Author's Note: I certainly hope with the upmost sincerity that everyone takes pleasure in reading this story. It is the first of hopefully many Beauty and The Beast stories, so please, sit back and be my guest.

Summary: When Gaston infiltrates the castle with his men, not only does he manage to enslave the enchanted beings, but he kills the prince and forces Belle into marriage. Lumiere won't have any of it.

...

The journey into any battle was dogged be sure, like an intricate game of chess, with Gaston as the king and the villagers as his pawns. The castle's inhabitants gathered 'round, determined to protect their home, for some of them, the only home they had known their entire lives.

Lumiere was one of its gritty soldiers, wielding his flames like swords and burning as bright as any radiant star.

It was a calamitous battle. Many humans and objects were injured, some even killed. There were casualties on both sides. Plates were smashed to the ground and Lumiere nearly perished by flame, ironically enough, when that oaf LeFou tried to melt his wax body with a torch. Luckily, a bedraggled Cogsworth had come to his rescue, giving the man quite the poke in the rump, despite his small stature. Madame on the other hand had used her tremendous weight to crush quite a few. And while most of the castle servants had fought their hearts out, living to tell the tale...

Fifi hadn't been so lucky. Her delicate body had been literally torn apart by the hands of a human, her feathery form in pieces by the time a horribly distraught Lumiere hopped to her side and fiercely burned away her attacker.

"Fifi!" He had wailed, quickly extinguishing the flames on his "hands" to gently pick her up. He was hysterical for the first time in a long time, as calm-headed as he habitually was. And when she gave no answer, it was then that Lumiere realized with augmenting distress that he was too late.

"Fifi!" He cried. "Mon amour!"

She was gone. Actually gone. Her flirtatious smile. Her beautiful laugh. Every bit of her personality was gone forever.

It was this factor that gave him the strength for what he did next. Gently carrying the feather duster in his arms, the candelabra quickly vaulted over to a corner far away from the scuffle and laid her down, suppressing a sob in the process.

"Farewell," he croaked with a bow of his head.

He would fight on. For her.

With a mighty roar, Lumiere turned his back on her one final time and sprinted into the mess. Everything came to be quite a blur after that, his rage obstructing his vision and any sound. He fought valiantly, so that she would pride over him from up above.

...

At last, the last of the villagers were driven from the castle, their cries echoed by the cheers of the servants within the large dwelling. Everyone was ecstatic and relieved. All but one, that is.

He kept to himself in the corner, protectively and forlornly watching over Fifi's being, his flames completely extinguished in his depression.

Mrs. Potts happened to notice him in the midst of the celebration. "Oh, Lumiere," she whispered in distress once she realized what had happened, and she hopped over to him. If she had arms, she would have wrapped them around what passed for his shoulders. "It...It'll be alright, dear."

The candelabra said nothing, but when Mrs. Potts nudged his side, he let out a breathy sort of shudder.

"Oh, dis-moi que ce ñ'est pas vrai..." Lumiere moaned, hiding his face with his "hands". "Tell me she hasn't passed!"

Mrs. Potts smiled miserably. She knew everyone in the castle like the back of her hand, including Fifi, who had always been a kind-hearted young woman, if not a bit silly here and there. And she had always adored Lumiere, who supposedly returned her feelings back just as valiantly. Mrs. Potts loathed seeing such close friends of her spiral into agony.

"She hasn't, Love," the teapot soothed, nudging him, to which he uncovered his sad face and glanced at her in confusion. "Not really. She'll always be here with us, in spirit."

Lumiere tried to smile at his friend's efforts, but failed miserably. "Ah, in spirit... C'est vrai..." he muttered sadly, turning back to Fifi.

How had everything gone so wrong so fast? All was supposed to turn out fine, save for a few minor bumps and bruises (or rather, scratches and chips), and the curse-that dreadful curse was to be lifted from them all! It was meant to be... Belle and the Beast were two halves weld together to create the perfect mold, despite one's appearances and former temper.

They were in sync, Lumiere had happily and hopefully concluded as he watched them play in the snow. And it was so, Cogsworth agreed with a satisfied chuckle as Belle promptly flung a handful of snow in the Beast's furry face. It was so. The way they talked, the way they sung like two birds apart of a duet, the way they danced... The way their relationship had bloomed like the enchanted rose, it was beyond compare to what any of the castle servants had expected.

They were perfect.

And that was going to break the spell. And they were going to be human again! What a thought, now that...this...had happened.

Unfortunately, none of them could have foreseen the monster that was Gaston. Nobody could have foreseen her poor father, ill and needing assistance. Nobody could have anticipated her absence. Nobody did, lest they would have acted upon it quickly and aided Belle with her troubles.

But now it too late. They would be doomed to remain enchanted objects forever...

