Sora proceeds through the west wing with Cogsworth, Donald and Goofy.
"I'm kinda worried about Andi" said Goofy scratching his forehead.
"Why?" Asked Sora flatly.
"She hasn't been really nice since we meet her at Twilight Town" agreed Donald.
"Yeah. But...Maybe she could warm up to us?" Suggested Goofy.
Sora chuckled; "like that will never happen" he spatted.
Goofy looked down sadly as they continue to walk at the door of Beast's Room. The Beast is talking with a hooded visitor in front of the enchanted rose.
"It's time you dealt with Belle. She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose, and then-your life. Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong" said the hooded man.
"I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want-"
"What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?" asked the hooded man
The Beast turns around and roars angrily. The hooded man notices Sora, Donald, and Goofy's entrance. They are ready to fight.
"See? She has accomplices" said the hooded man looking at the group as he vanishes, as the four walk over to the Beast.
"Hey, Prince!" greeted Sora
The Beast roars, the room shook stopping them in their tracks. They looked at the Beast surprised.
"Oh dear! Master!" exclaimed Cogsworth.
The Beast angrily slashes and growls at Sora and Donald, who leap out of the way. The Beast lets out another loud roar, and the fight ensues.
"Please, Master! Please! Compose yourself!" begged Cogsworth
Sora, Donald and Goofy got ready to protect themselves. Going against the Beast was harder as they thought. After several attempts Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Cogsworth help the Beast regain his senses.
"Cogsworth...what happened?" asked Beast
"Well, Master...ah, you see...that is... How shall I say...ah, actually...mmm..." said Cogsworth worriedly.
"Well, you put everybody down there in that dungeon!" yelled Donald.
"I did what?" asked Beast surprised.
"Ah...you did!" agreed Cogsworth.
The Beast looks at the floor, saying nothing.
"Who was that guy you were talking to? The one in black?" asked Sora trying to change the subject.
"Xaldin... that's his name. He came from the darkness...He...used my anger to control me. He took all my sorrow, my sadness, my pain-and turned it all into rage. There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth" explained Beast as he looked at his hands and claws sadly.
"Well, I'll be. That must be why you threw all of your friends down there into the dungeon. You wanted to make sure that you didn't hurt 'em, right?" said Goofy trying to see the positive side of things.
"Was that it? Was it to protect them?" asked Beast
"Sure. We know you're good inside" commented Goofy.
"He's right, Master. We've all seen how kind you can be. After all...Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to-"
"Belle!" exclaimed Beast and sighs as the group looked at him.
"I've mistreated her...I've mistreated her and been so selfish" continued Beast
"She didn't say anything about that" replied Sora
"She'd never tell anyone of my cruelty...She's too good" commented Beast holding his head.
"You see, I'm afraid he judges himself far too harshly" mutters Cogsworth to Sora.
"Why don't you just go talk to her?" asked Sora looking at Beast.
"But..."
"No excuses! C'mon, we'll go with you" persuaded Sora.
The group proceeds to Belle's Room in the East Wing. Fighting heartless along the way. When they made it to the room. Belle nor Andi was there but the Wardrobe
"Master!" exclaimed the Wardrobe.
"Everybody's safe now" said Donald
"Wonderful! Thank you!" said Wardrobe.
"Where is Belle?" asked Beast.
"Why, she and Andi left in a hurry. Something about going after this...man in black" replied the Wardrobe.
"WHAT!? Why doesn't she do as she's told?" asked Beast frustrated.
"Temper, temper! Her spirit is what makes Belle so special" commented the Wardrobe unfazed by Beast's outburst.
"We'd better go find them!" said Sora as they race to the Entrance Hall.
"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!" said Belle.
"Belle! Where are you?" yelled Beast as he and the others looked around them.
"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!" replied Belle
Beast and the others turned their heads and looked at the large doors that stood in the middle of the East and West wing. As they ran in they see Belle runs across the ballroom floor.
"Belle!" yelled Beast
"I'm all right!"
Belle runs to the balcony door and closes it before the Shadow Stalker thrashes down in front of it, trying to go after her and slamming Andi into the door. Turning around and changes targets as Andi falls to the ground. It floats up to the large candelabra and drops down into the floor. Waves of darkness emanate through the ballroom, poisoning it. Donald jumps into Goofy's arms to get off the floor and Sora looking down, jumping and backing away from the darkened floor. The Shadow Stalker jumps back out of the floor as the dark pool climbs up the ballroom pillars. It covers the intricate painting on the ceiling and mutates the chandelier.
