A/N: Between a car accident, concussion and being an author for a published series, I can finally say this chapter is done. I'm sorry for taking so long. I know some of you really like this story, and I didn't realize until I got serval messages asking me to update. I will do my best from now on!

I slipped a hanger inside the dress Mulan had given me, smoothing out the wrinkles. I wasn't sure when I would be able to wear it next, as much as I wanted to. I placed in inside my new closet.

Donald and Goofy found enough parts to upgrade the Gummi Ship. I no longer had to stay in Sora's room. My walls were plain white, and a thin mattress was all I had to sleep on. Sora promised the next world we visited we could look for a real bed, but I was just happy to have some privacy.

I fished the crushed plants out of my pockets and moved on to the kitchen. The pantry had been extended, and Mulan's family had given us some jars. I dropped the wilting greens on the counter. They were going to be dried anyway. I found some string and tied it around the roots of the plants and hung them upside down. After they dried, I would grind them up.

My main problem was the tiny dragon scale. It was smaller than my thumb nail, so splitting it three ways was never going to work. The longer I waited to use it though, the less power it had.

"Why the gloomy face?"

I turned at the sound of Sora's voice. I showed him Mushu's scale.

"I should have taken every scale that lizard had. One of these will do nothing if it's divided,"

Sora shrugged.

"You have it, then. You deserve it after everything you did. Besides, having you get stronger is the best way to survive."

I raised my brow.

"Are you sure? Who knows when we'll see dragons again."

Sora nodded, walking past me and towards the fridge. He dug out some cheese slices, bread, and butter. I returned my attention to the scale, letting out a sigh. Sora was right. I needed to get stronger. I dug out my bowl and grinding rock, and set to work as a pot of water boiled. Sora found his own pan, and buttered each slice of bread before dropping it in the pan.

"What in the name of Faerydae are you making?"

Sora flipped the sandwich with a spatula.

"A grilled cheese sandwich. Have you never had one?"

I dropped the rest of my Dragon's Tongue supply in the water, followed by the crushed scale. A cloud of smoke burst over the top, turning the liquid red. I put the pot lid on.

"No. Should I have? It looks…" I had to admit the golden bread with oozing cheese did smell and look appetizing.

Sora flipped the sandwich onto a plate, and cut it down the middle with a knife. He returned to the fridge for ketchup. He squeezed a spot onto the plate, and offered it to me.

"Eat it. You clearly missed out as a kid."

I hesitated, but dipped the corner of the bread into the ketchup, and took a bite. I expected an awful taste, but was met with a delicious combination of gooey cheese and crispy bread.

Sora smiled, getting out more food to make his own.

"See? I told you it was good."

"Almost," I swallowed, "as the gold dusted dark chocolate truffles I grew up on. I wish I had grilled cheese sandwiches every day."

Sora tossed me a glance.

"Truffles? I've been dying to know: is your family rich? You act and talk like a lady even when you don't have to."

I froze.

I was worried this day would come. If I told Sora my family was very important in my world, he might just refuse to let me fight anymore.

"Sort of," I figured telling him a little wouldn't be so bad. "My father is a very talented potion maker, so he is among the top families in Faerydae."

Sora took a few bites of his own sandwich, just as I was finishing mine.

"If he's half as talented as you, I can see why!"

I smiled.

"I wish I was half as talented as him! I've been studying since I was a child, so one day I could, um, take over the family business."

The ship jerked, and suddenly dropped. My back slammed into the counter, my hands doing their best to brace myself. The floor leveled out, a final jerk stopped us completely. The familiar sound of the landing bracers echoed.

Sora swallowed the rest of his sandwich, and dumped his plate in the sink. I checked my potion on the stove, and turned off the heat, tossing in the remaining ingredients. It would take three days to change color and cool down.

"Get ready, Al. It looks like we've reached the next world."

The starts glittered across the sky, decorating the pitch black. The moon offered little light, so the fireball in my hand was needed to see. Tall pine trees surrounded our ship, concealing it from any eyes that wandered down the path we had found.

Donald shook a little, and Goofy's head darted left and right, but I was comfortable. It was a warm darkness, like in Faerydae. We had nothing to worry about.

The trees started to break away the longer we walked. I shook the fire out of existence, finding the moonlight finally bright enough to see.

"What's that?" I pointed to a small light in the distance.

Sora squinted, shaking his head.

We picked up our pace.

