Ay, we're back! And as you can probably guess from the title of this chapter, things are about to take a turn. Be prepared! See you at the bottom of the page!

As soon as the sun rose the next morning, Reginald was up and dressed for the journey back to Lil' Town. He wore a cloak to ward off the chill, some sturdy boots to handle the forest paths, and simple pants and a shirt suitable for the weather. They were simpler clothes than what he'd grown used to wearing, but quite comfortable and easy to move in.

He'd also been lent a satchel that was filled with small meals and medicines, on the off chance that anything happened on the way back. Which it wouldn't, the Beast assured him quickly. The wolves were nocturnal to begin with, and after their last encounter, they would be sure to stay away from Reginald as he traveled.

Surprisingly, only Sven and a few other early bird servants were awake to see him off. This fact was not pointed out by anyone, and Reginald wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Something told him that if it were in the Beast's power, he'd have sent him off without letting anyone else know. There was something taboo about Reginald's departure; as if the Beast was actively trying to stay under the radar. Like the servants would protest greatly if they knew he was leaving this morning.

Reginald didn't wish to rock the boat, but these were his friends, and for whatever reason the Beast was sending him away, he was bound and determined to leave things on his own terms. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised Sven and the others, kneeling to carefully take Sven's decals in his hands. "Within the week, at most. I'll be back," he glanced towards the Beast as he said this. The Beast seemed tense, but did not confirm or deny Reginald's statement. He wasn't sure what to make of that, either.

"You will be most welcome anytime, sir," Sven said seriously. He still had no real face to speak of, but Reginald could tell that he was not particularly pleased with this sequence of events, either. The fact that he and the Beast had hardly regarded one another as they stood on the front steps of the estate spoke volumes.

Unable to put it off any longer, Reginald finally stood, adjusted his satchel, and walked through the front gates and into the Dark Forest. The sun was bright and pink, extending its rosy glow all across the forest floor. The shadows of the trees pointed the way towards Lil' Town, and despite the chill in the air, there was no longer any snow on the ground. Spring was coming, just as the Beast had told him.

It was quiet here, in the middle of these woods. Reginald took his time as he went, finding a flat rock overlooking a small brook to sit and eat some toast with jam as an early morning snack. He kept listening for birds and other small critters, but there was hardly a sound to be heard. The silence was peaceful. It also drove his nerves into a complete frenzy. It was like when he was in the first days of recovery from his fall in the frozen lake, only instead of wishing to move while unable to, he was moving when he really, really wished he couldn't.

He just couldn't understand why the Beast had sent him away. Things were perfect, they felt so perfect… he was happy, and warm, and connected, more than he had ever been in his life. He knew he had to return to Little Town eventually, but even after all this time, it felt too soon. What confused Reginald the most, however, was just how… complacent he was with this turn of events. Despite the way his heart ached to stay right where he was, the quiet fury in the pit of his stomach at his forced departure, his longing to know what was happening in his Beast's head, he found he couldn't fight against it. The Beast wanted him gone, for whatever reason, and he loved him too much to refuse.

What a curious organ the heart is, he thought to himself, to want something so desperately while holding itself second to the object of its desires. He shook his head and got up to continue his journey. What sappy nonsense was he spewing to himself? Was this what love had made him into? Maybe it was a good thing he was returning to Lil' Town after all. He could get back to work, back to his duties to his people. He could go back to being himself.

Why did the thought of being himself hurt him so much?

LINE BREAK

Lil' Town was not on fire. Despite his internal trepidations, the sight of his town in good condition brought great relief to Reginald's soul. He could see the tops of the farm houses from where he exited the Dark Forest; smoke was rising from the chimneys and he could spy a few distant, moving figures tending to the fields in preparation for the change in season. His eyes fell on his own home last, despite it being the nearest building to where he was. There was no smoke coming from the chimney or lights on in the windows- which, it occurred to him, was likely how it would look under normal circumstances. He was always out on the town during the day; his house was a place to hang his hat and little else. In fact, from an outside perspective, Reginald wondered if anyone would have noticed that he'd been away. The thought sent a cold sliver of pain into his heart.

