The Great Disney Adventure II: The Book of Songs
A Disney story by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: See chapter. 1
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just want to say that out of the many, many chapters I have written for ANY of my fanfics, The last chapter broke the record for the most reviews I have ever received for one chapter. Wow! Thanks for reviewing guys! (and for not chasing me down with pitchforks and torches)
Chapter. 55 Sanctuary
Frollo collapsed to the ground as the mighty crescendo faded into the distance. Kelsey was alone. Huddled against the pillar and surrounded by darkness with only the dying coals of Frollo's fire to keep her company, Kelsey rose to her feet on shaking legs. Kelsey wiped the long trails of tears away from her face and struggled to still her racing heart. Snap out of it! She ordered. You can break down later!
She looked down at The Book in her hands mutinously. She was suddenly overwhelmed by an urge to chuck the book into the dying fire. She could rid herself of a great nuisance. She quickly dismissed the idea. She needed the damn thing. It was the only weapon she had against The Thirteen.
Kelsey looked across the room. The window hung open in the breeze. Her gaze switched over to Frollo, still lying postrate on the stone floor. Kelsey felt a twinge of concern. She was about to kneel besides him and check for a pulse when her logical voice started screaming in her ear, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?! HE'S TRYING TO KILL YOU! Kelsey shook her head at her own stupidity and then began to walk across the room.
She carefully made her way over to Frollo's body. He was lying right before the window. She would have make her way over his body. Gingerly, Kelsey stepped over his still form. She took one final glance at him. He looked very still, cold, and stiff. She let out a soft sigh of relief before taking another step closer to the window.
Suddenly, Frollo's bony hand flew through the air and clutched her ankle. Kelsey stumbled to the ground and screamed out in terror. "YOU!" Frollo roared, "What are you doing here?!"
"Let go of me!" Kelsey screamed, kicking and flailing her leg desperately.
Frollo laughed wickedly. A low, frightening, maniacal laugh. "A fine prize you'll make," he said with a crazed look in his eyes. "A fine prize indeed."
"LET GO!" Kelsey roared. She hefted The Book of Songs and swung hard at Frollo. The Book hit him squarely across the face, the corner smacking his eye. Frollo released her ankle and fell backwards hollering in pain. Kelsey scrambled to her feet and dove out of the window. Frollo sprang to his feet again and struggled to catch a grip on her arm as Kelsey tumbled down, down, down from the window. Kelsey struggled to get her disjointed thoughts together. She needed to think of something happy in order to fly.
"Getting away from Frollo!" Kelsey screamed aloud, "That's the happiest thing in the whole damn world right now!"
Kelsey's "happy thought" managed to buoy her up a little bit, but couldn't entirely stop her descent. Kelsey fell onto the cobblestones roughly. "Oww!" she groaned, stumbling to her feet.
"GET HER!" Kelsey looked up at the window to see Frollo's eyes blazing with hate. "GET HER!" he roared again, "I don't care if you have to burn Paris to the ground! JUST GET HER!"
Kelsey stumbled awkwardly to her feet and raced down the streets. Frollo's guards were quickly on her heels. Kelsey was struggling to think clearly, her mind overwhelmed with fear. Kelsey was running quick as a deer, but her mind was moving sluggishly. Two thoughts occurred to her. Keep a tight grip on The Book! She can't lose that book now!
The second, and more important, thought was don't go back to her friends. Her friends were hidden and she couldn't reveal their location. They wouldn't stand a chance.
Several arrows flew through the air narrowly swishing by Kelsey's legs. Kelsey let out a yelp of fear before quickening her pace even more. She didn't stand a chance at this rate. She needed to hide!
The answer came to her suddenly. She had arrived back at the large square. One that previously been filled festival goers. It seemed like they had all cleared out. The wreckage of Frollo's box was still being cleaned up. The old man was still standing there in the stocks. His face brightened when he saw Kelsey. "Hey! You've come back!"