"Maybe it's a village," I guessed. "Maybe we can find supplies-"

I was wrong.

The last tree cleared, and the ground turned to interlocking stone. Iron gates rose from the ground, clamped shut. A courtyard spread across, far bigger than the one in the Faerydae palace. Gargoyles decorated the perimeter.

"Who lives here?" My question when unanswered.

I couldn't blame the others for staring at the monstrous castle. I had grown used to the size Faerydae's royal palace. The castle looming in the background was several times bigger. A light burned in one of the windows, on the west side.

Sora tugged at the gate. The metal groaned, then screamed as it was dragged across the stone.

"Sora! What are you doing? We can't trespass!"

Donald ran past me, taking hold of the gate and helped Sora. I looked to Goofy, unsure of what to do. Anyone who lived here was obviously a royal, or a wealthy noble. Their wrath would be felt. I remember dealing with the nobles of Faerydae. Some were not pleasant.

Sora slipped through the gate, Donald following. Goofy hesitated, but stepped through as well. The group looked to me, wondering what I would do.

I bit my lip.

"Fine!" I stomped my foot. "I'll go with you. But good luck talking your way out of it,"

I squeezed past the bars, brushing against the metal.

The gargoyles stared us down, their half open mouths looked like they were ready to take a bite. I hurried my pace. The stone path lead us to the front doors. Dead plants lined the sides. This place was being severely neglected and needed some fresh flowers. The air was warm; there was no excuse for the poor maintenance.

Standing twenty feet tall, the doors were a dark wood. I eyed the knocker, wondering if our call would even be answered so late at night.

"Maybe we should go back to the ship, and come back in the morning? It is rude to wake-"

Sora pushed open one of the doors, gesturing me to follow, a smile on his face.

He was insane, but I followed.

Torches were mounted to the several pillars in the main entrance. It stretched far; a grand staircase against the wall. Doors lined the left and the right sides. A red carpet seemed to invite us in, leading to the stairs.

"Sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy muttered.

I nodded, silently agreeing.

"I wonder who lives here," Sora's attention was drawn to the only open door on the right. I too was curious. Light poured out the ajar door. I could feel the faint presence of magic.

A beastly roar echoed off the walls.

I froze, fear stabbing into me. My heart doubled in speed. It wasn't a human who made that noise. I looked to Sora, but he didn't seem concerned. Goofy rubbed his chin.

"Hey, does anybody else recognize that?"

Sora's eyes lit up. "Hey! That's the Beast!"

Beast?

"Maybe we should check up on him," Donald started walking to the stairs.

"Wait, are you serious?" This had to be some kind of joke. The three ignored my concerns, and headed in Donald's direction. I sighed, knowing I would have to follow.

The room was rather dark, and shadows could often play tricks, but a motion close to the open door caught my attention. I stopped, drawn once again to the magic feeling coming from the room. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to look.

I slipped into the shadows, glancing at the group ahead. They were laughing at a joke, it seemed, not noticing my leaving.

A flicker of black ran past the door once more. I stepped closer, taking a deep breath. Whatever magic was in there was strong. The passion behind it sent swirls out clouds throughout my mind. I nodded my head. It was a curse. Yes, a curse. I wanted to see it. See the curse. The curse made of love and hatred. Hatered, and love. Love and-

"Alice?" Sora's hand dropped on my shoulder.

I blinked, turning to look at him.

We stood in the parlor room. A roaring fire was alive in the fireplace, sending shadows across the floor. A bookshelf stood against the wall, packed full. A table and two chairs sat in the other corner. My eyes stared at the glowing rose, surrounded by glass.

"Are you okay?" Sora's eyes narrowed.

I faked a smiled, and nodded, looking back to the rose. Petals had fallen from it, leaving the flower with only half its beauty.

"Watch out!" Donald pushed into me, a Heatless standing were I was a moment ago.

Sora flicked his wrist, the Keyblade materializing. He swung it, killing it with ease. Three more grew from the room's shadows. I stood off to the side, killing the ones that wandered too close to me with fire. I didn't want to risk setting the whole castle on fire.

The Heartless population continued to grow.

"Aw, c'mon! Enough already!" Sora groaned, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Somebody help us!" Donald swung his staff into a Heartless, only to have six more take its place.

The parlor door slammed open.

My heart stopped. A creature standing twice as tall as me and covered in thick brown hair entered the room. Large teeth curled upwards, a scowl on its face. My eyes lingered on the horns growing from his head. He wore a cloak and a torn pair of pants.

