GW: Here's where the two lovebirds dance together. Everyone say Aww now!
Hal: Okay, whatever. Enjoy!
Beauty & the Homunculus
Later that evening, Wrath was getting ready in his room for the big night. Rai, Hal, Hero, and Omi were helping him get ready. Though, he wasn't happy when his bath was interrupted by the four and he came out wearing a towel.
"I think I'm nig enough to clean myself, thank you," Wrath snapped.
"You sure you don't what are help, monster dude?" Rai smirked.
"Duh!" Wrath said, stepping behind a curtain as he took his bath. "I'm not a baby! Weirdo teenagers."
"But, tonight's a big night for you," Sparky chirped as Hero continued for him with a smile, "Yeah, you're going to win Minnie's heart and break the spell."
"Guys…I don't think I can do this," Wrath said nervously.
"Do not make a sandcastle out of Mt. Fuji, my friend," Omi comforted.
"You mean, 'Don't make a molehill out of a mountain,' Omi," Hal sighed while Bandanna smirked, "Cheeseball."
"Now's not the time to be timid, dude! Ya' gotta be bold, daring!" Raimundo said dramatically.
"Bold and daring!" Wrath said happily, coming out of the tub with a black robe on him. That's when he shook his long hair and got everyone wet. "Great, now I'm cold and wet!" Bandanna shivered as Sparky said, "Wet! And it's not bath-time yet!"
"Sorry," Wrath said sheepishly.
"Just think, there'll be music," Hal said, shaking himself dry.
"Romantic candlelight," Sparky said, setting Bandanna on fire, "courtesy of moi!"
"HOT!!!" Bandanna yelled when Omi used the Orb of Tornami to cool the reptile down. "Thank you," he told the boy, then said to his little brother, "Idiot."
"Dancing," Hero said dreamily.
"Yuck…romance is icky!" Bandanna retched until Hal pulled his tail and glared at him.
"And when the moment is right, say your feelings!" Rai smiled.
"But, Homunculi don't have…" Wrath started, but Hero interrupted, "Don't say that! Homunculi do have feelings! It's just Dante's reason to keep them under her control!"
Wrath looked confident and said confidently, "I can do this!" Then he sighed, "I can't do this!"
"But, you care for her, doncha?" Hal said.
"Y-yes, more than anything!" Wrath smiled. He sat down in front of a mirror as Sparky and Bandanna started to style his hair with their claws.
"Then, tell her you big fat rooster!" Omi scolded.
"Chicken, Omi," Hero corrected.
The two reptiles spun Wrath around towards the mirror to see himself, "Ta-da!"
Everyone stared in shock. Wrath's hair was style in an afro style with red, blue, and yellow streaks going down the middle.
"Wow," Hero simply said as Hal and Rai bursted out laughing.
"You look so…so…" Omi tried to find the right word. Wrath obliged one for him:
"Stupid."
"Not exactly what we ha din mind," Rai giggled, then scowled at the dragon and his brother, "Do it right and no funny business."
Bandanna grumbled while Sparky sniffed as they did it right this time. Just then, the other castle servants walked in as Alice smiled and said, "Your princess awaits, master."
Wrath waited nervously for Minia to come down. The boy's hair was combed neatly and he wore a black tuxedo with fait grey stripes, matching black pants, and black, polished shoes.
Minia's pals were nearby with the servants, waiting to see what happened.
That's when the Reaper girl cautiously appeared and started to walk down the staircase and into the ballroom.
Her hair was neatly combed and had a green headband to keep it in place. She wore a green ball-gown with white on the shoulders and white silk on the edge, black shoes, and a skull brooch on the bodice of the dress.
The boy started to blush as he bowed like his pals taught him. Minia smiled and curtsied back to him. Wrath took Minnie's arm and led her to the dining room.
All the servants and Minnie's friends watched from the sidelines with Edward chuckling.
Eraine: Tale as old as time…
Hero: True as it can be…
Barely even friends
Monkeyboy: But then somebody bends… Unexpectedly
Wrath pulled out the chair for Minia once they reached the dining room. They then sat down and ate dinner.
Hal: Just a little change…
Sparky and Bandanna: Small to say the least…
Ed and Al: Both a little scared
Belle: Neither one prepared… Beauty & the Homunculus
After dinner, they entered the ballroom. Wrath was a little nervous as the two got into a dance position. But, Minia smiled as she helped Wrath and the two started to dance
Hal and Rowan: Ever just the same…
Rai, Kim, Hobbes, Ben, GW, & Winter: Ever a surprise
Omi & Hero: Ever as before
Ever just as sure
All: As the sun will rise!
Cosmo: Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song!
Blaze and Alice: Bittersweet and strange
Tohru: Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong!
Eventually Wrath got the hang of dancing and smiled at Minia, who smiled back. The girl affectionately rested her heads on the boys' shoulder. Hal, Rowan, Krystal, and Holly cheered silently from the sidelines. Al looked at Alice and asked with an outstretched hand, "Would you like to dance?" Alice hesitated, then smiled as she began to dance with Al on the sidelines. Ed groaned, "Great. Al's at that age!" But he was happy for his brother and his friend.
