Guest: I'm aware that Gypsy can be offensive. However, that's the term used in Hunchback of Notre Dame. I'm truly sorry if anyone is offended by that, but Disney didn't call them Roma so I won't either.
Chapter 43: What Makes a Monster
Light and the sound of the tides slowly came to Xion as she regained awareness. Gulls cawed up above her in the grey morning sun. What happened…? Oh, right. Demyx happened. Well, where was she now?
Xion struggled up to her feet, but then immediately lurched over and started coughing violently. Water flew out of her mouth with every cough. Had she swallowed all of that? When the coughing finally stopped, Xion looked around to figure out where she was. The river flowed next to her and Paris was over on the other shore. It looked like she had been brought to the city's outskirts by the current. Not too far away was a small cottage; maybe the people there could point her to the way back into the city. She had to deal with Demyx.
As Xion got closer, she saw a lot of armed men standing in front of the cottage and her eyes narrowed. She recognized one of them as Phoebus, and there was Frollo next to him. What was going on?
"Burn it," Frollo stated.
Phoebus's face hardened. "What?"
Frollo didn't seem to notice the captain's interjection. "Until it smolders. These people are traitors and must be made examples of." He handed Phoebus a torch and Xion found herself moving much quicker now. What was going on?
"I was not trained to murder the innocent," Phoebus spat. "These people have done nothing wrong!"
"I have evidence that this family gave safe harbor to Gypsies," Frollo responded.
"That's not a crime."
"I can think of none greater. Burn their house to the ground, Captain."
Xion groaned; she wasn't moving fast enough and there was no way she'd make it in time. Luckily, however, Phoebus did not disappoint her. He took the torch and plunged it into a nearby barrel of water, glaring intently at Frollo the entire time.
"Insolent coward," Frollo hissed. He lit a second torch and held it up to the cottage himself.
"NO!" Xion shouted, and she heard Phoebus cry out at the same time. By the time she was close enough for Frollo's guards to notice her, and she was quickly and unceremoniously knocked into the dirt and pinned down by a pair of them as others detained Phoebus. Heat flooded the area as the cottage and the poor family inside it burned.
"The sentence for insubordination is death," Frollo said. He was completely calm despite the screams coming from inside the flaming building right behind him. One of the soldiers holding Phoebus drew his sword and held it up against the man's neck. Xion had enough. With a shout of defiance, she blasted Aerora in the faces of her own captors and charged forward, summoning her Keyblade to knock the sword out of Phoebus's executioner's hands.
"You!" Phoebus gasped out in surprise.
"Xion. No time to talk, come with me!" There was a horse just a bit down the road. They'd use that to escape.
The guards were well-trained, however, and responded to Xion immediately. She parried their hits and kicked them down. Phoebus picked up the sword that had been knocked to the ground earlier and joined in. The two of them backed up towards the horse as they defended. Unfortunately for Xion, her body felt heavy and she found herself panting—it wasn't enough that she was separated from Sora, but nearly drowning had done a number on her as well. Despite her best efforts, Xion found herself slipping into unconsciousness as they fought.
"Hey, are you okay?" Phoebus asked beside her.
"Just… tired…" she responded through gasps for air.
"Don't worry, we're almost there." Xion felt strong arms wrap around her and lift her up. Phoebus jumped onto the horse, holding her tightly. "Hold tightly!"
Behind them, Frollo was shouting. "After them! And don't hit my horse!"
Arrows flew after them as the horse galloped down the pathway and across a stone bridge. Phoebus expertly maneuvered the steed and avoided each shot, but he couldn't avoid what was coming next. A familiar whoosh came to Xion's ears, and she immediately snapped to attention, wide awake.
White and pink figures flew through the air after the horse. They were Dancers, Demyx's personal Nobodies.
"What demons are these?!" Phoebus cried.
"Not demons; Nobodies!" Xion looked around frantically as the Dancers closed in around them. "But, did Frollo…?" No, it didn't seem so. The old man rode behind them one of the guardsmen's horses, and he seemed just as surprised as them at the monsters. So it had to be Demyx, then. He must know that Xion survived their battle and sent the Nobodies to finish the job.
A pair of Dancers came up close to Phoebus and attacked him with flowing motions. Phoebus cried out as one of them kicked him in the back and broke his grip on Xion. The next kick sent him flying from the horse and over the side of the bridge.
