Warming Hearts

A New and Happy Beginning Part One

"But the Lake Trio did give me some mercy. They told me that if I could learn to love someone and earn that person's love in return before the spring equinox in six years' time, then all would return to what it was before. If not, then I was doomed to remain a beast forever and my servants would lose all of their memories of their human lives and become true wild Pokémon.

"For five long years, I sulked away, feeling like no one could ever love me as a monster. But then, there came a little bit of hope for me. A lost woman came to this castle, looking for some shelter. But I accused her of being a trespasser and locked her up. But within the following day, her son came to rescue her. I forced him to choose to either take his mother's place as my prisoner or leave. He chose to stay, sacrificing his freedom for his mother's.

"At first, I thought that I was being foolish for even thinking for a brief moment that someone like that could ever learn to love me. He and I hated each other fiercely, and I don't blame him for doing so. He and I were nothing alike. He loves Pokémon with everything he has, and he always has a way of making friends.

"He tried to escape once, after I caught him sneaking around in my personal chambers, and we got into an argument. I may never know exactly what made me do it, but I went after him and we saved each other from a pack of Mightyena. However, I was wounded in the fight. He could've left me there to die in the cold from my wounds and he would've been free again to return to his mother. But instead, he helped me. He brought me back to the castle and he nursed me back to health. That was when we both decided to give each other a second chance.

"Time went by, and the two of us became close friends. He even introduced me to all of his Pokémon, showing that he trusted me. And I saw just how wonderful Pokémon are, and how much I loved them. Eventually, I showed him a few other secrets in the castle.

"I guess during all that time we spent together, I found myself starting to care for him, more than as a friend. But the equinox kept nearing until it was just only a day away. So thanks to the goading of the servants, we shared a little dance. After that, I tried to work myself up to tell him of my true feelings. But I saw that even though he no longer saw me as his captor and that he was happy to have me as a friend, he still missed his mother and his freedom. So I showed him a hand mirror that the Lake Trio gave me, where he could see anyone he desired. He quickly saw that his mother was in trouble and that she needed him. As much as I wanted to tell him of my feelings and break the curse, I knew that in that moment, I cared, no, I loved him enough to set him free. He promised me that he would come back and continue to try and help break the curse, but I knew that by the time he got back, it would already be too late.

"His mother had been kidnapped by a group of Pokémon thieves, along with a girl who also held deep affection for him, but he never returned it, nor would he ever. Because of that, she became utterly obsessed with making him hers, no matter what it took, and would eliminate anyone who stood in her way. He came to his mother's rescue and they told him that she had gone mad, raving about a beast unlike anything in a castle. He told them that it was the truth, so they also locked him up and went to try and do away with me.

"Somehow, he managed to escape from his confinement and return here, and in the nick of time, for his... well, stalker is the best word to use, had tried to poison me. He and I tried to stop her, and we succeeded. I released her with the threat to never return. But she caught us by surprise and managed to poison me. He tried to risk his own life to save mine, but consumed by her jealousy and wrath, she tried to kill him as well. But I took the blow, making the poison twice as deadly. The Pokémon and the servants eventually came and blasted her away. I knew that I was dying, but I was happy that I got to see him again.

"The next thing I knew, I was standing up, no more poison in me, and human again. The curse was broken because he loved me as well. Then, everything returned to what it was before. However, I promise that I have changed because of this incredible young man who taught me to love again by sharing his love with me."