DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

A/N: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE!
HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO CHAPTER 17!

So, first off, I wanted to say I was taken by surprise at the Reviews received from Chapter 16. Let me go over a few points, okay?
(1.) Nice to know some of you were REALLY Excited when I included JOY as a Summon. I suppose its true - "Inside Out (2015)" IS a popular movie! In fact, My Own JOY wanted to me to post these statements here.
(2.) Professor Hojo's lines might sound a little like Vexen's dialogue. This is probably the case because whenever I think of Hojo's character, Vexen come to mind. I wonder if there's a significant connection between the two.
(3.) I've already set up all the worlds for THIS Story. As for the next one, I'm looking for a few more. To whomever reviewed the list of possible worlds, I can tell you that at least 1 of those WILL be in this story.
2 will NOT be appearing in my stories as I included them in the list on my profile of the "TOP 12 Disney Properties That Will Never Appear In Any Of My Kingdom Hearts Stories".
2 others are being considered for the This Story's sequel.
2 more have already taken place before "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams". I've considered writing the story when those appeared, but I want to finish This Story first.
The last 2 are still undecided, although one of them may still appear.

I have one more thing to say: Since This Chapter introduces the next Disney-based world, I will let you go so you can read it.

PLEASE ENJOY IT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW - PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!

CHAPTER 17
The City of Ringing Bells

The view through the cockpit windows has never looked so calm. Even as Herbie soared through space with Launchpad at the controls, Sora grinned at the stars. It all felt so new, even after seeing this same universe many times before on his previous quests. A bright, twinkling star passed by. He smiled all the more.

It seemed the star was twinkling at him.

He glanced back inside the cockpit. He was sitting in the front. On the side was Launchpad. The pilot was constantly trying to take back the controls. Herbie wasn't letting him, not after the crash-landing in the previous world. Sora shook his head.

He glanced back into the rear seats. Donald and Goofy were playing a game of cards. The mage looked frustrated. This could only mean Goofy was winning all the hands. He saw Jiminy Cricket sitting between them, shaking his head.

There was a soft sigh. Sora gazed behind his seat. There was Amemi, slouching in her seat as usual. Her eyes were out the window. Thanks to her excited smile (which was difficult not to notice), he knew she wasn't sighing, but awing.

He relaxed. His sister was just as amazed with the outside world as he was. There had been times when he'd imagined how his family would've reacted if they had seen everything he'd seen. Unfortunately, such stuff could possibly pose a threat to the World Order — something Sora, Donald, and Goofy had already worked really hard to maintain. Even after Xehanort's return and sudden disappearance (again), there was nothing more important than keeping peace throughout the universe.

"Amy," Sora spoke up. "What do you think?"

Amemi turned to face her brother. Although the two were sitting in seats that made it difficult to see each other well, they could still communicate quite effectively. Besides, who else had their exact voices? Sora's was low compared to many people, but still had a hint of adolescence in it. Amemi's was higher and she sometimes sounded a little like a much younger girl — especially when she was ultra-excited and squealed with delight.

"It's… it's beyond incredible!" the nearly fourteen-year-old, sandy-haired girl squealed happily. "It is much more breathtaking than what I've seen in the sky from the lighthouse!"

Sora was suddenly filled with shock. "'Lighthouse'? What're you talking about? There hasn't been a lighthouse on the islands for years."

"Why not?" Donald inquired, breaking into the conversation. Sora took note of how the duck, Goofy, and Jiminy had started listening in.

"No one's needed one since the Coast Guard built a radio tower," Sora explained. "Why would they? They can just call in all the boats from there."

Amemi's smile changed to a shy grin. Her eyes started to move to the left. "I know that. I meant… I had a dream about visiting a lighthouse last night… I mean, the night before you left on this 'important assignment'."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "Sounds like a dream come true. I always wanted ta see inside one of them light-boats."

Sora shook his head, even when Donald stated how there was no such thing as a "light-boat". Perhaps the knight meant "lighthouse-boat"; such boats had once existed. Maybe he was referring to a "lifeboat". Or it was a "houseboat"… if that made any sense, that is.

Sora switched his attention back to his sister. She was gazing out the window again. "So Amy," he started to say.

Amemi turned her eyes away from the view to see her brother. "Hmm?"

"You know how they say every star's another world?"

Amemi crossed her arms. "Yes, you and Riku've been talking about that stuff for years. Kairi believes it, too." She glanced out the window when the Gummi Ship soared past a brighter star. "Even I'm starting to believe it."

"It's true," Sora told her. "And I've been to lots of places. Cities, towns, forests, jungles, deserts, castles, other islands, even under the sea. Every singl—"

"'Under the sea'?!" Amemi exclaimed. She looked downright mystified. "How come you didn't drown?"

Sora nodded at Donald. "If it wasn't for his magic, we would've."

Amemi nodded. "Okay… I still find that a little difficult to accept."

Sora shook his head. In the last few years, his sister's personality had started to change — a little. For the first ten years, she'd been completely happy-go-lucky, without a care in the world. Now she was slowly starting to become skeptical, anxious, and self-determined. Their parents had been wondering what had brought along this sudden alteration for two years. The answers were yet to be discovered.

There was some good news there. She was less likely to get into trouble for no reason. She also was developing a strong sense of justice, which was one characteristic Sora also possessed. In fact, she was starting to become a bit more mature than her older brother. That was the bad news… she was growing up a little too fast, at least for her mom, dad, and Sora.

"Well anyway," the seventeen-year-old young man continued. "Every single world is different, with lots of different people. Donald, Goofy, and I have made lots of friends."

Amemi was eager to hear more. "What were their names? Can you name them all?"

Sora smiled. "I'll try," he glanced back at the anthropomorphic duck and dog. "Wanna help?"

Donald and Goofy both nodded. Within seconds, the three were naming away various people they'd befriended throughout their adventures. "Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Merlin, Cloud, Tifa, (Uncle) Scrooge, Barret, Myrna, Bert, Uncle Remus, Reno, Rude, Tseng, Elena, Mike, Phoebe, Alice, the Cheshire Cast… kinda, Phil, Hercules, Tarzan, Jane, Kerchak, Kala, Terk, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Magic Carpet, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Ariel, Flounder, Jack, Sally, Zero, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy, Beast, Belle, Cogsworth, Lumière… "

"Guys!" Launchpad blurted, cutting the group off. "We're here! Yeesh! Looks like another ball of a-burning light!"

Sora and the others swung their eyes to the front of the ship. Directly before them was a large, bright star. Well… it wasn't exactly "bright". The star was unusually dim compared to the many others Sora, Donald, and Goofy had visited before. They knew, somewhere inside all that light was their next destination.

Amemi was shaking with excitement. "I can't wait to explore this new place!"

Sora gazed back at his sister. "It might not be all fun and games. Remember what happened in the last world?"

Amemi nodded. Her enthusiasm had not dwindled a bit. "I know. I understand."

Sora gave her a nod. He turned back to the front windshield. "Well? Should we teleport down?"

"Yeah," Donald agreed within a split second. "Let's teleport."

"'Teleport'?" a puzzled and surprised Amemi asked. "You mean like in those older science-fiction movies?"

Sora grinned as he placed his hands behind his head. "It's no big deal."

Amemi shook her head. Sora knew this meant she'd noticed his typical-naïve side showing again.

Launchpad reached for the dashboard. A large, golden handle was before him, labelled with the words, "TELEPORTATION CONTROL".

Sora nodded. "Alright. Let's do this!"

Launchpad grabbed the handle and pulled down. Beams of Light surrounded each of them. Within seconds, they were gone. Knowing he'd be alone for a while, Herbie chose this opportunity of silence to relax as he orbited the star. He soon fell into a deep, deep, deep, deep sleep.

The interior of the building was dark, a little damp, and reeked of rotting flesh. The only light came from some torches hanging on the walls. Pete gulped as he passed a prison cell with a half-decayed body inside. He knew there had once been a person in there, even if they were long gone. He continued down the corridor. Deep down, he wondered why this place was called "The Palace of Justice". To him, it strongly resembled something straight out of a horror movie.

The sound of a whip cracking echoed down the passage. Pete began feeling more uneasy. Behind him, he could hear the Beagle Boys strolling along; they were just as anxious as he was. Behind them was the figure they had been sent to find.

They all stepped through a doorway into a short hallway. At the end was a brighter room. The sound of the whip was much louder now. At the end of the hall stood Judge Claude Frollo. "Guard," he called into the next room.

"Sir?" a voice called from within the room.

"Ease up," Frollo instructed. "Wait between lashes. Otherwise the older sting will dull him to the new."

"Yes, sir."

Pete and the Beagle Boys gulped their anxiety aside as they came to a halt before the judge. "He came," Pete told Frollo. "I hope this was worth it."

Frollo turned his attention to the group. Behind Pete and the Beagles stood a slender, muscular man with blonde hair, a gold goatee, and navy-blue eyes. He was wearing gold armor complete with a blue cape and brown leather gloves. He was standing at attention like a soldier about to take orders from a commanding officer. "Ah," Frollo said, admiring the new arrival. "So this is the gallant Captain Phoebus, home from the wars."

Phoebus didn't move a mere muscle. "Reporting for duty, as ordered, sir."

