A/N: See what I did there, I said I didn't have a goal and I did. I turned it around on you guys ... Actually, when I started the chapter I didn't have a goal, but when I switched p.o.v's (I'm shocked that the divider worked, I'll do that for my dividers from now on), it just sorta happened. Like Ivan being black n stuff. Reviews have been coming up suspiciously short lately. Is this about the Interruption? Anyways, I should really let the cliffhanger go for a while, torture you guys at least a little bit. But, I'm bored with nothing better to do. You all should be SO HAPPY and APPRECIATIVE that you are reading a story by an author who writes so damn much. I know I'd be. K, enough preaching. For future purposes dividers like this = = = are p.o.v changes. Here we go.

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"The minion whore dead yet?" I could barely hear one of the other men say, sounding bored and impatient. I couldn't BELIEVE these people. It was so wrong, their fear and hatred, the fact that they were killing me, and he had the balls to sound bored!?

"Almost," grumbled the florist. I couldn't feel my legs, or much of anything else besides the pain of the choke on my neck. He was right, just a few more seconds and it'd be over. Good, an end to this pain would be greatly appreciated.

The end of that specific pain came, but not with the peaceful drifting away I'd hoped for while dangling, body pressed against the church. I was on the ground, tossed, on my back. The moon blinded my eyes, I squinted and turned my head away, neck aching. Why could I see? I was dead, wasn't I? My ears brought a fresh supply of pain to my brain when they were treated to a scream. I scooted up against the side of the church, and nearly screamed myself at the sight of Jason. He had materialized out of the darkness from the forest behind the church. He now had the florist held three feet in the air by HIS throat. I felt a wicked grin of vindication spread across my smarting face despite of me. His body was in silhouette (A/N: Oh-my-God! I am the queen of spelling!), though I could see he was wearing a dark cloak. The only thing in shadow I could see was the glowing green of his eyes.

"JASON!" I screeched as loud as my injured throat would allow,. I had spotted a man coming from behind with a dagger, "LOOK OUT!"

Jason dropped the florist, who lay in a pile, unmoving. He whipped around and caught the man around his bear-bloated belly, lifting him up on his shoulder like a sack of grain. With a fierce feral roar he tossed that man into the pile that was the florist. The last two men came at him, what morons! The sensible thing was to run faster than you possibly could away from this demon of the night. But nooo, we can beat him, chaps, c'mon! Jason, almost nonchalantly had not been so enraged, swung the sharp claws of his left arm into one man's stomach. With a squeal of pain he knocked into his dim-witted drinking buddy, sending them both crashing into the church stonewall. That left four militant villagers down, none to go. Everything went still for a moment, Jason was bent over, breathing hard, barely moving. I still had my back pressed firmly into the stone, although it ached.

"Jason?" I creaked, my voice still sore. He was too still, he needed to say something. I won't lie, what had just happened had scared me, and Jason's show of extreme bravery and chivalry was not excluded. I needed to hear him speak, to be my friend and teacher, not a wild animal of the night. I heard him swallow, and he suddenly dropped from his kneeling position to a tired, stretched out sit. His cloak draped around him. I jumped to my feet and was by his side in a flash.

"Jason, please say something," I begged him. I felt tears rising in my eyes, then falling down the previously emblazoned trail left by their predecessors.

"I'm," he swallowed, as if trying to rid himself of the roar in his voice. It didn't work very well, "s-sorry you had to see that." Aw, poor Jason. How could he think that?

"Would you have rather me been unconscious, or worse, dead, so I wouldn't have to witness you valiantly fighting off my assailants?" I couldn't resist zinging him. I waited for his answer but it didn't come.

Angrily I said, "Well?!"

"I'm thinking about it." I had to laugh at that one, a good burn deserves appreciation. I laid my hand on Jason's shoulder, putting my forehead to his. From this angle I could see his fang-adorned smile.

"Okay, I was wide-open to that one, but, really, how could you think that? You gave those bastards exactly what they deserved. I'm just glad you got there before I really WAS either dead or unconscious. I wouldn't have missed that show for the world!" I decided I'd had enough sitting on the cold ground. I put my arm through Jason's helping him stand, though I don't think he needed it. I let him stand on his own once we were upright.

