Kinda was expecting a lot of harsh criticism from last chapter, but surprisingly, I didn't! You guys commented on how dark last chapter was in a more...neutral light, and I'm glad to hear that! Well, I already told you that that was just the start of the dark themes that'll happen in this world, so you guys are definitely in for a surprise when the more darker themes come in!~ *rubs hands together and giggles maniacally* Anyways, let's start!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Kingdom Hearts series, only the OCs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own any of the Disney songs like "Topsy Turvy," and "Hellfire," and Mage of Hope doesn't own Fire Emblem songs, like "Lost in Thoughts All Alone," owned by Nintento. The version being played this chapter is Amalee's version of the song and the link to the song is here: watch?v=lsz5ijRQvUY


"Jeez, how many times has he sung that song? I counted like, twice!" commented Ignis as Esmeralda was combing her hair, adding the finishing touches to Ignis' dancer appearance.

"You weren't complaining during rehearsal practice. In fact, you were in awe every time Clopin sang. It really didn't take you long to become yet another one of his fans," said Esmeralda, amused. "You know, he isn't married, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I can see where this conversation is heading towards and I gotta say, nope! Nada! Not gonna happen!"

Esmeralda chuckled. "I was only joking."

"Yeah, even if you weren't, my answer would still be no!" denied Ignis. "Besides, I already have a huge crush on someone else!~ He's almost, kinda exactly my type of guy! Tall, dark, and handsome! Well, he's a bit of a dick, and he's not too much taller than me, and I don't even know what his face looks like, but his voice is so husky and deep, you gotta think it belongs to a hunk!"

"Seems to me that you really do like this boy, though from the way you described him, he does seem to have...a bit of a bad reputation?" Esmeralda smirked. "Or are you just into bad boys?"

"I guess so? I dunno, but I so wanna get to know him more!~ Hehehe!~" giggled Ignis with a slight blush on her face. "But he is...incredibly stubborn. Maybe more stubborn than me, and he's rude, and he's so cocky that I just wanna kick him right between the-"

"Ignis! You're up in one minute! Hurry up!" called out one of the female gypsies that entered the dressing tent they were in. "The instrumentalists are all ready from the sidelines, so the stage is yours!"

"Okay! I'll be there shortly!" called back Ignis.

"There!" finished Esmeralda. "You look both cute and beautiful at the same time!"

Ignis giggled, twirling around once. "Thanks! Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow this dress of yours! I'll give it back once the festival's over, alright?"

Esmeralda nodded. "No worries! The only reason I gave you that dress was because I've outgrown it and it suits you perfectly! Try not to get any festival food on it, alright? I still may have a use for that dress!"

"You've got it!" agreed Ignis before exiting the tent to make her debut out on stage, even if this was only a one-time performance.

Already, the people of Notre Dame gathered around a large stage meant for several performances that were to take place today at the Festival of Fools. The people applauded and even threw gold coins at the last performer who play miraculously on his violin before exiting stage left. The next performer, however, left the audience awestruck and mesmerized by her beauty and matured appearance, despite being awfully young.

Ignis, or as the people known her as the "Red Knight," "Fire Fairy," "Fierce Protector," and so on, was recognized her long, flowing red hair whom people have still debated whether it was the color of fire or blood. However, today, it looked much more silkier and resonated more with the sun than the colors of fire or blood. She wore a dark velvet-colored ensemble dress that reached down to her knees with a few brightly pink colors to synchronize with the velvet color of her dancer dress. The only exposed parts of her body were her shoulders and legs, leaving her barefoot. Velvet-colored fingerless gloves that shot up to her forearms was what she wore, and a light pink with hints of velvet veil was weaved over her head and one matching over her nose and mouth to add to the mystique and beauty of her appearance. The light, bright pink colors emphasized her cute appearance and childish personality while the dark velvet colors was meant for maturity; a balance of light and dark. In addition, the ribbon that Vanitas had given her was tied around her ankle for good luck. It was almost as though Ignis herself was born to wear this once-in-a-lifetime dress for this occasion.

Every step Ignis took, although unintentionally, was elegant and graceful, as Ignis made her way up to the stage. Even though her steps had a mature pinch to it, her movements were so excitable and hasty, almost child-like, but even the nobles of Notre Dame didn't mind, as Ignis' steps were like that of a fairy. Ignis' eyes was more evidence of her excitement and joy for her debut performance; eyes sparkling like the rays of the fun, yet determination with fire within. Nobody could see her expression behind her veil, but she was grinning. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and prepared her performance for all of Notre Dame to witness as she began with a soft, yet clear melodic tune, beginning to slowly dance to the harp, guitar, piano, and drums playing in the background.

Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Amalee version)

Composed by: Amalee

Original song composed by the Nintendo company

Sung by: Amalee

Renka (Japanese)

Rena Strober (English)

"You are a spark filled with life,

Reaching a dream, like thoughts igniting a new path!

Yet may your path every change

Blazing with hope, to the path, yours to climb!"

Right before the next verse began, Ignis twirled around like a ballerina; her barefoot touching the solid, wooden stage and illuminating it for a moment. People wondered where that light came from and thought that the sun rays merely blinded them for that one instant. In truth, Ignis secretly casted a Barfire spell on the stage to not only provide it fire resistance, but also for the next part of her performance.

Her fingers delicately opened as she raised her palm out to the audience, casting a flare from the Fire spell for all to see. The audience awed at her little parlor trick, wondering what she would do next. Quickly combining her Fire spell with light magic, Ignis not only created a combination of light and fire magic, but the flame's color changed almost completely white, with the pigments of red nearly vanishing but still there at the tips of the flame.

As the next verse arrived, the orchestra softened their music, and Ignis began to sway slowly, but gracefully like an angelic swan. As she danced elegantly, the fire/light flame swirled from her hands and flowed from her hands to the stage, flurrying in harmless waves of light flames and heat as the fire/light flame synchronized with her dance, portraying flames of light. If it was in the nighttime, the flame of light's effects would have been more significant as though they were swirling fireflies.

"Thou seek the light with a outstretched hand!

A divine blade lies before you,

So command a righteous justice

To restore the world, cut 'way the seams!"

As the next verse of the song had the music still softened, yet increased slightly in volume, Ignis's slow pace increased in speed slightly. At the same time, however, her dance matched the rhythm of the song, followed up by her light flames further in sync with her dance, dazzling the audience at her elegant play with the light flames following her every path harmlessly

"Join in our prayer - in our song - of order and love!

Come the sun, illuminate the sky!

Pray that we may quell the dark!

Light seeks anew,

Lost in Thoughts, All Alone!"

The tempo started slowing down even more so than before and the song's melodies became nothing but little chimes that trickled down to nothing as Ignis's movements also slowed gently, and her flame of light started decreasing in size and fading away, right into nothing as the song paused for a few seconds.

The song then resumed with tender and clear notes heard from the harp as Ignis stepped forward with each note gently with her head held high and her eyes closed. A soft breeze fluttered her silky, long, red hair back as the piano and bell instruments joined in with the harp, increasing the tempo with the soft tune still intact. Ignis' eyes opened, and she stared down at the audience, no longer with the playful eyes, but, for this part of the song, with eyes filled with wisdom and maturity as she opened her mouth to sing; her tone much gentler than before.

"You are a spark filled with life,

Reaching a dream, like thoughts igniting a new path.

Yet may your path ever change,

Blazing with hope, to the path, yours to climb."

Ignis outstretched her arm and opened her palm, though instead of delicately like before, her fingers clawed open quite aggressively, and a red flame burst out from her palm in a hasty manner, startling some of the spectators with her slightly barbaric action. She was quite to cast and combine a Dark magic spell with her fire spell, forming a flame of darkness within her palm.

The music changed from a slow pace to a normal tempo, though as the end of the next verse came, the music started growing both aggressive and faster, as though quickly building up to something grand. As Ignis started to sing the next verse, her words and voice gradually grew strong as she began a slow dance with rough movements that still hint a bit of elegance behind them. The flame of darkness swirled around her, trying to keep up with her dance so it can know what to do under her commands.

"Thou seek the dark with a writhed blade,

Now chaos lies before you,

So obtain the fate you sow,

On this path, be weary, friend and foe!"

As the music increased into a faster and rough tempo, the volume grew louder and stronger as well as the next verse was coming up. The drums were the instruments that brought the most attention to the instrumental part of the song, blaring to life the most alongside the other instruments that followed up the drums' rhythm.

In place of the rhythm, Ignis began to sway and twist aggressively and swiftly, engaging in a dance worthy in a battlefield. Unlike the graceful, swan-like dance she performed earlier, this dance was more like a beast, a beast in a beautiful dancer's appearance. Her hands clawed and slashed at the air in elegant, hasty movements, her arms twisted and lashed out, and her feet twirling and rushing around the stage as she continued her beastly dance.

