Author's Note- Oh dear, what have I done. I've gone and started another
story. *shakes her head * I really should have learned by now. Oh well,
mebbe I'll finish this one, neh? YES I SHALL!!! Ahem. Anyways, here are a
few warnings for you all:
This story involves yaoi. (1x2, of course, and maybe 3x4 in later chapters,
I dunno) Yes, malexmale relationships. Got a problem with that? Don't read.
Feel like flaming me about? Don't waste your time, I don't listen to narrow-
minded idiots. Although if you'd care to flame me about the horrid-ness of
the story, feel free, I'm probably much more critical of myself than you
are. ^_^ Anyways, ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Disclaimer- I don't own any of the GW characters... come on, you think I could come up with characters THAT interesting/despicable? And I don't know who owns the original idea for Beauty and the Beast, but it certainly aint me! I DO own Sage though, (yea, I'm the sorceress. just had to get my cameo ^_^) considering she's me.
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A while ago, no one is really sure when, is when this story takes place. Somewhere no one remembers is where it occurred. And the people it occurred to? Well, let's just say most of them lived happily ever after. But now I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the beginning, shall we?
It all began one dark, stormy night. But don't most stories? I suppose, but this was a different dark stormy night. It had nothing to do with scary creatures coming to eat the hero. Well, it had to do with a Heero, but that's just a corny pun that we won't even get into for fear of angry critics pelting the author with rotten vegetables. Ahem. Anyways, on this certain dark, stormy night, an old beggar woman knocked on the doors of a very large and rather formidable looking castle. She huddled in her old cloak, shivering from the cold.
The doors opened, revealing a warm, cozy interior. The blonde servant that had answered the door glanced down at the old woman, and blinked a bit. "Excuse me, was it you who knocked?"
"Yes it was. I come to seek shelter from the storm.. may I take refuge here?" The old beggar woman glanced up at the servant, who flinched at her wretchedness, though did not turn her away.
"I'm sure you can, I'll just have to ask his highness, Prince Heero, first.." The servant bowed and hurried away, but not before inviting the woman to stand in the hall. She accepted, gratefully, and stood in the warmth of the castle.
"What is it?!" She heard a harsh voice yell from the adjoining room. A handsome young man strode in, his messy brown hair in his blue eyes. "What do you want?"
"As I said before, I merely request shelter from the storm.."
"No, I can't, I've too much work to do to accommodate guests!" The young man, presumably Prince Heero, crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry, but you cannot stay."
"I find it highly inhospitable not to allow me to remain.." The woman stood up a bit straighter, and some of her ugliness seemed to vanish in the firelight. "I only require lodging for one night, perhaps less if the storm stops.."
"You cannot stay." She was cut off again by the Prince with no emotions. She could tell, by the look in his eyes. "Quatre, take this woman away."
"Then you shall be doomed." The woman seemed to grow several inches, and immediately threw a coat of ugliness off her like a cloak. What appeared was a beautiful young woman with pointed ears, dressed in a tunic, leggings, a long brown cloak and a sword at her side. Her long brown hair fell in her face as she crossed her arms, glaring at Prince Heero.
"What.. what happened?" Even lacking any outward emotion, Heero could not conceal his shock. "Where did the old woman go. Who are you?!"
"There was no old woman." The pointed-eared one replied, a fire seeming to burn in her eyes. "That was I in disguise, testing you. You have not passed the test, therefore you shall be punished." Prince Heero did not seem frightened, he just braced himself, as if prepared for whatever she could throw at him.
"I am not afraid of what you plan on doing." His voice was cold. "I can withstand any torture you put forth." Quatre, on the other hand, was not too sure. He looked incredibly frightened, but put on a brave front.
"Your highness! Apologize, please! I do not wish you to be harmed.." Heero held up a hand, silencing his servant. Quatre gulped, but shut his mouth. Another servant ran quickly up, placing a hand on his shoulder. This one had hair that completely covered one eye, how he managed not to run into things was a wonder. But anyways, back to the story. (a/n- come on, this is supposed to be serious, damnit!)
"There is nothing that can save him now." Power crackled around the young woman's hands, which she raised and pointed at the cold Prince. "As you have acted to me, so shall you feel others act to you. You shall become as wretched looking as I was portrayed, a hideous beast. You shall remain that way until you can learn to feel your emotions, more importantly, to love." Power jumped from her hands to Heero, and he suddenly began convulsing in pain. He opened his mouth to scream, though no sound came out, and started to change.
His shirt ripped open, revealing skin covered in dark brown hair beneath. His entire body transformed to exactly what the young woman had said, a hideous beast. Prince Heero stared at his hands, no, paws in disbelief. "This. this can't be happening. to me.. NO!!"
"It is happening. It is all to real." The young woman turned with a swish of her cloak, and began to leave. "Remember what I said. you shall remain like that until you have learned to love, and earned that one's love in return. The punishment fits the crime." Stepping out the doors, she seemed to disappear into the night. Her words drifted back over the night breeze.. "Only then will you return to your true form. Or. is this the form you were meant to be? Only you can decide."
The beast that once was Prince Heero sat, huddled on the floor of the entryway of his castle. He stared at the ground, at his new body, absolutely repulsed with himself. This. this couldn't be real.. it wasn't happening. A glance to where his servants had previously been confirmed him it was all too real. "Quatre... Trowa? What has she done with you?"
"Made us invisible, it appears." Trowa replied his, abnormal hair not visible, along with the rest of him. (a/n- I'm sorry, you just CAN'T not mention the hair, no matter HOW serious the story..) "But we shall remain with you, until you are back to normal." Quatre nodded, but the realizing he couldn't be seen, he voiced his assurance. The two hurried off to inform the rest of the servants, who had also undergone the invisibility spell, but obviously had no idea why.
A few years later, in a town close by.
A young man with long, braided brown hair and bright amethyst eyes (a/n- I just noticed, a lot of the people I write about have amethyst eyes. all right, only two, but still.. o_O) whistled as he walked through town. His black attire offset his cheerful attitude, and his long braid swinging behind him made the whole picture odd, yet pleasant. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he stared in one of the shops, not really interested, but needing something to do.
"Hi Duo, what's up?" The braided man groaned, recognizing the voice as one of the only things that could ruin a good day for him. Relena, that greedy bitch that was after him because of Father Maxwell's authority.. What was with that girl?
"Hello." He returned her greeting with no real feeling, and continued on his way. He did have SOME shopping to do, they were running out of bread at home. Father Maxwell might have been one of the most looked up to men in town, but he was a bit absent minded. That was the problem with being taken in by a priest. Duo sighed, trying to ignore the ever-present leech behind him.
"How's it going? Are you shopping? Do you need some company? I could walk with you." Relena stepped up closer, implying that she wanted to do a bit more than keep him company. Duo stepped away, trying to keep as much space between them as possible without actually running away.
"No, actually, I'm fine." Why did Father Maxwell have to be so respected in town? If he wasn't, Duo would have no problems at all with Relena. Ugh. He groaned, entering the bakery and buying a loaf of bread as quickly as possible. Plunking down a few coins on the counter, he made his exit quickly and near-ran back to the church in which he lived. Relena was left behind, and remained staring after him.
