Chapter 1
Early in the morning, a young woman of the age of seventeen was going to the small town of Hollow Bastion. She had brown long hair tied up in a braid and wore a simple blue gown. Her brown eyes were scanning the quiet area before her and she brushed her wayward bangs out of her face.
She began singing a tune that was in her head.
"Little town it's a quiet village.
Everyday like the one before.
Little town full of little people, waking up to say."
Right before her eyes, the town sprang to life.
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
The young woman, named Gaia, walked into the town, staring at the people as they went about their lives.
"There goes the baker with his tray like always.
The same old bread and rolls to sell.
Every morning just the same since the morning that we came,
To this poor provincial town."
She walked over to Cid's bread shop to pick up the daily bread for her father.
"Good morning, Gaia," said Cid politely when he came up to the counter.
"Good morning, sir," said Gaia, curtsying respectfully as she grabbed the loaf of bread she usually got.
"Where you off to?" asked Cid, looking down at the bread he was making on the counter.
"The book shop," answered Gaia sweetly. "I just finished the most amazing story about a boy and girl who fall in love over acting and…"
Cid cut her off by saying distractedly, "That's nice. Yuffie, hurry up with the baguettes!"
Gaia shrugged and left some coins for him on the counter. As she passed by some old women shook their heads in confusion at her.
"Look there she goes that girl is strange no question.
Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?
Never part of any crowd.
Cuz her head's up on some cloud.
No denying she's a funny girl that Gaia."
Gaia saw a passing wagon and jumped on, waving to the people that passed by.
"Bonjour," she said.
"Good day," said a woman, nodding to her.
"How is your family?"
"Very good, thank you, Gaia."
"Bonjour," said Gaia, looking at a man.
"Good day, mademoiselle," he said with a nod.
"How is your wife?"
"Good, thanks, Gaia."
As Gaia rode on the wagon, she saw a couple arguing about groceries and such.
"I need six eggs," she said indignantly.
"That's too expensive," her husband argued.
Gaia rolled her eyes because the couple always argued over bread and eggs. "There must be more than this provincial life." With that, she jumped off the wagon and into Merlin's Book Shop.
"Good morning, Gaia," said the aging book seller kindly.
"Good morning, sir," said Gaia with a brief curtsey and headed over to the book shelves. "I came to return the book I borrowed."
"Finished already?" asked Merlin with mild surprise, taking it from her hand.
"Oh, I couldn't put it down," said Gaia, smiling as she looked over the shelves. "Have you got anything new?"
"Not since yesterday," he laughed at her enthusiasm.
"That's alright," said Gaia. "I'll pick this one." She pulled the book "The Last Song" out of the shelf.
"That one?" questioned Merlin with a chuckle. "But you read it twice already." He took the book from her with a smile.
"It's my favorite," said Gaia dreamily. "Beaches, surprises, a boy falling in love with a rebellious girl."
"If you like so much it's yours." Merlin gave her the book and led her to the door politely.
"But sir…" Gaia almost protested but he cut her off with a grin.
"I insist," he said kindly.
"Thank you," said Gaia happily as she walked away with the book in front of her face. "Thank you so much."
Some men who watched the scene stared at her with surprise. "Look there she goes,
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 Gaia."
Gaia sat down on by a fountain as she read her new book with fascination. "Now 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 him till chapter three."
When Gaia read on, she wished her life was more exciting like the girl in her novel. As she stood to walk on, some people began whispering about her.
"Now it's no wonder that her name means land,
Her pretty looks have no parallel,
But behind the fair façade,
I'm afraid she's rather odd,
Very different from the rest of us,
She's nothing like the rest of us,
Different from the rest of us, that Gaia."
Not too far away a gun resounded and a sixteen year old boy ran out with a bag. He had black spiky hair and excited blue eyes.
"I got it!" he called out but the goose landed a few feet away from the bag. He grabbed it and placed it in the bag. His friend who shot the goose, Vanitas, walked up to him smirking. He had black spiky hair and gold eyes. Zack ran up to him with his eyes glowing like a child's.
"Wow," Zack said admirably. "You don't miss a shot, Vanitas! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!"
"I know," said Vanitas with a smirk.
"No beast alive can stand a chance against you, and no girl for that matter." Zack gently elbowed Vanitas in the ribs teasingly.
"It's true, Zack," said Vanitas, throwing an arm around his friend. "And I got my sights set on that one." He pointed to a familiar brown haired girl in a blue dress.
"The inventor's daughter?" Zack's jaw fell open. She was odder than that blond haired girl from "Harry Potter".
"She's the one," said Vanitas confidently. "The lucky girl I'm going to marry."
"But she's…"
"The most beautiful girl in town."
"I know, but…"
"And that makes her the best," said Vanitas. Then he grabbed Zack by his shirtfront and pulled him so they were only a few inches away from each other. "Don't I deserve the best?"
"Of course, you do," said Zack quickly so he wouldn't tick Vanitas off.
Vanitas let Zack go and stared after Gaia who was purchasing some apples with her book slightly lowered from her pretty face.
"Right from the moment when I met her,
Saw her,
I said she's gorgeous and I fell,
In a gal as old as she,
Who's as beautiful as me,
So I'm making plans to rule and marry Gaia."
He looked around to find Gaia walking down the street with a book in front of her face and ran after her. As he chased her, he ignored his "fan girls" as Zack put it.
"Look there he goes,
Isn't he dreamy?
Vanitas,
Oh he's so cute.
Be still by heart,
I'm hardly breathing,
He's such a strong, tall, dark, and handsome brute."
With hurried excuse me's, Vanitas ran through the crowds of people and workers to get to Gaia. She was slowly disappearing from his view so he kept up the pace.