Her flame of darkness ceased flowing around her body and began to spread through the stage, acting as waves of fiery black whips to her passionate movements, swirling and slashing around in the air. The sight of such powerful, black flames acting in such a manner was like a combination of black mist and flames that surrounded the stage with darkness, yet still having the crowd witness Ignis' deadly and enticing dance. The crowd was completely enthralled and frightened by her powerful performance and continued to watch as Ignis started to sing the next verse; her voice coursing powerfully and loudly across the stage.

"Join in the tale - in the blight - of violence and lies!

Come the sun, to tarnish in the sky!

Vow that we shall tear the light!

Dark sins and ruse!

Lost in Thoughts All Alone!"

Once the dark section of the song ended, the tempo quickly reverted to a normal tempo with the violin section replacing the drums as the main emphasis on the next part of the song. Ignis' dance was no longer beastly, though her next dance had lessened its fast pace and relaxed in a more neutral pace as she continued dancing both in a elegant and rough manner to match the rhythm.

The flames of darkness vanished in an instant as Ignis quickly casted new spells for the upcoming section of the song. Two flames sprouted from one each of Ignis' palms, though one merged with darkness and the other merged with light, and the two flames swirled and flowed around Ignis' body, serenading with her as she danced and sang the next section.

"May thy chosen path lead way and grace you with virtue!

But surely a balance await

So be it bliss or pain you gain!

Beyond the route-way's end, you'll gain resillience and weakness!

The trials - the thorn in your side - becomes the greatest strength in you!"

The instrumental part of the song had Ignis freedancing for a while. She closed her eyes and followed her heart based on the melody and rhythm of the song , not caring if her dance was elegant, aggressive, fast-paced, slow-paced, or so on by the audience. In fact, it was because she followed her heart and did whatever she wanted during her freedancing that enticed the audience even more, like she was a free spirit that caring which direction the wind took her, or in this case, the flames as the swirling flames of light and darkness still flowed with every one of her movements.

It was only until her ears heard the abrupt pause in the song, which signaled the next part of the song, that Ignis ceased her freedancing and stood in a pose, frozen in her current position. She opened her eyes and relaxed her body before dancing properly once more in a elegant manner but with hints of a fast-paced dance ahead as she sang once more.

"Descend onto the abyss thou see,

Where the hearts of many wander

Bravely, they fight and lead

Forging hope inside their one, pure dream!"

The next part of the song caused the audience to feel purified as Ignis sang and danced even more gracefully, all while merging her flames of light and darkness together into a single flame of both light and darkness; a silver flame.

"After the war stills its flames,

May all be blessed, so the fate and fallen can find rest!

Your will, the fire kindles, so all will know,

Your hands brought the morrow!"

The final part of the song made Ignis dance vividly as she spread her arms out, causing the silver flame of light and darkness to spread out into a single harmless wave that brought nothing but warmth across the audience and dissipated. The next section of lyrics had Ignis sing as clearly as possible as she now danced to her heart's content, almost free of her responsibility of her performance.

"You are a spark filled with life,

Reaching a dream, like thoughts igniting a new path!

Yet may your path ever change!

Blazing with hope, to the path, yours to climb!

You are a purified flame..."

After the song came to an end, Ignis was left frozen in her pose after her dance, staring up at the sun and breathing heavily to herself as sweat drippled down her fair skin. She knew it would be rather unprofessionally of her if she were to collapse out of exhaustion right there and then, so she kept still in her pose, acting like a statue.

Thunderous applause snapped her out of her statue-like state as she turned and faced the audience, who applauding and even whistled for her magnificent performance that she worked vigorously on for days. Gold coins and flowers were tossed at her feet and onto the stage for a perfect performance, and she just knew from their reaction that she definitely did a fantastic job.

Ignis bowed and crotched down as she did so, crossing her legs and gaining even more applause from this action. She waited a few seconds before standing up straight and then heading back to the dressing room tent she and Esmeralda shared.

Once she arrived, she couldn't help but collapse in a pile of pillows lying in the corner of the tent. Before she had time to rest, she was instantly greeted by Esmeralda, who was fully dressed up in a red dress and prepared to go on stage soon.

"I've never seen such a fantastic performance before! You've really improved in a short stack of time!" admitted Esmeralda. "I could hear your voice all the way inside!"

Djali, Esmeralda's pet goat, let out a happy noise and agreed, nudging Ignis on the arm excitedly. Ignis giggled and ruffled Djali. "Thanks! My heart's still pounding from my performance! I think that was the single best performance I've ever had to do in my life! Well, this is my first time on stage, but still, it was a lot of fun!"

"Well, my performance is coming up next," commented Esmeralda. "You coming to see?"

Ignis nodded. "Yeah...you go on ahead...I just need a minute to rest and catch my breath. I've...I've never sang or danced that intensely before, so I need a moment."

Esmeralda nodded. "I understand. I was like that during my debut out on stage, so I know what that's like. Anyways, don't take too long, otherwise you'll miss my performance!"

After Esmeralda exited the tent, Ignis leaned back against the pillows and relaxed, taking deep breaths to catch her breath while bearing a smile on her face. She did it. She absolutely did it. She gave the best performance of her life and gave it her all back there! She should be-No, she IS proud! If she wasn't training to be a Keyblade Master, then surely, she would have taken a career to be a songstress!

She listened in to the cheers of the crowds as they enjoyed the Festival of Fools, with the clear singing of Clopin ringing across the air while instruments accompanied his singing. He was continuing off with his Topsy Turvy song, even dragging along both the citizens of Notre Dame and gypsies to sing with him in this once-in-a-year unification festival.

"Come on, come all! See the finest girl to ever dance! Make an entrance to an entrance! Dance la Esmeralda! Dance!"

'Oh! That's Esmeralda's cue for her performance!' thought Ignis, springing to action by getting up quickly and rushing out of the tent to join the crowd. She arrived just in time to hear a loud sound and saw a cloud of pink smoke on the stage that was quickly replaced by Esmeralda taking the stage, attracting attention almost instantly not only due to her well-known reputation, but also her beautiful and attractive appearance as well.

The music began to pick up and moved to the rhythm of Esmeralda's mesmerizing dance, enticing the audience, mostly men, by swaying her body seductively while dancing. Ignis had danced similarly earlier, but the main difference was that Esmeralda had more experience dancing and her dances, coupled with her far more attractive appearance, was much more heated, romantic, and passionate with a hint of lust behind her every action. Like the men, even Ignis couldn't help but be enthralled by her dance.

Frollo, who was seated in a high chair, and, as one of his many duties as the Minister of Justice, had to attend the Festival of Fools, and thus had a front-row seat to Esmeralda's dance. Because of his hatred for the gypsies, it wasn't surprisingly to spew out disgust at Esmeralda's enticing dance due to her being a gypsy.

"Look at that disgusting display," spat Frollo lowly.

Phoebus, who was Frollo's bodyguard, couldn't help but be amongst one of the men attracted to Esmeralda, lifting up his helm to catch a better look at the beauty dancing. "Yes, sir!" he agreed, not paying too much attention to his words.

Whipping out a starry scarf from out of nowhere, Esmeralda playfully hopped towards Frollo and sat on his lap. Taken aback, Frollo could do nothing but watch as Esmeralda wrapped her scarf around his neck, pulling him closer while slightly lap dancing until she pecked him on the nose. She abandoned her scarf and left it hanging on his neck as she pulled away and twirled back onto the stage, swaying her hips as though playfully taunting him.

She then continued her seductive dance, increasing the excitement within the crowd by adding in twirls, flips, and more acrobatics that left the audience impressed and cheering for more. She even sent a few winks to some of the lucky people in front, making them hoot for more. She then reached out and grabbed a nearby soldier's spear, impaling it onto the center of the stage before hopping to the top of the staff and spinning around it as she slid down to the ground. Posed in a seductive manner, Esmeralda threw her hand up in the air and winked at the crowd as the last notes added to the finishing touches to her dance, signaling the end of her performance.

The crowd roared and cheered the loudest of all after witnessing Esmeralda's performance, tossing many gold coins onto the stage. Even Phoebus himself threw a gold coin in secretly as he was also impressed by her dance. Ignis found herself gasping and clapping alongside the audience for watching such a magnificent performance. She, herself, despite having pulled off a wonderful performance earlier, thought her own performance paled in comparison to Esmeralda's.

Clopin reappeared on the stage, announcing, "And now, ladies and gentlemen! The piece de resistance! Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for! Here it is, you know exactly what's in store! Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore! Now's the time we crown the King of Fools! You all remember last year's king!"

At Clopin's declaration, many folks turned to their attention towards "last year's king," which happened to be a drunken jester being carried in a makeshift throne by some of the audience, burping as he waved to the audience.

"So make a face that's horrible and frightening!" Clopin sang, trying to make a frightening expression while still on his playful behavior. "Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing! For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools! Why?"

"TOPSY TURVY!" the audience roared happily as many amongst them tried to imitate scary and ugly expressions or even tried to wear the ugliest masks they could find to become the next King of Fools.

