Here's the next chapter, everyone! I told you guys that things would start getting a bit more darker beginning from this world. Okay, even if I made very small mention of it before, I'm telling you guys right now. This chapter, well, not at the beginning, but sometime later, it does get a bit dark. You'll understand. It's like RWBY, where it starts off humorous and fun, and then later, it grows more and more darker with each volume.
Yeah, so when I say that this chapter will get a bit dark, yeah, you guys are kinda gonna hate me for what I'm gonna do. If you don't know what I mean, well, just read and find out. Warning, this may have triggers, so I'm just giving you guys a heads-up.
Oh, and thanks for telling me more reasons on why Frollo hates the gypsies. They clarified and gave me some information that I didn't even think of! Thanks, everyone!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Kingdom Hearts series, only the OCs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own Disney songs, like "Out There," or any songs belonging to RWBY composed by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams.
Ignis was sitting on a building ledge, swinging her legs back and forth playfully as she checked out the Unversed Cleanser to scan for any Unversed in the world she was in. Once again, just like in the past few days, there were no indications of anymore Unversed in this world. The Unversed Cleanser was already upgraded by Merlin the last time she saw him, which had been in Radiant Garden and it had been a while since she had last been there. Since it hasn't been that long and since she was certain she hasn't damaged it, she was certain that the Unversed Cleanser wasn't malfunctioning.
In fact, besides that one time when the Unversed invaded during Annabella's pregnancy, Ignis hasn't even seen one Unversed. Sure, she was having fun exploring the city, making friends, and helping others, but she also upheld her duty as a Keyblade apprentice, which meant looking out for any dangers and evil forces. During the few days since she's been here, besides the racism and discrimination she's seen, no Unversed has appeared.
'If no other Unversed arrives by the time the Festival of Fools is here, then I'll be certain that there are no more Unversed in this world,' Ignis thought, putting away her Unversed Cleanser. 'Luckily, the Festival of Fools is tomorrow, so I just need to wait just a little bit longer!'
In the meantime, all she's been doing besides being on the lookout for any Unversed was stopping corrupt soldiers from harassing the gypsies or anyone innocent, helping the gypsies through some form of charity work, and now, she's been practicing nonstop with Esmeralda and Clopin, training to help them with the grand performances during the Festival of Fools that would take place tomorrow. She may be a good singer as she has sung nonstop through the years, but guidance from two professionals, no matter how grueling the training was, definitely helped her improve immensely.
"Hey, you! It's dangerous up there! Get down from there!"
"Hmm?" Ignis glanced down from her position and saw that it was that golden armored knight that was accompanying Frollo before. An annoyed look formed on her face as she refused to do as he said. She simply crossed her arms and looked away.
The golden armored knight, also known as Captain Phoebus, sighed when he realized that Ignis was definitely not coming down. It wasn't hard to recognize her as the girl who was helping out that poor gypsy boy a few days ago, as it was rare to come across any girl with hair as red and long as hers. Additionally, he could understand why she refused to come down: Because of him. Because he was seen with Frollo as his bodyguard, it was only natural for her to presume that she was on Frollo's side, at least, in terms of his hatred of the gypsies, but Phoebus held no such thing for the gypsies. In fact, there was one certain beautiful gypsy girl that he quite fancied.
"I promise, I'm not here to arrest you or anything! I simply want to see you off that roof! It's dangerous up there! You could fall off!" called out Phoebus.
"..."
"I'm not leaving until you get off that roof! I'll even help you off that roof if you so desire!"
Somehow, Ignis knew that Phoebus might be telling the truth that he really won't leave her along unless she does as he asks. She decided to face him and called back, "Can you hear me?"
"Yes! I can!"
"You know, I can just get up and like, run and jump across the other rooftops, right? They're really not that far to jump!"
"I wouldn't recommend you do that!" said Phoebus. "But if that happens to be the case, I'll simply follow you!"
"I'm a pretty fast runner!"
"I've had to run a lot faster in the war I was in! Rest assured! I give you my word that I have no intentions of harming you whatsoever! We can play the waiting game all day, but I'm not leaving you alone until you get down from there!"
Thinking that Phoebus might actually do that, Ignis had little to no choice but to comply. 'If he does try and attack, I can always defend myself and then run away,' Ignis thought, standing up. 'Hmm...I wonder if I should set his cape on fire? Maybe I should cast a Stun spell on him and draw all over his face? Yeah! That sounds a lot more funnier!'
Phoebus watched as Ignis slid down the wall before jumping off it to grab ahold of one of the nearby streetlights to slid down on the ground, impressed. "You're quite good, little lady, though I wished that you came down using a safer method, like a ladder."
"Eh, I still did what you asked, only in my way," said Ignis. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Phoebus cleared his throat. "Right, well, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Phoebus, and that means 'Sun God.' Might I ask for your name?"
"...Ignis. It's Ignis."
"Ignis, huh? Fascinating and fitting name. Did you know that your name means 'Fire' in Latin?"
Ignis nodded. "I've been hearing that a lot lately. I guess I know why I've been named that, not that I'm complaining. So, if that's all, I think I'll be going-"
"Wait, wait, wait," said Phoebus, stopping her. "I wanted to clear up any misunderstanding that happened the first time we saw each other. I understand that Judge Frollo hates the gypsies in this city, but I disagree with him. I haven't really seen any gypsies do anything wrong except try and live out their lives just like the rest of the citizens here in this city, and yet a lot of people here, including several soldiers, have mistreated them as though they've done something wrong."
"Technically, not all soldiers here are bad. Conrad was pretty nice," commented Ignis.
Phoebus looked surprised, but relaxed into a smile when he heard her comment. "Conrad, huh? Yes, he and his friends didn't seem to hate the gypsies. In fact, he was quite an eager rookie. He needs a bit more training, but as his captain, it's my duty to see that through."
"You're the captain of the knights around here?" asked Ignis before frowning. "If you're the captain of the knights, and you disagreed with all of the discrimination surrounding the gypsies, then, why don't you do something about it?"
"To be fair, I am the new Captain of the Guards," defended Phoebus. "Judge Frollo said he dismissed the last Captain and had me promoted to become the new Captain to replace the old one. I just arrived here at Notre Dame a few days ago, so I'm still trying to adjust things here."
Ignis' face softened to a look of understanding. "I see...Sorry, I didn't know about that. Now it makes a bit more sense."
Phoebus shook his head. "No, you have nothing to apologize for. You're right, though. I should take advantage of my position and try to straighten out my soldiers."
"...If you want, I can tell you what I've seen some of the soldiers do around here. And I do mean, like the really bad ones."
"That...would be highly appreciative, yes."
Ignis nodded and proceeded to tell Phoebus what she's seen some of the corrupted soldiers do to the gypsies going about their daily lives during her time in Notre Dame. How they try and take the gold that the gypsies have tirelessly worked hard to obtain, how they harass gypsies and accuse them of any crime with any little movement they make, and how sometimes, they even try to arrest the gypsies for no reason.
Phoebus' expression continuously changed from being upset, to horrified, and then to anger. "Thank you for reporting this to me, Ignis. Rest assured, the perpetrators will NOT get away with this any longer. I will be having a very strict conversation, and should they get caught doing such things ever again, well, let's just say that I'll prove much scarier than Judge Frollo."
Ignis seemed satisfied with Phoebus' attitude. "Good! I was getting sick and tired of watching innocent gypsies being trampled everyday! Who knows how long this has been going on?"
Phoebus sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, but I will be seeing some changes in my men, even if it has to resort to heavy punishments. I don't know, but I have a really strange feeling that things are going to change here."
