A/N: 6.13.11: Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to expand this chapter, so all I really did was fix the errors. I also expanded a bit of the boys' conversation with Beast because, I realize, they were never really introduced. Oops.

Old:No one here at home understands why this is wrong, so I am going to try with you guys. Please tell me that it is terribly wrong for the temperature to be 95º in the spring. Ack, the temperature is melting my braiiiiin. Oy, this chapter should've been done forever ago, I'm so sorry!

After Ariel and her family left them, Sora and the others remained on the beach as they attempted to come up with a plan. King Mickey paced before them for a while before finally stopping and turning toward the wielders. "Sora, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, Naminé, and Keira," his voice had taken on such an official tone that they all stood up a little straighter. "I want you fellas to take Highwind; it's big enough to support you all." He turned around to face his guards and the others. "Donald, Goofy, Cloud, Tifa, and Axel, we've got to go back to the Radiant Garden to check on things." Back to Sora and company, "I want you fellas to go on to the next world and we'll see if we can meet up with you sooner or later." No one argued, and Mickey cracked a smile, "Let's say our goodbyes, fellas."

Unsurprisingly, Keira ran to Cloud and Tifa right away. "It's gonna be weird being separated from you for more than an hour," she admitted to him.

He ruffled her hair, still salty from the numerous times he pushed her into the ocean. "Be on your guard at all times." When the corners of his mouth turned up, she could tell that he was thinking about the time she hurled Shadow Heart into a tree and then attempted to climb said tree.

She blushed a little, and assured him, "I will be."

Tifa hugged her. "Take care of yourself."

Her blush faded, and she flashed the two of them a brilliant, playful smile. "Contrary to normal belief, I do have it in me to take care of myself."

"Watch yourselves, fellas!" called King Mickey as they boarded Highwind.

Sora waved. "We will, Your Majesty." Riku was already sitting at the artillery controller, smirking. "What?"

"I named this ship," he stated, Keira looked to Kairi with confusion.

Kairi leaned into her ear. "He's trying to annoy Sora and point out that he should be the one piloting."

Sora waved him off, "Right, right. You do realize that you only won by cheating, right?"

"What do you mean?" asked Riku with feigned hurt; Kairi barely hid her giggle.

Sora stared him down. "How come you knew to jump over specific parts of that bridge?"

Riku managed a weak shrug. "Luck? Guesswork?"

"Cheating," insisted Sora.

"Fine," said Riku, the grin returning, "We'll settle it when we get home, alright?" He snapped, suddenly remembering something, "Right. Sora, you still need to get into a dress. I won, remember?"

Keira raised her eyebrows. "Why do I always miss out on the good stuff?"

Sora collapsed into the pilot's chair. "How about I fly the ship and try my hardest to make sure you aren't catapulted out?"

"Ah, fair enough," agreed Riku, still grinning, as the ship began to lift off; everyone else laughed.

Sometime after that, Sora announced, "We're almost to another world, wow that was fast."

Kairi stood behind him, "Which world?"

"Uh," Sora messed around with a few buttons, "Beast's Castle."

"Belle lives there too, right?"

Sora nodded, a frown slowly appearing on his face as mind returned to Aurora, "Yeah. I hope that they're both okay."

Keira strolled over to the two of them casually. "I wouldn't worry about Beast, Sora. From what you told me, it seems like he can hold the fort for a while."

"You're probably right." He agreed only half-heartedly.

Kairi looked around as if she had just remembered something. "Where are Naminé and Roxas?" A few minutes of silence passed until they all burst out laughing from the answer that no one would speak.

XxX

As it had been the last few times Sora dropped into the area, Beast's castle was dark and it looked empty. "Is this... really where Belle lives?" asked Kairi as they entered the foyer of the castle. Unlike the other castles they had visited, this one had a very gothic feel, something that was helped along by it being night.

Sora cupped his hands around his mouth as they entered deeper into the castle, "Beast, Belle!"

"Sora!" A delightfully surprised voice of a woman called from somewhere above them. Descending the East Wing's staircase was a lovely-looking woman with slightly pink cheeks, her lustrous brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. She appeared to be very well dressed, and she clutched the skirt of her yellow ball gown as she reached the landing.

Sora immediately knew what was going on and rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "You and Beast aren't having a dance tonight, are you?"

"We are," answered Belle, beaming, not noticing Sora's obvious discomfort.

Sora mumbled disdainfully, "Ah, Beast will kill me if he knows that, once again, I've come back at this time."

Belle did not argue with him, and gazed at the group with a thoughtful expression. "I have an idea. You have enough people to join us, so why don't you?" Naminé, Kairi, and Keira perked up at this idea; there had been so much drama and battles that the girls would be relieved to have a fun night.

