"Made me centerpiece of his show... the puppet with no strings... it was fun for a little bit at the start, until I learned what my fate was to be. Constantly locked in a cage and forced to perform. Well, we had to escape, thanks to the Blue Fairy, we were able to get away and make it back home... only to be sidetracked by Honest John once more.", Perla said.
Beast shook his head, "More like a thief!", and Perla replied, "More like greedy and selfish for him and his friend...They told me that worrying is stressful in school, and to take that stress away, there's a place where boys go to have stress-free fun and all, a place called Pleasure Island. And I thought my papa would be happy if I didn't have stress, so I went with them...On the way to the pickup point, my curiosity led me to this cloth shop, and I saw my reflection, playing a bit before I saw something else, something that changed my feelings about being a boy. I saw myself in a little girl's dress, and for a moment I felt more complete, free...".
"So... that's why...", Beast muttered as Perla held up her paw, "Well, it plays into what was next. After that, I was led onto a stagecoach with a bunch of boys, being driven by a coachman to a place called Pleasure Island. It was on that short trip that I met a young boy by the name of Lampwick...". She glanced away, wondering if it would click in Beast's head.
Beast looked a bit confused as Lampwick isn't definitely a common boy's name, maybe a nickname for the boy before then it clicked in his head, realizing why Perla is best friends with Juliet, because they went through the same thing, something that somehow changed them into girls...He knew that there's a famous book in Italy, a story that generations after generations told...
"Juliet didn't have a twin brother, did she?", Beast replied, and Perla shook her head, "Nope...She was actually Romeo which was the real name behind as Lampwick was the nickname he took to the streets.".
Beast exhaled, "Dang...Something did happen then on the island...", and Perla nodded, "Once we got there, it was literally a paradise of so many things for a boy to do, and I admittedly had a lot of fun with my new best friend, and then that night later on, it came, with Jiminy having hitchhiked into the stagecoach and then the steamship, discovering what was behind the story of Pleasure Island.".
"It was cursed.", Beast sighed as Perla nodded, "Yep... naughty boys were transformed into young women or donkeys alternatively, all to be sold into slavery... Lampwick and I fell victim too. We were turned into the young women that you know today, if a few years older now since then. If not for Jiminy, we would've lost our minds and joined the rest of the women.".
Beast growled lowly, "It was dark magic, wasn't it?", and Perla nodded, "Yes. And the Coachman was behind all of it...Don't worry, he got killed later on when he came out of hiding, to protect Carlo and all. Anyway, we women and Jiminy escaped, and discovered that my papa was missing with our beloved pets, and the culprit behind his disappearance was Monstro.".
"The monster whale?!", Beast gasped. He heard rumors about Monstro through his boyhood. Perla nodded, "We got help from the Blue Fairy once again, and we had tracked Monstro down, and with some ideas, we got eaten by Monstro, found Papa, and created a huge fire in his belly while we pushed a raft out, escaping through his mouth, and got to shore while Monstro chased us in anger and rage, but was blind to the tall cliffs that hid our way to safety, and got killed.".
Beast was shocked and amazed by the crazy adventure, and whispered, "And Carlo?", and Perla smiled warmly, "After healing and getting used to our new bodies, the Blue Fairy permanently made me to be a true human woman, and gave Lampwick time to choose as she was still conflicted between returning back to being a boy, or staying as a woman, but in the meantime, we got drunk from wine, had a passionate night, and a miracle began which we didn't know until I had morning sickness and all.".
"Wow...", Beast whispered in awe, and Perla chuckled, "Juliet chose to be herself when Leila came to reunite with her newfound daughter, Jiminy chose to be human after Papa's passing and the return to Pleasure Island where we destroyed the origin of the dark magic there and involved in the Coachman's death.".
Beast then nodded, "Then Leila met Jules, got poisoned, and got married, and you all came up.", and Perla smiled, "Yes...", before exhaling, "I'm sorry for holding it back, Adam, but I was protecting my family...I don't know who cursed you, but it wasn't definitely that dark magician...and definitely not the Blue Fairy either. But after being with you, having our beautiful cubs, and more, I knew I had to break your curse somehow, I just didn't realize that there were spies, and here we are...I wish I had known how to break it for you in the first place, but I never, ever pushed you because I was afraid of you hurting my family beyond your temper which I could handle, if we had even mentioned magic in the first place...".
"It's alright.", Beast told her, "I... I'm glad you told me this now at least... I don't know how I would've reacted had you told me all that some time earlier... but after everything that's happened between us recently, with us being connected even if we're far away...". Perla chuckled, "Probably the help of the Blue Fairy...".