"Phoebus!" Xion shouted. She grabbed the horse's reins, but of course she had no idea how to ride one at all. She tried calling her Keyblade to fight the Dancers off as they chased her, only to lose her balance and tumble onto the bridge. The horse ran off into the distance, and now Frollo was gaining on her. Xion backed up as the Dancers approached, Keyblade ready, but she was nowhere near good condition. The Dancers attacked and kicked her backwards, Xion felt herself fly off the edge of the bridge, and then everything turned wet and cold as she hit the river.
"Do not bother!" she heard Frollo call up above. "Let them rot in their watery grave. Find the Gypsy girl, even if you have to burn down the city to do it!"
And then exhaustion and the cold took Xion once again.
x-x-x
This world was proving to be a lot of trouble. Xion groaned and sat up, feeling a little bit better but still not at a hundred percent. She must have been out for quite a while to get enough of a rest for that. But now where was she? Everything was made of wood, and there were beams, and… Everything clicked. Notre Dame, the bell tower. "Quasimodo?"
"I'm here," replied a soft voice. Quasi was sitting on a stool by his model of the city, but staring out at the real thing. The foreboding orange glow didn't look like sunset... Xion sniffed the air; it smelled like fire.
"Oh no, don't tell me—"
"Master Frollo is looking for Esmeralda," Quasimodo confirmed. "He's doing everything he can."
"Is she safe?" And was Zidane?
"Yes. Esmeralda was the one who brought you here. You and… and the captain. Phoebus?" Xion nodded. "She said she found you two in the Seine."
"Oh, so she saved us…" Esmeralda really was a great woman, wasn't she?
"She's with Phoebus right now. In fact, he's probably awake." Quasimodo got up from the stool and helped Xion to her feet. "Follow me, they're over here." He led her over to a small corner of the room blocked off by a curtain, and he pulled an ace of hearts playing cards out from his tunic as he did so. Esmeralda and Phoebus didn't seem to notice Quasi open the curtain, too busy talking to each other as she mended the wounds the Dancers gave him.
"You're either the single bravest soldier I've ever met, or the craziest."
"Ex-soldier, remember?" He winced in pain. "Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bruised?"
"You're lucky the wound wasn't a little higher up. From the force of those kicks they could have seriously hurt your heart."
Phoebus smiled and took Esmeralda's hands in his own and brought it to his chest. "I'm not so sure they didn't."
As the two of them stared at each other, Xion knew there was only one direction this could go. "Quasi, let's give them some privacy." But Quasimodo was watching in silent shock, and as Esmeralda leaned in to kiss Phoebus the shock turned into absolute heartbreak. He stumbled backwards, gripping a beam for support.
"Quasi…?" Xion asked. Oh no, did he like Esmeralda? Quasimodo held the ace of hearts card with tears in his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head, and tore the card in two before running off, one half falling to the ground behind him. "Quasimodo, wait!"
He was resting his arms on the railing of the tower's balcony, staring out at the city. The fires had been doused for the time being. "Leave me alone," he muttered.
Xion wished she could say she knew what he was going through, but she really didn't. The closest thing she knew was probably how useless Saïx used to make her feel. Still, he desperately needed some cheering up right now. "Listen, even if Esmeralda doesn't love you like that, she still loves you as a friend."
"Does she?" Quasimodo snapped, though he didn't look back at Xion. He sighed. "I knew I'd never know that warm and loving glow, though I might wish with all my might." Then he held the half of the card he had kept up to the moon. "No face as hideous as my face was ever meant for Heaven's light."
Xion shifted uncomfortably. What could she possibly say to that? Quasimodo almost seemed resistant to help, wallowing in his self-pity. Now that was a feeling she could sympathize with. But then a sound down in the square below caught heir attention—the sound of wheels on stone. Quasimodo and Xion looked out over the rails. Frollo had arrived at Notre Dame.
His heartbreak ignored for the time being, Quasimodo hurried over to Esmeralda and Phoebus, who was know asleep. "Quickly! Frollo is coming, you need to leave!" He took her arm and led her away from Phoebus. "Down the south tower steps."
