{A/N: I recently learned online of a show, Once Upon a Time, with an interesting plot. Long story short, it sorta-cleverly ties all the common fairy tales people know of into one universe where everything is connected. I would've plotted it differently and the show wasn't for me, but I wouldn't bash it, either. The point is, there was one bit that stood out to me, and that was an episode called Skin Deep. It was this show's version of Beauty and the Beast, except it fit MaBill more than the original tale does. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find more episodes with the same couple in the show and add some plotlines from them to this story. I'll still be writing a crossover from the original movie as well, but I decided to work more on this first. Still, I babble. By the by, I give you A Demon's Skin, a crossover of Gravity Falls and Once Upon a Time.}
The young king wrung his hands and swallowed hard, looking over the maps with anxiety. His entire company— important generals, war strategists, and his twin sister surrounded him, equally shaken in stature.
"Sire," an urgent voice commanded their leader's attention. "There's news from the battlefield... Piedmont has fallen."
The candlelight fuzed with the orange of the setting sun cast dramatic shadows over the king's face. "My gods."
"If only," a melancholy, rat-tailed-blonde mumbled, "he had come."
"Well, he's not here, is he?!" The king snapped, pacing around the table. His eyes fluttered over the images and profiles of the enemy. "Shapeshifters... aren't men. They won't hesitate to destroy the innocent."
"We have to do something..." A high-ranked general rubbed his face in thought. "We have to stop them."
He collapsed onto his throne, wishing— no, pleading— for his predecessor's guidance. No matter how many manuscripts he read, the experience of the trusting former king was, inexplicably, all he needed. He sank farther in despair, missing his deceased relative more than ever. "They're simply unstoppable."
His sister concernedly grasped his hands, sitting at his feet. "Don't worry, bro-bro," her tone strained in attempt to sound confident, "for all we know, he could be coming right now!" The brunette's magenta gown crinkled stiffly at her shins.
"I..." Water trickled down his cheek. Must he fail his people so soon? "...It's too late. It's just too late."
SLAM. SLAM. SLAM.
All eyes flashed to the bolted double-doors, as a clear three-time knock rung though the chamber. The man with the rat-tail snatched the hilt of his scabbard and, proudly and aggressively, marched to the great doors. The king and his sister stood as well, nearing the entrance.
"There; what did I tell you, bro?!" The woman questioned triumphantly. "That's gotta be him!"
"How the heck did he get past the walls?" Her sibling was much more apprehensive. "Open it up!" He ordered his guards with a fling of his wrist.
A blade began to be drawn from its sheath as the gates were removed, to reveal...
An empty hallway. The sun let out its last light through the triangular stained-glass windows, setting an almost peaceful scene if not for the tense, frozen silence, and the collective, held-in breath. The girl furrowed her brow in frustration and rose up on her tip-toes to see above and around the muscular, towering men encircling her, hoping to catch a glimpse of the hidden figure. He had to be there; he just had to. Who— or what— else could have knocked?
"Ahahahaha—! That was a bit of a letdown." Once again, the entire room turned, this time to the throne. A form lounged exaggeratedly in the seat, grinning hugely, unnatural golden eyes piercing into the souls of every being present. No, not eyes, but eye. The right appeared to be gauged out— violently, as it left the impression— followed by being sewn up, lid-to-lid, with tight, red thread. The cord traced longwise around where the organ had once been, forming lashes as well to produce the well-renowned-to-anyone-with-a-history-book BlindEye Symbol. His dirty-blonde hair was cropped close to his scalp, his bony, strong jaw set in a crooked smirk, and his black leather attire imprinted and embroidered with gold decor.
"You suckers sent me a message." His voice was surprisingly nasally and high for his appearance, and had the occasional squeak to it. His entire manner, in fact, clearly presented that this man had more than a few screws loose. "Something along the lines of... 'Help! Help! We're being brutally smashed to pieces by our not-so-powerful enemies! Please, oh mighty Dark One, will you save the pitiful us?' " He seemed oblivious— or perhaps just uncaring— to the pointed edge of a scabbard against his throat, sourcing from a man with an equally pointed look and ponytail.