"Your service record precedes you, Captain Phoebus. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

"And you shall have it, sir. I guarantee it."

Pete leaned in close to the Beagle Boys. "Not sure why we need him," he muttered in a whisper.

"Yeah," the trio of hooded villains agreed with hushed voices.

Frollo nodded at Phoebus. "Yes," he added. "You know, my last captain of the guard was, um… a bit of a disappointment to me."

A deafening crack of a whip filled the next room. It was quickly followed a hallowing of agony. The yell echoed about the corridor. Pete felt a hint of nervous sweat dribble down his neck. This place was so uninviting, he longed to back at the fortress of Villain's Vale. Even the Realm of Darkness sounded better than hearing people being tortured to death.

For all he knew, the person being punished was becoming a Heartless. After all, the whole building reeked with the scent of Darkness. It was a strong smell.

"Well, no matter," Frollo said with a grin. "I'm sure you'll whip my men into shape."

Phoebus seemed a tad hesitant. "Uh, thank you, sir, uh, very, uh, trem — uh, a tremendous honor, sir."

The two started down the corridor beyond the well-lit room. Not wanting to stay in such a haunting place, Pete and the Beagle hurried after them. They strode through a doorway and onto an outside stone railing.

"You've come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain," Frollo informed Phoebus. "It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."

Phoebus was puzzled. "'Misled', sir?"

"I'm so confused," one of the Beagle Boys said. "What does this have to do with taking over the world?"

Frollo gestured around the view of the city below. "It's the gypsies. The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the peoples' lowest instincts, and they must be stopped."

Phoebus looked a bit astonished and bewildered. "I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?"

"Huh?" the Beagle Boys all said in unison. Perplexity was written all over their faces.

Pete stepped forward and walked Frollo aside. "I know Maleficent said to do what you say," the former said. "But this sure ain't what I had in mind."

"No matter," Frollo reassured him. He waved his right hand to the side. A few Soldier Heartless appeared and started to rush down the walkway. "We have plenty of Heartless to attain our goal. It's those gypsy vermin who might get in our way."

Pete was both amazed and worried. More than once Maleficent had told everyone on the council not to rely too heavily on the Darkness for power. This included summoning enormous amounts of Heartless repeatedly. Such actions could cost them their hearts.

The judge returned to Phoebus. "The real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years, I have been taking care of the gypsies, one… by… one."

As he spoke, Frollo reached out and crushed three ants crawling on of the railing's stone tiles. He then lifted the tile, revealing a large colony of ants underneath. Pete and the Beagle Boys stared at the insects in wonder. How could all those ants survive beneath a block of stone?

"And yet, for all of my success, they have thrived," Frollo continued. "I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it… " he gave a sinister grin and snicker. "The 'Court of Miracles'."

"What are we going to do about it, sir?" Phoebus inquired.

Frollo slammed the tile back into place. Pete and the Beagle Boys squirmed a little, mainly since the tile was now upside-down. They could tell the judge had plenty of Darkness in his heart. No wonder Maleficent had requested he join their cause!

Phoebus didn't seem to notice what the others had. "You make your point quite vividly, sir."

Frollo grinned. "You know, I like you, Captain," he gestured down the walkway ahead. "Shall we?"

A loud burst of cheers and applause erupted from the city below. Everyone gazed into the distance. Frollo groaned. "Oh, duty calls." He turned to Phoebus. "Have you ever attended a peasant festival, Captain?"

Phoebus shook his head. "Not recently, sir."

Frollo gestured for the group to follow him. "Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along."

Pete and the Beagle Boys watched the two stroll back inside. They turned their eyes into the distance. Blotting out part of the sky was a gigantic cathedral with twin bell towers. They stared at it for a second or two before following.

There was something iconic about that cathedral….

Next thing Sora knew, he was standing in midair. He started to fall down, down, down before landing feet-first on a cobblestone street. He watched Amemi land in a pile of fresh hay left in a wooden cart behind him. Donald and Goofy both ended up landing flat on the street. Launchpad bounced off a nearby rooftop and descended onto an empty market stall. He bounced off the tarp as though it were a trampoline. The pilot finally set down behind a stack of wooden crates.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked.

"Aw phooey," complained Donald.

Launchpad poked his head out from the crates. He chuckled. "At least we're in one piece."

Sora shook his head. "Next time, let's make sure everything's working right before we teleport down."

"You're not kidding," Amemi said as she slid down the haystack. Sora reached out and caught her as she slid the wrong way. They smiled as he helped her to her feet. "I'd hate to fall into the middle of a forest next time. I'd rather land in the ocean."

Sora had to grin. His sister was always thinking of something better, even if it was only a little brighter. Once, he had competed in a small surfing contest with Riku. When the silver-haired youth had won, Amemi had told Sora not to worry as it wasn't his fault the wave had changed course without any warning. It had resulted in a complete wipeout on the waves. Sora was fortunate the wave hadn't crashed him straight into a nearby pile of large rocks. That would've been terrible!

Sora gazed around the immediate area. Wooden houses with beams forming a zigzag design could be seen in all directions. The roofs were a bluish or reddish color and seemed to stand out in the sunlight. The windows of the various places around were dark and no sign of life was inside. In fact, the entire street looked more like a ghost town.

It couldn't be a ghost town. The scent of fresh-baked bread drifted from a bakery down the street. A number of handcarts were parked outside the houses like cars on the side of a road. So… where were the local residents? Hopefully the Heartless weren't holding them captive. There weren't any signs of a struggle, so nothing seemed to be making sense.

"Where is everybody?" Amemi asked, scanning her eyes around.

"I dunno," Donald shrugged.

Goofy paused in thought. "May-bee this here place's too ticklish for 'em."

Amemi rolled her eyes and sighed. Sora shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense," he said. He crossed his arms and gazed at the street below. "They've gotta be close by. But… where?"

Several long minutes seemed to pass very slowly. The sun above was beating down like the middle of summertime. Sora finally uncrossed his arms. He was about to speak when a series of loud voices filled the air.

"Come one! Come all!"

The group froze. They swerved their eyes down a long street leading under a stone gateway and to the left. "There!" Sora called. "Let's check it out."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad nodded and followed the brown, spikey-headed young man down the street. Amemi watched them rush ahead of her. She sighed and shook her head. Sora was eager to explore, as usual. Without another thought, she took off after them.

Sora, Amemi, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Launchpad were now in the world of La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches.

The gateway led down another long street. As the group pressed on, the noise seemed to get louder. Before long, they rounded a corner and arrived in an enormous square. Sora and his team could hardly believe their eyes.

The whole plaza was filled with people. A large, wooden stage was situated at the far end of the square. Rainbow-colored streamers were strung from nearby buildings and wrapped around maypoles. Numerous tents were placed on the sides of the crowd. Cheers and laughter filled the air. The scent of a variety of fresh food drifted into Goofy and Launchpad's noses. Lots of banners were flying atop various platforms.

Sora's eyes lit up when he saw the festivities. He felt the same way he had upon seeing the attractions of the amusement park of Pleasure Island. Anything he saw a carnival, theme park, or major social gathering, his cautious side leapt out the window. "It's a festival!" he cheered with delight. "Yahoo!"

Before anyone could react, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder raced into the crowd of people. "Sora!" Donald shouted. He turned back to the others. "We gotta go after him!"

Amemi nodded. "Of course."

Donald gave a nod of agreement. He was about to lead the group when Goofy and Launchpad dashed into the crowd themselves. Their faces were full of excitement.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy declared.

"Heh heh," Launchpad added. "You said it!"

Donald smacked himself in the face. "I can't believe this!"

Amemi shook her head and sighed. Once again, her brother was running around some kind of celebration. This wasn't uncommon. Last time she'd seen this happen was when their Mom had taken Sora and her to the school's annual carnival. Sora had disappeared into the crowd within seconds, something Amemi had dreaded would occur. There was only one thing she and Donald could do about this.

"Let's look around," she said. "Sooner or later, we'll run into them. There aren't that many people here."

Donald nodded. The two started into the crowd. As they strolled past one of the local vendors' stalls, a man held up a large, blue fish. "Come and get the catch of the day!" he was calling over and over and over again.

Donald leaned in close to the sandy-haired girl. "No one's gonna buy something so stinky."

Amemi nodded. She glanced at the buckets of fish on the stand's counter. They didn't smell very good. She turned back to Donald and almost bumped into a tall, thin man. "Sorry," she quickly said.

The man ignored her and continued to wherever he was going. That was when Amemi glanced around, noticing she was alone. Somehow she'd gotten separated from Donald. How? He'd been beside her every step of the way until now. Had he kept walking when she'd stopped for a moment?

Amemi gave a silent groan. She was alone, in the middle of an over-populated plaza. If there was anything worse than being lost in a crowd, it was being lost in a crowd in an unfamiliar place. Hopefully she could locate Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or Sora. The next question was… where should she look for them?

She scanned the immediate area. Most of the people around her weren't very tall, so she could see things up ahead — to a degree. Most of the people were walking towards a large stage.

"I wonder what's going on?" she murmured to herself.

She started to step backward, trying to get a better view. She felt her foot slip and then trip over something. She fell backward, straight into a small, orange-red tent. She rapidly snatched a canvas wall inside, but it was not enough to break her fall. The canvas tore off its rings and landed on her. A voice gasped in alarm.

