Téa and the Beast

By: Seto's Princess

It's Spring Break for me, so I had the chance to update this one, even if it was just one chapter. Thanks for reading! Enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 2 – Prologue – The Spell…

"It can't be," Seto muttered to himself as he saw his younger brother hugging a very familiar boy.

"Seto! Look, it's Noa!" Mokuba exclaimed as he looked up at the older Kaiba, his eyes bright with joy. He then blinked in confusion and looked at the older Kaiba up and down. "Seto, why are you wearing such strange clothes? You look like a prince."

"What?" Seto asked and looked down at himself. Sure enough, he was wearing odd attire - silver medieval style pants, a royal blue shirt with golden cuffs, silver shoes, and a long red cape with golden trimming tied around his neck with golden string. On his head sat a crown adorned with many jewels.

"Hello Seto," Noa greeted with a smile.

"This isn't possible. You sacrificed yourself to destroy Gozaburo!" Seto exclaimed in disbelief, forgetting his strange clothing for a moment.

"Yes, but I wasn't completely gone. I saved my mind on a backup system before I destroyed my father's central computer," Noa said as he played with the hem of his shirt. (Noa does not save his mind on a backup file, as the 4Kids dub may have led you to believe, but for the sake of this story, let's just say he did.)

"But how did you get your own body, Noa?" Mokuba asked, not really caring that they were in a strange place.

"I don't know. One moment I was playing an online video game and the next I just woke up here with my own body. I thought maybe this was just another virtual world I stumbled into, but then I saw you and claimed that this isn't a virtual world," Noa explained.

"How can you be so sure? For all we know, this is most likely a virtual world. How do you explain Mokuba and I being knocked out and waking up here?" Seto wondered.

"Well, that does make sense," Noa said, staring sadly at the floor.

"I don't care if this is a virtual world or not! It's still great to see you Noa!" Mokuba exclaimed as his face lit up with a smile. Noa smiled back.

"Whatever. Come on, Mokuba, let's figure out where we are," Seto suggested and began to walk away.

"Seto! Noa's our brother, so be a little nicer to him," Mokuba chided.

"It's alright, Mokuba. I understand if Seto still doesn't trust me," Noa murmured and walked away in the other direction with his head hung low in regret for his past mistakes.

"Wait! Noa!" Mokuba called after him. He frowned and turned to look at Seto. "See what you did? Why can't you just give him a chance?" Mokuba asked reproachfully and walked off in Noa's direction.

"Mokuba! We don't know where we are!" Seto shouted and was about to follow when a pounding sound that came from the other end of the hall grabbed his attention.

Seto followed the sound, past at least a dozen different corridors, all with high ceilings and golden chandeliers hanging from them, until he reached the main entrance. 'We're in a castle,' he realized as he looked across from the left stairway and saw the right stairway, both meeting at the center to a tall door and then branching off into one then went down to the floor, followed by a long red carpet that went all the way to a large door.

The pounding continued, coming from what Seto believed was the front door, and he headed towards it.

Meanwhile, Mokuba and Noa were walking down another long hallway adorned with golden hanging chandeliers and tall armored statues.

"So, where do you think we are, Noa?" Mokuba wondered aloud as they walked along, admiring the high ceilings.

"It looks like a castle to me. It's way too big to be a mansion. Not even my father had a place quite like this," Noa replied.

"Hey look! It's snowing!" Mokuba exclaimed as he looked out the high castle windows.

Noa was just about to comment on the snow when some mumbling coming from around the hallway caught their attention.

"Ow, my head."

"Sister, where are we?"

"Joey? Joey where are you?"

"What was that?" Noa asked.

"Ow, my head."

"I don't know, but let's find out," Mokuba said and together, he and Noa walked to the end of the hallway and turned the corner.

"Master Mokuba!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

"Roland?" Mokuba asked as he looked at the heap of people lying on the floor.

One of the people gasped. "Noa! I thought you were in the virtual world!" a male's voice exclaimed.

"Ow, my head," Tristan mumbled, rubbing his aching head.

