Summary: Takes place a short while after Yusuke returns from his stay in Makai. A strange group of beings that call themselves "The Fallen Ones" attacks. The only survivors of the attack were Botan and, through her, Kurama. Everyone else has had their souls stolen and crystalized into several pieces, Koenma and all the Gods of the world included. It's up to Botan and Kurama to find the pieces and restore their friends. But they only have so much time as Botan is slowly becoming a demon right before Kurama's very eyes, can he save her before it's too late and she slips in to the madness of a fallen?

Author's Note: Hiya! This is my Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic and it's a KURAMA X BOTAN fanfic. So if you don't like it, then don't read. Constructive critisism would be greatly appreciated, like you wouldn't believe. Anywho, this is the prologue so it's a bit short, but yeah. Anywho, I hope you like. RnR!

"Yusuke, hurry up," Keiko called, her face alight with true joy. She turned on her heal, gesturing to the tunnel of love to her right.

"I'm coming," Yusuke replied, trudging towards the ride calmly, taking his time in order to take in Keiko and her happiness. Warmth filled his heart and Yusuke couldn't help but thank the gods for blessing his existence with Keiko's light.

"Come on, slowpoke," Keiko grinned, wrapping her arms around Yusuke's bicep when he finally reached her side. "The pier will be closing soon and I've always wanted to go through the tunnel," Keiko admitted.

Yusuke looked at the overly "romantic" attraction with a severe twitch of his brow, but he dared not tell Keiko 'no.' He'd barely been home for a week and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that his absence had hurt her greatly. He wanted to make her happy, and with the added threat of all his friends castrating him if he did wrong looming over his head, he was even willing to go on a poor excuse of a ride. Granted, if anyone he knew saw him he'd never hear the end of it and his street cred will drop deep into the negatives (yes, he learned some math while he was away). But it was something he was willing to suffer through…no matter how much he wished he could get out of it.

Yusuke led Keiko into the line, each step making Keiko's smile grow larger and in turn making his heart swell with joy. It thrilled him that something as simple as a boat ride with him could make her so happy.

"I can't wait," Keiko murmured to herself, oblivious to the words that slipped passed her lips.

"Yeah…me neither…" Yusuke didn't sound all that convincing, but he was making no moves to stall or vacate the line. He was actually going to go through with this.

"Looks like our ride will have to wait." Or at least he was.

"Why? What's going on?" Keiko demanded, her eyes searching Yusuke's upturned face. Anger flashed within her heart until his expression registered within her mind. She knew that look. Keiko tightened her hold on Yusuke's arm, fear chasing away her anger as she scanned the thinning crowd for whatever threat her love was looking for.

"Sorry Keiko, but it looks like someone didn't get the message that I was retired," Yusuke explained, gently maneuvering her body behind his.

"Spirit Detective, Urameshi Yusuke, it is an honor to finally meet you," a man's voice called, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"Retired spirit detective," Yusuke corrected, pulling Keiko onto his back and leaping to his right just as a blast of light collided where they once stood. The ground trembled and shook, but otherwise remained unchanged.

Part of Yusuke wanted to laugh at the attack, but deep down in his gut he knew that getting hit by that light would be far more dangerous than he could comprehend. It was like his very spirit was screaming at him not to touch that light, to run away.

"Let's not argue semantics," the voice chuckled.

"What do you want?" Yusuke searched the curious bystanders' faces in hopes of finding his attacker, but the youki kept jumping around, as if the entity was teleporting around amongst the crowd.

"Just to make you suffer, nothing major," the man answered, the voice centralizing barely a few inches behind them.

Everything within Yusuke went cold with a mind numbing fear for a fraction of a second, his mind unable to comprehend how some random demon was able to sneak up on him. Keiko cried out in shock, snapping Yusuke out of his daze in time to push her away before the ball of light could hit her, taking the blow himself during the process.

At first, Yusuke felt nothing, not the tremors that shook the ground or the warmth that the light radiated; nothing. But then, slowly, heat began to build up within his toes and fingers before igniting into a raging inferno of energy. The flame grew to engulf his body, trapping him within a vortex of agony. Yusuke tried to fight, tried to run, tried to scream, tried to do something, anything to extinguish the flames that danced beneath his skin.

Vaguely, Yusuke felt the Mazoku try to take hold in a desperate attempt to save him, his demon form merging with his human form in an awkward in between. His hair cascaded down his back, silver streaking through and weaving with the darker strands, both colors remaining separate as they formed a curtain around his hunched form. Dark blue markings bled onto his skin, forming the tribal tattoos of his birthright along his arms and torso.

