France
In Lady Tremaine's house, there was only darkness. Even when the beautiful blonde pulled back the curtains to let in the sunshine that kissed her hair. The home that could fit an army, but only housed four, remained dark. In its walls, in its rooms, and in its members.
"What aren't you telling me?" Lady Tremaine, herself, questioned her young stepdaughter, Cinderella.
"I won't tell you anything," Cinderella shook her head.
She met her stepmother's cold eyes.
"Your eyes aren't glowing green, make them," Lady Tremaine demanded.
Cinderella turned her head, "I won't,"
Lady Tremaine scoffed shaking her head, before drawing back her hand and slapping Cinderella to the floor. Her head jerked to the right, and she felt the coldness of the shiny floor. The slap stung her cheek, she thought her skin would go numb, and it would turn blood red thanks to Lady Tremaine's rings.
She lifted her head from the ground and held her cheek.
"That is what you get for disrespecting me! For denying me!" Lady snapped.
Cinderella exhaled through her nose.
"Now, tell me what to do tonight," she urged.
Cinderella dropped her head.
"Tell me first!" came another voice, along with stomping feet.
She looked over her shoulder to her stepsister, Drizella, approaching, and with that, she also smacked Cinderella across the face.
"Uh!" Cinderella grunted.
"Drizella, why the anger towards the maid?" Lady Tremaine mocked, "And why in the world is your hair like this?" her mother leaned closer to see Drizella's messy hair.
"It's Charles!" Drizella snapped, throwing her arms in the air. "He bedded me, and then made a mess of me!"
Lady Tremaine turned up her face. "What of that silly boy?"
"Your fault!" Drizella pointed straight to Cinderella.
Cinderella crawled away from them, getting to her feet and holding her cheeks.
"Your stupid Quirk! Quirk!? Whatever! You told me that you saw him in my future and now look what he has done to me!" she snapped.
Cinderella stood up, straightening her legs. "I warned you about him! I saw him in your future, yes, but I warned you that he would hurt you! You didn't listen!"
"I ought to!" Drizella went to smack Cinderella again.
However, Lady Tremaine grabbed her daughter's wrist. "That's enough, I need her for the moment. You can have your way later,"
Drizella huffed, shoving away her mother and hurrying off. Lady Tremaine wiped her hands off her dark, red rose satin gown. She walked over to Cinderella, grabbing her by the back of the head and giving it a hard yank. Cinderella felt like her neck would have snapped off.
"Uh!"
"Now, tell me what. To. Do. Tonight," she demanded.
Cinderella finally relented, her eyes glowed green and she saw into the quick future.
IMAGINE IN THE PRESENT MIC'S VOICE: CINDERELLA'S QUIRK 'DREAM TIME' SHE CAN SEE SOMEONE'S FUTURE AND DREAMS THROUGH HER EYES. SHE CAN SEE A LITTLE OR A LOT. SHE CAN SEE GLIMPSES OF TIME AROUND HER IN QUICK FLASHES IN SEEING SOMEONE'S NEXT MOVEMENTS.
Lady Tremaine at a gambling table. Surrounded by men. She was laughing with them and drinking the reddest wine. She leaned forward to see if her number was chosen. Her face depleted when her number wasn't but the man across from her had the correct number. '7'.
Cinderella snapped out of the vision. She pulled her head away from her.
"Don't change your lucky number tonight, keep '7'," she explained.
Lady Tremaine smiled brightly, "There. See, now was that so hard?" she taunted.
Cinderella stepped back from her stepmother and bowed her head. Lady Tremaine grinned and waved her hand. "Get my cloak, and make sure the girls eat tonight. A filling dinner will do since your sight upset Drizella,"
Cinderella gulped wanting to say something but went to grab the cloak. She handed the cloak to her stepmother but her stepmother turned her back on Cinderella. She sighed in irritation before putting the cloak on her.
"Great," Lady Tremaine flicked her hair into her stepdaughter's face, she walked down the hallway towards the front door looking over her shoulder, "Have a good night," she said with a sly smile.
Cinderella almost gasped in astonishment but kept her anger inside her throat. The door slammed behind her and Cinderella let out a long exhale. She dusted off the front of her dress and made her way to the kitchen.