Ignis tilted her head in confusion. "Well, yeah! Because you seem like a nice guy, and you're going to bring change, soon! Obviously, things are going to change here!"
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean, I have a bad feeling that things are only going to get worse. My gut tells me that."
Ignis walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder as an effort to cheer him up. "Cheer up, Phoebus! I'm sure you'll be fine! I've never been a leader before, but even I can tell that leadership is a lot of hard work! Master Eraqus certainly had a tough time raising me and my other friends, especially me!"
"Master?" Phoebus raised an eyebrow at her words. "You were a slave?"
"What? No, no, no, no! He's my Key-Uh...I mean, he's my sword master!" said Ignis, quick not to expose anything otherworldly. "He taught me and my friends how to wield the sword! Kinda! But...I've always been the troublemaker of the team! Hehehe! I caused so much trouble!~"
"Oh, looks like I'll have to watch out for a certain red-headed troublemaker in this city, then," joked Phoebus. "And a sword? Hmm...I've never seen a girl fight with swordsmanship before. It's usually the men who does it, but...if there's ever an opportunity, I'd like to see your sword skills."
Ignis grinned. "Yeah! Wait, are you asking for a spar?"
"I wish, but unfortunately, I'm still in my Captain duties."
"If we do spar, and if I win, then I get bragging rights!" declared Ignis.
Phoebus chuckled. "Fine by me. But, if I win, then the same applies to me, alright?"
"Deal!" Both shook hands on that promise and went their separate ways, and though the atmosphere was still peaceful in the city of Notre Dame, they couldn't but feel a chilly wind, as though Phoebus' prediction was correct and that something bad will come soon.
Later...
Ignis was happily humming to herself, skipping along the sidewalk as she once again explored the city of Notre Dame, fascinated by the sights it provided and wanting to explore the entirety of the large city for herself now that she had some time to herself. She was done with her final practice, so she had all the time to explore today until the finale performance at the Festival of Fools tomorrow.
She spotted a crowd gathered around in the town square, where preparations for the Festival of Fools were still ongoing. However, the crowd seemed to be talking amongst themselves, creating a bit of a commotion. Gently pushing a few of the folks in her way while muttering quick apologies and excuses, Ignis made her way to see the front and was horrified at the sight before her.
An older soldier was grasping the back hair of a young gypsy girl as she thrashed around, struggling to break free and crying out in pain. Another soldier was gleefully kicking at an already fallen boy, who was curled up and trying to protect himself. However, another soldier, much more younger and his face covered in freckles, was trying to defend the children, even shielding himself in front of a young girl holding a baby, from a much more larger, intimidating soldier who seemed to have years of fighting experience judging from his intimidating presence alone.
"P-Please, stop!" pleaded the freckle-faced soldier. "I understand that these children are under debt, but you don't have to exert such violent force onto them!"
"Those who cannot pay their debts in time must be retaliated with force," sneered one of the soldiers. "Or, are you saying we should let them go simply because they're children? Don't be so naïve!"
"Yeah!" agreed another soldier. "It's only because their dead parents owed debts that they're in this situation! Don't blame us for doing our jobs! Lieutenant, what should we do?"
The large, experienced soldier deemed as the Lieutenant, rubbed his chin before smirking vulgarly. "Hmm...They're gypsies, so I don't sympathize them one bit. But that girl holding the baby...Mmm...She's young, but she seems close to adult age...You! Girl! If you want to avoid paying your debts as well as the debts with these other children, then I suggest you strip. Down. Ever. Single. Last. Clothing."
Immediately realizing the Lieutenant's heinous intentions, Ignis's eyes widened. 'What the fuck is wrong with him?!' she thought; a fury close to bloodthirst swelling within her as she clenched her fists and a disgusted, dark look formed on her face.
The freckle-faced soldier seemed to have reached the same conclusion, as he brandished his sword and stood more firm and protectively in front of the terrified young girl, now clinging onto the baby for comfort. "N-No! I won't let you! This is going too far!"
The Lieutenant grew impatient, snarling before backslapping the freckle-faced soldier, roughly throwing him across the ground with a red mark on his face. Just that one blow wasn't enough to render the young soldier unconscious, but the massive strength of that blow was still enough to make him unable to move for a while not only from the injury, but out of fear as well.
Ignis, like many of the other bystanders, gasped at such a terrible sight. Ignis was so close. So, very, very, very close to losing her temper and interfering. It was already bad enough for the Commander to declare his vile intentions, but in addition to hitting his subordinate for trying to protect innocents, even if they did owe debts? Unforgivable.
The Lieutenant grinned as he stepped towards the young girl, trembling in fear and holding onto the baby even more tightly than before. His eyes hidden behind his knight's helm shined with vile light, his movements slow yet filled with lecherous intentions, and the way he licked his lips as though awaiting to devour something delicious that was right in front of him. He pulled his large broadsword out from its scabbard, repeatedly striking the blunt side on his palm to show how intimidating he was and could be even moreso if the young girl didn't comply to his demands.
Suddenly, the Lieutenant's surroundings were dyed in a flash of light, and a rapid, explosive-like sound rumbled out, followed by the screams of the Lieutenant's subordinates, save for the already fallen freckled-faced soldier. He looked around and saw a red-haired girl, Ignis, slashing away at the soldiers, hitting them with a strange weapon resembling both a key and a blade, and knocking them out with swift slashes before she diverted her attention at the Lieutenant.
Because he was the only other soldier remaining, it was clear who her next target was. Overconfident that he was more experienced and that he would easily take her down with one blow, the Lieutenant heft up his weapon, swinging his heavy broadsword over his head downwards just as Ignis rushed at him. However, the girl deflected the blow with a heavy underhand done with her Phoenix Fairy, making the Lieutenant reel back. But, that was the opening that Ignis needed.
Taking advantage of the opening, Ignis lunged forward, raising and then slashing Phoenix Fairy right at his knight's helm. The Lieutenant's head reared backward from the slash and he stammered back once more. He recovered fast enough to defend against Ignis' follow-up strike, before engaging in a swift series of parries and slashes. This continued until Ignis found a small weakness within his defensive maneuver and counterattacked, slashing one strike from underneath and sending him off his feet with a loud crash.
A confident smile formed on her face as Ignis stood over the Lieutenant, clearly being seen as the victor, while the Lieutenant laid on the ground, groaning from the crash he suffered. Ignis, having stopped a conflict between the soldiers and the gypsies, lowered her Keyblade and scanned the area. The kids seemed okay, scared, but mostly okay as the collapsed bodies of the soldiers she knocked out scattered around.
"Whew..." Dismissing her Keyblade secretly, Ignis turned around and saw the crowd, as well as the young gypsies she saved, standing still, lost for words. It was understandable, given that they all just witnessed a young girl like her taking out trained soldiers in a fell swoop, even humiliating the Commander by engaging in a public fight and then defeating him with so many witnesses around. She thought that she had frightened them when she gave into her fury and lashed out earlier by taking down the soldiers. This...wasn't exactly how she planned things to go down.
One of the children that was being threatened ran up to Ignis with a huge smile on his face. "T-Thank you, Miss!"
The other child, the little girl, brushed aside her messy hair that was crippled up from one of the soldiers earlier, and rushed up to Ignis. "Y-Yes! Thank you!"
The slightly older, yet young girl holding onto the baby, nodded, expressing her thanks to Ignis. "Y-Yes, tha-LOOK OUT!"
"Hmm?"
Ignis felt a rush of murderous intent and turned to see the Lieutenant having risen up; a look of hatred and vengeance all over his face as he raised his broadsword to swing it towards her face. Hastily, Ignis pushed the children away and dashed away to dodge the swing. Although she avoided the worst of the slash, Ignis couldn't completely dodge the slash nor raise her Keyblade in time.
