"Fractured!"

Chapter 2

xX "'I will give you for a gift,' continued the fairy, 'that at every word you speak there shall come out of your mouth either a flower or a jewel'…"xX

It was a beautiful day in the woods, with the magical flowers sparkling in the sun and the not-so-magical ones standing in their simple beauty. Little white rabbits ran around playing with one another and frogs hopped left and right in the ponds. Birds called to one another, giving the forest a little sound.

And where was Kurama, wielder of plants? Why, he was cooped up in a black carriage, thinking of ways to sway a beautiful princess to marry an ugly, mentally disturbed king. Yes, he was in quite a predicament, even for his level of intelligence.

He had already given up on good points about the king himself, for Kurama knew very well he had none. He had turned, now, to the gloomy castle Karasu lived in. In the time before his imprisonment, he'd had a few months of slight solitude in the castle. What was there? He thought. Was there anything to please a young lady?

Kurama struck an idea, pulling out his writing book and pen and asking the driver to stop (The ride, being quite bumpy, would not do for writing.). The coachman stopped the carriage, opening the door and showing him out. The monster kept an eye on Kurama, in case the fox decided to run away. He did not, sitting against a tree and jotting it down: Being the lady of the house, Botan therefore would be able to change certain things to her liking. He got another: The library is rather immense, if he remembered correctly.

The roots of the tree began to fold around his body and Kurama elbowed it. "Ouch!" it said, pulling the roots back. "I just wanted a little company- it's not that fun, being a tree, you know, after being normal for a thousand years. You seemed like my type."

Kurama winced. "You sound…familiar."

"Hmm…interesting. Were you in Youko's band, by any chance?"

Kurama slapped his face. This was not good. This was not good at all, although he was a bit glad that Kanaye's trick had worked. "Yes,"

"Really? Are you still around? Could you make me normal again, so I can go find the one who did this to me?"

Rolling his eyes, Kurama snapped his fingers (Which was Kanaye's antidote for everything, he recalled), and the tree was gone, now a demon standing there.

Yomi. Just as he'd thought. He would live through this, he would live through this…

"Kurama?" said Yomi. "What happened to you? You don't seem the same, not as…attractive…" He whispered the final part.

That Kurama definitely did not expect to hear. "Don't ask."

"It's all right though, Kurama, being a tree has mellowed me down. I won't attack your sleeping tent anymore, trying to-"

"The band is gone, mostly dead. And you know very well that I despise you, whether or not you've changed. You seem the same to me." Perhaps mother had an idea there when she advised him to cut his hair...perhaps it was the feminine length that made demons so…so…he couldn't bring himself to think the word.

Yomi sighed. "All right then, I understand." No you don't, Kurama thought to himself. "But the next time you need some help…I'll be there."

Kurama glared at him, scrambling back into his carriage. The driver, most amused, drove away.

xX "'Oh, dear huntsman, spare my life, and I will promise to fly forth into the wide wood and never return home again…'" xX

The road which the carriage was going on now went through the forest rather than beside it, so Kurama got a closer look at things. Bellaham was truly a beautiful place and he knew sadly that it was unlikely he could get anyone to leave here for Karasu's kingdom.

Out Kurama's window he began to see smoke, rising and doing all sorts of strange things. He couldn't see the forest burn down like this. "Halt!" He screamed, dashing out of the carriage. The driver rushed behind him, assuring him everything was all right, but he knew by now that Kurama had obviously seen something significant.

The smoke began to surround him, spelling out something. Kurama connected the smoke puffs. They said, "Help me", and then changed, pointing deeper into the forest. Kurama was suspicious, but he could not stand and allow a fire to create itself. He followed the arrow-shaped puff farther and farther until he got to a net, holding a handsome young man with long, shining black hair. He had tried to arrange himself comfortably in the net, puffing on a cigar. The next few puffs spelled out, "Hello".

"Smoke wizard?" Kurama asked.

"I know a little of it," he replied, making more puffs, "It interests me, but I don't have the attention span, nor the need for it,"

Kurama frowned. "Obviously you needed it if you're tied up,"

"No, I, you see, don't go out looking for trouble. I angered a witch I know, so she sent me here in this net."

