A Coat rack began to cut Thor's hair. A few minutes later it stepped back, "Voila. You look so...so..."

Thor looked at himself in the mirror, "What is that?"

"Pigtails, you daft man!"

"Stupid." He grumbled.

"Ah, perhaps a little off the top." Lumiere suggested.

The Coat Rack began to cut and chop again. He stepped back for the second time.

"How's this?"

Thor looked at the new hair style, which was a simple pulled back ponytail, "It's wonderful."

Cogsworth entered, "Ahem. Your Loki awaits."

. . .

"I don't know if I can do this," Loki admitted to the Wardrobe.

"Nonsense, Loki. You look absolutely wonderful. There's nothing to be afraid of, dear. You have the Master's heart." The Wardrobe assured. She had picked out the perfect outfit for him: black pants and long sleeved shirt, and his favorite tunic with a golden belt worn at his waist. His hair was slicked back and flipped at the ends and finished with a green four-leaf clover hair pin.

Loki was baffled, "I have the what? The Master's heart? What does that mean?"

"Oh, erm-nothing, nothing. Come now, Loki. Collect your thoughts and meet Master Thor, hm?" The Wardrobe nudged him quickly toward the door.

Loki took a deep breath and turned the handle. Pushing the door open, he stepped out of his room. He felt extremely nervous, mostly because he was about to dance with another man, who also happened to be a beast. He walked warily down the hallway, his mind racing. 'What did she mean, 'You have the Master's heart?' She can't possible have meant—no, no! It couldn't be.' He reached the first flight of stairs as Thor did, each opposite the other. Loki stepped down to the landing and Thor was nudged down by Lumiere. Thor smiled down at Loki when they met, who returned it graciously, "You look handsome tonight, Thor," Loki said shyly.

Thor beamed and held out his arm for Loki and, arm in arm, they descended the last section of stairs and continued on their way to dinner, passing Mrs. Potts and Chip on the teacart.

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

Loki and Thor moved into the shining golden ballroom. Thor released Loki's arm and held moved him into closed dance position.

"Thor, I… I don't…" Loki stammered.

"What is it, my Loki?" Thor said tenderly.

Loki smiled at his new nickname, "Well… Dancing isn't my strong suit…" he blushed.

"Not to worry. Just follow my lead." Thor instructed as he began a simple box step, "It's simple. Forward, side together, back, side together."

Loki managed to get in-step with Thor, though he stumbled and stepped on Thor's feet, "I'm sorry…" he repeated a handful of times.

Thor chuckled warmly, "Not to fear, my Loki. You will learn. Let's do this slowly."

Thor led him through the steps slowly, softly repeating the rhythm, "Forward, side together, back, side together."

Loki learned it rather quickly, and soon Thor asked, "Would you like to try spinning?"

"I think I can manage that." Loki smirked.

Thor turned to his left, bringing Loki with him. Somehow, Loki remained in-step with him as they twirled and turned about the ballroom.

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Loki and the Beast

"Loki and the Beast," Cogsworth smirked at how naturally the sentence flowed off his tongue.

"Off to the cupboard with you now, Chip. It's past your bedtime," Mrs. Potts told Chip.

"Aww, but mama…!" Chip tried to protest.

"Good night, Chip." She said sternly. Chip sighed and slid off the end of the cart and hopped out of the room, but comes back for one last look.

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

"Thor, would you mind if we took a short break? It's such a lovely night out tonight." Loki asked.

"That is a splendid idea. Shall we?" Thor offered his arm again, and Loki took it. The two men stepped onto the balcony that overlooked a frozen lake and a snow-covered landscape. The scene took Loki's breath away. Loki sighed.

"Loki, are you happy here… With me?" Thor asked nervously.

"Yes," Loki said hesitantly, looking off into the distance.

"Is something wrong?" Thor asked, putting a furry paw on Loki's hand.

Loki looked at him desperately, "If only I could see my father again, just for a moment. I miss him so much."

Thor felt disappointed for a moment, then excited as he remembered, "There is a way."

"There is? Really?" Loki asked hopefully.

"Yes, there is. Come with me." Thor led Loki out of the ballroom and to his bedroom in the West Wing.

Thor picked up his Magic Mirror, "This mirror will show you anything, anything you wish to see." Thor carefully handed the Mirror to Loki, who took it gently.

"I'd like to see my father, please." He said hesitantly. The Magic Mirror began to shine into life, and Loki turned his head away as it flashed.

The Mirror reveled Laufé fallen in the snowy woods, coughing and lost. Loki was shocked, and Thor looked at him with concern, "Father… Oh, no… He's sick, he may be dying… and he's all alone." Loki's heart dropped.

Thor turned to the rose, deep in thought, "Then...then you must go to him." He said painfully.

"What are you saying?" Thor could hear that Loki was near tears.

Thor took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do, and he couldn't put it off any longer. "I… I release you. You are no longer my prisoner." He stammered.

"You mean...I'm free?" Loki asked, wide-eyed. He had forgotten that he was, in fact, the Beast's prisoner.