Ignis yelled in pain as pain burst out from her cheek, where a large gash wound appeared. Fingers trembling, Ignis gently raised her hand to lightly touch her cheek, winching in pain at even the gentlest of touches. She felt a warm liquid and glanced down to see it was indeed blood. Warm blood formed on her wound instantly and dripped down her cheek, even onto the ground as droplets of blood. A splatter of blood was around the corner from the Lieutenant's earlier slash.
Seeing as she was distracted, the recovered Lieutenant grinned and engulfed her face with his large gauntlet, muffling out Ignis' surprised cry. Because he had far more superior strength, he easily lifted her light body up before throwing her down, slamming her headfirst into the floor.
Releasing another cry, Ignis felt pain coursing through her body as well as warmth flowing down the side of her head. Opening up one eye, she could see a small puddle of blood forming near her, and judging from the headache she was suffering, she figured that she must have suffered a head wound, unsurprisingly, considering that she was slammed to the ground a few moments ago. Her ears were still ringing, but she could did hear screams and sounds of panic, probably from either the crowd or the children she was trying to save; probably both.
Grunting, she tried to get up and saw the sight of the freckle-faced soldier in front of her, wielding his weapon and acting in defiance towards the Lieutenant. Because she was still trying to regain her senses, she couldn't completely make out of what was happening, but she figured that the freckle-faced soldier was trying to defend her, despite being a lower rank and having to obey his Lieutenant.
"STOP!"
An elderly white-robed priest marched outside after exiting through the open doors of the large cathedral, an expression of indignation worn on his face as he hurriedly tried to stop the violence even further. Ignis, though her hearing was slowly starting to return, could still vaguely hear the murmurs of the crowd as they dispersed to give the white-robed priest space, saying things like, "It's the Archdeacon!" "The Archdeacon has come!"
"The...Archdeacon? Who's that?" murmured Ignis in confusion.
Having overheard Ignis' murmurs, the young girl holding the baby knelt down besides her and answered. "The Archdeacon is the clergyman of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He is highly respected and is most kind!"
The Archdeacon stepped up to the Lieutenant, and although the giant himself didn't sheath his weapon, his other soldiers looked nervous and had the sense to put away their weapons. "Archdeacon," spoke the Lieutenant with overwhelming confidence that he hasn't done anything wrong. "I assure you, we had this situation under control. We're just teaching these...sinners a le-"
"I saw the whole thing!" yelled the Archdeacon. "I only regret that I could not have come here much sooner to stop this...because someone else did and got injured as a result." He turned his face towards Ignis; his angered gaze softening into a sorrowful one as it indicated he knew what Ignis did.
"Make way! Make way!"
The crowd dispersed even further at the sound of a loud, commanding voice. Ignis and the others turned and saw Phoebus making his way to the scene while riding on a white horse named Achilles. When he first saw what assumed to be quite a serious scene before him, his expression turned firm and serious.
"Achilles, heel." Achilles the horse came to a halt, prompting his owner to jump off Achilles before making his way to the scene. "What is going on? What's this scene before me?"
"You are the new Captain of the knights, correct?" questioned the Archdeacon, receiving a nod from the golden-armored soldier. "Praise God that you arrived! I will tell you everything that has transpired here! I was up on one of the upper levels of the cathedral when..."
As the Archdeacon explained everything in full detail, Phoebus' expression reverted based on his emotions as he started to get a grasp of the situation. Surprise, shock, and, understandable, anger. Upon being given the full detailed explanation, Phoebus examined the scene before him, from the frightened, defenseless children, to the freckle-faced soldier, to the other corrupted soldiers including the Lieutenant, and even Ignis, who still sported the gash and head wound on her body.
"Archdeacon, I formally request that you allow me to take care of this mess," requested Phoebus, glaring darkly at the soldiers responsible for this entire situation. "Rest assured...they will not be getting away with this."
The soldiers that proved discriminate towards the gypsies and the children they were tormenting, felt shivers down their spines. Their former Captain had always dismissed their actions and allowed them to get away with what they wanted, until he messed up, causing Judge Frollo to replace their former Captain with Captain Phoebus. Unlike their former Captain, however, Phoebus was more light-hearted, but always serious in his line of work and never tolerated any laziness, racism, or unfair treatment towards gypsies, orphans, or pretty much anyone within the city of Notre Dame, earning him both respect and hated within his group.
Phoebus eyed each one of his soldiers, then turned to the Lieutenant, who was not only a rank lower than him, but still had his weapon out. "Lieutenant! I order you to sheath your weapon at once and stand down! Because you were in charge of your own unit, you are even more responsible and even more punishable for your recent, unforgivable acts!"
The Lieutenant growled and clenched his teeth, revealing them to be rotten yellow before spitting out his true emotions in front of his commanding officer. "Unforgivable acts?!" He pointed to the group of children and gypsies that he and his men were harassing earlier. "They're nothing but filthy gypsies and orphans who have nothing to offer to this society! We were only enforcing the law of debt that-"
"ONLY?!" yelled Ignis, standing up and ignoring the oozing pain from her wounds. "You don't call what you tried to do 'enforcing!' What you and what your guys tried to do...was not something any proper soldier should do!"
More than agreeing with her, the freckle-faced knight took a deep breath to build up the courage that he used to try and defend the innocents before, glaring at his Lieutenant. "Yes, she's right, and I should know since I was here from the beginning. You tried to scare the children! You grabbed and tried to yank the hair off an innocent child! And worst of all, you even tried to commit sexual assault onto a minor! It was bad enough that it was sexual assault, but on a minor as well?! That's...that not how a soldier should act at all!"
Phoebus stepped forward, raising his authoritarian presence higher to intimidate his men to show he was all business. "You are all...very...VERY fortunate that I will not pass judgement on these holy steps of Notre Dame. Instead, we will all march back to the training grounds where, not only will I give you all proper punishments, but, in front of the other men, I will strip you of your positions!"
Protests echoed from the soldiers, especially from the Lieutenant. "You can't do that! Judge Frollo will-!"
"If Judge Frollo has any issues, he can put them up with me!" demanded Phoebus. "These...these disgusting and inhumane acts are unforgivable and not something that can simply be swiped away so easily!"
"I couldn't agree more," agreed the Archdeacon furiously. "Captain Phoebus, whatever punishment you grant to these sinners-" He glared not at the children, Ignis, nor the freckle-faced soldier, but the true culprits at hand when he spoke of this. "And, if Judge Frollo refuses such punishments, you may call upon me, and I will make sure to convince Frollo and assure judgement will strike down on them."
"I am grateful for your assistance," accepted Phoebus before climbing back up on Achilles. He glanced at the children and Ignis, before turning to the Archdeacon. "Archdeacon, I was wondering, about the children and-"
The Archdeacon smiled and nodded. "Of course. The healers and I will personally take care of the victims that were involved in this situation."
"Once again, I thank you." Phoebus glanced around and took a few minutes to round up his men, clearing up a new pathway to return to the training grounds to punish his men properly, all except for a freckle-faced soldier, who would be recognized for his courageous act for doing a proper soldier's duty. In the meantime, Ignis and the children were escorted inside the cathedral, where the Archdeacon quickly issued orders for medical treatment, food, and water for them all.
Ignis had no need for the water and food, instead urging the healers to give her share to the children who needed it more. In fact, she insisted that they receive all of the attention before her, assuring them that she would be fine despite being the most injured out of all of them. Ignis couldn't exactly cast her Cure spells on herself without anybody noticing her using magic, so she allowed the healers to disinfect her wounds and bandage them up.