"There must be more than this provincial life." Gaia said that as she noticed Vanitas being crowded by admirers as usual.
"Guess what,
I'm going to make Gaia my wife." At that the people began gossiping again so Vanitas took his chance to go up to Gaia.
"Look there she goes,
The girl is strange but special,
A most peculiar mademoiselle."
So he wouldn't lose her from the crowds, Vanitas climbed up on the roof tops of houses to get closer to her without being crowded.
"It's a pity and a sin,
That she doesn't quite fit in,
Cuz she's a funny girl,
A beauty but a funny girl,
She really is a funny girl,
That Gaia."
As people said hello, Gaia turned back only to see them getting back to their regular work. With a shrug, Gaia continued reading as she walked and was so hung up in her story that she didn't see Vanitas land in front of her.
"Hello, Gaia," he said, walking near her shoulder.
"Hello, Vanitas," she said as she read but got the book pulled out of her hands by the boy. "Vanitas, can I have my book back please?" A tinge of irritation touched her tone.
"How can you read this?" snorted Vanitas. "There aren't any pictures." He flipped the pages and unknowingly made Gaia lose her place in the book.
"Some people use their imagination," said Gaia, disguising her irritation easily.
"Gaia," said Vanitas, closing the book, "it's about time you got your head out of those books and focus on more important things." He tossed the book over his shoulder and it landed in mud. As Gaia ran over to collect it, he blocked her path. "Like me." He smiled a dashing smile but it only irritated her more. "The whole town is talking about it. It's not right for a woman to read. Soon they get ideas and start thinking."
Gaia grabbed her book and began wiping it off from her dress. "Vanitas, you are positively primeval."
Vanitas puffed up his chest with swagger even though he didn't know what the word meant. "Thank you, Gaia." He placed his arm around her shoulders and began leading her away. "What do you say we go and look at my trophies?"
"Maybe some other time," said Gaia, shaking herself loose from Vanitas's grip.
"What's wrong with her?" asked one of the fan girls
"She's crazy," said another.
"He's gorgeous," sighed another one.
"Please Vanitas," said Gaia, ignoring the girls and began heading back home. "I can't. I have to get home and help my father. Good bye."
Vanitas looked shocked and angry that he was denied but Zack began laughing loudly at the mention of Gaia's father.
"That crazy old loon," chortled Zack. "He needs all the help he can get."
Vanitas laughed at the statement but Gaia turned around with an angry look on her face.
"Don't talk about my father that way!" Her brown eyes had a flame in them.
"Yeah," said Vanitas mockingly. "Don't talk about her father that way!" He hit Zack on the head but Gaia ignored him.
"My father is not crazy, he's a genius," said Gaia but as soon as those words came out of her mouth an explosion came from her house. With that, she turned and ran to get home, leaving Vanitas and Zack laughing in her midst.
….
Upon arriving home, Gaia was buffeted with smoke and dust. "Daddy," she called out, hearing her father coughing. "Daddy." She began coughing a bit too but got through the dust to find her father, Ansem, with a broken barrel around his waist.
"How am I…" he stammered angrily as he pulled the barrel down off his waist.
"Are you okay?" asked Gaia gently.
"I'm about ready to scrap this piece of junk," growled Ansem, kicking the machine he was working on.
"You always say that," laughed Gaia lovingly.
"I mean it this time," said Ansem. "I'll never get this bone-head contraption to work!"
"Yes you will," said Gaia gently, smiling at her father. "And you'll win first prize at the fair tomorrow…and become a world-famous inventor."
"You really believe that?" asked Ansem as his daughter stood next to him with a smile.
"I always have," she answered confidently.
"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Ansem with new confidence. "I'll get this thing fixed in no time." He slid underneath the contraption. "Hand me the seven-eighths." Gaia grabbed the wrench out of the tool box and gave it to her father. "So did you have a good time in town today?"
"I got a new book," said Gaia softly. "Daddy, do you think I'm odd?" she asked the question that was bothering her all day.
"My daughter, odd?" asked Ansem. "Where would you hear a silly thing like that?"
"I don't know," answered Gaia a little sadly. "I just don't fit in with this town. There's no one I can talk to."
"What about that Vanitas?" asked Ansem, reaching for a random tool. "He's a handsome fella."
"He's handsome, all right," agreed Gaia. "And rude and conceited. Oh, Daddy, he's not for me." She sat down on a chair with her chin in her hand.
"Well don't you worry," said Ansem affectionately. "This invention will be the start of a new life for us. I think that's done it." He pulled himself out from underneath and stood next to Gaia. "Let's give her a try." He crossed his fingers as he pulled the lever to start it.
A loud noise came from the machine and began ticking smoothly. Gaia and her father moved away from it a bit so it could do its job and it began chopping up the wood like it was designed to.
"It works," cried Gaia happily.
"It does?" asked Ansem, confused for a minute but then smiled. "It does!"
"You did it," laughed Gaia joyfully. "You really did it!"
"It's a sign, girl," said Ansem. "I'm off to the fair." The machine hit him in the head and he fell over dazedly.
Gaia laughed a little. Today was the start of a new life, she was sure.
A/N: Yes, I wrote a B&B story with the KH characters. Here's a list of all the characters:
Gaia-Belle
Xemnas/Terra-the Beast/prince
Vanitas-Gaston
Zack-La Fou
Saix/Isa-Cogsworth
Axel/Lea-Lumiere
Aqua-Mrs. Potts
Ventus-Chip
Namine/Kairi-the dressing cabinet
My dog Angel-the dog/footrest
Ansem-Maurice
No flames please. I just felt like doing this story because I was bored. Beauty and the Beast and KH belongs to Disney and Square Enix. The Last Song belongs to Nicholas Sparks. Read and Review please :).