This story was created after hearing about the burning of the Notre Dame. I will admit that I'm a little more sensitive to the burning of buildings because six years ago, I lost my house due to a fire when I was thirteen years old. Sadly, the anniversary was three days before the fire started in Notre Dame.
Yeah . . . April is definitely my least favorite month.
However, I am proud to say this story will be my 75th story completed and my 98th story written.
I will say there is not that much detail because I wanted to get this done before Welcome Home was finished so this story would have the honor of being my 75th story completed. I will eventually edit this story to extend the length and add more detail.
Some things that happened in this story did not happen in the real event.
WARNING: Character Death. Turn back now if you don't want to see an innocent man's death.
HOW?
How can such a beautiful monument, that has survived over eight-hundred years, fall to something as simple as a fire? With how much his mother praised the cathedral when he was younger, he long believed the Notre Dame was indestructible.
Now standing in the center of the building, Ben helplessly watched the mass destruction as the roof began to cave in on itself.
Let's take this story back just a few minutes before—
Where Ben and his mother, Queen Belle, first arrived in the city of Paris.
-0-0-0-
Ben planned the trip for months when he overhead his mother tell his father, King Beast, about how much she missed Paris. Belle had been born in the city, yet was forced to live in a small village at a young age after her own mother contracted the deadly Plague. Over thirty-five years later, Belle will finally return home, for only a few short days though.
Not that she would admit to anyone, Belle squealed like a young child when she turned a page in her book where a note was conveniently placed, telling her to pack her bags for Paris.
Of course, Ben couldn't just up and leave when there was much work to be done with the recruitment of the new Isle children. Luckily, King Beast offered to fill in during their few days of sight-seeing.
Once the mother-son arrived in the early evening of Paris, having flown by their private jet, the gypsy Esmerelda and Captain Phoebus greeted them. Their son Zephyr, who was slightly younger than Ben, couldn't greet them since he was currently at Auradon Prep.
"Welcome to our beloved city, Your Majesties," Esmerelda greeted as she bowed respectfully. "We've been anxiously awaiting your arrival."
"Where is that girlfriend of yours?" Phoebus wondered as he looked beyond the pair.
"Mal is back in Auradon Prep," Belle answered for her son with a small smile. "She's helping to lead the newest Isle children around the campus."
"And she's not really my girlfriend anymore," Ben insisted. Once he saw the couple's confusion, he further explained, "I proposed a week ago. You two are actually the first outside of my parents to know about our engagement."
"Congratulations!" Esmerelda exclaimed. "We are extremely honored to be the first to hear the news."
"Where you would like to start your tour of the city?" Phoebus interrogated as the four of them began to walk toward the streets. "There many places we can go in your week-long visit."
"I want to see the Notre Dame first," Ben confessed. "Mom used to tell me all about it and I promised Claudine I would take pictures for her. She was so jealous that I was going to see it."
"Who's Claudine?"
"She is one of the newest students in Auradon Prep from the Isle." Ben paused for a moment before adding, "And the thirteen-year old daughter of Judge Frollo."
Ben silently waited for the couple to freak on him, but instead he was asked what the young girl was like and what she looked like.
"She's a sweet young girl that's always wanted to see Paris, especially the Notre Dame," Ben explained. "She has blonde waist length hair and bright blue eyes that light up every time the Notre Dame is mentioned in class. Claudine has always wanted to meet her foster brother, Quasimodo. In fact . . ."
He trailed off as he pulled a small wooden figurine out of his pant pocket. Upon further investigation, the three adults realized it was a replica of Quasimodo when he had been crowned the King of Fools.
"Claudine made this and asked if I would give it to her brother," Ben clarified. "She wanted it to be a piece treaty between her and him."
"Quasimodo will love it," Esmerelda promised. "Let's bring it to him now."
As they began to walk further among the streets of Paris, a man came running toward them in a panic. "Captain!" The man shouted to Phoebus, clearly out of breath. "The Notre Dame is on fire!"
"What?" The group picked up their pace as Phoebus interrogated, "How did it happen?"
"Some say it the equipment on the roof used for maintenance caught fire," the man claimed through a pant. "Others believe those dreadful Isle children did it for revenge."
"May I remind you that one of those children will be the new Queen of Auradon in a few short years," Belle scolded. "And my future daughter-in-law."
"My apologize, Your Majesty," the man said monotonal. "But I was referring to the daughter of Claude Frollo."