"I'll find some way to get you Maxwell, some way..." She flipped her hair behind her and walked away, thinking up other ways to get his attention.
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Duo slammed the door behind him, praying he hadn't been followed. Kind of ironic, really, considering where he was. "Father Maxwell?" He called, striding through the main isle of the church. He passed the pews and opened a door at the very back of the chapel, which led to the small house in which he lived. Peering around to make sure Relena wasn't somehow following him, he slipped in the house, un-noticed. Setting the bread down on the table, he climbed up the flight of stairs that led to the small room that served as his quarters. Respect didn't have much money behind it. why couldn't that be enough to drive Relena off.
Duo sighed, collapsing on his bed. He knew she hated him as a person. was it really possible to be power-hungry enough to want to live with a person you hated for the rest of your life, just to gain respect and authority over others? It made Duo sick to his stomach just thinking about how a person could be like that. Sure, he had done some despicable things in his past as well. being raised on the streets and all, but that was out of necessity.
Running a hand through his bangs, the long-haired young man started thinking absently. He called himself death, though he almost lived in a church. Chuckling darkly, he shook his head. Shinigami... that was what he was, what he believed in. He'd seen people die. oh, so many people die. that was real. Death was real. everyone who seemed to get involved with him found that out. But. but he had never seen a miracle. how could he believe in that besides what Father Maxwell told him? His own best friend had died in his arms. where was the miracle in that.
Thinking these morose thoughts, Duo eventually drifted off to sleep. A few hours later, the sound of a knock on his door awoke him. "Hm?" He muttered, not quite awake yet. He opened one eye, and glanced at the door. Someone knocked on it again. "Come in." He sat up, yawning. Father Maxwell opened the door, but did not come in.
"Hello Duo, I've just come to tell you I shall be gone for tonight.." Duo stood up at this.
"Huh? Why? Is something wrong?" His suspicions immediately leapt to the worst.. what was wrong..
"Nothing, nothing is wrong." Father Maxwell held his hands up, trying to calm the young man down. "I have just been called to the next town over to give a child my blessing, that's all. I shall return tomorrow, don't worry."
"Oh. well, all right. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" The holy man nodded. "Well, good night Father Maxwell."
"Good night Duo." He left, shutting the door softly behind him. Duo heard the sound of the door opening and closing downstairs, and sighed. He had the house to himself for the night..
"Good then." He collapsed into his mattress again. "Then I can go to sleep and not wake up till noon." He pulled off his clothes, and tugged on his pajamas. Going downstairs, he started thinking again. To call someone from the next town over merely to have a child blessed.. What exactly was the point? He shook his head, clearing away such thoughts. Who was he to judge beliefs? He fixed himself a quick supper, and ate in silence. After finishing, he locked the door and climbed back up to his room. You can never get enough sleep. He grinned as he shut his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAM BAM BAM.
"Uhn." Duo opened his eyes blearily, not quite comprehending what he was hearing. there it was again. sounded like someone knocking on the door. "What gives." Duo sat up, glancing around tiredly. Light streamed through the windows, it had to be morning. early morning. So much for his sleeping 'til noon plan.
BAM BAM BAM.
"All right, ALL RIGHT!!!" Duo yelled downstairs. "I'll be there in a minute!" He tumbled out of bed rather un-gracefully, tugging off the shirt of his pajamas as he went. Eventually, after much yawning, he was dressed and downstairs in front of the door. Glad he had forgotten to take his hair out of its braid the previous night, he peered through the curtains covering the small window on the door.
He groaned, all thoughts of sleepiness lost in sheer frustration. Damn that girl, why couldn't she just leave him alone? Sure enough, Relena was standing outside, entirely too cheerful for this early in the morning. Unlocking the door, he opened it slightly. "Yes?"
"Good morning Duo!" Ugh, even her voice was phony. Why couldn't she go bug someone else. "I thought I'd come and visit you on such a fine day! May I come in?"
"Uhm, well.." He was cut off by the annoying woman shoving the door open and striding in. So much for politeness.
"Thank you! It's really quite warm out there, do you have anything to drink?" She plopped herself down at the kitchen table, not waiting for an invitation. Well, she hadn't before, so what had he expected?
"No, actually, I don't." This didn't seem to deter her though.
"Oh, that's all right. Anyway, I came to talk to you about something.." Relena placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Duo remained standing, not caring how awkward it made him look. Anything to keep him far away from that. that thing. She hated him personally, couldn't she fine someone else with authority? Shimata. Duo thought, shaking his head. Relena looked at him quizzically, but kept going. "Have you ever considered marriage?"
"M-me?" Duo was shocked, she usually wasn't quite this blunt. Hell, she had never gone far enough to talk about marriage. "N-no. not really.." Slowly, he started edging away, but it was too late, she had already gotten up and was at his side.
"Really? Even with.." She looked up at him through lowered lashes, and Duo had to make an effort not to be sick. "Me around?"
"Really, yea, the thought never even crossed my mind..." Duo slipped away, trying to put at least ten feet between himself and the leech. She was not to be thrown off quite so easily though, and was quickly glued to his side once again.
"Well, if I were you, I think I would reconsider. I'm considering making an offer, one that you more than likely won't get equaled by anyone." Relena tried to wrap an arm around his waist, but Duo wasn't about to let her come anywhere near touching him. He leaped away again, dashing to the door.
"Really, I'm QUITE fine by myself, and I really don't think I'll even be considering marriage for some time, if ever.. you know, I do have some things to do, so if that was all?" He opened the door, gesturing for her to leave. "I really should get things done before Father Maxwell returns."
"Oh, he's gone?" Relena inquired mildly, obviously not interested. "I saw a note from him on the front door.. I suppose he wrote it before he left?"
Duo was about to ask her what on earth she was talking about, but figured it just might be another plot for her to spend time with him. He considered lying, but that went against his morals. He decided just to skip the whole subject entirely. "Well, look at the time! I really do need to get busy, so why don't you go, and we can, uh, talk later?" Relena smiled, taking the comment entirely the wrong way.
"Of course, Duo. I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to. talk." She strode out the door, making an extra effort to be sure Duo noticed exactly what she thought he meant. Duo groaned inwardly, and shut the door behind her. He peeked through the curtains, waiting until she was far out of sight before opening the door again.
"Geez, how can I get it through her head that I hate her." He glanced over at the doorframe, wondering if her comment about a note had been true. Sure enough, a piece of paper had been stuck there, and had a note scribbled on it in Father Maxwell's neat hand. Duo snatched the note and held it before his eyes, reading it aloud. "Duo, I've been detained by certain circumstances, and fear I shall not be coming back. Please, don't come after me, and let the town know so they can appoint a new priest. I shall miss you. -Father Maxwell."
"Not come after you? Like hell I won't!" Duo crumpled the note and shoved it in his pocket, running inside quickly to grab a cloak. He hastily wrote a note and stuck it on the front door for Sister Helen to read when she came to pay a visit, and hurried out towards the forest that surrounded the town.
