The shadowy Potts begin her work to stitch up the back of Belle to her own discomfort as she couldn't stop crying.
Last night was proof enough that she was dangerous even to Ruby but still stayed in the same room with her.
In between all the crying was also angry grunting with the pain,Belle felt like she wanted to tear herself apart to get rid of all guilt it brought. She hated the fact that let her darkside take over completely and blame it all on Ruby.
She had stupidly allowed herself to be mistaken for the Big Bad Wolf and the hunters would increase there bounty on her head.
They wouldn't stop and that scared her more then being a wolf
Other shadowy maids were around her in the entry hallway, bandaging up her arms and feet.
Still naked, one maid had put a blanket cover her front leaving just her back exposed.
She couldn't believe why in the world Ruby of all people would save someone like her, truly she wasn't worth it...
Ruby had emerged from the ball room holding a hot bowl of soup as she lay it next to the floor. She had seen Belle trying to back away from her as Potts refused to let her move...
"PLEASE NO ...I'll JUST HURT AGAIN, AAAAAAAA" Belle yelled out as Potts finished her nettle work, Ruby clearly wasn't listening
"Miss. Potts will now get you a bandage for your back, a huge chuck was torn from you
...It's simply amazing that much lost of blood barely even phased you!" Belle was trying her best to look away from Ruby and into the fireplace...
"YOU SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE HUNTERS TO DO THERE JOB!..."
"...THEN WHAT BELLE?, do you want to be HUNG ON THE WALL OF THE VILLAGE TAVERN AS THE BIG BAD WOLF, A DEAD ONE?
YOU BEEN MAKING MISTAKES,
each one getting more and more bigger and each time you tried to correct them they become worse...
You nearly murdered me and yet I COME BACK FOR YOU...
NO ONE ELSE AND ALL OF THEM NOW SEE YOU AS A THREAT...
STOP PRETENDING THAT ISN'T HOW I FELT WHEN I FOUND OUT I COULD RIP PEOPLE APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!" Ruby was trembling in her own voice when she spoke and seemed to know what she was talking about.
Belle was terrified of what to do with such power and yet Ruby was showing her they were similar as she spoke up again "What the hell makes you think i wouldn't end up hurting you again...and again until you found out am a VILLAIN in your story!?"
"Control it, make both halves into being one and then i can decide how much i actually feel about you" Ruby calmly said
Belle was looking into the fire again, Ruby was giving her a second chance. That was something the hunters wouldn't be doing.
She kept thinking how much pain she had put Ruby though. But she never give up on her, why don't she hate her as much as Belle hated herself now?. What made the Big Bad Wolf so noble to someone who otherwise spat in her face.
Why was proving to be so honest to someone like her?
Belle couldn't just turn off what she had, the blue liquid had done nothing. Everything about her life was being thrown away because her darkside and yet Ruby wanted to give it back to her. Controlling it did sound pretty temping and scary as well. Her guilt though was another matter entirely, every time she closed her eyes, she felt like wanting to just seal herself into this castle and never come out...
"Why Ruby?..."
"Why what?" Ruby seemed to try more calm around her now as they spoke again
Belle closed her eyes "Why aren't just running from me like the rest of them do?, why try to make me see the light of my own curse and not your own?"
Ruby groaned as she answer her questions "My problems no longer matter basically never did!. Everyone run away because they rightfully saw a monster.
But AM not one of them Belle, if you think that you can replace the kind of sorrow i have lived through, then you girl are a fucking saint. Your the one whose noble somehow in all this not me"
Belle looked into Ruby's face to a still fresh scar on right cheek, touching it she was beginning to understand what she meant...
"I can't run away from problems anymore then Red.." she smiled sadly finally realizing something "I'll going to embrace them"
"I know what this dragon symbol means..." Cruella laughed to Gaston inside her secret lair, holding the tattooed skin.
"This only meant for the royal honor guard of the Jade Empress, why keep this skin otherwise knowing the true nature of your so called "girlfriend" ?"