A crash upstairs interrupted Lumiere's thoughts and everyone looked toward the ceiling, where several rafters trembled. Something else was wrong.

"Another villager!" Cogsworth exclaimed, wielding his dagger. "The final battle awaits!"

The servants, bedraggled as ever and wounded as well, did not follow the clock up the grand staircase, but dutifully gathered to prepare for the worst: cleaning the remains of smashed dishes (former waiters), twisted spoons, forks, and knives, (cooks) and smashed furniture, (other servants) while Lumiere stayed behind with Mrs. Potts to mourn over his fallen lover.

He just couldn't wrap his mind around her death. How could this have happened? One minute they were swooning, cheering the master on as he danced with Belle, sure to confess his love soon after, and the next they were fighting a merciless barrage of humans!

"Revolting people," Lumiere almost growled aloud, his flames flickering back to life. "Despicable. Who would dare attack a defenseless duster?"

Mrs. Potts sighed. "I'm sure there were innocent men among those who attacked us."

"Irrelevant!" Lumiere dismissed. "They hardly matter..."

"Dear-"

"They don't!" He snapped, causing the teapot to flinch at his fierce but understandable intensity. "None of them do and they knew...they knew what they were doing under the command of that man and his little goon of a fool."

He couldn't have gotten more than a few words in before-

"Lumiere! Come here at once!" It was Cogsworth, but instead of sounding demanding as usual, he appeared very stressed and very frightened. He rushed down the stairs and confronted the startled candelabra. "It's the Master!" He whispered frantically. "He's fallen! I need your assistance."

That got Lumiere's attention. Looking back and forth from the grand staircase to Fifi, Mrs. Potts gave him a gentle nudge. "Go. He needs you. I'll tend to her."

"Please, Lumiere!" Cogsworth begged, clasping his little metallic hands together.

"But I- What can I-?"

Mrs. Potts shook her head. "Go, Love."

He obeyed, trudging at first, but then started to sprint as the sound of Belle's cries reached his ears. "Mademoiselle?" He gasped, and quickly hopped up the stairs, moving as fast as his golden form could carry him, Cogsworth close behind. More cries erupted and echoed throughout the castle, along with his own as he reached the balcony of the west wing.

To his credit, he WAS expecting blood, some bruises, a lump on the head for his master to endure. What he hadn't expected was to find Belle draping herself over the wet-with-crimson body of the beast and sobbing her eyes out.

"No...please..." she was whimpering desperately, "You can't... you can't leave me...!"

Lumiere watched in horror along with a forlorn Cogsworth as they both locked eyes with the unblinking ones of the beast.

"You...you were not joking?" Lumiere breathed. His mind was still trying to process the scene before him.

"Certainly not!" Cogsworth exclaimed, deeply wounded. "At a time like this?"

"Sacré bleu!" Lumiere finally exclaimed, waxy tears dripping down his face and off the bridge of his nose. "First Fifi, and now-" He stopped with a gasp, for someone else seemed to have entered the picture.

Standing over Belle and the Beast was the man himself. Gaston, looking quite pleased with himself as he lowered his knife wielding hand, was dark and brooding without a moon to illuminate his form.

The two enchanted objects backed away without thinking, observing the tall, intimidating character. And what a character he was! There was no regret in his eyes for what he had done, no pity in his heart as he watched the sobbing young woman. He must have done it, Lumiere concluded with augmenting fury, his flames rekindling.

In fact, not only did the man seem pleased-he seemed more than ecstatic!

Gaston smirked to himself, swiping away his black, saturated locks out of his eyes as the rainwater continued to pour. The one thing standing between he and Belle was now dead. And yes, he knew that that THING was his biggest obstacle. He had realized that when she had come back to rescue her father. When she had shown him the mirror... When she had called that THING her friend. Kind. Gentle. Bah! She'd come around, he carelessly dismissed, tucking away his knife.

"Come Belle," he offered with an extended hand. "Belle?"

The young woman in question ignored him at first, but then finally lifted her head when he tapped her shoulder.

"How could you do this, Gaston?" She whispered hoarsely, her throat raw, her eyes puffy and red. "He was my friend! And you-!"

"I did what was right," Gaston interjected, puffing out his chest. "The village is safe, now that it's dead."

"They were never in danger," she abruptly cried out, her brows furrowing in agonizing pain. And with that, she buried her face into the chest of the beast, sobbing on but quieter. "You led them all here," she murmured, "and for what? To get what YOU want? Why don't you EVER consider what others may want?"

Gaston gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Mind what I say, Belle, I WILL have its head mounted on my wall, and I WILL have you as my wife. Make no mistake about that!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Shouted a furious Cogsworth, startling Gaston as he waddled up to defend his former master and Belle with his own dagger in hand. "If you dare lay a hand on either of them, I'll gut you myself!"

