Hello! I'm really glad people are enjoying this story and thanks for the reviews! On to the next episode, Season 1. Episode 2. This episode will be split up into three parts as well. Enjoy!
"So," the Monster asked her smiling coyly, "Where would you like to go?"
"You don't need to go somewhere to save someone?" Belle asked shyly.
"I don't save people." He replied seriously.
"You saved me." She smiled sweetly at him.
"Well that as an exception. And now, quit stalling and tell me where you would like to go." He turned his golden eyes to her.
"Ok," she paused for a second to think, "Let's go to the future!"
"A little more specific please." He said jokingly, "The future is quite large."
"100 years then!" She added excitingly.
"Boring, dearie. Farther." He commanded her.
"10,000 years then!" She exclaimed.
"That's more like it." He smiled and flipped switches, pressed buttons, and spun wheels on the huge control panel. The tree began to make humming sounds.
A second later Gold said, "Well we are here. Enjoy."
Belle was astonished. "We just went 10,000 years into the future in a second! All the books and knick-knicks even stayed on the shelves!"
"Those aren't knick-knacks, they're souvenirs and of course they stay on the shelve. We aren't flying, we are simply reappearing in a different time." The Monster carefully put the chipped cup that had been in his pocket on one of the shelves.
"Oh, it's chipped!" Belle exclaimed, looking at the cup on the shelf.
"Yes, well, it's just a cup." He muttered.
"But you saved it and put it on a shelf?"
"Look, do you want to see the future or talk about cups?" Gold retorted, being to get annoyed by her questions about his cup. He would not be telling her the reason he particularly liked that cup anytime soon.
"See the future." Belle said bravely, "But let's go even farther!"
"Now we're talking." The Monster smiled at her, "Always knew you'd be up for an adventure!"
"Well then let's go as far as we can." Belle said with excitement.
At this the Monster's face darkened and Belle hesitantly asked, "Gold? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He snapped at her, "But you do not want to go as far we can. No one needs to see that. How about we go to the end of Earth?"
Belle wasn't sure she wanted to see that either but she had made the suggestion so she simply nodded and said, "Sure."
"Wonderful." He replied sarcastically and spun the wheel until she thought it couldn't possibly spin anymore.
And then with a beep the tree's wooshing stopped and it was silent.
"Are we here?" She asked, both nervous and excited.
"Why don't you step outside and see?" He urged gently.
Belle grabbed the Monster's hand and pulled him out of the tree, looking curiously around the room they were in. It was all light paneled wood; set up almost as a viewing stage and at the area where the stage was, was a covered window.
"What's beneath that?" Belle asked anxiously.
The Monster pulled away from her and taking out his sonic dagger, waved it a control panel sitting on the wall. As he returned to her side, the cover slid up over the window to reveal the planet Earth below.
"Is that Earth?" Belle asked, it was obvious it was but she still couldn't believe that they were just now standing calmly in outer space.
"Yes, it's the year 5.5/apple/26, five billion years in your future." He paused and his face grew serious, "You humans, you spend all your time afraid of dying, thinking about how you are going get killed by monsters, or aliens, or bombs, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. You survive. The Earth survived, humans survived. Until today. Today is the day the sun expands, and the Earth dies. Welcome to the end of the world Belle."
As Belle looked out the window, she could see the sun expanding. It seemed to glow brighter and brighter and she watched it with a strange sense of dread and fascination.
Meanwhile outside the space station that the Monster and Belle were at, spaceships were flying and parking. Landing in the docking stations on the ship as announcers politely reminded people that guests on platform 1 were forbidden to use teleportation, weapons, or religion.
Belle and the Monster meanwhile were walking down the hallway from the observation room when a new announcement came on, informing them that Earth destruction was schedule for 15:39 and that drinks in the Sherwood street would be served afterwards.
As they walked Belle questioned the Monster, "By guests, does that mean there are other people aboard this spaceship?"
"Well not people exactly." Gold answered smirking.
"Not people?" Belle wondered outloud, "Then what are they?"
"Belle, for all those books you have read, you are being quite unimaginative." He replied and she would have been offended had she not seen the laugh on his face as he said it.
"Aliens then. There are other aliens on this ship." She said as confidently as she could.
"Correct, my dear." He smiled.
"Why are all these aliens on a spaceship?" She asked another question of the Monster as she followed him down the hall.
"You are a curious one, aren't you?" He simply replied back instead of answering.
"Well if I'm going to go off and see the world, I want to know what I am seeing." She muttered exasperated.
