Beauty and the Beast

"Take up the sword, but seal your fate." Said Master Mouse.

Luminous turned back to the sword in the stone. Her tiny delicate hands on the dark blue hilt. Pulling it out Luminous could feel a tingling sensation run up thought her arms as the sword attuned itself to her. With one last heave, the glass orange blade unstuck itself from the stone glenting in the bright moonlight above her.

"Hello, new welder of fate." Said the sword. "I am the mighty sword known as the Dawn of…"

The sword paused, and if a sword had eyes, it would look straight down at the small girl who held it.

"Who are you?" Asked the sword perplexed.

"You, you just, talked" Said Luminous.

"That didn't answer my question." Said the sword. "What are you doing?"

"I just pulled you out of…"

"No dang nabbit, that's not possible!" Yelled the sword. "I mean look at you, your nothing but a weak little milksop! Can't even pick up a pillow."

"I can too!" Retorted Luminous. "I once picked up the biggest giant in the land!"

"Really now?" Scoffed the sword. "Okay then, how about you pick up that heavy stone you just lifted me out of? It's got to be lighter than a giant."

Luminous' face flushed pink, she looked to the ground.

"I could... if I wanted to…"

"Ahem!" Interrupted Master mouse. "If you two are quite done, we have to get out of here before this area is completely taken over by the corrupt."

"The corrupt?" Asked Luminous.

"The dark creatures that attacked you in the palace, the ones you saw attack your friends. They're the corrupt. Creatures who have lost their hearts to dark desires and have given into the Crow King." Said Master mouse. "That's why it is so important we get you out of here to stop the Crow King before he strikes anywhere else, infecting others in his path."

Master Mouse walked up a spiral sandy path. Luminous strapped the Dawn of Fate to her back walking in tow with the small mouse.

"Curiouser, and curiouser." Said Luminous looking up at the spiral, sand falling gently down it.

"If you think this is something, just you wait kid." Said The Dawn of Fate. "There is way more strangeness where that came from."

Luminous looked back at the sword, before looking forward again. The Dawn of Fate caught the look.

"What?" Asked the sword. "Got something to say?"

"It's just," Luminous twired a blonde ringlet in her hand. "How are you able to talk?"

"I don't know, how are you able to talk? Why?"

"It's just…"

"Just what?"

"You're a sword..."

"Well excuse me princess, but aren't you just a..."

"Halt!" Master Mouse put his paw up.

Luminous stop, her and the sword fell silent.

"It's too late he already found us..." Said. Master Mouse.

All of a sudden the ground shook underneath them. All the white sand on the spiral path slid into the dark pit below. Colossal dark claws came up out of the portal that appeared on the ground in front of them. The rest of the huge dark creature came out of the portal holding a bidant.

"...It's the Hall Monitor." Breathed Master Mouse

Luminous stared agape at the creature. Its shaggy dark green mane of hair matched its scarf that covered his face up to its cloudy soulless eyes.

"Watch out!" Yelled Master Mouse.

The Hall Monitor stabbed his bidant into the ground. The ground shook underneath Master Mouses and Luminous' feet. Master Mouse jumped from the ground onto the Hall Monitor's tall skinny fingers.

"His weak point is his head! Distract him so I can get up there."

The mouse said before climbing up the huge fingers towards the corrupt monster's head. Luminous went to run but the vibrations from the pronged weapon knocked her off her feet.

"Oww…" Wimperd Luminous as her chin hit the ground.

"No! Don't stop moving!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate. "Get up! Get up now!".

"Huh?"

But it was too late, a dark sinkhole had begun to open up underneath Luminous.

"Ahh!" Luminous tried to grab onto the sandy ground, but the sinkhole only became bigger dragging her deeper in. "What do I do?! Mr. Sword, help me!"

"Okay, don't panic, all you need to do is Soul Connect with me." Said the Dawn of Fate.

"What?"

"And... you don't know what soul connect is, well, that's just peachy…" and if a sword could roll his eyes the Dawn of Fate would be rolling them. "It's alright, that's okay, I will just do a quickie on Soul Connect. Don't panic kid. All you have to do is breathe deeply, reaching our connection deep down in your gut. Then let that light magic flow right out. Got all that?"

"Y..yes!"

"Are you sure about that?" Asked the sword. "Because you don't sound too sure. You sound like a noob."

Luminous blushed, her cheeks tenting pink at the insult.

"Yes, I've perfectly done this before, I've done a Soul Connect with my very best friend Chasm and all my other friends all the time. and I was perfectly perfect at it!" Luminous lied.

