Author's Note: It was brought to my attention that Hiei was mentioned in Chapter 1. Well... he wasn't supposed to be. It was a typo and I'm sorry if it confused any of you (thanks to sillylittlenothing for pointing it out). Kurama isn't nearly as cold or imposing in this chapter, I think. Maybe it was because he just didn't like Claire.

Chapter 2

Genkai frowned at Kurama from her vantage point a few steps below him. She had been out for a nice, long stroll to cool her temper; Yusuke had been incessantly getting on her nerves.

"Great, just was I need," she muttered sarcastically. "I'm already in a bad mood and now you turn up with a kid 'in need of Yukina's assistance', as if she didn't already have enough on her plate. And I don't need a screaming brat to strengthen my headache!"

Kurama shook his head in vague amusement, although most of his attention was given to the weary little girl in his arms. "Bell has never been a screaming brat. She is most well behaved."

Snorting in disbelief and with the obvious air of one who believes oneself to be right and the other completely delusional, Genkai stomped passed him. "Whatever," she growled. "Get her fixed and get out of here."

Kurama nodded and followed after the old woman into the vast temple. The girl stirred and whimpered. Kurama gently tugged the monkey from her trailing hand so it wouldn't fall.

"Yukina!" roared Genkai as soon as the temple's traditional sliding doors shut behind Kurama with a soft click. "Kurama's here – he needs your help! He's gone and found another whelp in need of intensive care!"

Yukina rushed in immediately, an apprehensive look flooding her delicate features. Her blue-green hair fluttered in its usual ponytail behind her, her red eyes portrayed the utmost concern. "Oh my!" she whispered upon catching sight of the child. "What happened to her?"

Kurama followed Yukina into the nearest room; it was the living room. As the ice maiden cleared off the low coffee table beside the couch (Bell was still small enough to fit upon it comfortably), he stroked back Bell's hair.

"This is Bell, Yukina. Lilibelle. My daughter."

With a great, startled gasp, Yukina jumped to her feet. "This is Lilibelle? How… How did she get so…"

"I'm afraid," Kurama explained coolly although his muscles and brain were screaming for him to do something, "that Claire had a bit of an… episode… In any case, she attacked Bell with intent to kill. I was forced to take Claire's life to protect Bell."

Yukina paled but nodded. She motioned to the coffee table and Kurama obediently placed his precious burden on the smooth wood. Yukina knelt, her hands hovering over Bell's small body as a soft, pale glow engulfed her hands and the young girl. For a while, neither adult spoke. There was no need – both knew what Claire's death meant for Human World and Saicho was not likely to forget the incident anytime soon.

But in time the silence grew too strong and Yukina was forced to break either it or her concentration. "I've heard things about Lilibelle, Kurama. People have been saying she's not normal, but no one knows why or how. Is she…?"

"She's… dangerous. It's her demon blood, running from two sides of the family. At the same time, Youko Kurama is not her father; Suiichi Minamino is. She has human blood, and human blood is… weak. Always looking to improve itself." Kurama paused and shook his head. "I've heard rumours as well, though not about Bell. Do you know there is an entire operation, undercover, to deal with this genetic evolution? They were there, at the hospital when she was born. I think one of the nurses may have called them when they saw…" Kurama trailed off and looked at Bell sadly.

Yukina stood and stumbled backwards weakly. Kurama caught her and helped her to the couch where she sank gratefully into the cushions. "Go on," she pressed in a shaky voice.

"They said she was a mutant, a monster. They do not know evolution as we demons do. This race they are trying to destroy is an improvement, not a setback." Again Kurama shook his head as though clearing it of cobwebs or dust. He motioned towards the pretty ribbons Bell wore on either side of her head, purple to match her eyes.

Yukina glanced at him curiously but reached out and tugged on the end of one until it came loose in her hands. She frowned; what was wrong with that?

Kurama read her gaze perfectly. "Yes, I know. I didn't think it odd either, not with her demon heritage. Many demons are born with horns, after all. The doctors, being human, preformed several tests and x-rays to make sure it wasn't life threatening. That was when the men showed up.

"They were dressed nicely considering it was the recovery room of a maternity ward and most doctors wear their scrubs so they can handle such delicate babies as Bell was safely. But there they were in suits, carrying briefcases. They said they needed to take Bell for research. Claire refused flatly; probably the only thing she did right by her child. When they insisted she threatened them – you've no idea how much power Saicho's name has over those in Ningenkai. They said she was a… Diclonius. They've given a branch of the human species a completely different name just because it was born with horns."

