Yeah! My usual writing style is back, and I actually enjoyed the last chapter! Once more, I apologize to all of you who were bored with the Golden Sun Saga. I just...I just wanted to try something new, like putting in a bit of a crossover from another world, but now, I realize what a bit of a mistake that was and even I was starting to grow a bit bored of that, so from now, if I ever do any crossover worlds that are not Disney-related, then I'll be sure to just summarize them. Well, that shortens my original plan for this story, but I guess this is for the best.
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own any of the Disney songs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own "Ballad of the Wind Fish" from Nintendo.
'You know, I like attention, but I feel like this...is a bit of an awkward attention,' Ignis thought awkwardly, walking down the streets of a new world as she felt curious gazes glancing upon her.
After her last adventure to save another world, which took place in the world of Weyard, Ignis traveled through The Lanes Between, in search of another world, because deep down, she knew she couldn't just return back to The Land of Departure, especially since she kinda didn't have any clue where the Land of Departure was. And even if she did knew, she didn't feel...ready to return yet.
Therefore, the next world she spotted after leaving Weyard, she jumped into the chance of entering that world. She didn't trust herself to use the power of her Keyblade to summon a light portal, because it was one, if not, the only thing she has yet to master and required the help of her Master Eraqus. Every time she used it, it would always lead her to a random location, thus taking her Master a while to find her as a result.
Upon arriving, which was around real early in the morning, it didn't take her long to gather some information about the world, or rather, city she was in. The world's official name was La Cité des Cloches, but folks around the city prefer to call the city, "Notre Dame," something that sounded like a foreign tongue to Ignis, but she soon found herself liking the name of the city as well. It had a...peculiar touch to the name, at least.
Around the time it took for her to get some new information, she also noticed that she was attracting a bit of attention to herself from the citizens, probably because of her looks. She knew what they were all thinking, especially when they were all muttering "What a peculiar-looking girl," or, "How does she have hair as red as fire?" or, "She has such beautiful, long hair, like a noble!" or, her particularly favorite one, "A female knight? I've never seen one before! She looks so elegant and strong!"
Well, it wasn't everyday that the citizens from this world saw a young, red long-haired girl dressed in unusual, light armor and clothing. Maybe this world was just like Camelot, where female rights were just as restricted as that world.
Ignis's stomach growled in hunger just as her nose caught a waft of something delicious in the air. Come to think of it, she barely ate anything ever since leaving Weyard, so it was only natural that she was starving. She glanced around, sniffing the air in search for the delicious scent and found herself standing in front of a bakery.
"YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
Startled by the loud voice that came from inside the bakery, Ignis cautiously opened the door and peeked inside. She was shocked to see a large man in a baker's hat holding one loaf of bread on one hand, while the other was gripping the wrist of a dirty, ragged little boy rather tightly, as though any second, the large man's grasp could pop the boy's wrist clean off.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Ignis slammed the door opened, not caring about the loud noise it made once she did so, and rushed over. "What do you think you're doing to that little boy?!"
The baker glared at her, not once releasing his grip on the little boy's wrist even as the boy attempted to escape, like clawing and trying to bite his tiny teeth in the baker's arm. "It's none of your business, young lady! Right now, I am trying to deal with a troublesome rascal, so if you want to buy bread here, please come back later-"
"Yeah, I'm not leaving after watching you harm an innocent little boy!"
"Innocent?! This worthless gypsy tried to steal from me! In no way is he innocent!" yelled the baker, shaking the boy roughly, further tightening his grip on the boy's wrist and making him cry out in pain.
One side of Ignis wanted to rip the baker up into shreds for harming the boy, even if he did steal. The other side, however, was more rational and decided to solve things in a peaceful and non-violent way, no matter how much the other side of her wanted to beat up the baker.
"Wait, wait, wait!" called out Ignis, taking out some of her Munny, which she had used her magic to convert to this world's own version of money earlier when she first landed in this world. "Here, this'll be enough for the bread and then some, right? Take it and leave the kid alone!"
The baker eyed the money with greed clearly expressed on his face, before glaring at Ignis. "You think this'll be enough?"
"Hey, I read the prices, and that amount of money is more than enough to pay for the bread," said Ignis. "Don't tell me you're one of those types who'll demand me more money!" 'If that happens, it'll give me a perfect excuse to stun him, and then take the boy to safety! I know I'm not allowed to promote violence simply because I want to beat up this guy, no thanks to Master's teachings, but damn, do I really want to! Hurting a kid is unforgivable!'
"That's not what I mean, stupid girl!" growled the baker. "I mean, about the gypsy thief! You may have saved him this time, but what about the next time he steals? This isn't the first time he's stolen from my bakery before!"
Ignis glanced over to the little boy, who was cradling his wrist and looking up at her with a pleading look in his eyes. Feeling sorry for the boy and deciding to deal with his situation a bit later, Ignis turned back to the baker and said, "Okay, I have no idea what the full story, and even if what you say is true, you don't just solve the problem by hurting a little boy like that! I'll deal with the little boy myself!"
The baker scoffed, turning around. "Do whatever you like. Gypsies and gypsy sympathizers are not allowed in my bakery, so get out!"
"Hey!" yelled Ignis. "What about that bread you're carrying? I already paid for it to give it to the little boy! Now, give it, here!"
The baker slightly turned his head, and Ignis could have swore she saw a slight grin on his face. "Oh, this? This bread's no good at all, missy. It's been contaminated by some filthy rat, after all, so I have to throw it away. Don't worry, you can buy other breads here...though twice as much as the money you gave me."
Ignis felt her eye twitch in anger as she understood the baker's game. Not only did he hint that he thought of the little boy as nothing more than a "filthy rat," but he had the galls to try and make her pay even more at a higher price!
Seeing that Ignis wasn't responding, the baker smirked and proceeded to exit back to his kitchen when a sudden rush of wind flew by his feet and caused him to trip and fall flat on his face. Too shocked to place blame at this strange predicament, as he tried to get up, he barely noticed Ignis and the little boy running out of the bakery.
After casting a quick and weak Aero spell at the baker's feet, Ignis took the opportunity to scoop up the little boy into her arms and run out of the bakery. Ignoring the perplexed and stunned looks of people witnessing her carrying a dirty, ragged little boy in her arms, Ignis took him to the side of a building where barely anyone was around and set him down.
Kneeling in front of him, Ignis asked him gently, "Are you alright?"
Still stunned over the sudden change of events that occurred just a while ago, the little boy nodded, rubbing his wrist. "Mmm hmm..."
Ignis noticed his little action of rubbing his arm and placed her hand over his hand. "Is it okay if I look at your wrist real quick?"
The little boy felt uncertain and rather a little uncomfortable from hearing her request. Yes, she helped him out and stood up to that mean baker man, but he knew, just like everyone else, that she would leave him as soon as he tells her that he's a gypsy. But, it wouldn't hurt to show him his wrist as a small token of thanks, right?
Ignis gasped when she saw the darkish bruise on his wrist and immediately went straight to work. "Cure!" She gently wrapped her hands around his bruised wrist; a faint green glow emitting from her hands as she focused on her healing magic. A second later, when she felt the spell has transpired, she released her hands away from his wrist, and the little boy was in awe not only because the bruise and pain had vanished, but because he had witnessed actual magic being performed in front of him!