After Ignis was given medical treatment first, the other healers focused on the children, and it was during that time that the Archdeacon appeared. "How are you, Mademoiselle?" the Archdeacon spoke kindly to Ignis, sitting down in front of her.
"I'm fine, thanks," thanked Ignis, gently touching her bandaged cheek only to winch in pain.
"Ah, I would advise against touch your own wounds. They might open up." The Archdeacon glanced over to the children and smiled softly. "I'm relieved that the children are alright. Thank you for protecting them. I normally detest violence, but this situation, I'm willing to make an exception."
Ignis' eyes widened in realization. "Oh, yeah, right. The cathedral is practically a sacred place. You're not supposed to do things like, run around or even commit violence near or inside here. Sorry about that."
The Archdeacon shook his head. "All is forgiven. God will forgive you for your sins, even if you had good intentions behind your actions. But, you must remember, violence can't solve everything."
"It solved the problem a few minutes ago. Kinda."
"I will admit, you interfering in the act of violence did indeed save the children, but in the end, it was Captain Phoebus who resolved the issue rather peacefully, wasn't it?"
"Well...I guess," agreed Ignis. "It wasn't like I wanted to fight those soldiers, though. I just assumed that they were going past a line nobody should cross and intervened. I had to interfere, because nobody else was."
The Archdeacon sighed. "I understand, but try not to involve yourself in violence. You can't solve everything in this world, after all."
"If only it were that simple," Ignis stated before realizing something about the cathedral she was in. "Hey...this cathedral...it acts like a bell tower, right?"
"Why, yes. The most upper levels are where the bells are located, and where our local bell ringer, Quasimodo, resides," explained the Archdeacon.
Quasimodo's name perked Ignis' interest. "Quasimodo? As in, the orphan boy that Frollo adopted?"
"How do you know that, child?"
"There's this performer named Clopin who sang out Quasimodo's origins, about how some gypsies came to Notre Dame one night, his mother ran off and was killed by Frollo, and because he sinned on the steps of Notre Dame, Frollo had to take care of Quasimodo as repentance," summarized Ignis. "I actually thought that was all some sort of fictional song play, but, the more I explored Notre Dame and even encountered Frollo myself, the more I start to wonder whether it's real or not."
The Archdeacon seemed surprised at Ignis' knowledge of the events that transpired many years ago, as well as learning that an outsider had learned of Quasimodo's origins. "I...I had no idea that others knew of Quasimodo, but what this Clopin person said was indeed true. That is what happened."
"If that's the case, then why don't you have Frollo arrested for what he's done?" questioned Ignis. "He killed an innocent woman, gypsy or not, and left poor Quasimodo an orphan! And, you say you forgive him by having him take care of Quasimodo? He even gave the baby a really horrible name that means...well, I forgot what it was, but it was really bad! If someone gives a baby a name with a bad meaning, that's the first sign that things will go downhill real fast! I even met Arthur, a kind boy whose original name was Wart! What kind of horrible parent names their child, 'Wart?'"
"I...understand what you're trying to say," spoke the Archdeacon. "And, as much as it pains me to see the horrible things Frollo's done, as well as his treatment towards the poor boy, there's only so much I can do between my duties as Archdeacon and so little time to interfere with Frollo's mistreatments towards the gypsies. I believed...that by having Frollo raise the child, the child would help him repent for his sins and change to be a greater man."
As frustrated as Ignis was, she could understand a bit of what the Archdeacon was going through. Even though it was clear that he cared for Quasimodo, he couldn't always check up on him 24/7, since he had other duties as an Archdeacon would have. It was similar to the things her Master Eraqus had to go through throughout the years. Eraqus probably didn't have a lot of time to himself, as he had to take care of 3 kids all on his own-actually, 4 kids, since Ventus joined their group of friends a few years ago.
Ignis wanted to vent her frustrations out on the Archdeacon, but caught herself in time. None of this was even the Archdeacon's fault, and he only did try to change Frollo by giving him a chance to repent. As frustrating and unfair as this entire situation was, Ignis...also believed in second chances, because it was another one of the good things she was taught by Master Eraqus.
Even if she did believe in second chances, she hardly believed that Frollo was making good use on his second chance at all.
"If it helps, I have been seeing Quasimodo as much as I could over the years, though it is very little," admitted the Archdeacon. "It's quite fortunate that, despite Frollo's harsh treatment towards him, he grew up to be a quiet and kind boy."
"...I heard that he's a bell ringer," said Ignis. "So, how is he? Is he doing alright?"
"The last time we spoke, he appeared to be doing alright," assured the Archdeacon, looking at her. "He enjoys being a bell ringer and...would you like to meet him?"
Ignis gasped happily and stood up. "Of course! I'd love to meet him! Where is he?"
The Archdeacon pointed to a spiral stairway that led upwards to the higher levels of the cathedral, to the bell tower of the Notre Dame cathedral. "Head up those stairs, and you'll find the bell tower. I...hope you don't ridicule Quasimodo for his appearance. I have allowed people in the past to try and visit Quasimodo, but it turned out to be a terrible mistake, as they only did so to bully and call him a monster. So, I have forbidden passage to all except a select few. You seem trustworthy, so-"
"I get it," agreed Ignis, frowning at the new information she heard. "Those people...I can't believe they would do that just because of his appearance. It's almost like, way worse than the racism going around this city. I mean, I know people are teased and bullied for their own appearances, but...Well, rest assured that I won't be like that."
The Archdeacon nodded. "That's more than I can ask for."
With the Archdeacon's newly granted permission, Ignis made her way up the stairs, eager to meet the famed Quasimodo that she heard from Clopin's song tale. Since Frollo was already portrayed as an antagonist in both Clopin's tale and in real life, and judging from his tale and the Archdeacon's own perspective, Ignis wanted so badly to meet Quasimodo and see what a "quiet and kind boy" he is.
It took a while, but Ignis did find herself in the inside of the bell tower. In her perspective, it looked more like a sort of a wood or bell factory with lots of wooden railings and huge bells at the top of the ceilings that can only be run through not just the tug of the ropes around, but also with enormous strength. There were also small amounts of stairs that led to different areas around the inside of the bell tower, so there was much to explore around the bell tower.
"Quasimodo? Hello? Are you there?" called out Ignis, roaming her eyes around. She heard a startled yelp and a bit of a crash not far from her current position and was on high alert. Then again, whatever made that sound was probably Quasimodo himself and he probably wasn't expecting any visitors, so naturally, he must have been surprised.
As Ignis wandered around the bell tower in search for Quasimodo or, possibly anyone else within the bell tower, a worker, perhaps, she heard hushed voices furiously muttering amongst each other in the darkness of the room.
"Are you crazy?! I can't go out there! M-Maybe this person will get tired and leave!"
"Quasi, this is your chance for more interactions! More friends!"
"B-But what if she calls me a monster, just like everyone else?"
"You won't know until you try! Besides, you've seen her defend those kids down there!"
"Yeah! She kick butt! If she helped those kids, then you know she's a nice person!"
'Okay, so there's clearly more than one person in here,' thought Ignis, sweatdropping as she continued looking around. Her search eventually led her to a table with wooden-like objects.
But not just any objects. The objects that were entirely made out of wood were wood carvings sculptured into wooden figurines of people, buildings- in fact, the wooden dollhouse-like buildings resembled the entirety of the city of Notre Dame, so the figurines must be the people of Notre Dame.
