Redeeming Beasts
Redeeming Beasts
By Furio
Dedicated to D., B., and T., and all who believe in love and forgiveness.
Note: All characters are property of their respective owners, that is to say, Disney. This story does NOT contain any yiff besides a nocturnal emission and unseen act of masturbation. The two main characters are homosexual adult males.
The wind slid through Kenai's fur with discomforting easiness, as if it was purposefully ignoring the bear's presence in the world. He slowly climbed his way back up to the mountain, which he had tried to avoid for the longest time. Ever since his permanent transformation, he had lost his sense of time's passage, especially with the sleep he was putting in for several months. He guessed that it was probably six years, but he could be wrong. He doubted so many things now, especially himself.
He managed to squeeze his huge body up the numerous precipices to the summit and was amazed by the stamina he had, despite his larger size. He had put on much more weight since all those years back, thanks to the numerous salmon runs and other events he had experienced with his fellow bears. But now, he was unsure if he would ever be able to be with them or even his fellow humans again. Perhaps they would welcome him back, but first he wanted to see if Sitka could give him further advice or direction. If he was sure of anything, he was sure of his older brother.
He finally made it to the top of the mountain and noticed that it was extremely cold. He had felt less cold these days, thanks to his bigger weight and furrier exterior. This made him wonder if this new sense of cold came from within.
If so, there was a good reason.
Kenai padded slowly to the center of the area, where he had remembered being lifted up by his brother and transformed for the very first time. For a moment, he felt warm inside, remembering how good the transformation felt, into something bigger, stronger, and so different from a human. He laughed a bit at remembering how upset he first was to realize he was a bear, since he had enjoyed it so much later. But now he was completely doubtful.
There were no signs of any spirits around, but Kenai was sure Sitka would hear him, somehow. "Brother," he whispered quietly, "Please help me...I'm so lost now, I...I just feel like I shouldn't be here..."
The memory of the event came back to him, and he felt his body grow even colder. He shivered as he continued, "Please brother, if there's anything I can do to be good to someone...anything I can be to another...please...I-I need to love someone..."
He wasn't sure why he added that last part. Sure, there were she-bears in the clan that admired his newly acquired bulk, but for some reason, he just did not feel the same way about them. He just felt that, after what happened, nobody could ever love him.
At least, not the same way that Koda did.
That did it. The memory of Koda shattered Kenai's emotional wall, and he burst into tears. He laid on the rocky ground and tried to cover his eyes and ears, as voices and visions came flying back...
"YOU HAVE TO LET GO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE!"
"KODA, SHUT UP! I WON'T LET ANOTHER BROTHER DIE!"
The strain was too great. He couldn't hold on.
"Big brother..."
Kenai felt like his heart would explode.
"I love-"
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kenai screamed himself out of his memories. The tears were almost blinding him, so that he failed to see the blue streams of light gently surround him and touch the mountain rock.
Sensing the warmth of the spirits surrounding him, Kenai sniffed and looked around him. Kenai was almost getting used to being around the spirits and sensing their presence, which he knew was a very good thing. He watched the streams of light gently float and coagulate together into the single stream of blue light that spread larger around him until it exploded into the familiar aurora of light that heralded the great spirits.
Kenai wanted to close his eyes though. He was afraid that he would see him. Not Sitka, but him. He wouldn't know what to say or do. "Please," he whispered with shut eyes, "only Sitka...just Sitka..."
However, he heard a very familiar growl close to him. He looked up slowly and, through blurry wet eyes, saw his beloved brother sitting before him, looking overjoyed, especially with his mother beside him. Behind them stood his other beloved brother.
But although he sensed love from each of them, he also sensed an immense feeling of shame. These were three beings who were dead. Spirits, but also dead. And each of them was dead because of Kenai. They were here because of him.
He probably should have been feeling happy for them, but he felt completely miserable.
"Please," he whispered, his huge head bowed slightly. "Help me."
He looked up to see their reaction. Each spirit was gently smiling at Kenai and slowly turned his/her head to their right. Kenai turned to look, too, and suddenly saw that the aurora had seemed to form a pillar of light that was getting brighter and brighter.
Kenai felt himself attracted to the pillar for some reason, but he felt scared, too, like he would undergo another transformation of some kind. He slowly padded towards it, but then hesitated. He looked back to the three spirits. Sitka smiled and nodded quietly towards him, as did Koda's mother.
But Koda couldn't help himself, even in spirit form. He pounced over to Kenai and hugged him as best he could. Seeing a spirit was one thing, but being touched by one was another. If Kenai wasn't shattered by emotion now, Koda's hug felt like it would make him burst.
Kenai squeezed his spiritual brother as close as he could, sniffing loudly. He knew Koda couldn't speak, but he sensed something very deep and very powerful being transmitted to his heart. He heard something from within...
Someone else needs you now.
"Really?" Kenai thought. "Who could need me now?"
He also felt Koda transfer other messages into his heart. All Kenai could do in return was hug his brother closer and whisper, "Be good with your mom, now, okay?"
He reluctantly let Koda go and watched him run back to his mother, who hugged him just as close as Kenai did. Kenai turned back to the pillar and then back to the spirits, who waved him on. Kenai waved as he took one more step towards the pillar, and then he was lost in light.
He threw the chair to one side of the room and watched it smash against the wall in a couple of pieces. He felt that the castle was already deteriorating without his servants to help, so why should anything stay in one piece anymore? He angrily walked through the West Wing and sighed.
Was he lonely? He couldn't tell anymore. He was so preoccupied with living day to day and surviving, just like a common animal, that he was trying to forget the last traces of his humanity. Maybe life would be easier that way. No emotion, no worries, no nothing. Just a stupid, ugly creature, like the bear he saw lying against the wall.
Bear? He took another look towards the wall. This was no statue, as he first surmised. This was an actual oversized living creature. He sighed angrily. He had no idea how a dumb animal got into his castle, but it had no place here. He strode towards the animal as it got up slowly and looked around.
Kenai blinked his eyes, remembering little except the overwhelming feeling of being pulled and tugged through massive quantities of light and energy. Things looked dark and blurry, except for something big that was coming closer. Was it another bear? "Tug?" he inquired in a slurred voice.
He suddenly felt a huge lunge against his face as a massive paw swung against him. He was knocked back and felt his head hit a cold, smooth stony surface. Pain wracked his head and body, and it unfortunately continued, as something slammed against his body and pinned him down to the ground.
Kenai blinked his eyes again and looked in front of him to see blue eyes.
Incredibly clear, crystalline blue eyes.
For a moment, Kenai forgot about his pain, but then he saw the dripping fangs and bear-like nose, as well as angry puffs of heated breath that escaped his attacker's fanged lips. Then he felt utterly scared.
"Please," he whispered, "please don't hurt me!"
Suddenly, the expression on his attacker's face went from enraged to confused. The creature blinked twice and paused, looking at Kenai for a few seconds. Kenai's heart raced in his chest as he wondered what this creature was or what it would do to him.
Then he heard the richest, deepest voice he had ever heard come from those fanged lips.
"You....you can talk?"
Kenai nodded vigorously. "Y-yes I can...please don't hurt me! I'll do anything! Please!"
The creature finally backed off a little bit and looked at the bear. He stood up, towering over Kenai.
Now Kenai saw that this creature was indeed like no other he had seen. He was definitely bigger than himself, probably almost the same size as Tug, if not bigger. He had marvelously curved horns, and a huge thick coat of fur that rivaled any bear's fur. He also seemed to have some kind of cloak around his body, and he was wearing lower garments around his legs, which seemed thick and powerful, and ended in two huge digitigrade paws that stood on the floor.