Ah, and there was his mother's garden. What was left of it, rather. True to what he'd suspected, no one had been tending to any of the plants near his house in all the time he'd been gone. He hopped the fence, hardly thinking to enter the house at all, and surveyed the damage of time. The plants hadn't been particularly perky to begin with, given the season, but now it was clear that most everything was dead. All of the little plants he'd potted and set into the earth were either whittled to the nub by the weather, or had been scavenged entirely by birds and squirrels and the like. Even the tree he'd been trying to cultivate, just taller than he was, was drooping and dry, the branches tangled together into a knot of sticks and twigs.

The picture frame he'd laid against his mother's headstone was knocked over, and he knelt in the dry dirt to set it back up. The photograph was gone.

He started at the empty frame, balancing dangerously on the cusp of endless tears and total indifference, but before he could teeter one way or the other, an ear splitting scream cut through the quiet morning. He jerked back and flew to his feet, looking for the source. The scream had come from a young woman standing on the path, just within sight of the garden, and Reginald squinted at the terrified young lady. "...Ms. Baker?" He called. Yes, he was fairly certain that was Mr. Baker's daughter, wrapped in a dark mourning shawl and staring at him as if he were a ghost. He turned and raised a hand to greet her, but she stumbled and ran for the center of Lil' Town. Reginald peered after her over the fence. If he recalled correctly, Ms. Baker was a rather boisterous young woman that stood strong in the face of what some men would cower before. Was Reginald's return to Lil' Town so shocking that she'd run off in fright?

He hopped the fence again and walked after her quickly, towards the line of shops at the center of town. As he rounded a bend and spotted the little plaza, he saw more of his people idling about, also in dark shawls and cloaks, and as Ms. Baker ran to them, Reginald began to hear her shout to them all.

"A ghost," she shrieked, "there was a ghost at Mr. Copperbottom's house!"

Reginald paused and blinked a few times. A ghost? Him? Had everyone believed he was dead this whole time? That would explain the mourning clothes…

More people emerged as Ms. Baker continued on, and Reginald slowed his approach, keeping his movements calm and steady as he drew closer to the gathering crowd.

"I swear, it was as clear as day!" Ms. Baker continued, burying herself into the arms of her father when he exited the bakery. "Hiding amongst the brush, it was! Near the grave, dressed for a long journey! And- And there it is!"

Everyone turned to where she'd pointed at Reginald, who stood in the center of the path and watched the way their faces grew pale with shock and terror. The women and children did their best to hide behind the men, who in turn did their best to appear large and intimidating. Indeed, it seemed that the whole town had been convinced that he was dead. He'd need to put things right quickly, before someone got hurt.

Moving his hands slowly, he pulled back the hood of his cloak, standing before his village with his hands up and his body open and exposed. Some of the men dared to draw nearer, holding pitchforks from their farm work as a means of defense. He allowed them to grow closer, keeping quiet until the nearest man spoke. "Mr. Copperbottom, is that really you?"

"It is," he said. The crowd flinched a bit when he spoke.

"We were told you had died!" Someone exclaimed, followed by murmurs of agreement.

Reginald's eyes narrowed. "Who said I was dead?" He asked, even though he suspected he already knew the answer.

"It was-"

"What the hell's all that noise!?" A familiar voice shouted groggily. "It's too early for this mess! Haven't you people ever heard of sleeping?!"

"Hello, Terrence," Reginald called coldly.