Kitchen
She stared at all the food to be prepared and gulped. With a heavy breath, she went to work. She made the prep for the food; seasoned the meat, cut the vegetables, and poured fresh red wine into a glass cylinder. Tears dropped from her eyes as she prepared everything. She wiped her nose on the back of her hand and pulled her blonde hair back into a messy bun. Putting the food on a tray, she put everything on the dining room table in the Great Hall. Lit the candles in the room along with the fireplace. No smile came across her face, just tears that stained her beautiful pink cheeks.
Once she was done, the doors opened with her stepsisters entering the room. Anastasia wore a dusty pink Glitter Surplice Plunging Belted Maxi dress while Drizella wore a sexy, deep V-neck JUST CAVALLI long dress. They both sat down around the table reaching for the food. Cinderella nodded to them and started to leave. Anastasia looked over at her.
"Cinderella," she called.
She stopped in her tracks, adjusted the tray in her hands, and looked over her shoulder.
Anastasia licked her lips, "Can you show me my future?" she asked.
Cinderella paused. Drizella rolled her eyes.
"Please," Anastasia continued.
Cinderella gasped a bit. Her sisters never asked for permission for her visions and Anastasia rarely asked.
"Uh, sure," she answered.
She turned all the way around and caught her sister's eyes. Her eyes turned bright green and Anastasia waited. Cinderella then smiled a bit as her eyes died down.
"What is it?" Anastasia asked in a gentle tone.
"You're gonna…gonna fall in love," Cinderella stated.
Anastasia's eyes rose a bit, in which Drizella lifted her head. She laughed out loud, throwing her head back.
"Shut up Drizella," Anastasia snapped.
"Who is she gonna fall in love with?" Drizella questioned.
Cinderella gulped, "The baker,"
Drizella laughed even more, "What a joke!"
Anastasia rolled her eyes, "Are you messing with me?"
"I can't control what happens in your future, I just see it." Cinderella hurried over to Anastasia and knelt next to her, "Anastasia, a baker or not, the way he'll look at you,"
Anastasia's face softened.
"It won't matter he's a baker, you won't care. The way he looks at you is like 'she's my true love, the love of my life…...and I found her.' He found you," she explained.
Anastasia's chest pumped, "Really? Someone would love me…like that?"
"Only once you have a love like that Anastasia," Cinderella smiled.
Anastasia started to smile.
"That's bull," Drizella interrupted standing up, "You ruined my love life! My love left me!"
Cinderella stood on her feet, anger all over her face. "I told you! You would fall in love with him but I warned you he wouldn't love you the same! He'd use you and hurt you! You didn't listen so don't you dare keep blaming me!"
"Who do you think you-!" Drizella shouted.
"Okay, stop it," Anastasia threw her arms up between them both, "What's the difference with me?"
"He'll treasure you," Cinderella answered, "He'll hold you like a prize. He'll kiss you like it's the last kiss ever. Your lives will be filled with love and three children,"
Anastasia smiled. She licked her lips and gave a nod.
France
Belle walked down the steps of her small home to the ground floor where her father had his head in a barrel of an invention and her husband, Gaston, was posted up on the couch wearing his smelly boots.
"Gaston, can you please get your feet off my father's table," Belle snapped.
He looked up at her and readjusted himself on the couch putting his stinky boots now on the couch. She angrily walked over and pushed his feet off the couch. He stood up, getting into Belle's personal space. She rose her chin to him. Maurice got out of the barrel and noticed the quarrel.
"Children, please, please. Don't fight," Maurice begged.
"She moved my boots," Gaston snapped.
"You use those boots for hunting! You can't just put your boots on my father's couch!" she barked.
"What does it matter? There are stitched tears on the couch, it's old, lumpy, and has a dip in the middle!" Gaston snapped back.
Belle stepped even closer, "This couch was made by my mother before she passed. You do well to show respect," she growled.
"You do well," Gaston grabbed her by the wrist yanking her closer, "To remember who is your husband, and where you stand. A wife's mouth should remain shut,"
He pushed her to the couch and moved around her to grab his stuff. Maurice hurried to his daughter's side and pushed back her hair.
"Are you alright my daughter?" he asked.
"He's so…. different. Different when we first married. I knew it. I felt it when we first married," she shook her head, "I knew something…. felt wrong," she sniffed.
Her father looked over her shoulder to Gaston stepping outside and then back into his daughter's eyes. "My daughter, you have a power inside of you. You can take control of your life, and that means your marriage. I favored him because he was an excellent hunter. A protector I thought. However, times change and so did he. But remember, you have these," her father moved his hands down turning her wrists over, palms up.
