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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn	By : RotSeele Category: Kingdom Hearts > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3168 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Twelve - Beast’s Castle, Village

Kaoru watched helplessly as Rinally was suddenly yanked off balance from the windowsill. One of her legs was still hooked on the outside of the house, keeping her from being pulled back all the way inside. He could hear her yelling, but he couldn’t figure out a way to get to her. There was a masculine curse and she appeared in the window again, hauling herself up so she had two feet on the windowsill now. Without preamble, Rinally flung herself out the window and into open air, her left fist closed tightly. Kaoru saw Le Fou stick his head out the window, his cheeks bright red and his eyes filled with pained tears. He pointed down at Rinally and Kaoru and yelled, “Thieves! Thieves! Somebody stop them!”
Rinally hit the ground, letting her knees buckle so she could better absorb the impact of a two-story drop, and rolled head over heels. When she popped back to her feet, she grabbed Kaoru’s wrist and pulled him toward the street. He didn’t argue; both of them began a madcap dash for the main road and the exit to the village.
People stared at them as they passed, startled by the two teenagers running so quickly by and confused by the cries of ‘thief’. By the time they realized the flight of the two teenagers and the yells were related, it was too late for people to stop them. Kaoru and Rinally kept running, not daring to look back. They didn’t dare stop when people began to cry out, instead pouring on all of the speed that they could muster. Houses and people flashed by, blurred faces in their haste to escape. At last they reached the end of the village and burst out into the wilderness, pounding up the road toward Beast’s Castle. They didn’t stop running until they were about halfway between the village and the forest, finally slowing until they came to a stop.
Kaoru bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Rinally did the same, crouching as she hung her head low, eyes closed tight. With her free hand, she reached up and rubbed the back of her head, running her fingers through her pink hair as she tried to make sure nothing had been ripped out.
“What,” Kaoru panted, “the hell was that?”
“That little imp grabbed me!” Rinally hissed, opening her eyes to glare up at Kaoru. She rose, paced forward a few steps, then turned back to face him. “So I punched him in the balls.”
Kaoru’s eyes went a little wide as he regarded her. “No wonder you were able to escape so quickly.”
“Yeah, well, it’s hard to fight someone when you’re bent over backwards, even if that person is smaller than you.” She kicked a snow-covered rock in frustration and put her hands on her hips. “I thought I was alone. I heard them all leave, but I guess that imp stayed behind or came back or something.”
“Are you okay, though?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“Oh!” Rinally grinned and presented her left fist, turning it over, palm up, before she opened her hand to reveal the two black rods she had stolen. “Recognize these?”
Kaoru stared at the rods for a heartbeat, then flicked his eyes up to Rin’s face. “Where did you get those?”
Rinally pointed back over his shoulder toward the village. “Gaston had them. More accurately, he had three. I heard most of the conversation between him and the guy he’s helping. Apparently, the guy - and I know it was a guy because his voice was deep and old - is working with some sort of organization because he kept saying ‘us’. Also, he’s working with Gaston to get into the castle. He promised Gaston Belle if he helped get him into Beast’s castle.”
Kaoru frowned at the rods in her hand as he listened to her describe her encounter, then flicked his blue eyes back up to her face. “What’s in the castle that they want so badly?”
Rin shrugged and closed her fist, moving to put the black rods into her backpack. “I don’t know. But Gaston is definitely up to no good, and his prize for his cooperation is Belle. He also said that once he had her, the guy could do whatever he wanted to with Beast.”
“So is it Beast they’re after?”
“If it is, why? What could he have that these guys could want? He’s not a Heartless.”
“No, he’s not.” Rinally frowned. “But whatever it is, it can’t be good. I think we should get back as fast as we can. Maybe Belle might have some answers for us.”