Amemi was frantic. The whole landing had happened so suddenly, she'd had no time to react. She thrashed around before pulling the canvas off her. When she looked around, she saw she was inside the tent. Beside her was a startled young woman sporting medium-dark skin, long, wavy, black hair, thick eyebrows, red lips, and emerald green eyes. She was wearing a blue outfit.

"Hey, all you alright?" the woman asked.

Amemi was a little shaken up herself. She hastily hopped to her feet. "I guess I am… So sorry about that. It's not like me."

The woman gave a nod in return. Amemi gave a sigh of relief. After an accident like that, she understood what her Mom most-likely went through. Hopefully this would never happen to her again.

At that moment, a figure fell backwards into the tent, tearing one side wide open. He slammed head-first into a small, wooden table and knocked a bowl of apples and grapes onto himself. He shook his head and chuckled. "'Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash', I always say!"

Amemi was shocked. It was Launchpad! Outside the tear in the tent's wall, she could see a slightly-embarrassed Goofy covering his mouth. She still heard him muttering, "A-Hyuck!"

Launchpad saw the two standing over him and chuckled. "Sorry about this, ma'am. My pal and I were a-playing a game of tug-o-war. I must've lost my balance."

Amemi shook her head.

The woman smiled and helped Launchpad to his feet. "No harm done," she said. "Just try to be a little more careful."

Amemi nodded. "Make that very careful."

Launchpad chuckled. "You're not kidding."

The woman helped Amemi and Launchpad outside. Goofy met them there. He waved at her. "Thanks, miss."

The woman nodded. She gazed at Launchpad. "By the way, great mask."

Amemi grinned as the woman closed her tent's canvas. She turned and frowned at Goofy and Launchpad. "What is the matter with you two? Why'd you wander off?"

Goofy opened his mouth to answer. At once, he started to sniff the air. "I smell pizza."

Launchpad nodded. "Smells like pepperoni with extra cheese," he paused. "How'd they get that around here?"

Amemi crossed her arms and started to tap her foot. "Hello?" she stated in an impatient voice. "Are you even listening to me? Why did you wander off?"

The answer to one of her questions was answered instantaneously. Goofy and Launchpad were gazing towards the wooden stage. Amemi sighed deeply. She looked up at the sky. What was with everyone today? Although she hadn't known Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad as long as Sora had, she knew enough about them since her brother had told her many things about his adventures.

Now that she was participating in one of those quests, everything seemed to be exactly how Sora had originally described it. Donald was easily irritated. Goofy was clumsy and pointed out the obvious from time to time. Launchpad was absent-minded and tended to get sidetracked. She'd hoped things would be better with a girl around (namely her), but it was now quite clear the opposite was taking place. She was getting a little annoyed with the current situation. Maybe that was why Sora had been so hesitant about letting her tag along? But, how could he have known something like this was going to take place? It didn't make sense.

"Amy!" an unmistakable voice called.

Amemi uncrossed her arms and spun to her right. "Sora!"

Sure enough, there was Sora rushing over to her. Behind him was Donald. In the duck's hands was a bag of what seemed to be squished popcorn and a long piece of bread. "Where were you?" the brown, spikey-headed young man inquired.

Amemi rapidly filled her brother in on everything that had taken place from Donald and her getting separated, her stumbling into the tent, Launchpad crashing into said tent, and the group finally being reunited with Sora and Donald.

Sora nodded in understanding. "Maybe we should stick together from now on," he recommended. "This place is huge."

Amemi gave a nod of her own. "You're not kidding."

"That's not all," Sora continued. He turned to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "I promised Mom nothing would happen to my sister," he informed them.

"Aw phooey," Donald groaned. "Now we have to babysit her." He frowned in the direction of the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl. Amemi had a small mirror out and was using it to see behind her. She saw Donald's face and shook her head.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. "May-bee Amemi can take care of herself."

Launchpad shrugged. "Don't look at me. I just got outta the kissing booth."

Sora shook his head. He signaled from everyone to head for the stage. The group started to walk in the direction of where the crowd was gathered. As they did, a large, armored carriage flew past. A number of soldiers on horseback followed them. One of the horses almost trampled Donald. The duck rushed out of the way before turning back to glare.

"What's the big idea?!" Donald sneered.

The convoy came to a stop. One of the riders, a man wearing golden armor with a blue cape, climbed off his horse and approached the group. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"That's wasn't very nice!" Donald snapped, waving his fist at the man. "You almost ran me ov—!"

Sora rushed over and slapped his hand over the duck's mouth. He grinned anxiously. "Sorry about that. Donald's a little grumpy at times."

Even though Donald's voice was muffled under Sora's grip, the latter could hear the duck magician muttering an extensive list of illegible garble. Recalling how he'd learned Donald used to be a sailor before he'd became a musketeer, Sora had the feeling some of those impossible-to-make-out "words" were ones he'd rather not know.

The man nodded. "So everything's fine. I was just making sure."

The carriage's side door opened. Sora and his team turned their eyes to the figure stepping out. It was a tall, older man with a wrinkled face, and gray hair and eyes. He was wearing dark robes, a purple-and-black-striped hat containing a red ribbon, and shoulder pads sporting red stripes. He had two rings on each hand. They each sported red, green, and blue colored jewels.

Sora and Amemi both felt a dark presence about the man. Not only was he dressed almost entirely in black clothing, he seemed to fit the description of a sinister villain from a horror movie. To Sora, he also seemed to give off a hint of something… strong. Something like… Darkness.

The golden-armored man spun around and saluted to the older one. "Judge Frollo, sir!"

Frollo turned to face the guard before him. He placed a hand between the two. "Just a moment, Captain Phoebus."

Sora heard Donald and Goofy gulping as the judge neared the group. Amemi turned to walk away. Sora silently decided to do the same. He noticed Donald and Goofy had the same idea.

"Stop," Frollo ordered.

The four turned back. "Who? Us?" Sora asked, a cheeky look in his eyes. He placed his hands behind his head and tried very hard to relax.

Frollo was now inches away from the group. "I've never seen any of you here before," he said, glancing over them all. "Your names?"

Sora gave a friendly smile. "I'm Sora."

Donald gulped. "Donald… "

Goofy gave a nervous wave. "Goofy… "

Amemi clasped her hands together and smiled a little. "Amemi… "

Frollo snorted. He seemed to be focused on the group for unknown reasons. "Such disgusting attire," he muttered under his breath. "I know what you are, Keyblader."

The judge turned back to face his captain. "Captain Phoebus, take these gypsies to the Palace of Justice. I shall interrogate them personally."

Phoebus looked surprised. "These kids here? But, sir, it's just a boy, his girlfriend, and two people dressed for the festival."

Amemi took a step forward. "I'm his sister," she corrected.

Phoebus nodded. "See? They're harmless."

Frollo seemed unimpressed. "I shall be the judge of that, Captain Phoebus."

The captain sighed. At once, a series of shouts echoed from the nearby stage. Sora and his friends froze as they heard them.

"That's no mask!"

"It's his face!"

"What is he?!"

"He's some kind of duck-man!"

Everyone swerved their eyes to the not-too-distant stage. Standing on it was Launchpad. The pilot was grinning happily before the crowd of shocked and stunned spectators. He gazed into the distance and spotted Sora and the others. "Hey, guys!" he called out. "I was led onto this stage by someone and now everyone's giving me lots of attention. I must be a V.I.P. here… whatever 'Very Important Pilot' means here."

Sora, Goofy, and Amemi all stared at him. Donald fell backwards. He hit the ground so hard, his feet flew up for a moment. "How'd he get over there?" Sora asked the others.

Amemi shrugged. "He must have walked away when we weren't looking."

At that moment, a tall, thin man with black hair and a beard marched onto the stage beside Launchpad. He was wearing a purple/light blue hat with a yellow feather, black gloves, a crimson mask, and clothing with indigo, yellow, and crimson colors. He placed a multi-colored hat with bells onto Launchpad's head. "We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here it is! The duck-man!"

The crowd cheered loudly. Launchpad was given a dark-purple cape-like cloak and tossed aboard a giant, green elephant with yellow tusks. Streams of what appeared to be confetti flew through the air. Launchpad rode the elephant in a straight line through the crowd.

Frollo snorted at the sight. "Filthy vermin," he muttered softly. He stepped back towards his carriage. A thin, almost-unnoticeable cloud of Darkness started to form around him.

Launchpad was having the time of his life. Everything was exciting! The crowd of people in this unknown land were cheering for him like he was a hero. He hadn't done anything except get picked out of a line of people. The others were tossed aside like pieces of garbage and landed in a puddle of muddy water.

When the raven-haired woman he'd seen earlier had tried to remove his face, she gasped realizing he wasn't wearing a mask. The crowd had gasped in turn. They were astounded, knowing there really was a "duck-man" in their town. After a few moments, someone had placed a crown on him, and now everybody was cheering him on as though he was a king or something greater.

"Piece o'cake, Mister McDee," Launchpad said to himself. He wished Scrooge McDuck had been there. At least he could congratulate the pilot for such a success in a far-flung place.

