"Belle," Sora spoke up as he handed the woman a string of lights. "You said earlier that Beast doesn't like Christmas, if that's true why are you doing this? Won't he just get mad?" At his question everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turn towards the brown-haired maiden whose attention was now focused on the ground.
"The Beast…he…I … No one should be unhappy on Christmas."
"You see dears, Christmas is the day that the Master was turned into a Beast and the spell was place upon the castle. Ever since that cold winter night he has a deep loathing for the holiday," Mrs. Potts explained.
"Well if that's true, why don't you all feel the same way? " Sora asked.
"It is Christmas!" Lumiere exclaimed. "It is a time to show others how you much you care for them and spend time with them. It is not a day for loathing!"
"We want him to see that Christmas is a good holiday!" Chip squeaked.
"The Master, he holds himself responsible for what happened to us," Cogsworth explained "We hope that through this small gesture he will see that we do not blame him for what happened."
"Even if it was his fault," Lumiere muttered. Cogsworth shot the candelabra a glare.
"Well if this is to cheer up the Beast than we should hurry up and finish decorating!" Goofy laughed. Sora and Donald nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yeah!" They shouted. Belle smiled at their enthusiasm.
"Thank you, all of you."
The tree stood tall and beautiful before the proud group. Each layer of pines was covered in bright greens, reds, golds, and silvers. Ornaments shone brilliantly on every branch, their colors shining ever more brightly thanks to the Christmas lights. And at the top of the tree the most beautiful star was placed, its light shining vibrantly.
"I've never seen a more beautiful tree!" Belle exclaimed. "Great work everybody!" The woman approached the tree and set a beautifully wrapped present underneath it.
"Is that a present for the Beast?" Donald asked teasingly. Belle nodded happily.
"It's only a book I made for him. I really hope he likes it!"
"If it's from you Belle, he'll love it!" Goofy reassured. The maiden smiled softly at the knight's words.
Suddenly, the doors to the ballroom flew open, grabbing the attention of everyone occupying the space. Out of instinct Azami called forth her Heartless mask.
Standing in the doorway of the ballroom stood a ferocious looking animal that towered over everyone in the room. The animal was covered from head to foot in dark brown fur and resembled a combination of many different animals, each one liable to easily tear apart a human being. His hulking frame was like that of a large buffalo save for the fact instead of standing on four feet he slouched on two feet that looked very much like those of a wolf's. The antlers on his head were buffalo in appearance and his razor sharp teeth that were sneering in Azami's direction were that of a wild boar's. He wore a tattered purple cloak clasped in the front by a simple golden pendant and he wore ripped dark pants had probably seen better days.
"What is that thing, a Heartless?" Azami asked. She moved to put her mask on her face but was quickly stopped by Sora.
"That's the Beast! He's our friend!"
Casting the animal – the Beast – a wary look, Azami allowed her mask to disappear but she still stood ready for any sudden attack. The Beast, noticing her still tense form, growled loudly in her direction.
"Master!" Cogsworth shouted, drawing the animal's attention away from the girl. "We were just talking about you!"
The Beast snorted loudly and turned his attention away from his majordomo and directed it around the room. "What is the meaning of all this?"
"Well, we wanted to decorate the ballroom a little monsieur," Lumiere explained cautiously, "it is Christmas after all!"
"Christmas!" the Beast growled. "I told you that there will be no Christmas in my castle!" He turned his heated glare upon Belle. "This was your idea wasn't it?"
Belle calmly held the Beast's intense stare and stood a little straighter. "It was." The Beast growled low in this throat and stalked towards the defiant woman.
"Must you always go behind my direct orders? Must you always defy me?" The Beast was now before the woman growling down at her.
"Christmas is a time –"
"I DO NOT CARE!" The Beast bellowed. "THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTMAS IN MY CASTLE!" In a fit of rage the Beast swung furiously at the Christmas tree, effectively knocking the pine to the ground. Upon impact the lights went pitch black and many of the ornaments broke, further fueling the Beast's anger.
In a matter of seconds the Beast had ripped down all the decorations on the pillars and walls, turning the once beautiful room into a sad reminder of what it used to be. As he started to calm down he turned to face a now furious Belle and a shocked group of bystanders.
Belle narrowed her eyes at the Beast, frustrated that all her and the others hard work had went to waste. "Why must you act so negatively? Christmas is a time to be happy! A time to be spent with loved ones!"
The Beast snorted rudely at the woman's words. "Happy. What is there to be happy about? I am a prisoner within my own castle, you have no idea what that is like!"
"Hey!" Sora shouted. He stepped in-between Belle and the Beast, holding his arms out so as to further separate the furious couple. "That's enough Beast! Belle was only trying to help!" The Beast growled at the intruding boy.
"It's alright, Sora," Belle spoke up, bringing the attention to her crestfallen form. She stepped away from the chaos that was now the ballroom and turned her back on everyone. She started for the door without so much as a glance behind her but stopped short of the doorway.
"And I know only too well what it feels like to be a prisoner." With that she ran from the room.
"Belle!" Donald, Goofy, and Sora shouted after her. The three hurried after the maiden with Riku and the enchanted objects quickly following behind them.
Azami moved to follow them but stopped short, suddenly remembering something. She cast a glance at the solemn-looking Beast. "That present is for you." She nodded towards the discarded wrapped gift that had somehow remained untouched just feet away from its original spot. "Belle made it." Azami quickly rushed after the group, leaving the Beast to his self-made chaos.
Preview:
"Get. Out," he ground out through clenched teeth. "NOW!" The roar shook the entire room, bringing some of the pictures hanging pathetically to the wall to the ground with a loud crash.
Azami quickly walked to the door. When she was safely to the door she cast a sideways glance at the Beast. "You know," she started softly but she was confident the Beast could hear every word. "I can see why Belle feels like a prisoner here, you don't give her much room to think else wise." And with that she excused herself from the room.