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"Ugh, I'm beginning to think this was reeeeally stupid of me.." Duo muttered to himself, pulling his cloak tighter about himself for protection against the cold. He had been wandering out here for hours, and the temperature was rapidly dropping. After a few hopeless attempts to remember the way home, he found he was lost. "Damnit." The longhaired young man strode on, knowing better than to stop moving for long in this bitter cold. A flake of snow struck him in the face, and he cursed. There was no way he could survive a snowstorm out here all night.
"Gotta... find. shelter." The cold was sinking in to his bones, making it difficult to move. Rubbing his hands along his arms to keep the circulation going, Duo made his way forward, never stopping, never resting. As he was beginning to lose hope, he caught glimpse of a dark shape up ahead. a building, perhaps? Yea, had to be. He increased his pace a bit, ignoring his tired muscles' protest. The shape grew cleared, and he was soon quite certain it was a building, quite a large one at that.
No, not just a large building. this was a castle! "What the.. There are castles out here?!" Duo shook his head. Now was not the time to be questioning his eyes. Castles usually had rich people inside, and rich people usually had nice, warm rooms. Surely, they'd let him thaw out at least. Surely.. He staggered on, eventually coming to the front gates. Raising a hand, he banged on the iron. "HELLO!!" He called, his voice not carrying far over the snow. "IS ANYONE IN THERE?!? HE.." He stopped mid- shout as the gate swung open.
"Ooook.." Again, this was not the time to question things. He hurried forward, trying to make it to the front doors before he collapsed from exhaustion. Using the last of his strength, he pounded on the hard oaken doors, hoping with all his might someone was at home. Again, no one answered, but one of the doors swung open, as if merely by his pounding. Duo didn't bother wondering this time, he just dragged himself inside and collapsed on the floor. He was vaguely aware of the door slamming behind him before everything went black.
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Heero stopped in the hallway during one of his castle prowls. Nothing could stop him usually, his mind so bent on finding a way to change himself back to normal, but this was different. There, in his hallway, was the most beautiful creature Heero had ever seen. He was lying on the floor, passed out, and wet, covered in melting snow, but that did nothing to dim his beauty. A long, chestnut braid fell down his back, and bangs surrounded his heart-shaped face. He looked so perfect that Heero was afraid it was all a dream. No, it couldn't be, he never had dreams. "Quatre! Trowa!" He yelled, snapping out of his daze.
"Yes, highness?" The two invisible servants inquired, standing at his side.
"Get this man warmed up, and put him in one of the guest rooms." Heero was shocked by what he was saying. He didn't care about people enough to do things like this. what was wrong? But somehow. somehow this beautiful stranger had captured his heart just by being there. "Now, please."
The servants' puzzled looks went un-noticed by Heero, considering he couldn't see them, but they carried out his orders as requested. The beast- prince himself stalked back to his rooms, wondering at this change that was coming over him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo sighed, feeling better than he had in a while. He was in a bed, an extremely soft and warm bed at that, and he was enjoying the feeling. Wait. that couldn't be. the last thing he remembered.. was. being lost in the snow. "What?!" The braided man exclaimed, sitting straight up. Sure enough, he was in a bed, covered with warm blankets. Not only that, but he was in a room decorated with such finery that it made him gape. Getting up, he noticed he was dressed in a long shirt, and that his own clothes were folded on a chair nearby.
"What the hell..." He quickly got back in his own clothes, noticing they had been washed and ironed. Then it started coming back. he had found a castle.. the door was open, he had collapsed inside.. That was it then. "Wow, I must have found one hospitable castle.." But along with that knowledge came the memory of why Duo had been in the forest in the first place. "Father Maxwell!" He shouted, dashing out of the room. His long braid flew behind him as he tore through the halls, trying to find someone. He could ask.. maybe someone knew what had happened.. "Father Maxwell!" He shouted again, rushing down a spiral staircase which led to a rather cold, dimly light room.
"Duo?" Came the soft response. "Duo, is that.. you?" The voice was weak, and appeared to be coming from a room who's door was covered in bars. Duo gulped. This was the dungeon..
"Father Maxwell!" He exclaimed softly, rushing to the cell. "How did you get in here? What happened?"
"Duo, I told you not to come after me. I.." Father Maxwell paused to cough, the sound echoing through the cold dungeon. "I specifically told you.. did my note not come..? But he said he'd get it delivered."
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold it.. Yes, I got your note.. he who? Who's got you trapped here? What happened?!"
"I.." Duo saw Father Maxwell's eyes grow round through the bars. "Duo, you need to get out of here, now! I don't want him trapping you here too! Go, now! Duo!"
"Like hell I'm leaving! I'll find someway to get you out of here, just hold on for a second." Deftly, Duo pulled two lock picks from his braid, where he kept them hidden at all times. Sure, he had left his thief days on the street when Father Maxwell had taken him in, but you could never be too prepared. He quickly set to work on the cell's lock, muttering as he did so. "Now, who's got you trapped here.. ah ha!" The latch clicked open, and the door swung outwards. "Who put you in here?"
Father Maxwell made his way out of the cell, looking very frightened indeed. "It was the master here, Duo.. I.. I trespassed, I didn't do so on purpose, a storm just came up and I.. I'm afraid I wrecked a few things while I was looking through the castle for the owner.. I was put here."
"Yea, and? Why did you stop? What's the matt.." Duo turned and immediately saw the reason Father Maxwell had cut off his story. A young man was standing behind him.. No, that was no young man. sure, it had a man's eyes. but there was no way it could be human.. It was covered in fur, for one thing, and it was tall, very tall. Huge, sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, and its feet were definitely paws. Duo gulped and took an involuntary step backwards. "What. what do you want?! Who are you??" He stepped in front of Father Maxwell, making sure he wouldn't get hurt.
"I." Somehow, it spoke with the voice of a young man as well. "I am the master of this castle. This man is my prisoner, why have you released him?" Duo could tell this.. thing wasn't exactly thrilled with his little rescue stunt.
"Father Maxwell is needed at our town! He hasn't done anything atrocious, has he?" It was more a statement than a question. "Can't you let him go? He. he needs to be back at home."
"He trespassed, and destroyed many things here." This beast obviously wasn't going to let Father Maxwell go easily. "He is my prisoner, he shall remain here."
"But you can't." Suddenly, an idea dawned upon Duo. It was reckless, stupid even, but it just might save a life that mattered much more than his own. "If you let him go, I'll stay in his place."
The beast seemed taken aback at this, and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Duo could now see that they were deep blue, and definitely human. Something was very strange here. "You would take his place..?"
"Yes. Will you let him go?"
"Duo, no, I'm not worth it.."
"I shall release him. but you must remain. With me. Forever." Duo gulped again, but looked the beast straight in his human eyes.
"You have my word. I may run and hide, but I never tell I lie. I'll stay in Father Maxwell's place."
"Duo, please, no, reconsider, you've got a life yet to live.." Duo held up his hand, silencing the priest.
"I'm staying. Please, Father Maxwell, you're needed more than I am back at town. You've been like a real father to me, and I thank you for all that you've done. Now, I'm trying to repay all your kindness. please accept." The priest looked rather sad, but nodded his head slowly.
