Authors' note: We hope you enjoy this classic fairytale story with some of your favourite 'Inuyasha' characters...
Summary: A witch had turned our wonderful prince into a horrible monster. What happens when a merchant accidently takes the princes most precious thing: roses. Which of or are any of his daughter's willing to sacrifice themselves to the monster on behalf of their loving father: Kagura? Kikyo? Kagome?...
Charaters:
Merchant – Ken'ichi (Our name for Kagome's father)
The Beast – Sesshomaru
Eldest sister – Kagura
Middle sister – Kikyo
Youngest Sister - Kagome
Disclaimer: We do not make a profit of Inuyasha or the others and we do not own Inuyasha or the others, we do not make profit of Beauty and The Beast or the others and we do not own Beauty and The Beast or the others.
Once upon a time, in a rich country, a powerful merchant had three very beautiful daughters. The two older sisters became prouder and more selfish every day, but the youngest was so kind and sweet that everyone called her "Beauty". Beauty's real name was one her mother gave her before she pasted away, Kagome. Every week, serveral young men came to the rich merchant's house to ask for the hand of one of his three daughters. But the two elder sisters replied that they would only marry a duke or a count. As for Kagome, she told them that she was too young and that she wanted to keep her father company for a while longer.
Alas, one day the merchant lost all his fine possessions. He summoned his daughter and told them:
"My poor children, all we have left is an old shack in the country. We shall have to go and live there."
The two older sisters flew into a rage and stamped their feet in vain; their father was completely ruined and they had to accept it. Soon, the whole family left for the country to live in the wretched shack. Kagome did everything she could to help her father. Hard work and fresh air made her become even more beautiful. But her two sisters were bored and spent most of their time grumbling.
One day, the merchant told his daughters that he had to go to town for a while on business. The two older sisters jumped for joy:
"Oh! Father, please bring us back some dresses and hats. We've got nothing left to wear!" they cried.
The merchant promised, then he turned to Kagome and asked her:
"And how about you, Beauty?"
"I'd like you to bring me a rose, because roses do not grow here," the girl replied softly. Then the merchant embraced his daughters and left for the town.
A few days later, when he had settled his affairs, he set off towards home again. He had to pass through a great dark forest, and the night took him by surprize, causing him to become lost. It was snowing and the wind was so strong that the merchant thought he was going to die from the cold. Suddenly, he saw a light shining in the distance. He gathered the last of his strenght and set off though the storm in the direction of the light. Soon, he arrived at a magnificent castle. As the heavy door was open, he went in, inside there was an eerie silence.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" called the merchant.
But no one replied. Inrigued, he pushed open a door on his right and entered a splendid room hung with tapestries and thickly carpeted.
There was a fire in the great fireplace, and a table was laid before it. Countless dishes laden with delicious food were set out before a single place-setting. The merchant was starving so he could not resist.
"The lord of this castle will forgive my boldness," he said to himself as he sat down at the table. Soon mignight struck and still one one had appeared ... Rather anxiously, the merchant started to explore the deserted castle. He came to a bedroom, lay down on the great bed, and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, when he woke up, he found to his amazement that new clothes had been laid out for him on a chair, and an ample breakfast awaited him on a table.
"Thank you, sir," said the merchant out loud to his invisible host, and he sat down to eat. Then, when he breakfasted well, the merchant prepared to go on his way.
As he passed a bush bearing bright red roses, he remembered his younger daughter and cut off the most beautiful branch for her. Suddenly, there was a sound like a thunderclap. The merchant turned around and found himself facing a creature so horrible that he nearly fainted. Although he was dressed in an elegant doublet, the monster had an enormous lion's head with huge sharp teeth. His great hairy paws had massive claws and his panting breath was harsh and fierce.
"Ungrateful man!" roared the Beast. "I have saved your life and welcomed you into my castle. And now you steal what is most precious to me in all the world: my roses. Because of this out rage, you will die, sir."
"My Lord, forgive me," begged the merchant. "I did not mean to offend you. I wanted to take these flowers to one of my daughters, who asked me for some."
"Don't call me 'my Lord'. My name is the Beast!" roared the monster. "but ... you have daughters, you say? You can keep your life, on condition that one of them comes here on her own free will to die instead of you. If they refuse, you will come back yourself. Otherwise my vengence will be terrible."
The poor merchant did not want to sacrifice one of his daughters, but this respite at least enabled him to return and embrace them one last time. So the merchant accepted and, wih a heavy heart, he went home. When he arrived his daughters ran to embrace him. Bu as he offered the branch of roses to Kagome, he burst into tears and said:
"Beauty, take these roses. They have cost your poor father dearly!"
And he told them of his terrible adventure. No sooner had he finished his story than the two elder sisters turned on Beauty:
"Why didn't you ask for dresses, like we did?" they screamed. "Look what misfortune you have brought us: because of you, our father is going to die and you are not even sorry!"
"Weeping would be useless," replied Kagome. "Our father will not die. Since the Beast is willing for one of us to take our father's place, I will give myself up to him."
The merchant pleaded and prostested but the girl would not yield. And so with sad farewells, she left her family and set out on her way. When she arrived at the castle, night had already fallen and the huge building was plunged into a deep silence.