The door to the public library flew open, and Reginald held himself back from biting his lip as Terrence stumbled into the open. He looked terrible, with a scraggly shadow of a beard, tired and heavy eyes, and an unsteadiness to his gait that suggested he'd been drinking heavily the previous night; perhaps many nights. He squinted around at the crowd before finally landing on Reginald. Despite everyone's claims that they'd all thought he was dead, Terrence didn't seem at all surprised by Reginald's appearance. "Oh, hey," he said. "You're back."

Reginald crossed his arms and glared hotly at Terrence. The memory of being left behind was all the fresher as Reginald stared hard at his former leader, and given the emotional turmoil he was already experiencing in his heart, frustration and hurt was beginning to bubble and boil over inside him. "No thanks to you!" he snapped. "And it's not like you would have known for certain, anyhow! You only stayed long enough to rescue a candlestick- a candlestick!- before leaving me to fend for myself! Did you even have the guts to tell the Toppat Clan the truth, or did you lie to them like you did to my village?"

Terrence rolled his eyes. "I knew you'd be fine, calm down-"

"Calm down? Calm down? You left me to die!" Reginald thrust a finger in Terrence's direction. "Have you no honor?! No dignity?!"

It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The entire village stood completely still, only letting their eyes flick between Reginald and Terrence. Terrence did not say a word; in fact, if Reginald didn't know better, he'd almost think that Terrence hadn't heard him. But Terrence had heard him; Reginald could see that in his eyes. They were hard and dark, completely aware of every grievance Reginald had spoken against him, and especially aware of the fact that such grievances had been made very, very public.

Someone clapped. Then again, and again, until a second person joined in. In a matter of moments, the entire village was applauding, a few even daring to whistle once or twice. The members of Lil' Town pushed forward to surround Reginald, their eyes lit up with excitement and relief. "Well said, Mr. Copperbottom!" Mr. Baker exclaimed. "And welcome back!"

"I was certain that Suave had to be lying!" Mr. Booklit announced, more loudly than Reginald had ever heard him. "Killed by a beast in the woods! I feel ashamed for believing it even for a moment!"

"You can hardly be blamed, Mr. Booklit," the school teacher said gently. "That Suave may be a lying brute, but he certainly has a frightening way with words!"

"But Mr. Copperbottom," Ms. Baker cried, "where on Earth have you been? What manner of prison has kept you away so long?"

Reginald raised his hands in a settling gesture. "Please settle down, all of you; I'll explain everything myself! Please, listen." The crowd's murmuring died down to a hush, and Reginald took a moment to decide how to best summarize everything. "Terrence led the Toppat Clan and I into the Dark Forest on the first night of their arrival, in the hopes of finding an abandoned wizard's estate full of treasure, but what we found instead was that the estate was occupied. We'd made to leave at once, but I fell on my way out. Terrence abandoned me, but as you can see, I was not killed. The master of the house, the Beast, took great care of me, even nursing me back to health with the help of his enchanted servants. I was at last well enough to return home, and I have every intention of righting any and all wrongs that Terrence has caused in my absence!"

The crowd listened in total rapture, stunned expressions on their faces. Reginald took a moment to catch his breath. There were certainly many details missing- mainly about his exact relationship with the Beast- but given how confusing that had become in less than twenty four hours, Reginald figured it would be best to keep those details to himself for now. He looked around at his villagers, realizing only then that no one had yet spoken a word. Finally, a young boy no older than twelve spoke from the center of the crowd, voice cracking with every word: "So there really is a beast?"

Reginald blinked. "Yes, that's what I-" The crowd recoiled, and it suddenly occurred to Reginald that what he knew about the Beast was very, very different from what Lil' Town thought they knew about the Beast, or beasts in general. "He's a kind Beast," he said quickly, "very friendly, and quite gentle; he means no harm…" Even as he spoke, he could tell that no one was convinced, and even worse, they were beginning to come up with explanations of their own.

"Mother, is there really a beast in the woods?"

"A beast! A real beast! Can you believe it? Near our village!"

"Oh, poor Mr. Copperbottom, being tormented by such a vile creature!"

