Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Walt Disney Company, nor do I intend to use it for profit.

Episode VII (7): the Boy of Conflict

Natius opened his eyes and he saw that his clothes were changed to 18th century France, he looked around and he saw Bianca was turned into a Mountain Hare, Zander was turned into a mink, and Mahad was turned into a polecat or a ferret.

Bianca got up and she asked, Do you have any mirrors?"

Danyal muttered, "Beauty and the Beast."

Figaro looked around and he stated, "We need to stay close together to ensure that we don't get lost."

Jeanette asked the cat, "Why can't we just go the castle right away?"

Figaro answered, "There are two problems with that plan, first you don't even know where it is and second there are wolves and recently some highwaymen made their camps in that forest. So my suggestion would be to find Belle."

Jeanette asked, "What's a highwayman?"

Danyal answered, "It's a thief in a highway."

Figaro noticed that Danyal's eyes were becoming bloodshot and he took out a potion that would combat the allergy symptoms.

Danyal took two drops of the potion and felt the itching sensation on her eyes dissipating.

She asked Figaro, "How long will this potion's effects last?"

Figaro stated, "It will last for a full week."

Natius asked, "Why do we have to find her?"

Danyal answered, "Simple, if we follow Belle we'll get to the castle."

Nausicaä snarled, "I dealt with much worse than those demons. Come on Puss in Boots, Let me handle this! "

Figaro retorted, "You know, I've been separated from my family and friends when my world fell into darkness! So don't ever act like you're the only victim here!"

The team wandered aimlessly until they stumbled to a young girl who was seventeen she had fair skin, brown hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a v-collared white blouse, a blue dress over it and an apron on her waist carrying a blue book.

She greeted, "Bonjour."

Danyal cried, "Excuse me, but are you by any chance, Belle?"

The girl responded, "Yes. I am going home to help my father."

Danyal asked, "Do you know anything about a castle in this part of France?"

Belle replied, "I don't know anything about a castle. My father is very protective of me. If you would like to meet him, you can come with me."

As our heroes were following Belle, a strong man with black hair tied in ponytail and blue eyes. He was dressed a red shirt, white pants, black hunting boots with a rifle attached to his back and he took Belle's book.

Belle said, "Gaston may I have my book please?"

The man asked, "How can you read this? There are no pictures."

Danyal commented, "Well certain people use something to envision the situation. Some readers use their imagination drive the story further."

Gaston said as he threw the book in the mud, "Belle and little girl, it's about time to get your heads out of those books and pay attention to more important things like me."

There were three girls with blonde hair wearing dresses and they were sighing at Gaston.

Danyal scowled, "Shut up."

Gaston said, "The whole town's talking about it. It's not right for a woman to read soon she starts getting ideas thinking."

Danyal stated, "You know my family used to say, 'behind every man, there's a woman kicking his ass to get him to do something.' In other words, you are a primeval brainless idiot!"

While Gaston was not looking Wizard sniffed at the man's boot and lifted his leg on it.

Just when Gaston was about to take Belle to the tavern to show her his trophies Belle smelled something foul and she said making an excuse to get away from him, "I can't. I have to go home and help my father. Good bye."

Danyal said stifling a laugh, "You might want to change your shoes because they stink like you."

Belle's Cottage

Our heroes proceeded with Belle to a cottage that had green windows a red roof and a water mill next to the stairs; they went into a cellar met by an old man who was chubby with white hair and a white mustache garbed in brown clothing and goggles on his head.

Natius asked, "What is this some sort of laboratory?"

Nausicaä looked around and she scolded, "You better no make any references to that 90s TV show with Gimli."

Natius looked at the old man and he said, "Sorry about that. The name's Natius Takahashi. These are my friends, Jeanette, Nausicaä and Danyal."

The old man replied, "My name is Maurice. I am trying to get this contraption to work so I can win first prize at the fair tomorrow. So far it is hopeless because I'm about to give up this hunk of junk."

Zander looked at the contraption and he wanted to help the man, as he had to take a mechanics class during his junior year, but because he was an animal he wasn't able to lend a helping hand.

Maurice smiled and he stated with confidence, "I'll have this fixed in no time!"

Maurice took the dog-headed clencher and he began to repair the contraption, unbeknownst to Maurice, a black mink was looking underneath to see if the man wouldn't get injured by the hazards.

