Beast and the Beauty

by Hack.Drawer

Tsuru's spell, intended for Doflamingo, changed Law into a beast. Now in his twenty-second year, he has to find true love, and get their love in return. But Sanji's set to marry someone else, Hunter Zoro wants his head, and the Donquixote family is insistent that he bring a virgin home. AU, fairytale, language, extreme dramatics * COMPLETED *

12. The Harvest Festival

Penumbra: Thanks! :D I'm glad there's a noticeable different with these guys. XD I have so many stories of them, I need to change it a bit.

J-Swan: Exactly right! His 'pet name' haha – he doesn't get that he'd given him one. Maybe this chapter will up the adorbs level ;)

12: The Harvest Festival

In the end, the pies were made, and he prepared to take them to the village later that night, when night had fallen and everyone were in costumes. Most of the occupants of Flower Hill were making their way there, finding it easy to sneak around when main street was full of villagers, market stalls, and where lanterns cast just enough light for everyone to see where they were going, and not provide detail.

But Jora had a costume prepared for him anyway, and she waited for him to be fitted into it before she left with Dellinger. Law sulked on the kitchen floor, looking up hopefully whenever Sanji hovered over his pies.

"I'm not poisoning anyone," Sanji snapped at him, causing him to lower his head with a grumble. "Besides, you should get a move on to the tower, okay? They should be rolling out the costume parade soon. You don't want to miss that."

"Have you arranged to meet Ussop?" Law asked, rising up and stretching.

"No…I…I didn't tell him I was coming," Sanji muttered, looking away. "I thought that after I'd dropped the pies, I'd…I'd come meet you."

"Why? I'm just going to be sitting up in the church's bell tower, looking at everything. I can't imagine it being any exciting for you," Law added, giving him a dubious look. "With your costume, you can mingle and do stuff with the others."

"You don't want me to join you?" Sanji asked, whipping his head around to glare at him. "Is this something private for you?"

"No, I just can't picture you forgoing mingling with others freely. Watching from a distance isn't really that great – I mean, it's fine for me, because I'm used to it, but you're not. It's probably your first year of freedom, go be a part of it."

Sanji reflected on last year's festival – where he'd served Zeff's cake slices and treats while Zeff served hot chocolate and coffee, and all Sanji had seen were happy people in costumes running about. Zeff had let him go with Ussop after they were all sold out, and he'd had time to sample leftovers from other stalls before joining up in the center of town to watch the fireworks go off. Really, all he'd been worried about the entire time was getting up early to prepare breakfast for the rush the next morning. Unable to relax.

It also reminded him of the way Rayleigh had approached him that night, with a sparkler of his own and a cheery joke about how next year was going to be better. It did make him realize that he was free – it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't yet touched that thought, and didn't know what to do with it.

Presently, Sanji shrugged a shoulder. "It'll actually be my first to really mingle. You're right, I'd worked all the time, so I've never really enjoyed anything as a free person."

"Well, enjoy it, because maybe next year you'll be in a different place, experiencing a different festival, and it would be nice to compare the two."

And you'll be dead, Sanji thought bitterly, staring at the pies. "Maybe," he mumbled.

"I'm going to head out there. If you see any of those guys out there, have them send me some of those melon things with the ham, please," Law said, taking the stairs up and immediately complaining as Baby, Buffalo and Corazon jumped on him for a ride.

Sanji tied up all the pies into a few tiers, then grabbed his cape. Jora had made him a black robe with a hood, and the hood was decorated with a bird's beak out of papier-mâché, with devil's horns popping up from the top. He only had cut-outs for eye holes, and the hood was ventilated enough to where he didn't feel smothered. He'd made Dellinger cry at the sight of it, so he felt a little better with it.

The Harvest Festival was in full swing by the time he made it down there. Happy revelers shuffled about, sampling and bartering with each other on food and goods, and kids ran through with sparklers, treats and costumes of their own. He gave his pies to a woman manning a station, then another tier to a food stand that immediately set to work on doling out the pieces. The last station he found to take it was cook and his family, and Sanji lingered, wondering if he should say 'hi'. But he didn't – he walked off, feeling safe in his hood, children veering away at the sight of him.

He felt tense and apprehensive – sure he'd see Rayleigh, or he'd hear his name, or – but he felt restless, as well. He'd always been busy with Zeff, his hands in motion, so having nothing to do with no one to do it with made him feel awkward and weird. He kept an eye out for Ussop, for the man hadn't been home.