Gaston just smiled to her "I can use this to get what i always wanted Cruella..."
"And what's that, a pet werewolf darling?"
Gaston looked at her weirdly "Of course not, just the means to make a headache of mine go away..."
Cruella crawled toward him, her eyes blazing red as she questioned "Has this headache have a name?"
"Actually three, with them gone...I'll have Belle for my wife, make no mistake about that!"
Belle's house...late afternoon
"Miss. McKinley, please i just want to talk to Paige" Perditia said trembling as she heard foot steps running through the house
Opening the door, she come upon her girlfriend picking her bags, looking right into her yellow eyes "Why are you running away?"
"Am not running, but my sister is in trouble just being with that monster, and am going to rescue her" Paige said blatantly. The bar maiden know that she could stop her anytime she wanted. But she wasn't going to...
"You saw what kind of power your sister has, she's dangerous!" Perditia don't want her hurt but she wasn't listening
"I don't care, you have to understand i love her no matter what but the Big Bad Wolf is keeping her captive!.
And am not about to let her become something even more dangerous thinks to that thing. She needs help and this serum will do that!" getting out of her brown yellow overcoat a small blue bottle.
Just as Perditia was to grab it to look it more closely, the door burst opened...
Gaston and the rest of his men come toward the two women as he smiled widely toward Perditia
"Good work Perditia, am going to reward you for this"
She don't understand what he meant "Reward?"
"Yes in capturing a werewolf...HER!"
Pointing toward Paige as two of his men strong armed her "Your mother and sister have already been arrested for endangering this town as well as being in league with the Big Bad Wolf..." Gaston proudly spoke up as he handled Perditia from getting toward her
"My family hasn't done anything wrong, Gaston...we haven't hurt anybody!, we just want to live in peace" she said barely calmly as Gaston sneered
"YOUR NOT FOOLING ANYONE, WOLF WITCH...TAKE HER TO THE TOWER"
Outside of The Red Castle...the next normal full moon
"Are you afraid?.."
"Am not afraid of anything..."
Two huge figures leaped and jumped through the clear night air as the moon looked over them
Belle had more different then ever running with her powerful legs going through the beautiful forest as she tried her hardest to catch up to Ruby
Catching her breath for a moment near a small stream, Belle caught sight of herself in the water...
It was surreal to see a green furred wolf face looking at her with blue eyes as opposite to red, her claws gently touching her face. Belle could hardly believe that this was the same creature she had feared for years. That caused the same amount of chaos through out the land and yet it was calm now...
She was calm as she saw Ruby leaped overhead calling out with her howling, Belle leaped up to try to catch her again
They leaped around the buildings of the village of Red Forest in a playful dance as they chased each other
Ruby had finished by jumping way ahead toward a huge newer area,one that Belle never noticed before.
A gigantic natural rock formation in the shape of a wolf that seemed to overlook the village. Coming out the mouth was a raging waterfall and a narrow lush forest valley, she heard the numerous howling from all over the rock. Various wolves of all types were greeting her, she couldn't believe what she was seeing here
But the greatest howl was coming from the eye of the rock as Ruby led out her hand to Belle
Getting more courageous, she leaped upward the eye but missed by a mile, suddenly Ruby grabbed her strong hands..
Lifting her up, Belle and Ruby looked into each other's eyes as they begin howling together
The next morning within the wolf rock
Belle awakened in the red hood as the black wolf looked over her "How much do you remember?"
She smiled and laughed as she answered "Everything!, oh gods i can't believe what i even did...was incredible, i want to feel like this every day!"
She run up to Ruby still with the red hood as she hugged her. The hood touching the fur changed into being human again
But was so used to it and she felt happy for so many reasons, she no longer felt scared of being a wolf. It was truly a incredible feeling and last night showed just how much she could control it without losing herself or giving into the "dark side" she feared so much. Ruby was an amazing teacher when it come to being a wolf and yet she was still so noble about it. Belle was still confused about her own feelings for this woman who wanted just to live alone with her curse. She can't just make it go away and still put up with a woman like Belle for no other reason.