Maurice asked, "So did you have good time in town today Belle?"

Belle answered, "I got a new book, but papa do you think I'm odd?"

Maurice asked, "Odd? Where did you get an idea like that?"

Belle explained that there was no one for her to really talk to and Maurice asked, "What about Gaston, he's a handsome fellow."

Danyal commented bluntly as she handed Maurice a screwdriver, "Yet he is a rude smug misogynistic idiot."

Jeanette muttered, "I would've been more than happy to turn that idiot into a pig like in the Oddessey"

As soon as Maurice was done he got out from under the wood chopper and he said, "You all might want to step back and now let's give it a try."

Jeanette pulled the lever and the contraption started to chop wood.

Mahad cried, "It works!"

Maurice cried, "Fetch Phillippe girl. I'm off to the fair!"

A log was about to fly at Maurice's head, but Natius pushed the old man away and took a blow to the back of his head as he collapsed on the floor of the cellar.

The old man went on to the horse-drawn cart, but Nausicaä decided to come with him to make sure that the old man makes it to the fair safely.

Danyal cried, "Good luck with the fair."

She felt a heavy concern for the young woman.

Outskirts near the castle

The two were heading over to the darkest part of the forest to get to the fair, and they stopped at a sign in a crossroad and Maurice turned left, yet the horse was feeling the same way Nausicaä was feeling, a feeling of things were not going to end well.

Maurice exclaimed, "It's a shortcut, we'll be here in no time."

Nausicaä retorted, "Shortcuts are not always reliable. There are dangers lurking there especially with wolves and highwaymen that recently have been setting camps in that part of the forest."

Maurice chose to ignore her warning, but the horse was starting to feel panic and Nausicaä said as she tried to calm the horse down, "Steady boy."

Phillippe started to gallop to a cliff, but just when the two were out of danger they heard a howling and it caused the horse to run away in fright.

Nausicaä helped the old man up and he started to hear growling and the source was from wolves!

The two raced all the way to the gate and they slammed the gate closed and Nausicaä started to feel something tugging her leg and to Maurice's fright as the wolf had a strong grip with its immense jaw power. Nausicaä took out a small gun and she grabbed one of the bullets in the pocket of her shirt and fired the gun and the bullet penetrated into the wolf's chest killing it!

Nausicaä looked at Maurice who was looking at her gun with concern.

Nausicaä felt herself almost collapsing on the stone path to the castle.

The woman limped with Maurice's help.

Within the castle

Maurice and Nausicaä walked in and saw a huge castle infested with monstrous imagery.

Maurice knocked on the door and Nausicaä announced with concern in her tone, "Listen, we're sorry for intruding, but we've lost our way to a local fair and we need a place to rest for the night. There's a dead wolf at the gate so you might want to do something about it."

They started to hear a voice saying "You are welcome here."

Maurice picked up nearby candle holder to find the source of the voice and it turned out that it was the candelabra talking.

A clock in scowled in a British accent, "Now you have done it Lumiere, just peachy."

Nausicaä picked up the clock and she asked, "What are you supposed to be some sort of toy clock or something?"

Maurice sniffled and Lumiere noticed blood on Nausicaä's swollen leg and he said, "We need to get your leg treated. You're lucky that they're not rabid."

The clock started to protest against this and as soon they came to the living room, a roaring fire was on and a footstool dog started to bark just like Wizard would bark. Nausicaä was astonished at this service as they cleaned up the bloody wound and bandaged her leg. This was because there weren't humans it felt like she was in the Harry Potter world or something like that until he heard a wind flying and low growling.

A monstrous being with the mane of a lion, head and beard of a buffalo, the face, back legs, and tail of a wolf and body and hands of a bear.

The Beast stated, "There are strangers here."

Lumiere tried to explain about what happened to us, but the beast roared at him! Causing the candle to cower in fright.

Nausicaä cried, "We are sorry for intruding into your domain, but we lost our way to a local fair. Plus there's a dead wolf at the gate."

The beast snapped his fingers as if commanding something.

A young figure garbed in a black cloak pulled out a weapon that almost reminded Nausicaä of the Star Wars movies, but it was silver and had a chokutō-like appearance.