Kelsey glanced up at something behind the man and her whole face lit up in relief. "I'm saved!!!" she cried. She ran past the old man and up the stone steps of Notre Dame cathedral, going two at a time. "Sanctuary!" she yelled as she pulled open the heavy door and vanished inside.
The old man stared at her flabbergasted, "But… you… you were supposed to! AWW Dang it!"
-888-
"Does Kelsey usually take this long?" Rob demanded as he paced back and forth, "It's only a two minute song!"
"Try to stay calm," Sophia said, "Kelsey knows what she's doing." Rob was about to point out that Sophia was anxiously scrubbing the pavement where she sat as though she were trying to shine it up. She clearly was not as calm as she appeared.
Elizabeth looked up at the window in The Palace of Justice. She could see bright flames dancing in the window. "The Song!" she whispered, "That must be it!"
"Where's Kelsey?!" Rob demanded.
A few moments later, Rob received his answer when Kelsey leapt from the window. "KELSEY!" Rob screamed as he watched his sister freefall from the window.
"She can fly!" Will added hastily, "Though that's not the most graceful takeoff she's had."
"She can't think of a happy thought," Sophia pointed out, "Or at least it's hard for her. That's why she's flying like a drunken sailor!"
"Are you implying that drunken sailors are somewhat incapable of direction?" Jack snapped.
"You use a compass that doesn't point north," Sophia snapped, "What do you think I'm implying?"
Seconds later they could hear an alarm being called out. Guards were flooding out of the palace. "Oh bugger!" Jack said.
"We need to get out of here," Elizabeth said, "NOW!"
"But what about Kelsey?!" Will and Rob cried in unison.
"Getting ourselves captured won't solve anything!" Elizabeth snapped, "We need to move! Come on!"
Rob frowned and looked back at where his sister had vanished. Alice caught the anxious look in his eyes and gripped his hand firmly. "We need to go Rob," she said, "Don't worry. We'll find her again." Alice forced Rob to move forwards roughly.
Sophia sighed in sad frustration before clutching Jackie's arm, "Come along, princess. I don't want to lose you too. Stay close."
"L-l-like you need t-t-to t-t-tell me," Jackie said clutching Sophia back.
The group ran through the dark streets of Paris blindly not knowing where they were going. All they could hope to do was stay a little bit ahead of the guards.
"There's too many of them," Alice piped, "There's no way we can outrun them for long!"
"We need a hiding place," Elizabeth panted.
"No, we need a miracle!" Jack grumbled.
Suddenly, a dark shape appeared from around the corner. The figure bowled into Will causing both of them to tumble to the ground. The figure suddenly shrieked in surprise. Jack jumped back in surprise as the hood fell from the figure's face. Lying on top of Will in a tangled pile was a beautiful girl. Her skin was dark and tan and her dark hair fell in black waves that ended at her shoulder tied back with a pink ribbon. She looked up at them with beautiful, but alarmed, emerald green eyes. Jack stared at the gorgeous girl for a few moments before looking up to the heavens. "Thanks mate!" he grinned, "That is exactly the sort of miracle I was looking for!"
"LET GO OF ME!" the woman roared at Will.
"I'm not holding onto you!" Will snarled back, "You crashed into me!"
"Soldier prig!" the woman swung her arm hard punching Will in the eye. Will let out a cry before falling roughly to the cobbles. Elizabeth quickly snatched the woman's arms and pulled her away from Will.
"Don't you dare touch my fiancée!" she yelled angrily.
"Elizabeth! I can handle this!" Will snapped tersely, one hand over his eye, his pride more wounded than his throbbing eye. Jack chuckled at Will's discomfort and embarrassment.
"We're not soldiers!" Alice insisted.
"Then, why were you chasing me?!" the girl demanded.
"We weren't chasing you!" Will scowled, "We were running from the same people as you."
