Beauty and the Beast

by Hione

The fairy tales continue! Karasu tells his twin girls the story of Beauty and the Beast where he himself is "beauty" and the fox demon Yoko is the "beast." But what happens when there are TWO beauties, and one is a real b*%&h?

1. Cleaning up the Castle

-*~^~*- Beauty and the Beast 3 -*~^~*-

-*~^~*- Part One -*~^~*-

"Alright girls, what story would you like?" Karasu smiled to his and Kurama's twins while he pulled back the sheets to their bed. Since the first bedtime story with his little girls, they'd been begging for other tales. It took them a while to work him down, but after the twins refused to talk for three days, Karasu was obliged to tell them a little tale.

Kurisha, the eldest, hopped up onto the bed and stood there, smiling at him. "We've been diguessing what you should tell us an we've reached an agreenant!"

"I think you mean "discussing" and "agreement" but I'll let that slide because you're cute." Karasu laughed and hefted Hione up onto the bed as well. "And? What is the verdict?"

"Beauty and the Beast!" The twins chorused, and Hione quickly added, "But YOU have ta be Beauty."

"…. You're kidding, right?" He looked between the two and found, to his horror, that they were serious. "Me? Why not Kurama? He was the "princess" in the last one."

"Exactly! Momma's always acting like a girl in real life!" Kurisha protested.

"Well that's because your mother IS a girl!" Karasu whispered back.

"I heard that." Kurama hummed and entered the room to gather their laundry. "And actually, perhaps it would be a great idea, Karasu. You would make a lovely Princess." With a smirk, the redhead quickly exited the room, giving his partner no chance to object.

Helplessly, Karasu glanced down to his girls. "…. Me? But how can I…."

"You'll think of something!" Hione flopped back onto her pillows and grinned. "Now start! Story! Now!" Kurisha giggled and flopped next to her sister. Both of them stared Karasu down, waiting patiently for him to begin the story.

Nibbling his lip in thought, the raven stood to pace about the room. To be honest he wasn't quite sure how to pull off the story. The only reason Beauty was accepted into the castle was because she was a woman—and he'd be damned if he gave himself a sex change, even for a fairy tale! But… if there were TWO beauties…

With a smile, Karasu turned to the twins and clapped his hands together. "Alright, I think I might have it. So I have to be Beauty and your mother has to be the Beast, eh? Should be easy enough…"

Once upon a time, in a faaaaaaar away land, there lived a handsome king. Although the king was beautiful, with long silver hair and pale cream-like skin, the king had a cold and dark heart. King Yoko was selfish, crude, and had little patience for anyone.

His servants even hated him. His subjects found no kind word to utter about their king. Not that king Yoko would listen anyway, he was only absorbed in his own personal matters, for he never cared about anyone else. He never gave thanks, never had a friend, and never loved.

On King Yoko's eighteenth birthday there came a visitor, a sweet old woman garbed in rags and barely able to move from hunger. She offered him one wish, in hopes that she might be able to eat and rest in his large home.

Naturally, the selfish king refused, doubting that a hobbled old woman could grant wishes. He had everything he wanted anyway.

But, as soon as he closed the door on her, his castle grew dark. The woman could be heard from outside, her voice angered; "For your selfishness, I curse you with the image of a beast! You will live here alone, as a monster, until the day that you might find someone capable of loving the horrid creature you are inside…"

The servants ran, frightened that the woman's words were true. Yoko was turned into a monster and even angrier than before.

Years passed and the castle remained abandoned. Travelers avoided the area and eventually it became over-grown in moss and various flowers. Everyone just viewed the castle as cursed ruins and passed by—King Yoko remained there alone.

"And they say you can hear the beast howling with loneliness in the dead of night!"

"Yes, well I hope I never have to hear or see the beast." Karasu smiled warmly to his friend Botan and passed her a few coins in return for a loaf of bread. "I'd rather not be eaten."

Botan took the money but placed her hands to her hips in full huff. "You don't believe me, do you? Honestly! It's all true, I swear on my grandmother's grave!"

"Your grandmother's still alive, Botan!" Karasu laughed and turned away. "Thank you again! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Now, unlike most "Beauties" told in all of the stories, Karasu wasn't a very glamorous individual. He wasn't even a woman, which was pretty strange on its own. He also had very few friends, mostly due to his intimidating nature. Women seemed to adore him, but with Karasu towering at a good six feet and some odd inches, they were mostly afraid of him. It wasn't so much his height, but really a combination of all his outstanding traits. The raven preferred night-time outings to normal day-light hours; he had flowing black hair that reflected a deep blue in the sun, and his eyes shown the most beautiful violet shade. The best way to describe the man was "eerie as a vampire"—which most of the villagers commonly stated.

Karasu didn't really mind, however, as long as the villagers left him be. In fact, the only real thing he had in common with the other beauties was his generous and kind heart. (This was mostly kept secret. A man needs his image, of course.)

Naturally, every Beauty has a father, and ours for this story is Sakyo. Sakyo was a very quiet man and difficult to approach. Usually occupied with distant thoughts, he would completely ignore someone until they spoke of something more along his unique tastes; mainly, gore-themed conversation. Sakyo owned the local morgue and spent most of his time weaving through catacombs—not very becoming for the father of a Beauty, yet Karasu wouldn't have his father any other way.

Their home was fairly modest, albeit run-down in some areas, but the two liked it just fine. What with the creepers along the brick walls, bats flitting from the chimney, and the vast graveyard behind the building—what wasn't there to love?

The raven paused for a moment to marvel at his home before he opened the gates to the main entrance. Calmly, he glided over the walkway and to the front door where he was met with an annoyed scream from inside. "… I wonder what it is this time…" He sighed and entered the rugged home.

Now, for normal people, their house would be…. Well, straight up disturbing. Among the various coffins and crucifixes scattered around the house there were also the occasional limbs and organs placed carelessly on table-tops. Several bottles of embalming fluids were left in cabinets, all of them containing a white-powdered handprint since the last time they were used. Almost every corner of the house had spider-webs fanned over the crevices and occasionally a rat or so would jump onto the table to nibble at an organ.

The strange part about this—most of this mess was done in one day. Sakyo really was the destructive type. Karasu didn't know how the man would survive if he went away without him. The house would probably be destroyed, no doubt. Filled to the brim with corpses—who knows?

While Karasu didn't really mind his father's line of work, he much preferred that the man keep these horrendous things in his study, not in the main hall. What would visitors say? Honestly!

"Father!" The man cried out and furiously kicked a rat to the side. He heard a shuffle from the room to his left and paced inside, holding the loaf of bread to his chest. Sakyo was hunched over a coffin, grumbling about the size of it and wondering why there wasn't a body lying inside. Karasu stood behind him, scowling. "WHAT the HELL did you DO?"

