Good evening, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the weekend and that you're having a great start to the week so far! We're moving onto the second phase of this series, so I hope you're looking forward to it! It's very rainy here today, a great time to sit back, relax, and read! As always, please enjoy!

The first leg of the journey had been relatively smooth, save for the lack of morale. James sat down in the cabin with his head in his hands, still crying quietly over the death of his sister. Beth sat with him, an arm around him as she frowned deeply. She felt responsible for this; and knowing now the secret of their bloodlines, she felt an even greater pressure upon her shoulders.

"We'll be safe in England." Beth said. "Once we get there, we can try to be happy."

"It's what Aggie would have wanted for us... but it hurts so much..." James whimpered.

For a while, the three of them remained close, Victor offering consolations when he could, manning the wheel of the ship for most of the time. James would often relieve him, allowing Victor to rest. When night fell, however, the waters suddenly swelled as a storm caused huge waves to ascend and fall, rocking the ship violently. As rain poured and lightning cracked, Victor struggled as he took the wheel in place of James.

"Go secure the ropes and the supplies! Adjust the sails!" Victor shouted over the wind and rain.

James went to secure the ropes, Beth climbing up to the crow's nest to adjust the sails. As Victor tried to guide them through the rough waves, a shriek filled the air as he and James both whirled around, watching with horror as Beth was knocked out of the crow's nest and into the water.

"NO! Beth!" James cried, running over to the edge to look over. She was nowhere to be seen, his heart breaking as he was unable to find her among the raging waters. As Victor cried, he wiped his eyes, knowing he still had himself and James to get to safety; there was no time to mourn now.

As they continued through the storm, they suddenly saw something truly horrifying; two ships in the distance were in the same predicament as they were, and as something large- quite large, emerged from the water, one ship was completely demolished, the people aboard diving into the water as their ship was crushed in the clutches of a giant sea creature. The octopus-like creature's laugh roared almost as loud as the thunder, wielding a three pronged staff as the people aboard the first ship made their way to a second ship. As it was sailing straight for the creature, the thing loomed over Victor's ship, the boys crying out.

"What is that thing?!" Victor exclaimed.

"It looks like a- a rhinoceros!" James replied. Not a moment later, lightning struck the ship, splitting it in half and setting it aflame. James and Victor were flung, both boys landing into the water. James frantically tried to stay afloat, inhaling deeply as he managed to find a life boat to climb on. He looked around frantically for Victor, calling out his name to receive no answer.

Victor was not a fantastic swimmer, and his eyes widened as he sank deeper and deeper into the ocean. He then managed to see something within the dark waters, slowly moving closer and closer to him. His heart beating out of his chest, Victor knew this was the end of him. He shut his eyes tight when he saw a flash of blue, then felt something grab him. Moments later, he felt air hit him, gasping deeply for air. He stared silently upon opening his eyes, seeing a blue figure shrouded in a veil helping him to stay afloat, pulling him along the rough seas. Realizing that he may somehow live after all, he allowed his exhaustion to take him as his eyelids closed.

James whirled around to see the second ship charge right up to the monstrous creature, impaling it. As its screams bellowed through the skies, a sudden wave spiked up, making James fall back and hit his head on the rim of the boat. The impact made his eyes blink as his vision blurred, falling unconscious as the life boat struggled to stay above water.

~The Following Morning~

"Is he dead?"

"Eww! If he is, don't touch him, you'll get a disease, Drizella!"

"You're already a disease, Anastasia!"

"Oh shut up, you old hag!"

James groaned lightly, the bickering waking him as he slowly blinked his eyes open. When his vision came into focus, he saw the two young ladies gasp.

"Anastasia, he's waking up..." The raven-haired girl spoke, shaking her sister lightly.

"Get off of me! I can see perfectly fine that he's waking up!" The second, a red head, snapped as she shoved her sister's arm away from her.

"E- Excuse me..." James spoke, trying to sit up in the boat as the girls took a step back. "... can you tell me where I am, please?"

"Why don't you look at a map and find out yourself?" Anastasia said smugly.

"Wait!" Drizella exclaimed. "Are you a sailor? A rich sailor?"

"Uh... n- no, I'm not... I come from a town called Burgess... I'm trying to get to England, but I lost two of my friends in a storm..." James frowned.

