Author's Note: I wish everyone a very enjoyable reading experience. This is the first of hopefully many Beauty and the Beast stories, so please sit back and enjoy.
In the process of infiltrating the castle and enslaving the enchanted beings, Gaston kills the prince and forces Belle into marriage. Lumiere won't accept that.
...
When Gaston and the villagers stormed into the enchanted castle, those living within it gathered to defend their home, the only home most of them had ever known. Despite knowing Belle was gone and the chances of breaking the spell were slim to none, they had pride in them yet. In the midst of battle, cursed men and women fought for their lives.
Lumiere, a candlestick maître d', was now a makeshift combatant, wielding his flames like dual swords. He was small but easily dodged projectiles and weaved between human legs to burn them.
The battle was calamitous, fifty strong men against hundreds of enchanted objects. There were many injuries, some fatal, to both sides. Lumiere, ironically, nearly perished by flame when LeFou stuck a torch near his wax face. Lumiere was terrified; he could feel himself melting, but Cogsworth came to the rescue just in the nick of time and stabbed LeFou in the rump. LeFou squealed like a stuck pig and ran off in search of an easier target. Meanwhile, Madame the wardrobe used her immense weight to crush an unsuspecting farmer.
A good majority of the castle's servants lived to tell the tale of their heroic battles, but Fifi, a feather duster maid, hadn't been so lucky. Her delicate body had been literally torn apart by the hands of a human by the time Lumiere came to her side and fiercely burned away her attacker.
He extinguished the flames on his "hands" to pick her up. As calm as he habitually was, he became rightfully hysterical for the first time in a long time. "Wake up," he hissed through gritted teeth, and he shook her. His horror intensified as she soon became as stiff as the duster she'd carried before the curse.
"Non. NON!" Lumiere shouted, shaking her even harder. "S'il te plaît!"
Amidst the chaos, she had become another one of the non-responsive enchanted objects. As her facial expressions faded away, Lumiere realized that he was too late.
"Non," he ground out, bubbling wax gathering at the bases of his eyes. Her soul was gone. All that was left in her wake was a lifeless feather-duster.
It was this factor that gave him the strength for what he did next. Gently carrying the duster in his arms, Lumiere vaulted to a corner far away from the scuffle and laid it down. Swallowing down a sob, he rushed back into the chaos. Everything came to be quite a red blur, his rage obstructing his vision. He fought so valiantly that he knew she would pride over him from up above.
...
At last, the last of the villagers were driven from the castle, their cries of defeat echoed by the servants' cheers of victory within the large dwelling. Mostly everyone was ecstatic and relieved, but there was a large number of folks who'd lost someone.
Lumiere kept to himself in the corner, protectively and forlornly watching over Fifi's being, his flames completely extinguished in his depression.
During the bittersweet celebration, Mrs. Potts happened to notice him. Once she realized what had happened, she hopped over to Lumiere and whispered, "Oh, Lumiere…" She would have wrapped her arms around what passed for his shoulders if she had arms. "I'm so sorry, my dear." On the verge of tears, her voice wavered.
Lumiere said nothing at first, but when Mrs. Potts leaned against his side to comfort him, he let out a breathy sort of shudder. "She's gone." The last thing he wanted was to confirm her death, but how else could one describe Fifi's state, or what was left of her?
"Ach," Lumiere groaned, hiding his face with his candle holders. "This CAN'T be real! Tell me this is just a nightmare!"
Potts's smile was miserably sad. Her knowledge of the castle's inhabitants was extensive. She knew Fifi. Fifi had always been a kind, bubbly, young woman, and had been smitten by Lumiere, who reputedly shared her feelings. Losing her must have cut Lumiere deep, and Mrs. Potts was heartbroken to see such a close friend suffer.
"I wish I could, Love," the teapot nudged him, and he uncovered his sad face. "It's not enough, but we'll always have her in our hearts."
Despite his friend's efforts, Lumiere could not manage his signature optimism. He turned back to Fifi's vacant vessel, muttering, "I just can't believe it. Why? Why did things turn out this way?"
Except for a few minor bumps and bruises (or rather, scratches and chips), everything was supposed to be fine, and the curse would be lifted! Belle and the Beast were SO close! They were two halves weld together to create a beautiful mold, despite one's appearances and former temper. Lumiere had such high hopes as he watched them play in the snow. Something was there, Cogsworth agreed with a satisfied chuckle as Belle promptly flung a handful of snow in the Beast's furry face. Something was there. Their conversations, the way they danced ... Their relationship had bloomed like a rose, beyond the expectations of the castle servants.