Sakyo tensed for a bit then glanced over his shoulder, cracking a tiny smile. "There was a train wreck… this morning… fifteen bodies! Oh, but one's missing… or did I already prepare it?" He frowned at the coffin again. "I honestly don't remember…"

"… I think you need a vacation…" Karasu sighed mournfully, eying the back of his father's head. "It seems you've become… detached. Just a bit." True, Sakyo had always been a creeper, fawning over dead bodies and bloody remains, but he used to be much more cheerful about his work. Since Karasu's mother died the man was a bit more distraught. He hardly ate, slept, or even breathed without it having something to do with his work. But of course, too much death for a person starts to take its toll on their minds. "Really, lets go somewhere," Karasu hummed while he laid the bread on a powdered and bloody table. "I hear the beach is fine this time of year…. Or a lake? Hell, maybe into town? You need to take a break from…. This." He gestured to a few of the coffins; some of them were for children, Sakyo's least favorite ones.

It took him a moment, but after a while the older man gave a small nod and rose to his feet. "Yes… yes, sure… a break…. You know, one of the men in the wreck had almost ALL of his bones broken! The major ones, anyway. Skull, femur… spine!" He added with a cackle.

This last bit of mirth made Karasu frown. Yes, it was time for his father to take a break. Maybe a more permanent one this time.

After ushering Sakyo off to his room, Karasu quickly set off to clean the house. This extra time also allowed him to contemplate on the best vacation for them both. Naturally, neither liked being in the sun too much, so his out-door suggestions were brushed aside. The Summer light would be far too murderous on their pale, sun-deprived skin as well. It was also best that they might go somewhere secluded, just so Sakyo could have a chance to relax before mingling in with people again. "Hmm…. A cabin might be…" Karasu smiled and gently brushed what looked like a liver into the waste bin he held under his arm. "Mother had a cabin just out in the country…. It's perfect!"

With their destination finalized, Karasu helped his father pack and summoned a carriage driver to escort them. Shortly they were on their way out of town and headed out towards the forest. Sakyo visibly relaxed in his seat and smiled out of the window. "Well… I had no idea it was already Summer… A lovely time of year… warm…"

"Much better than the cold chill of death, I'm sure." Karasu purred lowly and relaxed as well. Before long, the raven drifted into a light sleep, where a strange dream awaited him. At first he saw his mother, gentle and smiling, with her light brown hair flowing around her, but as soon as he reached for her she vanished, leaving behind a small rose bud in his open palm. The man gently turned the bud over, curious what it was for, barely even noticing the snow-coated shadow that crept over him. Just when he realized the creature was there and turned his head upward, he awoke with a jolt—startled awake by the booming thunder outside the carriage.

Confused at first, Karasu glanced over to his father who seemed greatly unsettled.

He turned his head to look out the window instead, frowning slightly at the thick sheet of rain surrounding them. The fact that it was already dark out just seemed to make matters worse, the raven wondered how the driver was even able to see in this weather. As if on cue, a bright bolt of lightning lit up the forest around them. For a second Karasu could have sworn he saw a silver creature in the trees, but the thought was quickly shaken out of him when the carriage gave a sharp tug.

"Ohhhh, this is NOT good!" Sakyo hissed lowly and clenched onto the seat. Karasu nervously opened the window to try and peer out to the front of the carriage. Apparently the horse was in a panic over the storm, but the driver was nowhere to be seen. Was he thrown off by the jolt? He wondered but gave a startled yelp when the carriage suddenly slipped off the muddy road. Sakyo instinctively wrapped Karasu in his arms as a sign of protection, but both of them went down with the wagon, neither one sure about what was happening.

The horse managed to break free, but the men had no such luck. Sakyo lost consciousness somewhere in the various tumbles of the cart, but Karasu remained awake and fearful, watching everything from the window opposite of them. At some point-the raven wasn't really sure when-the carriage came to a quivering stop on Sakyo's side, rain beating down through the broken window above.

He laid there tiredly across Sakyo's chest while fixing the other window with a blank stare. Occasionally he gave a wince of pain and thought that, surely, a bone or two might be broken… or worse? How many people have died from freak accidents in a buggy? He wondered dully, turning his head slightly from the beating rain. All he remembered last was seeing a dark shadow fall over them, but then, like most people in near-death situations, his body gave out and he fainted.

Karasu wasn't really sure how long he was out, or where he even was; all he knew was that when he finally came around he was in what felt like a bed, looking up at what seemed to be a… frog..?

Frightened, the raven gave a yelp and quickly sat up. The "frog" gave an equally loud yell and backed away from him. "Oh dear, I-I'm SO sorry, I didn't mean to…." The frog-man muttered. In actuality, he was just a hobbled old man with a pair of really large goggles placed over his eyes.

Upon realizing this, Karasu sighed in relief and passed a quivering hand over his face. He paused a bit and held out his hand, observing the bandages about his palm and wrist. "What….?"

"You and this poor man were really thrown for a loop!" The old fellow mumbled and removed his goggles. You'd swear the man was at least seventy with all the deep wrinkles about his face.

"Man….?" The raven frowned for a bit then gave a cry of horror before looking about the room. He spotted Sakyo in a bed just across from him, sleeping peacefully, but not moving at all. "… Is… is he…."

"Dead? No. Comatose? I'm not sure!" Their caretaker snipped and wobbled over to Sakyo. He lightly pinched the man's wrist and counted in his head for a bit, checking Sakyo's pulse. Karasu waited patiently until finally the frog-man dropped his father's wrist to the silken bed. "You see, I think the both of you have been here for two days or so. At least that's what that weird voice told me!" With a cackle, the old man paced back over and roughly grabbed Karasu's un-bandaged hand, furiously shaking it. "Doctor Millian, pleasure to meet you! I must say I'm not even sure how I got here! One moment I was passing through the park in town, and then all of a sudden I was whisked away to stay in this weird castle!"

Karasu blinked nervously and pulled his hand away, wondering if the man was senile. He seemed to fit the bill for a crazy person.

He decided to let the "voice" comment pass by and instead turned his head towards the large window. "We're in… a castle?" Slowly he moved from under the silken sheets of his queen-sized bed and placed his feet on the floor while looking about the room again, this time taking in the details. The room was indeed very large, at least compared to others he'd been to. The design was tastefully caught somewhere between a Victorian and Gothic influence, much to Karasu's interest. There was a lovely fireplace littered with quaint little knick-knacks, ornate candle-holders attached to the brick walls, and a large red-oak door just off to the side. He couldn't help but notice, however, that even with the bright glow from the midday light outside, the room seemed…. Depressing. The Raven also swore he saw flecks of snow on the window pane. Surely not, it's hardly close to winter…

Curiously, he pushed away from the bed and paced over to stare through the white-coated window. "It… really is snow," he whispered softly.

"Heh! Caught me off guard too, I say! The middle of Summer! Boiling hot, but we got snow. Madness!" The old man cackled behind him while folding a white sheet.

Karasu ignored him and watched a few small flurries drift down and onto the window pane. He did lean closer for a better view, but after placing his hand on the dusty, spider-webbed sill, he quickly withdrew his hand in disgust instead. Annoyed, he wiped the grime onto his pants, but stopped with a frown. "…. You changed my clothes." Instead of his nice black nobleman attire, the man was now clothed in yet MORE silk. And WHITE silk—Pajamas no less!

The raven cringed. "White? Really?"

"Well, not my choice I promise you! The voice gave them to me."

Karasu wondered if he should even bother asking anymore questions. He really couldn't contain it though: "So this voice. Does it know where we are?"