Andi stands up with her keyblade and looks at Sora and the others.
"Sora, watch out this one is stronger than the last one" warned Andi as she was ready to fight.
The Shadow Stalker vanishes and gives a wavy look to the background. Donald starts using Thunder.
"Beast!" yells Sora.
Using the Twin Howl, Stalwart Fang and Last Howl which didn't really work. The Shadow Stalker possessed the wall showing its chains and a huge lightning shooting out. Its face hops up in the wall and comes out. It vanishes again and floats up.
The black chandelier comes down with a big boom making shock waves which Andi and Sora dodged it as they got closer to see it was possessed by the Shadow Stalker. Andi jumped on to the chandelier and lifted her keyblade up and stabbed it as rays of lightning where turning around in circles and Sora, Beast, Donald and Goofy trying to avoid getting hit. Sora hit it and used his keyblade to get the Shadow Stalker to remove itself as Andi jumped off quickly as the chandelier shoot back up to the ceiling.
It vanished again and went up to the pillars ready to possess the wall again. But Andi stopped it and it disappeared under ground. Sora felt the ground move and saw a mouth appear as it chewed him and spited him back out. Sora was flown up and spun himself then landed on his feet. The Shadow Stalker appeared again then vanishes to the other side of ballroom and possessed the pillars which one turned black.
There was a shot of lightning as all the pillars started to move and scratch the floor with lightning at the bottom. Andi attacked the black pillar a few times then used her keyblade as the light was shaped as a star. It came out and it vanishes again possessing the wall again. Andi was struck by the lightning with Beast. Andi did a flip and landed on her feet. The Shadow Stalker disappeared again and floated up again.
As Andi misses it. The chandelier slammed again and she dodged this once again and saw Sora being hit. She heard Goofy and Donald yell and guessed they were also hit. Andi jumped up on the chandelier again and stabbed it. Sora and the others hit on the sides and were also hit by the Lightning. Andi jumped up pointing her back to the ceiling and used her keyblade again. The Shadow Stalker vanished from the chandelier and Andi tried to block the chandelier from hitting her. Which she half succeeded. She jumped down as Sora hits the Shadow Stalker a few times the Shadow Stalker covers itself into a ball. Then bursting out was a big heartless that almost too resembles of the Beast as it roared shaking everything around. Sora, Andi and the others get ready.
The Dark Thorn also vanished like the Shadow Stalker. As the group looks around Andi gets hit by being slammed into the floor. As the others ran over there it reveals itself holding her down with it's arm. Sora swings the keyblade at it as it roars in pain letting her go it swings it's arm at Sora but missed. Andi moves quickly and looks up on the chandelier and looks at Sora.
"You think you can use that?" she asked Sora glancing quickly up
Sora looks up and sees her taking about the chandelier, he nods and Andi runs up and swings behnd the Dark Thorn who was dealing with Goofy, Donald and Beast. As it roars it turns around at her swinging it's arm again. Andi dodges it and slowly backs away from it. As it followed her in the middle of the room.
"Sora now!"
Sora jumped up on top of the Dark Thorn and pushed himself up to the chandelier slamming it down to the ground missing the Dark Thorn as Sora takes it and spins it round he has Dark Thorn caught on it and taking hit by the pillars until it hits the center and flies against the wall as it seemed a little frazzled, Sora jumps off the chandelier as it went up again. Andi went for an attack as Donald continued using Thunder. Sora joined up with Beast.
"Beast!"
They used the Twin Howl, Stalwart Fang and Last Howl making it hard for the Dark Thorn to dodge, block or attack. Finally snapping out of it the Dark Thorn spins around knocking everyone away from it. Andi slowly getting up she runs for an attack but it swings its arm at her making her fly towards the pillar. She uses the pillar as an advantage as she swings around it and swings herself at the Dark Thorn. As it roars it becomes obliterated so does the ballroom returning to normal.
"We did it!" said Sora happy as he; Donald, Goofy and Andi did a victory stand.
"So you think" said Xaldin as the four look behind them by the door to the entrance hall and see Xaldin, still hooded with his hands behind his back.
"Xaldin!" growled Beast as Sora, Andi and Beast run over to Xaldin, he disappears through a dark portal before they caught him, "Farewell"
They stop running. As they looked at the spot were Xaldin stood. Andi's keyblade disappeared and crossed her arms in deep thought.
"What does he want here?" growled Beast.