"Oh, wow! So cool!" cooed Ignis, bouncing up and down before sprinting towards the table to see the wooden carvings. "Awww! The sheep ones are so cute! And these buildings are so impressive! Ooh! I like this one!"
"D-Do you really like them...?"
Hearing a voice behind her, Ignis whirled around and saw a young man with a hunched back and a deformed face, wearing a green tunic and seemingly in a crotched position while standing up, hesitantly making her way towards her. He hesitated once more the more closer he got to her, so he hid behind a wooden pillar.
"Are you Quasimodo?" asked Ignis, not bothered by his appearance.
"Y-Yes...um...If you're here to see the Archdeacon, I'm afraid that he's downstairs, and possibly busy," spoke Quasimodo.
"Actually, I'm here for you. I wanted to meet you," said Ignis, stepping forward, causing the red-haired man to cower even further behind the pillar.
"O-okay...I'm ready."
"Ready for...what?"
"For you to call me a monster. For you to say that I'm ugly. For you to say that...that I'm God's ugliest creation."
Shock formed on Ignis' face as she took in Quasimodo's words. She knew from the Archdeacon that people ridiculed him for his "monstrous" appearance, but she didn't know it was this bad to this extent!
"What?! No, no, no, no! I would never say such a horrible thing to you!" denied Ignis. "I mean, granted, maybe you aren't the most handsome person in the world, but I wouldn't dare call you a monster or worst, 'God's ugliest creation,' because of that!"
Quasimodo slowly stepped out from the pillar. "R-Really?"
Ignis nodded. "Of course! I'll admit, you're not the most handsome guy I've met, since there's a lot more handsome guys I know, and one I especially have a cute crush one!~ Well, I've never seen his face since he's always masked, but his voice is so deep and husky, it's gotta belong to a handsome guy, but-Yeah, I'm getting off-topic, but the point is, you're not the most handsome person, but you don't look like a monster to me."
Quasimodo was now no longer hiding behind the pillar, and a hint of hope formed on his deformed face; hope that someone was finally seeing him for who he is, and not some monster because of his appearance. "R-Really? That's the first time...anyone's ever told me."
"The first time? I heard Judge Frollo is your caretaker. He didn't tell that you're not a monster?" wondered Ignis.
"M-My Master? Oh, no...he's the first to tell me that I look like a monster, and because of my hideous appearance, nobody will ever like me. In fact, one time, when I was a little boy, there were people up there who wanted to see me, and when they saw me, they said I was a monster, so my Master is correct," admitted Quasimodo.
Ignis had to look away so that her angered expression wasn't seen as anger towards the innocent Quasimodo. 'Frollo...what the hell have you been teaching him?' she thought, even more disgusted with the racist priest-like man.
Deciding not to talk anymore about Frollo, Ignis chose the change the subject. "So, I heard that you're a bell ringer, and obviously, that means that you ring bells."
Quasimodo nodded. "Oh, yes. Would you like to me to introduce you to all of the bells here? O-Oh, and give you a tour of the entire bell tower?"
"Sure! No probs!"
"Alright, then follow me!" Quasimodo seemed excited that for once, a kind visitor that didn't view him as a monster, came to see just him, and that in his excitement, he was more than eager to finally have a friend, other than the gargoyles he had in his bell tower.
He showed her various parts throughout the entirety of the bell tower, introducing her to the large bells in which he named each and every one of them. The bells, the other areas within the bell tower, and finally, he took her outside so that she could see the large, widespread view of the entire city of Notre Dame. Ignis was amazed to see such an astonishing sight, as even the buildings she climbed on top of didn't allow her to witness such a widespread view of this. Seeing the view from the bell tower made her feel like she was seeing a map of the entire city right before her very eyes.
"Wow...so incredible!" exclaimed Ignis. "Thanks for giving me the grand tour, Quasi! Oh! Can I call you, Quasi?"
Quasimodo nodded. "Of course. It's...what the gargoyles call me, after all...Um...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
"No, no! I should be the one apologizing! God, I...I was having so much fun, that I knew your name, and yet, you didn't know mine! My name's Ignis! Nice to meet you!"
"Ignis...that's an unusual-sounding name...N-Not that it's bad or anything!" exclaimed Quasimodo, not wanting to upset his guest. "I-I'm sorry!"
"No, no! You're good! I'll admit, Ignis does sound like an unusual name," agreed Ignis. "But, I'm an unusual girl, so I guess it fits me! It also helps that the true meaning behind my name means fire!"
Quasimodo looked surprised. "Oh, like the color of your hair! It reminds me of fire, too!"
"Your hair color's the same as mine, you know," Ignis pointed out, reaching out and gently tugging on a bit of his hair. "Well, not exactly. Your hair's a bit more lighter than mine. Like, a reddish-orangish color? Yeah! That's it!"
Quasimodo nodded and looked down sadly. "And...unlike your name, my name doesn't mean 'fire.' It means, 'half-formed.'"
'Damnit, Frollo! Why'd you have to give him an awful name in the first place?!' Ignis thought, finding more and more reason to hunt down and wreck the living hell out of Frollo.
"Oh, but there's another meaning behind my name as well!" addressed Quasimodo. "The Archdeacon once told me that my name has a second meaning: 'Sunday.' And Sunday is always the day where people take a day off and go to pray to God, so, despite my name being 'half-formed,' the second meaning behind it gives me hope. Hope that one day, God will be able to love a monster like me."
"Quasi..." Ignis gently clasped her hands over his and assured him, "I'll admit, I'm not really a religious person, but I do know a few things about God, and I know for certain that he loves you very much."
"H-How do you know that? You said that you weren't a religious person."
Ignis nodded. "You're right. I'm not. But God...you know he loves anybody who does good things, or at least, does things with good intentions behind them, right? I'm certain that he'll love a good person like you."
Quasimodo paused before converting his expression into a confused one. "You said that God would love anybody who does good things, or things with good intentions. I understand the first bit, but what do you mean things with good intentions?"
"Right, I'm gonna have to explain that, huh?" Ignis then continued, "Quasi, when I said that, I mean, there are people out there who will do bad things. There are two types of bad people out there. One type is the type of people who loves doing bad things and don't care about the consequences as long as they get what they want. The second are people who will do bad things, but the reasons behind them are normally good. I...am the second type of people. Just earlier, I did a bad thing, in order to save some children."
Quasimodo nodded. "I saw, from above. You fought against some bad soldiers to protect those children. You were...very brave and strong."
Ignis smiled at the compliment. "Awww, thanks, Quasi! It always does cheer me up whenever someone compliments me for my actions! But anyways, what I did was protecting those children. But, in order to do so, I had to resort to violence. Violence...is always bad, no matter what. But sometimes, it's necessary for good intentions. Sometimes, those with good intentions have to hurt people in order for those good intentions to be realized. Quasi, I don't like hurting people, but it can't be helped, if I'm protecting those people."
'Wow, I can't believe how wise I sounded just now! I sounded so wise, I impressed even myself!' thought Ignis. 'I guess Master Eraqus' lessons and my experiences ever since leaving home have taught me much.'
"I don't like hurting others, either," agreed Quasimodo. "Thank you...for telling me all that. It's a lot to take in, but I'll think about it. Ignis...have you ever done anything really, really bad, even if it was for good intentions, like protecting someone?"
Ignis pondered for a moment, and a memory flashed back to her; a rather unpleasant memory that still haunts her to this day.
Flashback...
"Ignis, I..." Looking up, Arthur opened his mouth for an apology when he saw Mim creep up behind Ignis, as though ready to either use her magic, or to strangle the girl from behind. "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!"
It all happened too fast. Out of the instinct to survive, Ignis gripped her Keyblade, twisted her body around, and stabbed Mim in the heart.