"Wow..." The little boy looked up at her; eyes gleaming in excitement. "Mademoiselle, did you really-?!"
Ignis smiled at his excitement and pressed a finger to her lips, shaking her head. "In exchange for that little healing spell, promise not to tell anybody? It'll be our little secret!~"
"O-Okay, Miss..." The little boy agreed, his excitement dying down a little, but nevertheless, still there.
The sight of the little boy having grown excited over her casting magic on him reminded Ignis back when she was a little girl. Of course, she had been a rather hyperactive little child back then who was a bit obsessed with magic the first time she saw it. That hyperactiveness had toned down immensely since then, though she still retains her childish and cheerful attitude even now.
"Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself!" said Ignis. "My name is Ignis! What's yours?"
The little boy smiled. "Liam. I-It's nice to meet you too, Miss Ignis."
Ignis couldn't help but squeal at the little boy not only being polite, but referring to her in such a cute tone, thus startling Liam. "Kya!~ I just can't help it! You're so cute! I wanna hug you! Can I hug you?!"
"H-huh? O-okay...? Hngh!"
Liam was surprised by how tight her hugs was, but upon hearing Ignis' childish giggles as she hugged him, Liam couldn't help but relax and hug back. The red-haired miss was truly kind, having saved him from the baker and even healing his own wrist of her own volition.
Once she was satisfied, Ignis released Liam from her hug, bearing a bright smile on her face. "Ah...I feel so much better now!~ Thanks for the hug, Liam!"
Liam nodded. "It's no problem at all, Mademoiselle Ignis, but..." His smile faltered as he looked away. "You...You shouldn't associate yourself with me any longer. You'll only be insulted and hurt if you do."
"Hmm? Are you talking about that baker from earlier? Pfft! Like I'm scared of him!" scoffed Ignis.
Liam shook his head. "No, not just him. The people of Notre Dame...I...I'm a gypsy."
"A gypsy? What's that?"
Liam blinked in surprise. "You...you do not know what a gypsy is, Miss Ignis?"
Ignis shook her head. "Uh...Let's say that I'm a...traveler. Yeah. I just arrived in this city today, so I wouldn't know what a gypsy is! Is that like, a bad thing? Are gypsies like, bad or something?"
"Oh, no! We are free-spirited people! But...people still do not like us gypsies...I still am so confused as to why many people do not like us gypsies," admitted Liam sadly.
'Well, that's one thing of interest I'll have to investigate,' Ignis thought, intrigued. "Look, I still don't understand everything about this whole 'people-don't-like gypsies' thing, but I think one of the reasons why people don't like gypsies is because you keep on stealing. I-"
"We can't help it!" blurted out Liam. "Nobody is willing to hire gypsies, so we cannot get jobs, and without jobs, we cannot pay for food and clothes and medicine!"
"That doesn't make stealing a whole lot better, though," said Ignis. "Like I said, I still don't understand anything about all this, but for now, why don't I take you back to your parents or something? I can't just let you wander off on your own."
Liam shook his head. "No...No...I can't...We...We live somewhere...far in this city."
"I don't mind taking up some of my own time escorting you back home."
"I...I really can't let you know where I live."
"Well, I can't let you go back home by yourself, anyways," said Ignis. "That just means we're at a stalemate here. I won't let you go home alone, but you won't tell me where you live."
"...I...There is someone who can take me back home. He's very trusting and kind to me, and all the other gypsy children! He can take me back home! Plus, his show's about to start, soon!"
"Show?" wondered Ignis. "Is he some kind of entertainer or something...?"
Liam nodded. "Of course! He's a storyteller and he uses puppets to tell stories! It's a lot of fun! And, he's a great singer, too!"
"Singer, hmm? Now, I'm interested!" said Ignis. "Say, you said that his show's going to start soon, right? Can I watch the show with you?"
"Absolutely! Monsieur Clopin always encourages new audiences! He always asks us to bring us our new friends!"
"Great! Do you know where he is? Because, I'm still new to this city, and-"
"Of course! Please, follow me!"
Liam took Ignis by the hand and escorted her through the wonderful streets of Notre Dame. Everywhere they went, Ignis witnessed everything within her sight. Children happily playing and running around, people shopping and walking around in medieval-like colorful clothing, vendors selling foods, jewelry, and other things in various vendor stalls, carriages being driven in specific roads, banners and flags everywhere, music playing in the background by dancing people whom Ignis suspected to be gypsies, it was like an every-day carnival in Notre Dame.
Soon, the sight of Clopin's puppet theatre came into view in the form of a wooden cart with a large window cut in the front, decorated like a stage as one would normally view a puppet show as. The man standing behind the stage was dressed in colorful jester clothes; his main colors consisting of magenta, gold, and an indigo blue. Additionally, he wore a mask that clearly suited the rest of his outfit and he seemed to be almost ready to perform his show.
Already, a small crowd of children gathered around the cart, eager to watch Clopin's puppet show. They were chatting amongst themselves excitedly, wondering what Clopin's next puppet show was going to be, what puppets he was going to do, and what other fancy shenanigans he was going to pull during the show. Judging from their reactions, Ignis assumed that Clopin was a rather popular entertainer, or, at the very least, around children.
"Monsieur Clopin! Monsieur Clopin! I brought a friend!" called out Liam, still dragging alongside Ignis as some of the children cleared out of the way so the two of them could get to the front of the puppet theatre cart.
"Oh? A newcomer? I've never seen someone with such luscious, red hair as bright as the color of fire or blood!" praised Clopin, expressing surprise and praise upon seeing Ignis.
"Awww, thanks! I really do work hard at keeping my hair long and silky as possible!~" cooed Ignis, taking in the praise happily. "Hey, so I heard that you can do puppet shows and that you're an amazing singer, so can I watch your show?"
Clopin smiled brightly. "Why, of course, mademoiselle! Anyone that appreciates the musical arts is always welcome at Clopin's Puppet Theatre! Is everyone ready for the performance of a lifetime?"
The children, and even Ignis, cheered as they gathered around, awaiting for Clopin's show to begin. Their eager and bright expressions always flared up Clopin's spirit and determination to give them a grand performance like never before.
Clearing his throat, Clopin prepared himself and began to sing in a slightly low voice that was as clear as pure glass.
The Bells of Notre Dame
Composed by: Alan Menken
Sung by: Clopin
The Archdeacon
The Chorus
Judge Claude Frollo
(Olim, olim, Deus accelere)
(Hoc sæculum splendium)
(Accelere fiat venire olim )
"Morning in Paris, the city awakes
To the bells of Notre Dame!
The fisherman fishes, the bakerman bakes
To the bells of Notre Dame!
To the big bells as loud as the thunder!
To the big bells as soft as a psalm...
And some say the soul of the city's
The toll of the bells
The bells of Notre Dame!"
Instantly, Ignis became infatuated with Clopin's mesmerizing singing voice and stepped closer; eyes shining with not only expectation, but also joy and excitement, awaiting for what's to come next. For the first time ever, she was comparing her singing to Clopin's, and so far, Clopin has had a lead start for top singing!
