Chapter 3: Day One - Be Our Guest

Belle, with Ariel in tow, led her gently through the front doors to the mansion. Upon entering, Ariel started to marvel at how grand everything looked...the staircase, the tiled floors, the vaulted ceilings...it was almost like being back in Atlantica. She could not prevent a look of wonder from crossing her face.

Belle, observant as ever, caught this.

"You like what you see?" she asked kindly. Ariel responded via an excited nod.

"Oh, good," Belle grinned. "Welcome to my humble abode." Ariel took on a skeptical look at the word "humble".

"OK," admitted Belle, "I'll give you that one. A little opulent, but seeing as how I inherited a prince's wait staff, I was kind of left with no choice," she finished with a laugh.

She inherited a prince's wait staff? thought Ariel, astounded. I'd love to know how she pulled THAT off.

"It's a long story," said Belle, as if reading Ariel's thoughts, "and one that I'd rather not go into right now. Anyways, let's get you cleaned up and find you some clothes. Once that's done..." Belle swept an arm over the view that was in front of both women. "...mi casa es su casa."

Ariel looked at Belle quizzically, not understanding her use of a common Spanish phrase.

"Huh?" asked Belle. Then it hit her. "Oh, that's Spanish for 'my home is your home'." Ariel smiled her understanding, and Belle continued:

"Once you're cleaned up, help yourself to anything you want in the kitchen; Lumiere and Mrs. Potts will take care of you. If you need me, come find me; I'll be around. Would you like me to show you the bathroom?" Ariel nodded her agreement, and Belle led her up the grand staircase to the second floor. Turning right, in the opposite direction of her own room, they went through the door immediately in front of them, after which Belle opened the first door on the left.

"This will be your bathroom for as long as you stay," explained Belle. "Odd question, I know, but do you know how to work everything in here?" Ariel, deciding that honesty was the best policy, shook her head no.

"OK, then I'll walk you through it," began Belle. She led Ariel over to the white marble bathtub and did just that, explaining as she went how everything worked: the taps, the bubbly solution, the drain, even the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles. When she had finished, she asked Ariel if she wanted a demonstration or to try it herself. Ariel pointed at Belle, and Belle drew Ariel a good-size bath.

"...And that's all there is to it," she finished. "Really simple. OK, I'll leave you to it. When you finish up, come to my bedroom and I'll help you find some clothes. Opposite side of this floor, second door on your right." Giving a small curtsy, which Ariel returned, Belle left the room. Ariel wasted no time in shedding the sail and jumping into the bubbles, spending most of her bath just playing around with them. Eventually, however, most of them were gone, and Ariel realized she better get to stepping. Calling upon all Belle had told her, she was soon squeaky clean.

Belle soon heard a knock on her bedroom door.

I hope she remembered to cover up, thought Belle nervously. Cracking the door, she saw, to her embarrassment, that Ariel had not covered up...at least, not with a towel.

Mon Dieu, Belle reprimanded herself, that's what I forgot to tell her: where the towels were. Oh, well, she's already here; may as well get her dressed. Opening her door the rest of the way, Belle beheld Ariel in almost all her glory...and, it was easy for Belle to see, that was quite some glory: Ariel was in possession of a heavenly figure, with perfect curves in all the right places, and none where they shouldn't have been. Not to mention, she was quite well-toned despite her almost Liquid Paper-white complexion. It was obvious to Belle that this woman definitely kept in shape.

"I hate to be so forward," apologized Belle, leading Ariel to the closet, "but I have to ask: How do you keep in such great shape?"

Ariel, thinking fast, ran behind a nearby screen so only her silhouette was visible, and mimed swimming as best she could. Knowing quite a few strokes, she chose the front crawl, and set her arms into that motion.

"You swim?" Ariel nodded as she came out from behind the screen, covered up again as much as was possible.

"You must do a lot of it," marveled Belle as she threw open the closet. Gesturing to Ariel, she said, "See anything you like?"

Ariel's eyes immediately fell upon a very feminine pink gown with white trim. She grabbed it (Belle averted her eyes from Ariel's nude form as best she could) and placed it in front of herself, giving Belle a preview of how it might look on her.

