I'm so sorry everyone! I know a lot of people were expecting an update with some of my other stories but this idea had been toying around with my mind until I felt I coud control it no longer. You can expect updates to "Game Over' and "Destined Fate" sometime this week.

This story is an AU. It is an adaptation of the plot "Beauty and the Beast" produced by Disney in 1991. It was getting kind of boring seeing all the "Cinderella" type fics that are always getting posted, so I decided to see if I could recreate an old plot into something new.

Not all the events will be the same as the original production by Disney, but I hope you like it anyway.

I do not own any of the original characters from "Beauty and the Beast". Those lawfully belong to Disney. Nor do I own any of the characters from LCDo otherwise I would have animated myself into the manga and made Azuma fall in love with me ;)


Prologue: Shattered Melody

It was a cold December night. Snow was falling heavily outside the large luxurious mansion which was gleaming grandly amidst the white powder. Somewhere, in a large chamber, the skillful rapid melody of a piano could be heard resonating throughout the mansion.

The handsome youth playing it ran long nimble fingers over the keys. A sharp mouth, perfectly chiseled nose and golden eyes were only a few of the remarkable features that he possessed. His complexion was flawless and his face quite devoid of emotion even as the piano continued to sing as he wished it to. He clicked his tongue in dismay as a knock interrupted his movements.

"Master? I'm terribly sorry for interrupting. But someone has arrived and I thought it fit to come call you." A servant nervously said.

"Who is it?" asked the young prince impatiently as he rose from the bench. "Especially at this time of night?"

Without waiting for an answer he strode out of the room. No one could possibly be crazy enough to be outside in this December snow. He half wondered if it was perhaps the postman delivering a delayed letter; perhaps some word from his family who had banned him from the house after a certain elder had issued an order that he was no longer welcome there? Of course, it wasn't befitting for such a noble family to exile a young prince without the correct compensations, which was why he was now presently living in the mansion which had belonged to his late great uncle.

Comfortable though, he mused to himself as he descended the long flight of elegant steps. Who would have thought exile would have been more comfortable than one imagined? He turned and headed towards the main entrance where a slightly embarrassed looking servant was standing, holding the door open ever so slightly to avoid letting in the chilly breeze.

"Move aside," snapped the youth impatiently to the servant who paled and with a quick nod practically jumped aside to allow his employer place. With a swift jerk the haughty male opened the door.

A scraggly looking woman was hunched into a ball on his doorstep. She was shivering involuntarily and the hand that gripped her shabby thin coat appeared frostbitten. She raised her face ever so slightly after the door opened.

"Who are you? What do you want?" questioned the prince in a bored voice as he took in the sight of the beggar woman, unable to hide a bit of disappointment that it hadn't been a delayed post after all.

The woman's hazel eyes were soft and she struggled to bring herself into a standing position. As she got to her feet her patched frayed scarf slipped ever so slightly revealing a few strands of hair that was the same color as freshly picked cherries.

"Kind sir," she said in a soft voice that was barely audible over the howling of the icy wind. "There's a blizzard coming in. I can't make my way back to my cottage because of the wind and snow. May I please spend the night here? I don't need a room, just shelter. I'll quietly see myself out in the morning."

Rather than feel sympathetic towards the pitiful looking figure, the noble male's lips twisted into a cruel smile before letting out a laugh as cold as the night. "Me? Offer shelter to a beggar woman? Would a noble be caught doing such a degrading act? It's unspeakable! What dreams are you harboring under that filthy scarf of yours?"

"Please try to understand my lord. It's far too cold and brutal for a woman like myself to stay outside. I haven't just asked for riches or food; just a place to spend the night."

"And what will you offer me in return if I provide you with the shelter you so desperately require?" questioned the young pianist arrogantly.

"I don't have much…all I can offer is this." Small hands disappeared momentarily inside her tattered cloak before she pulled out her offering. A rose, looking as fresh as spring with petals gleaming like rubies was visible in the light spilling out from the hall.

"A rose?" scoffed the youth, his fine features arranging themselves in a show of disgust. "You offer a lowly flower in exchange for shelter from a prince? Is this a joke of some sort?"

"This is no ordinary rose my lord," said the red haired woman. "It's very rare and unique."

"You're wasting my precious time. There is no place for you here beggar woman. Find someplace else to offer your rose."

"Is that your final word my lord?" asked the woman eerily.

"Yes!"

A sudden gust of wind blasted the young prince off his feet and he flew backwards, his back colliding painfully into a table; several small delicate looking glass trinkets smashed on impact. Wild-eyed, the prince raised his head and saw a very shocking sight. The beggar woman had entered his house; yet all traces of poverty were erased from her body. Instead of being clothed in the rags he had found her in, she was wearing an ice-blue sleeveless dress which reached her knees. The red tresses were freed from the scarf and flew about her face as the cold breeze continued to blow. All signs of chill and fatigue were gone from her face.

"You did not heed my request, arrogant prince," she said in a strong voice filled with anger. Panicking, the prince scrambled to his feet.