The creature also had huge paws that seemed almost like hands, with separate fingers, that were huge and thick, each one having a claw attached.
Kenai found the creature to be unbelievably unique.
"Who are you?" asked both creatures at the same time. The larger creature cleared his throat and said again, this time with Kenai silent, "Who are you? And how did you get here?"
"Please," said Kenai, still worried that the massive beast might tear him apart at any second, "My name is Kenai, and..." he looked around him at the very odd surroundings. He had never even seen a place like this before. "I, uh...I don't know where I am or how I got here." He felt his fur get tense as he thought that the beast would not believe him in the slightest. "I..I know that sounds stupid, but I'm telling the truth. All I know is that I came from the mountains, and I found myself here."
The larger creature squinted at Kenai. "Why should I believe you?" he growled.
Again, Kenai was momentarily stunned by the deep rumbling voice. But he regained composure and picked himself up from the floor slowly. "I don't know...You don't have to believe me, but-ow!!" He fell to the floor as he felt one of his arms go the wrong way.
The beast reluctantly helped Kenai and said, "Slow down...I must have hurt you...I-I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave." Beast never liked saying he was sorry about anything, but this time he was able to make it look like a dismissal of the uninvited guest.
Kenai sighed. "Alright," he said. "But do you know where the mountain is, where the lights touch the earth?"
The beast cocked his head and looked at Kenai. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
Kenai furrowed his brow and felt confused. "Um, okay..." he said. "Then, do you know where the other bears are?"
"There are no other bears in this forest."
Suddenly, Kenai felt his heart jump. "W-what?"
"Listen, bear, or Kin, or whatever, I've been in this castle for nearly a hundred years, and it's surrounded by forest. I've never seen any bears here, and don't think that any live here. I only know about your kind from books."
Kenai suddenly felt dizzy. Had the pillar of light taken him away from the land he was familiar with? If so, how far? Were they all gone? Denahi...Tug...Limitri...
"Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?" inquired the beast. He felt unfamiliar feelings of concern for the bear.
"I...I..." Kenai couldn't speak. The shock of being taken away from such familiar things was too great. It was one thing to become another creature, but it was a completely different (and much more painful) thing to leave your friends so suddenly. He shut his eyes as he cursed himself for ignoring what was already precious to him.
Now it was gone, maybe forever.
He fell down to the floor and felt himself cry again. The larger beast looked in wonder at this emotional animal. He was very unused to comforting others, but he did feel a good deal of pity for the bear. "Um," he started, "are you alright?"
Kenai sniffed and shook his head. He must look so stupid, being a 700 pound male bear and crying like this. What would Denahi think? He nodded and said, "Y-yeah, maybe. But I don't know where to go now."
He had no idea what made him say what he said next.
"Can I stay here for a while?"
The sudden glare in the beast's eyes made Kenai back off and stutter, "I'm s-sorry! I'll...uh....I'll leave! It's okay!"
The beast shook his huge head and held up a paw. "No, it's okay," he said quietly. "You can stay here, but....but only for a day or two, alright? After that, you must leave and never return."
Kenai nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir! I promise. Pinky swear!" He raised the claw that would have been his pinky finger in human form.
The beast looked in confusion at the claw. "Huh?" he said.
"Oh, uh, sorry...I-I guess I was thinking of someone else," said Kenai. He let his paw down. "Um, what's your name?"
The beast grunted something and walked past Kenai, expecting him to follow. "What was that?" asked Kenai.
"I said, call me Beast," said Beast.
"Um, yes," said Kenai, following Beast from a short distance, "but what's your real name?"
Suddenly Beast stopped and felt something inside him stir.
He had not thought about that for the longest time. No one had reminded him of his name. He was so used to servants calling him 'Master," that he had expected nothing else.
Not even she asked him of his true name.
Had...had he forgotten?
"Um, sir?" said Kenai.
Beast turned his huge head behind him and looked at Kenai with cold blue eyes. "I don't know. I forgot. So call me 'Beast.'"
Kenai was confused. This creature forgot his true given name? He wanted to inquire more about Beast's history and nature, but sensed that the creature was not in the mood to give any accounts. He quietly followed the cloaked Beast from behind, noticing that he also had a nice long furry tail.
He wondered why he was enjoying looking at this beast. He shook his head to get his mind back to reality.
Beast turned around to make sure Kenai was following close behind. The bear was pretty big and had an amazing emotional countenance. Beast was impressed by the animal's girth and natural form, much more natural than his own.
He wondered why he enjoyed looking at the bear. He shook his head to get his mind back to reality.
After some lengthy walking through the long halls, Beast showed Kenai to a room that looked like it was once beautiful, but much of it had been destroyed. The random claw marks and torn cloth material seemed to show the culprit.
"I hope you like it," said Beast dryly, "because it's the best I have."
Kenai looked at the room. It looked amazing.
"I've never seen such things before!" he said with wonder.
Beast was deeply confused. This bear must have been feral enough to not know what humans slept in or accumulated. "You must not be around humans much," he said with a slight smirk.
"Well, I still spent time with my brother quite a bit before..." Kenai grew quiet and whispered, "before I came here."
Beast was even more confused. "Your...brother?"
"Yes," said Kenai, wondering at Beast's confused expression.
"But...he's human?"
Kenai suddenly drew in a breath and realized that he forgot what he was so accustomed to. "Um, yes...I kind of forgot to tell you about that."
Beast suddenly raised a paw and shook his head. "Never mind, I'm not interested."
Kenai flattened his ears and felt a bit put off. Even though he felt intimidated by the great creature, he could have been a little more open-minded. He had grown to like retelling the story of his transformation to others.
Suddenly, he realized what Koda must have felt like upon first being with him. Indeed, he felt exactly like him.
Beast, ignoring Kenai's introspective attitude, went back to the door. "I'll be downstairs in the parlor," he said. "If you need something..." he stopped and thought a bit.
"...ask me and I'll tell you where to get it." And in two big strides he was gone.
Kenai arched his eyes and felt even more put off. He wasn't exactly the best host in the world.
He looked around him in the bedroom at the smashed four-poster bed, oriental rug, and incredible paintings, without knowing what any of them were. But they all looked so...special. Everything looked like it had once been very important and endearing, but was heartlessly destroyed, as if the owner (Beast, he presumed) wanted to forget about it all.
There was one piece of furniture, though, that was not harmed. It looked to be a large wooden box, intricately carved. He had never seen such craftsmanship before, even by some of the best artisans of his tribe. He padded towards it quietly and sniffed it all around. He then sneezed a couple of times at the dust that had settled in a thick coat all around it. Wiping it with his paw, he was glad to see that it could be made much cleaner.
The box seemed to have two stones attached to the front, that looked very shiny indeed. Upon touching them, he saw that they pulled out part of the box, so that it could be opened. Curiosity burning within him, he pulled on both stones and opened the box.
Inside were four objects that seemed very and old and most likely broken, but as to their identity and purpose, Kenai could not guess. Maybe Beast would know.
Or maybe Beast would rather not know that he was prowling inside his possessions. He was going to close the box when one of the objects captured his attention.
It was a domed container of some kind, but clear, so he could see right through it. And inside was something that was brown, brittle, and looked so delicate, Kenai felt himself back away, for fear that breathing on it would destroy it.
It almost looked like it had been a flower of some kind.