The street was crowded, rank, with intense food smells, and he wandered through it, marveling at goods and crafts, sampling whatever looked interesting. But he felt lonely doing it. He picked up a basket and began to fill it, on the look out for those things Law said he liked. He couldn't help but look over at the church bell tower, spying the opening at the top. Of course he couldn't see Beast, but he felt a sharp pang in his chest, thinking of how many times he'd glanced up there and never realized that a person was there, looking out, enjoying the festivities by sight.

As he made his way towards the wishing well, he fumbled with some loose change, and tossed in a coin. He wasn't sure what to wish for. Kids bumped into him, laughing before they took off. Another kid was chasing them with a stick, looking upset. Sanji looked after them, then down at the well again.

He jerked forward when someone slapped his butt so hard that he screeched.

"I knew that lanky form was yours," Zoro said, smelling thickly of alcohol. "Damn. Put some meat on it. I think I just hurt my hand."

"You fucking jerk! Don't touch me like that!" Sanji snapped at him, aghast at his behavior while he rubbed his ass. "What the fuck? Don't give me away."

"So? What kind of wish are you going to make?" Zoro asked, ignoring him. "Happiness? Prosperity? A new ass?"

"It's none of your business. Besides, if I said it aloud, then it wouldn't come true," Sanji said on a huff, setting his basket down.

"Where's Beast? I still want my head."

"No where, idiot. Like he'd come down here, anyway."

"Look, I came into this town, expecting a certain thing to happen. It didn't. But I found something else I want, and it's really difficult moving on without it."

"It's not my fucking problem."

"I don't understand. We're the same age. You have hormones, right?"

"No. I suffer from a severe lack of them."

"Oh, so maybe your balls hadn't dropped yet. Maybe that's why that old guy was all over it."

"Isn't it strange?" Sanji then asked, looking at the well again. "A month ago, I would've been married to some old geezer and probably out of town, by now. But now I'm here, talking to you, wondering what the difference was between him and you."

"Keep flattering me like that, and I'm going to think you like me," Zoro said with a grin, bottle in hand.

Sanji lifted the hood to scowl at him then dropped it back down. "You're such an ass. Honestly. There's absolutely nothing I can give you."

"There is one thing…"

Sanji rolled his eyes, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Right, well, I'm going to warn you now. I only going to lay there, comparing your dick size to his. Then I'll give you the shittiest advice I can give you to try and get me anywhere near hard, and then get mad when you can't even do that – "

"Ugh, stop, my dick just retreated back up into my body," Zoro complained, making a face. He scowled at the well, drinking. Sanji scowled as well, fingers clenching into his robe, hearing people laugh nearby. "You're right, the more I think about it, I haven't even have a third of the experience that guy has. Fuck."

"You realize humping humans is much different than humping dogs?"

"Fuck you, harpy," Zoro said, without any malice to it. He sighed, and the pair of them stood there in silence, staring at the well. After a few moments, Zoro dug his hand into a pouch hanging from his belt, and tossed in a coin. He took a long drink before belching, wiping his mouth.

Sanji wondered what he wished for before looking back at the well. He still didn't know what to wish for. He looked around himself, watching kids dart in and out of the moving crowds, as people celebrated in homemade costumes, with music and laughter coming from all directions. From this position, all he had to do was glance up to the tower where he knew Law was watching from afar.

He grabbed his basket, then walked off without saying anything else, Zoro looking after him with a scowl. He then sighed with dejection, and walked back to the festivities, knowing he'd lost the hunt.

: :

When Sanji made his way up the tower, he could hear the festivities outside. He didn't miss it at all. He walked into the shadows, removing his hood.

"What are you doing up here?" Law asked him from above, Sanji looking up and seeing him perched on the joists just above the heavy bell, hidden in the shadows.

"I found those things you like," Sanji answered, holding up the basket. "Come down."

"No…it's safer if I remain up here. Just in case. It seems different, this year," Law then added, looking back out at the festivities over the main square, where people were dancing to a mixture of string instruments and flutes. "They're livelier. It must've been a good season."

Or it just looks good because it's your last year, Sanji thought. He looked at the basket. "Here. I'll toss it to you."

Once Law caught it, Sanji then ventured to the window, removing his hood completely. He stood to the side of it and looked out. It was a different view from here, and while he could see everything, hear everything, smell it – it was as if he were looking down at a completely different world. With how detached he felt to it, he felt a little more comfortable looking down at it from this angle. He could find himself getting used to it.

"You found the fruit pops!" he heard Law exclaim happily. "All right!"

"Shut up with your happy voice," Sanji muttered, hiding his pleased expression. He lit a cigarette, turning away from the window so that no one could see the burning ember from the ground. "Someone can hear you."

