For some reason I cannot stop listening to Xenoblade Chronicles' OST, so good *Insert James Franco GIF here*. I don't own that either by the way, just like I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the other random references you'll find throughout this fan fic. Speaking of references...


Chapter 3

Fear's Debauchery

Judge Frollo, a man devoted entirely to his work as a figurehead of justice, was having doubts in his mind that perverted what original beliefs he had ever had. He stood in his small room with books on multiple topics surrounding him. His lips were pursed shot and his cold piercing gaze stared out of the window contemplatively. If it were somehow possible, he looked older and paler than the day before this, and even more so a week ago. Whatever life and youth there had been in Frollo's character had been drained entirely over one single woman, a gypsy by the name of Esmeralda.

How he had spent so many times focusing on his studies in the past, only for his attention to be easily diverted to thoughts of her these days. His dreams were more like nightmares with teases of her and yet in reality they were not so close that he could easily touch her whenever he wanted to. It wasn't just him that noticed his own failing health. The whole city had taken notice and had burst out with a series of rumors regarding Frollo being potentially ill and even dying (a rumor heavily spurned on by his haters), the fact that Frollo turned away anyone who offered their assistance due to his increasing paranoia of those around him, made people even more wary of his ability to maintain law and order as a judge.

But he cared little for making friends. In a world such as this there was only one truth he adhered by: that the good must prevail and the evil be punished, and of course the accursed gypsy witch was of the latter species.

A knock was heard on Frollo's door and he grunted in disgust. No doubt the archbishop had come once again to his doors to convince him to stop what he considered a great injustice. Frollo was flipping the thought back and forth in his head of whether to open the door or not when a more playful knock was heard this time, much unlike the archbishop's. It came in a musical rhythm of six with the fifth and last taps each having their own brief pause. Was it another incessant drunkard come to mock him or worse yet throw food at him?

"And before you ask, it's not another incessant drunk come to throw food at you, hee-hee-hee." The muffled voice on the other side of the door said with startling accuracy to what Frollo was thinking. Frollo blinked as if he had just come upon some form of witchcraft and it wasn't until he heard the next set of knocks that disrupted his blank expression.

Frollo swept forward as smoothly as a broom and opened the door to see a strange man with face coated in white make-up and an abnormal costume of dysfunctional colors that resembled a clown. Besides him was a girl with blonde hair and a blue dress who seemed to be in a state of absent-mindedness.

"The name's Kefka though Supreme Overlord would also do, and I hear you have a teensy weeny tiny bit of a problem." Kefka emphasised with his hands although the space between his thumb and the rest of his fingers was a lot more than 'tiny'.

"And just where did you hear that?" Frollo questioned the strange man. He was sure that the man must have heard it from any number of available persons in town who knew of Frollo's dilemma. Even so, Frollo could say with certainty that he had never seen this man before amongst the troupe of jesters that usually frequented the square around festivals.

"A little blue bird told me. Not her, I know she's blue but that's because she's sad all the time." Kefka's vague words were lost on the tired judge who desired nothing more but to close the door on the two and return back to his grieving. "You look pale fine sir. Did you fall asleep in bleach by any chance?"

"I don't need this." Frollo mumbled under his breath before attempting to close the door but Kefka's next words caused him to leave it hanging.

"Don't you wanna know where the Heartless came from?" Kefka looked on with the glimmering eyes of a madman, no, of a man who had baited his prey in successfully with but a few words and had caught him.

"Heartless? Do you perhaps mean… those demons?"

"That's what I just said. Sheesh! Don't people listen anymore?" Kefka exclaimed as if offended. Frollo dismissed this with his anticipation rising by the second. Gone was the thought of casting these people from his door.

"Would you care to come in?" Frollo's voice became silky and inviting causing the woman next to Kefka to stiffen a little. The door opened wide to welcome the strange guests inside.