Sora lowered his guard.

"Just in time,"

The Beast ignored us. Sora ran to stand in front of him.

"Beast-"

Beast's arm rose, swinging to knock both Sora and the Heartless away. I clamped my eyes shut. Sora flew backwards, and crashed into me. His weight seemed heavier than what he probably was.

"G-Get off," I muttered, my air cut off.

Sora rolled off, a hand against his stomach.

"Sorry," He winced.

The Beast picked up the rose's glass cage, and held it to his chest. His large, furry hands held it with such gentleness I question just what this creature was. He spun, walking past us and out the door. I could hear his growls until he was too far away.

I pushed off my knees, struggling to stand. Having Sora land on me was a little painful.

"Gee, do ya think he maybe forgot who we are?" Goofy helped Donald to his feet.

"With this many Heartless around, something must be up," Sora looked me over, making sure I was alright. Satisfied, he gestured to the door.

I led the way out, my eyes darting back and forth. I didn't want to be caught off guard once again. I let out a sigh, and looked to the stairs. I caught a flash of brown hair and a blue dress.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"I thought I saw a woman,"

"Well... If the Beast is here in the castle, that lady musta been Belle, right?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Maybe so. Belle might know what's happened to the Beast, too."

Belle? Beast? This was the strangest place yet.

I followed them silently. The feeling of the rose had disappeared.

The east wing was brighter than the main entrance, but still rather dim for my liking. The once white wallpaper was filthy. Square patches of white told me pictures used to hang on the wall. I brushed some spider webs out of my face. Who would ever live here?

The three stopped.

"What-"

"Shhh!"

I frowned at Sora silencing me. They moved closer to the door.

"What am I going to do?"

A woman's voice was muffled behind the door. She sounded distressed.

Sora pointed to the door. Donald nodded, but Goofy shook his head. I had an idea of what they were about to do when Sora and Donald backed up against the wall across from the door.

"Stop." I ordered. The two looked up at me, wide eyed. "You're acting like children."

I knocked on the door. The noises on the other side of the door fell silent.

A woman peeked her head out. Her eyebrows were crumped together, but she was still really beautiful. Her brown eyes made contact with Sora, bypassing me.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" She opened the door all the way.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but a few stray curls framed her face. She grabbed Donald off the floor, squeezing the poor duck. She giggled, spinning around once. Donald quacked in protest.

"Donald! Sora! Goofy!" She planted a kiss on Donald's head and put him down. "I'm Belle," She said, finally noticing me.

"Alice," I returned.

"Where's the Beast?" Sora stuck his head in Belle's room, disappointed he wasn't there.

Belle's smile faded.

"Oh, he must be in the west wing. We don't talk like we used to,"

"Did something happen?" I asked. There was no question that she was close to the Beast somehow. I was still fearful.

"Yes. Isn't that why you're here?" She looked to Sora, hope in her eyes.

"Not exactly. But we can still help, since we're here and all."

I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow. He could have just said yes to make her feel a little bit better about the situation.

"The Beast won't talk to you?" I inquired, hoping to get as much information as I could before we jumped straight in.

"He's been acting strange lately. The only ones who might know why are locked up in the dungeon. I want to help them, but..."

"Wait a second," Sora rubbed his chin. "Who locked who up?"

"The Beast locked up his servants. That's what I don't know,"

"Hmm," Sora tapped his chin. "Where's this dungeon?"

Belle walked out farther into the hallway. She pointed in the direction we had come from.

"You can get to the undercroft from the west hall. The dungeon is down there. Please be careful. I'm not sure what is going on, but Beast is not himself."

Sora gave her a thumbs up and a smile. She relaxed a little.

We returned back to where we started, climbing the stairs of the west wing. This side of the castle was what I was expecting. Tall stone walls stretched twenty feet above us, decorated by tapestries and suits of armor. The red carpet beneath our feet silenced our steps. It felt like a palace fit for a royal family, but where were they? Belle had said the servants were locked up. Lords were permitted to have servants in my world, but that did not explain Beast's living quarters.

"There should be a way into the undercroft around here," Sora scanned the walls. The hall ended, and stairs to the right must have lead to another set of rooms. Amour blocked the way.

I eyes the suspicious wardrobe. I ducked to my knees, peering under it.

"Sora, there's a door behind this,"

"Great," Sora leaned against it, pushing it out of the way. When only a few inches were left, a pair of eyes opened on the wooden furniture.