“Right.” Kaoru fell into step with Rin. They kept their pace brisk and moved as fast as they could through the snow, glancing over their shoulders now and then to look for pursuit. It wasn’t like they were moving covertly. Anyone who chose to follow them would have an easy time of finding their tracks and knowing where they were headed. Kaoru paused mid-step when the castle came within sight and looked at Rin. “You said Gaston had three rods, but you took two, right?”
“Right.”
“So you think he took the third?”
“Yeah.”
Kaoru frowned. “What do you think he’s going to do with it?”
Rin stopped and looked at her friend. “I don’t know. But he took the Heartless Shadow with him, so I guess we’ll find out soon, right?”
Kaoru’s lips spread into a thin line and he renewed his walk toward the castle. Rin hurried to catch up with him, unsure about what her friend was thinking about. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn’t going to be good.
Belle was waiting for them by the gate, a relieved smile on her face. Beast loomed in the open castle doors, watching from the sheltered porch. They must’ve been warned of their approach, Kaoru decided, because neither seemed out of breath or on edge about unexpected guests. He lifted a hand and waved to Belle. She waved back and opened the gate for them. Kaoru and Rin entered, pausing in the courtyard to wait for Belle to close and lock the gate again. Only then did Beast leave the castle and lumber toward them, grunting a greeting to the teenagers.
“Did you learn anything?” Belle asked, pulling her cloak tighter around her.
“Yeah, we did,” Kaoru replied, “and none of it’s good.”
“What’s happening down in the village?” Beast rumbled, almost growling.
Rinally looked up at him. “Well, Heartless have attacked some of the villagers. But,” she waited for him to get done snarling before continuing, “but it looks like it was intentional.”
“Intentional?” Belle asked, her eyes going wide.
Kaoru nodded. “Do you know someone by the name of Gaston?”
Belle and Beast exchanged looks. Beast’s lips curled up to reveal sharp fangs and a low growl issued forth from his throat. Belle moved to grip his arm, almost hugging him. He half-curled his body around her, as if he were protecting her. Belle looked at Kaoru with a sad expression and said, “We know him. He wants me to marry him, and I’ve always refused. I thought by coming to live in the castle, it would deter him enough that he would set his sights on someone else.”
“Well, it doesn’t look like that happened.” Kaoru replied. “He seems to have thrown his lot in with a guy who’s related to these black rods that can control the Heartless.”
“I heard him say that he was trying to rally the villagers to come attack the castle. If he can get inside, and can get this guy inside, you’ll be his.” Rinally added. Belle’s face went a shade too pale. Beast began growling low in his throat. “But the mystery guy, he wants you, Beast.”
He stopped growling almost immediately. His eyes went a little wide and he looked down at Belle, who gave him a confused look. “Why?” Beast asked.
“I don’t know.” Rinally answered. “But it’s definitely nothing good.”
“We won’t know until it actually happens,” Kaoru said softly. “But if we can keep them from ever getting inside, we can prevent them from getting what they want. Both of them. If we can fortify whatever defenses this place has, then Rin and I can go looking for Gaston. If we can get that last rod away from him, along with the Heartless Shadow, maybe his helper will come out. If he does, maybe I can get some answers from him.”
“Do you think you can find him and stop him before something happens?” Belle asked.
“Won’t know until we try.” Kaoru replied.
Belle looked up at the Beast. They said nothing out loud, but Kaoru felt certain that some silent discussion was taking place between them. At last, the Beast looked at Kaoru and Rinally and growled out, “We will take care of the defenses of the castle. Go around the courtyard and make sure there’s nothing against the walls that can be used to climb over them. See if you can find anything to brace the gate with, as well.”
“And after that?” Rin asked.
“After that,” Beast started lowly, “you two will go hunting.”
oooo
Kaoru and Rinally jogged around the courtyard in a clockwise motion, making sure there was nothing on the inside of the walls that anyone on the outside could use to get in. They found nothing with which they could brace the front gate with, but they found a length of thick chain that was so heavy it took both of them to carry it back to the gate and both of them to loop it around the wrought-iron posts to make sure the gate stayed secure. That done, they headed into the castle to drop off their packs and cloaks and prepare for their hunt for Gaston.
