Well folks, here we go. Here we get to find out whether or not the spell is broken. I know there are those who want to see everyone become human again and I think there was at least one reviewer at some point who thought it should remain (someone who is right up my alley lol), since hey, the audience fell in love with the Beast too. Anyway, this chapter is what I ultimately decided to do...
I'd like to thank everybody who came along for the ride!
Beast sat there in stunned silence. He'd been so worried that she would not return his love he had all this anxiety over confessing it, and what does she do? She beats him to it. He finally smiled and found his voice.
"I love you Belle," he said. "I think I started loving you after our trip to your childhood home in Paris. I knew I did the day of our dance, and planned to tell you after. Then I let you go, thinking I was setting you free, not just because of your father's peril but because I knew loving you meant I had to let you go. Turns out I just sent you into a pack of wolves. I'm surprised you could love me after that."
Belle put a hand to his fur covered face.
"You never meant for me to be hurt," she said. "And you rescued me from the snow and tended to me. And you rescued my father, and he tells me you took pains to reassure him as best you could while about it, and were patient with him while he wrapped his mind around you being good. And you tended my wounds even though it was hard knowing it hurt me and you weren't sure you could keep bringing yourself to do it. You found the strength to do what needed done. All that and so much more as we bonded...it would be impossible not to love you."
A throat cleared, causing Belle and Beast to turn and look at the source of the noise.
"Agathe?" Belle asked, surprised.
"Enchantress?" Beast simultaneously asked, also with surprise but also a hint of anxiety. Had she come to taunt him for failing?
"Hello Belle and Beast," Agathe said.
"You're...the enchantress?" Belle asked, a bit incredulous.
"I am," Agathe said. "I know, not what you expected of the village spinster, was it? But I took on that role in hopes that I would find someone who could help Beast break his curse. And the person I chose happened to be you."
"Really?" Belle asked. "That's strange. When I told the staff I wanted to help, that there must be a way the curse could be lifted, I was told that there was one way but it wasn't mine to worry about."
"And it wasn't my dear," Agathe said. "It's something you had to do without trying. The last night was to be the night you danced. You've no idea what Beast was willing to sacrifice when he let you go. The last petal was just hours away from falling, and he let go of the one who could help him break the curse, putting your freedom over his own."
"So the curse has been permanent since that night..."
"Well not exactly. See, when you were hurt and so close to death, I offered a grace period. I restored the rose to six petals and slowed the wilt to one petal a day, in the evening. And before I go further, there is something you two should see."
Agathe snapped her fingers, and in front of her appeared the pedestal from the West Wing. Belle and Beast looked to see one petal dangling from the stem.
"The last petal is to fall this evening," Beast explained to Belle. "Which ends the grace period."
"When I enacted the grace period," Agathe explained, "I also softened the curse, preventing further progression. No more damage would occur to the castle and the servants would no longer progress towards becoming inanimate, so they would retain their lives should the deadline lapse. Fortunately you two have met the conditions, and as you can see a petal remains."
"I don't understand," Belle said. "I didn't do anything about the curse."
"Correction," Agathe replied. "You didn't try to do anything about the curse. Which is why you weren't told what had to happen. You may have tried to force it. Beast, perhaps you'd like to tell her the requirements?"
"She appeared as you see her," Beast said. "I suspect as you know her since you recognized her. She sought shelter from a storm. Offered me this rose in return. But I only saw her ugly appearance. My reception of her was not a warm one despite her warning to not judge by appearances. But I behaved in a manner that was...unloving. I laughed at her and told her to leave, even after her warning. So she revealed herself and placed the curse that you found us under. Since it was lack of love that earned me the curse, it was love that would lift it. I had to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal would fall. By some miracle that's happened in time...well thanks to the grace period."
As if on cue, the last petal began to fall. Agathe pointed at it and it stopped its descent, floating in the air next to the stem.
"Just in time," she said. "Minutes to spare in fact."
Agathe lifted her hand, the bell jar disappeared, the dead petals rose up to join the one suspended and they all returned to their former splendor. A golden light surrounded the petals, causing them to multiply. Soon, Beast found himself surrounded by petals and gold light. His horns receded back into his head. His tail receded back into his spine. His claws became human fingernails and toenails. His fur melted away. And he became smaller, shorter (though he still had some height) and less bulky. His fangs became human teeth. And then the light and rose petals disappeared.
Standing before Belle was a handsome man, who was looking in awe at his hands, as if not exactly believing what had occurred.
Belle ran and threw herself into his arms, causing him to stagger back a bit.
"Whoa, easy there Belle," he said, his voice lacking the growly undertone. "After all these years I feel as if I have the weight of your average feather. Being so light is actually going to take a bit of getting used to."
"Sorry," Belle said. "Oh, and I kind of overdid it myself. I forgot I'm still healing with the excitement. My wounds have made it a point to remind me of their presence."
"You have to be careful," the Prince said.
But as they held each other, they decided a kiss would do no harm. As they did this, the rest of the curse lifted. The castle returned to its former glory, and all of the sentient objects became human servants once more. Well most of them. The piano stool, Froufrou, resumed his status as a terrier. And Philippe found himself with a few stablemates as living saddles became horses. And the snow disappeared from the grounds, revealing that it was actually early autumn. Belle and her Prince would soon go and greet their newly restored friends.
"Well it's about time that I leave you turtle doves," Agathe said. "But there is one more thing I would like to address. Speaking of those wounds..."
She raised her hand towards Belle, causing a bright light to surround her. Belle felt warmth seeping through her. She could feel wounds closing and bandages melting away. When the light faded, she checked one of the wounds on her arm to find...no wound on her arm. Not even a scar remained to tell the tale of her ordeal.
"Thank you Agathe," Belle said. "You didn't have to do that."
"No, but why would I not?" Agathe asked. "Now I shall bid you adieu."
"Before you go," the Prince said, "I, uh, never thought I'd hear myself say this to you of all people. But, uh, thank you."
"You are most welcome, my Prince," Agathe said. "Now I will leave you so you can go say hello to your friends. They will no doubt wish to see the lovebirds who freed them from an eternity as objects."
And with that, the enchantress disappeared. And Belle and the man she learned to love as a Beast did go to greet their friends. It was to be the start of their new life together. Happily ever after? Well that might be stretching things a bit. After all, every life has its trials and tribulations. But after all they had been through already, they were certain that they could get through whatever life might decide to throw their way.
So yep, I did it. I let them break the curse. I know there were several people who were hoping for this outcome, and considering I have a tendency to leave the curse intact in many if not most of my alternate endings, as I like the Beast as a Beast, I figured I'd throw a bone to those who prefer a broken curse. Hope everybody enjoyed!