"Well, the answer is..." He smacked the sword away with the back of his hand indifferently, standing. "Yes, I certainly can." He resolved to meander about the room, poking and playing with every other treasure or trinket. His expression, as all eyes rested on him, indicated great enjoyment of the attention. "Yeah, sure, I can help your little town." His arm flung back to gesture towards the massive Western Kingdom. "As long as I get a small something in return."
"We promised you gold in the message!" The king insisted. "What more could you want? Teeth? Baby Heads?"
The shady figure snorted, as if he'd just told a corny joke. "Yeesh. Relax, kid. You see, the thing is, I make gold. Various, disconnected body parts mean nothing to me, either. What I want is something a little more... put together." He closed in to the king, their three eyes meeting. "My price... issss..." He peered around the room, stressing the syllable, all for theatrics. "Let's see..." His voice drew to a whisper, practically mouthing the words: "Eenie, meenie, minie..."
His arm straightened, index finger directed, straightforward, at the princess. "Her."
"NO!" The king declared immediately, stepping inbetween the two.
"The princess is engaged to me," Mustard-Blonde Rat-tail stated firmly.
He scoffed, "I wasn't asking if she was engaged! I'm not looking for romance," He flourished the last word as if it were the droppings of one's dog that must be thrown away with as much distance as possible for the sake of retaining one's sense of smell. "I need a caretaker for my rather large, not to mention infinite estate." To clarify, he added, "It's the girl, or the deal's off. After all, as it seems to me, one soul is a small price to pay in exchange for the lives of your entire kingdom."
"Get out." The king growled.
"She hasn't been that useful to you lately, has she? Surely she's wronged you someh—"
"I said LEAVE!" He firmly stepped to the side and glared at the door.
With a polite bow, the demon obliged, mumbling, "I'll still be here, if you ever change your mind. More's the pity— your great-uncle would've done— hell, did— everything he could to save his people..." He sauntered towards the exit smugly.
"Woah, woah, hold up! Wait!" The princess pushed the soldiers out of the way, initiating a pace too quick for a proper monarch to use. "I'm going with him."
"No, Mabel, I— a-as king, I order you to—"
"Nobody gets to tell Mabel where to go except Mabel. And Mabel says she's going!" For a moment, all were hushed.
"Fantastic!" The single cheered one exclaimed, breaking the quiet. "Oh, and just to let you know; it's forever."
"My family, my friends; m-my people," she looked him straight in the eye, unafraid, "They'll all be safe?"
He smiled coldly. "You can trust me, kid."
"Then I promise to stay with you... forever."
"Deal!" His face mirrored that of the Cheshire Cat as he held out his hand. To her horror, it was consumed in ice blue flames. "Oh, don't worry about those," he played off instantly. "They'll hurt, but your precious little appendage will be fine." She hesitated, but before having a chance to extend her arm, he snatched it and shook firmly with a solid grip. The hissing of extinguished flames revealed a star-shaped brand on her palm.
"Mabel, please!" Her brother begged. "I can't let you go with this... beast. Th-this— this demon!"
The dealmaker pretended shock and offense, but a giddy gleam in his eyes hinted thrill.
"Dipper... Gabe... I'm sorry, but you can't change my mind."
A suppressed giggle erupted behind her. "She's gotta point, kiddos. The deal's already sealed." The entire company was silenced by the sudden, dramatic revelation. "Oh, congratulations on winning your meaningless squabblings! Keep buying gold!"
With his arm around the girl's waist, a note matching a sonic boom sounded the disappearance of the beauty and the beast.
{A/N: For anyone who plans on reading any longer stories from me like this one, just because I take leagues to update doesn't mean I'm giving up on the story. If I am, I will post an extra chapter informing so, and/or delete the story. The best you can do to know about updates is follow the story.}