After preparing for the trip, Belle, along with Phillipe and the gang, set out to search for her missing father. Phillipe led them along the same path he and Maurice had taken.
Needless to say, the gang was nervous because of the terrifying atmosphere around them. They searched everywhere, but found nothing.
"Did you find anything?" asked Belle over Phillipe's back.
"No and we looked everywhere." said Chomper.
"It rained during the night, so my father must have found somewhere to shelter." said Belle.
"Petrie, can you fly high and see if you can find anything?" asked Littlefoot.
Petrie groaned at the thought of flying in such a dark and sinister place, but he flapped his wings and soared high above the trees. He looked to each side until he found something interesting, so he swooped back down and landed on Littlefoot's back.
"Me see an odd place that direction." said Petrie pointing in that direction.
"It's our only clue. Let's go see it." said Belle directing Phillipe in that direction.
After walking a couple of meters, Belle and the gang came to stand in front of the gates of the beast's castle.
"What is this place?" asked Belle with curiosity and confusion.
"You don't know what this place is?" asked Cera.
"It's the first time I've seen it." said Belle.
"That place i-i-is really scary." said Ducky a little frightened.
Phillipe seemed to agree with her, as he began to shake with fear.
"Phillipe, please, steady." said Belle before getting off of him to calm him down.
"Belle. There's something there." said Ruby pointing her finger.
Belle followed her cue and gasped when she saw her father's hat. She quickly passed the door and bent down to pick it up. "Papa."
"Is that your father's?" asked Littlefoot.
"Yes. It is." said Belle getting up.
"That means he could be here. In this big, dark, scary, sinister..." said Chomper.
"We've got it." said Cera stopping her friend.
"We're going in. Try not to get separated from me." said Belle starting to walk towards the castle.
As they walked, Littlefoot heard a shiver. He looked behind himself to see Petrie on his back, shivering and blindfolded.
"Petrie, what are you doing?" asked Littlefoot.
"Me wanna be as far away from that place as me can." said Petrie in fright.
Inside the castle, Lumiere and Cogsworth were having a conversation.
"Couldn't keep quiet, could we? Just had to invite him to stay, didn't we? Serve him tea, sit in the master's chair, pet the pooch." said Cogsworth scolding Lumiere.
"I was trying to be hospitable. " said Lumiere.
The door to the castle opened, allowing Belle and the others to enter inside.
"Hello? Is anyone here? Hello?" asked Belle waiting for someone to answer as she walked forward along with the others.
"Wow. This place is awesome inside. Yep, yep, yep." said Ducky.
"But that doesn't take away from how sinister it looks." said Chomper.
"It's just a castle. What's wrong with it?" asked Cera acting brave.
"Papa? Papa, are you here?" asked Belle as she walked around the castle with the gang, who were also going around asking for Belle's father.
"Papa? Wait, if he isn't my papa. Belle's papa?" asked Ruby.
In another room, Mrs. Potts was pouring water into a metal bucket.
"Momma. There's a girl in the castle!" said Chip as he walked happily over to his mother.
"Now, Chip, I won't have you making up such wild stories." said Mrs. Potts angrily.
"But really, momma, I saw her. And she was going with some weird talking animals." said Chip disappointed that his mother didn't believe him.
"Not another word. Into the tub." said Mrs. Potts throwing her son into the metal bucket filled with water and bubbles.
"A girl! I saw a girl in the castle!" exclaimed Fifi entering the room briefly before leaving.
Chip peers out of the water. "See, I told ya!" said Chip.
Meanwhile, Cogsworth continued to scold Lumiere.
"Irresponsible, devil-may-care, waxy eared, slack-jawed…" said Cogsworth.
"Papa?" asked Belle from outside the room and stopping the conversation of the two living objects.
"Belle's father?" asked Littlefoot.
They both turned to the side to see Belle walking down the hallway with the gang beside her.
"Did you see that?" asked Lumiere before hopping down from the table and peeking out into the hallway along with Cogsworth. "It's a girl!"
"I know it's a girl. Although I don't know the creatures she goes with." said Cogsworth.
"Don't you see? She's the one. The girl we have been waiting for. She has come to break the spell!" said Lumiere before going to chase after her.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" said Cogsworth following quickly.
"Papa? Papa?" asked Belle.
"Belle's father, is he around?" asked Littlefoot.
As Belle and the gang continued searching, they didn't notice Lumiere and Cogsworth sneak up behind them and quickly passed through a door nearby.