Esmeralda turned around and kneeled down so she was eye-level with Quasimodo. "Please be careful, my friend. Take care of Phoebus and Xion; promise you won't let anything happen to them."
Quasimodo sighed and gave a sad smile to Esmeralda. "I promise." As Esmeralda ran off one way, Frollo was approaching from another. Quasimodo turned to Xion. "We have to hide Phoebus; and you, too."
"I'm on it, you distract Frollo!" Xion ran over to the unconscious ex-captain, picking him up by the shoulders. Of course she couldn't just carry a full grown man on her own, but she was able to drag him across the wooden floor with only some, erm, minor injuries. Just some scratched legs here or there, nothing serious. Or at least she rather hoped not. The two of them hid behind some old gargoyles that had been stashed away in the corner. For good measure she tossed a tarp over them to form a makeshift tent held up by the statues, but she made sure to leave a small hole to watch the exchange sure to follow. Xion could still see Quasimodo as he hurried to clean up any evidence of their visit when Frollo slammed the door open.
"Oh. Oh, Master," Quasimodo said nervously. "I-I-I didn't think you'd be coming."
"I am never too busy to visit you, dear boy." There was a strained, obviously fake smile on Frollo's face as he walked up to the table. Quasimodo, still jittery, pulled up a stool for Frollo to sit on. "Is there something troubling you, Quasimodo?" Frollo questioned.
"N-Not at all, Master."
"Oh, but there is." His smile faltered for an instant. "I know there is."
"Oh no, Master. I- There's no-"
There was a groaning behind Xion. Her eyes widened and she threw her hand over Phoebus's mouth. A horrible instant passed where Frollo's eyes moved over to the tarp she hid under, and Xion didn't dare even breathe. All that stealth training with the Organization was paying off for once.
When Frollo at last pulled his gaze away and Xion could relax, he stood up from his seat. "What's different in here?" he asked, continuing his interrogation of Quasimodo. He picked up one of the wooden figurines from Quasimodo's Paris model. "Isn't this one new? It's very good. It looks an awful lot like the Gypsy girl." Frollo's mask fell, revealing a face filling with anger underneath. Quasi audibly gulped. "I know you helped her escape!" Frollo snarled, slamming a fist on the table. "And now all Paris is burning because of you!"
Quasimodo cowered under his Master's fury, but Frollo quickly recovered. "Well, never you fear, Quasimodo. She will be gone soon enough; I will free you from her evil spell, and she will torment you no longer." He pierced the Esmeralda figurine with a knife and held it above a candle, smirking as it caught on fire.
Quasimodo's voice was deathly quiet when he finally spoke. "What do you mean?"
Frollo was walking back to the exit as he spoke. "I know where her hideout is—the so-called 'Court of Miracles.' And tomorrow at dawn, I attack with a thousand men." He turned and left then, marching away and purposefully putting enough force into each step so that the sound echoed.
Xion heard another groan behind her and her eyes widened. She quickly removed her hand from Phoebus, who was awake now. Had she really had it over his mouth the whole time? Phoebus stood up with some struggling and tossed the tarp off of their hiding place. "We have to find the Court of Miracles before daybreak," he said. "To warn Esmeralda and her people."
"Zidane…" Xion muttered. He was probably there as well. "I'm going too."
"Excellent." Phoebus turned to Quasimodo. "Are you coming with us?"
"…I can't." Xion's heart fell at Quasimodo's denial.
"I thought you were Esmeralda's friend?" Phoebus asked.
"Frollo is my Master. I can't disobey him." He turned away, sulking as he slowly walked back into the shadows.
Xion shook her head. "Quasi, she stood up for you!"
When Quasimodo didn't respond, Phoebus sighed angrily. "Well I'm not going to just sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people. To… to let him commit genocide!" He walked down the steps, holding his arm as he moved. "You coming, Xion?"
"…In a moment," she replied. She looked back to Quasimodo, who was leaning against the railing once again. He glanced back at her over his shoulder.
"What?" Quasimodo snapped. "What am I supposed to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death, and the whole town will cheer like I'm some kind of a hero?!" He had spun around as he spoke, glaring at Xion. But there wasn't anger in his eyes, just sadness. "She already has her knight in shining armor, and it's not me!"