She grabbed the sword out of the sheath on her back, pointing it at the dark sinkhole that continued to suck her up to her waist.

The sword was silent as Luminous breathed in and out, the breathing turned into heaving, becoming louder until she huffed. But nothing happened.

"You have to focus and actually try!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate

"I am trying!" Yelled Luminous. "It's just not working!"

"Alright, what kind of big poluka do you take me for!?" Asked the Dawn of Fate. "I know you're a lying blunderbuss!"

"I'm not a..*glug glug*"

Luminous became unable to breath as her head sunk below the sinkhole. Master mouse looked back towards the girl and the sword, and shook his head.

"Can't even do this simple task."

The small mouse was halfway up the Hall Monitors arm when he stopped in his tracks. The Hall Monitor lifted his hand up to swat the small mouse. But before the giant monster could swat Master Mouse he jumped down into the sinkhole below.

"Underneath your bed monsters are made, shine a light to make them fade!" Master Mouse Pointed his wand straight at the sinkhole.

His little pink feet barely touched the sinkhole when a small ball of light came out of his wand flashing across the darkness.

The dark sinkhole turned into a bright light that could rival the sun. Luminous, the Dawn of Fate and Master mouse were all spat out of it and thrown high up into the air above the Hall Monitors head.

"AHHH!" Screamed Luminous, feeling gravity quickly pull her back down.

"Alright, short stack we have an ample opportunity." Said the Dawn of Fate. "His weak spot is his head. Quickly! Point me at his head and drive me in!"

"Wa what?!"

"Just do it!"

Luminous fought against the wind as It rushed past her ears, blowing her long blonde hair around along with her loose pajama top that rode up on her, revealing her stomach.

She finally got the glass vermillion sword in front of her. Pointing it at the colossal monsters head.

"AHH!" Luminous screamed as the sword stuck...

...right into the green scarf that was wrapped around the monster's head. The monsters' glassy eyes peered into Luminous who was hanging from the sword inches from his face. The fabric beneath the blade began to tear. Luminous could feel her heart drop, a cold sweat ran down her spine she quickly grabbed onto the fabric as it began to unravel.

"What!? How could you miss that macro gluteus maximus head of his!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate, the scarf unraveled completely as they spung downwards on it. "Seriously?! How could you miss it!? It's right there!"

"I don't know what to do okay!" Shouted Luminous gripping the thread tight for dear life. "It's not my fault! I really tried!"

"Well, you didn't try hard enough!" Said the Dawn of Fate.

Luminous looked up at the monster's head as she fell down father away from it. The adrenaline rush of the situation came crashing down on her when she closed her eyes for a second feeling the wind at her back. A smile crossed her face as she realized, this was like an adventure, one she had always wanted to be a part of from her books. The Dawn of Fate caught the look on her face, and if a sword could smile, he would be grinning.

"But, you want to make it up to me? Huh?"

Luminous blinked, coming back to reality from the moment of excitement.

"Huh?"

"You want to drive down a couple of his hit points?" Asked the sword.

"Yes!" Luminous shouted a little too loudly.

"Alright, that's what I like to hear. Now dig me into his arm and slash on your way down!"

Luminous keeping tight hold of the scarf, when she drove the Dawn of Fate into the monster's arm carving into him on her way down.

"GrAhh!"

The monster screamed writhing in pain. Luminous continued to run across the monster's side with the blade, inky black blood leaking out of it's skin. The adrenalin was so immersed at this point that Luminous became almost entranced with what she was doing.

"Watch out!" Yelled the sword.

Luminous snapped out of what she was doing long enough to see Master Mouse running towards the blade she was holding.

"Master Mouse!" Screamed Luminous.

Master Mouse's eyes went wide seeing the blade draw near his face. The blade grazed his fur as he jumped out of the way. His paw grabbing Luminous' pink shirt.

"Watch where you're going!" Master mouse yelled in her ear, fighting against the wind. "You could have...!"

"Monster hand!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.

The monster slammed his hand down on his arm barely missing them.

"Ahh!"

The force caused Luminous to spin out of control in the air, grip tightening on the green scarf.

"Watch out! Ground coming up quick!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.

Luminous' foot hit the ground so hard that she skidded across the sandy floor on her face. Landing butt up on the other side of the room.

"Ohh, that's got to hurt." Said the Dawn of Fate.

"Luminous! You alright?!" Asked Master Mouse.

Luminous stood up shaking, one of her blue eyes twitching and covered in dust. She held on tightly to the Dawn of Fate like a cane.