"Do you MIND?"

The wardrobe frowned, and moved the stumpy bit of wood on its bottom to settle in its normal spot.

I stared, unsure of what to do.

"The wardrobe talked," That was not possible. Animation spells to give things like furniture life was impossible.

Sora pushed against it again, this time stopping for small breaks so he would not wake it again. Completely out of the way, its eyes opened again, followed by a yawn.

"And I was just starting to get comfortable... May I help you?"

I bit my lip.

I must have hit my head somewhere along the way, and this was all a fantastic dream.

"Belle needs us to go to the dungeon," Sora tried to tug on the handles of the door, but the wardrobe moved once again, blocking the way.

"Goodness! You're here to help my friends? Well, why didn't you say so?" It smiled, and noticing the look on my face, sighed. "I'm sorry I startled you. Oh, I used to be human, you know, until the enchantress cast her spell. I was turned into a wardrobe when the prince was turned into a beast."

"The Beast is a prince?" All of us seemed to chime at once.

"That's right. Although his behavior was far from princely at the time."

I sucked in a deep breath. I was silly. It was faint, but I should have noticed the trace of magic around the wardrobe.

"What's this about a spell?" Perhaps I could break it if I tried.

"Well, it was a cold winter's night..."

I leaned in closer, wondering what kind of person would be strong enough to put a spell on not only one person, but the wardrobe too.

"Ah. And that's enough for now. You can hear the rest when you've rescued the others. It'll give you something to look forward to." It moved out of the way. "Hurry, now. The dungeon is damp and chilly. Certainly no place for a clock!"

"A clock?" What did a clock have to do with anything?

Sora pulled at the doors, succeeding in opening it. A gust of dry, musty air blasted in our faces. I followed Sora inside.

"This must be it," I said. The rooms was littered with boxes and random objects. White sheets covered what must have been the paintings that had been taken down from the east wing's hallway.

"There's nobody here," Sora picked up a cup, brushing off the spider webs.

"You mean there's nobody to rescue?" Donald brushed off some dust, looking at an old mirror.

I let out a sigh. Maybe this wasn't the dungeon Belle was talking about-

"Did someone say "rescue"?"

I jumped at the sound of a voice. It was heavily accented.

"Shhh!" Another hissed, "Keep quiet. It might be them,"

"Oh," An older woman said. "They look like nice boys to me. And the girl is pretty,"

"We are nice," Goofy said to nothing in particular, but the room itself. "We're your friends. Belle sent us to find you."

I resisted a scream as a candlestick, clock, teapot and tea cup came out of hiding from behind the boxes.

"I'm Sora. Donald. Goofy. That's Alice." He gestured to each of us. I gave a slight bow, unsure of proper manners to address household items.

"I am Lumiere, mon cheri," The candle took my hand and kissed it. I glanced to Sora, but he just shrugged.

"Leave the girl alone!" The teapot turned to us. "You may call me Mrs. Potts. Chip, come introduce yourself,"

The tiny teacup hopped in front of Mrs. Potts.

"I-I'm Chip," The tiny cup looked so shy and cute.

"I am Cogsworth," muttered the clock.

"Did somebody put a spell on you, too?" The faint presence of magic was there.

"Yes," Cogsworth replied. "That's right! You've heard! It was the enchantress,"

"It seems so long ago..." Lumiere's eyes dropped.

Chip hopped towards me. I bent over a picked him up. There was a slight crack in the cup. I cradled him gently with both hands.

"It was a cold winter's night," Mrs. Potts continued. "An old beggar woman came to the castle, and asked for shelter. But the master of this castle, that is, of course, the Prince…The master turned her away. All because of her, ahem, meager appearance."

I frowned.

"That's awful," If someone ever begged my father and I for shelter, the word would always be yes. Our home seemed so empty after my mother's passing.

"Oui. He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and, how shall I say, cruel."

"Lumiere!" The clock looked like he wanted the candle to melt into a puddle.

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances," Mrs. Potts ignored the two. "Still, he would not take her in. Then the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. She turned the Prince into a beast, a shape she thought fitting for his cold heart. And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted, too."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I couldn't undo the spell. I didn't know what kind of spell she even used, and even if I did, I was not nearly powerful enough to take care of it.

Lumiere hopped closer.

"We already know what needs to be done, but with the master out of sorts..."

"He sure is acting weird," Sora finished his thought.