Nausicaä stated as she backed away, "Look we don't need to fight."

The figure started to levitate the young woman and sent her flying toward the wall and the last thing she saw was Maurice getting grabbed by the beast and blackness took over.

The Beast started to smell blood and he began to follow a trail of blood and when he reached the end of a trail and saw a bloody dead wolf lying on the outside of the gate.

The Beast cried, "Good Lord! I need someone to clean up this mess!"

Lumieré replied, "Master, I have brought the three kids. "

Anakin looked at the wolf's dead body and he asked, "What do we need to do?"

The Beast replied, "Lumiere, I need you to give that woman a walking stick depicting a head of an eagle. You, Strife get rid of that dead wolf."

Anakin gave the wolf a funeral suitable for a leader of a pack as he buried the wolf with the help of his two friends.

At the village

Meanwhile at Belle's Cottage, Danyal stated in concern as she was flipping pages, "I hope those two are okay."

"I bet that she would be experienced in combat." said Jeanette, "I think that she had handled dangers before meeting us."

They heard a knock on a door, Danyal in preparation folded a corner she was reading and closed her book. Gaston who was dressed in a red tuxedo walked into the door, much to Danyal's annoyance as she started to feel irritation as he walked towards Belle as he announced, "This is the day your dreams come true."

Belle asked, "What do you know of my dreams Gaston?"

Gaston answered, "Plenty picture this."

He put his muddy boots on Danyal's closed book.

Danyal snapped, "Hey get those dirty boots off my book!"

Gaston said as he was removing his boots, "As I said, it's not right for a woman to read little girl. The only thing women are useful for is to extend the family tree."

Bianca didn't like what she was hearing as she took offense to that comment! Without warning Bianca started attacking him as she lunged at the man causing him to fall off the chair and being a rabbit; this made it easier for Bianca to move around. Gaston was getting scratches and bites from a mountain hare!

Danyal snarled as she checked her book for damage, "First off my name is Danyal, not little girl! Two Pride goeth before demise! If you were ever caught displaying that attitude in a library, they would throw you out like a piece of trash. You also would have to pay a fine depending on the damage of the book. You're fortunate that my book was closed at the time."

Gaston removed the rabbit by pulling her ears and threatened to kill her, "You can become the latest kill!"

Danyal grabbed the gun and she opened up a window and she emptied the bullet chamber and cleared up the trigger by firing at the sky to ensure that no bullet goes off and she chucked the gun out the window as she yelled at Gaston, "Hey Gassy! Say goodbye to your little toy! You do not point your gun at anything or anyone."

Gaston ignored Danyal because of "As I was saying a rusted cutting lodge, my latest kill roasting on a fire and my little wife massaging my feet while the little ones playing on the floor with the dogs, we'll have 6 or 7."

"Dogs?" asked Belle

"No Belle," answered Gaston "strapping boys like me. Do you know who that little wife would be? You Belle."

Danyal said in a taunting manner, "Hey Gassy, why don't you marry one of your little flames that follow you around? Or better yet marry the pipsqueak LeFou."

Belle started to open the door and Danyal quietly pushed Gaston behind his back causing him to fall into mud.

Wizard went outside and lifted his leg on Gaston's head, much to Danyal's delight.

She petted Wizard as she praised, "Good boy."

Danyal also threw the boots out of the door, and she called, "Don't forget to take your dirty boots with you."

Gaston got up and he saw a short young man named LeFou.

He asked, "How'd it go?"

Gaston snarled, "I'll have Belle for my wife, make no mistake about that."

As soon as Gaston left, Belle went out to the field and was thinking of an adventure.

Suddenly Phillippe galloped and whinnied wildly, Natius calmed him down and he asked, "Where's Nausicaä?

Belle asked the same thing about her father and commanded the horse to take her to him. Natius and his friends decided to come along.

The heroes journeyed to the forest following the tracks of the two and they came across a castle

Jeanette noticed a small trail of blood.

She commented, "Looks like someone got into a fight and ended with nasty results."

Just as they were about to enter, they saw a black van driving out of a portal as Omar slammed the brakes before the van would crash into the wall!

"Whoa," Mahad cried out. "What the-?'

Mahad noticed that it was Omar coming out of the car and he asked, "Can this day get any worse?! My car that I drive to work had holes that shaped like keyholes!"