"They were so close to breaking the spell!" Lumiere cried. "I'm sure of it! But then she left-and this invasion-? Dieu, if we had been human, we could have stood a chance!"
In hindsight, no one could have predicted Gaston's destructive powers, nor Belle's father's illness and need for assistance. Otherwise, they would have intervened quickly and helped her.
But now it was too late. Belle was long gone and the last petal was about to fall. They would remain enchanted objects forever.
An abrupt crash shook the upstairs. Everyone craned their "heads" back to look toward the ceiling's trembling rafters. There was another problem.
Cogsworth drew his little dagger, having missed Fifi's passing, and therefore was unaware of Lumiere's plight. "Another villager!" he shouted. "You can't hide! Come, Lumiere!"
Clearly in shock, Lumiere did not follow. Bedraggled and wounded, the servants too did not follow Cogsworth up the grand staircase, but returned to perform their duties as best they could: cleaning the remains of smashed dishes (waiters), twisted spoons, forks, and knives, (cooks) and smashed furniture, (other servants).
Mourning over Fifi's husk with Mrs. Potts, Lumiere just couldn't wrap his mind around it. One minute they were all cheering the Master on as he waltzed with Belle, and the next they were fighting a merciless barrage of villagers!
"Revolting scum," Lumiere growled hoarsely, his flames flickering back to life. Mrs. Potts recoiled from his blatant, but understandable rage. "Who would attack a defenseless duster?" In the chaos, he'd been too busy carrying her to a safe place to chase the assailant.
"They clearly didn't realize the severity of their actions. Had they, I'm certain they would've had second thoughts," Mrs. Potts assured, though she knew it wouldn't make a difference to Lumiere. "The curse isn't widely known."
"Irrelevant!" Lumiere hissed.
"Dear-"
"It doesn't matter now!" he snapped. "Regardless of whether they knew, she's gone. Maybe it had been better if she-..." He could not finish.
Mrs. Potts was unable to argue. Some of her friends had also passed away, and she couldn't find all of her children. The grimace on Lumiere's face softened as she whimpered and choked up. He turned all the way and hugged the poor teapot.
Before he could apologize for shouting, Cogsworth appeared at the top of the stairs looking frantic.
"Lumiere! Come hither!" His demanding tone was present but panicked and afraid. He sprinted down the stairs and shook the shoulders of the startled candelabra. "I need your help, post haste!" he moaned quietly. "It's the Master! He fell!"
That got Lumiere's attention. As he looked back and forth from the grand staircase to Fifi, Mrs. Potts gave him a gentle nudge. "Go," she assured, her voice shaken and nervous. She'd spoken to the Master moments before the invasion and realized how far he'd fallen into despair. "Be careful."
"Please, Lumiere!" Cogsworth begged, clasping his little metallic hands together. "We must hurry!"
"But I-! What can I-?"
"Just go, Love. Things are under control now."
Initially trudging, Lumiere jumped when he heard Belle's cries and then started sprinting. "Could it be?!" he gasped, and quickly hopped up the stairs, moving as quickly as possible. Cogsworth led on, his gasps joined by a series of others as he reached the balcony in the west wing and echoed throughout the castle.
Lumiere expected to see blood, bruises, and lumps. He expected to see his Master wounded but alive. He was not prepared to see Belle sobbing and draping herself over his crimson-drenched body.
"No! Please!" Belle whimpered, desperate and unaware of their presence. "You can't! You can't leave me!"
Lumiere looked on in horror as the beast's eyes unblinkingly stared at both him and Cogsworth. "Master…" Cogsworth whimpered.
"You...weren't...joking," Lumiere breathed. It was near impossible for his burnt mind to comprehend this.
"At a time like this?" Cogsworth exclaimed, deeply wounded, "Certainly not!"
Lumiere was speechless, waxy tears dripping down his face and off the bridge of his nose. The master, the person he'd known since day one, was gone, and Belle, the sweet young woman who'd grown fond of the Master, who'd brought out his best, laid witness to his destruction.
