AN: This might sound a little strange, but if anyone here could make fanart of Blake as the Beast, subscribing to the design I will share in this chapter, I'd very much like that. I need some kind of cover image for this aside from a green dragon. Also, once this is finished, I intend to rewrite the story heavily.

A small cloud of dirt and gravel was kicked up when Sun jumped off the gate and onto the ground. He stood up straight and surveyed the castle grounds, taking in the view. It was dominated entirely by the Belladonna Palace, a magnificent castle and wonder of the world. Or at least, it would have been in its prime. Now, it was little more than a decomposing corpse. Several windows were broken, there were cracks in the walls and at least one tower seemed about to collapse.

"Hey," Neptune said, panting as he began climbing, "mind giving me a helping hand?" His foot slipped against part of the gate, making him shriek and pushing his full weight against it.

Sun reached up and grabbed the latch, pulling it up and letting the gate swing open. Neptune stared blankly forward for a brief moment, then hopped off. "Thanks."

"No problem." Sun made sure the gate was latched and closed behind them. As the two friends gingerly began walking, Sun taking the lead, Neptune couldn't help looking around, impressed. Even in a state of disrepair, he could keenly see the amount of dedication it had taken to create it. I reminded him of the palaces he used to visit back in Mistral, though it wasn't as expansive. The architecture was similar, with a roof made from black tiles and several turrets connected to the main building. The fact it was crumbling made it seem like something out of a fairy tale - which, in turn, reminded him of Sage's story. Within the courtyard, there was a massive garden, filled with hedges cut into vague shapes resembling mainly big cats that...if Neptune didn't know any better, he'd swear that someone had been trimming them. They were way too well defined.

"Hey, look," Neptune said, pointing to the side.

"What is it?" Sun asked, following his gaze. Neptune didn't answer. Instead, he rushed off the trail and into the garden. "Hey, wait!" Sun cried as he followed after, hefting his pack in one hand.

When Neptune stopped, he was in the middle of a gazebo. Several rose bushes were climbing up and around it. Roses of every color were in full bloom, from red to white to yellow to black. Neptune had narrowed his eyes, staring at each one intently, along with the vines and brambles.

"Dude, are you seriously stopping to smell the flowers?" Sun asked when he caught up to him.

"Look," Neptune said, point to the bushes, "it's been trimmed."

Sun blinked and peered closely, searching for every little detail. What he did notice surprised him.

"You're right," he said softly. He leaned back, stunned. There were clearly several small cuts along the bush, keeping it neat and tidy.

"Nobody's supposed to live here, right?"

"As far as I know, Neptune," Sun answered, thinking. Then he brightened. "But now I'm sure this isn't a trap."

"How?"

"Because why set up a trap but also take the time to trim this rose bush? Seems kind of stupid."

"So who's been cutting the roses?"

"Uh...maybe Adam?"

Neptune answered by shrugging his shoulders. He turned away from Sun and scanned the windows intently, gulping.

"Do you feel like someone's watching us?"

Sun just laughed, trying to play it off as Neptune being ridiculous. "Please, you're just a bit paranoid." He hoped his own anxiety wasn't showing. "Let's just go inside."

The entrance was a pair of massive black doors, with a pair of snarling lion heads made of gold on each one, each holding a knocker in their mouths.

"You gonna knock or should I?" Neptune asked. Sun rolled his eyes, then laid a hand on the door, pushing hard. When it didn't budge, he took a step back, brace himself then threw his shoulder against it, grunting. Still, the door held.

"Trying pulling," Neptune offered. Sun gave him a small glare before firmly placing both hands on a door knocker, setting down his pack. No matter how much he strained and grunted, the door simply wouldn't move. Sun released it, groaning.

"Locked," he said. "We'll have to break a window or something."

"Maybe there's another entrance? Like, the stables?"

"Yeah, that might work." Picking his pack up, he gestured with his head. "Let's not waste time waiting."

The boys had barely taken a few steps away when they froze at exactly the same time.

The sound of the door being unlocked was unmistakable. Then slowly turned around to face it, and remained as stiff as boards.

Right before their eyes, one of the doors that had stubbornly remained shut was being slowly pulled inwards, revealing the dark interior of the castle.

They made eye contact, faces blank and muscles stiff, the same idea on both of the minds. Neptune was the one to voice it. "This castle's totally haunted."