"He must be with Organization XIII" replied Sora as Beast turned towards him
"Ever heard of the Nobodies? When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody's created, too. See, the Organization...they've got control of all the Nobodies" explained Sora
"That's right. And they were gonna make you into a Heartless. That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it" said Goofy pointing at Beast.
Sora points at Goofy and nods in agreement.
"You're alright!" sighed Belle with relief as she walks back in from the balcony doors.
"Belle!" yelled Beast as he runs over to her. Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Chip, and Cogsworth walk in.
"Belle... I-I'm sorry-I...wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you" said Beast looking slightly hurt.
Belle smiles, making Beast smile back "Forgive me" asked Beast
"I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize. But I had hoped...that you might have changed a little bit" replied Belle wagging her finger at him, who looks sheepish.
"I wish you could start trusting me" she said as she crosses her arms looking away from him as Beast looks down.
"Oh, I am afraid time is running short" said Lumiere watching Belle and Beast.
"What do you mean?" asked Sora as he, Andi, Donald and Goofy looked at him.
"Remember the rose?" asked Lumiere as he, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth and Chip turned toward them.
"From the Beast's room?" asked Donald
"Precisely. You see. If the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls..." said Cogsworth
"...the spell will be broken" finished Lumiere
"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" asked Sora looking at them with his back hands on his hips.
"We think so" replied Mrs. Potts as she rubs up against Chip.
"Yep, I think you're right" laughed Goofy.
"I HOPE you're right..." replied Sora looking at Belle and Beast again as he waves his arms.
Sora's keyblade appears as The Enchanted Rose in Beast's room floats into the air. The keyblade emits a bright light. Sora opens another gateway. Beast and Belle walk over to the group.
"What happened?" asked Beast
"The gate is open!" replied Donald as he points up and opens his arms.
"Do you have to go?" asked Belle
"Yeah" answered Sora
"Now, no more arguin', okay?" said Goofy.
The Beast looks at Belle, and then looks away scratching the back of his head.
"We'll see to it" replied Lumiere as he bowed.
"Take care, dears" said Mrs. Potts.
"You're welcome here anytime" replied Cogsworth
"If you hear anything about Riku or the King, the Heartless, the Organization-anything at all-let us know!" said Sora
Belle and Beast nod.
"Okay, gotta go!" said Sora as he, Donald, Andi and Goofy wave
"Bye bye!" said Donald.
Belle looks at Andi and smiles. Andi takes notice giving her a small smile as she, Sora, Donald and Goofy walk out of the Castle to the Castle gate; Andi stopped and watched as the others continued walking to the Gummi Ship.
"Hey Sora?"
Sora, Goofy and Donald stopped and turned towards Andi who stood with her hand holding her arm.
"Yeah?"
Andi was about to speak but stopped, shaking her head, "forget it" she said and walked right past them as they looked at her confused. Andi couldn't do it she had to understand why he cared about finding Riku. Did he know what he had done?
As the walked into the Gummi Ship and sit down in their seats. Andi could see Sora glancing at her, pulling in her legs up to her chest wrapping her arms around them as she put her head down in her arms. She hoped it would keep Sora away from asking questions. Bringing her into think back at what Xaldin said in the ballroom right before Sora and the others came to help...
Xxxxxx
Xaldin laughs as Andi and Belle ran in the ballroom. Andi turned and looked up, getting ready to fight; glaring at him.
"I don't know what he seen in you? Some reason he says your valuable. l just don't see it" insulted Xaldin.
Andi looked at Xaldin and lowered her Keyblade down alittle.
"Are you done yet?!" Snapped Andi
"Am I boring you?" Chuckled Xaldin
"Why don't you come down here so I can rip that smile off your face!" Spatted Andi
Xaldin chuckled and shrugged; shaking his head.
"How is it that you got to be so lucky?"
"Huh?"
He snapped his finger and appeared the Shadow Stalker.
Xxxxxxxx
"Nothing yet. But believe me he'll receive the maximum punishment for his betrayal"
Xxxxxxxx
"Next world here we come!" Exclaimed Sora
Snapping her out of her flashbacks as she looked to see they were about out of Beast's Castle world. She looked down at her wayfinder at the seashell that she had given to Roxas when he went to destroy the Organization. Why did he come back if he was unable to destroy them? What had happened to him? If Organization Xlll did have him she hoped to find him before something awful happens to him.
"I'm coming Roxas. Just hold on" she whispers...
Xxxxxxxx
Author's Notes: Andi still can't trust Sora just yet. She's definitely fighting herself to try. Will Andi find Roxas and help him before it's too late? Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please Fave, Review and Story Alert so you don't miss another chapter!