"Yes Duo. What shall I tell. everyone?"
"I'm not sure. Try and think up something that won't make me sound to horrible, all right?" Duo grinned, trying to keep up a cheerful air, but failed. He sighed. "Good-bye, and thank you."
"A carriage shall await you outside." The beast said gruffly. "It'll take you home." Father Maxwell nodded again, and clasped Duo's hand in his own.
"Good-bye, Duo." With that, he turned and left, though Duo could see it pained him greatly to do so. Sighing again, he sat down on the stone floor.
"Follow me." The beast's voice shocked him.
"Huh? I thought.."
"Well you thought wrong. Follow me. I'll take you to your room" Duo just shrugged and got up, falling into line a few paces behind the beast. "The. the castle is now your home. You can go anywhere you please. If you need anything, my servants will attend to you."
"Oh, thank you." Duo, usually quite a chatter-box, was silent for once. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. Based on appearance, he thought the beast would be cold and cruel, but here he was, giving him free access to everything, including servants! Duo shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. They walked on for a few moments in silence.
"So.." Every time the beast spoke, he was hesitant, as if not used to making conversation. Probably not, being a beast. Duo thought bitterly. "Why did you do it? Stay here, in his place, I mean."
Duo was startled by the question. "Why?" He bowed his head, considering. "Well, he had more reason to.. to be free than I." He was going to say live, but he wasn't exactly sure how the beast would take that, and he definitely wasn't about to take a chance at insulting his new host. "He's our village's priest, and everyone looks up to him. Me? Who's gonna miss me?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm just the ex-street-rat that Father Maxwell took in out of pity." He toyed with the lock picks that were still in his hand. "People probably still consider me a thief, but don't dare say so out of respect for Father Maxwell. I just figure it won't matter if I'm gone."
The beast seemed to let this sink in, and didn't reply. Duo, feeling boldened, decided that his host needed a name. "So. do you have a name?"
"What.. a name?" Now it was the beast's turn to be startled. "Oh yea. Heero."
"Heero." Duo repeated, lodging the name in his memory. "So, Heero, what's the deal with you? How did a." he considered saying beast, but he wasn't feeling quite that bold. "I mean, how is it you came by such a nice castle and all?"
Heero stiffened at this, and his voice definitely took on a steely tone. "That need not be discussed at this point in time." He stopped in front of a set of ornate doors. "This is your room. Again, if you need anything, just call for a servant." He tugged open on of the doors, and Duo entered hesitantly. As soon as he was inside, Heero rushed off, hunched over as if ashamed about something. Duo watched him go, shrugged, and walked over to collapse on his new bed.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into.." He muttered, rolling over on his back. "At least Father Maxwell is safe now." He ran his hands over his face. "That description more than likely doesn't apply to myself now though.." Although, the bea, Heero had only seemed particularly cold when the topic of his past had been brought up. "Huh."
Glancing over at the nightstand, Duo caught sight of silken pajamas folded neatly on top of the oaken furniture. Blinking a bit, he stuck out a hand to confirm his suspicions. Yup, definitely silk. He whistled in appreciation. You HAD to be rich to be able to clothe your prisoners in silk. Still, running his hand over the delicate material, he just couldn't seem himself wearing something so fine.
"No way." Shaking his head, he tugged off his clothes, remaining in only his boxers. Climbing under the covers, he noticed they were silk as well. "Geez, talk about wealthy.." Wondering again just how Heero had managed to come across such riches, Duo drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
"What the hell is the matter with me?!" Heero shouted, driving a fist into the wall of his long-since-trashed room. He tugged his hand-no, paw- away revealing a large hole. It didn't matter, the room was already decorated with several such holes. Although none of the previous had been made by the emotion that was demanding itself to be known to him now.
"What the hell is that matter with me.." He repeated, though much quieter. He ran a paw through his hair, sighing deeply. Duo was.. was supposed to be his prisoner, wasn't he? Then why had Heero gone to such measures to supply the young man with such finery? He had personally made sure that everything at his disposal was of the finest quality. Why?
Then he remembered how he felt when he first laid eyes on Duo. He had dismissed the feeling at first, trying to ignore it. But now, he felt himself being drawn by it to the room he had personally led Duo to. Halfway there, he finally realized where he was going, and stopped dead. "What am I doing?!"
However, that feeling would not be denied. His feet, as though they had minds of their own, continuously moved forward, carrying him towards Duo's room. They didn't stop until he was at the door. He watched in wonder as one of his paws-hands, they were hands, under it all..- reached to push the door open slightly. Peeking in, he nearly fainted at the sight he saw.
There, on the bed, lay pure perfection. Duo was wearing no shirt, apparently he had turned down the clothes provided. He had also kicked off the silken sheets, revealing his muscular torso. His hair had come loose from his braid while he slept, it appeared: it lay around him like a chestnut curtain. His arms lay loosely above his head, giving him the look of total relaxation. His face, no longer hardened by determination, was the most beautiful face Heero had ever laid eyes on.
The beast-prince sighed deeply. So that's what the emotion was. He had fallen in love with his prisoner. No, Duo was not his prisoner. Duo was his guest. (a/n- no, that was NOT intended as a pun based on the Disney movie, I SWEAR!! PLEASE don't throw things at me!) Not wanting to disturb the object of his affections, he turned and made as if to leave, but doing so, he brushed against the door, causing it to creak. Hearing movement from Duo's direction, Heero tore down the hall, all the way back to his quarters and slammed the door, breathing heavily. This emotion was strange, it had made him want to remain, to be with his guest. He thought back to the night of his transformation. Was this really the love the woman had spoken of? No, he thought bitterly. It wouldn't work anyway, who could ever love me. (a/n- yea, now you know, it was all just a clever plot to get Heero and Duo together, mwa ha ha ^_^)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo sat up blearily, blinking a bit. Where am I. he wondered a bit before his memory came back in a rush. Oh yea, castle. Prisoner, right. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes, then noticed the door was open a crack. Odd, I could have sworn I shut it. Ah well. Clambering out of the ornate bed, he began to close it, but was met with resistance.
"Excuse me Master Duo, but may I come in?" Duo glanced around rapidly, trying to determine where exactly the voice had come from.
"Uh, sure.." While trying to determine the exact location of his guest, the title he had been given sank in. Master? Wow, he really wasn't kidding about the servant thing. Finally getting fed up with his search, he decided to ask straight out. "Ok, where, exactly, are you?"
"Oh, I apologize." The voice was now behind him, and Duo quickly spun around. Still seeing no one, he blinked a few times. "You see, I am not exactly visible at the current time. nor any other time, really, at least not until.. Never mind. I just came to see if you required anything?"
"Yea, a brief bout with reality.." Duo muttered, rubbing his face again. "Sorry if this sounds rude, but who are you and why can't I see you?"
"I am Quatre, and as of now, your personal servant."