"What should we do?" Cosworth wondered aloud, not expecting an answer. He then gasped, for another character had entered the picture.
It was Gaston! He stood tall and proud over Belle and the beast, a satisfied smile adorning his chiseled face. He swiped his black, saturated locks and lowered his knife, which was coated with a thick layer of blood. In a fury that flared, Lumiere's flames rekindled. It didn't take long to put two and two together that this man was the one leading the charge, and that it was under HIS command that the villagers attacked without mercy, his orders that led to the death of their death of Fifi.
Cogsworth retreated from Gaston's intimidating figure with his dagger held aloft while Lumiere stood furious, unable to react.
Internally claiming victory, Gaston watched Belle. He'd never seen her mourn this way over anything or anyone, certainly not this passionately. It irked him that her heart had been taken by a creature so abominable. "Poor Belle," he mocked, tucking away his knife. "You shouldn't have to look at that anymore."
He then offered a hand to Belle, inviting her to leave with him. "Shall we?" he prompted, genuinely expecting her to take it. The young woman initially ignored him but eventually lifted her head when he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"How could you do this?" she hiccuped, eyes puffy and red as her throat was torn and raw.
Gaston's answer was righteous. "It posed a threat to the lives of the villagers. I did the right thing."
Belle wasn't a fool. She knew Gaston had only done it for monetary gain, for revenge. "You know he was no monster. He didn't even fight back!"
"That's the nature of an animal who knows it's been bested," Gaston explained, puffing out his chest. "Really, you should be thanking me."
"What?! You-! You're delusional!" Belle cried out in mental anguish. Her sobs continued muffled as she buried her face into the beast's chest. "You led your men to their deaths," she murmured, "and for what? For WHAT, Gaston? What in Heaven did they die for?!"
Gaston's eyes narrowed. "Your hand."
"My hand!" Belle shouted. "And when I refuse, what then? Will you shoot me? Mount MY head on a wall?"
"I didn't come here for another trophy," Gaston expressed, raising his voice, "but to win back my girl. I had no intention to let this animal poison your mind; make no mistake about that!" To cement his point, Gaston plunged his knife into the beast's skull with a sickening shhk, causing Belle to retch, Lumiere to sway, and Cogsworth to ignite a brazen fury.
"Ceasefire!" shouted Cogsworth, startling Gaston as he waddled up to defend the beast, dagger in hand. "If you lay another hand on him, I'll gut you myself, you wicked trespasser!"
Gaston stared at Cogsworth and laughed heartlessly at his small stature.
Belle gasped. If Gaston felt nothing killing a sentient beast, he could easily do the same to an enchanted object. "No! Gaston, stop!" she cried.
Paying no attention to the woman's pleas, Gaston promptly kicked Cogsworth to the side and sent him crashing a good few feet away. There was the sound of breaking glass as he hit the stone pavement, and everyone knew that the clock was in trouble. "You and what army?" he joked slightly manic and fully aware of the downstairs carnage.
Belle froze. "No!" she cried, clutching the beast's shirt. "No, no, no!"
"Cogsworth!" Finally snapping out of his state of shock, Lumiere tried to aid his friend, but his cry alerted Gaston, who blocked his path. In response, Lumiere grew his flames in an attempt to make himself seem intimidating. "S-Stay back!" he warned.
Gaston had to laugh. "Here's your army!" he mocked, still finding it within him to joke despite the circumstance.
Belle's heart dropped. She couldn't bear to lose anyone else tonight. "Run!" she begged the candelabra. "You have to escape! Monsieur, please, run! Gaston will kill you!"
Lumiere was too furious to flee. He stood rooted to the spot, glaring unblinkingly at the hunter. Every part of him wanted to tear the villain to shreds. "Gaston," he snarled. Just saying the name left a bad taste in his mouth. This monster, the master's murderer, he opined, was the definitive cause of Fifi's demise.
"YOU SWINE!" Lumiere roared, losing all traces of his suave, civilized self as he cursed and swung his golden arms to burn the man. "You don't even care about what you've done nor whom you've killed, you son of a pig! MONSTER!" Galston was stunned by the volume of Lumiere's curses as well as the sizable flames billowing from the holders. He needed to dodge a few tendrils to stay unscathed.