"Claudine would never do such a thing," Ben argued as he slowly felt his temper rising. How dare he accuse such an innocent girl? "Besides, she's at Auradon Prep right now with the rest of the Isle children."
The five of them arrived at the horrendous scene. The entire roof of the Notre Dame was completely ablaze with the firefighters doing everything they could to keep the building from turning to ash. From the sidelines, they watched as a spire collapsed in flames.
Esmerelda scanned the crowd of onlookers. "Where's Quasimodo?" She demanded from the man. "You did get him out, right?"
The man sighed. "No, not yet. We can't get in. A piece of the roof fell and now the inside is on fire. We can't go in without being in danger."
Ben scoffed as he began to remove his jacket. "Or you're just too much of a coward to try."
With that insult, the king burst forward and ran as fast as he could toward the monument. He could faintly hear his mother screaming for him as he weaved successfully through the crowd, emerging on the other side to quickly stand only a few feet in front of the building. Making a quick decision, Ben used the momentum of his speed to jump up onto the walls of the cathedral and start to climb up with no assistance.
Well, it helped that he was letting some of his Beast out.
Ben made it to a subsection of the roof that wasn't on fire. Being as cautious as he could, Ben hurried to Quasimodo's tower, the one that just had to be collapsing too. Climbing in through the window—since the entrance was actually on the bottom floor—Ben's heart dropped at the scene.
Quasimodo, the bright and cheerful man, was pinned down on the floor by one of the main wooden posts that stabilized the towers.
Ben rushed forward and used all the strength that he could muster to lift the post. It wouldn't budge.
"It's . . . no use." Quasimodo croaked as he coughed from breathing in the smoke. "Go. Safe yourself."
"No!" Ben shouted as he continued to strain at his task. His hands began to morph as he spent more time trying to lift the heavy object. They became more muscular, slightly hairier, and claws replaced his fingernails. "I am not leaving you, Quasimodo," he growled defiantly. "Your sister is too eager to see you."
"My . . . sister?" Quasimodo questioned curiously. "I don't have . . . a sister."
"Yes, you do." Ben stopped for a moment to pull out his gift. He held it a few inches in front of his face. "Claudine made this for you in hopes that you two would be true siblings, not just foster siblings. She is wanting to meet you."
Quasimodo coughed for a few moments. "Do me . . . a favor," he requested. "Place it . . . on the foot . . . of the cross. So they . . . can remember . . . me."
"You will live." Ben insisted as he shoved the gift in his pocket. "You have to help me!"
Quasimodo shook his head stubbornly. "No," he rasped. "I've . . . given up. Please . . . rebuild my . . ."
He trailed off as his eyes fluttered closed. A moment past before he stopped moving altogether.
"Quasimodo." Ben shook his exposed shoulder. "Quasimodo!"
More of the tower began to fall over, most of the rubble catching aflame. Ben was forced to jump away when a piece of framing came too close to him. He attempted to move back to the fallen man, but the tower began to collapse in on himself. If he didn't leave now . . .
Ben sighed as he felt his eye water. "I promise," he whispered to the man. "I will do whatever it takes."
-0-0-0-
Back in Auradon Prep, all of the Isle children were sitting in the student lounge area as they watched the news of the Notre Dame being on fire. Some would sneak glances at Mal, who was sitting at the edge of an arm of a chair in worry. Just an hour ago, one of the cameras had caught Ben climbing up the side of the cathedral.
Mal had her arm around a young child, who was actually sitting in the chair, rubbing circles in the girl's back to comfort her. Claudine Frollo was hugging her knees to her chest as she silently cried at the scene, rocking herself back and forth while dreaming it wasn't true.
Ten more minutes passed before the fire was completely out, but there was no word if Ben or Quasimodo made it out safely.
Right when Claudine was about to give up hope, her phone ringed, signaling that she had a text. Unlocking her phone, she discovered she had received a picture from the 'missing' king.
The picture was the cross that stood at the back of the cathedral with all the rubble surrounding it. The cross remained untouched, but there was something at the foot of cross.
Zooming in on the picture, Claudine gasped. It was the statue of her brother she made for him. She spent a month on the statue, making sure it was perfect for him.
A second later, another text was sent to her by Ben.
'In the middle of the ashes, the cross still stands. No matter the devastation we face, no matter what is burned up, the cross is victorious.'
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'AND WE WILL REBUILD HIS SANCTUARY!'