Sun sighed. "No way, it's probably some hermit letting us in."

Neptune turned to the door. "Any hermits living inside the big, abandoned castle?"

No answer.

Sun lightly hit him on the back of the head. "Dude!" he said in a harsh whisper. "Keep it down!"

Neptune glared at him. "Somebody opened that door for us, Sun."

"Maybe it just opened by itself. Let's just go inside, stay for a week, then we'll book it!"

"Doors don't unlock by themselves!" Neptune hissed through clenched teeth.

"It's an old door, maybe it's broken and I opened it accidentally," Sun hissed back. He turned to the door, clenched his fist firmly, and, straightening himself, confidently walked inside, pushing the open door open all the way.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Neptune muttered as he followed after.

Sun was clearly in the main hall of the castle. It was massive, with several pillars supporting the balcony directly above him. In front was a large stairway leading upwards which stopped at a platform, which had two, smaller sets of stairs leading to opposite wings of the castle.

He whistled. "Nice place," he said admiringly.

"Okay, it's big and fancy, sure, can we please find somewhere to hide now?"

"Relax, Neptune, the dungeons are probably..." Sun paused and began looking around, sweeping his gaze over every inch of the hall.

"Let's split up," Sun said.

"No," Neptune said.

"Neptune, stop. Just listen to me, okay? You have training from your dad, and I was trained you trained me. If we run into any trouble, I'm sure we can both deal with it."

"Sun-"

The monkey Faunus sighed. "Neptune, okay, I know. Things have been really weird today, but we need to find somewhere in this place to hide. Like I said, we'll only stay a week then leave."

"What if we have to stay longer than a week?"

Sun paused, then shrugged. "We'll do that. We'll stay here as long as we need to, but we'll be perfectly fine."

"Although," Neptune said, "I just had a thought. What if the Grimm get in here?"

"They didn't give us any trouble on the way here, I doubt they'll come after us. But," Sun stopped, looked around again, then spotted an overturned chair. He bent down, grabbed a leg and started tugging on it. It took some effort, but he was able to rip it off. He turned around, holding it out to Neptune.

"Uh," Neptune remarked. "That's a poorly made chair."

"Or I'm just really strong?" Sun joked.

Neptune sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose, then, resigned, nodded. "Fine, we can split up. But don't go somewhere which might be dangerous." He took the chair leg, testing its weight and giving it a few swings. It wasn't the trident his dad had made him, but it would do.

"Okay, so we will meet back here in about two hours. Sound good?"

"And if one of us should end up in trouble?"

"Just yell, dude. You've got a very distinctive yell."

"At least mine doesn't sound like a girl's," Neptune retorted with a wink.

"No, it sounds like a Banshee Grimm who stubbed her toe."

Both boys burst out laughing instantly, Neptune patting Sun on the back with his free hand. Once they settled down, he straightened and sighed. "Okay, how about we meet back in an hour and a half instead?"

Sun thought about it, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"Okay, but what if I find the dungeons?"

"Come back here, and either call or wait for me to get back, then lead the way."

Neptune shrugged. "Okay, so...I'll go right, you go left?"

"Sure, but Neptune," Sun placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, "stay safe."

"I will," he answered.

The two parted ways without another word, Sun taking out Jingu Bang, just in case. Neptune was on alert, eyes scanning the hallway for any signs of something afoot before taking slow, cautious steps. In a few moments, the hallway split in two at an angle. Neptune pondered this for a few moments before taking the new route, deeper into the castle.

The main hall was quiet with the intruders gone, the echoes of their footsteps fading away. Everything was completely still. Then, from the interior balcony, came a soft, low growl. A large, hulking figure softly tread up onto the railings, her weight perfectly balanced thanks to years of practice. Her massive, tufted ears flickered, listening intently. Then, she gracefully began stalking along the banister before jumping down, landing on all fours. Snarling, she first looked left, then right. Her prey had split up. Very well then. Now, who should she go after first?

After barely a moment's thought, she went right.

"So," Sun muttered, "this must be the dining room." And it was in remarkable condition. Come to think of it, the entire castle seemed far better kept than he would have expected, given it was abandoned for three years.