"Monster? Me?" he asked, giving Lumiere a sharp kick before yanking his knife from the master's skull. "THIS is the monster! He's hideous; he's got fangs and razor-sharp claws, and he bewitched my girl. You're welcome, by the way, for ridding the world of him." He wiped his dirty boot against the master's cloak, inciting Lumiere to curse and leap forward. He only managed to singe the sole of Gaston's boot as it crushed him under its weight.
"And good riddance," Gaston added, drawing his bloody blade. "I didn't come for a trophy, but it'll make an impressive addition to my collection." Grunting and squirming, Lumiere struggled under the weight of the boot, but to no avail. Gaston added more pressure, causing Lumiere to gasp. "Now, stay still."
Belle released the beast from her grasp and clutched Gaston's arm in the face of this inhumanity. "No!" she cried. "I won't let you do this!"
Gaston glared, recalling those words from the village. "Is this another one of your "gentle" friends?" He grabbed Lumiere around the base and strutted to the edge of the balcony. His intentions were clear; he held the candelabra over the edge of the balcony. "Incentivise me," he ordered, "to let any more of your friends go."
Lumiere gasped as he was squeezed without mercy. "Let GO of me!" he shouted, desperately trying to re-ignite his flames but the pouring rain prevented the fire from prevailing.
"Gaston, please!" Belle fell to her knees. She knew she was no match for him physically. All she could do was plead. "Let him go! Can't you see he's harmless?" An obvious lie. Lumiere was quite capable of inflicting damage, but that didn't matter to Gaston.
"Nobody crosses Gaston," the man barked. "Harmless or not, it'll bear the consequences."
"But he's innocent in all this," Belle asserted, pressing her hands to her collarbone. "I-I'm the one at fault! Me! There must be something I can-! I-I can-!"
"Marry me?" Gaston suggested.
Belle lurched at the very thought that even now he would suggest such a thing, and Lumiere, now that he was no longer in shock, voiced his objections. He had serious doubts that Belle was to blame for this catastrophe. She was so kind and gracious; she wouldn't wish harm upon anyone, not even Gaston!
"Non!" Lumiere cried, struggling with all his might to get out of the man's iron grip. "It's not your fault, Cheri! You mustn't do this!" Gaston squeezed with brute force, cutting off Lumiere's ability to speak.
"One little word, Belle," he smiled, recanting the words he'd said to her back at the village, "that's all it takes. If you refuse," he continued, giving Lumiere a rough shake that rattled his teeth, "there will be a nasty SPLAT at the foot of this castle."
"N't...w'rth...it! Ghh!" Lumiere forced out, terror flooding his system as he looked down. A thousand feet of air between him and the cold, hard ground. If he fell from this height, he would surely die. An outburst of panic gave him the extra strength to loosen Gaston's grip on him. "C-Cogsworth! Ach-! DO something, mon ami!" he wheezed hoarsely in hopes his best friend could help him, alas, the poor clock laid unmoving flat on his face.
"I'll do ANYTHING else!" Belle promised.
"Make a decision," Gaston warned, regaining his death grip.
Belle became frantic. "No!" she begged, falling to her knees. "Let him go!"
"Gladly," Gaston sneered and released Lumiere from his grasp.
As soon as Lumiere felt Gaston's gloved fingers leave his base, he let out a horrible screech. He was free-falling, life flashing before his eyes, only for the man to catch him out of the air. He let out another involuntary scream and clutched at the hand for dear life. It took Belle a moment to realize that she had screamed too.
"Alright!" she shouted.
In a state of genuine surprise, Gaston asked, "What?" He hadn't entirely expected that to work. Clearly, he had underestimated her love for these creatures.
"Non! Belle, don-MPHHH!" Lumiere tried to protest but Gaston shoved a thumb into his mouth. Lumiere bit down but his teeth couldn't break through the tough leather. He was effectively silenced, so tried to communicate with Belle with his eyes, but her head was down.
For a moment there was nothing but silence and the patter of the rain. But then she rose from her bowed stance and took a determined step forward. Her face streaked with tears, she asked, "You'll put him down safely and leave him alone?"
Gaston grinned excitedly and nodded. "You have my word."
After a moment of silence, Belle met Lumiere's brown eyes and saw that he was in pain. Even though she knew he wouldn't want her to give up, she couldn't let anyone else suffer. Marrying Gaston was the only way to maintain the peace.
"Then yes," she managed, tears streaming down her crimson face. "I will marry you."