Mahad couldn't believe it. How did Omar come here? "Omar?"

He heard his brother's voice and asked, "Mahad? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Mahad returned.

Omar looked down to see a ferret in the place of his brother and he asked, "What happened to you?"

Mahad answered, "I don't know, I woke up in the form of a ferret!"

Omar was shocked to see his little brother turned into a ferret and he asked, "Who did this to you?"

Mahad answered, "Someone in a dream told me that I was attacked along with five others by the Dark Masters of Disney."

"Who?" Omar asked in confusion.

"The Dark Masters," Mahad said again.

Danyal stated as she pointed to a trail of blood in the stone path, "Four of the most intimidating Disney Villains by the names of: Maleficent, Jafar, Turbo, and Judge Claude Frollo. We are looking for the source of the trail of blood."

Omar looked down and saw the trail. "It looks like it leads to that place," he said, looking at the castle.

Phillipe sensed that there was something evil about this castle and began whinnying in fright. Belle tried to calm him down. "Steady. Steady," she said gently. She also saw Maurice's hat near the gate, thinking he was here. "Papa," she whispered. Belle would have thought differently if she only knew who or what lived in the castle, but all that mattered was finding her father. Without giving it another thought, she passed through the gate and walked inside.

The heroes followed behind her.

Natius cried, "Nausicaä. Are you here?"

They searched through a hall, coming to a door leading to the dungeon. Belle saw a light and wondered if there was someone who could help her.

As the heroes followed behind, they heard a voice asking, "Belle?"

"Papa!" She recognized that it was her father's voice and went to the cell he was locked in.

"How did you find me?" Maurice asked as he joined hands with his daughter's.

Belle touched his hand and was shocked at how cold it felt. "Your hands are like ice. We have to get you out of here."

Maurice finished coughing and said, "Belle, I want you and your friends to leave this place."

"Who's done this to you?" Belle asked in a firm voice, seeing what an injustice this was.

"No time to explain," Maurice told his daughter. "You must go! Now!"

Belle refused. "I won't leave you!"

Nausicaä noticed the beast was behind them and she yelled, "Leave this place!"

"Nausicaä?" Natius asked.

"What are you doing here?" A deep voice growled. Belle turned around in shock, feeling a rough hand on her. The torch she was holding was thrown out of her hand and it landed in a puddle, becoming extinguished.

"Run!" Nausicaä shouted.

Belle asked, "Who's there? Who are you?"

Danyal asked, "Who's there?"

The Beast replied, "The master of this castle."

Belle cried, "I've come for my father, please let him out. Can't you see? He's sick."

Natius noticed that there was a bandage that had blood on Nausicaä's left foot!

He asked, "What happened to you, Nausicaä?"

"Forget about me and just get out of here!" She shouted, but she began coughing. Because her leg didn't get the adequate treatment it needed, Nausicaä was starting to feel sick. Being in the dungeon didn't help either.

Natius stated, "Hey! Master of the castle, I have a feeling that my friend was attacked by a wolf. If we don't give the medical treatment that she requires, she would die from an infection."

Belle had the same fears for her father's health, worried that his sickness would result in death. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"There's nothing you can do," the voice growled. "These two are my prisoners."

"There must be something I can - wait," Belle was saying. "Take me instead."

"You?" The voice growled, then asked softly, "You would take their place?"

Maurice was against it. "Belle, no! You don't know what you're doing!"

"If I did, would you let them go?" Belle asked, ignoring her father's plea.

"Yes, but you must promise to stay here forever," the voice softly demanded.

"Come into the light," Belle said.

The Beast came into the light to show the heroes what he looked like!

Natius cried, "Holy Jesus!"

Belle gasped in horror at what she saw standing before her. But she still valued her father's life and health. So with the courage she had, she surrendered her freedom for her father's and Nausicaä's. "You have my word."

"Done," the Beast growled, releasing his prisoners from their cells.

Bianca asked Nausicaä, "Did you get into a fight or something?"

"No," she groaned. "A wolf attacked me, and I had to kill it in order to get it off." She coughed again.

Bianca touched Nausicaä's forehead and felt that it was hot. She really was sick.

Bianca asked, "What do we do about this? I hate the thought of her folks being forced to bury their child."

