Sorry, guys, I was rereading the chapter and saw way too many grammar mistakes. Man, it is not easy writing stories on your phone.

Beautiful Outcast

Tiny feet ran through the grass as a little girl pushed herself through the forest. The trees around her towered over her and blocked most of the sun's rays. She dashed through the brush, crawled beneath bushes, and leapt over logs. The little girl ran all the way to the river and spotted a large boulder where she crouched behind, using the shadows to hide herself. Her tiny heart pounded frantically as she covered her mouth, trying to muffle her pants. Sweat trickled down her face. She stayed very still for a long time before glancing around the boulder to see that she had lost her pursuer. The girl sighed, relieved.

She had escaped.

"I found you," the girl screamed when she was suddenly scooped up and held by her waist, kicking.

"Buttercup! Put me down! Let me go," she whined. Buttercup laughed, walking down the way the little girl had came. The girl struggled against her seventeen year old cousin as she whistled, carrying her like a bundle of firewood.

Ten years had passed since her life was changed forever. The fire had destroyed everything she owned and her parents, once loving and nurturing, became charred husks. All she had to her name were two mysterious items she didn't even know her parents owned. One was a beautiful, ornate folded fan with made up of a cherry wood handle and painted to depict a silver dragon flying through a storm of roses with a strange inscription painted on the folds. The second was an odachi sword that was half the size she is now, and that had a black and gold leather handle. The blade was the most strange thing as it was pure ivory and could cut through the strongest steel. Another untranslated inscription was etched on the base of the sword. Many men were awed by the craftsmanship and tried to take it, but Buttercup would pitch a bigger fit than anything the villagers would ever see before they would give up.

Plus, the fact that Buttercup would bite them hard enough to break skin would deter them. Though, it didn't endear her to her village.

After the strange circumstances that caused her to be present when the villagers came to collect Himeko's remains (plus the fact that Himeko was alive), many of the villagers became suspicious of her. Her parents had been found dead, along with their three servants, the dragon had apparently eaten his fill (according to Himeko), and she had been drenched in blood. All in all, she was blamed for their deaths, though officially it had been bandits. The villagers would ostracize her and Himeko did everything in her power to keep it that way.

Though, Buttercup did have her cousins and uncle for support.

Her uncle had moved into the village after learning of his brother's death. He had lost his wife in childbirth only months prior and couldn't bear the thought of allowing his brother's only child to go to an orphanage or worse. He moved his two children and settled down in the village, ignoring their rumors and remarks and continuing his work as a swordsmith. He raised and loved Buttercup like his own daughter, often praising her beauty and wit while moaning about her temper and tongue. Lily had not been more than three months when Buttercup became his ward, so it must have been difficult. Speaking of difficult, "It's not fair!" Lily pouted while Buttercup trekked through the forest, "why did you get to learn sword fighting but I have to learn needlework?"

"I had to learn it to," Buttercup replied in a bored tone. Lily gasped.

"Really? But you're so bad at it!"

"I said I learned it, not that I was any good," Buttercup rustled her cousin's hair while she laughed impishly, "little troll."

"I am not a troll, you ogre!"

"Troll."

"Ogre!"

"Troll ogre!"

"Ogre troll!" The two went back and forth while Buttercup came upon their modest house and entered.

"I'm back and I have caught the run away," her older cousin, Rose, glanced up from her needlework. Rose was opposite of Buttercup in nearly every way. While Rose enjoyed elegant pursuits and was considered a refined lady, Buttercup spent most of her time sparring and horseback riding. Rose wore her kimono in the usual way like most of the girls in the village while Buttercup wore her kimono loosely with her chest and most of her upper right arm wrapped in bandages, her sword tucked into its holster with her fan secured in her obi. Rose's hair was neat and tidy, unlike Buttercup's hair that grew wildly like a stallion's mane. All in all, Rose was the girl the village wished Buttercup would be.

Rose smiled, "good. Put the little ogre down so she can start practicing." Lily's gasp was hilariously indignant as Buttercup kicked off her sandals and deposited her onto the tatami mat.

"I'll get you back for this." Buttercup snorted.

"I am so scared," she went back to her sandals and slipped them on. Rose glanced up, snatching Lily's collar when she tried to sneak away.