"Ugly folks, forget your shyness!~" sang Clopin as Esmeralda gently reached out her hand and helped Quasimodo onto the stage, thus helping him remove his cloak. Ignis herself was surprised, yet glad that Quasimodo was out on the stage, which meant that he saw her performance earlier as well and finally mustered the courage to come out into the Festival of Fools.

"TOPSY TURVY!" the crowd cried out once more, some lining up to show their most ugliest and scariest faces.

"You could soon be called, 'Your Highness!'" Clopin called out, briefly wrapping his arm around Quasimodo's shoulders before releasing him into Esmeralda's care as she helped lined him up next to the row of masked and costumed contestants trying out to be the King of Fools before going down the row to reach the first contestant.

"Put your foulest features on display! Be the king of Topsy Turvy Day!"

One by one, Esmeralda and Clopin began removing the masks off the costumed men in line, and, as though they were the judges of this contest, the audience started evaluating each one as each contestant tried their best to pull off the ugliest expression they could. Each resulted in boos and disapprovals from the audience before Djali headbutted them in their rears, sending them flying off the stage and landing in a puddle of mud. This process continued until Esmeralda reached the last contestant, Quasimodo, and grabbed his face, trying to tug it off a few times before gasping and pulling back in surprise.

It didn't take long for the audience to realize the truth as well, in shock at what they saw to be the most hideous being they've ever seen.

"That's no mask!"

"It's his face!"

"He's hideous!"

"It's the bellringer from Notre Dame!"

Panicking, Quasimodo glanced around and saw many faces within the crowd that they were staring back at him with horror and disgust planted on their faces. Even Frollo now realized that Quasimodo was now in the festival and had deliberately disobeyed his orders not to attend the festival. Embarrassed and regretting that he had come to the Festival of Fools, Quasimodo hid his face in order to avoid being looked at and to hide his shame.

Ignis was confused as to what was the problem until she remembered her conversation with Quasimodo yesterday. Apparently, he was viewed as a monster because of his deformed face, even being told so by his own caretaker, Frollo. And now, more proof of him being frightened of others judging him for his appearance was being displayed right here before her very eyes, and she felt livid.

Before she could march up and defend him, Clopin leapt in front of Quasimodo with his hands raised. He called out, "Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic! We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here he is! Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame!"

After Clopin placed a hat that appeared to be the mixture of a jester's hat and a crown on top of Quasimodo's head, Quasimodo slowly pulled away his hands and eased away from his shame. He was surprised when the crowd cheered and many came to lift him up in the air while confetti exploded in the air to celebrate the new King of Fools.

"Ev-er-y-bo-dy!" sang Clopin, taking the lead as the crowd made way for a pathway for a small parade as Quasimodo, the new King of Fools, was made the new attraction.

"Once a year, we throw a party here in town!" the audience chorused along as Clopin took a staff from one of the performers.

"Hail to the king!"

"Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down!"

"Ha ha! Oh, what a king!" laughed Clopin as some spectators threw the old King of Fools off the makeshift throne and replaced him with the new King of Fools, Quasimodo, now lifting and carrying him through his makeshift throne.

"Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown!"

"Girls, give a kiss!" Clopin playfully commanded to two nearby pretty girls watching from a tower. Happily, the two girls leaned down and delivered smooches to both of Quasimodo's cheeks as he passed by, blushing as the crowd carried him towards a different stage centered around the crowd.

While Frollo was tapping his fingers on his crossed arms and glaring at Quasimodo, unable to do anything without causing a scene, Ignis was all the more happy for Quasimodo. Sure, things may have started off a bit rough for him, but now the situation's changed, and everyone was now viewing him in a more pleasant light, especially since he's kinda being treated like royalty, even if for a day!

"Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"

"We've never had a king like this!" Clopin continued singing as he draped a velvet, fur-lined cape over Quasimodo's shoulders as the King couldn't help but sniffle and allow a tear of happiness to pour down his face. "And it's the day we do the things that we deplore! On the other three hundred and sixty-four!"

"Once a year, we love to drop in! Where the beer is never stopping! For the chance to pop some popinjay!"

Clopin handed Quasimodo a scepter and lightly pushed him forward for more attention as more confetti exploded more at the sides while the music reached its climax. "And pick a king who'll put the top in Top...sy...Tur...vy…!"

"TOPSY TURVY, MAD AND CRAZY, UPSY-DAISY, TOPSY TURVY DAY!~"

Quasimodo threw his arms up in the air with a triumphant smile on his face as the crowd cheered, confetti flying around him like a celebratory storm. Ignis grinned happily as she applauded with several other people while others cheered for Quasimodo being this year's King of Fools. They even chanted his name while throwing flowers at him.

A guard and his partner were amongst the crowd, grinning as they were about to do something they considered to be "fun." "You think he's ugly now?" The plump guard asked as his partner tossed up a tomato. "Watch this!"

Quasimodo was enjoying the time of his life, finally being accepted as one within the society of Notre Dame...when something yucky splattered onto his face. The crowd gasped and their cheers came to an abrupt halt as silence now filled the entire festival.

Ignis was amongst the first to gasp when she saw something red splattering onto Quasimodo's face and initially thought that it was blood at first, until her fear changed to relief once she realized that it was actually tomato juices and not blood. However, her relief quickly turned to anger as she narrowed her eyes and looked around, trying to find the perpetrator that dared to throw a tomato at her friend.

"Now that's ugly!"

"Hail to the king!"

"Long live the king!"

The first offender was the trigger for Quasimodo's humiliation. Soon after, more guards began laughing at the pathetic sight of Quasimodo and proceeded to throw more tomatoes and other fruits at him, splattering and hurting him even more. Quasimodo, in the midst of a panic attack, tried to run away, only to end up slipping on a splattered pile of fruits and falling on his face, causing not only more guards to crackle with laughter, but the rest of the audience as well.

Ignis could do nothing but watch in horror at the sight before her. Sure, she's seen discrimination, as well as terrible people within the city during the few days that she's been here, but NEVER, in all of her life, as she ever witnessed such...evil before her very eyes. To her, right at this very moment, even the Unversed were the lesser evil compared to this sort of evil.

For the first time, she was having the sense that, despite having seen evil things people have done, she was witnessing humanity's evil side.

To worsen the situation, she watched as lassos of rope snagged and flung all over Quasimodo's body as the laughter increased in volume and more fruits were thrown at Quasimodo. One of the lassos even tried to choke him, much to Ignis' increasing horror, before Quasimodo finally had enough. He roared in anger, and with his surprisingly tremendous strength, ripped the ropes off his body as he tried to stand up.

That defiance lasted only for a few seconds before more people threw more and more ropes onto him and then, some people ran up and hogtied him to a wheel, spinning him around in place as people continued to laugh and throw more tomatoes and other fruits at him.

Ignis may not be that good at sensing darkness like Terra and Aqua, but even she can tell that there is an astonishing amount of darkness within the festival, with so few light available. Because of the sudden change of events that occurred not too long after Quasimodo was appointed King of Fools, Ignis was too shocked and horrified to do anything or think straight. It was especially more heartbreaking when she heard Quasimodo's cries for help towards his master, Frollo.

Phoebus turned to Frollo, determined to put an end to all of this abrupt chaos. "Sir, permission to end this cruelty," spoke Phoebus,

"Permission denied," spoke Frollo swiftly and without hesitation, not showing a sign of remorse whatsoever on his face. "There's a lesson to be learned here."

The emotions within Ignis began swirling and constantly changing over and over as she took in the situation, trying to make a choice. Sympathy, confusion, horror, anger, disgust, fear, all sorts of emotions were filling up inside of Ignis, but one look at Quasimodo's teary-filled expression and upon hearing his cries for help depleting with passing time with no aid made Ignis come to a decision.

And, with her being, well, herself, there was never really an choice. She knew what she wanted to do, worldly order be damned.

Just before the crowd could even think of humiliating the "King of Fools" even further, a small bolt of lightning came crashing down and struck one of the open spaces within the crowd, hitting the stone pavement and leaving nothing but a burnt mark. Silence quickly fell over the crowd as their attention was no longer on Quasimodo, but on the mark where the lightning bolt had struck.

Almost as though it was...a godly intervention.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice and many found themselves recoiling a little at the sight of an angry, young girl. They recognized her as the beautiful songstress with hair as red as blood/fire, but now, her normally beautiful expression was twisted with anger and fierce determination, along with eyes blazing like fire.

One of the guards was brave, or perhaps foolish, enough to step up. "Hey, little lady, there's no need for you to interfere. If you're angry, then turn all that anger towards the ugly hunchbac-"

The guard was extremely lucky that Ignis was not an evil person. If she was, she wouldn't have spared his life. No, she just sent a simple, first-tier Thunder spell and purposely missed him by just a small inch of his face, striking in the same manner as she did just a moment ago, at the ground right next to him. That immediately shut him and other whisperers amongst the crowd up.

Ignis lowered her arm from which she had used to cast her spells and glared at him along with others in her line of sight. "You, along with everyone else-" She glanced around the crowd before turning back to the guard. "Are going to get out of my way. You are going to clear a path for me to get to Quasimodo. You are GOING to let me free him. AND YOU ARE GOING TO LET US LEAVE!"