"Looks like it would be a perfect fit," agreed Belle, "but that's a more formal dress. You can wear that for dinner, but for now, we should find you something you can be comfortable in." And her eyes found a simple two-tone blue shirt and long skirt, of yet another shade of blue. She grabbed each and placed them in front of Ariel, judging by eye how it would fit.

"Seems to look good on you," she decided. "What do you think?" Ariel nodded with a smile, and, before Belle could say anything else, ran behind the screen once again, then gestured for Belle to bring the clothes over. Belle did this, and before she knew it, out walked Ariel, looking very much at ease and appreciative of the new clothes. As Belle watched, Ariel, calling upon her experience with deaf merfolk, placed the tips of her fingers on her chin, then moved them outwards a short distance. Belle recognized it as the sign among deaf people for 'thank you'.

"You're quite welcome," she said with a giggle. "Can you sign anything else?" Ariel, a look of sadness crossing her face, slowly shook her head no.

Oh, this is not going to be easy, thought Belle, is it? It was about that time that there came a knock on the front door to the mansion.

"Oh, I have to go get that," sighed Belle. "Will you be OK on your own from here? There should be some black footwear in the closet where we just were; you'll probably know it when you see it. Kitchen is on the ground floor, door behind the staircase, take a left, door at the end of the hall. Don't be afraid if you come across a talking candelabra or a talking clock; that's Lumiere and Cogsworth, respectively. They'll set you up right. Enjoy yourself." And Belle was about to walk out the door when a thought occurred to her: She should return the gesture that was given to her on the beach; after all, it was only polite to respond in kind. Still, she didn't want to make things any more awkward, so she decided to ask first.

"Erm...Random question," she began. "You kissed my cheek back on the beach. ...Is it OK if I return the favor?" she finished sheepishly, barely meeting Ariel's eyes. A humongous grin crossed Ariel's face as she nodded and angled her left cheek towards Belle, who decorated it with a tender kiss. As her soft pink lips made contact with Ariel's pale skin, a legitimate spark was felt by both women. Not painful, but tingly, comparable to the sensation of Pop Rocks in one's mouth. When Belle pulled away, they caught themselves staring at each other for a few seconds, Belle wondering if she should move in for a full-on kiss.

Another knock at the front door sounded, and it seemed to be getting impatient.

"Oh, right," stammered Belle, "door. See you in a bit." The moment broken, Belle made her exit from the room.

Ariel felt the spot on her cheek where Belle's lips had just been, and smiled inwardly.

Well, she thought happily, definitely a step in the right direction; I felt the love in that kiss. She definitely has feelings for me; hopefully, I can help her to realize that before the three days are up. With that, she made her way to the thing Belle had called a "closet", opened it, and immediately spotted the black footwear Belle had mentioned: a pair of black flat shoes (though Ariel did not know that was their name). She put them on, thankfully on the right feet, and began to make her way down to the kitchen.

She had barely entered the foyer, however, when she heard a big, booming, unmistakably male voice floating up from the front door of the mansion.

"You had to know I'd find you eventually, Belle," it was saying. "After all, I am 'Grade-A' husband material!" She looked down towards the source of the voice and saw a very handsome, muscle-bound young man with slicked-back, jet black hair, dressed in a red polo shirt and khaki shorts, carrying...something...strapped to his back. Ariel had no clue what this was, but just looking at it made her uneasy. Also, judging by the way he had spoken, this man was obviously full of himself and arrogant. And he was chasing after Belle, too? No contest; Belle was sure to pick Ariel over this buffoon any day of the week...wasn't she?

"Well, Gaston," replied Belle, "that depends on what the 'A' stands for: Abhorrent, audacious, antipathetic..." And her voice trailed off in triumph, a triumph that Ariel also felt course through her at those words.

"Why, thank you, Belle!" boomed this...'Gaston'. "And may I say I think you're quite arboraceous yourself?"

Ariel had seen, and heard, enough. Thinking fast, as she had back when trying to figure out how to answer Belle's question about her body without embarrassing herself, Ariel silently darted for the bathroom, where she found a bucket. Filling it with water, she then made her way back to the foyer, where Gaston now had Belle backed up against a wall. Though Ariel knew Belle could handle herself, she was already sick of Gaston. So she stood on the balcony directly over him, held the bucket out over his head, turned it upside down, and then dropped it.