The room was dark and barely lit with the only source of light being from a few candles placed randomly about the room. The smell of leather, a product from the various books, scrolls and parchments in the room, was predominant causing Elsa to scrunch her nose. She didn't mind the books themselves. On the contrary, they had been the only thing keeping her from dying of boredom back in Arendelle however this putrid smell of book probably more than a century old was a bit too much for her to handle.

"Not expecting any guests are we?" Kefka asked as he buried through the mountains of books, throwing them aside as soon as he inspected them. Some of them landed beside Elsa's feet allowing her to examine them in closer detail. Several of the documents detailed various methods of something called the alchemical process, not that Elsa understood what that meant.

"Not one that I would care for. So, explain to me these creatures—you called them Heartless." Frollo reminded Kefka sensing that he had forgotten the reason he had been allowed in. Frollo took his seat on a wooden chair and waited patiently for information.

"Ooh, let's see, where do I start? Actually, how about you explain it to him your highness?" Kefka said to Elsa who dropped the document she was holding when Kefka looked at her. "You've barely spoken since we came here, how rude of you."

Elsa nodded before explaining. "The Heartless are more or less the darkness inside a person's heart. They'll usually follow the will of whoever's strongest. And this isn't the only world they go after. There are more worlds than one." She stopped as soon as Frollo's face lit up in confusion.

"Yes you heard that right. This world is only one of many and the Heartless aren't some manifestation of gypsy magic or whatever hoopla you usually spout." Kefka said.

"Sorry, what is this alchemical process?" Elsa inquired, unable to resist the urge of intrigue that came with seeing the word.

"That does not concern the likes of you." Although surprised that the young girl had taken interest in his studies, Frollo was swift in swiping the documents away from Elsa. He continued, "Then these other worlds… they must be where those three came from. They were wielding keys and have been much a nuisance since they stepped foot here. I was wondering from which hole the rats had scuttled out of."

"Interesting you should mention keys. As it so happens, those keys are used to defeat the Heartless and they can open any lock they like-"

"WHAT?!" Frollo darted out of his chair so quickly that the object fell over behind him. Had he heard correctly?

"Well they are keys, what did you expect? They aren't exactly monkeys." Kefka said snickering.

The joke aside, Frollo's smile had taken on a sardonic grin. For years, he had been trying to uncover the secrets of the world, of a science which very few but him believed in. If these keys really did what this stranger in front of him claimed to do, then such a possible pathway could be formed from which he could find the place where alchemy had started, the fabled lost city that every alchemist sought.

"And how do I obtain these keys?" Frollo asked after a long awkward pause.

"First, you need the power to defeat those who wield it. And what's the catch you ask? Well you didn't but there is none! All you need to do is give into the hatred in your heart." Kefka said.

"My hatred?" Before Frollo could ask more Kefka moved in and tapped his chest. A rush of power greater than anything Frollo could have imagined overwhelmed him and took him off guard causing him to trip over. This rush of power soon ended, and surprise turned to a grin and a grin turned into laughter. This was the power he had craved, a power which, unlike the law, had no boundaries or rules. With this, he would finally make Esmeralda his.


Two Days Later

"Sora? Sora, wake up!" A familiar red head's voice shook Sora out of his sleep and his eyes opened in panic. His pupils darted in multiple directions as he tried to ascertain his location. No, he wasn't back there like he thought he had been, instead he was starting at a rather old ceiling and he could feel Kairi's presence to his right. "That dream again?" she asked with a motherly concern.

"Yeah." He confirmed softly before sitting up and letting out a frustrated sigh. It had been on more than one occasion where he had experienced the exact the same dream. The tense and chilly feeling of the air, the sound of a perfect cut from back to front, the fear in her eyes and the small gasp that had escaped her mouth… the moving images came to haunt Sora every once in a while as if they were on a mission to torture him as much as possible. Each time he dreamed of Yeul's death, every moment and every sense felt real and he was compelled to act on this thinking that he could save her this time, only to find that what felt real was only an illusion and the reality was much worse.

