To Love A Beast

Homes and Promises

Yamato was getting farther from the castle. He could feel the wind blowing as his cloak blew in the wind. He knew he had to find his Uncle. The magic mirror was in the satchel that was given to him before he left the castle. He remembered seeing him laying face down in the snow, weakly trying to get back up. It was about to take out the magic mirror again to try and find him but as soon as he turned to look, he spotted him.

"UNCLE!" He yelled out. Yamato could hear nothing. He was worried he was too late. He gallops over as he goes to his knees. He takes off his cloak as he puts it over him like a blanket. He was breathing but still very weak. He helped him up and had him lay gently on back of the horse.

"Come on, we're going home." He softly told his uncle. Yamato quickly looked in the direction of the castle, which he could see in the distance. He turned the horse in the opposite direction.

Little did he know, Amu was hiding in the distance slowly following him. She had on a human like mask covering her face. She wore a long cloak to cover the rest of her body, especially her tail and the hood up to cover her ears. Amu knew heartbroken Sera was when she let him go. Their Princess had never loved anyone like this her entire life. She wasn't going to let him get away. She had to convince him to get back to the castle. They only had a matter of days left before the curse became permanent. So every second mattered.

She quickly ran off following him on foot. Amu knew she couldn't keep up with him on foot so she quickly followed the horse prints that were left behind. Only stopping if he did and stayed far enough behind so he wouldn't notice. She knew Tusk was going to be wondering where she is?

Meanwhile at the Castle

"WHERE IS AMU?!" Tusk questioned loudly.

"Why do you miss, your girlfriend?" Leo teases.

"No, I don't!" Tusk defensively tells him. Trying to cover the fact he was blushing.

"Oh, what's the use? She could be lost in this castle." Misao sulks as he sat down near the wall in a fiddle position. The curse had turned him into a Rhino. Which lead him into a more depressive state than before? It mostly drove Leo up the wall. Misao and Leo always had made it clear that they hated each other. Tusk mentioned they did bicker like brothers. Naturally they found that an insult.

"Is that why up you stayed locked up in room all this time?" Tusk questioned.

"Maybe you can join the Princess. She's in a deep depression. Doesn't even want to come out of her room."

"I don't deserve to be in the Princess, presents." Misao weeps.

"OH SHUT IT!" Leo irritably tells it. "If the Princess didn't let Yamato go. She wouldn't be depressed in the first place. And perhaps we can be all human by now anyway."

"You just don't get it. Our Princess has finally found someone she loves with all her heart.

"That should have been enough to break this curse."

"You remember what the Enchantress said. She has to fall in love with someone and he has to return that love. Now that he is gone there is no hope. Our Princess could be in this depressive state for the rest of her life? Yamato may not even be coming back."

"Were going to be like this forever!" Misao sulks.

"Wait, you don't think . . ." Tusk suddenly realized something.

"Think what?" Leo questioned.

"Amu, went after Yamato, didn't she? She is going to bring him back." Tusk tells them. "It's dangerous out there."

"Well then there is a chance then."

"She's still under the curse. If they see her in her animal form. They will freak out. They may come after us." Tusk stated worriedly.

"Well, then we have to prepare." Leo gets up, he had more excited.

"You're heartless. Not even concerned for Amu." Tusk angrily tells him.

"She can take of herself." Leo waves it off. "Especially since she can manipulate you with ease." Leo whispered.

"What do you mean?" Tusk questioned.

"Never mind." Leo sits back down on the other side of the table. "Amu is going to try and convince Yamato to come back to the castle. If Yamato really does love our Princess he will return. If there are any intruders. We'll have to scare them out of the castle."

"Scare them?" Misao questioned. "I can't be intimidating." He weeps.

"You? Just look at yourself. You can ram intruders with at horn.

"Really?" Misao touches his horn with both his hands.

"Oh yes,

"Yeah, I can be scary." Misao happily exclaims.

"Any intruder that visits's here. That's not Yamato. When they enter this castle, it will become a living nightmare."

Yamato carries his Mario on his back as he helps him into the house. Unknown to them Nami pops out of the snow.

"Yamato . . . is . . . back . . . I better. . . . inform . . . Minako." Nami weakly says as she sneezes. "If I can get out of this snow . . . first." She sneezes again and again.

Inside the cottage. In Yamato's hometown.

Mario opened his eyes as he sat up, the wet cloth dropped from his forehead.

"Uncle, your okay."

"First I had visions of my sister. Now I am seeing more illusions."

"You're not hallucinating Uncle. I am really here." Yamato informs him.

"Yamato, how did you escape?"

"Escape? What are you talking about?" Yamato questioned. "Sera, she let me go. So I can help you?"

"Help me? And who is this Sera girl?" Mario questioned, his voice was week.

"She was the Princess that was keeping you prisoner." Yamato tells his Uncle.

"And you're referring to her by first name?" Mario questioned. It was something he never heard of, his nephew was referring to the Shark girl who had kept her prisoner.

"Uncle, she's changed. I don't know how? Or why?" Yamato confessed. "She's now a dear friend."He blushed when he said this. "I promised myself that I will go back to the castle. Not until your well."

"It's been days. And you became friends with the very girl that locked both of us up." Mario voice still filled confusion. "Something tells me there's more between you two then your letting on."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Yamato denied. "Now lay back down. You're still sick. I am going to take care of you until you feel better."

"I am already better." Mario coughs again.

Just then a knock could be heard at the door. Yamato just looked over at it. As he stood up, slowly going over to open the door.

Author's Note: I forgot to put Misao in this story. So I add him to this chapter. I had him sulking in his room which is why he didn't appear in the other chapters. So he missed out on everything. It would make sense if he was turned into an animal. Amu was the one that cheered him up. Usually by flirting with him, though she did it too just to make Tusk jealous. Well since the Rhino is his main Zyougher form. I picked it for Misao's animal form. I thought it was fitting.

Now who is behind the door? Is it Minako? Will her evil plan be set into motion? I want to make this story longer. So I am leaving it in suspense. So you will have to wait to find out what happens.

Yamato want to visit Sera, he knows the castle's enchanted but he doesn't know of the curse. He doesn't realize yet. That he only has a few days left. Otherwise the curse on everyone will be permanent. The problem is they can't tell him. So this makes it harder to get him to confess. I am sure Amu will find a way.