"Serenity? Mai? Tristan? Ishizu? Marik? Odion? What are you all doing here?" Mokuba asked.

"Where's Mr. Kaiba?" Roland asked, fixing his glasses on his face.

"He's somewhere in this castle. Serenity, Tristan, Mai, if you're here then where are Joey and the others?" Mokuba asked as he held his arm out to help up Serenity which made Tristan fluster.

"I don't know. One minute Mai and I were visiting Joey and Tristan and the other we just woke up here in this strange place. Where are we anyway?" she asked.

"We're not sure but it looks like some sort of castle," Noa answered.

"Why don't we go see if there's anyone else in here?" Marik suggested and the others nodded in agreement.

They headed down the hallway, the opposite way Mokuba and Noa had come from.

"I still don't understand what's happening," Yami mumbled to himself as he looked on at what was happening in the castle through Aria's magic floor.

"You'll understand in due time. You remember that job I asked of you?" Aria asked.

Yami nodded. "But how can I do this without Kaiba recognizing me?"

"Leave that to me," Aria said and with a wave of her wand, Yami's appearance changed completely. "Good. Now, on to your mission." With another wave of her wand, Yami disappeared from the room and reappeared at the front door of the castle, where he began pounding on the door.

"Now my little storyteller," Aria said as Ryou suddenly appeared in a chair in the corner of the room with a dazed look on his face as if he was completely unaware of what was happening.

He began speaking softly as if he was telling a story. "Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind."

Seto opened the large door and squirmed slightly as a blast of cold air hit him along with a few flakes of snow. He looked down and saw who had been pounding on the door. A short man wearing a black cloak looked up at him. The man was very old and looked very weak. He had long white hair and dull violet eyes.

"But then, one winter's night, an old beggar man came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold."

The old man held up a bright red rose. "Excuse me sir, but please take this nose, I mean rose, in exchange for a warm room for me to sleep in," the man said and began coughing.

"Repulsed by his haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old man away."

"Go away, old man. I don't have time for this," Seto said in response and began to close the door but the old man held out his hand to stop him.

"But he warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, young man. If you're turning me away due to my appearance, then you are making a grave mistake. True beauty comes from the pop tart within," the old man stated matter-of-factly.

"Pop tart?" Seto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I meant heart. In my old age, I tend to mix some words up," the old man replied.

"Whatever. Go somewhere else old man. I don't even know where I am anyway," Seto said and tried once again to close the door, but the old man held it open.

"And when he dismissed him again, the old man's ugliness melted away to reveal a handsome young man."

A gust of wind blew the cloak off the old man and he suddenly turned into a figure Seto knew all too well. Yami now stood before him, not with white hair and dull violet eyes, but with shining tri-colored hair and bright crimson eyes.

"Yami? What are you doing here?" Seto asked.

"I came here for one thing and one thing only. You just proved that you only care about yourself and for that you shall pay, Kaiba," Yami replied.

"What are you talking about? Come inside and start making some sense. I think the cold is making you crazy," Seto said.

"Is this your way of apologizing for turning me away before? Well, it won't work. You thought I was an ugly old beggar and turned me away when I needed shelter. You must now face the consequences Seto Kaiba for your selfishness," Yami said and his Millennium Puzzle began to glow.

"The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for he had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, he transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there."

"Goodbye Kaiba. For your sake and the sake of the others, I hope you realize how wrong you are before time runs out," Yami said and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing once again in Aria's magical dwelling.

…

"Good job. Now you'll watch as the story unfolds from here," Aria said, waved her magic wand and pointed it at the magic floor, which displayed a confused Seto Kaiba closing the door of the castle.

'What was that about?' Seto wondered as he closed the door and turned around to find Mokuba and Noa. He was surprised to see a beautiful blonde girl with sparkling emerald eyes and wings sprouting from her back.

"Who are you?" Seto asked becoming quite bored with the many surprises this place had to offer him.

"Who I am is of no importance to you. I only have one thing to say and it is this: a selfish heart is an ugly heart. You shall be punished for this," Aria stated and waved her wand once more.

