Her Master Mephisto (Beauty & The Beast Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

The beautiful singing drew a stranger wrapped in shawls. Holding a large walking stick as tall as a tree she hobbled towards the ramshackle abode of Allura and her father. Without even trying to raise anyone at the front door peering directly into the basement window, an old woman tapped vigorously and waved at Allura. Stunned, Allura opened the window.

"Hello my dear. I thought I would find you here." the old lady said to a still shocked Allura. "Perhaps you do not believe in fairy god mothers, so I will merely state the choice I am about to give you and get on with things, what do you say?"

"Oh ma'am I am so grateful to see you. My father is supposed to have returned, but alas he has not and I am unfortunately locked in the basement. Can you help me please?" Allura looked upon the old woman as if she was an angel about to provide a miracle.

"Of course I can help you dear. That is why I am here after all." the old woman smiled. "So tell me, what do you prize more, your freedom to seek justice for the wrong done to you or the chance for love? Choose wisely dear for I can offer both, however only one can be the answer for you at this time."

Allura looked at her bewildered, "I do not understand." Starting to panic she cried, "Please let me out. I had such a terrible dream that my father was locked in cell, held captive. It was like he was desperately calling me."

"Ahh, yes. I know all about that and yes it is true that your father is being held against his will. But what concern of yours is that? What freedom does he deserve when he has denied yours? Surely you can see the clear choice you have here my dearest. What will it be, your justice or love?" The old lady smiled at Allura with kindness in her eyes.

With tears forming, Allura said "I know my father has not been kind, but I honour my beautiful mother and she chose him. He and my mother brought me into the world as a gift of love I feel sure of it, even though it has long since faded for him. Perhaps it has been his way of coping with her loss. I want to believe in that. I will choose love. I will go to him if you tell me where he is. Nobody deserves to be caged like an animal, not even him."

Standing straight and looking the woman in the eyes with courage and conviction, she all of a sudden noticed she was before the woman in the sun, no longer was she in the basement. Before Allura could wonder about this magic the old lady appeared to be covered in light that transformed her into the most beautiful being; more like the angel in white Allura saw her to be in her heart. Her staff grew smaller and changed into a single red rose.

Holding this rose out to Allura, the golden glowing woman said, "Your will to be good and brave is strong, my gift is to bestow upon you a treasure that can only be yours. This rose contains great magic to shield you from any harm and to find true love. You need no gift to see the truth of people's hearts. That you already possess. This rose will be your guide to find your own destiny. You will not find the path you have chosen easy my beloved child, be warned but you will reap great rewards for your service to your father, though it may not seem so for quite some time."

"Who are you great lady? How will I ever thank you?"Allura was awed by the honour bestowed upon her and humbly held her hand out for the gift. Her face lit up with a radiant smile; she received the rose with profound gratitude. She believed whole-heartedly the woman had the power to bestow that kind of magic upon a flower.

"You can thank me by never losing faith and who I am is a manifestation of your mother's love for you though you may have doubted until now that she was still looking out for you. She sent me here to bestow this gift as she knew you would choose to live a life of searching for love. Until later sweet thing, I shall be on my way."The lady started to shimmer and disappeared as if she had never been there.

Looking around at the normal world, Allura found it incredible and hard to fathom the experience she just had. However, upon seeing the live rose in her hand she realised it was real and not just a fantasy. And she knew where to go to find her father, as clear as if she was told. She did not know how she knew, but she just knew. Without stopping to question this confidence in her knowledge, she left food for the animals and watered her beloved plants and filled a bag with provisions for herself and for her father when she found him. Racing out the door, she did not look back at the hovel that had been her only home for as long as she could remember.

The long walk was hard going for Allura, but she kept plodding focusing on each step getting her closer to rescuing her father. Perhaps he would be kinder to her if she managed to save him. She hoped so, though she could not remember him ever being kind to her. Allura often thought it was her fault that her father was so resentful, after all her mother only died because she was born. She was forgiving of her father being so nasty and angry for her being alive. She carried it upon her shoulders as her burden to carry. Never for a moment did she wonder if the responsibility for his behaviour should be his alone. She did not blame patriarchy or God or anyone but herself. She could be called the perfect martyr, sacrificing her righteousness about the fault of others for making herself wrong.

She had never heard the term autoplastic neurosis and would have scoffed at the idea that she was a victim of her father's narcissistic and psychopathic abuse. She considered how many opportunities she had to escape, for her father's constant inebriation made him slow witted to prevent her leaving if she wanted to. But where would she have gone? If any relatives had cared, why had they not done anything? If the townspeople knew of her plight, why did they not save her? No, she only had herself to rely upon and she found a way to handle her lot in life and still have reasons to feel joy thanks to her plants and animals, singing and books. She was content with what she knew. Now for the first time she was walking into the unknown.