"Well then," Gold smiled, "This isn't a space ship. It's an observation deck. You see, all the rich and powerful people in the world have came to see the Earth burn."
"Why would they want to see that?" She asked mortified that people would want to see her home planet destroyed.
"Fun." Was Gold's flat response as he finished waving his sonic dagger at some new control panel and walked away.
Belle followed the Monster as he walked into another large room, this one made of stone and also housing a huge window in which the burning Earth was visible.
He turned back to her as they entered the room. "People and aliens are alike in many ways, they aren't heroes, they're not good."
Belle paused to think about this sad thought but the Monster just continued walking forward, toward the burning Earth.
"Wait," Belle said remembering a book she had read, "I read about this once. The sun expanding takes hundreds of years. How are we going to observe it today?"
"Well it would take millions actually dearie, but as most things can, planets can be bought. This planet has been the National Trust's and they are keeping it preserved. See those satellites down there, they are holding back the sun." He pointed out to Belle several small satellites hovering around the Earth.
"But shouldn't the planet look different?" Belle inquired, confused, "Shouldn't the continents have shifted?"
"I did pick a smart one." He quipped at her, "The National Trust is dealing with that too. This is classic Earth, just the way the rich like it." He paused though and looked at her, "But now the money has ran out and it is time to let the Earth die."
"How long does it have?" Belle asked.
Looking at his watch, the Monster replied, "30 minutes give or take. And then it will be all over for planet Earth."
Belle looked at him, wondering, were they really just here because she had said she wanted to see it. "Is there a reason we are her?" Belle asked him and when he just looked at her confused she continued, "Are you here to save the Earth? Swoop in at the last moment as you do and save the planet?"
His eyes hardened and he turned to her. "I'm the Monster, dearie. I'm no hero. I don't save people. We are not hero to save the Earth today. All things must die." He smiled as he said this but the smile wasn't friendly.
"What about the people?" She asked, surely he must care about the billions of the people that were about to die.
"What?" He responded, confused.
"The billions of people on planet Earth that are about to die." She responded coldly.
"No one is left on Earth. They have all left, it's empty." He told her.
Her anger with him dissipated and instead she just felt a strange sadness over come her. She grabbed his hand and he moved to hug her close and she looked up at him, "Just me then?"
Before he could respond, a blue eyed man dressed in a golden coat came over to them yelling, "Who the hell are you?"
As he got closer Belle noticed he had reptilian eyes and a blue crystal in his forehead and that he was still talking, asking them questions before they even had a chance to answer.
"How did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone, the guests have disembarked, they are on their way, and any second now they will be here."
"Careful dearie," The Monster told the blue man, a dangerous edge to his voice that caused Belle to shiver, "I am a guest. And I don't think its good hospitality to go around yelling at your guests." With this he pulled a scroll of paper that appeared to be blank to Belle out of his pocket and unrolled it. Belle still didn't see anything but clearly the blue man did. The Monster continued. "Here is my invitation. The Monster plus one. She's my plus one. Belle French." At this he pointed to Belle.
"I'm so sorry." The blue man said nervously, "Yes, welcome. We shall start immediately then!"
As the blue colored man walked away Belle looked at the Monster and stated, "That's not an invitation, is it?"
"No, it's not. It's a psyic scroll. It shows people whatever I want them to see. Quite useful." He informed her.
"Oh," Belle thought about it, well psycic paper didn't seem all the improbable when she was traveling through time and space with an alien in a tree called the MAGIC.
"He's blue?" She asked as the new question arrived in her brain.
"Obviously." Was his only response.
The blue man, who appeared to be in charge of the ship, was now standing on platform and announced, "In our attendance we now have the Monster and Belle French." He then turned to some smaller blue people standing around him and urged them on, "Quickly come on, get everything ready." The little blue people quickly dispersed.
The man at the podium continued, "And now, might I introduce the next honored guest, representing the Enchanted Forest, we have trees, namely Marian Hood. We will be exchanging gifts representing peace and prosperity. Now please move along, if we could keep the room circulating that would be good."
Belle thought she might pass out and was glad for Gold's arm wrapped around her as she saw that Marian was in fact, an actual tree. Well a tree woman, who had eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth and was wearing a dress. But still, unmistakably a tree just the same.
The blue man continued, "Next from the solicitors Zoso and Zoso, we have the Dark One of the Vault."
At this a scaly gold and green creature walked out from the doors and Belle felt Gold's arm tighten around her.
Still more guests entered and the blue man announced, "And next from financial family of Jefferson, we have the adherence of the traveling hat."
Belle gaped as a set of creatures wearing dark cloaks and top hats walked out of the entrance.