"Is it really like what Mr. Suave said? With blood red fur and devil's horns?"

"Teeth as sharp as knives!"

"Claws as black as death!"

"A great, drooling, lumbering monster-!"

"Wait!" Reginald cried, raising his hands high in the air. "You've got it all wrong! He's no monster! He's a kind soul, really!"

"A kind beast?" Someone scoffed, "there's no such thing!"

"How could a beast be kind or gentle? It goes against nature itself!"

"You're wrong!" Reginald shouted.

"Oh, Mr. Copperbottom!" A number of young women wept, "the creature's driven you mad, it has!"

"No it- No he hasn't! Please, listen to me-!"

"Oh," one voice broke through it all, "poor, sweet, precious Reginald!" Terrence came forward, not a hint of drunkenness in his steps as he wrapped Reginald tightly in his arms, keeping him trapped in a crushing grip. "It's even worse than I thought! Even worse than death!"

"Get off of me!" Reginald snapped, struggling in Terrence's arms to no avail.

"Look, everyone!" Terrence grabbed Reginald's chin and showed him off to the village. "See the crazed, desperate look in his eyes! His complexion, too healthy for reason's sake! Don't you see?"

"What is it?" The village cried, "what's wrong with him?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong!" Terrence brought him so close that Reginald could hardly breathe. "The beast has laid a spell on him, to catch us all off guard! Why else would our Reginald, so sound and logical, tell us that a monstrous beast is kind and harmless? Why else would he look so well after being trapped in that monster's dungeons? It's a trick, a trap, so that beast can eat us all as we sleep in our beds!"

"That's not- mmph!" Reginald's face was shoved into the center of Terrence's chest as he shook him around, making what might have looked like a desperate, hysterical hug into a disorienting death grip.

"Think of your children!" Terrence shouted, and all the boys and girls hidden amidst the crowd began to weep. "Think of your livestock, your crops! The beast will ravage it all, and leave nothing behind! Just look at what it did to our Reginald; what other evils will it cast upon us?!"

"What should we do?" Mr. Booklit shrieked.

"There's only one thing we can do," Terrence said gravely. "We must destroy it before it destroys us!"

"I'll kill that thing before it gets near my family!" A farmer thrust his pitchfork into the air.

"I'll bake a dozen meat pies if it steps foot near my daughter!" Mr. Baker roared.

"Kill the beast!" The village shouted.

"No!" Reginald finally managed to push himself out of Terrence's grasp, wildly whipping his head around to plead with each villager. "Please, you can't kill him! He's done us no harm in all the years he's lived! He'd never hurt anyone without good reason! Please-!"

"Do you really believe that?" Reginald turned to glare at Terrence, to glare at the sappy, exaggerated melancholy in his eyes. "Can you really say, without a single doubt, that the beast would never harm anyone without reason? Even you?"

Of course he wouldn't. The Beast could be grumpy and stubborn, but beneath all of that he was good. He'd scared Reginald, in those early days, but never harmed him, not once-

Last night; a wonderful evening cut short by a bag of rose seeds and insistence. This morning; hardly a word spoken between them, and the secrecy of it all from the servants, his friends.

"I…" Reginald swallowed. "I…"

"You see?" Terrence looked at the villagers. "See how the beast's spell can't hold up in the face of facts and logic? That was always so important to our Reginald, wasn't it?" Terrence's eyes fell to Reginald, hard and dark as coal. "Facts and logic."

"You…" Reginald scrubbed his eyes and glared at Terrence. "I won't allow this, you hear me! I won't let you have your way this time!" He turned to the rest of Lil' Town, standing as tall as he could make himself. "No one will approach the Beast's estate with the intention to harm! None of you. Is that clear?"

Everyone looked at each other, then slowly back at Reginald. He kept his face firm. He had no idea how he, as a single person, could physically hold back an entire village from going where they shouldn't, but he wouldn't need to. These were his people. He'd served their every need from the moment he was put in charge. He'd protected them, managed them, helped them. They would do the same for him. They had to.