Kenai felt himself suddenly close the box and step back a couple of paces. Something was making his heart stir inside. He felt this unbelievably strong emotion fill him.
He was lonely, so far from his loved ones.
He looked back to the door.
Was Beast lonely, too?
Beast paced up and down in front of the fire that had taken hours to make just a few hours ago, before he had found that creature. Why did he have to come at this time? And why he was constantly thinking about him? He felt upset and enraged at himself and the animal, and he had no idea why.
The pacing tired him out, so he flopped down in front of the fire and growled quietly. That's when he heard soft padding footsteps next to the broken door.
"Who's there?!!" he yelled out, feeling the fur on his back rise up.
"I'm...I'm sorry, it's me," said a soft, gentle voice. That bear. Why did such a wild animal have such a gentle attitude?
"What are you doing here? I told you to stay up in the room!"
"Um, actually, you didn't."
Beast sighed deeply and rolled his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I just...I just wanted to come down. I don't need anything other than...than..."
"Than what? If you're going to talk to me, Ken, then don't stand outside the door!"
Kenai slowly walked into the room towards Beast, keeping himself a few feet away from the creature. "It's 'Kenai,' and I just wanted to talk to someone, or be around someone. Am I really bothering you?"
Beast shook his head. "I don't know...I'm just not used to having visitors, alright?"
"I understand," said Kenai.
Both were quiet for a while and managed to relax under the warmth of the fire. Both creatures exchanged glances. Kenai tried to offer a smile, but when he did, Beast turned back to the fire.
"So what about your brother?" asked Beast. "How can he be human?"
"Do you want to know?" asked Kenai, willing to tell the story only if allowed.
Beast shrugged his huge shoulders. "Might as well. There's nothing else to do."
Kenai sighed and started, "Well, I wasn't always a bear. I, um, was once a human."
All of a sudden, Beast quickly turned to Kenai with huge blue eyes. His mouth was opened in an expression of utter stupefaction.
"Um, what is it?" said Kenai, stifling a laugh from the almost humorous expression Beast was showing.
"You.....you were human, too??!!" said Beast.
Kenai was struck by two things. First, it was Beast who was now stuttering. And second, "What do you mean, 'too'?"
Both creatures were now awestruck by each other. Beast started, "I...I was once human myself!
But..." he suddenly seemed to go into a slump and looked back into the fire. "But now I'm this thing."
"I...I see," said Kenai, unsure of how to ask about how or why he was transformed. "I was transformed, too."
"Why?" asked Beast.
Kenai looked back into the fire. "It's...I...I can't really say."
"Why not?"
Kenai looked at Beast. "I'll tell if you'll tell." He felt like a kid again, saying such things.
Beast smirked. "Touché." And he was quiet.
Kenai remained quiet. It seemed that now was not the time to talk about painful histories.
"Anyway," said Kenai, "It's funny that we were both once human. I think I can understand how you must feel." He thought, Is this why I was transported to this place?
"No, you can't," said Beast coldly. "You know any other creatures like me?"
"Um, no."
"Then don't say things like, 'I understand.' You're a bear. You're a normal creature."
Not in the slightest, Kenai thought. But after some more thought, he replied, "But you're unique. I've never seen anyone or anything like you. Are you saying there are no other creatures like you around here?"
Beast rolled his blue eyes upwards. "Do I HAVE to answer that question?"
"I'm sorry," said Kenai quickly, and both were quiet again.
Beast looked at Kenai and for the first time noticed something around his neck. "What's that thing?"
"What thing? Oh, this?" he felt with his paw, since his large muzzle wouldn't allow him to see down his neck well. "That's my totem."
"What's a totem?"
"It's like a spiritual creature that represents an important attribute, or something like that. My tribe chose the bear for me...and that was before anyone knew I would be transformed." He rolled his eyes. "Ironic, huh?"
For the first time, Kenai heard and saw the Beast chuckle quietly. "And what does the bear represent?"
Kenai whispered something quietly and looked back into the fire.
"I'm sorry," said Beast, "I didn't catch that."
"Love," said Kenai slightly louder.
"Oh," said Beast.
"I know," said Kenai. "It sounds stupid, but...I guess I believe in it."
"Good for you."
Once again, Kenai felt a bit put off. He shook his head and looked in the fire.
"Sorry about your brother," said Beast. He looked at Kenai casually.
"Hey, um, Kenai, are you alright?"
The bear's eyes were wide, and he was breathing rapidly. He was looking at something beyond the fire...
Both bears wrestled on the ice, laughing and hugging wildly.
"You little snot," said Kenai, "What's gotten into you?"
"I dunno!" cried Koda happily, "C'mon, there's nothing wrong with a friendly tussle between brothers!"
The big bear nuzzled his little brother close and gave him a huge teasing lick. Koda was so much bigger now after six years, and there was so much more of him to hug now!
"Yeah," said Kenai, "but you don't have to get so cuddly with me!"
"Look who's lickin'!" laughed Koda.
The two continued to wrestle, growling the whole time. Kenai felt Koda's big warm paws press all over him...the feeling of fur against fur...a cold wet nose tickling his muzzle...and suddenly, something below being touched gently.
A feeling of warmth flowed through him, something so incredibly different...and good...
"What's the matter, Ke-"
The warm, loving feeling was just enough to make both brothers forget about the cliff one had just rolled off of.
"KENAI! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
He suddenly saw the blue eyes, filled with concern, and it was only then that he noticed that his own heart was racing and his breathing was loud and rapid.
"SAY SOMETHING!"
"Ww.....www..." was all he could let out.
"Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?"
Kenai felt his head slowly get back into place as he noticed that he was on the ground, almost curled up, as if in a fetal position, and he was cold. Incredibly cold. Beast was next to him, one paw on his side.
"I'm...I'm fine, I'm sorry! I just...I just remembered something horrible..."
"Alright, just relax! Don't scare me like that, alright?"
Kenai breathed deeply and felt his body and mind go back to stasis again.
"If there's anybody who's going to be scared around here, I'M the one who's going to cause it, got it?"
Kenai nodded quickly out of fear, but then he saw a smirk on Beast's face. He heard Beast chuckle, too, for the first time, and wondered if the Beast was actually kinder than he made himself out to be. Kenai relaxed under the mood change and smiled.
"Listen, are you hungry?"
Kenai nodded slowly, unsure of what there was to eat here. "You don't happen to have any rivers or
lakes around in this forest, do you?"
Beast nodded. "I was just going to suggest that. Most of the food I eat here is either from a garden I tend in the back or wild food I catch in the forest. If you're okay with salmon, the nearby river has lots of it."
Kenai suddenly seemed to launch into the air with excitement. "SALMON???"
Beast found himself to be a little scared of the sudden air of excitement in the bear. He sure was a furry ball of varied emotion. "Um, I'm not sure, but I know there are lots of fish."
Kenai was all over himself. There was sustenance here! And lots of it! "Oh thank you so much, sir Beast! I promise I'll catch a lot for both of us! C'mon, let's go!" He ran towards the door, unable to think of anything except food at the moment.
Beast arched an eyebrow and walked to the door. "Alright, but you have to calm down. I'm not interested in keeping an overexcited pet, alright?"
"Sorry, I understand," said Kenai in a much quieter tone. "I actually do." He looked into space again, remembering Koda with much love.
The two creatures spent much of the next few hours collecting fish, while Beast harvested a few fruits for Kenai. They were quiet for most of the time, unable to converse on much. Kenai was very happy to see so much varied fish in the river, even if they weren't salmon. He was happy to be in a place where there was good food.