The table had a shine to it almost like it had recently been polished. He could see a few fragments of dust here and there, but it was mainly around the edges, and practically insignificant. But there was no way someone could actually have polished the thing. Nobody lived here anymore.

That's what he told himself, anyway.

He did note, however, there was a plate with silverware on either side of it. "Odd..." he muttered, walking over and picking up the utensils. He inspected first the fork, then the spoon, then the knife, then the smaller spoon, fork, and knife. The plate itself, when he picked it up, was perfectly clean, devoid of a single speck of dust or grime. In the poor light, he could actually see himself in the reflection.

He shook his head, unsure what to make of any of this. Why would someone set up a place at the table with utensils and a perfectly clean plate but with no chair either, on top of in a place like this?

There he heard something shatter, and he jumped up, pulling out the other nunchuck. He focused on a door leading right on the other side of the room, where he had clearly heard something break.

Sun leaped up, first on the table then landing on the ground, and began cautiously walking toward it. Nothing seemed to be happening at the moment. At least, nothing he could hear.

Without warning, Sun burst in through the door, kicking it open with his foot. But he could never have expected what was on the other side.

It was the kitchen, obviously, and a China plate lay in pieces on the ground. But what really caught him by surprise were the statues.

There were two of them, one female, the other male. They were separated by a large kitchen table, stacked with several pristine china dishes. The girl was wearing a cooking apron over her dress, and was evidently a rabbit Faunus, judging from the tall rabbit ears popping up from her head. Her face was caught in perpetual surprise, eyes wide and mouth gaping as she stared down at the shattered plate on the ground, hands held up to her chest.

The boy was human and much larger than the girl. His hair was combed back, and he was broad-shouldered, with a massive scowl on his face directed at the girl. He too wore a kitchen apron, though it was less puffy than the girl's. His hands were held out in front of him, and he honestly seemed like he was about to explode and really let have it.

Sun stepped closer, bemused beyond belief, and began inspecting the girl, given she was the closer of the two. She was made of perfectly carved white stone, without a single blemish of any kind, almost like she had been carved that very day. He felt along her face, ears, body, and shoulders. It was all smooth. There was no sign she'd been moved here either, like a scrap on the floor. He did the same to the boy as well and found exactly the same.

"Weird," he muttered, wondering where they had come from. He then began searching through the kitchen itself, wondering if there was anything of note. Aside from the silverware, plates, and even the stove being in remarkably good condition, there wasn't much. Heck, the stove itself was still warm. Not enough to burn but still noticeable. He opened every compartment and was amazed by how clean the inside was as well. Was Adam actually cleaning the entire castle himself every time he visited?

Sun chuckled. That was certainly an amusing thought. Then he noticed the bag of coals next to the stove and smirked. Once he was done drawing on both, he set it down in the Faunus girl's hand, then left, letting the kitchen door swing closed behind him as he whistled a merry tune.

It was only when they were sure he was gone that one of the statues spoke to the other.

"Velvet," the boy said in a harsh whisper, "you're cleaning up this mess." He pointed to his face as he said that, glaring angrily through a pair of large black spectacles.

"Cardin," Velvet said softly, "did you see that?"

"Saw it? It just drew on us both! I'm never trusting you with putting away the dishes-"

"Someone's in the castle!"

Cardin blinked, then his face went pale as the blood drained from it. "Oh."

Velvet dropped the coal on the ground, wiping her dirty hand on her apron as she rushed to the door, peeking her head into the empty dining room.

"What are you doing?!" Cardin hissed, quickly rushing up behind her.

"We have to follow him, see what he's up to. Besides, he took one of the forks!"

Cardin raised a hand to his face, then stopped. "First, wipe the coal off my face."

"Do it yourself!" And with that, Velvet raced into the dining room on her tiptoes.

Cardin groaned, grabbed the wet cloth he had been using to wipe off the table before following after the dumb bunny.

Neptune wasn't sure which part of the castle this was but had long since exchanged the chair leg club for a halberd which had formerly been in the possession of a suit of armor, one of several used as decoration in this particular hallway. Said suit of armor was now in a pile on the floor, but he was sure no one would care much about that.

Except for whoever had opened the door for them. Despite Sun's reassurances, Neptune was still convinced someone had to be living here. Those roses had been freshly trimmed, and roses don't trim themselves. Even if some picture books said otherwise.

