DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!
A/N: HELLO THERE! WELCOME BACK TO "KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT"! CHAPTER 18, THAT IS!
Before I allow you to move on ahead, I wanted to clarify a few things.
(1.) I am about to start school, so I won't be able to post Chapters so frequently. For those of you who read through "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams" as I wrote it, you probably know what I mean.
(2.) I made a "slight" change in the Wargoyle's appearance from Chapter 17. To see it, read on ahead!
(3.) Plus, I finally got the chance to see "Big Hero 6 (2014)" this past week. Now, I'm looking forward to it appearing in "Kingdom Hearts 3"!
(4.) I want to go over a few things about Sora's team to help you focus on their characters in This Story. I will do this again, later - in a Later Chapter!
SORA SKY HIKARI - Age 17. The Keyblade wielder credited with saving the worlds on more than one occasion. He is a little naïve, but still possesses a strong sense of justice. He is very protective of his sister, Amemi. Once again, Sora is determined to keep the worlds from permanently falling to Darkness.
AMEMI HIKARI - Age 14. Sora's younger sister. She wields a slingshot. She is typically happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time with her brother. She tries to encourage others to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed. She wishes to see other worlds and is excited about exploring the unknown. Sora calls her "Amy" for short.
DONALD DUCK - Age Unknown. The Royal Court Magician of Disney Castle. He means well, but can be greedy and a little self-centered. He is easily irritated by random stuff, which can cause conflict with Goofy and Launchpad. He fights with a magical wand. He has a very bad temper.
GOOFY - Age Unknown. The Captain of The Royal Knights of Disney Castle. He dislikes weapons and wields a shield. He is very clumsy and easily mispronounces words. Yet, he also notices things other miss. He can be smart and tends to reassure others.
LAUNCHPAD MCQUACK - Age Unknown. The Leader of The Disney Royal Air Force of Disney Castle. He is absent-minded and clumsy. He LOVES to crash things. Despite such setbacks, he cares about others and does his best to help.
With all that aside, I wanted to let you know something else.
THIS Particular Chapter is a DARK ONE! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! YOU WERE WARNED!
Now, YOU CAN GO ON READING! PLEASE ENJOY TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!
CHAPTER 18
The Corrupt Judge Frollo
The morning was calm and clear. The sky was a sparkling blue color. The smell of fresh food drifted from various buildings throughout the square. The chatter of various people walking about could be heard from all around. The air was still. It seemed nothing could spoil such a nice day. Most of the people in the area were busy taking down the maypoles, tents, and streamers from the festival yesterday.
Sora carefully walked away from the cathedral's open doorway. He stopped and looked back. Amemi was directly behind him. She took her time walking down the steps, making sure she didn't skip one. Sora waited as she caught up with him.
Amemi gazed around and spread out her arms. "What a lovely day," she smiled. "It reminds me of Summertime back home."
Sora nodded. "Yeah, except we don't have time to soak it all in."
Amemi glanced at her brother. "Why not?"
"We've got a job to do," the spikey-headed young man replied. "While Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad are kept busy with the gargoyles, we gotta find out what Pete and the Beagle Boys are up to."
Amemi paused for a moment. "Are you sure?" she asked. "How do you know they're causing trouble?" She froze a second later, realizing what she'd just said. "Never mind," she rapidly stated. "I remember you said Pete's aligned with someone named Maleficent. If I recall, 'Maleficent' does not mean something good. He must be evil. Right?"
Sora nodded. "Yeah! And we've gotta find out what he's up to."
"What about the Beagle Boys?" Amemi inquired. "Who are they?"
"Trouble," Sora explained. He thought back to when he'd dealt with the hooded trio in the Realm of Sleep. Those Beagle Boys had taken control of Princess Minnie's carriage after forcing him and his friends off it. Later, Sora himself had fought the villains inside the tower to rescue the princess, even if Goofy was the one who finished the job. After that, he recalled having to help a sandy-haired girl with a Keyblade take on Pete while Riku and Violet took care of the Beagle Boys. He wasn't sure what had become of them after that…
…Until now. He needed to inform his sister about how annoying those hooded criminals could be. "I saw them in the dreams. They were helping Pete kidnap someone and take over a world. At least they didn't get away."
"They could this time," Amemi pointed out. "You're right. We need to keep an eye on them." She glanced around the immediate area. "I also want to find out more about that man, Frollo."
Sora gave another nod. "We will," he said, spotting an armored carriage approaching a group of soldiers in the square. He quickly spotted a stack of wooden crates to his left and dashed over. He signaled for a surprised Amemi to follow. She did so.
"What's happening?" she asked in a rather loud voice.
Sora hastily put his hand over his sister's mouth. "Shh!"
He peeked out from behind the crates. Amemi did the same. The two could see the group of soldiers and the armored carriage. The leader of the group was Phoebus, captain of the town's guards. The carriage door opened. Even though they were a short distance away, Sora and Amemi could overhear everything coming from the carriage.
Phoebus saluted as he saw the door opening. "Morning, sir."