A demonic howl of torment ripped itself from his throat before his eyes went blank and his body went still. Finally, Yusuke collapsed onto the ground, his soul misting up from his body before solidifying into six crystals varying in shades of blues and greens.

A whistle sounded and the crystals began to drift away from Yusuke's body towards the hulking of his attacker. His body was encased in leather, hiding most of his distinctive features from view. Long blond hair fell about his shoulders fashionably, hiding most of his face and framing a pair of opaque black sunglasses. Held under one arm was a motorcycle helmet while in the other hand was the plain whistle that was luring the crystals to its player.

"No!" Keiko rammed her body into his, knocking the whistle from his grasp as she grabbed three of the crystals closest to her. She made a desperate attempt to grab the rest, but a monstrous hand grasped her neck from behind and lifted her from the ground.

"Pathetic little human," the man growled, his voice deepening to an impossible baritone, "what did you think to accomplish? Did you think to fight me off and save you're lover's soul? Is that it?"

Though Keiko couldn't see it, she could hear the laughter bubbling up within his throat. Tears of fear and frustration beaded within the corner of her eyes as she began to struggle for breath. Yusuke, she thought fearing more than anything what had happened to him. She didn't know what to do, or what was going on. She couldn't do anything, but something inside her told her to protect the crystals she cradled in her arms.

"I'll be taking those," the man spoke, dropping Keiko onto the ground in a heap on top of Yusuke's body before rolling her over with his booted foot. But instead of releasing the crystals, Keiko tightened her hold and curled her entire body around them. "Pathetic," he laughed stomping on her side and grinding his grimy soles against her bruising ribs.

Keiko cried out in pain, curling into a tighter ball as she did so. Yusuke. Tears streamed down her face as the man continued to kick her around, treating her as if she were a ball placed there solely for his amusement. Help, Keiko whimpered, silently praying for anyone's intervention. But there was no one there to save her. Almost everyone had run, sensing the danger and the few that stayed merely watched on in horror.

"I'm growing bored with you, time to end our little fun now," he announced finally before bringing his foot back in preparation of a fatal, bone shattering kick.

"Yusuke," Keiko screamed, terror filling her voice as she surrendered to her fear.

The crystals within her arms and the ones that floated around the man all began to glow and pulse with power, reacting to Keiko's pleas. A bright blue light burst from the crystals, blinding all with its radiance before flying around Keiko and forming a ring of power. The man backed away, a crooked grin plastered onto his face.

"You're more demon then I thought, Urameshi," he grinned, pulling a thin cylinder from an inside coat pocket. "Let's see how deep your demon blood runs, shall we?" Visible energy snaked from one end of the tube he held, forming a long whip that cackled with youki born electricity.

Balls of light, reminiscent of Yusuke's unfired spirit gun formed in front of each crystal before they all fired a barrage of spirit bullets. While doing this, the crystals began to spiral around Keiko and Yusuke's body, each revolution moving faster and faster until the eye could no longer register any one individual crystal. A ball of energy then surrounded the two before they began to levitate off the ground.

"So that's what you're planning," the man chuckled, snapping his energy whip against the ball of energy.

The energy acted like a magnet with a similar polarity to the energy whip, repelling it and the man away before releasing another barrage of spirit bullets. The sphere of energy began to ascend higher, moving away from the assailant with increasing speed.

A burst of energy shattered one of the crystals, breaking the ring and disintegrating the sphere. Keiko and Yusuke's body were sent plummeting towards the ground. Keiko screamed in horror, clutching Yusuke's torso as she awaited her rapidly approaching death, but two of the nearest crystals reacted violently, their pulses becoming erratic as a white mist slithered between the two. The mist formed a ring that connected them and the ball of energy reformed around Keiko and Yusuke's body.

Abandoning the remaining crystals, the sphere shot up with its precious cargo and vanished in a marvelous flash of light.

"Damn. He actually got away. I'm so going to receive hell for this," the man groaned before pocketing the three now inactive crystals.

Keiko blinked and found herself at the steps leading to Genkai's temple, a place almost half a day away from the pier. Keiko breathed a sigh of relief, taking everything for what it was and refusing to allow herself to think. If she thought, then she'd crumble. Neither she, nor Yusuke could afford that now.

The white mist that linked the two crystals relinquished its hold on them, allowing them to drift onto the ground in favor of spiraling around the bewildered Keiko. It caressed her skin and dried the tears that she did not know she had shed before trailing up the stairs.