Neptune gently placed his foot down and cringed when the floor creaked. Loudly. His eyes moved first to the left, then the right, expecting for someone to pop out and sock him. He sighed in relief when they didn't. Not that it alleviated his feelings of being watched.

A clatter of metal made him go as stiff as a board. He spun around, halberd raised for action, but there was no one there. Another suit of armor now lay in a pile, though, next to a lumpy red curtain. And Neptune knew for a fact he hadn't done that. Slowly, he turned back around, then was off like a shot, halberd clutched tightly to his chest.

A boy with blond hair suddenly peaked out from behind the curtain. His blue eyes stared intently after Neptune's fleeting form, and his face became grim.

No way Jaune Arc was letting some blue-haired crook hurt Princess Weiss. He came out from behind the curtain, raising his sword as he prepared to go after them.

"Jaune," a deep voice growled. All at once, the young squire tensed up. He remained completely still as a large mass approached him from behind, snorting. When she stopped, they were standing right next to him at full height. Ever since the Enchantress cursed them all, he couldn't help being intimidated by the Queen, no matter what Pyrrha said.

"I'll handle this one. There's another on the other side of the castle, a monkey Faunus. Deal with him," she said, before bounding past him on all fours, brown, shaggy cape billowing behind her.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said quietly. Then he turned around, sulking, and went to find this monkey.

Meanwhile, Neptune's flight wasn't going anywhere in particular. Okay, so, now he was absolutely sure someone else was in the castle and stalking him. By going in random directions, he hoped to throw them off track. He knew there was a chance of getting lost, but it was worth it. Besides, it would be easy to find his way out.

Still, he was beginning to feel a bit tired. He'd have to stop sometime and catch his breath. When he saw an open double door, he didn't hesitate to race past them, then turned around, slamming the doors shut. Panting, Neptune leaned his forehead against them, took a deep breath, halberd still clutched in his hands tightly, then sighed. No way the person or persons chasing him wouldn't think to open these doors and check for him, but he already had a plan for that. Well, the beginning of one.

First things first, though. He needed to find Sun, explain that someone else was in here with them, get out, and never look back. Then they would have to tell Sage, Scarlet, Ren, and Nora what happened and that they probably should just leave Menagerie altogether, stowing away on the first ship out of here.

Actually, no, no water, they should just hijack an airship. If Menagerie had any, to begin with...

Still pondering how they could escape this place, Neptune lifted his head off the door and turned around, ideally checking what kind of room he was in.

His mouth dropped open when he realized he was in a massive, circular ballroom. The ceiling stretched and curved upwards to make a dome, a chandelier made from thousands of glass droplets dangling from the center. A mural of Menagerie itself, surrounding by a glistening blue ocean which Neptune avoided looking at for too long, had been painted on it with the utmost care and attention. On the other side were several glass doors leading to a balcony, where he could see the stars sparkling in the night sky. Well, at least he had a way out. But he only momentarily dwelled on that, instead enraptured by the sheer detail and beauty surrounding him.

The ballroom was utterly bare of things like tables, chairs, and even paintings, save for a single, white piano directly beside another door which was slightly ajar. Neptune almost didn't pay it much attention until he saw a flash of white move on the other side. He blinked, stunned.

"Hello?" he whispered while taking small steps toward it. "Is someone there?"

No answer. Just like happened when the main entrance had been unlocked.

Part of Neptune knew he should just sprint for the balcony and take his chances climbing down it. But the other really wanted to know who - or what - was behind that door. And, unfortunately, the latter won out.

Neptune used his foot to gently push the door open all the way, eyes narrowed in anticipation. Beyond it was another hallway, this one curving around alongside the ballroom. Neptune peeked his head, and almost drew it back when he saw the statue of a girl...that seemed very familiar.

"Uh," he said, "where this come from?" He gingerly stepped over the threshold and into the hallway. He walked around the statue with a critical eye, but couldn't help raising a brow at the craftsmanship.