Kurama was amused by stupid nobles, but he didn't say anything. "What did you do?"

Looking off, the man blushed. "Would you please just give me a little help?"

"All right," Kurama pulled out his rose, making it a whip, and slashed the net a few times, careful not to harm the man, who fell suddenly. The puffs spelled, "Thanks." "But, seriously, what did you do? It's not wise to anger witches."

Standing most elegantly, the man smirked, taking out a small magic mirror, which Kurama supposed was to get back to where he belonged. "I just had some…fun with her granddaughter. Nothing large."

Old witches were the worst to mess with, Kurama mused to himself. The man spoke a few more words into the mirror and then looked back at him. "I don't usually do this sort of thing, but if you run into something you can't deal with, I'll try and be there. Money, after all, is the most powerful weapon in the world."

Without even saying goodbye, the noble walked off into the forest, muttering something to himself.

The driver smiled. "Ah, the dumb ones are the best kind, are they not?"

Kurama shrugged, and they went back to the carriage. He'd only come up with five ideas to sway the princess.

xX "'To-morrow I brew, to-day I bake, and then the child away I'll take…'" xX

A few hours later, an "OWW!" rang through the forest, disturbing Kurama's thoughts on Karasu's dismal kingdom.

"Was that you, sir?" asked the driver.

Kurama replied with a no. "Oh," the driver said, "Then it must be the road,"

"And you are not stopping to help the person?" he asked.

"Is there a reason it matters to you?" The driver stopped the carriage, groaning.

I know what it feels like, Kurama thought. He had been buried alive before, a long time ago, and it wasn't the most pleasant experience. "Yes. Are you still on top of it?"

"No."

"So it's behind us?"

"Precisely." Said the demon.

"Good." The driver opened his door and Kurama exited, putting a foot over the ground where the noise had been heard. There were deep carriage tracks. "Does that hurt?"

"No, it's only your foot, but if it was a large carriage, dirt would be pushed down and get in my eyes. It stings as bad as several battle wounds."

"Why are you down there?" Kurama asked.

The person under there cleared his throat. "I'm a prince of another kingdom. When my father died, he wanted me and my four brothers to rule together. One of my brothers is very insecure, so when the mirror told him that he wasn't the sexiest man in the kingdom, he had two of my brothers imprisoned, me wounded and buried alive in Bellaham, and my youngest and most handsome brother killed. I don't know what happened to them, but I'm very weak from the attack and haven't been able to get out."

Kurama raised an eyebrow. "You aren't, by any chance, from the Shinobi kingdom?"

The prince coughed. "The same,"

"Would you like to be dug up?" he asked.

"Would I?" said the prince, "I can't leave the kingdom in his hands."

There were two trees very close to the road, which Kurama took control of, extending their roots under where the prince seemed to be. "Are there roots directly under you?"

"Yes," was his muffled reply.

Kurama put a good deal of strength into the roots, making them pull the body up through all of the soil. Eventually, and after much work, the shape of a teenage boy was made in the soil, then a boy in a white tunic, pants, and boots lying in a hole of soil. His eyes were an icy blue and his hair a sea green. Scratching his head, he stood up.

"Ah, Touya," said Kurama, looking at him. "You've always been a good man."

"You don't look as happy as you used to in that house with your mother," Touya replied.

Kurama looked off. "I haven't been."

"Where are you headed?" asked the prince.

"Business. And I suppose you'll head back to your kingdom?"

"Not quite yet."

"And why not?"

"Because," said Touya, "I owe you a favor. The thing you've just done could save the Shinobi kingdom from certain doom."

Kurama nodded. "I think I'll be needing some favors from your romantic mind soon,"

"Indeed. I will see you then." Touya disappeared into the forest, like the smoke man before him, waving a hand.

"Is that all?" mumbled the driver, annoyed with Kurama's do-gooder routines.

"Yes," Kurama answered, and went back into the carriage.

xX "'You are the person,' said the king, 'and you have passed sentence on yourself…'" xX

Botan had never been outside of Bellaham before, and now…now she was flying high above a world she knew wasn't Bellaham. She was gone…gone! There would be no Karasu for her! She thought, laughing exuberantly to herself.