Out stepped none other than Judge Frollo. Pete and the Beagle Boys followed behind him. Frollo looked like he had a bit of a black eye. He rubbed it in irritation. Phoebus paid it no mind. "Your orders, sir?" he inquired.
Frollo's respond was quick and direct. "Find the gypsy girl and her associates!"
Sora stared in alarm. Amemi was a tad bit startled, but didn't speak. Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Sora's pocket; he was nearly speechless. "Sora," the cricket said. "What… what are we gonna do?"
Sora shrugged. That's when it suddenly dawned on him. He sighed deeper than ever before. What hadn't he listened to Donald's warning? "If only we hadn't meddled in this world… "
"Too late for that," Amemi spoke up. She pointed into the plaza. "Look."
The soldiers, Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys rushed to a nearby house. The soldiers broke down the door and charged inside. A few moments later, Pete walked in. A couple minutes passed before Pete and the soldiers exited the house with several people in chains. Frollo faced the prisoners and held out his hand. "Ten pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmeralda."
No one answered. Frollo's body started to give a strange glow and a thin cloud of Darkness appeared around it. "Lock them up!" he demanded in anger.
Pete relayed the order to the soldiers. The guards quickly obeyed. The prisoners were taken in the direction of a large castle-like building on the other side of the city.
Sora gulped. "That isn't good," he muttered.
"Stuff like this is never good," Amemi agreed.
It wasn't good — not in the least little bit. The two continued to watch as Pete summoned a group of flying Heartless with robotic wings and flight-caps; Air Soldiers. The Beagle Boys led the way down a road near the plaza and shoved a parked roofed wagon onto its side. The door popped open, allowing the Heartless to race inside and drag out several people. Fortunately, no one was injured. Frollo marched over and held out his hand a second time. "Twenty pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmeralda."
When no one gave an answer to the judge's query, he scowled and turned to where Phoebus was standing. "Take them away!"
Phoebus hurried over to do so. In the meantime, Sora and Amemi had taken extra caution as they had snuck away from the pile of wooden crates to a parked wagon loaded with hay. Not wanting to get into any trouble just yet, they remained hidden. From where they hid, they could hear everything the villains were saying. Frollo's voice was the next one they heard. "Let's head to the edge of town. I have evidence a family's been giving harbor to gypsies."
It wasn't long before Sora and Amemi could peek their heads out without the possibility of a Heartless spotting them. Frollo, Pete, the Beagle Boys, and Phoebus were heading down the street. In the distance was a large bridge. The Heartless and soldiers went with them.
Sora turned to his sister. "We'd better follow them."
Amemi nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "If you say we should, we will. You have more experience in this than me."
Sora had to grin. "Yeah."
Amemi smiled a little herself. The two rose from their hiding place and dashed down the street.
The bridge was a large stone structure built over the city's river. A pair of tall frames stood on either end of the structure to hold it up. To Sora, it seemed to resemble how he had learned some famous bridges looked, only made of stone instead of metal. Several stacks of crates were placed on the sides and festival supplies were laid out for the workers to put away.
As Sora and Amemi ran up the bridge's ramp, they heard a loud ROAR from above. The two came a sudden halt in their tracks and gazed straight up. They stared in alarm.
Soaring through the sky above was a gigantic creature that 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 dark-purple cheeks. The arms were dark shades of blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with red and navy-blue stripes that ended in a semicircular blade. The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front on some dark-purple, belt-like bands around its waist.
"Heartless!" Sora exclaimed in shock.
"A huge one!" Amemi declared. "Have you ever seen one this big?!"
"I've fought a dragon Heartless," Sora told his sister. He remembered how a member of Organization XIII had transformed one of the dragons in the Land of Dragons into a Heartless. He'd had a difficult time bringing down the enormous monster.
The humungous Heartless swooped around in a semi-circle to face the two. It reared its head back and jolted it forward. A large, glowing ball of something red flew from its mouth and headed directly for the two young people. Sora and Amemi ducked as the ball rushed by their heads. A loud explosion occurred from behind. They spun around to see a stack of crates had been set ablaze. Realizing the ball had been made of fire, they swung their eyes back to the Heartless.
"Look out!" Sora shouted as the Heartless launched several more fireballs at them. The first ball struck a circular tent on the edge of the bridge. The canvas instantly burst into flames. A second hit a small pile of rope and streamers. A third collided with some still-standing maypoles.
"We can't stay here!" Amemi yelled above the explosions the fireballs were making on impact. "It isn't safe!"
Sora grabbed his sister's arm and yanked her along. "Let's go!"
Amemi broke free from her brother's grip and ran by herself. The two started to dash down the bridge. As they hurried, the Heartless threw several more fireballs at them. The first ball landed on an overturned fruit cart in the middle of the bridge. To avoid the flames, Sora and Amemi grabbed some abandoned maypoles and pole-vaulted over the wreckage.
The Heartless tried setting a stack of metal barrels ablaze. The barrels glowed red, so Sora and his sister grabbed some dangling streamers and swung away. The barrels exploded a moment later. The vibration rocked the bridge, causing a chunk of the stone railing to break off and fall into the river below. When the Heartless saw the two were headed for the town's outskirts, it followed closely behind.
