Chapter VIII: A Surprising Encounter and the Nature of Love

Nightshroud: Well, this chapter is definitely a critical one in the storyline. Hehe I'm not going to say why. But this is definitely my favorite chapter so far. Anyway, on with the story!

"Well, I hope things get back to normal in the Land of Dragons," said Reyna as they flew away. Fayt found their next course (since he had a good deal more experience in flying than Tyson), and they headed towards a castle in a forest. After landing some ways from the castle, they came through the woods and knocked at the heavy doors. They were opened later by a short, stout man with a mustache.

"Uh, hello. Can we see the master if the castle?" asked Namé.

"Certainly," he replied in a French accent and led them in. They came into the main hall, then entered a room on the right. It appeared to be a sitting room. Inside were a young man and a familiar young lady.

"Belle?" asked Reyna in shock.

Belle looked up from her seat and smiled. "Yes, do I know you?"

Reyna shook her head. "Oh, no no, it's just that my dad, Sora, told me so much about you."

"Oh, you're Sora's daughter? How wonderful."

Tyson interrupted. "Then where's the Beast?"

"Right here," the young man replied. The four stared questioningly.

"He broke the spell," said Belle with a smile.

"Oh, that's great!" said Namé.

After getting further acquainted, Belle and the prince decided to have a feast in the sitting room in their honor. While Tyson stuffed his face and Fayt watched him in disgust, the girls tried to find out some information.

"So, have you had any trouble with the Heartless lately?" asked Reyna.

"No, things have been rather peaceful around here," said the prince.

"Except for that annoying Gaston," said Belle with a sigh.

"Gaston?" asked Tyson with his mouth full.

Belle laughed. "Yes, he's the town lady killer. And he wants me for some reason. I keep telling him to leave me alone, for I'm perfectly happy here."

"Well, we'll show you the keyhole after we finish eating. Then-"

There was a loud knock on the door, and they could here Clogsworth go to answer the door. There was a moment of silence, then a cry. They all ran from the room to see Clogsworth on the floor trembling as Lumiere was trying to help him away. In the doorway stood...

"Kai?"

Kai looked at the others, not returning their smiles. "I see you guys have made it here."

"Who's this guy?" asked Fayt.

"A good friend of ours," said Reyna.

"Kai, we missed you! Where have you been?" Tyson asked.

"You missed me, huh? Did any of you think once of looking for me?"

Tyson looked confused. "But...we..."

"Spare me," said Kai coldly.

"Kai, what's going on?" asked Reyna suspiciously.

"You don't get, huh? Let me demonstrate." He snapped his fingers, and Lancer Heartless appeared.

"Belle, get to your room. I'll come for you when it's safe," said the prince. Belle nodded and ran off.

Kai attempted to walk past his old friends and their new companion but they stood resolutely in his way.

"Sorry, Kai, but we can't let you do this," said Tyson.

Kai laughed humorlessly and summoned his Soul Eater. "Do you really think you have what it takes to stop me?"

Tyson jumped at him and brought his keyblade down. Kai blocked it with ease, then kicked him over his shoulder.

"Blizzara!" shouted Namé, sending an attack of ice crystals at Kai.

"Dark Shield!" he countered, summoning a dark forcefield, similar to reflect, to protect him from the spell. Then he shoved her to the side and continued up the steps. Fayt stabbed his sword at him, but he blocked, then charged up his hand with dark energy.

"Dark Aura!" he said as he blasted Fayt off the railing and onto the floor.

Reyna jumped in the way and swung her whip about. Kai ducked it and ran past her. She stood still for a moment.

"Why didn't he attack me?" she wondered. She looked up to see that he had run up the left stairway. She turned to run after him, but Defender Heartless suddenly blocked the way.

"Go after him. We'll take care of the Heartless."

Reyna nodded and ran up the stairs as Tyson and Namé destroyed the Defenders. She looked back once to see them and the prince trying to fight off the Heartless, then ran through doorway.

She ran into a hall filled with suits of armor, then up some more steps to the right. Suddenly the statues on the sides came to life and attacked her. She dodged the axe of the first and destroyed it with her whip. The second swung its sword, which she ducked under and then slashed through it. She continued through into a more dimly lit hallway. She went up some stairs to the right, and was attacked by more Gargoyle Knights.

"Faith!" she said, blasting them away with light. With no more Heartless in the way, she ran down the hallway and went through the door.

Knock knock...

"Who's there? Is that you, prince?"

Belle opened the door and her eyes opened in surprise.

"It's you! Hel-"

Reyna rushed in and stopped as Kai stood at the far end of the prince's old room. It was still messy and had things laying in piles and heaps. Kai was standing at the table, inspecting a beautiful rose in a jar. (Yeah, he was allowed to keep the rose after the spell broke, ok. Just bear with me.)

