Kyrie (c) Me

Kingdom Hearts characters/some of the story (c) Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts

Bonded Soul

Chapter 50

"Look! It's the rose!" Belle cried as she picked up the case, balancing it on her arm and the balcony as she looked down at the group. Beast looked up and gazed at her happily for a moment before a gloved hand reached out and covered her mouth. Kyrie watched with wide eyes as Xaldin appeared behind the young woman, grabbing her and holding her against her will as she struggled.

"Belle! Let her go!" Kyrie thought angrily as she lunged, wrapping her arms around the older man's waist as she bit down on his arm. The man grunted but didn't release her as he jumped, landing on the roof that led to the bridge.

"Belle!" They heard the Beast cry as Xaldin looked back at them, giving them a smirk before continuing to the bridge. Once he landed on the bridge, he looked down at the girl who had her teeth embedded in his arm.

"Hmph. Annoying wench!" he snorted as he shoved her away, kicking her in the stomach and sending her flying. The boys had just gotten through the gate before Kyrie landed in front of them, landing on her left side.

"Kyrie!" Belle cried as the girl lay on the ground, coughing harshly as she tried to get her breath back. Sora ran to the girl's side and helped her up as Beast snarled at Xaldin.

"You! Get out of my castle, now!" he snarled. But Xaldin smirked.

"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light…What shall I leave behind? Belle? Or the rose?" he spoke, looking down at Belle and the rose in his arms. Belle looked at the Beast helplessly, making the Beast stare at her in concern. Without a moment's hesitation, he shot forward.

"Belle!" he exclaimed. Belle quickly looked back at the man before elbowing him in the gut, swiping the rose from his head and running as fast as she could, a victorious smile clear on her face. Sora smiled as he waved.

"Good one, Belle!" he cried as she ran past. Kyrie smiled and gave her a thumbs up, making the girl nod as she retreated to the entrance of the bridge. The group turned their attention back on Xaldin as he summoned his lances, the wind whipping around them as they got into their fighting stances. Kyrie narrowed her eyes as she summoned both keyblades, the anger within her growing at what Xaldin had tried to do.

"I'm going to make him pay for hurting Belle and the Beast, as well as that kick he dealt me. I'll teach him!" she thought, knowing that her eyes were probably glowing red right now. The man smirked at them, before grabbing three of his lances while the others surrounded him like a shield. With that, the battle began as the four rushed in, summoning whatever weapons they had. But in the Beast's case, his claws and talons.

But Xaldin was quick as he threw Sora, Donald, and Goofy back, using the wind to sweep them off their feet. Only Kyrie and the Beast remained standing as they rushed at him, the Beast because of his large stature, and Kyrie because she knew Xaldin's fighting style. Jumping overhead, she slammed one keyblade down on his lances, while the other came in at a sweep, slamming into his shins and sending him crumpling to the floor.

"Ugh!" he exclaimed as he fell, the Beast and Sora rushing in to exchange blows with the fallen man. But they only got in a few blows as the man used the wind to get himself back on his feet, before he swung his lances down and struck the Beast across his chest. He gave a roar of pain as he fell back, before Donald rushed in and began performing curaga on him.

"Ah!" Sora cried as he jumped out of the way of one of Xaldin's lances, which nearly took his head off. Kyrie was at his side in seconds as she blocked another one from running him through, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"This isn't good, he's moving too quick." she thought with a grimace. But this didn't faze her or the others, as they rushed in again to take on the whirlwind lancer as he twirled his lances around in a deadly dance. But about halfway through the fight, the man's fighting style began to change as his body emitted a green light. He became faster and much more aggressive, like Saix in the moonlight. Kyrie quickly jumped back and whistled, causing the others to look at her.

"Come on, hurry!" she thought as she waved them over. They nodded and without a moment's hesitation, they were at her side. She quickly summoned her shield of light as Xaldin closed in, protecting the group from his onslaught. His eyes widened as his lances came into contact with her shield, making her smirk impishly in return.

"C'mon guys, now!" Sora cried as he and the others ran at them, weapons at the ready. Kyrie maintained her shield as they fought, knowing that the second she lowered it, she would immediately become a target. The fight lasted for a good while, each side taking serious blows, before Sora and the Beast worked together and dealt the death blow to the nobody. He jumped back, holding his side as his lances transformed into pillars of light, signaling the end for him.

