AaBack's Grimm: Dark Fantasy Fairy Tale #2 Friends Reunited: The Janus Beast, The Rose Beauty, And The Cursed Duckling

by Michael D. Britton

  Chapter Five

  Mirror... Mirror...

  The Muffin Man told her there were no deliveries for the evening, so Jane when out back to the barn and went up in its loft. The place was dirty and dusty, so she spent most of her time cleaning it. She removed most of the old hay and brought up the futon the Muffin Man let her borrowed. By the time she finished dusting and sweeping, it was nearly time to head out. She noticed the chest the Beast gave her with the goblin armor inside, so Jane went over to her backpack and removed the short sword and club she stowed inside. Snake Bite wouldn't stay hooked on the outside of her backpack, so she thought it better to put it inside. Jane noticed something strange about her backpack; it should be over stuffed with all the things in it and weigh much more than it did. Actually, she believed it had gotten lighter since she arrived in the World of Grimm. Jane thought about one of her favorite shows Doctor Who and the main character's time machine.

  She decided to test her theory on her backpack, went over to the back wall, picked up the slightly heavy chest, walked it back, and tried to place it inside her backpack. Normally the chest would be too big to even go in, but as it touched the outside of her backpack's rim, it seemed to shrink. The entire chest went in, then Jane picked up her backpack, and it was as light as before. Jane removed the chest, opened it, placed the club inside, and held on to the short sword. She put the chest back in her backpack, fixed the short sword to her back, strapped her backpack on over top of it, went down to her bike, and headed out for the Beast's castle.

  The moon started its ascent as Jane reached the estate's main gate, and the last rays of sunlight stretched across the sky. The cool air blew across her as she braked and dismounted. She walked up to the front door which was lit up by two torches. Jane reached for the knocker and noticed it was different than before. The knocker was no longer of an eagle's head but a lion's. Jane decided to make a mental note of this. It might be important to the test or maybe in figuring out how to break the Beast's curse. She rapped the metal knocker on the door, and soon it opened as if on its own. She thanked whoever opened the door, stepped into the entry, and then told them the Beast requested her presence. A match box lifted into the air, a match removed itself, struck its head across the box's strip, and a small flame came to life. The match moved over to a small table where it lit three candles on a candle stick. The candle stick lifted and then Jane heard the voice of the head maid who had bandaged her arm, and she still sounded nervous.

  "Come this way, but do remember, I warned you earlier," the head maid told her.

  Still confused about her meaning, Jane followed the candle stick through several halls back to the study with all the books and the fireplace. The Beast wasn't sitting in the chair as before but lounging on a couch along the wall, reading a different book. The book he read was entitled, Coping With The Monster Within. He stared at the text with a distant sad look on his leo-like face. His appearance was different. The feathers she noticed during the day were gone, his mane and fur were longer, and his eyes were green and more feline this time than bird. His appearance wasn't the only thing that had changed. The medallion he wore around his neck had a lion on it with a moon in its mouth. She stared at him a little longer, getting a sense she was seeing the princely boy again. The fondness she had for the princely boy came back to her and made her determined to pass the test.

  She cleared her throat and said, "I'm back like you asked. How is this test supposed to start?"

  The Beast was so far into his reading, he didn't hear the woman enter, not that she was sneaking in. With his keen sense of hearing, he should have heard her when she first entered his castle. He sat up and turned, so he could peer at her and didn't respond to her questions as he spoke, "You have returned. You should have listened to what I told you."

  "I believe I listened very carefully. You told me to come back tonight. Was I supposed to come back at a different time or has the test already started?" she asked and when he didn't answer, she said, "You didn't say this test would be easy." Jane paused to see if he would respond and when he didn't, she decided the test had started and she needed to figure out his name so to break the ice, she asked, "How are things going?"

  The Beast remained silent.

  Jane stated with concern, "You're very quiet. Is everything okay?" Jane moved closer as she thought about what happened the night before, then she glanced around, and whispered, "You're not being held hostage again, are you?"