Author's Note- Well, how was it? So far, two people have bugged me to post this thing, so I figured why not. Bah. If you like it, please do tell me, I need some inspiration to continue the thing ^_^ Oh yes, none of the other chapters should be NEARLY this long. The only reason this is so lengthy is because I wasn't planning on posting it anywhere and just make it one long, chapter-less issue, but, like I said, I've been told to post it by two people, and I couldn't find a better spot to put the chapter break anyways. Huzza.
Disclaimer- I don't own any of the GW characters... come on, you think I could come up with characters THAT interesting/despicable? And I don't know who owns the original idea for Beauty and the Beast, but it certainly aint me! I DO own Sage though, (yea, I'm the sorceress. just had to get my cameo ^_^) considering she's me.
~~~~~~~~~~
A while ago, no one is really sure when, is when this story takes place. Somewhere no one remembers is where it occurred. And the people it occurred to? Well, let's just say most of them lived happily ever after. But now I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start at the beginning, shall we?
It all began one dark, stormy night. But don't most stories? I suppose, but this was a different dark stormy night. It had nothing to do with scary creatures coming to eat the hero. Well, it had to do with a Heero, but that's just a corny pun that we won't even get into for fear of angry critics pelting the author with rotten vegetables. Ahem. Anyways, on this certain dark, stormy night, an old beggar woman knocked on the doors of a very large and rather formidable looking castle. She huddled in her old cloak, shivering from the cold.
The doors opened, revealing a warm, cozy interior. The blonde servant that had answered the door glanced down at the old woman, and blinked a bit. "Excuse me, was it you who knocked?"
"Yes it was. I come to seek shelter from the storm.. may I take refuge here?" The old beggar woman glanced up at the servant, who flinched at her wretchedness, though did not turn her away.
"I'm sure you can, I'll just have to ask his highness, Prince Heero, first.." The servant bowed and hurried away, but not before inviting the woman to stand in the hall. She accepted, gratefully, and stood in the warmth of the castle.
"What is it?!" She heard a harsh voice yell from the adjoining room. A handsome young man strode in, his messy brown hair in his blue eyes. "What do you want?"
"As I said before, I merely request shelter from the storm.."
"No, I can't, I've too much work to do to accommodate guests!" The young man, presumably Prince Heero, crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry, but you cannot stay."
"I find it highly inhospitable not to allow me to remain.." The woman stood up a bit straighter, and some of her ugliness seemed to vanish in the firelight. "I only require lodging for one night, perhaps less if the storm stops.."
"You cannot stay." She was cut off again by the Prince with no emotions. She could tell, by the look in his eyes. "Quatre, take this woman away."
"Then you shall be doomed." The woman seemed to grow several inches, and immediately threw a coat of ugliness off her like a cloak. What appeared was a beautiful young woman with pointed ears, dressed in a tunic, leggings, a long brown cloak and a sword at her side. Her long brown hair fell in her face as she crossed her arms, glaring at Prince Heero.
"What.. what happened?" Even lacking any outward emotion, Heero could not conceal his shock. "Where did the old woman go. Who are you?!"
"There was no old woman." The pointed-eared one replied, a fire seeming to burn in her eyes. "That was I in disguise, testing you. You have not passed the test, therefore you shall be punished." Prince Heero did not seem frightened, he just braced himself, as if prepared for whatever she could throw at him.
"I am not afraid of what you plan on doing." His voice was cold. "I can withstand any torture you put forth." Quatre, on the other hand, was not too sure. He looked incredibly frightened, but put on a brave front.
"Your highness! Apologize, please! I do not wish you to be harmed.." Heero held up a hand, silencing his servant. Quatre gulped, but shut his mouth. Another servant ran quickly up, placing a hand on his shoulder. This one had hair that completely covered one eye, how he managed not to run into things was a wonder. But anyways, back to the story. (a/n- come on, this is supposed to be serious, damnit!)
"There is nothing that can save him now." Power crackled around the young woman's hands, which she raised and pointed at the cold Prince. "As you have acted to me, so shall you feel others act to you. You shall become as wretched looking as I was portrayed, a hideous beast. You shall remain that way until you can learn to feel your emotions, more importantly, to love." Power jumped from her hands to Heero, and he suddenly began convulsing in pain. He opened his mouth to scream, though no sound came out, and started to change.
His shirt ripped open, revealing skin covered in dark brown hair beneath. His entire body transformed to exactly what the young woman had said, a hideous beast. Prince Heero stared at his hands, no, paws in disbelief. "This. this can't be happening. to me.. NO!!"
"It is happening. It is all to real." The young woman turned with a swish of her cloak, and began to leave. "Remember what I said. you shall remain like that until you have learned to love, and earned that one's love in return. The punishment fits the crime." Stepping out the doors, she seemed to disappear into the night. Her words drifted back over the night breeze.. "Only then will you return to your true form. Or. is this the form you were meant to be? Only you can decide."
The beast that once was Prince Heero sat, huddled on the floor of the entryway of his castle. He stared at the ground, at his new body, absolutely repulsed with himself. This. this couldn't be real.. it wasn't happening. A glance to where his servants had previously been confirmed him it was all too real. "Quatre... Trowa? What has she done with you?"
"Made us invisible, it appears." Trowa replied his, abnormal hair not visible, along with the rest of him. (a/n- I'm sorry, you just CAN'T not mention the hair, no matter HOW serious the story..) "But we shall remain with you, until you are back to normal." Quatre nodded, but the realizing he couldn't be seen, he voiced his assurance. The two hurried off to inform the rest of the servants, who had also undergone the invisibility spell, but obviously had no idea why.
A few years later, in a town close by.
A young man with long, braided brown hair and bright amethyst eyes (a/n- I just noticed, a lot of the people I write about have amethyst eyes. all right, only two, but still.. o_O) whistled as he walked through town. His black attire offset his cheerful attitude, and his long braid swinging behind him made the whole picture odd, yet pleasant. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he stared in one of the shops, not really interested, but needing something to do.
"Hi Duo, what's up?" The braided man groaned, recognizing the voice as one of the only things that could ruin a good day for him. Relena, that greedy bitch that was after him because of Father Maxwell's authority.. What was with that girl?
"Hello." He returned her greeting with no real feeling, and continued on his way. He did have SOME shopping to do, they were running out of bread at home. Father Maxwell might have been one of the most looked up to men in town, but he was a bit absent minded. That was the problem with being taken in by a priest. Duo sighed, trying to ignore the ever-present leech behind him.
"How's it going? Are you shopping? Do you need some company? I could walk with you." Relena stepped up closer, implying that she wanted to do a bit more than keep him company. Duo stepped away, trying to keep as much space between them as possible without actually running away.
"No, actually, I'm fine." Why did Father Maxwell have to be so respected in town? If he wasn't, Duo would have no problems at all with Relena. Ugh. He groaned, entering the bakery and buying a loaf of bread as quickly as possible. Plunking down a few coins on the counter, he made his exit quickly and near-ran back to the church in which he lived. Relena was left behind, and remained staring after him.