The girl was wearing a dress that he would expect for a formal occasion, like, well, a ball. She had her hands clasped together as daintily as a princess, or at least what Neptune would expect from one. The dress itself, despite being made of stone, seemed to glitter and had a large, blue sapphire placed right in the middle of the sweetheart neckline. He imagined there were probably several smaller stones scattered in the rock, making it glitter. "Neat," he mused. As for the girl herself, her hair had been braided into a long ponytail that reached her knees, and her face was...actually kind of cute. Even if her eyes were firmly closed and her lips just a pair of small, closed lines, there was no denying that, if real, she'd been a very attractive girl. He knew he'd seen her somewhere before, but couldn't figure out where.

Even though he was acutely aware someone was hunting him, Neptune couldn't help smirking. Statues always did make the best practice when it came to flirting.

"Well hello there," he said smoothly, trying to pretend this wasn't a block of stone he was talking to, "what's your name, beautiful? Oh, shy? Allow me - I'm Neptune. Neptune Vasilias. And you are?" He paused, imagining she was stuttering out her own, on the verge of fainting. "A beautiful name for a beautiful angel like you. Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned this but...I'm starting to like you." He finished off with a smirk and a wink, holding out his hand as if she would take it.

Then her cheeks started to turn a faint shade of pink. Neptune blinked, leaned forward until he was right in her face, then lifted a finger and pressed it against the pink blush. It was...warm.

Then her eyes snapped open, revealing an icy shade of blue that stared right back at him.

Neptune jumped back with a scream, halberd clattering the ground as he fell on his butt. The girl that was made of stone started to change before his very eyes, her dress now turning into blue fabric while her skin became...not stone. Both her hands had shot up to her mouth in shock while she leaned back, looking first at him then the halberd then back to him.

"What the- what-" Neptune sputtered, pointing at her, "who the heck are you?! What are you?!"

After he finished speaking, the girl's expression changed. Now she scowled at him, hands clenched at her sides. If she was trying to be intimidating, the blush still faintly visible on her cheeks ruined it. "Neptune Vasilias," she said slowly, "it's been a long time."

Neptune blinked. What the heck did she - wait.

No. NO.

"Princess Weiss?" he breathed. "You're...not dead?"

Princess Weiss Schnee, the girl he had played kissing with at a ball while hiding under a table from their parents, opened her mouth to speak but never got the chance. A low, threatening growl from down the hall made both of them freeze.

Both teens turned to find a massive creature staring at them coldly, crouching low to the ground. It's gaze shifted solely to Neptune, glanced briefly behind him, then back to Neptune. Its eyes were a dark amber color, with two black vertical slits for pupils.

The creature slowly began stalking forwards on all fours, snarling. "Weiss," they said in a low, husky but undeniably feminine voice, "do you know this person?"

"Blake, listen, I know how this looks-"

"Blake?!" Neptune exclaimed, cutting off once thought dead girl. "As in Princess Blake Belladonna?! But I thought she...no way, Sage's book was right..."

"What?!" The creature, Blake, hissed, quickening her pace, "What did you say!?"

Neptune swallowed, shaking like he was about to jump out of his skin. "The b-book he - Sage - found...the one which said you were...turned into...a monstrous beast-"

"What book!" Blake growled, then she bounded forward with stunning speed. Neptune feebly held up his arm in front of him, other hand trying to grab the halberd in vain. He could hear Weiss's frantic pleas, but they didn't matter. Only the ferocious, looming form of Blake Belladonna did.

"WHAT. BOOK?!"

When Sun heard the roaring he jumped instantly, turning towards it. When he heard Neptune's high pitched scream afterward, his heart almost froze. "Oh shit!" he cursed, before breaking into a sprint.

There were Creatures of Grimm in this castle, and one of them had found Neptune! Shit, shit, shit, shit-

Velvet and Cardin ducked back behind a pillar as Sun ran past them, holding both nunchucks firmly. They watched him go, Velvet's ears drooping.

"Two people are in the castle," Cardin muttered, "this guy and whoever just screamed like a Banshee Grimm."

"And Blake found the latter," Velvet said sadly. "Poor guy..."

"Come on, let's follow him," Cardin said, cracking his knuckles.

"Hold on, we're not actually going to attack him? We're a pair of unarmed cooks!"

"Better we have some excuse as for why we didn't do anything than deal with the queen's temper tantrum. Now come on, you dumb rabbit."

Velvet sighed, then began undoing her apron, folding it neatly before placing it on a nearby table.

"What are you doing?" Cardin asked, bemused.

"I don't want to get my apron ruined."