A sudden darkness engulfed the entire castle, transforming it into a horrid and scary place. Everyone in the castle changed as well. Seto cried out in pain as his body changed into that of a monstrous beast with horns, claws, and sharp fangs.

Once the transformation was done, Aria held up a mirror for Seto to see what he looked like now. His eyes widened and he looked down at his hands, which were now paws.

"What is this?" he asked and touched his face as he continued looking in the mirror. "Wha-what have you done to me?" he shouted and looked up at her.

"It's a spell and there's only one way to break it," Aria answered and raised her right hand as if she was holding something. The rose that Yami had offered Seto floated inside a glass bell-shaped jar. It glowed with a bright hot pink color. "You must fall in love with another and earn her love in return before the last petal of this rose falls. If not, then you will remain a beast for eternity and the others will also stay the way they are."

"What?" Seto gasped as his eyes widened with disbelief.

"This is yours. I suggest you keep it somewhere safe," Aria said, ignoring his question, and handed Seto the glass jar that held the rose and the silver mirror she held in her other hand. "You can keep this mirror as well. It's a magic mirror; it will let you see anything you want to see."

"Stop saying crazy things! Tell me who you are and what you've done to me and..." he trailed off as a pang of realization hit him. "Mokuba! Where is Mokuba? Did you turn him into a monster as well?" Seto asked in desperation.

"You'll find out in time, Seto Kaiba. For now, I suggest you start changing your ways unless you want to remain this way forever. Good luck and goodbye," Aria said and with a final wave of her wand, she disappeared.

"No! Come back!" Seto shouted loudly. His voice echoed along the walls of the nearly empty castle.

His younger brother entered his mind again and Seto thundered up the stairs in search of him.

"Ow, my head."

"What happened?"

"Is everyone okay?" Mokuba asked as he stood up. 'Why does everything suddenly look so much bigger now?' he thought. 'A wardrobe? A broom? A clock? These things weren't here before. Neither was this footstool, or this teapot, or this teacup, or this coat rack. Wait a minute...'

"Hey where is everybody?" Noa asked as he looked around the hallway where everyone had previously been.

"Ow, my head."

"We're right here, kid," Mai mumbled as she groaned in pain.

"What are you talking about Mai? I can't see you anywhere but you still sound really close," Tristan said.

"Ishizu, what's going on?" Odion asked.

"Odion, Marik, where are you?" Ishizu asked.

"I'm right here sister, where are you?" Marik answered her question with another question.

"Master Mokuba, are you all right?" Roland asked.

"Roland, where are you?" Mokuba asked.

Serenity screamed.

"Serenity where are you? What happened?" Tristan called out in desperation.

"That cup just talked and so did that teapot!" Serenity exclaimed.

"Serenity, where are you girl? You sound like you're standing right next to me." Mai pointed out.

Serenity screamed once again. "That wardrobe just talked and it sounds just like you, Mai!"

"What?" Mai asked confusedly.

"Everyone be quiet for a minute!" Mokuba shouted.

Serenity squeaked in surprise. "That candleholder! It just sounded like Mokuba!"

"Wait a minute. Can you all answer me one question?" Noa asked.

"What is it, kid?" Tristan asked.

"Are you all seeing a broom, a wardrobe, a footstool, a teapot, a teacup, a coat rack, a stove, and a candleholder?" Noa asked.

"Yes, but replace the candleholder with a clock," Mokuba answered.

"I see a candleholder and a clock but no wardrobe," Mai stated.

"I see everything but a teacup," Marik added.

"No footstool, but I do see a clock," Tristan said.

"I don't see a coat rack," Roland commented.

Serenity screamed once again. "Guys! All these things we're seeing… They're all talking!"

"That's it!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Mokuba?" Tristan asked.

"These things are us!" Noa exclaimed.

"What? What are you talking about?" Marik asked.

"Marik, you probably can't see the teacup because," Mokuba began but a loud shriek from Serenity interrupted him.

"What? What is it?" Noa asked.

"Guys, look behind you!" Tristan shouted.

"Mokuba! Mokuba, where are you?" a voice called out as its owner walked down the hallway towards the group.