"I guess you're right, Sasha. As always. But," he sighed, "I just didn't want you to see it." The smile drifted off my face, it was time for a talk. Oh God, how I HATE the big talks! I'm so bad at them!

"I would have eventually. You know it and I know it, so there. This is more than likely the ideal way to let me see what you are truly capable of. Would you prefer me to have found out in an argument about how to pronounce Mt. Aetna?" He wasn't looking at me, I didn't force him.

"Once again, you're one hundred percent correct. I kind of wished you'd said something earlier. It would have kept a lot of egg shells from being walked on, by both of us."

"Yeah, but that was MY mistake. And I think we did all right, don't you? I mean, I'm still here, and I've got all my fingers and toes and any other extremities intact. C'mon," I said, ending this big talk before we reached someplace neither of us wanted to go, at least, not yet, "It's freezing out here, and, I don't know about you, but more or less every part of me hurts. Let's get the hell outta this horrible village." We walked, arm-in-arm, back to the hitching post and Barcelona. I unhitched her, and we walked along the road leading out of the village, the moon lighting our way.

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It was time for another big talk. Not THE big talk, that was for later, MUCH later if I had anything to say about it. She deserves to know everything now, my mind said resided to the fact, It's your fault for waiting this long. Okay, here goes nothing.

"Sasha?"

"Yeah, Jason?" I love that name.

"I think it's time you knew." QUIT STALLING!

"Knew what?" Like she didn't know! C'mon!

"About why I am, um, the way I am." You're a real mental colossus, aren't you, beast boy.

"Okay, I think so too." Oh man, my mind cried, now I really have to go through with this!

"Okay. I, uh, I'm not sure where to start." No point pretending like I don't have a care in the world, not with her, not about this.

"Tell me about your parents. We can start from there." She always had an answer, and a good one at that.

"My father was Lord Nicholas, my mom was Lady April. They ruled justly, and gained much land. My kingdom would have been great ."

"Except ." she said, prodding me down a path I'd been before.

"Except I was a spoiled, callous, greedy, merciless snot named Derrick who didn't deserve my parents' doting love."

"I'm sure that's not entirely true." Damn her optimism! She saw the best in things, even me.

"If only! You have no idea," I paused, just reviewing all the atrocities I'd committed, wondering why the consequences had taken their sweet time catching up with me, "Anyway, I was a horrible ruler. I, well, I'd rather not go into the details of just what a putrid human I'd allowed myself to become. Suffice it to say, I made one mistake, and it was my last."

"And that was?" Yup, there would be no more hiding between us. Greeeaat.

I sighed, "I wanted to build a new castle and I chose the wrong forest to hack to shreds." Another pause. C'mon, get it over with! "It happened to be the summer home of a powerful fairy. Not three trees were down, with myself as surveyor, when the fairy burst from the trees and blasted me with magic. The next thing I remember is being in the library, on the floor, and Crawford taking measurements." I almost smiled at that memory. My parent's old butler, quietly measuring my tail. "I didn't understand right away. Not until Crawford picked up my tail, and wagged it in my face. That about ended my denial as well. It wasn't until half a year went by, all the staff except Crawford had left, not to mention the courtiers, and the rest of that castle trash. I didn't really mind, to be honest, I didn't really give two shits what they did. I had more important things to worry about, obviously.

"Crawford was amazing about all this, he really was. He took care of all the former staff, made me suitable clothes for my new shape, cleaned as much of the castle as he could, and hired Svetlana to cook. I'm forever in his debt for everything he did for me-"

"What about Ivan? I thought you said all the staff left except Crawford. If Ivan wasn't staff, then ."

I sighed, this was the most painful part, and I knew it would be, "Like I said, it wasn't until half a year went by that I could finally start my life again. Well, start my new life as what I was. By that time, the rumors had already started, sprung from what the woodsmen I'd hired had thought they saw that day. I walked outside, that's when I saw Ivan. He'd learned to hate me in the past half a year. For what had happened to him because of my stupidity. We didn't speak; I went hunting with my new body, and enjoyed myself for the first time. I asked Crawford what had happened and he told me."

"What happened, Jason?"

"Apparently I wasn't the only one to be cursed. I got the brunt of the attack, but Ivan and a few scattered others were effected by the blast of furious magic as well. Do you know how old Ivan is?" I stopped walking and faced her, in the middle of the moonlit road.

