Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Hello and good evening/morning my friends! I am pleased to present to you for your enjoyment, the first installment in my Fairy Tale Series! I love fairy tales! Who doesn't? So I decided to tip my hat to them and honor some of my favorites and mix them with my other favorite, Inuyasha! Five stories, four paired couples, and all four in the last one.

Beauty and the Beast has always been my most favorite fairy tale. Even though sometimes I would say that so-and-so or this-and-that was my favorite, this was always the one I returned to :). I enjoy the thought of ugly being loved by beauty. I have read and watched countless versions of this story, include fanfics, and this is my version! A mix of them all and a few dashes of my own thing.

Enjoy! :D!

Beauty and the DemonAKABeauty and the Beast

By: Sombra112

Chapter 1: Hope, Grace, and Beauty

In an old village that lay on the coast, bordered by the vast ocean and a just as vast forest, lay a little town called Bella. As it's name implies, it was a beautiful village. A quiet village full of happy and kind people. It was a trading village. They traded timber from their forest, shells and fish from their sea, and the lovely flowers that grew in abundance. Despite that, it was a relatively small town with only one large manor.

The most wealthy of the traders was a man called Jon, he lived in that manor with his three daughters.

Eri, the eldest, was a beautiful girl. Her hair was as black as night and her eyes like the sapphires she loved to adorn herself with. No one called her Eri, everyone called her Hope. Such a lovely girl was set to inherit all of her father's assets and she had more suitors than anyone.

Yumi, the middle daughter was also quite beautiful. Her hair was curly and wild and about as tame as its master. Yumi loved to party, she loved to be seen in gorgeous gowns and the latest fashions. Everyone called her Grace. She moved like a swan and danced like an angel. The only girl with more suitors than herself was Eri.

Rin was the youngest and no less beautiful than her sisters. Her hair was smooth and brown as were her lovely eyes. No one called her Rin either, she was known simply as Beauty. If it were not for her slightly odd personality, she would have just as many suitors as her elder sisters.

However Rin was a bit of an outcast.

Unlike Eri who loved shopping and gossiping with her friends and Yumi who loved to dance the night away on the arm of a handsome young man, Rin liked to read. She spent a great deal of her time at the book shop or the library. Books were her constant companions, you rarely saw her without one either tucked under her arm or tucked under her nose.

She loved reading and learning and having great adventures on the pages of a book.

And there was nothing she disliked more than being called Beauty.

She thought it was a vain and terrible nickname and would have much rather have been called Hope or Grace. But no one would call her Rin and she had to live with being forever known as Beauty.

"It is because you are so lovely, Beauty." her father would tell her with a smile before kissing her forehead.

"We would love to have your name, Beauty." her sisters would say as if astonished she wasn't pleased with it.

And still no one called her Rin.

The girls lost their mother when they were young, leaving them with only their father. They didn't mind as their father was kind and doting. There was nothing he loved more than showering Eri in glittering jewels and clothing Yumi in fine dresses and bringing in new and exciting books for Rin home from his trips.

For years they lived in happiness. Rich and happy, yet still a good natured family.

Until disaster struck.

They were having tea in their parlor when the news came. Rin had been curled up next to the fire with a book, Eri and Yumi had been discussing fashion, and their father had been watching them in complete contentment when they heard.

A terrible storm had hit the seas and all of Jon's trading ships had been sunk and all of their cargo lost.

And just like that, the family was thrust into poverty.

The girls had to sell all their jewels and clothes and books. Their fortune was used to pay off debts from the missing the cargo and the house was sold so they could have some money.

They moved into a small cottage on the edge of the forest. It was a simple wooden house with a loft where the family slept.

They sold the small amount of flowers in their garden to make some money yet nothing was as it had been.

Their father began to fall ill. He couldn't handle not being able to care for his family and the stress of his grief overwhelmed his body. Eri took care of him while Rin and Yumi did their best to sell their flowers.

"I'm home." Rin said as she walked into the door of their small house.

"Beauty." her father beamed at her from across the room.

It distressed her to see him so pale and thin. He was sitting in a comfy chair with a blanket thrown over his lap and the fire going in front of him. On a side table to his right was a book and a cup of still steaming tea.