A couple of girls were just up ahead in a stand. As the elephant rode by, they each gave the pilot a kiss. Launchpad spotted his friends standing on the edge of the crowd. He waved to them with glee. "Check it out!" he called to them. "I'm a king of something!"

Without warning, a thin cloud of Darkness partly blanketed the elephant. It vanished a second later. Before Launchpad could take notice, the animal began rearing up in a heated frenzy. The pilot grasped the creature's neck in alarm. "Yeesh!" he declared. "I've heard of wild animals, but this is ridiculous!"

Sora froze in alarm the moment he saw the elephant start stomping wildly. The people closest to the animal screamed and ran several feet back. A space of about ten feet surrounded Launchpad and the elephant.

"What's happening?" Amemi said. She was as startled as her brother. "The elephant. It just went wild!"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "Looks like fun."

Donald punched the knight's arm. "That wasn't funny! Someone could get hurt."

Phoebus stepped forward. He raised his right hand over his eyes and squinted into the distance. "Monsters," he realized. "They've invaded the square."

Sora nodded. It was then he spotted a glowing, red symbol on the animal's forehead. Several shadowy creatures appeared from the ground around it. He gasped. "That's no ordinary monster. It's a Heartless!"

Donald and Goofy both gasped in alarm. Amemi looked puzzled. "A 'Heartless'?"

Sora nodded again. He summoned his Keyblade. "Yeah! C'mon! We'll take care of it!"

Donald and Goofy both pulled out their weapons. They followed Sora as he charged into the crowd for the rouge creature. Not wishing to be left out again, Amemi rapidly gave pursuit. Phoebus was seconds behind her. "Wait!" he called to the group. "It's not safe!"

As Phoebus ran off to warn the group, Frollo snorted at the display. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Pete and the Beagle Boys poking their heads out of the carriage. Frollo started to radiate more Darkness. "This city is overrun," he stated, clutching his hands into fists. "For decades I've worked to purge the city of those wretched gypsies. Now, the streets team with more disgusting vermin that threaten law and order."

Pete and the Beagle Boys gazed into the distance. They gulped very anxiously. It was clear how dark Frollo's heart was already. No wonder Maleficent wanted him on their team. He was an invaluable asset — for producing and controlling Heartless, that is. They stared into the distance, wondering what would happen next.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Amemi ran so fast, the crowd had to make a path for them. They charged into the open space around the wild Heartless. Launchpad was doing everything he could to keep his balance atop the creature. "Help!" he exclaimed. "This isn't a wild bronco!"

Sora glared at the Heartless. "Okay!" he barked. "Now you've got my attention!"

The giant Heartless turned its eyes to Sora. The glare made Donald duck behind Goofy's shield. Amemi reached into a pocket on her jacket and pulled out a small, handmade slingshot. She pulled out a tiny stone and aimed it at the creature.

Sora rushed between the stomping monster's legs. He sliced his Keyblade clear through two of them. The Heartless appearing from the ground leapt at him. He swung around and slashed them aside. Goofy hurried over and smashed his shield onto two of the Shadow Heartless before spinning like a top and striking the larger enemy's other legs. Sora raced around to the other side of the Heartless and assisted a surrounded Donald in destroying several more Heartless. These ones were not like ordinary shadows. They were more slender, had wavy antennae, and could spin like whirlwinds. Sora knew what these Heartless were called.

Neoshadows.

Sora charged into the fray and slashed and sliced the Heartless into nothing but Darkness. He turned back to the large, elephant-shaped Heartless. Before he could deliver a crushing blow with Donald and Goofy, a small stone flew past his head and smacked the enemy in the face. The Heartless snorted to Sora's left. The brown-headed young man swerved his eyes to the left where he spotted Amemi cautiously stepping back. She had a slingshot in hand.

"Amy!" he shouted. "Get to safety!"

The Heartless roared in anger and charged at the sandy-haired girl. Amemi saw the creature rushing at her and side-stepped. The Heartless slid to a stop. The crowd started to run further away from the stampeding monster.

One person wasn't so lucky. The Heartless charged at him and, as the creature slid and turned to Amemi, knocked him to the ground. Several Neoshadows Heartless emerged from the ground all around him. "Oh, please stop!" the man cried.

Sora gasped and hurried over. He reached the young man in no time. It was then he saw the man was a hunchback with a deformed face, pale skin, red hair, and green eyes. He was buck-toothed with plump arms and wearing a large, green shirt, black pants, and navy-blue shoes.

This didn't bother Sora. It didn't matter how someone looked. He needed to get this man to safety. He gazed at his sister. She was hiding behind Goofy's shield. The knight was staring at the Heartless in alarm. Donald poked his head out from behind the shield and smiled anxiously.

Sora turned to the man. "You need to run!"

"Let me help," a kind voice spoke up.

Sora swerved his eyes to the left. A young woman with long wavy black hair, medium skin, and emerald eyes was running up to him. Her outfit consisted of a white top with a blue midsection, a purple skirt, and a matching piece of cloth tied in her hair. She was barefoot and had a few golden pieces of jewelry on her left ear, left wrist, right hand, and right ankle. For some reason, Sora sensed something different about her.

"Huh?" the spikey-haired young man asked. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled at him. "Esmeralda. I'm a gypsy."

Sora nodded. "Thank you. I'm Sora."

As Sora watched, Esmeralda helped the young man off the ground. The man saw her and hastily fled towards the cathedral steps. Esmeralda gave chase. Sora shook his head before turning his eyes back to the Heartless; the creature was looming over Donald, Goofy, and Amemi. The three of them were ducking behind the knight's oversized shield.

Sora positioned his Keyblade into his fighting stance and glared at the enemy. "Hey! I'm over here!"

The Heartless seemed to perk up at the sound of Sora's voice. It turned around to face the young man. Sora raised his Keyblade a little more and charged at the monster. The Heartless raced at him. Before the two could collide, Sora swung his Keyblade back a little and swung it forward like a baseball player at bat.

SLASH!

The Heartless crumpled to the ground. Launchpad fell from it and landed on his head a few feet from Sora. Sora gazed back at it as a huge, captive heart was released from the creature. The monster faded away into Darkness moments later. Sora twirled his Keyblade happily. "We did it!" he cheered as his team walked over.

Launchpad rose from the ground. He grinned at Sora. "Nice one, buddy!"

Frollo was shocked. Not only had the enormous Heartless been obliterated, but Sora's team had survived without any trouble. He was still glaring at the cathedral where he'd seen the young, raven-haired woman run inside. He made a fist and pointed it at the building. "Gypsy witch!"

Phoebus was grinning. He'd been doing so ever since he'd seen the young woman. To Pete and the Beagle Boys inside the carriage, it was sight they wanted to leave their minds.

"Hmph!" Pete snorted as Frollo climbed back into the carriage. "I told ya that kid's got some fancy moves."

Frollo ignored the large cat's comment. He silently took a seat on the other side of the Beagle Boys. Phoebus walked up to the doorway. "Your orders, sir?" he asked.

"To the cathedral," Frollo answered. "While you're at it, arrest those troublemakers."

Phoebus looked perplexed. "What for?"

"For disturbing the peace."

Phoebus shrugged and shut the carriage door. The carriage rode off. Deep down, the Captain of the Guard wondered if "disturbing the peace" was the same as eliminating a hostile monster that was already disturbing the peace. He didn't think about it for long. Judge Frollo had given his orders and was expecting them to be carried out quickly.

Phoebus drew his sword and approached the group of young people, two ducks, and a tall dog.

Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Well, that takes care of that."

Amemi looked at the gigantic cathedral towering above them. "I wonder if that man is okay."

"Whoever he is," Donald added.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "I thought it was 'Quasimodo'."

Everyone else stared at him, except for Launchpad. "Yeah," the pilot chuckled. "Goofy and I met him earlier while running around the stores."

Sora nodded. "I'm sure he's fine." He paused and crossed his arms. "Quasi… what was it?"

Everyone else shrugged. Sora shook his head and smiled.

"You there!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi swung their attention to Captain Phoebus. The captain was quickly approaching them with a sword in hand. "I'm sorry," he told them. "But I have to place you all under arrest."

Sora and his team were astounded. "Why?" Sora asked.

"Judge Frollo said you were 'disturbing the peace'."

"And?"

"And that's all."

Sora shook his head. "You're wrong! We were trying to get rid of those Heartless! That's not a crime! We needed to do something before someone got hurt!"

Phoebus sighed. "I know. I'm very, very sorry."

Sora clenched his hands into fists. Before he could say anything, Amemi tugged on his hoodie. He was dragged backwards up the cathedral steps and straight inside the building. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad slammed the door shut.

Judge Frollo stepped out from his carriage to find a surprised Phoebus staring at the cathedral's entrance. The sky above was grey and rapidly filling with thick, dark clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"What happened, Captain Phoebus?" the judge inquired.

Phoebus stood at attention. "Sir! Those people you asked me to apprehend, they've fled inside the cathedral."

Frollo was furious. "Find them, captain. I want them alive."

Phoebus saluted. "Yes, sir."

Without another word, Frollo returned to his carriage. Drops of rain were starting to fall from above as the judge returned to his seat. He remained silent, even as Pete and the Beagle Boys started to speak.