Beast was impressed with Kenai's skills at catching fish and managed to learn a bit from him as he watched. He noted how the water seemed to glide perfectly off of Kenai's thick fur, and shine on droplets like diamonds. He truly is an amazing bear, he thought.
As Kenai caught another fish out of the water, he spied a small mound of earth near the edges of some trees with two sticks poking out of it, in the shape of a small cross. "What's that?" he said, pointing with his paw.
Beast turned, looked at it, turned back, and resumed catching fish. "Nothing," he said curtly.
"Alright," said Kenai, not wanting to upset Beast with possibly painful memories. The spirits knew he had enough of his own.
Beast looked up at Kenai, who was still fishing and being nice enough to not pry into his own affairs. Still, something inside him (what was it?) made him talk. "It's a grave. Of someone who could have been very special to me."
Kenai stopped fishing, sensing that this was very important to Beast.
"It's my fault," he said. "It's all my fault. I lost control, and she's dead because of me."
Kenai listened intently, thinking the exact same words, but replacing 'she's' with 'he's'.
"Anyway, because she's gone, I can't change back. I'll be like this forever, I guess."
Kenai was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, "Are you...immortal?"
Beast looked at Kenai with empty blue eyes. He took the knife he had been using to gut some of the fish and casually plunged it into his heart.
"BEAST!!!" screamed Kenai, horrified at what he was seeing.
Beast pulled the knife out again, cleaned it on the grass, and set it aside, then resumed catching fish.
"Obviously," he said without looking up.
Kenai was dumbstruck. He started to say something, but Beast beat him to it. "I don't want you to feel any pity for me, alright? I don't need your pity." He glared at Kenai sternly.
Kenai closed his mouth, then opened it again. "What about a friend?"
Beast looked up again into Kenai's eyes and for the first time, noticed how deep, brown, and full they looked. "What about a friend?"
Kenai made sure to look directly into Beast's eyes. "Do you need one? Or want one?"
Beast opened his mouth to say, "No," but something in Kenai's eyes made him stumble over that simple two-letter word. He found himself whispering, "Maybe." He forced himself to look back into the water.
Both creatures sighed quietly and resumed fishing. But every now and then, they looked at each other, primarily to notice each other's eyes. Both creatures were starting to realize that they weren't as empty as they first assumed.
Late that night, after a sumptuous and messy meal, Beast led Kenai back up to the room to bid him goodnight.
"Will you be fine on the floor?"
Kenai felt the cold stone under his paws. "Do you have a blanket or anything that I could lie on?"
Beast opened up a nearby closet and pulled out a thick cloth that was somewhat deteriorated, but in good enough condition to keep warm. He threw it over Kenai's back.
Kenai laughed at the action. "What was that for?"
Beast suddenly shook himself, took the blanket off, and placed it on the floor. "Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking of." Kenai padded quietly on the blanket and laid down on his belly.
"Thank you so much, Beast. I'm really grateful for everything you've done."
Beast looked at Kenai a long time before he responded, "You're welcome."
He slowly walked back to the door, but paused, looking back at the large bear. "Do you need anything else?"
Kenai thought and said, "No, but thank you for asking. Will you be alright?"
Beast let his eyes roam to the ground and then to nowhere in particular. "Yes, I will. Have a good night, my friend."
That last word echoed deeply in Kenai's soul. He whispered, "You too, my friend."
Beast gave Kenai one last look and a gentle smile before turning and closing the door quietly.
For the first time in quite a while, Kenai was having a fitful sleep. Usually he slept without any disruptions, thanks to his heavy bear-imprinted sleep patterns. But all the events of the day were starting to take their toll on him.
He sure is an amazing creature, he thought to himself. But how can someone find himself so monstrous when in fact he carries such a noble air? Kenai thought tenderly of Sitka, and how noble he looked in both spirit and human form, without the slightest trace of pompous pride.
But Kenai couldn't stop thinking about the Beast. Maybe it was because he had never seen such a creature, that his image kept interrupting his thoughts. Maybe it was the frightening, intimidating nature that had made him feel so scared, like the first time he met Tug. He felt sorry for the poor creature, being so alone in such a huge castle. What could he have done to deserve such a life? He couldn't imagine anything more horrible than his own sin.
Kenai sighed deeply and rolled over on his side. Even though he had received forgiveness from Sitka and Koda (he still could not understand the unconditional mercy of the cub), he still felt like he could never make up for what he had done. And Koda was gone, gone to the spirits now. He had lost yet another brother, and even though he knew for certain that he was not absolutely alone, he still felt a very empty space deep inside that would most likely never be filled again. Koda was special. And so was Denahi. And Tug, and Limitri, and all the others.
And where were they now? Beast had no idea where the spiritual mountains were in relation to himself. For all he knew, he could be months of moons away. He sniffled quietly and said a quiet prayer, hoping that they were safe and not worrying about him too much, if at all.
The sound of a creaking door suddenly broke the silence. Kenai tensed momentarily, but then he forced himself to relax, knowing that the Beast would probably get a bit upset if he wasn't perfectly comfortable.
'The Beast.' Kenai mentally rolled his eyes. Didn't the creature have a name? He found it hard to believe that Beast forgot his own name. Was he giving up whatever was left of his humanity that much?
"Aren't you sleeping?" came the gruff voice, almost immediately after the sigh Kenai had accidentally let out while thinking.
Kenai tensed again and chose that moment to imitate the sigh again in the same way, but ever so softer, so it sounded more like a snore. He didn't want to frustrate the Beast more by seeming dissatisfied with the meager sleeping conditions he was being offered.
He listened to the Beast's heavy breathing getting quieter, but he sensed that the creature was not leaving the room. He heard the gentle 'click click' of the Beast's claws gently tapping the stone floor as he seemed to approach nearer. Kenai was still very nervous and tried to make his fake snoring seem as real as possible. But he couldn't help but tense up more when he realized that the Beast was actually crouching down next to him.
Time seemed to pass forever with Beast just sitting there. He wondered what the creature was thinking or looking at in such a position. Was he expecting him to get up? What should he do? He felt his fur get tense again.
After about a minute, he felt an odd sensation in his fur, that wasn't due to the tension, he believed. It felt very gentle, and kind of tingly, like something was being drawn across his back, then coupled with another, then a third thing, then two more things.
After another minute, Kenai realized what they were.
Claws.
The Beast was slowly drawing his claws down Kenai's back.
He wasn't doing it deep enough to hurt, Kenai, but rather, just slight enough to feel relaxing and soothing. It was almost like the Beast was...petting Kenai? Or stroking him?
This last thought seemed to put Beast in a much more gentle characteristic than he had surmised him to be. He wanted to know why the creature was being so gentle and tender to him at this moment, but he was also afraid to get up.
What surprised him was the fact that he actually didn't want to spoil the moment.
He continued to lie on his side and feign snoring, feeling the Beast gently caress his fur. Yes, that's what it felt like: caressing. Gentle touch that was almost like exploring the body. Kenai felt so relaxed, almost like he would actually fall asleep under Beast's touch.
To Kenai's dismay, Beast stopped caressing Kenai and got back up. He slowly walked back to the door.
Suddenly, Kenai felt a stirring in his heart. He couldn't let this go without some kind of reaction or reply. He gently turned his body to face the door.
Beast was looking directly at him.
Kenai felt a shiver of tension fly through him. He imagined the enormous creature suddenly switching moods from tender to enraged, and ripping him to pieces in the awkward position he was currently in. But happily, his worries were for nothing.