"You know, Belle," Gaston said smoothly, "I hear you're still upset over losing your father. I don't blame you; I was also quite sad when I lost my own father. But I quickly learned that the best way to quickly heal any wound..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...is a spot of pleasurable company."

Belle, inwardly disgusted, but still managing to keep a placating smile on her face, was about to call out Gaston on his obvious improper adjective usage, when a cascade of cold water came crashing down on his head. He looked up, anger easily visible on his face, only to see the bucket that had held the water following close behind. A look of shock, fear, and surprise crossed his impossibly handsome features just before it vanished, hidden behind a mask of wooden planks and metal brace bands. Obviously dazed, Gaston attempted to remove the bucket from his head, but encountered some difficulty due to dizziness from the impact.

Seizing the opportunity, Belle wasted no time or motion, bringing her knee up swiftly and powerfully into Gaston's groin area. He dropped to his knees from the blow, and was rendered unable to speak. Belle dragged him by the collar on his polo to the door and gently set him on the front step.

"You may think you're all that," she shot at him, not bothering to hide her irritation this time, "but you're not." With those words, she walked back inside the mansion, slammed the door shut, and locked it tightly. When she looked back towards the staircase, there was Ariel coming towards her with a smile on her face. Belle instantly got a feeling she knew what had gone down.

"The water and bucket..." she said slowly. "Was that you?" Ariel nodded, obviously proud of herself.

"You know," mused Belle as she walked towards Ariel, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine." Laughing, she embraced Ariel and pecked her on the opposite cheek; Ariel did likewise.

"I've got to figure out a way to repay you for your help with that boor of a man," Belle thought out loud. "I could kiss you..." Ariel felt her heart skip a beat, and excitement exploded within her in anticipation: This was going to be easier than she thought.

Or maybe not.

"...wait, no, that's far too bold and way too forward," Belle scolded herself.

No, it's not! thought Ariel, frustrated. Damn it, I love you! Gah, I hate this "mute" thing! And she watched as Belle paced back and forth in front of her, going through a list of gifts she could give as payment for Ariel's help, becoming more and more desperate with each suggestion.

At last, after what seemed like forever, Belle finally hit on an idea that she thought might work.

"Miss..." she began. "...Do you like stories?" Ariel nodded emphatically, smiling.

"Whew!" sighed Belle in relief. "That makes things much easier. To the library!"

Gaston, meanwhile, had finally regained his senses and removed the bucket from his head. Looking disdainfully at the mansion door, he realized he had been defeated...this time. But it wouldn't do him any good to march back in the house angry; Belle definitely would not heed his advances then. He decided to go blow off some steam on the beach.

Skipping rocks along the ocean surface, he felt his anger slowly slip away. But just as he was about to begin planning his next move, he saw something shoot up out of the water and catch the last rock he had thrown in mid-skip...something black. He watched in amazement and horror as a repugnant woman/octopus...thing...slithered out of the water and directly towards him.

"Gaston Cousteau?" she asked him in a slimy voice that matched her appearance perfectly.

"...Yes..." squeaked Gaston. "That's me."

"Oh, don't be so frightened, Mr. YMCA," laughed the woman, "I'm here to help you out!"

"Oh, is that so?" queried Gaston with a raised eyebrow. "You seem to know a fair amount of me...even down to my fanhood of the Village People...but I'm almost certain we've never met. Who are you?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" she admonished herself. "Name's Ursula the Sea Witch, and have I got a deal for you, Macho Man."

"You do, do you?" pressed Gaston, intrigued. "I'm listening."

"Of course you are," chuckled Ursula. "Now, here's the situation as I see it: You want Belle all to yourself, correct?"

"Correct," confirmed Gaston.

"Well, what you don't know," informed Ursula, "is that there's a little redheaded mute tramp in your way."

"How do you know this?" asked Gaston, confused: He had yet to lay eyes on Ariel.

"Because I helped her get there before I knew you were in the picture," confessed Ursula.

"Are you sure it was before you knew I existed?" interrogated Gaston, his voice...and anger...rising.

"If I'm lying," promised Ursula, "I'm dying."

