-A Desperate Plea-

"My, my, what a lovely piece around your neck, Master," teased Forte, inching towards Adam. "Mind if I take a-SSSSS AAHHH!" he hissed at the contact with the stone, vibrating madly to Forte's proximity. "Stop this NOW, Forte!" Belle demanded. Forte's eyes softened as he formed his lips into a small 'O' shape, very amused at Belle's demeanor. "Now, now, Princess," he drawled. "You're in no position to talk, as I don't see a stone around your pretty little neck." Philippe drew his sword when Forte inched closer to Belle and stated firmly, "That's close enough." "Ooh, touchy. I'm scaaared!" he said sarcastically clasping his hands together. He chuckled evilly.

"That's because I got her stone off, Maestro!" said Fife as he rushed in, carrying the enchanted jar in his left arm. "That's-!" Adam started. "Uh-huh!" exclaimed Fife. "It's your special jar!" He held it in the air, along with the stone with the snapped necklace string. "Hey Maestro, when I was walking along, I saw the forest opening up to reveal them along with The Enchantress! I overheard them talking about how the stones protect a-against your m-magic." said Fife. Belle, Adam, and Philippe flinched at Fife's know about. Forte was actually stunned Fife did something useful. "Well done, Fife! I knew I could still count on you!" "You eavesdropping worm!" growled Royal Guard Philippe, gripping the hilt tightly. "So you were the one making a disturbance in the bushes," added Adam.

"I thought I saw someone," said Belle sadly. "It was still dark, but I could've sworn I saw a silhouette of a man crouched. These past months I haven't been able to trust my senses, I should have spoken up." "It's not your fault, Belle," Adam reassured Belle. "Don't trust him, Fife! He betrayed you once with a promise of a solo, remember? Don't make the same mistake!" said Adam boldly. Fife then paused to choose his next words carefully. "I also heard that this jar here was going to be used to suck you in, trapping you. Maybe we can use it on Belle instead."

The group was shocked, not out of reaction, but of confusion since Piano told them that the jar only works for Forte. The group is unclear if Fife never fully heard Piano's instructions, or if he's purposefully deceiving Forte. Forte noticed the group's surprise and said mockingly, "Oh, you were going to seal me away? I didn't hate you that much!" He feigned a little pout. Then his face went back to smirking smugly as he said, "Take Belle to the boiler room." The controlled servants closed in on the group, but Philippe started swinging his sword, making them back away. "Don't hurt them, Philippe!" said Prince Adam, alarmed. "I need to protect the princess at all costs, Your Highness." Forte curled his lips up in disgust, but noticed Philippe does not have a necklace on too, but the armor appeared very shiny. Forte's hands glowed green as he waved his left hand out, shooting a music sheet blast towards him. Adam jumped in front of him and the blast was negated. "Grrrgh! How annoying!" he fumed.

Forte turned to Fife with no emotion. "Destroy the jar," Forte commanded. "A-actually, I have a better idea. I'll be in boiler room, and you tag team the rest of them!" Fife replied, running off into the boiler room below the kitchen. Forte understood what Fife was talking about. He then commanded the servants, "Take them!" The servants reluctantly started approaching them again, and just as Forte was about to blast all of them in an effort to get Belle and Philippe, he was smacked in the head with a golden goblet. "Ow, what the-?" Forte turned around to see Angelique and Fifi above the stairs, coming out from the East Wing. "Oh? There was more of you hiding?" he drawled with irritation. "Oh, there is more where that came from, freakshow!" shouted Angelique, throwing another goblet. Forte deflected it easy. "Don't think you can distract me, Angelique!" he shouted as he slung a blast of energy towards them before turning around. They dodged, and Fifi threw a small silver candelabrum with acute accuracy and speed, and it hit Forte dead in the back of his head. "That was for Lumière!" Fifi shouted. Caught off-guard, he fell forward and was knocked out momentarily.

Meanwhile, as the servants closed in, Adam said to Philippe, "Withdraw your sword and hold on to me!" Adam hugged Princess Belle and Royal Guard Philippe tight just as a few servants grabbed for them, including Lumière. They all shut their eyes tight just as the stone reacted to the proximity of Forte's magic, and a white ball of light expelled around the group. It grew large enough to completely cover them then exploded outward to the entire room, knocking everyone down around them.

Slowly, one by one, the servants and maidservants got up and looked around in a daze. Lumière and Cogsworth got up at the same time and rubbed their heads. "LUMI! You're okay!" shrieked Fifi, as she rushed downstairs, sped towards him and smooched him passionately. Lumière was still confused, but he kissed back anyway. "What happened, my fair mademoizelle?" said Lumière lightly. "Ze last thing I remembered waz getting hit by Forte and you running away. He didn't hurt you, non?" He looked down in anger at Forte.

"I'm alright my love! Mrs. Potts and Chip are fine too! Angelique came just in time to open the attic up and we all hid inside, blocking out any music from being heard." Lumière's expression relaxed. Angelique came down to help up any servants that were still dazed on the floor. Lumière rushed to Angelique and kissed her left hand, saying, "Oh, merci! Merci beaucoup!" Angelique snatched her hand away and said flatly, "Yeah, it was nothing. I had no idea what was going on, then all of a sudden we were under attack!" Cogsworth groaned and said drowsily, "Is it nighttime already?" One of the servants just noticed that it was still dark outside and ran out. Though it was daytime everywhere else, there are dark clouds that still hang overhead the castle. "There are dark clouds above us!" he yelled.

