Chapter 1

Her heart pounded in her chest as she held the damp edges of his cape, her face buried in the matted fur of his chest, tears falling down her cheeks as she sobbed over his lifeless form. There he lay, in all of his magnificent animalistic glory before her, having risked his life to protect her and fight for her honor against the intruder that had threatened his castle. One singular wound to the back from a hunting knife and he had fallen, there in the arms of this sweet, kind-hearted woman, who he had hoped would be the one to break the spell and free him from a lifetime as a hideous, monstrous beast. But now as he lay dying, on a small balcony outside the west wing in the pouring rain, his enchanted servants standing watch from the doorway, he didn't mind being beastly and he professed in his last moments, he was only happy to have seen her one last time before the end.

"Please, please, don't leave me," she whispered softly and for some reason she faltered, the words catching behind the large lump that had rested in her throat and in that singular moment, the last petal fell.

From a distance, the servants watched, and their eyes glanced upward to the glowing rose upon the table. A teapot, a candlestick and a clock all shrunk as their hopes died along with their master. Would they too stay this way forever?

"I love you." He was gone.

Suddenly from the sky there came soft jets of light, like drops of rain that fell all around her in a multitude of colors. She slowly lifted her head and glanced to the doorway of the balcony to Mrs. Potts and Lumiere. In a grand whirl of colors, they were swept up from the floor and spun through the colors and when all was over, they were gracefully placed down again on their feet, human again.

Belle gasped in shock, as she saw these people for the first time, never knowing that they had once been this way. Their clothes perfectly fit their forms as if their curse somehow matched their looks. Mrs. Potts was a rounded, sweet looking woman, in white linens with feminine accents and Lumiere wore gold and browns, puffs here and there as most aristocratic servants wore. As for Cogsworth, she'd never seen a man who appeared so clock-like. He was board and even had a strange little mustache that tipped up on one side.

How could she have never known about this spell? It had been kept a secret from her all this time. Had all of them been depending on her? And more importantly, she wondered, how she had broken this curse. Lastly, what did this mean for the one she cared for most, the Beast.

She glanced down at him again, his body still lying there without any sign of movement. Had she really been too late to save him too? She sniffled softly, pushing her face down again into his soft fur, as the others grabbed each other, laughing and cheerfully embracing. She felt so desperately alone. She glanced up at his face, tears gently cascading down her porcelain cheeks as she cupped his in her hand, beholding his fearsome features. She looked over every part of him without fear of offending him, a fear she had had from the moment they met. In her eyes through, no matter what he was, he was so handsome and kind. She had grown to see past his exterior, and more importantly, help him to grow past his anger and let go of the pain and resentment he'd had for so long. It couldn't end like this, not when finally she had admitted to herself that she felt for him.

She wept sweetly beside him and soon, all the servants were about her, Mrs. Potts keeping them just far enough away so Belle might have one last moment with her Beast. Belle's knuckles gently slid over his cheek and she leaned in as close as she'd ever been, whispering against his cheek, her lips to his ear.

"I love you so much," she murmured, and turned to his lips, and placed a soft kiss there, his protruding teeth cold against her lip. And then, there was a breath and she moved sat up quickly to look him over. He was breathing now, even though he was not awake. She let out a burst of tears, her eyes shooting up to Mrs. Potts.

"He's breathing. He's alive," she almost yelped, the trio joining her by her side quickly, along with a few more people who had begun to accumulate at the door.

"That he is, my dear," Mrs. Potts agreed, placing her hand on Belle's shoulder. Belle shivered and stared at the old woman, bewildered by the figure before her, who for so long had been nothing more than a common household teapot. Mrs. Potts signaled to two men in the door, a pair of guards, who came forward and helped to take the beast to his quarters. Belle unwillingly moved away from him, standing with her hand against her mouth as they carried him away, left in the strange yet familiar company of Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth. Her tears had given way to confusion as she glanced around at all the new faces, and then to the elderly woman again.

"What's going on?" Belle whispered gently, stepping closer to them.

"I suppose the girl does deserve some sort of explanation," Cogsworth muttered to Lumiere, the slender man nodding in agreement. Lumiere then looked back to their Prince, who still retained his cursed form and then to the girl who had broken their spell.

"The question is," Lumiere pondered, "What has happened? Who can be sure?"