"Did you find Ussop?"

"No. He wasn't home when I dropped by. And cook was with his family, and…I didn't want to draw attention to myself by revealing myself. I…I am hesitant to even see what sort of thing he'll say," Sanji confessed, crossing his arms. "I know many people had things to say about…about Rayleigh and I."

"Mmf. These melon things are so good. The ham is saltier, this year. Did you have some?"

"Yes."

Law startled him by dropping down on the floor, chewing noisily on the mixture, crouching low so he remained out of sight. He held out one of them, and Sanji took it after some hesitation. Then Law looked back into his basket, and held out the last fruit pop.

"I can smell the cherries inside of it, and I think I'm a little allergic to them, because my mouth itches when I eat it," he said briskly, tossing a piece of summer salami into his mouth. Sanji took that, too, and stared at him in silence.

"But I already ate. I brought these for you."

"Sanji, no one else is going to eat it, so you might as well. It's fine to stuff yourself just for tonight. There's no one around to call you 'fat'."

Sanji stared at him with irritation, but he took the items and sat up against the wall. He finished his cigarette, then started with the melon, first. It took some time to even appreciate the taste of it, considering the ash lingering on his tongue, dulling his taste buds. He would just have to take Law's word for it. Beast finished off that summer salami, then looked out cautiously at the sound of fireworks.

"They're getting ready to shoot them off. Since their attention will be diverted, it'll be easy leaving town from this side, here. Will you walk back, or would you like to hang from my back?"

"I'm not fond of the thought of dying, so I'll walk back," Sanji assured him, giving him a skeptical look. He considered the quiet stillness of the church that made it feel as if they were the only ones in the world, with only the festivities as a strange background noise. He was comfortable with it. Having these sorts of moments with Law had suddenly become too easy to enjoy, to relax. He was uncertain how he felt about this, fiddling with the rest of his melon ball before tossing it for Law to catch.

"I threw a coin in the wishing well, but I didn't know what to wish for."

"Is it troubling you? Why don't you wish for something simple? Man, think first before you do something like that," Law scolded him impatiently. It was such a kid-thing for him to say, and Sanji tried not to smile, trying not to be charmed.

"It's just a stupid tale kids tell each other. Someone probably comes by often and scoops up the money."

"Making wishes isn't something I believe in, either. I used to toss a lot of Doffy's gold in, wishing for Tsuru to change me back, and it didn't work. He had the others fish it out, afterward. Wish for something selfish. Something for yourself."

Sanji hated the feeling of picture Beast small, wishing with all his might to be human, again. It hurt him to feel and see this. "I don't know what I want."

"Wish for a better face."

"Shut up, you're not very helpful."

Law snickered. "Let me borrow your wish, then."

Sanji shrugged. "Sure."

Law looked thoughtful for a few moments, head tilted, then he nodded. Sanji picked at the fruit pop, finding it too sweet for his taste. He removed the cherry from inside, and caught his attention before he tossed the rest of the treat at Law. Beast snapped it up and ate it, licking his muzzle clean.

"What'd you wish for?" Sanji asked curiously, eating the cherry carefully. He spit out the seed.

"I can't tell you. It won't come true."

"Bet it was something lame."

"No, it was really cool."

"You're such a dork," Sanji commented lightly. He returned his attention towards the window. "Did anybody catch your eye?"

"I wasn't even looking, to be honest."

It irritated him, how Law could admit something like that. After all this time and effort into helping him find someone to focus on, and Law was openly admitting that this wasn't his priority. Knowing that Law had intended on using Sanji made Sanji angry – he didn't want to feel that way after admitting to himself how comfortable he felt in the other's presence, enjoying their time together. It gave weight to the feeling that he was only being used, again. And he didn't want to feel that way, with him.

Sanji was quiet for a few moments, then he muttered, "I know about your stupid plan."

"What plan?"

"I overheard Doffy and the others talking about it. How you're going to try and…and 'woo' me."

"Oh. Ooh, how embarrassing."

"It's fucked up. There's no way it's going to happen. There's no hope for you in me falling for you, you know. It's a stupid concept. It's fucked from the start. That woman sentenced you to die."

Law scowled at him, sitting rigidly a few feet away from him. "Sanji, honestly? Did you really think that sort of thing would work? I understood that I was fucked from the start. I knew this. Having everyone remind me of it has just been…really tiring. When the rose started to bloom, I knew our time was up. Yeah, honestly, I was deadset on beating this stupid curse but the more I thought about it, planned, the more I realized how futile of an effort that was. I choose you to focus on because there's no hope in me building a bridge with anyone else, no matter what efforts are placed. But if I can continue to keep the others thinking that there's hope – then our time at the end will be easier to accept. Because at least they tried.