"And yet you stand here before me," finished Gaston, "alive and breathing."

"Ah, good," praised Ursula, "you do have some brains. Now, check this out: That mute redhead I mentioned earlier?"

"Yes?"

"Let me tell you something about her that will REALLY make your day..."

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

"SHE'S A WHAT?!" yelled Gaston when Ursula had finished.

"It's true," slithered Ursula. "You're a hunter who kills creatures for sport and profit, right? You put two and two together and tell me what you get."

Gaston obeyed, and a world of possibilities opened up to him, all of which ended in Ariel's corpse being sold to the highest bidder, and Belle left with no choice but to remain on his arm as his wife. Ursula swore she saw Gaston's eyes change to money symbols and a wedding band, respectively. It was actually quite amusing.

"And you say you can help me make this happen?" he asked greedily, with a smile to match.

"All you have to do is wait until the evening after tomorrow," explained Ursula. "You'll have your mermaid, I'll attack Belle, you pretend to save me from her, she falls in love, and BAM! You're off to the races!"

"Madam Ursula," said Gaston triumphantly, extending his hand, "you have a deal." Ursula took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Remember," reminded Ursula as she went back into the ocean, "the evening after tomorrow is when we make our move!"

"I'll be there," promised Gaston as he also made his exit, beginning to make his way to the local tavern.

A mermaid, thought Gaston greedily. How about that? That would be worth some serious moolah, especially to the right buyer. And Gaston let out his best evil laugh, one of which Ursula herself would have been proud.

"Nobody in Atlantica has seen her since yesterday," reported the little seahorse sadly to King Triton. "She wasn't in her bed last night, and she's nowhere to be found within Atlantica."

Triton received the news with a broken heart. He had destroyed Ariel so thoroughly, he had driven her not only out of his life, but out of his kingdom, as well. This was all his fault.

Well, Zeus help him, if Ariel's disappearance was his fault, then damn it, he was going to do whatever it took to put it right.

But first, she had to be found.

"Send our patrols to all corners of the ocean," he ordered the seahorse solemnly. "Leave no coral reef unexplored; leave no air pocket unchecked. Please..." he pleaded desperately, "...find my daughter. Bring Ariel back to me...dead or alive."

"Yes, sir," acquiesced the seahorse with a sad salute, and swum out of Triton's chambers.

Oh, Ariel, thought Triton dejectedly, I've been a fool. No more than you, but I've been a fool. I was so scared of you going astray that I drove you astray. And, checking to see whether he was all alone, (which he was) he slowly left his chair and swam to his private garden, which was a lovely shade of sea green, dotted with pinks, yellows, and blues from all the different plants (and some animals) that he kept well-tended out here.

In the center of it all was a larger-than-life statue of his late wife, Queen Athena, looking as regal...and beautiful...as she had in life. In her hands rested the music box that Triton himself had fashioned and given to her just before she had been killed.

"Athena..." he said softly to the statue. "Our youngest daughter is nowhere to be found. I've sent out patrols, but I'm so scared for her...I don't know what else to do." And with those words, Triton, King of the Seas and distant, though direct, descendant of the almighty Poseidon, did something that he had not done since the day his wife had died, almost ten years ago.

He buried his face in his hands...and bawled his heart out.

Back on the surface, Ariel and Belle had made their way to the mansion library. Belle threw open the doors to reveal more books than either woman had imagined could fit in one building, let alone one room. The room itself took up both floors of its blueprint section of the mansion, with high, vaulted ceilings, like the rest of the mansion, and the walls were painted a deep turquoise, reminding Ariel of the sea. She truly felt at home in here.

Belle also felt at peace here, and she said as much to Ariel, who nodded her agreement.

"Although I should confess," added Belle, "I've never actually looked through this entire collection before, so I don't really know what's here. Should we split up?" Ariel nodded, but indicated her inability to speak as a reminder to Belle.

"Oh, that's right, too," remembered Belle. "Well, how about this: Take this whistle..." And she pulled the aforementioned object from a pocket, showed Ariel how to use it, and handed it to her. "If you find a book you like, take it, blow that whistle, and I'll meet you back here." Ariel nodded her understanding and walked off, losing herself in the spines of the more than six thousand books that made up the contents of this library. Belle went off in the other direction and did likewise. After a long time, though it felt like no time at all to Belle, the piercing shriek of the whistle she had given Ariel filled the library. Belle immediately made her way to the central area where she and Ariel had separated, and there was Ariel, clutching a golden book in her hands like it was a priceless treasure.