Clopin paused his singing for a moment, replacing the next segment with his puppet show as bells started ringing from the background, though they were faint. "Listen, they're beautiful, no?" spoke Clopin, perking up his head up to the sky, as though trying to hear something from afar; most likely the bells. "So many colors of sound, so many changing moods! Because, you know, they don't ring by themselves!"
Then, a hand puppet greatly resembling Clopin popped out from under the stage. "They don't?"
"No, you silly boy." Clopin then pulled on a string, drawing back a curtain to the side revealing the famous Notre Dame's bell tower, which was also part of his song. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?"
Clopin Puppet popped up and questioned, "Who?"
"What is he?"
"What?" interrupted Clopin Puppet again.
"How did he come to be there?"
"How?" Clopin Puppet interrupted once more.
"Hush!" scolded Clopin, whacking his hand puppet with a stick.
"Ow!" The Clopin Puppet, despite his permanent smile on his face, almost seemed to pout upon being hit by his puppeteer. This little action was not only amusing to the children and Ignis, but also caused them to laugh and giggle from the comedy displayed before them.
"Clopin will tell you!" Clopin's lighthearted and playful tone downplayed into a more suspenseful tone that seemed to cast both fear and anticipation from his audience as he played the next part of his show. "It is a tale...a tale of a man...and a monster..."
As quick as lightning, Clopin changed the theater's scenery to that of a brooding and dark night, with the city of Notre Dame in the background, especially with the bell tower in the background's skillful artwork. Several other hand puppets popped up, possibly characters in Clopin's tale to describe both the man and the monster he so emphasized earlier.
"Dark was the night when our tale was begun
On the docks near Notre Dame!"
Clopin's puppet show begun, with him narrating, playing the roles of the characters in puppet form, and singing all at the same time; an impressive feat in Ignis' eyes as she, along with the children, witnessed the entire play from start to finish.
The next part of the play involved a barge driver rowing a boat with not only him, but three other gypsies and a baby in the female gypsy's arms. The baby was loudly wailing, which were sure to bring a lot of attention to the traveling passengers if the baby didn't quiet down.
"Shut it up, will you?" one of the male gypsies spoke harshly to the female gypsy, who was doing her best to comfort her infant.
"We'll be spotted!" The other male gypsy hissed.
"Hush, little one!" The female gypsy whispered softly to her child, and through sheer luck, the little infant obeyed.
"Four frightened gypsies slid silently under
The docks near Notre Dame!"
After arriving at a safe, secure location in the docks, the passengers got off the row boat with the barge driver getting off last and extending his hand out to the passengers. "Four guilders for safe passage into Paris," demanded the barge driver, with a greedy expression that was quickly replaced with shock and fear when an arrow struck his oar-like stick.
The arrow had come from one of the several arches taking aim at the group, blocking one of their paths of escaping. From the upper stone stairs, more soldiers poured down, wielding spears as they pointed their weapons and surrounded the gypsies with no way of escape.
"But a trap had been laid for the gypsies!
And they gazed up in fear and alarm!
At a figure whose clutches
Were iron as much as the bells-!
The bells of Notre Dame!"
True to the song, a dark figure riding on a his horse stepped out of the shadows and entered the scene, revealing himself to be an elderly, yet imposing man of high authority.
The sight of the dark rider of high authority caused one of the gypsy's eyes to widen at fear. "Judge Claude Frollo!"
(Kyrie Eleison)
"Judge Claude Frollo longed to purge the world of vice and sin!
(Kyrie Eleison)
And he saw corruption everywhere, except within!"
The first gypsy man grew closer to the female gypsy and her child, as though to protect them, before he was yanked away and shackled, dragged away by the soldiers.
"Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice," ordered Frollo, though his tone seemed to spat at the sight of the gypsies, as though even seeing them was disgusting enough.
"You there!" One of the soldiers grabbed onto the female gypsy, who had been trying to sneak away and escape all on her own, only to get caught by said soldier. "What are you hiding?"
"Stolen goods, no doubt," determined Frollo. "Take them from her."
Ignis couldn't help but interrupt in the middle of the play, intrigued and curious to know what was going to happen next just as Clopin changed the scenery from a dark night to a artwork depicting a closer view of the church. "So, what happened next?"
Possibly due to a theatre effect, lightning flashed, and Clopin's face burst from the darkness and a bit close to Ignis', startling her as she backed away a bit. "She ran!"
The next scene showed the female gypsy running down an alleyway as fast as possible, clutching onto her infant child as Frollo rode down after her, intent on capturing her. The horse's speed should have outpaced hers long ago, yet determination to live, or at the very least, ensure her baby was safe, allowed the mother to speed up past her limits.
(Dies iræ, dies illa)
(Solvet sæclum in favilla)
(Teste David cum Sibylla)
(Quantus tremor est futurus)
(Quando Judex est venturus)
She bypassed many buildings and alleyways; her feet constantly patting against the cold snow that night, but she refused to stand around for even a second in fear of losing her freedom should she waste time getting herself warm. The only advantage she had while running solo was that she was about to maneuver around small areas that neither Frollo nor his horse couldn't gain access to.
Finally, the female gypsy arrived on the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral; completely out of breath. She rushed up to the doors and began pounding as hard and loud as she could. "Sanctuary! Please, give us sanctuary!"
The female gypsy frantically continued knocking until she saw that Frollo had caught up to her, charging at her full speed with his dark stallion. In order to save her baby's life, she ran for it, but soon, Frollo caught up to her and grabbed onto the bundle's wrapping. Desperate to save her child, the woman held on as strongly as possible until Frollo's kick caused her to let go.
The woman not only fell back onto the stone steps of Notre Dame, but the fall also broke her neck and split the back of her head, thus killing her.
Frollo glared down coldly at the woman's corpse, internally pleased that he was able to rid the world of a "sinner," until the baby's cries roused him out of that thought and caught his attention.
"A baby...?" Frollo muttered, pulling back some of the wrappings of the bundle. The sight of the baby caused him to gasp in horror and nearly drop him out of shock, recoiling. "A monster!" He quickly covered the baby up again, disgusted to even look at the baby's face once more before glancing around, trying to find a solution of how to deal with the..."monster."
(Solvet sæclum in favilla)
(Dies iræ, dies illa)
His solution came in the form of a nearby well. Regaining his cold composure, Frollo had his horse trot towards the wall, glancing over the well and confirming that there was indeed, cold water up to the rim that even a baby would not survive long while underwater. He lifted the baby up with one hand by his bundle with a disgusted look on his face, prepared to loose his fingers and ridding himself of the monstrous, innocent baby.
Once again, lightning flashed, and for a brief second, Clopin, who was standing valiantly with his arm outstretched, hollered, "STOP! Cried the Archdeacon!"
Whom Clopin had been impersonating was an important character called the Archdeacon, head of the Notre Dame church, who had stopped Frollo in his actions.
Frollo did stop, but he didn't let go of the bundle holding the infant he deemed as a monster. "This is an unholy demon. I'm sending it back to Hell, where it belongs."
The Archdeacon knelt down on the snow, besides the female gypsy's corpse as he held her in his arms with a sorrowful expression on his face. "See there the innocent blood you have spilt on the steps of Notre Dame!"