"Yusuke?" Keiko didn't know what to think, but she knew without a doubt that Yusuke was helping her, even in the state he was in. Keiko looked down at both Yusuke and the two crystals before collecting the crystals into her arms and struggling to lift Yusuke onto his feet.

He was a lot heavier than he looked, his body composed of solid muscle that in most cases she would admire but now she cursed. He was too heavy for her small frame to handle, but she would have to manage. She wasn't going to give herself any other choice. Slowly, she managed to guide his unconscious body to its feet before she slung one of his arms over her shoulder and secured one of hers around his waist.

"When this is over, you owe me big time," Keiko promises, refusing to even think that there may not be a next time. Keiko began to trudge towards the stairs, cursing not for the first time the multitude of stairs that awaited her.

The night air was thick and humid, filling Hiei's lungs with its crisp scent. To him, nothing could compare to the night time air of Makai's forests. The night was filled with life and sound, not the mechanical whir of machinery or the maddening honking of horns. Hiei cold never understand why humans would choose to live in such a mechanical world, their nights were so chaotic and bright, as if the difference between night and day lay only in the color of the sky. But here, in Makai, all was peaceful as nature sang her children a lullaby. There was balance and tranquility here.

Hiei sighed with contentment from his perch in an ancient oak tree. But he was not thinking about the peace of Makai's forests, no, he was thinking of the peace that had entered his life. He felt so light and unburdened, unlike how he used to feel not so many years ago. Part of him wanted to thank his new found peace to his forced servitude as a spirit detective. The life it granted him freed him of his fears and weaknesses. His sister was safe and happy. His friends, though at first he was ashamed to have them, gave him the drive to improve and be better as a fighter. But they weren't the only ones to blame.

Mukuro, the woman who had laid claim to both him and his heart, was also responsible to the peace and stability in his life. With her he had a home. With her he had a purpose, now that his new found freedom had completely taken affect. With her, he felt happy. However, lately, she had been the cause for one small burden in his life.

As a young demon, he had no right yet to wish for a mate, especially one as old and powerful as Mukuro, but here he was. He didn't know when he stopped seeing her as his superior, or when the shift from friend to something more changed, but he loved her. On many occasions he'd thought to tell her, to claim her as his intended so that when she believed he was ready, they could be mated. But part of him feared that she only saw him as a child, for he was a young demon, barely entering his mating years. He had nothing to offer her and even now half the demon community loathed him for his involvement with the spirit world.

"Hiei." Speak of the devil, Hiei thought as he watched Mukuro approach his tree from below. Without even a second though Hiei rose from his lounging position and dropped from his favorite branch.

"Need something," Hiei inquired, maintaining an air of nonchalance.

"There's something we need to discuss," she explained, her voice wavering in a rare slip of emotion.

Hiei's mask dropped, surprise painted on his features as he took in her sorrow. "What happened," Hiei demanded.

"Not here, let us speak somewhere more private," Mukuro replied, turning on her heel before leading Hiei to a near by cave that both would frequent during their breaks between training sessions. The walk wasn't long, but it was almost too much for Hiei to take.

Not once did he think to skim through her mind in search of why she was sad. Not once did he think to question Mukuro's appearance in his section of the forest. He was blind to all things but the sorrow in Mukuro's voice. So when they entered the cave, he did nothing but stare in shock as Mukuro melted away, and in her place stood a silver kitsune, the vixen's face full of sorrow and remorse as she silently begged for his forgiveness. But before words could form in his mind and escape his lips he was struck from behind.

Lights danced before his eyes as his body burst into the soul stealing flame. But Hiei, for all the shock, would not be taken down so easily. Summoning the black flames unto his very flesh, he fought back the iridescent fire that tried to scorch its way into his very spirit. The pain was excruciating, but he would not cry out.

"Who are you," Hiei questioned, struggling valiantly to keep the pain from his voice.

"No one special," a woman's husky voice answered from behind him. "We just want your soul, isn't that right Yoko Moriko?"

Moriko…? Hiei thought, the name ringing a bell in his mind, but the pain would not allow for him to recall where he'd heard that name.

"Hai, Kimiko-sama," the silver vixen replied meekly, bowing her head submissively and in an attempt to hide her shame.

"Hurry and finish him off, I've got a date tonight," the voice commanded before exiting the cave, the clacking of heels reverberating off the walls of the cave.