"Duh. Told ya'—a castle." Dr. Millian rolled his freakishly magnified eyes and grumbled crossly. "Kids these days. Don't listen."

"I suppose I should go see for myself then?" Karasu asked tiredly, pointing a pale finger toward the door. When the old "frog" didn't answer Karasu quickly shuffled from the room, casting a small worried glance to his father's still form before closing the door behind him with a gentle click.

Once the door closed Karasu found himself surrounded by chilling darkness. While the bedroom was warm and well lit, the hallway was pitch black and very eerie. The only sign of light was a small, barely noticeable sliver shining through from the window to his left. Just when the raven brushed his fingers over the velvet curtains he heard what sounded like claws rake over the stone floor behind him, followed by a gruff growl.

"Wait… leave it closed…" The voice murmured lowly.

Karasu froze on the spot and nervously gripped the curtain tighter. Turning around to face the creature really did no good as all the man could see was darkness. "… You must be the person that brought us here…?"

Whoever it was just gave another low growl and shuffled over the stone floor. Karasu pressed his back to the window. "… Why should I leave the curtain closed? I feel I have the right to see who you are. Or are you allergic to the light?"

"Allergic?" The newcomer purred, although it sounded very rough and tired. "I suppose you could say that… I do not wish to be seen."

With a frown, the raven tilted his head. "Why? You cannot possibly be that ugly, could you?"

"Extremely."

For a moment the man just stood there, gently stroking his forefinger over the curtain's fabric. Part of him really wanted to open them anyway and expose this unknown individual, but the other side of him knew that there must be some important reason for why the creature did not want to be viewed. Maybe he's missing an eye? Karasu assumed, correctly, that the person was male. Or maybe he's covered in giant warts and has a humped back? Whatever the reason, Karasu gave a defiant huff and threateningly moved the curtain an inch, allowing more light to shine in. His savior quickly swept out of the way. "However you look I am sure it will not bother me. My father has been tending to the dead for as long as I remember and my first play-toy was a misplaced liver" –Sakyo was a terrible parent—" so I am rather open-minded on these things."

The mysterious creature gave another low growl of discomfort. "I… am not sure…"

"Well I am." With that, Karasu pulled open the curtains, exposing the hallway to his view.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust with the light, but once they did he scanned the hallway for the individual. He saw him, curled up in a rather large ball just in the shadows at the end of the hallway. Despite the fact that his savior turned out to be a ten-foot-tall, furry, silver… thing, Karasu was pretty calm.

He stepped closer. "There now, you see? I told you I could handle it."

The creature just gave a beastly groan and slowly turned its muzzle towards Karasu. His nose and mouth were stained with partially dried and liquid blood and his fur was completely filthy, as if the thing hadn't bathed in a hundred years.

Undeterred by the blood, Karasu folded his hands behind the small of his back, smiling. "Now I may thank you properly for your help." He gave a humble bow and fixed him with a curious stare. "Going out on a limb here, but is your name Yoko?"

The silver fox lifted its head higher, ears perked. "You know my name…? How?"

"Ah, my friend actually. A young woman named Botan, she told me about you." Honestly, of all the stories she told me. Why couldn't the one with the magic lamp be true? "So… King Yoko. Why on earth are you such a mess?"

Yoko stared at him in disbelief. As if Karasu had to ask?

Sensing this, Karasu gave a meek smile. "Sorry, I guess I am still a bit frazzled. Really though, thank you so much for helping us."

"You are… welcome… I suppose…" The fox lowered his head and stretched out. Wordlessly, he began to circle the pale human, studying him. "… How are you not afraid of me?"

Karasu watched the beast, non-too-threatened. "I'm just not. Do you want me to be?"

"No…"

"Then what is the problem?"

Yoko stopped, one of his front paws raised in the air. He was so large compared to Karasu that the small man's shoulders were almost at the same level as the creature's belly. "I suppose… there is no problem."

"Good!" Karasu chimed and held out his bandaged hand. "Things could have been much worse without your help, so I shall have to repay you somehow." Looking past his hand, the raven spotted a huge and grotesque spider and winced in slight fear. "That widow is huge… you really need to clean this place."

"Hmmm... I would but… it is very hard to come across servants that can stand the sight of me." Yoko lowered his belly to the floor and peered up to the spider. He felt a bit embarrassed that Karasu found his home unsatisfactory, but completely relieved that the raven wasn't afraid of him.

Karasu watched the widow then glanced about the dusty, clawed up hallway. "… I could clean for you."

Yoko growled lowly. "Forget it. You are a guest."

"Yeah, well, you won't get that many more guests with a castle like this."

After a moment of contemplation Yoko finally gave a small nod and Karasu stepped away. "Lead me to the kitchen, will you? Or... wherever you keep your cleaning supplies. You do have water, right?"

"Ah… y-yes… water and electricity… but the breaker is down, so we should probably see to that first?" The silver fox lifted himself from the floor and padded after Karasu, purring lowly.

Karasu turned down a hallway and frowned. There was nothing but pitch black ahead of him, just like the last hallway was before he opened the curtain. Was the whole castle like this? It is so hard to see in here, how can Yoko even- His thoughts were broken when the man tripped over a stray stone. Quickly, he put out his hand to a wall and steadied himself, but jumped away just as fast when something tried to tap its spindly legs to his skin. "Yoko… Can you see in here?"

The large beast chuckled in a strange, growl-like manner. "Yes, and you should probably move away from that wall."

Karasu reached out and took hold of the beast king's bloody fur instead. "Why must you keep it so dark? Even when no one is around?"

"Because even I cannot stand the sight of me." Yoko stopped walking and turned his head to look at the man. Karasu was glancing blindly about the hallway. It was a good thing the raven could not see in the dark like him; otherwise he would have noticed yet another spider on his shoulder. Just when the tiny creature lifted its front legs to lunge at Karasu's cheek, the beast slipped out his tongue and swept the bug up, fearlessly munching it.

Karasu winced and pulled away from him, wiping off his shoulder and neck. "Ew! You have slugs in here too? Is... is that what that was?"

Yoko just growled and began down the hallway again. "Keep close. I'll lead you down stairs."

It took a bit of time to actually traverse through the castle—that place was HUGE! Karasu tried to count the different flights of stairs but he got lost somewhere between five and an accidental trip down the sixth. The raven could have sworn he heard the beast laugh in the dark at him but he decided to let it slide, for now.

Eventually they did reach the dining hall on the second floor where King Yoko led Karasu over to a large wall made entirely of glass windows. Once the curtains were drawn away Karasu could see the room and he was not particularly happy with it.

"I really have my work cut out for me... this place is filthy," he muttered to himself while feeling the long, dusty dining table. It must have stretched for ten yards.

"Karasu," Yoko called softly and turned his nose towards a set of double doors. "The basement is here. The generator should be down there but I do not know how to operate it."

Shortly after Karasu went into the basement the overhead chandelier flickered to life and a low hum arose from the kitchen in the other room. He returned with a smile, wiping off his hands. "We should probably have an electrician check it, but for now things seem to be fine. Let's go see about the water, yeah?"

