Tales of Destruction: Part 8

Belle, the Beast

Being saved by a beauty who's a beast

Art by: Kurotarou

Man, Belle was such a wasted character in the manga. I get it that it was cancelled and had to be rushed and all, but c'mon, there was no need to do Belle dirty like that!

Outside of the forest, they tell tales of the denizens that hide within its depths, but none terrify the people more than the tales about the old monastery in the woods. Some say that an old witch lives there, others say that a massive beast made it its lair. Whatever the case, everyone's too scared to enter the castle and verify which of the stories is true. Little do they know, both stories are real, for the witch and the beast are one and the same, and that she isn't as bad as the rumors say she is.

YOU - 23

When you were born, the thirst for adventure was already deeply ingrained into you. Much to your parents' dismay, they had to constantly keep an eye on you, least you wandered off and "went out on an adventure". Curiosity and boldness had always been a core part of you, as you were always leading your friends off on a little adventure or another. Suffice to say, the quiet life in the countryside never suited you.

Not even when you turned 16 did your adventurous spirit subside. You'd often scan the horizon, looking out for your next big escapade, your next big encounter with the extraordinary. However, it was the extraordinary that found you one day. An enormous grizzly bear, almost as big as a house, emerged from the depths of the forest one day, ravaging your village beneath its crushing paws and its snapping maw. This was not what you meant when you wished for adventure.

Together with your childhood friend, the two of you battled the raging beast. The fight lasted for the entire night, but as soon as the morning sunrays hit the town, the bear finally took its last breath... and so did your friend. Your village celebrated your victory that night, but it felt hollow to you. Without your friend to share the celebrations with, your achievement had no weight to it, no meaning. And so, with a heavy heart, you departed from your village.

You wandered the world for years, acting as a sort of wandering hero that'd go from place to place helping others. You were finally living the adventures you had once wished for, but unable to draw any satisfaction from them. One night, while staying at a tavern, you overheard some folks talk about an abandoned monastery in the woods who everyone was too scared about to go see what was inside. And for once in the past few years, your interest was piqued.

A few days later, you set out to explore the forest, unsure of what you'd found, but a little hopeful that it'd at least be a little interesting. However, the forest proved to be a step above anything you've faced until now. Cornered and wounded, it seemed like your end loomed over you, but just as everything seemed lost and your conscience faded, fate sent your way a beast unlike any other: Belle.

This bot is full of headcannon, considering Belle only appears in four chapters of the manga.