"That's enough!" shouted Frollo, snapping out of the shock of the situation and clutching the armchairs of his throne-like seat. "Who are you, girl, to demand my citizens and my soldiers whatever you pleased? That thing-" He pointed and addressed to Quasimodo. "Is getting the punishment he so rightly deserves!"

"Punishment for what? For being the King of Fools? For trying to obtain happiness?" questioned Ignis. "Is it always a tradition to throw things and hurt the King of Fools every year?" When nobody answered, she glanced around and picked a random person in the crowd. "Hey, you! Lady in the purple dress!"

The lady in the purple dress, presumably a noble, looked offended by her harsh tone. "How dare you?! I am Noblewoman-"

"Lady, I don't know who you are, and I don't care, so just answer my question," demanded Ignis. "Every year, does the chosen King of Fools always get treated like this?"

"W-Well, it is true that the King of Fools does get joked around a little bit, and there is a bit of a jester-"

"Lady, I do not care about the smaller details. Yes or no question. This harsh treatment Quasimodo was having just now, is that the treatment the King usually has?"

The lady in the purple dress wanted to retort that the beast known as Quasimodo doesn't deserve a name, but she knew better than to anger her, so she instead answered truthfully. "No...Not to this extent."

"Thank you. Was that so hard to answer?" questioned Ignis roughly before turning towards the direction where Quasimodo was. "Now, everyone, get out of my way and clear a path. Nobody is to disrupt me or him, and if anybody tries throwing another tomato at him, I'm going to break that person's legs!"

One of the guards stepped up to her, planning to intervene. "Now, Miss! Listen, you have no right-"

"NOW!" hollered Ignis, activating her Firestorm Command Style out of spite and anger towards those who still wish to harm and humiliate her friend. She never intended on using her Command Style to harm anyone, only for dramatic effect to show how powerful and dangerous she is those who wished to pick a fight with her. The sight of the young girl being lit on fire, yet not showing any signs of harm, along with her brown eyes even more alit with fire behind them, frightened the crowd before they separated, quick to agree on allowing her to pass. Even the guards themselves were terrified of Ignis and backed away, as in, FAR away.

"Witchcraft!" murmured Frollo, shocked at the sight before him. "Guards! Take her away!"

But the guards were still too afraid to approach Ignis, not wanting to further fuel the fires within her nor get burnt in the process. Even Phoebus himself was terrified, though slightly, as he understood and respect Ignis for standing up for Quasimodo when others wouldn't. In fact, he chose to say nothing about the matter as he didn't want to receive an order from Judge Frollo to do harm or worse. And it appears that his help wouldn't be required at all.

The open path that Ignis had forcibly provided gave Esmeralda the opening she needed. She sprinted past Ignis, much to her surprise, and rushed up the wooden stairs up to the stage where Quasimodo was at. Her pace slowed as she gently approached the terrified and tearful Quasimodo. Her angelic-like approach reminded Quasimodo of that like a saintly angel, as Esmeralda removed the purple robe-like scarf wrapped around her waist to help clean up Quasimodo, not caring about the attention she was receiving from the crowd.

"Don't be frightened." Esmeralda's soft tone was almost akin to that of a whisper as she walked closer to comfort the pitiful cre-no, the kind and soft man before her. "I'm sorry...this wasn't supposed to happen." She stroked Quasimodo's cheek, not only to clean off part of the mess on his face, but also to further comfort him, to assure that everything was going to be alright.

Ignis, upon seeing the heartwarming moment, lowered her Firestorm Command Style until the flames dissipated by themselves and her temper gone, replaced with a feeling of awe and respect for Esmeralda. If Esmeralda could resolve this situation peacefully, unlike what Ignis herself tried to do earlier, then perhaps there wouldn't be a need for violence.

However, the hushed silence was broken by Frollo's aggressive, abrupt command. "You! Gypsy girl!" He yelled, pointing a finger at her. "Get down from there at once!"

"Yes, your Honor," called back Esmeralda, wrapping the scarf back around her waist. "Just as soon as I free this poor creature!"

"I forbid it!" demanded Frollo, snarling at the thought of Quasimodo even getting off scot-free without anymore punishment for disobedience.

Frollo's harsh words and the fact that he technically still had command over his soldiers had Ignis rush up to the stage to protect Esmeralda and Quasimodo in case something happened. The people were startled and even scattered further for more space once they saw Ignis running towards the stage, afraid that she would turn her anger and "witchcraft" towards them. This gave Esmeralda the chance to remove a dagger from a hidden part in her clothes to slash apart the ropes holding down Quasimodo as Ignis reached the stage and knelt down near Quasimodo, checking to make sure he was alright.

"Are you okay?" Ignis asked him gently, trying to check for any wounds.

"How DARE you defy me?" questioned Frollo, his wrinkled expression filled with anger as he stood up from his seat.

"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people!" confronted Esmeralda, not afraid to speak her mind as she faced the Judge. "You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those who need your help!"

"SILENCE!"

"JUSTICE!" Esmeralda raised her blade up in the air in defiance; the knife's blade glinting from the sun's rays as though it acted like a torch.

Gasps and murmurs spread across the crowd as they watched Esmeralda and Ignis help Quasimodo up to his feet. Ignis had Quasimodo lean towards her as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders, not caring about the juices from the fruits previously thrown at him splattering onto some parts of her clothes.

"Mock my words, you will pay for this insolence!" threatened Frollo, still pointing his boney finger as his expression deepened in anger at such defiance being spat right at his face.

"Then it appears that we've crowned the wrong fool," spoke Esmeralda, mockingly bowing at him before grabbing the makeshift crown off of Quasimodo's head. "The only fool I see...is YOU!"

With a determined, yet insulting smirk on her face, Esmeralda tossed the crown deserving to belong to the King of Fools right near Frollo's feet, prompting laughter from the crowd.

Face enraged and twisting more of a monster, Frollo was not only insulted, but publicly humiliated by a gypsy girl. "Captain Phoebus, arrest her and anyone who gets in the way!" commanded Frollo. Phoebus snapped his fingers, signaling him and his men to trot forward with their horses as they began to surround the stage, blocking out any signs of escape.

Ignis took a stance, ready to summon her Keyblade in case she would be forced to fight her way out in order to protect Esmeralda and Quasimodo. "Esmeralda, I'll distract them, so you grab Quasimodo and run!"

Esmeralda, who was counting the number of guards beginning to surround them, finally finished and turned to Ignis with a smirk. "Actually, I'll distract them, and you take the big guy." Before Ignis could say anything, Esmeralda pulled out a blue handkerchief from her dress, wearing a pouty, teary-expression and sobbing loudly before blowing onto it. Instantly, the spot she was standing on exploded in a haze of red smoke, and once the smoke cleared, she was gone, causing the crowd to gasp and wonder where she went.

Frollo's eyes popped wide. "Witchcraft!"

"Oh, boys! Over here!~" Everyone turned to the source of the voice that broke the gasped silence and saw Esmeralda on the gallows, grinning as she laid her head on a basket full of masks, blinking repeatedly at her pursuers.

"Right...now's a good chance to make a break for it," murmured Ignis before grabbing Quasimodo by his arm. "Come on, Quasi! Let's go!" Quasimodo was a little hesitant, given the humiliation he received earlier, but he also remembered that Ignis was one of the two people that stood up for him when nobody, not even his master, did. He nodded and allowed her to drag him along as they hastily climbed down the stairs off the stage.

Frollo was so fixated on capturing Esmeralda, that he almost forgot about Quasimodo and Ignis, until he spotted them trying to escape from the corner of his eye. "Stop them! Captain Phoebus, capture those two trying to escape!"

Phoebus glanced at Ignis and Quasimodo, who realized that they've been spotted and hurriedly picked up their pace as the crowd noticed them as well and dispersed, thus giving them more space. "But sir, what about the gypsy girl?"

"Forget about her! Leave her to your men! You must not let them escape, even if you have to do the task yourself!"

"Yes, sir," spoke Phoebus before whipping the reins on Achilles, causing his horse to move faster to intercept them. Ignis and Quasimodo were so close to escaping the crowd when they came across Phoebus and Achilles, who stood in their way. "If you come with me, I promise no harm will come to either of you."

Ignis held an arm in front of Quasimodo to protect them before glaring at Phoebus. "Yeah, right! Like I'd return Quasi to a guy who didn't even use his 'righteous' power to stop the abuse earlier!"

"I...The Minister of Justice knows what he's doing!" defended Phoebus, though he did mutter behind his breath, "Even if his methods are questionable."

"Phoebus, you're a nice guy, but even so, I can't let you stand in my way," said Ignis, lifting up her arm as she gathered magic. "So get out of my way, or else."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Then, I'm afraid you've left me no choice. Aero!" Ignis shot out a wind spell from her palms, hitting Phoebus on the chest and literally knocking the air out of him as he fell to his back, groaning in pain. The audience gasped at what they witnessed as magic and Achilles shrieked, rushing to his master's side and licking his face, trying to wake him.