"Yes," Thor said, looking anywhere but at Loki's eyes.

A smile spread across Loki's face, "Oh, thank you. Hold on, father. I'm on my way." Loki turned to leave, then turned back and pushed the Magic Mirror back into Thor's paws.

"You should take it with you, so you'll always have a way to look back, and… and remember me." Thor told him, daring to look into Loki's eyes.

"Thank you for understanding how much he needs me." Loki said sincerely.

Loki looked to the door and Thor looked back down to the floor. Loki brought his hand to Thor's furry cheek, resting it there for just a moment, and rushed out, flying past Cogsworth, who had just entered the room.

"Well, your highness. I must say everything is going just peachy. I knew you had it in you." Cogsworth approved.

"I let him go." Thor muttered quietly.

"Ah yes. Splend—" he stopped in the middle of his sentence, "You what? How could you do that?" he asked, appalled.

"I had to."

"Yes, but why?" Cogsworth prodded.

"His father could be in danger. I didn't want to, but I did it. I knew that I would have to do it someday. I… I didn't want it to happen this soon. I did it because Loki needs his father, and his father needs him. I did it because Loki has shown me how to be compassionate. And I did it because… because… because… I love him."

. . .

"He did what?!" the Objects shouted in unison.

"Yes, I'm afraid it's true. He's let him go." Cogsworth told them.

"He's going away?" Chip asked sadly.

"But he was so close." Lumiere stated.

"After all this time, he's finally learned to love." Mrs. Potts added.

"Zat's it, zen. Zat should break ze spell, no?"

"No, it's not enough. Loki has to love him in return." Mrs. Potts clarified.

"And now it's too late." Cogsworth said gloomily.

. . .

On his balcony, Thor watched Loki leave. He roared in sorrow and anger, the sound slowly being masked by the sound of the wind that was becoming ferocious.

"Father?" Loki called out, "Papa?"

Loki did his best to search for his father in the fallen snow, though it had started to snow again, making it difficult to see. He didn't know how far or how long he walked. All he knew was that he had to find his father. What if his father had frozen? What if he was going in the wrong direction? What if he found his father, but was too late? Questions like these infiltrated his every thought. He walked in abstract shapes, walking around trees two, sometimes three times.

He would not give up. Never. His father had raised him. He had been there for Loki when his mother died. He hadn't questioned why he had never showed an interest in females. He had never criticized him for preferring to read books to socializing with other people. He hadn't complained when Loki wasn't as skilled as he was with inventing. He was Loki's best friend. He would not give up.

Loki was beginning to feel dizzy from the swirling patterns of the snow. The cold had caused him to lose feeling in his feet, face, and hands, though he was wearing shoes, gloves, and a hood. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, knowing that being aware of them would only increase their effects.

He trudged along through the snow that was now halfway up his shin. He had to find his father, and that's what kept him going.

He squinted his eyes, trying to look though the whirlwind of snow that surrounded him. He spotted what looked to be a large rock, but upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a human. More specifically, his father.

"Papa!" Loki called out as he ran to his father. He fell into the snow beside his father, shaking him. "Papa. Papa, wake up! Please!" His father shifted slightly, his eyes opening slightly.

"Loki?" his voice was weak.

"Papa, it's okay, I'm here. Can you walk? I need to get you home." Laufé nodded slightly, and Loki helped him stand up.

. . .

Larissa snapped out of her daze when she heard someone step up onto the front porch of Loki's home. "Oh, they're back." She said to herself quietly. She watched them as Loki helped Laufé into the house. "I need to tell Gwenevere." And she ran off to do just that.

. . .

Laufé's eyes opened slowly, and he took in his surroundings. He could have sworn that he was just in the woods, searching for Loki, "Loki?" he called out. His throat hurt.

Laufé heard the sound of pots and pans hitting each other, and Loki emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of warm soup, "It's all right, Papa. I'm home. And so are you." Loki told him as he set the bowl down on the small table next to Laufé's bedside.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Laufé said weakly as Loki helped him to sit up straight.

"I missed you so much, Papa." Loki hugged him.

"But the beast. How did you escape?"

Loki smiled sadly, "I didn't escape, Papa. He let me go."

"That horrible beast? He just… let you go?" Laufé was astonished.

Loki nodded, "But he's different, now. He's changed somehow. I don't know how to explain it." He blushed slightly. He was about to ask his father why he was out in the woods at all, but he heard a sound coming from his pack. The flap opened and the Magic Mirror fell out with Chip rolling to a stop on it.

"Hi!" he squeaked.

"Oh, a stowaway." Loki chuckled as he picked up the small cup in both of his hands, setting him down on Laufé's lap.

"Why, hello there, little fella. Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Chip turned to Loki with a look of question on his face, "Loki, why'd you go away? Don't you like us anymore?"

'What was very forward,' Loki thought to himself, "Oh, Chip. Of course I do. It's just that—"

He was interrupted again by a knocking at the door. Loki walked toward the door, unsure of who could be there. He opened it and saw none other than Monsieur D'Arque standing on his front porch.