The sun was setting- they had traveled for a long time. Botan's time for flying around on her oar had been greatly limited, and now she marveled that she seemed to be flying through the sunset. It was beautiful.

Suddenly, she heard a growling noise and looked around frightfully for monsters. It took her a few seconds to realize that the noise had been her own stomach-growling from hunger. What was she going to eat?

Botan looked back at Yusuke to discover that he was fast asleep. She raised an arm from her oar and poked him. "Yusuke…Yusuke…Yusuk-"

"Huh?" His eyes opened lazily, looking around. "What's up?"

"I'm hungry." Botan said.

"Oh," He looked every way, finally resting his eyes on a spot. "Go lower." Botan went quite lower. "Stop." Pointing his hands together like a gun, which made Botan giggle, he shot some strange ball of light at an innocent deer on the ground. It died quickly.

"That's repulsive!" shrieked Botan, looking sadly at the body on the ground.

"What did you think you were eating all those years, live animals?" Yusuke had her fly down near the deer and then stop, getting rid of the oar. Botan sat on the ground as Yusuke pulled out his only knife and began to cut the deer up. He handed a piece of the leg to Botan. "Here, eat this part. It's dark meat. You'll like it."

Botan looked at the meat, then at Yusuke, grimacing. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Look, it's okay. Where did you think all that good meat came from?"

"It's not that," said Botan, "It's…raw!"

Yusuke gave her a confused look, eating some of the hind legs. "Why does that matter?"

"Raw meat? Eww! My uncle said it tasted horrible when he had some, and he died the next day."

"I promise you won't die from eating raw meat," Yusuke plopped a giant piece of meat in his mouth, swallowing it. "See? I just ate it, and I'm still alive."

Botan frowned, not impressed. "You told me you're a demon. Demons can do things humans can't."

"Just eat it. You won't get hurt, and if you do, I can get you to a healer."

"No."

"Come on, just eat it!"

"No!"

"Eat it!"

"No!"

"Eat it!"

"I can't!"

Yusuke stopped chewing. "Why can't you?"

Botan smirked. "You ate it all!"

He looked down. Indeed, she had stalled long enough that he had eaten all edible parts of the deer. "How about some berries?"

"Wild berries? Aren't some of them poisonous? I don't think you'll be able to tell between them."

"How are you going to survive without eating raw and/or wild food, Botan?" Yusuke argued.

"There's got to be a town around here- we can go to a restaurant!" Botan clapped her hands together in happiness.

"People might recognize you. Besides, do you have any money?"

"No." Botan put her shoulders down. "Do you?"

"N-n, I, you see, come on-"

"So, you do?"

Yusuke sighed, defeated. "Yes."

"Then can we go?"

"Fine." He groaned out the word as though it pained him to admit it.

Botan's eyes lit up. "Yay! I've never been to a restaurant before!"

As she made her oar again, Yusuke said, "Really, restaurants aren't that great."

Botan sat on her oar, flying off. "They are to me! Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

"You're worse than I thought." Yusuke muttered to himself, shaking his head.

She ignored him, flying off in search of a nice restaurant. They flew over more towns, some houses made of candy, some of wood or bricks, and large cities with lights everywhere. Botan finally saw a small, cute little town that she liked more than the others- the houses were all made of white stone and she saw many little girls chasing cats around (Cats were Botan's favorite animals). She flew into it, many townspeople staring at her in amazement. She stopped in front of a little white-haired girl with a white cat in her arms, purring.

"Excuse me," she asked. "Do you know of a restaurant?"

The girl nodded. "Grandma's Restaurant is the best! It's that way!" Botan followed the direction of her hand over to a lit up house, sending her oar away. A wanted sign next to the door caught her eye, as she worried it was for her. It wasn't:

WANTED: Little Red Riding Hood

WANTED FOR: Assassinations and possible association with the evil fairy

WANTED BY: Nobles of the kingdom

REWARD: Greater than you can imagine

Under these words was a sketch of a red-haired woman with half of her face mutated and a headband under her hair. She looked innocently malicious, if that was possible, mainly because of her blue eyes.