The blue man continued and more and more aliens entered. Belle had never seen so many different aliens in her life. Well to be honest, she had never seen an alien until two days ago but still, this was truly spectacular, she smiled happily up to the Monster, who smiled back at her.
Marian, the tree, walked up to them and said, "Greetings. I come baring gifts. She turned and presented a small plant to the Monster. I give you, a cutting of my grandfather."
Belle found this to be a bid morbid and took the tree gently as the Monster pushed it into her hands.
"Ah yes, gifts." The Monster said to Marian and Belle realized they had brought none but the Monster seemed to think of something and continued, "I give you in return a shake of my hand." And with that he shook the tree's hand.
"How intimate." The tree commented as she shook the Monster's hand.
"Indeed." The Monster replied and Belle couldn't help but feel a bit irrationally jealous at how he seemed to unknowingly flirt with the tree.
The blue man however had still not stopped talking and was now introducing a new guest. "And finally our sponsor of this lovely event, the face of Leia."
A huge face, appearing somewhat human but more wrinkled and aged than Belle had ever seen a human face appeared. It was cased in a glass box and moved silently into the room.
Meanwhile the Dark One of the Vault appeared in front of the Monster and Belle.
"Dark One of the Vault." The Monster greeted the creature in front of it unpleasantly. "What do you want?"
"Salutations Monster." The golden creature smiled, "I have came to give you a gift on this day of historical importance. I give you the gift of gold." And with that the dark one handed them a golden coin.
"Thank you." Belle told the creature and it moved on to allow the next guests to see them.
"The adherence of the traveling hat. I give you a handshake." The Monster greeted the next aliens to visit them and stuck out his hand and a black claw appeared from beneath the cloak to shake his own.
"A gift of peace in all good faith." The hats told them, their voice low and raspy and handed the Monster a small top hat, which he quickly passed to Belle as well.
Still the blue man was not done talking and he continued his introductions, "And last but not least, our very special guest, Ladies and gentleman, trees and life forms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world we call forth, the last human, the lady Jacqueline.
"Oh now, don't stare." Jacqueline said as she entered the room to almost audible gasps.
Belle was amazed, she was only a think layer of skin with a face, how could she possibly be alive, she wondered.
Jacqueline continued to talk on, "I've had my chin completely taken away, and look at the difference. Look at how thin and dainty, I don't look a day over 2,000." She sighed happily.
The Monster kept a straight face but Belle could feel her jaw dropping just looking at the terrible, well women, if you could call her that.
"Moisturize me, moisturize me." The lady demanded and one of her masked servants did so. "Truly I am the last human, my father and mother were the last humans to be born on the Earth and the last to be buried in the soil."
Belle had now slid out of the Monster's grasp and was walking toward Jacqueline.
"I have come to honor them and say goodbye." Jacqueline continued and began to tear up and one of her servants quickly wiped the ears away.
"But behold," the Lady continued, "I have came baring gifts. The last remaining dragon egg. Legend holds they had a wingspan of fifty feet and breathed fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband. Oh no, don't laugh, I'll get laughter lines." She said to herself and the crowd did indeed laugh lightly as this.
"And here, another rarity. This was called a DVD, it stores classical movies." Jacqueline continued as a tv was wheeled out.
Belle wasn't sure if she felt like laughing or yelling something about it all being fake. That was not a dragon egg, dragons weren't real! And that was not a DVD it was an old tv, but she held her tongue and let Jacqueline continue.
"Play on!" Jaqueline commanded and to Belle's amazement the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast began playing on the old tv.
"Enjoy!" The blue man at the podium said, "refreshments will be served, Earth death is in 30 minutes."
All of a sudden it was too much for Belle. Her favorite childhood movie playing, while the Earth below was about to be destroyed and all these aliens just watching, it seemed terrible. Ironically and painfully terrible. And all these creatures, all these species, Jacqueline, what did any of them know of Earth.
She began to slowly back away and out of the room, desperate to just get some air and try and sort this all out.
The Monster saw her leave and worry crossed his face as he saw her slide out. He went to follow her only to be stopped by Marian.
"Smile." Marian simply said and snapped a picture of him with her device, "Thanks."
The Monster snarled at her and stepped past her, going after Belle.
It had not been a picture though that Marian had snapped, but instead an analysis of his species. Looking at her machine Marian demanded, "Identify species. Come on sill machine." She shook it for good measure, "Tell me his race!"
"Oh my" Marian said as her machine finally worked.
Meanwhile out of one of the hats slithered an electronic snake unseen to any of the guests on the space platform.