"Yeul wouldn't blame you for what happened back then you know? You told me that you saw her when you fought Abraxas-"

Sora dismissed her with a sceptical look. "I told you I don't know whether that was real or not. Maybe… maybe it was all in my head and I just imagined her there because it gave me comfort. I was alone back then so my heart probably made a connection with another person I knew who had been lonely too. As much as I want to believe that I saw Yeul, I know that she couldn't really have come back."

"That's just you blaming yourself." Kairi reasoned but Sora's eyes flicked away to looking at his hands. "Look at me Sora. You can't keep holding everything inside like that. It's okay to scream every once in a while, get angry if you have to but what you're doing isn't healthy."

"Can we not talk about this Kairi? The sooner I forget about this the better. Plus I don't want to be a bother to you and Riku." Sora said playing his best smile possible. He truly wanted to smile and spend time with his two best friends and he knew moping about things would only make their time together feel exhausting and somber.

"It wouldn't be a bother, but you're right, we don't have time to talk about this now. Riku's already downstairs and waiting for us, no surprise there. Let's head down before he decides to leave us here." Kairi said letting out a snicker. Sora snorted before hopping out of bed to change.

A few minutes later, Sora and Kairi had reached the first floor landing to find Riku sitting by the table they had been at last night looking as if he were struggling to endure something of abhorred nature.

"Man, I guess Riku must really be disgusted that we're so late." Sora said making his and Kairi's arrival blatant to Riku.

"No, it's this oatmeal. It's disgusting, like snot." Riku groaned and made a blech sound in exaggeration. He pushed the bowl of what looked like a gooey abomination on mankind away from his as far as possible.

"So you've tasted snot before Riku? My, don't you have a refined palette." Kairi commented with a sly smile.

"The best around naturally. And I know enough to know that my palette disagrees with this awful stuff." Riku said almost a little too loudly attracting the attention of a few people nearby.

"I don't think the inn keeper will take too kindly to your words. Don't worry, I'll cover for you. OH YES, THIS OATMEAL IS C'EST MAGNIFIQUE." Sora yelled out loud stupidly only to receive the expected reactions of disbelief among the customers there and face palms from both Riku and Kairi. "I think it worked." He whispered and gave a wink.

With embarrassment plain on their faces, Riku and Kairi were quick to get them and Sora out of the inn and to their destination. The clatter produced by dense crowds only grew louder as they made their way to the Cathedral. Much like the first time Sora had come here the place was no stranger to multiple facets of life ranging from the wealthiest nobleman to the slurring drunk. The only difference now was that any specs of the festival of fools and its joys were now gone from the square allowing more space for people to walk. Of course the most formidable aspect of this scenery lay in the centre stage where people were burned at the stake for their atrocious crime, most of which Sora doubted were truly down to said criminal. It stood as a symbol of oppression showcasing the long reaching grasp of the law, and to an even bigger extent, the corruption within it and its ability to scaremonger.

But wanting to ignore anything related to death, Sora flirted with the cathedral itself. The antithesis of the stake with its grand and majestic walls offering solitude and sanctuary to those in need of it. It was the only place that couldn't be reached by the corruption of power. It had saved Esmeralda many times from the long reach of Judge Frollo and had even given Quasimodo some solace with its melodic bells. Unfortunately, as of recently the cathedral's interior had come under a number of attacks from the Heartless and any type of sanctuary was now being threatened.

Sora was the first into the bell tower and the first to see Quasimodo on the floor. He called out the hunchback's name in shock and rushed over to his side, helping him up from the floor. "Quasi, are you okay?" he asked as Riku ran forward to support him, helping Quasimodo up to stand.

"I- I- my sight, it faded for a few seconds and I felt a little dizzy then the next thing I knew I was here on the ground." Quasimodo's voice trembled as even he tried to make sense of what had happened.