Natius asked the Beast, "Is there a medical room in this castle? I hate the idea of the girl's parents being forced to bury their child."

But the Beast didn't listen. He dragged Nausicaä and Maurice out of the dungeon and ordered them to be taken to the village.

Natius was furious about this as he snarled, "You bastard!"

Omar held him back as he yelled out, "What the hell is your major problem King Puffball! Did mommy and daddy pay attention to you when you were a child?!"

"Guys," Jeanette hissed through her teeth, warning them it would be unwise to test this monster's anger.

The Beast walked back up to the tower to hear a voice calling, "Uh Master?"

"What?" The Beast growled.

The voice came from the candelabra, Lumière. "Um, since the girls and her friends are going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking you might want to offer them a few comfortable rooms."

In answer, the Beast gave a low growl and continued to the tower.

"Then again, maybe not," said Lumière.

The Beast walked into the tower the heroes were in.

Anakin walked up to the tower as he removed his hood revealing a pale face that had stubbornly messy dark brown hair and dark blue eyes and he stated, "That wolf was given a burial. Did I miss something?"

"It's nothing you need be concerned about," said the Beast. "The wolf was killed by one of the trespassers it attacked."

"Which one?" Anakin asked.

"The girl who accompanied the old man," the Beast answered. "I had her sent back to the village. Their doctors will treat her injuries."

Anakin replied, "That's good to hear."

The two entered the tower to see the group.

Belle sat near the window, crying as she watched her father being forced to leave. "You didn't even let me say 'goodbye,'" she sobbed. "I'll never see him again." And she continued crying.

"Strife and I will show you all to your rooms," the Beast told Belle and the heroes.

This confused Belle. If she and her friends were prisoners, why would they be given rooms? "But I thought-"

"Do you want to stay in the tower?" The Beast interrupted.

"No," Belle answered.

"Then follow us," he ordered.

Natius began taking pictures of the imagery around him.

Anakin was getting irritated with the flash function, and he stated, "That camera of yours is going to be turned into scrap metal if you don't turn off the flash! To put it bluntly, I'm bloody tempted to give it to the master, and he'll crush it like an acorn. "

Reluctantly, Natius put his camera away, not wanting to risk losing it or getting it broken.

This pleased Anakin. "Good. Now the castle is your home, so all of you are free to go anywhere you like - except the west wing, as it is forbidden," he warned.

The Beast stated, "If you need anything, my servants will attend to you."

Anakin suggested inviting them to dinner. Rather than make it sound like an invitation, the Beast made it sound like a command. "You will join me for dinner. That's not a request," he barked, slamming the door. Belle fell on her bed and began crying again.

Bianca asked, "What will happen to Nausicaä? I hate the thought of her folks being forced to face a reality of losing their child."

Mahad sighed. "I don't know. I just hope she and Maurice will be okay."

Omar asked, "Why is this becoming one of the worst days of my life? First my work car had keyhole shaped holes. It's as if someone took out a keyblade and stabbed the tires. I had to take the black van, and I almost crashed into a wall."

Jeanette tried to be optimistic. "Maybe you're here for a reason."
Omar grunted, having his doubts.

Omar asked, "How can I change my brother back?"

Mahad scurried over to his brother. "We'll find a way. We just have to get through this together."

Danyal asked, "Am I the only one who thinks that the weapon is somewhere in the castle?"

"What weapon?" Omar asked. "What are you talking about?"

Jeanette stated, "In order for us to transform back into human is to find the ancestral weapon. I have a feeling that Mahad's ancestor was a diamond in the rough."

Mahad asked, "What?!"

Danyal commented, "What she meant is that your ancestor was Aladdin, a former thief that became Sultan of Agrabah known for his resourcefulness and heart of gold."

"How was he resourceful?" Zander asked.

"Remember the times he got Jasmine out of trouble?" Bianca reminded him. "Plus, he took responsibility for his actions so he wouldn't have to cause more harm."

Mahad asked, "What's your point? There's a possibility that I might find the lamp here?"

Natius thought of something. "What if the Beast and that kid we saw are guarding it somewhere in this castle?"

"Do you think it could be in the west wing?" Bianca asked.

"I'd rather not take my chances and search that place," said Jeanette, remembering the Beast's temper.