"What… what is a Diclonius?" Yukina asked timidly as though afraid of the answer she might receive.

Kurama glanced at her and then away with a long suffering sigh. "At the age of three a Diclonius will reveal its true powers," he said. "Tomorrow we shall see what a Diclonius truly is, if Bell is one."

Author's Note: So maybe it's the slightest crossover with Elfen Lied – I'm not going to use any of their characters, just the 'disease', manipulated and twisted for my own purposes.

To Lucy, who reviewed annonymously: Yes (which should be even more obvious now). Thanks for reviewing.

Morning:

Bell's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a bed; the next was that the bed wasn't hers anymore than the room was. Swiftly following this observation was that she was neither numb nor in pain.

Sitting up quickly, Bell inspected her soft, fuzzy pyjamas and the skin beneath to discover that her wounds were healed completely.

Thinking back, Bell remembered her mother attacking then her father killing her… She had been badly injured but Kurama had promised to take her out for ice cream once she was healed. She'd gotten her jacket and left, but not before grabbing Monkey so he wouldn't be lonely. Then on the way up the impossibly long staircase, she'd begun to feel dizzy… and then nothing.

"Monkey!" she whispered, completely horrified; the stuffed monkey was no where to be seen. "Daddy!" she called, hoping he was around. "Daddy!" Tears were forming in her violet eyes and she began to panic slightly.

"Bell, calm down," Kurama intoned from the doorway. He moved swiftly to sit next to her on the large, comfortable bed. "What's wrong?" he asked as he smoothed a lock of her hair away from her face.

Still trying to hold back her tears, she blinked furiously. "I can't find Monkey!"

Kurama laughed. "Monkey is in the living room. Yukina cleaned him for you. You should thank her."

Bell nodded and hugged her father. "Where are we?"

"Genkai's temple. Genkai trains people in marital arts and controlling their spirit energy. Yukina lives here with her; she's a healer, an ice maiden from the Koorime Island, but she also helps out with the cleaning and cooking." Kurama helped the little girl to her feet and guided her along the many maze-like hallways to the living room where Monkey was, as promised, clean and sitting on a chair waiting for her.

Bell squealed and ran forward to her only friend. Kurama shoved his hands in his pockets and watched with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"So what's with the kid, Kurama?"

Bell froze. The voice was decidedly masculine and unless Genkai and Yukina were men, which she highly doubted, there was someone else in the temple.

"She's mine, Yusuke," Kurama responded coolly.

Bell turned around and stared at the man – a little shorter than her father but not much, black hair slicked back with too much gel, big brown eyes, and a tough attitude. Yusuke, her father had said. The name was familiar.

"Yours, huh? Doesn't look like you," the man snorted and rolled his eyes.

Bell frowned. "Not all children look like their parents," she informed the man with an air of superiority. "In fact, many children get their appearance from much earlier generations – I read that in a book we have. Grandpa Saicho's hair is like mine and from the pictures we have of Grandma Shiori, I have her eyes."

Kurama smiled as Yusuke gaped. "Definitely yours, Kurama. No doubt about that. Geez, what does she do, read all day? She should be playing with other kids her age."

"Claire wouldn't allow her out of the house," Kurama replied monotonously. "She was paranoid."

"Monkey is my friend," Bell announced, holding up the stuffed animal. "He comes with me everywhere. I would have left him home but he doesn't get along with the others and I didn't want him to be lonely. Lonely isn't a nice feeling."

Yusuke stared. "Strange kid."

Kurama knelt down to her level and motioned her to come closer. She complied instantly. "Do you feel any different than usual, Bell?"

"Not really. Why?"

"It's your birthday, you know. Your third birthday."

"Really?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"So why should I feel different?" Bell wondered. Was some monumental change supposed to happen when you turned three?

Kurama smiled. "Either you do or you don't. You'll know if it happens."

"If you say so, Daddy." Bell turned to Yusuke with an insufferably sweet look on her face. "Mr. Yusuke, what are you doing at… at Genkai's Temple?"

Yusuke melted. "Aw man, how'd she get so cute?" he demanded of no one in particular. "I'm here for training, mostly. When I get lazy Keiko sends me up here do the old bat can whip me into shape."