Keyblades may appear blunt and have little to no sword edges, but they definitely function as swords and are even as sharp as one. Thus, it was little to no problem for Ignis to stab Mim right through the heart, though it was out of self-defense and never intentional.
"W-What?!" Even Ignis was shocked along with Mim, who never anticipated she would be stabbed. Shakily pulling her now bloody Keyblade out of the old witch's body, Ignis watched as Mim staggered forward with a stunned expression, reaching all the way to the nearest well before her body fell over towards the bottom of the well.
Falling to her knees once more, Ignis dropped her Keyblade in fear and shock. Granted, she was taught by Eraqus that it was alright to eliminate darkness, and while it was an accident and self-defense, Mim was filled completely with negativity and darkness. Still, that didn't stop the shaky feeling of her killing an actual person for the first time.
Ignis looked away, shaking with an unpleasant expression on her face. "...Yes. I have. I really, really, didn't want to, but I had to do something awful, even if it was to prote-No, accidental, and out of self-defense."
"I'm sorry," apologized Quasimodo. "I must have conjured up some bad memories, didn't I? I-If that's the case, then let's talk about something else! L-Like, what are your favorite hobbies?"
Ignis appreciated Quasimodo's efforts of trying to cheer her up and decided to entertain him a bit by answering his question. "Hmm...Oh! I like exploring! Ooh! And I love singing and dancing, but, well, I was a terrible dancer, but my new friend, Esmeralda, is teaching me how to dance more freely and properly instead of just ballroom dancing. Who knew there was so many different types of dancing? But, I love singing much more than dancing!"
"I...I'm like you," admitted Quasimodo. "I'm not really fond of dancing, but I enjoy singing. I love the bells, and woodcarving, but I also love singing as well. If...it's okay, would you sing me a song?"
"I'd love to sing you a song!~" chirped Ignis. "But...why spoil my wonderful singing when I can just sing tomorrow! You see, the Festival of Fools is tomorrow, and I'm one of the performers chosen to sing on stage! You can hear my song and see my performance once you get there!"
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't."
"Why not?"
"I-I've got so many chores to do, and I-I'm not allowed to leave the bell tower. My Master says so, and besides, if I go to the Festival tomorrow, people will only view me as a monster, and I don't want to ruin everyone's time there when the festival is only once a year."
Ignis frowned. "If I were you, I'd totally disobey Frollo and go and enjoy the festival! Come on, you said so, yourself! It's a once-in-a-year opportunity!"
"But...I get to view the entire festival from above, and it's so close by, so it's not that bad," admitted Quasimodo.
"Quasi, even I know there's a difference between seeing something from afar, and experiencing it for yourself. I'd die of boredom if I ever had myself be confined to this bell tower, no matter how amazing the view is from above!" said Ignis, glancing out to see the view of the city once more. "Besides, if you're so worried about anybody looking at your appearance, then just wear a disguise! Wear a costume! The Festival of Fools does allow costumes, right?"
Quasimodo nodded. "O-Of course!"
"Then, problem solved!"
"But, what about my Master? I-I know part of his duties is to attend the Festival, but what if he sees me?"
"Like I said, wear a costume! Seriously, there's gonna be like, loads of people there! He won't even notice!" assured Ignis. "And, once the festival is done and over with, you can easily sneak back to the cathedral without him noticing! Simple plan!"
"I...I'll have to think about it," said Quasimodo, still uncertain, yet Ignis' plan sounded so simple and thorough, that he had to at least consider it.
"Great! Say, you said that you loved singing just as much as I do, right?" asked Ignis. "So, why not sing for me? And in exchange, I'll give it my all in my performance tomorrow!"
"Sing? I-I don't mind, but...I don't know what to sing," admitted Quasimodo.
"When you sing, you have to put your heart into it," Ignis advised. "So, sing anything! Anything with your heart! Anything you want to sing! It doesn't matter if the lyrics are bad, or you don't remember! You can even hum the song if you want to! And I don't even care if you're an awful singer! The important thing, is that you have to try your best!"
"My best...Okay." Quasimodo nodded and gazed out into the city before closing his eyes and opening his mouth to begin singing softly and beautifully.
Out There (Quasimodo version)
Composed by: Alan Menken
Sung by: Quasimodo (Tom Hulce)
"Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone,
Gazing all the people down below me.
All my life, I watch them as I hide up here alone,
Hungry for the histories they show me.
All my life, I memorize their faces,
Knowing them as they will never know me.
All my life, I wonder how it feels to pass a day!
Not above them!
But part of them!
And out there, living in the sun,
Give me one day out there, all I ask is one!
To hold forever!
Out there, where they all live unaware!
What I'd give!
What I'd dare!
Just to live one day out there!
Out there among the millers and the weavers and their wives,
Through the roofs and gables where I can see them!
Every day they shout and scold and go about their lives,
Heedless of the gift it is to be them!
If I was in their skin,
I'd treasure every instant!
Out there, strolling by the Seine!
Taste a morning out there, like ordinary men
Who freely walk about there!
Just one day and then, I swear
I'll be content!
With my share!
Won't repent!
Won't despair!
Old and bent,
I won't care!
I'LL HAVE SPENT ONE DAY OUT THERE!"
When Quasimodo finished singing, he breathed in and out to catch his breath, feeling a whole lot better and confident than ever before. He felt as though he could fly, like he could lift up the entire cathedral with his bare hands...Like...
Like he now had the courage to go to the Festival of Fools.
Hearing clapping, Quasimodo turned and saw Ignis happily applauding him for his small performance, with joy and excitement all over her face as she even jumped up and down and cheered for him. Quasimodo blushed and looked away. "A-Aww...it really wasn't that impressive."
"Are you kidding? You had the voice of an ANGEL!" sighed Ignis, still awestruck by Quasimodo's singing. "God, is everyone in this city such AMAZING SINGERS?! If so, this just makes me even more excited for the Festival tomorrow!"
"I do feel a lot better about myself," admitted Quasimodo. "But, I'm still uncertain whether I'll go or not."
"You have to go!" said Ignis. "I'm about to perform a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity performance! You can't miss it!"
"Yes, but..."
Ignis sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "I guess I have no choice. Okay, Quasi! I'll give you a preview of my performance! I'm gonna sing one song for you!"
Quasimodo shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no! You really don't have to! I-I mean, it'll be an honor, but then I'll learn what song you'll be singing tommo-"
"Believe me, the song I'm about to sing isn't the song I'm singing tomorrow," assured Ignis. "It's a song for you, and your situation. Hopefully, this song might cheer you up. It's one of my favorites. Actually, all the songs I know are my favorites, so, yeah."
"A-Are you sure? You said that you wanted to wait until singing tomorrow-"
"Like I said, this song is not the one I'm playing tomorrow. Besides, I want to do this. So, just stand back and listen to my song! Alright?"
Quasimodo ultimately decided to accept her offer and nodded, deciding it wouldn't hurt to hear a bit of her singing, especially since she was offering. Ignis nodded and closed her eyes, softening her tone as she began to sing.
This Life is Mine
Composed by: Jeff Williams
Sung by: Casey Lee Williams
Mirror,
Can you hear me?
Do I reach you?
Are you even listening?
Can I get through?
There's a part of me that's desperate for changes.
Tired of being treated like a pawn.
But there's a part of me that stares back
From inside the mirror.
Part of me that's scared I might be wrong.
That I can't be strong.
I've been afraid
Never standing on my own!
I let you be the keeper of my pride!
Believe you when you told me
I was nothing on my own!
Listen when I say,
I swear it here today!