Adam and the group opened their eyes at the sound of familiar, friendly voices. "Cogsy!" exclaimed Lumière. "Lumière," said Cogsworth glumly. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you." "It iz ok now, mon amie, now we all need to run; Forte's stirring into consciousnezz." Everyone looked down as Forte was slowly moving his head and arms, groaning. Everyone scrambled to get away as Adam, Belle, and Philippe ran off towards the kitchen to get Fife. Forte growled lowly as he blasted towards the group. Though it had no effect on Adam, it made him trip. "Get Belle to Fife! We need that jar!" shouted Adam and tossed his stone to Philippe. Philippe placed it on Belle as they ran away.

Adam turned around just in time for Forte to pin him down and grab the collar of his shirt. "You won't give up, will you, Master?!" He gritted between his teeth. His mouth was dripping blood. Adam widened his eyes with concern as he said softly, "Forte, you're bleeding." Forte's eyes narrowed into slits as he hissed, "What difference does it make now?! You never seemed to care before! Just a minute ago you told them to get the jar!" Adam started to feel panic rising, but he said calmly, "Look, I never intend to use it unless you're unwilling to talk to me. It's just extra security." Forte scoffed. "Talk to you?!" He snickered. "Oh, that's rich. Now you just want to talk? You have the instrument of my doom made by The Enchantress herself, and now you just want to talk?!" He started chuckling softly, then it increased into a maniacal bellow.

Adam gazed at him in fear. "You're mad!" he whispered. Forte stopped and looked down at Adam. "YEAH, I'M MAD!" he roared. Then he lowered his face down completely on Adam, face to face as he said quietly, "And why do think I am so?" Adam was visibly uncomfortable. Being this close, especially to a potentially psychotic man, can bring about discomfort. They waited in awkward silence for a time. "Well?" he drawled quietly, with undertones of irritation. He got off of Adam, got up, and turned around. "Of course you wouldn't say anything. You never do." Adam got up and said glumly to Forte, "Actually, I have something to confess."

Intrigued, but still angry, Forte slowly turned around to hear what Adam has to say. "Let me just start off by saying sorry. I'm sorry, Forte. For hurting your feelings." For the first time in a long time, Forte felt a pang of an unclear emotion. Regret? Forgiveness? What is this feeling? he thought to himself. Though his eyes softened, his lips remained firm. He rubbed the back of his head and winced a bit. Adam continued, "Please, just leave Belle out of this. Leave my child out of this, my unborn child. If you have to punish anyone, it's me. I'm the one who hurt you, not Belle. Not the child." There was water in Adam's eyes.

Forte shifted and looked down. "And?" he said softly, not caring. Adam said, "Let's start from the beginning. I-I know I was a brat in the castle. I...stopped coming in for your lessons because of disinterest. Your lessons only had deary music." "My music reflects my inner feelings," Forte retorted. "Then why does it sound so sad?! What did I do then?! I barely remember a time when you actually played happy music!" Forte looked at Adam. He didn't look angry anymore. Just melancholy. "It wasn't your fault, Adam. It was about your parents."

~~~

Belle and Philippe went into the kitchen to look for the door to the boiler room. "Where could the boiler room be?" said Belle. "I have no idea, Your Majesty. My apologies." "It's alright, Philippe. Say, Why didn't you want me to know your name back at the inn? I only heard Adam call you out by name just an hour ago." Philippe looked around the kitchen for all the doors, and opening them as he said, "I figured, Your Majesty, that you wouldn't need to trouble yourself in remembering my name. I'm just a nobody servant of the Royal Guards." Belle placed her hand gently on the left side of his pauldron and smiled. "You're not a nobody. Everybody counts for something, because everyone has a purpose in life, even if they don't know it yet." Philippe nodded in agreement. "Which is why we must help Forte. We have to save him, but if he won't listen to reason, then his powers will be taken away so that he can listen."

Philippe found an iron door in the back of the kitchen and heaved it open. He stood back and looked down the stairs. "This is heavy to push, even for me. There's no way Fife made it past this door." said Philippe, panting. Belle was making her way over to him when a blur of brown brushed past her and towards Philippe. It was Fife. Philippe tried to block him by moving in the way, but the armor slowed his reflexes, and Fife narrowly dodged him down the stairs. "Quick! After him!" proclaimed Belle. They raced him downstairs, with Belle falling behind, heaving. "I, I'll catch up Philippe. I need a breath. This is too much for me to go through right now!" Hesitant, he followed orders and continued pursuit.

Belle eventually made it down the stairs, after what seemed like several minutes of pausing and resuming. She heard banging earlier, but the noise longed ceased. She opened the second door down there and walked in, but it was very hot in the room. "Philippe! Fife!" Belle echoed in the vast boiler room. The unbearable heat made it hard to keep her eyes open as sweat threatened to fall in. Belle slowed down and rested her hands on her knees as she tried to breathe. It was too hot for her to handle down here, and it's slowly taking its toll. Belle slid down to the floor to find any relief from the heat, but even the concrete was very warm to the touch. Belle crawled miserably to the nearest wall and cried out as loud as she can muster, "Philippe! Fife! Anyone?!" No answer. Exhausted, parched, and overheating, Belle began to feel dizzy. "Fife...why...?" she mumbled as she passed out.