A/N: Thank you to those few that reviewed. I did get the idea from the Beauty and the Beast movie. There are several differences though. Really there is.
Chapter 2.
Around noon, Mr. Lockhart was ready to leave. Tifa was watching him go on their stallion chocobo, Boco. He had a box tied behind him full of his potions he had poured into small viles. Tifa was waving to her father. "Goodbye, daddy! Good luck!" She called after him. Mr. Lockhart waved back. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, Tifa!" He called to her. He rode off towards Midgar City.
It took him all day to get there. He was just arriving in the city abit after dusk. He entered through the Sector 4 slums. He was riding through trying to find an inn or something. Boco started to get abit nervous. He was not liking the area at all. Mr. Lockhart was looking at the map trying to figuare out where to go in the morning. Suddenly Boco halted with fear. Mr. Lockhart looked at him. "Boco, what's wrong?" He asked. He tried to kick Boco forward but suddenly there was laughing. Mr. Lockhart looked around.
There were theives all around him. They were enclosing on him like a pack of wolves. "Lookie, lookie. We've got a new victem." The leader said. Mr. Lockhart looked around fearfully. He turned Boco. The theives then ran forward and started to attack. Boco let out a fearful wharp and slashed one of the theives' shoulders. Then he began running. The theives chased after them. Mr. Lockhart was holding on tight as Boco ran. He looked back only once. When he looked back forward, he gasped. A pipe hit him hard in the head. He cried out in pain and fell right off of Boco who found a gate way to outside the city. He ran off into the darkness.
Mr. Lockhart moaned with pain and sat up. Blood dripped down from his eyebrow. He winced and stood. He could hear the theives coming. He quickly ran down a path and hid behind a pile of rubble. He could see the theives running by. They were yelling with anger. "I'll kill that guy if we catch him. He couldn't have gone far. Find him and kill him!" The leader yelled. Mr. Lockhart's heart was pounding against his chest with fear. He started to creep away. It was all quiet when suddenly someone grabbed his shoulder. He retalitated by swinging his arm back and hitting a theif in the face. He turned to look at him. He had hit the theif too hard that he knocked him out.
Mr. Lockhart swallowed hard and spotted something glinting in the theif's breast pocket. He bent down and pulled whatever it was out. It was a diamond pin. A diamond glinted at the top in the shape of a rose. He then heard the thieves yelling. His heart gave a leap and he quickly stuffed the pin in his pocket. He took off running down an alley. The theives weren't too far behind him. He saw stairs up ahead and bounded up them. He didn't look back. He just kept running. The theives however stopped and didn't persue him anymore. "Man, that guy is crazy if he's going up there." One theif said. The leader shook his head. "It's his fault. I kind of feel sorry for him if he gets caught." he said. The others nodded and drifted back towards the slums.
He ran hard and fast up the stairs untel he was at the top. It had taken him quite the long time though. He couldn't hear the theives anymore. So he slowed down when he got to the top. He looked back down and couldn't see anyone. So he turned around and froze.
There was a large mansion standing in front of him. Surrounded by green grass and trees. There were a few lights on in the house. Mr. Lockhart looked back down the stairs and then started towards the house. He didn't want to go back down. The theives must be waiting for him down there. He hurried across the grass and past trees. It was starting to rain now. So he was dripping wet when he was half way across the yard. He came to the doors and knocked. He waited for a minute before knocking again. But instead the door opened.
He pushed it open and looked around the first floor was completely dark. He stepped inside. "Hello?" He called. He closed the door and started forward. He was starting to look around. "Hello?" He called again. It was very quiet and seemed to creep Mr. Lockhart out just abit. He then could hear footsteps. "Hello? Excuse me for barging in. It was raining outside you see and I was being chased by some theives." He said walking down a hall. "You should not be in here." Someone said. Mr. Lockhart jumped and spun around.
He came face to face with a tall man. He stood about 6' 4". So he was much taller than the bartender. He had long black hair that fell over his eyes abit which were blood red and shining with the candle he held.
Mr. Lockhart swallowed hard from shock and fear. "I'm so s-sorry. I d-didn't mean t-t-to come in here without being asked." he said fearfully. The man wore a deep blue uniform and his skin was pale as the moon on a clear night.
A young woman stepped up from behind the man. "Oh, Vincent! Stop it! He's soaking wet and freezing. Come, sir. Let's get you warm by the fire." She said merrily. This woman was very lovely. Around Tifa's age too. Maybe abit older. She had light brown hair which was in a braid. She wore a pink dress and a bow in her hair.