"England?!" Anastasia laughed. "You're not even close, you stupid boy!"

"This is France, and our home is just there; we're daughters of a high-class ancestry!" Drizella boasted.

"If you're not rich, then there's no reason we should help you." Anastasia said, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up at him.

"Girls!" A shrill voice suddenly shouted from behind them, the two nasty young women whirling around. "What did I tell you about going out to the ocean off the port? Look at the hems of your dresses, they're absolutely filthy!"

"But mother, we saw this boy lying in a boat, I wanted to see if he was an eligible bachelor!" Drizella exclaimed.

"Bachelor? I'm eleven years old!" James exclaimed.

"What?! You're far too young for marriage then, anyway!" Drizella scoffed.

"Be quiet, you've got no right to speak to us in such a manner! Lowly and impoverished little boys have no place among us!" Anastasia snapped.

As the girls bickered, the third woman pursed her lip in thought. When she hatched an idea, her eyes lit up for a moment before waving a dismissing hand at her daughters.

"Girls, girls! Now is this any way to treat someone in dire need? Look at the poor child, soaked to the bone and penniless! We are better than this; we've much room for charity. Young man, tell me your name." The woman spoke.

James gulped; despite her kind words, she wore a hard expression, devoid of gentleness. "I am James, m'am... James Larson."

"I am Lady Tremaine... and I am willing to open my home to you. You will have a roof over your head, food, and protection provided to you." She said. When her daughters gasped in shock, she shot them a look, holding her hand up. "There is just... one small thing I ask in return."

"I'm very grateful for the offer, m'am... I'll do what I can to help you." James smiled lightly.

"What a good young man you are. You see, the grounds of our estate have been neglected for quite some time; we could use some help in maintaining it." Lady Tremaine said.

"I can help! I used to help my family do chores around my home back in Burgess..." James smiled sadly.

"Very well. Girls... you will change immediately and bring those dresses to be washed." Lady Tremaine said as they all made their way out of the port and to their estate.

When they entered the house, the girls went up the marble stairs to their bedrooms while Lady Tremaine told James to wait in the foyer. She went over to a small rope connected to a bell affixed to the door frame, pulling on it to ring it. "Cinderella?" She called out. Moments later, a young woman with blonde hair wearing maid's clothing came into the room, curtseying politely. "Cinderella, this young boy's name is James. He will be assisting you with the outdoor chores and maintaining the grounds. I want you to arrange a bed for him and get him settled. Then I want you to show him the grounds and where the tools are. When you're done with that, the girls will have more work for you to do."

"Yes, m'am." The young woman replied. "You can follow me, James." She said, motioning for him to follow her. She led him to a small room on the way up to her own, clearing some rubbish out before setting up a small cot for him. "I'm sorry that this isn't very much... I can move these cleaning supplies to my bedroom. How did you come by Lady Tremaine?" Cinderella asked.

"Well, they came by me, really... I was run aground by a terrible storm." James replied.

"Oh, that dreadful storm from last night? How awful!" Cinderella exclaimed. "Were you all by yourself?"

"No..." James replied, clearing his throat. "Well, thank you for doing this for me..."

"You're very welcome." Cinderella smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I'm sure things will be better for you soon. I'll help you as much as I can here. Come, let me show you the courtyard."

James followed Cinderella as she gave him an informative tour, including pointing out where the garden and the stables were. She also introduced him to some of her animal friends along the way, James smiling lightly as he pet Bruno, a dog. When they reentered the house, Cinderella was about to offer James some tea when Drizella shouted from upstairs.

"Cinderella? Cinderella! Come up here and wash our dresses!" She shouted.

"And fetch us something to eat, I'm famished!" Anastasia added.

"Anastasia, if you keep eating as much as you do, you'll be as big as a house!" Drizella said.

"Well at least I'm not as ugly as a pig!" Anastasia snapped. "Cinderella, hurry up!"

James blinked at all the shouting. "I have never seen sisters fight so much... my sister and I never fought..." Thinking of Aggie, James wiped his eyes a bit as he tried to keep his composure.

Cinderella frowned lightly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you settle into your chambers for a while? I'll tend to Anastasia and Drizella, I left some fresh linens and a change of clothes for you... you're freezing in these damp clothes."

