Disclaimer: I do not own any KH related characters, plots, etc, all original characters have been added to the story with permission from original creators.

Chapter 11- It's Elementary Wouldn't You Say?

Fife's hopping patter echoed slightly, as the tiny piccolo took each of the large stairway steps one at a time. The large entrance hall of the castle was littered with the remains of rubble from fallen pillars, and even the shards of metal and crystal that were once chandeliers.

As the small instrument reached the foot of the main stairs, the Piccolo's quick movement suddenly ended, as the large doors leading out to the courtyard began to open. As panic began to set in, Fife immediately threw himself to the side, his small form getting swallowed by the shadows being cast by the flickering light.

"Man this place is a dump!" Said Brol rather loudly as he hopped into the entrance hall, the little sounds of clanking behind him clearly that of Sora as he tried to keep up with him.

"Hey wait up!...Whoa what happened here?"

"Wasn't like this before huh?"

"Well not this bad at least...I don't get it, everything was going so well last time, and then...wah!"

Sora suddenly said as Brol scooped the brick up with the blade of his head, sliding him across the floor and behind one of the fallen pillars, before the moving scythe hopped after him, taking his place beside him.

"Gahh, what was that for?"

"Shush!" Whispered Brol as he poked his head up slightly from the pillar, prompting Sora to do so as well, though from the side due to his tiny stature now.

As one of the numerous doors within the room opened ever so slightly, the faint sound of tinkling was heard, slowly getting louder as a few number of tiny figures poured out from the crack of an opening.

The familiar sight of various objects caused Sora's eyes to widen in surprise and happiness, prompting the brick to suddenly hope out from behind the pillar, and make his way towards them before Brol could even protest.

"Hey guys!" Yelled Sora without any sort of worry, his tiny body clinking with every leap and hop against the ground, just as the little line of moving objects stopped, and stared just as surprisingly back.

"Sora? It's Sora!" Cheered the tiny little cup as it hoped eagerly to the approaching brick, with a teapot following as quickly as it could behind, along with a wobbling mantel clock.

"Oh my! It is so good to see you once again even in such a...sturdy form as this." Spoke the mantel clock as it made its way around Sora, making sure not to collide with the still quite excited little cup.

"Yes deary, it's so good that you came to visit. What with all that terrible business last time." Said the teapot kindly, her smile sweet and gentle as she softly nudged the little cup.

"No need to jump the boy chip. Give him some room." The teapot spoke some more, giggling as the little teacup seemed to become embarrassed and hopped slightly away from the brick.

"I'm just glad no one here is hurt. But it's great to be back, Cogsworth, Mrs Potts. And even you Chip." Sora said with a smile, causing the teacup to jump happily.

"Hurt? Whatever do you mean Master Sora? I'll admit, there is a little bit of dust, here and there...and rubble, but nothing we surely cannot fix." Replied Cogsworth, waving his arms to the massive room around them, and the slabs of stone that lay randomly all over.

"Then what about the girl outside? You know, the one who was ready to bust down the gate to get back in?" Added the voice of Brol, already making his way up to the small group, and causing the three pieces of furniture to back a little away, until Sora spoke up.

"Oh no don't worry about him. He's with me. His names Brol...Actually wait that's why we're here! You've been here for some time, right? Know anyone he might..."

Before being able to say another word, the entire castle shook and quaked with the massive sound playing, rattling everything and everyone there. The mini earthquake slowly began to rumble away, as the music that preceded it got lower and dimmer, fading into nothing more than a gentle hum in the distance, and even that too fell to silence once again.

"Oh no. The Master is in one of his moods now. Come along chip, we better get everything ready."

"Yes mama."

With that, the mother and child clinked away with every hop, past the staircase that seemed to wrap a tight hold around the room, before disappearing through one of the darkest covered doors.

"Yes she's quite right. Please excuse us for a moment Master Sora, Master Brol." Cogsworth said to the brick and scythe, already hopping up the stairs behind him, and through the massive doors that rested on its first landing.

"Something is definitely not right." Sora said to himself, appearing to make a face, which looked like if he still had his hands, he would be holding his chin like some great detective.

"Come on Sherlock. Let's look around." Said Brol, smirking as he leaped ahead of the brick and up the stairs as well, the light yet dull thunks of Sora's blocky body close behind him, just managing to jump up each step after his friend, while the thin sleek body of something disappeared into the shadows at the top of one of the curved staircases.