"I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued," defended Frollo nonchalantly.
"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt on the steps of Notre Dame?"
"My conscious is clear!" snapped Frollo, still defending himself and thinking he did the right thing in killing a "sinner."
"You can lie to yourself and your minions!" accused the Archdeacon angrily. "You can claim that you haven't a qualm! But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes!" The Archdeacon then pointed to the various statues around the church of Notre Dame, as though casting judgement onto Frollo himself. "The very eyes of Notre Dame!"
(Kyrie Eleison)
Frollo glanced all around him, his confident and nonchalant face twisting into that of fear and guilt as he felt the invisible eyes of God's servants viewing down on him, judging him with contempt and anger for the immoral sin he was about to commit.
"And for one time in his life
Of power and control!
(Kyrie Eleison)
Frollo felt a twinge of fear
For his immortal soul!"
"What must I do...?" whispered Frollo to himself, wanting to get back on the good graces of God.
The Archdeacon, who was beginning to head back inside the cathedral with the dead woman in his arms, solemnly turned back to Frollo. "Care for the child, and raise it as your own."
"What?! I'm to be settled with this misshapen...?" Frollo's expression of disgust and wickedness reverted to a look of calmness as he remembered that he must "atone" for his sins by agreeing with the Archdeacon and raising the infant in his arms. "...Very well. Let him live with you, in your church."
The Archdeacon seemed surprised and puzzled by Frollo's request. "Live here? Where?"
"Anywhere," was Frollo's response as he stared up the top of the cathedral. "Just so he's locked up away where no one else can see. The bell tower, perhaps. And who knows? Our Lord works in mysterious ways." He glanced down at the child in his arms, contemplating on what to do with him once he's older. "Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be of use to me."
The scenery vanished in a flash of red as Clopin covered the scenery with one of the red curtains, donning it like a cape a second later with the stage's scenery artwork having disappeared behind a new sheet of blue. "And Frollo gave the child a cruel name. A name that means 'half-formed'...Quasimodo."
The blue sheets moved out of the way as Clopin worked with his puppeteer skills, revealing what had occurred in the later future with Frollo now acting as Quasimodo's caretaker. As both ascended upwards to the top of the bell tower, a new shadowy figure with a hunchback reached up to the top of the bell tower in the puppet show.
"Now here is a riddle to guess if you can,
Sing the bells of Notre Dame!
Who is the monster and who is the man?"
And, as Clopin was reciting the last part of his show, as if on cue, the actual, large bells of Notre Dame began ringing, tolling all across the city loud and clear.
"Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells of NOTRE DAME!"
The last, clear and powerful D note resonated with the chiming of the large bells, making it even more powerful at the end of Clopin's tale of the monster and the man. Awe struck the silent crowd before they all cheered and applauded for Clopin and his magnificent performance. It wasn't just children who enjoyed his performance, but just about half of the street as well, as there were adults who joined the crowd of the audience to watch Clopin's tale. To thank him for his performance, many in the audience threw gold coins at him, something that Clopin happily accepted as he caught them all with his hat.
Ignis was one of the many to clap loudly while in awe at Clopin's performance. His performance...definitely touched her heart while giving her chills all at the same time, something that rarely happened, which is expected, given that before, she couldn't go out into other worlds freely. She may pride herself in having an amazing singing voice, but she wanted to commemorate Clopin's singing talent, and in this case, she wasn't ashamed to admit that he was possibly better than she was.
"That's all for today, people of Notre Dame!" announced Clopin, having collected his gold from the crowd. "Join me again next time, and I shall entertain you all with another tale! What? You wish for a hint about my new tale? Well, you'll have to find out next time! Au revoir!~"
Some of the children groaned in disappointment, wanting to see more of Clopin's performances before they reluctantly left along with the rest of the crowd. The only ones remaining from the crowd were Ignis and her new little friend, Liam.
"That was so incredible! You were amazing! I've never had my breath taken away by such a wonderful performance!" gasped Ignis, grinning wildly as she couldn't help but jump up and down while clapping. "Encore! Encore! Encore!"
Clopin smiled and bowed at Ignis. "Why, thank you, mademoiselle! Unfortunately, that is all I have to provide for today, but if you're lucky, you get to be one of the lucky few to get a front-row seat to my next show!"
"Yay!" Ignis then remembered the other reason why she came along with Liam and tapped Liam on the shoulder, lightly pushing him forward. "Oh, yeah! Liam told me that he knew you and that you can take him home!"
"Oh? Well, yes, I can. Thank you very much for looking after him. I hope he didn't cause any trouble," said Clopin.
Ignis frowned at the memory when she first met him and placed her hands on her hips, looking annoyed. "He wasn't the one who caused trouble, but it was that stupid baker guy! He bruised poor Liam's wrist, so I had to hea-Er, I had to take care of him!"
Clopin looked surprised and turned to Liam. "Liam, is this true?"
Liam nodded. "Mademoiselle Ignis saved me! He hurt me, but she paid for the bread that I...um..."
"Liam...did you get caught stealing again? I warned you to be more careful!"
"I...I apologize, Monsieur Clopin…"
Ignis couldn't believe her ears as she glanced back between both gypsies. "W-What?! Are you seriously encouraging this?! Dude, you realize that stealing is still bad, no matter what, right?"
Clopin glanced at Ignis. "Ah...Of course you would not understand. You are but new to this city, no?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm a traveler. Liam did mention that he's a gypsy, and that people around these streets don't really like gypsies. He also mentioned that gypsies are free - spirited people, but I don't see why that's a reason to hate them."
"Liam isn't wrong about that," assured Clopin. "As much as I would like to answer your curious little mind, mademoiselle, I'm afraid that I cannot, as I must take little Liam back home. I hope you understand."
Ignis nodded. "No, it's alright. A little guy like him should probably get back home as soon as possible. I don't want him to experience something as awful as what happened back at the bakery ever again." She knelt down in front of Liam and patted him on the head. "Hey, Liam? I don't want you to try stealing again, okay? Can you promise me that?"
Liam looked away with guilt written all over his face. "I...I can't-"
"Mademoiselle," spoke up Clopin. "I understand your concern, and yes, normally, stealing is bad, but the gypsies' situation is...difficult. Believe me, I do not wish for young children such as Liam to become sinners, but it is for survival."
"Survival? Against what? The people here?" wondered Ignis, more confused than ever.
"You could say that, but I believe that many other gypsies here in Notre Dame will tell you more about our circumstances," assured Clopin. "Now, come along, little Liam. We must take you back home."
Liam nodded and waved at Ignis. "Thank you for helping me earlier, Mademoiselle Ignis. I...I will try my best to be a good boy."
Ignis smiled. "That's all I ask for. Well, see ya!" Turning around, she ran off into the streets of Notre Dame, leaving Liam along with Clopin.
"...What do you think, Liam? Is that mademoiselle a good person?" wondered Clopin.
Although Liam was grateful for the genuine kindness Ignis gave to him, he didn't completely trust her. He felt bad for breaking his promise with her, but he thought it necessary to tell the leader of the gypsies, Clopin, about her.