"You don't think that the Heartless inside him has something to do with it, do you?" Kairi asked before holding up her right index finger. "Okay Quasi, I need you to follow the direction of my finger only using your left eye. Think you can do that?" Quasimodo nodded and covered his right eye allowing Kairi to proceed for the next minute witch a check-up that reminded Sora of his own eye tests back on the islands. She moved her finger left, right, up and down watching Quasimodo's pupil carefully as they moved in conjunction. She next did this with the other eye, Sora and Riku watching expectantly as Kairi took her time.

"So what's the analysis doc?" Sora asked once Kairi had finished and had pulled away.

"It's not looking good. His left eye seems to be fine but with his right eye I noticed a good delay between when my finger moved and the time it took for him to react. I mean his eye might have been like that beforehand, I don't have anything previous to tell me what it was like before but I don't think we should rule it out just yet." Kairi said but Quasimodo shook his head.

"That explains it then…"

"Sorry?" Riku asked for the group.

"I've been having migraines lately, usually by the right side of my head. I thought I could ignore them at first but they only became more frequent. So that's what they were." Quasimodo explained. He looked down at his trembling plump hands as if mesmerized by some fascinating horror in front of him.

"Did you tell Esmeralda about the headaches?" Riku enquired.

Quasimodo shook his head in shame. "I thought that it was nothing so I didn't bother telling her. I know I was wrong but I was afraid and…" he stopped and buried his head into his hands. Were it anyone else in the room, they would have found it impossible to believe that a creature like this would be wallowing in despair, but Sora and his friends knew better. They knew he was no creature but a human like anybody else and that he was in need of help.

"We're running out of time," Kairi stated giving Sora and Riku a solemn look. "Quasimodo's will is probably conflicting with the Heartless' for dominance. I don't know how long you can hold this up Quasi, oh I'm so sorry." Kairi moved in and hugged Quasi as tightly as she could for comfort though Sora and Riku remained on the spot. They both knew that pity wouldn't make things better for the poor bell ringer. It was only time before he fully lost his mind and became the beast that everyone who didn't know him viewed him to be.

Another person entered the designated room of hopelessness. Esmeralda threw the hood of the cloak off her head and seeing the scene in front of her, immediately regretted coming in with a smile. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Kairi let go off Quasimodo and explained as best she could about his condition. During this, Esmeralda's eyes never left Quasimodo. Maturely she nodded and appeared thoughtful as she heard about Quasimodo's migraines and Kairi's test. "And there's no way to help him without your friend?" she asked calmly once Kairi had finished.

"We don't know, but we know that you're definitely helping him Esmeralda. As long as Quasi doesn't let slip of any of the precious memories that the two of you have made then it should give us some time." Sora answered wanting to restore some form of hope in the room.

"If that is all we can do for now then it is what it is. We just need to make the best of our situation. We can do this Quasi." Esmeralda encouraged, to which Quasimodo returned with a weak smile.

"It's too late for me. I'm only stalling the inevitable as you said right? How long did it take the others? It truly feels like I'm cheating death." said Quasimodo wryly.

So you're just going to give up after all Esmeralda has done to help you? Sora wanted to say but he didn't have it in him to call his friend selfish for giving up so easily. He wondered if this was how Luna felt upon discovering that she was a Chimera too. How many times had she almost given up?

Before anyone could say anything, another person entered the room. Sora recognized this man as being by Judge Frollo's side most of the time and immediately summoned his Keyblade.

"Woah there kid, watch where you're pointing that thing or you'll poke an eye out with your giant metal key thing. Weird weapon if you ask me. Anyway I'm not here with Judge Frollo, I promise." Phoebus held his hands up in submission and slowly placed them behind his head.

"…How much did you hear?" Sora eventually asked keeping his Keyblade pointed at the captain.

Phoebus looked at Quasimodo and spoke with a lopsided smile plastered on his face. "Quite enough, none of which I can say I understood though but from the tone, I can guess that you're a pretty unlucky man my friend."

