All right! I found an interesting version of 'Beauty and the Beast...' and here it is! But be warned! The beast can not only be a beast, but also a cruel and evil-hearted male... Named Len. I've mixed the Disney Version with a few others. Enjoy~
Chapter 1
A Rose for A Rose
"Father, please~" His youngest daughter, only fourteen, ran after him. Rin, with her beauty, was considered the rose of his family, even following his two eldest daughters.
"All right, Rin. What would you like?" Kaito knelt to his daughter's level, pinching her cheek in a fatherly way. All the girls had lost their mother, and he wanted to make up for the unforgiving loss.
"A rose, father. Please? Any rose!"
Such a simple request, but did his Rin understand the significance of a rose?
"All right, Rin. A red rose, only for you."
"Such insolence!" His next eldest scoffed. Neru was practical and straightforward. "I want a silk sash, father. With pearls embroidered across the hem."
"Father!" complained his oldest daughter. Lily clasped her hands together to show her utter need for the item. "I want a necklace, with emeralds, father! Please?"
"Of course," Kaito nodded, and patted his two eldest on the head. "How could I forget you two? Now run along, and I shall be back in a week's time."
"Yes, father!" Rin chirped. The other two just dismissed him and waltzed into their home.
Kaito straightened up and waved his farewell. Only Rin stood, watching after him with longing and hope.
~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~
Kaito traipsed through the forest, cold and alone.
Shivering, he walked deeper, dragging his boots through the slush and wetness of snow. Suddenly, he came upon iron.
Iron...Gates?
Kaito stumbled against the gates, unlatching one from the other. He dragged himself inside, falling against the ground blocked off.
"Hello?" He rasped weakly. "Some...One...Help me..."
"Oh, my." He heard a voice that sounded male. "We'd better call the Prince."
And then Kaito blacked out.
~ONE ROSE FOR ANOTHER~
"Wake up..." Kaito felt the cool washcloth against his bed. He also heard heavy breathing and a dark, low, growl.
He weakly opened his eyes to see the sight that greeted him...
And screamed so loudly that the force made him hit his head against a headboard.
A horrendous creature sat on the bed, heavy and bulky. He had hairy arms and hairy...Well, everything. His icy blue eyes stared right at Kaito and right through him as well. Kaito whimpered, unable to help himself.
"Prince," chided a female voice. "You're still in beast form..."
"Huh? Oh," grunted the...Thing. He stood up abruptly. A convulse ran through the creature, and suddenly, a striking boy stood there, seemingly as old as Neru.
Kaito rubbed his eyes, the sudden movement making him moan in pain.
"Why did you come here?" The boy asked Kaito hostilely. His icy eyes pierced through Kaito, and Kaito was still unsure at what he was seeing. What was this? Magic?
His voice broke through the air barrier. "What am I...What am I doing here?" He asked plainly.
"We saved you, of course!" said a light, cheerful, female voice. Kaito turned to see an elderly lady with kind crinkles around her eyes. She patted his hand. "Try not to move too much, dearie."
"My daughters...At home...I have to go..." Kaito choked out weakly, and the boy stood. His voice was a cruel arrow. His lip curled in disgust.
"I agree. Throw him out."
"Len!" admonished the woman. "We cannot!"
"I'm really okay," Kaito said weakly, getting to his feet. "Please. You must let me go back to my daughters."
My Rin, her eyes full of hope~
"There is a port if you go back around the castle. Travel past the garden and there will be a small ship. Follow the strait and you will be taken back to your land. Boat is how you came, no?"
"Y-Yes," Kaito said. "Thank you." He wrapped his ratty coat around himself and opened the back door.
"Oh, no, dear! Take this coat. It's much warmer," the lady sang, giving it to him.
"Thank you." Kaito said again, slipping outside. It was a little warmer, and he traipsed by the garden. Suddenly, he stopped, straightening up.
A rose!
For there was a beautiful red rose, fragile petals opening up to the sun. It glowed faintly, a sort of magical little thing.
Kaito breathed in its delicate, sweet, scent. He had to take it back to Rin...
Fumbling, he snapped the stem, cupping the rose in his palm.
Suddenly, there was an inhumane roar and the beast was there again, his eyes furious with rage.
"HOW DARE YOU?"
Kaito stumbled back. "I'm sorry..."
"HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY ROSE?"
The beast bellowed another roar of anger as he fell to the ground, writhing. The rose dissolved into a shower of golden sparks, and Kaito stared. There was a howl of pain, and the beast staggered to his feet.
The beast clawed at the ground, clutching his chest. "I will not... I will not be trapped in this form forever! I need an exchange...Yes." He grasped at Kaito's neck, his claws tightening around the man's skin. Kaito choked and coughed. "In exchange for taking my most precious item...You must give me your most precious item. My servant will come..." The beast groaned in unretained pain. "...And pick her up."
Kaito grasped the stones in horror. "No..." he muttered unconsciously. "...Not Rin...No."
"Yes! Your most precious possession...Whether you want it or not, you pathetic human!" The beast roared, his teeth gnashing, and dropped Kaito to the ground. "Go!" He lifted one claw. "GO!"
Kaito ran, and didn't look back.