Juliet widened her eyes, horrified to see a gleam in Gaston's eyes, realizing that upon trying to tell it differently, she accidentally revealed Beast...
Gaston looked at the crowd, "Look at that, she isn't denying it! Think about it, if the Beast knew that his mistress is killed, he could come down and sweep through the village, to come away with your children and wives!", and the crowd gasped in horror, shaking their heads.
Several men shouted, "We have to stop him! We need to protect the village!", and Gaston roared, "We have a Beast to kill, men! After we kill the Beast, the witch will be dead, and the village will be safe including Belle! What do you say, men?!".
"Yes, yes! Kill the Beast!", the mob echoed as Juliet and Belle protested, "No!", struggling in their tight hold to the fence, and Gaston bellowed out, "Follow me! Let's save the village, and not stop until the Beast is good and dead!", as he tightened his hold on the fake magical mirror and his gun, climbing into his dark black horse, with the mob shouting and following him, with Claude coming with them, a hidden smirk, for this is Facilier in his disguise.
He will have to somehow get Gaston indisposed before he kills the Beast...After all, having a Beast at his disposal will be quite satisfying, especially if the mob kills the servants and the family within the castle. As for the two women, he knew that without protection of their capes and such, they will succumb to the cold and die, and for Perla, she's far away as far as he knew, maybe struggling to live with injuries and the demands of cubs, forcing her to stay.
Juliet cursed out loud, "Damn it!", tears falling in horror, struggling to get out of the tight ropes, "We got to warn Beast, to get everyone to safety!", as Belle looked at her, "But nobody will help us, Juliet! We're tied really good! Oh, god, Papa, the kids! This is my fault for bringing you here!", with a sob.
"No... no... it's not your fault, Belle.", Juliet tried to tell her. "If anything, this is my fault... I'm sorry, I just...", she closed her eyes. "No, no, we were doing everything fine... this is all Gaston's fault.".
Belle took a deep breath and came to an agreement, "You're right... we didn't know... but either way, we're stuck here...". Juliet was quietly praying that Evangeline was watching or something at the moment; that she would be able to rescue them.
Perla is taking a rest within a tree cavern, eating some rabbit, relieved that being a beast goes easy on her stomach while her youngest cubs nurse, having caught the rabbit several minutes ago, with Azure and Eli learning to eat some meat, though they are stubborn to return back to nursing.
Teddy has revealed to have a set of dark brown eyes, and is definitely the hungriest out of the cubs, but he is considerate of his older siblings in a way, but he's becoming scrappy to wrestle them back into line.
Then her ears perked up, hearing a gunshot yet distant, leaning up slightly to look at alert, with Eli asking, "Mama?", and Perla frowned, "Something's wrong...Sorry, children, but we have to cut this to a stop for now.", before gently picking up Teddy by the scruff of a faded shirt that she founded in an old hunter's tent, to keep his silvers of skin warm, having cut the shirt to fit Teddy like a onesie of sorts as he grows, as he whines, "Ma!".
Perla put him into the sling, and licked him, "I know, darling, but just wait a bit longer.", before picking up Jolene to join Teddy into the sling, and then Eli climbs into her back, while Azure walks by her, as she starts to carefully investigate the sound, smelling the scent of torches in the distance, hearing the angry shouts of people in the distance as well.
Perla knew she was taking an incredible risk by even getting remotely close to the village, but her curiosity was practically burning in her mind as she kept getting closer and closer. The chanting the voices were making suddenly started to get quieter as it was clear they were moving on. A good sign for her in the least.
Azure whimpered softly, "Mama, what was that?", and Perla replied, "I'm not sure, Azure, but at least they are getting gone...", before carefully peering over a boulder, seeing a line of torches in the darkness, leaving the village.
Perla frowned in confusion and relief, and then whispered, "Stay quiet, cubs.", and Eli gave a little clench into her fur, with Azure staying close to her side, while Perla walked cautiously, avoiding the village before something caught her sight, something near a back door lantern, and looked closely before gasping softly as she recognized it; Juliet's old hat!
She quickened her steps, smelling the scent of two women being overtaken by men, and it went around the cottage, where the scent of a large crowd was imminent, but not dangerously there, and she realized that the crowd was the line of torches. She followed the scents, relieved for the darkness, hearing the panicked sounds of goats as they saw her, but no gunshot came or any angry shouts of people.
And then she saw the paddock, her eyes widening as she recognized Major and Arnaldo, her family's horse and mule, trying to get out of the contained half of the paddock, trying to get to something, and she looked around before her eyes widened even more, tears pricking in joy and horror, "Juliet!", half realizing that the other woman must be Belle.
"Perla!", Juliet shouted as she heard Perla's voice. Perla moved fast before she finally got in front of the two women. "Oh, my God... what happened?", Perla asked as she quickly got to work freeing them.
