Morning in Paris, the city awakes to the bells of Notre Dame, The fisherman fishes, the baker bakes to the bells of Notre Dame. From the big bells loud as the thunder, to the little bells soft as a song, and some say the soul of the city is the toll of the bells of Notre Dame.
The city's bright cobblestone streets were filled with color with the reflection of banners and streamers in preparation for some major event in the town center later on that afternoon.
In an alley way the bright light of magic causes our three Knights, Yuna, Rikku, Paine, Aerith, and Cid to appear…Mickey, Kimahri, and Wall-e are again forced to stay behind, but this time to avoid causing fear in the locals.
"Whoa what is this place?" Ven asked as he peeked out of the alleyway.
"Beats me." Yuna replied.
"Perhaps we should split up, Aqua, Yuna, Rikku, and Terra in one direction, Myself, Aerith, Cid, and Paine in another." Ven suggested as they nodded in agreement and headed out.
After a while Paine turned to Ven.
"Just curious, do we even know what this Mune guy looks like?" She asked.
"Yes I do, tall, red hair, and I'm not talking an orangey red I mean a deep red, like the color red like on that guy over there…wait" Ven replied as the crowd started thinning out.
"Did we just find him?" Aerith asked as Ven started moving towards where he saw the red haired man, but as he finally got close enough to put his hand on the guy the man turned around…
"Oh hey, you're one of 'Vinnie's' friends Yo?" Reno said as he finally identified Ven.
"Reno?! Aww nuts I was hoping you were someone else." Ven replied as he face palmed himself.
"Something wrong here Reno? Who is this man?" a man with blond hair and wearing a white business suit asked as he approached accompanied by Rude, Tseng, and Elena.
"Uh sir this is one of Vincent Valentine's companions, same with the girl and the man in the blue jacket." Tseng explained.
"Yeah, and so is the woman here…the name's Ven by the way, and this is Aerith, Cid, and Paine." Ven introduced as the blond man nodded.
"I see well any friends of Vincent Valentine's is a friend of mine." The man said, "My name is Rufus Ansem…I'm the son of Ansem the Wise."
"Ah so you're Rufus." Aerith said as Cid nudged Ven and whispered something into his ear. Ven nodded with a solemn expression on his face.
"Uh look I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm afraid I must be…" Ven said with a sigh.
"Why what's wrong?" Rufus asked.
"I regret to inform you that Vincent Valentine is missing in action." Ven said stoically as the five in front of him looked at him with looks of shock on their faces.
"How?" Rufus asked.
"From what I understand, he ran through some kind of portal while chasing a fugitive." Ven replied.
"Well…perhaps a friend of mine in town may know where he is." Rufus said as he scratched his chin causing the four to look at him curiously.
"Huh, who?" Cid asked.
"A contact I have within the city, he only comes out during the day, and is very nervous whenever I see him." Rufus replied.
"What does he do?" Aerith asked.
"He won't tell me, I tried having Tseng following him once but he lost him in a graveyard." Rufus replied as Tseng nodded.
"Wait a minute what's his name?" Ven asked.
"What difference does it make?" Tseng replied.
"TSENG!" Rufus barked at the man's lack of manners, "My apologies for my bodyguard here, the man's name is Mune."
"MUNE!?" the four repeated.
"What's so important about this man?" Rufus asked.
"He's my best friend's husband and she hasn't seen him since before their, now four year old daughter, was born." Ven replied.
"He is?!" Reno asked.
"Yes can you contact him?" Ven replied as Rufus smirked.
"No need…I already plan on meeting with him during the festival this afternoon." Rufus replied.
"What festival?" Paine asked.
"Why the main reason I come here, the Festival of Fools, in celebration of Topsy Turvy day." Rufus replied with a smile.
"Well…a festival may be fun…and we could use the excitement." Ven said as his group plus Rufus, and the Turks moved towards the massive cathedral in the center of town where the preparations were being made for the festival.
Meanwhile…
"Come on Mune where are you." Aqua muttered to herself in hopes of seeing her lost husband again.
"Maybe he went inside the Cathedral." Yuna suggested as Aqua silently nodded and headed across the square towards the doors to the mighty cathedral.
As they entered, they stood in awe of the design as Terra knelt and made the Sign of the Cross (the sign that many Catholics make with their hands at various junctions) before a large elderly priest in red and white robes with a golden cross necklace.
"Greetings young ones…may I help you?" the priest greeted with a smile.
"Let me handle this…" Terra said to the others before turning to the priest, "…Yes good Father we are looking for someone, perhaps you've seen him, he's tall and has red hair." Terra explained as the Priest thought for a moment.
