One-Shot: Beast's Transformation from Belle's POV
All I could hear was the sound of my own tears, mixed with the pounding of the rain, as I sobbed over my beloved Beast's body. Then, suddenly –
The rain's pounding was mixed by a high-pitched whooshing sound. It took me a little to notice it. Then, a streak of shimmer flashed past my line of vision, almost as if it was a shooting star. Except then came another. And another. I slowly raised my head.
The rain was coming down in shimmering streaks of….stuff, flashing in little crackles of light as they hit the wet stone of the balcony. My eyes bulged, my grip tightening on the Beast's cloak. What-?
All at once, I felt a shift underneath me. My bewilderment turned to confusion as I noticed the Beast's body was beginning to rise, pressing up against me. Reflexively, I shrank away, clutching a hand to the brooch of my cloak as the Beast's body rose into the air, amidst the sparkling rain now pounding onto the balcony in a fury.
The wind now began to pick up, blowing my brown hair back as the shimmer-rain flew down around me. My eyes grew even wider than before as I stared in amazement. What was happening? What, who wanted my Beast? Was this more magic, a higher deity? I didn't know. All I could do was watch as my beloved rose higher, the end of his burgundy cloak winding up first like a snaky tendril towards the heavens, taking his body with it. Remnants of the light-rain lay upon the stone around me like white hot coals; indeed, they must have been warm, for its mixture with the wet rain had now created a pile of steam that began to mingle with the Beast's rapidly ascending body. As he climbed, the Beast's body rotated, until his cloak wrapped around his form completely, trapping him in a bizarre cocoon.
By now, I had crawled back and up into a standing position, still terrified. But, now that terror dissolved into curiosity as the Beast seemed to squirm against his confines. A burst of light emanated from within the robe, next second, a paw burst free. I squinted. The hair was disappearing! Skin took its place, and soon a hand – a human hand – could be identified. Another flash of light burst into existence, beams of it radiating from each of the Beast's new fingers. I backed away a step, pushing my still-windswept hair back from out of my face with a free palm.
Now, I observed, a dark paw – the Beast's foot - undergo the same metamorphosis as his hand. The hair and claws rapidly shrank and faded away, until a human foot emerged. Like before, a bomb burst of light excreted out, this time from his new toes.
The Beast was twirling about faster now, still imprisoned within his cloak. A gust of wind now swept across his face, rippling his handsome fur. Next moment, the hair there too began to vanish, along with his fangs, his horns…. until a human face took its place in one final burst of yellow light.
I stared thunderstruck as the rain pounded down with a renewed vigor; my hair stayed permanently flapping with the now hurricane-like winds. I shrank away as the….whoever-it-was now finally began to make a slow descent back to Earth, amidst the still rising steam. He fell back gingerly, the burgundy cloak now acting as a sort of cradle. It was as if an invisible hand were breaking his fall, or invisible strings holding him up like a marionette. His body met the stone floor at last.
I cautiously took a few steps forward, reaching out a hand to touch the creature that had replaced my love. Suddenly, the steam that had hissed around disappeared, sucking into the Beast as he seemed to inhale the substance, which appeared to give him the first breath of new life. I sprang back, startled, throwing out my hands as I just caught myself on the balcony railing.
Indeed, the stranger was alive, for he slowly rose to his feet, the cloak finally falling away. He stared at his one hand, then the other, before turning around to face me at long last.
His white shirt was badly ripped, and so were his purple trousers, both now hanging baggy around a much smaller frame. Nevertheless, the stranger's muscles were well toned. He had long, flowing hair the red color of fire, a long neck and a chiseled face. I put a hand to my mouth in amazement, though almost immediately let it fall away as I continued to stare. The shock in my eyes and in my heart gave way to – was if hopefulness? Hope for what, exactly?
"Belle," the stranger gasped. "It's me." He stepped forward and took my hand with a winning smile. I started at the touch of his hand on mine even as I took a step forward to meet him.
I stared at this… man, and curiosity filled my eyes again. I frowned skeptically. He may claim to be the Beast, but I was too smart to be easily swayed. He could be the enchanter, now come to take me for himself. Intriguingly, I ran a hand through his red locks, pawing it between my fingers. My eyes then shifted to look into his own. They were a brilliant blue.
It was like an epiphany. I had only seen those same eyes twice before. In the painting in the West Wing, and in….
My Beast.
A smile lit up my face as a look of recognition came over me. "It is you!" I cried elatedly, reaching out a hand to caress his cheek. The Beast – no, Prince? – smiled knowingly as his eyes softened. He ran a hand through my brown hair, pushing it back before then cupping my face. My eyes closed in pleasure at his touch, before staring up into his eyes with a small smile that he now mirrored.
It was as if we spoke as one, yet with no words. Our gazes softened, as I now shifted my hands to lay upon his broad chest; the Prince cupped my face in earnest. I knew what was coming. I had never kissed a man before, yet I knew if I willingly kissed this Prince who once was my Beast, I would fall in love to the point of no return and never kiss anyone else ever again – nor would I want to. But it was too late to change my mind, even if there was no doubt left in it as he bent his head towards me and I closed my eyes. We closed the gap as our lips met in a searing, open-mouthed kiss.
All at once. shimmering blue lights – not unlike the firework-style rain that had poured down on us earlier – began to engulf us in a frantic, whirlpoolish tornado. I could see it through my eyelids that were open just a crack. I instinctively, reached up an arm, snaking it around the Prince's neck as I fisted my hand in his hair. His arms encircled my back in perfect harmony, as the wind from the blue tornado whipped our hair straight up. I was too busy, engrossed in the kiss, wanting to deepen it, that I paid no attention to the piercing shriek as the blue light now shot above us, high above the castle, exploding into actual fireworks in the nighttime sky.
When the Prince and I broke the kiss at last, I noticed it was suddenly day. The sun shone brilliantly. The dark, decrepit stone of the castle was now a blinding white marble; its gargoyle sentinels now angels. The rose in the West Wing was in full bloom, and the enchanted objects were rapidly being transformed back into people.
Nothing could contain our joy. Before I knew it, we were back in the main ballroom, surrounded by people. I cupped the Prince's face in my hands and eagerly pressed my lips to his. My tongue intertwined with his own with little resistance. Releasing each other, we began to dance.
Later, in my golden dress and in between dancing with and kissing my Prince, I knew I would live happily ever after.