Beast just looked at him with an expression that, oddly enough, seemed to convey no emotion, if such an expression is possible. The face was neutral and cocked slightly, gazing directly into Kenai's large brown eyes.
Neither creature said something for a minute or two.
"Kenai," whispered Beast, "I'm sorry."
Kenai had never seen such gentle behavior in the creature that had assaulted him in the castle only earlier today. "Um, for what?" he asked.
"For how I've been treating you. I'm just an enraged monster by nature, and now I am one for eternity, by curse."
Kenai was quiet for a few seconds before he responded. "It's okay, Beast. I forgive you. I can sense that you're more than that."
Beast just looked at the bear lying down on his side in front of him, bathed in flickering candlelight. He could almost envision the creature being born from some kind of primitive fire of the wild woods.
He took a deep breath and straightened his hunched figure more. "Ahem, we will discuss this more in the morning. Good night." And in two wide strides, he was gone.
Kenai listened to the clicks of his claws until they were out of range and sighed deeply on the blanket. He imagined the creature to have a heart that was very different from his external features. Or, in his perception, one that matched his features perfectly.
Suddenly, Kenai raised his head and shook it rapidly. "Aghh! What are you thinking, Kenai? Stop it!" He never heard of such a thing as two males...
He breathed heavily and flopped back down on the blanket. Just sleep, don't even think about it. He regained the fitful movements he had started four hours earlier and found that his mind would not leave him alone.
He kept seeing the Beast in his mind, as he last saw him, through the doorway. He saw the huge digitigrade hind paws, with thick, powerful hindquarter legs. The fur on his chest, and indeed all over his body, was at least three times as thick as his own. The tail was big, bushy, and surprisingly long. But what would not escape his mental vision, was the face.
He remembered his first perception of the Beast's face with two amazingly blue eyes....lower fangs that curled upwards spectacularly....horns that curled out of his head in just the right ways...a nose that was so flat, yet seemed so incredibly...s-so incredibly...
The creature had been kneeling next to him, with those huge paws of his on his own body. Those claws...stroking his fur....why? Why would he touch him in such a way?
Kenai couldn't help but remind himself that he was so close to sleeping when he was being stroked.
And he remembered that, usually after his transformation, he was never able to sleep well unless he was being touched.
And at this memory, Koda entered his mind briefly.
Kenai felt a single drop of wetness flow from his eye down his muzzle to the cold stone floor below. Why was he sad? Was Beast sad, too?
He turned on his back and thought of Beast's expression in the door. So expressionless...so...empty...
Just like Koda's when....just before he made his permanent choice.
Kenai opened his eyes. Was this the same problem? Was Beast in need of someone close? A brother?
His thoughts were interrupted by a strange feeling that itched him. He scratched an area on his upper chest with his claw. Then another on his left leg. Then on his right shoulder. What the heck was wrong with him?
Kenai sat up to look at his body closer and thought he was seeing something odd. He looked closer at his fur and noticed something rather surprising. It almost looked like the fur was twice as long, or he was getting bigger. But after closer examination, he saw that almost all of his fur was starting to stand on end.
This made sense, he thought, because he WAS feeling rather tense, thinking about Beast so much. He could even feel his heart starting to beat faster and faster as his body tensed up a bit more with every breath. He tried forcing himself to take deep breaths, but found that his fur would not go down, and that his heart was palpitating more and more.
He suddenly felt very warm, increased by a sense of hotness that itched his fur even more. What was happening to him? He started to feel a little scared, but he felt no room in his mind for fear...
...because most of it was filled with images of Beast.
He smacked himself in the head, hoping to knock the images out, but he could not stop thinking. He saw Beast's noble face right in front of him, he imagined that he could feel the warm breath flowing out of the nostrils and into his fur. Those blue eyes...those absolutely beautiful eyes...
Beautiful??!! Kenai purposefully slammed his head and body back on the stone floor, hoping to hurt himself enough to forget the images. It sure did hurt...
...his paws...
Those huge gigantic paws, with the brown claws on the end. Claws that had traced their way through his own fur....that explored.
Kenai lolled his head to the right and left. The part of him that wanted to get rid of these images was slowly losing the battle. He felt his body tingle all over. His paws started to shake, and his huge belly quivered.
He raised his head to notice a feeling suddenly flowing from his hind paws. He saw the claws of his hind paws starting to spread slightly. He even sensed a tingling sensation on the pads of his hind paws.
He also felt the bend in the backs of his legs as they curved downward.
He felt his full belly, and all the fish still being digested within. He spread his paws on his belly, wondering what Beast's more massive belly must feel like to touch....
...touch... ? ...what was this? What was happ-
Beast's hindpaws.
The big gigantic hindpaws with their own brown claws as well, slowly making the 'pad pad' sound with their pads, and the 'click click' sound with their claws. The powerful arms....the strong legs and thighs....
Kenai found himself lolling his head side to side, feeling unnatural changes take control of every atom of his body. He suddenly felt like he was actually able to sense so many parts of his own body. He only knew one thing:
Whatever this feeling was, it felt GOOD.
Kenai found himself lifting a single quivering paw and placing it on his furry chest. His heart was literally racing for its life. The Beast was looking more and more beautiful and real in his mind. He could almost feel him. He could almost extend his paws to the beautiful creature and let him enter them, embracing the sweet, noble Beast close to his heart, feeling his enormous, unique body connect to his own.
Kenai opened his eyes, feeling dizzy with pleasurable feelings that rocked his body. He looked down at his body and his eyes suddenly opened completely wide.
His jaw dropped open.
Between his legs, at a length of almost 12 inches, was a long, pink, firm rod that was definitely his own penis. The tip of it was bloomed outward and flattened a bit. His jaw trembled as he saw that this penis seemed to be at the verge of some incredible moment.
Suddenly, he felt an odd, instinctual need to relieve himself. Panic swept over him. Could he get out of the castle in time to the outside before the Beast noticed? What would he say? Would he be upset? Kenai felt himself almost strapped to the ground as he helplessly watched his own penis seemed to rhythmically swell and pulse with his own heartbeat as images of the Beast's eyes burned deep into his memory...
He could almost even hear the Beast's deep, rich, gruff voice.
Kenai's eyes perceived the Beast's fanged lips slowly parting and gently pronunciating:
"Keeeeeeeeeeee-nnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiii....."
Kenai suddenly felt his whole body expand and shrink at the same time. He clenched his eyes shut and felt an extremely warm feeling flow through his hips.
Oh no, he thought. It's all over. I'm sorry, Beast! I'm so sorry!!!! He felt himself crying as his hips, brain, and heart all sent him a single two word phrase...the same phrase that was Koda's very last...
Let go.
Kenai suddenly bellowed out an enormous ROAR as he let his hips clench and widen rhythmically as he felt a hot liquid escape his body and shoot 3 feet into the air. He roared again as he hips bucked violently a second time....and a third time.....and fourth...and fifth...and sixth, seventh, eighth, and finally a ninth time.
Kenai's heart pumped massive quantities of blood through his whole huge ursine body as the utter strength and power of the moment engulfed him completely. He threw his giant head side to side in wild ecstasy as his hips contracted and widened in rhythmic pulsations. He felt hot, cold, loved, touched, and immensely powerful as he continued to roar out in pleasure. He saw Beast in his full monstrous majesty...he saw every atom of every object in the room...he saw himself and every part of his amazing body...and for a short glimpse, he thought he saw Koda, smiling at him warmly...