  He watched her as she went on, never moving his gaze from her, and then he stated, "I do not perceive what he sees in you. I do know your secret, so it has clouded my judgement. You should have heeded my warning and taken the opportunity to flee." The Beast took in a deep breath, taking in the scent of the woman and smelled something familiar on her. "You have been in the Hedge Labyrinth."

  "I have," she admitted. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that and get..."

  He interrupted, "You would be wise to never tell him of this. His fury will not be withheld from you. You would also be wise to never return to the Hedge Labyrinth."

  For the first time, Jane felt uncomfortable under the Beast's stare, and she wasn't sure what she should say to him at that point. Before, he had looked at her with eyes that seemed surprised by her gaze, but they also had an allure about them. The Beast before her had no allure about him, and he never looked away from her with his piercing eyes as if he needed to remain on his guard. Maybe the test hadn't started. Maybe there was some sort of danger he couldn't tell her.

  "I can't tell by your expression," she whispered. "Is someone here?" Jane cautiously glanced around as she asked, "Maybe someone who might have an arrow pointed at you or me?"

  The Beast laughed, amused by the woman, then he stood, and took a few steps toward her as he said, "You are persistent. Maybe that is what he likes about you, though he did send you to me. Maybe he does not like you at all." He walked around her as if inspecting a filly he was considering buying. "Do you know he never even told me you were coming? The head maid was all hush-hush around me, and she only becomes that way when she is threatened. I should have been more wary of her secretiveness."

  "He said?" Jane stated. "I'm not sure I understand. Are you talking about the master of the castle who roams the night that the head maid told me about this morning?"

  The Beast ignored her question as he spoke, "I cannot tell. Is he excited you are here and that you might be her?" He grabbed her chin and examined her face, and his touch wasn't gentle as it had been. "Knowing him, he does not think that you are the Beauty to his Beast." His touch wasn't rough either, but firm and unrelenting as he stated, "I still cannot tell. Does he wish for your death or merely wants to toy with you? You spoke of a test... What is it?"

  "Please let go of me," she demanded in a soft spoken voice.

  When he first touched her, Jane blushed, but it wasn't from his affectionate attention, but created by a rising fear sounding a warning within her. The Beast was completely different than he was before.

  "Tell me of the test," he insisted.

  She stated, "You should know the test. You gave it to me."

  "All I want you to do is simply tell me what I told you," the Beast demanded.

  "I'm to discover your name."

  "What were my exact words?" the Beast questioned.

  "Is a forgetful spell on you?" she asked and then she answered, "You said, 'I want you to return tonight once it is dark and at that time, I want you to talk with me. I want you to figure out my real name.'" She paused and then asked, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

  "You do know that he sees you as nothing special. If he only knew the secret that I do, then he would know you are more than special. He would know what you are and run screaming to the village below and tell everyone. You should have heeded my warning. It might not be too late to do so."

  "What secret are you talking about?" Jane asked.

 
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "The one you revealed to me after you saved me." The Beast straightened and told her, "Wait till he finds out. If you think I am cruel, wait till he finds out your secret. You will see a side of me I have always tried to keep hidden."

  "What secret?" she demanded and then she asked, "Who's this he you keep referring to? Is he the master who roams the night? I don't understand your test at all." Frustrated and a little frightened, she snapped, "What do you want me to do?"

  "I do not want you to do anything. I wanted you to leave. I wanted to show you my gratitude for saving me by allowing you to leave. I cannot help it if you did not heed my warning."

  Jane pointed a finger at him and declared, "You are the master who roams the night!"

  "It would seem you can see somethings, but what is important to you eludes your reasoning."

  She thought she already had the answer to the test and questioned, "Is your name the master who roams the night or the master?"

  "It is not; it is merely what he calls me."

  "The master who monopolizes the light," she thought out loud.

  "Are you catching on to something right underneath my nose?" the Beast inquired of her a bit impressed and then he stated, "I am curious... You mention passing a test. What is your reward if you pass it?"

  "You should know. You will hire me to break your curse."