Gaston's face glowed with relief, excitement, and pride. "At last, you've come to your senses!" he crowed, throwing his arms up. Lumiere nearly screamed again. "Then we have a deal. You become my wife and this creature lives." He shot Lumiere a triumphant grin and, true to his word, gently placed him on the ground beside Cogsworth.
Shaken and wobbly, Lumiere nearly collapsed and had to lean over Cogsworth for support. "Ahh," he hissed, gritting his teeth. Gaston's death grip had left him aching in pain, but Belle coming to his aid after she'd accepted the deal hurt tenfold. Lumiere went slack-jawed in disbelief as she gently gathered him and Cogsworth up and cradled them close to her.
"I'm so, so, so sorry," she whispered, one of her stray tears plopping onto the side of Lumiere's face. "This is all my fault."
"N-Nonsense, Mademoiselle," Lumiere croaked, dizzy with fear and shock as he embraced her back. "I sh-should not h-have provoked him. Please, take back what you said. I'm done for anyway!"
With a sad smile, Belle shook her head. "Don't talk like that. You'll be alright. Besides, I-I gave my word, Lumiere. He can't hurt any of you now."
"I understand, but..." Lumiere tried, but Belle gently placed him and Cogsworth upon a soft tapestry that had been torn from the walls.
As Gaston impatiently closed in behind her, she whispered, "Be safe."
"Time for you to keep up your end of our little bargain," Gaston reminded Belle as he gently lifted her to her feet. "Are you ready to head home?"
Averting her eyes from the beast's body, Belle took a deep breath and swallowed back the last of her sobs before nodding. "Yes," she answered. "I'm ready now."
"Wonderful! Let's be on our way."
"One more thing, Gaston."
"Hm?"
His body must be buried. It might not be possible for the people living here to do it themselves."
"Too small?"
"Too painful…"
Lumiere was close to tears himself as he attempted to stand. "Mademoiselle..."
"My dear, you ask for a lot!" the broad lout chuckled, in a tremendously good mood as he threw an arm around her shoulder. "But I'll get you straightened out in no time."
"Belle..." Lumiere croaked as they walked past, reaching out with his skinny gold arm, but neither looked back.
Nobody noticed as the last petal fell, not even him.
...
With aching muscles and a waterlogged head, Lumiere soon became alert. Standing there, his mind was whirlpooling. He glanced at the glass dome atop the table as he looked at the pouring rain. "The rose!" he exclaimed, and his words died in his throat, for it was completely withered, its pink petals strewn about its brown stem.
He felt an abrupt rush of air, almost numb. Well, that was it then. He was doomed to remain an enchanted object forever.
Then he remembered.
"The master! The girl!" The balcony was empty, save for himself and his groggy friend, who was attempting to sit up and muttering under his breath. "Cogsworth!" he sighed, relieved to see his friend alive. "Are you alright?"
"Don't patronize me," the clock groaned, rubbing his wooden head as Lumiere helped him stand. "I feel like scrap. My gears have been twisted past their limits..."
Hearing Cogsworth prattle on was a good sign that he was in good condition. "Then, will you be alright?" Lumiere inquired with a somber smile.
A thorough self-inspection showed that Cogsworth's gears and finish were scratched and dirty, but functioning. Finally, he sighed. "I think I'll survive," he muttered, staring up at the wilted rose. As the reality of their fate slowly dawned on him, he groaned again. The same cannot be said for everyone now, can it?" In more ways than one, it was a statement, not a question.
Lumiere flinched, Fifi's husk flashing before his eyes. "Non." He shook his head, eyes downcast. "We cannot."
Cogsworth's hardened gaze softened when he realized what lay behind Lumiere's pain. He felt a deep churning in his gears as he struggled for a comforting gesture, but Lumiere saved him the trouble.
"Gaston forced Belle to accept his hand in marriage," Lumiere revealed, omitting the part where he'd been used as bait.
"What?" Cogsworth gasped. "How could he do that? Is THAT what this was all about?"
"Oui. We must stop her from going with that man!" Lumiere declared.
Cosworth found no reason to refuse the mission and felt a determined grin form on his face. "Well, I DO have experience in search and rescue," he agreed, retrieving his knife and readying himself to run. "Let's go!"