"You knew it was impossible, too. There's no reason for you to be angry with me about it, and it's easier for me if you already know. I haven't even tried to…to 'woo' you at all because…look at me! You alone know how hard it is for me to even be civil! How the fuck am I supposed to be 'romantic' and courteous? But if it keeps the others distracted, then…so what? When it comes to you, everyone comes together and they're encouraging and hopeful and happy, and it's different from what they're normally as – the very thought of it gives them life. Something they hadn't had in a very long time. So…it's easier going along with it. If we're distracted…it'll be easier to endure. We'll just die, and life will move on. I've accepted this. So, I'm just trying to enjoy what's happening now, so…at least I've tried."

Sanji was silent for a long time, feeling all these heavy, upset feelings in his chest. On one hand, he felt suspicious – wary. Was Law only playing with his empathy this way? Or was he really just distracting his family from the inevitable? Giving them hope made it sound even crueler. They'd be waiting, hopeful, for something to spark between them, but Law indicated that he knew it wasn't going to happen.

Sanji himself constantly told himself it wasn't.

But he understood being cruel to be kind.

Law looked back at the festivities with a tilt of his head. He turned away from it, growling. "I hated this sort of thing, anyway. Stupid. Waste of time. All these idiots celebrating and laughing and having fun, and we're just…you should've let me poison those pies."

"I should've," Sanji murmured, too low for himself to even hear.

For several long minutes, Law just faced the darkness of the stairway nearby, saying nothing. Sanji looked at him, waiting for something to say, or something to do. But then Beast left without anything, and he felt worse than before. He wanted to call him back, to apologize – but then he knew how stupid that was.

The fireworks started, bursting noisily up against the night sky, and illuminated the tower room. He didn't get up to look, though. He knew he'd see fireworks eventually, somehow, later in the future. He wished Law would come back and watch them with him, though. It would've been a different experience.

: :

A week later, he stood outside of Law's room with a tray in hand. After that night, Beast had locked himself in his room, angry and upset. Things were thrown. Broken. He refused to come back out.

Dellinger slid out from underneath the door with a whoosh of breath, saying, "I unlocked it!"

"Thank you."

"He's really sad."

"I know." Sanji pushed the door open, and closed it carefully behind him. The floor was covered with all the scrolls he'd seen days earlier. The journals that had been arranged neatly in the desk hutch were ripped apart, sheets tossed haphazardly. There were ashes piled high in the fireplace where he'd thrown most of them. There were broken bookshelves, furniture, shredded tapestries – it was impossible to take a step without stepping on something.

Sanji looked at the rose to find that there were more petals lying beneath it. He then looked towards the bed, and saw the huge mound of blankets there. The air had a stale taste to it, as if Law's sadness and despair had turned tangible, making every particle difficult to intake. He made his way to the desk – shattered against the opposite wall, and carefully set the tray full of food there. He looked at the mound on the bed, fiddling anxiously with his fingers. Every word he considered suddenly became difficult to release.

Without saying anything, he went ahead and started picking up the mess. He found tape and began finding pieces of the scrolls back together. Most of the day was spent this way, and by the time night fell, he started a fire. He had put most of the scrolls back together and set them back in the canister, and now he was working on salvaging the journals. He went and made a quick dinner, then returned to the room to finish up. By the time he grew sleepy enough to stop, he had most of the floor cleaned.

The next morning he returned with another tray, and went to work. By mid afternoon, he dropped what he was doing and walked over to the bed, considering the mound. He reached out and yanked the blankets back, finding the Beast curled up there, saying nothing.

Sanji sat behind him, looking out the rest of the room while he felt the enchanted creature sigh quietly. "Come eat, okay? I made you your favorites," he said.

"Go away."

"Let's give you a flea bath, first," Sanji then said, scratching his neck. "Okay? Then you can lay back down, and six days will pass safely before you can go back outside. I would like to see a couple of caves to the north. Legend has it, there are two bodies of large grizzlies in each – but their bones are so worn and wasted, that it's impossible to tell what sort they are. Were they male and female? Or woman and woman, and man and man? And why were they entombed there? There were treasures that they were buried with, and any that take them, are cursed for the rest of their life until it's returned."

"Sounds stupid."

"One legend has it that the tomb of one holds the power to grant one wish – I know you're super interested in wishes – but to get it, one must first guess which couple is lying there. Which only comes to question, what sort of bears were these? Were they animal gods? Or half beasts? And who were they important too? I was really curious about it after reading of the valley's legends and myths in the library, the other day."