"Where are you going, Buttercup? You know, you should practice your needlework too, you definitely need it." Buttercup yelped.

"Can't. I'm going to pay respects to Mama and Papa, see you at lunch!" She quickly ran out while Lily wailed again.

"Why does she get to leave?"

Her horse stood tied to a nearby post while Buttercup sat at her parents' grave, lighting incense and clapping her hands. She said a silent prayer before sighing and smiling at the tombstone. "Hi, Mama...Hi, Papa... I've had a pretty good week so far, I've gotten better at my horseback riding. Tatsuki-san from the market saw me again and tried to corner me into agreeing to marry his son. For someone who's apparently cursed, I sure do have a lot of admirers for whatever reason." This was true. Despite Buttercup's less than stellar reputation, she had an eternal beauty to her that became more and more apparent as she got older. Many men came to her uncle in hopes of securing her hand. She had more offers than she really ever wanted.

This did not sit well with her.

Many of them spoke of encouraging her to be more like Rose, domestic and submissive. Buttercup was not interested in becoming a housewife. She was a warrior, she had a duty to perform. There were many times she wondered if she should travel as a ronan* and settle her wanderlust that way.

Her uncle, though, would have a heart attack and she owed him everything. It was amazing he even took her feelings into consideration and staved off her suitors. She groaned, "I am nearly eighteen though... I don't want to be a burden on Uncle much longer...the thought of marrying someone here though, makes me sick...maybe I'll-" Buttercup stopped and listened, her heart pounding harder with each passing second.

The woods were silent.

No birds sang, no insects chirped, and the animals of the forest didn't make a sound. It was completely quiet.

Just like that night.

Buttercup stared into the darkness of the forest, standing slowly and never blinking once. Her horse was alert too, staring into the woods with his ears flicked towards them. They both remained still.

SNAP

Birds suddenly shot into the air, screeching in panic.

CRACK

Her horse began to panic, pulling on the reins that kept him secured to the post. Buttercup hurried over, cooing and easing him.

RRRRRrrrrrrrrrhhhhssssss

That low rumble made Buttercup's hair stand on end and she rapidly untied the reins before hopping onto the horse, "HIYAH!" The horse galloped down the path back to the village as a horn was blown. Something had happened.

She looked over her shoulder at the forest, feeling as if she were being watched.

Within the dark shadows of the woods, a lone figure watched her get farther and farther away. His acidic green eyes didn't leave her form and smoke exited his mouth as he sighed in frustration. He had hoped to watch her a bit longer before she left so abruptly. But then he grinned slowly, showcasing glinting teeth as he remembers that today was the day that he retrieved her.

"Soon, my Maiden. We'll meet again very soon."

The entire village was gathered in the central square, listening to a frantic farmer as he recounted his tale. Buttercup spotted her uncle and cousins in the crowd and dismounted her horse, leading him to them. "Uncle! What's happened?" Her uncle looked at her, pale as a sheet, and swept her I'm his arms.

"Thank goodness, I was worried that you had gone into the woods."

"I haven't been in them since I got Lily this morning," Lily huddled further into Rose's kimono, frightened. "What's going on?"

"I SAW IT," the farmer began shouting. People huddled closer, eyes wide. "It stood taller than the trees, with eyes as piercing as jade stones. It had scales as black as ink and claws the size of horses." The crowd began murmuring in panicking tones.

"The dragon? It's back!?"

"But, it's only been ten years. We still have another five left!"

"It's exactly as he described! That dragon is what I saw that night!" Himeko wailed as she fell to the ground, clutching at her father's hakama*. "Papa, please don't let them take me again! If I go back, it will kill me for sure." Her father helped her back up.

"My dear, don't worry. You already went, so your name was taken out of the roster. It was very fortunate that he decided to spare you, so you have nothing to fear." The girl smiled, relieved.

"Does it expect another sacrifice?"

"It can't do that! We still have five years left!"

"Do you want to tell it that?" People began to shout and cry about the fact that the dragon had appeared five years early and now lurked in the woods. Rose turned to Buttercup.

"Is... Is it really as cruel as they say? I thought dragons were meant to bring luck." Buttercup thought back to the story her mother told her.