"No…!" he cried as he disappeared, making Kyrie look away as a result. She knew her shoulders were shaking, and her eyes were hot, but she held herself back. Once he was gone, the group returned to the castle courtyard, where Belle was waiting. The Beast went to her immediately before he stopped, the two staring at each other. After a moment, Belle took a step forward, holding out the rose to him.

"Here, it's yours again." she said softly as she handed him the case. He took it gently, before looking at her.

"Belle…"

"I know. You want me to leave the castle." she spoke sadly. A heavy silence fell over everyone, as Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kyrie, and the servants looked between them sadly. Kyrie quickly held her hands together over her chest, praying.

"Oh Beast, please don't send Belle away. She's happy here…happy to be with you. Don't you feel the same way?" she thought as she stared at the two anxiously. The Beast was quiet for a moment, before speaking.

"What matters is…You weren't hurt by Xaldin…you're safe." at this, everyone smiled and sighed in relief as he continued.

"And …I'm very grateful to you…for bringing the rose back to me. Thank you." he continued, looking away shyly. Belle smiled fondly at him.

"It's the least I could do. You've been good to me. And you didn't have to be." she explained. All was quiet for a moment before Beast looked at her again.

"Listen, Belle…"

"Yes?" Belle asked, but the Beast hesitated, looking at the others for help. They began to quietly cheer for him to keep going, before the Beast finally gained enough courage to face her again.

"Belle, I'd like you to stay…With me…please?" he asked shyly. Kyrie blushed and giggled silently before Belle stepped forward, taking his paw in hers while placing the other on her waist.

"I will." she answered, making him smile broadly. Lumiere was quick to start the music as the two began to dance, the group watching quietly as they did so. As Sora and the others spoke amongst themselves, Kyrie watched on quietly with a small smile on her face.

"Belle is so happy…and so is the Beast. Is it…because they're together? Is this…what happens when you're in love?"

-Later-

Kyrie was quiet as she snuck out of her room, Sora and the others, as well as everyone in the castle, were sound asleep after the night's stressful events. But the girl couldn't get to sleep, because so much was on her mind.

"There is so much that I don't understand…" she thought as she silently walked down the East Wing, careful to not wake anyone else up. "I don't really know what love is, but each time I'm around Axel, I get this bubbly feeling inside me. I want to be at his side, always, and it hurts when he isn't here. Is that what love is? Belle said it was, but I think there's much more to it than that." she continued as she walked. Soon she found herself in the ballroom, looking at the candelabra that hung overhead. She remembered how Dark Thorn had tossed her up there, getting her stuck. Then she remembered the events of after, when Axel appeared in her room and gave her a birthday present.

She smiled at this, and unconsciously began moving her feet, copying the dance Belle and the Beast danced. After a few moments, she felt her foot slip, causing her to stumble and land on her behind. She winced.

"Ow…well, that was stupid." Kyrie thought as she rubbed her behind. But a chuckle from behind her made her gasp as she turned, spotting Axel as he stood a few feet away. He had a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle his chuckles as she glared at him.

"W-well…that was something." he chuckled, making her huff as she got to her feet and crossed her arms, looking away.

"Hmph! Jerk!" she thought as she listened to him keep laughing at her. After a few moments, he seemed to have calmed down as he took a few steps closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Aw, I was just joking, Kyrie. Got it memorized?" he spoke as he turned her around to face him. She pouted for a moment, before giving him a smile and nodding in response. He smirked in return, before placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair.

"So what exactly were you trying to do? Dance?" at this, she nodded. He gave a sigh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you kinda need a partner for that one. It's called a "waltz"." he informed. She nodded again and looked down, before looking up again.

"I wonder…" reaching out, she gently clasped his hands and moved them, so that one rested on her side, because she was much shorter than him and he couldn't reach her waist, and the other she held. This made the pyro blink at her in confusion and blush a little at where one of his hands was resting.

"Wait, you want me to dance with you? Uh…" but her innocent expression made him cave in as he sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll dance, but don't step on my feet. Got it memorized?" he said sternly. She smiled and nodded as he walked her through the steps, the girl making notes of his movements as they progressed. Soon, the two were dancing slowly, her smiling brightly and him grinning a little. But the sudden sound of a sitar stopped them, as they looked over to see Demyx playing a song. He blinked at them innocently.

