But all could not go well for so long. As soon as the Beast was served something not to his taste, he clawed the table over in a blind rage. Beauty leaped from the table, and ran from the room, unwilling to get caught in the wake. She could hear him storming about as she ran up the marbled staircase. She fled into her room and locked the door. Ino turned her wooden frame about and gave her a questioning look (or at least, as questioning a look as a wardrobe can give).

"Did everything go well?" Ino's true concern unhidden, open.

"Almost. He threw a fit in the middle about one of the dishes."

"UGH. I have to go have a talk with...NO I'm a WARDROBE. Can you go down to the kitchen for me and scold the stove? You're probably hungry too, since your meal was interrupted by SOMEONE'S INCOMPETANCE." Beauty knew better than to argue with rampaging enchanted creatures, though she would have liked to point out that the beast had been a little unreasonable, so as soon as the crashes subsided, she rung for Shino to take her to the kitchens.

♥ ♥ ♥

Shino led her quickly down a set of narrow hidden passages, stairways that could have never fit a gargantuan beast, but was just perfect for a young lady and her enchanted talking, walking household item friends. She came to the kitchen, a large, warm stone room with a lovely rug on the floor, and a fat happy cat curled up in front of the fire. Beauty was so entranced that she forgot all about her little mission and went to lay with the cat at the fire. It purred instantly at her touch, but spoke no words, so she could only assume it was the only live thing in the household besides herself that was not under a spell. But a huge puff of steam and the smell of cinnamon buns brought her to attention.

"Whaaaaaaaaaat? You can't expect me to make anything decent like this! I can't eat!"

Shino tutted. "But Chouji...you cannot eat in your state."

"I KNOW. It's such a hardship. How's Shikamaru? I'm glad Temari's with him, to keep him company." Beauty crept over, and looked at the stove. It was a cheerful looking thing, with red swirls on its happy face, and lovely smells leaking out of its pots. Beauty didn't have the heart to scold him, especially after Shino had just done so.

"Hello..." she said shyly."I'm...well, I'm your master's new prisoner. May I have a little of your food? I'm still a bit hungry." The stove happily emitted steam.

"O-k! I'm Akimichi Chouji! Top chef around here!" And without a further word, plates rolled out and he began to ladle out hearty portions.

"Only. Where's Gaara? Naruto?" asked Shino.

"They are somewhere around here...just call Gaara, he'll come." said Chouji, distracted. Shino looked as if he never had raised his voice in his entire life, so Belle resigned herself to the task.

"Gaaaaaara? Gaara!" she called, hand cupped next to her mouth. He came in, dark-eyed and mysterious, rolled in on a tray.

"What?" he said, not sharply, but so intensely that Beauty nearly fainted.

"Pour some tea for our guest. And do you know where Naruto is?" said Shino, clearly unfazed.

"He'll be in a minute." Gaara rolled over to the table and was pouring tea while the rest of her meal assembled, when Naruto stomped in.

"H-hi-hi-HINATA! Where are you, dattebayo? I'm freeeeeeeeeeezing!" said the blue tinged candlestick.

"H-here N-naruto-kun!" said a small heater. It was well made and decorated well, but the eyes that peered out were uncertain and shy. It shook more rapidly as Naruto approached, and it was Shino this time that whispered helpfully in Beauty's ear.

"That's Hyuuga Hinata. She heats this entire house, despite her small size. In our human form, she was very much the same, deceiving to the eye. However, she is very shy, and especially around Naruto..." said Shino, leaving the thought incomplete. Beauty could tell though, from the red spreading through the heater's metal, exactly how she felt about Naruto. Naruto himself was totally unaware.

"Thanks Hinata! You're such an effective heater! I however, am an effective light!" he said with a deep, boastful laugh.

"I wonder which is more useful." said Shino, quietly and effectively. Naruto missed it, and Beauty just laughed along. She sat to her food, and chatted with everyone, fascinated about their lives before this. Her food was lovely, just perfect for a cold winter's day, if a little unusual and unknown to her. Naruto entertained her with all kinds of antics, and even Shino sat peaceably next to her, and she patted him affectionately. Each one was so sweet in their own way, and Beauty was so happy, that she began to think that...

This might not have been bad luck at all.

♥ ♥ ♥

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

Notes for the Reader
• This is a slightly promotional fanfiction for my other fanfiction, Dream.
• Please review!