I was tempted to crush the rose and end it all. I had no reason to live anymore, with Belle out of my life. But I didn't. The servants deserved their last few days or hours of partial humanity before they became wholly objects. They'd stayed with me for ten years, and I was grateful to them, something I should have been a long time ago.
A thunderstorm had started shortly after Belle had left. I had no idea how long ago that was, just that the storm raged on. Every time thunder crashed or lightning struck, it seemed as if the sky itself felt my pain at losing the one person I had ever loved.
Several times during the storm, I thought I heard voices outside my door or noises outside on the ground, but they would stop, so I knew I was just hearing things. My imagination was creating phantom sounds, and they all sounded like Belle.
Even loud cries and the sounds of people screaming below in the castle didn't stir me. I assumed it was just the servants watching their friends and family transforming to objects in front of their eyes. I wasn't even aware of intruders until Lumière appeared at my door.
"Master! The castle! It's under attack!"
I growled at him. "Leave me in peace," I ordered. What did it matter if intruders came? Soon he and the others would be inanimate and I would be dead. I'd rather die than live the rest of my life as a Beast…and without Belle. The second the last petal fell, I would end my own life.
"But, sire!"
I turned away. "It doesn't matter now, Lumière. Just…let them come." Lumière left. The sounds of a battle went on below, and several minutes later, I could make out a flood of color escaping the doors and heard the sounds of cheering and victory.
Fools. Victory over what?
Suddenly, my door blew down without warning. A tall, muscular man with raven hair sneered at me. From Belle's descriptions, I figured it was Gaston, the hunter. I saw him take an arrow from his quiver, aiming for my heart with his bow. I turned away. If he wanted a quick and easy kill, he'd have it. It would save me the mess of doing it myself.
He let the arrow fly. I cried out as it pierced my arm and instinctively pulled it out, jumping.
"You're even uglier in the flesh," Gaston taunted, coming over. He kicked me. I groaned and fell down, but didn't get up. Let him kill me. It would be easier. "Get up!" When I didn't, he threw me out onto the balcony. He was stronger than I expected. I groaned. "What's the matter? Too kind and gentle to fight back?" he scoffed.
I knew then that Belle had told the village of me. I didn't know why, nor did I care. I moaned and merely climbed up to the roof. Gaston followed.
The hunter continued to taunt and beat me. He said Belle had sent him here to destroy me, which I doubted. "It's over, Beast!" Gaston had a knife aimed at my heart. "Belle is mine!" By this time, my body was bruised and weak. I didn't move as he went in for the kill.
"NO!"
It was a voice…one I hadn't hoped to hear again. Gaston and I both turned towards the voice.. I heard Gaston gasp.
Down below, on the balcony, stood Belle.
My heart soared. She came back! She came back to me…I felt my strength returning and adrenaline began coursing through me.
"Gaston, don't!" she pleaded. I could hear the sob in her voice; something snapped inside. Dying in front of Belle would be the cruelest thing I could ever have done. As Gaston was distracted by Belle's pleas, I stood up and twisted the knife from him, roaring.
We fought, truly fought this time. With each strike, I could hear Belle standing below, warning me when I was too close to the edge. I wasn't fighting for my life; I was fighting for Belle. The thoughts I'd had about being a monster were wrong. The man I faced was the true monster.
I managed to subdue Gaston and had him by the throat, dangling above the open air. The hunter finally showed fear and begged for mercy. "Please! I'll do anything!"
I stopped. "Please! I'll do anything!" Belle had once said those very words. When I had her father prisoner, she begged me to let her take his place. Gaston writhed in my grip, hanging over the edge. Could I really kill someone like that, just dropping him?
Once I would have done it without a second thought. He was an intruder, after all, one who had come into my home and attacked me. I slightly loosened my grip…
Belle had changed me, though. She had taught me mercy and forgiveness. Even after all of Gaston's harassing, Belle wouldn't want him to die at my hands. And I realized didn't want his blood on my hands. I was tired of being a monster…I might be one physically, but I wasn't going to be one in any other way anymore.
I pulled Gaston back. "Get out," I growled, setting him down. I jumped from the roof and landed in front of Belle. "You came back," I whispered, drawing closer to her. I brushed her hair from her face, smiling softly. She was back…and hopefully she would be mine.
Belle nodded, falling against me. "I'm sorry. They were going to lock Papa up in an asylum. I had to tell them about you." I breathed in her scent and took her in my arms.
"There's no harm done," I whispered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the petals fall. Two left, and the remaining petals looked feeble enough to fall in a slight breeze. Anxious, I started to tell her how I felt. "Belle, there's…"
I never finished. Sharp pain flooded my senses. Gaston had come down from the roof…and stabbed me. With a roar of pain, I let go of Belle and swung around. Gaston was too close to my arms ; as I failed, he instinctively stumbled back and fell over the edge of the balcony, the knife falling with him. His scream echoed in the wet night air, bloodcurdling and terrifying.
I tried to turn to Belle, but collapsed on the balcony. I could feel my blood staining my clothing as I gasped for breath. Belle knelt by my uninjured side and took my head in her lap. I reached for her. If I were going to die, at least she would be the last thing I saw.
"You…came back…" I gasped. Belle nodded, taking my paw.
"Of course. Oh, this is all my fault!" She started to cry. "If only I'd gotten here sooner."