"I'll find some way to get you Maxwell, some way..." She flipped her hair behind her and walked away, thinking up other ways to get his attention.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo slammed the door behind him, praying he hadn't been followed. Kind of ironic, really, considering where he was. "Father Maxwell?" He called, striding through the main isle of the church. He passed the pews and opened a door at the very back of the chapel, which led to the small house in which he lived. Peering around to make sure Relena wasn't somehow following him, he slipped in the house, un-noticed. Setting the bread down on the table, he climbed up the flight of stairs that led to the small room that served as his quarters. Respect didn't have much money behind it. why couldn't that be enough to drive Relena off.
Duo sighed, collapsing on his bed. He knew she hated him as a person. was it really possible to be power-hungry enough to want to live with a person you hated for the rest of your life, just to gain respect and authority over others? It made Duo sick to his stomach just thinking about how a person could be like that. Sure, he had done some despicable things in his past as well. being raised on the streets and all, but that was out of necessity.
Running a hand through his bangs, the long-haired young man started thinking absently. He called himself death, though he almost lived in a church. Chuckling darkly, he shook his head. Shinigami... that was what he was, what he believed in. He'd seen people die. oh, so many people die. that was real. Death was real. everyone who seemed to get involved with him found that out. But. but he had never seen a miracle. how could he believe in that besides what Father Maxwell told him? His own best friend had died in his arms. where was the miracle in that.
Thinking these morose thoughts, Duo eventually drifted off to sleep. A few hours later, the sound of a knock on his door awoke him. "Hm?" He muttered, not quite awake yet. He opened one eye, and glanced at the door. Someone knocked on it again. "Come in." He sat up, yawning. Father Maxwell opened the door, but did not come in.
"Hello Duo, I've just come to tell you I shall be gone for tonight.." Duo stood up at this.
"Huh? Why? Is something wrong?" His suspicions immediately leapt to the worst.. what was wrong..
"Nothing, nothing is wrong." Father Maxwell held his hands up, trying to calm the young man down. "I have just been called to the next town over to give a child my blessing, that's all. I shall return tomorrow, don't worry."
"Oh. well, all right. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" The holy man nodded. "Well, good night Father Maxwell."
"Good night Duo." He left, shutting the door softly behind him. Duo heard the sound of the door opening and closing downstairs, and sighed. He had the house to himself for the night..
"Good then." He collapsed into his mattress again. "Then I can go to sleep and not wake up till noon." He pulled off his clothes, and tugged on his pajamas. Going downstairs, he started thinking again. To call someone from the next town over merely to have a child blessed.. What exactly was the point? He shook his head, clearing away such thoughts. Who was he to judge beliefs? He fixed himself a quick supper, and ate in silence. After finishing, he locked the door and climbed back up to his room. You can never get enough sleep. He grinned as he shut his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAM BAM BAM.
"Uhn." Duo opened his eyes blearily, not quite comprehending what he was hearing. there it was again. sounded like someone knocking on the door. "What gives." Duo sat up, glancing around tiredly. Light streamed through the windows, it had to be morning. early morning. So much for his sleeping 'til noon plan.
BAM BAM BAM.
"All right, ALL RIGHT!!!" Duo yelled downstairs. "I'll be there in a minute!" He tumbled out of bed rather un-gracefully, tugging off the shirt of his pajamas as he went. Eventually, after much yawning, he was dressed and downstairs in front of the door. Glad he had forgotten to take his hair out of its braid the previous night, he peered through the curtains covering the small window on the door.
He groaned, all thoughts of sleepiness lost in sheer frustration. Damn that girl, why couldn't she just leave him alone? Sure enough, Relena was standing outside, entirely too cheerful for this early in the morning. Unlocking the door, he opened it slightly. "Yes?"
"Good morning Duo!" Ugh, even her voice was phony. Why couldn't she go bug someone else. "I thought I'd come and visit you on such a fine day! May I come in?"
"Uhm, well.." He was cut off by the annoying woman shoving the door open and striding in. So much for politeness.
"Thank you! It's really quite warm out there, do you have anything to drink?" She plopped herself down at the kitchen table, not waiting for an invitation. Well, she hadn't before, so what had he expected?
"No, actually, I don't." This didn't seem to deter her though.
"Oh, that's all right. Anyway, I came to talk to you about something.." Relena placed her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Duo remained standing, not caring how awkward it made him look. Anything to keep him far away from that. that thing. She hated him personally, couldn't she fine someone else with authority? Shimata. Duo thought, shaking his head. Relena looked at him quizzically, but kept going. "Have you ever considered marriage?"
"M-me?" Duo was shocked, she usually wasn't quite this blunt. Hell, she had never gone far enough to talk about marriage. "N-no. not really.." Slowly, he started edging away, but it was too late, she had already gotten up and was at his side.
"Really? Even with.." She looked up at him through lowered lashes, and Duo had to make an effort not to be sick. "Me around?"
"Really, yea, the thought never even crossed my mind..." Duo slipped away, trying to put at least ten feet between himself and the leech. She was not to be thrown off quite so easily though, and was quickly glued to his side once again.
"Well, if I were you, I think I would reconsider. I'm considering making an offer, one that you more than likely won't get equaled by anyone." Relena tried to wrap an arm around his waist, but Duo wasn't about to let her come anywhere near touching him. He leaped away again, dashing to the door.
"Really, I'm QUITE fine by myself, and I really don't think I'll even be considering marriage for some time, if ever.. you know, I do have some things to do, so if that was all?" He opened the door, gesturing for her to leave. "I really should get things done before Father Maxwell returns."
"Oh, he's gone?" Relena inquired mildly, obviously not interested. "I saw a note from him on the front door.. I suppose he wrote it before he left?"
Duo was about to ask her what on earth she was talking about, but figured it just might be another plot for her to spend time with him. He considered lying, but that went against his morals. He decided just to skip the whole subject entirely. "Well, look at the time! I really do need to get busy, so why don't you go, and we can, uh, talk later?" Relena smiled, taking the comment entirely the wrong way.
"Of course, Duo. I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to. talk." She strode out the door, making an extra effort to be sure Duo noticed exactly what she thought he meant. Duo groaned inwardly, and shut the door behind her. He peeked through the curtains, waiting until she was far out of sight before opening the door again.
"Geez, how can I get it through her head that I hate her." He glanced over at the doorframe, wondering if her comment about a note had been true. Sure enough, a piece of paper had been stuck there, and had a note scribbled on it in Father Maxwell's neat hand. Duo snatched the note and held it before his eyes, reading it aloud. "Duo, I've been detained by certain circumstances, and fear I shall not be coming back. Please, don't come after me, and let the town know so they can appoint a new priest. I shall miss you. -Father Maxwell."
"Not come after you? Like hell I won't!" Duo crumpled the note and shoved it in his pocket, running inside quickly to grab a cloak. He hastily wrote a note and stuck it on the front door for Sister Helen to read when she came to pay a visit, and hurried out towards the forest that surrounded the town.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ugh, I'm beginning to think this was reeeeally stupid of me.." Duo muttered to himself, pulling his cloak tighter about himself for protection against the cold. He had been wandering out here for hours, and the temperature was rapidly dropping. After a few hopeless attempts to remember the way home, he found he was lost. "Damnit." The longhaired young man strode on, knowing better than to stop moving for long in this bitter cold. A flake of snow struck him in the face, and he cursed. There was no way he could survive a snowstorm out here all night.
