This is it! The last one! The big 10! I do hope you've enjoyed this story, despite the really long breaks between most of the chapters. Thank you so very much for sticking around!

Eponine watched from the sidelines, mud seeping through her dress, as Montparnasse blazed with fury. He held the damned mirror in the air as the villagers cheered.

They're insane, the lot of them, Eponine thought desperately, frantically wondering how she could get to the castle in time to warn Enjolras. Montparnasse had grabbed her horse, and was now sitting atop him, grinning in what he believed to be victory. He was grinning right at her. She looked over to where her father was lying in a huddled mass on the floor, and clenched her fists.

She stood up on two wobbly legs, sore from riding so quickly and all the excitement that had passed. With a final shout, Montparnasse began to herd the crowd over towards the woods, and the thin path that lay before them.

Suddenly, she heard her name being called, faintly from beside the bar.

"Eponine!" The whispered voice called. "Eponine, over here!"

Eponine squinted, not sure if she was simply hearing things, or if it really was-

"Azelma?" The shadow moved. "Azelma!" Eponine shouted this time, rushing at her sister and hugging her full-force. She lifted her younger sister up into the air and swung her around, laughing with the relief.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Eponine breathed out, eyes glistening in excitement. All of a sudden, her smile vanished. "Wait, where's-"

"Aha!" Gavroche jumped out from the shadows and onto Eponine's back, clutching her in the way only younger brothers can.

"I thought you were too old for hugs," Eponine managed through her laughter.

"This is a special occasion," Gavroche insisted, hugging her even tighter. "Ponine…we thought we'd lost you." Eponine gently brought her brother back to the ground, and wrapped her arms around both of her siblings. "They can't get rid of me that easy," she assured them. "But now we've got to go back."

"Go back? Where? To the castle?" Gavroche exclaimed incredulously, while Azelma's eyes widened in fear. "Ponine, you've always been the weird one, but never the crazy one!"

"I know, Gavroche, but the Beast, Enjolras - he's not a monster. There's something human inside of him after all." Eponine ran her hands through her hair frustratedly. "And now Montparnasse is going off to kill him, and we've got to get there before he does." She looked both of her siblings in the eyes, first Gavroche and then Azelma.

"I can't just leave him. He's changed, I swear." Gavroche and Azelma looked at each other, then back at their older sister. Azelma was the first one to nod.

"If you like him, Ponine, then that's good enough for us," she declared. Gavroche nodded. "Anything for you, Ponine. And," he smiled mischievously. "I even know how we can get there before Montparnasse."

—

Meanwhile, chaos reigned back at the castle. Courfeyrac and Combeferre seemed at a loss, turning in every direction while more and more furniture ran around, screaming and shouting.

"We're doomed! We're doomed!"

"He let her go, the bastard! I knew I shouldn't have taken this job!"

"And the rose! It's only got a few petals left! She's gone, the girl's gone, we're all going to die like it!"

Courfeyrac jumped up onto a table, so as to be better seen and to better see everybody, when he noticed something strange through the window. Light. There were lights moving through the forest, in the middle of the night.

But no one ever comes out here, he thought. No one…

"Combeferre, what do you think that is?" The candelabra asked the clock. Combeferre clambered up onto the table, and squinted.

"No idea," he said. "But it sounds as though they're chanting something…Hey Mdme. Huchloup, lend me your ears!"

Mdme. Huchloup hopped over. "Sounds like people, Combeferre. A group, they're chanting…" She gasped. "Can you hear it?!" Courfeyrac started shaking as the words reached him as well.

Kill the Beast! Kill the Beast!

"Barricade the door!" He yelled, trying to be heard over the commotion. "Quickly, we've got to barricade all the doors and windows!"

Musichetta, at that moment, appeared at the top of the staircase. "There's peoOOOOOOOOple!" She yelled, transforming the shout into an aria. "A group of them, they're coming to kill our Master!" Everyone ceased speaking as soon as she'd started, and they remained still and silent. Courfeyrac tapped the table.