Xion crossed her arms and sighed. She was disappointed in him, but it was his decision. "Fine. Your mind's made up. You do what you think is right." As she turned to leave, though, Quasimodo pulled a handmade necklace out of his tunic. "What's that?"
"It's… a gift. Esmeralda gave it to me."
"It's very pretty."
"I… It is, isn't it? She told me, 'when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand'." He sighed and turned back around toward the railing, dangling the pendant in front of him. "It was supposed to help us find her, but I have no idea what…"
Xion raised an eyebrow as he trailed off. "Quasi?"
"'The city in your hand…'" he whispered. "It's a map! See, here's Notre Dame, and the Seine, and across that is… it must be the Court of Miracles!"
"That's great!" For the first time since arriving in this world, Xion felt uplifted. "Quasi, I hate to take a precious gift, but could we use it to find her?"
Quasimodo stared at Xion, then at the pendant. He took in a deep breath through his nostrils and grabbed a cloak hanging nearby. "I must be out of my mind."
"You're coming?!"
"Yes. Come on!"
Phoebus had been just as glad as Xion at having Quasimodo along, though he was skeptical that the map was really a map at all. But Quasi insisted that it was, and if anyone knew what Paris looked like from above it was him. So the two of them followed him through the city – they mostly stuck to alleys and back streets – until they arrived in a cemetery. One tomb had a symbol that matched the one marking the Court's placement on the map.
"This must lead into the catacombs," Phoebus said.
"Catacombs?" Xion asked.
"There's a massive maze of tunnels and tombs stretching beneath all of Paris. They're very easy to get lost in, but if this is the way to the Court of Miracles then surely the Gypsies have a way to navigate…"
"Enough talking," Quasimodo said as he pried the doors open. "Let's go."
The tunnel that the tomb led them to had green, ankle-deep water, and Xion tried not to gag from the stench. The walls were made out of skeletons, which was creepy enough, but in the flickering light of Phoebus's torch some of those skeletons looked to be moving.
"Let's just avoid trouble and get back to the bell tower quickly," Quasimodo said quietly.
"Speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now," Phoebus responded. Xion thought he was right. Their journey through Paris had been way too easy. "You know, a guard, a booby trap…" The light of his torch suddenly went out. "Or an ambush."
Light filled the room suddenly, revealing men dressed in skeleton costumes surrounding them, each one holding a torch themselves. The costumes must have been used to blend into the walls, which explained why some skeletons had apparently been moving.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" A man dressed in purple approached them. And though he was no longer wearing a mask, Xion recognized his distinctive voice as Clopin, the singing jester from the day before.
"Trespassers! Spies!" A hooded figure called out behind Clopin.
"Demyx!" Xion shouted. "Please, all of you listen to me! You can't trust Demyx, he's-" A bandana was wrapped around her mouth by one of the costumed Gypsies, muffling the rest of her accusation.
"Sorry about this, Xion," Demyx said. He wasn't sorry at all.
"You're very clever to have found our hideaway," Clopin continued. He lit two torches as he spoke. "Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale!" Behind him Demyx pulled out his sitar and began playing a tune, and the Gypsies broke into a grim song. Even when threatening others, it would seem that Clopin's troupe at least still kept up the role of entertainers.
"Maybe you've heard of a terrible place
Where the scoundrels of Paris
Collect in a lair
Maybe you've heard of that mythical place
Called the Court of Miracles
Hello, you're there!"
"Where the lame can walk
And the blind can see
But the dead don't talk
So you won't be around
To reveal what you've found"
Several of the costumed Gypsies picked them up and carried them down the tunnels while Clopin stood up on a ledge, waving his torches around and casting intimidating shadows across his face. Demyx was behind the singing crowd, still playing his music.
"We have a method for spies and intruders
Rather like hornets protecting their hive
Here in the Court of Miracles
Where it's a miracle if you get out alive!"
They emerged into a rather large, well-lit chamber. Clopin waved his arms around and called out to the dozens of Gypsies that were gathered. This had to be the place they were looking for.
"Gather 'round, everybody!" Clopin said while running up to a platform with several ropes hanging above it. "There's good noose tonight!" Quasimodo, Phoebus, and Xion were shoved up onto the platform though the nooses weren't placed around their necks just yet, as Clopin continued riling the crowd up. "It's a doubleheader: a handful of Frollo's spies!" The crowd booed. "And not just any spies! His captain of the guard, his loyal bell-ringing henchman, and I don't know who this girl is, but who cares?" Xion had thought his show was done for now, but Clopin quickly started prancing around and singing once more.