"I take it you found a good one?" asked Belle. "Let's see it."

Not only a good one, thought Ariel excitedly, but the only one I've yet to read in my favorite series! And she handed the book to Belle, who took it and looked at the cover. It depicted a young elfish man with blond hair, dressed in the green of the forest, sword raised high above his head, shield in the other hand. He looked ready for a fight. A silhouette of a feminine-looking person was just barely visible behind him. The title of the book was stitched in red below the picture, with the subtitle in a decreasing blue gradient: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

"Oh, my stars!" cried Belle with unabashed joy. "I've been looking everywhere for this book! This is my favorite series, and the only book in it I haven't read yet!" With those words, Belle was almost knocked over as Ariel leapt upon her in a tight embrace, smothering her cheek with kisses, dangerously close to Belle's mouth. Belle actually thought, for one heart-stopping moment, that Ariel actually did make contact with her lips just before she relinquished the embrace.

"Are you and I in the same boat," queried Belle excitedly, "pardon the expression?" Ariel nodded so vigorously, Belle thought her head was going to come off her shoulders.

"Well, OK, then," breathed Belle. "What do you say I read it to you and we experience it together?" Ariel gestured to a pair of chairs that were placed beside a grand window. Belle led Ariel over to them, and they sat down across from each other, and facing each other. Ariel leaned forward expectantly and excitedly; Belle wasted no time in opening up the book and beginning to read the prologue:

"This is a tale that you humans have passed down through uncounted generations..."

Meanwhile, Sebastian had found his way to the kitchen, unseen by both women, and was in for the surprise of his life, little did he know it. He knocked on the door with one claw, not expecting a reaction. But he got one: The kitchen door slowly opened. Sebastian could not suppress a startled squeak, but he made his way inside. Climbing on the center cooking line, he took a look around.

"Is anybody in here?" he called out as bravely as he could manage.

"I am," answered a gentle female voice from right next to him. Sebastian jumped about an inch off the ground, then looked towards the source of the voice: All he saw was a teapot.

"Very funny," Sebastian grumped, thinking this was an act of ventriloquism. "Probably dis human woman, dis 'Belle' practicing a trick she'll play on Ariel later today."

"Mademoiselle Cartier is no trickster," scolded the voice, and now, Sebastian actually saw the teapot moving by itself. It turned towards him to reveal a face, which looked quite cross.

"She's a lovely young woman," it said. "You should take the time to get to know her."

"WHAT?!" cried Sebastian. "You can...you can...talk?! But you...Mon, you're a..."

"A teapot," finished the teapot, "yes, I know. Most of the normally inanimate objects in this mansion can talk, and have wonderful personalities. Long story, won't bore you with the details. I'm Mrs. Angela Potts. What's your name?" she finished politely.

"Uh...Sebastian," he admitted in shock.

"Lumiere?" called Mrs. Potts. "Cogsworth? Come meet this lovely young crab." Right on cue, a candelabra and a clock appeared as if from nowhere, and both said hello to Sebastian.

This was too much to take in all at once, and Sebastian fainted on the spot.

"Oh, dear," said Lumiere sadly. "Perhaps we were a bit too forward?"

"Perhaps," answered Cogsworth. "Still, we should get him out of here before he gets hurt; we do have to prepare dinner, after all, and seafood is not on the menu tonight. Let's bring him up to the guest room."

"Now," finished Belle while Sebastian was being cared for by the wait staff, "a new legend bound to this great story stands ready to be revealed. A legend that will be forged by your own hand." And she looked at Ariel, who had the most beautiful smile on her face that Belle had ever seen.

"Well, that's the prologue," she said. "I've got nothing to do all day; shall we keep going until dinner?" Ariel nodded; she obviously wanted to get as much of the experience in as possible. Belle would oblige her for the next several hours, until...