Together, Lumiere and Cogsworth exited the west wing and dashed down to the grand, dark staircase where they found the damaged front foyer eerily empty. No Mrs. Potts, no Fifi, nobody. It was as if they had all just vanished.
"Where did everyone go?" Lumiere asked, confused. Cogsworth shushed him, brandished his knife, and surveyed the quiet area. He didn't trust this one bit. A bright yellow-orange caught his eye, and he realized that Lumiere's fire could make them an easy target for potential lurkers.
"Put out your flames," the clock hissed. "You'll give us away."
"To whom?" Lumiere snapped, too loudly. "There is nobody here." However, he was soon proven wrong when the sound of delicate, clinking glass echoed about the room. They both froze and Lumiere quickly snuffed out his flame.
Thankfully, the source of the noise was only poor Mrs. Potts. "Oh, bless the saints!" came her frantic whisper as she hopped out from the darkness. "Thank goodness I've found you!" Her spout was cracked badly on the side, scratches littered her porcelain like whip marks, and her ornate lid was all but gone.
Both Cogsworth and Lumiere were overwhelmed with fear at the sight of her. She was in shambles. "My dear Mrs. Potts!" Cogsworth cried, but lowered his voice at the violent rattling of the teapot. "What in Heaven's name happened?"
Haggard and rushed, Mrs. Potts revealed, "The trespassers made a second attack! They recuperated out in the woods for a short while, and then they came back and axed off-" she swallowed hard, "-Madame, Chef Bouche, and everyone else deemed large or sharp enough to fight back."
"But—But we beat them!" Lumiere exclaimed, startlingly confused. "Didn't we?"
Mrs. Potts shook her head, tears trailing down her porcelain face. "And that's not all," she bemoaned. "They took the children and the rest of the staff and put them in God-forsaken cages! They're hunting for me, but I've managed to evade them for now."
"Oh, Dieu..." Lumiere breathed, eyes wide with horror. "Can we help them?"
"I would try, but...word spreads fast in this day and age. Other nearby villages are catching wind as to what has happened. We're outnumbered."
"A-And the Master?" Cogsworth interrupted, his voice thin with worry. "What's become of him?"
Mrs. Potts shivered, unable to answer.
"It's alright. It's alright," Lumiere assured the poor teapot. "Is there anyone here who can aid us?" Suddenly, it dawned on him. "The girl! Have you seen her?"
It took a moment to remember who Lumiere was speaking of. In the midst of battle and loss, Mrs. Potts had nearly forgotten about the curse. "From what I hear, she's locked herself in her room," Mrs. Potts told them. "The poor child. It's been a long night for all of us."
"Have you spoken to her?" Lumiere asked. "Perhaps she can help us!"
Mrs. Potts shook. "I'm not sure, Love. After all this, you know she will only blame herself."
"I concur. This is OUR plight," Cogsworth agreed, straightening up. "It would be irresponsible of us to drag her any further into this mess after all she's endured."
Lumiere silently lamented. The sheer amount of heartbreak Belle had suffered in a single night would cripple any soul. She HAD to know that she was innocent in all this. Lumiere thought about it. A comforting word would suffice. From the moment she stepped into the castle, Lumiere took a liking to said girl. Even though he knew she was destined for the master, he enjoyed her company. It was her intelligence, sweet and kind nature that attracted him.
He boldly announced, extending an arm, "I'm going to speak with her. Offer a word of comfort. If necessary," he paused, "say goodbye."
Cogsworth gaped at him. "Certainly not!" he exclaimed, nearly forgetting to keep his voice down. "We must stay together and find help elsewhere."
"Belle could be that help!" Lumiere argued, beginning to back toward the stairs. "She could convince Gaston to let our friends go. I know she could; she's a very intelligent girl."
"No," Cogsworth hissed, latching his hand around Lumiere's arm. "I can't lose another friend, Lumiere. Not tonight."
Conflicted, Lumiere looked to Mrs. Potts for help. She stared at him, on the cusp of warning him against the idea, but ultimately decided to let it go. "Go under the cover of darkness," she advised quietly. "And be mindful of Gaston's men. They're still sneaking around."
Lumiere gave a thankful smile and Cogsworth scowled, having expected Mrs. Potts to back him up.
Just as Lumiere was about to wish them good luck, LeFou's voice echoed around the corridor, causing all three of them to jump.
"Go!" she cried. "NOW!"
...