Unconditional Loyalty

Summary: Kurapika is a Kurutanian beauty but keeps it a secret for his and Pairo's safety, he's also the bookworm that doesn't fit in among the towns people, and Leorio is the cursed prince all thanks to his own attitude. Both are from different worlds, yet they suffer from the same feeling of isolation. A parody of Disney's Beauty & The Beast. Alternate Universe setting.

Disclaimer: I certainly do not own anything of the Disney franchise, and I don't even own Togashi sensei's wonderful works for the Hunter X Hunter anime and manga. This is purely for fan entertainment, and to fulfill my craving for writing a Leorio and Kurapika centered fanfic.

Warning: YAOI. If you're against homosexual relationships, or simply didn't like the idea of Leorio and Kurapika together as a pairing, this fanfic is not for you. Also some mild language and sexual content. Last but not least, this is somewhat a parody of Disney's Beauty & The Beast but with slight changes to better compromise with the Hunter X Hunter's characters personalities and signature traits.

Pairings: Leorio and Kurapika, slight Pokkles and Ponzu.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land where nature's beauty was left untouched by mankind, a young prince lived in a shining castle. His name was Leorio Paladiknight, who was tall built with a rather masculine physique and short black hair that ensembles on a angled, square-shaped face, rather handsome looking if not at least above average.

Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, bad mannered, with a terrible temper to boot. Being the orphaned prince of this castle where both of his parents had died from a mysterious plaque ever since he was only 12, it is no wonder that he had grew up into the kind of man that he is today, and no one, not even the elders that lived in the castle with him, could ever reprimand his behavior.

''Mito! For the last God-forsaken time, this tea is too hot! Bring me another cup of tea and make sure that its right this time!'' yelled Prince Leorio and poor Mistress Mito, who works as the castle's serving lady, had to rush towards the kitchen again, with a panicked look on her sweat-ridden face.

Not even Pokkles, the prince's loyal butler, could be spared from his temper and spoiled requests.

''Are you trying to humiliate me again Pokkles?!''

Pokkles would tremble in fear, as he hurriedly puts away all of his sets of arrows and his trusted bow, and bowed down to apologize, ''F…forgive me master, I can't help it when I can do a good aim even with my eyes closed. P…perhaps we could play something el…''

Pokkles could never finish his sentences as he was punched in the face by Prince Leorio.

As expected, on the 3rd of March, every maid, servant, and as the matter of fact, everyone else who works in the castle, tries their best to entertain the dark-haired prince when his 18th birthday came. So far, none of them has any luck with making him at least smile. Everyone had gathered around the prince who sits on his throne while yawning in boredom, waiting for the next gentleman or lady to present him a gift that he might like.

But then, when the night came, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered Prince Leorio a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold, for it is already winter in this land.

''Excuse me your Highness, please if you may, let me in, who had nothing that is made of gold or silver with me. I am awfully poor and I don't even have a place to stay during this winter…''

''Oh shut up and tell me what could I get for helping an old wench like yourself?''

In her wrinkly, boney hands, she held a rose, and the prince did wonder for a second how did it remain fresh after being carried around in the harsh winter by this old woman.

Prince Leorio rudely looked at the old woman from top to toe, who wore nothing but a ragged hooded robe. 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.

''Careful my dear boy, this rose is much more than you think it is.''

''You will have to call me with a higher honorific title you ugly wench! No peasant calls me a boy and gets away with it!''

''Oh but even if you are the prince, you are, after all still a boy…''

''Challenge me again and I will put an end to your bloody misery! The name's Prince Leorio! PRINCE LEORIO! You got it?!''

And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away, with shining colorful lights that surrounds her whole being, to reveal a beautiful enchantress.

Prince Leorio instantly regretted that he had been rude to this enchantress, for he feared what she might do to him. Prince or not, he is powerless against magic.

The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart.

''Your heart is hard as stone, and thus I shall punish you for the many sins you needed to atone.''

''NO! PLEASE, FORGIVE ME DEAR LADY! I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER!''

And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast, with fur all over his body and in place of perfectly aligned teeth is now razor sharp canine teeth's that peeks out from each side of his lips. Leorio screamed in horror as he saw how his own hands had become a pair of animal-like paws.

The enchantress placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there. It wasn't long before the now monstrous looking prince saw that everyone he knew and grew up with had turned into enchanted objects. And with that, the enchantress had vanished into thin air while her voice echoes in the dark night sky ''Unless you found someone who loves you for who you are, before the rose's last petal drops, you and the rest of the people in this cursed castle will never become humans again.''

Ashamed of his monstrous form, Prince Leorio, who is now the Beast, concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The Beast was somewhat grateful that he had still kept his family's heirloom which is the magic mirror that has been within the Paladiknight family for generations.

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 his or 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?

The Beast smashes everything that he could ever find in his room, including portrait paintings of himself when he is still human, with a feeling of hopelessness and frustration swept all over him. With a tired sigh after his act of rampage, he asks himself ''Who would even want to talk to me at this point, let alone try to love me? It would take a miracle for someone to even approach this cursed castle…''

I needed reviews, and also if you think I also needed well-meant criticism, feel free to give some... I'll update in the next few days if I felt that this fanfic will go in the right direction... I hope that no one minds that I used a Disney parody for this...^^