Link and Zelda...or, rather, Hylia, stood alone atop the statue in the Temple of Hylia. As Link played the last few notes of the Ballad of the Goddess on the harp given him by Zelda so long ago, Zelda...she would always be Zelda to Link...looked towards him, and a kind of peace came upon her beautiful face.

"Look around us," she said happily to Link. "As a child, I always dreamed of a world below. I wanted to see the surface with my own eyes and feel the land's warm breeze on my skin. I...I think I want to live here," she admitted.

"Zelda," reminded Link, "that decision is yours alone to make. I feel the need to warn you, however, a life down here will not be easy. Even with Demise permanently defeated, his minions and allies still permeate every corner of this world. They will not rest until their leader is avenged."

"I know this, Link," answered Zelda, "but I also know I can do it. I always want to feel solid ground beneath my feet, see the clouds above my head, and watch over the Triforce." And she gestured to the three legendary golden equilateral triangles which were floating just behind them.

"As I said," conceded Link, "it is your choice."

"What about you, Link?" asked Zelda expectantly. "What will you do now?"

An easy smile graced Link's face as he delivered the answer he had been waiting to give her for so long:

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay with you here. You may be powerful, Your Grace, but even you need protecting. And I want to be the one who watches over you, and to keep you safe...Long story short, I don't ever want us to be separated again."

"Oh, Link..." Zelda gushed lovingly.

"Seeing you enter that crystal slumber," continued Link, his eyes beginning to water, "and just letting it happen, was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You were safe in my arms for all of five minutes, and then I lost you again. I can't go through that, even one more time. Zelda...I need you. ...I love you."

"And..." answered Zelda slowly, placing a gentle hand on Link's cheek, "...I love you. I want you always at my side."

"Your wish is my command," answered Link honestly.

"Then," commanded Zelda, "let me do something I should have done long ago." And with those honest, loving words, Zelda slowly leaned in and kissed Link; a gentle, meaningful, sincere act of love that would last for all eternity. As their lips touched for the first time, the Triforce, unseen by either of them, began to flash even more brilliantly than was normal. It was a message to all on the surface world...a signal of the beginnings of the first Royal Family. And when Link and Zelda finally broke the kiss, they looked off into the distance, the Triforce gleaming behind them, knowing that whatever dangers came their way, they would face and overcome it together.

And their love would endure forever.

"...The End," finished Belle happily as she closed the book. Ariel, with tears in her eyes, gave a rapid and heartfelt round of applause.

"What a wonderful story, don't you think?" Belle asked, drying her own eyes on her sleeve. Ariel nodded in agreement. Then, as if remembering something, she glanced over towards the door, above which a clock was placed.

"Oh, my," gasped Belle, "yes, it's almost time for dinner! You remember where that dress you wanted was?" Ariel nodded.

"OK," instructed Belle, "go and put it on; I have to talk to the kitchen staff. Once I finish with them, I'll meet you at the door to the dining room. Entrance hall, ground floor, large double doors directly to the right of the staircase. Can you remember that?" Ariel nodded eagerly.

"Good," answered Belle, "then I'll see you in a few minutes!" And with those words, she dashed off out of the library. Ariel followed suit and made her way up to Belle's bedroom, changed into the dress in a matter of seconds, grabbed the same flats she had been wearing earlier, and proceeded to the double doors that Belle had mentioned. Almost as soon as she reached them, Belle came out dressed in a simple pink and purple pastel-shaded strapless dress with her hair pulled back into its usual ponytail. Ariel was blown away by her simple elegance, and the fact that she had elected not to use makeup of any kind only made her all the more stunning. Sculpted, yet feminine shoulders were just barely visible, and a small pink bow was just barely visible at the choke point of Belle's hair.

"You look so wonderful," she said to Ariel, walking up to her and kissing her hand tenderly. Ariel gave a silent giggle and opened the door, gesturing for Belle to lead the way, which she did.

"Oh, I should warn you," remembered Belle as they reached the table, "all of my wait staff are...well...people that have been transformed into objects," she admitted, seeing no easy way to say it. Ariel raised a quizzical eyebrow and spun a finger around in front of Belle's left temple.

"No, I'm not," laughed Belle. "I'm serious. You see those candles in the center of the table?" And she pointed out a gold-plated candelabra in that exact spot. Ariel nodded, unsure of what to expect.