  "You want to relieve me of my hex?" The Beast's voice rose over her agitated one as he demanded, "What fairness do you possess? What radiant presence do you emit? What is it about you that makes him think you are the one? What makes him think that you are the one to break this wretched curse?"

  "Why are you so angry?" she questioned him.

  "I am angry because you are not her! You are not even close to being her and yet you dare declare your intentions of taking this wicked enchantment from me! How dare you boast of your beauty! How dare you declare that there is some sort of connection or love between us! You are far from being the one! You are closer to being a murderous monster than the one I will cherish forever!"

  The fluttering his presence induced in her heart became a roaring animal bent on shredding the muscle to pieces. Jane felt like he ripped her insides out and trampled them under foot. The test wasn't anything like she envisioned; she wasn't even sure if it was a test anymore or only a way to lure her back, so he could belittle her and trounce the affection she thought she kept hidden from him. She began to doubt he was the princely boy, and that the Beast that lived in her fairy tale fantasy was only a figment of her imagination. Jane wanted to weep for what she lost, but knew she couldn't, so she shouted back at him.

  "You misunderstood what I said, but why am I telling you this? You should already know you hired me as a Hex Breaker. I never said I was your Belle! I never said that I personally would be the one to lift your curse only that I would help break it!" Jane yelled at him, then when what he told her sunk in more, she yelled all the more, "I never said that you would fall in love with me and my kiss would release you... I only said I would help you end your curse. If you don't want my help, why didn't you just tell me in the beginning? Why did you want me to come here and be cruel to me? All I wanted to do was help you. Was that wrong of me?"

  He considered her own outrage and confusion, but as far as he knew, they were only for show. The Beast told her, "It was wrong of you to want to help me. I should remain in this cursed form for an eternity. I do not deserve redemption."

  "It sounds like to me your heart does want it," she stated as she took a step toward him. "Why give me this test? What did you want me to see?"

  "Did you consider that I wanted you to see the real me?" he questioned as he moved for the door, peered into the hallway, then turned and faced her, asking, "Did you consider that I wanted you to see I do not deserve your help? I am a wretched soul and should be left to my fate."

  "Why didn't you tell me all this earlier? Why did you ask me here tonight?" She started to leave wounded by his atrocious teasing as she stated, "I think you only wanted to waist my time. I think you really don't want my help."

  The Beast slammed his palm on the doorframe and blocked her escape as he emphasized, "I never asked you here. Have you not been listening? He did. The one you should really be afraid of. As I said–" The Beast moved closer and backed her into the chair, and she fell into it with a plop as he stated, "–I believe he thinks you may be the one." He placed both of his furry hands on the chair's arms and caged her like a frighten bird. "Do you really believe you can end this curse?" He leaned in as if he would gorge on her neck with his sharp fangs and questioned her, "Do you really believe I do not know what you are?"

  For the first time since this woman arrived, she looked afraid and terrified of him. He paused from his aggressive interrogation, wondering why he didn't notice it before. Why didn't he notice she had no fear of him? Everyone was afraid of him, even his servants. Why not this woman? Could she be the one? His curse was more twisted than he imagined if she was the one.

  Jane moved back from his face, not that she was disgusted at the thought of the beastly prince being so close. It was just that she couldn't bear playing into his cruel game. The Beast mistook her fright and outrage for disgust, and he snarled like a lion, and as his anger crested, he forgot about the earlier thought that she hadn't been afraid of him. He growled at her, and Jane put out her hand to grab the arm rest and inadvertently put her fingers on top of his. The Beast's demeanor completely changed from savage animal to a man who had forgotten the touch of another. He looked to her hand and wanted to grab hold of it, but instead he wrenched his hand from her fingers. The Beast grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it to the floor, causing her to jump and be frightened all the more.

  He remembered the glimpse of a tattoo of the black swan on her cheek from the night before, and he told her, "Do you want to know why you are really here? He does want you to pass his test, but that is because of what he saw. He saw a glimpse of it as twilight broke, but it was enough to bestow upon him hope."