"It's almost as if he's forgotten how to trust others," Mrs. Potts frowned.

Sora gestured towards the door.

"Nothing is going to happen if we just talk about it. Let's go find the Beast!"

"Splendid!" Cogsworth jumped down from the box he sat on.

"Follow me, messieurs, madam. I know a shortcut."

Lumiere showed us another door hidden behind some of the boxes. The air was cool, musty, and pitch dark.

"Allow me," Lumiere tried to lead the way, but he wasn't giving off enough light for all of us to see. I raised my hand, setting it on fire. The fames illuminated the dark walls, casting long shadows. The enchanted servants glanced at me with wide eyes, but said nothing.

We climbed a short set of stairs. Cogsworth pushed against a brick, and the wall swung out, leaving us behind the blocked passage way. A long, dark hallway was head of us.

"Now, I must check on the castle. I fear my absence has been too long," Lumiere hopped off.

"I'd best be off, too, dears," Mrs. Potts nudged Chip and the two left.

"Watch out for the Heartless!" Sora called after them.

Cogsworth moved into the darkened hallway.

"The master's room is at the very end of the west wing."

The west wing was nothing like the east. Claw marks were on every wall, deep and ruining the wallpaper. Broken statues littered the floor. A painting was ripped to shreds. Beast's door dangled from the hinge, giving us access to the room.

Sora held up his hand, stopping us. I cast him a look, and he held his finger to his lips.

"It's time you dealt with Belle." I did not know the voice. "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."

The voice was calm and soothing.

"I've had enough of strength," Grumbled Beast. "There's only one thing I want-"

"What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?"

My heart sank. The mystery voice made me realize just how I was classifying Beast: and actual beast. If the story was true, Beast was human once.

Sora moved into the doorway, hearing enough. Beast roared, slashing at the already destroyed bed.

"See? She has accomplices," The voice belonged to a member of Organization XIII. His hood was up; I could not see who it was.

My heart doubled in speed. I flicked my fingers, setting half my arms ablaze. I would kill him.

Noticing what I was doing, the man chucked and disappeared into his black portal. I tried to race into it, but Beast was in the way. His eyes were glazed over. He roared, his eyes moving to mine.

"No more magic!"

His claws grazed my torso. My skin burned in pain, the hot blood already staining my clothes. I dropped to my knees, the fire I held extinguished.

"Oh dear! Master!" Cogsworth scrambled behind Sora.

I half crawled to the wall, my arm draped over my wound. How deep was it? Beast didn't even slow down after attacking me. He charged at Sora, but he was faster than I was. He dodged Beast's swings.

"Please, Master! Please! Compose yourself!" Cogsworth rang loudly, while Sora used his Keybade to keep the Beast at bay. Eventually Beast's movements because sluggish, and he stopped.

"Cogsworth...what happened?" Beast rubbed his head.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Sora rushed over, potion in hand. He popped the cork, and held it to my lips. I drank it down, the pain turning to a throb and my cuts healed.

"Thanks," I muttered.

Sora frowned, his blue eyes not leaving mine.

"That was stupid, Alice. You could've died,"

I just nodded, knowing it would be best to agree for now.

"Well, Master...ah, you see...that is... How shall I say...ah, actually...mmm..."

"Well," Donald stomped his foot. "You put everybody down there in that dungeon!"

"I did what?" Beast's eyes grew wide.

"Ah...you did!" Cogsworth hopped over to his master, whom was now regretting his actions.

Sora helped me to my feet.

"Who was the man you were talking to? The one in black?"

Beast looked at the blood on my shirt and torn clothes, knowing he was the one who had done it.

"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."

"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?"

I looked to Goofy, giving a small smile. He could be very encouraging sometimes.

"Was that it? Was it to protect them?"

"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!" Beast looked happy for a moment, but he soon sighed. "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"She didn't say anything about that," I piped in. "Why don't you just go talk to her?"

"But..."

"No excuses! We'll go with you."

Beast led the way, this time without having to use the secret passage ways. He fumbled with his face hair, straightening his cloak and adjusting the way his pants sat. I giggled, realizing the Beast was just like any other person.

Sora leaned in, whispering.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded.

"Good as new. I thought we would be fighting more Heartless, not playing matchmaker."

"Matchmaker?"

"You can't tell?" I peered at him through the corner of my eye. He look very confused.

"Tell what?"

I giggled again, speeding up my pace.

I knocked on Belle's door. Nothing.