Finally, the mind-numbing feelings started to subside dramatically. He felt his whole system shutting down out of mental and physical exhaustion. As his body quickly shut down to sleep mode, a single thought crossed his mind.
I hope he didn't hear me.
Kenai spasmed twice more and then seemed to fall asleep, though it also looked like he had just died, but his heavy breathing showed otherwise.
Beast looked at him through the crack of the door, his paw still covering his mouth, cursing himself for mouthing Kenai's name during his own orgasm.
He continued to look at him long after the bear fell asleep.
Incredible, he thought. Absolutely incredible. He had never seen such joy before, or even imagined that he could feel it himself. Beast had well known the pleasures of his own paw, but he had never observed anyone enjoy it. He wondered what Kenai could have been thinking of to merit such a huge ejaculation, without even touching his own penis. He wondered if Kenai was even familiar with such feelings.
Beast looked down at the huge white, creamy puddle that lay in front of him, feeling utterly ashamed of himself for numerous reasons.
First, he had engaged in the act.
Second, he had intruded on the privacy of a friend.
Third, he was attracted to a male.
It was true. And for that, he would never forgive himself. Yet another reason for self-hate.
The morning was crisp and gentle, with light that poured into the musty windows, making the interior of the castle brighter than the previous day. Kenai blinked into the light and felt himself shake off the stiffness of the morning. There were some things that just hadn't changed in his new bear form. Ah well.
He picked himself up off the floor and lifted himself up, when he suddenly sensed a very odd and unique scent. Still sleepy, he followed his nose to small coagulated pool of something sticky and wet on the blanket.
Suddenly, the memory of the night thundered into his brain. He suddenly felt scared...scared to the bottom of his soul.
What had he done? What had happened to him? He was already scared about sullying the Beast's blanket (even though it was in no true good condition).
But more importantly, what had he felt last night? And why did it happen? Why did all those enjoyable feelings come to him upon thinking of the Beast?
He shivered all over upon remembering that he hadn't felt those kinds of feelings since that instant with Koda...just before...
He shook his head. He didn't want to remember. He walked over to the door to see if Beast was awake, but stepped in something that nearly made him slip.
"What the..." he started, and saw a pool of something wet in front of the door. He was about to sidestep it when a very curious scent aroused his nostrils. He looked again at the puddle.
It was slightly milky and seemed to show traces of white in it. But the scent...it was so similar to the spot on his blanket...the one that he had created last night.
He went back to the blanket and sniffed it. Yes, it was similar, but, it was different.
He thought, could this have come from another creature? If so, who? Could it have been...?
Kenai was genuinely confused. If this pool was surely of Beast's making, then how did he do it? And when?
Questions burning in his mind, Kenai slowly walked down the hall, entering certain rooms to look for Beast. He would have called out, but he was afraid of waking him up, if he was still asleep.
In the last door of the hall, Kenai quietly nudge the door open, which responded in an irritating creak. He saw the Beast on the other end of the room, out on balcony. The sunlight poured on his cloak, making him seem to glow among all the other drab things in the room. For a moment, he looked like a spirit.
Kenai slowly padded into the room. "Beast?" he whispered quietly.
"Good morning," said Beast gruffly, without turning around.
"How are you?" asked Kenai, hoping to keep the conversation as casual as possible. "Did you have a good sleep?"
Beast didn't say anything. He kept his back to Kenai.
Kenai was now worried that he had upset Beast somehow. He remembered how his father used to be the same way back when he was alive, especially before a rough chastising sermon.
"How did you sleep, Kenai?" asked Beast.
"Me? Um, well, I slept...pretty well, I think.... Why?" He felt his ears flatten again with a mixture of fear and shame.
Beast was silent for a minute before he responded. "Kenai, we need to talk about something." He turned around and looked into Kenai's large brown eyes.
Kenai was stunned by Beast's eyes in that moment. He sensed no malice or chastisement in them. Rather, it seemed that Beast was almost afraid of Kenai. He motioned him towards a large comfortable chair, which Kenai seated himself on.
"Kenai," Beast started, his paws behind his back, "Something happened last night...something... truly incredible. I'm...I'm not sure if I feel guilty about it, but I don't know if you'll be upset."
Kenai looked squarely at Beast, feeling unsure of what was being discussed. "What are you talking about?"
"First, Kenai, about the blanket..."
Oh no, thought Kenai, and he blurted out, "I'm so sorry, sir Beast! Please, I didn't know what was happening to m-"
"SILENCE!" bellowed Beast, scaring Kenai straight into the requested silence.
Beast turned to look into Kenai's eyes, which were full of fear. "Sorry again," he muttered. "I really have to break that habit. I just don't like being interrupted."
"G-go on," said Kenai, still shaking a bit.
"I was going to say, don't worry about that blanket. It was old anyway."
Kenai relaxed for a few seconds and then suddenly stiffened up. "W-wait a minute....you....you SAW?"
Beast looked straight into Kenai's eyes. For a moment, each could see the other's reflection. Beast nodded slowly.
"And I thought it was beautiful."
Kenai was now genuinely stunned. He felt his jaw grow slack at the response. "B-beautiful? I don't...don't..."
"Neither do I," said Beast quietly. "I know that I experience the same feelings myself. I experienced it last night..." He lifted his huge right paw and looked at it, with a slight smirk on his face. "With a little help from this old friend, of course."
Kenai shook his head. "I don't understand...WHAT did I feel? What happened?"
"It was your body, Kenai. You were in a state of arousal, and your body responded in the most natural way possible. That liquid that you produced is the propagator of life itself."
Kenai was amazed. "And that liquid by the door..."
Beast shrunk his head down a bit, or maybe he hunched his shoulders slightly, out of shyness. "Was mine, yes," he finished.
"But, why was my body in that state?"
"I don't know," said Beast. "Mine was only in that state because I was touching my penis."
"Why were you touching it?"
Beast swallowed nervously. "I...I don't know."
But why were you at the door when you did it? wondered Kenai. Unless...he wanted to see...
He suddenly remembered something.
"Beast," inquired Kenai softly, "Did you come into the room earlier?
Beast was quiet and seated himself in a chair near Kenai. "Yes...I did."
"Why?"
Beast looked at his paws, then at Kenai, but not in the eyes. "I...I wanted to see you. I don't know why."
"Did you...touch me?"
Beast didn't say anything for a while. He only breathed heavily.
"Beast...I...I enjoyed it."
Beast's clear blue eyes opened real wide and he looked at Kenai with the biggest smile Kenai had ever seen. "You....you did? Really??!!"
Kenai couldn't help but smile, too. "Yes, I did, Beast. You felt really comforting."
Beast smiled so broadly, he exposed all his gleaming sharp teeth. "I...I thought you would be upset with me!"
"Not at all," said Kenai quietly. "I don't think you did anything wrong. But..."
"But what?"
"...I don't know...It felt good, but it still felt wrong, somehow..."
Beast frowned. "I have the feeling that you're not telling me something."
Kenai bowed his head and looked down at Beast's huge hind paws. He cursed himself for still finding them so exquisitely beautiful. "I don't want to remember," he said in a choking voice. He felt the memories come washing over him again when he felt a sudden tingle on his arm.
He looked up to see that Beast had come closer and had rested a paw gently on his arm, but he was soon locked into Beast's magnificent blue eyes. Beast quietly said, "It's alright, Kenai. You don't have to talk about it."
Kenai shook his head. "No," he said. "Maybe if I tell you, it will make things a bit clearer. Just...forgive me if I get a bit too emotional."
