Cherry in Beauty and the Beast

chapter 18: The Black Forest

In the Black Forest, Philippe pulled the sleigh with Belle and Chip inside as they went off to find the perfect Christmas tree for the Beast. Cherry was hiding in the back of the sleigh. She shivered at the extreme coldness as it got darker and darker and they were deep in the forest. Cherry rose her head as she heard a noise, then gasped as she realized it was wolf howls and ducked quickly to protect and hide herself. She trembled as she saw the wolves' eyes glow in the night, looking menacing, but they didn't disturb either of them.

"There it is! That's it! That's it!" Chip chriped as they all looked to see the biggest, best tree in the forest across the frozen lake.

"Oh Chip, it's perfect." Belle smiled at him.

Philippe stepped onto the ice nervously. He was worried something would happen, but it seemed to be all okay as he walked the group across the frozen lake to get to the tree.

"It's the best tree ever!" Chip beamed as he, Belle and Mr. Feuerwerker were by the tree, looking way up at it as it nearly touched the sky.

"Chip, you're right." Belle said as she held Mr. Feuerwerker over her shoulder.

"Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!" the axe cheered.

Cherry looked up from the sleigh and helped herself out. She looked at Belle and Chip. She just couldn't sabotage she felt pangs of guilt all around her body. She was sad at first because of how she had been acting lately, then got angry as she remembered why she was out in the dead of winter in a dangerous forest in the first place.

"Gotta do something, Forte's counting on me!" Fife said to himself, balling her hands up into fists. Fife then hopped up and undid sleigh latch. Fife dusted himself clean, slipped from the ice and landed back in the back of the sleigh. Could it be karma?

"TIMBER!" Fife heard Chip's voice and a loud thud in the snow and saw the tree was about to be put back in the sleigh on top of her.

Belle tied the tree on and it squished Cherry, making her moan and groan in sudden pain. Cherry was about to get up, but Belle tied ropes around the tree along with her attached to it.

"Take it away, Philippe!" Belle called to her horse.

The horse pulled the sleigh as told and dragged the tree with Fife stuck to it. Fife was covered with the wet, cold snow and dragged along the ice as pine needles got stuck on his face and body. Fife wiggled in the tree and rope. He then got loose and Philippe hit a bump which made Fife fall and slide across the ice, making Belle, Chip and Philippe seeing him.

"H-Hello Belle..." Fife greeted nervously. "Nice t-t-tree...." Cherry shivered with exposement and the frigid weather.

"Fife?" Belle asked. "What are you doing way out here?"

"Nothing," Fife shrugged. "I was just walking... I love the bitter cold... and... I mean..." Fife then let out a high-pitched squeal. The squeakiness made Philippe buck up and slam his hooves against the thin ice.

"Philippe!" Belle cried. "Oh, no!"

Chip looked at the back of the sleigh as he was on a cracked piece of ice. "The tree, Belle!" he squealed. "We're gonna lose the tree!" As the rope snapped, Chip then let out a scream and fell into the water and Fife watched in shock and horror.

Fife rushed to his own safety, but the ice around his cracked and he fell into the water, holding his breath. The water was icy cold and she rubbed himself as he bobbed along under water, feeling unfortunate for not being able to swim. He grabbed onto edges of the cracked ice and pushed herself forward, gasping for air, but was still freezing cold. His teeth chattered and her breath was as cold as the howling wind of the deathly forest.

Cherry looked to see her friends in danger and rushed to try to help them. She then turned to see Lumiere and Cogsworth coming from nowhere to help Belle.

"Hold on, Cherie, I'll save you!" Lumiere called.

"Oh dear!" Cogsworth moaned.

They all looked to see Belle's face press against the ice, but they couldn't get her out. They were all too weak. Just then Cherry remembered her anger against Forte and used her strength to break down the ice for Belle to be free. She was angry enough to break a hole open for Belle to come out from.

Belle got out of the water for air as she was free. She had Chip in her hand. He spat out some water like a fountain and turned to her with a safe smile.

"Oh Chip, thank goodness you're safe." Belle shivered slightly.

"I wasn't scared." Chip smiled at her.

Cherry and Fife saw that under the water the tree rope tied around Belle's ankle and dragged her back into the water. Chip tried to pull Belle back in with her glove, but Belle was dragged right back in to possibly drown to death. Suddenly, they all heard the Beast's roar call to them in alarm. He was in his best suit with a curtain tied around behind his back. The Beast went in after Belle and stormed his head right back through the ice and carried Belle like a bride.

"Belle!" Chip cheered, but he frowned as he saw his master looking very angry.

The Beast saw Cherry and dragged her by her ankle all the way back to the castle. Philippe followed them. Cherry sighed as tears itched in her eyes.

"What have I done? This is all my fault..." Cherry broke down sobbing as the others followed.

"We all share some blame, mon ami." Lumiere told her. "For daring to hope for a Christmas."