to the Sakura," shouted a deep, octave voice.
"Those that try to hide will be found and once they are their entire family shall be slaughtered," yelled another darker voice.
"No exceptions," crowed another.
"Stay here, Kaoru," said Dr. Genzai as he held back her hand when she moved to leave.
"I don't want you to get killed, Grandfather," said Kaoru with a sad look on her face as she gently pulled her hand out of his.
"I am old, Kaoru, my life isn't as valuable as yours. I'd rather die than see you sent to the Sakura, you're too innocent for that place," said Dr. Genzai as he shook his head.
"I plan to pass the exam," said Kaoru with a determined look as she hugged her grandfather, who didn't want to let her go. She was his pride and joy for almost two decades and he couldn't bare to see her go so quickly.
"Promise me that you won't go to the Sakura," said the doctor.
"Don't worry, I won't," Kaoru reassured with a smile.
"Hurry up, we don't have all night!" shouted the first dark voice of the Vampire that Kaoru could only presume was the leader of the small group of Crimson Guards.
"Take this with you and remember to never give up hope," said Dr. Genzai with a smile as he handed her a round umbrella.
"As long as I hold onto hope," whispered Kaoru as she opened the umbrella and raced out into the rain, she waved back at her grandfather as she joined the other five girls her age, whom were all huddled by the leader.
"Come back safely," said Genzai as he gave her a weak smile. He could only pray that she would someday return, even though the odds were against him.
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"I heard that the one that passes gets to become the Lord's Queen," whispered one of the girls as all six of the 17-year-olds of their village were placed into a purple-cushioned carriage, which was hauled by black horses.
Following behind them were four other coaches, along with the ten Crimson Guards riding on horses in the rain beside them.
"Wouldn't it be great to be Lord Battousai's Queen? I mean, you'd practically be the second most powerful being in the entire world and you'd become immortal," squealed another girl with a smile on her face.
"Yes, and be a part of the damned society that treat us lower than dirt! But what I don't understand is why Lord Battousai is searching for a human mate instead of a Vampire," said a girl in a yellow kimono, her face twisted in disgust and consideration.
Kaoru stayed silent as she looked out the window, the rain slowly vanishing as she frowned. She had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. She didn't really know why, but every time she had a bad feeling, something always terrible happened. It were as if she had a knack for knowing things before it happened, even though she never had any visions. It was more like something outside of her body was warning her before anything could happen to her.
A shudder went down her spine as she closed her eyes, praying that her instincts wouldn't fail her once she arrived at the Castle.
"Hey, get up! We're going to enter the Castle," said the one in the yellow kimono as she nudged Kaoru so that she wouldn't be left behind.
Nodding in silence, Kaoru walked in a straight line behind the other girls as the carriages behind them all opened and their group joined in with the rest of the teenagers. They were all silent, none of them wishing to get the Vampires that surrounded them angry.
"Welcome to the Castle of Lord Battousai! I am General Sagara Sanosuke of the Crimson Guards and I'll be your guide to the Throne Room, where the exams will be done. Those that fail shall follow Captain Yukishiro Enishi to the Sakura," said a tall man with spiky brown hair in a black cloak, pointing to a man with white hair and a pair of glasses on the brim of his nose.
Kaoru stared at the two Vampires that stood on a platform before the Castle entrance, except for the red outline of their cloaks, they seemed no different than the others, but she could feel their power and knew that they weren't ordinary Vampires.
"If you should get lost, then you've as good as lost your life," stated the Captain, causing the girls to all shudder at his words in horror.
"Should you make it, then make sure that you memorize the trails that we'll be leading you through, for not everyone in the Castle is kind. Rest assure that if you should make it, your life within the Castle walls will be a pleasant one," stated the General. "Am I forgetting anything, Captain?"
The white-haired Vampire leaned toward the man's ear and whispered something so inaudible that even the other Vampires couldn't hear him.
"Oh, I almost forgot! When we enter the Castle, speak only when you're spoken to, and not a word is to be heard within the halls as we walk to the Throne Room. Any questions before we begin?" asked the General as he looked around at the youthful faces with a smile.
"Who is the Sakura?" asked a young lady in the far back as the others all nodded. They all were curious as to where they'd be going should they not pass.
