The castle was silent, except for the small pitter-patter of brass feet on the stone steps. It was just before dawn, and the stars and moon were still shining outside the ghostly castle.
"We really shouldn't be doing this," Cogsworth fretted, looking over his bronze shoulder.
Cogsworth, Lumière, and Plumette were heading up the stairs to the west wing. The plan was to use the Beast's magic book that was given to him by the Enchantress. It could take them anywhere in the world.
And it was obviously Lumière's idea to sneak into the Master's bedroom and use one of his enchanted items that the Beast had forbidden them to touch.
Cogsworth had no idea why he had agreed to do this, or why Lumière had asked him to come along anyway, especially if he had Plumette with him. Cogsworth would have thought that Lumière, being such a romantic (as he constantly bragged) would take the feather-duster to a moonlit spot in Paris, just the two of them and the stars.
But that, apparently, was not what Lumière had mind. Just what exactly he did have in mind was the question. Cogsworth had never been one for lovey-dovey stuff, but this still seemed unusual.
"Nonsense, mon ami," Lumière replied, bringing Cogsworth back to the present. "This was a fantastique idea! And do not fret, Coggy We'll be back before the Master even arouses."
"Oui. The Master will never know," Plumette added, flying close to Lumière.
Cogsworth snorted. He highly doubted that that was true, and when they got back, the Master was going to have a huge meltdown. And then there would be lots of roaring, and destroying, and Cogsworth would be doing a lot of cowering as he got in trouble for something that he didn't do.
Then turn back, his mind told him. Why are you going along with this?
And for some reason, he didn't listen to his reasonable bain. Instead, he kept glancing over his shoulder, wringing what was left of his hands nervously, and following after the two lovebirds.
Finally, they reached the doors to the Beast's chambers.
Cogsworth tried one last time to talk Lumière out of it.
"Really, this is such a terrible idea. If the Master finds out - no, once the Master finds out - he will have our heads placed on stakes outside his doors. I'm telling you, we should most definitely not do this."
But Lumière would not be swayed.
"Cogsworth, everything will be fine. Do I need to use that metaphor again?" Lumière asked his friend over his shoulders with an arch look on his brass face.
Cogsworth huffed. "No. But I think I recall the last time that parable was used, and I think I remember a certain clock being right."
"Yes, well, that was a special occasion. And in the end, everything turned out all right."
"Well, 'all right' is probably stretching it. I think the phrase, 'I saved myself from being ripped apart by the Master with an okay job' would be more appropriate."
"Hush," Plumette whispered, interrupting the bantering friends. "Or the Master will hear us and everything would be ruined."
"Ruined? Yes, that's the proper way to describe our bodies if Master wakes up and finds us in his room messing around his things."
"Oh, it is only a book, Cogsworth. What could possibly go wrong?" Lumière said with a shrug and a playful smile.
Plenty of things. Would you like to name some of them? Oh, wait, I already have, Cogsworth felt like saying, but kept to himself. The less talking that went on, the quicker they could get this over with. Although, getting Lumière to stop talking was going to be a near - if not - impossible task.
Lumière slowly opened the door. Cogsworth flinched as the hinges creaked, and he braced himself for the Beast to come down on them with storm worthy to be a natural disaster. However, nothing came.
"You see. The universe wants us to go on," Lumière whispered with a smile.
Cogsworth sniffed. "That is the most cliche and cheesy phrase I have ever heard."
Lumière and Plumette ignored him, moving onward into the dark room. Cogsworth hesitated for a moment before scampering after them. Best to be seen with Lumière and put the blame on him than to be seen all alone.
"Fan out and search. It could be anywhere. Plumette, you look at the highest places. I'll take the middle-level, and Cogsworth can search near the ground," Lumière instructed, hopping up onto a dusty stool.
Who said I wanted to help you get us in trouble? Cogsworth thought, grumbling, but he did as he was told. Which was another puzzling thing to the clock, since he didn't like being told what to do, especially by Lumière, of all people.
Since he was so squat and round-shaped (to put things nicely), Cogsworth didn't think that he was much help, seeing as how he just searched around on the floor. He highly doubted that the Master would let one of his most valuable - and hated - items just lie around on the ground.
Finally, after about ten minutes of searching, Plumette found it.
