"Ugh! How much longer until they're back!" asks Hayner
"Hayner, they left only thirty minutes ago" Olette responds. As she pulls on his ears
"Ow ow! Sorry!" he says as he pulls away from his hand and covers his ear. Master Yen Sid clears his throat to get Hayner's attention.
"For us, they would be gone for only a few hours. For them, however, it would feel like days or even weeks. Just like the realm of darkness, the realm of dreams and nightmares experience time in a far different manner." he explains.
Hayner thinks for a moment, before asking another question. "Would it be possible for Namine to see what's going on?" asks Hayner.
"Yes, but I would not advise doing so. This isn't just any ordinary journey, remember, that it is still an exam. They are not to be observed or given guidance by anyone not currently with them." Hayner sighs, but he kind of expected this answer.
"Well, it was worth a shot right?" Hayner asks, there are some laughs given from those in the room. Before calming down quickly after.
"We'll just need to ask them how it all went once they're back," says Namine smiling.
Meanwhile, in a realm not familiar to them, Xion and Kairi slowly open their eyes as they shake off the sleepiness in their bodies. They help each other off the ground and look around.
"What is this place?" asks Xion.
"Definitely not Traverse Town. . ." says Kairi. They find themselves in a large sprawling city. The roads are made of cobblestone while many of the houses and walls are made of brick.
"Where do we even go?" asks Xion as she sees the many paths in front and behind them.
"Who knows, we'll just need to find out," says Kairi, looking around, and seemingly picking a path at random. Xion quickly follows her. The two walk down the streets, walking by many people, many of which glare at them like pests, while others seem to wave and act incredibly friendly. These people stop acting friendly though when they see a man in black roads and a large hat walking down the street. These people quickly turn the corner and walk into some alleyways, seemingly avoiding the man's gaze. Xion and Kairi continue to walk down the street as they walk past the man, avoiding eye contact. After passing by him, the man stops walking.
"Stop," he commands
"Huh? Who? Us?" asks Xion, feigning ignorance.
"I've never seen you two before. Your names?" asks the man.
"Xion"
"Kairi" They answer. He looks down at them and scoffs.
"Such disgusting attire. I know what you are." He says with an ugly look on his face. But before he can do anything, a blonde man in shining gold-colored armor runs up to the black-robed man
"Judge Frollo. Sir!" Frollo turns around, to face the man
"What is the matter, Captain Phoebus? Can't you see. . . I am interrogating these gypsies?" Phoebus looks at Frollo, then at the two kids, he can't really hid his skepticism.
"These kids here? Sir, they're just two girls." Pheobus defends. Kairi crosses her arms, she didn't train for over a year just to be set aside as some girl.
"I shall be the judge of that," says Frollo, captain Phoebus grimaces as he looks towards the ground, but quickly turns his eyes back at Frollo. "Now, Captain, did you have something to report to me or did you not?"
Pheobus practically jumps as he remembers what he came here for. "Yes sir. Those monsters. They've invaded the square!"
"Monsters!? We'll take care of this." Says Xion, immediately taking action. Xion and Kairi dash past the two as they go in the direction from which Pheobus came.
"Hey, wait! It's not safe!" yells Pheobus. He gives chase but nearly trips over as he almost steps on a fat cat-like creature following the two. Strela rolls across the ground as she follows her family. Pheobus looks at the cat strangely, as it resembles some of the monsters in town, before shaking the thoughts out of his mind and chasing after them once more. Judge Frollo glares in the direction they run off in. He clenches his fists.
"This city is overrun by these pests! For decades I've worked to purge this city of those wretched gypsies, and now the streets teem with even more disgusting vermin that threaten law and order. . ."
Xion and Kairi run to the town square and see something peculiar. A man in green clothes wearing a jester's crown and a tattered cape sitting atop a nightmare that resembles an elephant, around him are a variety fo smaller nightmares.
"What is he doing? He needs to run!" Says Kairi as she prepares to dash at the nightmare, but Xion grabs her by the hood and stops her.
"We may be causing more trouble than we're stopping Kairi, we should wait and see if something goes wrong," Xion suggests, crouching to pick up Strela and walking to hide in the shadows as she spies from afar. Kairi joins her in the shadows and argues.
"We can't wait for things to go wrong Xion, we have to do something before anyone gets hurt!" before Xion can reply their attention is turned to Captain Pheobus, running to the square and quickly taking out a nightmare. Judge Frollo enters the square and looks around for Xion and Kairi, but he laments as he cannot find them. His attention is snapped to the man on the elephant as he grimaces.
