A fairy tale... will always be a fairy tale.

Once upon a time (aw.. which fairy tale don't start with this?), there lived a girl called Belle. Living up to her name, she truly was a beauty. Not only so, she had a heart of diamond (gold is so OUT), an intelligence uncomparable and such graciousness that the sun would melt before it.

However, Misfortune loves the company of such wonderful girls.

While Belle was walking in the enchanted woods, she saw a magnificant castle. Not knowing that the surroundings are under a spell that beautiful, kind, smart and gracious girls who pass by will forget their past and be lured into the castle, she flitted (of course, she's so wonderful she's off the ground!) into the castle.

Dancing candlesticks, naggy clock and chattering cups greeted her. And since she had forgotten about her past, all these was not surprising/magical/strange to her at all.

Not forgetting, she fell (ya.. literally) for the great master, the ferocious beast, the dedicated lover of the castle. In love.

As all fairy tales go, they lived happily ever after (at least for quite some time).

Gossips from the village where Belle came from had it that she was captured by the ugly beast, that she deserves better, that the beast had a hidden agenda. Words spread like wild fire and soon invaded the woods: they got to the ears of the perfect couple.

But being human and beast, even with all their intelligence added together, they were affected by the unbased rumours. No, distrust did not grow like a thorn between them; silence did. They no longer laugh and run through the garden together, no longer enjoyed the summer rain, nor did they snowballed each other. Every minute of awkward silence seemed like years and pulled the distance and silence even further.

This continued for weeks (or years if you count it 'mentally', pun intended). Unexpectedly, Belle overheard the candlesticks, clock and cups (ya.. they were still around) whispering loudly (is there such a thing as a loud whisper?) to each other.

"I think they are going through a rough patch," candlesticks remarked. "No, but they seems so... distant. Like strangers. Perhaps..." said clock. "Perhaps? No perhaps. Don't you even dream of getting your hands into this matter. They will solve their own problems. BECAUSE THEY ARE IN LOVE," cups chirped.

"In love. In love I am," thought Belle.

That night, Belle and Beast had a talk. Words were exhanged, views were heard and misunderstandings cleared. No vulgarities, no finger-pointing and no regret. Because they love each other (Oh.. the graciousness of Belle is infectious).

That night, they fell again. Not for each other, not into individual love pits. They fell deeper, together, into the bottomless black hole called LOVE.