"Ya can't beat that kid and his pals that easily," Pete said. "I've fought them many times and still haven't beat 'em."

"They sure are strong," one of the taller Beagle Boys remarked.

"You saw how they brought down that elephant?" the other tall one added.

"I've never seen anything like it!" the short one declared.

Frollo snorted and turned his eyes away from the other villains. He only wanted two things at the moment. Apprehend that gypsy woman for helping Quasimodo, and getting his hands on that wretched Keyblade-brat and his so-called "friends".

The door slammed shut. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad slid to the floor on the other side to catch their breath. Sora took a deep breath. "That was close."

He turned to Amemi. "Where are we?"

Amemi glanced around. "We're inside the cathedral — the giant one, remember?"

Sora nodded. He gazed around the room. The interior of the cathedral so immense, Sora had to lean his head back just to see the ceiling. Rows of candles on stands were set neatly on one side of the building. The other side consisted of short, wooden walls. Columns were positioned at regular intervals throughout the building. Further down, what appeared to be blue-tinted walls could be seen. The floor was covered by black-and-white tiles; it reminded Sora of a game of Chess.

"Where should we go?" Sora asked his teammates.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all shrugged. Sora glanced at them for a second. "Let's take a look around."

He led the way through the building. The cathedral was quiet. The only people inside were gathered near the far wall were rows of what seemed to be wooden railings were situated. Upon a podium on the far end was a large stone. On it was a carving of a figure. Sora couldn't tell who it was.

The group continued to walk around. They strolled past the reflection of a gigantic stained glass window above. They stopped beside the rows of candles. To their amazement, not a single thing had changed.

"I think we're going in circles," Amemi spoke up.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "But what else can we do? There aren't any Heartless in here."

"Why not?" Donald questioned.

Goofy leaned his head into his left hand and started tapping his right index finger onto the side of his head. "Hmm… "

Sora, Donald, and Amemi turned their focus to him. "Gee, may-bee this here church is too full of Light," Goofy thought aloud. "Them Heartless are afraid of it. That's why we ain't seen any Heartless around here. They're all outside."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. It sounded like Goofy was correct. Perhaps there wasn't enough Darkness inside for the Heartless to come. Of course, that also meant the Heartless were most-likely attacking the local residents in the town outside.

"Let's head outside," he suggested. "The Heartless might not be far off."

A series of loud banging echoed from close by. Sora and his friends swerved their attention to a pair of figures less than ten feet away. One was a young woman with raven-black hair. The other was the man in the golden armor; he also had blonde hair and a matching goatee. The woman was swinging one of the lampstands at him while he was blocking her with his sword.

"Candlelight… privacy… music," the man chuckled. "Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat!"

"What is…?" Sora started to say. That's when he recognized one of the two people. "Esmeralda!"

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were puzzled. "Who?" his sister asked.

Sora gestured towards the woman. "She helped me save that guy, Quasi."

Amemi's eyes lit up when she remembered. "Oh yeah," she realized. "I remember."

"What're they fightin' over?" Goofy asked.

Sora shrugged. "Let's watch and see."

The duel continued. The man smirked at the woman. "You fight almost as well as a man!"

The woman gave the man a sarcastic grin. "Funny. I was going to say the same thing about you."

The man was unamused. "That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?"

"No. This is."

The woman swung the stand at the man's legs. He blocked her with his sword. She swung the other end at his face. It slammed so hard, he had to shake it off.

"Touché!" he said.

A white goat with a golden earring charged over and slammed straight into the man. The man eyed him. "I didn't know you had a kid."

"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers," the woman explained.

The man nodded. "Eh, I noticed. Permit me. I'm Phoebus. It means 'sun god'. And you are?"

The woman and goat glanced at each other. "Is this an interrogation?"

"It's called an introduction," Phoebus corrected.

The woman was taken by surprise. "You're not arresting me?"

"Not as long as you're in here. I can't."

The woman set the lampstand down. "You're not at all like the other soldiers."

"Thank you."

"So, if you're not going to arrest me, what do you want?"

"I'd settle for your name."

The woman smiled. "Esmeralda."

"It's beautiful. Much better than Phoebus, anyway."

The two started to gaze into each other's eyes. Sora and his team started to feel a little sick. "Yuck," Sora murmured.

"Yeah," Amemi giggled. "'Yuck'."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all started to chuckle. Sora rolled his eyes. When would they stop teasing him? It'd been a few days since Kairi had given him a small "kiss", and it was something he'd chosen to forget about… mostly.

Goofy was so busy chuckling he didn't see the lampstand behind. He bumped into it and it fell over, knocking over the next one, and the next one, and so on down the line. The clanging, banging, and other noises echoed throughout the nave. With one final CLANG, the last lampstand fell to the floor.

Sora sighed. He was tired of seeing domino and/or ripple effects. For some reason, Goofy was prone to more accidents than anyone else he'd ever known.

Phoebus and Esmeralda switched their eyes to the group. Sora gave a shy wave in return. "Hiya," he said.

"Oh, hello again," Phoebus called over. "'Sora', 'Donald', 'Goofy', 'Amemi', was it?"

Sora nodded. Launchpad stepped forwards. "The name's Launchpad McQuack," he introduced. "If it's got wings I can crash it!"

Phoebus grinned at the pilot. "Yes, I remember you. You were this year's King of Fools."

Donald rapidly swung his eyes towards Launchpad. A sneaky grin formed on the duck's bill. "Too bad," he chuckled.

"Hey," Launchpad retorted. "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid."

"No one said you were," Esmeralda replied. "I'm Esmeralda."

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I remember," he gestured to his friends. "This is Donald, Goofy, and my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," Amemi corrected.

Sora smiled. He was about to speak with the entrance doors burst open. Everyone swung their eyes to the front of the cathedral. There stood Judge Frollo, a large cat-like man, three hooded figures with swords, and a handful of guards dressed in black uniforms.

"Good work, captain," Frollo called over. "You've captured them. Now, arrest them."

Phoebus turned back to the group. "Claim 'Sanctuary'," he ordered them. "Say it."

Esmeralda scowled. "You tricked me."

Frollo looked like he was about to start to tapping his foot. "I'm waiting, captain."

Phoebus turned back to the judge, his arms shrugging. "I'm sorry, sir. She claims sanctuary. There's nothing I can do."

The large cat-like man strode forward. "Then I'll drag her out!"

Sora's eyes lit up when he suddenly recognized the man. Perhaps it was the dim lighting. Whatever the case, he now knew who it was. "Pete!" he declared, summoning his Keyblade.

Amemi was alarmed. For the last few months, her brother had been telling her about a villain he'd encountered several times on his second quest — someone by the name of "Pete". Now that she was face-to-face with this enemy, she knew anyone he was working with would also be evil. Not to mention, there was still a high chance she would have to help her brother fight any Heartless Pete would throw at them.

With all this in mind, Amemi glared at Pete.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gasped when they saw the hooded trio. "The Beagle Boys!" Goofy exclaimed.

Donald pulled put his wand. "I'll show them!"

Launchpad looked angry. "I don't know how many times you tried to steal Mister McDee's money bin, but you won't get away now."

Frollo stepped closer. "I'll handle this," he told Pete. He stepped closer to Sora's team. The group was standing between the judge and Esmeralda and Phoebus. "I'm not leaving empty-hand—!"

"Frollo!" a deep voice boomed from across the room. "You will not touch her!"

Everyone spun around to see a large, elderly man with white hair and eyelashes approaching them. He was wearing a wide baby-blue robe, a wide white inner robe, a red cap, and a gold cross necklace with cross down to chest. Sora and Amemi stood up straight and tall. Based on what they'd learned in classes (which wasn't much for Sora), this man was the Archdeacon.

The Archdeacon leaned in closer to the group. "Don't worry," he assured them. "Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Sora and his team nodded and put their weapons away. They watched as an outraged Frollo, Pete, and Beagle Boys marched for the still-open doorway. Phoebus was directly behind them.

Frollo turned back to glare at Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Esmeralda and the Archdeacon.

"You think you've outwitted me," he sneered. "But I am a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

"You are so weird," Amemi told the judge. "Why do want to work with someone my brother clearly hates?"

Frollo shifted his frown to the sandy-haired woman. "Such a clever witch," he countered. "So typical of your kind, to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts."

Amemi was furious. "A 'witch'?!"

Frollo turned to leave. "Well, no matter. You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, and you'll all be mine!"

Frollo strolled through the open doorway and closed it behind. Sora rushed over and pulled it open a little. He saw Pete giving orders to a bunch of guards to be stationed at each of the cathedral's doors. He slammed it shut. After a short pause, he turned back to the others. "Sorry," he sighed. "Looks like we're stuck."

Esmeralda fell to the floor to mope. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all did the same. Amemi leaned against a nearby column to remain upright. "Don't worry," she told the others. "If Frollo and Pete think they came keep us inside, my brother will show them a thing or three."

Sora leapt to his feet. "Yeah, we'll show them!"

The Archdeacon chuckled. "Don't act rashly," he warned. "You created quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse Frollo's anger further."

"But… why?" a baffled Sora said. "He accused us of disturbing the peace! All we were trying to do was destroy a giant Heartless before someone got hurt!"

"This isn't the first time," Esmeralda sighed.

Sora and his team were surprised. "What?"