"Hai, Kimiko-sama," she said with another bow. She approached the still smoldering Hiei with hesitant steps. She did not wish to harm the youngling before her, but she had no other choice. "Forgive me," she whispered before Hiei's world went black.

The silver vixen walked out of the cave with four crystals, all varying in shades of purple. Hiei's was a dark soul, but the light that glowed from within the darkness was born from a pure spirit: An intriguing contradiction, but a beautiful on just the same. Moriko cradled the gems to her chest, feeling guilt for stealing such a soul, but she could only hope that she could at least protect the light.

"Come along, we don't want to keep our Lord waiting," Kimiko, a tall blonde woman dressed in a black leather mini dress ordered. Her eyes were hidden behind a stylish pair of glasses, glasses that hid her shrewd gaze from the world. A long pink trench coat protected her body from the sudden chill of the forest and a pair of black pumps, ill fitted for the terrain, barely touched the soil. Her long hair fell down her back in a long braid, the ends ghosting over the ground.

"Hai, Kimiko-sama," Moriko bowed, her eyes quickly checking the cave one last time before the two vanished in a gust of wind. A bright crystal, an exquisite stone that looked like an amethyst, shone brightly as if to assure her of her deed. She could only pray that Hiei's light would be okay.

Kuwabara guffawed loudly with his group at the joke one of them told. The night was young. The demons were behaving. There were no missions. Life was good for Kuwabara right then. Everything was going his way.

"Help!" Kuwabara froze at the shrill cry of a woman's voice reached his and his companions' ears. There was no thought, only action as the four ran towards the sound, the familiar beating of flesh soon joining the loud cries of the woman.

When they found their way into the alleyway, they found an older woman, maybe in her late thirties, on the ground with her clothes torn and her face swollen and bloody. Lying on the ground was the still body of a child, but if he breathed could not be discerned. This sent Kuwabara and his gang into a violent yet justified rage, but when the identities of the pair's assailants was recognized as a rival group from a nearby high school, that rage intensified to such a raw fury that it was palpable.

There were only five in total, all scrawny and small in comparison to Kuwabara's hulking form. In their hands they held knives and daggers and in their eyes they had nothing but drunken madness and bloodlust, as if the sight of the woman bleeding fulfilled them in the darkest of ways. This wasn't a mugging, as shown by the discarded groceries and her purse. None of the jewelry was touched and the cell phone lay on the ground, a destroyed and shattered mess. The five turned to the newcomers as one, sadistic grins spreading wider at the prospect of more blood. They didn't even speak, they just attacked with a maniacal glee. But for all they promised, the fight that ensued was quick, but bloody. Kuwabara through his everything into every blow he struck, breaking bones and limbs with a fierce precision that was inhuman, meeting their ferocity with one that was almost demonic.

"Come back here," Kuwabara called when one tried to get away.

"Kuwabara," Okubo, the rounder of the group called. "Let him go, we have to help the kid and his mom."

"Yeah, you're right. But just wait till I get my hands on him…" Kuwabara grumbled as he jogged back to the injured pair to see the extent of the damage.

"Yes, you have to help us," a voice cackled.

"What? Who was that?" Their answer came in the form of the child suddenly turning his head to face them, the neck snapping fatally. Slowly, on arm lifted the body from the ground as if someone was lifting him from the ground and onto his feet.

"Yes, you must help us," the woman's voice followed, a mysterious force lifting her from her neck and placing her behind the child. Their forms began to shimmer and waver before they vanished all together, leaving the alleyway void of their presence. The black of the shadows began to lift from the ground in blobs of floating masses. Within them one could see the faces of tortured souls, their whispers crying for salvation.

"Run!" Kuwabara commanded of his crew, his aura flaring subconsciously to form a wall of reiki. The next thing he knew, he was struck from behind. He didn't even see who had attacked him as he watched his friend pound against shield he had created. "Run." When the flame engulfed Kuwabara's body, he did not cry out. He did not fight. He did nothing for his own defense as he fought to maintain the wall that protected his friends from his unseen assailant. They were his only concern right then, and the fact that they were safe was all that mattered. "Hurry up and leave!"

The wall reacted to Kuwabara's words, moving against his comrades and forcing them back and out of the alleyway through the other end. Kuwabara slipped into unconsciousness once he was sure that they were safe, and as black consumed his world, a blinding white filled the alleyway.