"Well?" He exclaimed. "I know he's not the best guy, in fact he used to be horrible. But Eponine came along, and she changed him. We should keep him safe for her. Now who's with me?"

The cheer that came from the crowd was tremendous.

—

"A carriage?"

"What? We've got a horse."

"But Philippe's not used to pulling such heavy loads, Gavroche. He's an old horse."

"It'll be fine. Come on, Philippe!" The horse tentatively trotted over, and allowed a set of reins to be looped over his head. Azelma pulled herself up into the carriage, and Gavroche did the same. Eponine stopped by Philippe's head, and rubbed her hand against his muzzle.

"You're going to have to ride fast, boy," she whispered. "We've got to save Enjolras." She slipped into the front seat and flicked the reins. "We're coming for you, Enjolras."

Her words floated off into the night.

Up ahead, they could hear the violent sounds of the angry villagers slipping farther and farther away towards the castle.

"What do you think they'll do to him if they reach him?" Azelma whispered. Neither Eponine nor Gavroche answered her, and Eponine simply urged Philippe to go faster.

—

Musichetta leaned on the door, and called up to Courfeyrac, "Any sign of them?"

"I can't make out any details, but it's a lot of people," he called back. "They'll be here soon." He glanced towards the stairs. Combeferre had gone up to talk to the Master a while ago, to try and urge him to fight. As he wondered, Combeferre was indeed talking to the Master, but Enjolras wasn't talking back.

"Master, there's a large group of people coming here, with fire and weapons!" Combeferre said. "We've barricaded the door, but you're stronger than any of us! They're coming for you."

Enjolras sighed, and simply stared at the dying rose. "She's gone, Combeferre," he said with drooping eyes. "It's over. She's not coming back."

"Maybe she will! But you won't find out if you die here!"

"Why would she come back?" Enjolras asked in the same, low tone. "There's nothing for her here."

Combeferre knew no amount of words could convince him of how oblivious he'd been, but he tried anyway. "She cares for you deeply, Master. I don't know if it's love, but I know she'll be devastated to see you-"

"Enough!" Enjolras roared, standing up so quickly that he knocked his chair over. "Leave me alone, Combeferre," he ordered. He walked over to the window and leaned out.

"Very well, Master," Combeferre whispered, backing out of the room slowly. He closed the door, and left Enjolras with the silence and falling snow.

"Well?" Courfeyrac practically accosted Combeferre as soon as he noticed his friend wandering down the stairs.

"He's not coming down." Courfeyrac shook his friend by where his shoulders used to be.

"What do you mean he's not coming down?!" He exclaimed.

"I mean he's staying up in his room. He's given up, Courfeyrac." Combeferre shrugged his friend's hands off. "We're on our own."

—

Meanwhile, Philippe had gotten stuck. His hoof had collided with a stone, which had uncovered a hole, which then led to a very poor Philippe becoming very stuck.

After a few tugs, Eponine gave up, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Come on, guys," she said. "We'll have to come back for him later."

But Azelma didn't budge from Philippe's side. "I'll get him free," she stated, her voice allowing no room for argument. Time was running out. Eponine nodded, and gestured to Gavroche.

"Let's go."

The castle seemed so much further away on foot than by horse. Due to this great distance, neither Eponine nor Gavroche heard the first blow that the villagers struck to the castle. They'd cut down a pine tree, and were using it as a battering ram, slamming it against the barricaded door repeatedly. Montparnasse stood off to the side, searching for alternate routes up the castle's walls. As his eyes grew accustomed to the night, he noticed strands of thick ivy covering the walls.

"Destroy whatever you wish!" He yelled back at the mob. "But the Beast is mine!" With a shout, he grabbed the lowest vine, and started to pull himself up. The mob continued to scream and shout, which turned into cheering as they finally burst through the door, sending the furniture flying everywhere.