Yoko curiously followed the man into his vast kitchen and sat down in the doorway to watch as he worked. Karasu was behaving as if Yoko was... well, normal. Obviously he was not and the beast need only look down to his bloody claws to remind himself. It was rather odd to have such a calm reaction to his form but also an incredible relief. He'd been here alone for so long, it was comforting to have a friend around.

"Did you hear me, Yoko?"

"Hmm?" The beast lifted his head and looked at the raven. "What?"

"I said I can't do anything with the water, it looks like the pipes may be corroded. We need to hire someone for that, too." Karasu glanced over his shoulder at the sink which was now covered in a red liquid from the rusted pipes. "And we should probably shop for a bit of food, don't you think? The doctor and I can't stay here and not eat."

"Yes... of course..." Yoko lowered his torso to the floor in shame. Terrible host, that's him! "Sorry..."

"Huh?" Karasu blinked then laughed. "Oh, come on don't be. It's so weird to see a fox apologize. Look it's fine; apparently you've been hunting and I'm all for it but a human can't just live on meat, y'know?"

Yoko nodded and laid his chin to the floor, looking up at the man.

Karasu wasn't really sure how to react to this sudden cuteness. Didn't Botan say the beast was all furious and what-not from being turned into a monster? The creature before him was just... pathetic. But in a really cute way. Curiously, he knelt down, resting his wrists on his knees. "... You're not what I pictured when Botan told me about you."

Yoko's left ear perked up high. "I am not?"

"Yeah, I mean... Shouldn't you be freaking out and trying to eat me or something? Aren't you mad about the curse?"

Feeling insulted, Yoko gave a low, non-threatening hiss. "Of course I am! Can you just imagine being this way for more than ten years? I'm not even sure how long it HAS been. Long enough for this mess to happen!" He flicked his tail across the floor, sending a giant wave of dust into the cabinets.

Karasu watched until the dust flurries died down then turned his gaze back to the fox. "... Isn't there a way it can be broken or something?" He stopped, remembering what Botan had said. "... 'You will live here alone, as a monster, until the day that you might find someone capable of loving the horrid creature you are inside;' that's what my friend told me. Is that true?"

Yoko snorted and turned his head to the side. If looks could kill then the castle floor would be up in flames. "That stupid witch... Yes, that's what she said to me. But who in their right mind would fall for... THIS?" He gave a furious growl and scraped his left paw over the floor while raising his head. "No-one has even come here in years! It's like they don't even notice a giant castle where it always snows!"

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" Karasu asked in a bored tone. If this fox was about to have a temper tantrum then he was leaving, sick father and all.

"Ugh." The Fox King lowered his head again, ears drooped. "It has not stopped snowing since that day... the snow isn't even cold but it falls constantly. I'm surprised the entire castle isn't buried."

"Maybe it's just the witch's way of a cruel joke?" He slapped his knees and stood up again with a sigh. "Anyway, I'm bored. So unless you want to help me clean I suggest you just let me do my work, alright?"

"... Sure..." He looked up at the Raven with a pitiful stare but the man just turned to explore for cleaning items, leaving him alone in the kitchen. Yoko finally had someone to talk to and it was a mouthy goth boy. Go figure, right?

With a low growl of defeat, the beast lifted himself from the floor and exited back to his dark and clawed corridors.

Despite Karasu's cleaning prowess, the man was greatly outmatched by the castle. The kitchen and dining room alone took him five hours to dust completely and that was without scrubbing the animal waste stains and washing the moth-eaten curtains. He knew he needed help and a lot of it, but he also knew that Yoko would freak and have a fox-fit if a crowd of people stormed the castle.

The raven paused, leaning on an old broom. Such a weird guy King Yoko was. Instead of a ferocious beast the fellow was more like a puppy. A huge, creepy, blood-coated puppy. Already Karasu found himself comfortable at the castle with this large creature. Probably because he finally found something weirder than him whereas back home he was the creepy kid, the son of the insane mortician. Here he was rather normal, especially compared to the frog doctor Millian.

A lump caught in the raven's throat when he recalled his father, up several flights up above him and unconscious. How long would they have to stay here? Would Sakyo ever even wake up?

He quickly pushed the thought aside and began sweeping the tiled kitchen floors again. He could at least finish these two rooms before turning in for the day. Maybe tomorrow he could convince Yoko to open more curtains and then do a bit of shopping for food.

Morning came much faster than he had anticipated and Karasu awoke to the full effect of the rising sun beaming into the dining hall. The electricity had long since gone out overnight, just as Karasu assumed it would. That would need to be fixed.

Yawning loudly, he flicked a spider from his shoulder and rose from a freshly cleaned chair to stretch. The dining hall looked, for the most part, like it had been built yesterday. The only things that needed fixing were, obviously, the torn and moth-eaten curtains and rug. Those could easily be replaced, if Yoko had any money to spare.

After a bit of stretching, yawning, and back-cracking the man wandered up stairs back to his room. He stopped only to open every single curtain he could find, making insects and rats scurry from the harsh light. He became lost several times but finally came across the right door and gently knocked before entering.

Dr. Millian was curled up in a chair in the corner, fast asleep. Unfortunately, Sakyo was also still deep into his own comatose slumber. With a small sting in his eyes the raven approached his father's bed and slowly sat down upon it, leaning over him. He recalled many, many mornings where he had to rouse Sakyo from his sleep and wondered when he would ever see the man open his eyes again. With a pained sigh he leaned down and pressed his hand to the older man's forehead. "... Hello father. Good morning..."

Despite Karasu's expectation of a returned greeting, Sakyo stayed completely still and silent.

With another sigh the raven slipped from his father's bed and went over to their pile of luggage near the window. King Yoko must have had Millian bring in their cases should they need them.

After checking to make sure Millian was still asleep the raven quickly changed into a dark red outfit and tossed his dusty one aside. Once he felt clean enough and gathered what money he had, the man went back into the hallway and closed the door. He debated on calling for Yoko but instead went back down to try and find the main entrance.

Thankfully he didn't even need to call the fox as the large beast snuck from the shadows just as he reached the foyer. "Where are you going...?"

Karasu jumped slightly and heaved a sigh. He turned to look at the fox who was somehow bloodier than he remembered. "Shopping. We need food, remember?"

Yoko shuffled closer and circled him. "Without money?"

"I'm not THAT poor, you know. I have money," the raven hissed back and jingled a large purse of coins.

Yoko curled his lip up at the pouch. "You said we needed to hire people too. For the lights and water. You need a lot more to pay for them, don't you?"

"What, now?" Karasu blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Thought you hated people being around?"

"But it needs to be done soon. Who knows when your father will wake up." Yoko stopped walking and dropped his hind quarters to the carpeted floor. "Besides... I could hide in my room. As long as they do not come near me, I am fine."

"Well they'll have to go to all the water sources in the castle. It'll be pretty crazy around here for, what, a couple months? Depending on how many people we hire."

Yoko's ears immediately pressed to his head. "Months? That... I cannot handle that, Karasu."

"Well if we're lucky maybe it isn't that serious? I mean the plumbing does seem fine, really it's just the water's rusty. I don't really know that much about it, so it could just be nothing. I'll hire someone anyway to check it out, alright?"

The beast nodded. "And... I still have quite a good bit of money around here. You are free to use it for anything you need. You may have to have some things appraised, however."