Danyal commented, "Or you could check in the library."

Before the heroes could discuss searching the castle, Anakin came to the room. "Dinner is ready. The master is expecting you."

Omar cried estatic, "Let's eat!"

Natius stopped him. "You have no idea what's going on here, do you?"

Omar answered, "No."

"We're in the Beast's castle," Natius warned him.

He faces Anakin and tells him, "You can tell your master we're not going to dinner."

Anakin groaned. The Beast was not going to like this.

He muttered as he walked down the stairs, "Oh bugger. There goes my chance of getting the bloody mirror."

Anakin entered the room where the Beast, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts were talking.

Anakin greeted, "Good evening, chaps."

The Beast asked, "Well where are they?"

Anakin braced himself. "I regret to inform you, Master, that our guests have decided not to join us." He covered his ears, waiting for the enraged roar that was sure to follow.

"What?!" The Beast roared. He left the dining hall and went to the second level and stopped at the rooms assigned to the heroes.

Danyal cried as she covered her ears hearing the banging, "My ears have something to say, ouch."

The Beast threatened to break down the doors if Belle or the heroes didn't come out. His subjects tried to urge him to be gentle and calm. He tried but was still denied.

The Beast stated, "It will give me great pleasure of you join for dinner. Please."

"No, thank you," Belle said again in a firm voice.

"You can't stay in there forever," the Beast shouted.

"Yes, I can," Belle argued.

"Fine! Then go ahead and STARVE!" he roared. He faced his subjects and declared, "If she doesn't eat with me, then she doesn't eat at all. Nor any of the others." With that, the Beast went to his chambers in the west wing.

"Well, that was a disaster," Anakin mumbled to himself.

Omar asked, "Why did you refuse Belle?"

Danyal commented, "Belle had lost her father and freedom in a single day and night. If you were in her shoes, would you still be in an emotional shock?"

Belle finally decided to talk to the others. "None of you had to stay with me. Don't you have your own families? I'm sure they're all worried about you too."

Omar answered, "She's right."

Danyal stated, "My friends and I are looking for someone."

Belle sighed. "Well, I don't know if you'll find anyone in this castle."

"We couldn't find them in the village," said Natius.

Mahad asked, "Who was that boy? The name Strife. It sounds familiar."

"Have you heard that name before?" Omar asked his brother.

Mahad answered, "I played Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core and there's a young man named Cloud Strife."

Natius stated, "I doubt that the boy is related to Cloud Strife. To put it simply, he is like a Welsh version of Sora from the Kingdom Hearts games."

Jeanette shrugged. "Next time we see him, should we ask him who he is and why he's here?"

Natius started to recall something the Magic Mirror told him. Was this boy the one the Mirror was talking about?

Mahad began laughing and he asked, "I wonder what his first name is?"

Natius asked, "I wonder what that boy is doing now."

Bianca huffed. "Probably still serving his master or guarding the door in case we try to escape."

Jeanette asked, "I wonder if there are others who are with him."

Danyal stated to Belle, "To answer your question about our predicament; we tried to get home, but a man threw us down a portal and we're currently looking for Mahad's ancestral weapon, so he'd change back into a human."

"Do you think it could be in this castle?"

"We didn't find it as we explored the village, so there's a possibility it could be," said Natius.

Danyal stated, "I bet that the weapon is in the library under the floor."

Mahad asked, "Oh please! Why would Aladdin's weapon be in a library?"

"In addition, why would it be here?" Jeanette asked. "This isn't even Aladdin's world."

Mahad scoffed. "Oh, sure, I can imagine the Dark Master Jafar guarding it in his lair," he said sarcastically.

Danyal stated, "From what I've read both Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin share the same composers and lyricist, Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. In fact, Howard wanted to create a version more faithful to the thousand one nights, but as a 1930s musical with a genie inspired by the late Cab Calloway."

Belle didn't understand what her new friends were talking about. But she knew she was starting to feel hungry. So, she decided to sneak into the dining hall.

Omar decided to follow behind her.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Jeanette asked, worried.

Natius agreed. "You're right." But he quickly changed his mind and said, "On second thought, if we take a look around, maybe we can find the weapon or even that boy."

The heroes began to take a look around at the castle.