Showing two solid, mid-sized mirrors implanted on her wrists. Her Quirk. She gulped and looked over her shoulder at the life-size mirror behind her. She sighed and buried her face into her father's lap. Maurice stroked her hair and kissed the top of his daughter's head. Gaston returned inside and scoffed.
"What's this? Why is she upset?" he questioned.
"Take a guess, son-in-law," Maurice snapped with a scowl.
Gaston closed his eyes and gently reached over to Belle, pulling her up. "Wife,"
She sighed from his touch as he moved them towards the mirror. She closed her eyes and shook her head as he placed her in front of the mirror.
"Can you tell me where the buck is?" he asked.
Belle sighed and looked into the mirror. "Show me the buck," she said.
The mirror started to glow, blue magic shimming came off of it, and the reflective surface turned into that of the woods with a magnificent stag that was big, wide, and had the most beautiful antlers on the top of its head.
"Yes," Gaston grinned evilly, "The stag, that's the one that escapes all the hunters. I will get that. I will get that stag," he smiled evilly.
Belle rolled her eyes but then noticed something moving in the bushes around the Stag. So did Maurice.
"Belle, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Something is moving in the bushes behind the stag," she said.
Gaston turned around and shrugged, "No, there's not,"
"Yes, there is. Look closely," she pointed.
"You aren't a hunter, how can you see-"
"Her Quirk allows you to be a hunter because she can see everything with her eyes and her mirrors. You wouldn't be this great of a hunter if it hadn't been for my daughters' quirk!" Maurice proclaimed.
"Father," Belle said.
"What does that matter?" Gaston looked to Belle, "Quirks. They are a disgrace to this world,"
Belle dropped her head.
"Only used to destroy everything," he rolled his eyes.
Tears formed in her eyes as she looked up at the mirror. Something was moving around in the bushes and growled. She shook her head just as Gaston stood up gathering his hunting tools.
"Gaston," she called to him, "Please, something is moving around,"
The mirror returned to its normal state of reflection. She groaned and stood up from the ground.
"Whatever. I'll be leaving in 3 days to hunt it," he declared.
"Three days? You must go now," she warned, "The last few days I've been watching that stag for you, something is following it around. If you wait, I'm afraid it'll be dead,"
"You don't know anything about hunting. You just watch me and point stuff out. I'm going drinking tonight, and you can stay here playing 'hunting party' with your father," Gaston woofed.
Belle relented and gripped her father's wrist. Gaston stormed out and Maurice helped her to stand up.
"My daughter, live for yourself. Live for yourself and your power. Do not listen to Gaston about your Quirk. It is magnificent and you could make a brilliant Huntress with that," he explained.
Belle smiled at her father and turned over her wrist to show her mirrors.
"You know what to do," he stated.
She closed her eyes and pressed the mirrors, on her wrists, against each other. She clicked them twice.
"Show me my bow," she said.
She pressed her fingers together from both hands and spread them apart creating white cloud-like magic in the sky showing a brown and gold crossbow it dropped from the sky and into her arms.
"The power of Magic Mirror,"
IMAGINE IN THE PRESENT MIC'S VOICE; MAGIC MIRROR, THIS QUIRK ALLOWS BELLE TO SEE WHAT SHE WANTS WHEN SHE LOOKS AT A MIRROR AND ASKS. ALONG WITH HER EYES, CAN LOCK WEAPONS INTO HER ARSENAL USING HER EYES AND THEN THE MIRROR ON HER WRISTS TO MAKE THEM PRESENT.
She walked outside of the small house with the crossbow in her hands. She walked around the house to where the animals were. She looked forward towards the open woods. She lifted her bow and squinted her eyes looking closely into the woods.
"What's going on out there, Belle?!" came a man's voice.
She groaned in irritation, turning to her right side to see Gaston's drinking pals pointing to her and laughing. She rolled her eyes at them and aimed her crossbow again.
"What's a girl doing shooting in the dark?"
"Such a heavy weapon, she might drop it!"
"Someone call Gaston! Tell him his wife has gone mad!" they bellowed in laughter.
Belle aimed the bow and shot one of their beer cups straight out of his hand. The man jumped a bit, shaking out his fingers. Their mouths fell silent, she glared, and Gaston approached them. He walked up to the one and slapped him in the face.