"Let's hurry!" Ignis told Quasimodo, gripping his hand tightly before they both made a run towards the alleyways, where hopefully, nobody would find them there. They didn't know exactly where they were heading, but they entered and exited several alleyways in order to avoid Phoebus and throw him off their trail. After a while, they found themselves near the back of the cathedral, and judging from the utter silence, that must mean that not only was the Festival of Fools over, but that the people have already left.

"I...I don't think anyone's following us," stuttered Quasimodo, releasing his grip on Ignis' hand. "I think we're safe."

Ignis nodded in agreement and turned around, trying to find anymore wounds on Quasimodo's body, so she didn't get to do a full body scan last time. She then casted a healing spell to heal the wounds he suffered during his humiliation, relieving him of any pain.

"You can use witchcraft?" wondered Quasimodo. "M-Master said that those who use witchcraft are evil and impure..."

"Yeah, at this rate, I'm going to assume that your 'Master' lied about a lot of things to you," murmured Ignis. "Look, Quasi, if I was really 'evil and impure,' why did I just heal you just now? And technically, witchcraft is also called magic, so, you know..."

"I...Well, you're different! You are kind and nice to me," spoke Quasimodo before shyly looking away. "J-Just like that other girl was..."

"Esmeralda? Well, she's nice, and-Oh!" A sly grin formed on her face as she nudged Quasimodo with her elbow. "I see!~ So, you have a big crush on her, huh? Not that I blame ya! She is super pretty!"

Quasimodo frantically shook his head. "N-No! I-It's not like that at all! Y-Yes, she is pretty, and beautiful, and-!"

"Ah! See, just you complimenting her good looks is a sign that you do like her! In more ways than one!" giggled Ignis, patting him on the back. "Don't worry, I gotcha! I've only known Esmeralda for a few days, and I know for a fact that she doesn't have a lover!"

Quasimodo looked up at her with hope in his eyes. "R-Really?"

"Yup, so you might have a chance with her, just like I have a chance with a certain someone! But for now, let's get you back to safety. You live in the cathedral, or more specifically, the bell tower, right? Then, get to it!" said Ignis. "No other guards here!"

Quasimodo nodded. "Yes, alright. Thank you!" Unexpectedly, he started climbing up one of the pillars, reaching higher and higher until he reached the bell tower in which he resided from, disappearing from sight.

'I really hope that he'll be okay,' thought Ignis, whirling around and walking away to leave. 'Originally, I did plan on leaving today, but it's getting late, so maybe I'll just pop by one last visit tomorrow morning and then leave! Yeah!'

"So, who's the lucky guy?"

"Bwaaaah!" Ignis yelled, startled as she now noticed Vanitas was right behind her. "Where did you come from?!"

"Corridor of Darkness, dumbass," pointed out Vanitas.

"Oh..."

"But anyways, you didn't answer my question. Just now, I heard you tell that freak that you might have a chance with a certain someone. Who is it?"

Ignis frowned. "Don't call him that! He just went through a lot today!"

Vanitas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care."

"Hey!"

"I don't even know the freak, so why should I care?"

"Even so, you shouldn't call him a freak!" defended Ignis. "Ugh, never mind! Let's change the subject! Did you see me perform today at the Festival of Fools? Did ya? Did ya? Did ya? Did ya? Did ya? Di-"

"Stop. You're annoying," stated Vanitas, pressing a palm to her face to get her to shut up. "...And yeah, I caught a glimpse or two."

Ignis grinned widely. "Really?! How was it?! Did I do good in your eyes? Wasn't I such a fantastic dancer/songstress?"

"You were...fine."

"Fine as in, 'good fine,' or 'bad fine?' Come on, man! You gotta give me details! That's so vague!"

"It wasn't...a bad performance, but..." A grin formed on Vanitas' face as he leaned in closer to her face. "You could have danced more seductively and shown more skin, like that other dancer after you."

Ignis' face flustered a deep red at the thought of dancing seductively and even exposing more skin. Her ensemble outfit wasn't really revealing, only showing a little bit of skin, but revealing more skin out on public was embarrassing for her, even if she wanted to try and seduce Vanitas-

"Nononononono! Shut up brain! Shut up! Don't think inappropriate things!" whined Ignis, shaking her head.

Vanitas couldn't help his snickers as he kept getting closer and closer, forcing Ignis to back away and try to cover her embarrassed face with her hands. "Oh?~ And just what kind of 'inappropriate' things were you thinking of?"

"N-Nothing!"

"It doesn't seem like nothing to me!~" sang Vanitas, grabbing ahold of her wrists and squeezing them tightly as he pinned them against the wall right between her head. Ignis initially panicked, not realizing that Vanitas had backed her up against a wall until it was too late. "Look at me."

"No way!"

"Look, idiot, I'm not letting you go until you look at me, so you might as well do what I say."

"..." Ignis slowly opened her eyes to gaze back at Vanitas; her cheeks still stained red as she was aware that of the piercing strength of his gaze despite him wearing a mask. She started breathing in and out, heaving her chest as she gazed at him with an embarrassed expression.

Vanitas licked his lips as he smirked, taking in her full appearance now that he had her cornered and up close. He's never admit it, but Ignis was both cute and beautiful. An angelic fairy, full of light, naivety, and innocence. The memories of her dancing and singing up on stage earlier was burned into his thoughts. He remembered every detail; her movements, her forms, the way her glistening skin had been exposed with every step, her voice as beautiful as a swan's, her swan-like neck now exposed before his very eyes, and her beauty as bright as the sun.

Now that he had her completely cornered and at his mercy, he wanted to destroy her. Gazing into her glassy eyes, he wanted nothing more than to fill those eyes with lust for him and only for him. He wanted to devour those sweet, supple lips of hers like last time as he tore and violated her. He wanted to see how soft her skin was, how easily his fangs could mark it, how he could bite down on her swan-like neck and leave a permanent scar for all the worlds to see that he owned you.

He couldn't deny that he found her utterly attractive, even more so than Aqua or the female dancer from earlier. Whether it was because of Ventus' feelings for her, it didn't matter to him, because he wanted to make her his. Her costume had almost completely covered everything but her body was still on display for him, her red hair flowed freely down her back, and surprisingly, the ribbon that he gave her was attached to her leg, proving that she didn't forget his gift.

Vanitas' instincts were threatening to leap out, and it wasn't just her appearance arousing him, but also her pure, innocent and embarrassed look on her face. She was embarrassed and pouting at him in a cute manner, and her eyes shined signs of trust towards him. Him! He wanted to devour and take her right there and then, but even so, he also wanted to be gentle with her. He thought it beautiful to break her, to dominate her, to punish her for going up on stage with so many lingering gazes from so many men when such a sight should belong to him and him only. Seeing Ignis completely at his mercy like this was absolutely enticing, and with each passing second, his burning want for him grew.

However...

He remembered something. She was the enemy. His enemy. This could never be allowed. Now, Vanitas didn't gave a damn about worldly order or any other rules, but he knew that if he did this, he'd effectively ruin her life. Why should she spend her first time with a...a shadow like him? She deserves so much more better. Terra? Yeah right, it was clear that both him and Aqua had eyes for each other. Ventus? While he had to admit that Ventus would probably be a better choice than him, he would never allow him to be with her, especially since he did hurt her that one time.

Besides, sooner or later, none of this would have mattered anyways. She, along with her friends, were going to die by both his and Xehanort's hands one way or another. It's probably best that she remains pure and innocent right to the very end, even if he did "steal" some of her innocence by kissing her while she was asleep that one time. Not that she needed to know that.

Damnit, why was he suddenly growing soft on her? Since when did his feelings for her made him this frickin' soft?!

Each passing second made Ignis turn more red until she felt light-headed, the blood rushing to her brain as she stared at Vanitas. Now, she was even more curious as to what he looked like behind the mask, and she was developing more of a urge to just overpower him and rip off his mask, but she held herself back, knowing that she shouldn't force herself onto Vanitas.

Instead, as he leaned in closer, she panicked and struggled, trying to break free. During her struggle, she had accidentally swung her leg upwards.

Right. Between. His. Legs.

"FUCK-!" Vanitas immediately let go of her wrists and fell to the ground, clutching his "special place." Ignis didn't run away, but instead sweatdropped and stood there awkwardly, putting up her hands to show she didn't mean any harm.

"Uh...I'm sorry?"

"Fuck, that didn't feel like you were sorry! Goddamnit!" cursed Vanitas, getting back to his feet. "What is wrong with you?! Gah!"

"I-I only did that because you were still pinning me to the wall, asshole! Don't blame me!" argued Ignis.

"I swear to God, if you pull off something like that again, I-!"

The two of them, having forgotten about the moment before, began arguing comically with each other, no caring if anybody heard them. If one could see them from afar, they would see two youngsters bickering with one another to the point where they would end up in a bit of a tussle. For instance, Vanitas pulling on a bit of her hair as Ignis herself was biting down on his arm, as though trying to rip it off.