Sora and Amemi raced through the apparently-deserted streets to avoid being hit by the flying balls of fire. A nearby house was struck and the roof went up in flames. People came rushing out, screaming and yelling in panic. There wasn't time for the spikey-headed Keyblader and the sandy-headed girl to do anything about it. The Heartless was still chasing them.
They hurried around a corner and ended up straight in the middle of a horde of Air Soldier and Shadow Heartless. A few Large Bodies appeared and surrounded them all. Sora summoned his Keyblade and slashed his way through the monsters. Amemi pulled out her slingshot and shot a few Heartless aside. The creatures were knocked back and slammed into the ground so hard, they vanished from existence.
Less than five minutes passed before the Heartless group was gone and the giant creature above was chasing Sora and Amemi. An abandoned market stall was struck by a fireball. The two had to veer around it and take a path through an empty alley. They proceeded down a road that led beyond the town and into the distance.
The countryside looked calm and dry. No rain had fallen on the land for a few weeks. Pete glanced around the area and saw how the sky was starting to become a dark-grey color. It also looked a little black. That's when he realizing it was smoke — smoke from a fire. He gulped. He hated watching fires start!
He shifted his eyes to the building to his left. It was a small house beside a large windmill. The blades of the windmill were so long, they seemed to almost touch the thatched roof of the house. He knew Frollo and Phoebus were inside. He was with the Beagle Boys; they were assigned to guard the area with the Heartless. A crowd of people had wandered over to watch.
"The miller," one person declared. "He's never harmed anyone!"
"Frollo's gone mad!" another added.
Pete shrugged and walked towards the doorway. Even from seven feet away, he could hear everything going on inside.
"We found this gypsy talisman on your property," Frollo's voice said. "Have you been harboring gypsies?"
"Our home is always open to the weary traveler," the miller said. "Have mercy, my lord."
"I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true, you are innocent and you have nothing to fear."
"But we are innocent, I assure you! We know nothing of these gypsies!"
Frollo and Phoebus walked outside. The former closed the door and grabbed a lance from one of the Heartless guards. He used the lance to barricade the door. The judge then turned to Phoebus. "Burn it," he ordered.
Phoebus was shocked. "What?!"
One of the Heartless handed Frollo a torch. "Until it smolders," Frollo explained. "These people are traitors and must be made examples of."
Phoebus took the torch. He was scowling at Frollo. "With all due respect sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent."
"But you were trained to follow orders."
Phoebus strolled up to a nearby barrel of water. He reached the torch over it and opened his hand. The torch dropped into the water and was extinguished. Pete was shocked to see the captain of the guard disobeying Frollo's orders. Whose side was he on? Theirs? Or Sora's?
"Insolent coward," Frollo murmured under his breath. He snatched another torch from one of the Beagle Boys. He was starting to reach it up to the house's roof when Phoebus drew his sword and pointed it at the judge. Frollo snorted at him. "Stand aside, Captain Phoebus."
"I will not!" Phoebus snapped. "What have these people done wrong?!"
Frollo was both fearless and unimpressed. "I told you, I have proof this family gave harbor to gypsies."
"That is not a crime," Phoebus argued.
"I can think of few crimes that are greater," Frollo paused for a moment of two. He frowned at the golden-armored soldier. "I'm beginning to question summoning you back from the wars, Captain Phoebus."
Phoebus stood his ground. Pete watched with concern. Hopefully there wouldn't be any actual violence. True, he had tried to turn others into Heartless, conquer entire worlds, and fought Sora, Donald, and Goofy directly, but… he had always dreaded what it would be like to actually succeed. Maybe he did have a debt to pay to Maleficent. That didn't mean he liked doing it. There was a difference.
Before anyone could move, a deafening ROAR filled the air. Everyone swerved their eyes to the sky further down the road. Several of the spectators screamed. The Beagle Boys were puzzled. Pete was shocked at what he saw. "What the Sam Hill?!" he exclaimed.
There was the Wargoyle Heartless. What had grabbed the large cat's attention was that the creature had somehow managed to change its color scheme. Rushing down the road behind it was Sora and his sister. Pete groaned in annoyance when he saw them.
The Heartless stopped before a large windmill. Sora and Amemi came to a screeching halt when they saw Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys standing outside the building. They also saw Phoebus standing before Frollo with his sword drawn.
"You're behind this?!" Sora exclaimed. He hastily summoned his Keyblade. Amemi pulled out her slingshot. They glared at the evildoers.
Pete looked a little hysterical. "It wasn't me!" he declared to the two. He pointed at Frollo. "It's his minion!"
Sora and Amemi raced past the large cat at the Beagle Boys to the windmill. They stopped before the judge and Phoebus. Phoebus was shocked at the sight of the enormous Heartless hovering above. "What demon is this?!" he declared.
Frollo shook his head. "Oh, you are mistaken, Captain Phoebus," he explained. "This is no demon. This is righteous judgement. I have been granted this power so that I may smite all gypsies now and forever."
As the judge spoke, a cloud of Darkness formed around his body. Sora noticed it was thicker than before. He glared at the villain.