"You're weak. If my annoying wife can shoot something out of your hand, shut your mouth!" Gaston snapped.
Belle turned away from him as they took off towards the town to drink. She turned away and pointed her crossbow again towards the woods. She lowered the weapon when she saw something reflecting in the grass in front of her. She kicked off her slippers and pressed into the cool, dark green grass dragging her dress behind. Once she got closer, she knelt she wrapped her fingers around the handle of a beautiful silver wrapped in matching vines with a rose on the back. She lifted it off the ground and ran her fingers all around the mirror admiring it.
"Whoa," she said.
Then, a stick cracking from the woods was heard, followed by a low growl. She took deep breaths, starting to panic. She then looked down at the mirror.
"Mirror," she said to herself. "Show me what's in the woods,"
The mirror gave a hazy response, it remained cloudy.
"Dammit," she hissed.
If she hadn't seen it originally, the mirror wouldn't show her what she didn't know. She rose from the ground and took off back towards her home.
Paris, France
Esmeralda ran through an open puddle of water, barefoot, and holding the hem of her purple, revealing lacey dress. She looked behind her, searching with her eyes for the guards.
"Djali!" she called.
Her goat hurried over to her. She turned to run again but ran straight into the clutches of the guards.
"Uh! Dammit! Let me go!" she shouted.
"Not today," the guard growled but lost his grip on Djali, taking off.
The other guards started to surround her, ignoring Djali. She groaned in annoyance as they held her arms.
"You've been on the run now for a while, eh?" one guard said.
She groaned in irritation.
"Frollo is gonna love this," the guards all laughed together.
Hell no! Not that pervert!
She closed her eyes and they reopened to a magenta, purple color. The guards didn't notice her eyes, they were just talking and pointing. She created an illusion that put a copy of her body into the guards' arms. They barely noticed her as she slithered behind them, and wrapped a wrap over her head slipping away from them.
The guards looked to the side to see Frollo galloping up on his horse. He hopped down immediately, pushed through the guards, and stopped.
"Where is she?" he questioned.
The guards turned up their faces and looked between them to Esmeralda with her head down. One of the guards reached for the back of her head but the body turned into magenta dust. Their eyes widened in shock. Frollo closed his eyes in growing anger.
"You imbeciles! You were under her illusion!" Frollo shouted.
ESMERALDA'S QUIRK IS, AN ILLUSION; SHE CAN CREATE ILLUSIONS THAT STUN ANYONE AROUND IN A SET RADIUS OR IF SHE SETS HER EYES ON SOMEONE.
The guards blanked at their mistake.
Esmeralda turned a corner to hear a bleated sound.
"Djali!" she smiled brightly.
Kneeling, wrapped her arms around his body lifting him. "Oh, my boy,"
He nuzzled into her arms. She took off running and came into the clearing of the large church of Notre Dame. The building was towering, one would have to drop their entire head back to get the full scale of it. The large bells hiding behind the brick. The double towers. It was gorgeous.
She started to walk forward towards the building but she stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the sound of hooves. She rewrapped her head and hurried towards the building.
"Grab her!" someone shouted.
Djali started to bleat, she looked over her shoulder to see the guards chasing after her. She faced forward only to see Frollo getting in front of her with his horse. She halted, squeezing Djali in her arms, as Frollo grinned evilly.
"Well, hello again," he smirked evilly in his low, cold voice.
She didn't even give him a second to speak anymore. Her eyes glowed, making direct eye contact with him. Once he knew what she was about to do, his face turned to distress. He started to lift his arm but looked ahead of him to see a dozen people with hooded red cloaks coming closer to him growing red horns. He looked behind him to see more hooded cloak figures growing horns and shouting at him.
Frollo's face turned to a combination of distress and fear. The guards looked at Frollo like he had lost his mind, which gave enough room for Esmeralda to slip past the horse and hurried to the doors of the church.
"Judge! Frollo! Snap out of it!" shouted a guard.
Esmeralda threw open the church doors, which also snapped Frollo out of his illusion. He whipped his head around to her slipping in and shutting the door behind her. He growled under his breath.
She collapsed to the floor, huffing, and puffing. Djali came over to her and nuzzled his face to hers. She smiled at her sweet little companion.
"My child," someone said behind her.
She jumped turning around, however sighing relief when it was just the Archdeacon.
"My child, are you alright?" he asked, helping her to her feet.
