Key to the Heart - A Kingdom Hearts Fanfic!

Chapter 16: Saving Beast!

"I'm guessing these things are never easy are they?" Ruby asks as Sora, Beast, Donald and Goofy fight the Heartless once more. When they deliver the final blow, and the Heartless roars before dispersing. The darkness in the room vanishes and Ruby rushes into the room.

"We did it!" Sora says and Ruby screams just as she's grabbed by the arm.

"So you think." Xaldin says at the same time.

"Xaldin!" Beast yells as he rushes towards Xaldin with Sora.

"LET HER GO!" Sora yells.

"I have no need for the little light, but she is constantly getting in the way. Know that if you get in our way again, we will destroy you. Farewell." Xaldin states and he throws Ruby to the ground before he vanishes.

"What does he want here?" Beast asks as Sora rushes over to help Ruby stand.

"He must be with Organization XIII." Sora says, "Are you alright, Ruby?"

"Yeah... he didn't hurt me." Ruby says, "Organization XIII are a group of... nobodies."

"Hmm?" Beast asks.

"Ever heard of 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." Sora explains.

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

'I don't understand... Xaldin sounded like he really would have hurt me if he was ordered to. But Axel and Roxas weren't like that and according to my diary... neither was she.' Ruby's thoughts say, 'So, Axel and Roxas must have been the exception... They really weren't evil. I can see that the reason Roxas wasn't evil is because of Sora...' She stares at Sora as the group continues to speak.

"You're alright!" Belle calls out.

"Belle!" Beast says and rushes over to her. The group heads over and joins them.

"Belle... I'm sorry, I-I wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you." Beast pleads and Belle shakes her head, "Forgive me..."

"I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize." Belle states, "But I had hoped... that you might have changed a little bit."

"Ooh, Beast is getting scolded." Ruby whispers.

"I wish you could start trusting me!" Belle says and she crosses her arms while Beast looks down sadly.

"Oh, I am afraid time is running short." The candlestick says.

"What do you mean?" Sora asks.

"Remember the rose?" The candlestick asks.

"From the Beast's room?" Donald asks.

"Precisely. You see, if the master can learn to love and earn love in return, before the last petal falls..." Cogsworth says.

"The spell will be broken!" The candlestick says.

"Really? You think he's gonna make it?" Sora asks.

"I think he will." Ruby whispers, "He loves her, even if he can't find the right words to express how." She places her hands together as she looks down sadly.

'I guess Beast and I aren't that different in terms of love. I didn't have the chance to tell Roxas...' Ruby's thoughts state, 'Only because... I didn't know the right words to express the truth.'

"We think so." The teapot says.

"Yep, I think you're right!" Goofy says.

"I HOPE you're right..." Sora says and suddenly the keyblade appears in his hand.

"Whoa." Ruby says as she jumps in surprise, "So it just appears in your hand whenever it wants to?"

"Yep." Sora replies and holds out the keyblade. Suddenly, the rose appears before him magically and he uses it and the keyblade to find the keyhole. Sora jumps back and uses the keyblade to free the world from any heartless that might be wandering around.

"What happened?" Beast asks after Sora is finished.

"The gate is open!" Donald exclaims.

"Do you have to go?" Belle asks.

"Yeah." Sora says.

"I was hoping to get to know Ruby some more." Belle says.

"It was very nice meeting you both." Ruby says and curtsies the best she can.

"Uh, what was that?" Sora asks.

"It's called a curtsy. It's how people greeted or said goodbye in my storybooks." Ruby says.

"Oh." Sora says.

"No more arguing, okay?" Goofy says to Beast and Belle.

"We'll see to it!" The candlestick says.

"Take care dears." The teapot says.

"You're welcome here, anytime!" Cogsworth says.

"If you hear anything about Riku or the King, the heartless, the Organization – anything at all – let us know!" Sora says and Belle and Beast nod. Ruby waves as she giggles.

"Okay, gotta go." Sora says before the group vanishes magically.