She backed away suddenly from Ruby, her own naked body displayed to her but that wasn't the problem to both of them
"I been so horrible to you, why aren't upset with me for all the times we argue or disagreed?" Ruby just stupidly smiled at her
"It's okay Belle besides i always wanted to met someone who can't stand me.
I could get a dozen girls into my castle and the result was always the same.
I told them the truth about themselves and they rightfully slapped me in the face as well as add the words "Go to Hell" before leaving"
Belle could actually agree with those girls about Ruby at least "Would one of them had been Snow White?"
Ruby nodded her head but give her a rather surprising answer "Actually Snow was the one who could put up with someone like me. She thought that i was trying to be a "show off" to everyone around me to the point were they felt i was vain..." she seemed still rather proud about talking about her older self
"I'll read stories of a Princess who want around on horseback challenging anyone in her path,
rescuing damsels from dragons and must of all stealing treasure. That couldn't be the same noble figure before me..right?"
Ruby was laughing happily at Belle as if that was enough to say yes to her question "AHAHAH I am that person in your books and don't regret a thing about it although Snow White helped me out the must.
Who else would think of a plan to recover the fabled treasure of the legendary bandit Ali Baba..."
"THAT WAS YOU?" Belle yelled out in surprise to the smug look on her face as she continued
"Let's just say it was both me and Snow, she wanted it to basically help with improving her relationship with the Evil Queen although i don't know she was evil at the time. Ail Baba stole from Snow's family long ago and she was still not ready to face the dangers that trip brought...among them Regina.
Regina decided the best way to improve that was almost killing us with magic, me at the time thought stupidly she was trying "help us".
Gods...i was such a jackass, so you and Snow share something special with a woman whose no more noble then a title!"
Belle suddenly realized something about her as she moved her hand over the tall hooded shoulder "It isn't your grandmother's curse that's keeping you here.
It's the fact that you like being alone, that way you no one could actually break your heart again...like Snow White did. That way you wouldn't have to clam the title of being a leader of your sister's pack. Your vain because that way people would see what a good job your doing things like rescuing maidens, you get a huge statue in your honor.
You make me and my problems so mild compared to the loneliness that crept into your heart and stayed there"
Ruby smirked, she wasn't about to deny it "I was raised to be Charming, not sincere. That is why no woman in all of existence can't stand the sight of me, a mere "prince" is really someone who rather see a beast rather then the beauty on the surface.
Why can't a princess follow in the same footsteps, werewolves are no different and i hate them equally. I truly am a Beast, it should be you running away from me because all i do is break hearts including my family's." she said bitterly looking into the pool down below the eye cavern
Belle could see alot of herself in Ruby, the same hot headiness that made people ether love them or leave them.
She couldn't just leave this woman for a life more of loneliness and being the infamous Big Bad Wolf "I know you wanted me to control it and it's something wonderful. But to you, it's just another thing you regret.
You give yourself a locked heart long before you were cursed and i don't think there's a cure for that. But believe me Ruby, when i say we are both alone and that you can deny the feelings you have for me because i don't feel like a piece of crap like you.
I every right to be angry at the world but you are more damn noble then me to hide from it after being this powerful.
Because we are sooooooooooo wrong for one other it's not even funny, you want to deny it,
fine i'll leave and i promise to never return to break that lock heart of yours if that is what you want!"
Just as Belle was walking away from her, still fully nude and not bothering about it. Ruby closed her eyes "Belle wait please..."
Belle turned to see Ruby looking at her in a stupid way again "What?"
Ruby was smiling cutely at her as she answered "You know...you're rather cute when you rant!"
Before Belle could say anything, Ruby kissed her passionately on the lips. Why did she get the feeling they were right for each other after all!...
Next Chapter:Tale as Old as Time