Damn the rich people for having it so easy. Karasu forced a smile. "I'll keep that in mind. Do you know which way the nearest town is from here?"

"Of course. Here, let me show you to the stables first."

Naturally, Karasu's first instinct when he stepped outside of the castle was to turn and look up at the old structure. His jaw dropped in amazement as he registered several different towers piercing the sky. Some areas had open-air hallways with aged white draperies flailing from the wind. He wondered how many rooms there just might be; surely there were over a thousand.

The entire castle itself was white, but not just from the snow. He noted that each surface stone of the castle was polished marble and Karasu could not help but step close to the monument and brush his hand over the white stone, smiling at the intricate golden designs laid into them. "My God... these must have taken FOREVER to make."

"Yes, well, only the best," Yoko barely looked at the stones. "Only the ones up to twenty feet are designed, the others were just made to look the same, since no one outside will see them up close, anyway. Come on."

Karasu frowned slightly and took off after the fox. Everywhere he looked the Raven saw white, only this time it really was from the endless snow. Instead of crunching under his feet like normal, the flurries blew about like dust, coating his dark shoes. With a sigh he tugged at the collar of his vest. For some reason, despite the strange snow, the effects of Summer were still in the air. "How... in the WORLD is it so hot?"

Yoko turned his furry head to look at the man, speaking sarcastically. "I TOLD you the snow was not cold." He looked back ahead of him and through a lattice archway covered in white-stained wisteria vines. "Even the garden is growing like normal."

"Really?" Karasu stepped into the archway and peered into the castle garden.

One thing could be said to relate Karasu to the original Beauty—he LOVED red roses. His mother always kept a small rose garden just outside Karasu's bedroom window. He could not wait until Spring rolled around and the flowers began to bloom so that he and his mother could lay beneath the bushes in their own small haven. Just the two of them, smiling.

Yoko's garden, however, was more like a springtime paradise with roses as far as the eye could see. While the outside of the garden was lined with trimmed wisteria, the inside was composed of nothing but specially planted, blood red roses. The only thing that took away from this glorious sight was, again, the odd weather conditions. With a lukewarm smile, Karasu stepped over and gently took a rose into his hand. Instantly, the false snow melted at his touch, leaving the rose powder free. "... Well that's... weird..." He touched another, smaller rose, and stared as the snow once again faded. Looking back he could see that wherever Yoko touched the snow it merely clung to him instead of evaporating. Maybe... I guess this snow is a way to torture him? No matter what he does the snow would just stick here...

To prove the Raven's silent point, Yoko passed by a stray wisteria branch. Whatever snow he knocked off was instantly replaced by the falling flurries. Either Yoko did not notice or... he just stopped caring.

"Come on, the stables are this way," the Fox king hissed lowly, passing on through the garden to another archway.

Karasu took one last look at the prized garden and followed him.

Once he reached the stables the Raven instantly smiled again. "You saved the horse, too," he chuckled lightly and went over to the first stall. The cream-colored horse from his and Sakyo's carriage snorted at him and lowered her head for a pet. "I was actually worried she would get lost, such a pretty girl." He cooed to the mare, but stopped when a thought occurred to him. Curiously he turned to face Yoko who remained at the entrance, trying not to frighten the horse. "... What about our driver? What happened to him?"

Yoko lifted one ear and gave his head a curious tilt. "You had a driver? I never saw one, even when I saw you enter my part of the forest, just before the storm hit." He dropped that ear and raised his back legs to stand. "I thought it was odd you did not have one, but then again times have changed. I... I don't know where he went, honest. There was no driver, Karasu."

"A... alright..." Karasu turned his head back to his new friend, stroking her tangled mane. Surely the driver wouldn't just jump off and leave them on their own? The carriage wasn't even theirs, much less the horse. As if sensing his thoughts, the mare cast an abandoned look to his face, snorting quietly. "... Such a cruel man; leaving an Angel like you behind." With a smile the raven took up a brush from the straw-coated stable and unlatched her door. "C'mon girl. Lets get you fixed up, huh?"

Yoko seated himself again and watched Karasu tend to the female mount, waiting patiently. He felt proud that Karasu appreciated his gift. Which, it's not really THAT much of a gift when Karasu was supposed to have the horse anyway; but who cares about details? The point is, Karasu was smiling and Yoko felt relieved that he could reward the man for his service. However, he could not shake a small pang of dread. Part of him, the silly dreamer, hoped that the first visitor he would receive would be, well... a woman. Despite his doubts of love the fox did pray for the curse to be broken. It was the only thing he wanted. This castle, his treasure, none of it mattered anymore. He just wanted to be free.

Karasu looked up from his brushing and sneaked a glance at the fox. The poor creature seemed broken and Karasu honestly did not know what to do about it. He wasn't really that much of a people person, hard as he tried.

Instead of asking what was wrong the raven diverted his attention back to Angel, his new steed. "So, you'll point me to town and I'm supposed to hire any and everyone we need?"

Yoko lifted his head then lowered it again. "... Yes. A plumber, electrician, I honestly do not care what you do to the castle at this point."

Karasu slowed his strokes through Angel's mane and cast a worried look to the fox. He... really was sad. Karasu honestly wished he knew what to do but... he couldn't think of a single thing. Except...

With a pitying smile, the tall man turned toward his king. "How about this—we fix up the castle and then we hold a ball for all the girls we can find?"

Yoko snorted, not even entertaining himself with the thought. "They would run screaming."

"No, but see." Karasu tossed the horse brush aside, smirking slightly from his new idea. "What was the one issue you had for the past few years when people saw you?"

"... Fur?" Yoko flicked his tail.

"Nope."

"... Teeth?"

"Noooooo," Karasu shook his head.

"I... I don' t know... my size, how I look? My voice?"

"No, no, and your voice is fine, really. Do you give up?"

The beast tilted his head, feeling a tad bit annoyed. "Karasu I hate games like t—"

"You did not have ME," the Raven smiled, deciding to spare the king any more guessing.

Yoko really did not see the importance. "Karasu... honestly, what does this—"

"It's perfect; before I came here you had to do all this on your own. When you met people you had to seek them out and it would frighten them but I"—he placed his hands to his own dark-clad chest—"I could be your middle man. I can handle the food, talk to the ladies, I can tell them about you and I can set up your dates. All you have to do is remain in the shadows and occasionally speak just so they know I am not making you up."

Yoko's golden eyes widened. He liked this idea, he really did. Why did it not occur to him? "Do you... really think you are up for that?"

"Sure!" Karasu waved his hand dismissively. "I like organizing things." Of course he did, his mother was always the go-getter of the family and his biggest dream was to be like her; the woman that could handle anything. Only... well, you know. A MAN that could handle anything.

Feeling much better, the fox eagerly got to his feet. His silver tail thrashed wildly behind him in excitement. "A... and then this curse will be through?"

"Bet your fur it will." Karasu laughed at the reaction, mentally labeling Yoko as a large puppy once and for all, then patted Angel's back. "Help me get her suited up so I can ride, fox-man! We have a castle to fix up!"

It was not long before the Raven returned, bringing a caravan of carts with him. Yoko was forced to retreat to his room while the crews did their work surveying and decorating the castle.