"Quasimodo!" shouts Frollo as he approaches the man. Quasimodo flinches as he looks Frollo in the eyes before cowering. The elephant rears and slams the ground with its front legs as it starts to become hostile. Quasimodo is launched off the elephant's back as it rears, the nightmares turn to Quasimodo as he gets on his feet.
"No. . . stop! Why doesn't anything ever go the way I want it to?" he asks to himself. Kairi quickly uses flow motion to jump off the wall behind them, before stopping in front of Quasimodo, she readies her keyblade as she uses herself as a physical wall between the nightmares and Quasimodo. Xion quickly dashes by her side and sets Strela on the ground, before rematerializing her keyblade.
"Go! It's not safe here!" she exclaims
"Here, let me help." says an unfamiliar voice. The two look to the side to see a woman with tanned skin and brown hair
"Who are you?" asks Kairi, looking between her and the nightmares
"Esmeralda. I am a gypsy," she says, introducing herself. Xion nods in understanding.
"Thanks. I'm Xion, she's Kairi." the two allow her to talk to Quasimodo, while they focus all their attention on the nightmares. Esmeralda helps Quasimodo back into the Cathedral, while Xion and Kairi slash through the nightmares with all their might. Pheobus smiles, admiring Esmeralda's beauty and bravery, while also finding a newfound respect for the child warriors in front of him. Frollo does not have the same feelings.
"Gypsy witch . . ." he mutters to himself. Xion, Kairi, and Strela deal with the nightmares without too much difficulty, Strela casts balloon spells and attacks with her tiny horn while Xion and Kairi slash and strike the monsters with their keyblades. Upon destroying the nightmares, they turn to each other, then the cathedral.
"Do you think they're alright?" asks Xion
"It wouldn't hurt to check," says Kairi as she makes her way to the cathedral, Xion following closely behind with Strela in her arms. They enter to find a few nightmares, which they make sure to destroy before climbing up a set of spiraling stairs nearby. After navigating the roof they find themselves in the bell tower. The only room left unlocked. They walk by some stone gargoyles. They find Esmeralda and Quasimodo near a large bell. They listen as the two talk
"You could stay here . . .forever." Quasimodo offers.
"No I couldn't. . . " says Esmeralda
"Why not? You have sanctuary here."
"But not freedom," Esmeralda responds. Quasimodo thinks for a moment.
"You helped me. . . so I will help you." he decides
"How? There are guards at every door," says Esmeralda
"We won't use a door," says Quasimodo. He offers her his hand, which she takes, and he guides her outside, they wave goodbye as they pass the two keyblade wielders. Xion and Kairi stand there for a moment as they wave goodbye to their new friends.
" . . . they're gonna jump off the edge aren't they," says Kairi
"We should really follow them," Xion concludes. They quickly exit the bell tower and find that their friends aren't even on the roof. They make their way out of the cathedral and go to the only place they know in the city besides the cathedral, where they awoke. As they run in that direction, they pass by a familiar blonde, this time wearing a standard white tunic.
"Oh. Hello again. Xion and Kairi, was it?" asks Pheobus, no longer wearing his gold-colored armor.
"Yeah-" says Xion, but Kairi immediately buts-in
"Hey, your that guy with Frollo!" says Kairi, taking a defensive stance
"Woah! Easy. I'm not looking for a fight." he claims. Xion puts her hand on Kairi's shoulder, Kairi looks into her eyes as she nods. Kairi sighs, and lets down her guard.
"Finally, someone sensible. I'm Phoebus. Tell me, is she still safe in the cathedral?"
"By she you mean Esmeralda?" asks Xion. Pheobus nods.
"No, Quasimodo helped her leave without being spotted," Kairi explains. Pheobus sighs as he hears this.
"Is something wrong?" asks Xion
"Yes, It's Judge Frollo. He's obsessed with destroying the gypsies, and his mind is in a dark place." Pheobus explains. "When I objected to his barbarous actions, he banished me from the guard."
"What? That's not fair!" Kairi says angrily.
"Oh, don't worry about me. I wouldn't want to be part of a guard ruled by Frollo anyways. I'm more worried about something he said." says Pheobus. "Frollo said he's found something called the Court of Miracles. A safe haven in the city for Gypsies," he explains, Xion gasps as she understands what this means.