"Yes, I believe so. I...I do not think she knows much about the city. She says she is a traveler, and..." Liam couldn't help but blush as he rubbed the heel of his shoe against the ground. "She is very pretty."
Clopin chuckled. "Yes, she is quite beautiful, isn't she? One would mistake her for a noble if it weren't for the strange, armored clothing she wears. Though, I did not realize you had a bit of a crush on her, Liam. I cannot blame you, though."
Liam's face turned red as he looked away even more. "M-Monsieur Clopin! Please do not tease me!"
"Why not? You had quite a crush on Esmeralda as well. Well, she is much more beautiful than our new friend, anyways."
"M-M-Monsieur Clopin!"
"I digress, though," said Clopin, leaning in close. "But something of interest has come to mind. Mademoiselle Ignis has said that you had a bruised wrist? But, I do not see any bruise anywhere."
"W-Well, you may not believe me, but...Mademoiselle Ignis can...use magic. She used healing magic to heal my wrist. I-I know it may sound ridiculous, but-"
"Hmm...This is of interest. I do not believe you are lying, Liam, but it may be of interest to keep an eye on her for a while. Oh, and if you see Mademoiselle Ignis next time, do not tell her of our conversation, alright, Liam?"
"Yes, Monsieur Clopin!"
'Gypsy...Gypsy...Gypsy...I don't even know what a gypsy even looks like,' thought Ignis, wandering around the streets. 'All I know is that they're free - spirited and...it can't be the skin color, can it? I don't want to sound like a racist, but-'
"Spare change? Spare change, anyone?"
Ignis turned and saw an elderly old man sitting on a rug, holding up an empty, dirty cup and obviously begging for money. All of the other bystanders just ignored and walked past the poor man. Those that did look at the man only glared at him with contempt, as if his very existence is a sin that should never exist.
Curious, she went up to the old man, and, feeling bad, decided to take out a handful of her Munny. Just before she was about to place them into his cup, a bystander noticed and stopped her, grabbing her wrist.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" asked the man. "Don't needlessly toss your money for this pathetic gypsy."
Ignis glared at the man and yanked her hand away. "Pathetic? All I need is an old man who deserves some money to live his life."
"You're wasting your time. Don't waste your money on some filthy old gypsy who's probably going to die maybe next week? Next month?"
Ignis was starting to really dislike some of the people in Notre Dame if this was their attitude. "Wow, okay, racist, if I want your opinion, then I'll ask, but for now, it's my own money, and I'll do what I want with it. And what I want to do with it right now is give it to this old man, so butt out!"
"Tch, whatever. Your loss." The bystander walked away, leaving both Ignis and the elderly old man alone.
Turning back to the elderly old man, Ignis smiled and placed her handful of Munny into his cup. "Are you okay, mister? I'm sorry that you had to see that."
The elderly old man shook his head and smiled back at her. "No, no, Mademoiselle. Thank you...for even sparing a bit of your time with an old man like me. But...I must ask, why? Why must you waste your time with a gypsy like me?"
"Jeez, what is it with these people being so racist towards gypsies?" wondered Ignis, scratching her head. "Look, old man, I'm new to this city, and I barely know anything about gypsies, and I don't care! Well, actually, I'm actually really curious about what the big deal gypsies are, but right now, I just see an old man starving and begging for money to buy food, so, even though it won't help much, I chose to give you some of my money. I hope that helps."
"No, it is more than enough. Thank you. May God bless you," said the old gypsy.
"Hmm...Uh...I know this is weird, but can I sit next to you? I want to talk and ask some questions. I'll keep you company along the way."
The old gypsy was more than happy to finally have someone to talk to in order to not only pass the time, but also have some company. They learned each other's names and a few of their favorite hobbies as they chatted with each other, becoming quick friends as a result. Ignis' new friend was named Jacques, and surprisingly, he was a blind old man whose favorite hobby was listening to birds chirping. Ignis introduced herself to Jacques and told him some of her favorite hobbies as well, such as singing and running around a lot, pleasing Jacques. Ignis even tried to entertain Jacques by imitating bird chirps by whistling, though her attempts did fail. Nevertheless, Jacques was quite happy that she did it for him.
After talking with Jacques, Ignis learned a great deal about Notre Dame and its situation with the gypsies. Apparently, the hatred and discrimination against gypsies all stemmed from one Judge Claude Frollo, someone Ignis recognized from Clopin's performance. In all honesty, she thought that his performance was fictional and just part of his performance until she heard his name. It wasn't exactly clear about Frollo's full reasons why he hated gypsies, but from what she heard from Jacques, Frollo thought the gypsies were capable of witchcraft and that gypsies were people he was unable to control. Therefore, he attempted to persecute and then execute any gypsies his men captured, believing all of the gypsies to be sinners.
Because Frollo was in a very high authoritarian position, his influence had spread mostly throughout Notre Dame, causing many people to resent and even become racist towards the gypsies. As a result, lots of gypsies had to work out on the streets, singing and dancing just to try and earn gold coins everyday to buy food and other supplies they needed. Jacques' explanation on the situation based on his own experiences made Ignis quickly realize that something was very wrong with this world if such cruel authority was placed onto Judge Frollo.
She decided that now might be a good time to investigate further on Notre Dame and thanked Jacques before leaving him alone. She came across a couple more gypsies in different areas all over Notre Dame, and in exchange for giving them some Munny, she requested information about Notre Dame and the situation about the gypsies, which they were more than happy to reveal so long as it got them free gold. Just like with Jacques' story, it seems that other gypsies had suffered under the strict influence of Frollo and his corrupted men. She spent several more hours investigating until it was around the sunset that she chose to cease her investigation for today while thinking about what her next step should be.
Ignis didn't know what to do in this situation. As a Keyblade wielder, she has a duty to save worlds from destructive forces of darkness, like the Unversed. But, so far, she hasn't once encountered any Unversed in this world. On the other hand, she wished to help out the gypsies from this Frollo person because she felt bad and thought they were mistreated for something that they didn't deserve all because of one man. However, she also knew it was a sort of a principal rule not to get involved in worldly affairs, as it might disturb the world and cause some unknown consequence.
Just as Ignis was lost in thought, she snapped out of it when she heard a familiar cry. She saw Jacques trying to take back his cup away from a soldier, who was trying to yank the cup away.
"Filthy gypsy! There's no way you earned this much gold! You must have stolen it!"
"N-No, Monsieur! This is mine! I cannot steal anything because I am blind!"
"A likely story! I bet you gypsies say that line all the time to play innocent, huh?!"
Ignis was shocked and angry at the scene before her. She recognized that the other man was a soldier based on his armored garments and the fact that he had a sword attached to his hip. She heard that soldiers are chivalrous, and that they were meant to protect the innocent and weak, just like Keyblade wielder. But now? Now she was witnessing the opposite of that. She was witnessing a soldier, someone who was supposed to help the innocent and weak, practically robbing a poor, elderly man.
"Hey, stop it!" yelled Ignis, running over and pushing the soldier away before standing in front of Jacques, protecting him. "What are you doing?!"
"It's none of your concern, girly! Step aside! I need to teach that thief a lesson!"
"Thief?! What are you talking about? He's blind! How can a thief steal anything if he's blind?" questioned Ignis.