"Who are you?" he demanded, sounding more brave than he felt.

"I am Hino Kahoko, an angel. I decide people's fate based on their attitude towards others. You, Prince Yunoki are the lowliest of them all. To refuse shelter to a poor, defenseless beggar woman. Your punishment shall be severe."

"P…punishment?"

"Yes."

The words had just crossed her lips when suddenly the candles placed in the chandelier above them went out. The grand looking hallway suddenly looked dark, desolate, and creepy. Suddenly screams punctuated the still air. The prince trembled at the sound.

"Master! Master!" cried several voices at once. Yunoki shifted his eyes to the staircase where several of his servants were struggling to descend, apparently in great pain. Then before his eyes, they started changing form; their bodies twisted and contorted as their screams became louder.

Truly frightened, the prince could do nothing but watch as, right before his eyes, the servants began to assume the forms of common everyday objects; a small candleholder, a clock, a tea pot and a tea cup.

"Wha…what?"

"Yours will be the most horrible yet." Hino's voice resonated through the prince's young mind.

Then, to complete his terror, Yunoki felt a sudden punch of pain in his abdomen. Doubling over, he tried to settle it down, but the effort was futile. A wild scream escaped from his throat as he felt his body begin to morph. His shoulders were broadening, and his limbs were lengthening; the neatly cut and manicured nails were lengthening and becoming curved, almost talon like. The lovely light colored hair was changing color to a dirty black shade as it grew rapidly. Prickling sensations were running all over his skin as dense, dark brown hair started to sprout all over his body. Almost howling with pain, the young prince brought up large fearful looking paws to his face which was now losing its smooth texture.

Slowly, the pain subsided and a couple of candles somehow miraculously glowed into life. Yunoki ran to the parlor and approached the mirror which hung on the opposite wall. Horror filled him as he took in the sight. His fair skin was now covered with thick brown hair. The straight nose had been replaced with a much larger one, resembling an enlarged lion's nose. He brought up large furry paws to his face. The only feature that been left unaltered were his eyes; the large golden orbs were still the same.

"What have you done to me? You've turned me into a beast!" he cried in agony as he turned to face the enchantress. With a look of grim satisfaction she smiled at his plight.

"Exactly," she said mockingly. "This is how you truly are. No matter how beautiful your countenance was, this was the true form of you heart."

"I beg forgiveness!" Yunoki knelt down before the sorceress. "Please just change me back!"

"Even if I do so, it will have no effect. You won't change that easily."

"Please! Tell me a way! Just bring me back to normal!"

"There is only one way for you to return to normal."

The prince raised his head. "What way is that?"

"You must get someone to fall in love with you. Try to capture one's heart, and the spell will be broken."

"Are you mad? What fool would love someone who looks like this?" asked Yunoki incredulously.

"That's your true punishment. Love is independent on how one looks. If someone can fall in love with you, even when you are in this form, the spell will be lifted. However, bear this in mind."

Hino took a few steps around the spacious entrance. "One won't fall in love with you just by your display of wealth, particularly in this form. It will require all your charm as well as control over your arrogance for one to fall for you."

Yunoki followed the woman's movements.

"Also, you might want to keep this." She conjured a glass case, which contained the same rose she had offered him. "Consider it as a time keeper."

"A time keeper?" Confused, the beast accepted the case.

"Yes. You have three years to carry out my condition."

"Three years!"

"That's a lot of time if you consider it."

"What will happen if no one falls in love with me?"

Very simply, the witch said, "You'll die."

A chill ran down the youth's spine. Was she kidding?

"Three years is the time given to you. The petals will wither away and drop one by one correctly after one month to this day is completed. If all the petals fall…" Her voice trailed before she twisted her hands with an odd movement, and from thin air, a golden object appeared in her hands.

"This," she said handing it to the prince, "Is a magic mirror. It will enable you to see anything your heart desires. You may use it during this time."

"Isn't there any other way to change back?" Yunoki asked desperately.

"The wicked learn only after suffering," stated Hino firmly. With that, she disappeared from the mansion in a haze of wind.

The snow continued to fall and marked the coldest night of winter that the prince had ever experienced.


"Beauty and the Beast" is a story that always delighted me from a young age. The concept it portrays has always deeply attracted me. True, love can bloom in the heart even for something the eyes believe to be ugly.

The idea of truly knowing someone and loving them for who they are and not how they look appeals to me a lot. If I ever fall in love, I hope to find someone like Prince Adam (For those who don't know, that's the beast's true name in the movie).

Yes, I chose Azuma to portray the beast. My reasons? I believe that Azuma is the one who resembles the beast's character the most. Len could have easily fit the bill too, but then I needed him for…well you'll find out in the next chapter. ;)

Kahoko plays a minor role here. She won't appear in any of the future chapters except in the form of memories the Beast keeps revisiting from time to time.

Are you curious about whom I've chosen as our 'beauty?" Stay tuned for the next chapter!

Please leave a review I learn so much from feedback. Do you guys want this to continue? Please let me know.