Beast exhaled deeply, thanking the Blue Fairy mentally, and walked to Perla, nuzzling her warmly, "I was cursed because I was spoiled, conceited, and very rude to the staff, and the staff...they really tried their best to curb it all, but they didn't try to tell me off or anything, afraid of me becoming like my father...", ignoring his primal side impatiently shouting at him to wank off, reclaim his mate, anything, knowing that he's still exposed.
Perla listened, realizing that her beast, her Adam is going to tell his story too. "Your mother died while you were younger before it happened?", and Beast nodded, "She died when I was eight...You can imagine that I was grieving, angry, upset, and Father, he didn't even care...I struggled to get his attention, anything...but I got desperate while he went off on his trips more and more, never paying attention...He died only a month before my 10th birthday, and I never bothered to go to the funeral, and I heard rumors from the village, from the staff that I was disowned to the throne on Father's side of the family...Well, I was furious...I got more upset and angrier for being compared and being disowned like that...Then came that Christmas after I turned 11 in the spring...".
"And that was the curse, right?", Perla guessed as he nodded, "I suppose that was easy to figure out but... yes...". He closed his eyes; still remembering those hours of that day as if they were only yesterday.
Perla waited patiently for Beast to regain his composure, and after a few minutes, Beast then exhaled, "I was angry that the entire village was stuck because of a storm, couldn't come to see how good I had it, and I was annoyed and bored as well. Then Cogsworth came announcing that a stranger was asking for shelter from the storm. I was both upset and curious to see the stranger, and so I went to the front door, opening it up, and I admit that I was repulsed as it was an old, poor, and filthy-clothed woman. She was shivering and such, asking so politely, saying that she'd offer a rose as a gift, hoping for me to give her shelter from the storm...I was shocked at the audacity of this elderly woman, to not even give a suitable gift for Christmas. Why could I want a rose when it could die and be useless?".
"She tried to tell you otherwise, didn't she?", Perla asked softly, looking at Beast with understanding and empathy.
"Pretty much. Plus, this was always a weird thought that popped in my head looking back, but maybe I could've made the excuse that she might have been an assassin or a revolutionary or something along those lines in why I was rejecting her.", Beast admitted as Perla shook her head.
"That probably wouldn't have helped...", Perla replied. "It was slightly better than what I did say...", Beast sighed.
Perla looked at him, "She didn't take it well, huh?", and Beast sighed, "No, but she kept trying...She said, 'Don't judge anyone by their appearances. Everyone judges winter as a dangerous season, but they don't see the beauty behind it, like how some certain species of roses survive in the cold, and it's a beautiful miracle in the midst of winter...'. I didn't listen, and I called her a hag, telling her to leave my property, slamming the door in her face.".
Beast then took a deep breath, "The next thing I knew was this sound of strange chimes, and the door crashed open, and the old woman changed shape into a youthful woman, but far beautiful and very powerful...She chanted and chanted, her wand spreading magic everywhere...Her voice was so stern and like she was disappointed, saying that for being a boy with a beastly temper, I should see what's like to be a beast on the outside...And then the pain came...My horns, fangs, and height was shorter back then, but I was all of this...".
Perla exhaled, "The servants were changed from human, aren't they?", and Beast nodded, "Yes...For not being more than the merely useful stations they served in, they were changed into the ones you know...The powerful woman called herself a enchantress, and she had peered into my future, saying that if I had continued to be a spoiled, conceited, and angry man, I would have been either exiled or killed for being a unworthy prince, because no one would want one like me on the throne, and so, having seen that I had no love in my heart, for even as human, I had nobody changing me...The few girls I was interested in back then when I was 11, old enough to notice, was either going with the boring routine of staying quiet while I talked, or went along with whatever I was doing, never standing up...until you did...", with a fond smile at Perla.
Perla blushed softly, and Beast then exhaled, "I was to be a beast for 10 years, and I was to find someone who loves me beyond appearance and all, and love that person in return...Seeing that the few young servant girls were afraid of my temper and such, they tried, but they kept remembering how I and my father treated them...I gave up, thinking that I wouldn't learn to love, and figuring that nobody would even come close to a beast, to fall in love with one as it'd be seen as bestiality at least...even if I can talk and all.".
"But that wasn't the stipulation, was it?", Perla asked, and Beast shook his head, "No...Far more complicated...That night...There was another reason why I stopped in time besides not wanting to be like my father...One of the stipulations was pure and willing consent from both of us to have a physical union of love.", fondly remembering their wonderful first night together while trying to ignore his primal side roaring at him to reclaim Perla like that night.