"He only claims to be blind! All gypsies are nothing but tricky, manipulative liars! I'm doing the city of Notre Dame a favor by punishing sinners like that old man! He stole the gold coins and-"
"He never stole them!"
"And how would you know?"
"Because I gave them to him!"
A small crowd had formed around Ignis and the soldier ever since they started arguing, wondering what was happening. Surprised was definitely the word for the crowd's reaction when they learned that the young, red-haired girl had actively given a portion of her gold coins to an elderly gypsy.
Shock was evident all over the soldier's face as he registered this information. "You...? Why would-You're lying because you feel pity for that old man!"
Jacques shook his head. "No, she's telling the truth, Monsieur-"
"I didn't tell you that you could speak, filthy scum! Go roll over and die like the old bastard you are!" spat out the soldier.
Ignis' jaw dropped at the attitude the soldier displayed, especially his disrespect towards Jacques, a vulnerable, blind old man. "How dare you?!" she yelled, getting all worked up. "You don't just say that to anyone, especially a kind, old man like him! And he's not lying! I did give him my gold coins!"
"Oh? And where did you get those gold coins, Mademoiselle?" questioned the soldier.
"I'm a traveler, of course I have money with me," said Ignis. "But that's besides the point! How could you, a soldier, just go around bullying and tormenting this old man?"
"I don't have to explain my reasons to you!"
"Is this what a true soldier is supposed to be acting?!" questioned Ignis, indignantly still standing up to him.
"Silence!"
"Sir!" A young soldier went up the other older soldier, saluting to him. "T-There's trouble in another street! Some other gypsies are arguing and causing some trouble in the tailor's shop!"
"What?!" The older soldier growled, glaring at Ignis and the old gypsy. "Fine! Soldier, you stay here and deal with the situation! It shouldn't take long! As for you, girly, don't think I won't hesitate to arrest you just because you're one of those gypsy sympathizers! You get in my way again, and you'll be in serious trouble!"
The older soldier turned to leave, and Ignis, still pissed at the older soldier for his actions and how he insulted Jacques, secretly used a bit of her weak earth magic to make him trip and fall onto a mud puddle. It proved to be a success, as the older soldier cried out as he tripped and fell facedown onto a mud puddle, dirtying himself and causing some within the crowd to laugh at his misfortune. The older soldier cursed to himself before getting up and stomping away.
Ignis giggled herself before remembering Jacques, rushing to his side as she collected some of the gold coins that had fallen to the ground to give them back to him. "Are you okay, Mr. Jacques?"
Jacques coughed before smiling. "Yes, thank you for standing up to me, Mademoiselle Ignis..."
The young soldier started waving his arms around, as though trying to shoo away the crowd. "Alright, everyone! Show's over! Shoo! Nothing to see here!" After waiting for the crowd to disperse and leave to attend to their own needs, the young soldier walked up to the two. "Monsieur, are you alright?"
Standing straight up, Ignis stepped forward to defend Jacques. "I swear, if you're trying to arrest him for-"
"No, no! Nothing like that!" assured the young soldier before leaning in close for a whisper. "Actually, I kinda lied. There is no gypsies in the tailor shop nor is there some kind of trouble ahead. I just said that so that he would leave this poor, blind gypsy alone."
Ignis' stern expression reverted to a surprised look. "R-Really?"
"Yup! You and this elderly man are free to go. Oh, and let's keep this a bit of a secret, shall we?" The young soldier winked and tossed a gold coin onto Jacques' cup.
"Thank you, young one," thanked Jacques, grateful for the young soldier's actions.
Just as the young soldier was about to leave, Ignis stopped him. "Hold on. While I do appreciate what you've done, why did-"
"Why did I help? Simple. Why wouldn't I? It's a soldier's duty to protect the weak and innocent," replied the young soldier. "I'm still a newbie at all this, but...well, I don't agree with everything about what Judge Frollo says, about gypsies being sinners and all. To me, they just seem like people struggling to get through life because of one powerful man's inhumane actions."
Ignis nodded. "I couldn't agree more. But...earlier, I did catch a gypsy who was trying to steal. Granted, what he did was wrong, but I saw also a poor, starving child. The baker hurt that poor child, so I have to intervene. Believe me, I agree that what I saw about the gypsies are them struggling through life, but...for them to go so low as to have even a child steal things..."
The soldier, with a sorrowful face, nodded. "Yeah, I've seen a few child thieves myself. I'm not the only one who wants to try and stop this wrongful way of society either. Some of my fellow soldiers feel the same towards the gypsies and we pity them, but there's not much we can do. Judge Frollo is powerful, and he's got most of the soldiers on his side being extremely vicious towards the gypsies."
"That's...really horrible."
"I...I have to go. Duty calls, and if I linger here any longer, that soldier from earlier will return and cause all sorts of trouble again," said the soldier. "Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Conrad. May I ask for your name, Mademoiselle?"
"Yeah. It's Ignis, nice to meet you."
"Ignis...Do you know your name means 'Fire' in Latin?" revealed Conrad. "It certainly suits you, as your beautiful hair is as red as fire."
Ignis grinned. "Awww, thanks! Yeah, that's real interesting to hear the meaning of my name! I've always thought my name was quite unique! Well, good luck on your duties, Conrad!"
After Conrad left, Jacques spoke up. "He's not a bad soldier, Ignis."
"Huh?" Ignis turned to him. "After he saved us from some asshole? Yeah, I can tell he's a good person!"
Jacques nodded. "Mademoiselle Ignis, you must realized that many soldiers here in Notre Dame...they do not care for us gypsies. However, like Jacques, there are other gypsy sympathizers. Not many, but there are certainly others that would harbor and hide gypsies into their own home."
"Hmm...I wonder if me helping people like you would make me one of the sympathizers...?"
"Mademoiselle Ignis, I only urge you to be very careful, even if you are a traveler and are only temporarily staying here in Notre Dame. I do not want to see young, kind people like you hurt because of us."
Ignis smiled softly and knelt down in front of him, clasping her palms onto his. "Don't worry about me. You just worry about yourself. Besides, I'm not just a traveler, but I'm a fighter as well. I can take care of myself if I come across any other trouble." Though he was blind, she winked at him and fished out some more Munny from her pocket, putting them in his cup. "I only wish I could do more to help."
"Your donation and kind words are more than enough for a frail, old man such as myself...Thank you."
That night...
"I'm terrible sorry, Mademoiselle, but the entire inn is already booked," apologized the innkeeper, talking to Ignis after she requested for a room to stay for the next few nights. "It's filled with folks from all over, coming to see the Festival of Fools."
"The Festival of Fools? What's that?" wondered Ignis.
"Oh, it's an annual festival that takes place once a year, and the festival will take place within a few days! It's a truly, magnificent festival! Sadly for you, there are no more rooms to spare."
"Are you sure? I mean, I've seen stables outside the inn. Is it okay if I sleep in there?"
The innkeeper looked surprised. "You wish to sleep within the stables? Well, there is certainly room, but it will be quite smelly with all of the horses and other animals. Plus, you will still need to pay. Are you certain?"
"Eh, I'll be fine," said Ignis, paying upfront the money for a few nights.