Law said nothing for the longest time, and Sanji twisted onto his knees, to lay over him and look down at him. He moved long black strands of his mane from his face to look at him, smelling animal fur and thick sweat, and the scent of despair. It was a sour smell, foul, like the Beast was only rotting from the inside out. Sanji imagined that he was, drowning in his hopelessness. It made him feel so intensely for him at that moment, finding it difficult to imagine spending yet another week without the Beast's presence near him, yapping on about various things. Which made it only more difficult to think that in a later months, he'd be without Beast completely.

He rested his cheek against his arm, eyes watering from the smell. "Get up, please."

"Go away."

"Only if you come with me," Sanji said firmly, reaching out to touch an ear. It was surprising not to have it flicked at him. "Law. Please."

"Get off."

Sanji found himself rolling against the wall as Beast moved, shifting onto his side away from him. Managing to pull himself out from mattress and wall, Sanji brushed fur from his chest and hair, then sat there, looking up at the ceiling. He shrugged.

The next day, he finished cleaning up the floor, then piled all the pieces of broken furniture up near the fireplace wall. He then went to work on restocking all of Law's books in careful piles, and fixed the curtains. He talked aloud, mostly about the things he'd seen and heard during all his travels, and found a pad of paper and some charcoal. He sat on Law's bed, at his feet, and drew all the interesting animals he'd seen, and showed Beast each one, talking about everything he knew about it. Every time Law turned away from them, Sanji followed.

He retrieved the jar of water he'd brought up to the room yesterday morning, and made him drink it. He tried with the food, but Law only turned away and faced the wall. So Sanji continued talking. He leaned back to back against him and continued drawing. Soon, he started drawing things that he remembered from his home, and talking about those.

When night fell, it was cold, so he curled up next to him for warmth and went to sleep. In the morning, he went and requested for someone to bring up coffee, water, some of the bread he'd made a couple of days ago. When it came, he gave Law more water, and a piece of bread. After that, it seemed Law was more agreeable to moving. So Sanji had the bath drawn up, watching bucket after bucket move on their own to fill up the tub.

Later that afternoon, he scrubbed Beast's head and shoulders with the flea soap, and snickered at the amount of bugs that were floating in the water. Law still hadn't said anything, and wasn't moving, but he lowered his head, watching most of the insects flail in the water before dying. Sanji scrubbed almost every inch of his upper body and head, commenting on taking care of his 'big baby', a stubborn ass that didn't have the mind to take care of himself. Teasing him, trying to coax him into replying.

When Law scooped up a handful of them, he flung them at Sanji, who shrieked and ducked, and managed to fall away from the tub in an unflattering mess. Law did end up chuckling.

Sanji dumped water over him to shut him up, and scrubbed harder, grumbling. Afterward, Law did eat, and Sanji finished cleaning up what he could of the room. But he was satisfied that they were moving, that things were going to be okay. As Law dried off, sitting in the sun's warmth from one of the open windows, Sanji used a towel to help. He ended up braiding some sections of his hair, impersonating the womanly barber in town that spoke with an odd accent. Law did feel a lot better after that, itch-free, and he definitely smelled better. When Sanji showed him with a piece of mirror his styled mane, Law grumbled about it, clawing them out while Sanji chuckled and mock complained.

Sanji took a moment to lean against him, enjoying the soft feel of his fur against his face, and hearing the steady thumps of Beast's heart. He felt relieved that things were going to be okay, for now. They needed all the time they could get to continue enjoying every day together. He'd missed Beast's presence in the kitchen, hearing his scheming for revenge, his off-topics, his plans. He missed him.

He wasn't sure why. Was it a combination of guilt, sorrow, and discouragement? What was different about Law from Ussop's companionship? Did he just feel these things because life was sure to end for Law? This friend of his, someone he identified with in many different ways, was going to leave him permanently one day, and Sanji wasn't sure how to let it happen. He knew about the plans, and wasn't sure how to trust himself with Law's admissions, but…there was a part of him that didn't want to think about things like that. He just wanted to go back to the day to day companionship they shared.

He closed his head, heaving a heavy sigh, fingers clenching into Law's mane while Law twisted his head to look back at him with a puzzled expression.

"Please be okay," he heard Sanji mutter into his back.

It was a really odd thing for him to say, and Law wasn't sure what to make of his sudden clinginess. It was very unlike Sanji to be this way, after being so prickly and angry. But he looked at his room, at the things Sanji put back together and put away, at the trays of food he'd brought up, at the things he'd done just to get Law moving again. He was very confused, himself.