"Oww.." Was all Luminous could reply. Looking up at the monster who towered over her.

Master Mouse frowned looking at the small girl before looking back at the monster.

"You distract it, I'll think of something." Said Master Mouse.

"Sure, use the small child as bait why not." Snarked the sword.

"Just do it. I promise I won't let her die here."

When Master Mouse snuck away The Hall Monitor threw his bidant into a portal below himself.

"Did he? Did he Just get rid of his weapon?" Luminous' jaw dropped.

"What are you an idiot! Of course he didn't!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate.

"Hey, it's not nice to call people idiots. My name is Luminous you know."

"Behind you!" Yelled the sword.

"Huh?" Just as Luminous turned around the pronged weapon came out of another portal right behind her. "Eeek"

Luminous screamed as she hit the ground. On her way down the weapon swished by her head. An array of her waist long blonde hair flew in the air above her as it was slashed clean off.

The monster caught the weapon in his hand before it could fly off the edge of the sandy spiral pathway and began swinging the pronged weapon around. The sand on the pathway lifted itself off the ground creating a sandstorm. It obscured everything so badly that Luminous couldn't see anything past her nose.

"Watch out!" Yelled the sword. "The bidant is behind you!"

Luminous couldn't see the huge bidant that came out of a portal in the middle of a sand storm until it was inches in front of her face.

Luminous rolled over to her side, the blade scraping her face on her way down.

"Ahh!" Luminous screamed holding her cut cheek.

"Too your side!" The sword called out again.

The blade came at her again, Luminous stood up to run. The bidant skimmed her elbow as she flead.

"Duck!"

The bidant came out of portals towards Luminous again and again, but because of the sandstorm the Hall Montoir created she couldn't clearly see them coming until it was to late. When the sand storm ended Luminous was left laying face down on the sandy ground, painting with scratches all over her fair skin.

"Can you get up?" Asked the sword concerned.

"I..I..gha..uhh.." Luminous heaved.

"Come on you'll be fine, 'tis but a flesh wound!" Said the sword. "Come on dang nabbit! Get up shortstuff! You can't die in your first boss fight! I know you're a noob, but who even does that!?"

Luminous got to her elbows. But no matter how much she pushed herself she only fell back down to the ground coughing up sand. The colossal monster stood over her, the last thread of his dark green scarf fell off his darkened face revealing a sharp lipless scowl that struck fear into Luminous' heart as she gaped at the monster.

The Hall Monitor lifted up his hugged bidant above his head to strike Luminous down.

"Dang nabbit!" Yelled the Dawn of Fate at the Hall Montoir. "Suck the sharp tip of my blade!"

"The things you keep in the dark, hide away your scary mark. Make sure not to make a contrary sound, within your mask you are bound!" Shouted Master Mouse.

A chain made out of light came out of the tip of Master mouses wand. Wrapping itself around the colossal monster, restraining his arms and legs.

"See I promised I won't let you die here." Said Master Mouse. "Now go!"

Luminous looked up to see the monster restrained. Using the last of her strength, Luminous pushed herself up to her feet. She began to run, but she stopped when she noticed Master Mouse wasn't following her.

"Come on Master Mouse! We have to run right?!"

"No, I can't come with, this spell takes concentration." Master Mouse said without turning to look at her. "You have to leave without me!"

"But I.."

"Luminous for once do what you're told!" Master mouse interrupted her. "Here!" He dug into his vest pocket pulling out a light blue piece of fabric. "Take this to Barrett at the Tavern Den, tell him that you're looking for the wizard Vainglorious!"

Luminous caught the little cloth in her hands. When did Master mouse get this? Did he always have it? Or was it when she was distracted and looking at the tapestry? She shook her head.

"But, I can't just…"

"Dang nabbit! You said you had friends like uh, Chasem... what's his face, right?" Said the Dawn of Fate. "Trust me kid, this boss fight is way too high level for you. If you ever want to see Cassy and your other friends again we have to run now!"

"But, umm…"

Luminous looked at Master Mouse who struggled with keeping the big monster in chains. To the pathway ahead. She couldn't help but think about the prince and Chasm being kidnaped after her kingdom crumbled around them.

She clutched the cloth she was just given in her hands before running up the path past the Hall Monitor, past Master mouse.

"You're doing the right thing Luminous! Find Barrett in Tavern Den! Tell him you're looking for Vainglorious! Vainglorious is your only chance of helping you defeat the Crow King!" Master Mouse yelled out.

Luminous kept running, never looking back.

"You have to find the wizard Vainglorious!"