The sound of the door opening caught their attention.
"Papa?" asked Belle turning toward the door as did the rest.
Lumiere and Cogsworth ran out before Belle and the gang reached the door.
"Hello? Is someone here?" asked Belle looking up a flight of circular stairs to see a light moving away.
"Wait! She's looking for her father!" said Ducky as they followed the light source, leaving Cogsworth behind, who was hiding behind the door.
They climbed the stairs, but when they reached the bottom, there was no one there, except Lumiere, who had camouflaged himself as the candelabra he was.
"That's funny, I'm sure there was someone… I-I-Is there anyone here?" asked Belle.
The dungeon room they were in seemed completely empty, until...
"Belle?" asked Maurice from behind one of the cells.
"Papa!" said Belle running into the cell along with the others.
Belle grabbed a lit torch nearby to get a better look and grabbed her father's hand.
"How did you find me?" asked Maurice happy to see his daughter.
"Oh, your hands are like ice." said Belle as her father coughed.
"We have to get you out of here." said Littlefoot.
"What? Who are you?" asked Maurice noticing the presence of the gang.
"Who's done this to you?" asked Belle focusing on the main issue.
"No time to explain. You must go…now!" said Maurice very nervously.
"We won't leave you!" said Belle.
Suddenly, the beast grabs Belle's shoulder, causing the torch she was carrying to fall into a puddle, leaving the room dark except for a beam of light coming through a skylight.
The gang began to feel very frightened, even Cera began to feel a little scared.
"What are you doing here?" asked the beast.
"Run, Belle!" shouted Maurice.
"Who's there?" asked Belle in fright.
"Who are you?" asked Littlefoot equally frightened.
"The master of this castle." said the beast standing in the shadows.
"I've come for my father. Please let him out! Can't you see he's sick?" asked Belle pleadingly.
"Then he shouldn't have trespassed here." said the beast.
"But you can't do this to him." said Littlefoot.
"But he could die. Please, I'll do anything!" begged Belle.
"There's nothing you can do. He's my prisoner." said the beast.
"But there must be some way." said Littlefoot.
At that moment, something flashed through Belle's mind.
"Wait!" said Belle catching the beast's attention.
Belle doubted for a moment what she was going to do, but if she wanted to save her father, there was no other choice. It would be a decision that would affect her whole life, but she had to do it.
"Take me, instead!" said Belle to the surprise of her father, the gang and the beast.
"You! You would take his place?" asked the beast still surprised by the girl's offer.
"Belle, no! You don't know what you're doing!" said Maurice trying to stop her.
"If I did, would you let him go?" asked Belle.
Littlefoot couldn't believe that Belle was sacrificing herself to save her father. In the short time they had known each other, he knew her well enough to know of her dreams and illusions. If she were going to stay there, all of that would disappear. He didn't want that for her, but on the other hand, there was nothing he could do to stop it, but he wasn't going to turn his back on his friend either.
"I'm staying too." said Littlefoot stepping forward.
"WHAT?!" shouted the rest of the gang and Belle.
"Have you lost your mind, Littlefoot?!" asked Cera.
"Littlefoot, please don't do this. This is my business." said Belle trying to get her new friend away from the situation.
"It's not, Belle. It's our business since we agreed to help you look for your father. I'm not going to let you go through this by yourself." said Littlefoot with a serious look on his face.
"Neither are we." said Chomper stepping up beside his along with the rest of the gang. "We'll stay too."
Belle was about to refuse their help, but she knew they weren't going to back down because she told them to.
"*Sigh* Okay." said Belle before focusing on the beast. "So, you'll release him if we stay?"
"Yes, but you must promise to stay here forever." said the beast.
Belle is still hesitating about the situation until she realized one thing.
"Come into the light." said Belle.
The beast slowly peered out into the light coming through the skylight. Belle's and the gang's eyes were widening as they saw the monstrous appearance of the beast. When the beast fully peered out, the gang was shocked at his appearance. Petrie even fainted.
Belle let out a gasp as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"No, Belle. I won't let you do this!" said Maurice in a last-ditch effort to stop his daughter.
Regaining her composure, Belle stood up and faced the beast.
"You have my word." said Belle.
"And ours." said Littlefoot overcoming his surprise and standing beside Belle with the others.
"Done!" said the beast going to release Maurice from his cell.
Belle falls to the floor, putting her hands to her face and the gang gathering around her to comfort her. The door is heard opening and Maurice ran to Belle.