: :

A month later, after all the snow had stopped and left the valley into a crisp coolness, the ground muddy and unsteady, Ussop made his way across the dirty stream with a grumble. With the snow melting steadily in the mountain tops, the streams, rivers and creeks were full of rushing brown water, hazardous for anyone to be near.

Sanji had wanted him to come along to see this tomb of four bears on Cavern Mountain, and while it sounded nice, hiking out in this weather made him miserable. It was cold, their breath visible, but warm enough to keep from overdressing against the chill. Low hanging clouds dangled from the highest peaks around the valley, drizzled over treetops on the incline of Cavern Mountain. The day was spent walking along a creek, overturning rocks to find critters – which Law threw at Sanji, who shrieked girlishly as mice and rats hit their mark – and examining odd bird feathers – which Ussop collected, amazed at how many bird species he had yet to see.

They marveled at different rocks, crystals, and Ussop chased Sanji with spiders he found. They were chased by a skunk, accidently disturbed a beaver's dam, and found a nice fishing spot. It was, quite honestly, one of the best days of Ussop's life. Sanji brought their lunches, and they ate it overlooking a near crystal clear lake, which Law pointed out was created from a nearby glacier that was hidden between some peaks of mountains high above them. Ussop was surprised to learn just how smart Beast was when it came to things like this – from his childish behavior, he didn't really expect him to know every name and family of every insect, rock, animal and flora they came across. He pointed out medicinal leaves, poisonous leaves, leaves that could serve as a temporary bandage. He showed them bird's nests and named off the species that occupied it. He showed them how to dig roots from underneath certain trees that were able to provide nutritious substitutes if one were hungry and couldn't hunt. He showed them how to trap, where to find the best game, and how he pranked humans when they ventured into his favorite hunting grounds.

And in the midst of this, Ussop watched the two interact. He'd noticed how relaxed Sanji was, how free he was to just enjoy himself. He wasn't snarling and complaining, he wasn't cutting anybody down, and when he and Law crowded around a nest in a tree, he was genuinely interested and attentive to Law's words. He teased Beast with a female bear impersonation, Beast pissed at him, both of them throwing dirty snow at each other and coming up with colorful insults about their manhoods – it made Ussop feel like he was a third wheel, watching Sanji chase after him with a branch, yelling about an apology.

Ussop wasn't sure what to think when he watched them talk. He felt he was missing something, or witnessing something unexpected. They had the comfort and ease of being friends for years, and when Law teased him or threw mice at him, Sanji wasn't trying to kill him, or sulking away to pout like he usually did. He threw things back at him, screeched when he stumbled into the cold stream, and laughed uproariously when Law hurriedly escaped a badger's wrath.

It was nice seeing his friend this way. It was almost as if the old man part of him had crumbled away and left glimpses of the child he wasn't allowed to be, and it rendered him into a different sort of person. And Beast was surprisingly open, himself, and he definitely wasn't the scary creature that Ussop had thought he was. Despite being knowledgeable of the entire area, he reacted with awe at the stag beetle Ussop had found, roared with outrage at being splashed by Sanji, and snickered and snorted as he recalled scaring hunters' from their campsites at night. Ussop wondered what really brought that aspect out of him.

When they found the caves, intruding upon the gravesites within, it was Law that told them the correct genders of the bears.

"These ones are a male and female. The hips, here, they're wider, where babies pass through. You can't tell that from this angle, so I look at this part of the spine, where it separates," Law told them, pointing it out on the weathered skeletons lying in curiously formed shallow graves that allowed old pottery and miscellaneous treasures to surround them. "The others are juvenile males. But I bet they were part of a family, because they're not fully grown. Judging from the parents' size, they were still growing when they're considered averaged size, today. It wasn't that unusual for bears to have children this age still at their mother's side – I'm surprised that the male grizzly is buried here, with her, because once a male impregnates a female, he's gone. If he hadn't seen her in a while, and saw the cubs, he would try to kill them."

"If that's so, then you win. You get to make a wish," Sanji told him, crouched over the cubs' graves.

"You are obsessed with wishes, lately," Law said, leaning as low as he could get into one of the graves to look over the treasures buried with the bodies. "Some of these things are water vases, dishes, most likely to serve them in the afterlife. This, here, is actually the remnants of a statue itself, but I can't tell what it is. It almost looks like a human. People worshipped them, but I can't tell what tribe they're from, because this writing is unlike anything I'm familiar with."

"Make a wish, hurry. This place makes me feel like I've just intruded into someone's house," Sanji then said. "Ussop? Are you ready?"