By the time they cooled down, the two of them were exhausted and a bit of a mess. Ignis' hair was tangled all around, but luckily, her clothes were ripped or dirtied, whereas Vanitas had a bit of his skirt ripped off a little and was a little dazed. Overall, the two seemed to be alright and were in the process of catching their breath.

"You know, if some people came across us, they'd get the wrong idea," said Vanitas, sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall.

Ignis, who stood up on her own, blushed red as she realized his implication. "S-Shut up, idiot! Don't say it like that!"

Vanitas shrugged. "It's true, though! Two young people, a guy and a girl, clothes messed up, and-"

"Lalalalala! Can't hear you! Lalalala!"

Vanitas chuckled. "Fine, fine. I'll drop the subject. Instead, how about we talk about something else? Like, your Master, for example?"

Ignis blinked and then lowered her hands from her ears, curious as to know what Vanitas wanted to learn about Master Eraqus. "Master Eraqus? What about him?"

"Well, you know that Judge guy? Can't really remember his name, but he was really bony, pale, wore black robes?"

"Judge Frollo? What about that prick?"

"Well, that Judge guy and your Master are really similar. Different, yet oh-so similar," spoke Vanitas, casually placing his arms behind his head. "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'No, my Master is so kind! He's nothing like that prick!' But how can you be so sure?"

"How can I be- Because Master Eraqus wouldn't go around arresting gypsies for no reason! He wouldn't be discriminate towards them for harmless things, like dancing or performing with freedom!"

"You're only looking at the good things the gypsies have done. You're only defending them because they've been nice to you. Because you've witnessed them being discriminated and you took pity on them and healed and took care of them," pointed out Vanitas, standing up. "Even now, you're trying to avoid the fact that despite the gypsies being discriminated, they still did bad things. Stealing, seduction, trickery, all sorts of stuff to get through life. I should know; I'm a bad guy."

"But-! They only did bad things because nobody would give them a chance!" argued Ignis. "Because of the false rumors spread about them, how they're thieves, how they're rapists, and how they'll ruin lives if you interact with even one of them! If it weren't for them, I don't think they'd resort to doing bad things!"

"And what if those rumors were true? Or at the very least, some of them?" questioned Vanitas. "Tell me, you must have at least seen a few gypsies doing bad things, right? And don't try and lie just to defend them, or you'll be looking like the bad guy here."

Ignis thought back on the past few days she's been here, how she's made so many friends, and how she's witnessed some of her friends doing...bad things. "I...I did see a few of my friends...stealing. And pickpocketing. And threatening others."

"See? Just because the gypsies are pitiful doesn't mean they're not bad. It's like the old ma-It's like something I learned from a...philosophy book one time. Everyone has a good side and a bad side, no matter how much they deny it. Just like everyone has both light and darkness within them. And your Master is no exception, no matter how obsessed he is with the light."

"And what does my Master have anything to do with this? You still haven't properly explained his connection to Judge Frollo to me," pointed out Ignis, glaring at him.

Vanitas walked towards and began to circle around Ignis. "Alright, then. Let's say that I...learned this from your friends, Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, I learned that your Master is a Keyblade Master."

"...Well, duh. Of course he is. Who do you think taught us, if not a Keyblade Master?"

"Well, most Keyblade Masters are people who fight for the light, and your Master is one of them, but he's...too obsessed with the light,' explained Vanitas, curling up his fingers. "He thinks that the light is everything. That light is always good, that light will fix everything. And...that darkness is an evil power that should forever be vanquished from existence. Am I getting everything right so far?"

"I...!" Ignis paused and took a moment to contemplate Vanitas' words. What he said just now...she couldn't deny it. Despite Eraqus being a kind, fatherly figure to her and her friends, she couldn't...deny his obsession with the light. Sure, he doesn't show it a lot, but there is no mistake that he values the power of light a lot. At first, she thought it was similar to the feeling she got when she loved using fire magic the most, but now, she was starting to think it was something entirely different.

Master Eraqus always did value the light, and despised the darkness the most. He taught them that darkness was always evil and that everybody has them, much to his contempt, and that it can't be helped as that is the nature of things. However, he also said that they must control the darkness within themselves and that they should never allow it to control them, as evident of his harsh and strict lessons with them.

But, Ignis was starting to think he was forcing his own beliefs onto them, even if he did indeed have good intentions with them.

"How about this?" spoke up Vanitas, seeing Ignis' undecided face. "Everything has a good and a bad side, right? Answer me that."

"...Yeah. You're right about that."

Vanitas nodded. "Good, you're following me! If that's the case, that doesn't automatically mean light is always good, and that darkness is always bad. There's more to darkness and light than meets the eye. For example, if we both agree that everything has a good and bad side, then it's logically to think that light has a bad side, and that darkness has a good side to it as well."

Ignis wanted to argue back a nd opened her mouth, but no words came out. If she denied that, then she'd be the hypocrite because she herself has been using darkness magic for combat and training. Sure, she never neglected her light magic training, but because of her interest in darkness magic, she focused more on that than her light magic. And yet, she's never felt any negative effects or even once caused harm to any innocent using darkness magic.

Their current conversation was starting to remind Ignis of the time when she explored the world of Nottingham. Robin Hood, although he committed bad crimes worthy to be on darkness' side, stole for very good intentions. Prince John, although he was the temporary ruler of Nottingham and was supposed to bring order and peace to the kingdom, instead abused his power and turned to greed, ignoring the wails and cries of his people. For someone who was supposed to be on the light side, he committed even worst crimes that would befit him to the dark side.

It was just like that time when Merlin asked her if she was willing to support the hero using the power of darkness to help others or the villain who uses the power of light for evil intentions. And she gave him a firm answer full of resolution that she would rather support the hero if it meant helping others and even if the power of darkness was required.

"...You're right. You're absolutely right," said Ignis, giving him the same fierce, determined look that she once gave to Merlin when she had given the old wizard her answer the last time they met. "Light and darkness both have good and bad sides. I...I think that...Look, you can't tell Master Eraqus about this."

Vanitas was about to argue that he had no obligation to help her, but he was interested in hearing what he had to say, so he nodded. "These lips are sealed."

"Thanks. I..I think that if someone had good intentions, it doesn't matter whether they use the power of darkness or light to accomplish their goals, so long as it protects others. Though, I'm pretty sure Master Eraqus will scold me for thinking such a...childish thing."

"You're right about that. The childish thing? Nah. But your Master will do more than scold you." He stopped in front of Ignis and leaned in close. "He'll disown you."

A chilling sensation froze Ignis' heart as she took in Vanitas' words. "W-What?"

"You heard me. He. Will. Disown. You. Kick you out. No longer view you as his student. All the same."

"D-Don't be ridiculous! He wouldn't kick me out simply for learning more about darkness..." Ignis paused, looking away with uncertainty. "...Would he?"

"I'm not your Master, firecracker, but if you and I both agree that he values light above all, then once he learns that you've been secretly learning and using the darkness, then he'll feel...betrayed. Disappointed."

"B-But if I explain-!"

"Then, what? You think everything's automatically going to go back to normal? Don't be so naïve!" snapped Vanitas. "From what I've learned, that Terra friend of yours couldn't pass the Mark of Mastery simply because he couldn't control his own darkness."

"Yeah..." Realization hit Ignis as she pointed out, "But Terra wasn't kicked out! Sure, he may not have become a Keyblade Master, but-!"

"And that just goes to show how much of a failure your Master is," said Vanitas. "He loves the light, we get that. But, has he ever once taught how to control the darkness? He claims to value the power of light, and yet, have you ever once seen him use the power of darkness before?"

Ignis had to admit, Vanitas was right. In all of her years training to be a Keyblade Master, not once has she seen her Master unleash the power of darkness before, even when he gave lessons on not giving into the temptation of darkness. He was all about light, he was...obsessed with light, but in order to better understand the dangerous implications of darkness, shouldn't he also have some sort of immunity or demonstrate darkness, if only for good intentions?

"I'll take your silence as a no. Because he doesn't use the power of darkness, he failed. If he had the power of darkness, he would have better teach Terra how to control his darkness, which makes it all the Master's fault. Oh, sure, Terra did mess up in the exam, and your Master doesn't have to give up the power of light in favor of the darkness, but isn't it the teacher's duty to guide their students? In a way, part of the reason why Terra failed was all because of Master Eraqus' fault."

"I...I mean...It's true that Master Eraqus never once used the power of darkness, because he's taught us that darkness is evil," spoke Ignis.

Vanitas countered, "And yet, both of us have reached the same conclusion that everything, even light and darkness, has a good and bad side. Yeah, darkness can do a lot of shitty things, but that doesn't automatically make it evil all of the time. You've used darkness to help others, so could you call that evil?"

"...No. Because I used darkness to protect others, I never used it for selfish and evil intentions. But, what about you? I know you're reeking of darkness, but haven't you tried using the power of light?"

"Nope."

"Then-!"