James nodded a bit, his eyes still a bit moist. "Thank you very much, miss Cinderella."

"Miss Cinderella?" She chuckled lightly. "How polite you are; polite enough to be a prince."

"CINDERELLA!" Drizella screeched from upstairs. "Get up here right now!"

"Oh dear... I mustn't keep them waiting any longer." Cinderella said quietly, hurrying up the marble stairs. "I'm coming!"

James winced at the screaming, sighing lightly before heading up the narrow, winding stairs to his small bedroom- if you could call it that. He smiled lightly when he saw the fresh clothes, drying off and changing. He hung his damp clothes on a small chair before sitting on his bed, looking out the small window in the room. He thought about everything that had happened, how his simple life had been turned completely upside down in a day; his sister had been murdered, and his two best friends were lost at sea. His bottom lip trembled, hugging himself as he cried from the overwhelming emotions swelling in him almost as much as the seas had during the wicked storm that previous night. As the sun set, exhaustion washed over him like a wave, his eyelids becoming heavy before falling asleep. He hoped that at least his dreams could be peaceful...

~Paris, France~

Beth lifted the flap of the blanket draped over a cart full of supplies, having snuck into it after managing to swim to land. As she heard the clopping of the horse pulling the cargo, she gasped when she felt everything stop. The merchant dismounted his horse, and she watched silently through the small gap as the man went up to another, scanning as much as she could of her surroundings as possible. She seemed to be just outside of a market place, and while the merchant was not looking, she quietly crawled out from under the blanket, sneaking off. She had been in that cart for an entire day, the merchant having collected the imported items from the port and bringing it to the main city. Night was falling, and Beth was relieved as this would be beneficial to her; easier to conceal herself, but still able to see clearly herself. She wandered through the cobblestone streets, trying to find somewhere safe for her to hide, at least temporarily until she could figure out where on Earth she was. When she eventually came across a large, stone structure, she looked up to find it had high towers and windows; she knew there had to be a good place to hide SOMEWHERE in the huge building. She began to climb up, an easy feat for her. She would pause, seeing statues carved out of stone and marble and staring at them with intrigue; who were these people? Why were they so highly regarded, she wondered? When she finally reached the top, as she was climbing over, she gasped, three gargoyles startling her. She scrambled to keep hold of the edge, nearly falling off as a result of the fright. When she realized they were not monsters, simply more motionless statues, she relaxed. Beth climbed onto the balcony, skittering inside the building cautiously. In the low light, she looked all around her as she saw curtains draped about, moving past them. She gasped then, looking up to see gargantuan sized bells, the largest she had ever seen in her life. As she did, she gasped when she bumped into something, a wooden table with wooden carvings on it. One of the pieces clattered to the floor, and she hissed lightly as she quickly withdrew behind one of the hanging curtains to hide herself. She peeked through a gap in the draped material, carefully watching, listening attentively for any sign of movement.

Just then, Beth narrowed her eyes when she heard quiet footsteps, a growing light illuminating the space. As an individual lowered themselves from the rafters, a hand held out a lantern. The cloaked figure gently bent down, placing the small fallen wood carving back on the table.

"Hello?" A gentle voice called out quietly, that of a male. "Is someone here?" Beth watched curiously, not quite able to see the man's face. She moved the curtain a bit to get a closer look, but upon doing so, unintentionally garnered his attention. She gasped lightly, retreating further away from the curtain as he held his lantern out closer to where she was. Realizing someone was in fact in his midst, the man took a cautions step towards the curtain Beth was hiding behind, able to vaguely see a glimpse of reflective eyes lurking beyond it. "You don't have to be afraid… I'm not going to hurt you." He resolved to say, hoping that whomever was there meant no harm towards him.

"… I'm not afraid of you." Beth finally said as bravely as she could muster, but did not move from where she was.

The man shifted the weight on his feet, surprised to hear that the voice was that of a child's. "Here… why don't you come closer, so that I can see you. I can help you, if you need it." He smiled lightly from under his cloak.

Though his voice was kind enough, Beth was still wary. "No… I shouldn't."

"Why not? Are you hiding from something? Are you hurt?" The man asked.

"No… because I'm the one who makes people afraid." Beth answered.