"Thank you," she nodded.
"You're exhausted," he noticed.
"Tired. Frollo's been giving me a hard time," she explained.
She jumped, startled when the church doors rattled. The Archdeacon moved her away from the doors and pointed to a stairwell. She nodded to him as he opened the door.
"Frollo," Archdeacon said.
"Archdeacon," Frollo said, "Let me in,"
"Unless you are here for prayer, or to speak to your 'debt' I prefer you leave at the moment," Archdeacon explained.
Frollo remained still but let out an exhale with a smirk. He turned away.
Esmeralda stopped at the stairwell's bottom. She poked her head inside to look up at the tower. She looked closely before noticing someone's shadow at the top of the stairs.
Is that a person?
"Hello?" she called out.
The shadow quickly disappeared away from the stairs. She heard a clatter as someone crashed into something.
"Wait!" she called after them.
She scurried up the stairs with Djali behind her. She made it to the top and stopped. Her eyes scanned all over the room. The wooden planks above her, the beautiful multi-colored lights from glass, the huge bells, and how the sun shined just right. She felt…comfortable.
"You shouldn't have come up here," someone's voice rang against her ear.
She jumped and turned to someone over by the front bells. She could see the figure's outline. A very unusual outline. There are a hunchback, big arms, short, small legs, and some disfiguration.
"Who are you?" she questioned.
"I should be asking you that question…. this is my home….," he responded.
"I'm sorry," she said.
He shuddered, "Why are you up here? No one comes up here but me and my master," he explained.
She licked her lips. "Why are you…hidden?" she asked.
He trembled again, "Please, you should go,"
"…Why are you scared of me?" she asked.
"You would be scared of me," he said.
"How come?" she pressed.
She heard him gulp as he came closer to the light. Showing her completely what he looked like. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped.
"Told you," He said.
Her breath shivered.
"Please leave," he begged.
She paused, "I'm sorry. I…I shouldn't have looked at you like that," she said.
He seemed taken aback by that response.
"Why are you…hidden up here?" she asked.
"Look at me, I can't leave this tower without having someone look at me in disgust," he explained.
Esmeralda gulped. "What's your name?" she asked.
"…Quasimodo," he answered.
Her eyes grew but smiled, "What a unique name," she said.
"My master named me. Means half-formed, monster, like my Quirk," he explained.
"You have a Quirk?" she said.
"Yep, just like you. I don't create illusions though,"
"What do you create?" she asked, "And how'd you know who I was?"
"The beautiful woman with the power to create illusions to slip away from guards and remain hidden for two weeks. You're pretty famous, even in these towers I heard," he explained.
She smiled. He walked over to a stone ledge and rested his hand on top of it. She waited for a moment until she saw what he was doing. The stone turned into three short gargoyles with attention to detail in each of them. They came alive and shook their heads.
QUASIMODO'S QUIRK: LIFE CREATION, HE CAN MAKE LIFE COME ALIVE IN HIS IMAGE BY TOUCHING SOLID MATERIALS.
"This is Victor, Hugo, and Laverne," Quasimodo pointed to each gargoyle as he said their name.
Esmeralda gasped in shock.
"Well, hello pretty lady!" Hugo said, "Not every day Quasimodo brings a friend,"
"What a beauty," Victor added.
"Now don't go scaring the girl," Laverne said.
Esmeralda grinned and came closer to Quasimodo.
"I'm surprised, you…you aren't scared of me," Quasimodo described.
Esmeralda pushed back her black hair, "People see what they want to see. They see a monster; they'll say you're a monster who creates them. I see you as a person, who creates his own," her head leaned past him towards his art table, "Creations,"
He looked over his shoulder at his craftsmanship. He sniffed, "Tha…thank you but, it's not that simple,"
"What do you-?" she started to ask.
"Quasimodo!" Frollo's voice echoed from the stairs.
They both jumped.
"You have to hide," he whispered.
She hurried towards him and hid under his craftsmen's table. He shooed away Victor, Hugo, and Laverne to hide near the bells. He threw the table cloth over the table to hide Esmeralda just as Frollo reached the top of the stairs.
"Quasimodo," he said.
Quasimodo turned around holding one of his creations in his hands as if to hide what he was doing. He set it aside.
"Master," he said.
"Ah, my young boy. I apologize I haven't seen you in some days now," Frollo said.
