This is a story I started way back in the day that, for various reasons, I never really went back to. Nowadays, I'm revisiting a few of my old fic ideas, and seeing which, if any of them, are really deserving of having another look. Seeing as how I had more of this one done than any of the others, I figured I'd post it and see what kind of reception it gets, and thus whether or not a continuation is really warranted.
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• Title: Beauty and the Beast: The Willow and Tara Edition
• Author: Alex
• Email address: decepticons_4_ever@hotmail.com
• Feedback: I live and breathe by the feedback I get for my fics, so I hope I get a steady supply.
• Distribution: Through the Looking-glass (http://www.uberwillowtara.com)
• Rating: PG-13
• Pairing: Willow/Tara, though at the start there are hints of Willow/Oz. Naturally, by the end, there will be plenty of W/T gay love to go around.
• Disclaimer: Willow, Tara and other “Buffy” and “Angel” characters likely to appear in this story are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, UPN, 20th Century Fox and others. The underlying theme of the story, that of the story “Beauty and the Beast”, belongs to the folks at Disney. Though it should be noted that while this fic is based on the Disney movie, it’s rather graphic and angst ridden, so kids who’ve seen the movie probably shouldn’t read this.
• Summary: Willow Rosenberg lives in a quiet mountain village, dreaming of a life that she knows she’ll never have. Then she gets lost in the forest and stumbles into a haunted castle, where she meets the creature that will change her life forever.
[center]Prologue[/center]
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a spectacular castle. Her name was Tara, and though she was born of royalty, her life was anything but that of a Princess. Her father, the King, was a selfish and dominating man who punished both his wife and daughter for the supposed injustices that they brought upon him.
The King had wanted a son in order to carry on his legacy, but had been driven into a furious rage when the Queen bore him a daughter. He kept mother and child locked in the West Wing tower until the child came of age, then released them and allowed them to return to their lives, making Tara Princess in name only.
Tara’s life had been a miserable one from that day forward. She had no friends, as she was not allowed to converse with the servants or the townsfolk. She was not allowed to participate in any of the royal events that took place every year, being forced to spend her time locked in her room while her father and mother made the token appearances and customary blessings.
Tara often thought of her mother. She was a beautiful woman who had often sacrificed what she wanted in order to ensure that Tara had a less painful childhood. Tara was thankful for that, though she often wondered what her mother could have done if she didn’t act like such a burden.
Then had come the day when her mother had died mysteriously. And though Tara could never prove it, she always thought that her father was responsible. He never remarried, and brought an end to the formal affairs that had been the norm, leaving himself and the rest of the castle’s inhabitants isolated from the rest of the world.
A year later, on a particularly bad night, an old woman had come to the castle seeking shelter. Although the majority of the castle’s inhabitants had wanted to offer the woman a respite, Tara’s father turned her away. He said that the castle was no place for people such as the old woman. She had asked politely again, but found her advances rebuffed.
It was then that the old woman muttered a chant and changed into a beautiful Goddess with the appearance of an angel and the spirit of a phoenix. She boldly declared that the King had no pure heart and transformed all the castle’s inhabitants into hideous creatures and placed a spell on the castle. Furious, Tara’s father fled into the forest in a feral state, never to be heard from again.
Tara herself, meanwhile, withdrew into herself, closing out what little contact she did have. The servants, having also been transformed, attempted to cheer her up and keep her from falling into despair. Taking pity on her, the Goddess granted Tara a magic mirror, into which she could see glimpses of the outside world.
In addition, she also declared that if Tara could find true love, the spell would reverse itself and Tara would become human once again. Tara had until her twenty-first birthday to accomplish this.
As time passed, Tara grew more depressed and began to lose all hope of becoming human.
After all, what person could ever learn to love a beast?