"Well, even if I wanted to, I couldn't," spoke Vanitas, holding out his hand and summoning a flame of darkness. "My existence is...special. As such, I can only use the power of darkness. I wouldn't even want to use the lame power of light, anyways."

"Why?"

"Why? Because you all keep spouting on about using the power of light and using the power of friendship to accomplish your goals, and it's so annoying and cliché! If it was going to be like that, then I'm glad to use only the power of darkness!"

"But...friendship...always prevails?" wondered Ignis.

"Welcome to reality, dumbass, no it doesn't!" snapped Vanitas. "You-You think that everything in life can be solved with the power of love and friendship? Well, guess again! The world is cold! The world doesn't care about things like me! And the world would much prefer darkness to never exist! Just like...your pathetic excuse for a Master."

Although Ignis was ready to retaliate and yell angrily in her Master's defense, she paused and considered Vanitas's words. He sounded as though he experienced the harshness of reality. Could it be that he's been under a lot of pain and suffering even before they met?

"Vanitas...what happened to you?"

Realizing that he may have exposed a bit too much of himself, Vanitas turned away. A minute of silence filled the air between them before he spoke up again. "...You wanted to know why I think that Judge guy and your Master were similar, don't you?"

Ignis reached out a hand to comfort him. "Vani-"

"Don't! You dare touch me!" hissed Vanitas, knocking back her hand. "Don't you dare offer kindness to me! Kindness is a weakness! If I'm being offered kindness, that means I'm weak! I refuse to just stand there and be called weak, pathetic, useless! If you're just going to keep offering your hand out to me, then I'm just going to leave!"

"..." Ignis lowered her arm, clenching her fists. There was nothing she could do except try and lessen Vanitas' rage and his upset state. "...Alright. I...I guess I want to know what you know. I'll listen."

Vanitas took a moment to gather himself and calm down before crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "Fine. I gathered some information out of curiosity towards this Frollo guy. Guy claims to be righteous and full of justice for this city, when in reality, his heinous acts are only for his own racist benefits and self-righteousness. He's viewed as a tyrant to many people in the city."

'Just like with Prince John, only, as much as I hate admitting it, John seems to be more of the lesser evil compared to Frollo,' thought Ignis.

"Yeah, I gathered that much," said Ignis. "But, if that's all, then you should know that Master Eraqus is nothing like Judge Frollo! He wouldn't be racist or harm others for no reason at all!"

"Not racist, huh? He wishes to exterminate any kind of darkness, so if there was a race full of darkness, wouldn't you say he'd love nothing more than to exterminate that race?" questioned Vanitas. "In a way, that would make your Master racist."

"I...If such a race exists, he wouldn't dare harm innocents!"

"Even if those innocents rely on the power of darkness?"

"..."

Vanitas chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, princess...You haven't even learned half of the things Frollo has done. He not only abuses his authority, but he arrests pretty much every single gypsy within his sight, whether they're innocent or not. Actually, most of the time, they're innocent, but he doesn't care, because he's a fuckin' racist. And do you know what he does to them after he arrests them?"

Ignis was almost too afraid to learn the answer. "No...?"

"He kills them. Orders them to be hung, stabbed, or even tortured. He deems the gypsies as heretics in his own opinion. It doesn't matter if they're innocent, a child, or even a baby. He has his soldiers kill each captured gypsy, and it's not just gypsies, but gypsy sympathizers as well. The female ones have it even worst when he allows his soldiers to do whatever they want with them..."

Ignis gasped, unable to imagine the kind of horrible treatment the arrested gypsies have been through. "A-And how long has he done this?!"

"Eh, from what I gathered, about 20 or more years."

"And nobody's stopped him before!?"

"Oh, no. There's been rebellions, but all of them ended in failure, whether it was inadequate numbers, lack in strength and training, hostage situations, and so much more."

Ignis looked away, horror written all over her face. "I...I know from Master Eraqus that not all people are good. You hear stories of really terrible people out there, but I never would have imagined...Especially a Minister of Justice, who's supposed to ensure equality and justice to-!"

"Oh, don't spout me that 'in the name of justice' crap! I hear that way too much from people in other worlds who claim to be doing just that," scoffed Vanitas.

"And what does any of this have to do with Master Eraqus? He would never torture or kill the gypsies, who...mostly have done nothing wrong!"

Vanitas shrugged. "Maybe not torture, sure. But what if the gypsies were users of darkness? An entire race, full of darkness users and not light users. Your Master would have done anything to ensure that darkness doesn't exist, even if it means eliminating the gypsies, and yes, that includes innocent children, too."

Ignis wanted to say something, but with all of the information before her, she knew that deep down...Vanitas might be correct. Eraqus despised the darkness, so he would do anything to see it gone. Even if...even if that might mean eliminating innocents full of darkness, and not the bad kind, either. In fact, it probably wouldn't matter to Eraqus if there was a good side to darkness, because in his mind, he's already deemed darkness as the ultimate evil.

"That's...just speculation," said Ignis, taking a step back. "The gypsies right now, they don't even know how to use magic! They're not users of darkness! The only kind of 'magic' they have is just tricks! Performances! Anything like that!"

"You're right. Right now, the gypsies are pretty much harmless," said Vanitas, stepping towards Ignis. "But you and I both know that Eraqus would commit genocide if it meant that the power of darkness would be eliminated forever."

"...Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Simple. You're not brain-dead like your friends, Aqua and Ventus. They're too fixated on the power of light, so it's too late for them. Terra, on the other hand, though he has the power of darkness with him, he's too stubborn and rough with it, so he can't handle that power very well. But you? You're different. You can handle both the power of light and darkness really well, even though you have more training with the power of light. I just thought to give you a little push to the path you've chosen."

Ignis looked at him. "And what's in it for you if you do 'push me to the path I've chosen?'"

"Simple. I'm curious to see what would happen if someone chooses a path full of light AND darkness. So really, this is for my own benefit and curiosity. I'm pretty much gambling on you to make the choices that'll lead you to the path you've chosen. And, there's something else you need to know."

"What?"

"Everything has a good and dark side. That means when faced with a problem, you have to question everything. As in, EVERYTHING. You have to figure out what's wrong and right for yourself. You have to question everything, assess the information before you, and then, make a choice. Otherwise, you'll just end up brainwashed like your friends, and maybe even arrogant like your Master.

He roughly shoved Ignis out of the way with his shoulder, but Ignis hardly noticed, as she was taking Vanitas' words into consideration. Just as Vanitas opened a Corridor of Darkness, he paused and said, "Just think about it. But, the next time we meet, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"Wait, what?" Before Ignis could question more on what he said, Vanitas had already vanished beyond the Corridor of Darkness, along with his portal as soon as he entered it. Deciding to take his advice, Ignis left to go train, seeing as she had some time to spare before going back to the inn to rest.

Unknown to Ignis or even Vanitas himself, during their entire encounter, a mysterious, new Unversed snuck away in the shadows, hungry for something to munch on...


Later...

Ignis was once again in the middle of trying to cast her Summoning Magic for who knows how many times that day. This time, she felt that she was growing more and more closer to completing the task of summoning her Familiar, and she's re-read the Summoning Magic book several times, so she was certain she'd get it right this time! In addition, before she began training, she finally managed to track down the Moogle Shop in this world, so she had plenty of Potions and Ethers to go around in case something happened, like her magic power running around, for example.

Ignis pants as she concentrates on what feels like the hundredth time she's attempted Summoning Magic. She attempts to concentrate on her breathing as she squeezed her eyes shut, but she ends up nearly hyperventilating. She then focused on her magic power even more, feeling a slight shift in the air as she did so. She pressed Phoenix Fairy even further down the ground.

She panted heavily, focusing more and more of her magic power into getting her Summoning to work this time. She had failed numerous times before in the past, but she felt that it had to work this time. She just needed to give it more power and more concentration-! Once she completed this Summoning, it shouldn't take too much effort to re-summoning her Familiar! She must accomplish her goal, no, she WILL accomplish her goal.

The magic circle beneath her Keyblade began to spin. Gritting her teeth, Ignis allowed her magic circle to blossom, glowing brightly and spinning around at top speeds until it was nothing more than a blur. Beads of sweat began forming on her body as magic consumption began to rise, and Ignis felt she was ready to burst, so with a cry, she let her magic power explode.

A bright glow consumed the area, quickly replaced by a hazy mist that appeared around the magic circle. The mist soon vanished, and Ignis slowly opened her eyes, finding herself face-to-face with her the results of her succession.

Her very own Familiar.

Ignis couldn't help but smile brightly as she took her fire-based Familiar into her hands, though she did flinch when she made physical contact with her. Right, fire - based, meaning that her Familiar was completely engulfed in flames due to being a fire elemental Familiar, and that fire was really dangerous and hot to touch. A simple Barfire spell fixed that, giving her temporary resistance to fire before she picked up her fire elemental Familiar, feeling the hot embers licking at her fingers.

With a smile on her face, Ignis welcomed her Familiar by announcing the name that would formalize the contract between Master and Familiar.

"Nice to meet you...Pyra."


