The Path to the Body
Chapter 4: Beast's Castle
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters involved except Kira
Kira was sitting in a small room that was lit only by a single lantern hanging from the ceiling. Her head was covered on the right side in caked blood, and she seemed to be unconscious, her two keyblades were still gripped tightly in her hands. The room was scarcely furnished, with a round spool table in the corner to the left of the door; a stack of three crates surrounded by hay lay across the room from the table. Kira was leaning against the back wall directly opposite a stone door in front of her. She groaned as her body stirred. Her head rolled to one side and she opened her eyes slowly, the lantern light seemed all too bright to the darkness of her closed eyes.
"What happened?" She asked herself as she tried to stand, only to collapse onto one knee.
She looked up at the door as a panel slid sideways and a tray of food, a single loaf of bread and a block of cheese, was thrown into the room. The panel slid shut again and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway outside. Kira crawled forward and ate the bread and cheese. When she felt some of her strength return she lifted her keyblade above her head. "Heal" A green light radiated down from her keyblade and the blood on her face disappeared as her wounds were healed and her energy restored. She pushed herself up and stared at the door. She lunged at it, shouldering against it with all her strength, but it seemed to be locked and there wasn't a doorknob to turn anywhere. She backed away and summoned her two keyblades. Aiming them at the door she released a single white beam that made a clicking sound in the door, it slid open and she wandered out.
In the room outside she noticed a pair of stairs leading up to a balcony above where two suits of armor stood guard against a black hole in the wall, in front of her was a pair of double stone doors. She took a step forward and the sound of Heartless appearing alerted her to an army of Shadows. She lifted her keyblades, ready for a fight.
The small army, of Shadows, twenty of them to be precise, disappeared randomly into the floor, easily anticipating Kira's movements. As if they knew where she would attack and how, they also attacked her when she was most vulnerable, dealing a large amount of damage, as her vision began to fade she heard the heavy footsteps again, this time at a much faster rate, she heard a loud roar echo off the walls and she turned to see the double stone doors burst off their hinges as a large brown beast came flying into the room. It landed on all fours, smashing four Shadows with its weight alone. It reared its head up and roared again, stunning the above ground Shadows. It swung in two might slashes, its clawed hands hacking through the Shadows easily. Half of the Shadows had been killed when it sat back down on all fours again. Kira lifted her keyblades, ready to resume the fight, she willed her Valor form to activate and she felt the power build inside her as the blast of light destroyed two more Shadows as they tried to attack her. She felt her outfit change and felt her strength grow. When it finished she swung her keyblades in a devastating circle around her body, destroying any Shadows close to her. She slammed her keyblades into the ground, sending up five beams of light that launched the Shadows from the ground, leaving them open to the beast's attacks. When they finished off the Heartless Kira turned to the beast that stood up on its hind legs. Now that she could examine it, she saw the beast was male, it had large brown fur all over its body, two black horns protruded from its head, and two large, blue eyes stared back at her. It wore a simple purple cape that was held with a gold medal on the left shoulder. It had no shirt and wore a pair of tight purple pants that seemed too small as they only came up halfway on its shins.
"I'm glad to see you're alright." The Beast told her in a dark, gruff voice.
She gasped, not expecting it to speak. "Who are you?" She asked.
He looked at her like she was playing a game he didn't like. "Did they really hurt you that badly?" he asked.
"Who are they?" She asked.
"Those black beasts, as you arrived at my castle you were greeted with open arms, but they attacked us and we fought them off for a while, but eventually they overwhelmed us. I was trapped in my room at the top of the castle tower while you were trapped her in the dungeons." The Beast explained.
"Then, you're my ally?" She asked.
He nodded. "I'm simply known as Beast." He said, "You don't need to tell me who you are. I already know Kira." He said, holding up a clawed hand as he saw her open her mouth to introduce herself.
"Alright Beast, what did I say before the Heartless attacked?"
"You explained to me that you were looking for a sort of keyhole. One that was similar to the one Sora found in Hollow Bastion." The Beast told her.
Her eyes widened. "You fought alongside Sora?" She asked him.
He nodded, "But now is not the time to dwell on the past. My castle has been infested with these Heartless, and I'll need your help to get rid of them. If you assist me, I think I know where the keyhole is that you seek."
Kira immediately nodded "Alright, let's get going." She said.
The Beast nodded before turning to leave the dungeon. As they arrived outside Kira found herself in a large hallway room. To their left was a simple pink wall, to their right, a staircase extended up the left hand side of the room to a double entrance to somewhere Kira didn't know, ahead of them the hallway continued for a few more feet then turned left.
"Come, I've already stopped the Heartless on the way to my room, the main hall is probably full of them."
Kira nodded and followed the Beast down the hallway, turning left at the end they continued through an arched doorway that took them out into a large, main hall. A set of pillars on both sides of the room held the building up. It was darker in the hall than it had been in the rest of the castle; they looked down to see a staircase leading down to a platform where a large pair of double doors entered into what Kira would assume was the ballroom. Across from the double doors was a smaller set of stairs to lead them to the floor, but on the other side was a set of stairs that led up to another arched doorway similar to the one they were standing in.
"Come, Belle is probably in danger." Beast said, waving a hand and leading her down the stairs. They climbed down to the landing, then back up the other side. As they entered the arched doorway they found themselves in a dark hallway with a single door on the right.
"Belle's room is just beyond that door." Beast took a step into the hallway when more Heartless appeared.