He sighed deeply and began, thankful that Beast kept his paw on his arm the whole time for comfort.
Where I come from, there is...was a bear cub whom I adopted as my little brother. He became my true brother after I made a choice to permanently become a bear and look after him. I don't regret that choice in the slightest, by the way.
Anyway, we remained very close for six years. He taught me so many things, about the forest, the spirits, life with the other bears, and so on. Although I had so many friends as a human, I never felt that my life was more enriched than with him and the other bears. I watched him grow larger and older over the years, and he became quite the strong and amazing bear for his type, as did I. We really had a strong affection for each other, I must say.
Anyway, one day we were walking around on a higher plateau of land. Koda started getting frisky and playful, and started wrestling me. I felt a little intimidated, but I was also a frisky one myself, so I wrestled back with him. Besides, it was good practice for him to get a little defensive in case of danger.
It was really lots of fun. He was quite the strong bear, even though I was considerably older than he was. I remember that he held on to me...and I remember that...it felt good.
In a moment that was quicker than I could blink, I felt an indescribably good feeling down there...next to what I think you called a 'penis.' I suddenly lost track of where I was and what I was doing, and I think I was lost in the moment. And then I...I...
Beast continued to hold on to Kenai's arm. Kenai found that he had unknowingly taken his other paw and placed it over Beast's paw. "Go on," said Beast quietly.
"I...Beast, I did something horrible..." He remembered the first time he said that to Koda, hoping he would never have to say it again. He felt the tears choking up his throat already.
"Kenai," whispered Beast quietly. He took his free paw and gently caressed Kenai's head, but Kenai pulled back. "Please, don't....I can't do it...He's... He's dead because of me!"
"I'm so sorry," said Beast, without realizing that he truly meant it for the first time in his life. "But...what happened?"
"He...he fell off the edge of the plateau while we were wrestling...I....Oh Beast, I killed him!!! It's all my fault!" He suddenly erupted into a roar of tears and, without realizing it, collapsed into Beast's arms.
"Shhhh," said Beast, suddenly feeling for the poor animal and holding back a tear himself, "It's okay, you didn't know it would happen. I...I don't blame you."
Kenai pulled back from Beast's arms again. "Stop it! You don't know who I am! I'm a killer! I killed two bears in my life! How can you not blame me for things like that??!!"
"You killed another bear? Are you sure you're not exaggerating?" asked Beast, with another smirk on his face.
"I'm serious!! That's why I'm a bear now! I killed....I killed Koda's mother!"
Beast frowned.
"See, I knew you would be upset." Kenai hiccupped several times from the onslaught of tears he felt rush to his face. "Should I leave now?"
Beast was quiet for a few seconds, but refused to answer the question. "So, you're a bear because you committed a vile act when you were a human?"
"Yes, that's right. Should I leave now?"
Beast looked back into Kenai's brown eyes. "First, I'd like you to hear a story."
Kenai sighed and sat back down in the chair, waiting for Beast to finish so he could get away from this beautiful creature, and from himself.
Quite a long time ago, about maybe a hundred years or so, there was a man. He was also a prince, and very young, too. But even at a young age, he was quite precocious. He was also a complete idiot and a horrific person to be around. He was never satisfied with his life or knowing that his future duties would have to be to his country.
He was also quite abusive, and well-known for doing horrible things to servants and commoners. He was known for ordering people imprisoned for the stupidest of crimes, like forgetting to empty the chamber pots, or saddling the wrong horse. He even had some people executed for not doing exactly what he wanted, and how he wanted. That was probably him at his worst.
He had good servants, though. Servants who were dutiful to him and cared about him deeply, even though he was a bastard. And the prince didn't care much about them. He even threatened to club one of them to death with a gold candelabra if he didn't get food prepared immediately.
I can't even begin to say why the prince behaved like this in the first place. Maybe it was because his royal parents were the same way before they died from a wolf attack. I don't know. The prince was only 11 years old when they were gone, and I don't think he really cared about them as parents, since they cared little about him as a son.
Anyway, soon after his 11th birthday, there was a loud banging on the door of the castle. The prince had numerous servants answer the door, but no matter how many times the prince ordered the servants to send the visitor off, they kept saying that the visitor specifically asked for the master (the prince, obviously). Reluctantly, the prince went to the door and saw the most hideous, disgusting looking woman in the world, whom he had at first thought to be a man. The crone had warts over far too many parts of her face, hands, and presumably, body. Her eyes went two different directions, she was drooling at the mouth, and it even looked like there was pus coming out of several of the warts on her face. The hideous form had wanted shelter for the night in exchange for a simple rose that she could give the master.
The prince could not imagine having a creature like this sully the good satin sheets of the castle, let alone having payment be a stupid flower which he already had enough of in his garden behind the castle. He dismissed the old woman numerous times, despite the fact that she told him to be wary of outward appearances. Finally, the prince lost control and screamed at the hag to get her ugly self out of his sight.
But once he did, the woman instantly transformed into the most beautiful, fairest woman he had ever seen. The prince had never seen such magic in his life, and he was verily impressed, but once he realized that the woman had a stern expression on her face, he became very scared. Very, very scared. He actually fell to the ground and started crying and apologizing.
The woman believed in firm justice and decided to show the same pity that the prince had shown to her more unattractive form. She pointed to the prince with one tender finger and said one horribly-sounding word...
"Beast."
And then....and then...
Beast had had his back to Kenai the whole time, as he couldn't bear to look into the bear's eyes during the retelling of such a story. Especially if the expression in them was one of hate.
"So you see what I am now," said Beast quietly.
"Yes," said Kenai, amazed at the story and the history of what he knew to be a prince standing before him. "But I still don't-"
"There's a bit more. Please allow me to finish."
I hated my ugly form from then on, breaking every mirror and destroying every former painting of myself I could find. I wanted to die, but I was too much of a coward to face even death. My servants had the misfortune to transform into household objects that they had close ties to, and still they remained dutiful, if not even more frightened of me. I treated them with a bit more respect, but was still quite the unfriendly master. I deeply regret my actions.
I also came to despise any visitor that tried to enter the castle. One old man tried to enter, and my servants tried to make him feel welcome, but out of rage, I imprisoned him.
His daughter managed to find the castle and beg me for his freedom, but when I refused, she opted to take his place instead. I never knew such acts of sacrifice and thought it was stupid, but I allowed it. I let the old man go free back to the local village and never saw him again.
The girl was young, innocent, and unassuming. She was also incredibly beautiful. I think it was difficult to be around her, since she reminded me so much of the enchantress. She had no desire to be around me, for obvious reasons. But she was also somewhat annoying. I heard her and my servants celebrating in the dining room below while I despaired in my room, wishing I could join them. But I was in no mood to celebrate at any time these days.
I had warned her earlier to not enter the West Wing of this castle, where we are now. But she deliberately disobeyed me and went anyway. After trying to touch something incredibly personal to me, I lost my temper and practically screamed at her to get the hell out. She did so, but not just out of the room, out of the whole castle.
I instantly regretted my actions and stood in silence in my room. Why I was being so ugly and horrific, if I wanted her to treat me with kindness? I suddenly thought of my past and my life as a young, stupid selfish prince. I realized I didn't want that anymore, and I would gladly give it all up if I could actually make friends for once. So thinking, I ran out of the room towards the castle entrance, where I hoped she was.
After exiting the castle, I saw the girl and her horse by the edge of the woods, in what seemed like a panic. I called out her name, and she momentarily looked behind her.
And in that moment, I...I saw...I watched her...die.