I will not surrender
This life is mine!
Amazing how you conquered me,
Chained me in servility
And made me see!
The world the way you told me to!
But I was young, and didn't have a
Way to know the truth!
Born to live your legacy,
Existing just to fill your needs,
A casualty of this so-called 'family'
That you have turned into a travesty!
But I don't intend to suffer any longer!
Here's where your dominion falls apart!
I'm shattering the mirror
That kept me split in pieces!
That stood between my mind and my heart!
This is where I'll start!
I'm not your pet!
Not another thing you own!
I was not born guilty of your crimes!
Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore!
I won't be possessed,
Burdened by your royal test!
I will not surrender!
This Life is Mine!
Shame that it took so long
To rescue me!
From the guilt you used
To tie me to your family tree!
I guess your training failed,
You're not in charge! I'm free!
Your patriarchal prison won't hold me!
Now this conversation's finally over!
Mirror Mirror, now we're done!
I've pulled myself together now!
My mind and heart are one!
Finally one!
I'm not your pet!
Not another thing you own!
I was not born guilty of your crimes!
Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore!
I won't be possessed,
Burdened by your royal test!
I will not surrender!
This Life is MINE!"
"That...was incredible, Ignis!"
Ignis opened her eyes and saw Quasimodo applauding for her, just as she had applauded for him earlier. His eyes shined with admiration as he was smiling and jaw-dropped at the same time from hearing her sing beautifully.
Ignis giggled and shook her head. "Nah, your singing was really good, Quasi!"
"What are you saying? I've never even had singing lessons before, and you told me that you were preparing for the Festival, so of course you must be better at singing than me!" complimented Quasimodo.
"Yeah, but you had the voice of an angel when you sang! Your tones were much softer than mine!"
"Well, yours was loud and clear! My singing could be compared to a mouse."
"Are you kidding me? Your last lines could echo across the city!"
The two accidentally entered into a small argument over whose singing voice was better, only, instead of expressing that their own singing was better, they were arguing that the other's singing was much better than their own and even voiced the good things within their singing. In the end, they decided to agree on the fact that both their singing were good and ended it just like that.
After conversing with Quasimodo for a little bit longer, Ignis knew that she had to leave soon and bid farewell to her new friend before exiting the bell tower. Quasimodo watched her retreating form leave the cathedral grounds and then stared off into the view of the city as the sun started to go down to start the beginning of the sunset. Never before had he been anticipating for the arrival of the Festival of Fools to come so much sooner than ever before.
Later...
Ignis yawned as she walked slowly down the empty, dark streets of Notre Dame. Everyone else was probably already inside their own homes, asleep, having dinner, or pretty much anything else indoors in their homes. As for Ignis, she was heading back to the inn that she was staying in, intent on having one last dinner with Annabella and her family, as Dr. Lavender saw it fit for her and her family to return back to their home around the next day.
After Ignis left the cathedral, she chose to train at her usual spot near the graveyard, honing her sword and magic skills until she was completely exhausted and out of magic. Not only did she learn new spells, but she felt real close to summoning her first actual Familiar with her Summoning Magic, something she's attempted over and over again, slowly increasing to a succession rate. Of course, magic wasn't the only thing she focused on, but her own swordsmanship training as well.
Tomorrow, as soon as the Festival was over, she was definitely going to go find the Moogle Shop in this world. All other places she's checked out throughout the few days that she's been here ended up in failure, but now, she had a pretty good idea as to where the troublesome, yet cute Moogle shopkeeper might be. She had run out of Potions and Ethers a while back and needed to restock, after all.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fist came out of nowhere and mercilessly pummeled itself deep into Ignis' cheek, notably into her recently wounded and bandaged gash, which increased the pain twice as worst. The force of the fist threw Ignis down to the ground, sliding across it as she groaned and clutched her cheek. She felt a sticky liquid upon touching her cheek and realized that the fist had re-opened her gash wound and spread the blood out quickly.
Before Ignis could recover herself, she felt someone roughly grab a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back before that someone slammed her head down, making stars appear in her vision as she grew dazed from the rough treatment she was receiving. That person was still grabbing onto her hair as her sight started to recover, and the light from the streetlights made her recognize her assaulters.
The small group of assaulters happened to be the soldiers she fought earlier near the cathedral, including the Lieutenant, who was gleefully grinning at her with insanity shown in his eyes as he approached her from the front. The person holding her back by the hair was yet another one of the corrupt soldiers she fought, and he was taking in immense pleasure of causing her pain by simply grasping at her hair.
"You bitch," growled the Lieutenant, kneeling down and taking her chin by his hand. "Do you know what you've done today? You've just made enemies with possibly the worst kind of people in this city! You humiliated us in front of a large crowd! You took us away from having fun punishing those filthy children! And now, thanks to you and your interference, you had the Captain strip us of our positions, and in front of the other soldiers, no less! If it weren't for you, we would have already made our way to a good night at a tavern! What do you have to say about that, girlie?!"
Instead of backing down, Ignis glared back at the Lieutenant, staring him dead straight in the face. "What happened earlier today, was all your fault, not mine. Your actions caused you to end up like this, not me. This was all your fault, and you-"
Ignis' defiance earned her another blow to the face, making her cry out in pain as her face was thrown to the side; blood from her gash wound splatting to the ground in an arc as she was left breathless from the blow.
"You know," spoke the Lieutenant, licking his lips as he gazed her up and down. "Me and my men were originally going to beat you up and leave you a bloody mess, but...looking at you now, your body may be petite and not well-bosomed, but it'll do to entertain us. Men, hold her down."
Ignis grunted when she was suddenly thrown onto her back against the stone ground; her wrists pinned above her head by one soldier, her eyes covered by one soldier, the grip on her hair ever more tighter than before, and she felt several hands wandering around her body, pushing aside her long shirt to reach her shorts and hands trying to remove her armor.
Finally realizing the intent behind these men's actions, Ignis squeezed her eyes shut and squirmed harder and opened her mouth to scream as icy terror overtook her heart, only to feel leather-like fingers, possibly one of the soldiers with their leather-like gloves, forcing themselves down her mouth in order to prevent her from calling out for help. Her entire body was quaking from the pain and shock of the situation as she squirmed more ferociously to break free. Exhausted and unable to cast any magic, Ignis started hyperventilating and shaking at the shock of what fate was going to be forced onto her.
Then, she felt the wandering hands and the restraints on her body vanish in an instant as well as a sudden rush of wind. Screams from the men cried out around the same time, and she felt herself being released and freed in an instant. Her eyes still squeezed shut, Ignis cautiously sat up and opened her eyes, only to see nothing. No sight of the men that assaulted her anywhere. She was all alone.
Then, from the shadows of a nearby alleyway, a familiar masked boy popped out, holding a Hi-Potion in his hand.
"Here, catch," said Vanitas, tossing the Hi-Potion towards her. He watched as Ignis shakily chugged down the entire Hi-Potion until there was not even a single drop left. He saw the wounds on Ignis' body vanish in an instant thanks to the magical contents of the high healing potion he gave her.
"T-Thanks..." thanked Ignis, standing up and walking towards her; hand pressed into her Munny bag to repay him for what he's done.
"Wait."
Vanitas stopped her, gripping her wrist to stop her from what she was trying to do, though he did noted her flinch when he did grab her. He loosened his grip on her, but he still didn't let go of her. He couldn't just go up and ask in a tender voice if she was alright. That was too sappy and something only lovesick lovers ask of each other, and he was NOT the sappy type. Ventus took that role much better than him, after all.
"...Why didn't you heal your wounds earlier?"