"Hmm...Very well. You may choose any spot within the stables, but I urge you not to release nor bother any of the animals. If you wish to use the hay to make your bed, I suggest you not take too much. Those are my only conditions. Is that clear?"
"Alright, sir! Is it okay if I take a bit of a walk before sleeping in my temporary room? Well, I guess it's not exactly a room, but...kinda?"
The innkeeper nodded, shooing her away with a wave of his hand. "Be my guest. You may do what you want so long as you follow those rules. You have paid for a few nights rest, after all."
"Great! Thanks!"
The luminescent candle-like streetlights were certainly a view to be seen as Ignis wandered down the streets of Notre Dame. Now, there was very few to no occupants walking down the streets, as everyone else had already sealed themselves within their homes to rest for the night. Ignis took a moment to relax while watching the city's beauty lit up by the streetlights.
"Please, doctor! My wife, her water has broke! We need help!"
"Get out! Filthy gypsies are not allowed in my establishment! Go take your filth child somewhere else!"
Startled, Ignis looked around and saw a doctor yelling at a couple before slamming the door to his own center, having kicked the couple out. Ignis not only noted that the couple were gypsies, but that one of them, a woman, was heavily pregnant and in great pain, ready to collapse.
Ignis rushed over without thinking, catching the woman and having her lean to her side. "Are you okay, Miss?" She looked up to the man, presumably the woman's husband, and asked, "What's happened?"
Normally, the gypsy man would state that it wasn't the young girl's concern, but seeing the state his wife was in, he had no other choice. "M-My wife, Annabella, she is with child! Her water broke a little earlier, but no doctor here in Notre Dame is willing to help us because we are gypsies!"
'God, is everyone here a racist?! Oh, wait, there's Conrad. Never mind,' thought Ignis as she tried to think of a solution. "Ah...Ah...What about your home? I mean, it's safer to have childbirth in hospitals and stuff, but-"
"No, our home is...too far at the moment! We cannot make it in the state we are in!"
"Then why the hell were you guys out-?! Ugh, never mind!" Ignis bit her lip and once again, tried a different solution. "Oh! Uh...I did kinda rent a room at an inn, well, it's in the stables, but maybe you can have your childbirth there? I know it's not the most ideal place, but I don't think giving birth in the middle of the streets is a good idea, either!"
"Pablo...just do what she says...' grunted the woman called Annabella.
"But, we don't-"
"I am GIVING BIRTH to your child! I don't think we have any other options here!" hollered Annabella, grabbing her husband by the collar and glaring deadly at him.
Even Ignis was startled and terrified of the pregnant woman at the moment. "O-Okay, right this way please! Let's hurry-!"
Both Pablo and Ignis helped carried the pregnant gypsy towards the direction of the inn, which, luckily, wasn't too far away. Ignis has yet to explore the stables, but she recognized the stables from all of the hay and the cages trapping the horses and other farm animals. Hurriedly, Ignis gathered a bunch of hay to create a comfortable bed for Annabella, and Pablo laid his wife down onto it.
"Oh, what to do?! I'm no doctor!" cried out Pablo. "I have to go find one of our gypsy friends, Lavender! She will certainly know what to do!"
"Is she a doctor?"
"Yes, in a sort! She is training to be a doctor, but-"
"Then why didn't you go grab her instead of going to one of those racist doctors?!" questioned Ignis.
"Because we didn't have time and our home was too far away-"
Suddenly, Annabella started screaming, ceasing the two's argument and making them focus on her. Ignis held onto her hand, and in response, Annabella grasped it tightly as she continued screaming at the top of her lungs.
'I can defeat strong monsters, I can use magic, I can heal wounds, but I don't know how to handle pregnancy!' thought Ignis, panicking. "H-Hey! Mr. Pablo, was it? Go ahead and go get your doctor friend!"
"What?! And leave my wife alone?! I can't!" protested Pablo.
"Look, genius, I don't know anything about your doctor friend! You're the only one who does! Besides, if you go, I can keep an eye out for her and try my best for her!" Ignis turned back to pregnant gypsy, noticing that she was starting to sweat and pant heavily. "I...I only know a few things about pregnancy, that you need a lot of hot water and towels and stuff! Look, just hurry back as fast as you can!"
Pablo gritted his teeth, wanting to stay by his wife's side, but he knew that the red-haired girl was right. Neither of them were doctors, and he was the only one of the two who knew about a trustworthy doctor. "Fine! I'll try and come back as soon as possible! Just take care of my wife!"
"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Ignis released the soon-to-be mother's hand away from hers so she could find the supplies necessary for the pregnancy. She found some buckets and filled them up with water from a nearby well before heating them up quickly with her fire magic. However, she was unable to find any spare towels or cloths, so she had to settle with applying some ice magic onto Annabella's body a little just to cool her sweating and heating body.
Just when things couldn't get any worse, it did at the appearance of some Unversed. Knowing she had to take them out as swiftly and quietly as possible, Ignis engaged them in combat, wasting no time as she defeated them with her new sword skills she learned from Weyard, the last world she was in. Of course, before getting into combat, she did set up a powerful Barriera spell around Annabella to keep her safe.
After defeating the Unversed in the area, Ignis returned to tend back to Annabella, whose condition only worsened without any support. Soon, Pablo returned with his gypsy doctor friend, Lavender, who then began administering the correct procedures for a pregnancy.
The pregnancy took many hours before it was finally over. During that time, the group had to endure hearing the newly mother's screams as she tried to push the baby out from her stomach, with Lavender guiding her through and speaking comfortable words. Pablo held onto his wife's hand the whole time, gritting his teeth every time Annabella squeezed with inhumane strength, while knowing this was part of the pregnancy process. As for Ignis, she became a temporary assistant to Lavender, obeying her orders to take care of Annabella, and as an added bonus, Ignis started singing smoothing songs to comfort Annabella, since singing can help ease a pregnancy.
At long last, the baby had popped out from Annabella's abdomen and began wailing loudly just as the sun started arising, indicating that the pregnancy took the entire night to occur. Immediately, Lavender cut the umbilical cord with her tools before proceeding to clean the newborn child with the warm water Ignis had heated up before. Ignis handed Lavender some clean towels to dry off the child, keeping her awed attention onto the newborn child.
After drying the baby and wrapping it in some blankets, Lavender handed the baby to its new mother, Annabella. "Congratulations," panted Lavender, smiling. "It's a beautiful, baby girl."
Tears formed onto Annabella's eyes as she cradled her newborn girl in her arms, glancing up at her husband for a moment. "Did you hear that, Pablo? A baby girl?"
"Yes, you did a remarkable job, Annabella," said Pablo, kissing his wife on the forehead.
Ignis couldn't help but smile and tear up at the sight of a new life before her eyes. As a Keyblade apprentice, she was always taught to protect and cherish life, because life is precious and must be protected under the guidance of light, so one doesn't get corrupted by the darkness. Witnessing childbirth for the first time made her realize just how important cherishing life truly is.
Although Ignis still holds onto those sort of righteous beliefs, she also found her own path to light changing ever since she was forced out of the Land of Departure. She learned so much more about light, and even the benefits to darkness. She never really used the light or darkness for evil, especially darkness, only to defeat her foes and protect others. Yes, she shouldn't allow darkness to corrupt someone, especially one as innocent as the baby girl, but at the same time, she shouldn't let innocents be blinded by the light, either.