"Genkai is a bat?"

"Bell, he simply means that she's old," Kurama explained.

Bell peered at Yusuke curiously. "But he already said she was old. He said 'old bat'."

Yusuke laughed. "Seriously, get out more. She's an old wrinkly hag with a screeching voice, like a bat."

"You can't hear a bat screech, Mr. Yusuke. The sound is supersonic, not detectible except by the most acute ears, mostly animals."

Frowning, Yusuke glared at the child. "Right little know-it-all, huh? Get your nose out of the books, kid."

As though on command Yusuke was thrown back out of his seat and slammed against the wall. Bell was pouting and clutching her monkey tighter. "It's not my fault," she complained. "Mommy wouldn't let me play, all I had were books."

"Bell." Kurama laid a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Let Yusuke down, sweet."

Bell blinked large eyes at her father. "I'm not doing that," she answered.

"Yes you are and you're strangling Yusuke." Kurama's words were gentle but his eyes spoke volumes of what would happen if she were to kill someone.

Bell stared for a long moment at Yusuke's struggling form as it tried to breath. Faintly, as though her vision were adjusting to it, she saw the outline and distortion created by what appeared to be a clear hand across the man's throat. An invisible arm trailed back to Bell, who appeared just as shocked as the newly arrived Yukina and Keiko.

"Oh my," Yukina gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth.

Keiko rushed over to Yusuke. "Yusuke! Yusuke what's wrong? What's holding you up? Oh, Yusuke!" She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him down. A thin trail of blood oozed around the clear appendage and Keiko let loose a terrified scream.

Bell blinked twice. "I don't even know how I did it," she panicked. "How do I make it stop? Daddy!"

Kurama was silent as he watched Keiko. "First of all, Keiko, stop trying to pull him down, you're liable to end up decapitating him." When the woman complied Kurama turned to Bell. "Close your eyes and concentrate to see if you can feel whatever is keeping him up," he instructed. Bell did so.

"I can feel them… coming out of my back… like another arm, I think there are more. Three."

"Good. Now pull them back, put them away inside you."

Bell concentrated and completely missed the crash of Yusuke falling to the ground as she piled the arm inside her once more. She opened one eye slowly, peering out at Yusuke, who was crumpled on the floor gasping for breath and clutching his throat, Keiko worrying at his side.

"What did that little brat do?" he asked hoarsely.

"I believe," Kurama answered slowly, "we have just witnessed what happens when a Diclonius turns three."

Bell shook her head. "Daddy, what's a Diclonius? I haven't ever heard that word used before. Is that what I am?"

Kurama nodded slowly. "It simply means your human genetics have evolved and you are stronger than others. Perhaps Genkai would consent to training you, or Yusuke, if Genkai is not up to the task. You need to learn to control it so you don't accidentally kill someone."

Bell shuddered. "I don't want to kill anyone," she whispered hoarsely.

Keiko stood with her hands on her hips and advanced on Kurama and Bell. "She did this? This little girl?" she demanded.

"I didn't mean to," Bell protested meekly.

"Kurama, you have serious explaining to do!" Keiko shrieked. "I want to know how a sweet little girl like that could possibly choke Yusuke without touching him!"

With a sigh, Kurama began the long and complicated explanation. Once he finished, Keiko and Yusuke were dumbfounded.

"I don't think Genkai can handle another student," Yukina voiced suddenly. She knelt before Bell and touched the child's cheek gently.

"Of course I can; I'm not anywhere near ready to die yet." Genkai walked in and glared at the gathering. "What student?"

"Bell," answered Kurama. "She needs to learn to control her powers… Do you think it would be possible for you to train her?"

Genkai smirked. "Alright, Kurama, but I won't be held responsible if she gets seriously injured or dies. Leave her with me and I'll send her back in a month or so for you to check up on."

Kurama smiled, thanked Genkai, and stood. "I'll see you in a month then, Bell," he said.

Bell's lower lip trembled. "No! Daddy, stay!"

"Genkai will take good care of you. And Yukina will be here to help you adjust. You won't even notice I'm gone, I promise." Kurama hugged his daughter and handed her over to Yukina. "Be a good girl for me, ok?"

Bell sniffled and nodded. "Monkey wants a hug too," she announced.

Kurama consented, hugging the stuffed animal and returning it to the girl. "It's only for a month, Bell."