Phoebus's scowl swiftly transitioned into a glare. "This is all wrong!" he barked. "You cannot persecute innocent people!"
Sora saw the blond-haired man through his peripheral vision. The two were standing side-by-side before the small house beside the windmill. Amemi was standing to his left. "You can't reason with him!" Sora declared to Phoebus. "He's working with Maleficent and Pete! They're going to use the Heartless to take over this world!"
Frollo scowled at Sora. "How dare you! I am a virtuous man. Good and evil shall be made plain — once the gypsies face the fires of judgement."
The judge shifted his eyes away from the glaring seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder, his sandy-haired sister, and Phoebus. He gazed at the Heartless hovering directly above the windmill. The creature continued to flap its huge, colorful wings to avoid being struck by the windmill's long blades.
Frollo pointed at the building. "Burn that house down."
The Heartless rose higher into the air. It spun around in a circle, causing a series of small fireballs to come raining down. The flaming spheres landed onto the windmill and the house's roof. Within seconds, the entire building was ablaze. Frollo stepped back a few feet. Pete turned and fled behind the frightened Beagle Boys. Sora grabbed Amemi's arm and pulled her away as one of the windmill's blades came crashing down. Phoebus barely rolled aside when the blade landed in front of the house's doorway.
"Man!" Sora exclaimed. "That was close!"
Shouts and screams came from within the burning building. Now the brown, spikey-headed youth's eyes were filled with alarm. "We've got to do something!"
"Yikes!" Amemi declared. She broke free from her brother's grip and rushed over to the house.
"Amy!" Sora shouted. "Wait!"
It all happened super-rapidly. Phoebus dove through a window in the house's wall. Amemi leapt in after him. A couple moments after, the door burst open. Phoebus and Amemi rushed out, each with a young child in their arms. The miller and his wife ran out behind. A moment later, the roof caved in; the house crumpled into a pile of burning ashes. Part of one of the windmill's remaining blades broke off and landed into the mess.
Sora hurried over. Amemi and Phoebus handed the kids back to their parents. The family walked away, relieved to have survived. Phoebus and Amemi smiled. Before Sora could reach his sister, the Beagle Boys shoved Phoebus onto the ground and Pete grabbed Amemi. Sora was appalled. "Oh no!"
"The sentence for insubordination is death," Frollo declared to the now-captive Phoebus. "Such a pity! You threw away a promising career."
"Consider it my highest honor," Phoebus stated in a firm voice. The Beagle Boys held the man down while a Neoshadow Heartless approached. The Heartless reached for the blond-haired man's chest.
"Look out!" Sora shouted as he rushed over in a hurry. No way was he about to watch someone lose their heart to a Heartless! Especially not someone who'd just committed an act of bravery and selflessness!
When some more Neoshadows blocked his way, the brown-haired young man leaned back and threw his Keyblade. The weapon flew through the air and struck the Neoshadow about to attack Phoebus. The Keyblade then rick-rocketed around and collided with all the Beagle Boys. Phoebus broke free and took off down the road in a sprint. At the same time, Amemi bit down on Pete's large hand. The villain howled in pain as she kicked his leg. He released her, allowing the sandy-haired girl to dash over to Sora. The two now turned their attention to the Beagle Boys.
"You won't get away with this!" Sora snapped.
The Beagle Boys all gave sinister chuckles. Sora rushed forwards and sliced his Keyblade clear through one of the villains. One of the taller Beagle Boys fell to the ground, stunned. The other two suddenly charged at the young man from two different directions. Sora saw he was being attacked from both sides and spun his weapon in a circle. He knocked one Beagle Boy back, but the other kept on coming.
"Wind!" he yelled. Sora whirled his Keyblade in a circle. A strong wind picked up and scooped up the last remaining Beagle Boy. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and smiled. He almost didn't see the other two Beagle Boys rising to their feet from the ground.
Before Sora could realize what was going on, Amemi pointed her slingshot at the villains and hit them both in the face. "Yes!" she cheered with excitement.
The whirlwind returned and picked up the other two Beagle Boys. Now all three of them were blowing around and around in a speedy column of moving air. Their shouts could be heard as the whirlwind passed Sora and Amemi and headed for Pete. The large cat-man spun around and started to flee. He wasn't fast enough and got sucked in, too.
"We did it!" Sora cheered.
"Hooray!" Amemi cheered in turn.
Frollo was outraged. Everything was going against his plan. That traitorous Phoebus was on the run. The Beagle Boys and Pete were spinning around in a column of air. The gypsy, Esmeralda, was still out there somewhere, and he needed to find her. Except Sora and his sister were interfering every step of the way.
He needed to take action. He gazed at Phoebus. Then at the Wargoyle Heartless high above the burning windmill. "Get the traitor, Phoebus," he ordered.
The Heartless immediately soared lower and swooped at the fleeing blond-haired man. Phoebus was rushing down a long, stone bridge over a deep crevice. Down below was a smooth stream. The creature reared its right fist back and launched it forwards. Phoebus was struck in the back with such force, he flew over the bridge and landed in the stream.