Juliet replied, "Breaking the law, that's what happened! People saw us kissing and all, and they dragged us out, trying to force us to admit a lot, and we were going to get shot for it! But that's not the bad news! Somebody, I think it was the dark magician, had this magical mirror showing Beast, and now that mob's going for the castle!", as Perla swiped her claws through the ropes, and then Belle next.
Perla widened her eyes in horror and fear, "No...We gotta hurry!", and Belle shouted, "Right!", running into the paddock to let the horses and mule out, clearly having questions, but knew they will have to wait, going to grab the reins for the horses as Juliet looked at Perla, "I knew I had a bad feeling that day...Thank god you're okay!", hugging Perla heartily before hearing an affronted growl, and looked down, smiling at the younger cubs in the sling.
"Oh, look at you! Oh, Perla, this must be Theodore aka Teddy and Jolene...", Juliet looked back up with awe and happiness before noticing Eli on Perla's neck, chuckling, "And you must be Elisoe aka Eli...", before feeling a tug at her skirt, and looked down at the oldest one, "Then you are Azure.".
Azure blinked before smiling, and looked at Perla, "Mama, is this Aunt Juliet? From the stories?", with a curious look on her face.
"Yes, it is.", Perla gave a small smile. "Look, I'll be happy to introduce you to everyone, but right now, we need to save them from bad people!", she shouted as the girls quickly loaded things up.
Juliet took to ride Major while Belle took to ride Phillippe, leaving the carts at no need right now as they need to hurry, with Perla replying, "It's okay, Teddy and Jolene. Juliet will look after you on the ride.", gently taking off the sling, licking them lovingly before putting the sling over Juliet's body, tightening the hold.
Perla then felt Eli and Azure holding tight to her back as Belle urged Phillippe to lead the way, starting into a full-on run, with Juliet urging Major on into a run as well, with Perla running on all fours next to them, straight for the castle, with Arnaldo on the other side protecting Perla.
They recognized their former mistress by her eyes, and knew that something was going on, but they are determined to make it home to the castle.
Jiminy glanced at Beast as he's resting his voice again from roaring, "If that at least deters the wolves away from Juliet and Belle on the way home, it's better than nothing...Don't worry, I'm sure everything is going to be alright.", careful not to mention Perla in case the dark magician's spying, not that they know that he's in disguise mode, with the mob that will soon be in sight of the castle.
"Still, they should've been here by now...", Beast said as Jiminy nodded, "True... but then again, we just let them go themselves. Maybe should've had Ray and Jules come with for some extra muscle.".
Beast sighed deeply, "Yes, we should have, but I just hope they're almost home...After all, packing and moving isn't always easy, if I heard right from Mrs. Potts.".
Jiminy replied, "Indeed. We had some valuable stuff to pack and move when we left the old village in Italy, and then the cottage and chateau down south, but honestly, I think everyone doesn't mind living here.".
Beast smiled softly, "Even with me and the staff around?", and Jiminy chuckled, "Even more so, and besides, you have to admit having help from us humans is really considerate for the staff.".
"True..", Beast nodded before his ears perked up, hearing a sound of many footsteps and a chant, and he walked to a window before widening his eyes, "Jiminy, get everybody to gather the children to the library! Tell Cogsworth to gather the knights to defend the castle!", and Jiminy was confused and scared to hear the tone in Beast's voice and looked out the window as well before gasping in horror, "Leaping lizards! Yes, sir!", before leaving the room in a furious dash.
Beast's mind was racing at the sight he was able to hear. It was very much a mob of people, and they had one thought on their lips. Destroying him. He honestly had no idea how they found him or even knew about him, but he could hazard a few guesses...
Beast then narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the hidden Rose in the alcove, seeing that there were only a few petals left to signify the soon-coming autumn and winter before his 21st birthday, but he cannot afford to let those people destroy the castle, to rummage through everything including the rose.
He gave a look at his magical mirror, and replied sharply yet politely, "If you can hear me right now, I'm going to protect my home, but if anything happens to me, please bring my servants back to be human again, and keep my family safe, all of them.".
The mirror glowed momentarily before dimming down, and Beast knew the Enchantress heard him, acknowledged him, and he then left his bedroom, to help with moving the most fragile staff and staff's children to the library to stay with the human children and Leila including his son.
"Sir, what is going on?!", Cogsworth asked as he reached Beast as he took a deep breath, "We're going to have company, and it's not the friendly kind. They're planning to spill blood...".
Cogsworth gasped in horror, "No! I gave orders to the nearest knight to tell the others to go guard the castle when Jiminy nearly came into me, thank goodness! What else could we do, sir?".