"Yes... However, when this village was built, the shogun who ruled it took over the dragon's land and tried to drive the dragon out. In rage over the disrespect, the dragon burnt the village to the ground and hunted us until only a few were left, before continuing to torment the village. Crops were burnt, cattle was stolen, and people were eaten for years before one of the shogun's descendants made a deal with it. Every fifteen years, the village gives up a village as a sacrifice and, in return, the dragon let's us live in peace on its land." Buttercup shuddered, "the last time it came was when my parents died. He was supposed to eat Himeko, but... Instead, he found the bandits that had killed my parents while they were carrying me off... They never stood a chance...then he carried me to the alter and left me and Himeko there." By the time Buttercup finished recounting the tale, the crowd had closed in around her, listening.

Himeko spoke first. For some reason, she always disliked Buttercup and tried her hardest to make her life difficult. "This is all your fault! If you hadn't interfered, then we'd still have another five years before the dragon came back."

"And five years from now, you would have been dead for fifteen years. I see the error of my ways. I am so sorry, everyone." The girl's face turned bright red as a few people snickered. Himeko tried to make Buttercup's life difficult.

She did not always succeed.

"Enough, " the village elder was walking out of his home. His servant stood by assisting him as he moved. He was a frail man, with brittle bones and greying hair. His eyes were cloudy with age. "I understand that this is unprecedented. But, in order to preserve our village and our lives, a sacrifice must be made tonight. " The crowd began to roar and wail in fury.

"You can't do that!"

"Our ancestors should have left when they had the chance!"

"I understand your anger," the elder groaned. He did not like this task at all. To have to send so many to an early grave over the crimes committed by a foolish shogun weighed heavily on the soul. "But if we do not then, come morning,the dragon will burn our village while we sleep in our beds. The only path to the next village is through the woods. Night is mere hours away, we would never make it. The dragon is in the woods now, he will find us and kill us. We must appease him or our families are doomed."

A chill went through everyone, from man to child.

Someone would die tonight.

If he's willing to sacrifice someone early, Shirogane Itsuki thought in rising horror, then he might choose Himeko even though she was already chosen. He couldn't allow that. The Shirogane family was the wealthiest family in the area. They had power and prestige. And yet, even with that, Itsuki had been powerless when Himeko was chosen and dragged to the alter.

Not again.

He had to protect his only child and heiress.

Even if it meant throwing another into the flames.

"Why should we have to choose when the answer is obvious?" People turned to him and he gave them a firm look. "The fact is, if Tennoji Buttercup hadn't distracted the dragon with her screaming, the ceremony would have been completed as per usual. Why should we suffer for her actions? Why, since she disturbed the ceremony, she should be the sacrifice to make up for it." Buttercup stared in horror as people actually began to mutter, discussing it.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?! I WAS SEVEN! I JUST WATCHED MY PARENTS DIE AND I WAS BEING CARRIED OFF TO BE GIVEN TO THE MAN WHO ORDERED THEIR DEATHS! OF COURSE I WAS SCARED!" Itsuki continued.

"Ever since she was young, she's been a nuisance to the village. She shuns our traditions and dresses immodestly. She seduces our sons and then breaks their hearts by rejecting them. She rejects the idea of being a proper wife and promotes contention between a wife and her husband." People started agreeing louder and louder as Buttercup gaped.

"I DO NOT!"

"My sons fought like savages over her and she rejected both of them!"

"How dare she! My wife and I can't stop arguing because of her!"

"Oh, yes, it has nothing to do with your constant flirting, Goya."

"She's rejected traditions that have been in this village for generations! She caused this! I say, sacrifice her!" Himeko began chanting "sacrifice her" and suddenly, the crowd joined in.

"SACRIFICE HER! SACRIFICE HER!" her uncle stood between her and the crowd as they began walking closer. Rose and Lily screamed, holding onto her kimono as the riot grew. The elder called for order, but we was ignored.

"SHIROGANE, YOU RAT! DON'T YOU SEE? HE'S ONLY SAYING THIS TO PROTECT HIMSELF!" the crowd shoved at him.

"Step aside, Tennoji!"