Gaston stared at him. While he hadn't gotten a full taste of what the enchanted castle had offered downstairs, he did understand the gravity of the situation at hand. Then again... "You and what army, little clock?" He chuckled at the small stature of the being.

"Me! You have to get through me fir-!" Belle let out a shocked gasp as her friend was promptly kicked out of the way by an amused Gaston, sending him to crash a good few feet away, moaning in pain. There was also the sound of breaking glass, and everyone knew that the clock was in trouble.

"Cogsworth!" Lumiere cried, prepared to hop to his friend, but was stopped by Gaston, who blocked his path.

"What's this?" Gaston chuckled as his new opponent's flames grew in size, which was Lumiere's attempt to make himself look intimidating. "Is this your army, clock? A talking candlestick?"

"Labra!" Lumiere growled. The impudence, this monster. "Candelabra, you-you swine! You son of a pig! Monster!" He began cursing in French.

"Me?" Gaston was genuinely surprised. "Monster? You should be thanking me for ridding this world of that monster there." He pointed to the body and Lumiere gritted his teeth. "It must've been terrible to be stuck in this castle all this time with that thing, I'm sure. I'm glad I solved the problem." He drew his blade. "Now..." he mused. "What should I do with you?"

Lumiere jolted at the shine of the knife.

"L-Leave him alone, Gaston!" Belle cried, letting go of the beast and outstretching her arms. She couldn't take this. She couldn't handle losing anyone else. Gaston looked back to her and smiled.

"Another friend of yours? How nice," he chuckled, and then grabbed the candelabra around the base, despite his protests. "Why don't you join the clock?" He then tossed Lumiere to the side and returned to Belle, who was struggling to rush over to her friends, but he blocked her path just in time. "Now, now. Leave them be. We have much bigger things to worry about!"

"Oh? Like what?" Belle yelled, her face streaked with rain and tears as she shoved past him. "Your imaginary wedding? It'll never happen, Gaston. I'd rather die!"

The man was at a loss for words, especially as she rushed to tend to those horrid creatures.

"What to do?" He wondered as she bent over the fallen clock and candelabra, whispering to them in soothing, hushed tones.

And then the wheels in his head began turning... a dangerous pastime he knew, but this was important.

Without warning, he strutted over to the three beings and grabbed Lumiere. He then proceeded to, despite Belle's protests, dangle him over the edge of the balcony. "How about a preposition?" He suggested as Lumiere struggled. The enchanted candelabra desperately attempted to ignite his flames to burn the man holding him, but the pouring rain prevented the fire from prevailing.

"You marry me," Gaston smiled, "and I'll let this little friend of yours go. And if you decline my offer-!"

"No, Belle!" Lumiere cried, struggling with all his might to get out of the man's iron grip. "Cheri! You mustn't do this! Not for me!"

"If you decline," Gaston continued with annoyance, giving the candelabra a rough shake which rattled his teeth, "if you refuse-"

"I-I'm not worth it!" Lumiere cried out once more, a bit shaken, but as he looked down, he began to have second thoughts. Nothing between him and the ground save for a thousand feet of air. "Cogsworth! Mon amie! Sauve-moi!" He cried out, hoping his friend could help him, but alas, the poor clock was unconscious.

"Make your decision, m'lady," Gaston warned, "or he gets to meet his maker."

Belle was frantic. "Please don't make me do this, Gaston," she begged, falling to her knees. "You can't make me do this! Show mercy!"

Gaston shrugged. "Alright." And his grip on Lumiere loosened.

As soon as he felt Gaston's gloved fingers leave his base, Lumiere let out a horrible screech-only for the man to re-grip to keep him from falling. It took Belle a minute to realize that she had screamed too.

"Alright!" She cried out hoarsely.

"What?" Gaston blinked, and Lumiere's jaw dropped. She couldn't have said what he thought she had said.

For a moment there was nothing but the pattering of the rain. But then Belle, from her bowed stance, rose up and took a determined step forward. Her face streaked with tears, she chokingly asked, "Do I have your word?"

"No! Belle, don-MPHHH!" Lumiere tried, but his mouth was quickly covered by Gaston, who gave a nod of satisfaction to the young woman. "You have my word. He will live, as well as his other little friends. Do I have yours?"

For a moment, Belle said nothing, but then saw the pained expression on Lumiere's face as she made eye contact with his bright brown eyes.

"You have my word," she finally managed to choke out, tears streaming down her crimson face, and Gaston gave her a wide grin.

"Wonderful!" He crowed, throwing his arms up, causing Lumiere to lurch. "Then we have a deal. You become my wife and the little enchanted creatures live. Even this one," he sighed, and gave Lumiere another shake before tossing him to join a still-unconscious Cogsworth on the ground.