"A monster! Come on Serenity, let's get out of here!" Tristan exclaimed and looked around. "Wait… Where are you Serenity?"

"No wait, I think it's… Seto!" Mokuba shouted.

"Mokuba? Mokuba, where are you?" Seto asked, following the voice.

"Down here!"

Seto looked down at the strange objects that littered the floor. "Mokuba?" Seto asked, fearing that Mokuba's voice was an illusion or that he had been turned into one of the random objects before him.

"It's me!" Mokuba exclaimed and waved his arms around.

Seto's eyes widened. "No! It can't be! Mokuba, you're a-a candleholder!"

Mai gasped. "Wait a minute! You really are Kaiba?" she asked in utter disbelief.

"Mokuba, are all of these objects people?" Seto asked.

"Mr. Kaiba! What's going on here?" one of the objects asked.

"Roland?" Seto asked.

"Yeah, Tristan, Serenity, Mai, and the Ishtars are here too!" Mokuba said.

"Does anyone have any idea what's going on here?" Marik asked.

"Seto, what's that glowing pink thing?" Noa asked, referring to the object in Seto's right arm, the glass jar.

Aria's words flowed back to Seto's mind. "I only have one thing to say and it is this: a selfish heart is an ugly heart. You shall be punished for this… …It's a spell and there's only one way to break it. You must fall in love with another and earn her love in return before the last petal of this rose falls. If not, then you will remain a beast for eternity and the others will also stay the way they are."

"This is… my fault. Damn it!" Seto shouted and roared loudly, which made Serenity scream and some of the others jump in fright. Seto ran off with both objects in his arms as Mokuba and Noa bolted after him.

"Seto! Wait!" Mokuba shouted as he and Noa desperately tried to catch up with the now monstrous Seto Kaiba.

"Should we follow them?" Marik asked.

"I'm sure those two can handle it. I have a feeling we'll be in this castle for quite a while. We should go find some suitable rooms for ourselves. Odion, Marik, follow me to the kitchen," Ishizu said and began to hop down the hallway.

"Why the kitchen?" Marik asked as he hopped along beside his older sister.

"I'm a teapot, right? You're a teacup and Odion here is a stove, so I believe the best place for us would be the kitchen," Ishizu explained.

"Oh…" Marik trailed off as he, Odion, and Ishizu hopped off in search of a kitchen.

"So, where do the rest of us go?" Mai asked as she looked down at the other objects.

Serenity sneezed. "Great, why did I have to be the broom? I'm allergic to myself!"

"I think we should just go and have a look around the castle to see where we would fit best," Tristan suggested and he and the others started wandering around the castle.

…

Seto eventually made it back to the room he had originally woken up in. It was a lot darker now, of course, but then again, so was the rest of the castle.

"Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world."

Seto placed the glass jar and the mirror down on a porcelain round table near the center of the room. He looked at his reflection in the mirror once again and roared. He began to thrash about and claw at random objects in his room in frustration. He saw a portrait of himself nearby and he clawed at that as well, not wanting to be reminded of what he once was.

"The rose he had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

The rose glowed brightly and contrasted with the darkness of the room, which now looked like a tornado had hit it due to what Seto had done to it.

…

"Well, now that that's done, I think it's time to begin her story," Aria murmured, more to herself than to Yami, who had been watching the scene in the castle.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking up at the emerald-eyed fairy princess.

"You'll see. First I believe I should make some time pass by so that this punishment will have some effect on him, no?" Aria said and waved her wand. Yami watched in admiration as the seasons flashed by, signaling that a few years were passing by in that world he was watching through the magic floor.

What seemed like 4 minutes to Yami became years to Seto Kaiba and the other inhabitants of the castle.

"As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?"

TBC…

Thanks to Spring Break for allowing me to update this. Not to mention that Kingdom Hearts 2 has put me in a very "Disneyish" mood, so I had this huge urge to update this story. Anyway, I hope you all liked it. It was more serious than funny, but there were a few silly little jokes if anyone noticed. Well, I hope to update again soon, but until then, have a nice day!