"Frollo's been hunting my people for years," the young woman informed them. "We gypsies are guilty of nothing but enjoying our freedom. Frollo hates whatever he can't control. Now, not only has he brought in fresh blood to torment us, but he's agreed to help someone out there do something terrible."

She sighed. "I'd hate to know what darkness drives that man… "

Sora nodded. He thought back to when he'd encountered Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness/Xehanort's Heartless. For some reason, that villain's story and Frollo's story sounded somewhat similar… or did they? "I think I might know what you mean."

"Was he always this way?" Amemi asked.

Esmeralda turned away. "I thought if just one person could stand up to him, then… " she sighed. "What do they have against people who are different, anyway?"

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Sora all shrugged. "Beats me," Sora admitted.

"You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself," the Archdeacon informed the group as he started to walk away. "But remember, there's always hope somewhere, and a friend who can lead you to it."

Esmeralda gazed at the entrance doors. She shook her head. "No one out there's going to help, that's for sure."

"Perhaps there's someone in here who can," The Archdeacon answered as he strolled off.

Once the elderly man had left, Sora's team started to look around the inside of the cathedral. The only other people in the room were kneeling against the wooden railings. Their hands were folded and their heads were bowed forward. Sora gave a deep sigh. "I don't think anyone here can help us."

Amemi looked at her brother. "I thought you'd come up with plan, Sora."

Sora turned to face his sister. "I don't have one. Do you?"

Amemi shook her head. "No, I don't."

Sora sighed once more. Donald approached the two. "Well, what now?"

Goofy was seconds behind him. "Do ya have any ideas, Sora?"

"Yeah," Launchpad added. "Esmeralda's countin' on us — without numbers."

Sora gave an especially deep sigh (for the third time). Why did everyone have to count on him so much? True, he was the leader of the team, even if he didn't choose this job. The Keyblade did, so he was stuck with it. He had so much power and potential — not to mention responsibility — and he couldn't come up with a good escape plan.

He was about to tell everyone he wasn't sure how to react when a voice filled their ears. "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there," it said. "I don't know if you would listen to a gypsy's prayer. Yes, I know I'm just an outcast — I shouldn't speak to you. Still, I see your face and wonder… were you once an outcast too?"

The group whirled their eyes over to the source of the voice. There was Esmeralda, strolling around the candle stands. She looked worried and sounded a little desperate. As she walked along, Sora started to sense a flicker of strong Light coming from her heart. Ever since he'd encountered Roxas in the dreams, the spikey, brown-haired youth had gained the ability to sense Light from within someone's heart — especially if it was primarily hidden deep inside.

"God help the outcasts… hungry from birth," Esmeralda called out as she continued along. "Show them the mercy they don't find on earth. God help my people who look to you still… "

Sora nodded, now knowing the Light truly was coming from within her heart. Why it had been trapped there, he did not know and doubted he would ever find out.

Esmeralda neared the reflection of the giant, circular stained-glass window. "…I ask for nothing, I can get by. But I know so many less lucky than I. Please help my people… the poor and down-trod. I thought we all were… the Children of God."

Sora smiled. In his peripheral vision, he saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad taking turns blowing their noses with a used, wet handkerchief. Amemi turned away from the sight to see the young woman. The two sibling smiled.

CLANG!

"You! Bell ringer! What are you doing down here?! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

The loud noises drew the group's attention to a figure hiding amongst the lampstands. One of the stands had been knocked over and the figure was racing towards a curved doorway in the nearby wall. Esmeralda must have seen the incident as she quickly gave chase. "Wait!" she called. "I want to talk to you!"

When they saw what was happening, Sora and his friends followed the two. The pursuit led through the doorway and up a dark, spiral staircase. At the top, they found themselves on the upper floors of the cathedral where a stone railing was located. In the distance, they could see the horizon beyond the rooftops.

Now one paid the view any mind. They were too busy following Esmeralda and… a young man? Sora instantly recognized the man as the same one he'd saved earlier at the festival. "Hey!" he called. "Wait up!"

They rushed into an opening in one of the cathedral's twin bell towers. Inside, they finally caught up with the young man and Esmeralda. "Here you are," she said. "I thought I'd lost you."

The man turned around. "Yes. Um, well, I uh, I have chores to do. It was, uh, nice… seeing… you… all… again."

"Wait, Quasi!" Sora shouted.

The man turned around. "You know my name?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Goofy and Launchpad told me."

"It's Quasimodo," Donald corrected.

Sora grinned, realizing his mistake. Quasimodo seemed to smile. He then raced up a ladder to the second floor. "No wait!" Esmeralda called after him.

The group hurried up the ladder after Quasimodo. They found themselves in a rather large room. A window allowed the sunlight to come shining inside. A wooden table was situated on the far side of the room with a model city on it. A stained-glass mobile was hanging from the ceiling.

"What is this place?" Esmeralda asked.

"This is where I live," Quasimodo replied.

Amemi took a moment to admire the mobile. The light in the window caused the glass to glow. "Did you make all these things by yourself?"

"Most of them," Quasimodo said with a grin.

Amemi paused to finger the mobile. "It's so pretty," she smiled.

Goofy looked at the model town. "A-Hyuck! Toys."

Launchpad started to gaze at the little city. "Where's the money bin?"

Donald scowled at the pilot. "This isn't Duckburg!"

"This is beautiful," Esmeralda said. "If I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing in the streets for coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer," Quasimodo spoke up.

"Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway."

Sora smiled and placed his hands behind his head. "Looks like you'll be just fine, Quasi," he said. He slowly moved his eyes around the tower. "All this space for yourself… if only my room was just as big."

Amemi gazed at her brother; her smile faded. She rapidly shook it off and turned to face Quasimodo. "Do you ever get lonely up here?" she asked him.

"Well," Quasimodo replied. "It's not just me — there's the gargoyles, and of course the bells." He paused. "Would you like to see them?"

"Yeah," an excited Sora agreed in a flash.

Quasimodo hopped to the upper beams. "Follow me. I'll introduce you."

"We're gonna meet some bells?" Goofy asked.

Launchpad grinned. "Well, this is a bell tower."

Quasimodo started climbing along the wooden beams. Along the way, he told everyone the names of the bells he was passing. "Little Sophia, and… Jean Marie, Ann Marie, and Louise Marie. Triplets, you know."

"Like Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Launchpad chuckled.

"And April, May, an' June," Goofy added. "They're Daisy's nieces."

Donald sighed. "Aw phooey!"

Esmeralda, Sora, and Amemi approached the largest bell in the bunch. "And who's this?" the former inquired.

"Big Marie," Quasimodo said.

Esmeralda stepped into the bell and looked around. "Hello?" she called. Her voice echoed inside the enormous bell.

Quasimodo smiled. "She likes you."

Sora ducked down to get inside the bell. He grinned and shouted as loudly as he could, "Donald is a crab!"

"What?!" a startled and furious Donald exclaimed. He glared at the laughing Sora emerging from under the bell. He waved a fist at him. "Ya big palooka! I am not a crab!"

Amemi strode up to her brother. "I don't think that was very funny. Donald's mad at you."

"He's always mad at someone," Sora informed her.

Quasimodo remained smiling. "Would you like to see more?" he asked.

Esmeralda turned back. To Sora's surprise, she was looking at a white goat with an earring. The goat was trying to pull Donald's hat off with its teeth. Donald jumped to one side. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"Come along, Djali," Esmeralda said to the goat. Djali came running over. She smiled and turned to Quasimodo. "We'd love to."

"Yeah," Sora said for his whole team. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all agreed. They followed Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Djali up a flight of spiral steps to the top of the bell tower. Here, they followed Quasimodo to the edge of a railing.

"Here," an excited Quasimodo said. "I've saved the best for last!"

The group walked up to the railing. Everyone stared in awe. They could see the entire city below and straight into the distance. Far away, the reddish-orange sun was dipping below the horizon.

"Cool!" Sora exclaimed, clearly showing his child-like wonder.

"Wow!" Donald and Launchpad declared.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy said.

Amemi smiled. "What an amazing view."

"I bet the king himself doesn't have a view like this," Esmeralda smirked. "I could stay up here forever."

Quasimodo turned to her. "You could, you know."

Esmeralda shook her head. "No, I couldn't."

"Oh, yes, you have sanctuary!"

"But not freedom. Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

Donald leaned in close to Sora. "That's what Frollo said," he whispered.

Sora nodded in reply. "Yeah… "

"But you're not like other gypsies," Quasimodo told Esmeralda. "They're… evil."

"Huh?!" Sora's team said at once. Their mouths were open in surprise and puzzlement. Deep down, Sora wondered if Quasimodo was related to Frollo… or something like that.

Esmeralda was the most dumbfounded. "Who told you that?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Where'd you hear that?"

"My master, Frollo," Quasimodo answered. "He raised me."

"Really?" Amemi asked. "I… I don't understand."

Esmeralda was unconvinced. "How could such a cruel man have raised someone like you?"

"'Cruel'?!" Quasimodo exclaimed. "Oh no! He… he's very kind. He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would. He protects me from the outside world."

Sora and Amemi were equally puzzled. "He 'protects' you from what?" the former asked.