"Gotta... find. shelter." The cold was sinking in to his bones, making it difficult to move. Rubbing his hands along his arms to keep the circulation going, Duo made his way forward, never stopping, never resting. As he was beginning to lose hope, he caught glimpse of a dark shape up ahead. a building, perhaps? Yea, had to be. He increased his pace a bit, ignoring his tired muscles' protest. The shape grew cleared, and he was soon quite certain it was a building, quite a large one at that.
No, not just a large building. this was a castle! "What the.. There are castles out here?!" Duo shook his head. Now was not the time to be questioning his eyes. Castles usually had rich people inside, and rich people usually had nice, warm rooms. Surely, they'd let him thaw out at least. Surely.. He staggered on, eventually coming to the front gates. Raising a hand, he banged on the iron. "HELLO!!" He called, his voice not carrying far over the snow. "IS ANYONE IN THERE?!? HE.." He stopped mid- shout as the gate swung open.
"Ooook.." Again, this was not the time to question things. He hurried forward, trying to make it to the front doors before he collapsed from exhaustion. Using the last of his strength, he pounded on the hard oaken doors, hoping with all his might someone was at home. Again, no one answered, but one of the doors swung open, as if merely by his pounding. Duo didn't bother wondering this time, he just dragged himself inside and collapsed on the floor. He was vaguely aware of the door slamming behind him before everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heero stopped in the hallway during one of his castle prowls. Nothing could stop him usually, his mind so bent on finding a way to change himself back to normal, but this was different. There, in his hallway, was the most beautiful creature Heero had ever seen. He was lying on the floor, passed out, and wet, covered in melting snow, but that did nothing to dim his beauty. A long, chestnut braid fell down his back, and bangs surrounded his heart-shaped face. He looked so perfect that Heero was afraid it was all a dream. No, it couldn't be, he never had dreams. "Quatre! Trowa!" He yelled, snapping out of his daze.
"Yes, highness?" The two invisible servants inquired, standing at his side.
"Get this man warmed up, and put him in one of the guest rooms." Heero was shocked by what he was saying. He didn't care about people enough to do things like this. what was wrong? But somehow. somehow this beautiful stranger had captured his heart just by being there. "Now, please."
The servants' puzzled looks went un-noticed by Heero, considering he couldn't see them, but they carried out his orders as requested. The beast- prince himself stalked back to his rooms, wondering at this change that was coming over him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo sighed, feeling better than he had in a while. He was in a bed, an extremely soft and warm bed at that, and he was enjoying the feeling. Wait. that couldn't be. the last thing he remembered.. was. being lost in the snow. "What?!" The braided man exclaimed, sitting straight up. Sure enough, he was in a bed, covered with warm blankets. Not only that, but he was in a room decorated with such finery that it made him gape. Getting up, he noticed he was dressed in a long shirt, and that his own clothes were folded on a chair nearby.
"What the hell..." He quickly got back in his own clothes, noticing they had been washed and ironed. Then it started coming back. he had found a castle.. the door was open, he had collapsed inside.. That was it then. "Wow, I must have found one hospitable castle.." But along with that knowledge came the memory of why Duo had been in the forest in the first place. "Father Maxwell!" He shouted, dashing out of the room. His long braid flew behind him as he tore through the halls, trying to find someone. He could ask.. maybe someone knew what had happened.. "Father Maxwell!" He shouted again, rushing down a spiral staircase which led to a rather cold, dimly light room.
"Duo?" Came the soft response. "Duo, is that.. you?" The voice was weak, and appeared to be coming from a room who's door was covered in bars. Duo gulped. This was the dungeon..
"Father Maxwell!" He exclaimed softly, rushing to the cell. "How did you get in here? What happened?"
"Duo, I told you not to come after me. I.." Father Maxwell paused to cough, the sound echoing through the cold dungeon. "I specifically told you.. did my note not come..? But he said he'd get it delivered."
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold it.. Yes, I got your note.. he who? Who's got you trapped here? What happened?!"
"I.." Duo saw Father Maxwell's eyes grow round through the bars. "Duo, you need to get out of here, now! I don't want him trapping you here too! Go, now! Duo!"
"Like hell I'm leaving! I'll find someway to get you out of here, just hold on for a second." Deftly, Duo pulled two lock picks from his braid, where he kept them hidden at all times. Sure, he had left his thief days on the street when Father Maxwell had taken him in, but you could never be too prepared. He quickly set to work on the cell's lock, muttering as he did so. "Now, who's got you trapped here.. ah ha!" The latch clicked open, and the door swung outwards. "Who put you in here?"
Father Maxwell made his way out of the cell, looking very frightened indeed. "It was the master here, Duo.. I.. I trespassed, I didn't do so on purpose, a storm just came up and I.. I'm afraid I wrecked a few things while I was looking through the castle for the owner.. I was put here."
"Yea, and? Why did you stop? What's the matt.." Duo turned and immediately saw the reason Father Maxwell had cut off his story. A young man was standing behind him.. No, that was no young man. sure, it had a man's eyes. but there was no way it could be human.. It was covered in fur, for one thing, and it was tall, very tall. Huge, sharp teeth protruded from its mouth, and its feet were definitely paws. Duo gulped and took an involuntary step backwards. "What. what do you want?! Who are you??" He stepped in front of Father Maxwell, making sure he wouldn't get hurt.
"I." Somehow, it spoke with the voice of a young man as well. "I am the master of this castle. This man is my prisoner, why have you released him?" Duo could tell this.. thing wasn't exactly thrilled with his little rescue stunt.
"Father Maxwell is needed at our town! He hasn't done anything atrocious, has he?" It was more a statement than a question. "Can't you let him go? He. he needs to be back at home."
"He trespassed, and destroyed many things here." This beast obviously wasn't going to let Father Maxwell go easily. "He is my prisoner, he shall remain here."
"But you can't." Suddenly, an idea dawned upon Duo. It was reckless, stupid even, but it just might save a life that mattered much more than his own. "If you let him go, I'll stay in his place."
The beast seemed taken aback at this, and his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Duo could now see that they were deep blue, and definitely human. Something was very strange here. "You would take his place..?"
"Yes. Will you let him go?"
"Duo, no, I'm not worth it.."
"I shall release him. but you must remain. With me. Forever." Duo gulped again, but looked the beast straight in his human eyes.
"You have my word. I may run and hide, but I never tell I lie. I'll stay in Father Maxwell's place."
"Duo, please, no, reconsider, you've got a life yet to live.." Duo held up his hand, silencing the priest.
"I'm staying. Please, Father Maxwell, you're needed more than I am back at town. You've been like a real father to me, and I thank you for all that you've done. Now, I'm trying to repay all your kindness. please accept." The priest looked rather sad, but nodded his head slowly.
"Yes Duo. What shall I tell. everyone?"
"I'm not sure. Try and think up something that won't make me sound to horrible, all right?" Duo grinned, trying to keep up a cheerful air, but failed. He sighed. "Good-bye, and thank you."