  Jane was afraid to ask as her heart pounded in her chest, but she went ahead anyway and questioned, "What did he see?"

  "He saw what he thought was your curse mark during the few seconds left before the day was swept away." The Beast pointed at the spot where the tattoo resided as if it were a festering wound. It was now hidden from the world, but he remembered how beautiful it had been, how deceitfully beautiful. The Beast continued, "He believes you must be a beauty beyond compare and enchanted with this common form that stands before me, but I know the truth. Your curse turns you into a representation of your true self. I have seen your ugliness. You transform into an ugly duckling when harm is intended against you. You are no Belle. You are no goddess sent to save me. You are a pale shadow of loveliness. You are wretched creature cursed beyond all others. You are a..."

  "Why are you toying with this ugly duckling then?!" she snapped as she fought back tears with all her might. Jane remembered the warning Lykos gave her, and she couldn't lose the one thing that protected her, so she wouldn't allow herself to cry. The monster in beast clothing wouldn't make her cry. Jane demanded, "Why did you have me come here?!" She stood from the chair and looked him directly in his feline eyes as she questioned, "If this is what you thought of me, why show me any kindness? If this is how you truly feel, why..."

  "Because a part of me can. Because it is the truth and because a part of me bores easily." He fisted his hands as he admitted, "I know how dangerous you are and yet something about you amuses me. As for why I summoned you here..." The Beast stepped back as anger ignited from his inflamed expression, and he shouted, "I told you, I did not!! Are you deaf besides atrocious? He did!"

  She whispered, "You mean the master who monopolizes the light?"

  Jane had no more words for him and pushed past him, trying so hard not to cry. She ran into the hall and then through several more as she fled toward t
he front door as fast as she could. The door opened for her before Jane reached it, and she quickened her pace to escape the castle. Before she reached the door, a mirror caught her attention, and she halted several feet away from the exit. Jane turned and gazed at her reflection and knew if she left, she couldn't ask him his name. If she didn't know his name, she couldn't get the job as a Hex Breaker. Jane turned and faced the direction she had run from as her heart still pounded in her chest. If she ran away from the castle and the estate, how would she help the giant rose? If Jane gave in to fear and cruelty now, wouldn't she be leaving the giant rose to the loneliness of the garden?

  She bowed her head, knowing she had only one option, so she swallowed her pride and fear and slowly headed back. Not that her pride wounded her the most. She trudged back and gathered her courage, so that her voice wouldn't shake and so that she wouldn't cry. Jane paused at the entrance to the study and saw the Beast with his back to her gazing at the fire. She couldn't see his face; she didn't want to see his angry face. Jane stared at his back a few minutes, searching for the strength to raise her voice to him and then she said, "I... I have a few questions for you?"

  Surprise filled his tumultuous mind when he heard her voice, and he turned and questioned, "What would someone like you want to ask me? Leave me and never come back to this castle."

  Jane wanted to run for the front door again as he barked at her, but she stood her ground. She fisted her hand as she replied, "The first question I have is, what is my name? I told you what it was this morning. Tell me, and I'll leave this castle and never return to it."

  He remained quiet, and she wasn't sure if he didn't know her name or merely forgot about her like others had done in her world. The Beast did seem to know her just not her name, and Jane believed things were starting to fall into place concerning the test she needed to pass.

  "I'll continue with my questioning then."

  "Proceed, but I do not have to answer you," the Beast told her.

  "After everything you have said to me, after all the cruel..." She let the rest of the sentence drop and asked, "Why should I break your curse? Tell me why I should help you? What about you makes you worthy of my efforts or what about you is worth saving? I haven't seen one thing. I thought I did earlier, but I must have been mistaken."

  He stood there dumbstruck by her inquiry. A part of him would say that the curse had been unjustly placed upon him, but that was a lie. A part of him would claim his status as royalty put him above others and by his birthright he should be free of the enchantment, but things like that didn't make him better than others only worthy of his hex. He couldn't see a reason why he deserved redemption.

