A/N: Land of Dragons is quite the adventure isn't it? At least I didn't tempted to do something dark unlike what I did back at the Coliseum. We now move on to the next world, where I still continue my journey to find Aqua.
World: La Cite Des Cloches
I moved on to the next world. There's no luck on finding a way to bring Aqua back from the realm of the dark. I arrived at a new world, one I haven't seen in my travels. I'm guessing this world was one of the sleeping worlds that Sora and Riku awaken during their Mark of Mastery exam.
I ride on a riverboat in the city river, standing at the head of the boat while a man from the other end is rowing the paddles to move the boat. As I ride the river, I look at the buildings on the city above, listening to the echoing sounds of the city bells.
"You are very brave to come here during our dark time." I turn my head, barely facing the strange rower. "Judge Claude Frollo is hunting gypsies in this city. He seeks to cleanse this city from every single one of them."
"Humph." I face forward again. "I'll take my chances."
"It's your funeral, my friend." The rower says. "Just know Frollo will stop at nothing to get what he desires. I bring hundreds of Gypsies here to Paris. None of them were ever seen again."
The boat arrives at the small dock at the side of the river, and I get off.
"If you do seek sanctuary, head for Notre Dame." The rower says. "Good luck." The rower makes his leave on the river. I walk up the stairs, arriving at the city streets.
La Cite Des Cloches seems like a peaceful world. A city of light I might even say. But with this Frollo character around, I'm guessing this city will have darkness within it. Maybe the darkness that'll lead me towards Aqua. I can only have hope.
I walk around the city, there are hardly much citizens around here. It's almost like the city is abandoned. Captain Phoebus walks down the streets, in the opposite direction as I am. We soon pass each other, Phoebus stops and turns around.
"Hey, you!" I stop and turn to face him. "You new around here?"
"Yes." I say.
"Are you here to attend the festival?" Phoebus asks.
"Festival?" I ask.
"Yeah. The Festival of Fools. It's happening outside of Notre Dame." Phoebus points at the route for me to take.
"Sounds nice...but I'm actually looking for someone." I say.
"Well, everyone's gathered for the festival. Maybe you'll find the person you're looking for there." Phoebus says.
"All right, I guess I'll take a look." I say, taking the route towards Notre Dame.
As I wonder around the city area, Unversed starts spawning. I'm surprised. What are the Unversed doing here? I don't question it, I start attacking them. First, I gathered them with Magnet then do Shimmer Sweep. After defeating the Unversed, my Keyblade vanishes.
"What are the Unversed doing here?" I ask.
I continue my way down the city until I arrive at the Cathedral Courtyard. The festival goes on. All of the citizens are cheering, thousands of confetti are taking the skies. I can barely see anything up ahead. Few of the confetti have cleared. In the center of the courtyard, there's a hideous creature standing on the stage, dressed like a king.
Quasimodo is having the time of his life. However, Frollo isn't too pleased to see Quasimodo getting involved in a gypsy festival. The confetti clears, then I start to see Quasimodo being surrounded by the Unversed. Jokers: Circus freak creatures that look like clowns and their stance is standing balanced on a ball with one foot.
The Jokers starts attacking Quasimodo. Quasimodo isn't really enjoying this. He doesn't have the will to fight back. Quasimodo calls out for his 'master' for help, but Frollo doesn't answer. Just sits back and watches the show.
I've had about enough of this. I jump right into the stage and wipe out the Unversed in one single swing with my Keyblade. Quasimodo lays on the stage, messed up...even more then he normally is.
Quasimodo looks up at me in worry. I'm not really being mean or giving him a hostile look of any kind. I'm guess he's a shy one. Just then, a young beautiful women, Esmeralda, walks on stage, appoaching Quasimodo. The young lady shows him some kindness.
Frollo stands up from his chair. "Get down from there this instant, gypsy witch!" He demands.
I glare at him. Esmeralda turns her attention to him as well. "No! How can you just stand there want watch this poor man suffer up here?" She asks.
"You're a fool to interfere in a lesson for him to learn. Seize her!" Frollo orders.
Dozens of city guards surrounds the stage. Esmeralda is on alert. I stand in front of her, holding my Keyblade out. "I've got this."
Esmeralda makes a run for it as I take on the guards. The guards aren't much of a challenge, but I don't bother to go easy on them. I use the Mushu Charm to activate my D-link. My body surges in flames and so does my Keyblade. I strike at the guards with my burning attacks, then cast Firaga Burst, summon a large ball of fire, shoot it in the air and it fires hundreds of bolts of fire on the ground.