"Go tell Mrs. Potts to get all the fragile staff out of the kitchens to the library! We need to protect the weak and innocent, Cogsworth!", Beast ordered urgently, and Cogsworth nodded, "Yes, sir!", before starting to leave, before Beast bellowed out, "And Cogsworth, this may be the first and only time I say this but give Lumiere the reins. It's time to have a rude welcome for once.".
Cogsworth blinked in shock before replying, "It will be done, sir! If I may be sincere for once, Prince Adam...I'm glad to be of service all those years...No regrets at all...This castle has been home as far as I know, and all of the staff, I couldn't say enough for them.".
"Thank you, Cogsworth...", Beast sighed. "Now go... we have to make sure our uninvited guests get a warm welcome.", he told him as the clock nodded and went moving again as Beast took another breath.
Beast went on in the other direction to check with the strongest staff to assist Lumiere quickly as Leila carried the whimpering twins in her arms, shushing them quietly as they went up into the second floor of the library, to the back of the library, "It's okay, it's okay, we're going to be alright.", as Jules held Ella, with Maurice bringing Naveen up, and Jiminy squeezed Carlo's shoulder, "Come on, Carlo.".
"But what about Papa?", Carlo asked in worry, looking at the big doors of the library, open, with all the fragile staff walking in and carried into by teacarts and such, with Mrs. Potts urging all the teacup children, including Chip to hide within the shelves.
Jiminy replied, "Your papa is going to protect us, and he wants you to be safe, and up there with the family is keeping you safe, and Papa would want you to stay with us, okay?", and Carlo nodded before being picked up by Jiminy on the stairs and went up to join the family.
Ray, being the strongest and tallest man in the family guarded the stairs, watching two of the enchanted knights checking on everyone, and closed the big doors, guarding them, with Jules and Jiminy at the railing to protect the family as a third defense against anyone who dares come upon the library.
"Will we make it?", Leila asked Jules as he took a deep breath as he shook his head. "I don't know...", he said, worried about what would happen this night and what would happen.
Maurice replied, "Let's have faith that Beast and the best of the staff will stop this before they get further inside the castle, and just hope that some of those people snap out of their minds that they are threatening children's lives.".
Jiminy replied, "Couldn't say it any better, Maurice.", with a firm nod as the twins whimpered in confusion and fear, and Leila went to distract them by nursing them, not risking them to cry as the older children stayed within fluffy blankets.
Lumiere and the strongest of the staff held back the front doors as they can feel the pounding of a huge log hitting the doors, and Lumiere shouted, "They're really stubborn!".
He then looked up, seeing the enchanted knights stomping forward, guarding everywhere on the main floor, and then heard Cogsworth's call, "Lumiere!".
"Cogsworth! It's not working!", Lumiere called out to him, and Cogsworth replied, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but get a crazy idea, and go wild! Give them a welcome they'll remember for years! Master's orders!".
Lumiere chuckled as he jumped almost for joy at the order as he nodded. "Right away... they'll never forget it for sure!", he said as he went away as Cogsworth continued to eye the door.
The knights and the strongest staff, and Lumiere went into silent mode, as the pounding of the log at the front doors continued for a minute before they came apart, revealing Gaston and the mob, putting down the log as they looked around.
Cogsworth watched them walk in cautiously, seeing one of the men grab Lumiere, and as a few minutes passed for them to relax slightly, Lumiere came to life, shouting, "Attack!", and the castle came alive, attacking the mob, and Cogsworth muttered to himself, "I'll be damned.", before shouting, "Knights, now!", and the knights stomped furiously, using maces, swords, and staves.
The mob really didn't know what hit them when they got in and dealt with an entire enchanted castle practically whipping the floor with them. Some of them had served in the Revolution and Napoleonic Wars but this was something else entirely. Everywhere anyone turned there was something there to ambush and combat them. Of course, the end goal was just to drive the mob away, to scare and injury them enough to turn back and never wish to return.
Screams, shouts, and yelling filled the large room as the battle went on, and Beast watched in pride and anxiety, far up in one of the inside walkthrough balconies before picking up a distant sound, a familiar sound, and he ran to one of the tower balconies, unknowing that Gaston saw movement in the darkness, and went up the grand stairs.
Facilier saw him about to go up, and saw the shadow of Beast, and went to intercept Gaston, changing shape into his old body, using the shadows to get to Gaston.
Beast got to the balcony, unknowing that Gaston is searching for him through the castle, and he looked to the bridge at the front gates, and his eyes widened in joy and shock as he heard Perla's roar.
He roared, calling Perla in return before he saw them. The girls on Major and Phillipe, with Juliet holding a sling tight to herself, with Perla by them, with two cubs clinging to her back, and Arnaldo the mule by her other side.
He heard cheers of triumph and saw the mob running and getting out of the castle with injuries and such, and Beast grinned before seeing Perla's eyes locked on him, and he was about to leap and climb down with the aid of his sharp claws and all when he roared in pain, feeling an arrowhead in his shoulder.