At that moment, Frollo also saw Pete and the Beagle Boys returning from the muddy field where the whirlwind had left them. Sora and Amemi were nowhere in sight. He grinned with so much Darkness, his face seemed to glow a dark shade of purple.
Sora and Amemi were rushing down the incline. Down below was the stream where they'd seen Phoebus land. They reached the edge of the stream and waited when they saw a bunch of soldiers up above shooting arrows into the water. Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys arrived shortly after. Up above them, the giant Heartless could be seen.
"Don't waste your arrows," Frollo ordered. "Let the traitor rot in his watery grave! Find the girl! If you have to burn the city to the ground, so be it!"
Sora almost thought he could hear Pete gulping. If that was the case, perhaps Frollo's Darkness was greater than he had anticipated. The corrupt judge… if he could make Pete feel nervous, who knew what else he was capable of? Sora didn't want to think about it. It was too terrible!
The villains and soldiers headed down the bridge back to the city. The enormous Heartless followed along behind. Once they had left, Sora and Amemi charged into the stream. Before they could dive under, a raven-haired woman emerged with an unconscious Phoebus. The man's armor was gone.
"Esmeralda!" Amemi realized. "I'm happy you're alright."
"Yeah," Sora nodded. He glanced back up. "But we'd better get you two to a safe place. Let's go to Notré Dame. Who knows how much worse Frollo's Darkness is gonna get?"
The sight was something Sora could never have imagined. He'd never seen anything like this. Even when he returned to the city with Amemi, Esmeralda, and the unconscious Phoebus, he was shocked silent at what he saw. Several buildings were up in flames. Screams and shouts echoed down the streets. The sky, which should have been filled with sunshine, was blotted out by a thick blanket of black smoke. The bells of the Notré Dame cathedral were ringing out an alarm.
Sora could not believe what he was seeing. He wanted to be a nightmare, one he could wake up from. It wasn't a dream. This was real, and it was terrible! It almost felt like a horror movie come true. Of course, that might have been a little exaggerated… or was it?
He continued to lead the others through the streets. Red glows from the distant fires could be seen. At one particular intersection, they had to hide when Frollo and Pete marched into the middle of the road.
"Come on, give it up," Pete said. "We've looked all over. That girl ain't in this city."
Frollo was furious. "I had the entire cathedral surrounded," he thought softly to himself. "Guards at every door. There was no way she could have escaped, unless… "
Sora noticed how the judge was looking straight at the cathedral. He wondered how Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were holding up. With Quasimodo, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne with them, who knows what kinds of trouble they might've gotten themselves into?
The bell tower was dark. The smoke drifting through the sky was plenty to blot out the late-afternoon sun. Donald could barely see the cards in his hands. Beside him was his partner, Hugo. On the other side of the wooden table were Goofy, Launchpad, and a pigeon. In between were a bunch of colored chips.
Nearby, Victor and Laverne were at the railing. They continued to gaze into the city below. The flames from the scattered fires could be seen glowing in the distance. Shouts and screams echoed about. The bells continued to ring out a warning.
"Oh," Laverne sighed in discouragement. "It doesn't look good."
"It's hopeless," Victor added. "Absolutely hopeless."
"You're telling me," Hugo snorted. He threw his cards down on the table. "I'm losing to a bird!"
"Yeah!" Donald seconded.
"Oh, that poor gypsy girl," Victor wept. "I'm beginning to fear the worst."
"I know," Laverne said. "But, now, don't you say anything to upset Quasimodo. He's worried enough already."
"Yeah," Goofy added, rising from the table. "We wouldn't wanna hurt his feelings. Right?"
"Yeah, you're right," Hugo agreed. He hopped over to the railing. "We'd better lighten up."
Victor glanced towards the platform where Quasimodo had just stopped ringing the bells. The young man started for the group. "Shh! Here he comes!"
"Now just stay calm," Laverne stated.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Launchpad spoke up. "I'm always calm!"
Quasimodo strode from the shadows and stopped at the railing. "Any sign of them?" he asked.
Donald noticed how Victor looked like he was about to burst out in tears. His assumption was proven correct when the gargoyle cried out, "Oh, it's a lost cause! She could be anywhere! In the stocks, in the dungeon, on the rack!"
Laverne crossed her arms. "Nice going, Victor."
"No, he's right," Quasimodo spoke up. "What are we going to do?"
Silence followed for a few minutes. Donald started to pace the floor. Goofy began tapping his foot. Launchpad reclined in his seat and fell onto the floor. "Heh, heh," he chuckled. "I meant to do that."
"What can we do?" Donald finally inquired.
"What are you guys talking about?" Hugo said. Everyone spun their attention to the large gargoyle. "If I know Esmeralda, she's three steps ahead of Frollo, and well out of harm's way!"
Quasimodo seemed to give a hint of a grin. "Do you really think so?"
"Hey, when things cool off, she'll be back," Hugo went on. "You'll see."
"Yeah," Goofy approved. "And Sora and Amemi are probably with her, too."
Now Quasimodo looked unconvinced. "What makes you so sure?"
"She likes you," Donald laughed. "Just like Sora likes Kairi. He'll never admit he's got a girlfriend."