"Is that really the most pressing concern right now?!"

"For cooks like us? Yes!"

Cardin snorted, shaking his head before he began walking - back to the kitchens. "I'm getting my mace..."

"Oh!" Velvet said suddenly. "That reminds me!"

The moment the bunny said that Cardin froze. "Velvet," he growled, "where'd you put it this time?!"

As the two sort-of friends prepared for another verbal slap fest, Sun had already reached the main hall. He was already following Neptune's theoretical footsteps when he ran into a blond boy wearing black armor, carrying a sword and shield with two yellow crescents, a smaller one inside the other, trotting at a brisk pace. The moment they made eye contact, all movement ceased.

Jaune quickly got into position, holding his shield in front of him while raising his sword above his head. Sun recognized it as a defensive posture instantly.

"By the order of Her Royal Highness, Queen Blake Belladonn-AH!" Jaune wasn't able to finish speaking when Sun jumped forward somersaulting in the air before kicking out with his foot, smashing aside the shield before sending a sharp kick at Jaune's head. He needed only a second to lean back, releasing his grip on the shield as well while swiftly moving the flat of his blade to intercept the kick.

Sun raised a brow when his foot landed on the blade's surface. He had been aiming for an unexpected assault to knock the daylights out of this kid, instead - wait, did he just say Queen Blake?!

He couldn't continue that line of thought as he stumbled in mid-air, almost landing on his back. However, being a monkey Faunus, flexibility came naturally to him. Gripping all four rods of the nunchucks in his hands, he arched his back and slammed his knuckles onto the floor, balancing himself expertly so that he could angle the rest of himself away from the blond. Landing on his feet, Sun once again made eye contact. And he looked pretty damn angry.

"Uh," Jaune said, brows raised. In his training with Pyrrha, he'd seen some impressive stuff, like when she tossed Cardin around like a ragdoll, but for a simple thief to pull off such a complex move effortlessly...

Before Jaune could think any further, Sun was already making another attack. This time, he was aiming for a flanking maneuver, kicking his foot against the shield. Jaune was driven back but quickly planted his foot down and held firm, keeping his shield up. Sun was already swinging the nunchucks in dazzling arcs, aiming for his arms. His armor and Aura managed to absorb most of the impacts that his shield missed, but that didn't mean it wasn't painful. Another sharp smack against his elbow made him grit his teeth and lash with a quick jab of the sword. It would have been a non-lethal wound, just a small cut. However, his opponent managed to dodge it and kicked himself backward, giving both combatants some space.

It had only been a short clash, but Sun now could tell a fair bit about this kid. Nunchucks weren't the best weapons against someone with armor and activated Aura. He'd tried going for the joints, but that hadn't worked. And while a few good blows to the head might do some damage, he worried it would be too much. He'd probably need to use hand-to-hand combat now, get around the shield and trip him up, kick away the sword and just knock him out. He could ask about Queen Blake later. Right now, he had to save Neptune.

Jaune, meanwhile, had noted the intruder's speed and agility. Even though he had been on the defensive for most of that brief clash, he felt some measure of pride at having put Pyrrha's training to good use. When he saw the monkey stuffing away his nunchucks, he furrowed his brow, then, with a yell, charged.

Sun was briefly caught off guard when the kid pushed forward, aiming to ram him with his shield. He rolled out of the way and then, using the palms of his hands as balance, swept Jaune's legs out from under him with one, precise blow. Jaune, however, wasn't about to go down so easily. As he fell to the ground, he planted the bottom of his shield down firmly, stopping his fall. On his knees, he swung his free arm upwards, using the elbow to block an obvious attack. Sun hadn't expected such a fast recovery, nor the expert block of his punch, and grunted as Jaune's armor connected with his knuckles. He drew back his fist as he kicked Jaune in the back, hard.

Jaune grunted, trying to get back on his feet. However, Sun wasn't about to let him. The monkey Faunus jumped on his back, pushing him to the ground and raising his hands, ready to deliver a brutal beating. The only reason he didn't was that there were rapidly approaching footsteps from behind him.

"Jaune!"

Sun only had a few moments to turn around before a girl with deep red hair delivered a nasty flying kick to his face. He was sent flying, bouncing across the floor a few times as he tried to regain his bearings. The new girl, however, didn't let him. He was trying to get back on his feet when he was again kicked in the face then tackled to the ground. The last thing he saw was a pair of burning green eyes before he was pummeled into unconsciousness.