"I am NOT your friend." Quasimodo advanced formidably and grabbed Phoebus by the collar raising him up into the air even when against the calls of disapproval from the others. "Why did you come here?"

"Well I can't tell you anything if I'm up in the air like this." Phoebus grunted feeling the collar dig into the back of his neck. A hand comparative to that of a gentle wave reached out and touched Quasimodo's arm shaking him out of his anger. He looked into Esmeralda's eyes for a few seconds before letting go. Phoebus dropped to the ground and rubbed his buttocks in annoyance before standing back up. "Why thank you, I'm supposing you're the brawn of the operation and she's the brains."

"Get on with it before I set Djali on you. You'll come to find that she knows quite a lot of tricks." Esmeralda said although she couldn't hide her blush at the compliment.

"I've seen a lot to know what little Djali can do." Phoebus said before his smile was wiped away by a hardened expression on his face. "Anyway, I've come to tell you that Frollo has ordered a search of the cathedral for you. You need to go now."

"Excuse me captain but aren't you with Frollo? Why are you telling us this?" Sora asked.

"Because I am a captain no longer. I was dismissed by Frollo because of insubordination regarding the capture of a certain gypsy." Phoebus replied. "Frollo has no regard for the sanctity of the church and is determined to get his way. The cathedral isn't the only thing he's going after either. He's ordered a search of every home and shop in the city and those strange creatures are popping up a lot more frequently lately. He even set some of those creatures on me when I refused to burn down a house with a family still inside and I just barely managed to get away by jumping into the river. The man has gone insane."
"Leaving the city is going to be a hard enough feat to accomplish if what you say is true." Riku said contemplatively.

"It's okay. If we gypsies are good at anything, it's knowing our way throughout the city. I'll find a way to slip by them." Esmeralda pulled her cloak over her head before asking, "Captain, do you think you could escort me out of the vicinity without arousing suspicion?"

Phoebus thought about this for a second with his eyes squeezed tight together. "I… think so. Most of the guards positioned around the cathedral still think that I'm a captain so I might be able to use that to my advantage. Plus the archdeacon isn't too pleased about this development and is causing a ruckus so that might help us out as well."

Esmeralda nodded and looked back at Quasimodo with a sad smile. "We're almost there Quasi. Just stand a little longer." With that she exited the room with Phoebus giving a nod to the group before following her.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" Riku asked.

"He seemed like a fairly good guy at heart. A little cocky and arrogant but I think she'll be alright around him." Kairi answered before turning to Quasimodo. "Do you know where Esmeralda actually lives?"

"The court of miracles, but I don't really know where it is. All she gave me was this." Quasimodo said. He pulled the talisman that was around his neck off and handed it to Kairi who examined it thoroughly. "I think she said at the time 'when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand'. I'm still not sure what that means."

"Oho, this is some Indiana Jones stuff right here. I just hope there aren't any bad dates around here." Sora commented amusedly.

Kairi hummed both in thought and agreement as she twisted the memento in her hand. Like another certain object which Sora held dear to him for reasons unknown, this object held a mysterious secret behind it. It was an ill kind of addiction but it taunted him none the less, captivating him and drawing him to uncover its mysteries. He was of course referring to the puzzle box that was currently lying inside the Gummi Ship. It said a lot when not even Yen Sid could decipher its contents but he had mentioned something: that the design was of some thousand years old. If that was the case then they may as well have given up because tracing this box back that many years would only result in many dead ends. However, Joshua's keenness in ensuring that the puzzle box remained in Sora's hands was enough to keep him going. If there was a way to trace it back that many years then he would find it.

Sora smiled as he heard Kairi repeating what Esmeralda had told Quasimodo under her breath. She was already engaged in her own world thinking deeply about what everything could mean. If he were to be honest, he thought it quite cute though he wasn't willing to divulge that thought.

"Kairi, some fresh air might help you figure something out." Sora suggested. She nodded before leaving the bell tower.