"Which would technically make us friends," Jack said with a bold grin, "I take it you're a gypsy? I'm a pirate! We're practically cousins!…. Not close cousins mind you." Jack gave her a bold wink and the woman shook her head at him angrily.
"I know you!" Rob cried, "She's Esmeralda!"
"How do you know my name?!" Esmeralda demanded more defensive than ever, "Frollo's spies I bet!"
"Oh this is ridiculous!" Sophia cried wrenching her arm out of Jackie's grip. Sophia drew her wand like it was a sword. She pointed its tip to Esmeralda's throat, "Okay, listen up gypsy. You will stop this foolishness in the name of the mighty gypsy fairy Madam Leota."
For the first time since they had met, Esmeralda's face softened. "You know of Leota?"
"Know of her?" Sophia scowled, "I was trained in magic by her! I helped her break free of her crystal ball? Do I have to turn you into something unpleasant to prove it?!" Sophia snapped.
"No! No, of course not," Esmeralda insisted, "I meant no harm."
"Hmmph," Will grumbled, "I beg to differ!"
Esmeralda blushed, "I am sorry. It's hard to trust anyone in Paris lately."
"Look," Rob said pushing his way forwards, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We're running from Frollo. Is there any place you could hide us?"
Esmeralda looked at Rob, still somewhat suspicious, but Sophia had clearly won her over. "I think I know a place. Follow me."
-888-
The cathedral was dark and somewhat cold when Kelsey stepped inside, but it was very different from the darkness of The Palace of Justice. Bright light from the moon shone down through the stained glass window casting bright lights on the walls of the room.
All of the worshippers had gone home for the night. She was sure that there might be a few priests around the cathedral, but otherwise she was alone. Kelsey hurried across the room. "Technically, they can't hurt me here," Kelsey said, "But if there's no one around to enforce that rule I had better hide."
She saw a long staircase and slowly made her way up the steps. Her racing thoughts were finally catching up with her. She found herself worrying about her brother and Sophia. Hopefully they had the sense to hide themselves from the guards. She needed to lie low until the guards left and then she desperately needed to find them again.
Kelsey arrived at the top of the staircase and glanced around the bell tower. It was still dark, but it was also very peaceful. Moonlight was drifting down from the ceiling. "Heaven's light," Kelsey mused, remembering the other half of the hellfire song, "Too bad it doesn't mention fire."
Suddenly, she heard movement. Kelsey felt a spike of panic. How did Frollo catch up with me so quickly?! Kelsey scattered across the room. There was another staircase. She clambered up the steps roughly. Bells were everywhere. Huge bells. Kelsey crawled underneath the bell. It felt like she was standing under a large metal hut. Kelsey approached the clapper of the bell and climbed on top of it. She clung to the clapper and struggled to still her breathing. Kelsey listened carefully for the footsteps. She could hear them follow her for a moment. Seconds passed and the footsteps slowly faded away. Kelsey let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Kelsey felt the bell move. Kelsey felt a spike of panic as she and the clapper moved forwards. Shit!
BONG!!!!
"GOD DAMMIT!" Kelsey screamed. She released the clapper and fell to the ground. The wind flew from her lungs as she landed on the platform. Her head was ringing and her entire body trembled as she lay there sprawled on the platform. "OWWW!" she moaned. Next time I hear Carol of the Bells I'm gonna have flashbacks and seizures!
A dark shape appeared over Kelsey's head. The figure who had been following her. "Are you hurt?!?! Who are you?!" a gentle voice whispered, "What are you doing here?"
Kelsey struggled to answer. "I was hiding." she said or at least she thought that was what she was saying. Her head was still ringing so loudly that she couldn't hear her own voice. She wasn't even sure if the figure understood her or not. The figure frowned and lifted her off the ground. Kelsey struggled to fight, but her whole head was pounding and it wasn't long before she faded into black dreams. Dreams full of flames and the echo of ringing bells.