"We have to warn them!" she says
"My thoughts exactly," says Pheobus. "The problem is, only Frollo seems to know where it is now," Pheobus says to himself, before they three hear footsteps behind him, they turn to see Quasimodo, holding some sort of charm.
"Quasimodo! Esmeralda's in danger! Do you know where she went?" asks Kairi
"No . . . She vanished into the streets after I helped her leave." Quasimodo explains. "She. . . gave me this pendant," says Quasimodo, showing off the hand-made necklace. "She said, when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hands."
"Hold the city. . . in your hand. . ." Xion repeats as she clutches the necklace around her neck, as she thinks deeply for a moment. It doesn't take long for her and Quasimodo to realize what it means. They look at the pendant closely, realizing the pendant, is actually a map in disguise. The four quickly dash out of the square and make their way to the Cour of MIracles marked on the pendant. Xion quickly turns back and picks up Strela, before turning around running to catch up with the rest of the group.
They make their way out of the city and onto a large bridge, which they cross, Xion, Kairi, and Strela dealing with the nightmares while Quasimodo and Pheobus clear the bridge of debris. The five arrive at a dilapidated part of the town, wooden boards lay on the street, while large scaffolding sits erected, but without anyone working on it. They traverse the area with ease, following the makeshift map on Quasimodo's pendent, before finding the marked spot, a graveyard. They find a false grave with a secret passage inside, which they hop into, leading to an underground tunnel, filled with water. They navigate the tunnels and find a dead end.
"Did we take a wrong turn?" asks Xion as she looks around.
"No. . . there weren't any other paths besides this one. . ." says Pheobus, suddenly, they hear a strange sound behind them. Strela is whing as she scratches at a segment of the wall.
"What's wrong Strela?" asks Xion as she crouches down to pet the fat cat. Kairi walks over and notices that something is off about the wall. She materializes her keyblade and strikes it with all her might, a large crack forms as she keeps striking it. Xion joins in and with one final stab, they reveal a new path.
"Way to go Strela!" says Kairi as the two keyblade wielders give the cat-creature love and affection. They navigate the new path and find an exit, leading to another graveyard, this one looking much older and way less taken care of than the other. They careful walk through the graveyard, making sure not to step on anyone's grave, before finding yet another hidden passageway, they navigate it without too much trouble and find what they're looking for, a section of the tunnels, filled with tents, food, and more importantly, people. It doesn't take long for them to run into Esmeralda.
"Quasimodo? Pheobus? Why are you two here?" she asks
"Pheobus and I came to warn you. Frollo's on his way!" explains Quasimodo
"You need to take what you can and flee!" exclaims Pheobus, suddenly, however, a familiar voice is heard from behind.
"I think it's a bit too late for that, Captain Phoebus." says the voice of Frollo. Nightmares appear around them as his voice echoes. Pheobus draws his sword while Xion and Kairi materialize their keyblades, and Strela stands guard, protecting Esmeralda. "Thankfully, you are every bit as predictable as I had hoped." Judge Frollo walks towards the group as he makes himself known. "Dear Quasimodo. I always knew you would someday be of use to me." Frollo says as the nightmares separate the group, they fight as hard as they can but they've been cornered. Frollo walks towards Esmeralda "I've got you now you witch. . ." He reaches out to her when he's pushed back by Strela. "You insignificant pest!" Frollo kicks Strela into a wall before grabbing Esmeralda and tying her hands behind her back
"You little-!" Xion clenches her teeth as she looks down at Strela on the ground. She jumps back into a wall and leaps off it, Flow-motion energy flows through her as she dashes towards Frollo, but before she can strike him, she feels a powerful force collide with her, and she's knocked out.
"Xion! Xion wake up!" Xion opens her eyes as Kairi shakes her awake. She looks around only to see Kairi and Strela nearby.
"Where's Quasimodo. . . and Pheobus?" she asks.
"Gone, they're trying to save Esmeralda but- Frollo's going to kill her, burn her alive. . . they need our help!" Kairi says, Quickly pulling her lookalike off the ground and back onto her feet.