Natius felt his stomach rumble. He then realized that he and his friends hadn't eaten for some time. The others shared the same feelings and decided ti follow Belle and Omar to the dining hall before exploring the castle.

Mahad scurried up onto Natius's shoulder like a Pikachu!

Natius gave out a small yelp. "Don't do that," he silently scolded. It's one thing to feel his hamster scurry on him, but Natius wasn't used to feeling a ferret climb on him.

Mahad replied, "Sorry!"

Anakin saw the group walking through the halls. "What are you all doing here?" He silently cried.

Natius asked, "I was going to ask you. Who are you? Are you a Welsh version of Sora from Kingdom Hearts?"

Mahad began laughing at the comment!

Anakin didn't understand his question. "My name is Anakin Strife. I guess I didn't properly introduce myself when we met."

Bianca asked, "You're not from the U.S. Are you?"

But Anakin couldn't remember where he was from. For all he could remember, he was a servant in this castle.

Bianca stated, "You make me think of that Skywalker fellow. Are you related to him?"

Anakin replied, "No. I am trying to earn the Beast's trust so I can see if the mirror he possesses can answer my question on who I was."

Jeanette gave a small sigh.

"Well, it doesn't seem like any of you are doing anything suspicious," said Anakin.

"However, I would advise you all to return to your chambers. I know I said you're free to go anywhere you want in this castle, but I should also at least make sure none of you accidentally wander where you shouldn't."

Mahad asked, "Did you see anything suspicious in this castle?"

Anakin looked at the ferret and he answered, "I've been hearing rumors from the servants that a simple oil lamp had been sitting on a desk and rumor has it that only a child from the bloodline of the family Ababwa can remove the lamp and summon a genie that was said to have been guarding the family for centuries."

"Can you take us to see this lamp?" Mahad asked, hoping it would make him human again.

Anakin stated, "It's in the library. I'll take you there."

Before going to the library, Anakin noticed that not everyone was present. "Where is the older girl?" He started to become worried, hoping Belle wasn't sneaking into the west wing.

Danyal asked, "Which one?"

"The older girl," Anakin said again. "The one who begged for her father's freedom."

Danyal pointed to a westward direction, and she stated, "She's heading for the West Wing."

Belle began walking towards the stairs that would lead to the West Wing!

Anakin hurried to stop her. "No, please, you mustn't go up there!"

Anakin stated, "I was just guiding a little ferret to the library, just to see if the lamp would help him."

Belle didn't listen. She continued on her path.

Anakin wouldn't give up. "I'm begging you, turn around and go back to your room before you do something you'll regret."

Belle asked, "What's up there?"

"That's the master's chambers," Anakin told her. "Absolutely no one is allowed in there."

"What's he hiding up there?" Belle asked.

"My master is hiding nothing," said Anakin .

"Then it shouldn't be forbidden," Belle assumed.

Anakin replied, "Trust me, you don't want to see what's in there."

But Belle wouldn't listen to the young man. She continued her path up the stairs.

Anakin didn't know whether to follow her or not.

Anakin began to feel concern, the last time, that he wandered into there to find a mirror that would hopefully help him with his memories, but he was warned not to go there again.

He ran towards the room, and he saw Belle at the torn portrait of a prince with clear blue eyes.

Belle's attention was directed to a light that came from a rose she saw in a bell-shaped like glass. She approached the rose and set the glass down, wanting to better inspect the rose.

Anakin cried, "No!"

Bianca noticed that Anakin wasn't there, and she scurried off to the west wing to find Anakin and Belle!

The rest of her friends followed, knowing the horror that was about to begin.

Bianca looked at the balcony to see the Beast furious with the group! She began to hop away as fast as she would before all Hell would break loose.

Belle ran away in fright of the Beast's fury. Anakin tried to explain but was attacked. The Beast struck him in the face, scratching him with his claws.

Anakin screamed in pain as he held his face!

Danyal cried seeing Anakin holding his face, "Oh my God!"

She turned to the Beast, and she stated, "If you don't learn how to control that wrathful temper, then you and all within the castle are damned to an eternity of misery and sorrow!"

Natius ran off to find Belle!

Author's Notes: Our heroes have fled, but will they be able to find Belle and will Mahad become human again? Tune in next episode.

I would like to give a special thanks to MillenniumPrincess for some help with this episode.