"Beauty, welcome back." Eri descended from the loft on the ladder that rested in the center of the room.

Besides her father and the fireplace, their was a small kitchen area where Eri cooked and a cot in the corner. Their father wasn't strong enough anymore to get up the ladder so he slept down here instead.

Rin was far too used to her name now to care, besides they had more important things to worry about.

She set her flower basket down by the door. The only things left in it were a few leafs that had fallen off the flowers she had been selling today.

"Is Yumi home yet?" she asked as she removed the scrap of linen that covered her hair.

"Not yet." Eri said as she went to their father. "Are you comfortable?" she asked with a smile. "Do you want me to make the fire bigger?"

"I'm fine, Hope." he patting her arm gently. "Are you going to read to me now, Beauty?" he asked as one hand went hopefully to the book at his side.

"Not yet, papa." Rin went to him and kissed his forehead as he had done countless times when she had been young. "I have to go water the garden first."

"Later then." he smiled as Eri tucked him back in.

"I'll go help Beauty with the flowers." she said to him kindly. "Do you need anything?"

"Nothing, my precious." he waved to them as they left with a pair of water buckets.

"What's wrong?" Rin asked as soon as the door shut and they started off to the well in the center of town. "You never help me with the garden."

Eri sighed. "It's papa." she said sadly. "He's getting worse. I don't know how much longer he'll last. Beauty, what if we lose him?"

"We wont." Rin said firmly without hesitation.

"Come on, Beauty." Eri shook her head as they began walking through town. It was late so most of the food vendors had already closed up for the day. "That positive attitude thing was great after the ships sunk. But it won't work this time."

"Papa has you to care for him." Rin pointed out. "He's doing so well because of it."

"I'm doing everything I can." she admitted. "But I don't think it's enough. And we can't really afford medicine."

"Hope? Beauty?" Yumi appeared before them out of the crowd. Her basket of flowers still had a few left in it but they were slightly wilted. "What are you doing here? Who's home with papa?"

"I had to talk to Beauty." Eri said sadly. "I didn't want papa to hear and get worried. He gets sicker when he gets worried."

"I'm going home." Yumi thrust her basket on Rin. "You shouldn't have left him there alone."

"She's in denial." Eri said as the young girl walked away quickly. "I don't think she realizes that he's-"

"He's not dying." Rin said firmly. "He's just sick."

"He's been sick for a year." Eri frowned. "If he was going to get better he would have done it by now."

Rin turned and continued purposefully to the center of town where the well was. Eri followed after a moment, her head bowed slightly.

"Sorry." she said a moment later. "I'm just so worried all the time about him. I can't imagine life without him."

"He just needs something to keep his attention." Rin smiled back at her sister to show she had forgiven her. "A project."

"He seems to get better when you read to him." Eri pointed out.

"That's because it reminds him of the old days." Rin said as they stopped by the well and waited for a man to finish drawing his water. "I meant something to keep his hands busy. To distract him."

Eri sighed. "Like what?"

"I don't know." Rin shrugged. "You're home with him all day. What makes him feel better?"

"I already told you." Eri smiled sadly. "When you read to him."

The man left and Rin attached her bucket to the rope then began lowering it down. "Maybe we should teach him sewing or knitting."

"I already tried that." Eri admitted. "It makes it worse. I think he thinks it's like he can't even by his girls clothes or blankets."

Rin sighed as she pulled the bucket back up.

"Excuse me?"

They turned together.

A man stood there, he was dressed in worn traveling clothes and he held the reigns of a horse in his hands. The horse wasn't a show horse, it was obviously a working horse used to running for long periods of time.

"Yes?" Rin asked as she looked him over.

He wasn't particularly outstanding and he was rather young, no older than 13 or 14. His trousers and jacket were dusty from being on the rode and the only thing he had with him was a satchel that looked to be almost empty.

"I'm looking for Jon Caro's residence." he said nervously. "Can you point me in the right direction?"

"We're his daughters." Rin said as she passed Eri the full bucket and took the empty one. "What do you want with our father?"

"I have a message, ma'am." he said as one hand went automatically to his satchel. "From someone named Claude Vareen."

"Claude?" Eri blinked in surprise. "He was the captain of one of father's ships."