Ignis glanced to the side, watching the sight of a brand new day as the parents were still holding onto their newborn child. "...It's a brand new day. The dawn of a new day."
"...Dawn."
"What?" Ignis turned back to the mother.
Annabella wiped away her tears and smiled at Ignis. "Dawn. That's our daughter's new name. She was born on the dawn of a new day, so it's only fitting that she bears such a beautiful and meaningful name."
Dawn. It was certainly a fitting name for the new baby...as well as the path that Ignis was trending on.
At first, Ignis had been curious about darkness magic ever since Merlin taught her that balance was absolutely necessary, like how darkness needed light, and light needed darkness. This was unlike Master Eraqus' teachings, where he told her and the others that darkness was an abomination that must be destroyed in favor of the light. The more worlds she traveled, the more she realized that Merlin was right.
Yes, she had to face enemies that were associated with the darkness, but those weren't the only enemies. The other enemies she faced were in service of the light, like King John back in Nottingham. He was supposed to uphold his citizens over himself and his own selfishness, but Robin Hood, whose actions normally favor the darkness, chose to help the others while committing crimes worthy of darkness. This made it evident for Ignis that not all good was in light, and not all evil was in darkness.
Ignis didn't want to be corrupted by darkness, but she also didn't want to be blinded by evil light, as well. She wanted to choose a path of balance, between the both of them. She wanted to use both darkness and light for good- no, to protect others. Therefore, she felt that she was trending...on the path to dawn.
A path of balance.
"Mademoiselle..." spoke up Annabella. "Would you like to hold our new baby girl?"
"What?" gasped Ignis, taken aback. "A-Are you sure? I-I mean, I know babies are super cute and all, and I'm a pretty strong, and healthy girl, but I...I mean, I don't want to drop the baby and-"
"You'll be fine," assured Pablo, taking his new daughter, Dawn, away from Annabella's arms and offering Dawn to Ignis. "Here. Hold her."
"Ah...Well..."
Ignis gently took the newborn baby girl in her arms, frozen in place. She has never held someone so fragile, so small, so delicate before in her entire life. This...this is what it feels to hold precious life into one's arms. What it means to protect when you have life in your own hands.
Suddenly, Dawn started crying and wiggling around, causing Ignis to tighten her arms around the baby girl before sitting down, not wanting to drop the little baby girl from standing up. "Ah...What do I do?! What do I do?!"
Lavender reached her arms out. "Here, let me-"
"No," stopped Annabella. "I believe...she wants a song. Maybe one of your lovely songs will help calm her down?"
"I...Okay, I can do that!" said Ignis, glancing down at the baby girl in her arms with softened eyes before she began softly singing.
Ballad of the Wind
"Sleepers wake,
Dreams will fade
Although we cling fast.
Was it real?
What we saw?
I believe...
Lost in dreams,
We sleep on
Tossing and turning.
Stay with me,
By my side
Never leave.
What if the worse comes?
If someday this sweet reverie ends?
We too...
Our memories,
For real
Fade us by!
Dream with me,
By the sea
We watch the waves crash
Hold my hand,
Think of me
And I'll fly..."
At the end of her song, Ignis saw that Dawn had grown comfortable and had fallen asleep. Satisfied, Ignis handed the baby girl back to her mother and watched Dawn dozing off with a peaceful expression.
"You have such a lovely singing voice," complimented Annabella. "Just as lovely as Monsieur Clopin."
"Oh, please! He's a much better singer than me! I don't think I can get my voice as high as that huge D note he played before!"
"Even so, thank you for singing to our new daughter. I've never heard of that lovely song before."
Ignis grinned and rubbed the back of her head embarrassedly. "Ah...well, I'm a traveler, so I come across a lot of different songs. And trust me, I have A LOT of favorite songs."
"By the way, we never did catch your name," said Pablo. "We have been so busy with the baby, so..."
"Ignis. My name is Ignis. It's a pleasure to meet you, and a great honor to deliver a baby!"
"Ignis...It suits you. The 'flame' that lights a new dawn."
"The flame that lights a new dawn...I like the sound of that."
The new family, a doctor, and a Keyblade wielder all sat in silence as they basked in the light of a new dawn, wanting to relish in the peaceful moment for just a little longer.
And I'm done with the new chapter, the first part of the new world Ignis is in, Notre Dame! Well, technically, the new world she's in is called La Cité des Cloches, but I'm certain people would like to refer to this world as Notre Dame.
There are a couple of reasons why I picked this world to be Ignis' next world, and I can't reveal all of them, so I'll just reveal two for now. The first one, because they have amazing musical talent! Seriously, one of the reasons I loved the movie, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," was because of the music! It was like, opera-leveled music! So, with Ignis' love for singing, I thought she might fit in and I do have a bit of a role for her to play involving her musical talent.
The second reason is for her to understand more about the new path she's chosen, about balance. The gypsies are portrayed as "evil," while the soldiers that are meant to maintain order are seen as "good," but it's the total opposite. Frollo, a man whose religious and believe he's trying to purge all sinners, well, his actions are evil, and, even though admittedly, there are gypsies that steal and do bad things to survive, they're all mostly good and only wanted to show their freedom through entertainment. It's only because of Frollo's actions that the gypsies seem to have a bit of a bad reputation. Plus, with the soldiers being corrupted by Frollo, it's natural they'd be racist and assume all gypsies are evil, even finding excuses just to arrest, and torture and/or execute any gypsy, or gypsy sympathizers.
I felt like the Nottingham world wasn't enough for Ignis to see more of the corruption, and thought that she needed to see more of the "evil light," and "good darkness." I feel that the Notre Dame world will be a better choice to display more of that sort of corruption here. Don't get me wrong; I don't intend to portray darkness as the new good, and light as the new evil. I still intend on letting Ignis still use the power of light, while also trying to use darkness magic to make up for using the power of darkness. I just want her to try and find a balance for both.
Also, just a heads up, but the Unversed that Ignis fought during the pregnancy is, at the very moment, what Vanitas felt in the last chapter. When he returned to the Keyblade Graveyard and was about to summon more Unversed, he felt pain from Unversed in another world being destroyed. During that time, it was when Ignis was fighting the Unversed to protect the pregnancy, which is how Vanitas knew where Ignis was after she slain his Unversed.
Another thing I want to say is that The Ballad of the Wind Fish? Yeah, that song isn't only a beautiful lullaby to hear, but it also foreshadows a chapter later on. Is it one of the parts of Notre Dame? No, it just foreshadows a certain chapter. I'll tell you guys when the time comes. I just want to do some foreshadowing, because I always love foreshadowing and mystery solving!
Anyways, I love The Hunchback of Notre Dame! I even heard rumors that there's a live-action film going to be taking place, just like with Aladdin and the upcoming movie, Mulan! I'll determine whether or not I'll see the movie, but I watched the live - action movie, Aladdin, and it was incredible! Besides the music in the Notre Dame movie, I really enjoyed the dark, scary theme in the movie, and dark themes aren't really usual in Disney movies, so that was a nice change of pace!
Anyways, read and review!