"It's...it's fine master," Quasimodo stuttered. "I know you have work,"
"Ah yes, those damned gypsies are escaping my grasp. Especially that girl, Esmeralda. Just saying her name makes me feel like I've sinned," Frollo explained.
"Why do you say that? Just because she…. gets away from you?" Quasimodo asked.
"Her Quirk. She uses it to defile mine. So, I'm gonna have to lure her out another way. She creates illusions, she can trick the guards. So, I'll make it so, she has no choice but to cooperate,"
Quasimodo's eyes widened, "What are you planning to do…master?" his voice shook.
Frollo leaned closer to him. "You,"
He blanked.
"You are going to create those little monsters of yours to run rapidly through the streets of Paris. Chase these…. demons down," he explained.
Quasimodo shuddered and backed away from him. "I…I don't…I don't wanna do that,"
Esmeralda covered her mouth under the table, along with Djali's mouth, but her heart was thumping in her chest. Her skin crawled and her body shook.
"What do you mean you don't want to do that?" Frollo's voice hardened.
"No," Quasimodo shook his head, "I don't want to do that. That would be people could get hurt, innocent people could get hurt,"
"These people aren't innocent! They are devils, demons, they deserve this," Frollo urged.
Quasimodo shook his head, tears forming in his eyes, "No. I can't. I won't do that,"
"You will," Frollo stepped closer, "Do it. You will,"
"Did you forget my mother?" Quasimodo said.
Esmeralda paused.
"She was one of those people you call demons!" he snapped.
"Yes," Frollo nodded with no emotion, "And she left you. Alone. Abandoned. You should want this,"
Quasimodo looked away. Frollo's face angered, he grabbed Quasimodo's throat and shoved him down on the table.
"NO!" Quasimodo yelled.
Esmeralda gasped under the table.
"You will! You will create your monsters and have them attack the people of Paris," He ordered.
FROLLO'S QUIRK IS; COMPULSION, HE CAN CONTROL SOMEONE WITH JUST A LOOK IN HIS EYES.
Quasimodo's eyes turned blue but he still whimpered. Frollo let go of him letting Quasimodo drop to the floor, coughing.
"You'll do your job, now," Frollo ordered.
Quasimodo dropped his head as Frollo left the tower. Victor, Hugo, and Laverne all hurried to Quasimodo. Esmeralda slid out from under the table. She knelt in front of Quasimodo and held his face as the gargoyles surrounded him.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Esmeralda," Quasimodo whimpered, "I don't have a choice. His quirk. His compulsion. I can't resist it. My body…my body will do it on its own," he said.
She licked her lips. "There has to be a way to snap you out of that, every Quirk has a weakness," she said.
Quasimodo shook. "H-how? I feel it…I," his arm reached up to touch wood near him.
She grabbed his arms and forced them down to the floor. "Quasimodo, please, you have to snap out of it,"
"I can't," Quasimodo wailed.
Esmeralda looked all around her and then noticed a piece of sharp glass nearby. She quickly grabbed it. Quasimodo started to make the wood into creation but Esmeralda stabbed the glass into his hand.
"GAHHHHH!" he shouted in agony.
"Why did you-?" Laverne questioned.
"Just a theory, if I cause him pain, his body will focus on something else," She explained.
Quasimodo took many deep breaths before he slowed down. Esmeralda held the sides of his face.
"Quasi, do you remember what Frollo demanded you to do?"
"Yes but, I have control again," he said.
She sighed in relief, sitting back on her butt. "Thank God,"
Into the Night
"Quasimodo, you don't deserve this. Any of this. How he's treating you, isn't right. Please, come with me. Let me take you somewhere else," Esmeralda begged.
Quasimodo grinned nicely, "You're nice," he shook his head, "But no one is gonna accept me. Not the way I look, or my Quirk,"
"You don't know that," she said. "I accepted you,"
"You look horrified of me," he explained.
"I didn't say it was going to be an easy process. But look at me now, I see you as a friend," she stated.
He sighed, closing his eyes. "Where would we even go?" he questioned.
She sighed, "The others, my friends, don't have Quirks but I can't leave them here to Frollo's hand,"
"Can't you use your illusions to help them?" he asked.
Her eyes perked up, "Ah! You just gave me an idea,"
His eyes squinted.
"Well! If that's the case! We'll start packing! Hup hup hup!" Hugo bounced.