Two guards fallen from the Firaga Burst. The rest attacks me head on. I guard most of their attacks, then I do Fire Surge, charging at them with flames spinning around me. I continue attacking then cast Fira. Three more guards fall, the rest still attack me. I use Cure to heal myself then I continue striking until four guards remain.
I reach my full power and unleashed Guardian Flare. A large amount of fire energy at the tip of my Keyblade. I spin my Keyblade around me, hold it above my head, then I slam my weapon on the ground in front of me, unleashing a large and powerful wave of fire at a 90 degree angle in front of me, finishing off those guards.
When I'm finish battling them, nothing else happens. I let my guard down. All the citizens moves on with their normal lives. I turn to see Frollo is entering Notre Dame.
"What is he up to?" I ask myself, heading towards the cathedral.
When I enter, I find Frollo talking to that gypsy girl. What are they talking about. Doesn't seem like a friendly conversation since Frollo threatens the girl with a candle pole by her neck, and Esmeralda doesn't looks to friendly either. I just stand by the church doors, watching until Frollo turns and walks off, heading towards my destination. I start walking ahead as well.
Me and Frollo cross paths, glancing at each other as we pass each other. I feel a dark presence within this old man. Frollo leaves Notre Dame. I face forward once he's gone, to see Esmeralda looking depressed in the middle of the Cathedral, in the light that shines through the memorial glass window.
"That was too close back there." I say. Esmeralda looks up startled, then relaxes to see me.
"Yeah...thanks for the save back there, and for helping that man. It's good to see I'm not the only one who still cares for the people."
I cross my arms. "What's with tormenting that man anyhow? He doesn't seem dangerous...Monstrous maybe, but not dangerous."
"I don't know. But if anyone here is a monster, it's Frollo." Esmeralda says. "He hunts us Gypsies cause he thinks we're thieves and liars."
"Yeah. I'm aware of Frollo. I was warned about him when I first arrived at this city." I say.
Esmeralda holds a hand out. "I'm Esmeralda."
I shake Esmeralda's hand. "Patrick." After shaking hands, I take a look around at the Cathedral. "So...this is Notre Dame. She's quite a sight."
"Yeah. It's a place of sanctuary, but not freedom." Esmeralda says.
I turn to her confused. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Frollo is using this church as my prison. Cause I claim sanctuary, he can't harm me. He now has guards posted all over Notre Dame. If I leave, I'm his."
"That's gotta stink." I say. "There must be someway to sneak out of here."
I take a look around Notre Dame. I found a small spiral stair case that goes up. Me and Esmeralda take the stairs, which leads us to the roof courtyard of the cathedral. I walk to the railing of the courtyard and look down, to see hundreds of guards guarding Notre Dame. And that's just the courtyard entrance.
"Wow. Guess Frollo's not bluffing about the guards." I say.
"He can't keep me in here forever." Esmeralda says.
I turn around to think of a plan. Just then, I saw something from the bell tower entrance. It was dark, but I saw it was a man.
"Hey!" I rush into the bell tower as what I saw disappeared into the darkness. "Wait!" Esmeralda follows me.
We both arrive at the Bell Tower. As soon as we did, it's empty. I know I saw someone in here. I take a look around, quiet, but careful. Esmeralda follows me from behind, but is unsure about this.
We climb up the ladders and arrive at some small area that looks to be fit for a home. "I know you're in here. Come out." I say.
"We're not going to hurt you." Esmeralda says.
I turn to her. "Actually, I was planning to attack if it was threatening." Esmeralda gives me a disappointed look. "Fine. We won't harm you."
That might have helped. In the shadows, Quasimodo slowly comes out of it. Into the light, we're both surprised to see him.
"Hey, you're that...guy from the festival." I say.
Quasimodo looks worried, he slowly backs away. "I'm sorry for what happened back there." Esmeralda says kindly. "Are you all right?"
"I-I'm...fine." Quasimodo says, looking away. "Why do you care?"
"Why do you ask?" I say.
Quasimodo shows his face to us. "Look at me. I'm ugly. Deformed. My master Frollo always told me I'm a monster. No one cared for me, not even my own mother."
Hearing the mother part made me feel sad on the inside. "Frollo is wrong. He doesn't care about anything but justice." Esmeralda says.
"But he is right about my...hideous appearance." Quasimodo says.
I take a step forward. "You may look like a monster on the outside, but are you really a monster on the inside?" Quasimodo doesn't say anything. "Mind telling us your name?
Quasimodo looks at me. "I'm...Quasimodo."