"The village has spoken! She must pay for her actions!"

"She was a little girl! How can you blame her for feeling fear when any one of you would feel the same!?"

"HEY! LET GO!"

"BUTTERCUP!" Rose and Lily screamed as she was yanked from their grasp. The girl kicked and punched and even bit but was overpowered as her uncle fought against the men who struggled to keep the large man from saving his niece.

"LET HER GO!"

"DON'T YOU SEE THAT THIS IS FOR THE BEST!? SHE'S NOT EVEN YOUR DAUGHTER!"

"YES, SHE IS! LET HER GO!"

"UNCLE!"

"LET MY BABY GO!" Her screams echoed through the woods as she was dragged through them. Rose was even held back as she fought, tooth and nail, to get to Buttercup.

"BUTTERCUP! NO!"

"ROSE! UNCLE!" A sharp pain jolted through Buttercup and she slumped forward, unconscious. Her body was dragged through the woods as her screaming family watched.

The men finished tightening the ropes that bound Buttercup to the two poles on the sides of the alter. She was still unconscious. Her sword hung from her waist, catching the glint of the moonlight and one of the men's eye. "It would be a waste for it to be destroyed...and Tennoji-san is going to be vengeful when we get back. Let's take it and offer it to him as an apology."

"Hurry up," one of the others whispered. "If we're still here when the dragon comes, we'll die with her." The man reached over and gripped the handle tight. Instantly, he screamed and jumped back, clutching his hand. It was burnt with blisters all over his palm and between his fingers. Blood leaked from it as he clutched it in agony. "What happened?"

"I tried to grab the sword but... Look!" He showed them his hand and they stared at it in horrified confusion. Buttercup had carried this sword as a child with little to no difficulties. How did a grown man get such an injury?

"We have no time for this! Look!" The sun was setting and, soon, it would be dark. The men hurried away, the injured one looking back before rushing to his comrades. Fifteen minutes later, Buttercup groggily opened her eyes. Her head ached and her throat was dry. Her arms were stretched out to their fullest and she couldn't move. Her sword, curiously, hung at her side.

Strange. Why didn't they take it?

Pushing those thoughts aside, Buttercup started to strain against the ropes. She had to get out of this before the dragon came. Once she did, she'd return to the village, grab her family, and leave forever.

She wasn't some sheep to be lead to a slaughter!

She was a warrior, a fighter! In fact, she was the toughest fighter!

She could get out of this, get her family, and survive. Maybe she'd punch Shirogane in the face first.

Himeko, too. For good measure. Okay, she'd punch Himeko first, then her father, and then she'd leave.

BOOM

Her heart jumped into her throat and she pulled frantically. That sound! The dragon was coming! She tried to reach down to her sword. It could cut these ropes!

BOOM

It was getting closer. She had to get that sword, but the rope was so tight that her arm could barely lower to the darn thing!

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

BOOM

It's caught her scent! It knows she's here! It'll be here any second! Buttercup grunted as she tried harder, the rope scratching her wrists and arm. Almost-

BOOM

-there-

BOOM

-just-

BOOM

-a bit-

BOOM

-more.

She just about had it. Sweat trickled her brow when-

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

BOOM.

Like the ringing of a gong, the footsteps stopped. Buttercup froze, a gaze terrifyingly familiar scorched her skin. She slowly moved her her head and gasped.

The dragon looked bigger than before, easily towering the highest tree she's seen. It blocked the rising moon with it's large body, staring down at her with an almost smug look. It's acid green eyes peered into her own as her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Blood rushed through her veins as her mind frantically tried to think of a way to get out of this.

"Hello again, Joji. You look well. You humans grow so fast. I'm not sure if I prefer how you look now or when you were an adorable little maiden." Buttercup swallowed her fear, hard as it was, and glared.

"Last time you saw me, you ate an entire band of bandits and I was covered in blood." He chuckled.

"Quite the first date, wasn't it?"

"I was seven!"

"True. Why do you think I waited ten more years? Even I thought it would be a bit disturbing to marry a seven year old human girl."

"Glad to see...wait, what was that about marriage...?"

