"Belle, enough already!" Gaston growled. "Stop fighting me!" Belle was angry now. She tightly gripped the reigns and jerked the black horse to a halt. She turned her head and her eyes narrowed. The dark, creepy look on Gaston's face made her want to throw up. "When we return to the village, you will marry me." He said. "And that Beast's head will be mounted in our living room."
"NEVER!" Belle yelled, and jabbed him hard in the ribs with her elbow. She shoved him off the horse. He fell down with a thud. Belle took control of the reigns and started the horse to a canter toward the castle, but an ear-piercing blast stopped them. Then another. When Belle shook her head to get her bearings, she realized what was happening: Gaston was taking pot shots at the ground to spook the horse. And it was working. Belle tried to calm the horse, but he reared frantically. Belle struggled to hang on. "Stop it, Gaston!" She yelled. She screeched as the horse continued to remain skittish.
The Beast wasn't too far up ahead of them in the woods, closer than any of them thought. He hated leaving Belle behind in a rough situation, but it seemed to be the only way he could protect her under the circumstances. Feeling ashamed for acting cowardly and bringing all of this trouble to his loved one in the first place, he continued to trudge home...until he heard something, something that made his spine tingle and his heart drop into his stomach. He heard Belle...screaming! For a moment, his breath left him. He turned back and looked, terror in his eyes. "Belle!" He wailed. Belle was in trouble! He could only pray she wasn't being ripped apart by wolves. Facing the trail that led back to the village, he got down on all fours and charged ahead like a mad bull. "Hold on, Belle!" He frantically shouted as loudly as he could. "I'm coming!" He raced with all his might to protect the girl he loved.
Gaston stood there sneering as he watched Belle's attempts to escape be thwarted. He was so concentrated on his gun shots that he didn't realize there was a mission-focused rider galloping behind him and he heard loud hoof beats. He turned just in time to see...Kit! The prince leaped down from his horse and tugging on his arms, pulled the angry army captain down to the ground with him, making him drop his gun. Gaston bellowed and quickly, sprinting to his feet, he whirled around and gaped. "You?!" He growled.
"Let them be, Gaston. You keep digging your hole, you'll never be able to climb out." Kit warned him. Gaston slugged Kit across the jaw...again. Kit gasped and shook his head, stunned. Nevertheless, he drew his sword."Surrender, Captain. Or face judgement." Kit said firmly. "You have caused enough grief already." Gaston chuckled darkly and drew his own sword.
"Do you really think you can best me, boy?" He taunted. "You, who has never fought a single battle in his life."
"There is always a first time." Kit cocked his head.
"So there is." Gaston said casually. Without warning, he threw a deadly blow for Kit's neck, but...Kit blocked it. "How cute." Gaston sneered. Kit took a jab at Gaston's arm but the army captain pummeled Kit's sword nearly out of his hands. The two parried off with lethal blows. For every seasoned aim Gaston slashed at him, Kit met with surprising strength. He was more skilled than Gaston had first believed.
Gaston kicked Kit in the groin. Doubling over but still holding up his sword, Kit staggered backward. Gaston's eyes narrowed and then he gave Kit a hard kick to the knee. That was too much and Kit fell down on his back, gasping from the pain.
Kit tried to reach for his sword, but Gaston leaned down over him, his boot crunching his chest, and his sword under his chin! "Any famous last words, pretty boy?" Gaston smirked, raising his sword to cut off Kit's head. Then something large, hairy, and powerful grabbed his arched arm back and would not let go! Gaston looked back and his eyes widened in fear. A pair of angry blue eyes peered dangerously into his, and the massive paw clenched his arm so that he couldn't wiggle free. The Beast glowered darkly at him, then clutched him around the throat and held him in the air.
"Beast!" Belle shouted with worry. She watched with baited breath. Surely he wouldn't take Gaston's life, though it would be no difficult feat to do so. Kit sat up on the ground, watching. Gaston was terrified. This creature could tear him to pieces if he chose to, and he certainly looked to be on the verge of doing it. And the huge claw was crunching Gaston's throat even tighter, making Gaston choke. The Beast growled. "Beast!" Belle pleaded.
"Beast, don't!" Kit called calmly. "Let him go and we'll deal with him. I give you my word!"
"Please...please don't hurt me, Beast!" Gaston pleaded for his life, gagging. His windpipe was feeling smaller and smaller by the second. "I'll do anything! Anything! Just please let me go!" The Beast didn't move. He just stood there, holding Gaston by the throat in a vice-like grip. He peered narrowly into his eyes. He pulled Gaston's face close to his.
"You...get out!" The Beast huffed heavily in his face. "Leave here. And don't EVER come back!"
"I'll leave! I'll leave!" Gaston nodded fearfully, his face as white as a sheet. Belle had never seen him looked so terrified, ever! "Just let me go!" He begged. The Beast scowled with a growl at him but slowly released his hold on him. Gaston landed on the soft earth and sat up. The Beast hovered over him with anger and disgust in his eyes. Gaston anxiously scrambled to his feet and ran toward his horse.
Belle smiled warmly. She was so proud of the Beast for his unaccredited act of mercy. She ran to him and he scooped her up in his arms. "You were wonderful." She whispered to him. He shrugged sheepishly and stroked her hair.
Gaston watched in pure jealousy. Belle was his-according to him, though she had never agreed to it-and he wasn't about to walk away and let some creature, some beast love and show affection to the woman he was out to get! His face bathed with hate, Gaston pulled out his pistol and aimed straight at the Beast's forehead! But just as he was about to pull the trigger, something swiped his arm hard and his firearm fell to the ground. Gaston looked: it was Kit! Kit stood there, panting, his face fixed in determination. "So, you want to play the hard way, do you, pretty boy?" Gaston laughed evilly. "So be it. Say your prayers, prince! I'll rip you apart and send you back to your father like a dog's chew toy!" And with that, he swiftly drew his sword again.