A pair of Large Bodies blocked their entrance to Belle's room, while a group of six soldiers appeared to fight them, with twelve Shadows as backup. Kira rushed forward, attempting to finish the fight quickly, as her Valor form didn't have much time left. She slammed her keyblades into the ground, launching beams of light up that scattered the Heartless. She swung from the right and destroyed a Soldier; she swung left and destroyed a Shadow. She leapt up and twirled through a pair of Soldiers, landing in the midst of the heartless, she spun, releasing a large wave of energy that killed the remaining Heartless except fort the two Large bodies. She ran forward, leaping over their heads, landing on the other side of them. She stabbed her keyblades in a single strike, aiming for the center of the right Large Body's back. She sent it flying through the air and turned on its partner; her Valor form wore off and in reaction threw out her keyblades, catching them by the chains "Fire" The two blades caught fire and she slammed them into the Large Body's back, sending it flying through the air, on fire this time. It landed with a slam on its partner and destroyed the both of them. Beast looked on in amazement at how easily she had dispatched the enemies.
"Why didn't you fight like that the first time?" he asked as he walked past her and opened the door.
Inside was a small bedroom, a wardrobe on the far side stood silently against the wall. A bed opposite it. The Beast shouldered his way into the room and Kira followed, she stopped as she saw a single woman standing in a blue dress with a white apron over it. She had a small amount of brown hair tied in a bun behind her head. She turned to them and gasped in pleasure, seeing the Beast, and running into his arms.
"I'm so glad you're alright." She cried into his furry chest.
"You knew I'd come back for you." The Beast told her as he smiled, closing his eyes in happiness.
Kira smiled to herself before turning, and leaving the two alone. She made her way back to the main hall and stepped down onto floor level. She summoned her keyblades again as more heartless appeared, some of them the statues that were positioned next to the pillars. It looked like a group of eighteen Shadows, fourteen Soldiers, and six each; of sword statues and axe statues. She rushed forward; pointing her keyblades at the sky "Thunder" The lightning storm rained down on the Heartless and stunned most of them. She brought her keyblades down on a Shadow and killed it. She turned with a swing and struck out a Soldier behind her. She leapt over a pair of thrusting Sword Statues, slamming her keyblades into the backs of their heads and destroying them. She landed with her back turned to the mob. She threw her keyblades out and grasped them by the chains "Fire" Two balls of fire lit the tips of her keyblade, dealing damage as five Shadows lunged at her. She turned on the spot and held her keyblades out "Freeze" A single ice ball launched from her keyblade tips and smashed into a statue, sending it flying back and slowing the movements of those around the impacted Heartless. She rushed forward in a flurry of slashing and stabbing movements, appeared on the other side. Six Shadows, four Soldiers, and two more of each statue disappeared. She stood, flicking her keyblades toward the ground while the Heartless remerged their ranks and moved on her. She waited for a second when a sudden roar cut off the Heartless. They stopped, turning on the spot to find the Beast already in the air, it landed in the middle of the group, scattering them for those he didn't land on. He rushed forward and stood up in front of Kira.
"You shouldn't have run off." He told her.
"You didn't need to come after me." She said innocently.
He grinned.
"They're getting together again."
Turning, The Beast and Kira lunged into the group of Heartless. The Beast, hacking away with his claws, killed and dissipated any Heartless that got too close. Kira followed behind him, mopping up any Heartless he missed. The two formed an odd team, the Beast with his brute strength and powerful attacks, Kira with her acrobatic flips, slashes, and stabs. They fought for hours, and when it was finally over collapsed in the middle of the entrance hall, back to back. Kira let her keyblades fall from her grip and clatter to the floor at her sides. The Beast's chest was heaving with exertion.
"So, you told me you thought you knew where the keyhole is?" She asked.
He grunted in agreement.
"Mind showing me?"
He remained silent, and then when he was ready, stood and led the way toward the pair of double doors they had yet to enter. Kira stood, grabbing her keyblades and following him, the two swords crossed over her shoulders in an X.
He stopped in front of the doors and turned to look at her.
"This is the ballroom, where I used to enjoy living. If the heart of this castle is anywhere, it would be here."
He pushed open the large doors and led Kira into a golden room; it was a large empty chamber with three tall windows on the far side, above them, set in a gold chandelier, hundreds of tiny candles burned brightly. To their left and right were pillars of gold that held up an extra level. Kira looked around and saw a door, obscured by the shadows of the pillars. She walked up and pushed it aside. Stepping into the all familiar darkness of the keyhole to the world, she aimed her keyblades at the floating keyhole, and together they fired a beam to lock the world, and keep the Heartless from taking it. As the light faded a pair of shining objects fell from the sky. A small blue orb that looked similar to her Valor Orb, and another keychain. The chain looked like a vine, in color and shape, and at the end was a spiky red rose that looked like it had been carved from blood. She attached it to her left hand band and left the room. When she appeared outside, the door behind her disappeared. She looked at the orb that had descended and smiled as she let it be absorbed into her body, she felt her magical powers excel to an all new high, but only for a moment. When it faded she was standing in the Beast's ballroom again. She left the ballroom, and found a small room off to the side of the main entrance hall; she boarded her ship from there and looked around the Gummi Ship. She set the ship's thrusters to travel to Olympus Coliseum; she couldn't wait to see Hercules again. She brought out her spell books and continued to read.