"Victoire! Lumière, I have found it!" The feather-duster cried, hovering over a tall dresser.
"Brilliant, mon amour!" Lumière responded, running over to his loved one.
"Keep it down!" Cogsworth whispered fiercely, alarm spiking through his bronze body. "Keep it down!"
"Oh, Cogsworth, you fret too much!" Lumière said as he scaled up the wardrobe. He jumped, wrapping his candlestick-hands around the knobs of the cabinets. Hoisting himself up, he tottered on the two handles, his brass face tilted upwards.
"Oh, be careful, Lumière," Plumette implored, her voice laced with worry. Lumière grinned at her, flashing her a charming and confident smile.
"Do not fret, my love. I have everything under control," he told her before leaping.
Plumette gasped, putting her wings to her beak, and even Cogsworth was a little surprised. Lumière obviously had the top ledge in mind, but it was feet away, near the ceiling, and Cogsworth was sure that he would fall short.
However, much to Plumette's relief - and Cogsworth's - Lumière barely got his candlesticks over the edge of the cabinet.
"Oh, l'amour est vivant! You scared to me half to death!" Plumette exclaimed as Lumière hoisted himself up and over the top.
"I apologize, my love, for giving you a fright. But don't worry - Lumière can do anything!" He proclaimed from the top of the wardrobe, throwing his arms into the air, like he was king of the world.
"Not if the Master has anything to say about it," Cogsworth warned. "You are being too loud. And dawn is nearly here - I'd say one or so hours until the sun is up, as well as the Master; unless you wake him up first with all of your yelling."
"Pfft, I got this, Cogsworth. Anyways, you might want to take a few steps back," Lumière cautioned, disappearing for a few moments as he went to the far end of the dresser.
It was at this remark that Cogsworth noticed that he had drawn closer to the cabinet. He hurriedly backed up, puzzled.
Uh-oh, he thought as it finally occurred to him as to what Lumière was going to do. He can't. He wouldn't possibly -
A large book came flying over the edge of the dresser and straight down towards Cogsworth. He yelped and quickly got out of the way of the thick airborne volume.
"Look out below!" Lumière hollered from near the ceiling as the book slammed into the ground. He broke out laughing as he saw Cogsworth's face.
Cogsworth, however, did not think that it was very funny. Heat rose to his numbered face, and had he been human, he would have been as red as cardinal.
"Lumière!" He sputtered angrily, finally losing his patience. "Do you EVER think about what you do before you do it?!"
Suddenly, the stirring of ripped sheets and tattered blankets made all three of them whip around. The Beast rustled for a few more tense moments before falling silent once more.
"Ah, who is being the loud one now?" Lumière teased, springing down from the chiffonier. Cogsworth sucked in his breath, once again startled by the recklessness of his friend. Lumière rushed towards the ground, and Plumette exclaimed loudly in fear and suspense.
Lumière landed flatly, but he only stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance.
"Voila! The fantastique and incroyable Lumière does it again!" He said grandly, striking a pose.
"What, survive a near-death situation? Did you seriously not just hear what I said?" Cogsworth snapped at the candelabrum.
Lumire shrugged indifferently, a smile still on his face, and Plumette glided down towards him.
"Oh, Lumière! You were so brave!" She gushed, flying into his arms and looking up at him adoringly.
"Oui. I cannot deny it," Lumière agreed, wrapping his arms around her.
Cogsworth rolled his eyes, slightly disgusted.
"Now, let us go the place of our dreams!" Lumière approached the book, taking an arm off of Plumette to open up the book. It flipped open to a bookmarked page. A large map was printed on the pages, showing the whole world and all the oceans.
"Parfait! Perfect!" Lumière declared. "Now, dearest Plumette, where would you like to go?"
Of course. Cogsworth doesn't get a say - he would probably just choose somewhere safe, like any sensible person would, Cogsworth brooded, folding his arms.
"Oh, I don't know, my love. Perhaps Paris, the city of love," Plumette suggested.
"Yes, why not. I have been to Paris before, so the book will be able to take us there! Now, if I overheard the Master correctly, all we have to do is -"
"You were eavesdropping on the Master?" Cogsworth asked incredulously. "Is there anything that you don't do?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly call it 'eavesdropping', more just, 'I walked by and happened to hear a conversation.' But anyways, when the Master took Belle somewhere with this book, I heard him say that all you have to do is imagine a place, and POOF, you're there! Brilliant, no?"