Quasimodo sat down on the rooftop. He looked down. "He said the people out there would be cruel to me," he sighed. "I am a monster, you know."

Sora had the feeling he'd heard this story before. His mind went back to when he'd been visiting the worlds in the Realm of Sleep. The kingdom of Corona… wasn't that the place? The girl who'd been locked away in the lonely tower… she'd been afraid of the outside world because her so-called "mother" had convinced her that people would take advantage of her unique healing powers. She'd been locked away for eighteen long years.

Rapunzel — that was her name! Sora had sensed her heart was a prison. She'd been keeping it that way for all those years. In Quasimodo's case, he'd been living inside the cathedral's bell tower for probably closer to twenty years or so. Instead of being told people would take advantage of him, he'd been told by Frollo how everyone would be terrified of him because he looked like a monster. Quasimodo had bought the story since he'd been raised on it from day one.

Sora had to admit Rapunzel and Quasimodo's stories were similar, but still different. Mother Gothel didn't seem as dark and uninviting as Frollo. Quasimodo's problem was thanks to his atypical appearance. Rapunzel's was due to the healing powers in her hair. Either way, both of them lived in fear of other people.

Amemi stepped close to Quasimodo. She sat down on the rooftop beside him and looked him straight in the eye. "Don't worry. Appearances can be deceiving. I've seen real monsters, and you're not one of them, Quasimodo."

"Yeah," Sora agreed with a nod. "A true friend would see you for who you are inside."

Esmeralda gave a smile as she turned to face the hunchbacked bell ringer. "They're right. Now look at me? Do you think I'm evil?"

"No, no, no!" Quasimodo rushed as he shook his head. "You are kind, and good, and… "

"…and a gypsy," Esmeralda finished. "And maybe Frollo's wrong about the both of us."

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

Amemi just smiled. Quasimodo turned to Esmeralda. "You helped me. Now, I will help you."

"That's impossible," Donald reminded the group. "The place's surrounded."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "Sora said there's someone watchin' every door."

"We won't use a door," Quasimodo informed the group. He scooped up Esmeralda and Djali in his arms. "It's all right. You ready?" he asked her.

Quasimodo walked to the edge of the railing. He turned back to see Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi watching him. "I'll see you downstairs," he told them.

Less than a second later, the bell ringer leapt over the railing and started to swing down the tower to the ground below. Sora and his team rushed to the rail in time to see the two people and goat vanish into the shadows. Sora was a little astonished. "Didn't expect that," he remarked.

He turned back to see the others looking at him. "Let's head downstairs."

The group nodded. Sora led the way to the doorway leading to the spiral staircase. They walked down into the bell tower. Along the way, they heard footsteps coming from below. Worried a Heartless might be lurking in the passage, they hurried down the steps.

The bell tower was dark due to the lack of candlelight. The sun had set a while ago and the cool night air was filling the room where Quasimodo lived. Long shadows stretched around the area. Sora and his friends shivered a little as they looked around. There was no sign of life in the empty tower.

"That was strange," Amemi commented. "I thought someone was in here."

Donald pulled out his wand. "We'd better be careful," he instructed. "There might be Heartless lurking around.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. He raised his hand to his face. "Hello! Is anybody home?!" he shouted out loud.

His voice echoed about the room so much, Donald jumped into Goofy's arms and shook violently. This caused a startled Goofy to stumble backward and bump into Launchpad. The pilot fell sideways onto the floor, accidentally ramming into a set of granite gargoyle statues. He rubbed his head, even though he was still a bit dazed. "Heh," Launchpad chuckled, looking up at the gargoyles. "Talk about your lousy architecture."

The gargoyle scowled at the pilot. "Who're you callin' 'lousy'?!" it snapped.

"Calm down, Hugo," one of the other gargoyles stated in a deep voice. "We shouldn't have any trouble while Quasimodo is away."

"Cut it out!" the third gargoyle shouted. "You two can never get along!"

"Obviously," Amemi said as she heard the voices.

"Yeah," Sora nodded as he gazed at the model town. "I know what you mean."

Everyone froze a moment later and swung their eyes to the trio of gargoyles. "Talking gargoyles?!" Sora exclaimed. He now saw the first one was short and large with a pig-like nose, white horns and hooves, and small bat-like wings on his back. The second was tall and slender with big wings. The third one was slender and elderly with eagle-like wings and pointed horns.

"Excuse us for having personality," the elderly gargoyle said.

Everyone continued to stare. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "May-bee they're ticklish, too!"

The short, large gargoyle glared at the knight. "That wasn't funny!"

"What are your names?" Amemi inquired the three gargoyles.

"Hugo," the first one announced.

"I am Victor," the second one said.

"Call me Laverne," the third introduced. "You must be friends of Quasi."

Sora nodded. "Sounds like you're pretty close."

"We've been friends for years," Laverne confirmed.

"More than a decade of camaraderie," Victor added.

Hugo nodded. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"That long?" Donald asked.

Sora crossed his arms. He was taking this all in. Had these three gargoyles known Quasimodo his whole life? How was that possible? Then again, he had sensed a similarity between the bell ringer and Rapunzel. Perhaps these three could clarify whether or not his beliefs were accurate.

Sora was about to ask a question, but his sister beat him to it. "Are you saying Quasimodo has never left this tower?" Amemi asked.

"Oh, he's not allowed to leave," Laverne sighed. "Judge Frollo forbids it."

Sora could now tell Frollo was probably similar to Mother Gothel. Maybe his assumptions were correct after all. Of course, he needed to hear more before he could reach a real conclusion.

"Why not?" Launchpad asked. "He's such a nice guy."

"Care to pull up some stools?" Victor said.

"The short version is," Hugo blurted. "Frollo says he's doin' Quasi a favor by keepin' folks from seein' that mug of his."

"True," Amemi nodded. "He said something along those lines."

Laverne continued to explain. "After a lifetime of watching from the nosebleed seats, Quasi just wanted to go to the Festival of Fools. We were so glad he finally got the courage to go."

"Tis a shame," Victor went on. "Those despicable creatures dashed his hopes. I don't believe he'll be leaving this place anytime soon."

"What a shame," Amemi sighed. "I'd hate to be in his shoes."

"Look who's talkin'," Hugo spoke up. He gazed at Victor. "When's the last time you looked in a mirror?"

Victor crossed his arms. "Well you broke it."

Hugo looked very pugnacious. To Sora, it seemed to remind him of Donald in a bad mood on a very bad day. "Ah… a wise guy, eh?"

Victor looked away. "Call it what you wish."

Hugo started to punch the air. "I'll show you a thing or two! It'll be a walk in the park!"

"How would you know? You don't have any legs."

"Aw, give me a break! It's just a figure of speech!"

Laverne leaped in the air and slammed down onto the floor so hard, Hugo and Victor jumped back. "Knock it off, ya couple of blockheads!"

Sora shook his head. The reactions between the gargoyles caused him to admit how much they resembled Donald, Goofy, and himself from time to time. He tended to get into fights with Donald over various things such as who was flying the Gummi Ship. Goofy often had to step in to keep the two from attacking each other to death.

Laverne sighed deeper than ever. "I just hope this one failure doesn't cause Quasi to give up," she said. "He was so close."

Sora's eyes lit up. He could definitely confirm (at least for now) how much Quasimodo's life story resembled Rapunzel's. Unless he did something, the bell ringer would remain trapped not just inside the cathedral forever, but within the walls he'd built around his heart. The walls of fear… something no one should ever have to deal with.

"He can't let his heart be a prison," Sora realized. He started to pace around. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth… Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad watched him. Amemi took a seat at the wooden table with the model town. Victor, Hugo, and Laverne scowled, turned their backs on each other, and crossed their arms.

Time passed slowly. Sora was deep in thought. He needed to think of a way to help Quasimodo. But… how? The bell ringer had been living inside the cathedral of Notré Dame for twenty years. He lived in fear of what was outside. How could Sora convince him to try again? He knew no one else would be willing to stay trapped in such a secluded place forever. Even Rapunzel wanted to leave her tower.

That's where the situation was clearly different. Unlike Rapunzel, Quasimodo didn't want to take the chance to leave again. Rapunzel was courageous enough to sneak out and even stayed out after Mother Gothel had tracked her down. Quasimodo would most-likely run back inside if Frollo saw him outside.

Sora stopped pacing. What to do? With Rapunzel, everything was easy. As for Quasimodo, the situation was much trickier. He couldn't think of a possible solution.

A figure marched into the room. Sora and the others swung their eyes to see Phoebus standing there in his golden armor. "Hello," he said to them. "I'm looking for the gypsy girl. Have any of you seen her?"

Before anyone from Sora's team could answer, Quasimodo came charging into the room from above with a flaming torch. "No soldiers!" he shouted as he landed between the soldier and Sora's team. "Sanctuary! Get out!"

"Wait!" Phoebus shouted. "All I wanted was to—"

"Go!" Quasimodo yelled.

Phoebus started to step back. "I mean her no harm!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad stepped in front of Amemi. The sandy-haired girl was taken by surprise. "He said to go!" Sora hollered.

Phoebus pulled out his sword and used it to block Quasimodo from getting closer. "You tell her for me," the former said. "I didn't mean to trap her here, but it was the only way to save her life. Will you tell her that?"