Perla was surprised to hear about that part. Did he really only stop because he was thinking of the curse? "Did you... was that why you stopped? Just because of the curse?". She really didn't want to hear what answer he had unless it was the exact answer that she hoped it was; that it wasn't just because he was thinking of the curse.
Beast exhaled deeply, "That night after I took you up to that office, I stopped because of you as well...When I saw myself in your eyes...I was a monster in that moment...I almost wanted so badly to get back across the room to you when you asked me...But would you have been purely willing to take me right there and then? Especially after the wolves and all?".
Perla took a deep breath. "I don't really know...", she bit her lip. Deep down, part of her might have said yes, considering the compass... she knew almost upon seeing him within a second that this was who her soulmate was, even if he was... terrible those first moments.
Beast gently smiled, "And I didn't blame you back then, and now I don't blame you either. After all, we had a bad start, hadn't we?", and Perla nuzzled him, kissing him on the cheek, "That's true...That's why you were so nervous...Adam, I was truly honest...I very much wanted to experience it with you, to share it with you, and look at what we did...We made love and created beautiful children...", briefly glancing at their slumbering little ones, dreaming away, before looking at Adam.
"I know...I saw it in your eyes that wonderful night...I knew I was slowly changing for you, my heart skipping a beat when I see you smile and laugh, and I didn't know what it was until I knew...I am falling in love with you, Perla..", Beast whispered, and Perla exhaled, clicking on why the Enchantress said that Beast needed to learn how to love and be loved, and the hints earlier from the past meetings and such.
Perla whispered, "There's one other stipulation, isn't there?", and Beast nodded, "Yes...A confession from the heart...with those little three words.".
"Adam...", Perla's eyes swelled up in tears, realizing that it was just one simple yet powerful thing she'd missed in her theories about how to break Adam's spell, and to hear it straightforward, she knew why she was so hesitant before, and now she's not.
Grabbing his paw lovingly yet eagerly, Perla wanted to destroy that dark magician's hopes, to break the whole spell, to bring herself and the children home safely, searching in her heart to say her confession, "Adam, I've always saw you as my soulmate, and I'd never dream of anyone else better than you. You are always mine, and I'm always yours. With all my heart, I lo-", before widening her eyes in horror and shock, "No, no, Adam!", seeing him vanish before her, vaguely hearing Beast's roar of shock and desperation, "Perla!", seeing his sky-blue eyes look at her with love and worry, and then nothing...
The Enchantress and Evangeline was holding so much good magic for them for the entire dance, labor and birth of Teddy, pleasure time, and revelations, but having so much good magic was starting to be a flashing light for Facilier, and with much grief and almost bittersweet happiness, the two cousins had to stop it before Facilier would do worse to Perla and the children or Beast.
Not that their confession would've done much; simply saying it from a distance just didn't have the same emotional impact as being in each other's arms and confessing it to each other. The Enchantress's magic could be very fickle.
"Mama?", a little, sleepy voice asked, and Perla looked back to see Azure sleepily looking at her, and Perla replied, "Go back to sleep, darling, and mind your new brother. His name's Theodore, Teddy for short.".
Azure nodded sleepily, "Okay, Mama.", and gently enveloped her new brother in an embrace, keeping him warm, and Perla gave a watery smile, wishing her Adam would have seen it, and then she sobbed, breaking down.
She was so close! She knew she had to get home, more determined than ever, realizing that she has to help all her cubs get strong enough for the long way home…Two weeks…She and her children's almost home…
Beast roared in frustration and bittersweet tears. He almost had heard it all, but to be pulled away just as she was going to say it, damn it! He saw the sincerity and love in her eyes when she was saying all of that, and he was so happy and shocked…So close…Two weeks…Gods, please let the weather and the presence of the hunters go easy on Perla and the cubs while traveling.
Could he even wait that long? Maybe it might just be better for him to sneak his way out and get to her, while keeping their malicious watcher in the dark about things if he could pull it off. Would two weeks even be enough time? The last petals were starting to fall which meant time was running out. If not for him, then at least his servants.
He took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down. She will make it, they'll end up back together soon, he just has to wait a little longer… just a little longer…
Beast sighed as he growled to himself, noticing his situation, and he realized that he and Perla didn't reach completion in their pleasure time, and with his primal side bemoaning loud about not reclaiming his mate and having not reached completion with her, he resignedly went to wank himself off, while thinking about the last moments of pleasure he had with Perla before their revelations of the past.