From his burning body, the most beautiful iridescence could be seen as his soul burst forth from his body. Two burning paws beat against the ground, cracking the pavement and allowing room for life to take root. Plants shot up from the revealed dirt and netted around Kuwabara's body and wove around the creatures legs that hovered over the unconscious redhead. A mighty roar, born form the paw-footed entity shook the very earth and parted the smog and clouds, allowing the light of the moon and stars to shine down on them. Six wings of the purest white framed the body, one pair folded over to hide the being's face, leaving room only for the spiraling horn to jut proudly from his forehead. Another pair was folded to keep shield his feet. Behind him a long lion's tail whipped about angrily, the tip caught in a searing white flame that broke through the impurities and encouraged life to grow wherever it struck. A wild orange mane cascaded down his back, the majestic thickness dancing like flames even though it was not.

The wings that guarded the face spread wide, revealing a lion's maw and celestial intelligence as he belted forth another terrifying roar, shattering windows and stone alike as more and more of the alleyway was destroyed to make way for the life that fought its way to the surface.

Another blast of light struck the creature, knocking it back only a step. His fur bristled and his form wavered, but he stood his ground before summoning two spirit swords into his hands. The wings that guarded his face folded back in place, allowing only the horn to be seen. The humanoid lion stood his ground as he awaited the attack that he knew was coming. But instead of the orb of light that had removed him from his proper place, what came to him were many hooks and chains. The wrapped around him and pierced through his wings and hide. The pain forced the creature to release a pained horse's whine and brought the creature to his knees. Hands of the impure hearts tugged at the chains, their corruption seeping into the wounds and blackening the beautiful purity of the creature's wings.

Knowing that he had lost, the creature unfurled all his wings wide, letting all see his majesty as he let his light shine bright into the night. The creature roared again before his body was sucked into its center, becoming two separate crystals and a handful of pearlescent feathers that surrounded Kuwabara's now soulless form.

"How strange," a man's voice said as the black blobs pulled together to form a man. His dark purple, almost black hair was cut short and tousled wildly about his head and framing his cherubic face in a flattering manner. Black hakama billowed around his legs as he sat on his floating oar, the purified air dancing around his form. His arms were folded into the sleeves of his white haori with stylized orchids printed onto the sleeves. He floated closer to Kuwabara's body, but he refused to touch anything. His angelic features morphed into a black expression as his lips were tugged into a vicious grin with shark like teeth and the whites of his eyes became black and his amethyst orbs became blood rubies. "How is it that someone as weak as you has such a powerful soul. I almost want to taste it." He then stretched his hand out and grasped both pieces of Kuwabara's beautiful soul. He then held one to his lips and tapped it with his tongue, only to receive a charge of energy instead of his taste.

"Cheeky little thing, aren't we?" The floating shikigami growled his contempt before floating high over the buildings and flying away.

Botan flew through the skies at a breakneck speed, the urgency of her quest propelling her to formerly unknown speeds of travel. Hell had sealed itself and the gates to the Elysian Isles were in the process of closing. The guarding spirits were in a mad frenzy and all the shikigami were being herded from the various afterlives. It was pandemonium in Reikai and a cry for answers could be heard all over. But for all the cries, and all the screams, the reigning gods of all the major pantheons were silent.

The skies over head and the river Styx over which she flew were slowly bleeding into red and all the colors soon began to blur into one with little to no distinction. Lightning flashed, brightening the otherwise blackening terrain and illuminating the imposing castle of King Enma.

"Oh no!" Botan stared in horror at the giant crystal that floated above the highest peak of the castle. Within it held the body of the great King Yama, his form undulating in pain within his crystal prison. Iridescent chains hung from the bottom of the crystal, siphoning energy and weakening the god and rendering him incapable of saving himself.

"Hang on," Botan called as she adjusted the angle of her oar. "I'll get you out." Botan charged towards the crystal, but a violent wind knocked her backwards and sent her spiraling back to where she had started.

"My son," King Yama's voice echoed within her cranium. "Save my son."

"What's happening," Botan demanded, struggling to approach him again.

"Save my son. Save Koenma." She then heard his voice no more, no matter how much she implored. The crystal slowly became opaque as his body began to still. Faintly, King Yama's silhouette could be seen glowing through the darkened crystal, signifying his self imposed stasis.

Botan waited a while, King Yama's words slowly processing in her mind as she searched from her high up perch for anyone. She turned finally, diving into the castle through King Yama's office window. As she went, Botan called out for anyone to help her or explain to her what was going on, but no one answered. Not the deep growls of the ogres, or the lilting bells of the shikigami, there was no one, not even corpses to give her a clue.