"'Girlfriend'?" a startled Quasimodo exclaimed. "She's not my girlfri—!"
"Come on," Laverne interrupted. "We always said you were the cute one, Quasi."
Hugo was puzzled. "I thought I was the cute one."
"No," Laverne snapped. "You're the fat, stupid one with the big mouth!"
Hugo was more perplexed than before. "What are you saying, exactly?"
"Nothing," Launchpad said. "There's nothing to worry about. Everything's the same."
Everyone stared at the duck-pilot. Launchpad gave a shy grin. "I don't remember what I said… "
"Take it from us, Quasi," Laverne told the bell ringer. "You've got nothing to worry about."
"Yeah," Hugo agreed. "You're irresistible."
"Knights in shining armor certainly aren't her type," Victor added.
"And those guys are a dime a dozen," Hugo explained to Quasimodo. "But you? You're one of a kind."
Quasimodo smiled at the others around him. "Thanks everyone. I-I really appreciate everything you've said."
"Quasi?" a voice called out from down below. "Quasimodo?"
"Hey, Quasi!" a second shouted. "Where are you?"
"Is anyone here?" a third called.
Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Quasimodo swung their eyes towards the entrance to the bell tower. Hugo, Victor, and Laverne all transformed back into gargoyle statues. Standing at the bottom of the steps leading to Quasimodo's room was Sora, Amemi, and Esmeralda. Amemi and Sora were carrying an unconscious, blond-haired man dressed in white clothes.
Quasimodo's face lit up with delight. "Esmeralda! You're all right! I knew you'd come back."
He raced down the steps to greet her. Donald and Goofy waved down to Sora and his sister. The two waved back. "Where've ya been, Sora?" Goofy called down.
"I'll tell ya later!" Sora replied. "Right now, we've got a problem."
"What problem?" Donald asked.
Sora pointed to the man. Donald and Goofy nodded, indicating they understood. Nearby, Quasimodo smiled brightly at Esmeralda. The young woman smiled back. "You've done so much for me already, my friend," she said. "But I must ask for your help one more time."
"Yes," Quasimodo quickly agreed. "Anything."
Esmeralda gestured to the man Sora and Amemi were holding. "This is Phoebus," she informed the bell ringer. "He's wounded, and a fugitive like me. He can't go on much longer. I knew he'd be safe here. Please, can you hide him?"
Quasimodo gave a nod. "This way."
He led Esmeralda, Sora, and Amemi up the steps to a bedroll behind some wooden framework. Amemi and her brother gently set the man down on the roll. Goofy walked over and took a closer look. "Say, he looks kinda like that there Phoebus feller."
"It is Phoebus," Donald stated, immediately recognizing the man. He crossed his arms and frowned as he spoke.
Esmeralda knelt down to tend to the injury on the blond-headed man's chest. Phoebus's eyes started opening. Sora and Amemi stepped back. Sora noticed Quasimodo standing behind a wooden column. Launchpad was seated in a stool beside the wooden table with the model town. Donald and Goofy were beside the bedroll, watching.
Phoebus moaned as he came to. He looked straight up into the raven-haired woman's emerald eyes. "Esmeralda?" he asked.
Esmeralda put her finger to his mouth. "Shh. You'll hide here until you're strong enough to move."
"That shouldn't take too long," Amemi said. "Right?"
Esmeralda nodded. "That family owes you their lives," she told Phoebus. "You're either the single bravest soldier I've ever seen, or the craziest."
"Ex-soldier, remember?" Phoebus corrected. He sighed. "Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?"
"You're lucky. That arrow almost pierced your heart."
Phoebus smiled. "I'm not so sure it didn't."
Esmeralda stopped what she was doing to gaze into the man's eyes. She smiled. Sora grinned, Amemi folded her arms and smiled. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all covered their eyes. The raven-headed woman bent lower. Her lips met Phoebus's.
Sora had to stay grinning. At least this wasn't a thing like what had happened with him and Kairi. He heard a soft sobbing coming from his right. He looked in said direction and saw Quasimodo behind the wooden column. The young man was leaning against the column, tears flowing from his eyes. He opened his right hand and held up a small card with the Ace of Hearts. He ripped the card in half. The pieces slowly drifted to the floor.
Sora sighed deeply. He could sense the troubled state Quasimodo was now in. The young man had wanted to be with Esmeralda. Why not? She was the first person (from this world) who had treated him like a True Friend. Instead, she had fallen in love with Phoebus. He had the feeling this turn-of-events would cause Quasimodo's heart to place more walls around itself.
"His heart's still a prison," Sora murmured under his breath. He knew it might take a long time for Quasimodo to break free from the prison he'd placed himself in… which wasn't going to be easy thanks to everything Frollo had told him.
Launchpad reopened his eyes and looked out over the railing. The sky was darker and the stars were starting to show. The fires had burning down, allowing the cool of night to sweep into the bell tower. The pilot looked straight down. "Hey guys," he said to the others. "We've got some tall, dark man coming!"