Kenai watched Beast's great shoulders quiver as he heard sniffs of tears being held back in the silence that followed Beast's story. He whispered, "You're not the only one who is at fault for something so horrible."
Kenai was dumbstruck and at a loss for words upon hearing all this. After a few minutes of silence and restrained tears from Beast, he asked, "But how did she die?"
"Wolf attack, just like my parents," replied Beast. "She was attacked by wolves, and when I distracted her, one took the opportunity to kill her. All because of me." He straightened up suddenly. "I killed every single last blasted wolf there, and hated wolves from then on. I broke each of their necks and wept long over Belle's body. If I had only arrived sooner, I probably could have saved her life. And...and she probably could have saved mine."
"What do you mean?"
"That sorceress had said that my curse could be lifted, if I found someone who could love me and I could love in return, but only until I was twenty-one. That rose she had offered me was what Belle had tried to touch, and was a reminder of how much time I had left. It's now rotting into dust somewhere over there." He motioned carelessly towards the box that Kenai had found yesterday.
Kenai's heart stood still. He suddenly remembered something and became very scared. "And...and your servants?"
"Dead," said Beast in a cold tone of voice. "All dead. After the rose wilted, the curse was made permanent for me, and mortal for everybody else. They all died in their false forms, and I was made immortal, apparently, as I tried to kill myself over and over."
He sighed deeply. "And now you know everything."
Kenai was quiet and slowly made his way off the chair. He padded slowly to the great beast standing before him and gently pressed a paw on his leg.
Beast slowly turned around and knelt down to Kenai, looking at him tenderly.
Kenai whispered, "It looks like we both suffered for actions as humans."
"It certainly does," replied Beast. Both remained silent for a long time, and reveled gazing into each other's eyes, where they saw clear reflections of themselves.
"Do you...do you hate me?" whispered Beast.
Kenai looked at the beautiful noble creature in front of him for a long time.
"No, I don't," said Kenai. "I don't know if I should, but I don't see any real reason to hate you. You're not the same creature you were so long ago."
"Neither are you," said Beast. "I find you lucky to have had so many good friends in your life."
"And you're lucky for just being the beautiful, loving creature you are now."
Beast couldn't help but laugh. "BEAUTIFUL? What beauty do you see in this?"
"Your eyes," Kenai heard himself say, without thinking. "I've never seen blue eyes before."
Beast was silent and found himself getting lost in Kenai's large brown eyes. He slowly reached out a paw, waiting for Kenai to pull back again.
"It's okay.... Please... touch me..." whispered Kenai.
Beast gently let his claws glide through Kenai's amazingly soft fur, and reveled in the low, pleasured growl that the bear emitted from his throat. Kenai closed his eyes and relaxed under the gentle touch. He whispered, "Can I...can I..."
"Please," whispered Beast. Kenai lifted his right paw and felt the amazing features on Beast's face. The curved horns, the flat nose, even the protruding fangs. He let his paws sift gently through the thick mane around Beast's head, surprised at how deep his paws went inside it.
Suddenly, Kenai pulled back again. "I can't...I can't do this..."
"What's wrong?"
"Two males shouldn't be like this. This is why Koda's dead...I lost control."
"Koda isn't dead because of that, Kenai," said Beast reassuringly. "He's dead because of an accident. Nothing you intended or meant to happen. Do you think he hates you for what happened?"
Kenai remembered Koda's spiritual smile and even the last few moments where he begged Kenai to let him go, so one of them could live. "No...but it's not fair to him...I...I really loved him..." He felt a tear run down his muzzle.
"I'm sure you did," said Beast quietly, stroking Kenai's muzzle affectionately. "He was sure lucky to have you as a brother."
Kenai looked again into Beast's eyes. "I can't get over how beautiful your eyes are..."
"Nor can I get over yours," said Beast gently. "Here, I think you need this." He took Kenai's head gently in both paws and gently pressed his fanged lips against his forehead.
"What was that?" inquired Kenai, touched by the intimate action.
"A kiss of forgiveness. I don't know if it's truly in my power, but as prince of this castle, I personally forgive you for all that you've done wrong, and I embrace all the good I feel in you."
Kenai was genuinely moved by this action and gently took Beast's great head in his own paws and slowly placed a kiss on his own forehead. "And I forgive you, too, my brother."
Beast smiled broadly. Just in the course of one day had they become friends, and now they were brothers. He put both paws around Kenai's back and pulled him close to his chest. Kenai felt his own paws encircle Beast's huge body as sunlight broke through the windows, increasing the warmth they already felt through each other.
Kenai sighed deeply as he basked in the glow of forgiveness and brotherhood that Beast was offering to him. He let go of the hug and looked back into Beast's eyes and beautiful smile.
Suddenly, he felt an odd feeling tingle from deep inside him. He also was able to sense, just by looking at him, that Beast was feeling the same thing. He found himself moving closer to Beast's face. The eyes seemed to be engulfing all of him, and felt lost in the creature that was growing even closer by the moment.
"Beast...? What...what am I feeling?"
Beast didn't say anything but slowly lifted a paw and put it behind Kenai's head. He gently pulled Kenai close to him, closed his eyes, and slowly opened his mouth.
Kenai did the same and gently felt something wet, warm, and long enter his mouth and slide against his long ursine tongue. He put his own paws around Beast's head and felt around his furry back. It was a kiss. Kenai's very first kiss, and, he assumed, Beast's first kiss as well. Both creatures felt it to be absolutely heavenly. Their tongues and paws explored each other deeply as both creatures became lost in the wonderful act of love that they were experiencing together. Kenai felt his heart race in his chest as the kiss continued for what seemed like hours.
Eventually, both creatures let go, but did not move their faces more than an inch from each other. He looked at Beast with wide open eyes, utterly amazed at what had just occurred. All he could see, and wanted to see, were deep blue eyes, full of warmth, tenderness, and something so deeper, it was unexplainable. "Beast...I ...I...."
"I love you," said Beast slowly and deeply, in a full, rich growl.
Kenai's heart quivered and beat faster and faster at the magical words. Looking deep into the cerulean eyes, he knew that the words were true, too. He had surely felt love from his brothers, family, and tribe, but it had never been spoken before. To actually hear it from someone who meant it was incredibly powerful.
"Beast..." whispered Kenai. And with unbridled confidence he said, "I love you."
Beast smiled warmly at the bear he had fallen in love with. He slowly stood up, towering over Kenai, who thoroughly enjoyed looking at the Beast's majestic body, and this time without shame. "You're a joy to behold," said Kenai, smiling.
Beast grinned and, bending down, picked up Kenai easily in his strong arms. Kenai was stunned and thrilled that someone could pick up a heavy bear like himself, and he smiled as Beast pressed another kiss tenderly on his muzzle.
"Beast, are you...are you sure you don't hate me for the things I've done?"
Beast looked at Kenai long and hard. He said, "Kenai, if there's anything truly important I've learned from my past, it's this. Love means no judgment, no shame, and no division."
Kenai felt his heart swell more and more as Beast carried him out of the room.
"Where are we going?" he asked Beast.
Beast was quiet for a while as he walked, but he soon replied. "You'll see. I just want to be with you for a while."
Kenai hoped in his heart that "while" meant "long time." Maybe even "forever."
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I also have a more yiffy scene for this story in the works, though it's difficult to actually finish, for some reason. Still, let me know if you would like it posted as a "second chapter" to this. :) *big warm bear hugs*
Feel free to offer comments, ideas or questions. :) Thanks for reading!!!!
Furio