Kaoru ran his fingers over the armor on his right arm, watching the prismatic light flicker and dance under his fingertips. It was getting easier for him to call upon the armor, just as it was getting easier for him to call and dismiss Guardian as needed. He stood in the main foyer of the castle, waiting for Rinally to finish her preparations. He couldn’t help but feel as though he was missing something important about the whole situation. He looked up at the far dark ceiling above his head, gripping the hilt of Guardian tightly. He raked his memories, trying to find the source of his uneasy feeling. He thought about what Rinally had said, what she had overheard, and what had happened to her when she tried to escape Gaston’s house unnoticed. He thought about what had happened to them when they had escaped the village, or rather, what hadn’t happened to them.
Why didn’t the villagers keep pursuing us? Why didn’t anyone try to catch up to us on the road? Why weren’t we attacked? Everything that should’ve happened to us didn’t happen. Why?
Kaoru looked away from the ceiling and up the staircases that wound from the first floor to the second in a great bisected oval. The entire castle seemed silent, still, as if everyone inside it was holding their breath and waiting to see what would happen next. His uneasy feeling grew until he was almost fidgeting in place, unsure if he was going to decide to leave the foyer and go looking for Rin or Belle or Beast or all three, or if he was going to stay and wait. He bounced on the balls of his feet for a minute, his lips pressing into a thin line. He stilled suddenly, raising Guardian into a defensive position as he did so, his eyes flicking around the room.
At the same time the Heartless attacked, Kaoru heard a woman scream from somewhere within the castle.
He swung Guardian hard at the Heartless, catching it in the chest and sending it flying backwards. The Heartless was bigger than usual shadows, with longer limbs and longer ears. Kaoru planted his feet and stared at it, watching the Neoshadow Heartless struggle to its feet, its head cocking to the side as its butter yellow eyes regarded the boy and the Keyblade. Again the woman screamed and this time Kaoru recognized the voice as belonging to Belle. Loathe to turn his back on the Neoshadow, Kaoru slowly backed up toward the stairs, keeping Guardian ready. The Neoshadow cocked its head the other way, then lunged at Kaoru again. He ducked and swung Guardian hard, the Keyblade crashing into the Heartless’s body and shearing off a limb. It burst into motes of darkness and Kaoru turned to bolt up the stairs.
“Rinally!” Kaoru yelled, smelling smoke from a fire before he even reached the hall.
“Kaoru!” Rin yelled back, her voice somewhat muted. “Be careful! There are Heartless here!”
You think? He wanted to shout back, but he didn’t bother. It was pointless anyway. He charged through the hallway, body twisting and Guardian flashing, destroying Heartless Shadows and Neoshadows as they surged out of the floor or walls toward him. He skidded around a corner and found Rinally and Belle, both standing pinned against one wall but protected by a barrier of magic. Belle was kneeling on the floor behind Rinally, who had her arms out straight, gripping onto both ends of her staff to focus the magic of the barrier in one spot before it curled around them. Attacking the barrier was an ape-like Heartless, its massive fists slamming on Rinally’s barrier with concussive blows.
Kaoru didn’t slow. He charged the ape Heartless, drawing his arm back as far as his shoulder would allow before slinging it forward, releasing Guardian as he did so. The white Keyblade spun hilt over blade and crashed into the Heartless’s back, bouncing off and disappearing in a flash of light. It reappeared in Kaoru’s hand and he flung it again. When the Heartless turned away from Rin and Belle to regard Kaoru, Guardian crashed into the Heartless’s face, sending it backwards into Rin’s shield. Belle cried out again as the barrier between them and the ape-like Heartless shivered and shook, minute cracks appearing in the spell. Rin grimaced, shifting her stance to balance herself and make her position more solid as she tried to pour more magic into the barrier to repair and strengthen it. The ape Heartless shoved itself to its feet and shook its head from side to side before letting out a bellow and rushing the young Keyblade wielder still charging toward it.