Thankfully, the plumbing was not as bad as Karasu thought. You see, the pipes and all were put in just before the curse, so they were not used that much. They were simply filled with vermin and gunk that was easily flushed out.

The same went for the electricity; the generator just needed a few small replacements to cure its assault from rats and rust.

The real issue, according to the decorator Karasu hired, was the furniture. Immediately the androgynous man dropped down to his knees with a loud scream at the moth-eaten mess. Karasu stood there, too shocked to say anything.

"Oh. My. GOD. Will you just LOOK at the foyer? It... oh God!" His assistant fanned him while trying not to faint himself.

"Is... is it... that bad?" Karasu really did not see the issue. I mean, it was just furniture. It's nothing to freak out about, right?

"IS. IT. THAT. BAD? Jeremy, Jeremy do you HEAR this man?" After wiping a tear from his eye, the decorator rose to his feet and his assistant, Jeremy, quickly brushed the dust from his knees. "Darling, I would hope a beautiful man such as yourself could understand this damage. Dearest, ALL of this needs to be fixed. The walls are lovely, in all their milky white goodness and gold trim but honey this design is just... ohgosh. It's SO old! You need something fresher. We are in the age of motorized mills, honey, so we need to repreSENT it! You hear me?"

"... Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just don't go into any of the locked rooms or hallways, alright?" Karasu made sure to get the skeleton key from King Yoko and passed through the castle to lock each and every room he thought they would not need. Needless to say, the only areas open were seven spare bedrooms, the main rooms like the kitchen and dining hall, and of course the library. Yoko insisted the ballroom be left the way it was so Karasu jotted a note and placed it on the door beforehand, reading "CLEAN ONLY No design." He also blocked off his father's resting room and informed Millian of all the events. Doctor Millian did not mind keeping away from the working crews since he was a little... froggy around company. (Pard the pun.)

Karasu informed Millian that it should, hopefully, not take too long for the designing, so there was no reason for him to start a fight. Although, the raven really could not imagine what WOULD cause Millian to argue with their guests. Maybe too many people cracked jokes at his glasses?

Upon request, no-one was to touch the stables or the garden. This suited their visitors just fine, however since the fake snow slightly weirded them out. Within a day the electrician and plumber left, leaving only the designing crew and several maids that Karasu hired. As nighttime drew closer, however, Karasu found himself unlocking more guests rooms for the crew to stay the night while they waited on their furniture orders.

After scolding them all, very thoroughly, about how no-one was to go any higher than the floor they stayed on, Karasu made his way up two more flights and unlocked the passageway into the middle tower. This tower was the largest of all the others and, obviously, where Yoko's bedchamber was.

Slightly weary from a long day of androgynous translations and yelling at the maids, Karasu paced through the open-air passageway to Yoko's room. Halfway he stopped and looked between the white stone pillars at the grounds below. In the pale moonlight he could just make out the rose garden and gave a tired smile at the sight. Up high he could easily see that the rose bushes were carefully placed to form the line art of another open rose, surrounded with a violet ribbon veiled by the snow. "Cute," he spared an appreciative chuckle and continued on to the Fox King's dorm.

The Raven stopped and gently knocked at the large white doors. "King Yoko?"

It took a moment but Karasu was answered with a low growl. The lock clicked and he went inside.

His first impression of the room was, of course, a negative one. This one large room was somehow more of a wreck than the kitchen and foyer combined. The furniture was all but falling apart and clawed beyond recognition, the balcony doors were permanently torn open from one of Yoko's fur-fits long ago, and the floor was littered with remnants of the King's hunted meals. As if this wasn't enough, large rats were gnawing on the animal carcasses and leaving nasty leftovers of their own.

"... Alright, this is just sick. YOKO?" Karasu covered his nose and attempted to step around the mess. It would have to be cleaned, somehow. It MUST. "Do you have any idea how many diseases you could die from in this damn room?" he hissed and glanced about. Yoko left the light on but it only illuminated the area near his door and nothing else. He stopped at the edge of the shadows and folded his arms. "Dammit, Yoko, come into the light right now!"

Hesitantly, Yoko emerged; his ears were drooped in anticipation of a scolding. "... Yes, Karasu...?"

The Raven narrowed his violet eyes and pointed to the remains of a large buck. Why Yoko dragged the creature up here was unknown to him. "From now on you eat outside. This is NOT hygienic."

Yoko nodded and lowered his head to the nasty floor in shame.

The rats looked up at Karasu as if they knew what he said and hissed. The tall man just kicked one out of the balcony entrance, eyes trained to Yoko's. The rat squeaked and flew out into the night. "Now help me clean, these things are annoying."

Yoko looked down at the rodents then back to Karasu. Then, to Karasu's horror, the beast snapped up the nearest carcass and the poor unfortunate rat attached to it. All of the other rats went into a screeching uproar and ran for the door, wiggling under it to get away.

While Yoko munched on the week-old body, bones and all, his friend stared and turned slightly green.

"D... did you just..." Karasu covered his mouth.

The fox ceased his chewing and lowered his head again, swallowing nervously. After licking his teeth clean, he spoke lowly. "I... I'm sorry. I meant to eat it sooner but I just... I haven't had that much of an appetite, lately..."

From the amount of remains in the room Karasu had a hard time believing that one. He closed his eyes and slowly took his hand away to draw in a calming breath. "... Alright. I'll ignore that, because the crunching noises made me sick. Just don't eat something like that again without warning me, alright?"

Yoko nodded shamefully and brushed his tail over the floor. He waited for Karasu to speak again but the Raven just stood there, eyes closed. "... Are you upset with me?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. The stench is causing my eyes to sting." Karasu rubbed his eye then sighed. "You have a bathroom in here right?"

"Yeah..." The furry King nodded his head to a door on the right, barely hidden by the shadows. "And it should be somewhat clean. I never go in there."

Karasu instantly went to the door. "Sweep this mess to the side then come in."

The beast frowned but did as the Raven asked. Using his tail as a broom, the creature swept his meals out of the "window" in his wall. Later on Karasu would realize that this mess would be stuck to one of the castle rooftops and be surrounded with buzzards. Yoko was rather lazy though, so he did not feel like mentioning his cleaning failure. Once he thought he was done, the fox trotted over to the open bathroom door and peeked inside.

The room really was rather clean, aside from dust. Karasu was busy rinsing out the large tub which was always too spacious for Yoko as a human but now was a perfect fit to his beast form. Sensing what Karasu was about to force him into, he hissed, the fur on his tail sticking straight out. "NO."

Karasu didn't even look up. "Get the hell over here or I'll shave you bald."

Yoko growled lowly but did as the man wished and stepped close to the tub. Karasu laid out a carrying case filled with odd trimmers and nail files. Yoko turned his nose up at them. "I do not see the point in this..."

"I don't care. You're getting a bath and you will like it." The Raven plugged the tub and cut on the faucet.

Lowering his head with a hiss the king watched as the tub filled. Why did he have to go through this torture?

His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of snipping scissors. He blinked and looked back to his tail then growled. "WHAT are you doing?"

