This is based on Disney's Beauty and the Beast just in case people couldn't catch on. I included the musical parts because who doesn't enjoy their favorite characters singing along to Disney music. I was considering making it a one-shot, but it was exhausting trying to fit everything into one chapter. Enjoy
I don't own any of the characters or Disney.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful magician. The prince tried to apologize, but 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 powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?
A beautiful, young blond woman walked up a stone road. She held in her a hand the latest book she had been reading as she trailed pass the little buildings that made up her little town. She let out a soft sigh.
Little town, it's a quiet village
Every day, like the one before
Little town, full of little people
Waking up to say...
Several townspeople opened up their windows and shops shouting Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!Bonjour! Bonjour!
Mai shook her head and continued walking to her destination. As she was walking she saw the same townspeople she saw everyday since she lived in this town.
There goes the baker with his tray like always
The same old bread and rolls to sell
Ev'ry morning just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor provincial town...
The baker waved over to her. "Good Morning, Mai!"
Mai smiled and walked over to the baker. She bowed her head down and replied "Morning monsieur!"
He continued roll his bread and placed a couple of the ones already rolled into the oven. "Where are you off to?" He asked
Mai held out the book she had been holding "The bookshop! I just finished the most wonderful story, about a beanstalk and an ogre and-"
"That's nice." The baker cut her off. "Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!"
Mai rolled her eyes seeing that she was no longer wanted there. She held her book tightly to her chest, sighed, and went on down the stoned pathway. As she walked past several of the townspeople, they began staring at her and gossiping to each other Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?
Never part of any crowd
Cause her head's up on some cloud
No denying she's a funny girl, that Mai!
Mai got tired of walking and hopped onto the back of a wagon passing by. She hears the driver begin a conversation with a passing towns person. As well as several other people beginning their day.
Bonjour!
Good day!
How is your family?
Bonjour!
Good day!
How is your wife?
I need six eggs!
That's too expensive!
Mai twirled a strand of blond her around her finger. There must be more than this provincial life!
She hopped off of the wagon when she reached her destination. The bookshop.
The Bookseller greeted her with a smile. "Ah, Mai."
"Good morning. I've come to return the book I borrowed." She said as she handed out the book to the bookseller.
He placed the book back on the shelf. "You finished already?"
Mai smiled and nodded. " I couldn't put it down. Do you have anything new?"
"Not since yesterday!" The bookseller laughed.
Mai hopped onto a ladder and reached for a book on the top shelf. "That's alright. It take...this one."
"That one? But you've read it twice!"
Mai jumped off of the ladder holding her book up to the bookseller. "Well it's my favorite!Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!"
"Well, if you like it all that much, it's yours!"
"Really?" Mai questioned with her eyes lite up.
"I insist!"
"Thank you very much!" She waved goodbye to the bookseller and immediately opened up her book to begin reading. She ignored all the looks the townspeople gave her and continued on her way home.
Several men turned to face her as she walked by them
Look there she goes
That girl is so peculiar!
I wonder if she's feeling well!
With a dreamy far-off look!
And her nose stuck in a book!
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Mai!
Mai sat by a fountain and soon found herself surrounded by sheep. She pat one of them on the head and began reading to them.
Oh! Isn't this amazing!
It's my favorite part because, you'll see!
Here's where she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!
A woman in a hat shop spotted the blond sitting by the fountain and shook her head in disapproval Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty'
Her looks have got no parallel!
The merchant held up a mirror for the woman as she tried on a few hats. But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very different from the rest of us...
She's nothing like the rest of us
Yes different from the rest of us is Mai!
Several geese flew up in the sky as a gun shot was heard. One of the geese was hit and immediately fell onto the ground by a awkward silver haired boy. He picked up the now deceased goose and carried it to a tall and handsome brunette. "Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Jean-Claude! You're the greatest hunter in the world!"
The brunette took the goose from the boy and slung it over his shoulder. "I know!" He boasted.
"Huh. No beast alive stands a chance against you...and no girl for that matter!" The silver haired boy said in admiration.
"It's true, Bakura. And I have my eyes set on that one." He said pointing to the beautiful Mai as she walked past shops, almost walking into several people due to her reading while walking.
Bakura almost burst out laughing. "The inventor's daughter?"
"She's the one! The lucky girl I'm going to marry."
"But she's-"
"The most beautiful girl in town." Jean-Claude interrupted.
"Er..." Bakura stood silent.
"And that makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best?" He said grabbing the boy by his collar.
"Well of course, I mean you do, but I mean..."
Jean-Claude continued to ignore Bakura and began fantasizing about Mai. Right from the moment when I met her, saw her,I said she's gorgeous and I fell. Here in town there's only she, who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans to woo and marry Mai.
While Jean-Claude was admiring himself in a mirror, Mai walked right by him with as much as a glance. Jean-Claude quickly began to pursue her before she got out of his reach.
As he ran by, three women sighed and looked at him was a dreamy daze in their eyes. Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy Monsieur Jean-Claude, oh he's so cute. Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute.
Jean-Claude struggles to get through a large crowd of people in order to catch up to Mai. Several of the townsfolk are chatting amongst each other as he pursues his love interest.
Bonjour!