In a state of surprise and hurry, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Esmeralda, and Quasimodo all rushed to the railing. Down below, they could see the tall figure of none other than Judge Frollo approaching the cathedral's entrance. His carriage was parked outside with Pete and the Beagle Boys gathered around it.
Quasimodo hurried down the steps with Esmeralda. "Frollo's coming." he told her. "You must leave. Quick! Go down the south tower steps."
Esmeralda stopped at the doorway. She turned back to face Quasimodo. "Be careful, my friend. Promise me you won't let anything happen to him."
Quasimodo sighed. "I promise."
Esmeralda smiled. "Thank you."
Without another word, the raven-haired woman dashed out the door and to the south bell tower. Quasimodo watched her leave. Sora and his team peered down to him from above. "Quasi!" Sora yelled. "Hurry! We've gotta hide Phoebus before Frollo gets here!"
Quasimodo was up the steps in a hurry. Amemi held Phoebus's legs while Sora and Quasimodo grabbed his arms. They started to carry him away from the bedroll. In the meantime, the sounds of Frollo's footsteps grew louder and louder. "What'll we do?!" Donald exclaimed.
In the time it would've taken for Sora to blink his eyes twice, Goofy grabbed Donald and jumped onto a horizontal beam. He spun around the beam and flew onto an elevated platform. Launchpad saw what the knight had done and grinned. "Just like Ol' Prince Greydrake!" he chuckled.
He leapt into the air and grabbed the beam. He swung around and around before letting go. He flipped through air before landing onto the platform — on his face. Donald and Goofy rapidly helped him up. "Piece o' cake," a dazed Launchpad remarked.
Sora shook his head as he assisted Quasimodo and Amemi in shoving Phoebus underneath the wooden table with the model town. Amemi threw the tablecloth over, knocking a couple buildings and people onto their sides. Once Phoebus was completely underneath, Amemi ran to the beam and jumped. She grabbed it and flipped onto the platform like a circus performer.
Being the last one to go, Sora summoned his Keyblade. He charged at the beam and leapt really high. His Keyblade got caught on the beam and sent him spinning round and round the beam like a pinwheel. The speed was so fast, Sora felt his cheeks flapping a little. He yanked onto his Keyblade, causing the weapon to get dislodged. He spiraled through the air and landed onto the platform, feet first. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and let his Keyblade disappear. He smiled. The others shook their heads. When they heard the footsteps coming from directly below, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi knelt down and crawled to the edge of the platform. From here, they could see everything going on below.
Quasimodo was moving very rapidly. He wanted it appear nothing had just taken place. He threw the tablecloth back into place and started returning the model buildings and people to their proper places and positions. He glanced behind him when the footsteps grew extra loud. There was his Master, Frollo.
"Oh!" Quasimodo declared, taken a little by surprise. "Master! I-I-I didn't think you'd be coming."
"I'm never too busy to share a meal with you, dear boy," Frollo responded. He was holding a small basket covered by a red-and-blue cloth. "I brought a little treat."
He sat down at the table.
"What 'treat'?" Donald whispered.
Goofy and Launchpad blocked the magician's mouth. Sora glanced at them before returning to watch the scene below.
Frollo gazed at Quasimodo. The latter had taken his seat. When the judge cleared his thought, Quasimodo's eyes lit up. He'd forgotten to set the table! He leapt off his seat and dashed to the nearby shelves. He grabbed a pair of cups and plates. He moved so quickly, he accidentally knocked a bowl off balance. The bowl fell and crushed a plate on the shelf below. He grabbed the two plates and cups and rushed back to the table.
Frollo looked at the young man with curiosity. "Is there something troubling you, Quasimodo?"
Quasimodo hastily shook his head. "No… no!"
"Oh, but there is. I know there is."
Frollo gave a sinister grin. He pulled a vine of grapes out from the basket and placed them on Quasimodo's plate. He scooped out a second vine and was about to place it on his place when a grape broke off. The grape bounced off the table and landed onto the floor.
Quasimodo gave a silent gulp and reached down to grab the grape. He glanced underneath at the unconscious Phoebus. Then at Frollo. He carefully reached lower and picked up the grape.
"That was close," Launchpad muttered softly.
Donald put a finger to his face. "Shh!"
Frollo was looking more suspicious. "I think… you're hiding something."
Quasimodo quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, Master. There's nothing—"
"You're not eating, boy," Frollo indicated.
Quasimodo stuffed his mouth full of grapes from his vine. "It's very good," he mumbled with a full mouth. "Thank you."
A soft moan came from beneath the table. Quasimodo did the same with a smile. When a loud sigh filled the air, Quasimodo coughed violently. He grinned at his Master. "Seeds."
"Grapes don't have seeds," Goofy whispered.
Donald shoved a Christmas stocking into the knight's mouth. "Shh!"
Sora gazed at the two. "Please," he shushed. "Stop making so much noise. Frollo's gonna hear us."
Frollo raised an eyebrow. Quasimodo looked worried. The former glanced over the model town. "What's different in here?"
Quasimodo gulped. "Nothing, sir."