The man frowned lightly. He felt relation to the child, crouching down a bit. He had a feeling that the child was fearful to a degree, but was trying to remain strong. "How about you start by just telling me your name? If I can trust you, I know I won't be afraid." He decided to try to reason with her, being patient.

Beth was taken aback, clearing her throat a bit. "That's fair enough, I think…" She said quietly before telling the man her name.

"Hello, Beth. My name is Quasimodo. I live here in the bell tower." He replied.

"… if I'm intruding, I can leave. I don't plan on staying here long anyway… there's somewhere I have to go, and people I have to find." Beth replied.

"No, no… you are welcome to stay as long as you like if you need to." Quasimodo said. "My father gives me food and protects me from the outside. He can do the same for you."

"… people who protect me… often get hurt, Quasimodo. Anyone who I have ever been close to… they are taken from me. They die… they are cursed with ill fates." Beth replied.

"No one will hurt you here, Beth." Quasimodo assured. "This is a holy place, a sanctuary for those who need its safety. There is a place for everyone and anyone here at Notre Dame."

The girl gasped softly then, glancing away in deep thought. "Notre Dame… dame… belle dame… am I… am I in France?" She asked softly.

"Yes… yes, this is France." Quasimodo took a step closer. "Where are you from?"

"I'm trying to get to England… I was… on a boat, but I fell into the water. I have no idea where they went- my friends- I don't know where to find them… I don't want to be alone again…" Beth whimpered.

Quasimodo pitied the child's circumstances, offering his other hand. "I may not be able to leave this place… but I can at least try to help you while you're here. You can trust me; I can be your friend."

Beth furrowed her brows. "… bad things will happen to you if you do that." She said, barely above a whisper.

Quasimodo smiled sadly, still keeping his hand extended. "I think I'm willing to take that risk to help someone in need."

Beth bit her lip, exhaling slowly. She hesitantly extended her hand past the curtain, her fingers reaching into the low light as they neared his own. Needless to say that Quasimodo was a tad shocked; there was no denying that these were not human hands… not entirely. He remained as he was, trying to keep his composure for her sake as he finally felt the child's hand take his. When Beth fully revealed herself, his spine stiffened a bit, and it took all of his willpower to keep his feet anchored to the ground. After a few moments, he let go of her hand, slowly reaching up to draw the hood of his cloak back to reveal his face. By society's standards, he was considered hideous. But Beth did not react as such, simply tilting her head curiously. As she did, the two outcasts of humanity observed each other for a few moments before Beth finally broke the silence between them.

"You're not like other humans. You're… different." Beth said.

"Father said people would hurt me because of how I was born." Quasimodo said.

"The same has happened to me many times when I have encountered humans. They are fools… the few who have been kind to me have suffered greatly because of it." Beth frowned, glancing away. She approached the table with his wood carvings, taking one into her hand gently as she looked upon it.

"If I may ask… what are you, exactly?" Quasimodo asked, genuinely curious.

"It's a bit difficult to explain." Beth replied. "If the people of this place despise you, why do you idolize them so?" She asked, gesturing to the carvings.

Quasimodo sighed lightly, looking out at the night sky. "Maybe it's because… I want to belong somewhere… with other people."

"That could never happen for us. People will never accept those who are different from them." Beth said. Quasimodo looked back at her, noticing she was becoming fatigued. He set up a small resting area for her behind the curtain, still a bit bewildered by her form. When she settled in, he took a step back to allow her some space.

"I know you've endured a lot of hardship, Beth… but look to the bright side. Better times are ahead, I can feel it." Quasimodo smiled. "One day, maybe people can learn to accept both of us."

Beth stared at him for a few moments, smiling sadly. "You're very optimistic, Quasimodo. I wish I knew what that felt like." She said before pulling a blanket around her. "Sleep well."

As he drew the curtain, Quasimodo felt a deep sadness for the child. Though unlike him, she had lived her life trudging through the outside world rather than in captivity like him, he had a feeling that she had undergone much suffering in her lifetime. What those things were, he did not know, or may never come to know. However, he suspected that most of it was nothing short of brutal.

The next part after this is a bit long, so I'm leaving that for the next chapter, which is why this one is a bit shorter. So, what do you all think? As you can see, we're beginning to branch out to other films- this will continue as this series goes on. I hope you all enjoyed, and thank you for reading!