"Yeah, your right!" says Xion as they two quickly make their way out of the Court of Miracles. It takes some time, but they manage to find their way back to the square, where they see Frollo, standing on a platform next to Esmeralda, tied to a stake. With wood around her ablaze. Before they can help her though, they notice something. Quasimodo leaps from the building, his hands around a rope. He swings down and grabs Esmeralda, breaking the stake as the rope returns him back to the cathedral, he climbs up the walls with Esmeralda over his back, before reaching the roof, and taking her to sanctuary. Judge Frollo grows with anger at this defiant action, he steps off the platform and makes his way to the cathedral.
"Oh no you don't!" yells Xion as she dashes towards Frollo, she gets a feeling of Deja Vu before stepping back, as a large nightmare crashes to the ground in front of her, nightmare stands on its legs as it faces the two keyblade wielders and their dream eater ally. The nightmare, known as a Wargoyle, screeches before engaging the three in battle. The Wargoyle spins around rapidly as the chains around its arms let loos, and sing lard gauntlets at the end. Fire shoots forth from the Wargoyle as it does this. Xion and Kairi slide along the ground as they dodge the blaze. The nightmare falls to the ground out of exhaustion as it finishes its attack, allowing Kairi, Xion, and Strela to attack it with all their might
Suddenly, they're blasted back by a massive flaming pillar the wargoyl gets back on its feet. The Wargoyle pulls its limbs together before setting itself ablaze. The Wargoyle expells the flames upward towards the sky before they start raining down. The three dodge out of the way to the best of their ability as the Wargoyle punches at the ground where they stood. Suddenly, the Wargoyle dashes forward and punches at the ground where Kairi is, she is knocked back. Xion dashes in to try and help but is whipped away by the flaming end of the Wargoyle's tail. The Wargoyle raises its hand as Kairi struggles to get on her feet when it's pelted by balloons spells from behind. The Wargoyle turns around to see the small cat dream eater behind it, with it distracted, Kairi gets up and sets her keyblade ablaze, before dashing forward and slicing right through the Wargoyle. It falls to its knees as Xion pushes herself off the ground and dashes. She focuses hard and casts a new spell: Balloonra. Large colorful orbs appear around her before homing in on the Wargoyle. It screeches as the balloons explode and collide with it, before rising into the air and exploding into balls of light. The three stand there, gasping and panting as they catch their breath, before remembering why they had fought the Wargoyle in the first place
"Esmeralda! Quasimodo!" yells Xion, before running to the chappel, with Kairi and Strela following closely behind. They enter the Cathedral and find Esmeralda, Pheobus, and Quasimodo near the entrance.
"You're okay!" exclaims Esmeralda.
"And so are you," says Kairi, smiling.
"Where Frollo?" asks Xion,
"He's gone. Burned in the fires which he so desperately tried to cast others into," answers Pheobus. Strela jumps up and down happily at this news.
"So, what now?" asks Kairi
"Now? Well, who knows for sure. But my people no longer need to live in fear, and for that, I'm grateful." says Esmeralda. Eventually, however, the time for conversation has to end. Kairi and Xion wave goodbye to their new friends as they leave the cathedral behind, no longer needing its sanctuary.
The three stare at the door that stands ajar, as light pours in from it. Finally, Kairi, Xion, and Strela turn to look at the stone carving at the end of the cathedral.
"Poor Quasimodo. He spent all his life surrounded by walls erected by his own heart, just trying to defend himself from the nightmares Frollo gave him. A prisoner in a jail made by his own heart. . ." Xion says sadly as they stare at the tablet. However, their peaceful moment is interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.
"Hypocrite. You are the one who has made your heart a prison. . ." the three quickly turn around to see who faces them.
"You. . . !" Xion says with fury rising in her voice. Before them stands the silver-haired boy with piercing yellow eyes.
"What are you talking about?" yells Kairi as they materialize their keyblades
"Even if you are not the prisoner," he says, staring at Xion with unwavering focus.
"Huh? What do you mean?" asks Xion. The boy simply smiles, and opens a corridor of darkness behind him, before stepping back into it.
"Hey! Stop!" Yells Kairi as she tries to slash at where he stands, but the corridor disappears as she does so. "He got away. . ." she says angrily. The two stand there as they ponder on what the boy's words mean, but before they can dive into that rabbit hole, they see a glow of light coming from the stained-glass windows, the light takes shape, and forms a keyhole.
Kairi and Xion look at each other and nod, before pointing their keyblades at the keyholes. Beams of light shoot from their keyblades as they pierce the keyhole. Bright light envelopes the cathedral as drowsiness begins to take hold of the keyblade wielders, forcing them to slumber once more.