"Patrick." I turn to Esmeralda. "And this is Esmeralda."
Esmeralda and Quasimodo spent time together, talking. I just stand back and watch the two. They've got along just fine. That's wither fast for meeting each other for the first time in only about for an hour. At dusk, Esmeralda now seeks for an exit. Quasimodo takes out to a blind area of the Cathedral Courtyard on the roof. He suggests climbing down. Me and Esmeralda looks down.
"Are you sure about this?" Esmeralda says.
"It's fine. As long as you don't look down." Quasimodo says.
"Yeah..." I back up from the railing. "Since I'm not wanted or I'm not suppose to hide from the public, I think I'll take the stairs. So, good luck, you two."
Quasimodo carries Esmeralda and starts hoping and climbing down Notre Dame. I'll admit, he's really good at this. He's like a spider monkey.
After a while, Esmeralda makes her escape in the shadows. Quasimodo climbs back up the church. I just stand there, arms crossed looking at Quasimodo.
"I must say, that was impressive." I say.
"Well, thank you. Years of practice I guess." Quasimodo says.
"You've snuck out of this church for years?" I ask.
"No, not really. Today was the first time I've ever snuck out." Quasimodo says.
"I see...Hey Quasimodo, you've spent your whole life in that Bell Tower have yea?" Quasimodo nods. "Well, if you wanted to leave so bad, why didn't you in the first place?"
Quasimodo looks down with little worry. "Because my master Frollo forbids me from leaving. He told me the world is dark and cruel. No one would even care for a monster like me."
"Looks can be deceiving, Quasimodo. It's usually the heart that matters." I turn to the view out of the Cathedral. "It's true the world is dark, but that doesn't mean it's total darkness. There will always be light within the dark.
Quasimodo looks at me, manages a small smile. "Yeah...maybe you're right."
I give a slow nod. "Well, I should get going." I start walking away, waving back at Quasimodo when I turn to my back. "Nice meeting you."
I make my leave from the Cathedral. As I walk down the stairs, I start to think about Quasimodo. In a way, we are alike, only he has his memories and the person who raised and looks after him is really an old man who seems to be causing trouble to people like Esmeralda. Where as I have no memories of the first five years of my life and I was raised and cared by a kind beautiful women, at least up to the first year of my new life and then I lost her along her friends.
I wonder if Quasimodo's mother really did desert him. If Frollo told him, I wonder if that's really an exaggeration.
As I leave Notre Dame by the front entrance. "Get her!" I'm startled as I'm being dog piled by dozens of guards. After about fifteen of them, the rest stopped and look down at me. "That's not the gypsy girl."
"Yeah, I am. I just left behind my wig, make up, dress and my voice dropped to a deep scale." I say in irritated sarcasm. "Get off of me!" The guards gets off of me, then I stand back on my feet, wiping the dirt off of my outfit. "Thank you."
The guards resume to their positions and I make my leave. I reach to the one end of the courtyard, then I stopped and look back at Notre Dame. The cathedral is a sanctuary of light, but I wonder if it's good enough to hold back Frollo's dark desires. Sending guards at every point of the cathedral. I have a bad feeling he's gonna do something dark to the church. Not even sanctuary will be enough to stop him.
"Excuse me." I turn to see Captain Phoebus coming towards me. "Have you seen a gypsy girl?"
I look hostile. "Maybe." I summon my Keyblade and hold it out, aimed directly at him. Phoebus seems nervous seeing my weapon inches from his neck. "What's it to you?"
Phoebus holds his hands out in front of him. "Whoa, whoa. Take it easy there. I just want to know if she's okay." I don't believe him, I keep on glaring at him. "Listen, I don't want to hurt her. I know she's not as evil as Frollo claims her and the other gypsies to be."
I hesitated, but then I lower my weapon. I turn my attention to Notre Dame. "Why is it that Frollo despise these gypsies?"
"He believes they are witches, that they bring darkness to the city." Phoebus says. "I'll be honest, I think Frollo's ideals for justice is corrupted. I was suppose to be in the front lines of the war but he calls me back just to help him take care of the gypsies."
I turn to look at Phoebus. "Then why did you obey orders?"
"I'm suppose to. I'm captain of the guards." Phoebus says.
"If you ask me, I think you should know that doing the right thing is better then following orders." I say. Phoebus doesn't say anything. I turn and then start walking away. "Think about that when you follow Frollo's orders."
I leave the Cathedral Courtyard, leaving Phoebus behind. Phoebus just thinks about what I said, wondering if taking orders from Frollo really is the right thing.