"W-What?" Ignis looked up at Vanitas, having calmed down a bit since he arrived and now confused on what he meant. "What are you talking-"
"I'm talking about your head and cheek wound, you idiot. I know you were injured way long before those perverts showed up, so why didn't you just heal yourself then?"
Trying to ease up the tension, Ignis smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, I got these wounds several hours ago, and a healer was treating me, and there was no way I could expose magic in front of her, so I let her treat me. In all fairness, I kinda...forgot to heal myself once I was out of the healer's eyesight."
"..."
"..."
"...You're a goddamn idiot, you know that?"
"I...I...Wait, what happened to those guys from earlier? Where did they go?" asked Ignis, looking around for the soldiers, though with a hint of fear behind her brown eyes.
"...I knocked them out. Don't worry, I teleported them to a police station. You've seen me with teleportation portals before," spoke Vanitas.
A confused look formed on Ignis' face. "Uh...Notre Dame doesn't have a police station."
"...Then, I'll take care of it. Don't worry, those guys are safe, but they'll get what's coming to them."
Ignis nodded, smiling at him, but felt something warm and liquid-like pouring down her cheeks. It couldn't be the gash wound since it was already healed and closed up, so-
Oh, she was crying.
Vanitas felt something tugging at his heartstrings when he saw Ignis crying and shoved her away, looking away and crossing his arms. "Hey, don't go crying on me like some stupid crybaby! It was your fault that that happened! You should have been more prepared!"
Ignis sniffled and tried to cease her crying upon hearing the harsh statement coming from Vanitas, but because of what happened earlier was no issue that can simply be swept away, more tears continued falling down her cheeks. She hugged her own shaking body and stared down at the ground, as though it was the ground's fault that what happened was its fault.
Turning his head to see how she was doing, Vanitas mentally sighed as he was about to do something completely out of character for him. One part of him didn't want to, but the other part told him to do so. He blamed his somewhat compassion and pitiful side towards Ventus as he turned around and walked up towards her.
"Just this once."
"Huh?" Ignis glanced up at the masked boy.
"Damnit, idiot, get the hint! I'm letting you hug and cling and cry onto me just this once! Go on and be the stupid damsel who's thanking her hero! Cry out, 'Thank you! Thank you!' in a high-pitched voice or something!"
Ignis pouted angrily as she stomped her foot. "Hey! Don't mock me, asshole!"
Vanitas smirked behind his mask. "Ha, see? There's the firecracker I know and hate!"
"Ah, and here's the butt-caped, skirt boy that I know and hate."
"Damnit, princess, I told you not to call me that!"
"P-Princess now?! A new nickname?!"
"Why not that one? Why? Don't like it?"
"Damnit, Vanitas! Calling me princess makes me feel like some damsel in distress! I am NOT a damsel in distress! I'm a badass who can fight!"
"That's not what I saw a couple moments ago."
"Gah! I could have taken those guys!"
"Yeah, you sure showed me."
"I swear to God, Vanitas, I will kill you in your sleep!"
"Ha! I'd like to see you try!"
All fears that Ignis had started to feel subsided as soon as she engaged in a childish, comedic argument with Vanitas. If it was Vanitas' secret plan to make her forget about her horrible experience earlier, then it worked successfully as Ignis no longer thought about the attempted sexual assault on her and instead focused on trying to get Vanitas to stop being so smug with her.
After somehow convincing Vanitas to walk at least halfway near the inn with her, Ignis perked up to him and asked, "Hey, Vanitas! Tomorrow is the Festival of Fools! I was wondering if you'd like to go to the festival tomorrow? I'm gonna be performing there!"
"How'd you even get a position there, anyways?" asked Vanitas.
"Well, one of the original performers got into a-"
"Stop. I just remembered that I don't care."
"Hey! Rude!" pouted Ignis. "Seriously though, will you be coming or not?"
"...You'll know your answer tomorrow," replied Vanitas, opening up a Corridor of Darkness. "And here's my stop."
"Hey, that's not a yes or no-!" Ignis paused after Vanitas entered the Corridor of Darkness and disappeared along with the portal. "Damnit, I hate vague answers!"
Where Vanitas transported himself to was back in the exact alleyway where he met up with Ignis earlier. Before, he told her that he had defeated and sent the soldiers to some random police station, but only half of that was the truth. Yes, he did defeat the soldiers, but he never sent them anywhere.
No, he held them hostage deep within the darkness of the alleyway, restrained by his oh so loyal Unversed.
Taking off his helmet, Vanitas basked in the cool winds during the nighttime and glared at the frightened soldiers that were still held down by his Unversed. Their limbs restrained and their mouths covered, the soldiers could see nothing but cold, merciless, and deadly predator-like golden eyes amongst the darkness, feeling shivers within their very souls.
"Darkness...is something that should be both feared and respected," started Vanitas. "You know, one of the good-no, best things about nighttime is that darkness is practically invisible. Nobody around to bat an eye, nothing suspicious if one acts quickly and quietly in the shadows, and best of all...no witnesses."
The soldiers immediately realized what Vanitas' intentions towards them meant and struggled, trying to break free. The Unversed' strength far surpassed theirs, so it wasn't hard to simply restrain them all over again and keep them down at all times. When the Unversed removed their own limbs away from the soldiers' mouths, the soldiers were ready to protest, beg for mercy, or even bribe the mysterious figure within the shadows, only for a quick wave of magic to silence them, shocking them as to what witchcraft could have silenced them.
"You all did something horrible. Something unforgettable. Something...unforgivable," continued Vanitas. "Now, I could care less of what you were trying to do to those children and your other victims, but just now and before, you harmed something of mine. You hurt her. You damaged her. You nearly ruined her innocence. But worst of all..."
Vanitas stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself as a menacing presence in physical form as the moonlight shined down on him. He walked up to the Lieutenant and gripped his face with one hand, strength increasing as he started gripping both tightly and strongly, just like his men did to Ignis. Taking sweet pleasure in seeing the Lieutenant's mouth scream silently thanks to the Silence spell he casted, Vanitas then growled loudly for all to hear.
"You tried to take...what was mine."
Vanitas slowly, and painfully, released his grasp on the Lieutenant's face before turning around and walking back into the shadows. But, before he could vanish completely from view and merge back into the darkness, he turned his head and narrowed his eyes coldly at the men. His expression was so malicious and traumatizing, the men who saw it felt immense amounts of fear on their bodies.
"I do wonder how long it'll take for my Unversed to chew the last of each and every one of your bones."
It was a good thing Silence spells existed. In situations like these, it was best to block out any attention and...unnecessary noises.
Finally! I'm finished! Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. You guys probably hate me for what I tried to do with Ignis and those other kids, but, I did warn you all at the beginning of what might happen; that things would start getting darker! You guys should have heeded my warning!~
If you thought that the dark themes were going to end right there and then, you'd be dead wrong. It'll start getting more and more darker with this arc, and this is only just the beginning. Well, I suppose you could count the start of the racism towards gypsies as the beginning, so whatever fits your opinion, I guess.
So, song discussion time! I just love the song, "Out There," as it's one of my favorite songs from the movie! I just couldn't help but put it out there like that in this chapter! Also the reason I put in, "This Life is Mine," is because it's supposed to reference Quasimodo and his current situation with Frollo and future foreshadowing of how he'll seize his own future! In a way, he's similar to Weiss from RWBY and how she cuts a path to her future!
In case you guys are curious as to what song Ignis will be performing at the festival next chapter, I'll give you guys one hint. Well, the lyrics are going to be rearranged, but the song will not only feature both light and darkness, but also the importance of balance as well, so stay tune!
Read and review!