A farmer lowered his pitchfork. "We're sorry, Mr. Copperbottom…" he said quietly. The other villagers began to murmur similar apologies. Some even went as far as to drop their weapons entirely. Reginald sighed in relief.

"...But this is for your own good." In an instant he was swarmed, arms and hands far stronger than his trapping him and rooting him to whatever spot the villagers wished.

"Unhand me!" He cried, struggling uselessly in the middle of a dozen limbs.

"He's only gonna cause trouble if we don't lock him up!" Terrence called to the crowd; Reginald couldn't see him from where he was. "Don't you people have a jail or something we can use?"

"There's the cellar in the winery," Mr. Booklit piped up.

"Perfect! Let's do it!" The crowd began to pour into the library, dragging Reginald along for the ride.

"Don't!" Reginald screamed. "Don't do this, please!" In the dimness of the building, he could see the dying glow of embers in the fireplace he'd built for his villagers. He could even see the hunched form of Dusty rocking in one of the chairs, eyes open just enough to peer silently at Reginald. "Please!" he begged, but his words were cut off by the low, loud creak of the trap door being opened.

The group of farmers holding him in their grasp swung him once, twice, then launched him into the bottom of the shallow cellar. He landed hard on his stomach, knocking the breath out of him and sending stars across his eyes.

"All of you follow me!" Terrence ordered as Reginald looked up at them all. "I know where it is, so I'll guide you!" He caught Reginald's eyes and smirked knowingly. "I've always wanted to kill a beast. Guess I'll finally get to cross that off my bucket list. See you in a couple hours, Reg!" He clapped his hands, and Mr. Booklit and a few farmers began to heave the trap door closed.

"No, wait!" Reginald reached out towards his village-turned-mob, but hardly a moment later he was sealed in the darkness with a resounding thump, followed by the solid turn of the lock falling into place.

Uh-oh, you shouldn't have hesitated, Reginald! Now you're in a cellar while your town runs off with your insane boss, and it's all your fault!

Why was the Beast so determined not to let anyone else know about Reginald's departure? What's going on in that big furry head of his? Too bad for him, Sven's not one to let things go under his nose, and knowing how much his mouth can move, people are gonna *find out*. What lies in story for the members of the estate?

I admit, Reginald wandering through the Dark Forest is probably a little more "purple" than most people would prefer ("purple" here refers to overly fancy and poetic language), but... I dunno, I like purple sometimes, man. It can be fun in small doses, and also I didn't really know how else to have Reginald reflect on his time away from Lil' Town. Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution, and fancy and dramatic words come easy to me, I guess.

Aw, poor Reginald's mom's garden... Keep in mind, I do not have any real gardening knowledge to speak of, so I don't entirely know/understand how plants grow throughout the winter, but I do know that squirrels, birds, and deer are quick to get a snack wherever they can find one. I've seen them bite and scavenge away my own mom's plants right from the pots, and since spring will be coming soon, it's likely that any early awakeners from hibernation will take whatever they can find to last those final couple of days. So much was taken from that lovely garden, but who took the photograph...?

Man, what's Terrence been up to this past... however long Reginald's been gone? Looks like he's been getting drunk most every night, but is it because he regretted what he did to Reginald, or something else? Still, even when he's hung over, it seems that no one can resist his Suave charm; despite denouncing Terrence for lying about Reginald's death mere seconds ago, the crowd is now ready and willing to follow him into the woods to kill the Beast! That's the power of mob psychology for you: play into the beliefs of what is already there, and suddenly a situation is a thousand times worse than it already was.

Anyway, I think that's all I have to say about that, so I'll be seeing you all next week! We're getting close to the end, guys, so get hype! Leave a comment or a kudos if you liked this, too, and I'll see you next Monday. Until then!