"Belle?" I called. "Beast is here-"

"Master!"

The same wardrobe from before crashed through the door. Smiling brightly, it hopped back and forth on its legs.

"Everybody's safe now," Donald gestured to Cogsworth, whom had followed.

"Wonderful! Thank you!"

Beast moved to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Belle.

"Where is Belle?"

"Why, she left in a hurry." The wardrobe hopped to show us the direction. "Something about going after this man in black."

"WHAT?" Beast roared. "Why doesn't she do as she's told?" His anger was coming out.

"Temper, temper!" The wardrobe rocked back and forth on its wooden feet. "Her spirit is what makes Belle so special,"

"Special or not, we'd better go find her." I agreed with Sora.

Organization XIII seemed to be dangerous. I didn't know Belle personally, but I doubted her tiny figure could take a hit.

We searched room after room, finding nothing. With each new door opening, Beast seemed to grow angrier and impatient. His growls became louder.

"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!"

We stopped on the stairs leading to the front entrance. Belle's screams were near, but hard to locate.

"Belle! Where are you?" Beast pressed his ear against the wall.

"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!"

My feet pounded against the stairs. My face flushed with nerves as a crashing sound continued to grow. I could feel something tainted by magic, even through the thick wall. Beast grabbed the door handles, throwing them open with ease. Belle ran into his large chest.

"Belle!" Beast wrapped his large arms around, nearly covering her whole body.

"I'm all right," She sobbed.

I nudged Sora with my elbow.

"There's something in there. I can feel it."

We squeezed past Belle and Beast into the ballroom.

Lush curtains covered the windows, the matching yellow floor giving life to the room. The balcony doors were thrown open, allowing a gentle breeze to drift in. It smelt like pine. I smiled, reminded of home. Every month, the Faerydae palace would invite everyone of all status and throw a grand ball. Food and entertainment were always top notch. I wished there was music so I could dance in a grand place like I used to.

"I don't see anything," Sora looked around, frowning. I could still feel the presence of something.

"Maybe-"

A ball of darkness dropped from the ceiling. It collided with the floor, sending out waves of dark clouds. The first one to hit us made me feel nauseated. My feet tickled, as if I was walking on needles. The clouds climbed the ballroom pillars, turning them black. It made its way to the chandelier, warping it from silver to rusted metal and black spikes. The ball that had fallen from the ceiling sat in the middle, bobbing up and down.

Sora didn't hesitate; he ran right at it. I lit my own hands on fire, hoping it would be effective. Sora swung the Keyblade at the darkness ball. The metal collided, knocking the darkness back. I took the change to blast fire ball at it. The darkness burned, causing it to hop around, trying to put it out. Goofy ran straight as it, his shield colliding into it. Donald thrust his staff in the air, calling down lightning to finish it off.

I smiled, relieved it was over already.

Sora gave me a thumbs up.

The floor started shaking. The dark clouds snaked across the floor, gathering at we thought was a corpse. I seeped over the darkness ball, surrounding it, becoming thick webs.

"What is that?" I cried, my eyes glued to the ball that was now halfway to the ceiling.

It burst.

We were all knocked backwards off our feet. My back slammed into a pillar. The air escaped my lungs, and I had a hard time recovering it. I collapsed to the floor on my back. I could breathe a little easier.

The Heartless looked like a monster. Standing on its back legs, it hunched over. Red horns curled out of its skull, glowing in the dim light. Claws dug into the floor.

I swallowed, pushing myself to my feet. The Heartless moved, its strange orange mane moving with it.

"S-Sora," I groaned, holding my side. He ran towards the creature with a slight limp.

The Heartless noticed. The air shimmered around it. The leathery skin grew transparent, until the beast had turned invisible. Sora stopped for a moment, confused as to where it had gone. I could still feel its presence.

"Sora!" I jabbed my finger in the direction of where it was. He ran in the direction, swinging the Keyblade wildly until the metal came in contact with the Heartless. He thrust the weapon more violent than I had ever seen, but it still wasn't enough.

The chandelier.

If it was anything like the one in Faerydae's castle, it would weigh a thousand pounds of metal and glass. I hated to ruin such a beautiful piece, but it had to be done.

"Donald! Get ready off to the side! Goofy, you too!" Donald hesitated, but did what I asked. "Sora, please dodge!"

I raised my hands above my head, focused on the blurry outline of magic that was the creature. Sora glanced up, knowing what I was going to do. He slowed down his attacks, letting the Heartless wander closer to him.