Kairi's eyes went quite wide. "Ooh, can we, Sora?" she pleaded, "Please?" Her eyes were sad and she was pouting. Said Keyblade master scratched the back of his head.

Sora scratched the back of his head, unsure. "But... Well-" Kairi began to pout as Naminé and Keira joined her in begging; it became quite clear that he wasn't going to win.. "What's there to lose?"

Roxas and Riku groaned. "I hate dancing."

"I'll take these three up to my room to get them ready." Belle surveyed the three boys, "You three wait for Beast and tell him the plan, that way he can give you some tips."

"Sure, give us the dangerous job," mumbled Roxas, and Belle laughed delicately as she gestured at the girls.

"Follow," she called as ascended the stairs, the girls in hot pursuit.

Pleased not only that they were getting their way, but also did not have to deliver the dangerous news to Beast, the girls called, "Have fun!" Sora, Riku and Roxas stared at the castle's doors with longing.

Funnily enough, the moment that the girls vanished upstairs, Beast appeared from the West Wing. "Beast, hi," called Sora nervously, knowing all too well that Beast did not exactly have a cheery disposition.

Beast only looked at them for a moment before redirecting his gaze to the east wing.. "Sora—"

"I know that tonight is your and Belle's night," acknowledged Sora. "Belle thought it would be a good idea for us to join you two." Beast stared at Sora as if fearing for Sora's sanity.

Roxas coughed. "What Sora means is we have dates, too." He glanced at Riku. "Well, two out of three, at least." Riku scowled as Beast nodded very slowly.

He sighed. "I suppose you aren't here just to... join us." Beast refrained from saying 'ruin my night'. "What is the cause?" Riku, Sora, and Roxas each stared at one another.

"Some type of war is going to start soon," began Sora in a grave voice. "Maleficent is back and she's revived the lower Nobodies. We're not sure if she revived anyone like Xaldin-" At the name, Beast uttered a low growl. "But she's definitely got something in the works, something that has to do with the Princesses of Heart-" Another growl, "And a new princess."

At this, Beast became less grouchy and more interested, "A new Princess?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. It was not exactly easy to explain Keira... "She's a princess of 'two hearts'. We're still not exactly sure about the details, but the King is pretty positive that she's the girl who's with us, Keira."

"Yes... well, we'll just be keeping our eyes peeled tonight, I suppose," concluded Beast. The boys were very relieved that he seemed to have adjusted to their presence rather easily. "There's not much more that can be done."

Relieved by their acceptance, Sora decided it was probably a good time to introduce Roxas and Riku. In fact, Beast's hard glare at the other two (mostly focused on Riku), suggested that it should be done promptly. "Beast, this is Roxas, my... Nobody." Beast stared at him, waiting for him to explain. "I lost my heart back in Holloy Bastion," Beast nodded to show that he remembered, "and, as you know, a Nobody is formed when someone whose will is strong loses their heart. My Heartless might have only been a Shadow but my Nobody, unlike most people, is an actual person. I didn't know about him until the end of my last journey, when we rejoined."

Beast was still puzzled. "Shouldn't your Nobody... be one with you now?"

Sora nodded. "He was up until recently. Something happened in Traverse Town, and, since then, Roxas has held his own form without a problem."

"It's not normal," added Riku, "for a Nobody to be in such close proximity to his original form without fading in and out of existence. The only thing we can guess at this point is that is it has something to do with Keira and her own heart. We have another Nobody with us, Naminé, and the same thing happened to her, also because of Keira."

When Beast nodded to show his understanding, Sora decided to introduce the other girls as well. "Naminé is Kairi's Nobody, which is kind of hard to explain but... Do you remember that my friend, Kairi, had lost her heart, and it was within me?" Another nod from Beast, "When I released both of our hearts, I guess, Naminé was born from Kairi's heart, but my body." Sora knew that he had lost Beast, so he continued, "In addition to Naminé and Keira, Kairi's with us, too."

Sora was unsure of how well the Beast was listening for him, for his eyes were somewhat narrowed at Riku. "This is my other friend, Beast, my best friend, Riku. I know that you recognize him, but –"

"In Hollow Bastion, you refused to give Belle back to me," remembered Beast in a growl. "Yet you now travel with two princesses..."

"I am sorry for what I did back then," replied Riku, keeping his shoulders squared and his eyes intent to show that he was not going to be frightened. "I wasn't really myself, the darkness had gotten to me."

Beast stared at him for another moment before shrugging a little and turned back toward the east wing's staircase. Sora let out a sigh of relief and smiled a little. 'Well, he didn't try to tear apart Riku; that's a good sign.'