"That depends…I have seen two different men in here matching your description." He replied.
"His name is Mune, does that ring any bells?" Aqua asked as the bells up in the bell towers conveniently started to ring.
"Well no but it does narrow it down." The priest replied, "I know the man who I know by name, Reno, travels with a man in a white suit, and three others plus himself are dressed in black business suits…they come here periodically and head straight to the bell towers."
"Well that means Rufus and the Turks are here." Terra said as the priest continued.
"The other man I know also goes straight to the bell towers, whenever he comes in, and he always looks very troubled whenever I do see him." The priest added, "I believe he has also become friends with our bell ringer...something both of the poor men need desperately."
"Have you seen him lately?" Aqua asked desperately.
"Yes as a matter of fact he ran up to the bell towers just a few minutes ago." The priest replied.
"Which way to the bell towers?!" Aqua asked excitedly.
"That way young child, but a word of caution!" the priest said, "There is something very…dark, about him; I believe he has some dark secret that may be the reason for his behavior."
"Thank you good father." Terra said as Aqua bolted for the door the priest indicated.
"May God bless you all." The priest said as the four ran up the stairway towards the bell towers.
As they reached they emerged onto the roof the constant ringing from the bells stopped as Aqua ran for a door on the side of the tower with the other three in toe.
"Wait." Terra signaled to Aqua who nodded as he climbed a wooden ladder up to a wooden loft.
"Who goes there?!" a horribly disfigured man with a large hump, a bulging eye, large nose and red hair, yelled from across the room as Terra emerged.
"Relax friend…I mean you no harm." Terra replied.
"No soldiers in the sanctuary!" the man said as he grabbed a long piece of wood and swung it at Terra, who leapt out of the way.
"I'm not a soldier!!" Terra yelled as he grabbed another board and blocked a savage blow by the strange man who was surprisingly strong.
"Then who are you?!" the man asked.
"My name is Terra, I come in peace, and I am not your enemy." He replied as Yuna's voice called up.
"Terra, are you ok?!" she asked.
"I'm fine Yuna!" he replied, "Look, what can I do to convince you that I mean what I said?"
The big man paused for a moment before letting Terra go.
"Nothing" he replied, "My name is Quasimodo, I'm the bell ringer here."
"Pleasure to meet you, can I call you Quasi?" Terra asked as the man nodded.
"Have you seen a tall guy with red hair?" Terra asked as Quasi arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, why?" Quasi replied.
"Because I have someone here who wants to meet him." Terra replied.
"W-who is it Quasimodo?" a nervous voice asked from nowhere.
"It's ok Mune…it's just a friend…you can come out now." Quasi replied as a man with dark red hair with a few streaks of gray in it, he also looked like he hadn't shaved in a long time. He was wearing a tattered brown shirt, with a darker pair of pants and black boots emerged from around a corner.
"Are you Mune?" Terra asked as the man nervously pointed at him with a shaky finger.
"You…I have seen you before…in my nightmares." The man said as Terra arched an eyebrow.
"Whatever I may have done in your dreams, I assure you I mean you no harm what so ever." Terra reassured as Rikku yelled from the bottom.
"Hey Terra, what's going on up there?!" yelled.
"T-Terra…I remember that name from my nightmares too." Mune replied nervously.
"Rikku, you and Yuna come up…the rest of you stay put for just a second." Terra replied.
"WHAT?!" Aqua yelled angrily as Mune paused for a moment and furrowed his brow like he recognized the voice.
"I know that voice…but from where?" he asked as Yuna and Rikku emerged from the ladder, and Quasimodo quickly leapt up into the rafters above.
"Uh Terra which one is he?" Yuna asked, as Terra pointed at Mune.
"Look Mune…I know for a fact that you have a family…a wife…and a daughter." Terra said as Mune looked at Terra with a confused yet cautious look.
"Prove it." He said as he stopped shaking.
"Your wife is the only person I have ever met with blue hair…natural blue hair." Terra explained as he moved closer.
"You've seen her?!" Mune asked as Terra nodded to the two women behind him.
"Yes…I've seen her and your daughter." Terra replied as Yuna waved her summoning wand over the pit they had emerged from as Aqua silently started climbing the ladder.
"You…you've seen Aqua…my Aqua?!" Mune asked as Terra smiled and nodded.
"Yes…and I think that for the first time in four years…that you did too." Terra said as he covered his eyes and Aqua emerged.
"Aqua?!" he asked as Terra removed his hand.
"Mune…it is you!!" she yelled as they ran into each other in full embrace.