"If you go," Quasimodo demanded. "Now."

Phoebus nodded. "I will."

He started for the exit. He stopped and turned around to see the group. "Oh," he said. "And one more thing. Tell Esmeralda she's very lucky."

Quasimodo was puzzled. "Why?"

Phoebus grinned. "To have a friend like you."

As the Captain of the Guard left, Sora and his team put their weapons away. Quasimodo looked baffled. Sora could tell something new was going on in the young adult's head.

Victor, Hugo, and Laverne raced over with large grins on their faces. "Hey, hey!" Hugo cheered. "There he is!"

Victor nodded. "You ejected that tin-plated baboon with great panache!"

"It was nothing," Sora called. None of the gargoyles heard him.

"The nerve of him!" Hugo stated. "Snooping around here trying to steal your girl."

Quasimodo was startled. "My girl?"

"Esmeralda," Laverne clarified. "Dark hair, works with a goat. Remember?"

Hugo gave a nod. "Boy, I do! Way to go, loverboy!"

"Yeah!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy agreed. Amemi shook her head. Launchpad was mystified.

Quasimodo looked extra-shocked. "Loverboy!?" he exclaimed. "Oh, no, no… "

Laverne shook her head slightly. "Oh, don't be so modest."

Quasimodo turned around to see the gargoyles and Sora's team standing behind him. "Look," he said. "I appreciate what you're all trying to do, but let's not fool ourselves. Ugliest face in all Paris, remember? I don't think I'm her type."

He marched to the wooden table and sat down. From there, he could see out the window to the town below. Sora shook his head and walked over. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"No," Quasimodo rapidly said. "I just… "

Amemi was with her brother moments later. "Don't worry," she reassured the bell ringer. "I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

Quasimodo continued to gaze out the window. Sora and Amemi did the same. They could see a large portion of the city below. The rooftops looked pitch-black in the darkness. There were very few lights on in the dozens of houses. In the distance, they could see a large building that resembled a castle. A long river was located not far away. Several bridges crossed it at various spots.

Quasimodo sighed. "So many times out there," he said aloud. "I've watched a happy pair of lovers walking in the night. They had a kind of glow around them. It almost looked like heaven's light."

"I see what you mean," Amemi commented. She was looking down at a couple walking along one of the bridges.

Quasimodo reached into his model town's cathedral and picked up what appeared to be a model figure of himself. "I knew I'd never know that warm and loving glow, though I might wish with all my might. No face as hideous as my face was ever meant for heaven's light."

He started to carve a block of wood. He gave a smile. "But suddenly an angel has smiled at me, and kissed my cheek without a trace of fright."

He added some paint to the figure. To Sora and Amemi's amazement, it was a perfect replica of Esmeralda holding a golden tambourine. Quasimodo proceeded to clamber onto an upper platform below the rows of bells. "I dare to dream that she might even care for me," he continued. He grabbed the bell rope. "And as I ring these bells tonight, my cold dark tower seems so bright. I swear it must be heaven's light."

He pulled down on the rope. The bells above started to ring out. Their sounds carried through the tower and into the city around. Through it all, Sora could sense something else present in the ringing.

Quasimodo's heart's Light. It was there, and it was strong. All he needed to do was set it free. How he would do that, Sora was still unsure. His heart was indeed a prison. Frollo may have built up walls around him, but the only walls holding Quasimodo back were the ones he'd built around his heart.

'He shouldn't let his heart be a prison', Sora thought to himself. He gazed up into the rafters above. A faint glow caught his eye. When he squinted to look closer, it was gone. Whatever it was, he didn't know.

One thing he did know, it wasn't pure white. It was an indigo-like color… or something like that.

The chapel was dark. The only light came from a well-lit fireplace on the far wall. A few, wooden benches were positioned on the sides of the long, narrow room. For Pete, this was the most-inviting room in the whole Palace of Justice. At least the shouts and screams of the tortured prisoners could not be heard in there.

Pete tried to relax. It wasn't easy. He'd watched Sora and his friends destroy a powerful Heartless using teamwork. He'd been planning revenge against that boy for months, and now he was hoping to get it. After all, Sora had prevented him and Maleficent from taking over Disney Castle by keeping him from stealing the Cornerstone of Light from the past world.

He glanced around. The Beagle Boys were slouched against the wall near the fireplace. Frollo was standing before the flames, muttering words none of them understood.

Finally, Frollo said something Pete did comprehend. "You know I am a righteous man. Of my virtue I am justly proud. You know I'm so much purer than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd."

Pete wanted to yawn like the Beagle Boys were doing. Frollo looked up at a large, golden cross on the wall above the fireplace. "Then tell me, Maria," he continued. "Why I see her dancing there? Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul? I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in raven hair is blazing in me out of all control."

Frollo gasped. "Like fire! Hellfire! This fire in my skin!" he pulled a purple sash out of his pocket. He rubbed it over his face. "This burning… desire… is turning me to sin!"

Pete and the Beagle Boys stared at him. Their eyes were wide with both shock and confusion.

"That guy's lost it," one of the Beagle Boys said.

"No kidding," another added.

"Yeah," the third nodded.

Pete snorted. "Maybe he's forgotten how we need to help Maleficent rule this here world. She won't be happy, I know."

Frollo whirled around. A furious look was evident on his face. He glared at the group. "Shut it!" he snarled, causing Pete and the Beagle Boys to instantly become silent. "I will not tolerate such actions in this or any world!"

As he spoke, Frollo unleashed a cloud of Darkness. It drifted around the room. Dozens of Heartless appeared out of it. Unlike most Heartless, these ones were wearing black armor and resembled the city's soldiers. They even had weapons like the town's guards. Bows, arrows, lances, spears, you name it and they had it.

The cloud drifted to the ceiling. Pete and the Beagle Boys gulped anxiously as they watched it. Nothing happened, so they started to relax.

A loud knock echoed about the room. The door on the far end opened. Frollo, Pete, and the Beagles turned their attention to it. A solider was standing there, his body silhouetted completely against the moon's light behind him.

"Minister Frollo," the guard said. "The gypsy has escaped."

Frollo was shocked. "What?!"

"She's nowhere in the cathedral," the guard explained. "She's gone."

Frollo couldn't understand what had happened. Pete wondered if perhaps Sora and his friends were responsible for this turn-of-events. "But, how?" the judge asked. He turned towards the door and scowled. "Never mind. Get out, you idiot."

The guard left, closing the door behind. Frollo turned back to the fireplace. "I'll find her! I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!"

When Frollo started to radiant a powerful Darkness, Pete and the Beagle Boys immediately shifted their eyes to the ceiling. The cloud of Darkness grew thicker and thicker. Without warning, a gigantic creature formed in it and caused the cloud to vanish.

Pete was stricken with surprise. The creature was shaped like a flying gargoyle with gun arms. It was mostly a dark-purple color. The face was marked by a yellow jaw and red cheeks. The arms were bright shades of blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with red and green stripes that ended with a semicircular blade with a hollow section resembling a "Hidden Mickey". The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front around some colorful, belt-like bands around its waist.

Pete gulped. "A… Wargoyle!" he declared in astonishment.

Frollo wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were on the fireplace. In one swift action, he threw the purple sash into the flames. It burned up in seconds. In a loud voice, Frollo hollered, "She will be mine or she will burn!"

A/N: What a finale to a Chapter 17! It kind of makes you feel a tad anxious, now doesn't it?

Well, I will start off by saying how the WARGOYLE is supposed to be a Heartless Version of the one from "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance". I hope I didn't follow that game too closely as I tried to combine it and the movie's story together in there.

So, I shall now tell you what this world is based on, although it is probably quite obvious by now.
LE VILLE DE SONNER LES CLOCHES is based Disney's The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996). After one of my friends told me how "La Cité des Cloches" was not French for "The City of Bells", I used BING Translator to find out a correct translation. According to the translator, "ville" means "city". Through my discovery, I decided to rename the world accordingly.
In fact, "Le Ville de Sonner Les Cloches" is French for "The City of Ringing Bells". I've quadruple-checked it, so I assume it must be correct!

There are a few more things I'd like to say real quick:
(1.) Yes, I'm very well aware of how I had Launchpad McQuack become the "King of Fools" inside of Quasimodo.
(2.) Sora's reaction to the festival mirrors his reaction at the Seaside Festival in the Kingdom Hearts 2 Manga.
(3.) I certainly HOPE I've captured everyone's characters well enough for you. I had a little trouble picturing Phoebus's voice in my head, for instance.
(4.) I'm not a huge fan of this movie, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show how I pictured it appearing in the Kingdom Hearts universe. THAT'S why I included The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996) in my stories. Besides, I wanted to give the audience more of what it wanted in "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance".
(5.) Just so you know, This Chapter and the next few Chapters are part of the reason why I rated this story "T" instead of "K+".
(6.) I won't say whether or not Sora and his team will fight Frollo at the end of this world's story. It would be a spoiler. Just know, I have something that might surprise a lot of you.

I know I referenced "Tangled (2010)" in there several times. Well, I did include said world in "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams". I've been waiting a while to include "The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)" in THIS Story. Besides, those two movies aren't so different...

I'm out of things to say now.

So Then, I'll See You Next Time!
In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!

REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!

This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"