"It's beautiful," he said quietly. She didn't reply, but felt something different in his attitude.

"It reminds me of you," he continued. She didn't know why, but she felt herself unconsciously blush. He looked at her, and seemed to have sad, almost regretful, look on his face.

"I wish it hadn't come to this," he said.

"Then why are you doing this? C'mon, Kai, come back with us."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. It's not possible anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a step forward.

"Darkness runs in my blood. I can't escape that fact."

"But your dad was dark and he came back!"

"That's because he had King Mickey's light to bring him through the darkness. I don't any light like that. Or at least, not any more."

"What happened? Who was your light?"

"Amnael said that I had someone who was my light, but they forgot about me, and discarded me in the darkness."

"Who was your light?"

He looked at her sadly. "You don't know?"

Before she could answer, Tyson, Namé, Fayt, and the prince came in. Kai's face became cold and impassive once again, and he was ready to attack when someone else came in the door behind them.

"I'm so sorry..." said Belle. The prince turned around, and his eyes lit up in anger.

"You!" he said, as he saw Gaston holding her captive, with a gun to her head.

Gaston smiled cruelly, and said, "You don't deserve to have her. Your appearance may have changed, but you will always be a beast on the inside."

The prince made a step forward, but Gaston's finger played with the trigger. "Don't come to close, or Belle will die."

The prince clenched his hands in anger, when suddenly the room grew black to him. A figure in a gray cloack with a black mask stood a few yards away, and was looking at him.

"Hate them," he said.

"What?"

"Hate them. You've suffered so long, finally found happiness, only to have it stolen away from you. You have every right to hate them. No one can blame you. Hate them all."

"Uh, sir?" asked Tyson, seeing the vacant look in the prince's eyes. Suddenly the prince growled, and stooped over, his skin grew dark, and suddenly turned into fur. Horns emerged from his head, and his nails turned to claws.

"No..." said Belle in despair.

The prince had changed back into the Beast. He let loose a howl of fury, and would have leapt at Gaston if he hadn't found that he couldn't move.

Kai held the glowing Kronos Stone in his left hand, and had his right hand outstretched.

"Kronos Stone, activate the sacred seal and feed on the darkness in the Beast's heart!"

The seal encircled the Beast, when Belle suddenly cried out.

"Please, don't hurt him! I'm begging you! I love him!"

Kai looked like he had been hit. "You...love him?"

She nodded as tears ran from her eyes. His lowered his head, and then suddenly turned away. The seal vanished, and the Beast was free again.

"What's going on?" asked Gaston. "We had a deal!"

Kai shot a glare. "The deals off."

"But your Superior said-"

"Here," Kai said, throwing him a shard of the Kronos Stone, "Use your imagination."

He opened a portal to vanish, when Reyna ran up and hugged him from behind. She buried her face in his back, and whispered to him.

"Please, Kai. Don't leave again. I need you."

No one was close enough to notice, but Kai's face looked like he was in deep pain. He uttered a choked, "Sorry," and disappeared.

Reyna hung her head sadly, and Tyson and Namé both looked low.

"You let hom get away?" asked Fayt.

"Shut up!" said Tyson angrily.

Namé gave him a look that quieted him down, then turned Fayt.

"I know it's hard for you to understand, but he's a good friends of ours. We couldn't just...hurt him."

Fayt nodded, though was still somewhat annoyed. The Beast was respectfully quiet, till he turned and noticed something.

"Belle! She's missing!"

The three turned and saw that Belle and Gaston were missing. He must have taken her off. Beast charged out the door, with the kids following as fast as they could.

As the kids burst into the ball room, they found the Beast watching Gaston as he slowly back away with Belle in his arms. He seemed to be trying to get to the balcony to slip away.

"We've got to get Belle away from him," said Namé.

"Can't you do ssomething useful with that special magic of yours?" asked Tyson cynically.

"It's called symbology. And not unless I want to hurt her too."

"Some use you are," he mumbled. Fayt glared at him.

"Stop it, you two! We need to focus on Belle!" said Namé.

"Leave that to me," said Reyna. She ran over to Beast and jumped on his back, then sprang off him, lashing out her whip. It struck him in the hand, causing him to drop his gun. Belle scrambled away in that moment and rejoined the others. Now Beast grinned cruelly at Gaston, who cowered away from him. Then he seemed to remember the fragment of the Kronos Stone.

"Heartless come forth!" he said. Shadow and Lancer Heartless appeared all around, with the Kronos Seal on their foreheads.

"Belle!" the Beast cried, intending to run over and protect her. But suddenly he was cut off by Heartless/

Fayt called over to Tyson and Reyna. 'Go seal the keyhole so the Heartless can't enter this world. Hurry!"