I coughed weakly and carefully wiped her eyes. "Maybe…it's better this way, Belle," I whispered. She wouldn't have to live with the thoughts of a Beast loving her if I died. She wouldn't have to remember being my prisoner.
Belle looked at me, horrified. "No, don't talk like that," she whispered. She removed her cloak and pressed it against my wound, carefully moving around to reach it but still keeping my head in her lap. "Everything will be fine; we're together now." I shook my head.
"At least…I got to see you…one…last…time," I breathed, feeling my life slowly ebb. Belle shook her head, resting it against mine.
"Don't talk like that! We'll be fine, you'll see." She sat there, her tears mixing with the rain that fell on my face, rocking and humming. With one last breath, I tried again.
"Belle, I…"
"Yes?
Belle's face surrounded in an almost heavenly glow. That was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes.
With my last breath, I barely managed, "…love you." I collapsed. Just before I left the world, I heard Belle whisper three words just too late.
"No…no…please. Don't leave me. I love you."
As if I were dreaming, I saw a pale pink light at what I thought were the gates of the after life. That cursed Enchantress stood there, smiling. "Not yet, Vincent," was all she said before waving her hand.
Suddenly, I regained feeling. My body was slowly lifting into the air. I felt Belle's weight leave and my cape wrap around me. I couldn't see anything, but I felt as though I was getting smaller. The claws on my hands and feet shrunk and the horns disappeared. I felt the rain falling on my skin, not my fur, and my jaw went back to normal proportions. There was no pain this time, just pleasant warmth. With an arch of my back, I fell back to the ground.
I moved my head, surprised at the small weight of it. Slowly, my eyes opened. I looked at my paws…only to find myself staring at hands. Human hands.
The spell was broken!
I stood, inspecting every last part of me. My hair was the red-brown it had once been, my face no longer a twisted mass of muscle and fur. I looked up and turned around to face Belle.
As a human, I realized she wasn't as small as I'd thought; about average, I judged. She watched me with suspicious eyes. I smiled and approached her.
"Belle…it's me. It's the Beast." My voice was no longer a growl or a roar. It was soft and human. She cocked her head and reached for my hair and face. Each touch filled me with joy.
Belle looked at my face, and squinted for a moment before recognition lit her face. With a smile, she embraced me.
"It is you!" she cried softly. I smiled and returned the embrace, thinking I would never let go. I brought her head up to face me.
"Belle, I love you," I whispered. She smiled and brushed my hair from my eyes.
"I can't believe it," murmured Belle.
"Neither can I," I replied. With that, I leaned down and kissed her.
A cloud of light surrounded us. I had wanted this for as long as I cared to remember, to be human again. But the ecstasy I felt wasn't from that; I held the woman I loved in my arms. Human arms.
The cloud dissipated and we parted. The storm was gone and the balcony we stood on was no longer made of dark stone. Smiling softly, I took Belle's hand. "I have a lot to tell you," I whispered.
"Can it wait?" she asked, resting against my chest. I nodded.
"For now. Let's go find your father," I suggested. Belle smiled happily. I led her through the West Wing, the rose in full bloom and the room no longer dark and derelict. The sounds of servants realizing they were human again rang through the halls.
Three familiar figures stood at the opposite end of the West Wing. Smiling in recognition, I let go of Belle's hand and raced to them. "Mrs. Potts!" The stout old woman turned and smiled, tears in her eyes. We embraced and I turned to Lumière. The lanky Frenchman looked towards Belle before giving me a wink. Cogsworth stood there, confused. He still looked a bit like a clock, which worried me until I remembered that he had always looked that way. I clapped him on the back before turning to meet with Belle. The pompous fool spluttered behind me.
"Do you recognize them?" I asked, waving towards the other three. She nodded and embraced each one, even poor Cogsworth. She took my hand and we headed down the hall, leaving Cogsworth and Lumière bickering over what had just happened. We turned when we heard Babette's voice call out. Trying not laugh as Lumière and Babette interacted as humans for the first time in years was the second hardest thing I had ever done. Belle, on the other hand, had no such restraint. She couldn't stop laughing.
Chip blazed past us to Mrs. Potts. Belle laughed and turned to me. "What does all this mean?" she asked, studying my face. "There are…people here! And you're human." I brushed her hair from her face.
"It can wait," I whispered. "Unless you want to know now."
"Papa will be wondering what's happened, so I might as well know now." I nodded and found a bench away from where the rest of the castle would be rushing past. Starting with the death of my father, I went through being spoiled by servants and reaching my fifteenth birthday and the story of the Enchantress' punishment.
"But what about Lumière and Mrs. Potts? What did they do?" Belle asked, her hand in mine. I sighed.
"They were the ones who had indulged me and let me become what I was. The Enchantress had to punish them, but in a milder form. Had you not broken the spell, I would have remained a Beast and they would have become candlesticks and teapots and teacups completely, no more able to talk then the ones now in the cupboards," I explained. Belle nodded and leaned against me. I put my arm around her and gently kissed the top of her head. We sat there for a few moments, listening to the joyous servants everywhere else.
"Beast?" I looked down at Belle. "Do you have a name? 'Beast' just doesn't…well, fit anymore!" I laughed and pulled Belle tighter against me.
"Vincent. My name is Vincent," I replied, kissing her softly. Belle smiled as we pulled away. "We need to go find your father. He'll be worried that you've changed as well!" Belle laughed and together we went looking for the old inventor.