"What? Go on, keep dancing. Don't worry, I'll play it low enough so it won't wake anyone up." he insisted. The two looked back at each other and shrugged, before continuing on. As Demyx played a soft, romantic melody on his sitar, the two danced, both thoroughly enjoying themselves as they did so.

"Is this how Belle felt when she danced with the Beast? Like your heart is so full of emotion that it might overflow in an instant?" Kyrie thought as they danced. The thought made her smile a little as she rested her head against him, sighing at the thought. Axel looked down at her and blushed brightly, but didn't push her away as he held her closer, relishing the feeling of their embrace. The dance continued as he held her close, her head resting against his abdomen. He quickly lifted her a little over his head and spun around, making her gasp as she wrapped her arms around his neck, him smirking at her impishly as he did so. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her up as he moved with her holding on to him. He slowly closed his eyes, allowing himself to think as he moved.

"This…feels right. I can't explain why, but it does. When I'm with her…everything just seems a bit brighter. Happier." he thought as he moved. He heard her sigh a little and tightened her hold on him, thinking he was going to drop her. But he held on tight, keeping her from falling. He could feel her heart hammering in her chest as he held her, her heartbeat echoing through her chest to his.

"I can't explain it anymore. At first, all I wanted to do was get Roxas back so our group could be whole again. But now…all I wanna do is just make her happy. Even…if it means leaving Roxas inside Sora." his thoughts continued, as he breathed in the scent of her hair. It smelled like peppermint and pine. Like winter.

But the sudden sound of voices stopped them, causing Demyx to gasp as he stopped playing, opening a corridor as he did so. Axel quickly lowered her to the floor, looking at the door in disgust.

"C'mon, someone's coming!" Axel hissed as he took her hand, pulling her towards the corridor. She nodded and followed after the two as they pulled her in. Within seconds, it disappeared, and not a moment too soon. Because just seconds after it disappeared, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts opened the doors and looked inside, to see no one there.

"I thought I heard ze most beautiful music coming from in here." Lumiere spoke as he looked around. Cogsworth snorted.

"It must've been your imagination, Lumiere. There's no one here! Now let's go back to sleep, today's been stressful enough as it is!"

-East Wing-

"Phew…that was too close." Demyx sighed as they stood in the room Kyrie was currently using for the night. Axel nodded as he sat down on her bed, running a hand through his hair.

"One look at us and we would've ended up like Xaldin." he agreed. Kyrie looked at them and raised her eyebrows, how did they know about what happened to Xaldin? The two looked at the expression on her face before Axel continued.

"Oh yeah. We popped in a minute before the fight started, right after he kidnapped the princess of heart. We stayed up on her balcony and watched the fight from beginning to end, and disappeared after that. We have to keep a low profile, got it memorized?" he explained. She nodded in understanding before yawning. Demyx looked at her and then back at Axel, the two nobodies nodding.

"We better go. You need sleep, and we have to keep moving. The Organization's on our tails, and we have to keep planet hopping so we don't get caught." with that, he opened a dark corridor. Kyrie watched sadly as they walked toward it, before looking back at her.

"Night, Kyrie. We'll try and see you tomorrow, okay?" Demyx said softly before stepping through. Axel paused and looked back at her, it was obvious he didn't want to leave. But he had too.

"Yeah, we'll try and pop in. Stay safe, got it memorized?" She nodded as he stepped through, the corridor disappearing.

"Yeah, I've got it memorized, Axel…"

Axel:...*stare*

Me:...*stare*

Demyx: *blinks before turning to Xigbar* Why're they staring at each other?

Xigbar: Beats me. Well, I guess I'll have to take over for the author chick for now. *turns to the audience* Thanks for all of your reviews so far, dudes! I guess I'll just name a few of you for...uh, honorable mentions I guess. *pulls out a piece of paper* Okay, we thank...Loki is King, RandomnessFTW, SisterofScarletDevil, FlamingIceWolfGirl, Taeniaea, digitalstorm977, Hidden by the Sun...

Demyx: Okay, okay! Enough with the names, we thank everybody! *turns to the audience* Thanks a lot, guys. Now keep on reviewin'!