The dragon adopted a pleased look as it laid down on the ground, "seeing as fifteen years have not yet passed, I am not here for a meal. I'm here to retrieve the girl who stole my heart." He purred, nuzzling her. Buttercup had a blank look on her face, "you see, Joji, when I came upon you, you were the first girl to stand up to me. I could even hear your little heart pounding with fear and yet, you ordered me to put you down like I was a servant. I was so taken with you, I decided that, once you were older, I'd take you back to be my wife."

"First, do not call me Joji. Second, can we go back to the idea of eating me? I like that idea much better."

"As do I, but I do not think we are talking about the same thing. Plus, I'd rather wait until after we are married."

"YOU PERVERT!" the dragon let out a roaring laugh, one that shook the ground.

"Ah, there is the girl I have been waiting for!" He stood, shaking the grass from his scales "Now, we'd better get moving. I'm sure you'll want to get settled in."

"No! I'm not marrying you! Are you crazy!? Just eat me or something because there is no way I'm going through with this!"

"Not to worry, Joji, you'll get used to it soon enough. Besides," he huffed smoke at her, irritated, "I never gave you a choice." With that, the dragon reached a massive claw over and cut the ropes that bound her to the alter. Before Buttercup could think to run, his paw encased her and she was reminded of when she was seven. She had screamed at him then and she did so now. This time, however, he had no intention of taking her home. The dragon carried her, as she swore and yelled at him to put her down.

"I MEAN IT, YOU OVERGROWN SALAMANDER! PUT ME DOWN!"

"Feel free to scream all you like, I am used to it. Though, the air gets a little thin," his wings fanned out, "so you may want to save your breath." And then he shot up into the air. Buttercup screamed, hanging onto his claws as they got higher and higher until the forest blurred. She could see the village from here.

"YOU JERKS!"

"Who are you talking to?"

"You and that whole village!" They flew for over two hours and Buttercup had heeded the dragon's warning and stopped screaming at him after thirty minutes. Though, this made for a very awkward silence as he could practically feel her rage as she was carried off to wherever they were going. Finally they began to approach more mountainous terrain and he automatically weaved through rock formations and cliffs before she caught sight of large palace. The palace was surrounded by gardens of every variety and lanterns hung from tree branches, making it seem like lights were trapped within the trees. Water lilies floated in the gardens and the castle walls were covered in orchids. The castle seemed to be made of ivory as it gleamed in the moonlight. The dragon began to descend rapidly, earning a shriek from his captive.

He finally landed and released her from his grip with a grin, "We're home, Joji. I hope you like it so far."

"I will admit, it is a very nice palace. BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M MARRYING YOU, YOU FLYING SNAKE! I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME!" The dragon blinked and cocked his head to the side. Grunting, he took a few steps back, turned his head, and released a spew of jade flames. The fire spread from his wing tips to his tail. The flames spread across his scales like he had been doused in oil and he grunted in pain.

Buttercup stared with wide eyes, very confused and a little freaked out by the actions of her draconic kidnapper.

Soon, he was covered in flames and shaking. His wings, tail, and horns began to shrink. The dragon fell to the ground and convulsed a bit. He got smaller and smaller as bones began to crack, realign, and merge with one another. His teeth began to retract further into his skull and his eyes began shrinking.

God, he hated this part.

Scales began to curl into his skin and that skin shrank rapidly as his organs deflated and squished together. He continued to get smaller until finally, in the place of a dragon, was a man. He groaned, "ugh... Be happy you're human because that was not pleasant." He stood up, wobbily. He was tall, about a head bigger than her and muscular too. He wore a men's kimono that looked like it belonged on a second ranking lord or general. The front part on his chest was sort of open too, displaying pale skin and strange tattoos. Also, Buttercup was not noticing how he had a really firm chest and the arms of a God.

She was not.

His hair was midnight black and spikey like his horns had been. He had jade eyes that had slits for pupils. He gave her a cheeky grin, showcasing sharp teeth. "Alright, Joji, is this better? My name is Butch and I'm your new fiancé." Buttercup stared at him. She did not even comprehend that he just turned from a colossal dragon into what looked like a man in his early twenties. She couldn't.

So Buttercup took a few steps towards...Butch. She looked him right in the eyes...