"Justice is swift in the Court of Miracles
I am the lawyers and judge all in one
We like to get the trial over with quickly
Because it's the sentence that's really the fun!"
"Any last words?" All three tried to object and plea, but of course their mouths were covered. Clopin grinned and cracked his knuckles. "That's what they all say."
"Now that we've seen all the evidence-"
"Wait, I object!" Demyx called out, but despite his supposed objection he was grinning from ear to ear. Xion glared at him, and he cowered slightly under her gaze.
"Overruled!"
"I object!"
"QUIET!" After Clopin's outburst, both he and Demyx broke into laughter and then finished the song together.
"We find you totally innocent
Which is the worst crime of all…
So you're going to hang!"
"STOP!" Two voices shouted from the crowd at once. Esmeralda broke through the crowd, pushing away any man or woman in her way. A familiar blond head of hair was behind her. Zidane looked up at Xion and winked. "These men aren't spies, they're our friends." Esmeralda continued. The two of them jumped up onto the platform and untied the bandanas from around their mouths.
"Well, why didn't they say so?" Clopin asked. From his tone, it became apparent that he had known all along. So had he really not planned on killing them, or..? Xion could not figure this guy out. As for Demyx, he seemed to have left the premises as soon as it became clear Xion was free. Coward.
Xion looked around at the crowd, then to Zidane. "Did anyone ever tell you your blond hair doesn't exactly fit in here?"
Zidane laughed. "Nice to see you too. Nah, I'm actually adopted and not a Gypsy by blood. But more importantly, why are you guys here?"
"We came to warn you," Phoebus said. He called out to the gathered Gypsies. "Frollo's coming! He knows where you're hiding, and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men!" Horrified gasps and murmurs rose from the crowd.
"Then there's no time to waste!" Zidane slammed his fists together. "We need to get out of here, find a place to go!"
"I am afraid you are too late for that, vermin!" Xion and everyone else paled at the deep, angry voice that echoed around the Court of Miracles. Frollo marched down the stone steps, a proud smirk on his face. Guards swarmed in from behind him and started rounding up the Gypsies.
"What are you doing here?!" Xion demanded.
Frollo ignored her. "I always knew you would someday be of use to me," he said to Quasimodo, running a hand over his head.
"What are you talking about?"
Frollo chuckled darkly. "Why, you fools led me here. I followed you all the way from Notre Dame. And look what else I've caught in my net! Captain Phoebus, back from the dead. Another 'miracle,' no doubt. I shall remedy that." Frollo walked out into the middle of the Court, speaking loudly for everyone to hear. "There is to be a marvelous bonfire in the square, and you're all invited!" He turned to his guards. "Lock them up. As for the hunchback, take him back to the bell tower and make sure he stays there."
Xion felt someone grab her wrist, and had to restrain herself when she found it was not a guard, but Zidane. "Come with me," he whispered sharply.
"Are you insane? We can't just abandon them!" Xion hissed.
"What good are we stuck in cages? If we escape we can free them later!"
That logic was twisted, but it made sense. "Fine. On three."
Zidane grinned. "Three!" he shouted, pulling his two daggers out. He put their two hilts together, combining them into a dual-bladed weapon, and spun it around over his head. "Make way, coming through!"
Xion called her Keyblade out and knocked away any of Frollo's men who approached her. "Don't worry, we'll save you!" she called over her shoulder to Esmeralda and Phoebus. Once we find a way…
The two of them ran through the tunnels at full speed, which unfortunately without Sora's half of her power wasn't as fast as Xion would have liked. Eventually Zidane ended up carrying her despite her protests, since she had begun lagging behind. As they ran through the catacombs, Xion recalled what Phoebus had said—this was a maze beneath all of Paris. Would they get lost?
Zidane must have read the look on her face, because he smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry, we're almost out!" There was orange light on the horizon. Was it sunrise already? Unfortunately, no. As they broke onto the surface, both Xion and Zidane looked around them in horror. She climbed out of his arms and looked around, feeling the heat licking at her face.
Paris burned.