Everyone who'd been thrown about lay still in the darkness, and the smaller ones crawled away.

"Anyone there?" Someone from the crowd whispered, raising an eye at the scattered furniture. "Hello?"

Slowly, the mob trickled in through the door, looking around as a collective, huddled mass. The other servants, the ones that hadn't been barricading the door, hid wherever they could.

"Ready?" Courfeyrac asked, and when he saw a nod from Combeferre at the other side of the room, he yelled, with all the force in his tiny candelabra boy, "CHARGE!"

The mob was, to say the least, startled and terrified, to see a hoard of what appeared to be furniture rushing at them. The pieces that had been flung about were now starting to get up, and move towards them as well.

Whichever villagers didn't huddle against the wall ran for the other corners of the room. A feather duster strolled up to one of the men and gently stroked his face. With his eyes closed, he thought it was an actual human, but when he opened his eyes, Marie slammed her head full force into his.

"Ah, my love!" Courfeyrac exclaimed. "How could you betray me so?" He dramatically lifted her in his arms and kissed her as the chaos increased around them. Plates flew across the room, random weapons (mostly pitchforks) were scattered on the floor, various screams filled the air. No one dared move past the immense bottom floor, and most ended up running out the door and into the night. The others simply ran through the doors, avoiding the stairs that inevitably led to the monster they'd heard so much about.

The monster Montparnasse had claimed as his own.

As Eponine and Gavroche trudged through the snow, with the lights of the castle blinking down at them, Montparnasse scaled the frozen ivy and climbed up to the third floor.

Enjolras was in the West Wing, two floors up.

And Montparnasse was climbing.

"I'll get you, Beast," he muttered to himself, cursing under his breath as his foot slipped. He could feel his heart throbbing in his chest as his hands clung to the ivy, stinging from the cold. He tore his eyes away from the ground, and focused on the wall once more.

"I'll kill you, Beast," he swore. "If it's the last thing I do." He could see something red shining out from a fifth floor window. The red light flickered, as though it were dying. Or perhaps something was moving next to it.

"Got you."

—

Gavroche was the first one to hear the screams.

"Eponine, I think the mob's already there," he said, teeth chattering. He looked up at his sister, and wasn't surprised to see determination in her brown eyes.

"I've got to get up to the fifth floor," she said. Gavroche swung a hand up to his forehead into a salute. "I'll hold them off."

Together, they ran for the door-

Only to find it wide open, and the mob scattered about the room. Eponine, elated at the servants' success, didn't notice Gavroche's confused gaze for a few moments.

"Long story," she said by way of explanation, then rushed for the stairs, leaving her little brother on the first floor.

The stairs seemed to go on and on. Her legs soon burned, and her lungs were screaming at her to stop, to rest. But she hadn't seen Montparnasse on the first floor, and he was not one to give up. For all she knew, he had already found Enjolras, and he'd already-

No, she couldn't think like that, wouldn't let herself think like that. So for the next four floors, all the focused was on putting one foot in front of the other.

Montparnasse was thinking something similar to Eponine, except he was putting one hand in front of the other. The curtains fluttered in the wind, and he could catch flickers of that dying light.

And a shadow, hulking in the background. There was a balcony near the window, and Montparnasse carefully and silently pulled himself onto it. In the darkness, he was just another shadow.

He ignored the dying rose, and focused on the monster standing near it. He was huge, larger than Montparnasse'd imagined, with a thick mane and sharp claws. Montparnasse did the first thing he could think of. He ran up and punched the Beast in the back.

He jumped aside, expecting some sort of rebuttal. A punch, a roar. Anything, really. But there was nothing. The Beast simply turned and looked at him, pain evident in his eyes. Evident to anyone except Montparnasse.