Frollo's eyes landed upon the figurine of Esmeralda. "Isn't this one new?" he picked up the figure. "It's awfully good. Looks very much like the… gypsy girl… "
Quasimodo's eyes grew with fright. Frollo must have noticed this. "I know," he said before glaring. He voice rose. "You helped her escape! And now, all Paris is burning because of you!"
Quasimodo was shaking. "She was kind to me, Master."
Frollo was outraged. He shoved the model town's buildings onto the floor. The table's candle was toppled. His glare turned into a snarl. A thin cloud of Darkness erupted from the man's body. "You idiot! That was not kindness — that was cunning! She's a gypsy!" he hollered in anger. He grabbed a frightened Quasimodo by his shirt collar. "Gypsies are not capable of real love! Think, boy! Think of your mother!"
Quasimodo was still shaking with fear. Frollo's snarl gradually faded and he regained his calm state. "But what chance could a poor, misshapen child like you have against her heathen treachery?" he said. "Well, never you mind, Quasimodo. She will be out of our lives soon enough. I will free you from her evil spell. She will torment you no longer."
As he spoke, Frollo pulled out a small dagger and stuck it into the figurine of Esmeralda. He placed the figure into the toppled candle's flame and set it on fire. He then twitched his hand back, sending the blazing figurine across the room onto the floor. Quasimodo watched it before turning his eyes back to his Master. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Frollo put the dagger away and headed for the exit steps. "I know where her hideout is. Tomorrow, at dawn, I attack with a thousand soldiers."
The judge strode away. Quasimodo looked down in dismay. One-by-one, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all swung down to the floor. As they approached Quasimodo, Sora opened his mouth. "Quasi, are you alri—?"
A loud gasp for breath drew their attention to the table. The knocked over buildings and figurines of the model town lay strewn about on the floor. The tablecloth was shoved aside as the candle went out. Phoebus clambered out from underneath. "We have to find the Court of Miracles — before daybreak," he told the group.
Goofy looked confused. "The 'Court of Miracles'?"
"The gypsies' safe haven within this city," Phoebus clarified. "Esmeralda and her friends are in danger. We have to find them and warn them before Frollo gets there."
"Yeah!" Sora declared. He gently punched the left side of his chest. "Let's go!"
Donald and Goofy nodded at the brown-haired young man. When he saw this, Launchpad speedily did the same. Amemi turned to Quasimodo. "Are you coming?"
Quasimodo looked away. "I can't."
"I thought you were Esmeralda's friend," Phoebus spoke up.
"Frollo's my Master," Quasimodo argued. "I can't disobey him again."
"She stood up for you," Phoebus stated. "You've got a funny way of showing gratitude."
Quasimodo turned away. Phoebus turned for the steps leading out. "Well, I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people," he said. He started to walk out. He paused for a moment, looking back at the bell ringer. "You do what you think is right."
Without another word, Phoebus turned and left. Sora and his friends watched him leave. Then they turned their eyes back to Quasimodo. The young man was on his feet, leaning against the wall. He appeared to be sulking.
"Quasi?" Sora started to say. "Are you just giving up?"
Quasimodo turned his eyes to the eager group. "Look," he grumbled in irritation. "What am I supposed to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death, and the whole town will cheer like I'm some sort of hero?!"
Donald and Goofy glanced at each other. The duck rapidly turned away. Sora shook his head. "That's not what I meant."
Quasimodo returned to pouting. Amemi stepped closer. "I can tell you're upset," she calmly told him. "No one can force you to decide, but I don't think Phoebus can rescue Esmeralda all on his own."
Quasimodo shook his head. "She already has her knight in shining armor, and it's not me," he sighed deeply. He gazed down at the floor. "Frollo was right. Frollo was right about everything. I'm tired of trying to be something I'm not."
Amemi nodded. "I understand. You should do what you believe is the right thing. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions like this."
Sora nodded. "She's right. Frollo's not the only thing holding you back, Quasimodo. Ask your heart — see if it has an answer."
With that, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started for the exit. Amemi was directly behind him. Donald followed her; he was followed quickly by Goofy. Launchpad gave chase as the group headed out of the bell tower.
After they had left, Quasimodo gazed at the smoldering remains of the Esmeralda figurine. He deeply sighed.
What should he do?
A/N: WHAT WILL QUASIMODO DO? THAT'S THE CLIFF-HANGAR FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!
So, let's go back over a few things. Okay?
(1.) I sincerely HOPE you enjoyed the sequence with the Wargoyle Heartless! I spent a little while trying to picture that part. Fortunately, the KH soundtracks came in handy.
(2.) By the way, have you ever seen a Heartless transform its color scheme? That was something I wanted to use in there.
(3.) I know, I made Pete seem a little cowardly in there. That's actually the way I view his character. Pete really IS a part-time coward!
(4.) I believe the second half of This Chapter is self-explanatory. I shouldn't have to go over THAT/THOSE part(s)!
Well not, seeing as School/Classes is/are about to start, it may be a little while before I post Chapter 19. Do not worry! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF QUITTING THIS STORY ANYTIME SOON! UNLESS NO ONE READS/REVIEWS, I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE UNTIL THIS STORY IS COMPLETE!
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!"