Pardon!
Good day!
Mais oui!
You call this bacon?
What lovely grapes!
Some cheese!
Ten yards!
I'll get the knife!
Please let me through!
This bread!
It's stale!
Madame's mistaken!
Mai looked up for just a moment from her book. There must be more than this provincial life!
Jean-Claude continued to push past the crowd with no luck. Just watch I'm going to make Mai my wife!
The townspeople watch Mai as she made her way past.
Look there she goes a girl who's strange but special
A most peculiar mademoiselle
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in!
But she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl! That Mai!
Jean-Claude finally made it to Mai and stop her from walking by snatching the book out of her hand. "Hello, Mai" He said in his most charming voice.
"Oh, Jean-Claude. Give me my book back." She demanded with her hands on her hips.
Jean-Claude began flipping through the pages of the book and turning it in several different directions. "How can you even read this? There are no pictures."
Mai rolled her eyes and held her hand out to grab her book back. "Well, some people have imaginations. I couldn't imagine you would understand."
Instead of handing her back her book, he tossed it into the mud and smiled at her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Mai, it's about time you got your head out of the books and paid more attention to the important things, like me for example. And besides it's not right for a woman to read. She would get ideas and start thinking."
Mai snatched her wrist back out of his grip and slapped him across the face. She picked her book up out of the mud and wiped it off on her blue dress. She glared at him and said. "Your are such a chauvinist!"
"Why thank you, Mai." He grinned and grabbed her by her waist, pulling her back to the town. "Why don't I take you to the tavern and you can take a look at all of my hunting trophies,hm?"
"No way, you disgusting cretin." She pulled herself out of his grasp and turned to continue to head home.
The three townswomen who were infatuated with Jean-Claude gasped in disbelief. "Is she crazy?" One of them whispered.
"What's wrong with her?"
"He's gorgeous!"
Jean-Claude blocked her path once again and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Come on, Mai. Don't be like that."
"Please, Jean-Claude. I need to go home to help my father."
Bakura snorted. "Hah! That old fool Sugoroku needs all the help he can get!"
Mai glared at the boy "Don't you dare talk about my father that way!"
Jean-Claude immediately came to her defense and punch Bakura on the head. "Yeah. Don't talk about her father that way."
"Hmph! My father is a genius!" Just as Mai finished her sentence there was a large explosion in the background. "Oh no!" Mai ran to the direction of the explosion, which had come from her house.
Jean-Claude and Bakura immediately began laughing as Mai ran to go see if her father was alright.
Mai ran into the basement choking on the smoke that was rising from it. "Father!" She shouted out. "Are you alright?"
She tried clearing the smoke from her path as she made her way deeper into the basement. She heard the sound of coughing. "Father?"
"How on earth did that happen?" The old man complained. Mai just began to giggle as her father turned back to his failed invention. "I'm about to give up on this junk."
Mai shook her head and took a seat on one of the wooden stools near by. "You always say that. Don't worry. You'll get it to work and when you do, you'll be a world famous inventor"
He smiled and faced his daughter while wiping the black ashes off of his face. "You really believe that?"
Mai nodded. "I always have."
Sugoroku smiled and went back to working on his invention. "So did you have a good time in town today?"
Mai carelessly flipped through her new book. She crossed her legs on the stool. "Well, I got a new book. Do you think I'm odd?"
"My daughter? Odd? Why would you think that?" He asked turning his attention away from his bizarre invention.
She frowned and placed her book on the table behind her. "It's just, I don't really fit in here and I have no one to talk to."
Sugoroku pulled up a stool in front of her and replied, "What about that Jean-Claude? He likes you."
Mai snorted. "Yeah right. He likes my body. Besides he's nothing but a rude, arrogant, chauvinistic asshole."
Sugoroku swatted her head with a stack of blueprints he picked up. "Watch you language. Well don't you worry about any of that because this invention is going to be the start of a new life for us. And if you want, we can even move into a new town."
She smiled and stood up with him to test the new invention. He pressed a button and soon the machine began to swing the ax attached to it. Mai's eyes widened. "It works!"
"It really does!" Sugoroku ran outside and put reins and a saddle on a horse in their yard. "Come on, Gaia! We're going to the fair!"
Mai helped him attach his machine to the horse and said goodbye as she watched him ride away. "Bye, Father! Be careful and good luck!"
"Bye, Mai! Take care while I'm gone!"
Mai leaned against the door to her house. "A new life, hm?" She sighed as she looked around her boring village. "I can't wait." She wiped the dirt off of her hands on the white apron she wore around her dress and went inside the house to finally sit down and read her favorite book.
Well that's chapter number one. I hope you enjoyed it. I know the characters are a little weird. Like why is Bakura hanging around with Jean-Claude and why is Sugoroku Mai's father? But I couldn't think of anyone else to play the parts of Le Fou and Belle's father. As you can see I'm letting Mai keep her spunky attitude, because I could never imagine a world where Mai was as sweet and innocent as Belle is. Also I know Kaiba would've been much more suited to be the Beast since he is a rich, loveable, asshole, but I don't really care for the whole Kaiba and Mai pairing so...for now Jonouchi is going to be the asshole. Till next time!