Yusuke had been holding the door open for about a minute and called to her. Finally noticing, Botan went inside.

xX "But presently he took courage and delivered his harangue, bravely ending by begging the princess to spare him the disappointment of going back without her…" xX

Queen Ayame was looking sadly at her fingernails, worrying where her daughter had gone. The ambassador from Karasu was to be here any minute- what could they do without Botan?

Her husband was snoring next to her, a puddle of drool forming in his lap. She slapped him half-heartedly, waking him up. "Ayame, my dear, what was that for?"

The queen looked ready to burst into tears, and Koenma took notice. "Your daughter is missing…and you're sleeping! What kind of father are you?"

"One that isn't a baby." He said, trying to look valiant.

Ayame's eyes narrowed. "Koenma…"

"Wha-"

"Please!" said one of Botan's ladies-in-waiting, who were gathered to wait for the ambassador. "That's so corny! You say it every day!"

The king and queen ignored her, looking to the door that was just opened by one of their butlers. "Your Majesties, the ambassador of His Majesty, Karasu…Kurama."

Kurama couldn't help but look around the room he had just entered in amazement. The castle was adorned in jewels, all sparkling and nearly blinding him. Of course Botan would never leave this place! Who would?

He kneeled before the king and queen in a matter he knew all too well. He expected a welcome, but heard "Botan is not here."

"Is she out riding?" he asked.

"No," said the queen, "She has disappeared without a trace. And surely…" she began to sniff, "Surely she will never return, and if you do find her, I highly doubt she will marry him…" Queen Ayame burst into tears, her husband hopelessly trying to comfort her.

Kurama knew himself to be an expert sleuth and knew that there had to be something that would help him find the princess. "Might I see her room?"

"Yes, but our greatest servants have already looked and found nothing," said the king.

Kurama stood up and one of the ladies-in-waiting followed him, showing him the way to Botan's room. She was blushing furiously every step of the way, and Kurama's ears picked up the queen saying, between sniffs, "What would we do, Koenma, if Botan laid eyes on him and fell in love?"

He was led into Botan's room, the lady waiting outside for him. The walls and carpet were pink, with blue chairs, furniture, and blankets, and a few dolls in pretty dresses on a table. It was girly, but not to an extreme.

Kurama began to dig through her dresses, her undergarments, under her tables and beds, but as the king had said, found nothing. He opened every drawer and hat box, still finding nothing.

Beginning to get discouraged, he looked behind the pillows on her bed. Nothing. He pulled the quilts and blankets back…lo and behold, a note. The servants had made the bed over the note. Pulling it up, he began to read it.

If the king so desires my hand, his ambassador shall carry out these tasks:

Fetch my ring from the forest

Kill Bui and bring his head to the castle

Fetch some water from the spring of eternal youth

Wake up Jin Kaze Tsukai and bring him to the palace

Get a diamond from the mouth of Chuu and a toad from the mouth of Rinku

Rescue Shishiwakamaru from the field mouse and take him back to Juri

Stop the Beautiful Demon Battler's reign of terror and return the kidnapped babies

Capture the evil fairy

Ride up the beanstalk of Elder Toguro and kill the overly muscular giant

Sincerely,

Botan, Princess of Bellaham

Hmm. Either Botan was very interested in demons or she had a helper, Kurama mused. He hadn't met any of these demons personally, but he did know of most of them, who they were, and in what area they lived in. The first three tasks would be the most challenging. As for the rest, it would take a very long time to travel around, but he had confidence in his abilities.

Clutching the note, Kurama went downstairs to alert the king, and then to head off into the wood.

End of Chapter 2

Katie's Note: I updated soon! Aren't you all proud of me? I know I am!

This chapter is so not funny. Seriously. I imagined it a lot funnier. Not to worry, though: Little Red Riding Hood should be good.

WOW. Thanks for the SIXTEEN reviews for my first chapter! Oh my gosh, that's amazing! I love everyone who reviewed! Thanks so much and I hope you keep reviewing!

Until my next update…it's baseball season, kiddies! Go Cards! Not to mention that Roger just won NASDAQ…