  "Why would Grimm be better with the old you in it?" she asked, and then when he didn't answer her, she told him out of anger, "I think if you would have changed from the person you were before, your curse would have been lifted by now." Her anger seemed to be the only thing keeping her from crying, so she held on to it with all her might. "I have a feeling what stands before me is the real you. I'm not talking about your outward appearance. The physical you I see is majestic and grand, but that is just on the outside. Your character and your soul must be very beastly and dark. From what I've heard and seen, there seems to be many reasons why I shouldn't help you, but I can't think of one reason why I should." She paused and then she demanded, "Tell me one, just one or don't you even have a reason?"

  "I..." For the first time, the woman unbalanced him and set him off his game. The Beast couldn't understand what she had done to him. It was as if she hexed his tongue.

  "You're silence tells me you have no reason. Just as I thought," Jane spoke as she glared at the Beast. She took a step into his study, forgetting the animalistic power he must possess and what he could do to her if he so wished it. Jane looked him up and down and then she asked, "Are you some cruel animal?"

  Shot down by her accusation, he roared at her and lifted up his clawed fingers as if to strike her down, "You do see me as hideous!"

  "I'm not talking about your appearance!" she screamed back, then Jane calmed herself, and told him, "I'm talking about your heart. Who would want to help someone like..." She decided to be kinder with her words and said, "Like the person I met tonight?" She thought about the mirror she peered into earlier, and Jane questioned, "Is this what he wanted me to see? He wanted me to see you?"

  "He?" the Beast uttered. "Do you understand?"

  "I don't know," she admitted. "At first, I thought you were only messing with me, then I thought maybe you were his evil twin brother, but after standing in the hall... after looking at my own reflection," she said. "I believe you are his mirror reflection, a mirror-mirror version of him. You're the same person split into two, and I believe this is part of the curse that inflicts you."

  He considered everything she said. The woman may not be a Belle, but her ability to see things was uncanny if she could figure out so much in such a short period of time.

  "I'll take your non-answer to mean that I'm right."

  Jane felt deeply scarred by the words this Beast told her. Was his angry outbursts and brutal accusations really a part of the Beast who swept away her heart?

  "If I am correct about everything I've said, answer my one question. What is your name?"

  "You still want to know my name after everything I have put you through? Why would you want the position? Why would I let you take the position?"

  "You have no right to ask me anymore questions. Tell me your name," Jane repeated and then she demanded with more force, "What is your name?"

  He didn't reply.

  "You don't want to tell me? Fine by me!" she yelled, turned, and started out. "I've done my part by just trying. I can't say I didn't do my best. You're the one in the end who decided to reject my offer to help you!"

  "Faris'Lunar," he shouted after her. "As I am now, my name is Faris'Lunar."

  She paused at the door of the study and spoke over her shoulder, somehow knowing things she shouldn't, "Faris'Lunar... It means knight of the moon." Jane chuckled and then added as she headed for the front door, "Some chivalrous warrior you are. I believe Moon Beast fits you better."

  As the name was spoken from her lips, a burning sensation hit his hand, and he turned it over. A pale blue half moon tattoo appeared on his right palm. The Beast had been named again since his cursed form, and he took part of the first step towards his redemption whether he wanted to or not. The first step would only be complete if his other half also received his new name and the one they both despised. The Beast quickly moved into the hall and watched the woman leave. He finally understood what his other half thought he saw in her, but he was wrong. She wasn't a Beauty bewitched. She was a wolf in duckling's clothing.

  Jane marched toward the front door again as a Kansas sized tornado of emotions whirled around within her. The mirror she glimpsed before wasn't the one the queen peered into asking who was the fairest one of all, or the one Alice jumped into and found herself in wonderland. The mirror she found herself peering into was the one from Star Trek where one version of a person stood in one universe and another version of that same person stood in another. Jane believed somehow those two halves would have to come together to make the Beast whole again, but all the things she saw in Moon Beast made her hate him. She wasn't sure she wanted to see the two halves come together, not if Moon Beast was a part of him. She thought the master who monopolized the light would be better off without him, but could she help him while this other part existed?