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Quasimodo chased after them leaving Esmeralda giggling.
She stood up and walked over to the window. Stepping outside, feeling the breeze in her hair. She grinned.
"Nice to feel free for once," she said.
"Free huh?" he sat down next to her.
"It'd be nice to be somewhere my Quirk is accepted and I don't feel so much as an outsider. My people are understanding to a degree but meeting you made me so much more comfortable,"
He grinned, "I agree. It's nice to be around someone who accepts my quirk as well instead of abusing it-"he was then suddenly hit in the face with a tomato.
Esmeralda jumped a bit. She looked down towards the town's people to see they had set up a catapult to hit Quasimodo with tomatoes.
"Ha! Eat that hunchback! You can't make your stupid creations to terrorize us now!" shouted one of them.
He was hit with another one, he pulled himself off the ledge of the building and covered his face in shame. Esmeralda's blood boiled as she stood up and her eyes glowed purple. The man manning the catapult felt himself get hit with a tomato. He looked around in confusion and then threw a tomato at him.
"Don't throw stuff at me!"
"I didn't!" shouted the other man.
They all started to argue and throw food at each other caught in her illusion. She turned away and used the bottom of her dress to wipe his face.
"You don't deserve that," she said.
He shrugged, "It happens all the time. I-"
"You. Don't deserve that," she said turning his face to her, "You do not. You have a beautiful heart and don't deserve this abuse," she looked back into the tower, "From anyone,"
"I wish there was somewhere to get away," he whimpered.
"Me too," she whispered.
Conques Village, France
Belle walked through her little town in a white, lace, long maxi skirt. A brown leather vest and pointed, brown leather lace-up Victorian ankle booties. She carried a basket on her arm, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She walked across the floor and stopped once she saw the library. She grinned.
"Oh no, dear. The south lands, I have no idea about," the bookseller said.
"Not even in any of the books?" she asked.
"Hmm, well, I do have one book. It's more of a map," he answered, climbing up the ladder to grab the book.
He handed it to her, and she ran her fingers across its rusty pages.
"Thank you," she smiled.
He smiled as she started to make her way towards the door. "I hope you go, Belle," he called after her.
She stopped, gasped, and turned around.
"You mean more to this world," he clarified.
She slowly smiled looking, down at her wrists, her mirrors. She slid the book into her basket and exited. She smiled to herself, but it instantly faded when she saw the looks of the town's people. She turned away and looked up at the bright sky above. Mufasa's cloud form, the map, everything came back into her brain.
She kept walking until she saw the tavern. She heard her husband's voice laughing, boasting, and most likely…drinking. She sighed and pressed her hand on the tavern's door. She pushed open the door gently. Gaston was right by the bar, mug in his hand and a mean face.
"I'll get that Buck tomorrow!" he said.
"Come on, Gaston, just take it easy for a day," LeFou urged.
"Nah! My wife keeps nagging me to go after the Stag, thinking she's a hunter! Telling me what to do," Gaston took a long swig of his beer.
Belle's face turned to disgust.
"What does it do again?" asked a patron.
"She can ask anything to a mirror, and it'll show. How stupid is that! Let's her see anything and don't get me started about the ones of her wrists," he continued.
"Is that why she always has her nose in a book?" a patron laughed.
"It's the only way she can get smart. Maurice is no teacher," Gaston insulted.
Belle gasped in anger.
"Maybe, you should spend less time with her and more with your child," said one of the Bimbettes, Claudette.
She handed Gaston a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket. Belle's eyes widened in shock at him holding the baby.
"Hey, little guy," he said. "How's my boy?"
Laurette and Paulette walked up as well. Paulette had a pregnant belly, and Laurette wrapped her arm around his arm. Belle panted. She backed out of the doorway and held her stomach. She was gasping.
"Belle?" someone said next to her.
She faced them but felt her eyes sting. She held her nose and quickly ran away. The person then walked inside the tavern.
"Gaston! Your wife," the man pointed.
Gaston's face blanked. He handed the kid back to his mother and hurried out. He tore into the street and looked both ways until he saw Belle running to her house.
"Belle!" he shouted.
She kept running, her basket in both her arms, ran over the bridge to her home, feeling her heels bearing across the grass. She burst through the front door, scaring Maurice.
"Belle?" he questioned.
She threw her basket onto the chair and quickly locked the door behind her.