"What does it say?" Rin asked, forgetting about her bucket. It had always been assumed that Claude had gone down with his ship along with the rest of the men under their father's employ.

"I don't know, ma'am." the boy blushed slightly. "I can't read and it's a letter."

"Well, let me see." Rin held out her hand.

"Pardon, ma'am." the boy bobbed his head nervously. "But I've been instructed to give it to no one other than Jon Caro."

"Beauty?" Eri looked at her sister. "What if it's bad news? Papa, can't handle bad news."

Rin looked at the boy seriously for a second. Then she sighed. "Better let him have it. Most likely Claude is just writing to say he's alive and that will cheer up papa considerably."

Eri nodded gravely. "I guess so..."

"Come on, follow us." Rin finished drawing water and led the way with her sister.

Even if it was bad news, Claude was still alive and that was good news in and of itself.

One of the reasons for their father's sickness was the crushing guilt he felt at all of those lives lost because of his business. This letter would do a lot to alleviate it. Besides, what more bad news could they get?

If the boy was surprised by their poor cottage, he made no comment on it.

"You can tie your horse there." Rin said at she pointed to the fence that surrounded their small, yet colorful, garden.

"Yes, ma'am." he said and did as he was told.

While he did, Rin and Eri went inside.

"There you are." Yumi glared at them from their father's side. He had a bowl of stew in his lap. "What took you so long?"

They set their buckets down and Eri went to Jon to check on him as Rin set down Yumi's flower basket.

"Papa, we have good news." Rin smiled brightly. "Claude sent us a letter."

"Claude?" the elderly man blinked for a second in confusion. Then his face cleared and he beamed. "Claude! My old friend! He is alive?"

"He sent a letter." Eri smiled at Rin. Their father hadn't looked this pleased since their fall from riches.

The messenger boy walked in and looked around curiously before his eyes landed on Jon. "Jon Caro?" he asked.

"Yes, boy. Yes." He grinned at him and held out a withered hand. "You have a letter for me?"

"Yes, sir." the boys reached in his satchel and pulled out a sealed envelope. Stamped into the wax was the seal used by their father's trading company.

Jon took it eagerly and, with a strength the girls didn't know he still had, he ripped it open himself and held it in front of his eyes.

"What does it say?" Yumi asked without letting him read it.

Jon laughed. "Patience, Grace." he smiled. "I'm afraid my eyes aren't what they used to be. Beauty?" He held the letter out to her.

Rin took it with a smile and lifted it before her eyes. She was so nervous, if it did hold bad news, depending on how bad, it might break their father completely. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.

But Jon was looking at her with such a happy expression as he waited for her to read that she didn't have the heart to change her mind.

Rin took a deep breath and read:

"Jon, my old friend, it has been to long. I'm sorry I have not managed to get into contact with you before, I'm afraid I've been quiet...busy. The hurricane last year that destroyed your fleet somehow, by some miracle, didn't sink my ship."

There was a collective gasp and Rin's eyes lit up as she rushed to finish.

"However, we were lost and couldn't find our way around. We had the stars as our guide and a single compass to guide us, but it made no difference for we had no idea where we were. We traveled from port to port, trying to find our way home for most of this past year. And, as we traveled, we managed to trade our cargo. We traded for new and exotic things. Perfumes and silks and other such wonders. I'm sure you will be quite pleased. We did suffer a pirate attack. However, with some magic black powder we traded for in the east, we managed to blow a hole in their ship."

"Ah, Claude." Jon sighed happily and sat back in his chair as if Rin were reading him another story.

"Finally, we found a port town that we recognized and were able to find our way home. I'm writing you this quickly to say that, despite the loss of your other ships, we have survived. And we bring back many goods to trade. I hear you have fallen on hard times and your health is none to well. So I shall sell them in your absence and send you your earnings. Hoping this news brings you great happiness, Claude."

"Oh, wow!" Eri said as tears formed in her eyes and Yumi beamed with excitement.

Rin lowered the letter. "Oh, papa, that's wonderful!"

"My good friend." Jon looked into the fire happily. "There is nothing that gives me greater joy than to hear you are safe."

The girls looked at him for a moment as he stared into the flames.

Suddenly, he snapped to attention. "Well, I can't just let my men work as I laze about here! I'm going to the city!"