"I'd say, thirteen, maybe fourteen." Oh Christ, here it goes.

"The man is thirty-four years old." I watched her mouth drop open, and I hated myself again for what I'd done to him. She closed her mouth and swallowed dryly.

"Well," she said hesitantly, "That does explain a few things." We started walking again.

"Like what?"

"Like how quiet he is. I knew something was different about him the moment we met. He was too quiet. No boys his age, no matter what color they are, are like that. Stone's the only word I can think of to describe him. Now, I sorta understand why. He's not a boy at all." We walked for a while, each contemplating Ivan's fate, "What about the rest of them?" she finally asked.

"I don't know. Crawford said Ivan was the only one who decided to stick around. I like to think that's what made him the smartest of all who were cursed. He knew he'd have some kind of home here. Crawford gave him a job, and a bed in the castle. But he never comes inside, for reasons I think are pretty obvious." She nodded, understanding immediately, like I had, Ivan's reasons, "I don't blame him for hating me, I'm sure he's not the only one-"

"Don't, Jason," she said quietly.

"Don't what?" Like I didn't know. Great, and we've got another Crawford on our hands, ladies and gentlemen!

"You know, just don't, okay?"

"Yeah, I know, and I won't."

"Thank you." She took my hand, and we walked in silence the rest of the way to the castle.

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I felt better when I saw the castle come into view, a lot better. I wanted badly to sink into one of the library's chairs and think for a while. I started jogging toward the castle, but was jerked back by Jason's strong hand in mine.

"Wha-" I started to say, but stopped when I caught site of his face. His hackles were up, and he was stone still. His nose was twitching. I glanced around anxiously, something was wrong. Now, as I looked at the front door, I saw it. It was open, slightly swaying in the chilly wind of the night air. Somebody was inside the castle. My mind spun with possibilities. Could it be the villagers? Had they finally decided to destroy the beast lord? I felt sick at the idea.

"C'mon," Jason said, pulling me up the stairs of the front door quickly. Inside the door, the main hall was empty, but one pair of muddy boot prints could be seen on the floor. We dove into the shadows, me led by Jason and Jason led by his twitching nose. I didn't make a sound, I knew better than that. His eyes were taking on that green glow again. I started to wonder if maybe that glow had anything to do with what the villagers said.

We prowled down different hallways, it was obvious whoever was here had been here a while, exploring. They must not have known their way around. Suddenly Jason stopped at the open door of dining room 1, where we ate dinner. Noises of sloppy chewing could be heard outside the room. Jason craned his neck so that he could see into the room, but not touch the door.

"It's a man, an old man," he whispered. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but the green glow hadn't left his eyes.

"Well," I murmured, hoping Jason wouldn't do something rash, "Um, he must've gotten lost on that road. We should help him, dontcha think?"

"He's an intruder." Jason growled, his teeth clenched together. The green glow got stronger. Oh, this could end badly. Before I could stop him, Jason had burst into the dining room. Apparently he'd not calmed down all the way from my attack in the alley, and the little impromptu confession had not soothed him any. I did the only thing I could think to do; I melted into the shadows, like a good maid should.



I didn't hear the conversation between the old man and Jason, but I did catch sight of the man running from the castle, swinging onto a horse we'd missed coming in, and galloping away. I sighed in relief, at least he was okay, and Jason hadn't killed him. I ran to the only place I could think to find him.

"Jason? Are you okay?" I slowly approached him, in his favorite chair, in the library. He was hunched over, head in his hands.

"He said he's going to give me his youngest daughter, the disgusting retch." He looked up at me, the glow was still there, but dim now, "I tried to tell him I didn't want her, but I got the feeling I had no choice. It was like being sold something by an orphan beggar. I feel sick." He put his head back in his hands. I didn't know what to say.

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A/N: Sound familiar? This is where the plot thickens, I think. I've been deliberating whether or not to do this, and I think the decision has been made. Now, I'll be honest, I don't know Beauty and the Beast the movie very well, so I'm gonna have to wing it a bit. But hey, isn't that what all ff.net writers do, wing it? Do you see where I'm going with this whole thing? I happen to think it was pretty damn clever of me. There you go, Chibi Hime, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Jason's curse. Let's see if these dividers work.