Hero and Sparky: Certain as the sun
Bandanna and Hal: Rising in the East
Yuki & Kyo: Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
All: Beauty & the Homunculus
Sparky licked his fingers and put the candle lights out, dimming the room into a more calming atmosphere as the two continued to dance. Al and Alice stopped and smiled at each other. Well, at least Alice did. I think Alphonse smiled…
GW: Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty & the Homunculus
Everyone smiled as the lovebirds stopped dancing and left the ballroom. Cosmo, Kimiko, and Rowan all sighed like hopeless romantics.
"Go, Wrath! It's your birthday!" Rai and Hal cheered, making Winter groan. She smiled at Ben and laid her head on his shoulder. "Wasn't that a beautiful song?" she asked him.
"Aww, bunny-girl's in love!" Hal laughed, making Winter glare at him. Bandanna, Sparky, and Hiro rolled their eyes.
"Come along now everyone," Tohru said, "we'd best leave them to alone together for now."
"Aw…" Momiji whined, "but, Tohru! I wanna see what happens!"
"No 'buts, Momiji," Hero said firmly. "Let's leave these crazy kids alone."
"Besides, it's time for you to go to bed," Yuki added
"I don't wanna go to bed!" Hiro and Kisa complained.
Later that night, Wrath and Minia were sitting on the balcony of Wrath's room. They smiled as they watched the sky.
"Uh, Minnie?" Wrath asked nervously. "Are you…happy here? With me, I mean?"
"Of course," Minia smiled. "And I think my friends like it here as well."
Wrath smiled, then noticed Minia's sad look. "What's wrong?"
"Just a little homesick," Minia sighed. "Brother's probably worried sick about where I am."
Wrath wanted to make Minia happy. He then got a great idea. "There's a way," he said. He led Minia into the room, picked up the Minia from a table, and handed it to her. "This mirror shows you whatever you want to see."
Minia looked weirdly at him, then shrugged. "Show me my brother," she told it. An image appeared on the mirror. It showed a poor Grim Jr., frozen to the bone in the snow with a map in front of him.
"Stupid map! Gets you nowhere!" he yelled before he collapsed in the snow.
"Brother!" Minia cried.
"What's wrong?" Wrath asked in a worried tone.
"He's sick! He's in the snow, lost!" Minia said worriedly.
Wrath pondered, How did a skeleton get sick? He pushed that thought out of his mind and thought about the hardest decision of his young life. He could either keep Minia here, have her brother die, and let her be heartbroken. Or…
"Y-you have to go to him," Wrath said, biting his lip.
Minia looked at him. "What?"
He looked away Minnie as he continued, "I release you. You can leave."
Minia smiled hopefully, "You mean I'm free?" She frowned at Wrath. "But, what about-?"
"You have to help your brother," Wrath said, voice cracking a little. "Before it's too late…"
"…Right," Minia nodded. "Hang in there, bro!" She ran for the door, but stopped and was about to give Wrath the mirror.
"Keep it," he said with a shake of his head. "You might need it. And you can always remember me by it."
She left to unhitch Spirit. Wrath hang his head to the ground, not noticing Eraine, Omi, Hero, Sparky, and MB walk into the room.
"Alright, my friend!" Omi cheered.
"This is turning out to be a pleasant night," Eraine smiled happily.
"Go, wrath! You da' man!" Monkeyboy cheered.
"…I let her go," Wrath said mournfully.
"You…you did WHAT!!?" Sparky yelled.
"Why did you do that!?" Hero yelled in an upset tone.
"I had to…" Wrath said forlornly.
"But why!?" the four servants asked.
"Because…I love her," he smiled sadly.
"HE DID WHAT!!!!??" was the reaction from both the servants and Minia's pals when Omi, Eraine, Hero, MB, and Sparky broke the news.
"Minia didn't even warn us what she was doing!" Edward groaned.
"It's true," Hero sighed. "Minnie's gone. And Wrath is in a delicate, emo state."
"She's going away?" Momiji asked.
"But, he was SO close!" Hal cried.
"After all this time…" Yuki shook his head, "Wrath proved he could love another, despite him being a Homunculus."
"Looks like that witch Dante was wrong and Homunculi are like humans…in a way," Kyo added.
Rai's face lit up. "Maybe this is good…Wrath loves someone else. He could break the spell."
"No, Raimundo," Kimiko shook her head sadly. "In order for the spell to be broken, Wrath needs to earn the love from another person."
"And now it's too late," Rin neighed sadly.
Tohru looked around to find something amiss. "Hey, where's Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro?"
"Ah, crap!" Kyo exclaimed. "You're telling me," Belle, Al, and Ed groaned, shocked Minia forgot about them.
Once Minia had saddled up Spirit, and was ready to go, she looked back one more time at the castle. She had remembered her pals, but figured they would be safe there for now. With a heavy heart, she left the castle to find her brother. She tried not to look back when she heard a lamenting, despairing, familiar roar rip through the air.
GW: I'm sad! Hug me, Hobbes! (hugs tiger)
Hobbes: Being dramatic again, boyfriend juggler (gets slapped by GW) Ouch! Next chapter will get worse when Minnie goes to town to find Gary's trap ready to snap.
Cosmo & Blaze: R&R