Forte's music played slow sad notes, filling the very room as if just for him and it's only large occupant. The Beast's massive form sat against one of the pillars the dotted the cavernous chamber, his eyes closed as if allowing himself to listen fully to the sounds that played. Green wisps seemed to pour out of Forte's massive pipe organs, coiling around his massive form, the pillars, the cage hanging high above, silent in the rafters of the room, and even around the Beast himself. With every note the instrument made, the same green wisps appeared to mimic, forming actual shapes to the very sounds, filling out the hovering scales with every passing moment.

Gripping tighter around the Beast, who seemed to feel nothing around him but the beautifully sad music, the scales, the notes, the music, everything stopped, shattering as the door to the chamber flung open for the little figure that was now rushing up across the floor.

"Maestro Forte! Maestro Forte! I have some news to say an..."

"What have I told you about entering here when you are not needed?" Roared Forte, causing little Fifi to shake with that of the room, while the Beast slowly stood up from his perch against the pillar.

"Please forgive his intrusion Master. We may continue if you would prefer to..."

"No Forte. I feel rather tired. Thank you for playing." Said the Beast, sluggishly making his way out of the room, his entire body looking like one who was on their way to the gallows.

"Not at all Master. I am here to serve you."

The sound of the door creaking shut was all there was until total silence filled the room again, and Forte's massive glaring face focused on the tiny piccolo.

"There had better be some monumental reason for your intrusion Fife!"

"There is Maestro Forte!" Said the quivering instrument, hiding behind the large trunk which was still littered with sheet music.

"Well then? What is it?" Forte's voice rose again, shaking the very foundations and nerves of the room and Fife.

"I-I-I-Intruders Maestro Forte! Outsiders!"

"WHAT?"

The massive suits of armour stood neatly in their rows along the large hallway, as the hopping figures continued to make their way, following the bright red carpet below them.

"I don't just understand why we couldn't just ask one of them?" Sora spoke to the small scythe, focused more to the floor as if trying not to trip and fall flat on his face, as had happened so many times up to this point.

"I don't think we'd have gotten any kind of answers from them. In fact I don't think they even know anything's going on."

"They don't know? How could they not? They could see the place is a mess..."

"They see only what something is allowing them to see. And to them, they see just a large mess which has to be cleaned." Brol explained, coming to a stop as the huffing Sora just managed to catch up to him.

"So, you think something's doing all this?"

"That's the idea at least. And whatever this thing is, I have a feeling it knows we're not supposed to be here." Added Brol as he glanced around the hallway, as if waiting for something to jump out of nowhere.

"You don't think its Sleif do you?" Said Sora, as he too began to look around, feeling rather paranoid about anything that may have been watching.

"It's definitely not like him. Too...small. If this was him, the whole place would be lucky just to keep standing."

For a few moments the two fell into a sort of silence, neither one choosing to say another word as they continued to hop down the hallway. That was until.

"These metal suits are giving me the creeps!" Shouted Brol, glaring at one of the armour suits as if it had wronged him.

"They're just suits of armour. What's the matter with you?" Said Sora as he hopped infront of Brol, tapping against the metal shoe of the suit lightly, earning a low thunk from it.

"See? Harmless." Sora added, smiling as he began to wobble away, not seeming to hear the tight squeak of moving metal.

"Sora!" Yelled Brol as he slammed into Sora yet again, flinging the two of them away as the suits large axe came hurtling down, splitting into the red carpet where the two had just been.

Taking that moment to count their stars for not being under the falling axe, the two's eyes widened as more squeaks were more easily heard this time, causing them both to hop as fast as they could from the now raining axes.

"Harmless huh?" Brol yelled over the thundering booms of the axes behind them.

"Just keep moving!" Replied Sora, somehow able to fling himself forward in order to keep up with his hopping friend, the large wooden door laying at the end of the hallway already cracked open, appearing to be their only way out of what was happening.

"And...NOW!"

"Wait hold on!"

With that, the two used what strength they had to dive into the darkness that was behind the door, it quickly slamming shut just as the sound of falling axes ended. With the final one colliding with the wooden door, splintering it slightly, and returning the now destroyed hallway to silence.

"Now that was close, huh mon ami?"

Fife peaked his head out from the music chest, the rumbling from the massive instrument already dying down even though no actual sound had played.

"Are they gone now Maestro Forte?"

"I cannot feel them anymore. Either they have, or are someplace I can't reach them."

"What can be done M-M-Maestro?" Whimpered Fife as he stared up to Forte's giant face, his mouth already curling into a smirk.

"So it's true? No one else seems to know something is wrong here?" Sora exclaimed as he made his way through the dank stone passages of the castle, barely keeping up with Brol and the golden candelabra lighting the way.

"Exactement. Though I do believe they feel something, deep inside. They cannot seem to come to terms with it." Answered the candelabra, peaking behind a corner before waving his arm to Brol and Sora to follow.

"So what can be done Lumiere?"

"You've heard the sound yes mon ami? The sound that shakes the very castle itself?"

"Little hard not to notice it trying to bring down the ceiling." Said Brol at the end of the line, spinning around to see if anything was following them.

"Forte, the prince's own composer, I am not sure how he is doing it, but he is responsible in some way."

"Then tell the prince." Added Sora.

"I have mon ami. Whatever this curse is, it has been grasping hold of the Master more than anything else. He has not even shown concern in searching for mademoiselle since she left."

"You mean Belle? She's just outside the castle with Kairi and Riku!"

"Oh that is wonderful! Oh the Master will be happy when this is all over." Lumiere said as he hopped to a large hanging chain, causing it once pulled to slide the massive wall to the side, revealing the rising staircase.

"There are many secret paths and rooms within the castle. This should lead up to the top most room."

"Thanks Lumiere. We'll take it from here." With that, Sora and Brol began the large climb up the stairs, as Lumiere watched them go higher and higher, until they were completely out of sight.

"That young man of Sora's, I could swear he is quite familiar." Lumiere thought to himself, before the new shaking that rocked the castle brought him out of his senses, a sudden knowing smile stretching on his face before he took off, back the way he had led the two.

The more the two climbed, the louder the sound got for them. While it was nothing more but a noise in the distance at first, eventually it grew so much that it felt as if they were up close to the source of it. The wooden beams creaked gently as both the brick and scythe hopped along it, the deafening music masking any other lesser sounds made. Yet the two still tried to remain as quiet as possible, slipping through the cracks of the walls made by the wooden structures, and providing a rather crude secret door to the room itself.

Brol and Sora's eyes widened at what they saw, which while difficult from their height above the room, was still quite a lot. While the music was loud from outside the walls of the room, it proved to be nothing as the cavern like chamber echoed the sounds from one side to the other, magnifying it to immense levels. As the pillars remained standing from the constant barrage of sound, the beams, on which Sora and Brol were traversing, proved to not be as sturdy. Shaking and bouncing from every noise, the two did what they could to merely not fall off and come crashing to the ground.

Hiding behind one of the pillars that the beams stretched behind, the two watched the massive organ continue to play the music, its eyes shut on its mask as it seemed content with the sounds it made.

"This isn't going to work out well." Said Brol as he hopped behind Sora, ready to catch the little brick in case he lost his ground.

"Come on. I've been in worse place then this. We can take him..." Sora replied as he looked back to Brol, the Brother showing a rather unbelievable look at him.

"...I just don't know how yet."

"He's right you know. Whatever you think of, it won't work out well." The new voice suddenly said, startling Brol and Sora as they tried to see where it had come from.

Swinging slightly in the darkness of the ceiling close by, the large form of a cage could be made out, causing Brol to quickly hop towards it, with Sora slowly behind him. Using his large blade to latch onto it, the Brother just managed to force the cage down, without letting himself fall off the side of the beam.

Covered in the light available, the lute within the cage turned around to the brick and scythe, its eyes widening a little along with that of Brol's, before the instrument appeared to cross it's arms, if it had any.

"Well now, look who it is." Said the lute surprised, causing Brol to scoff a little at him.

"Nice to see you too Luke."

"Um, excuse me, Luke?" Asked Sora as he looked back and forth between the two.

"Luke, this is Sora. Sora, this is Luke. One of my Brothers." Brol said as he motioned his head to the caged lute, who gave a soft strum of his string in response.

"Hi."