Copyright notice: "Kingdom Hearts" is jointly owned by Disney and Squaresoft, and is unquestionably one of the finest things the former has done for itself in awhile. I had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Author's note: I almost never use these, so please indulge me this brief aside. One of the best parts of playing "Kingdom Hearts" was watching Beast on his quest for Belle. Robby Benson has always done a phenomenal job of bringing the character to life, and the utter despair and anguish and encompassing passion that drove KH's Beast was absolutely heartbreaking. That added depth to Beast has been driving my long Disney fanfic, but since he's only been featured very little, I thought it might be nice to let him out of the castle for a little bit. Even though he's in for a rather rough ride…

Petals on the Edge of Oblivion

He should never have let her go.

She disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.

And her scream…

She called for him.

Begged him to help her.

He couldn't.

"Belle."

Hearing her name aloud helped. It convinced him that she hadn't been a mere vision, that there had been a time away from this dungeon, this cage, prison.

Hell.

Perhaps that is indeed where he was, his past transgressions too terrible even for her to grant his salvation. He wouldn't be terribly surprised if indeed this was his eternity, barred forever from the one being who gave him hope, his memory taunting him into the ages beyond time.

He looked at the metal bars enclosing him, the texture and design alien to him. Testing the strength of the metal, he wrapped his massive paws around the bars and pulled, warping the beams with his might.

A green flash of light shot out towards him, searing his chest and paralyzing his movement. He collapsed onto the floor, vaguely aware of the fact he'd just fallen into water.

"Impressive."

Dazed, he looked up towards the voice, seeing only a great silhouette of darkness hovering by.

Much like the shadow-demons who had stolen her…

He lunged at the silhouette, only to be stunned again by another brilliant streak of light.

"Temper, temper," the voice chastised, oily and pitched with malice. "That's going to get you into trouble someday."

Slowly rising unsteadily to his knees, he looked at the voice. "Where's Belle?" he rumbled.

"Beyond any place where you can reach her. Tell me, what's a pretty thing like her doing with the likes of you?" Her blood lips curled into a sneer on her pale green face. "Are you some kind of faithful pet?"

His roar shook the foundations of Hollow Bastion, and for a brief moment, Maleficent looked worried as the creature reared to charge at her again. But a quick incantation silenced him, and another verse tore him away from consciousness.

Maleficent turned her attention towards the boy in the hallway. "Dispose of him any way you see fit," she commanded. "He's the last obstacle separating you from your friend."

-----

An hour, a lifetime, an eon ago, Belle had been in his arms, entrusting herself to those arms as she lay her head down upon his satined chest.

She trusted him.

He could feel her heart pounding, hoped his own heart didn't sound like the thunder he felt.

She sighed.

She was content.

With him.

Underneath towering pillars of polished white marble, a fresco of cherubs looked down in delight. Stars played behind glass walls, their diamond shadows reflecting off a gilded tile floor. An invisible orchestra played softly, bathing the hall in symphonic wonder. It was a moment so perfect he forgot all the troubles that had been creeping into the castle as of late, troubles that started long before Belle ever arrived.

A shadow may have lingered a moment too long in a darkened hallway, or fell too quickly when the sun set in the west. Little, mildly disconcerting things like this he paid no mind; after all, it was an enchanted castle, and enchantments are anything but stable. It wasn't until his servants began disappearing that he began to worry, though his most trusted and faithful servants seemed immune.

And then Belle arrived, and the world made sense again.

She stirred from her resting place, looked up into his eyes and smiled.

He looked in her eyes and saw acceptance.

More than that…

Was it…possibly…

And something else, something that didn't include him.

Her father.

She missed her father.

And it hurt her.

He couldn't let it hurt her anymore.

So he let her go.

And the castle broke apart.

In the silence before the world fell to darkness, he could hear the rustle of her gown whispering haste, away from him, away from this cursed place, mocking him.

He watched her disappear into the shadows of the hallway.

The floor opened up beneath him, oblivion ready to swallow its new prey.

"Beast!"

He bounded towards her, leaping over the gaping chasms that tore into the floors, ceilings, the very sky above. He ran to her, only to see her swallowed by the shadow demons, outstretched hand reaching for him before it too disappeared.

Oblivion consumed him, lashing out its numbing tendrils and wrenching him apart from his soul.

He fought back.

He only knew he had to get to her to save her, and he would follow no matter what he may cross.

Wrestling free of the darkness, he willed himself to be with her, knowing that the other half of his heart lay with her.

-----

The sound of roaring water roused him, and for one brief and hopeful second he prayed he was home, safe in the ancient forest. But upon opening his eyes, he knew that all sorts of devilry were upon him.

Water surrounded him on all sides, water that poured upwards and out of sight. The height of the rising falls staggered him, but what truly bewildered him were the great stone slabs hovering about the air without any aid.

And he was on one of those slabs.

As was a boy with silver hair, wielding a strange saber.

Beast pulled himself up and grunted, knowing that the battles were about to begin.