Beast's Castle

Beast's Castle is a World in Kingdom Hearts II and is based off of the 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.

Taking place entirely within and on the grounds of a Loire Valley-styled castle in old France, Sora, Donald, Goofy reunite with their friends Beast and Belle, who they had met at Hollow Bastion in the previous game. Like the first game, Beast will eventually join and fight with Sora's party in this area. In addition, several characters new to the Kingdom Hearts universe are introduced, most notably the servants of the Castle, including Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts.

Setting
Sora and his party enter in, appropriately enough, the castle's Entrance Hall. They cannot go out the castle's main doors yet, but a small door to the east leads to the Parlor, where they have an abrupt encounter with Beast and some Heartless. The Parlor also holds the world's Moogle shop, as well as a save point. To the north back in the Entrance Hall is a grand staircase that leads to both wings of the castle ; going straight ahead takes the party into the magnificant Ballroom, where a number of plot points take place.

Going to the east takes the party to the East Wing, where Belle's Room is. Here, she provides information, a few chests, and a save point. Going to the west takes the party to the much larger and more involved West Hall. Suits of armor block the stairs to the right, and so the only place Sora and his group can explore, once The Wardrobe is moved, is the Undercroft. After a boss battle, the party reaches the Dungeon, where they meet Beast's servants and learn of the world's events. The group goes out of a secret passage in the Undercroft to the Secret Passage, which allows them to sneak behind the armored suits blocking the stairs back in the West Hall. Entering the door opposite the Secret Passage takes the group to the West Wing proper, at the end of which is Beast's Room.

During the second trip to Beast's Castle, the main doors of the Entrance Hall unlock, allowing Sora to access two more areas, the Courtyard, full of fighting gargoyles, and the Bridge, where the final confrontation with Xaldin takes place.

First Visit
Sora and his party enter the world and find themselves in the vast and abandoned Entrance Hall. Upon hearing a familiar growl in the distance, they identify it as that of their former ally Beast's; however, a Heartless scurries across the hall floor and leads them into the Parlor. They are surrounded by more Heartless, and Beast bursts in, laying waste to the Shadows. But instead of greeting his old friends, he pushes them aside, only interested in rescuing a rose in a bell jar on a nearby table. Confused, the party decides to go in search of answers.

Arriving in the East Wing, they hear another familiar voice lamenting from a nearby room, soon finding another old friend, Belle. Happy to see them, she tells them more about Beast's strange behavior; he has become extremely withdrawn, even going so far as to lock all of the castle servants in the West Hall dungeons. Sora, Donald, and Goofy decide to help her; they sneak into the dungeons amidst Heartless, a sleeping Wardrobe, and a dangerous guardian. There, they are greeted by the servants, who are happy to be free, but concerned about their master's strange behavior. Cogsworth guides the group through a secret passage into the West Wing, where they hope to find Beast.

Meanwhile, Xaldin is with Beast in his room, feeding him lies about the castle inhabitants and especially Belle. The Beast only seeks her love, but Xaldin taunts Beast and encourages to unleash his anger on those who would try to steal or destroy his precious rose. With bad timing, Sora and his party arrive; enraged at the intrusion, the party is forced to fight Beast with help from Cogsworth. After having some sense beat into him, Beast reveals Xaldin is behind his strange behavior, turning his sadness into rage in an attempt to make him turn to the Darkness.

Beast goes to apologize to Belle, but before he can, he and the others hear Belle cry out for help from the Ballroom, where Xaldin has set the Shadow Stalker upon her. After a long and hard battle, it is defeated; Xaldin disappears. Sora explains to Beast about the Nobodies and Organization XIII, including how they probably wanted Beast's would-be Nobody on their side. Beast apologizes to Belle for his actions, but Belle scolds him for not trusting her. The servants worry about their relationship, and Lumiere and Cogsworth explain the importance of the rose to the curse. Sora then uses the rose to unlock the gate to the next world.

Second Visit
Sora and the gang arrive just in time for a ball that Beast is holding for Belle. Donald decides to crash it, but unfortunately so does Xaldin and his Dragoons. While the Dragoons keep the good guys busy, Xaldin makes off with the rose. Beast loses his temper and blames Belle for giving Xaldin the oppertunity to take it; he then asks Belle to leave the castle so she won't have to bear with his temper and ugly ways. Belle is upset, but she agrees to let Sora handle things and leaves. Sora chews out Beast for his behavior towards her and giving up so easily. Beast decides to go talk with her again.

On their way, they are stopped in the Entrance Hall by Xaldin, bearing the rose. He lets the group know of Organization XIII's goal to reach Kingdom Hearts, and confirms Sora's theory of why he is trying to control Beast. He then vanishes.

Looking for him, the party goes outside. They see Belle, looking heartbroken out on her balcony. She spots the group, warning her back to the castle's safety, but on her way inside she sees the rose sitting nearby. Triumphant, she shows them, only to be grabbed from behind by Xaldin. He leaps away to the Bridge with her and the rose; the group follows in hot pursuit. There, he gloats and offers Beast a choice: he can take either the rose or Belle, while Xaldin takes the other. However, the resourceful Belle elbows Xaldin in the stomach, snatches the rose away, and runs for safety, leaving Xaldin alone to fight a very angry Beast, Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Although he throws everything he has at them, Sora and company are ultimately triumphant; Xaldin disintegrates into nothingness.

Belle and the Beast reunite. Belle hands him the rose and reluctantly offers to leave. Beast confesses that what's important is that Belle was not hurt, and stutters his gratitude to her for saving the rose. The others then encourage a stammering Beast to tell her that he wants her to stay. She replies by offering her hand and saying she will; the two then dance around the Courtyard, having their ball at last.