Kaoru caught Guardian as it rebounded back and flew into a horizontal spin, bringing Guardian’s blade down onto the Heartless’s head as it charged beneath him. The Heartless sprawled to the floor and Kaoru landed, twisting in such a way that he spun to a stop before Rinally’s barrier. The Heartless growled as it shoved itself to its feet, balancing on its knuckles as it turned to face the boy. Its jaw dropped open to release a bellow and it began to charge again. Kaoru threw Guardian again, this time chasing the weapon. As the Heartless moved to duck under the rotating Keyblade, Kaoru jumped to avoid the charge, twisting in the air to grab the hilt of Guardian. As his fingers closed around the hilt, he followed through with swinging the Keyblade beneath him in a backwards arc, crashing the prongs of the weapon into the back of the Heartless’s neck and shoulders.
As it stumbled forward, Rinally dropped her barrier and snapped out, “Blizzara!”
Ice formed around the Heartless’s legs and ankles, capturing it in frigid shackles. It roared at her, but it couldn’t reach her, and Rin attacked it again with another icy spell, driving the Heartless to its knees. Kaoru hit the ground and rushed back to help her, thrusting forward with Guardian. This time the Keyblade pierced the ape-like Heartless’s skin, and it burst into motes after unleashing a terrible roar. The hallway grew quiet.
“What the hell happened?” Kaoru asked, using Guardian to point at the spot where the Heartless had been destroyed. “How did they get in?”
“I don’t know!” Rinally snapped. She raked a hand through her pink hair, then offered her hand to Belle. She helped the woman to her feet, then returned her attention to Kaoru. “One minute, we were preparing to fortify the castle with some barrier and shield spells, and the next minute, the Heartless started attacking!”
Swallowing hard to keep his voice even, Kaoru asked, “Rin, where are the rods?”
She pointed to a room whose door Kaoru had passed. The door was hanging off its hinges, and the entire room had been destroyed. The room looked like it had once been a study. “I hid them in there. It looked dusty and dirty and unused, so I figured, why not, right?”
“After the Heartless started attacking,” Belle began, “I thought we ought to retrieve them. If we kept them with us, then they couldn’t be used against us. So we came to get them, but...”
“But that Heartless had already broken into the room.” Rin said. “I bet you anything the rods are gone.”
Kaoru shifted, looking down the hall at where he knew more Heartless were no doubt gathering. “I think we’ve been going about this all wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“What exactly did Gaston say to the guy?”
Rinally sucked in a breath, trying to remember. “Gaston talked a lot about getting Belle and these people could do whatever they wanted to the monster.” She paused, her eyes going wide. “What if he was talking about Beast?”
Kaoru’s lips drew into a thin line and Belle covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped. “I think bringing those rods in here was exactly what that guy wanted. I think we weren’t pursued because we were doing exactly what he wanted us to do. It may have been by accident that you were able to get the rods, but it played into his plans.”
“So the rods weakened the barrier, allowing the Heartless in, but between us we can easily defeat them.” Rin said. “No one should be in danger.”
“No.” Belle said suddenly, her face expressionless even though her eyes filled with fear and worry. “Beast went to the bridge to ensure no one could use it to breach the castle. He’s outside the barrier.”
Kaoru and Rinally looked at each other, then back at Belle. “Is there somewhere safe you can hide?” Kaoru asked.
Understanding filled Belle’s eyes. She nodded. “I... I can hide in our room. Kairi showed me how I can protect myself from attack, so... so I’ll wait there. Don’t worry. I won’t be alone.”
Nodding, Kaoru looked at Rin, then started down the hall. She reached to grip Belle’s hand, smiling up at the Princess of Heart. “We’ll bring him back safe. I promise.”
“I know.” Belle replied softly. “Be careful.”
Rin flashed her a brilliant smile and took off down the hall after Kaoru.
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn