A/N - I'm a little wary of posting this one… It was meant to be short and funny, but kind of evolved into something more. I blame it partly on the website labeling Gaston as having "Hidden Depth". You do have to give the guy credit, he does at least attempt to rescue Belle (even though he's totally pwned), which is more than you can say for any of the other characters.
Anyway, hope you enjoy this latest attempt!
No one is as wonderful as Gaston. He is the strongest, the richest, and the most handsome knight in the court. He is so wonderful that His Grace, Lord Maurice, has granted him his daughter's hand in marriage. Belle is an odd one. She can almost always be found reading some book or pamphlet or something of the like. She reads so much that the book seller in town would always give "Miss Belle" the first chance to look through the new stock. Gaston had looked through one of her books, once. He had quickly lost interest. He couldn't understand why she had seemed so fascinated by the book. It didn't even have pictures! When he had pointed that out, Belle had said something about using her "imagination". There would be none of that when she was his wife. He didn't hold with the idea of letting women read. First, they got ideas, and then they started thinking… No, when Belle was his wife, she would sit on the floor and massage his feet while their sons played with the dogs. He knew she would be much happier that way. After all, no one knows women like Gaston.
No one is as strong as Gaston. When the ogres start encroaching on Lord Maurice's territory, Gaston leads the troops to beat them back. While others fall under the ogres' clubs, Gaston has always returned to the castle. He stands around the map with the other knights (and Belle, though he could never figure out why SHE was there) and advises Lord Maurice on how to best fight the Ogre Wars. Sometimes the other knights would criticize Gaston, claiming that he unnecessarily sacrificed men when he should have pulled back. Pull back? Gaston would never pull back! He couldn't blame them for being cowards, however. After all, no one is as brave as Gaston.
No one is as clever as Gaston. He didn't need to weigh the options when one of those options was sending a letter to the Dark One to beg for help. He didn't care how powerful the Dark One was, he could fight the ogres on his own. He is strong and brave and powerful and absolutely NOT afraid. Lord Maurice is not as clever as Gaston, however, and sends the dammed letter. For weeks they wait for a reply and for weeks Gaston leads troops to battle the ogres. He does not have to be clever to know that the Dark One is not coming. He did try to warn them. After all, no one knows this was a bad idea like Gaston.
No one knows this is the end like Gaston. The ogres have destroyed all of the outlying areas and are now moving on the village immediately surrounding the castle. Gaston and the few remaining knights keep Lord Maurice and Belle company in the war room. "He's not coming," Lord Maurice moans in despair. Belle tries to comfort her father, tells him that there still may be a chance. Lord Maurice knows that they are finished. Everyone knows, even Belle. She does not comprehend the true terror, though. She thinks she will be killed quickly, slaughtered in one blow like the rest of them will be. She has not heard the god awful screams of the women that he and the soldiers could not reach in time. The screams that reach inside you and scar your soul and cause you to wake in the middle of the night, covered in sweat and reeking of fear so potent you can smell it on yourself. He does not love Belle, has never loved Belle, be even he does not want her to meet that end. No one knows they are doomed like Gaston.
No one wonders if they were better off with the ogres like Gaston. Belle was right, the Dark One has come and he is as terrible as Gaston has always heard. He is a little imp of a man with greenish-gold skin and black nails and a presence that reaches out and threatens to choke Gaston, even while its wielder is prancing around giggling like a demented fool. Lord Maurice has offered the creature gold in exchange for saving them from the ogres, but the Dark One scoffs. What does he want gold for? He makes gold. No, what the monster wants is Belle, Gaston's Belle. Not for love, as he explains when Gaston informs him that Belle is engaged to him, but to serve as a caretaker in his estate. This price does not surprise Gaston as much as Belle's agreement does. He is relieved when Lord Maurice forbids it and is even mildly impressed when the duke goes a step further and calls the Dark One a beast. They are short lived feelings when he sees the Dark One's over the top expression at the insult. Then, Belle insists that she will go with the evil little imp, who leans over her shoulder and agrees with her before daring to put his hands on Belle's waist and bare shoulder in order to lead her out. She made sure all she cares about will be safe before agreeing, and Gaston could not detect even the slightest shudder of disgust when the Dark One put his hands on her. No one is beginning to respect her like Gaston.
No one is questioning himself like Gaston. Now that the ogres are gone and the towns are starting to be rebuilt, all he hears about is the bravery of his former fiancée, who saved them all by sacrificing herself to the Dark One. It is a couple of weeks, almost a full month, before he hears the first whispers that she has perhaps sacrificed something else. After all, Belle is a beautiful young woman and the Dark One is, or at least once was, a man. Who knows what impure acts he could have forced her to commit by now? Gaston has cut down the owner of the offending voice before he even realized his sword was in his hand. The whispers are quieted around Gaston, now. If only he could quiet the ones in his mind. By the time the month is up, he has made his decision. He will go and rescue Belle from the Dark One and consequences be damned! No one is as sure of himself as Gaston!
No one is as right in his actions as Gaston! He strides up to the door of the great, dark castle and bangs on the door. When the Dark One finally answers, he pulls his sword and confronts the great beast. "I am Sir Gaston, and you, foul creature—" When the Dark One calmly flicks his fingers and transforms Gaston's body into a beautiful red rosebud, no one is as surprised as Gaston.
No one is as confused as Gaston. He was expecting success in his mission, or at least one final, glorious battle. He was not expecting, as he follows the Dark One back into the castle, for Belle to meet the imp at the door with a smile on her lips, or for her to accept the rose with a blush riding high on her cheeks. He discovers a non-corporeal form can wince as she snips the stem of the flower that was once his body. As he stands unnoticed on the other side of the table and listens to Belle describe how she could never love him, he thinks that he should have left her to the beast's cruel ministrations after all. Then he notices the soft look in the beast's eyes as Belle tells him that she believes love is layered. He remembers the same look (just beneath the gloating "Hey, I just turned your rescuer into a flower and presented it to you!" look) as the fiend watched her walk away. He sees it one more time when Belle tumbles from a ladder and the Dark One catches her in his arms before looking at her like she shines brighter than the sunlight now pouring in through the curtain-less windows. As Gaston turns away from the pair (he feels lighter and freer than he has in ages, almost like he could dissipate into the ether) he has the chance to think that perhaps, there is someone better for her than Gaston. And he is glad she has found him.