"Oh, Lumière, you are so smart!" Plumette marveled, resting her head on the candelabrum's shoulder.
"Oh, but you are so beautiful, my brains are unparallel to your flawless figure," Lumière affirmed, and Cogsworth lifted an eyebrow. Whether the hidden insult was intended or not, Plumette obviously didn't catch it, and Cogsworth didn't feel like bringing it up.
"Right. Let's get on with it." Lumière blew out the small flame on his candlestick before placing it on the page, where a small circle was labeled 'Paris'.
"Come on, everyone, do the same. In order to come along, you need to have your hand - or wing - on the book."
Cogsworth followed Lumière's instructions (for the millionth time that day) and set his copper, leafy hand on the paper. Plumette did the same, leaning in close to Lumière, which Cogsworth thought wasn't really necessary.
Suddenly, Cogsworth cried out as golden dust started to spiral and twist around them.
"Aha, it is working! Hang tight, everyone!" Lumière exclaimed delightedly.
"Oh, Lumière, I cannot wait!" Plumette declared with a happy trill. She lifted her wings to her beak, as if to contain her excitement.
"No, Plumette!" Lumière shouted, seeing what Plumette had done. "Quickly, put you wing back on the pa -!"
All at once, a bright flash filled the room, and Cogsworth squeezed his eyes shut. And then, suddenly, the light faded away, and Cogsworth blinked open his eyes. Beneath his small feet was no longer polished tile, but now worn-down cobblestone.
"Oh, no, Plumette!" Lumière murmured to himself, looking aggrieved. "We have to go get her! We have to go back!"
"Oh, yes? And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Cogsworth asked.
"Why, the book of course," Lumière told him.
"Really? The book is not here, Lumière." Cogsworth informed the candelabrum, a sick feeling starting to spread in his stomach. "We're stuck here."
But Lumière didn't seem to be listening. Instead, he was frantically searching the the street, looking everywhere.
"No! It has to be here…somewhere…if we just look, we can find it!"
Cogsworth wished he could share some of his friend's hope and positive outlook on things. But the look on Lumière's face told him that Lumière didn't have any real positivity - just a frantic, wild hope that he might, magically, find their way back home.
Cogsworth sighed, He would have plopped down onto the ground, but he doubted he would be able to get back up again.
Looking around, Cogsworth noticed people starting to awaken and emerge from their houses and onto the streets.
"Uh, Lumière," Cogsworth started, an edge to his voice. "We should really hide somewhere."
"Not yet. We have to find the book."
"No, seriously. We have to get off the streets!" Cogsworth exclaimed. But when he saw that Lumière still wasn't listening, he hustled over to him and threw himself at the candèlabre, and the two of them went flying off of the road, just as a large carriage rattled past, where Lumière had just been standing moments before.
Lumière sat up and looked over at Cogsworth, an incredulous look on his face.
"You - you saved my life," he said. "Thank you."
"Oh," Cogsworth said, struggling to get back up from where he lay flat on his back. He suddenly felt bashful. "It was nothing."
Lumière was suddenly by his side, and he helped the clock regain his footing.
"Thank you, mon ami," he said, with a bit more sincerity and gratitude than Cogsworth would have liked.
"I would have done the same for anyone," he told Lumière indifferently, turning away. "We really should hide somewhere. If people see talking clocks and candlesticks…"
"Yes, yes, I understand. But I am a candelabrum, not a 'candlestick.' " Lumière corrected. "Come, follow me. I know a good place. And I know just the way to get back home."
"You do? Please explain." Cogsworth implored, not sure whether he should believe or not.
"Well, back when we were human, I went to Paris to pick something up for Plumette - it had to perfect, and grand, and unique, not something ordinary like flowers, or chocolates, or unkept promises. Obviously Paris was the place to go, no? So I came here while the Master was off visiting his aunt, and I found her these beautiful -"
"Yes, yes, nice story. So you do know the way back, then?"
"But of course! However, I must warn you, it is quite aways. Especially for us."
Cogsworth sighed. He was not looking forward to this.
"All right. Lead the way, Lumière."
And with that, the two started off on the long journey ahead of them.
Based on Disney's Beauty and the Beast live-action film.