I'll Protect You No Matter What

Helping Our Friends

My Pov

We went into the dungeon, but all I could see was a clock, a teapot, a teacup, a candelabra and a footstool. There was no one in here.

Sora: "There's nobody here."

Donald: "You mean there's nobody to rescue?" I sighed. We came all this way for nothing?

Voice: "Did somebody say 'rescue'?" Huh? Who said that?

Voice 2: "Shhh! Keep quiet. It might be THEM." Who was saying that?

Voice 3: "Oh, they look like nice boys to me. And the young lady looks harmless." Then I realized something. We met a talking wardrobe, so that means that the items in the room were the ones talking.

Me: "We are harmless. Belle asked us to come and help you." That's when the objects in the room came to life and walked/hopped toward us. The 4 of us marveled at the objects. The footstool ran up to me and nuzzled my face as if trying to lick me. It let out a dog-like yapping noise.

Sora: "I'm Sora." He gestured toward me. "Hikari." Then to Donald. "Donald." And then to Goofy. "Goofy." Donald lunged and grabbed the clock.

Clock: "...D-don't touch! I-I am self-winding, sir!" Donald shook him, probably wondering how he was working.

Me: "We're glad to see everyone is alright."

Candelabra: "It is we who are overjoyed to see you!"

Goofy: "Did someone put a spell on you guys, too?"

Clock: "Yes, that's right... You heard! It was the enchantress."

Candelabra: "It seems so long ago..." I picked up the teacup and sat him next to the teapot, who I guessed to be his mother.

Teapot: "It was a cold winter's night... An old beggar woman came to the castle and asked for shelter." They told the tale of how the beggar offered the Beast, who was really a prince, a rose in return for shelter. He turned the old woman away because of her ugly appearance. She then revealed her true appearance to the prince. He tried to apologize to her, but she saw there wasn't any goodness in his heart. She turned him into a beast as punishment and turned all the residents of the castle into objects. The enchantress left the rose behind as his measure of the time he had left to break the spell. The only way to break the spell was to love a young maiden and earn her love in return. We needed to get to Beast. We all hurried to the West Wing. We had learned the names of the servants. The clock's name was Cogsworth, the candelabra's name was Lumiere, the teapot's name was Mrs. Potts, the teacup was her son Chip and the footstool was the Beast's dog Sultan.

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No one's Pov

Unknown to all of them, Beast was being lead astray by a member of Organization XIII.

?: "It is time you dealt with Belle. 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."

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

?: "What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?" Beast's sadness soon turned to rage as he roared at question. Soon, the unknown man sensed the presence of the Keyblade Master and the Princess. As they entered the room, he disappeared, but not before setting up a barrier.

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My Pov

We arrived in Beast's room just in time to see the Organization XIII member vanish. What had he said to Beast?

Sora: "Hey, Prince!" All of a sudden, Beast let out a spine-chilling roar that actually shook the room.

Cogsworth: "Oh, dear! Master!" Beast had a crazed look in his eye. He lunged at us. I grabbed Cogsworth and ducked out of the way. A red aura began to form around him.

Me: "We need to snap him out of it!" With Cogsworth help, we brought Beast to his senses in no time.

Beast: "Cogsworth... what happened?"

Cogsworth: "Well, Master... ah, you see... that is... How shall I say... ah, actually... mmm..." Cogsworth couldn't find the words to say it.

Donald: "Well, you put everyone down there in the dungeon!"

Beast: "I did what?" Beast must not remember doing anything under the influence of the Organization.

Me: "Beast, who was that man that was feeding you lies?" Beast thought for a minute and when he remembered, anger filled his entire being.

Beast: "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." His anger turned to sadness. "There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth."

Goofy: "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?"

Beast: "Was that it? Was it to protect them?" We all nodded.

Me: "I'm sure that's why. Beast, I think that you need to explain all this to Belle."

Beast: "Belle!" He became depressed all of a sudden. "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish." Those words... While I slept, I heard Riku utter very similar words to someone. "I've hurt her... I've hurt her in the worst possible way. I was so blinded by the darkness and my selfish desire to be stronger. Now... she's gone." I needed to find him.

Sora: "Hikari?" I snapped my attention to Sora. I felt something wet on my cheek. I realized I was crying. I quickly wiped my eyes.

Me: "It's nothing."

Sora: You're worried about Riku, aren't you?" The one thing I didn't like about Sora was that he could read me like an open book.

Beast: "Riku? The boy who attacked me a year ago? Why bother worrying about him?" Me and Sora shook our heads.

Me: "Riku had been tricked and used by both Maleficent and Ansem, Beast. He never would have done any of those things if Maleficent hadn't brainwashed him. Beside, the whole time me and Sora slept I could hear his voice. The past year has been hard on him. He's suffered more than anything. No one could inflicted a pain greater than the one he's been carrying in his heart."

Beast: "I trust your judgment Hikari. The last time I saw him, the aura around had changed."

Sora: "Come on. Let's go talk to Belle!"