Inspired by an old Frozen fanfiction story series that has since been deleted, I've decided to make my own rewrites of the classic Disney Princess stories where the Princesses have powers of their own, in a similar fashion to Elsa. First up, we have Beauty and the Beast, where Belle has the power to manipulate air and wind. And my mainstay original character, the Scarlet Warrior and the Scarlet Army is what connects them together.
Once upon a time in the hidden heart of France, a handsome young prince lived in a beautiful castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was selfish and unkind. He taxed the village to fill his castle with the most beautiful items and his parties with the most beautiful people.
But that all changed one night when an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter storm. As a gift, she offered the prince a single rose. But, repulsed by her haggard appearance, he turned the woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances. For true beauty is found within.
When he dismissed her again, dejected, the old woman's repulsive appearance melted away, to reveal a stunningly beautiful enchantress. The prince begged for her forgiveness, but, sadly, it was too late. For she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a spell on the castle and all who lived there.
As the days turned to years, the prince and his servants had been forgotten by the world. For the enchantress had erased all memory of them from the minds of the people they loved.
But the rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return before the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, then he would remain a beast for all time.
As the years passed, he fell into despair and had lost all hope. For who could ever learn love a beast?...
"Or at least, that's how the legend goes," a young woman, Queen Scarlett of Cinnibar, finished as she rolled up her map and rode towards the castle with a sigh.
Scarlett rode her alicorn, Oleander, into the woods under research through the winter grounds. She was wearing a winter garment of her regular uniform, which consisted of a scarlet winter coat and heavy pants along with her gloves and boots with her mask still in place as she rode with a torch in her hand and a map laid out on her alicorn's nape.
"The map that Yen Sid gave me said that this should be the forest to the legendary castle," Scarlett said as Oleander snorted.
"Why are we going here again?" Oleander asked.
"Because legend says that a beast lives in this castle that is chock full of magic. And if luck is on my side, there could be someone here to join the Scarlet Army."
"For all you know Yen Sid could be leading you on a wild goose chase. Why are you wasting your time looking for something that may not even exist?"
"That's who I am," Scarlett said as she heard a faint howling in the distance as she glared.
"Hold on," Scarlett said as she got off Oleander and took her sword out as she moved her torch to the light and Oleander lit up her horn with a golden glow as a pack of wolves leaped out of the bushes and growled at them as Scarlett moved her torch in their direction.
"Back! Back I say!" Scarlett said as Oleander fired a magical beam at their feet and Scarlett swiped her sword at them as they were all scared away from them as Scarlett smiled. "They were smart to run." She then got back onto her horse and very soon they found their way to the castle in question.
"Well, the castle is apparently real. But is the beast real?" Oleander asked as Scarlett jumped off of the horse.
"I'm about to find out," she said as she walked up the stairs and went into the castle as she removed her coat and hung it onto a coat rack by her as she had her hand on her sword at all times. Admittedly, she was slightly nervous.
She then thought she heard scattering across the floor as she gasped out and turned around only to see nothing there. She then moved through the rooms as if she was a character in a horror movie. She glared as she stood her ground at all times as she spotted a clock on the wall as she unsheathed her sword and glared as she ever so carefully poked at it with a glance it then grabbed the sword from her and threw it to the ground as she stumbled back onto the floor in shock and she gasped.
"If you're going to intrude in this castle, you can at least be mindful of it's residents."
She then glared as she got up from the floor with her sword as she stared in awe. "So, the legends are true after all."
"Legends?"
"I heard tales and rumors of a beast who lived in this very castle and it also inhabited a group of living furniture and appliances. It's only been bits and pieces but so far from what I've seen, it all fits," she said.
"Legends? That's impossible," said a French accent from behind her as she saw a living candlestick talking to her. "the spell erased all of the memories of the people who live in the village adjacent to the castle."
"Is that so? If that's the case, then it must have spread through the grapevine through the animals in the forest. They're not as dumb as you think, you know," Scarlett said with a sigh.
"You can talk to animals?" the candlestick asked.
"There's a lot I can do," Scarlett smiled as she snapped her fingers and a flame appeared in her hand and then, a feather duster flew by, intrigued.
"Ooh, an enchantress?" she asked.
"I prefer sorceress. Or warrior. My name is Scarlett."
"I am Plumette," she said with a bow.
"And I am Lumiere, mademoiselle," the candlestick said. "And I take it from that tiara that you're royalty?"
"Yes, Queen of the Kingdom of Cinnibar at your service."
"Why are we introducing ourselves to this woman?" said the clock as it approached. "You know that the master doesn't like intruders."
"But what if she is the one?" Lumiere asked.
"If you're referring to the legend, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed," Scarlett said. "For I already have a lover. His name is Cobalt. I'm sure you'd like to meet him."
They then heard a stomping behind them and the talking furniture all ran away from the hallway screaming.
Scarlett, unfazed, turned around to see an absolutely hulking monster behind her. He had golden-brown fur and long horns on his head with sharp claws and paws for feet. He wore a purple tattered robe for his clothing and he growled at her as she sighed and shook her head.
"You must be the beast from the legend," she said.
"How did you find this place?"
Scarlett then scoffed and showed him her map from her pouch. "This map that I got from an old sorceress in the Kingdom of Zumaria. I thought it was just that, a legend, but here I am, looking at a beast."
"I do not like intruders invading my castle," the Beast said to her as she scoffed and showed off her magic again.
"Sorcery!" he said.
"You guys really haven't seen anyone in years, have you?" Scarlett asked with a glare.
"No."
"That's because the enchantress from the legend cursed the village outside too, erasing their memories."
"Even so, intruders are not welcome in this castle! You are my prisoner!"
"Your highness," Scarlett said. "I'm afraid that you can't hold me. Between my magic powers and my experience in battle, I'd have you defeated within 30 seconds of fighting you."
The Beast immediately froze upon that statement as Scarlett raised her eyebrow and smirked.
"Then I'm afraid that you'll have to leave," he said.
"At once," Scarlett said with a bow. "I've heard rumors about a young magic girl in the village nearby. I'm the leader of an army of warriors and this girl is... interesting to me to say the least."
The Beast looked over her and nodded.
"Tell your friends not to worry. I'll be back soon enough."
That was when she nodded and took her coat back from the moving coatrack and made her leave of the castle as she trotted on towards the village once she took out the map with a smile.
"Is the legend real?" Oleander asked.
"100% real. Let's head down to the village to investigate," Scarlett smiled. "Onwards!"
She then reared up her horse and flew onwards as she took to the skies towards the small village southwards of the castle, unaware of what waited for her there...