Later, that evening...

In the cathedral, the Archdeacon and several priests behind him were in the midst of a song, offering up a prayer as they traversed around the inside of the cathedral, swinging some incense around as part of their offering.

Hellfire

Composed by: Alan Menken

Sung by: Claude Frollo

Archdeacon

Chorus

"Confiteor Deo Omnipotenti

Beatea Mariae semper Virgini

Beato Michaeli archangel

Sanctis apostolic omnibus sanctis…"

In his quarters, Frollo gazed out from his window, staring up at the night sky as he thought back on today's earlier events, confused by his feeling stowards a gypsy girl whom he's never once interacted before until today.

"Beata Maria,

You know I am a righteous man,

Of my virtue I am justly proud.

(Et tibi Pater)

Beata Maria,

You know I'm so much purer than

The common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd!

(Quia peccavi nimis)"

Frollo made his way from the windows and towards his fireplace, shouting in the blazing embers of his fireplace.

"Then, tell me, Maria!

Why I see her dancing there!

Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul!

(Cogitatione)"

Clutching his own shoulders, Frollo struggled in an internal conflict between his duties and lust for Esmeralda. He watched as the flames danced, creating a vision of Esmeralda swaying elegantly, trying to seduce Frollo and whispering temptations through her dance alone.

"I feel her, I see her!

The sun caught in her raven hair

Is blazing in me out of all control!

(Verbo er opera)"

Frollo's eyes widened in fear as he stepped back, refusing to give into his temptations as he struggled to regain control of himself. Yet even his temptations caused him to take out the one thing he received from Esmeralda from his robes; her beloved scarf. With a surge of strength, he found himself unable to destroy the one possession he owned of her.

"Like fire!

Hellfire!

This fire in my skin!

This burning

Desire

Is turning me to sin!"

Upon falling to his knees in defeat and contemplation, Frollo found himself surrounded by many faceless, red hooded people, chanting one phrase in unison. Trying to defend himself, Frollo ran around, trying to pin his lustful temptations towards Esmeralda, thinking she was the cause of his sinful thoughts.

"It's not my fault!

(Mea culpa)

I'm not to blame!

(Mea culpa)

It is the gypsy girl,

The witch who set this flame!

(Mea maxima culpa)

It's not my fault!

(Mea culpa)

If in God's plan

(Mea culpa)

He made the devil so much stronger than a man!

(Mea maxima culpa)"

His arm stretched out, as though grasping for a pure light, all while the red robes swirled around her, glowing in heat and enveloping Frollo, pulling her forth into the fiery cauldron of hell until that grasp was broken apart by what Frollo's presumed to be the protection of Maria.

"Protect me, Maria!

Don't let that siren cast her spell!

Don't let her fire sear my flesh and bone!"

With a triumphant, newfound resolve, Frollo thrusted his arm forward, tightly gripping the scarf as though offering it in exchange for his strong request to vanquish Esmeralda once and for all. He could picture the dancing embers engulfing Esmeralda as she let out one last beautiful, shrill shriek as hell's fires consumed her.

But even if he so desired Esmeralda's death for casting a spell of lust all over him, he knew that she couldn't die just yet. Not until he overcame the power of lust himself by overpowering and possessing her alone. As though comforting him, Frollo reached out to embrace the wispy fumes of smoke that formed the beautiful figure of Esmeralda, only for the smoke to disappear once he embraced the figure, indicating that it was an illusion. An illusion that he could never have.

"Destroy Esmeralda!

And let her taste the fires of Hell!

Or let her be mine and mine alone!"

A rough knock on his door, and Frollo whirled around, gasping as he tried to regain his composure. The door opened, and the vague shadow of a guard stood in the moonlight, ready to report his findings.

"Minister Frollo. The gypsy has escaped."

"What?!" hissed Frollo, seething while trying to keep his composure, not willing to show any weakness.

"She's nowhere in the cathedral. She's gone."

"But, how?! I..." Frowning, Frollo snapped and ordered the guard, "Never mind! Get out, you idiot!" The guard obeyed her orders and closed the door, leaving Frollo by himself as he walked back towards the fireplace. "I'll find her! I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!"

"Hellfire!

Dark fire!

Now gypsy, it's your turn!

Choose me or

Your pyre!

Be mine or you will burn!"

Enraged, Frollo threw down the purple scarf, watching it ignite in flames and turn it into ashes in seconds.

"(Kyrie Eleison)

God have mercy on her!

(Kyrie Eleison)

God have mercy on me!

(Kyrie Eleison)

But she will be mine

Or she will BURN!"


WARNING! WARNING! PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES AS THEY CONTAIN VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY TOWARDS THE NEXT CHAPTER! ACTUALLY, THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS!

This was an especially long chapter, and I found myself enjoying it thus far! Hehehe!~ I've been waiting a very long time to write this chapter, so I'm especially giddy that I've finally got the chance to do so, especially in the Lost in Thoughts All Alone part! I was so mesmerized by the song, Amalee's version of it anyways, that I just couldn't stop thinking about it as I wanted to incorporate it into this chapter!

So, for all of you curious fans, I changed several of the lyrics to match Ignis' path to finding true balance between light and darkness. In the Shin Tegami games, I noticed that there is also themes about light and darkness, how the light side consists of angels, and how the dark side is full of demons. In that aspect, the light side is all about Order, and the dark side is all about Chaos.

As many of us recognized, Light is mostly seen as good, and rarely do we ever get to see the bad sides of light. If anything, the bad sides of light are corruption, like people serving in the name of the law abusing their power for their own benefits. It's like those religious churches in video games, you can't trust them since they serve their own selfish agendas. Light is all about Order, Judgement, Law, and Justice, hence the lyrics in the first part of the Lost in Thoughts All Alone when it described the path of light.

Dark is often seen as evil, but very rarely do we ever get to see the good sides of darkness. The good side of darkness seem mainly focused on vigilantes or anti-heroes, where they kill villains for the sake of others, just like Red Hood from Batman, and Batman himself is known to be a famous vigilante himself. Even so, Darkness is all about Chaos, Trickery, Corruption, and so forth, which leads to the second part of the song where it describes the path of darkness.

And then, it all comes down to the middle part of the song, which describes the key to balance. Someone who uses both the powers of light and darkness, just as Ignis is trying to accomplish. A neutral gray, if you might call it. A Path of Revelations, as well. The path of Gray means that one cannot choose the side of light or darkness, they must remain neutral at all times. In such cases, being on this path would make one a peacemaker, or close to a vigilante.

Because Lost in Thoughts All Alone was essentially a water-based song, since it had all sort of aquatic words, I did my best to change the aquatic words to match Ignis' element of fire. Hope you guys enjoyed that!

Anyways, Vanitas is starting to realize his feelings for Ignis, but unlike Frollo, he actually managed to surpass his own temptations and even attempted to do so by changing the subject. He was too enticed by her performance and appearance, so he became attracted to her.

Speaking of appearance, Ignis' descriptive appearance was based on Azura's Nohr dancer dress, except in much lighter and red colors than the dark and somewhat blue colors. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I guess you can compared the descriptive appearance in this chapter along with a simple Google imagine of Azura's Nohr dress, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Seriously, her dress and her song version in the Nohr route is so cool! Cooler than the Hoshido route!

Regarding Vanitas describing Frollo and Eraqus' similarities and clear differences, you also have to remember something. Instead of talking things out, in the original game, Eraqus was even willing to kill Ventus, an innocent boy, in order not to let darkness prevail. If he was going to do that to his apprentice, no, one of his "sons," then it shouldn't be too far-off that he would go so far as to commit genocide on a group of people that uses darkness, even if there are innocents involved. What makes it interesting if that Eraqus is so full of light, he's been "corrupted" and "obsessed" with the light, so he can't bear the thought of darkness still existing.

I tried not to make Vanitas too OOC this chapter, all while still having him still having feelings for Ignis, but because of his current situation, he can't ever make a move on her. It's sort of a forbidden love kind of thing going on that even the two of them are unaware of.

Also, yes! Ignis finally managed to summon her Familiar, Pyra! And before you ask, no, I can't tell you guys what kind of animal Familiar Ignis has, but I can assure you that it's not some bird or phoenix Familiar of any kind. All will be revealed in a few chapters.

I so badly wanted to incorporate the song, "Hellfire" into this chapter to mark the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next events to come next. I just can't help it, because I love this song, as it's powerful and one of Disney's most darkest songs, yet. You see, I think Frollo is one of the most scariest and darkest characters in Disney because he's so realistic and this kind of thing can happen in real life, minus the talking gargoyles and stuff like that.

So, anyways, the main reason I wanted you guys to read the author's notes is because now, and before the next chapter begins, I will warn you all that the darkest parts of this world are going to happen in the next chapter. I mean it, for real! It's going to be major shit flying around, like really dark themes all over in the next few chapters! It'll be a big major change...that it'll cause major character development for Ignis as well! So, I'm giving you all a warning about the next chapters being extremely dark.

That said, read and review!