Karasu glared at him, holding the beast's large tail. "Cutting out all this crap you call food. You have dead creatures, blood, and briars all over you. Not to mention this." He took a pair of tweezers and reached into Yoko's thick fur. After a quick pinch and tug the man withdrew a tick the size of a human eyeball. Yoko stared in shock. "This little thing really seems to think you're delicious. Say hello to your host, Ticky." He mockingly waved the insect at Yoko. The creature just flailed until Karasu took it over and dropped it into a trash bin, mentally noting to burn it and any other ticks he found.

Yoko watched Karasu as he then stepped over and turned off the water, figuring there was enough. "... Thanks..." He glanced sheepishly to the floor.

"No problem. Just let me do what I'm here to do, alright? We had a deal that I would clean and fix this place up to help break your curse, and in return I get to stay here until my father recovers. We can't break this curse if you smell like a dead buzzard, can we?" Karasu dipped his hand into the water then went back over to the beast, taking up his scissors once more.

"I... I guess not..." He lowered himself to give Karasu a better reach at his matted fur.

Karasu set to work and began snipping. Despite how tired he was from his eventful day, the man knew that this needed to be done. The fox's fur was so stained with blood that Karasu seriously wondered if it would come out pink after the wash. He stifled a few yawns and continued cutting; occasionally he asked Yoko to step into the water to rinse off any stray hairs and debris. Within two hours, the fox was perfectly trimmed and tick free. Karasu actually counted: twenty seven eyeball-sized ticks, five bones, a cricket, and an ass-load of fleas. Hopefully the fleas would come out by the time he finished cleaning his foxy friend.

Feeling much more tired than when he began, the raven let out the water to clean the tub again. Now he just needed to wash the beast and file his claws. And... then clean his teeth. And his ears. And... his nose. Karasu shuddered at this, but pressed on.

Yoko, feeling a tad naked with less fur, took a spin around in a circle to try and see himself. "I... feel so light. And less fluffy!" He caught sight of his own rump which used to be rather messy but, well, Karasu had to clean that, too. Yoko gave a nervous cough and looked at the man. "Sorry again about, you know..."

"It's not your fault, it happens all the time with animals." Karasu held a hand to his mouth and yawned while waiting for the water to fill up. "Hmm... alright, get in."

The fox quickly did as he was told and stepped into the water. He laid belly-down and gazed at Karasu, waiting patiently.

Once the water reached Yoko's shoulder level Karasu turned it off and took up a scrubbing brush he borrowed from the stables. He looked out towards the fox then frowned when he realized the beast was out of reach. "... I suppose I have to get in, too," he sighed while setting the brush down. Yoko watched him as he shed his shirt and pants, leaving on his dark, black under-shorts. "Laugh and I'll kill you," the Raven hissed when Yoko's furry lips curled into a grin.

The actual washing process took roughly another hour and a half, leading the two well into the dark morning. It must have been nearly one AM by the time Yoko was clean, and Karasu's sleep-deprivation was really starting to affect him. At one point, Karasu did in fact drift off into a light sleep. He was leaning against Yoko while trying to wash his back but the soft fur relaxed him. Yoko wiggled from side to side until Karasu woke up and the Raven set back to work.

With all the gunk washed away, Yoko really did seem more stunning than frightening. His silver fur glistened, and his eyes appeared to glow a bit brighter without globs of eye residue clouding them. He growled appreciatively to Karasu as the man dried off. "Thank you, Karasu. This really means a lot to me," the fox purred and stepped from his red-stained bath.

Karasu just gave a small nod and tugged at the plug's chain, allowing the water and a few diver fleas to slip down the drain. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hmmm. Come here; let me dry you a bit." Yoko did as he was asked and Karasu wiped away as much water as he could before taking up the claw-files he brought. "Paws out."

With a sneer, the fox obeyed, resting on his hind legs with his front paws slightly raised to Karasu. After the nails came Yoko's nose, and the beast shied away from him when he tried to wiggle a towel up his nostrils. "No! Skip the nose! Skip it!"

The man chuckled lightly and pressed against Yoko's furry neck to reach his ears instead. "Alright, but we at least need to clean these. I see another tick in there." After the beast's ears were nice and clean, Karasu took a large toothbrush to the king's mouth. He was amazed the creature's teeth had not fallen out already.

Yoko studied his young friend while he worked. He felt a bit embarrassed to be messed over like this and it was even worse because Karasu looked so ragged and worn out. When the man pulled away and told him he was through, Yoko purred lowly and swept his neck and paw around him in an awkward hug. "... Thanks."

Karasu just nodded and closed his eyes. "Mhm... just try not to get too messy and we won't have to do this so often." He gave another yawn and this time Yoko could swear he heard the man's jaw crack.

The beast held his hug, and curled up close enough so that his tail brushed around Karasu. "You can rest, you know."

"I will when I reach my bed..." Karasu answered groggily, though he obviously made no move to leave from where he was now.

Yoko turned slightly on his side, pulling Karasu up into his fur-coated embrace. The man barely muttered a comment about wet fur, but allowed for the change in position. Pretty soon, the little crow was out cold and Yoko smiled. The least he could do was help Karasu have a nice night's sleep before that weird, squealing man woke up and started barking demands.

He watched the Raven sleep for a few moments then lowered his own head to the floor, purring deeply.

The next morning did not start off well.

"OH. MY. GOD. WHAT IS THIIIIIISSSS?"

Karasu awoke to the most annoying scream and bolted up right. He was seated on the bathroom floor and curled up snugly in Yoko's silver tail. The beast was still asleep, though starting to stir awake from the noise. At first, he could not comprehend where he was but everything quickly set in the more he heard that annoying voice resonating from King Yoko's room.

...

... A voice in Yoko's room?

Karasu jumped to his feet and rushed out of the bathroom. Yoko barely looked up before the raven slammed the door behind him and looked across the blood-stained floor to Larry, the androgynous decor designer. "W-what are you DOING here?" Karasu hissed, protectively barring the bathroom door.

Larry looked like he was about to faint. His assistant furiously fanned him with his clipboard. "O... oh my God... I... I came to look for you and... and THIS is what I find? OMIGOD, KARASU!"

"I TOLD you to stay on the LOWER levels!" Karasu was beginning to think that hiring this man was a dangerous idea. If Larry had not thankfully been stalled by Yoko's room, then he could have waltzed right in and seen the beast. The crow tried not to imagine how annoying Larry's scream would be if he did see the fox.

Larry tugged out a kerchief and placed it to his mouth. "Oh this is horrible... this MUST be fixed. And that balcony my goodness!"

Karasu growled, almost sounding like Yoko. "GET. OUT. You are NOT allowed in this room!"

The designer and his assistant backed away and Larry gave a sassy hiss. "Mreeeoooow, Kara-baby. Look, this is the pretty king's room, RIIIIGHT? So he totally CANNOT live like this. The poor dear doesn't even have a bed!"

Karasu glanced over near the balcony. True, much like the rest of the furniture, the Fox King's bed was in tatters and eaten down to almost nothing. He knew Yoko's room did need to be cleaned, and Larry was offering. What could it hurt? With a defeated sigh, the man straightened himself. "Alright... alright, you win. You may fix this room up, but ONLY with my supervision. Otherwise you will stay on the lower levels; I mean it, Larry. Do not come up here without me. Got it?"