"A carriage shall await you outside." The beast said gruffly. "It'll take you home." Father Maxwell nodded again, and clasped Duo's hand in his own.
"Good-bye, Duo." With that, he turned and left, though Duo could see it pained him greatly to do so. Sighing again, he sat down on the stone floor.
"Follow me." The beast's voice shocked him.
"Huh? I thought.."
"Well you thought wrong. Follow me. I'll take you to your room" Duo just shrugged and got up, falling into line a few paces behind the beast. "The. the castle is now your home. You can go anywhere you please. If you need anything, my servants will attend to you."
"Oh, thank you." Duo, usually quite a chatter-box, was silent for once. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. Based on appearance, he thought the beast would be cold and cruel, but here he was, giving him free access to everything, including servants! Duo shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. They walked on for a few moments in silence.
"So.." Every time the beast spoke, he was hesitant, as if not used to making conversation. Probably not, being a beast. Duo thought bitterly. "Why did you do it? Stay here, in his place, I mean."
Duo was startled by the question. "Why?" He bowed his head, considering. "Well, he had more reason to.. to be free than I." He was going to say live, but he wasn't exactly sure how the beast would take that, and he definitely wasn't about to take a chance at insulting his new host. "He's our village's priest, and everyone looks up to him. Me? Who's gonna miss me?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm just the ex-street-rat that Father Maxwell took in out of pity." He toyed with the lock picks that were still in his hand. "People probably still consider me a thief, but don't dare say so out of respect for Father Maxwell. I just figure it won't matter if I'm gone."
The beast seemed to let this sink in, and didn't reply. Duo, feeling boldened, decided that his host needed a name. "So. do you have a name?"
"What.. a name?" Now it was the beast's turn to be startled. "Oh yea. Heero."
"Heero." Duo repeated, lodging the name in his memory. "So, Heero, what's the deal with you? How did a." he considered saying beast, but he wasn't feeling quite that bold. "I mean, how is it you came by such a nice castle and all?"
Heero stiffened at this, and his voice definitely took on a steely tone. "That need not be discussed at this point in time." He stopped in front of a set of ornate doors. "This is your room. Again, if you need anything, just call for a servant." He tugged open on of the doors, and Duo entered hesitantly. As soon as he was inside, Heero rushed off, hunched over as if ashamed about something. Duo watched him go, shrugged, and walked over to collapse on his new bed.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into.." He muttered, rolling over on his back. "At least Father Maxwell is safe now." He ran his hands over his face. "That description more than likely doesn't apply to myself now though.." Although, the bea, Heero had only seemed particularly cold when the topic of his past had been brought up. "Huh."
Glancing over at the nightstand, Duo caught sight of silken pajamas folded neatly on top of the oaken furniture. Blinking a bit, he stuck out a hand to confirm his suspicions. Yup, definitely silk. He whistled in appreciation. You HAD to be rich to be able to clothe your prisoners in silk. Still, running his hand over the delicate material, he just couldn't seem himself wearing something so fine.
"No way." Shaking his head, he tugged off his clothes, remaining in only his boxers. Climbing under the covers, he noticed they were silk as well. "Geez, talk about wealthy.." Wondering again just how Heero had managed to come across such riches, Duo drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~
"What the hell is the matter with me?!" Heero shouted, driving a fist into the wall of his long-since-trashed room. He tugged his hand-no, paw- away revealing a large hole. It didn't matter, the room was already decorated with several such holes. Although none of the previous had been made by the emotion that was demanding itself to be known to him now.
"What the hell is that matter with me.." He repeated, though much quieter. He ran a paw through his hair, sighing deeply. Duo was.. was supposed to be his prisoner, wasn't he? Then why had Heero gone to such measures to supply the young man with such finery? He had personally made sure that everything at his disposal was of the finest quality. Why?
Then he remembered how he felt when he first laid eyes on Duo. He had dismissed the feeling at first, trying to ignore it. But now, he felt himself being drawn by it to the room he had personally led Duo to. Halfway there, he finally realized where he was going, and stopped dead. "What am I doing?!"
However, that feeling would not be denied. His feet, as though they had minds of their own, continuously moved forward, carrying him towards Duo's room. They didn't stop until he was at the door. He watched in wonder as one of his paws-hands, they were hands, under it all..- reached to push the door open slightly. Peeking in, he nearly fainted at the sight he saw.
There, on the bed, lay pure perfection. Duo was wearing no shirt, apparently he had turned down the clothes provided. He had also kicked off the silken sheets, revealing his muscular torso. His hair had come loose from his braid while he slept, it appeared: it lay around him like a chestnut curtain. His arms lay loosely above his head, giving him the look of total relaxation. His face, no longer hardened by determination, was the most beautiful face Heero had ever laid eyes on.
The beast-prince sighed deeply. So that's what the emotion was. He had fallen in love with his prisoner. No, Duo was not his prisoner. Duo was his guest. (a/n- no, that was NOT intended as a pun based on the Disney movie, I SWEAR!! PLEASE don't throw things at me!) Not wanting to disturb the object of his affections, he turned and made as if to leave, but doing so, he brushed against the door, causing it to creak. Hearing movement from Duo's direction, Heero tore down the hall, all the way back to his quarters and slammed the door, breathing heavily. This emotion was strange, it had made him want to remain, to be with his guest. He thought back to the night of his transformation. Was this really the love the woman had spoken of? No, he thought bitterly. It wouldn't work anyway, who could ever love me. (a/n- yea, now you know, it was all just a clever plot to get Heero and Duo together, mwa ha ha ^_^)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duo sat up blearily, blinking a bit. Where am I. he wondered a bit before his memory came back in a rush. Oh yea, castle. Prisoner, right. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes, then noticed the door was open a crack. Odd, I could have sworn I shut it. Ah well. Clambering out of the ornate bed, he began to close it, but was met with resistance.
"Excuse me Master Duo, but may I come in?" Duo glanced around rapidly, trying to determine where exactly the voice had come from.
"Uh, sure.." While trying to determine the exact location of his guest, the title he had been given sank in. Master? Wow, he really wasn't kidding about the servant thing. Finally getting fed up with his search, he decided to ask straight out. "Ok, where, exactly, are you?"
"Oh, I apologize." The voice was now behind him, and Duo quickly spun around. Still seeing no one, he blinked a few times. "You see, I am not exactly visible at the current time. nor any other time, really, at least not until.. Never mind. I just came to see if you required anything?"
"Yea, a brief bout with reality.." Duo muttered, rubbing his face again. "Sorry if this sounds rude, but who are you and why can't I see you?"
"I am Quatre, and as of now, your personal servant."
Author's Note- Well, how was it? So far, two people have bugged me to post this thing, so I figured why not. Bah. If you like it, please do tell me, I need some inspiration to continue the thing ^_^ Oh yes, none of the other chapters should be NEARLY this long. The only reason this is so lengthy is because I wasn't planning on posting it anywhere and just make it one long, chapter-less issue, but, like I said, I've been told to post it by two people, and I couldn't find a better spot to put the chapter break anyways. Huzza.