"No, Belle. Listen to me. I'm old, I've lived my life…" said Maurice, but before he could continue, the beast grabs him and drags him away.
"Wait!" said Belle seeing her father being dragged away from her.
"Belle!" said Maurice as he was pulled away from his daughter.
"Wait!" said Belle.
The beast continued to drag Maurice to the outside of the palace, going towards a pallenquin covered in bush branches.
"No, please spare my daughter! Please!" said Maurice.
"She's no longer your concern." said the beast shoving Maurice into the pallenquin. "Take him to the village."
"Let me out! Please, let me out! Let me out! Please! Please!" shouted Maurice as the pallenquin moved his legs to free himself from the branches and began to walk like a spider towards his destination, ignoring the man's pleas.
Belle watched from her cell window as her father was led away from the castle and from her, and burst into tears. Littlefoot rubbed his head with her body, trying to comfort her.
The beast climbed up the stairs on the way to the dungeons.
"Master?" said Lumiere from the area where he was camouflaged.
"What?" asked the beast angrily.
"Since the girl and her friends are going to be with us for quite some time, I was thinking that you might want to offer them a more comfortable room." began Lumiere before a growl from the beast interrupted him. "Then again, maybe not."
Inside the cell, Belle was still crying, with the gang around her, but stopped when she saw the beast enter her cell.
"You didn't even let me say good bye. I'll never see him again. I didn't get to say good-bye." said Belle.
The beast began to feel bad about what he did at the girl's words.
"I'll show you to your room." said the beast.
"T-To our room?" asked Chomper.
"You wanna, you wanna stay in the tower?" asked the beast.
"No." replied Belle.
"Then follow me." said the beast.
The beast, with Lumiere in hand, led Belle and the gang into the room.
Belle and the others stood to stare at the sculptures on the wall that adorned the hallway with a shadowy air. Belle let out a gasp before she was back on the beast's back, with the gang following.
Ducky, who was on Spike's back, noticed that, behind her, was Petrie trembling.
"Don't be afraid, Petrie. I am here." said Ducky trying to calm her friend.
"Me not afraid, me terrified." said Petrie trembling.
The beast turned his head slightly to see a tear streaming down Belle's face.
"Say something to them." whispered Lumiere keeping his candelabra role.
"Hmm? Oh. I…um…hope you like it here." the beast said before looking at Lumiere, who signaled for him to continue. "The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like, except the West Wing."
"Why? What's in the West Wing?" asked Ruby.
"It's forbidden!" said the beast stopping angrily, making them startle before continuing to lead them in.
Upon reaching the room, the beast opens the door for them, allowing them to enter.
"Now, if you need anything, my servants will attend you." said the beast.
"Dinner… invite them to dinner." whispered Lumière.
"You will…join me for dinner. That's not a request!" said the beast before closing the door.
Belle tried to say something, but the door closed before she could. Terrified at how things had ended, she runs to her bed and throws herself on it, bursting into tears.
The gang stood back, feeling sorry for their friend.
"Poor Belle." said Ducky sadly.
"*Sigh* Poor Belle." said Petrie.
Cera took advantage of that to growl and stomp loudly on the ground.
"Why him...! He locks us up and he thinks he can ask us for anything! Next time I see him I'm going to teach him a lesson!" said Cera.
"But Cera. Didn't you see it? He almost looked like a sharptooth." Chomper said.
"He's right. If we do anything to upset him, he might eat us." said Ruby.
Spike was startled by the image and covered his eyes with his paws.
Littlefoot ignored them, as his attention was mainly on Belle, who was still crying on her bed. Wanting to comfort her, he climbed onto the bed and stood beside her.
"Belle..." began Littlefoot.
"Why? *Snif* Why did you do it? Now you're stuck here with that beast too." said Belle getting up a little.
"It's true, but at least we'll be with you." said Littlefoot.
"You didn't have to do that. Really." said Belle.
"Yes we did. We weren't going to let you go through this by yourself." said Littlefoot.
"Yep, yep, yep. I agree." said Ducky.
"If that beast wants to mess with you, he'll have to go through us." said Cera.
"Don't worry, things will work out. We got into this together and that's how we'll get out." said Littlefoot, making Belle smile because they were going to be by her side no matter what. Belle jumped in to give the longneck a hug. "I promise."
The others joined in the hug, giving Belle the feeling that she wasn't going to be alone in that matter. Only God knows what might happen to them inside the walls of that castle.