Kagome pushed open the door and went in. Immediately, there was a sound like a thunderclap and the Beast appeared, Kagome thought she would die from terror. But the monster spoke to her in a voice that he tried to make sound gentle:
"Your sacrifice is admirable and I admire your courage. Follow me, I beg you. I will take you to your room."
When he had done so, the Beast bowed respectfully to Kagome and left.
"The Beast must have already dined tonight. But tomorrow he will probably kill me and eat me," thought the girl before she fell asleep.
The next morning, as no one came to fetch her, Kagome decided to take a look around the castle. Although she was terrified at the idea of meeting the Beast at any moment, she could not help marvelling at the splendor of the palace.
To her surprize, on one of the doors she read a sign that said: "Kagome's Drawing Room". She went in and found herself in the most beautiful room she had ever seen. A huge library filled a whole wall. Broad armchairs were set around a piano and a delicious breakfast was laid out on a delightful round table. But above all, a delicate scent prevaded the whole room, because there were enormous bunches of red roses everywhere. Kagome spent a very pleastant day reading and playing music.
When evening came she went to the great hall of the castle and found a table laid for two. As she was taking her seat, the Beast appeared with his customary clap of thunder.
"Beauty, would you allow me to dine with you?" he asked her.
"You are the master," replied Kagome.
"No," replied the Beast, "you are the mistress here. Tell me, you find me ugly, don't you?"
Kagome, who never told lies, replied awkwardly:
"That is true. But I believe you are good."
The monster did not reply. Then he took a mirror out of his pocket and handed it to Kagome, saying:
"This is for you. It is a magic mirror. Any time you want, you can see your family in it."
Kagome took the mirror and saw her father standing in front of his hovel. His eyes were filled with sadness. Kagome's heart was wrung, but she thanked the Beast and went on with her supper, feeling less fearful than before. Then suddnely, he asked her another question:
"Beauty, would you agree to be my wife?"
Although she was scared of rousing his anger, Kagome replied trembling:
"No, Beast."
"So farewell, Beauty," said the Beast sorrowfully, as he left the room.
"Alas," Kagome wondered sadly, "why is he so ugly, when he seems so good? I couldn't possibly marry him. So it seems I must die!"
Time passed and Kagome continued to live peacefully at the castle. Every evening she dined with the Beast and discovered new qualities in him: the delicacy of his mind was only matched with the goodness of his heart. Soon Kagome forgot his terrifying ugliness, and everyday she looked forward to their dining together. But every evening the Beast asked Kagome if she would agree to marry him. There was no solution. The Beast's sadness made her heart ache and one evening she said to him:
"Beast, I will always be your friend. Try to be content with that."
"I will have to be," replied the Beast, "but promise never to leave me."
Kagome was upset at his words. In her mirror she had seen that her father was now very ill.
"Beast, I long to see my father again. I shall be so unhappy if you would not allow me that joy," she begged.
"I do not want you to suffer," replied the Beast. "So go back to your father, even if I have to die of grief because I can not see you anymore. You can leave tomorrow. Take this ring. When you want to come back here, just lay it on a table. So, farewell, Beauty."
Kagome promised to come back a week later, then she went up to bed. When she woke up the next morning, she found that she was already at her father's house. The poor merchant went for joy to see his daughter. But her two sisters nearly choked with jealousy when they saw their sister so happy and even more beautiful than when she had left them. Together they decided to prevent Beauty from returning to the Beast.
"The monster will fly into a rage when he see she had not kept her promise and he will take revenge on her," they said to one another.
At the end of the week, when it was time for Kagome to leave, her two sisters tore out their hair, pretending to be in despair, so Kagome gave in to them. She agreed to stay for another week. But on her tenth night at her father's house, Kagome saw the Beast in a dream. He was lying in the castle garden and he was dying. Then she realized she could not stay away from him any longer. She got up, lay the ring on the table, and went back to bed.
When she woke up the next morning, she was back at the Beast's castle. She waited impatiently for evening to come, but the Beast did not appear at dinner. Wild with anxiety, Beauty remembered her dream and ran into the garden. She found the Beast lying on the grass. Forgetting his hideous ugliness, she threw herself at him, sobbing. Gently the Beast opened his eyes and said in a dying voice:
"Beauty, why didn't you keep your promise? I am dying from the grief you have caused me. But I die happy because I can see you once more."
"No, Beast, you shan't die!" cried Kagome. "You are going to live and become my husband! I thought I only felt friendship for you and now I see that I can not live another day without you."
Scarely had Kagome uttered these words, when a flash of lightning struck the Beast. Kagome screamed in terror and hid her face. But when she opened her eyes again, instead of the Beast, she saw a young prince standing before her, who was as handsome as the day.
"Beauty," he said tenderly, "a witch condemned me to go about in the shape of a monster until a beautiful woman agreed to marry me. You alone were touched by my good heart and were able to overlook my ugliness."
"Beast, what is your real name?"
"Sesshomaru, and yours?"
"Kagome, my mother named me, Sesshomaru."
"My father named me, Kagome."
Their wedding was celebrated the very next day. Thanks to Sesshomaru, Kagome's father's wealth was restored to him. As for her two sisters, they threw themselves at Beauty's feet and begged for her forgiveness. And being very generous, she granted it.
Kagome lived for many years with Sesshomaru. They had many children and they were all happy because their hearts were full of goodness.
Authors' Note: We hope you enjoyed this little fairytale story. Tell us if we got anything wrong and we will fix it A.S.A.P. ...
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