"Belle, what's wrong?" her father urged, walking over to his daughter.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "I tried, father. I tried to be a good wife. I tried everything. Gaston… has a child with one of the Bimbettes, and one of them is pregnant. I-," she started to explain until the door began to jiggle.
She jumped, but Maurice went to the door and opened it slightly.
"What do you want, Gaston?" he questioned.
"Where's Belle?" Gaston asked.
"I don't think she wants to see you right now. So, tell me," Maurice's face angered, "Do you have a child with someone else?"
Gaston rose his large chin.
Maurice shook his head in disappointment. "Do my daughter a favor, get a divorce. Leave her be,"
Gaston's face was angered at that and exhaled.
"Wouldn't you just love that, Maurice? You've never accepted me as your son-in-law or as Belle's husband," Maurice looked confused, "You always had to poke your mouth into our discussions. Do you honestly think I can't have my way? I have this village in the palm of my hand. I can easily do away with you,"
"Are you threatening me, Gaston?" Maurice pressed.
Belle stood up immediately and walked over to the door, opening it further.
"What did you say?" she questioned.
Gaston grinned evilly, "You are my wife. This village follows me. I can easily do away with your father from our lives." He grinned, even more evilly, "And bring my sons,"
Belle felt her insides boil with rage. She closed her fingers into a fist, and her arms were shaking. The mirrors on her wrists glowed brightly, and she muttered something under her breath.
"Now, let me in," he demanded.
Belle pulled a long dagger out from her mirror wrists and right to his neck. Gaston froze, gulping.
"Belle!" Maurice reached for his daughter's arm to lower it.
"Get out," she threatened, "You gained your place in this village as its top hunter because of me. My quirk! I gave you the coordinates of where the animals were because I know this village's land and all around it. You wouldn't have gotten anything if it weren't for me! So, take your whores, your title, and stay away from my father and me! Understand!" she swiped the dagger drawing a little blood.
"Uh!" he backed up, holding his neck.
"Belle!" Maurice said in shock.
She glared. The dagger fell to the ground, and she stepped on it, crushing it into dust.
"You have until nightfall to agree to my terms, or your two lives will be hell in my hands. Quirk or not, I will burn your books," Belle gasped, "So you have access to new things to make with your Quirk. I will drain you of weapons in your arsenal, so you are helpless. You are nothing, Belle! Only your looks and Quirk make you noticeable," Gaston spat.
Belle's heart dropped in her stomach along with her mouth.
"Leave! Get out! Go now!" Maurice bellowed, pulling his daughter back into the house.
Belle sat down on the verge of tears.
"You do not listen to him! Look at me!" Maurice lifted her chin, "I will not let you!"
"Then what do I do? We can't stay here; he has the town. I'm not... strong enough….to do anything," she whimpered.
"Yes, you are," Maurice said, "We will go….to the southern lands. To Pride Rock, where Mufasa offered safety. It's better than this,"
"Really? You'd go with me?" she asked.
"Of course," Maurice stroked her face. "My beautiful daughter, your Quirk makes you unique. Your books make your brain and Quirk stronger. Your heart makes you, you,"
She sniffed but smiled.
Lady Tremaine's House
Cinderella came down the stairs with laundry baskets in her hands, covered in sweat and dirt. She stepped onto the shiny floor right when the front door opened. Anastasia slipped in wearing a revealing printed, magenta Chiffon Gown with a Pashmina/Silk Wrap Camel around her arms.
"Anastasia?" Cinderella questioned.
Anastasia turned to face her, quickly adjusting her wrap over her breasts and fixing her hair. "Cinderella,"
"Hi," Cinderella said with a slight smile. "Why are you home so late?"
Anastasia pushed her hand through her hair, "I was with someone,"
Cinderella raised her eyebrows.
Anastasia grinned, "You were right. The baker. I met him today, we spoke. The way he looked at me, I've never had someone look at me like that. We spent the whole day together in his shop. I even made some bread," she explained.
She blushed, spun around in a circle, and looked down at her hands.
"I didn't think I'd have fun making bread," she smiled.
"Well, I'm happy to hear that," Cinderella grinned.
Anastasia exhaled, walking to her, taking the baskets from her. She gripped Cinderella's hands.
"I thank you for telling me about him and my future," she said.
Cinderella waited. Anastasia nodded and skipped away. Cinderella gulped and felt a lump coming into her throat.
I'm still a tool.