"Well then, we shall be married!" He crowed, clasping his hands together. "And the beast shall become my trophy-"

"He will be buried," Belle interjected. "Please Gaston," she begged when he paused. "That's all I ask of you! Is for him to be protected-even in death! And for me to pay my respects. Please..."

Lumiere was close to tears himself as he tried to pick himself off the ground. "M-Mademoiselle..."

"You ask for a lot, my dear," the broad lout chuckled, in a tremendously good mood as he threw an arm around her shoulder. "But I'll get you straightened out in no time."

"Urk... Belle..." Lumiere croaked as they walked past, reaching out with his skinny gold arm. "Please..."

Nobody, not even he noticed as the last petal fell.

...

Lumiere awoke a few hours later, waterlogged and aching. He sat up with a groan, thoughts swirling about his mind like a whirlpool. It was still pouring rain. And he...? He sagged. Well, he certainly wasn't human again. This he concluded by staring up at the enchanted rose, which had shed its last petal.

Well... that was it then. He was doomed to remain an enchanted object forever.

And then he remembered.

"Belle!" He cried out. "Master!" The beast's body was absent. A groan to his left captured his attention. "Cogsworth!" He gasped, crawling over to his groggy friend. "Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" The clock moaned, rubbing his head as Lumiere helped him sit up. "I feel as though all of my gears have been twisted past their limits."

"Will you be alright?" Lumiere inquired.

Cogsworth issued a thorough observation of himself, checking his gears, his polished finish, which was now scratched and dirty. Finally, he sighed. "Hard to say, but yes, I believe I'll live," he sadly muttered, staring up at the wilted rose.

"We have to find Belle before she leaves with that monster!" Lumiere insisted, ignoring the obvious curse issue. "C'mon!"

"What? Now!?" Cogsworth cried, waving his arms. "Shouldn't we have but a moment to collect ourselves and-?" Lumiere sent a glare at his friend over his shoulder, which caused Cogsworth to pause mid sentence and groan. "Oh, alright. Fine, fine, allow me to-" with a heave, he got to his "feet". "Let's go."

Together, they exited the west wing and ran their hardest down the grand staircase, where it was surprisingly empty in the front foyer. They looked about, confused as to where everyone had gone.

"Uh, is it always this empty?" Lumiere questioned, to which Cogsworth shook his head.

"No, I don't belie—"

"Cogsworth! Lumiere! Thank heavens I found you!" Came the bedraggled cry of a certain teapot. The two enchanted beings whipped around just in time to see a very broken Mrs. Potts barreling towards them at top speed out from a random corridor.

She was a mess. Her lid was missing, her spout was cracked badly on the side, and scratches littered her porcelain like whip marks.

"Gaston rounded up his men!" She whispered in a rushed, haggard tone. They've infiltrated the castle and took an axe to-" she swallowed hard. "-everyone, really... Madame is gone... Chef Bouche—Everyone deemed large or sharp enough to be a problem!"

"Oh, Dieu..." Lumiere breathed, clutching at his face.

"And that's not all," she whimpered. "Those evil creatures have taken Chip and the children and the rest of the staff and put them in God-forsaken cages! Lord knows what they're planning! They've been looking for me, but I've managed to evade them…for now."

"But—But we beat them!" Lumiere exclaimed, startlingly confused. "Didn't we?"

Mrs. Potts shook her head. "Word spreads fast in this world. Other villages are catching witness as to what's going on. They came while you two were in the West Wing."

"A-And the Master?" Cogsworth interrupted worriedly, bounding up to her.

The teapot's eyes were filled to the brim with tears, but they were just now starting to fall. "I'd rather not speak of it."

"That's alright. That's alright," Lumiere assured her, understanding how traumatized the poor teapot must be." Where is Belle?" He asked, closing his eyes.

"In her room," Mrs. Potts revealed sorrowfully. "She's been in there for a good few hours now, the poor child."

"Have you spoken to her?"

Mrs. Potts shook. "I would if I could, but she won't let anyone in. She's barricaded the door."

Lumiere was silent. Poor Belle. The sheer amount of heartbreak she must have had to endure, much like him with Fifi, was astounding! The poor girl... She simply must be comforted. Lumiere had taken a great liking to said girl the moment she set foot in the castle. He knew that she was destined for the master, but wouldn't have minded her company. She was very intelligent, sweet and kind and... "I shall go to her," he bravely announced, extending an "arm".

Mrs. Potts stared at him for a moment, and looked as though she wanted to say something else, but then she simply said, "Go under the cover of darkness, dear. It'll help. And watch out for Gaston's men—they're everywhere!"

Lumiere was just about to wish her good luck, but LeFou's voice echoed around the corridor, causing all three of them to jump.

"Go!" She cried. "NOW!"

...