"Yes. This was really neat. I'd never heard of the legend until you brought it up," Ussop said, walking with him. After some moments, Law followed after them, admiring the designs carved into the stonewalls, noting the presence of crystals in various locations.

The three left the mountainside and followed the stream back towards the castle. Sanji made plans to meet with Ussop next week, to go and gather the mushrooms they'd passed hours ago. Law wandered off to investigate a herd of deer he could smell, and Ussop asked Sanji, "So, what's the deal? You're really happy."

"I kind of am," Sanji admitted, shifting the backpack he carried. "I feel, after we'd left Zeff, that a large weight was lifted away from me. I feel like I can be…my age. Does that sound weird?"

"No. It sounds fantastic."

"Plus, it's difficult remaining sane in that castle. Those guys, they're so…" Sanji shook his head tiredly, looking as exhausted as a mother to a newborn, "and it's hard trying to avoid being sucked into their fucking insanity, so…I find myself joining in, and…it makes me wonder if I had actually enjoyed life, before. I'm seeing things differently. Law and I have so many things to talk about, it's…like we don't run out of things to say. And if we do, it's fine if we're just sitting there, quietly. I can't describe it. I can't describe that feeling, but…for the first time in my life, I feel really happy."

"You look it."

"I feel it. But it's bittersweet, because the rose is getting smaller, and…and there's going to be a day when I wake up, and I'm going to be alone in that castle, and…it makes me feel so terrible, that I feel like…the same sort of feeling I had knowing I had no hope escaping Rayleigh. It's worse than that, actually. It's coming, Ussop. And I don't know how to stop it."

"The letters I'm running don't seem to be working, Sanji," Ussop said with concern. "I was slapped twice."

Sanji sputtered. "That's unfortunate!"

"Who's writing them, exactly?"

"Baby. She's pretty gifted, so I can't imagine why you'd be attacked. I've read her things, they're…pretty detailed."

"I don't know, I'm tempted to open one and find out for myself just what exactly I'm delivering," Ussop muttered, rubbing his cheek with the remembered feeling.

Sanji regarded him with a clueless expression, then lit up a cigarette. Exhaling smoke, he looked up at the canopy of branches overhead, enjoying the sight of the blue sky. "It's such a beautiful day out…"

"It sure is."

"I wish there were more of them."

"Well, spring has sprung!"

"Heh."

Ussop looked up at his friend, happy for him. He couldn't complain about it when he'd seen Sanji angry and miserable, and he definitely didn't want to think about the future, when Sanji returned to the village alone. He reached out and held his hand, and Sanji squeezed his companionably, and both of them enjoyed the sight and sounds of the forest around them.

: :

In the kitchen two weeks later, Sanji concentrated on icing the cupcakes just right. he was detailing the tops with elaborate flower designs, and Law was in his usual spot on the floor, drawing over some maps with charcoal. As long as he stayed out of the way, Sanji was fine with whatever it was he was doing. The flowers were in a variety of colors – large, almost hand sized. He planned on delivering them to Ussop later, and to include one of Law's 'love letters' to his next victim.

When he'd related Ussop's inquiry to him, Law had snickered, so Sanji was suspicious. He knew Law wasn't putting any effort into trying, anymore, but everyone was so hopeful about it that Sanji's guilt in knowing the truth made him sick at night.

But he understood what Law was doing. He would let it go. He'd resolved to enjoy what time left he had with the bunch, and he was focused on doing so. It wasn't hard – every day was exactly as he'd described to Ussop, and he honestly wanted for nothing else. The affection and friendship he felt for his ill-fated companion was hot and constant, and even if they had their disagreements, they were once again in each other's presence so much that Doffy complained about how difficult it was living with a married couple.

Sanji did wonder how love worked – was it free flowing and comfortable, or was it obvious and difficult, with each side trying hard to make it a working task? He imagined that it was sort of like the thing he had with Law, now – an easy companionship where each side was comfortable with silence or words, where things could be said without reserve, and time passed quickly without notice. But then there was the entire enchanted thing going on, and that was where the wall went up.

Law snarled and tossed his charcoal to the side with such violence that Sanji jerked, squeezing out too much icing. "FUCK!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Papercut. Fuck. FUCK."

"You're such a fucking baby, it's so embarrassing."

"Shut up. SHUT UP. Fuck, it's right – ugh, it's right between my fingers! It hurts!"

"Get out of here if you're going to cry from a little paper cut."

"It's right between the fucking webbing! Right on the – look. Right in that valley, right in there. Look, it's bleeding! Ugh, this fucking sucks. I'm getting blood everywhere!"