"Lumiere," called Belle, "it's showtime."

"And so it is," agreed Lumiere, who revealed himself to be the candelabra on the table. Ariel almost jumped out of her skin.

"Don't be scared," reassured Belle. "Just act natural; remember, these are people that have been turned into objects. Powerful magic spell; long story." Ariel shrugged her shoulders and gave a polite curtsy to Lumiere.

"Bonsoir, mademoiselle," he replied in French. "It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now..." and here, a chair slid itself underneath Ariel, who sat down gingerly.

"...we invite you to relax; let us pull up a chair," finished Lumiere with a flourish, "as the dining room proudly presents...your dinner."

"Watch this," suggested Belle, who had sat down at the head of the table, on Ariel's left. "This is wonderful; only here will you see anything like this." Ariel watched, amazed, as Lumiere's rich French singing filled the room.

Be...
Our...
Guest

Be our guest
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin around your neck, cherie
And we provide the rest

Belle, having already taken care of her own napkin, helped Ariel with hers. Ariel, meanwhile, was lost in the music and Lumiere's singing.

Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuvres
Why, we only live to serve!
Try the grey stuff; it's delicious

And he offered a platter to Ariel with several of said hors d'oeuvres placed upon it. Belle gestured towards a swirl of a strange-looking gray substance, and looked at Ariel as if to say, "Go on." Slowly, gingerly, Ariel reached out a finger and took some of it...it felt like the gel she sometimes put in her hair back in Atlantica. Apprehensive, Ariel put the substance in her mouth...and her face immediately lit up: It was, indeed, scrumptious.

Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!

And a pair of plates, some silverware, and two wineglasses hopped up onto the table and rolled their way to in front of Ariel and Belle, where they arranged themselves properly, and set themselves down.

They can sing; they can dance

"After all, Miss," added Lumiere slyly, "we're from France!"

And a dinner here is never second-best

Lumiere grabbed a pair of menus and handed one to each woman.

"Do as I do," whispered Belle, and began to look through the choices.

Go on, unfold your menu
Take a glance
And then you'll be our guest
Oui, our guest
Be our guest

And a selection of platters, each with a main course upon it, hopped along in front of Ariel and Belle like an assembly line, and each woman took a taste of whatever looked most appetizing as the line moved along.

Beef ragout, cheese souffle
Pie and pudding "en flambe"
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!

On cue, a spotlight came down on a punch bowl, into which a few dozen spoons jumped and performed a synchronized swimming routine. Ariel was fascinated, and could not tear her eyes away.

You're with friends; don't be scared
'Cause the banquet's all prepared
No one's gloomy or complaining
While the flatware's entertaining

We tell jokes; I do tricks
With my fellow candlesticks

And a small crowd of beersteins jumped up on the table, sloshing their contents onto the wood as they belted:

Und it's all in perfect taste
That, you can bet

And Lumiere joined back in, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a beerstein which jumped on a seesaw and sent another one flying onto another seesaw, beginning a chain reaction which went the length of the table.

Come on and lift your glass
You've won your own free pass
To be our guest

"If you're stressed," advised Lumiere to Ariel, "it's fine dining we suggest!"

Be our guest
Be our guest
Be our guest...

"OK," noted Belle, "here comes the sad part." Ariel didn't seem to hear this, for she reacted not at all as Lumiere began his soliloquy:

Life is so unnerving
For a servant who's not serving
He's not whole without a soul to wait upon

Ah, those good old days when we were useful
For a time, those good old days were gone

Ten years we sat rusting
Needing so much more than dusting
Needing exercise; a chance to use our skills

Most days, we'd just lay around the castle
Flabby, fat, and lazy
Belle walked in and oops-a-daisy!

And Mrs. Potts rolled in from the kitchen on a tea tray, circling around the table at speed, almost too fast for Ariel's eyes to follow.

It's a guest, it's a guest
Sakes alive and I'll be blessed
Wine's been poured and thank the Lord
I've had the napkins freshly pressed

With dessert, they'll want tea
And, my dear, that's fine with me
While the cups do their soft-shoeing
I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing

I'll get warm, piping hot

And as she rolled past the highly polished kitchen doors, she happened to notice something in what little reflection she could see.

Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot?!
Clean it up; we want the company impressed

We've got a lot to do

She finally came to a stop in between Belle and Ariel, to whom she directed her next question:

Is it one lump or two
For you, our guest?

"She's our guest," Belle reminded herself as the dinner show reached its zenith.

Be our guest
Be our guest
Our command is your request
It's been weeks since other people have been here
And we're obsessed

With your meal, with your ease
Yes, indeed, we aim to please
While the candlelight's still glowing
Let us help you; we'll keep going

And Lumiere finally reappeared, at the center of a chorus line at the opposite end of the table, doing the famous kick:

Course
By
Course

One by one
'Til you shout
"Enough, I'm done!"

Belle now tapped Ariel on the shoulder and pointed upwards. Ariel looked where Belle was pointing...and could not suppress an awed gasp. Descending from the ceiling was a fabulous chandelier...and it was vocalizing in a perfect operatic voice.

Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest

Ariel and Belle could not stop themselves from dancing in their seats as the performance reached its climax:

Tonight, you'll prop your feet up
But for now, let's eat up

Be our guest
Be our guest
Be our guest
Please be...our...guest

Excited applause from both women as all lights in the room came on.

"Bravo!" cried Belle, and Ariel nodded her concurrence.

"Merci beaucoup, mademoiselles," thanked Lumiere. "Now, what would you...like..." Lumiere's voice trailed off as his eyes were drawn to Ariel. Belle followed his gaze...and could not prevent a case of the giggles from overcoming her. Ariel, bless her heart, had picked up one of her forks...and was now using it to comb her hair.

OK, thought Belle as she buried her face in her hands, this one is DEFINITELY not from around here.

"Whoever told you that was for combing hair," she laughed as Ariel watched in confusion, "may have meant well, but they were completely wrong. We have brushes and combs to use in our hair; I'll show you those later."

Ariel smiled gratefully, but then held the fork towards Belle and pointed to it with a questioning look on her face. Even Belle knew what was on Ariel's mind:

Well, thank you, but if this thing isn't for combing hair, then what?

"This is called a fork," explained Belle. "We use it for eating. When dinner comes around, I'll show you how it works."

Dinner tonight, as Belle had ordered for Ariel, since she was unable to speak, was beef Wellington with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. As the meal was laid out in front of the women, a myriad of aromas hit Ariel's nose at once. The earthy smell of the beef and potatoes combined with the freshness of the asparagus combined in her brain, and Ariel's mouth started to water.

"Now, watch me," instructed Belle, and she showed Ariel how to use the utensils in front of her. It didn't take Ariel long to get the hang of it, but her mistakes did cause a little spillage, either from taking too much or not enough. Thank God she held her head over the plate proper, otherwise, she'd be out one dress.

"You learn quickly," noted Belle after dinner, on their way to their respective bedrooms. They were standing atop the grand staircase in the foyer, about to say good night. Ariel shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, "It's nothing."

"That actually counts for a lot around here," revealed Belle. "Even mute, I think you'll be all right. The people around here are so much better at charades than me." Ariel smiled: Despite desperately wanting her voice back, she thoroughly enjoyed charades. She made the sign for "thank you", and Belle had to smile herself.

"You're welcome," she replied, and kissed Ariel's hand. Ariel visibly blushed, waved good night, and daintily made her way to her bedroom. Belle did likewise, and upon entering her room, her mind started racing.

Oh, I want to kiss her so badly. She helped me out with Gaston, she's a fan of Legend of Zelda, she seems to be an all-around wonderful woman...I think I'm in love. Actually, scratch that; I'm definitely in love. I can't resist this girl; I love her. If I don't kiss her soon, I'm going to explode. But it's got to be perfect: The setting, the mood, the feeling, all of it has to be right.

And Belle started flipping through her memory banks for the perfect place to make this kiss happen.

Wait, of course! There's a lagoon not far from here that flows out into the open ocean. I'll take her there tomorrow night, and hopefully it all works out.

Satisfied with her plans, Belle collapsed on her bed and fell asleep with a content smile on her face.

A/N: And the plans are in place. To quote Ian McKellen as Gandalf the White: "The board is set. The pieces are moving."

TBC...