"Oh worlds I missed you." Aqua said with a tear.
"I have yearned for you for so long my queen of the ocean." Mune replied just as teary eyed.
"I'm going to take you home Mune, home to our daughter." Aqua said as they broke the embrace.
"I would love nothing more than to go back home with you…" Mune replied as he started to frown, "…but Sanzun won't allow it."
"Ok there's that name Sanzun again…" Terra said as he and Aqua both arched an eyebrow, "…Who is this Sanzun and where can we find him?"
"S-Sanzun is my…brother." Mune replied.
"You never said you had a brother." Aqua said.
"You don't want to meet him…" Mune warned nervously, "…he's a dangerous and violent man; what's more he's a kidnapper and hostage keeper."
"What? Who has he kidnapped?!" Yuna asked.
"Well at first it was me, then a month ago this brown haired woman in a white coat, then just a couple days ago, a man in a black suit with black hair." Mune explained as the four looked at each other with realization.
"Vincent!" they said in unison.
"Y-yes I believe that's his name." Mune said with a nod as Quasimodo leapt down from a beam higher up.
"Frollo's coming, everybody hide quick!!" Quasi said as Mune panicked and pulled Aqua towards a large plank wall and hid inside followed by Yuna, Rikku, and Terra.
A while later a tall elderly man in dark robes, wearing a triangular hat entered with a basket.
"Good morning Quasimodo," the man said with a deep voice, "How are we this morning?"
"F-fine master." Quasi replied nervously.
"Good." The man replied as he set the basket on a table, sat down in one of the chairs, and cleared his throat as Quasi ran over to a makeshift cupboard and grabbed a fine silver plate and chalice along with a poorly carved wooden plate and chalice, and ran back over and hastily set them up…apparently the man gets the fine silver while Quasi gets stuck with the wooden settings…the heartless cretin.
"We may be here a while." Terra whispered.
In the streets below…
Ven, Aerith, Cid, Paine, Rufus, and the Turks headed towards the Cathedral but paused as Rufus caught sight of a dark and menacing looking horse drawn carriage with armored guards standing around it in front of the Cathedral.
"Oh blast…" Rufus muttered as he saw the carriage.
"What's wrong?" Ven asked.
"Frollo's here…he's going to check up on the bell ringer…that's where Mune probably is right now." Rufus replied.
"Who's this Frollo guy?!" Cid asked.
"Judge Claude Frollo…he essentially controls the city." Rufus replied, "I try to avoid him at all costs…let's just say he doesn't approve of outsiders much…especially gypsies for some reason."
"Is there anything we can do?" Aerith asked.
"Not really I'm afraid...not until he comes out for the festival that is." Rufus said as he saw the carriage pull away.
"When will he do that?" Aerith asked as Rufus looked at his watch.
"Oh about 3…2…1…now!" Rufus said as if almost like clockwork the man emerged from the central Cathedral doors.
"That's impeccable?!" Ven said as Rufus gave a nod to him and they started walking across the square towards the Cathedral. Then a man in yellow colored armor on a horse blocked their path.
"Whoa Achilles!" the man said as the horse came to a stop, "My apologies citizen, carry on."
"Thank you sir but actually…" Rufus said as he gave a signal to Tseng who gave Ven and the others a single to go on without them while Rufus distracted the guard.
The four made it into Cathedral just as a large group of people in brown robes and hoods in a double file line moved towards the decorated stage in the center of the square singing.
"Excuse me sir…" Ven said as the Priest turned to them, "…how can we find the bell tower?"
"That way, my son." The priest said as Ven nodded and the four bolted for the door the priest had indicated.
End Chapter 25.
1 – If anyone flames about Terra and his implied Catholic faith, you will receive a scorning reply to your review.
2 – Hunchback of Notre Dame takes place largely at Notre Dame Cathedral, which is a Catholic church.
3 – I'm not Catholic, so if you are and have spotted an inaccuracy in what I wrote…please inform me and I will try to change it accordingly.
4 – I am Methodist however…
I only own Mune and Sanzun by the way.
Ok that bit aside...
I have been toying with the idea for another Reunion prequel fic but this one is for the upcoming 358/2 days which is largely Roxas centric...I have even written out the first chapter for it and so far I'm quite pleased with it.
Should I get a case of writters block for this story I may fall back to the 358/2 fic or vice versa. I hope you enjoy the 358/2 days fic as much a this one and Reunion.
I promise you all this however...IT WILL NOT BE A ROXAS/AXEL YAOI FIC!!
Anyway...I will still endevour to finish this story for ya'll.