Jaune frowned, groaning as he got up. "I had that, Pyrrha," he mumbled.

"No, Jaune," replied his mentor, "it didn't look like it." She turned to face him, her face stern.

"Why didn't you use your sword?" she asked.

"I was trying to - but I couldn't just kill him." Jaune gestured to the unconscious monkey Faunus in question.

"I see," the invincible girl mused. "I've never yet trained you on how to fight non-lethally with a sword. I'm sorry and will rectify that tomorrow. But first, this miscreant needs to be taken to the dungeons."

"What happened to the other guy? The one who went to Weiss's part of the castle?!"

"Jaune, Weiss is fine. The queen's already captured him."

He breathed a sigh of relief, then he had another, alarming thought. "What if this guy" - he gestured to the monkey boy - "hurt anyone else?!"

"He didn't," came the voice of Jaune's former bully. He turned and found both Cardin and Velvet had arrived, slightly out of breath. Cardin was carrying his mace while Velvet had a simple broom for protection. "Took one of our forks though. Mind checking him for that?"

Pyrrha held out a hand, palm open above Sun's prone form, then nodded. "Found it," she said. Sure enough, the fork zipped out of his pant pocket and into her hand. She then levitated it over to Cardin, who snatched it out of the air.

"Show off," he mumbled, but Pyrrha didn't pay any attention. Instead, she was hefting the unconscious Faunus up and onto her shoulder, placing one of his arms over them. Jaune didn't need to be told to take the other.

"You taking him to the dungeon?" Velvet asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Pyrrha answered, raising a brow.

"I'm just...a bit worried. What'll happen to him?"

The tension that came from Velvet's words stung deep into all three of her friends. No one wanted to say the obvious until Pyrrha finally did.

"That'll be for the Queen to decide."

When Sun woke up, all he saw at first was darkness. He blinked away his exhaustion as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He tried to rub his eyes, but when he moved his hands he felt something harsh and cold holding them in place, accompanied by the rattling of chains. A quick glance upwards showed him that yes, his wrists were now bound above his head by a set of shackles attached to the wall. He looked around briefly, then his eyes fell on a door, one with a small window that had bars instead of glass in it. Light, probably from torches, streamed in from the other side.

I'm in a dungeon, he realized, before sighing. "Well, at least I found it."

"Sun?"

He instantly perked at the mention of his name. "Neptune? Neptune, buddy, where are you?"

"Probably in the cell next to yours," he called back, voice echoing through the stone walls. Then he chuckled. "Now we're finally in the dungeons, uh? We just had to get captured by the beast and her servants and boom! Mission accomplished."

"Hey, don't blame me for this mess. You really thought I would have expected for people to be living here?!"

"I wasn't," Neptune answered sadly. Sun couldn't see his face, but he imagined the poor guy was sulking. He was about to shut up when he realized what else Neptune had said.

"Wait," he began, speaking slowly, "what beast?"

Then he heard a loud, heavy thud, followed by a low growl. Sun felt his gut clench as several more deep thuds followed, each one coming closer to his own cell before they stopped. A rattling which he instantly realized were keys shortly ensued before whatever was on the other side grunted and shoved one into the keyhole.

"Your Majesty," said a girl's voice, "are you sure you need to do this?"

"Yes," something snarled back. Then the door was unlocked and pulled open.

Sun had wondered why he hadn't seen anyone on the other side of the bars. Now, he knew why.

Crouching low to the ground was a massive, hulking cat-like beast, wearing a large brown cape and a brown shirt which seemed to hang off the body in places and clearly had a few holes, matching the pants. It was covered in shaggy black fur, which contrasted sharply with the amber eyes glaring at him. Two ears stood straight up on the head, but the most worrying feature was two long, curving saber-teeth jutting from the upper jaw, each one gleaming in the torchlight.

It took Sun a few moments to realize Sage's stupid book hadn't been full of shit.

"Blake," he breathed, "you're princess Blake Belladonna."

The next thing he knew, she was directly in front of him, towering ominously. He could feel her hot, rancid breath against his skin and winced each time.

"No," she growled out threateningly, "I am Queen Blake Belladonna of Menagerie. Who are you?"