"Koenma-sama! George! Anybody," Botan called, dropping from her oar and using the momentum to ram her body into the door, shoving it open only to discover that Koenma's office was as empty as a tomb. Papers were scattered about in wild disarray, chairs were knocked over and Koenma's desk had been cleaved in two. But beyond that, there was nothing to indicate who had attacked, who had won, or even if there was an actual fight.

Where is everyone? Not even the guards are here…The Vault! Botan broke into another run, ripping open the fake wall and sprinting down the hidden passage way to the vault which held many dangerous items like the orb of Bast, the Shadow Sword and other items that could create other untold horrors. She made a sharp right turn and barreled into another fake wall, not bothering to slow down as her weight and force did the work for her. She burst through the thin plaster and paper, only to find the vault doors laying in a dented heap against the real wall to her right. Quick as a flash, she was within the vaults confines in hopes of finding one of the vault's guards.

"Hecatoncheires*! Hecaton, are you here?" Silence greeted her as she searched for the deity that was bound to aid them for the next thousand years. She turned another corner, only to discover another crystal lying on its side. The giant body of Hecatoncheires bound within its smooth glassy walls. His many hands were held up as if in his own defense. Behind him Botan could see a hole in the wall, and within it, a familiar blue arm.

"George," Botan gasped, side stepping the giant and crawling into the hole. She then seized both of the ogre's arms and proceeded to drag him out. He groaned with discomfort at the movement, but otherwise remained still. Botan didn't care though; all she cared about was getting George out and waking him up. She needed answers and she needed them now.

Once out in the open and with room to move, Botan was able to get a better look at one of her dearest friends. His blue skin was shredded and torn, and he was bleeding profusely. Someone took great pleasure in hurting him.

"Botan," George coughed, slowly awakening.

"What happened," Botan cried, pulling the ogre into her arms. He hissed in pain, but lacked the strength to push her away and tend to his wounds. "I'm sorry," she cringed. Botan started to heal George's back, the nearest and most damaged portion of his body available to her.

"We were attacked," George began, biting back a howl of pain when Botan moved him to get better access to his ribs. "Koenma managed to evacuate the entire castle in time, but King Yama was…" George cringed in pain, tears beading in his eyes as Botan popped his arm back in place.

"I know. Where's Koenma? What happened to Hecatoncheires?" Hysteria was slowly creeping its way into Botan's voice as she struggled to keep healing George's wounds. Not all of them were allowing themselves to heal and they should have killed George, but something was keeping him alive. Botan could only hope that whatever it was kept working until George could be completely renewed.

"They took his soul," George wept. "I tried to stop them, but I was no match for them. All I could do was save one of the fragments by eating it. It's the only thing keeping me alive right now, but I don't know for how long. It's only a matter of time before they come back for this piece. If it weren't for Hecaton…He saved me. Look what they did to him!"

"He's fine, we'll save him," Botan assured George, placing a comforting hand on the crystal that held the thousand handed god captive. She felt his comforting warmth as well as his violent rage surge and beat against the gem. "He's far too old to let anything like this keep him down. I just fear for whoever did this to him,"

"…You're right," George half smiled.

"…Can you walk?" Botan inquired, searching the vault with her eyes.

"Not even if it got me out of working for Lucifer, and you know how much I hate working there. The last time I worked as an exchange there, he nearly destroyed by horn when I forgot to color code his files," George grumbled, completely oblivious to the fact that Botan had managed to coax him onto her oar. Botan tried to laugh at George's words in hopes of alleviating his pain, as if keeping things light would keep George's mind off of things. But in all honesty, there was no joy to be felt in her heart.

Once she was sure George wouldn't fall off, Botan mounted her oar in front of him and secured his arms around her waist. She then floated to where Hecatoncheires' head lay, encased in translucent stone and placed a kiss there. You'll be all right. Botan could only pray that she was right. She then angled her oar and flew out of the castle and back out into the darkening abyss that was Reikai.

*Hecatoncheires is from the greek creation story. He has a thousand hands and he had been imprisoned by his own father. Anywho, in my fic he was on probation when the events happened. He was assaigned to serve in reikai for one thousand years before he would continue his rotation into the next pantheon. He was actually two days from being rotated back to the greek pantheon and he had been known to complain about going back to see his "ungrateful neices and nephews" and he didn't want to spend one day with them let alone a thousand years. Looks like he got his wish.

Author's Note: I hope you liked the story so far, if you didn't or if you found some boo-boos, let me know. I'm willing to go back and edit my chapters if it's needed. So, tell me what you think.