And punched him dead in the face.

*Ronan - A term for a samurai that has no master.

*Hakama - Part of the male kimono. They are flared and pants like.

I think they like each other, don't you? Okay, a few points here.

I know I said before that there would be some major changes in Green Maiden's rewrite and Buttercup's character was one of them. The more I read over the last version, the more she seemed...well... If I replaced Buttercup's name with Blossom, I would have seen no difference. She wasn't girly-girly like Bubbles, but she just seemed far too girly. But this is Ancient Japan. Back then, people were all about girls have to be dainty and modest and submissive (well, everywhere is like that, but I digress). So I ran into an issue.

How do I keep Buttercup as the Butters we all know and love while also making it believable for the time period.

Thankfully, we have technology (WHOA TECHNOLOGY) and that meant research. And, as it turns out, during the time of Feudal Japan, there were female martial artists called Onna bugeisha that were part of the samurai class and were trained in the use of weapons in order to ensure that they could protect the home and/or be sent into battle.

That information was made for Buttercup. They were much more prominent before the Edo Period, so just to be clear I have changed the time period. It's no longer Edo-Butch and Buttercup. It's now just Feudal - Butch and Buttercup.

Secondly, if any of you decide to do any research, yes. I know most Onna bugeisha are depicted with naginatas (basically Japanese spears) but I thought Buttercup seemed more like a sword kind of girl. The sword is also incredibly special. And so is the fan that's rarely mentioned so far. More on those things later.

Third, I noticed that how I portrayed Buttercup's relationship with her home town was basically "she's popular because she's pretty". While that's all well and good, Green Maiden is a Japanese ppg version of Beauty and the Beast. If anyone knows the general depiction of that, Beauty is often characterized as a beautiful girl, who is also lonely because she's different. Usually, it's because she's smart and that ostracization is, ultimately, what helps her to empathize with the Beast. So, in a sense, Buttercup's old relationship with her village wouldn't really work. She had friends (supposedly, I never mentioned it), she had a family, a large support system, and attention from guys (supposedly rich guys too, I mentioned it like once). She'd have no real reason to connect with Butch because she... Basically never experienced his loneliness. She'd never felt such heartfelt agony like Butch did with all of his previous wives. So I changed her relationship and flipped it around. It's also why I made Buttercup go through such a traumatic experience as a little kid.

Imagine, you're seven and these big burly guys storm your house, kill people in front of you, beat up your parents, and burn them alive. Then they drag you off, slap you around a few times, and laugh qbout the fact that you're going to be given to a greedy man who had your parents murdered because your mom didn't marry him. Also, you're gonna marry him now and it matters not if your sixteen or twelve. And then a large, fire breathing lizard comes out of the trees, straight up kills and eats your kidnappers, and carries you off back to your village where they look at you in suspicion because no one believes that bandits murdered your parents but they can't leave you did it because the only evidence that they have is that you were covered in blood. So, instead, they isolate you for ten years.

So, yeah, Buttercup is going to be ticked at Butch for a long time about being carried off. She can, however, effectively empathize with his pain.

Also, I really like how Butch's transition from dragon to human came out. After reading up on shape-shifting and other stories that involve characters changing from one creature to another, the last time we saw it just didn't cut it. It was like he melted into a human and I was kinda left hanging. I wanted to include what is must feel like to basically squeeze yourself into a tiny version of yourself. Butch is a dragon and, it's been theorized, that dragons have two sets of lungs...like crocodiles. One set fills with air the other with combustible gas to create fire or maybe even gas that causes air molecules to reach below freezing for ice breath. Either way, Butch will have to squeeze four lungs and other internal organs and bones into a tiny package. That cannot be comfortable. Plus, can you imagine your teeth going back into your skull?

Blech.

All in all, I like how this chapter came out. Next chapter, we'll see Butch react to Buttercup punching him in the face and we'll meet Black and Tar.

Reviewer: But wait! Seriously! What. Does. Joji. Mean?

Dragons-(glance at me)

Okay, this joke is old. It basically means babe.

Reviewer-(cries tears of joy) Finally. Now I can be at peace. (Dies)

For the love of-that's the fifth person this week. See you next time... Oh and bring tacos.