"Sun," he answered instantly, "Sun Wukong. Best thief in the world."

Blake snorted. "So," she growled out slowly, "the son of the famous Admiral Poseidon Vasailias and the 'prince of thieves' break into my castle...why?"

Sun would have snapped at her at that moment about how the White Fang had almost killed two innocent beggars and he'd rescued them both, then tried to hide here to escape retribution, but he didn't. Instead, he asked something else entirely, in a small, quiet voice.

"What did you call me?"

He saw her raise an eyebrow, before snorting. "You seriously don't think I wouldn't know who your father is?"

Rather than scream or shout or curse about his father, Sun just sighed and leaned back against the stone wall, tall laying uselessly on the floor. "I'd been hoping for that," he said in a whisper.

"He sent you here," Blake hissed, "didn't he?"

"Sent me?" Sun scoffed. "Guy probably doesn't even know if I'm alive or dead."

"Is this supposed to be some kind of joke-"

"YOU THINK?!"

Sun's outburst was short and blunt. Normally, he would have expected to be clawed alive for it. He was dealing with a monstrous beast which had once been a princess, what else could happen? And now dear old dad had been brought into all this...

Then Blake the Beast drew back and...it seemed like her face...softened. She wasn't glaring at him anymore, which was nice, but he still didn't think she'd let him go any time soon.

"Hmm...interesting..." she mused. "I already know why you're here and find it a likely story at best. However, there is a more pressing matter. Apparently, a friend of yours, one Sage Ayana -"

"Has a book about you being turned into a beast? Yeah, he does. I don't know who wrote it, he just found it lying on a park bench in Mistral, and I was going to throw it out because it's stupid."

"I'd very much like to have this book," she hissed, agitated at the interruption. "And either you or your friend is going to get it for me. However, I cannot allow your intrusion to go unpunished. Therefore, I have decided one of you shall remain here - for life."

"I'll stay," Sun said instantly.

It wasn't just that he spoke, but how quickly he had done so which stunned the others.

Blake stared at him as if he were a kind of curiosity. "You would...do that?"

"Yes," Sun said firmly, his mind made up.

"Why?"

"Because he's my friend."

It was at this moment that Neptune suddenly started thrashing in his chains. "NO!" he shrieked. "No, I'll stay! Sun, go on, get out of here! I'll be fine, just go and bring the book back!"

"About that book," Sun continued, seemingly ignoring Neptune's protests, "what happens when Neptune gives it to you?"

"Then he will be locked away here as well," Blake said, eyes narrowed slightly as she observed Sun's reaction. He didn't disappoint.

"Then I won't stay quiet," he said firmly, "I'll scream and shout until my lungs burst. Even after I'm dead, I'll haunt this place until you let him go."

Blake chuckled softly. "Very well then. Let's make a deal. You will stay here in the place of your friend, but you won't be held in this cell. I will give you your own room, feed and clothe you, but you must stay here. Do this, and I will let your friend go free." Then she turned behind her and roared loudly at the neighboring cell. "Provided he comes back with that book!"

Sun waited for a bit until Neptune responded. "Fine," he said softly, his voice barely audible.

When Blake turned back to him, he didn't waste a moment before answering. "Same here."

She lingered for a few moments, observing him closely so that Sun squirmed under her gaze before turning around and stamping out of the cell. When she was outside, she turned to someone just out of sight. "Ready some supplies. The blue-haired one is to be set free tomorrow. And prepare a room for the Faunus." Then she turned around, grabbed the door and slammed it shut firmly, locking it tight. Her heavy footsteps receded away afterward, Sun following straining to listen as best he could. Then he saw a girl's head peek in through the window.

It was the same girl who'd knocked the crap out of him earlier. Her smile was forced but apologetical as she spoke awkwardly. "I'm sorry for your current predicament, but you did break into the castle." Then she disappeared.

"Neptune? Hey, buddy?" Sun called softly. "If you can hear me, don't worry. I'll be fine."

But Neptune didn't answer. Instead, he just sighed, so heavily Sun thought he'd deflated. In a way, he had. As for Sun?

When he'd woken up this morning, he hadn't expected this to be how the day would end. But then again, he hadn't believed in magic or beasts which were actually queens either.

The world's strange like that.