"Do you think she'll be able to figure something out?" Quasimodo asked. "Maybe I should go out and help her."

"You should do that. I think you could use the fresh air as well, think things through because we're definitely not gonna let you give up just like that." Sora told him. "And don't worry about Kairi; she's smarter than I am. Don't tell her I said that though. I'd never hear the end of it."

"And she's special to you?" Quasimodo asked.

"Well I guess she's like what Esmeralda is to you. She wasn't originally from the place that Riku and I lived in but she arrived there when I was six and Riku was seven. I didn't know it right then but this journey that I'm on started that very day she arrived. Before that my world was so small and it was difficult to wrap my head around how truly big and insane everything was and that my small world was just one tiny snapshot that made an entire collage of art. Funny thing is that the grown-ups couldn't even grasp the idea that Kairi could have been from another world but Riku and I were so sure of it. She's helped me see things I would have otherwise been ignorant to so many times it's impossible to count. It's admirable really. Anyway, you better join her before she starts to get all lonely." Sora answered with a laugh.

"Having someone you care for can help open your mind then to new things. I see." Quasimodo said before leaving Riku and Sora alone inside the bell tower.

"Sometimes you have to be prepared to lose sight of the shore for a long time if you want to discover new land." Riku said all of sudden as Sora stared up at the bells above him, shining brightly as if they were brand new instruments, each one waiting with anticipation to be played.

"Sorry?" Sora asked.

"We were so used to what the islands had to offer us that taking the first step outside them was a difficult one, but in the end it was worth it because we learned so much more and made so many friends. Quasimodo is like what we once were, afraid to take that step forward. He's daunted by the possibility that he could never return to his safe haven, and it doesn't help that he's a Chimera." Riku explained.

"It is a big step." Sora agreed.

"But sometimes we just have to take risks, even if things don't always go the way we've planned it in our heads." Riku continued.

"And Esmeralda ultimately has to be the one who helps him take that step, as Kairi helped us." Sora finished for him.

Riku tipped his head downward and shook his head. "Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't lend a hand when we've been in a similar situation ourselves. And again, being a chimera makes it our responsibility to intervene now."

"You mean mine." Sora said with a sigh of resignation.

"What?"

"Abraxas was targeting me when he did all this. He was so set on destroying me from the inside out and considered anyone pawns in his game to get to me." Sora told him. "The worst part is that it could happen again. First it was Abraxas and now it's these people who used to work with him who are after me… am I that much of a threat Riku?"

"People fear what they don't understand. That fear leads to desperation which is probably what Abraxas felt when he thought of you. That's not to say that having people fear you is always a bad thing, I guess it must mean that you're just someone really worth going for if they have to panic like that. Way to leave me and Kairi in the dust, you've finally made it to the big leagues." Riku joked.

"If fear can lead to respect then I better be making more dimes than Scrooge McDuck by the end of this or it isn't worth it." Sora said with a sad smile although he knew that a respect bred out of fear was no respect at all. Not for the first time, he found himself repeatedly asking why it was always him, not that anyone else would have been any better on his conscience but just as he had thought his worries were over with Xehanort, he had been thrust into another gruelling conflict, one which this time seemed to have no end.

"So Sora, now that we're alone. Kairi or Luna? Which one's more your type?" Riku asked a question that Sora had not been expecting. The brunette spluttered about incredulously and before he could retort the door opened once again and Kairi burst through the room with a panicked expression on her face. "Guys, we need to leave now!"

"Kairi, what's happening?" Sora asked bewilderedly.

"It's Judge Frollo, he's taken control of the Heartless and… he's ordered a warrant on our arrest!"


Yeah, I was watching the trilogy recently (because it is a trilogy in my heart) and I just couldn't help but do it. That and it is owned by Disney now so it works. More importantly, I wonder what this lost city Frollo is searching for is... And yes, I decided to make him interested in alchemy because I certainly missed that aspect of him from the book. More chapters coming soon!