Sanji looked, and saw nothing. He gave him an impatient look, lowering his icing bag to the table as Law licked the area affected.

"You're such a widdle baby."

"Shut up!"

"Show me this alleged injury."

"No, you're just going to make fun of it."

"I'm making fun of you right now, there really is no difference."

"Right there. Look."

"I see nothing."

"It's right there! It's right in that fleshy part!"

"Still seeing nothing. Stop crying. Fucking cry baby."

Law stood and showed him, and while Sanji looked, squinting to do so, he saw a very thin line right on the ridge of flesh between his middle and index finger; Law blew on it and hissed, clenching that hand within the other. Sanji looked up at him skeptically, shaking his head.

"Hold it out."

Law did so with a dramatic grimace as he continued clutching that hand. Sanji looked again, shook his head, then gave his furry fingers a short peck.

"There. Momma kissed it better," he snickered, spitting a couple of times to the side, feeling the bristle of fur against his lips.

"What the fuck? Don't!" Law exclaimed, striding back to his book, huffing and puffing. "Putting your mouth on me, what the fuck."

Sanji snickered at his reaction, resuming work on his flower. Law continued to mumble and grumble, hissing and blowing on his wound, and Sanji wiped his lips again, certain he could feel hair there. He turned to retrieve a tray to set his finished cupcakes on so he could set them to the side. He lined them up neatly, admiring the presentation.

"What should we do for your birthday?" Law asked curiously. "It's in a week. I don't know what your raggedy ass wants."

"I have all I need."

"What do I want, then?"

"It's my birthday! Not yours!"

"If you don't want anything, then I'll just take your present like I took your..."

Once he was finished setting the cupcakes aside, Sanji turned to put the full tray onto another counter. He then realized Law hadn't finished his sentence.

As he was turning to set the tray aside, he did a double take, gasped, and nearly dropped the tray out of sheer alarm, fumbling for a moment before banging up against the counter. There was a man sitting where Law had been moments earlier, looking up at the candles burning on the wall with a stunned expression. He was sitting with the bottoms of his bare feet nearly touching, knees spread wide, and he was holding the charcoal in one hand, map in the other. But he was staring up at the candles with an owlish look, blinking heavily, as if he were having trouble with his sight. The shirt created from the library curtains was hanging around him, showing off thin shoulders and a thinner chest, with skinny arms and a skinny neck.

Tall, thin, with wild black hair that was matted on one side, standing straight up on the other, the man had a rigid facial structure that allowed him high cheekbones with a narrow face, deep set eyes. He had dark, beautiful skin that had only grown deeper since his days as a child, giving him a more exotic appearance. His nose was long and straight, and his lips held with a concentrative frown. Everything about him was long, and that included his sideburns, the fingers that clenched suddenly on paper before he turned and looked at Sanji with a questioning expression before stilling completely. His amber eyes widened, and he looked at Sanji like he was seeing him for the very first time.

Sanji then saw the boy from the Great Hall in those features. Sanji gaped at him, heart thundering noisily as blood rushed to his face. Something significant had happened, and he wasn't sure what. But suddenly Law was dropping everything to stand clumsily, and he lost his footing, so used to using all four limbs, saying something that sounded like a word and a gasp as he stared at Sanji with wide-eyed awe. There was noise behind Sanji, so he turned as Law crashed against some shelves, and sent things rattling to the floor, and the noise that suddenly began to build turned into a cacophony of voices.

Right before his eyes, people unfolded themselves from the stoves, stood up from the oven, fell from the sink. They crashed from the dish hutch, rolling onto the tile from the pantry, stood up from underneath the melting candles. All of them with surprised gasps, sudden curses as balance was lost, and Sanji realized he was hearing a horrifying mixture of screams, shrieking, outright sobbing. The castle walls echoed with movement, with people rushing about. One of those that had been the stove hugged herself and sobbed heavily, gasping and crying as she examined her hands, her body. Everyone was naked, covering themselves hastily – Sanji recalled seeing piles upon piles of clothes locked into a room on the first floor, near the Great Hall, and realized where they'd come from.

Sanji leaned against the counter and went utterly still, unable to think as people unfolded from all around him. There were so many chaotic noises that he couldn't even hear the ones he'd grown familiar with. He clutched his cupcake tray hard, and looked back at Law again, seeing him examine his hands with absolute joy from the floor. Touching himself, seeing parts of his human self once again. The kitchen staff were showing joy and elation with their combination of shouts and cries, stumbling over each other, and it seemed as if all of them were making their way to the stairway. They called out names, shrieked with joy, cursed, collided over clumsy movement –

Somehow, the curse had been broken.