"Hey, Beast." Sora began to say.
"Leave me alone." Beast sighed.
"C'mon you need to hear this. You used to be fearless. You would have given your life to save Belle. Don't you know what that means to us?"
"You gave us courage." he continued. "Maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you just going to throw your happiness away?"
"The rose is your only hope, isn't it?" he asked. "Well, it's the only hope for Cogsworth and the others, too. So, don't trow away your last chance. Remember what life was like before Belle lived here?"
Beast nodding, but still said nothing.
"See?" Sora asked. "You can't give up. Not now."
"I know one thing." Beast said.
"What?"
"This castle belongs to me." Beast growled as whirled around to face them. "Xaldin will never be welcome here!"
They left Beast's room and ran through the castle to the Entrance Hall. As they went towards the front doors, a voice behind them laughed.
"So, you came after all. You had my worried, I thought you'd have given up for good."
"What are you really after, Xaldin?!" Sora yelled, turning to face the Nobody.
"Kingdom Hearts." Xaldin replied.
Xaldin stood on a legde above the Ballroom door. He removed his hood to show his pale skin, blue eyes and black hair. In his hand was the rose, sealed within the glass case.
"When Kingdom Hearts is ours, we can exist fully and completely." he laughed. "So, you see, Beast--that is why I need your Heartless AND your Nobody!"
They were surrounded by another band of Nobodies. The battle didn't take long. As soon as they had defeated the last one, they saw Xaldin walk out the front door.
They ran out into the Courtyard. It was sprinkling now, but the ground and the stone walkway were still wet, with a puddle here and there.
"Where'd he go?" Adrea growled.
"Look! It's the rose!"
They all turned to see Belle at her bedroom balcony. In her hands was the rose. Two gloved hands grabbed Belle from behind.
"Belle!" Beast roared.
Belle struggled against Xaldin's grip, but he held her firmly. He leaped from the balcony, flew above the Courtyard and over the gate to the bridge outside.
"Hurry!" Sora exclaimed.
Beast ran ahead to the closed gate and smashed it open. They ran down the bridge and stopped about half way down. Xaldin stood a little farther away. He had his left arm around Belle's waist, while in his right was the rose.
"You!" Beast roared. "Get out of my castle, now!"
"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light." Xaldin replied, looking from Belle to the rose and back to Beast. "What shall I leave behind? Belle? Or the rose?"
Beast was growling at Xaldin but Adrea could tell he was trying to think of plan to get both Belle and the Rose back.
"Belle!" Beast roared.
Something in Beast's voice must have alerted Belle of Beast's plan. Catching Xaldin offguard, she punched him in the chest. She grabbed the rose and ran past the others, back towards the castle.
"Good one, Belle!" Sora laughed.
"Looks like I'll have the pleasure of killing you." Xaldin coughed.
A bolt of lightning surrounded Xaldin for a moment. Once the lightning had gone, Xaldin floated a foot above the ground, two steel pikes in each hand and a whirlwind around him holding two more of the pikes."You can't delay your fate much longer, Xaldin!" Adrea snarled. "You know as well as I do, that every Nobody must return to the dark or the light. I wonder which one you'll be going to."
"There's no fun in this." Xaldin sighed. "Aedrex, I'm giving you and Axren one last chance to come back to the Organization."
"Are you asking as a 'friend' who 'cares' or are you asking because you'd much rather kill us slowly and painfully?"
Xaldin threw one of his pikes at Adrea. She jumped out of the way and the pike clashed against the stone bridge. The battle began, all of them took damage, but they all kept fighting.
"Is this the end?" Xaldin coughed, kneeling on the ground. "You two had better hope you don't get caught, they're still searching for you."
Xaldin vanished into dust that was blown away by the breeze. The group ran back into the courtyard and found Belle and the castle staff waiting for them.
"Here." Belle said, holding the rose out to Beast. "It's yours again."
"Belle..." Beast sighed, taking the rose.
"I know. You want me to leave the castle."
"What matters is...You weren't hurt by Xaldin...You're safe. And...I'm greatful to you...for bringing the rose back to me. Thank you."
"It was the least I could do. You've been good to me. And you didn't have to be."
"Listen, Belle..."
"Yes?"
"I...uh, that is..."
"C'mon!" Sora hissed. "Say it!"
Beast took a deep breath and looked into Belle's eyes.
"Belle, I'd like you to stay...with me...please?"
Belle held out her hand to Beast, who took it in his own.
"I will." Belle laughed.
The two begin to dance as if they were in the ballroom. The other five waved good-bye to the others. As soon as they were all inside the ship and the hatch was closed, they took off towards the next world.
"I want some answers." Sora said, looking at Rena. "Why is it that every member of the Organization we've run into calls you and Adrea, Aedrex and Axren?"
"I...I can't tell you."
"But, why not?"
"You'd hate me for saying what I'd say."
"But..."
"I wish I could tell you..."
"Please, Rena. I won't hate you."
"If you say that you wouldn't hate me, and I told you, you'd go off with your friend Kairi."
"What?"
"The way you talk about her..."
"Rena..."
Rena turned away from Sora, pushing back the tears that came to her eyes. It wasn't her fault that she had fallen for him, but she couldn't show how much he meant to her. She opened the door into her room, walked inside and closed the door behind her.
"What...What did I do wrong?"
And that is the update, sorry it's a little late but I've been kinda busy. Also, I'm pretty sure that I have 'jumped the shark' for KH stories, so I doubt I'll be writing another KH fanfic.