Larry gave a delighted squee and clapped his hands together. "WONDERFUL! Any specific demands?"

Karasu recalled Yoko's large size. "The biggest and strongest bed you can find. He carries a lot of weight to bed, if you catch my understanding?"

The man's cheeks went pink and he and Jeremy shared a giggle. "Oh dear, quite the player, eh? I figured as much from the picture we found! He really is a foxy king, for sure!"

Karasu paled. "... Fox? How did you know...?"

"Honey, I told you, his picture! Ohmy that long silver hair, those gold eyes and that pale n' milky skin! Fan me, Jer!" Jeremy quickly did as he was asked. "Oh Karasu, you simply must see! Come, come, we put the painting up in the dining hall!" He turned to leave.

The crow gave a relieved sigh at the mention of skin, Yoko's secret was safe. Despite his curiosity to see Yoko's painting, he muttered, "It will have to wait. I need to stay here with the King."

"Oh, boo! Well, come meet us downstairs when you get done messing with the sexy man, m'kaaay?" The two shared another giggle and left the room.

Now Karasu really was curious. He wanted to know what Yoko looked like before the curse. For Larry to be this "faboo" over him, Yoko must have looked amazing.

Ignoring his piqued interest, the crow slowly opened the bathroom door. The large fox stared back at him, chin on the floor. "... Hello, Yoko. Did you hear all that?"

"Apparently I am quite the catch, as a human," he purred with a bored tone then rose to his feet. "So they found the painting... I thought you locked away the doors?"

"I thought I did, too. Sneaky jerks must have snuck through." Karasu sighed, he really hated this. "I'll lock them again and place warnings on the doors. Who knows, maybe the locks were just broken?"

Yoko just pushed past him and into his Larry-targeted room. "... Must he really change this?"

"Afraid so. It desperately needs to be cleaned. Speaking of which, I need to get a bath and tend to all this decoration mess. Stay hidden, alright? Go into the woods until nightfall if you don't feel safe here. Just stay out of sight." Karasu quickly strode to the door and exited the room.

"Oh... uh... alright..." Yoko laid his head on the stained floor to think for a moment, and then rushed out of the balcony to make his escape.

Once Karasu washed away all the dust and changed into a clean set of clothes, he decided to visit his immobile father, before braving the decor tornado downstairs. When he entered the room the man had to choke back a startled cry.

Sakyo really did not look well. From what Millian said, the man was out two days since the accident, and their stay here in the castle was pushing another three. Karasu's father was becoming rather thin and the Raven worried that he may not live very long in his current state.

Dr. Millian confirmed his thoughts when he held up Sakyo's wrist to check his pulse. "... I'm afraid, fella, that your old man here... Unless he wakes up within the next two days, he may just starve to death. I've been giving him water and soups, but getting an unconscious person to swallow isn't that easy. He needs to wake up n' get some real food." The old frog said this calm enough, like how he would to another patient. That only seemed to anger Karasu, but Millian paid no mind. "Not t'mention he was kinda ill before he got here. Barely ate when he was awake, eh? Surprised he isn't gone yet."

Karasu squared his jaw and strode over to Sakyo's side. "... He WILL wake up. So just do what you are here for and try everything you can to keep him going." No frog was going to discourage him—Sakyo would wake up. He had to. Mother was already...

The crow reached out and gently brushed Sakyo's dark hair back. The man continued to sleep. "... Try everything you can to wake him, please?"

Millian watched him and nodded silently.

Karasu hesitated a moment, but finally turned and left the room.

"Oh Kara-Babyyyy! There you are!" Larry turned from his assistant and glanced up to Karasu as he descended the staircase. "Ooo, and I am totally digging the threads!"

Karasu barely glanced down to his outfit. It was rather unintentional, but he really was dressed more like a butler with a crisp, red shirt and a black waistcoat with tails. Most of his clothes were a tad fancy, but that's just the way Karasu was. He reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. "Wow... this place is... amazing."

Larry did-indeed do a good job with the foyer. Since the stones of the castle were white, Larry figured he should stick with the white and gold trim. To add more color, he had his crew lay out dark red rugs and carpets. The tables were made of a charming cherry wood, and decorated in rose and vine carvings. Karasu was impressed. "I actually like this... Nice work, Larry."

"Oh but you ain't seen nothin yet, doll! C'mere, c'mere!" Larry strode off towards the dining all, clapping eagerly. "Now the silver is just wooonderful! We picked out nice tea-sets, dining utensils, and napkins! But I still say the best alteration to this room was the painting we found! Omigod, it's Faboooo!"

Karasu tried not to retch from Larry's voice. "Uh... yeah, about that. Stop going into places I told you not to, Larry. I'm serious. If you do it again you won't be paid."

Larry's happy face dropped. "Awww, well that's just not nice. I suppose you have your reasons though. Alriiight!" He held up his right hand. "No more snoopin' like a li'l mouse. Now can I show you? Gosh!" With a proud grin, Larry tossed open the large dining room doors.

Karasu stepped inside and looked down the long dining room table towards a painting at the far end. He could hardly see from so far away, so he headed down the long table, lightly trailing his fingertips over the laced table-cloth. Once he reached the painting he glanced up and tilted his head at the man shown in the picture.

King Yoko really was something, as a human. He had long, silver hair that trailed down his back. His skin was pale and milky, which really helped his golden eyes shine. It was rather hard to guess the man's height, since the painting only covered him from waist up, but judging by Yoko's shoulders and arm length he must have had a few good feet to him. There was one thing seriously wrong with the painting, however.

Karasu tilted his head to the other side and narrowed his eyes. He was trying to mimic the un-characteristic glare on the painted king's face. "Yoko is not THAT mean looking..." The giant and meek fox was nothing like this pompous, overly dressed king at all. He wondered if the scowl was added by the painter or if Yoko really used to be so cruel-looking.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, melodic chime that spread through the castle. He blinked curiously and turned to look back at Larry. "What's that?"

"I dunno..." Larry looked up and the noise sounded again. He snapped. "Ohyeah! Must be the doorbell we fixed!" With a giggle of glee he rushed from the room. "OMIGOSH, I HOPE IT'S THE NEW SATIN CURTAAAAINS!"

Karasu took one last look at the painting and hurried after Larry.

By the time he reached the main door, Larry had already stepped outside and was speaking to someone that Karasu could not quite see from his angle. He straightened his waistcoat and went closer, peering out at the visitor. He almost gasped at the beautiful creature he saw.

Her name was Hiena, from what she told Larry, and her carriage got bogged down a little ways away in the forest. Even though the woman's dress was trimmed with mud and her hair was a mess, Karasu could still see her confident beauty. She had peach-like skin with pink accents to her cheeks. Her eyes were strange, being ruby red, but her hair was even more bizarre. Most of her waist-length tresses were black, but the tips were blue and her bangs had occasional flecks of white in them—

Kurisha scrunched her nose. "... Dad, did you turn uncle Hiei into a girl?"

"... Maybe?" Karasu tapped his fingers nervously. He was bad at making up new characters. Wasn't that obvious from the last fairy tale? "OK, so I did."

"He'd soooo beat you up." Hione giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Can I continue now?" The girls nodded, so he picked back up...

-*~^~*- End of Part One. -*~^~*-