"Only one girl shall not be going to the Sakura and that is the one that Lord Battousai chooses. The rest of you shall work within the Sakura for the rest of your lives. It is a very famous brothel," said Enishi with a grin as the women all paled at his calm words.
"Shall we get going?" asked Sanosuke merrily as if sending women to a dirty place such as the Sakura was an everyday thing and the thought of girls becoming prostitutes didn't bother him at all.
When there wasn't a single sound from his audience, the General smiled and led them through the large twin, stone doors of the Castle.
Kaoru looked with large round eyes as she entered the enchanting Castle and took in the beautiful decorations. She had thought that the Castle would be dark and disgusting due to occupants of place, but it was quite the contrary. It was absolutely breathtaking and it was the most beautiful scene that the 17-year-old had ever seen in her entire life.
The red carpet that covered the ground was so soft that some of the girls almost sank into it because of their weight and the chandeliers were made of diamonds, which shined above their heads from the light of the white candles. Marvelous paintings decorated the walls, along with the old statues and sculptures from centuries before. Stairs upon stairs were seen spiraling everywhere and it seemed as if the Castle was too big and too gorgeous to actually be real, it was as if it were a setting in an unbelievable fairy tale with a princess and a prince.
"One by one, you shall all enter the room, and if you're lucky, you won't. Those that do leave the room shall join Enishi on his side of the hallway," said the Crimson Guards' General as the girls walked toward a set of black stone doors that had a dragon carved into it. A large sphere was placed within the creature's mouth as its body coiled itself so that it made what looked like an endless circle.
The hallway toward the doors were split into two, one side was filled with girls and the other was currently empty, but would soon be full with crying women whom couldn't believe that they hadn't passed.
"Should the first one make it, the rest of you shall automatically be sent to the Sakura," added Enishi as he stood in the other hallway, ready to send another group of screaming and yelling humans to the infamous Sakura.
"You first," said Sanosuke as he opened the door only a crack and allowed a shivering girl to enter.
Only a few seconds passed before the girl came out crying and shaking like crazy as she stepped towards the Vampire with white hair.
"Next," shouted General Sagara.
Kaoru watched from the back as hours passed by and only a few girls were left on her side. Sadly, the others were cowering together and crying at their new fate.
The 17-year-old only sighed, she had a bad feeling that she might be joining them as well.
Shaking her head, she repeated herself the song that she had known since she was young. She had always known the lyrics of the beautiful song, it was as if she were born with the knowledge of the song, because she had never heard anyone else singing it.
Through the darkness there's a light so bright that it'll shine through the shadows and hold me tight, it'll remain with me forever as long as I hold onto hope and fight for what's right. The words of the beloved verse repeated through her mind until she was tapped on the shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she met deep dark chocolate eyes that smiled at her.
"You're the last one," said Sanosuke as he looked into her startled ocean depths.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," apologized Kaoru as she bowed to the man.
"Just go in and get it over with, Missy," said Sanosuke as he opened the doors and allowed her to go in.
Nodding, the lavender-haired beauty stepped within the large Throne Room. Her breath caught as she looked around the enormous room, ignoring the loud bang of the door as it shut behind her. Azure spheres lightened up like stars in the darkest of night as she looked at the grand, golden throne near the center at the end of the Throne Room. She suddenly felt unwanted tears well up in her eyes as she looked at the black carpet on the ground and the lovely master pieces on the walls.
"Walk closer, Kaoru," said a cold and chilling voice from the shadows, startling the teenager as she turned and faced a breathtaking Vampire.
"How did you know my name?" Kaoru tried to ask in a demanding tone, but to her dismay it only came out as a whisper of shock.
"It's only been 444 years since we last met, or do you not remember, Princess? Now in the year 2669, we meet yet again. You showed me the Pendants of Akuma and Amaterasu all those years ago, and you bloody cursed the Amaterasu's crystal. You're the only one that can use it now, just like only I can use Akuma's," said the man with blood-like hair, fire burning eyes, and a cross shaped scar on his left cheek.
Kaoru stared at him confused as he spoke to her, she didn't understand what he was talking about.
Stepping back unconsciously, she could only gasped as her body was crushed against the stone door of the Throne Room and the Vampire before her. His red clothing and cloak had surrounded her body, cushioning her impact against the black doors.
Closing her eyes, she moved her head to the left as her body tried to regain oxygen.
"Welcome home, Kaoru," whispered the Vampire hotly in her exposed ear.
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