She took Mr. Lockhart's arm and started pulling him down the hall. The man, Vincent, sighed and rolled his eyes. "Aeris, the boss is not going to be happy about this." he said striding after them. Aeris looked over her shoulder. "Oh, nonsense. He's in his room sleeping anyways. It'll only be for an hour or so. Then we'll send this man away. Alright?" She asked. Vincent sighed. "Alright. But if he wakes up and finds him here, be ready for punishment." He said. Mr. Lockhart saw Aeris shudder. "I'm sorry for this intrusion. Some thieves were chasing me and I was just trying to get out of the rain." he said. Aeris pulled him into a study.
A fire was lit and the room was warm. Aeris sat Mr. Lockhart into a chair. "I'll call for some tea." She said. She went over to a phone and pressed a small button. "Hey, Elena. It's Aeris. Could you be a dear and bring a pot of tea? We have a guest. Thank you." She said. She turned back towards the visitor. "I'm Aeris, Mr?" She asked. Mr. Lockhart smiled. "Lockhart. Devid Lockhart. Thank you for this hospitality. It's very kind of you." He said. The door opened and a young woman walked in carrying a pot of tea.
She had short blond hair and sparkling green eyes. "Oh. Does the boss know he's here?" she asked. Vincent stepped up. "No. He doesn't." He said The woman gasped covering her mouth. "Oh no. If he gets caught we'll all be in trouble and get our pay checks taken away and be punished and......." She started to burble. Aeris sighed. "I'm not about to let this poor man just freeze to death outside without at least getting dry first. I don't care if the boss likes it or not!" She said with a scolding tone.
There was a snort. "Oh really?" a cold drawling voice filled the air. Everyone jumped and spun around. The two women gasped and started to tremble. Vincent frowned looking nervous. "Sir, it's not our fault. He was in the hall when I......" He was saying. There was a growl. "Silence!" The owner of the voice yelled. Mr. Lockhart quickly stood and turned to face the owner.
The newcomer was a young man of 25. He was abit taller than Mr. Lockhart. He wore a white outfit with a black turtle neck under the white coat. His hair was blond and his eyes sparkled blue in the fire light. Only they were full of coldness and anger. There were two security guards standing next to him.
The man glared at Mr. Lockhart. He walked forward. "Sieze him." He said. Mr. Lockhart gasped stepping back. Aeris and Elena stepped forward but Vincent quickly grabbed their shoulders holding them back. The guards grabbed Mr. Lockhart's arms and yanked them behind his back painfully. He winced as they dragged him forward. Mr. Lockhart swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry, sir. I was just trying to......." He was saying. The young man's eyes narrowed. "Quiet!" He yelled.
Mr. Lockhart shut his mouth quickly. His eyes wide with fear. The man's blue eyes looked him over. He winced abit at Mr. Lockhart's wet cloths that dripped water on his floor. He looked disqusted. "Search him." he said without taking his eyes off the intruder. The guards began looking through his pockets. One pulled out his wallet and handed it to the young man.
The young man took the wallet as if it was a bomb or something and opened it. His eyes went over Mr. Lockhart's I.D. card. Then he saw a few pictures of Tifa. His eyes narrowed with a strange glint. His mouth parted but then pressed firm. He looked at the second guard who pulled out the diamond pin. The young man's face went hard and outrage filled his eyes. They shot to Mr. Lockhart. "You are a theif! You have stolen my mother's diamond pin!" He exclaimed. Mr. Lockhart flinched. "Sir, I didn't steal it! I took it from a......."He was saying. The young man growled. "Silence!" He yelled.
Mr. Lockhart flinched. "Please I didn't......." He was saying again. But one of the guards punching him in the stomache silencing him. He gasped airlessly. He doubled over but the guards wouldn't let him fall. The three behind them all flinched and looked down at the ground.
The young man gritted his teeth and took the pin. "You are a theif. Your excuses will not save you. You have been caught and you will punished. Take him away to the jail house! Tomorrow he will be sent to the prison yard." He said. The guards roughly dragged the poor bartender out of the room. Aeris hurried forward. "Please, sir. He must be telling the truth. He was just trying to get out of the rain and....." She was saying. The man turned his eyes on her as she approached.
When she was close enough, he flung out his hand and backhanded her in the mouth. Her head snapped to the side and she gasped with pain. Her hand shot to the spot where she had just been slapped. "Miss Gainsborough, you have just let a thieif in my house! Your pay check will be deducted. Any more lip from you and you will be joining your new friend in the jail house! Do I make myself clear?!" He roared.
Aeris had tears in her eyes as she nodded. Her eyes still on the ground. The man growled then glared down at the water on the floor. "Clean this mess up!" He ordered and turned away. He stomped away. Vincent sighed stepping over to Aeris. He wanted to comfort her but he knew that he would just end up saying, 'I told you so'. Elena put her arm around Aeris's shoulders and sighed. "Come on. Better do as the boss says." She said. The two began obeying their orders.
A/N: Please review and tell me how you liked it.