"Now!" I yelled.

A bolt of lightning smashed the top windows of the ballroom and struck the chandelier at its neck. The metal groaned, before snapping. Sora rolled out of the way, leaving the Heartless where it was. The hunk of metal crashed into the beast.

I rushed forward, slamming fireballs through the metal. The leathery skin gave off a burning smell, but I continued. Sora stabbed it several times, while Donald and Goofy attacked its back. Weakened and pinned, the creature let out a piercing final cry.

The body burst into black clouds; the darkness of the ballroom followed. It returned to its normal state, except the broken windows and ruined chandelier.

"Great idea!"Sora slapped my back, nearly knocking me over on my weak knees. I frowned, knowing I was responsible for destroying such a beautiful work of art.

"So you think,"

We spun at the sound of a man's voice. It was the same figure that was standing in Beast's room, trying to manipulate him. I covered the gashed in my clothes, not wanting Organization XIII to know they almost succeeded in their plan.

"Xaldin!" Beast growled, running at him. Sora followed right behind, the Keyblade raised and ready to attack. I didn't bother moving. I could feel the magic gathering for a portal before it even happened. Within a second, Xaldin stepped into it. "Farewell," He muttered, before disapearing.

The rest of us joined Beast and Sora. I tried to hide my limp, knowing Sora would want me to use our minimal potion stash. I didn't get the chance to make many before we landed. I remembered my pot on the stove, and wondered what stage it would be at.

"What does he want here?" Beast looked around, making sure no one else was in the ballroom. His eyes glazed over the chandelier, not seeming to care.

"He must be with Organization XIII. 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."

"That's right," Goofy continued. "And they were gonna make you into a Heartless. That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it."

I was glad we could save Beast from that fate. My own was close to that. What would have my Nobody been like? Or, maybe I wouldn't have had one at all and just turned into a Heartless Sora would later destroy. I didn't like that.

"You're alright!"

Belle squeezed through the doors to the main entrance, rushing over. She look relieved we were all okay, especially Beast.

"Belle!"

Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Chip and Cogsworth followed her, smiling brightly at their master's well-being. Beast hesitated in front of her, unsure of what to do. When he wasn't angry, he really did just seemed like a big puppy.

"Belle... I-I'm sorry-I-I wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you," Beast glanced at me, eyeing my torn shirt. Belle just smiled, the Beast returning a lopsided grin.

"Forgive me," He asked, sounding as if he was begging.

"I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize. But I had hoped that you might have changed a little bit," She waved her finger at him. "I wish you could start trusting me."

I giggled quietly, half hoping Belle would bop him on the nose with a newspaper. He dropped his head down, clearly sorry, but his grin returned soon after.

"Oh, I am afraid time is running short," Lumiere said to himself.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

"Remember the rose?" He turned, glancing at us.

"From the Beast's room?" Sora looked up at the Beast and Belle, but they were too busy in their own little world.

"Precisely," Cogsworth eyed Lumiere, clearly wishing he hadn't brought the subject up at all. "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls, the spell will be broken."

"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" Sora looked at me, and I just shook my head. The spell was too much for me to handle as I was right now, otherwise I would undo it.

"We think so," Mrs. Potts smiled.

"I hope you're right. Maybe one day I'll be strong enough to undo it. You'll just have to keep believing in your master for now." I offered. The objects nodded.

Sora's Keybalde popped into existence. The end gave off a glow, and the air became thick. I took a deep breath and sighed. I didn't quite want to leave yet. This place made me feel like home. But, if the gate was opened, that meant we couldn't stay here forever when other worlds were waiting, including Faerydae.

"What happened?" Beast and Belle had finally joined us.

"The gate is open!" Donald quacked.

"Do you have to go?" Belle gave a small frown. She thought it was too early too.

"Yeah," Sora gave a thumbs up.

"Now, no more arguin', okay?" Goofy directed to Beast. I laughed out loud this time when he looked to Belle, and quickly looked away. Puppy indeed.

Lumiere bowed at our feet.

"We'll see to that,"

"Take care, dears," Mrs. Potts said. "You're welcome here anytime."

I did a short spin and dipped into my best curtsy.

"I will have to take you up on that. I would love to dance in here," I bit my lip. "I'm sorry about the chandelier-"

"Don't." Beast growled. I straightened up, surprised. "I'm, um, sorry for attacking you."

I shook my head, smiling again.