"Come on, Beast! Don't tell me you're scared," Montparnasse mocked. "What are you going to do, cry on me? Ha, no wonder Eponine was able to get away from you! You're as limp as-"

The Beast slammed him aside with a wave of his arm. "Leave me," he said, paws squeezing the corners of the table. "Leave me alone."

Montparnasse stared incredulously, and charged again, this time with a shout. He kicked and punched, and finally pulled the Beast out onto the balcony by his purple cape. The wind was blowing harder, and the snow was turning into rain. The weather was finally heating up.

"Is that all you're good for, Beast?" Montparnasse shouted. "Are you just going to lay down and die? And I thought this was going to be fun!" He took out his knife, but kept it hidden from the Beast's view, and kicked him. The Beast rolled over, but didn't respond.

"Please, just leave me alone." Montparnasse squatted down beside him.

"I'm sorry, was that begging I just heard?" He kicked him again, as hard as he could. The Beast rolled all the way to the edge of the balcony, where he pulled himself up.

"You vile creature, you can't even fight properly! What good are you?" Montparnasse walked up to the Beast, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "No good at all, dear old Beast. I'm afraid I'll have to take care of that." He lifted his other hand, aimed the knife at the Beast's neck, and prepared to-

With a great roar, the Beast shoved Montparnasse aside once more. The sound shook the entire castle, and for a moment, every living being inside it froze. Then everything started up again, except at twice the speed. The furniture seemed to chase everyone faster, the remaining members of the mob seemed to scatter around twice as quickly, Eponine found new energy in her legs.

"Got you all excited now, eh?" Montparnasse grinned. "Now…let's have a real fight." He stood, and faced the Beast head-on, with his knees bent and knife ready at his side. The Beast leaned on the balcony railing.

"Please leave." He simply said, holding himself up. "I don't want to hurt you."

Montparnasse felt his arm throb where he'd fallen, and grimaced. "Too late for that, Beast," he muttered, and charged. Enjolras didn't move, he seemed to be frozen on the spot, Montparnasse seemed to speed up, then slow down. Enjolras saw every moment, saw him blink his eyes once, twice. He saw his own arms (big so big and massive you're a monster) reach out, clasp around Montparnasse's shoulders, saw his feet leave the ground.

Then pain, nothing but immense pain near his neck, on his back, traveling through his entire body. He roared again, and felt Montparnasse fly out of his arms, heard his screams travel farther and farther away, lower and lower, towards the snow-covered ground.

"Enjolras!" Someone was calling his name, someone from far away. He faintly felt his head hit the ground, felt the pain spread.

"Enjolras, stay with me!" Cold hands, lovely hands cradling his face.

"…Eponine?" His voice felt as though it were coming from miles away. "You came back."

"Of course I came back." She was crying, why was she crying? "I…lo…u…" Her voice faded away, he could feel her hands hugging him tighter and tighter, as if trying to keep him with her. His mind felt so light, as though it could float away. Enjolras saw something bright, something calling to him. He was in a tunnel, and then he was floating in the air. His paws became thinner, he could feel fingers forming. His teeth shortened, and cold wind hit his bare face. And then he was lying on the snow-covered balcony once more, and he could feel the rain on his face.

He opened his eyes. Eponine was beside him, but she backed away as soon as he stood up.

"Eponine, it's me." Enjolras gestured to himself, and couldn't help but stare at his hands.

The curse had finally been broken.

"Enjolras?" Eponine came closer.

"Eponine, it's still me." And as she looked into his eyes, she saw that it really was him. He cupped her chin, and leaned forward-

"It worked! My dear Master, it worked!" Courferyac broke through them, dancing and twirling Marie around, who now wore a simple black dress with white lace. Courfeyrac himself wore a yellow suit. "The curse, it's been broken!" Laughing, they danced back into the castle, cheering with the other servants.

"Broken by love," Enjolras whispered, and tucked a strand of hair behind Eponine's ear. "I love you, Eponine.

"And I love you, Enjolras," she replied, and kissed him for what seemed like forever.