The two nodded and ran for the west wing. Namé and Fayt stood around Belle, tyring to keep the Heartless away from her. The Beast roared and leaped at the Heartless, slashing through them with inhuman strength. He was so infuriated though, that he didn't notice Gaston retrieve his gun.

"If I can't have you, then neither will that Beast!"

He pointed his gun at Belle and fired. Without thinking, the Beast threw himself in the bullet's path.

"No!" cried Belle, as the Beast groaned, then fell to the floor. Gaston was ready to fire again, until Fayt kicked him back. Namé ran over to cast a cure spell on him, but she was thrown back as Gaston activated the Seal of Kronos. Fayt and the Beast were trapped inside.

"Oh no, my magic can't penetrate the seal! I can't heal him!" said Namé. "Fayt, you have to hurry!"

Fayt turned and was taken aback. Gaston wasn't strong enough to control the seal, and it had started to chamge him. His eyes glowed red, and the seal appeared on his forhead. His nails grew out and his skin grew hard like armor and turned a dull gray. He roared and jumped at Fayt, who blocked his claws with his sword. He then charged up his symbology and said, "Earth Glaive!"

Giant spikes of earth errupted from the ground in front of him and threw Gaston back. Fayt looked over at the Beast.

"If I don't hurry, the seal will take his heart."

He was suddenly thrown back as Gaston rammed his shoulder into his stomach. He was thrown up against the invisible barrier around the seal, and dropped to the ground. Gaston laughed and stalked up to his prey. His jaw grew wider as he opened his mouth to bite into Fayt. Suddenly the Beast lashed out at him, raking his claws against Gaston's face.

"I won't let you hurt him," said the Beast resolutely, though he was obviously weakened.

Gaston laughed and punched him in his gun wound. Beast roared in pain and staggered back. Gaston was ready to attack again when Fayt suddenly emerged from Beast's side and rammed the hilt of his sword into Gaston's face. He cried out and covered his face, and Fayt used Fire Bolt symbol to blast him back. Gaston jumped up and grabbed Fayt by the throat and lifted him into the air. He would have snapped his neck if the Beast hadn't lunged and knocked him back. The two rolled about, slashing and biting at each other. Gaston forced him back, and the Beast stood next to Fayt.

"Let's combine powers," Fayt said. The Beast nodded. Fayt lifted up his sword, and the Beast let out a mighty roar. The sword seemed to glow as if it were absorbing the strength of the roar, then Fayt swung it and let loose a powerful blast of wind.

"Howling Wind Strike!" they called together. Gaston was slashed multiple times by the wind before he was thrown into the barrier and slumped to the ground defeated. The seal began to shrink and encircle Gaston.

"No! This isn't what I wanted! Nooooo!"

A red light shot from the seal, and Gaston fell to the ground, before his body disappeared.

Fayt sighed with relief as Tyson and Reyna came back in, having finished sealing the keyhole. Namé ran over and healed the Beast, who was breathing heavily on the ground. Belle ran over and laid a hand on him.

"I'm so sorry this happened," she said sadly.

"I'm not," he saidwith a weak smile. "I'd die, knowing I protected you."

She let a tear run down her face, and she slowly bent down and kissed him on the lips. His heart began to glow, and he transformed back into his normal form. She really began to cry now, and gently hugged him.

The others smiled and quietly walked away. "Let's let them be in private," said Reyna.

After saying goodbye, the four boarded the Highwind once again, and took off for the next world. Reyna didn't seem to notice the others talking as she stared out the window.

"Oh, Kai...please come back to us."

Belle-

One of the seven Princesses of Heart needed to open the final keyhole. She is also the one who first showed the Beast love and transformed him back to normal.

Beast-

A selfish prince who was cursed for his wicked heart. He fell in love with Belle, who returned his love and broke the spell on him. He transformed back into a Beast when he let the anger in his heart loose because of Gaston, but Belle's love brought him back once again.

Gaston-

A hunter (I think) who has all the local women drooling over him, yet he set his sights on the ilusive Belle. He joined forces with Kai, thinking that he could claim Belle for his own, but was left to fend for himself when Kai called off the deal. Was mutated by the Seal of Kronos before losing his heart to it at the hands of Fayt and the Beast.

Nightshroud: I really liked this chapter. I hope I did a good job with the ReynaxKai stuff. R&R please. Oh and the Howling Wind Strike was Fayt and the Beast's Limit move. Thought I'd throw that in there. Oh and it's important to note that the way that people address Amnael is critical. The four top members refer to him as Master Amnael, since they're the closest to him, the other members call him the Superior, and Kai just calls him Amnael, since he doesn't like to think of himself as being indebted to Amnael. Well anyway, enough babbling. Read on!

Next chapter: Shadow of the Desert Sands